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Candelaria And Marquez

18-11-2007, 19:08

(Links, naturally, are broken. But wadda you care anyway? Snooping around here like you own the place...)

The Candelaria And Marquez Soccer Championship (the CMSC (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/CMSC)) returns for its twenty-sixth edition.

The basic league structure remains the same following last term’s changes to reflect the C&M national team’s involvement in the international game. A notable change has been the vastly increased funding to the league by the Ministry for Sport, to encourage clubs to sign up to three foreign players. There are now more than twenty such in the league, a presence that has caused certain rumblings of discontent among the lower paid Candelariasian natives. With the focus on foreign talent; few clubs have been unwilling to negotiate deals with their fellow top-flight teams, meaning that many squads remain at their most settled for years. Even the usual managerial merry-go-round has been conspicuous by its absence.

Otherwise, the only noteworthy addition is the presence of Kura-Pellandi TV cameras at grounds; CMSC highlights and a smattering of live games now being available on NTV Sport.

CMSC XXVI Preview:

Albrecht FC (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Albrecht FC): The blood-red Scorpions have once again firmly established themselves as the league’s elite club. Forget the days of old, in the former amateur leagues or the National Foot-Ball League of the forties to seventies: with five league titles in the last six years, the Millerman Sheppard Stadium outfit will always start as competition favourites.

Yet their domination has been far from easy as it may appear at first glance. They took the title two years ago only on goal difference, which helped herald the move of manager Lloyd Donnelly to the C&M national Under-21 team. Five games in to his tenure as boss, inexperienced new coach Trevor Organ was given the dreaded vote of confidence, and the capital club’s season looked set to go down the swanny. Somehow, Organ pulled it together to give Albrecht another title by five points.

Questions must remain about his team however: Albrecht FC may be the bookies’ favourites once more put on paper there are major issues. Principally among them is how much the loss of legendary goalscorer Steven Fritz will cost them. The new pairing up front is of Zwangzug international Peter Vanderpent and 2nd Di Bradini Cup star Joe Cunningham; but the Candelariasian is just nineteen. The quality of Vanderpent is undeniable, and will provide much needed experience and intelligence to a young side, and his young strike partner.

The defence, on the face of it, cannot be questioned though they conceded simply too many sloppy goals last year. C&M internationals Sam Young and Benji Fu, and Ariddian right-back Naoki Tonnelier have been joined by Francois St. Louis of Kelssek, but they may have to work hard to protect young Murphy Matthews in goal. Tonnelier and St. Louis will also be expected to get forward, with a creative but deep midfield two of Matteo Corradini and Rudy Clark. Twenty-year-olds Ben Edwards and Beck Ragab work the flanks.

Green Island Zapata (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Zapata#Football): The black-kitted Negroes (what yeh gonna do, it’s a backward little place) stunned C&M football by finishing second in the league in their first season since gaining promotion. The Marlow Park outfit were title challengers from the off, with Hane Davies rightfully becoming Manager of the Year after taking the CMS Cup as well.

However, most pundits agree that they are likely to suffer from a nasty case of second-season syndrome. Every coach and team will be all-too aware of how they play, and the attempts by every holding midfielder in the league to shut down Valanoran Roger Zetaback will represent one of the most interesting clashes of XXVI.

In striker Stuart Vidakovic, midfielder lynchpin Ben Head and young defender (and C&M Under-21 captain) Ben Young; they possess mainstays of future C&M national teams, but much of the rest of their squad looks weak. Martin Petit enjoyed a season-and-a-half in goal but may be found out this year, while young Brayton Desideri will struggle to replace departed captain Reuben Kitchen at left-back. The only newcomer from outside the club is Seb Cerullei from Caires Sports, who will compete with aging local boy Jack Moore for the left midfield berth.

Albrecht Turkish (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Albrecht Turkish): The only other side to keep up a realistic title challenge until the last few matches; the red-and-white-striped Millermen of the MSS look a very hard team to pick this time around.

Kris Healy has been forced to shake-up his side somewhat, with several players having clearly passed their best. It still looks an elderly team in places, with right-back Damien Sono and midfield dynamo Speed Wang deemed surplus-to-requirements for C&M at age thirty-three. More to the point; last year’s hero Ollie Landolfi has reached the grand old age of thirty-five, and will rely very heavily indeed on his Zwangzugian strike partner (or replacement?) Gary Maini.

Another couple of 2nd Di Bradini Cup players, central defender Steven Williams and left-winger Rueben Kennedy, are likely to get spots in the first team; but the only other totally new signing is Evan Laurie from Caires FC, who joins Williams at the back.

Radyukevich (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Clotaire#Radyukevich): Dark horses? Hardly. The lilac Jukos may have been fortunate to finish as high as fourth after a late run, but Finlay Endee will be expected to make a realistic attempt at bringing the title to the Hilltop Stadium.

At the time of writing they are one of just three clubs to meet their three-foreign-player transfer limit, having almost completely ripped-up their formerly fragile and aging defence. Now, goalkeeper Gari Kilad comes in from Uiri, Sorthern Northandish youngster Min Cho-Hi takes the left-back role and Steve Hurston is part of the growing Kura-Pellandi contingent. His new partner Damien Waterman is the only mainstay, with pacey teenager Hugo Krtsev promoted to the side from the Under-21s.

Indeed, it’s a new-look side pretty much all round, with Matthew Sellami and James Burridge now more-or-less guaranteed their places on the flanks, and Rául Vélez having left the country with Jamie Rawlinson from Cathedral City his slightly underwhelming replacement. The pressure on Rusty Katic, now in the full C&M squad, to score goals, and Giles Harpas behind him to create them may be relaxed slightly be the arrival from Melin & Nader of elegant holding star Dean Wilson.

Castillo FC (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Castillo#Football): The red-and-black gigantes impressed once more with a solid season but coach Jacob Wilson may, ludicrously, find himself under pressure this time around.

The Estadio de Movilla del Candelarias Online outfit have made a number of changes, but few have the Hispanic tinge needed to satisfy neither Castillo’s fans nor benefactor Luis Gerardo Movilla. And of those signings, midfield thing Peter Vaughan[/i] of Melin & Nader and right-back [b]Geoff Uzoma from the MarquezOW bench hardly quicken the pulse. Twenty-year-old youth team product Felix Currey will face a baptism of fire indeed in goal, with little support brought in for injury-prone defenders Roman Watts and Frank Merino, while Di Bradini Cup star-of-sorts, Carroll Eriksson slots awkwardly into the right of midfield.

Two former – but still young – C&M players, left-winger Joey Pipes and striker Rex Sandstrom can be counted upon to get the goals, but youngster Leonard Pinto up front is a brave, and possibly foolhardy, punt. Don’t expect the three-times-champions to put up any fight in XXVI.

Abiodun North (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Abiodun#Abiodun North): The Storming Normans provided the Surefit Shoes Arena with something to shout about last year, as North looked set to keep up a most unlikely title challenge that would have matched the recent achievements of their wealthier neighbours, Gamboa.

Though Andy Le Lan’s team ultimately fell to sixth in the final table, many pundits believe their squad, though little augmented, will be strong enough to provide another top-half finish. In terms of out-and-out ability; their defence is sub-par but their sheer determination raised them above the mediocre last term and could yet do so again. With Oran Mejía retained in goal, and a back four of Tom Emmett, Pete Kimber, Shane Wojciechowski and young Mark Whitbread; they have a rear guard who have discarded traditional Candelariasian notions of ‘passion’ as ‘putting your foot in’ in favour of genuine spirit and tenacity.

What will make or break their season however is of course the front line, and the challenge to gel veteran striker Henry Young with Sargento Castelão of Cafundéu. No less crucially, the three behind them look to have been completely ripped-up with teen William Rose likely to take a starting position, Eazalden Ernebrink joining on the right from the shattered Melin & Nader side and another youngster, the unheralded Rian Bishop pushing Jonathan Norman for the right midfield berth.

Port of Clotaire FC (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Clotaire#Port of Clotaire): The Harpies of Harper Street may find this year a tough one, having made their name as the most entertainingly dull squad in the league.

Niko Mason has added versatile defender Ben George from the much-raided Caires Sports and the similarly allroundish Kenan Orlovic from Mayo Valley, though the headline signing is defender Natalie Instonenext, one of now three female players in the league. Alongside solid-as-a-rock goalie Christopher Harvey, they have a defence to fear but their attack looks flatter. One of Ryan Gnom and Dan Davis may soon find themselves given the chop to make way for another man in midfield, though there is hardly a great wealth of talent available. Mason’s ability to spot talents from the lower leagues appears to have failed him; and last year’s find Stuart Kim will find the pressure laid at his feet.

KT Hotspur (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Khatib#KT Hotspur): A defensive team bar none last year until Jerry Huntick decided, for the first time in his decade at the helm of the Spur, to adopt an often ludicrously aggressive style; the Valleys club will be looking to return to their more traditional style and challenge for their second-ever CMSC title.

Like many CMSC clubs, and even with the finances of owner Laurence Adamczyk, the team from Rose of Sharon have kept their hands in their pockets somewhat; and no foreign stars have joined St Samuel striker Giuseppe Abellardo at the club. There are new signings in the form of Cathedral City winger Nate Adams and Sword of Bass star Richard Ward; but the defence looks settled enough. Last years Goalkeeper of the Year, Paolo Thorpe remains the clear first-choice, with C&M caps Juan Carlos Revault, Neville Bagshaw, Nic Noble and Terence Johnson among those protecting him.

Marquez-Onwere FC (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Onwere#Football): The naranja of the Estadio de Francisco Álvarez will be looking to shake off the failures of last season with a settled squad and a new manager.

Former Kura-Pelland boss Andy Woolworth will know the heat is on after MarquezOW’s ghastly XXV, but cooler heads will realise that he will need time. While certainly they have players any CMSC club would kill for – striker Ignacio Vélez, midfield wonderkid José Felipe Cassumba Domingos, creative link-man Reiban Okeke and left-footed Recluse Island star Niclas Kjaer – much of the rest of their squad looks very inexperienced. C&M Under-21 defenders Mars Douaydari and left-back José Luis Sosa, himself still a teenager, will have to learn fast while others at the back – including goalkeeper Harry Primrose, right-back Jonathan Sheibat and centre-half Lucas Scalzi – were much-fêted youngsters who have yet to live up to their early potential.

As a result, it will be all-out attack again for MarquezOW, with Woolworth able to pick from tried-and-tested Benjamin Dementjev and Micky Jones or young talents Merlin Siriwong and new striker Caesar Lopo.

Turks’ Club of Khatib (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Khatib#Football): An even worse season was supplied by the Turks, a grand old club and perennial challengers who found themselves in the relegation zone for much of XXV.

On the face of it, there is little reason for fans of the Green-and-Yellows of the Khatib Together Stadium to have much faith in their team’s chances for XXVI, given that they remain managerless with an almost total dearth of new signings. Striker Holger Pi is the only notable new arrival, returning to the club after a less-than-impressive sojourn in Kura-Pelland. The player he replaced in a swap deal, Giorgio Pezzoni, remains a major force at the base of the midfield; and there are plenty of players of talent in striker Carlo Hone and wingers Ben Moore and Jack Hutton.

But unless they can find a top-line boss, Khatib-Gassett may find itself with only the one top-flight team for the first time in years.

Caires City (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Caires#Caires City): A couple of new additions could help propel the Errant Knights into unaccustomed heights, and give the city of Caires a sporting boost after Caires Sports’ relegation.

Coach Andy Walker has not been afraid to tinker with personnel and playing styles, having provided the CMSC one of its most offensive outfits. The arrival of Samuel Taha from Bettia promised more of the same, but his unfortunate – if far from unique – leg break could force Walker to readopt a more prosaic style at the McNeil Bingo Arena. In former Albrecht FC forward Alex Stromberg however they have an underrated striker still amongst the goals and from right-to-left O’Sullivan Caras, David Roberts and Rusty Suskovic can provide a few themselves.

In the defence, young Xan Tipton arrives from division three, while Caires Sports goalkeeper Ryan Lyra makes the inadvisable move across the city. Walter Jordan at right-back teams up with Caras for the Errant Knight and the C&M national team.

Candelaria-Allemali FC (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Allemali#Football): An interesting season awaits for the Shining Sons, with the youngest coach in the league, Jaon van Deene, and several new players.

Their Sausages Arena could become a fortress, though CandelariaAM are expected to be anything but defensive with the coup of signing oozingly promising Jeruselem duo Smakam Downe and new national team striker Gime Thadope. Gangly Andrew Bradley will also look to take a step forward up front while Archer Cannon and Sid Lindström could establish themselves as belated top-light talents after the sharp learning curve of last year.

At the back, Prince Mapleson will retain his place in goal after the 2nd Di Bradini Cup while young Connor Mengucci also comes in from that side into midfield. Endmile right-back Thjis Tullier could also be one to watch.

Candelaria Arsenal (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Lavange): The Yellow from the smallest town represented this year in the CMSC are widely predicted to face a trial to keep Adam Williamson at the helm and stay in the league.

Yet reports of their relegation may be premature. The Lavange Arena side have held on to the players who kept them up last year, most notably C&M international Fred Ma, strikers Luke Naylor and Robbie Shannon, and left-footed Under-21 star Özkan Yalçin. They’ve also revitalised their defence with former C&M left-back Kieron Tomlinson, and centre-halves Chris Ytterland (Melin & Nader) and Paulo Beraza (Swords of Bass). Not a single foreigner in sight points to their lack of pulling power, but C.A.L will be an attractive team to watch once more.

Portuguese (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Arrigo#Football): The next Green Island? Fans of the Arrigo club believe so, after their first promotion to the top-flight in years. Their team looked strong enough as it was, Jay Zabojnik adding striker Kirby Brightmore and new captain and veteran defender Nathaniel Ferraro to a mostly home-grown squad including C&M Under-21 right-back William Burgos, Ariddian-born C&M-raised teen left-back Seiichi Ganaha, and versatile young winger Cortez Carocha.

The funding of motor vehicle tycoon Ed Morales has seen C&M and Albrecht FC legend Steven Fritz sign up, while you can also throw into that pot combative Zwangzug midfielder Ursula Lauren and Kura-Pellandi winger Iain Belling.

The battle against the drop will surely not be an issue for the club in their new Estadio Arrigo Nacional home. A title challenge may well be.

El din Marbles (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/El din#Football): With a fanbase drawn from the city’s very poorest and most affluent, the Little Road club will hope to offer as much off-pitch colour as on-pitch talent.

Giles Walton’s team could well live up to the sporting hopes of fans as well though; with an offensive, albeit at times route-one, side seemingly capable of mixing it with the big boys on their first promotion. Huge Kura-Pellandi forward Andy Madden may prove to be the stand-out player, though the signing of the summer has been Zachary Pinkowski, signed on a free transfer from arch-rivals Cathedral City. Defender Carlos Humberto Tokpah returns from Radyukevich to his boyhood club, but Walton has shown faith in much of his team including former title-winning goalkeeper Martin English and creative young midfielder Crawford Panama.

AFC MN Smith (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Bove#Football): There’s always one. The Smudgers have, like Portuguese, a wonderful new Kura-Pellandi designed stadium but that appears to have taken up their limited funds. Worse, local police in the city of Bove remain concerned about fan violence – not involving opposition supporters but between long-time Smith fans and those of All Saints FC; the club that were effectively forced out of business by the red-and-blue-striped Smiths’ creation.

Derek Marshall maintains that he believes in his small set of players, though he has privately expressed anger over the lack of off-season movements. Elegant right-back Darwin Rondags has top division experience but the rest are very much virgins; with the pairing at centre-half, the Adams brothers Lance and Moreland and dainty left-winger Neil Jones the only stars likely to really make the grade. Pedro María Zuluaga and Jamie Johansson will start up front; goalscorers made for the second tier but likely to struggle badly in the CMSC proper.

Candelaria And Marquez

19-11-2007, 17:53

CMSC XXVI: First Third

Matchday One: Unlikely leaders get CMSC off to goalmongous start

The bookies’ second-favourites for relegation found their best ever CMSC away-win and a place on the top of the nascent table on Day One. Adam Williamson’s Candelaria Arsenal of the town of Lavange outplayed an unadventurous Castillo FC at the Estadio de Movilla del Candelarias Online, finding themselves two goals to the good before half-time thanks to a maestro performance for C&M international Fred Ma. Winger Brian Reeve capped off the win with a jinking solo run and shot that furthers Williamson’s silent claim on the Turks’ Club of Khatib job. Jacob Wilson’s gigantes of Castillo, meanwhile, look in real trouble.

It was a mixed bag of results for the CMSC newcomers, but Arrigo Portuguese were arguably the league’s most impressive team as they got the XXVI season underway on Saturday morning. Radyukevich’s foreigner-heavy defence put up a valiant second-half fight, but were already down and out on the half-time whistle after Iain Belling provided a glorious cross that young Cortez Carocha put away with ease, and Giacoma Delgado scored from a yard out after Kirby Brightmore’s missed penalty. Brightmore and veteran Steven Fritz had late chances to add an embarrassing gloss on the scoreline, but goalkeeper Gari Kilad was equal to them both.

El din Marbles looked on course for an opening win thanks to the continued goalscoring form of winger Zachary Pinkowski, only for Harpies striker Dan Davis to hit a late equaliser. Away from home, where there is likely to be rather less pressure for troubled newcomers MN Smith, the Smudgers twice went ahead at Marquez-Onwere; but the naranja of former Kura-Pelland boss Andy Woolworth gave NTV Sport something to celebrate with a second-half winner through José Felipe Cassumba Domingos.

Not for the first time in recent months; the game of the day was in the Surefit Shoes Arena where Abiodun North entertained the reigning champions Albrecht FC. The Scorpions capped off a period of early domination with a debut goal from Peter Vanderpent, only for two more players new to the first team – goalkeeper Murphy Matthews and left-back Francois St. Louis – to slip in the autumn wet to let through opposition strikers Henry Young and Sargento Castelão. St. Louis atoned for his error not long after with a header from a Ben Edwards corner. Rudy Clark completed the turn-around moments after the break before teenager William Rose scored a thunderbolt for Abiodun. With the game heading for a three-three draw, Vanderpent timed a run perfectly to set up the previously misfiring Joe Cunningham.

It was a weekend of memorable games all round in fact; Green Island enjoying the best of a close contest in the Valleys, while the two ‘Turkish’ sides picked up 2-2 draws; A.Turks’ Zwangzugian striker Gary Maini scoring a brace to lead the scorers table.

Abiodun North v Albrecht FC 3 – 4 (H. Young 19, Castelão 29, Rose 74; Vanderpent 17, St. Louis 33, Clark 46, Cunningham 88)
A.Turks v CandelariaAM 2 – 2 (Maini 15 and 69; Thomas 26, Cannon 43)
Caires City v TurksKT 2 – 2 (Suskovic 11, Stromberg 75; Pi 30, pen Hone 48)
Castillo FC v C.A.L 0 – 3 (Ma 24, Naylor 45, Reeve 61)
El din Marbles v Port of Clotaire 1 – 1 (Pinkowski 11; Davis 87)
KT Hotspur v Green Island (Mon) 1 – 2 (Gallagher 57; Klein og 9, Walker 32)
MarquezOW v MN Smith 3 – 2 (Vélez pen 35, M. Jones 45+2, Cassa 65; Scalzi og 34, N. Jones 40)
Radyukevich v Portuguese (Sat Morning) 0 – 2 (Carocha 22, Delgado 42)

Matchday Two: Islanders sink green Marbles

Giles Walton’s El din Marbles were subjected to a steep learning curve on matchday 2 in conceding six goals at a rampant Green Island. Last season’s runner-ups and CMS Cup winners have started in fine form but suffered a setback after conceding an early corner from which Marbles winger Andrey Osichenko headed home. From then on, the Marlow Park side were in no mood to be charitable and eased to victory; new signing Seb Cerullei proving the star man with two goals and two assists. The league’s tallest striker, Andy Madden, scored his first since his arrival from Parwood City in Kura-Pelland, but it was merely a consolation.

Two other sides have retained 100% records, with Candelaria Arsenal keeping up their stunning start to the season. They came back from a goal down to Abiodun – albeit helped along by a ludicrous own-goal, with winger Brian Reeve again supplying the final goal of the game. Some pundits have already suggested that the Yellows’ squad cohesion brought about by the lack of foreigners has helped them along the way, but the more likely truth is that the players are playing out of their skin in an effort to convince coach Adam Williamson to ignore TurksKT’s overtures.

The Turks’ Club of Khatib meanwhile fell at home to the other two-wins-from-two side, MarquezOW; who took their second 3-2 win in a row. Cassumba Domingos’ first-half brace looked set to settle things before a sensational shot from home defender Karl McDonald and a second own goal in as many games for Lucas Scalzi. New MarquezOW striker Caesar Lopo came off the bench after Ignacio Vélez’ dead leg to score the winner.

The reigning champions looked set to fall at home to a much improved Errant Knight side, but Peter Vanderpent and Joe Cunningham set up each other in the final quarter of an hour. Their cross-city rivals were back on winning form thanks to the capital’s other Zwangzugian striker; Gary Maini hitting the only goal in a game that brought Portuguese back down to earth with a bump.

The clash between two of the league’s more prosaic sides looked set to end in a fitting goalless draw, before a Smith (Stephen, of KT Hotspur) scored against a Smith (AFC MN Smith, in fact). To compound it all; a Jones (young winger Neil, of MN Smith) equalised soon after.

Albrecht FC v Caires City 2 – 2 (Vanderpent 79, Cunningham 82; Montano 48, Caras 55)
C.A.L. v Abiodun North (Sat Morning) 2 – 1 (Whitbread og 42, Reeve 77; Young 17)
CandelariaAM v Radyukevich 1 – 1 (Cannon 90+4; Katic 22)
Green Island v El din Marbles 6 – 2 (Walker 41, Cerullei 45+1 and 87, Cammaroto 46 and 66, Zetaback 85; Osichenko 1, Madden 58)
MN Smith v KT Hotspur 1 – 1 (Jones 86; Smith 81)
Port of Clotaire v Castillo FC 0 – 1 (Sandstrom 49)
Portuguese v A.Turks 0 – 1 (Maini 67)
TurksKT v MarquezOW (Mon) 2 – 3 (McDonald 20, Scalzi og 47; Cassa 4 and 17, Lopo 52)

Matchday Three: Crowd trouble marrs third weekend

The most high-profile CMSC ever received headlines for the wrong reasons this week when two games saw club stewards forced to wade into revolting locals.

The worst violence occurred into Bove where relatively good natured back-and-forth chanting between the two sets of home fans disintegrated into several minutes of slightly camp fighting and chairs being randomly ripped out of the new City of Bove Stadium. After almost half an hour, the game was called off and replayed behind closed doors on the Wednesday afternoon. Ironically, it was the home MN Smith team that thrived in the strange atmosphere; striker Jamie Johansson scoring his first CMSC strike past previous table-toppers Green Island.

No less notable were the running battles between Albrecht FC and Albrecht Turkish fans in the Songstress district of the capital where their mutual Millerman Sheppard Stadium is located. It overshadowed a classic derby game that ended in an A.Turks ‘away’ victory; but both clubs – and MN Smith – could face further punishment before next week is out.

Later, on Tuesday, it was confirmed that Candelaria Arsenal manager Adam Williamson would be leaving the club. The news came hours after the yellows eased past Turks’ Club of Khatib on Monday evening – the side Williamson is widely believed to be heading for. C.A.L moved rapidly to appoint the current Director of Football, and former coach, Trev George as their new boss.

Elsewhere, Andy Woolworth’s Marquez-Onwere remain the only other side with a 100% record after a late 1-0 win over the Harpies. Candelaria-Allemali and Caires City are also both undefeated, after gaining three draws in three.

Albrecht FC v A.Turks (Sat Morning) 2 – 3 (Ragab 21, Vanderpent 50; Wang 20 and 46, Fu og 56)
C.A.L v TurksKT (Mon) 2 – 0 (Pearson 12, Langstone og 32)
CandelariaAM v Abiodun North 0 – 0
El din Marbles v Caires City 2 – 2 (O’Leary 27, Panama 44; Slater 48, Roberts 82)
KT Hotspur v Portuguese 1 – 0 (Walsh 70)
MarquezOW v Port of Clotaire 1 – 0 (Vélez 80)
MN Smith v Green Island (Wed) 1 – 0 (Johansson 57)
Radyukevich v Castillo FC 2 – 2 (Burridge 22, Harpas 62; Sandstrom 47, Pinto 86)

Matchday Four: Capital clubs get ‘just desserts’

Albrecht Turkish manager told TV1 following his side’s home defeat to Candelaria Arsenal that his club got what they deserved after what he described as the ‘shameful’ scenes outside the MSS the previous week.

The Millermen were outplayed by the shock table-toppers who emerged with a 2-0 win thanks to a piledriver from striker Jacob Calero and a well-worked goal early in the second half forced over the line via A.Turks defender Steven Williams. It was a fine performance from the Yellows, who went some way to showing that departed Coach Adam Williamson will not be missed as much as has been predicted.

Albrecht FC could only salvage a draw from a dire clash at Port of Clotaire; though the other side involved in matchday three violence, MN Smith, sit a sensational fifth in the table after a 2-0 win themselves, at Turks’ Club of Khatib. Williamson was in the stands to watch his new charges fall to a defeat that leaves them bottom of the table, thanks to Smudgers striker Jamie Johansson.

The first-half of XXVI so far took place at the Estadio de Francisco Álvarez, where Marquez-Onwere came from two goals to one down to arch-rivals Candelaria-Allemali to lead 3-2. The naranja thus stay top, with the Shining Sons suffering their first defeat of the season. CandelariaAM fans will be pleased however that their young Jeruselem duo are starting to make an impact, midfielder Smakam Downe scoring their first.

A couple of late strikes kept other clubs near the top of the table; KT Hotspur defender Terence Johnson leading in from a corner for the 1-0 win at Castillo while Ken Nilsson was another scoring centre-half in Green Island one-all draw with the thus-far disappointing Radyukevich, who are winless in four. Abiodun took their first win of the season; an ultimately comfortable demolition of the El din Marbles.

Abiodun North v El din Marbles 3 – 0 (Wojciechowski 13, Castelão 30, Emmett 88)
A.Turks v C.A.L (Sat Morning) 0 – 2 (Calero 26, Williams og 53)
Castillo FC v KT Hotspur 0 – 1 (Johnson 90+3)
Green Island v Radyukevich 1 – 1 (Nilsson 89; Katic 69)
MarquezOW v CandelariaAM (Mon) 3 – 2 (Okeke 4, Vélez 33, Kjaer 35; Downe 19, Menducci 28)
Port of Clotaire v Albrecht FC 0 – 0
Portuguese v Caires City 1 – 0 (Carocha 15)
TurksKT v MN Smith 0 – 2 (Johansson 20 and 71)

Matchday Five: George’s day puts CAL among the contenders

Some wise substitutions and tactical changes saw new (or, more properly, old) Candelaria Arsenal boss Trev George get his CMSC career back under way with an astonishing 3-0 drubbing of Green Island.

Though the Negroes have been out of form in recent matches, the XXV runners-up and CMS Cup champions were still favourites to burst the Yellows’[/b] bubble and dominated much of the early play. But George was willing to shake things up, bringing on Paulo Bereza for Brian Patton on the half-hour mark; the former Swords of Bass midfielder supplying the ball from which striker Luke Naylor got his second goal of the season. Naylor would later make way for teenager Robbie Shannon; who likewise scored and then, in the dying minutes, set up Bereza for the third.

With thirteen goals scored to one conceded, and a 5-0-0 record in five matches; C.A.L are suddenly well and truly among the challengers. George will be thanking his lucky stars that the season-long transfer close season in the CMSC currently means that the covetous glances being directed at Fred Ma, Brian Reeve, Chris Pearson, and Özkan Yalçin et al can go no further.

Andy Woolworth’s Marquez-Onwere had to be patient to stay at the top of the table with C.A.L; José Felipe Cassumba Domingos scoring his fourth goal in five games and the [i]naranja’s only at winless Caires City.

Another winless side are Radyukevich, many people’s pre-season favourites and with a sturdy-looking defence including three foreign stars. They now sit twelve points off the leaders after crumbling to a home defeat to Turks’ Club of Khatib in Adam Williamson’s first game in the hot seat. The new man put eighteen-year-old defender Oscar Zois straight into the side, who scored the first goal, and a potential goal of the season at that, from a solo run. Older hands Holger Pi and Giorgio Pezzoni helped finish the job, though it was a poor performance from the Jukos that most helped them along the way.

The Albrecht clubs both kept up the fight with one-nil wins; while MN Smith and KT Hotspur bookmark Albrecht FC in fourth and fifth respectfully after nil-all draws.

Albrecht FC v Castillo FC 1 – 0 (Cunningham 52)
A.Turks v Abiodun North (Mon) 1 – 0 (Ernebrink og 58)
C.A.L v Green Island 3 – 0 (Naylor 40, Shannon 71, Beraza 87)
Caires City v MarquezOW 0 – 1 (Cassa 45+1)
El din Marbles v CandelariaAM 2 – 0 (Marks 2, Tokpah 38)
KT Hotspur v Port of Clotaire 0 – 0
MN Smith v Portuguese (Sat Morning) 0 – 0
Radyukevich v TurksKT 1 – 3 (Katic 82; Zois 8, Pi 44, Pezzoni 73)

Matchday Six: Finlay’s rule in shock Endee

Radyukevich manager Finlay Endee stepped down on Tuesday morning following the Jukos 3-1 defeat at Marquez-Onwere.

The board at the Hilltop Stadium said they had ‘reluctantly accepted’ Endee’s resignation after the crushing defeat. Endee admitted that his expensively-assembled defence – which included Uiri, Sorthern Northland and Kura-Pelland internationals Gari Kilad, Min Cho-He and Steve Hurston – had failed to live up to his promise thus far, but added that the midfield had also failed to gel. Endee’s assistant Leonard Dennis has been placed in temporary charge, but Radyukevich are unlikely to struggle to find a top-line boss given the talents at a new arrival’s disposal.

Another coach under early pressure is Castillo FC’s Jacob Wilson who also remain in the relegation zone, after a 1-0 home defeat to MN Smith thanks to young winger Neil Jones’ third goal of the season. The Smudgers themselves are now third in the table. Albrecht FC boss Trevor Organ will have bought time after his title win last year, but the board will not be willing to wait too long should they slip further behind. In the game of the weekend; the Scorpions went 3-1 up before the half hour was out against Green Island, but the Zapata side battled back to earn a late three-all draw.

That result means Albrecht are nine points behind the joint leaders, Marquez-Onwere and Candelaria Arsenal, who both earned their sixth wins out of six. Recently departed Adam Williamson also got his fifth XXVI victory with a stunning three-nil crushing of Albrecht Turkish, C&M goalkeeper Oberon Martinez having a truly dire game for the Millermen.

Abiodun North v Portuguese 1 – 0 (Young 90+1)
C.A.L v El din Marbles 2 – 0 (Reeve 2, Naylor 31)
CandelariaAM v KT Hotspur 3 – 0 (Mazzeo 33, Downe 48, Thorpe og 87)
Castillo FC v MN Smith 0 – 1 (Jones 44)
Green Island v Albrecht FC 3 – 3 (Cerullei 9 and 79, Cammaroto 40; Vanderpent 6, Ragab 28, Clark 29)
MarquezOW v Radyukevich (Mon) 3 – 1 (Kjaer 30, Vélez 55, Lopo 68; Rawlinson 77)
Port of Clotaire v Caires City 1 – 0 (Kim 35)
TurksKT v A.Turks (Sat Morning) 3 – 0 (Sono og 45+2, Hone 80, Powell 89)

Matchday Seven: How do they do it?

It’s hard to see how they could take any of the individual player of the year awards, nor even manager of the year given that they have had two already. Yet Candelaria Arsenal, most people’s pre-season favourites to occupy a relegation spot come matchday thirty, are sitting pretty at the top of the table. They and they alone have seven wins out of seven, having scored seventeen goals and conceded just the one.

It goes without saying that Yellows fans are in dreamland, while pundits across the islands remain bemused. Yet should they be? C.A.L were always one of the most attractive sides to watch last year, even if they did survive only by their fingertips. And from front to back, their first XI looks, on second reflection, much stronger than had first been thought. Fred Ma is the focal point once more, invariably getting an assist or two a match but perhaps the truly dominant force is newcomer Paulo Beraza. Signed seemingly as cover for the aging Brian Paton, the Bass-born holding midfielder has been a true tower of strength in Williamson and George’s 4-4-2.

Not that the defence should go unheralded also, after the inspired coupling of elegant but error-prone youngster Chris Ytterland with the solid veteran Reilly Palacios, whose reading of the game just gets better and better with age. Damien Lavender, at thirty-two, may still have a chance at playing his way into a future C&M squad on this form, though he is far from overworked. He doesn’t need to be: strikers Luke Naylor and Jacob Calero are putting away more than enough to keep things ticking over.

Confidence would surely be misplaced in the long term, though coach Len George has already made whispering comments about his side’s genuine title chances.

Certainly Marquez-Onwere’s took a minor hit on Monday, though it will have felt like a moral victory after Lucas Scalzi – a scorer of two own goals thus far this term – put in a ninetieth-minute equaliser at the right end against Albrecht FC. The reigning champs now sit in sixth place, behind newcomers Portuguese – who found a five-one demolition of El din Marbles with a brace from former Albrecht hero Steven Fritz – and MN Smith who also continued to confound the critics with a confident display of possession football against Candelaria-Allemali.

In the Clotaire derby, away side Port of Clotaire emerged victorious at troubled Radyukevich despite the Jukos having the bulk of the chances at the Hilltop Stadium. Albrecht Turkish eased to victory over a defensively weak Green Island side at the MSS.

A.Turks v Green Island 3 – 0 (Westhead 38 and 68, Wang 57)
Castillo FC v TurksKT 2 – 0 (Saglam 55, Pinto 83)
Caires City v C.A.L 0 – 2 (Naylor 12, Calero 29)
KT Hotspur v Abiodun North 0 – 0
MarquezOW v Albrecht FC (Mon) 1 – 1 (Scalzi 90+2; Cunningham 3)
MN Smith v CandelariaAM 1 – 0 (Johansson 64)
Portuguese v El din Marbles 5 – 1 (Brightmore 1 and 74, Fritz 28 and 67, Belling 59; O’Leary 4)
Radyukevich v Port of Clotaire (Sat Morning) 0 – 2 (Davis 51, Hurston og 79)

Matchday Eight: C.A.L slip up

Or at least only draw at home to Marquez-Onwere, which looks as good as yer going to get. The clash on Monday between the only two undefeated sides in the league ended in something of a damp squib in Lavange with neither finding a way to break the deadlock. Both George and Woolworth claimed they were happy with a point which keeps them 7 and 5 points ahead of MN Smith respectively.

MN Smith could only manage a draw with Jamie Johansson scoring the opener to go top of the scorers’ chart. Albrecht Turkish were unable to take advantage however, as they also got a point on the road in a close match with an improving Castillo side, Gary Maini hitting a brace for the Millermen.

Albrecht FC are back up to fifth after the game of the weekend. Playing against his old club for the first time, Arrigo Portuguese veteran Steven Fritz looked to have hit the decisive equaliser in the MSS, only for Naoki Tonnelier to pop up with her second header into the back of the net of the day.

Caretaker manager Leonard Dennis has been given the heave-ho after two games, and no points, in charge of Radyukevich; the troubled club swooping for Mayo Valley boss Vincent Peluso. Having helped Valley to the top of the division two table, Peluso claimed his was ready to manage to former club back to where they belong.

Abiodun North v Green Island 2 – 1 (Nilsson og 47, Eckhardt 77; Cammaroto 66)
Albrecht FC v Portuguese 2 – 1 (Tonnelier 22 and 89; Fritz 80)
C.A.L v MarquezOW (Mon) 0 – 0
CandelariaAM v Caires City 1 – 0 (Mengucci 6)
Castillo FC v A.Turks 2 – 2 (Vaughan 4, Pinto 63; Maini 26 and 72)
El din Marbles v Radyukevich 1 – 0 (Pinkowski 63)
Port of Clotaire v MN Smith 1 – 1 (Instonenext 16; Johansson 29)
TurksKT v KT Hotspur (Sat Morning) 2 – 2 (Hone 7, Hutton 90; Abellardo 24 and 79)

Matchday Nine: Yellow all alone as Naranja crumble

Marquez-Onwere suffered their first defeat of the season thanks to a Nataniel O’Leary penalty shortly after half-time after Andy Madden was felled in the box. Andy Woolworth’s men dominated the game at the Estadio de Francisco Álvarez but have in recent weeks struggled to find the back of the net with Ignacio Vélez’ and José Felipe Cassumba Domingos’ international exploits tiring them noticeably. The result keeps Candelaria Arsenal top of the table and likely to remain so at the one-third stage; a tremendous achievement for Leonard George’s former relegation candidates.

With El din Marbles winning in Onwere, the three newly promoted sides all look like having a good chance of staying up. MN Smith were fully deserving of their point against the leaders; their fourth-place seeming to mollify their disparate support enough for the City of Bove Stadium to have seen its first truly trouble-free game. Arrigo Portuguese meanwhile were unlucky to take only a point at home to Candelaria-Allemali after inspired games for the wing duo of Iain Belling and Cortez Carocha. Smakam Downe’s third goal for the Shining Sons helped the away side to a valuable point.

By now the table has clearly taken shape, and it does not make for good reading for Caires City fans. The Errant Knights prop up the table with just three points and manager Andy Walker is clearly living on borrowed time after the 1-0 home defeat to a mediocre Castillo outfit. Radyukevich meanwhile took a point from Vincent Peluso’s first game in charge but remain six points from safety.

Zwangzug strikers Gary Maini and Peter Vanderpent both scored, as is becoming increasingly de rigueur in the CMSC, with Albrecht Turkish and Albrecht FC respectively both winning comfortably to keep up their title challenges.

A.Turks v Port of Clotaire 2 – 0 (Wang 22, Maini 45+2)
Caires City v Castillo FC 0 – 1 (Sandstrom 23)
Green Island v TurksKT 3 – 0 (Head 10, Walker 49, Zetaback 90+2)
KT Hotspur v Albrecht FC 0 – 3 (Edwards 4, Vanderpent 35, Guevara 73)
MarquezOW v El din Marbles 0 – 1 (O’Leary 56)
MN Smith v C.A.L 1 – 1 (Martín 5; Naylor 87)
Portuguese v CandelariaAM 2 – 2 (Brightmore 10, Belling 42; Bradley 29, Downe 70)
Radyukevich v Abiodun North 0 – 0

Matchday Ten: C.A.L turn yellow at rampant scorpions

One-third of the season gone, and Candelaria Arsenal’s unbeaten run has finally come to an end at the hands of the reigning champions at the Millerman Sheppard Stadium. The Lavange-based giantkillers were far from poor, and Len George was happy to be quoted as being pleased with the performance, but Albrecht’s all-round team play was simply sensational. As so often this season Peter Vanderpent made the headlines with his seventh goal in ten games, but from defence to attack this was a polished performance that serves notice to the rest of the CMSC that Albrecht FC are still the team to beat.

If anything, the Scorpions are playing better than at any time under Trevor Organ; something that has been missed by many pundits. Certainly, they have lost only one game this season, let down only by their four draws. And given the number of tied games in the league this season; that number no longer seems to represent a worry. What is is the fourteen goals conceded – as many as bottom side Caires City who finally put Andy Walker out of his misery this weekend – but given Albrecht’s attacking style it seems inevitable that Murphy Matthews’ goal is always going to find itself broken. So it was this weekend when for the second home game in a row a former Scorpions player, this time left-back Kieron Tomlinson, blemished the score sheet.

Albrecht stay fourth however after their cross-town rivals Albrecht Turkish eased to victory in El din. Gary Maini opened the scoring, and now seems set to compete with his Zwangzugian colleague for the golden boot. Marquez-Onwere had to be satisfied with a draw at home to rapidly-sinking KT Hotspur.

The other significant result of the matchday came on Monday in Bove where Radyukevich under Vincent Peluso finally won a game. And a clean sheet too. Things are on the up…

Abiodun North v Caires City 1 – 0 (Young 66)
Albrecht FC v C.A.L (Sat Morning) 4 – 1 (Ragab 35, Vanderpent 49 and 89, Clark 74; Tomlinson 90+4)
CandelariaAM v Port of Clotaire 1 – 3 (Thadope 43; Gnom 7, Redway 18, Orlovic 90+3)
Castillo FC v Green Island 1 – 1 (Pipes 84; Cammaroto 19)
El din Marbles v A.Turks 1 – 3 (Marks 72; Maini 27, Westhead 41, Kennedy 73)
MarquezOW v KT Hotspur 0 – 0
MN Smith v Radyukevich (Mon) 0 – 2 (Min 58, Burridge 68)
TurksKT v Portuguese 0 – 0

P W D L GF GA GD PTS

1.Candelaria Arsenal 10 7 2 1 19 6 13 23
2.Marquez-Onwere 10 6 3 1 15 9 6 21
3.Albrecht Turkish 10 6 2 2 17 12 5 20
4.Albrecht FC 10 5 4 1 22 14 8 19
5.AFC MN Smith 10 4 4 2 10 8 2 16
6.Abiodun North 10 4 3 3 11 8 3 15
7.Port of Clotaire 10 3 4 3 8 7 1 13
8.Arrigo Portuguese 10 3 3 4 10 6 4 12
9.Green Island 10 3 3 4 17 17 0 12
10.Castillo FC 10 3 3 4 8 11 -3 12
11.KT Hotspur 10 2 5 3 6 11 -5 11
12.El din Marbles 10 3 2 5 11 22 -11 11
13.Candelaria-Allemali 10 2 4 4 12 14 -2 10
14.Turks Club of Khatib 10 2 3 5 12 17 -5 9
15.Radyukevich 10 1 4 5 8 15 -7 8
16.Caires City 10 0 3 7 6 14 -8 3

Qazox

28-11-2007, 08:01

QFL 1925 REPORT

Qazox City won the 1st QFL title in 10 years contested under a traditional tiered system, as the team won Division Une by 6 points over Fromburg Aston.
Deportivo Iguana, back in Division Une, finished tied for 4th, with defending QFL Champ, Rockport AC. Rockport's derby rival, InterRockport, despite a 7-0-0 record in the Qazox Cup, won only 8 games in Division Une, and become the 1st Qazox Cup winner ever to be demoted. Bruxen AC, for the first time in over a decade was promoted to Division Une after winning Division Deux by 6 points. Fort Lee, in its first season finished with the wooden spoon with a 6-4-16 record, while only scoring 11 goals all season, a QFL record low.

DIVISION UNE FINAL STANDINGS
QFL CHAMPION
Relegated
TEAM W-D-L PTS
QAZOX CITY 17-1-8 52
Fromburg Aston 14-4-8 46
Iguana de Mia 13-3-10 42
Rockport AC 12-4-10 40
Deportivo Iguana 12-4-10 40
Vogg United 11-5-10 38
SaxerVilla 11-2-13 35
FC Fromburg 11-2-13 35
Lorax City 10-3-13 33
Pika City 10-2-14 32
Real Qazox 9-2-15 29
Chivas Saxer 8-5-13 29
InterRockport 8-3-15 27

DIVISION DEUX FINAL STANDINGS
Promoted
TEAM W-D-L PTS
Bruxen AC 18-2-6 56
Las Vitas 16-2-8 50
Yorkshire 14-2-10 44
Joehio Ajax 13-2-11 41
Saint Nash 11-6-9 39
Lake Porter City 11-5-10 38
Gothika 12-1-13 37
New Recife 11-3-12 36
Graverville 11-2-13 35
Kibbutz 11-2-13 35
San Guano 10-3-13 33
New Bruxen 8-6-12 30
Fort Lee 6-4-16 22

QAZOX CUP RESULTS
As mentioned in earlier reports, the format for the 1925 Qazox Cup was a group format, with 6 groups. 4 groups of 4 and 2 groups of 5. Top team from each group and the 2nd placed teams from Groups E & F to advance to Quarterfinals. Just before the beginning of the Cup, the QFL decided to make it a single-round robin instead of double in group play. For 1926, a more traditional single-elimination, two-leg bracket will be used, instead of the former single-game format. The final will remain a single match, played at the highest ranked team remaining in the tourney.

InterRockport, won the final 1-0 over a San Guano squad that had won both of its previous matches in extra time.

(Teams in BOLD qualifed for the quarterfinals. Home Team is Listed First) The # is the seeding of the teams for the 1926 edition.
Group A Standings
Vogg United 2-0-1 #10
Saint Nash 1-0-2 #18
SaxerVilla 3-0-0 #4
Gothika 0-0-3 #26
Group A Results
Vogg United 4-1 Gothika
St. Nash 0-3 SaxerVilla
Vogg United 1-4 SaxerVilla
Gothika 1-2 St. Nash
St. Nash 1-3 Vogg United
SaxerVilla 3-0 Gothika

Group B Standings
Deportivo Iguana 0-2-1 #21
Las Vitas 1-1-1 #14
Real Qazox 3-0-0 #8
Fort Lee 0-1-2 #24
Group B Results
Deportivo Iguana 1-1 Fort Lee
Real Qazox 2-1 Las Vitas
Las Vitas 3-0 Fort Lee
Deportivo Iguana 0-2 Real Qazox
Fort Lee 0-4 Real Qazox
Las Vitas 0-0 Deportivo Iguana

Group C Standings
Fromburg Aston 1-0-2 #17
Joehio Ajax 2-0-1 #5 (H2H winner vs. LPC)
Lorax City 1-0-2 #19
Lake Porter City 2-0-1 #11
Group C Results
Fromburg Aston 1-2 Lake Porter City
Joehio Ajax 1-2 Lorax City
Lorax City 0-3 Fromburg Aston
Joehio Ajax 4-1 Lake Porter City
Lake Porter City 3-2 Lorax City
Fromburg Aston 1-3 Joehio Ajax

Group D Standings
Qazox City 2-0-1 #3 (H2H Winner vs. Iguana de Mia)
Bruxen AC 1-1-1 #13
Iguana de Mia 2-0-1 #9
Kibbutz 0-1-2 #23
Group D Results
Qazox City 4-3 Iguana de Mia
Kibbutz 1-1 Bruxen AC
Bruxen AC 1-0 Qazox City
Iguana de Mia 3-2 Kibbutz
Kibbutz 0-2 Qazox City
Iguana de Mia 4-2 Bruxen AC

Group E Standings
Rockport AC 2-0-2 #6
San Guano 3-1-0 #2
Pika City 1-2-1 #12
Yorkshire 0-2-2 #22
FC Fromburg 1-1-2 #16
Group E Results
Rockport AC 1-2 San Guano
Pika City 1-0 FC Fromburg
Yorkshire 0-0 FC Fromburg
San Guano 1-1 Pika City
FC Fromburg 2-0 Rockport AC
Yorkshire 0-0 Pika City
Rockport AC 2-0 Yorkshire
FC Fromburg 1-3 San Guano
Pika City 2-3 Rockport AC
San Guano 3-0 Yorkshire

Group F Standings
InterRockport 4-0-0 #1
New Bruxen 3-0-1 #7
New Recife 0-1-3 #25
Chivas Saxer 1-1-2 #15
Graverville 1-0-3 #20
Group F Results
New Bruxen 4-0 New Recife
Chivas Saxer 4-1 Graverville
InterRockport 4-0 New Recife
New Bruxen 4-3 Chivas Saxer
Chivas Saxer 2-4 InterRockport
Graverville 1-2 New Bruxen
Graverville 0-3 InterRockport
New Recife 2-2 Chivas Saxer
InterRockport 3-2 New Bruxen
New Recife 2-3 Graverville

QUARTERFINALS
InterRockport 3-2 Joehio Ajax
Qazox City 2-0 Rockport AC
San Guano 2-1 Real Qazox (A.E.T 110+1')
SaxerVilla 3-0 New Bruxen

SEMIFINALS
Qazox City 0-2 InterRockport
SaxerVilla 1-2 San Guano (A.E.T 97')

CHAMPIONSHIP
InterRockport 1-0 San Guano

W-LEAGUE STANDINGS
(Division Winner is in Bold)

Almost every season of the W-League has seen a team that finished at or near the bottom of its division one year, and compete for the Title the next. This season was no different, as both of last season's 5th place division teams made it to the finals. River Vitas won their 1st title knocking off Bruxen WC 4-2 in the final. Lorax WC, in a bit of an oddity, became the 1st ever women's team to go an enitre season with out a draw. They did win 4 matches and lost 3 others in injury time, with 2 of the wins coming in the last possible minute.

EAST W-D-L PTS
Bruxen WC 14-6-6 48
Saint Nash WC 14-2-10 44
Qazox Athena 11-3-12 36
SaxerVilla WC 10-4-12 34
Rockport WC 10-3-13 33
Graverville WC 9-5-12 32

WEST W-D-L PTS
River Vitas 13-4-9 43
Lorax WC 13-0-13 39
Lake Porter WC 12-2-12 38
Fromburg WC 11-5-10 38
New Recife WC 11-4-11 37
Pika WC 8-2-16 26

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
River Vitas 4 @ Bruxen WC 2

Candelaria And Marquez

28-11-2007, 14:06

CMSC XXVI: Second Third

Matchday Eleven: Stunning slip-ups for capital clubs

Just when it appeared that the league would be running to expectations with Albrecht FC, Albrecht Turkish and Marquez-Onwere battling it out for the title, it all goes and becomes a bit weird.

It started on Saturday morning when the A.Turks were utterly outplayed by MN Smith. Man for man, it remains unarguable that the Smudgers are the poorest team in the league, yet they sit fourth on goal difference among the likely challengers and have certainly deserved it. Derek Marshall’s men were far from outplayed, even away from home at the MSS, and never looked likely to give up their early one goal lead. The Millermen for their part looked utterly impotent.

Albrecht FC’s strikers also had a miserable time in their game on Monday, though it was the defence that rightfully received Trevor Organ’s lambasting. Goalkeeper Murphy Matthews was ultimately to blame for two of the goals the Scorpions conceded against struggling Turks’ Club of Khatib, though the national team pairing of Sam Young and Benji Fu is by all accounts having a mare this season. Seventeen goals conceded is just not good enough for champions, and Organ knows it. His team were booed off at full time.

Marquez-Onwere leapt on the Albrecht clubs’ home disasters with a confident and classy away win in Arrigo. Candelaria Arsenal meanwhile took part in the game of the day; going 2-1 behind and 3-2 up against Candelaria-Allemali. Once again the Yellows looked in control, but Shining Sons striker Gime Thadope has found his form and hit a brace.

The performance of the day was clearly at the Estadio de Movilla del Candelarias Online where Castillo FC hit six past local rivals El din Marbles for no return; teenage forward Leonard Pinto scoring a hat-trick in under twenty minutes. The most notable result however was in Zapata, where Caires City under caretaker manager Elgin Donnat picked up their first win of the season; a 4-2 drubbing of Green Island.

Radyukevich’s revival ended before it had really begun with a 2-0 defeat at the Valleys, both KT Hotspur’s goals coming in second-half injury time.

Albrecht FC v TurksKT (Mon) 0 – 3 (Langstone 23, Hutton 56, Pi 74)
A.Turks v MN Smith (Sat Morning) 0 – 1 (Zuluaga 9)
C.A.L v CandelariaAM 3 – 3 (Tomlinson 18, Naylor 52, Shannon 75; Mengucci 38, Thadope 43 and 81)
Castillo FC v El din Marbles 6 – 0 (Pinto 7 and 15 and 17, Evans 37, Sandstrom 46, Stewart 65)
Green Island v Caires City 2 – 4 (Zetaback 39, Walker 87; Desideri og 29, Suskovic 51, Roberts 67, Montano 90)
KT Hotspur v Radyukevich 2 – 0 (Abellardo 90+1, Walsh 90+3)
Port of Clotaire v Abiodun North 3 – 0 (Kim 1, Gnom 14, Davis 45+2)
Portuguese v MarquezOW 0 – 3 (Lopo 16, Jones 33, Kjaer 85)

Matchday Twelve: van Deene relieved for Giles Walton

No sooner had Giles Walton finished trying to explain away another crushing away defeat – this time to fellow CMSC newcomers MN Smith – was he signing a contract with Candelaria-Allemali. The Shining Sons disposed of young coach Jaon van Deene following their 2-0 home defeat to Green Island, a move that attracted immediate and vociferous protests by fans. The board insists that after their significant outlay on Gime Thadope, Smakam Downe and Thjis Tullier they simply cannot afford to give the inexperienced van Deene time to develop. Supporters insist that the move with less than half the season gone was premature, and the arrival of Walton – whose Marbles were equal with CandelariaAM on eleven points - attracted the ire of a huge proportion of the Allemali club’s support.

As far as the title race goes, the CMSC suddenly looks as open as ever with the top half separated by just ten points. Sitting in eight are KT Hotspur, for whom Samuelese striker Giuseppe Abellardo looks to be coming into form scoring a brace against Candelaria Arsenal whose bubble, not before time, seems to have well and truly burst.

Port of Clotaire are with the Spur on seventeen points after a draw at home to Adam Williamson’s Turks’ Club, while Castillo FC’s three-nil win in Arrigo leaves them another of the clubs with no foreigners in their squad doing oddly* well. The champions won a five-goal thriller at Radyukevich who drop back to the bottom of the table after Caires City got back to back wins after an injury-time victory at hiccoughing Albrecht Turkish.

A.Turks v Caires City 1 – 2 (Westhead 89; Roberts 9, Suskovic 90+3)
CandelariaAM v Green Island 0 – 2 (Dubicki og 24, Cerullei 81)
KT Hotspur v C.A.L 3 – 0 (Adams 11, Abellardo 45+2 and 54)
MarquezOW v Abiodun North 2 – 1 (Ernebrink og 22, Okeke 75; Castelão 77)
MN Smith v El din Marbles 3 – 0 (Fauske 1, Johansson 25, Zuluaga 90)
Port of Clotaire v TurksKT 0 – 0
Portuguese v Castillo FC 0 – 3 (Sandstrom 16, Saglam 43, Eriksson 51)
Radyukevich v Albrecht FC 2 – 3 (Sellami 19, Burridge 73; Vanderpent 4, Edwards 21, St. Louis 70)

*And irritatingly

Matchday Thirteen: Someone called Vidakovic scores

After a weekend in which goals were either in short supply or amusingly plentiful depending on where you were; Andy Woolworth’s Marquez-Onwere remain on top of the table. They were made to work for it however, taking a point at Green Island who still appear unwilling to resign themselves to a season of rebuilding after XXV’s heroics. Simone Cammaroto equalised Niclas Kjaer’s opener to take his tally for the season to six – a sizeable figure in a term where strikers are struggling to prove their worth – while Stuart Vidakovic finally got his first goal of the season. His fellow C&M international on the naranja side, Ignacio Vélez, has only four goals himself – hardly the return of a forward hoping to lead the Big Blues’ line in the next World Cup. Still, he fed Kjaer for the equaliser.

Candelaria Arsenal were held at home by Radyukevich but stayed second on goal difference with Albrecht FC have ominously climbed to join them on twenty-five points after coming off the best of a five-goal thriller with Candelaria-Allemali.

Giles Walton’s new club remains above his old one only on goal difference, the Marbles’ cause being done no good at all by a 5-0 drubbing by Turks’ Club of Khatib, making it seventeen goals let in in just four games for the surely doomed El din club.

Caires City moved to within a point of safety after a goalless draw with MN Smith – a result that, ludicrously, represents a descent result for Elgin Dannat. Scoreline of the weekend came at the Valleys however, where Albrecht Turkish somehow perforated one of the league’s tightest defences not once but six times; winger Reuben Kennedy hitting a hat-trick, Gary Maini bagging a brace and Toby Stumpf scoring a screamer.

And, if today’s Mercury is anything to go by, he got a goal as well.

Albrecht FC v CandelariaAM 3 – 2 (Vanderpent 20, Edwards 21, Clark 55; Tullier 37, Thadope 41)
Caires City v MN Smith 0 – 0
C.A.L v Radyukevich 0 – 0
Castillo FC v Abiodun North 0 – 0
Green Island v MarquezOW 2 – 2 (Cammaroto 38, Vidakovic 68; Kjaer 6 and 80)
KT Hotspur v A.Turks 0 – 6 (Maini 10 and 50, Kennedy 11 and 23 and 49, Stumpf 50)
Port of Clotaire v Portuguese 1 – 3 (Orlovic 51; Fritz 22 and 47, Belling 85)
TurksKT v El din Marbles 5 – 0 (Hone 33 and 73 and 74, Pezzoni 62, Pi 71)

Matchday Fourteen: Portuguese destroyed in late Arsenal

Candelaria Arsenal’s bizarre title challenge was given renewed impetus this weekend with four goals in the final fifteen minutes against last season’s division two champions, Arrigo Portuguese. C.A.L had gone two-nil up through strike partners Jacob Calero and Luke Naylor only to be pulled back level through a Steven Fritz penalty and a Chris Pearson own goal. But as Portuguese pressed the Yellows repeatedly hit back with stunning shots by Fred Ma and tap-ins by Naylor to complete his hat-trick.

A no less vital away win came in Clotaire, where Radyukevich had twice drawn level at home to Albrecht Turkish in a superb first half. Gary Maini’s overhead kick just after the break proved the decisive goal and put the Millermen level on points with Albrecht FC. The Scorpions themselves had a three-all draw at the Little Road Stadium, a result that wasn’t enough to lift the Marbles out of the danger zone after Candelaria-Allemali’s defeat of Turks’ Club. Marquez-Onwere stayed top of the table despite a home draw with Castillo FC.

Ground trouble once again marred an MN Smith game as they slumped to a 2-0 home defeat to Abiodun.

CandelariaAM v TurksKT 1 – 0 (Thadope 78)
El din Marbles v Albrecht FC 3 – 3 (O’Leary 45, Pinkowski 67, Madden 81; Cunningham 7, Clark 76, Edwards 83)
KT Hotspur v Caires City 2 – 0 (Smith 22, Abellardo 53)
MarquezOW v Castillo FC 1 – 1 (Okeke 29; Eriksson 14)
MN Smith v Abiodun North 0 – 2 (Wojciechowski 51, Castelão 60)
Port of Clotaire v Green Island 4 – 3 (Gnom 34 and 68, Kim 47 and 71; Vidakovic 3, Cerullei 32 and 63)
Portuguese v C.A.L 2 – 6 (Fritz 16, Pearson og 69; Calero 9, Naylor 11 and 79 and 80, Ma 73 and 86)
Radyukevich v A.Turks 2 – 3 (Rawlinson 41, Katic 44; Westhead 30, Wang 42, Maini 48)

Matchday Fifteen: Three and easy for mid-way leaders

Half of the season has gone and you can barely slip a sheet of paper between the leaders. Suitably then, the Millerman Sheppard Stadium hosted Albrecht Turkish v Marquez-Onwere – potentially a dress rehearsal for a last-day title decider. As it was, it was all sewn up in the first half with Gary Maini’s eleventh goal of the season rendering Ignacio Vélez’ earlier equaliser moot. The result moved A.Turks up to twenty-nine points to join the naranja and Candelaria Arsenal who drew goalless at Port of Clotaire.

Albrecht FC sit fourth after a two-two draw at MN Smith. The league’s highest goalscorers, the champions have conceded more goals that all but two CMSC sides (Green Island and El din Marbles), an unacceptable record which is expected to lead to Trevor Organ dropping young ‘keeper Murphy Matthews in favour of 38-year-old former C&M international, the supposedly retired Reuben Uwakwe.

In a key battle at the bottom, Vincent Peluso’s Radyukevich eased to victory at Elgin Dannat’s Caires City, with both sides remaining in the relegation zone.

Abiodun North v TurksKT 2 - 2 (Bishop 37, Castelão 90; James 33, Hone 80)
A.Turks v MarquezOW 2 - 1 (Reddington og 16, Maini 42; Vélez 38)
Caires City v Radyukevich 0 - 3 (Rawlinson 30 and 90+1, Hurston 79)
CandelariaAM v Castillo FC 1 - 0 (Cannon 71)
El din Marbles v KT Hotspur 1 - 3 (Marks 77; Abellardo 6, Smith 90+3, Adams 90+4)
Green Island v Portuguese 3 - 1 (Zetaback 3 and 53, Cammaroto 74; Brightmore 18)
MN Smith v Albrecht FC 2 - 2 (Johansson 32, Jones 83; Edwards 31, Vanderpent 50)
Port of Clotaire v C.A.L 0 - 0

Matchday Sixteen: Two slip-ups and a stormer

Marquez-Onwere started the second half of the season all on their own at the top of the table after Albrecht Turkish and Candelaria Arsenal both fell to defeats.

Though away from home, the Millermen’s defeat will likely prove more bruising in the long run with Doug Szczechowicz, Toby Stumpf and Ryan Westhead all send off as A.Turks descended into anarchy as the third Candelaria-Allemali goal went in. That scorer, Smakam Downe, was then given his own marching orders for a ferocious tackle on the veteran striker Ollie Landolfi.

C.A.L meanwhile had the best of a poor game at home to Castillo FC but ended up second best after teenager striker Jack Yilmaz followed up Rex Sandstrom’s strike late on. Over in the capital, Beck Ragab also scored late on to give Albrecht FC a hard-fought win and propel them into second place. But the game of the day came in Bove, where MN Smith and the naranja played one of the best matches of the season; a no-holds-barred contest which ended in a 5-3 win for the new leaders.

Elsewhere, Jerry Huntick was sent to the stands following KT Hotspur’s defeat at Green Island; a result that ensured the league’s top nine were still only separated by ten points. Radyukevich won their second away game in a row to move within a point of Arrigo Portuguese and safety. Caires City also kept up their push back up the table, with a result that leaves Adam Williamson’s Turks’ Club in a precarious position once more.

Albrecht FC v Abiodun North 2 – 1 (Cunningham 31, Ragab 84; Castelão 46)
C.A.L v Castillo FC 0 – 2 (Sandstrom 80, Yilmaz 90+4)
CandelariaAM v A.Turks 3 – 0 (Bradley 13 and 58, Downe 42)
Green Island v KT Hotspur 3 – 1 (Noble og 23, Walker 44, Zetaback 72; Ward 47)
MN Smith v MarquezOW 3 – 5 (Martín 25, Zuluaga 61, Izzillo 65; Reddington 22, Dementjev 26, Vélez 45+2, Kjaer 48, Lopo 88)
Port of Clotaire v El din Marbles 0 – 0
Portuguese v Radyukevich 1 – 3 (Lauren 28; Katic 15 and 68, Rawlinson 40)
TurksKT v Caires City 0 – 2 (Stromberg 51 and 64)

Matchday Seventeen: Reddington out for season as topsy-turvey league continues

If you can measure the closeness of the CMSC after any given matchday by where the side(s) ten points behind the leaders lie (and many do just that); then XXVI is tighter than ever. Green Island were felled, remarkably, in El din to give the Marbles their fourth win. Hane Davies’ Zapata-based outfit, for their part, dropped to eleventh – but remain just ten points behind the table-toppers.

Who are, despite everything, Marquez-Onwere; who notched up their third defeat of the term at home to Turks’ Club. A goal down to a free-kick nudged in by left-back Graeme Langstone, the naranja then lost holding midfielder Matt Reddington, stretchered off after a Ben Moore challenge went horribly wrong. Without their midfield pivot, MarquezOW were overrun by the Khatib club and Giorgio Pezzoni set up Carlo Hone for the second goal that effectively killed the game off. Young Merlin Siriwong brought some honour back for the home side later on, but the news that Reddington will be out for the rest of the season casts a major shadow over their title credentials.

Albrecht FC were unable to capitalise however, despite dominating the opening period against the Errant Knights of Caires City. The McNeill Bingo Arena was then treated to one of the best shows they’d seen in a long time as Elgin Dannat’s men pressed the champions out of the game and deliver them their own third defeat of the season.

Albrecht Turkish were made to work for it too, going a goal behind at the MSS thanks to former Albrecht FC striker Steven Fritz. The game proved as tight as a tight thing, but A.Turks ultimately won and plunged Arrigo Portuguese further into unexpected relegation trouble.

Elsewhere, MN Smith have just two points from five games and have slipped to seventh after defeat at KT Hotspur. Candelaria Arsenal were also comfortably dispatched away from home, but remain but three points off the lead.

Abiodun North v C.A.L 3 – 0 (Young 17, Wojciechowski 22, Castelão 63)
A.Turks v Portuguese 2 – 1 (Maini 16, Westhead 62; Fritz 13)
Caires City v Albrecht FC 3 – 1 (Fu og 53, Stromberg 68, Tedder 80; Vanderpent 55)
Castillo FC v Port of Clotaire 0 – 2 (Davis 36, Kim 72)
El din Marbles v Green Island 3 – 2 (Marks 1, Madden 14, Pinkowski 31; Cammaroto 27, Vidakovic 90+4)
KT Hotspur v MN Smith 2 – 0 (Abellardo 4, Johnson 10)
MarquezOW v TurksKT 1 – 2 (Siriwong 82; Langstone 11, Hone 65)
Radyukevich v CandelariaAM 0 – 1 (Bradley 60)

Matchday Eighteen: Spoils shared all round

The major contenders in the XXVI title race – of which there seems to be increasingly many – all failed to make further gains with half of the matchday’s games drawn.

In the capital, the season’s biggest derby ended in a two-all tie with Trevor Organ’s Albrecht struggling throughout to overturn Albrecht Turkish’s early lead. Joe Cunningham celebrated his 21st by completed a brace and giving his boyhood club an ‘away’ point.

In the north-east of Candelarias meanwhile, Port of Clotaire held Marquez-Onwere to a point each themselves. Without anyone but the local Harpies fans really noticing, Niko Mason’s side have moved to within seven points of the two table toppers. Theirs’ is a distinctly uninspiring side who have scored just eighteen goals so far – less than anyone – but conceded but fourteen also well fewer than any other side. Home-grown central defender Tom Redway enhances his C&M credentials every week, albeit with Zwangzug’s Natalie Instonenext next to him, while summer signing Kenan Orlovic is a beast in midfield. Together, they combined again to hold on to Dan Davis’ early lead, though the absence of Matt Reddington was clearly damaging the naranja’s chances. Ironically, the away side found a point thanks to his temporary replacement, Joe Beye.

In Zapata, Green Island won against MN Smith thanks to a late strike from young sub forward Andrew Abbott to leapfrog the Smudgers into eighth. Not that at this stage it counts for much – Abiodun North, having dropped to twelfth, are still only ten points behind A.Turks and MarquezOW at the summit.

Abiodun North v CandelariaAM 1 – 3 (Young 60; Cannon 28, Thadope 40, Mengucci 53)
A.Turks v Albrecht FC 2 – 2 (Landolfi 2, Kennedy 13; Cunningham 7 and 66)
Caires City v El din Marbles 2 – 2 (Stromberg 22 and 90+2; Madden 43, Slater og 74
Castillo FC v Radyukevich 1 – 2 (Eriksson 48; Sellami 30, Katic 73)
Green Island v MN Smith 1 – 0 (Abbott 87)
Port of Clotaire v MarquezOW 1 – 1 (Davis 11; Beye 78)
Portuguese v KT Hotspur 1 – 1 (Brightmore 79; Abellardo 21)
TurksKT v C.A.L 3 – 1 (Hutton 15, James 45, Pi 52; McDonald og 20)

Matchday Nineteen: North-east clubs sink further into danger

Two of this season’s five CMSC clubs from north-east Candelaria edged further towards disaster on matchday nineteen. By far the most notable result of the weekend came at the Hilltop Stadium, Clotaire; as Radyukevich were wiped away by a rampant Green Island.

Such a defeat, at home against a thoroughly inconsistent side, makes the Jukos and Vincent Peluso’s job looking increasingly difficult despite his shaking-up of the side. Club captain Damien Waterman has been dropped, but Kura-Pelland’s Steve Hurston and long-time bench player Tommy Tohver will clearly take time to gel. Jiri Necas has returned to midfield, Pablo López has replaced James Burridge on the left, and young Jean Moreira has been given a go up front, but they all looked a complete shambles in the defeat to Hane Davies’ visitors. For the CMSC, it remains imperative that Radyukevich stay up – with three international stars on their books it is not being seen to do the league’s prospects of attracting more newcomers in the future any good. Green Island, meanwhile, are up to fifth.

The Zapata club now sit two points behind Candelaria Arsenal, whose defence is just starting to bank the cheques the Yellow’s attack is struggling to cash. They shared a draw with Albrecht Turkish, forcing the Millermen into second-place with their arch-rivals once more. A three-minute period in Allemali settled the game between MarquezOW and CandelariaAM and left Andy Woolworth still on course to become the first non-Candelariasian manager to win the CMSC.

Albrecht FC v Port of Clotaire 3 – 1 (Ragab 8, Vanderpent 13, Cunningham 31; Kim 70)
C.A.L v A.Turks 0 – 0
Caires City v Portuguese 0 – 1 (Fritz 36)
CandelariaAM v MarquezOW 1 – 2 (Downe 33; Vélez 30, Sheibat 32)
El din Marbles v Abiodun North 4 – 2 (O’Leary 10, Madden 17 and 62, Kimber og 27; Eckhardt 7, Castelão 80)
KT Hotspur v Castillo FC 2 – 3 (Bagshaw 25, Smith 73; Sandstrom 15 and 45+1, Watts 76)
MN Smith v TurksKT 2 – 2 (Fauske 45, Johansson 74; Pi 44, Pezzoni 45+2)
Radyukevich v Green Island 2 – 5 (Min 20, López 53; Cammaroto 3, Head 17, Walker 45+2 and 86, Vidakovic 57)

Matchday Twenty: Top four leave for break with wins

The long-time CMSC leaders all took three points from their final games prior to the break for the World Cup. Potential tournament stars were among the scorers with Gary Maini hitting his thirteenth goal from the penalty and fourteenth off a header by Oran Mejía’s post in a three-nil win for Albrecht Turkish at careering-down-the-table Abiodun North.

The current spate of goal-heavy games weren’t matched for the other three, who all settled for 1-0 wins. Ignacio Vélez scored to keep Marquez-Onwere top and Caires City only off the bottom on goal difference. They stay at the foot of the league with Radyukevich, who dominated at the Khatib Together Stadium but still came away with nothing for their trouble once more.

Albrecht FC and Candelaria Arsenal both took away wins. With the naranja Scorpions, and Millermen and separated by two points at the top, Woolworth, Organ and Healy can only sit back and hope that C&M and Zwangzug get knocked out of the World Cup as quickly as possible to return fully-fit before the league restarts in a month.

Elsewhere, Port of Clotaire thrashed The Spur 3-0 to replace Green Island in fifth, while El din Marbles stay in the relegation zone despite a point shared in Allemali. Arrigo Portuguese moved to within two points of fellow CMSC newcomers MN Smith, after a 3-0 win for the home side over the Smudgers at the Estadio Arrigo Nacional.

Abiodun North v A.Turks 0 – 3 (Szczechowicz 35, Maini 44 and 80)
CandelariaAM v El din Marbles 1 – 1 (Thadope 73; O’Leary 12)
Castillo FC v Albrecht FC 0 – 1 (Ragab 14)
Green Island v C.A.L 0 – 1 (Palacios 69)
MarquezOW v Caires City 1 – 0 (Vélez 76)
Port of Clotaire v KT Hotspur 3 – 0 (Instonenext 68, Davis 77, Collins 78)
Portuguese v MN Smith 3 – 0 (Fritz 2, Belling 43, Brightmore 71)
TurksKT v Radyukevich 2 – 0 (Pi 11, Harouni 88)

Table After Second Third

P W D L GF GA GD PTS

1.Marquez-Onwere 20 11 6 3 34 22 12 39
2.Albrecht Turkish 20 11 4 5 36 24 12 37
3.Albrecht FC 20 10 7 3 42 33 9 37
4.Candelaria Arsenal 20 9 6 5 30 22 8 33
5.Port of Clotaire 20 7 8 5 22 17 5 29
6.Green Island 20 8 4 8 40 35 5 28
7.Turks Club of Khatib 20 7 6 7 31 26 5 27
8.Candelaria-Allemali 20 7 6 7 28 26 2 27
9.KT Hotspur 20 7 6 7 22 28 -6 27
10.Castillo FC 20 7 5 8 24 20 4 26
11.AFC MN Smith 20 6 7 7 21 25 -4 25
12.Abiodun North 20 6 5 9 23 27 -4 23
13.Arrigo Portuguese 20 6 4 10 23 25 -2 22
14.El din Marbles 20 5 6 9 25 49 -24 21
15.Caires City 20 4 5 11 19 27 -8 17
16.Radyukevich 20 4 5 11 22 33 -11 17

Cafundeu

05-12-2007, 23:43

CAFUNDÉU - PREVIEW OF THE NEW SEASON
Before WC38

The most international league of the world returns to activity, and the teams are ready to fight for trophies again. After (another) good campaign of the country in the World Cup, the domestic league seems continues with its success. This time, no big signings from abroad, but there were many changes between the teams (although some mantained the same players).

See the main transfers of foreign players between Cafundéu’s teams:

Foreign Players – From Cafundéu teams to Cafundéu teams:

Bob Woolmer (Jeruselem) ----------> retired, now onws a travel agency
Adam Tuff (Jeruselem) ----------> from Khalmar-Tijhus to Petardos S/A
Colin Patette (Sel Appa) ----------> from CR Submiria to Petardos S/A
Kinta Burka (Jeruselem) ----------> from Cafundó do Juta to Petrol
Carlos Cueto (Schiavonia) ----------> from Atlético Jutense to Central United
Andi Busilanta (Bettia) ----------> retired, returns to Bettia
Budi Busilanta (Bettia) ----------> retired, returns to Bettia
Elmi Guirreh (Ariddia) ----------> from Pernetas EC to Clube Imperial
Sajat Mokat (Jeruselem) ----------> retired, works with Woolmer in the travel agency
Jos Cornelisse (Candelaria And Marquez) ----------> from São José to SC Lasft
Anton Dumitrache (Estresse Intenso) ----------> from CR Submiria to Clube Comercial
Des Sutton (Ad’ihan) ----------> from Central United to União Trabalhadora

Foreign Coaches:

Christophe Argentier (Ariddia) ----------> coach of Petardos S/A
Ensio Varg (Squornshelous) ----------> coach of Atlético Insular
Jason Fowler (Jeruselem) ----------> coach of Petrol
Ke Sho (Ariddia) ----------> coach of Atlético Jutense
Sanderson Makiveli (Sel Appa) ----------> coach of C-Electronics (2nd Div)
Sert Wandragon (Qazox) ----------> coach of Globo Multimedia
Javier Sanchez (Candelaria And Marquez) ----------> coach of América (2nd Div)
Big Gay Al (Jeruselem) ----------> coach of Agreman FH (2nd Div)
Patrik Hermanni (Squornshelous) ----------> coach of Penders

The line-ups of the 20 best teams of the country(First Division Teams) will probably be the following (foreigners in italics, best 3 players in bold) – now with information about stadiums and team characteristics:

PETARDOS S/A: Lauro; Coelho, André Luís, Tuff and Eduardo Monte; Patette, Shockey, Éverton and Misterson; Fe-Do and Newton.
Coach: Christophe Argentier.
Team Style: Offensive, uses the wings, passing style.
Strongest Point: extremely good midfield in all area.
Weakest Point: none, strong team in all sectors.
Nickname: Bilionários (Billionaires).
Stadium Used: Obelisco Monumental, in Lasft (cap. 200,000).
Other facts: current runner-ups, the richest team of the country has a very good team, with talented players in all areas. The team is capable of winning the title after losing it last season, but the players need to learn some team work, one of the main problems of Petardos last season.
Good Bench Players: Robinson (attacker), Silvinho (winger), Assis (midfielder).

CAFUNDÓ DO JUTA: Boizão; Mihajlchenko, Aligon and Doriva; Wilkirk, C.Vergara, Ilmari and Dário; Fabrício, T.Vergara and Tales.
Coach: João Canabrava.
Team Style: Balanced, uses the centre, mixed style.
Strongest Point: good offensive power.
Weakest Point: none, good team in all areas.
Nickname: Esquadrão de Prata (Silver Squadron).
Stadium Used: Praça Maior, in Cafundó do Juta (cap. 160,000).
Other facts: the team that has the most number of supporters in the country wants to retain the title after some seasons. Now it has an extremely strong team, with some good reinforcements and some good young players.
Good Bench Players: Bonfá (midfielder), Marcelo Rocha (full-back), Waguinho (defender).

A.F.F.: Júnior; Léo Mattos, Augusto César, Burnside and Faustino; Petras, Nego Guerreiro, Silveira and Neto; Heitor and Sinclair.
Coach: Benjamin Oliveira.
Team Style: Offensive, uses the wings, long passes style.
Strongest Point: wings, with Léo Mattos and Augusto César.
Weakest Point: lack of good reserve options.
Nickname: Os Monges (The Monks).
Stadium Used: Arena América V, in Abadia (cap. 100,000).
Other facts: the team is controlled by a family, and is known for being a team that has good wingers. The team mantained its main players, which is already a good thing, and could bring some good new players.
Good Bench Players: Charles (midfielder), Bady (midfielder), Quirino (attacker).

DUNBOOR FC: Swift; Clituleng, Lionel and Lobato; Del Valle, Wilson Magrão, Barnes, Jongguk, Kimball and Kliek; Hartenholm.
Coach: David Nefasto.
Team Style: Balanced, uses the centre, passing style.
Strongest Point: balanced team.
Weakest Point: no weak point.
Nickname: Leões do Norte (Northern Lions).
Stadium Used: Maracatu Arena, in Dunboor (cap. 80,000).
Other facts: team that likes to use foreigners, takes advantage of the cold climate of the city in its home games. Now the team got the title and found a new idol: the defensive midfielder Eddie Barnes. Can win the title again.
Good Bench Players: Dubrov (attacker) , Alessandrini (midfielder), Magal (midfielder).

CENTRAL UNITED: Sedoso; Elvis, Toninho, Cueto and Isaacs; Meback, Gaúcho, Lineu and McCann; Heren Ijak and Gabalán.
Coach: Renário.
Team Style: Balanced, uses the wings and with frequent counterattacks.
Strongest Point: defence.
Weakest Point: goalkeeper, the insecure Sedoso.
Nickname: Alvinegro.
Stadium Used: Toca do Tatu, in Central City (cap. 75,000).
Other facts: controlled by a rich petroleum businessman, is growing fast, is the defending champion of the Emperor Cup. It still wants a good position in the league, something that the team got last season. The main problem is that the team uses a lot of old players.
Good Bench Players: Dionísio (midfielder), Zezinho Pixote (midfielder), Maalar (full-back).

CLUBE IMPERIAL: Yongdae; Alex, Waddington and Carlão; Da Silva, Rato, Clodovil, Carlos Magno and Roosevelt; Senna and Guirreh.
Coach: Caio Meback.
Team Style: Extremely offensive, uses the centre and with a fast passes style.
Strongest Point: midfield.
Weakest Point: team too offensive.
Nickname: Time Real (Royal Team).
Stadium Used: Estádio Rei Albieri Van Tocco, in Cafundó do Juta (cap. 100,000).
Other Facts: Clube Imperial became one of the strongest team of the country after some good signings. But, this time, the Emperor didn’t spend much money and only mantained the main players, but lost the Busilanta brothers.
Good Bench Players: Giovanni (midfielder), Hauser (midfielder) and Epasso (midfielder).

RANCA TOCO: Moisés; Vital, Russo, Souza and Alemão; Carioca, Valtinho, Starkey and Velório; Aatunen and Dinei.
Coach: Rivaldo Sodré.
Team Style: Extremely defensive, focuses on counterattacks and long balls.
Strongest Point: excellent defense.
Weakest Point: offensive midfield.
Nickname: Sarrafeiros.
Stadium Used: Presídio, in Carandirú City (cap. 75,000).
Other Facts: team famous for its violence, which is incentivated by the directors of the club. Gives high value to pride and home games. Its supporters are very violent too. After some bad seasons, the team is slowly recovering its old form.
Good Bench Players: Tico (defender), Serginho (midfielder), Luizão (defender).

ATLÉTICO JUTENSE: Tu Wesh; Tupã, Leandro Cavalo, Vasco and Conceição; Zé Sho, Si Ewe, Momtaz, Byeongji and Brahma; Careca.
Coach: Ke Sho.
Team Style: Very balanced, uses more the centre, passing style.
Strongest Point: good midfield.
Weakest Point: weak full-backs.
Nickname: Galo.
Stadium Used: Cerradão, in Cafundó do Juta (cap. 60,000).
Other Facts: after building a very good team last season, this year Atlético Jutense has problems. Lost its main players and couldn’t replace them well. The defence isn’t the same from the times of Cueto and Ke Sho (who now is the coach), but the midfield continues strong. The son of Ke, José (called Zé), has his first chance as a starter.
Good Bench Players: Franco (midfielder), Fábio (goalkeeper), Saci (attacker).

SC LASFT: Bartolomeu; Marçal, Zé Carlos and João Carlos; Anormal, Praiano, Wissen, Cornelisse and Münzer; Flecha and Esrimdo.
Coach: Eduardo Bosschaart.
Team Style: Offensive, very tactical.
Strongest Point: strong attack.
Weakest Point: extremely weak defence.
Nickname: Golden Team.
Stadium Used: Estádio Padre Anchieta, in Lasft (cap. 70,000).
Other Facts: although the team could keep its main players (Anormal, Münzer and Flecha), it had difficulties to mantain a competitive squad. The goalkeeper is young and the defence far from perfect. But the midfield and attack can put the team with some advantage, sufficient to put the team in the top 8. Yes, it is the same situation of last season.
Good Bench Players: Baltazar (attacker) , Nascimento (attacker), Davi (defender).

KHALMAR-TIJHUS: Knudson; De Lucia, Polacco, Marcola and Fellendorf; Didi, Émerson Viana, Rubens and Gil; Marossi and Incisivo.
Coach: João Augusto Figueiredo.
Team Style: Balanced, but very cautious when attacking.
Strongest Point: reinforced defence.
Weakest Point: midfield.
Nickname: Tricolor.
Stadium Used: Jóia da Lagoa, in Tijhus (cap. 30,000).
Other Facts: the team that everyone expects to be relegated, but never is. After a sucessful run in the Emperor Cup, the team could buy some good players... but now the ghost of the relegation returns to threaten them.
Good Bench Players: Jarbas (goalkeeper), Moreno (defender), Vinny (midfielder).

EC ELVILLE: Andrei; Vandick, Armstrong, Tiago and Nasser; Giranu, Verdi and Jorginho; Caubi, Yossarian and Saulo.
Coach: Júlio Vargas.
Team Style: Defensive, uses the centre of the field, very moving.
Strongest Point: midfield.
Weakest Point: defence in general.
Nickname: Gorila.
Stadium Used: Parque do Sol, in Elville (cap. 60,000).
Other Facts: the legendary goalkeeper arata retired, and now EC Elville is in danger. Without many good players, it’ll have to count with a lot of team work to stay in the First Division of the league.
Good Bench Players: Del Mar (defender), Kim (midfielder), Ivan (midfielder).

CR SUBMIRIA: McDonald; Gray, Sadia, Miranda and Marcos Moreno; Paulo, Branco and Horsch; Rubiano, Casagrande and Pieterszen.
Coach: João Canabrava.
Team Style: Balanced, although more offensive when playing at home.
Strongest Point: promising attack.
Weakest Point: central defense.
Nickname: Golfinhos (Dolphins).
Stadium Used: Aquário Nacional, in Submiria (cap. 55,000).
Other Facts: probably the marvelous campaign of last year won’t be repeated. The team mantained its key players and was able to bring some new talents, but this will only guarantee a place in the top 10, maybe top 8 with some luck. Which is good, as the team isn’t a traditional one.
Good Bench Players: Bergue (defender), Ravache (midfielder), Alencar (midfielder).

CLUBE COMERCIAL: Fahifa; Tim, Steffy and Perdigão; Kantamir, Itaú, Dumitrache and Peninha; Buriola, Bizness and Carrefour.
Coach: Saulo Galak.
Team Style: Very offensive, uses the wings, good in aerial plays and set pieces.
Strongest Point: attack.
Weakest Point: weak defense.
Nickname: Econômico (Economic).
Stadium Used: Olímpico do Imperador, in Lux (cap. 60,000).
Other Facts: the team uses nearly the same players, due to a contract with a big company. It has a lot of money, but doesn’t spend much because the directors want return from their investment. Not so good this season.
Good Bench Players: Assolan (goalkeeper), Liquigás (midfielder), Rondon (attacker).

ATLÉTICO INSULAR: Orca; Sequin, Moraes and Del Mar; Wágner Paulista, Edsanderson, Kléverson, Sytrobes and Haakana; Aristóteles and Sorato.
Coach: Ensio Varg.
Team Style: Very offensive, uses the wings, passing style.
Strongest Point: good offensive midfield.
Weakest Point: poor defence.
Nickname: Leões do Litoral (Coast Lions).
Stadium Used: Cúpula Tropical, in Ilha Eremita (cap. 30,000).
Other Facts: the island team was never a good team. But with its fast improvement in the last years, is now much more respected. The squad still doesn’t look excellent, but is far from bad. The best player is the midfielder Viggo Haakana.
Good Bench Players: Selmar (midfielder), Olavo (midfielder), Mário (attacker).

GALÁXIA: Júlio Sampa; Paulo Santos, Wanderson, Everaldo and Richard; Lucas Moura, Moreira, Tobias and Marcelinho; Ferreira and Danilo Sampa.
Coach: Nelson Yaschter.
Team Style: Extremely offensive, uses many individual plays.
Strongest Point: equal strength in all areas.
Weakest Point: equal strength in all areas.
Nickname: Academia Estelar.
Stadium Used: Mané Garrincha, in Santo Galvão (cap. 35,000).
Other Facts: Galáxia became famous as the first team of many stars of Cafundéu’s football, with an excellent youth academy. The main players of the team started in Galáxia, and the team doesn’t like to use foreigners. The coach wants to finish at least in the top 8. Notice that the team usually doesn’t change its line-up.
Good Bench Players: Abel (defender), Léo (midfielder), Fernandão (attacker).

PENDERS: Pedro; Michael, Batista, Toledo and Henrique; Renato Costa, Dênis, Camacho and Burns; Kips and Cazarez.
Coach: Patrik Hermanni.
Team Style: A bit offensive, uses the centre, good in home games.
Strongest Point: attack.
Weakest Point: the full-backs.
Nickname: Sombra (Shadow).
Stadium Used: Campo de Batalha, in Penderia (cap. 50,000).
Other Facts: everyone in the country is happy that this traditional team was able to return to the First Division after being relegated seasons ago. The team showed strength and has a good attack. The dream is to reach the top 8.
Good Bench Players: Fred (midfielder), Rossi (full-back), Moraes (attacker).

PETROL: Burka; Al-Shadhar, Humberto, Fontoura and Gäeif; Gian, Fabinho, Zamed and Macedo; Jorge Muniz and Ricardão.
Coach: Jason Fowler.
Team Style: sometimes offensive.
Strongest Point: attack.
Weakest Point: the central defence.
Nickname: the Sheiks.
Stadium Used: Estádio do Califa, in Al-Zalabahad (cap. 75,000).
Other Facts: this team has a lot of money, but, as isn’t a traditional team, can’t attract big names. But, thanks to the money, the team was able to reach the First Division, and will fight against relegation.
Good Bench Players: Rabelo (goalkeeper), Leone (midfielder), Al-Rashif (attacker).

GLOBO MULTIMEDIA: Cornélio; Salvador, Fuchs, Pedrão and Boni; Bernardes, Chapelin and Madureira; Cardoso, Jatobá and Nélson.
Coach: Sert Wandragon.
Team Style: very balanced.
Strongest Point: the goalkeeper Cornélio.
Weakest Point: the midfield in general.
Nickname: Television Kings.
Stadium Used: Campo da Globo, in Lasft (cap. 40,000).
Other Facts: this is the official team of media giants Globo Multimedia. The most influent company of Cafundéu, its football team is far from good. Will probably be one of the relegated teams.
Good Bench Players: Gedeon (midfielder), Lino (defender), Camargo (attacker).

COQUEIROS: Kardec; Bonsucesso, Allan, Ahhardgon and Gustavo; Sidney, Baiano, Josias and Hudson; Marquinhos Boêmio and Logus.
Coach: Paulo Netinho.
Team Style: defensive, due to its weakness.
Strongest Point: it has a good offensive midfield.
Weakest Point: the attack.
Nickname: Beach Addicts.
Stadium Used: Ipanemão, in Porto Lacruz (cap. 30,000).
Other Facts: team from a city knows for its beaches, the Beach Team has a squad composed mostly by unknown players, who want to become famous playing in the First Division. Although the team had been able to stay in the top division for some seasons in the past, now this mission will be difficult.
Good Bench Players: McLaren (midfielder), Coquinho (attacker), Seu Romão (goalkeeper).

UNIÃO TRABALHADORA: Inácio; Aldo, Enrico and Loiro; Genoino, Black, Cabeludo, Mano Brown and Bino; Maurício and Sutton.
Coach: João Paulo de Deus.
Team Style: balanced.
Strongest Point: the midfield.
Weakest Point: the defence, very weak.
Nickname: Sindicato.
Stadium Used: Estádio Ernesto Honesto, in Espinal (cap. 40,000).
Other Facts: team supported by the poorer citizens of Espinal, the União Trabalhadora has lots of supporters. It is a popular team, but not very good. With the help of the supporters, can escape relegation. Also, it is one of the most active political groups of the country, which defends the rights of the workers.
Good Bench Players: Zé Polenta (attacker), Natanael (defender), Miffese (defender).

FAVOURITES: even after losing the title last season, Petardos is still the favourite to win the title. Dunboor and Clube Imperial are other strong choices too, in a survey made by Globo Multimedia. See the results:

24% - Petardos S/A
17% - Dunboor FC
15% - Clube Imperial
10% - A.F.F.
8% - Ranca Toco and Cafundó do Juta
4% - Central United and SC Lasft
3% - Galáxia and Atlético Jutense
2,5% - Atlético Insular
1,5% - Penders

WORST TEAM: Another survey asked the supporters which team they thought that would finish the league in the last place, going to the Second Division(the last 4 are relegated):

50% - Globo Multimedia
22% - Coqueiros
21% - União Trabalhadora
5% - Petrol
1% - Clube Comercial and Khalmar-Tijhus

SECOND DIVISION: The competitors are: Tabajara, Clube dos Banqueiros, Supersônicos, C-Electronics, Aldeia Vigiah, Agreman FH, Forças Armadas, Royal Pollvogarad, Imperatriz, Boiadeiros, Tênis Clube, Faculdade de Medicina, Fulminense, América, Tio João, Lusitânio, Pernetas EC, São José, SC Carnavalesco and Sambarilove.

The favourites are: Tabajara, Clube dos Banqueiros, Supersônicos, América, Pernetas EC and Sambarilove.

THIRD DIVISION: The competitors are: U.D.E.U., Marinha, Gelid United, Massaranduba FC, Varzeano, Peladeiros, Civil FC, Amigos do Pebolim, Espinalense, Carandirú 1, Esportivo Jutense, Porto Lacruz, Cézares, Democratas, Intensivo, Vila Velha, Metropolitano, Mondragon Warriors, Aliança and Espinalense.

The favourites are: Massaranduba FC, Amigos do Pebolim, Vila Velha and Metropolitano.

FOURTH AND FIFTH DIVISIONS – Composed mainly by amateur teams, these teams are very weak and few of them play the National Cup, but some good teams can appear from there.

Elves Security Forces

07-12-2007, 10:55

Silver Cup: Season 20,002
Holders - Hondo Owls

First Round
Turmondale United (Green) 3-1 FC Vernad (Star)
FC Wexax (Green) 2-2p Cartmot Pride (Green)
Mar Sara Extreme (Green) 2-3 FC Vamas (Star)
FC Travesian (Star) 1-0 Raynor City Rockets (Star)
Oliviena United (Star) 2-1 SC Ianisle (Green)
Rolalas FC (Green) 2-4 Athletic Rolalas (Green)
Rinaldi Ravens (Green) 2aet-1 Travesian Generals (Star)
DC Aulian (Star) 1-3 Everlin Snipers (Star)
Monaven Breakers (Star) 2-0 Gladerial Fortune Dwellers (Green)
Char Sara Strike (Star) 4-1 Char Sara Volcano (Green)
AS Everlin (Green) 1-2 Capri Marksmen (Green)
AC Goldsan (Star) 1-3 AS Sharala (Star)

Second Round
AS Sharala (Star) 1-2 Char Sara Strike (Star)
Capri Marksmen (Green) 0-3 Soldarian FC (EPL)
AC Valanari (EPL) 3-1 Monaven Breakers (Star)
Turmondale FC (EPL) 1-0 Turmondale United (Green)
Straightdale FC (EPL) 2-0 Cartmot Pride (Green)
Oliviena United (Star) 1-4 FC Capri (EPL)
FC Vamas (Star) 3-4aet Athletic Rolalas (Green)
Wexax United (EPL) 2-1 Rinaldi Ravens (Green)
Everlin Snipers (Star) 1p-1 Manavawi Athletic (EPL)
AC Cartmot (EPL) 1-3 Raynor City Rockers (EPL)
Sharala AC (EPL) 3-2 Gladerial Twilight (EPL)
Hondo Owls (EPL) 1p-1 Hartdale Hawks (EPL)
Rinaldi Gunners (EPL) 6-1 Juavi Reds (EPL)
Kareen FC (EPL) 2-4aet Char Sara Inferno (EPL)
Mar Sara Flames (EPL) 3-2 FC Longview (EPL)
Baysleef Bombers (EPL) 7-1 FC Travesian (Star)

Third Round
Raynor City Rockers (EPL) 2aet-1 Baysleef Bombers (EPL)
Mar Sara Flames (EPL) 3-2 Hondo Owls (EPL)
Sharala AC (EPL) 1p-1 Char Sara Inferno (EPL)
Athletic Rolalas (Star) 3-1 Char Sara Strike (Star)
AC Valanari (EPL) 4-2 Wexax United (EPL)
FC Capri (EPL) 4-1 Turmondale FC (EPL)
Everlin Snipers (Star) 1-2 Straightdale FC (EPL)
Soldarian FC (EPL) 1-3 Rinaldi Gunners (EPL)

Quarterfinals
Straightdale FC (EPL) 1-3 AC Valanari (EPL)
Mar Sara Flames (EPL) 3-0 Sharala AC (EPL)
Athletic Rolalas (Star) 1-3aet Raynor City Rockers (EPL)
Rinaldi Gunners (EPL) 2-1 FC Capri (EPL)

Semifinals
AC Valanari (EPL) 2p-2 Rinaldi Gunners (EPL)
Raynor City Rockers (EPL) 1-2 Mar Sara Flames (EPL)

3PPo
Hosted by The Hatire Memorial, Capri
Raynor City Rockers (EPL) 2-1 Rinaldi Gunners (EPL)

Final
Hosted by The White Fortress, Gladerial
AC Valanari (EPL) 1-2aet Mar Sara Flames (EPL)

In conclusion, the Mar Sara Flames win their first championship in over ten years, defeating the surprise runners up of last season's Cup in a thrilling affair at the beautiful White Fortress in Gladerial. Raynor City exacts a small measure of revenge on Rinaldi for falling six points shy of winning the league by displacing the league champions in the third place playoff. Draco Gaurlung (Mar Sara Flames) lead all scorers with five goals, while Anti Fresco (Mar Sara Flames) was named MVP of the tournament with two goals and four assists.

Cafundeu

10-12-2007, 21:38

CAFUNDELENSE LEAGUE - FIRST HALF OF THE SEASON ENDED

The first half of the Cafundelense season is often viewed as non-important, as only minor competitions happen at that time. The most important one is surely the Emperor's Cup. The others competitions are State Championships, and the only reason why the supporters want to win this is because they have to defeat their rivals to get the trophy. And that’s the only reason that they exist too. But the State Championships and the State Champions Cup have tradition, while the Emperor’s Cup has practical importance. So, see the names of the state champions:

JUTA STATE: Clube Imperial
LASFT STATE: Petardos S/A
CENTRAL STATE: Ranca Toco
TITÃ STATE: Galáxia
DUNBOOR STATE: Dunboor FC
OLD CITIES STATE: A.F.F.
ESPINAL STATE: União Trabalhadora
COAST STATE: Atlético Insular

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THE STATE CHAMPIONS CUP

All the state champions played this unimportant competition. See the results:

Quarterfinals
1st Leg
Atlético Insular 2x2 A.F.F.
Dunboor FC 0x1 Ranca Toco
Clube Imperial 3x1 Galáxia
União Trabalhadora 2x4 Petardos S/A

2nd Leg
A.F.F. 2x0 Atlético Insular
Ranca Toco 0x0 Dunboor FC
Galáxia 2x1 Clube Imperial
Petardos S/A 3x0 União Trabalhadora

Semifinals
1st Leg
A.F.F. 3x2 Petardos S/A
Ranca Toco 3x3 Clube Imperial

2nd Leg
Petardos S/A 3x2 A.F.F. (4-5 on penalties)
Clube Imperial 0x1 Ranca Toco

Final
1st Leg
A.F.F. 0x0 Ranca Toco

2nd Leg
Ranca Toco 0x0 A.F.F. (7-6 on penalties)

Champion: RANCA TOCO!

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THE EMPEROR'S CUP

A bigger competition than the last ones, it involves 64 teams. See the results:

Round of 64
1st Leg
Porto Lacruz 1x3 Central United
Litorâneo 0x4 SC Lasft
Massaranduba FC 2x3 Sambarilove
Intensivo 1x5 CR Submiria
Royal Pollvogarad 0x11 Petardos S/A
Mocidade 2x4 Ranca Toco
Nacional da Cruz 1x1 Khalmar-Tijhus
Democratas 3x2 Clube dos Banqueiros
Metropolitano 1x3 Penders
Esportivo Jutense 2x3 União Trabalhadora
Tio João 0x1 Dunboor FC
Velha Guarda 2x2 São José
Peladeiros 2x2 Coqueiros
Carandirú 0x3 A.F.F.
Seringal 1x0 Lusitânio
Aldeia Vigiah 1x2 Clube Imperial
U.D.E.U. 0x0 Globo Multimedia
Vila Velha 1x4 Galáxia
Cézares 0x1 Atlético Jutense
Supersônicos 2x0 Faculdade de Medicina
Civil FC 0x2 Cafundó do Juta
Imperatriz 1x2 Pernetas EC
Aliança 1x1 América
Espinalense 1x3 Petrol
SC Carnavalesco 3x2 Clube Comercial
Amigos do Pebolim 1x0 Forças Armadas
Varzeano 2x0 Atlético Insular
Gelid United 1x2 C-Electronics
Boiadeiros 2x1 EC Elville
Fulminense 3x1 Tabajara
Mondragon Warriors 0x2 Agreman FH
Marinha 1x2 Tênis Clube

2nd Leg
Central United 2x0 Porto Lacruz
SC Lasft 4x0 Litorâneo
Sambarilove 1x1 Massaranduba FC
CR Submiria 3x1 Intensivo
Petardos S/A 8x1 Royal Pollvogarad
Ranca Toco 6x0 Mocidade
Khalmar-Tijhus 2x0 Nacional da Cruz
Clube dos Banqueiros 1x0 Democratas (3-0 on penalties)
Penders 1x2 Metropolitano
União Trabalhadora 4x1 Esportivo Jutense
Dunboor FC 3x0 Tio João
São José 1x0 Velha Guarda
Coqueiros 2x1 Peladeiros
A.F.F. 5x1 Carandirú
Lusitânio 3x1 Seringal
Clube Imperial 4x2 Aldeia Vigiah
Globo Multimedia 1x1 U.D.E.U. (2-4 on penalties)
Galáxia 2x0 Vila Velha
Atlético Jutense 3x2 Cézares
Faculdade de Medicina 2x2 Supersônicos
Cafundó do Juta 7x2 Civil FC
Pernetas EC 3x0 Imperatriz
América 4x1 Aliança
Petrol 0x0 Espinalense
Clube Comercial 2x1 SC Carnavalesco (4-5 on penalties)
Forças Armadas 1x1 Amigos do Pebolim
Atlético Insular 4x0 Varzeano
C-Electronics 1x2 Gelid United (1-2 on penalties)
EC Elville 2x0 Boiadeiros
Tabajara 4x2 Fulminense (4-3 on penalties)
Agreman FH 2x1 Mondragon Warriors
Tênis Clube 2x2 Marinha

Round of 32
1st Leg
Tênis Clube 1x3 Central United
Agreman FH 2x1 SC Lasft
Tabajara 1x0 Sambarilove
EC Elville 1x1 CR Submiria
Gelid United 0x4 Petardos S/A
Atlético Insular 3x2 Ranca Toco
Amigos do Pebolim 1x6 Khalmar-Tijhus
SC Carnavalesco 0x0 Clube dos Banqueiros
Petrol 0x0 Penders
América 3x0 União Trabalhadora
Pernetas EC 2x4 Dunboor FC
Cafundó do Juta 1x0 São José
Supersônicos 1x3 Coqueiros
Atlético Jutense 3x3 A.F.F.
Lusitânio 1x2 Galáxia
U.D.E.U. 0x5 Clube Imperial

2nd Leg
Central United 2x0 Tênis Clube
SC Lasft 1x0 Agreman FH
Sambarilove 3x1 Tabajara
CR Submiria 3x2 EC Elville
Petardos S/A 6x3 Gelid United
Ranca Toco 1x0 Atlético Insular (6-7 on penalties)
Khalmar Tijhus 1x1 Amigos do Pebolim
Clube dos Banqueiros 2x0 SC Carnavalesco
Penders 2x2 Petrol (3-4 on penalties)
União Trabalhadora 2x1 América
Dunboor FC 1x1 Pernetas EC
São José 2x4 Cafundó do Juta
Coqueiros 2x4 Supersônicos (4-1 on penalties)
A.F.F. 2x0 Atlético Jutense
Galáxia 1x0 Lusitânio
Clube Imperial 0x0 U.D.E.U.

Round of 16
1st Leg
Clube Imperial 3x2 Central United
Galáxia 0x0 SC Lasft
A.F.F. 2x0 Sambarilove
Coqueiros 1x3 CR Submiria
Cafundó do Juta 3x0 Petardos S/A
Dunboor FC 2x2 Atlético Insular
América 1x2 Khalmar-Tijhus
Clube dos Banqueiros 1x0 Petrol

2nd Leg
Central United 1x1 Clube Imperial
SC Lasft 3x1 Galáxia
Sambarilove 1x1 A.F.F.
CR Submiria 4x1 Coqueiros
Petardos S/A 2x0 Cafundó do Juta
Atlético Insular 2x2 Dunboor FC (6-5 on penalties)
Khalmar-Tijhus 0x1 América (4-3 on penalties)
Petrol 4x0 Clube dos Banqueiros

Quarterfinals
1st Leg
Petrol 0x3 Clube Imperial
Khalmar-Tijhus 2x1 SC Lasft
Atlético Insular 2x2 A.F.F.
Cafundó do Juta 0x0 CR Submiria

2nd Leg
Clube Imperial 3x1 Petrol
SC Lasft 2x1 Khalmar-Tijhus (5-3 on penalties)
A.F.F. 0x2 Atlético Insular
CR Submiria 0x1 Cafundó do Juta

Semifinals
1st Leg
Cafundó do Juta 1x0 Clube Imperial
Atlético Insular 4x1 SC Lasft

2nd Leg
Clube Imperial 0x0 Cafundó do Juta
SC Lasft 2x2 Atlético Insular

Final
1st Leg
Atlético Insular 1x2 Cafundó do Juta

THE FINAL
CAFUNDÓ DO JUTA 3x0 ATLÉTICO INSULAR

Place: Praça Maior, in Cafundó do Juta.
Attendance: 168,950 people.
Referee: Otávio Augusto Álamaior (Lasft State).
Assistants: Lisa Muniz and Humberto Tavares Couto (Lasft State).
Time of the game: 21:30h (local time).
MOTM: Carlos Vergara (Cafundó do Juta).

CAFUNDÓ DO JUTA: Boizão; Marcelo Rocha (Mihajlchenko 45’), Aligon and Doriva; Wilkirk (Bonfá 68’), Carlos Vergara, Ilmari and Dário; Tales, Túlio Vergara (Godô 80’) and Fabrício.
Coach: João Canabrava.

ATLÉTICO INSULAR: Orca; Sequin, Del Mar and Edsanderson; Selmar (Olavo 61’), Wágner Paulista, Kléverson, Sytrobes and Haakana; Aristóteles and Sorato (Mário 75’).
Coach: Ensio Varg.

Goals:CJU: Fabrício 28’/88’ , Ilmari 33’.

CAFUNDÓ DO JUTA WINS THE EMPEROR’S CUP!

The Turkic Shahdom

10-12-2007, 22:01

Turkum Superliga Qualifiers
The four Shahdoms qualifying teams add up to 24 from the reigonal divisions which are the highest level apart from the TuSL, the qualifiers are as followed

Season Sumary in position order:
al-Kose Championship:Sinanpasa SK, Imperum SK, Rustuspor, al-Kose Genclerbirligi, Reyhanspor.

Erdem Shah Championship: Uyurum, Hasanbey, Guc Ada ve a Kucuk National Team, Ferhatspor, Viktorspor, Cim Bom.

Tamer Shah Championship: Yeni Adana SK, Adanagucu, Adanaspor, Adana-Bahce, Yaniktas, Yeni Adana AS

Fener Shah Championship: Seyhanspor, Veyhan, Olimpiakos Seyhan, Ulan Ana, Batorli, Karaspor.

Title odds (Turkum Betting):
Imperum Sk: Evens
Sinanpasa: 2-1
al-Kose Genclerbirligi: 2-1
Hasanbey: 5-2
Rustuspor: 5-2
Reyhanspor: 3-1
Uyurum: 7-2
GAK: 7-2
Yeni Adana SK: 4-1
Ferhatspor: 4-1
Viktorspor: 4-1
Cim Bom: 15-2
Adanagucu: 8-1
Adanaspor: 17-2
Adana-Bahce: 17-2
Yaniktas: 9-1
Yeni Adana AS: 9-1
Seyhanspor: 100-1
Veyhan: 125-1
Olimpiakos Seyhan: 130-1
Ulan Ana: 150-1
Batorli: 200-1
Karaspor: 10000-1

Candelaria And Marquez

11-12-2007, 11:57

CMSC XXVI: Final Third

Matchday Twenty-One: Hello and Goodbyes

With players having left the league during the break and others still missing on international duty; there were a fair few unfamiliar faces involved in matchday 21 and some telling results to boot.

Candelaria Arsenal fans have yet to get over the loss of Fred Ma to Gwangdong three weeks ago. The absence of their undisputed best player was expected to result in their collapse, and indeed they were greatly under the cosh during their game at El din Marbles with returning Kura-Pellandi striker causing the Yellows no end of trouble. Late on however, twenty-year-old forward Robbie Shannon popped out of nowhere to score the winner and put Trev George’s C.A.L back in their unlikely title hunt.

If Marquez-Onwere are to lift their first CMSC title for twenty-three years they’ll have to do it the hard way after slumping to a 1-0 defeat to Radyukevich. Vincent Peluso’s Jukos remain woefully inconsistent, but appear to have got their defence together at last even if they are seemingly incapable of scoring. Still, Andy Woolworth’s bid to become the first foreign manager to win the C&M domestic league remains a very real possibility, and is joined by the irony that were he to do so it would be with an entirely Candelariasian team – after winger Niclas Kjaer recently took advantage of immigration laws allowing any Candelarias resident to claim citizenship if their home nation ceases while they are lawfully employed in C&M. The left-footer is believed however to have already turned down overtures from C&M national team bosses.

The naranja are once again replaced at the top by Albrecht Turkish who eased to victory over their sister team from Khatib on Monday night. Their arch-rivals Albrecht FC meanwhile looked toothless without Peter Vanderpent and unsteady at the back without Naoki Tonnelier, and were forced to settle for a point apiece at home to Green Island.

Of anyone, Caires City have had perhaps the most unexpected few weeks off. Elgin Dannat was able to welcome back Bettian striker Samuel Taha to full training for the first time all season, only to discover that star man O’Sullivan Caras had been signed by Cafundelense club Central United. Though the healthy fee will doubtless be put to good use in the summer, for now he has the twenty-year-old midfielder Dionísio to play with. The youngster made his debut this weekend, but the Errant Knight had to settle for a draw against Port of Clotaire and remain rooted to the bottom of the table.

Candelaria-Allemali also appeared to be suffering from a missing man, with Eliot Fuetchine having joined the Candelariasian and Valerian diaspora at Shingang in the Han. Without his presence at the back the Shining Sons conceded three goals to KT Hotspur, with Giuseppe Abellardo becoming, remarkably, one of only four players to hit double figures so far this season.

Albrecht FC v Green Island 1 – 1 (S. Young 8; Cammaroto 32)
A.Turks v TurksKT 3 – 1 (Laurie 25, Stumpf 39, Westhead 70; Pi 84)
Caires City v Port of Clotaire 1 – 1 (Suskovic 13; Davis 76)
El din Marbles v C.A.L 0 – 1 (Shannon 89)
MN Smith v Castillo FC 1 – 0 (Johansson 60)
KT Hotspur v CandelariaAM 3 – 1 (Abellardo 22 and 66, Smith 42; Bradley 45+2)
Portuguese v Abiodun North 3 – 1 (Brightmore 69 and 79, Belling 90+1; Danciulescu 20)
Radyukevich v MarquezOW 1 – 0 (Sosa og 43)

Matchday Twenty-Two: Foreigners produce telling finishes

Several of the CMSC’s international stars came up with late goals that may well go some way to deciding the destiny of numerous clubs at the right and wrong ends of the table.

Perhaps most crucial of all was Peter Vanderpent’s late close-range header that separated Albrecht FC and Marquez-Onwere at the MSS. With only Naoki Tonnelier still missing the two clubs were back to almost full strength and utterly cancelled each other out in what turned out to be an utterly damp squib of a game after many days of hype. A cross from Ben Edwards provided the single goal that sent the Scorpions two points clear of Andy Woolworth’s naranja. A further two points above them sit Albrecht Turkish, who remain in the hunt for their first league title since their last National Foot-Ball League trophy in 1968. This time it was a win at Green Island wrapped-up before the half-hour was out.

The Clotaire derby is supposed to be a match between two of the most negative teams in the league, but there was no sign of that in Harper Street when resurgent Radyukevich themselves stormed two-nil up through Pablo López before the half-hour. The Harpies hit back on the forty-five, but a late Rusty Katic header appeared to have sewn things up for the away side and given them their revenge after defeat in the reverse fixture earlier in the season. But the Jukos were made to pay for loosing Uiri ‘keeper Gari Kilad to injury, with the PoC strike pairing of Ryan Gnom and Dan Davis twice combining to leave Mark Baba red-faced in the away goal. Radyukevich somehow weren’t done yet however, and in injury time Giles Harpas won a corner and Kura-Pellandi defender Steve Hurston atoned for his own goal decider in the first game to knock in the winner through a crowd of legs.

The result would have drawn Radyukevich level on points in 13th/14th place with Abiodun North, but the Storming Normans came from a goal down at the Surefit Shoes Arena to KT Hotspur to run out three-one winners thanks to a brace from Cafundelense forward Sargento Castelão.

Arrigo Portuguese avoided dropping below Abiodun after Ursula Lauren scored in the fourth minute of injury time to give Jay Zabojnik a much-needed point at fellow El din Marbles. Caires City ground out a draw at Candelaria Arsenal, but remain seven points from safety. Turks’ Club of Khatib are the worst of the rest on 27 points, despite Holger Pi’s fifth goal in five games; but Port of Clotaire in fifth and Abiodun North in thirteenth are, ludicrously, separated by just five points meaning that no-one outside the top four appears safe. Indeed, mathematically even Albrecht Turkish could still go down.

Abiodun North v KT Hotspur 3 – 1 (Castelão 8 and 82, Young 40; Abellardo 2)
Albrecht FC v MarquezOW 1 – 0 (Vanderpent 80)
C.A.L v Caires City 0 – 0
CandelariaAM v MN Smith 0 – 0
El din Marbles v Portuguese 1 – 1 (Panama 51; Lauren 90+4)
Green Island v A.Turks 1 – 3 (Young 60; Stumpf 7, Westhead 10 and 27)
Port of Clotaire v Radyukevich 3 – 4 (Kim 45, Davis 87, Gnom 89; López 17 and 29, Katic 86, Hurston 90+1)
TurksKT v Castillo FC 1 – 2 (Pi 11; Sandstrom 12, Pipes 70)

Matchday Twenty-Three: Gary the Maini man as Turks head for title

Kris Healy’s Albrecht Turkish have opened up a five-point lead at the top of CMSC XXVI after matchday 23. The Millermen’s own part in this was a simple victory at home to Castillo FC with Gary Maini taking his league tally up to fifteen and also creating another for Toby Stumpf in his third goal in as many games.

More important however were the failures of Albrecht FC and Marquez-Onwere. In the matchday’s key game at the Estadio Francisco Álvarez; the sudden poor form of the naranja continued when they fell to Candelaria Arsenal. The result sees the Lavange outfit leapfrog MarquezOW into third and continues the increasingly odd story of the Yellows’ season. Albrecht FC meanwhile collapsed at Arrigo Portuguese after taking a two-goal league at the Estadio Arrigo Nacional with Sam Young putting through his own net on the ninetieth minute to hand the home side the three points.

Were it needed, extra spice was added to this weekend’s games by the confirmation that Ricardo Garcia would not be retained as C&M national team boss for the next World Cup qualifying campaign with both Garcia and the CAMAFA siting the stress of the job rather than results as the reason. The inevitable rush of current and former CMSC managers putting their name in the ring has followed, though the bookies at least seem confident former Albrecht FC boss and Di Bradini Cup-winning under-21 coach Lloyd Donnelly is a shoe-in for the role. Even were that the case, the under-21 job is a coveted position. Adam Williamson, a protégé of Donnelly’s seems the most likely candidate for that role, having been widely considered responsible for building the currently successful C.A.L team.

That may depend however on whether he manages to keep up Turks’ Club who managed a draw in the Khatib-Gassett-Rose of Sharon derby but remain just two points out of the relegation zone. Caires City and Radyukevich both won to keep the relegation race alive.

A.Turks v Castillo FC 2 – 0 (Maini 25, Stumpf 82)
Caires City v CandelariaAM 3 – 1 (Suskovic 14, Taha 31, Stromberg 73; Thadope 90+3)
Green Island v Abiodun North 3 – 0 (Cerullei 39, Cammaroto 63 and 72)
KT Hotspur v TurksKT 0 – 0
MarquezOW v C.A.L 1 – 3 (Cassumba Domingos 28; Naylor 4, Reeve 7, Calero 42)
MN Smith v Port of Clotaire 2 – 2 (Medlin 8, Johansson 39; Gnom 17, Collins 79)
Portuguese v Albrecht FC 3 – 2 (Brightmore 40 and 74, Young og 90; Vanderpent 5, Cunningham 32)
Radyukevich v El din Marbles 3 – 2 (Katic 12, López 15, Foster og 65; Madden 61 and 84)

Matchday Twenty-Four: Doesn’t anybody want to win?

Once again those debates over the real strength of the CMSC have popped up to fill a slow news week after none of the four major title contenders managed a win on matchday twenty-four. Unusually, the press reaction to this has been greatly positive, with most papers arguing that today average Candelariasian players are more than capable of holding their own against international squad players and even established World Cup names likes Peter Vanderpent or Naoki Tonnelier. A few of the most left-leaning papers have blamed the primitive scorinator instead.

Of the four generally considered to have any chance at taking the XXVI trophy, only Albrecht FC and C.A.L even earned a point; the former coming as the result of a late Joe Cunningham penalty after he was felled in the box by Terence Johnson. The Zwangzugian Vanderpent had earlier limped off, but for the Scorpions’ sakes his foot injury looks unlikely to keep him out for more than a game.

Their arch-rivals Albrecht Turkish went down 2-1 at Port of Clotaire; Gary Maini’s equaliser failing to tell after Dan Davis beat the Millermen’s offside trap late on. But a far worse fate lay in store for Marquez-Onwere: favourites just a few weeks ago and now starting to struggle badly. New Candelariasian Niclas Kjaer celebrated his passport with the opener and despite Andy Madden’s equaliser for El din Marbles all seemed to be going right when C&M international Ignacio Vélez got back on the scoresheet on the stroke of half-time. But the naranja went on to have an absolute mare, in a game that proved that right-back Jonathan Sheibat and centre-half Lucas Scalzi are simply not title-winning-standard players. Veteran Andrey Osichenko, youngster Fabien Marks and C&M international Zachary Pinkowski handed Andy Woolworth an embarrassing defeat – and a second of the season to the struggling Marbles.

As with the reigning champions, Candelaria Arsenal also helped their cause with a point earned at home; this time to MN Smith. They stay ahead of MarquezOW, with Green Island closing the gap on the leaders after a 4-2 win at Turks’ Club that puts Adam Williamson’s job firmly in jeopardy.

Once again however it was the bottom of the table that provided the most excitement, though Radyukevich now look to be out of it, and not before time. A solid defensive display on the back of an early Pablo López strike raised the Jukos to eleventh. Their opponents, Abiodun North, now look to be in the sink; and it looks increasingly certain that unless Castillo FC or the Smudgers take a major tumble in the remaining games, a major name with a notable foreigner or two in their ranks are going to slip out of the league.

Abiodun North v Radyukevich 0 – 1 (López 8)
Albrecht FC v KT Hotspur 1 – 1 (Cunningham 84; Smith 25)
C.A.L v MN Smith 0 – 0
CandelariaAM v Portuguese 1 – 2 (Downe 52; Lauren 11, Carocha 7)
Castillo FC v Caires City 0 – 0
El din Marbles v MarquezOW 4 – 2 (Madden 27, Osichenko 47, Pinkowski 81, Marks 88; Kjaer 15, Vélez 45+2)
Port of Clotaire v A.Turks 2 – 1 (Penrose 19, Davis 83; Maini 38)
TurksKT v Green Island 2 – 4 (Pi 54, Moore 85; Head 31, Vidakovic 58 and 73, Zetaback 83)

Matchday Twenty-Five: Williamson departs while Scorpions look poised to strike

The fifth mid-season change of manager of XXVI and it’s again as Turks’ Club of Khatib after Adam Williamson resigned. After the clubs two-one defeat at Arrigo Portuguese left them two points outside the drop zone it was supposedly a decision made by mutual consent, though mutual loathing might be more appropriate. Since his mentor Lloyd Donnelly was mentioned in the context of the C&M job, Williamson has made no attempt to disguise his aim of becoming both Under-21 manager and senior side assistant; despite the fact that Donnelly’s appointment is still to be confirmed.

Thankfully for TurksKT fans a number of the sides both below and above them also picked up poor results from matchday 25, and the race to avoid relegation continues to be as random as ever.

At the other end, the key clash between Candelaria Arsenal and Albrecht FC only went ahead at the last minute following what would ultimately prove to be an unfounded bomb scare at the Lavange Arena on Monday night. The game eventually went ahead well into the night with many Scorpions fans having opted to take the last available bullet train back north along the coast to the capital; and were forced instead to listen to the radio as their team marched out 3-1 winners.

Despite their disappointment at being unable to see the victory first hand, it was none the less cause for a certain amount of celebration with Albrecht Turkish having twice been pegged back against El din Marbles two days earlier. Marquez-Onwere were made to work for their point even harder after going two-nil down at the Valleys before the half-hour and fighting their way back to a draw thanks to Micky Jones and Niclas Kjaer – the latter a real bright spot for the naranja in a period of poor form.

What can no longer go unnoticed is that Hane Davies’ Green Island are just two points behind the Onwere outfit, after a five-two thrashing of Castillo FC for whom Jacob Wilson is clearly now living on borrowed time as manager.

A.Turks v El din Marbles 2 – 2 (Maini 39, Stumpf 73; O’Leary 64, Osichenko 85)
Caires City v Abiodun North 2 – 1 (Taha 3, Avdeev 67; Castelão 86)
C.A.L v Albrecht FC 1 – 3 (Beraza 47; Cunningham 31, St.Louis 42, Vanderpent 90)
Green Island v Castillo FC 5 – 2 (Zetaback 48, Abbott 53, Walker 73, Nilsson 88, Saglam 90+4; Sandstrom 28 and 76)
KT Hotspur v MarquezOW 2 – 2 (Smith 19, Adams 29; Jones 44, Kjaer 60)
Port of Clotaire v CandelariaAM 0 – 0
Portuguese v TurksKT 2 – 1 (Belling 22, Brightmore 38; Pi 49)
Radyukevich v MN Smith 0 – 0

Matchday Twenty-Six: Loadsamoney

All in all, it’s not a bad time to be a Candelariasian capitalist. While the economy hasn’t been this buoyant in decades, C&M citizens are still left with little in their pockets after the government has finished with them. Enter the new and improved Modern Liberal Party, now embracing traditional liberalism once again under Dr Robyn Morton and riding high in the polls. For all the goodwill President Anderson still has, a return to government for the MLP next May looks increasingly nailed on.

This shift in public consciousness has no doubt been helped along by the current state of the CMSC. Football fans in the Candelarias have had good reason to fear the involvement of big business and big wages in their sport – it did for professional soccer in the islands in the seventies. But this time around the league seems to have got it right. Yes; once more there are rich clubs and poor clubs, not just big ones and small ones, but it is still a league where the likes of CMSC newcomers AFC MN Smith can beat table toppers Albrecht Turkish. Indeed, such is the apparent equality that Caires City, El din Marbles and Abiodun North all registered victories on matchday 26 but stayed in the bottom three.

No less of a surprise came at the Khatib Together Stadium where Albrecht FC failed to capitalise on their local rivals’ defeat. The pairing of Sam Young and Benji Fu at the back looks to be finally doomed both for club and country, after the Scorpions surrendered their early lead. TurksKT caretaker manager William Newell meanwhile could well have earned the three points that keep his side up in his first game in charge. They now sit four points behind MN Smith and Arrigo Portuguese; with CMSC bosses also crowing that two of the league newcomers look safe. Whether next year’s intake will fair so well – with one year’s less Kura-Pellandi TV money – remains to be seen.

The side from the second city stay in eighth place despite defeat at Marquez-Onwere who are back to within four points of Turkish. Candelaria Arsenal are a further point back, after a stunning four-all draw at Candelaria-Allemali. Green Island, after their defeat, look out of it.

Another positive on matchday 26 was the number of youngsters involved in the goals. Many are the voices who have complained that the ever-increasing numbers of foreigners in the league would greatly reduce the opportunities for Candelariasian kids, but while Adam Williamson and the local press seem united in playing down the chances of C&M at the third Di Bradini Cup; there have been a number of teenagers beginning to make in-roads in recent weeks.

Abiodun’s Hank Moya, tricky Caires City star Alessio Montano, Shining Sons midfielder Nathan Bornemann, KT Hotspur striker Allen Gallagher , Castillo FC newcomer Nathanial Stewart and TurksKT left-back Oscar Zois all got on the score sheet; while Albrecht Turkish full-back Harris Dixon, Spur midfielder Russell Jobson, huge Radyukevich defender Jari Virta and Smudgers utility man Reuben Fattori (because every generation of Candelariasian stars needs a Reuben or two) have all impressed enough in recent weeks to suggest that the future remains rosy enough.

Abiodun North v Port of Clotaire 3 – 1 (Young 35, Danciulescu 59, Moya 83; Gnom 57)
Caires City v Green Island 2 – 1 (Taha 46, Montano 80; Nilsson 79)
CandelariaAM v C.A.L 4 – 4 (Mazzeo 3, Bradley 31, Bornemann 49, Thadope 89; Calero 34 and 61, Shannon 38, Naylor 39)
El din Marbles v Castillo FC 3 – 2 (Panama 25, Madden 36, O’Leary 44; Eriksson 7, Stewart 67)
MarquezOW v Portuguese 2 – 0 (Douaydari 29, Vélez 82)
MN Smith v A.Turks 2 – 0 (Zuluaga 15 and 90+3)
Radyukevich v KT Hotspur 0 – 1 (Gallagher 11)
TurksKT v Albrecht FC 2 – 1 (Zois 48, Moore 52; Cunningham 40)

Matchday Twenty-Seven: The worms turns

XXVI has been nothing if not unpredictable, and with three games left the title race remains open. The ball remains firmly in the court of Albrecht Turkish however, who are four points clear after a simple victory at Caires City and have two home games to come before that final day trip to Onwere. The three points and three goals at the McNeil Bingo Arena perfectly encapsulated the Millermen’s transformation under Kris Healy over the course of the season from one of the oldest teams in the league – with over-thirties like Ollie Landolfi, Damien Sono, Mike Howell, Speed Wang and Warren Bogatyrev still very much involved – to an increasingly youthful outfit with Reuben Kennedy, Steven Williams, Harris Dixon, Evan Laurie, and Can Cetin taking centre-stage. Kennedy’s seven league goals and any number of assists from the left wing have come in particularly valuable with Turkish so reliant on Gary Maini for finding the back of the net. With a team where only Maini, Oberon Martinez and Doug Szczechowicz are acknowledged internationals, few can argue that Healy has done a superb job; regardless of whether they can ultimately emerge to take their first CMSC title.

Their job was certainly helped by the upset at the MSS where Albrecht FC once again let an early lead slip. Radyukevich are still in trouble – but then, so’s everyone in the bottom half – but Pablo López’s late strike earned them three points and kept them two points outside the drop zone. With twelve wins, nine draws and six losses, Scorpions boss Trevor Organ has already branded his team’s efforts this season ‘unacceptable’, but they remain a do-able five points behind their city rivals.

Marquez-Onwere however kept up the pressure with a three-nil away win themselves at Abiodun North. Andy Le Lan’s job at the Surefit Shoes Arena is as safe as houses after last season’s heroics, but keeping the Storming Normans in the top-flight looks increasingly beyond him; an awful fate indeed considering that neighbours Gamboa FC look set to achieve promotion from the second division.

Relegation may also be on the cards for the Shining Sons of nearby Allemali. CandelariaAM took an important point in a goalless draw at Green Island on Saturday, but still slip into the relegation zone on goal difference thanks to El din Marbles’ victory over AFC MN Smith. Financially, CandelariaAM face disaster should they go down, with the expensive sacking of Jaon van Deene and poaching of Giles Walton (from the Marbles, no less), and the signings of Gime Thadope, Smakam Downe and Thjis Tullier. Young Marbles coach Carlos Panadero, briefly Walton’s assistant, is declining to gloat with just a point separating the sides, but knows that keeping up a club who have already conceded sixty in the league would be some achievement.

Meanwhile, after the joy of beating Albrecht FC last week; new Turks’ Club of Khatib boss William Newell was himself forced to wake up to the reality of a very possible relegation for what is arguably C&M third-biggest club after a home defeat to Port of Clotaire.

Abiodun North v MarquezOW 0 – 3 (Vélez 14, Siriwong 26, N. Kjaer 79)
Albrecht FC v Radyukevich 1 – 2 (Vanderpent 37; Katic 46, López 89)
Caires City v A.Turks 0 – 3 (Kennedy 1 and 77, Dixon 13)
C.A.L v KT Hotspur 0 – 1 (Jobson 47)
Castillo FC v Portuguese 1 – 0 (Vaughan 30)
El din Marbles v MN Smith 2 – 0 (Osichenko 54, Pinkowski 59)
Green Island v CandelariaAM 0 – 0
TurksKT v Port of Clotaire 0 – 2 (Collins 50, Orlovic 67)

Matchday Twenty-Eight: Turkish stay two ahead with two to go after two two-twos

Albrecht Turkish’s lead at the top has been cut to just two points with two matchdays still remaining after both capital clubs again failed to register a win.

In a season in which ties have been uniquely plentiful, both Kris Healy’s and Trevor Organ’s charges took two-alls from their games. Both were matches that the league’s biggest clubs were expected to win, but that seldom means much in the CMSC. Indeed, Albrecht FC conspired to be a goal behind within two minutes, and were barely able to get a shot on goal until Joe Cunningham’s equaliser just before half-time. Then, once again, the Scorpions would give a masterclass in surrendering a lead after the veteran midfielder Rudy Clark had put the away side ahead, when Sam Young completely failed to hold off Smakam Downe who eased a Candelaria-Allemali equaliser past Murphy Matthews.

Back in Albrecht, the Millermen also let a lead slip: this time one granted by a Nic Noble own goal. KT Hotspur’s new strike force of young Allen Gallagher and the Samuelese Giuseppe Abellardo twice combined to put the away side on course for a shock three points, but Gary Maini would once again prove Healy’s saviour.

So such problems for Marquez-Onwere, who are well and truly back in it after their post-World Cup wobble after a second-half demolition of an admittedly defensively frail Green Island. Candelaria Arsenal’s chances however were finally ended when they took just a point from Radyukevich.

For their part, the Jukos are in eleventh and still very much in the relegation fight. The key game was in El din where a packed-out Little Road Stadium watched the Marbles take one of the most glorious results of their history in beating Turks’ Club three-nil. Pundits debate whether the Turks have under- or over-achieved during the CMSC period, having won the title twice and the Cup once but appearing in the all-important top three a total of ten times and being losing CMS Cup finalists on no less than six occasions. They have, however, never experienced relegation; but William Newell faces home games with fellow strugglers CandelariaAM and Abiodun North – both of whom are just a point ahead of the Turks.

Caires City face games against KT Hotspur and Radyukevich to decide their fate, but any side up to their most recent conquerors MN Smith in eighth could still yet find themselves playing second tier football next year.

Abiodun North v Castillo FC 3 – 2 (Kimber 5, Wojciechowski 28, Castelão 80; Yilmaz 6, Stewart 73)
A.Turks v KT Hotspur 2 – 2 (Noble og 3, Maini 78; Gallagher 17, Abellardo 61)
CandelariaAM v Albrecht FC 2 – 2 (Bradley 2, Downe 79; Cunningham 45, Clark 77)
El din Marbles v TurksKT 3 – 0 (Pinkowski 39 and 64, Madden 76)
MarquezOW v Green Island 4 – 0 (Siriwong 46, Beye 49, Lopo 56, Jones 75)
MN Smith v Caires City 1 – 0 (Medlin 7)
Portuguese v Port of Clotaire 0 – 1 (Gnom 66)
Radyukevich v C.A.L 1 – 1 (López 55; Naylor 29)

Matchday Twenty-Nine: Season lurches to Super Sunday

Those who have campaigned over the years for the CMSC to embrace the ‘play-off’ format used in other countries to decide the final resting place of the national championship title have inadvertently got their wish. Thanks to a quirk of the fixture list, XXVI will be decided in Onwere in a clash between the only two clubs capable of lifting the league title; Marquez-Onwere and Albrecht Turkish.

Onwere has been well known for a couple of decades now for its inordinate number of pageants, festivals and other colourful events from the Parade of Ducks to the recently completed Festival of World Music. But what essentially amounts to the CMSC final may well prove the biggest celebration of the year. That the Estadio de Francisco Álvarez will be packed out goes without saying, and such is the enthusiasm for Andy Woolworth’s team in the university city that big screens will be set up the length and breadth of the Río del Rantaría for what has already been described as the greatest communal event in the town’s history.

That comment may represent an uncharacteristic lapse into hyperbole for OnwereTV, but the facts are simple. If the naranja beat the Millermen, the title will go to a Marquezian side for the first time in seven seasons, and to MarquezOW for the first time in twenty-three. If Turkish take at least draw, then the title will stay in the capital, but go to the A.Turks for the first time in twenty terms.

As welcome as it would be, the mid-season ‘loss’ of Mark Baker will always cast a pall over XXVI for Millermen fans, such was their affection for their former manager. But win or loose, Kris Healy will still be rightly fêted as much as Woolworth for transforming the fortunes of a great Candelariasian club. Both managers deserve the highest praise for putting faith in their youngsters and getting the best out of both their aging stars and more average squad players.

The match-up came after the two clubs both won on matchday 29; Albrecht Turkish at a canter at home to Radyukevich, Marquez-Onwere snatching a tricky one-niller in nearby Castillo. Turkish’s win made Albrecht FC’s result irrelevant, but for the record they managed only a draw at home to El din Marbles.

For one side in the CMSC, the battle is already over. Caires City looked to be hanging on by their fingernails against KT Hotspur, until young Allen Gallagher hit an eighty-ninth minute winner to condemn the Errant Knights to relegation. In division two, Caires Sports are still yet to confirm their promotion meanwhile, and make sure that the city retains a club in top-flight football.

For the other two spots, it remains as open as an open thing, though El din Marbles’ point in the capital means that they are safe after a true roller-coaster season, while other results meant that Arrigo Portuguese will also stay up at the first time of asking despite a 1-0 defeat in Allemali. AFC MN Smith will be there as well; the first time all three promoted clubs have stayed up for many a year.

The crucial clashes will occur in Khatib-Gassett where Turks’ Club can stay up if they get a point at home to Abiodun North. Defeat would likely see them relegated, providing Radyukevich get anything in their home game to Caires City. The real drama will be in Castillo however, where Castillo FC (33 points) and Candelaria-Allemali (32 point) face off knowing that one of them will be relegated. Castillo need a point at least – the Shining Sons must win to avoid humiliating relegation.

The clock is ticking…

Abiodun North v MN Smith 2 – 2 (Moya 13, Ernebrink 83; Medlin 39, Johansson 63)
Albrecht FC v El din Marbles 1 – 1 (Unzurrunzaga 59; Osichenko 55)
A.Turks v Radyukevich 3 – 0 (Westhead 28, Maini 51, Kennedy 68)
Caires City v KT Hotspur 0 – 1 (Gallagher 89)
C.A.L v Portuguese 1 – 0 (Naylor 39)
Castillo FC v MarquezOW 0 – 1 (Okeke 37)
Green Island v Port of Clotaire 2 – 1 (Cerullei 7, Nilsson 76; Davis 23)
TurksKT v CandelariaAM 1 – 0 (Pi 85)

The Pazhujeb Islands

12-12-2007, 18:48

Strike Ends, Ivheshbu A Resumes Play

The top division of the Pazhujeb Islands Football Association resumed play in the 2010-2011 season. Following the national team's sharp performances in the Baptism of Fire and a reasonable run in a tough group in World Cup qualifying, fans in the Islands were eager to see their club sides retake the pitches, after a lengthy strike which many sources suggest the National Committee put a premature end to.

The 2010-11 season was tightly contested, with more than a few surprises, the first of which was the fact that the club many assumed would be relegated, Bengaluru, snatched fifth place and finished with more wins than losses. Near the beginning of the season, there were moments when it seemed Bengaluru (a club which has no representatives on the current NT roster) would be in the title race, and though as the season went on their form slipped, they kept up their valiant performances in the Imperial Cup, and won the latter competition with a three one victory over Urajbina.

Another team which saw their form slip late on were the popular giants of Pazhujebi club football, Zhevassi ZL. The nation's most popular club seemed to struggle with morale late on, and a dreadful run of losses put a team that traditionally finishes high in the table in 8th place, though this finish was kind compared to the dismal performance of a team with just as much fan enthusiasm; Rujananja Chargers. The small but beloved Rujananja side endured a season with 19 losses in 30 matches, and will play next season in Ivheshbu B after being relegated.

On that same note, promoted from the second division of Pazhujebi football, Ivheshbu B, were Sahagaman Street, athletic and pacy offensive attackers and the second-best supported club in the Fajr Island city of Vikujadaghkrim. They will surely attempt to do better than the club from nearby Rujananja, and other Ivheshbu A clubs will have to watch out for them.

The two teams that did claw their way to the top of the ranks were the strong sides Kuratmad and Rujananja Bears. Kuratmad's sharp offense and Bears' thuggish defence were a perfect yin to each other's yang, and the race went down to the final matchday. Bears were a point ahead of Kuratmad, but their tie with Lammachi went downhill when they could not find their feet in a nil-all draw. Kuratmad, however, were triumphant in a three nil dismantling of Therakham in a huge Mahathu city derby, with superstar Chaya Vuhumkara picking up a double to clinch the title for his club, and the scoring title for himself as well.

Still unquestionably the sharpest talent in Pazhujebi football, Vuhumkara is now staking a place among the world's best. He has stated his wishes to play football in a bigger league abroad, such as Cafundeu's, where his national team comrades Amutarrad and Ghur have just recently been shipped, or Bettia's, which is well known for its offensive leanings. However, he appears to be staying with champions Kuratmad for at least one or two more seasons.

TEAM P W D L PTS
Kuratmad 30 12 15 3 51
Rujananja Bears 30 14 8 8 50
K’arasi 30 12 9 9 45
Lammachi 30 12 9 9 45
Bengaluru 30 11 10 9 43
Urajbina 30 13 4 13 43
Urajbina Rovers 30 10 9 11 39
Zhevassi 30 11 6 13 39
Juvapanam 30 10 7 13 37
Therakham 30 7 10 13 31
Rujananja Chargers 30 8 3 19 27

Cafundeu

18-12-2007, 17:54

CAFUNDÉU LEAGUE RESULTS – (Before WC 38)

ANOTHER REVIEW OF CAFUNDÉU’S LEAGUE SYSTEM – Cafundéu’s league is composed of 5 divisions of 20 teams. All the divisions have the same style:

-1st phase: All the clubs play each other 2 times(home and away). It’s called “primeiro turno”. The winner of these phase it’s the first placed at the end of the league phase.

Tiebreakers: points, number of wins, goal difference, goals scored, yellow cards.

-2nd phase: The 8 best placed teams in the 1st phase play in a knockout stage. The 1st plays the 8th (Game A), the 2nd plays the 7th(Game B), the 3rd plays the 6th(Game C) and the 4th plays the 5th (Game D). They play two games(home and away). The winner continues. In case of draw, the team with better performance in the 1st phase wins. Then, the winner of the game A plays against the winner of game D, and the winner of game B plays the winner of game C(semifinals) with the same rules. Then, the winners play the final using the same rules.

-3rd phase: The winners of the 1st and 2nd phase play each other in one game in neutral ground. In case of draw, there’s extra time and penalties. The winner is the Cafundéu champion.

Promotion and Relegation: In all the leagues 4 teams get relegated. They are the 4 worst teams of the 1st phase. The promoted teams are the 3 best teams of the 1st phase and the best team of the 2nd phase(note that the champion of the 2nd phase can be already promoted in the 1st phase, so the best placed team that still wasn’t promoted will be promoted (the one which reached the final or the semifinal of the 2nd phase).

Orange: Division champions
Blue = promoted
Red = relegated
Green = 2nd phase champions(if lost the Grand Final)
Purple = 1st phase champions(if lost the Grand Final)
Phase Champions are promoted too.

1st Division Past winners (since the entrance of Cafundéu in the NS World Cup -before that, there were many champions in competitions with different formats):

Season 1 - Atlético Jutense
Season 2 - Cafundó do Juta
Season 3 - Petardos S/A
Season 4 - Petardos S/A
Season 5 - Dunboor FC

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CAFUNDÉU’S FIRST DIVISION – Petardos S/A lost its dominance this time. Cafundó do Juta, after winning the Emperor’s Cup, could get the first place in the first phase of the competition:

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Cafundó do Juta 38 22 10 6 101 58 43 76
2 Dunboor FC 38 21 11 6 80 42 38 74
3 Petardos S/A 38 23 4 11 90 65 25 73
4 Ranca Toco 38 18 12 8 70 63 7 66
5 A.F.F. 38 19 8 11 69 53 16 65
6 Galáxia 38 19 4 15 73 72 1 61
7 Clube Imperial 38 15 12 11 45 40 5 57
8 SC Lasft 38 16 8 14 57 53 4 56
9 Atlético Insular 38 15 11 12 50 47 3 56
10 Atlético Jutense 38 14 13 11 42 31 11 55
11 Petrol 38 14 10 14 77 77 0 52
12 Central United 38 14 4 20 61 80 -19 46
13 Penders 38 12 10 16 59 73 -14 46
14 Khalmar-Tijhus 38 10 16 12 45 40 5 46
15 EC Elville 38 11 11 16 56 69 -13 44
16 União Trabalhadora 38 11 10 17 62 75 -13 43
17 CR Submiria 38 12 6 20 41 63 -22 42
18 Clube Comercial 38 7 13 18 47 62 -15 34
19 Globo Multimedia 38 7 11 20 34 53 -19 32
20 Coqueiros 38 3 10 25 32 75 -43 19

For the 2nd phase, the 8 teams battled for the segundo turno, and A.F.F. won, surprising the other teams:

Quarter-Finals – 1st Leg:
SC Lasft 2-1 Cafundó do Juta
Clube Imperial 3-3 Dunboor FC
Galáxia 1-4 Petardos S/A
A.F.F. 3-0 Ranca Toco

2nd Leg:
Cafundó do Juta 1-0 SC Lasft (Cafundó do Juta wins due to better campaign on 1st phase)
Dunboor FC 2-0 Clube Imperial
Petardos S/A 3-1 Galáxia
Ranca Toco 0-0 A.F.F.

Semifinals – 1st Leg:
A.F.F. 2-0 Cafundó do Juta
Petardos S/A 1-1 Dunboor FC

2nd Leg:
Cafundó do Juta 3-2 A.F.F.
Dunboor FC 1-1 Petardos S/A (Dunboor FC wins due to better campaign on 1st phase)

Final 1st Leg:
A.F.F. 5-2 Dunboor FC

Final 2nd Leg:
Dunboor FC 2-2 A.F.F.

THE DECISIVE FINAL:

CAFUNDÓ DO JUTA 0x1 A.F.F.

Place: Obelisco Monumental, in Lasft (neutral ground).
Attendance: 202,468 people (more than full capacity).
Referee: Luís Fernando Aragão (Central State).
Assistants: Álvaro Muntas and Erick Lopes Schaffler (Espinal State).
MOTM: Júnior (A.F.F.).

CAFUNDÓ DO JUTA: Boizão; Marcelo Rocha, Mihajlchenko (Cirino 83’), Aligon and Doriva; Wilkirk (Bonfá 77’), C.Vergara, Ilmari and Dário (T.Vergara 45’); Fabrício and Tales.
Coach: João Canabrava.

A.F.F.: Júnior; Léo Mattos, Augusto César, Burnside and Faustino; Petras, Nego Guerreiro (Carlinhos 70’), Silveira and Neto; Heitor and Sinclair (Itaquera 60’).
Coach: Benjamin Oliveira.

Goals:AFF: Heitor 2’.

Yellow Cards: Boizão, Doriva, Túlio Vergara and Burnside.

AFF WINS THE LEAGUE!

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Other details of the first division:

Best Player:
1st – Caj Ilmari (Cafundó do Juta)
2nd – Eddie Barnes (Dunboor FC)
3rd – Heitor (A.F.F.)
4th – Léo Mattos (A.F.F.)
5th – Jarl Knudsen (Khalmar-Tijhus)

Top Goalscorer:
1st – Lennie Newton (Petardos S/A) - 25 goals
2nd – Heitor (A.F.F.) - 23 goals
3rd – Ferreira (Galáxia) – 22 goals
4th – Caj Ilmari (Cafundó do Juta) – 22 goals
5th – Tales (Cafundó do Juta) – 19 goals

*in case of draw, the player with less games played stays in front of the others

Best Goalkeeper:
1st – Jarl Knudsen (Khalmar-Tijhus)
2nd – Lauro (Petardos S/A)
3rd – Júnior (A.F.F.)
4th – Júlio Sampa (Galáxia)
5th – Boizão (Cafundó do Juta)

Best Defender (full-backs and center-backs):
1st – Léo Mattos (A.F.F.)
2nd – Carlão (Clube Imperial)
3rd – Lobato (Dunboor FC)
4th – Marco Russo (Ranca Toco)
5th – André Vasco (Atlético Jutense)

Best Midfielder (defensive and offensive):
1st – Caj Ilmari (Cafundó do Juta)
2nd – Eddie Barnes (Dunboor FC)
3rd – Carlos Vergara (Cafundó do Juta)
4th – Clyde Misterson (Petardos S/A)
5th – Neto (A.F.F.)

Best Attacker:
1st – Heitor (A.F.F.)
2nd - Ferreira (Galáxia)
3rd – Lennie Newton (Petardos S/A)
4th – Tales (Cafundó do Juta)
5th – Erik Aatunen (Ranca Toco)

Best Coach:
1st – João Canabrava (Cafundó do Juta)
2nd - Benjamin Oliveira (A.F.F.)
3rd – Rivaldo Sodré (Ranca Toco)
4th – Nelson Yaschter (Galáxia)
5th – Christophe Argentier (Petardos S/A)

Team of the Season:

-------------------------Knudsen-------------------------
--Léo Mattos-------Carlão------Lobato-----------Russo----
----------------Vergara----------Barnes------------------
-------Ilmari-----------------------------Misterson--------
-------------------Heitor-------Ferreira-------------------

Coach: João Canabrava

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CAFUNDÉU'S SECOND DIVISION - three teams that got relegated from the First Division last year got the promotion in the first phase:

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Pernetas EC 38 22 11 5 60 35 25 77
2 São José 38 19 8 11 85 69 16 65
3 Tênis Clube 38 19 8 11 63 51 12 65
4 C-Electronics 38 17 14 7 71 51 20 65
5 América 38 17 13 8 73 60 13 64
6 Tabajara 38 16 12 10 73 51 22 60
7 Sambarilove 38 15 9 14 41 38 3 54
8 Supersônicos 38 13 15 10 44 42 2 54
9 Imperatriz 38 14 10 14 39 42 -3 52
10 Agreman FH 38 13 12 13 51 52 -1 51
11 Clube dos Banqueiros 38 12 14 12 56 59 -3 50
12 Forças Armadas 38 13 8 17 57 68 -11 47
13 Lusitânio 38 12 11 15 54 63 -9 47
14 Aldeia Vigiah 38 12 9 17 61 70 -9 45
15 Faculdade de Medicina 38 10 12 16 50 58 -8 42
16 Royal Pollvogarad 38 10 11 17 47 54 -7 41
17 Boiadeiros 38 9 11 18 40 56 -16 38
18 Fulminense 38 9 11 18 58 81 -23 38
19 SC Carnavalesco 38 8 13 17 39 55 -16 37
20 Tio João 38 8 12 18 60 67 -7 36

2nd Phase: América won the promotion, but it was São José which won the phase:

2nd phase – Quarterfinals first leg:
Supersônicos 1-3 Pernetas EC
Sambarilove 1-3 São José
Tabajara 2-0 Tênis Clube
América 1-1 C-Electronics

Second Leg:
Pernetas EC 1-0 Supersônicos
São José 5-1 Sambarilove
Tênis Clube 2-2 Tabajara
C-Electronics 0-3 América

Semifinals First Leg:
América 2-1 Pernetas EC
Tabajara 0-4 São José

Second Leg:
Pernetas EC 1-2 América
São José 2-0 Tabajara

Final 1st Leg:
América 1-1 São José

2nd Leg:
São José 1-1 América (São José wins due to better campaign on 1st phase)

THE DECISIVE FINAL:

PERNETAS EC 4x3 SÃO JOSÉ

Place: Arena América, in Abadia (neutral ground).
Attendance: 80,560 people.
Referee: Van-Der-Lei (Juta State).
Assistants: Rafael Teles and Melissa do Prado Soares (Juta State).
MOTM: Kiko (Pernetas EC).

PERNETAS EC: Palmer; Castor, César Morel (Prancha 80’), Pingo and Kursen; Dentinho, Marcinho, Betinho (Lugão 78’) and José Alves; Kiko and Romildo (Matraca 60’).
Coach: Lúcio Nizi Darcellos.

SÃO JOSÉ: Dutra; Pereira, Jorge Cruz, Fágner and Tadeu Neves (Samambaia 80’); Takahashi, Brambatti, Diogo and Guilherme (Xehet 62’); Cabelo (Isini 62’) and Duncan.
Coach: Hélio De La Peña.

Goals:PEC: Kiko 20’/89’ , Betinho 66’ , Dentinho 86’.
SJO: Duncan 9’ , Takahashi 68’ , Isini 80’.

Yellow Cards: César Morel, Fágner, Jorge Cruz and Brambatti.

PERNETAS EC WINS THE SECOND DIVISION!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THIRD DIVISION - tough competition, very disputed. Marinha won the first phase, but didn’t show great football.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Marinha 38 19 9 10 80 63 17 66
2 Metropolitano 38 18 8 12 75 62 13 62
3 Amigos do Pebolim 38 18 8 12 65 53 12 62
4 U.D.E.U. 38 18 6 14 81 69 12 60
5 Mondragon Warriors 38 17 9 12 66 61 5 60
6 Vila Velha 38 16 9 13 74 61 13 57
7 Porto Lacruz 38 16 8 14 65 55 10 56
8 Varzeano 38 15 11 12 36 38 -2 56
9 Civil FC 38 15 9 14 57 60 -3 54
10 Carandirú 1 38 14 12 12 60 51 9 54
11 Intensivo 38 14 12 12 55 50 5 54
12 Nacional da Cruz 38 14 11 13 58 60 -2 53
13 Aliança 38 14 10 14 65 60 5 52
14 Cézares 38 15 4 19 61 75 -14 49
15 Espinalense 38 13 8 17 58 63 -5 47
16 Massaranduba FC 38 12 10 16 61 66 -5 46
17 Democratas 38 12 10 16 34 43 -9 46
18 Gelid United 38 12 8 18 47 62 -15 44
19 Peladeiros 38 10 8 20 54 72 -18 38
20 Esportivo Jutense 38 8 10 20 43 71 -28 34

2nd Phase: the Warriors got their awaited promotion, and Metropolitano impressed.

Second Phase – Quarterfinals First Leg:
Varzeano 2-3 Marinha
Porto Lacruz 3-2 Metropolitano
Vila Velha 2-1 Amigos do Pebolim
Mondragon Warriors 4-2 U.D.E.U.

Second Leg:
Marinha 1-3 Varzeano
Metropolitano 2-1 Porto Lacruz (Metropolitano wins due to better campaign on 1st phase)
Amigos do Pebolim 0-0 Vila Velha
U.D.E.U. 2-3 Mondragon Warriors

Semifinals First Leg:
Varzeano 1-1 Mondragon Warriors
Vila Velha 1-1 Metropolitano

Second Leg:
Mondragon Warriors 6-0 Varzeano
Metropolitano 1-1 Vila Velha (Metropolitano wins due to better campaign on 1st phase)

Final 1st Leg:
Mondragon Warriors 3-3 Metropolitano

2nd Leg:
Metropolitano 7-1 Mondragon Warriors

Grand Final:

Marinha 0-3 Metropolitano

METROPOLITANO WINS THE THIRD DIVISION!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FOURTH AND FIFTH DIVISIONS – Composed mainly by amateur teams, these teams are very weak and few of them play the National Cup.
PROMOTED TO THIRD DIV. – São Jorge, Virgem Maria EC, Colonial, Ferroviário.
RELEGATED TO FIFTH DIV. – Tronos, Xavantes, EC Melhorais and Clube Ovni.
PROMOTED TO FOURTH DIV. – Ribeirão, Engenheiro Peres, Pico da Neblina, Refugiados.

Kura-Pelland

21-12-2007, 21:33

Division I, KangaToast Soccer League of Kura-Pelland
----------------------------------------------------
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 United Trilan 34 19 4 11 50 33 17 61
2 Parwood City 34 16 12 6 67 41 26 60
3 Harrington Lakeside 34 16 8 10 42 28 14 56
4 Sorbridge Soccer Storm 34 15 10 9 49 40 9 55
5 Prangren Greens 34 14 10 10 39 40 -1 52
6 Grayton City Wolves 34 15 7 12 37 38 -1 52
7 Yarzoya FC 34 14 8 12 42 46 -4 50
8 FC Bargoiten 34 11 14 9 41 39 2 47
9 Curzek Rovers 34 13 8 13 45 45 0 47
10 AFC Neegera 34 12 8 14 51 51 0 44
11 Achorpe Rovers 34 12 7 15 44 56 -12 43
12 Murley City 34 11 9 14 48 50 -2 42
13 Deportivo del Arapuceraa 34 12 6 16 44 51 -7 42
14 Club Virling 34 10 10 14 48 46 2 40
15 FC Helma 1495 34 10 10 14 43 51 -8 40
------------------------------------------------------------------
16 Muffidge Rovers 34 9 12 13 48 51 -3 39
17 Delta Force Cardim 34 10 7 17 43 59 -16 37
18 Minsten Academicals 34 7 10 17 39 55 -16 31

PROMOTED FROM DIVISION II: AS Assiri, Porterbridge City, Marthley Rovers

Next season, full matchday-by-matchday coverage as per the CMSC.

Bettia

22-12-2007, 14:37

APEX LEAGUE 7 - the kickoff (take two)

After being rudely interrupted by the mysterious plague of broken legs that swept the nation, the Apex League season finally kicked off and is now almost at the halfway stage.

First Division

After fifteen matches, the First Division is shaping up to be a close-run interesting campaign. Heading the flock is Tiddles Park who lead the way mainly thanks to their in-form strikeforce, which is bettered only by their city rivals Gabalfa Rovers, top contenders Akani Sands and perennial hotshots Perumnaish. In second place, we see Butetown Dragons tied with Lorshill United who at last seem to be realising their big team potential. Akani Sands follow, with Persubarnas and Sukatra Tigers just one point further back.

However the real surprise is at the bottom, with a gaggle of teams more suited to life at the top fighting it out to avoid relegation. Even though they currently prop up the table, Fortuna Bettialis can take solace in the fact that the teams above them are tightly grouped together, with CPD Porthbalfa and grappenhall City looking the most nervous.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Tiddles Park 15 10 2 3 43 25 18 32
2 Butetown Dragons 15 9 2 4 37 24 13 29
3 Lorshill United 15 9 2 4 35 38 -3 29
4 Akani Sands 15 9 1 5 45 35 10 28
5 Persubarnas 15 8 3 4 34 29 5 27
6 Sukatra Tigers 15 8 3 4 35 32 3 27
7 Perumnasih 15 6 5 4 48 35 13 23
8 Gabalfa Rovers 15 7 1 7 44 35 9 22
9 Ryoga Bay 15 6 3 6 34 35 -1 21
10 Lorshill City 15 7 0 8 37 43 -6 21
11 Dynamo Dini 15 5 3 7 37 43 -6 18
12 Banastra Forest 15 4 5 6 34 39 -5 17
13 Kirkwood Town 15 5 2 8 34 40 -6 17
14 Ceffinton Town 15 4 4 7 33 42 -9 16
15 Tamrida 15 4 3 8 24 35 -11 15
16 Grappenhall City 15 4 2 9 31 33 -2 14
17 CPD Porthbalfa 15 4 2 9 29 40 -11 14
18 Fortuna Bettialis 15 3 3 9 25 36 -11 12

Second Division

At the moment, the Second Division is looking slightly more clear cut, with the top teams starting to give themselves a bit of breathing space. Three points clear at the top are Budiwati City a team clearly looking to emulate their near neighbours from Subarnas and Rumnasih. In second place are transport-magnate-backed Hyppo Fernley - obviously the injection of funds is clearly having an effect on this previously struggling team. Behind them are two teams looking for a quick return to the top flight, namely Rhyngwladol Gabalfa and Pen-y-Bydd.

Meanwhile, confidence is running very low at Fiilghud Town, a relegated team who are clearly lacking confidence after failing to build on their cup success last season. Joining them on nine points are Racing Club Gabalfa, with the nearest team Maindy four points above them. Things are quickly looking bleak for these two teams and they'll have to pull out the stops to avoid the slide into the Third Division.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Budiwati City 15 10 4 1 48 28 20 34
2 Hyppo Fernley 15 10 1 4 39 28 11 31
3 Rhyngwladol Gabalfa 15 9 2 4 38 28 10 29
4 Pen-y-Bydd 15 8 4 3 46 29 17 28
5 Downton 15 7 4 4 31 27 4 25
6 Persifera 15 7 3 5 36 32 4 24
7 Pontybalfa United 15 7 2 6 37 33 4 23
8 Old Maxwellians 15 7 2 6 34 38 -4 23
9 Sonastra FC 15 6 4 5 42 40 2 22
10 Betws-y-Triw 15 5 4 6 33 31 2 19
11 Llanedalia 15 5 4 6 30 28 2 19
12 Grappenhall University 15 6 1 8 37 40 -3 19
13 Drutton United 15 5 4 6 31 34 -3 19
14 Tremwsa 15 4 4 7 36 42 -6 16
15 Roath Albion 15 4 3 8 30 43 -13 15
16 Maindy 15 3 4 8 26 38 -12 13
17 Racing Club Gabalfa 15 2 3 10 29 40 -11 9
18 Fiilghud Town 15 2 3 10 28 52 -24 9

Third Division

If the Second Division was looking clear cut, then the Third Division is already looking good and done, thanks to Lorshill Engineers engineering themselves a very handy four point lead above Treebrook Wanderers, who themselves are seven points clear of their nearest challengers. Following them are a clutch of teams separated by a few points, with Emcorn leading the way from Gorseborough Town, Fforest Hen, Lower Sweeney and newly-promoted Zenit Tecnasi.

At the bottom, Huwbridge Town are in dire straits having won just one league game this season. They find themselves seven points adrift from BAF Chinterford, with 1.FC Rendrew and Al-Sheemal Tamrida one point ahead.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Lorshill Engineers 15 12 1 2 54 24 30 37
2 Treebrook Wanderers 15 11 0 4 38 23 15 33
3 Emcorn 15 8 3 4 33 28 5 27
4 Gorseborough Town 15 7 5 3 37 32 5 26
5 Fforest Hen 15 7 4 4 39 27 12 25
6 Lower Sweeney 15 7 3 5 43 36 7 24
7 Zenit Tecnasi 15 7 2 6 28 28 0 23
8 Southward Ho! 15 6 4 5 31 30 1 22
9 Upper Sweeney 15 4 7 4 36 34 2 19
10 Deudregg Dderw 15 5 3 7 31 29 2 18
11 FOYNLS 15 6 0 9 28 40 -12 18
12 Spiddaford Town 15 4 5 6 28 32 -4 17
13 Sageham Town 15 5 2 8 30 36 -6 17
14 Al-Sheemal Tamrida 15 5 2 8 28 42 -14 17
15 Tinting Warren 15 4 4 7 25 33 -8 16
16 1.FC Rendrew 15 5 1 9 27 36 -9 16
17 BAF Chinterford 15 4 3 8 33 43 -10 15
18 Huwbridge Town 15 1 5 9 24 40 -16 8

Fourth Division

The city of Lorshill is certainly enjoying something of a footballing rennaisscance at the moment. With United challenging for the league title and the Engineers sitting pretty at the top of the Third Division, Lorshill Park Rangers have followed suit by opening up a six point lead at the top of the Fourth Division. In second place we find Dhur Tihari, with ifrit-managed Pifton Rovers and the students of UC Gabalfa one point behind.

At the foot, we find Mare's Tail Village having a mare of a season, two points behind a trio of teams looking nervously over their shoulders, namely Llanbedistan, Alfalfa Kickers and Arorair.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Lorshill Park Rangers 15 11 2 2 45 19 26 35
2 Dhur Tihari 15 9 2 4 38 34 4 29
3 Pifton Rovers 15 8 3 4 50 32 18 27
4 UC Gabalfa 15 9 0 6 47 40 7 27
5 Pen-yr-Heol 15 8 2 5 34 29 5 26
6 Caeranyuna 15 7 3 5 44 33 11 24
7 Ceffinton United 15 8 0 7 41 38 3 24
8 Shabilah 15 7 2 6 39 35 4 23
9 Porthbalfa Navy 15 6 3 6 32 31 1 21
10 Cockbill Green 15 6 2 7 34 42 -8 20
11 Mihangel's Old Boys 15 6 0 9 36 39 -3 18
12 Gabalfa Saints 15 4 6 5 32 39 -7 18
13 Gilang Chandra 15 5 3 7 35 43 -8 18
14 Fortuna South End 15 4 4 7 32 46 -14 16
15 Arorair 15 4 3 8 33 36 -3 15
16 Alfalfa Kickers 15 4 3 8 30 40 -10 15
17 Llanbedistan 15 4 3 8 33 49 -16 15
18 Mare's Tail Village 15 4 1 10 28 38 -10 13

Fifth Division

It's raining goals at Rainy Grove, with the league newcomers netting over fifty times as they open up an eight point lead over Huwbridge Colliery and Loudoun Rovers, who will both have to dig deep to claw back the Grove's huge lead. Following close behind them are Waltham Dynamo and Mirtaford Town.

Down at the bottom, Hurnford Harriers are already looking doomed. Seven points adrift and (bearing in mind that six teams are relegated from this division) a full twelve points from safety, things are pretty desperate here. The other relegation spots are filled by Lara Kencana, Gabalfa Steelworks, Eastbeach Rovers, Tremorgan Town and Al Jabari.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Rainy Grove 15 12 0 3 53 29 24 36
2 Huwbridge Colliery 15 9 1 5 44 32 12 28
3 Loudoun Rovers 15 9 1 5 40 34 6 28
4 Waltham Dynamo 15 8 3 4 33 30 3 27
5 Mirtaford Town 15 8 2 5 37 29 8 26
6 Thymeford Wanderers 15 7 4 4 41 30 11 25
7 Porthbalfa City 15 7 3 5 40 31 9 24
8 Marjaham Town 15 7 3 5 38 38 0 24
9 Old Akanians 15 7 2 6 38 40 -2 23
10 Lorshill Victoria 15 5 6 4 42 36 6 21
11 Persukaluma 15 5 4 6 41 44 -3 19
12 Chinterford Town 15 5 3 7 40 45 -5 18
13 Al Jabari 15 4 5 6 34 38 -4 17
14 Tremorgan Town 15 5 2 8 32 44 -12 17
15 Eastbeach Rovers 15 4 3 8 33 44 -11 15
16 Gabalfa Steelworks 15 4 2 9 32 42 -10 14
17 Lara Kencana 15 4 1 10 31 42 -11 13
18 Hurnford Harriers 15 1 3 11 31 52 -21 6

FAB Cup

Thanks to the league restructuring, this season's FAB Cup is the biggest ever with a record 40 non-league teams joining in the fun. The first round saw one or two shocks, such as high-flying Rainy Grove going down at home to Lanteglos Higher, and Gabalfa Saints being defrocked by Balad Aisha.

First Round Results
Mihangel's Old Boys 7-1 Marjaham Town
Bettialis Stars SC 2-2 Gabalfa Steelworks
......Replay: Gabalfa Steelworks 5-2 Bettialis Stars SC
Filaninewydd 1-3 Tewkesbury Town
Gilang Chandra 1-0 Truro City
Blooming Town 2-1 Aberlayla City
Porthbalfa Navy 2-2 Mare's Tail Village
......Replay: Mare's Tail Village 2-2 Porthbalfa Navy (2-3 AET)
Fairy Cross 0-3 Bonvilston Town
Fortuna South End 4-0 Rander Wolves
Tasik Malaya 4-3 At-Taf
Dairford Town 2-1 Mirtaford Town
Llanmihangel United 0-3 Stellville Town
UC Gabalfa 1-1 Loudoun House
......Replay: Loudoun House 1-4 UC Gabalfa
Pifton Rovers 7-1 Locket Bush
Lara Kencana 1-3 Tremyhammad Town
Zinjibar Warriors 1-5 Alfalfa Kickers
Ystradenni Town 1-1 Chinterford Town
......Replay: Chinterford Town 2-0 Ystradenni Town
Caeranyuna 5-1 Ratungabei Narawata
Tremorgan Town 2-0 Lovage Town
Savarnake Forest 3-1 Ireton Town
Rainy Grove 2-3 Lanteglos Higher
Haylinham United 2-1 Peraji
Portway Rangers 0-0 Hurnford Harriers
......Replay: Hurnford Harriers 4-2 Portway Rangers
Katara Town 3-3 Lorshill Victoria
......Replay: Lorshill Victoria 5-1 Katara Town
Shabilah 9-1 Bissoe Town
Lanteglos Town 0-4 Arorair
Persukaluma 2-1 Porthbalfa City
Rayaford Rangers 4-2 Doddiscombsleigh Town
Ceffinton United 2-2 Waltham Dynamo
......Replay: Waltham Dynamo 4-2 Ceffinton United
Eastbeach Rovers 4-2 Loudoun Rovers
Llwyngeril 0-3 Cockbill Green
Huwbridge Colliery 2-1 Lorshill Park Rangers
Balad Aisha 2-1 Gabalfa Saints
Holne Dynamos 0-3 Dhur Tihari
Treisa Triumphant 0-1 Gloucester City
Pen-yr-Heol 3-3 Thymeford Wanderers
......Replay: Thymeford Wanderers 1-2 Pen-yr-Heol
Llanbedistan 5-1 Old Akanians
Eyang Genjreng 2-1 Persibayu
Al Jabari 1-1 Floraton United
......Replay: Floraton United 2-3 Al Jabari

The Third Division teams entered at the Second Round stage and they showed their muscle, with Deudregg Dderw and Sageham Town putting a world of hurt on their lower league visitors. Indeed, out of all the 40 non-league teams that entered the first round, only one team, Eyang Genjreng, remained to dream of a plum home tie against one of the nation's big teams by virtue of being drawn against fellow non-leaguers.

Second Round Results
Waltham Dynamo 1-3 Porthbalfa Navy
Lorshill Engineers 4-2 Gilang Chandra
Fforest Hen 5-3 Gabalfa Steelworks
Tremyhammad Town 0-3 Southward Ho!
FOYNLS 5-4 Lower Sweeney
BAF Chinterford 6-4 Pifton Rovers
UC Gabalfa 0-2 Treebrook Wanderers
Blooming Town 1-3 Mihangel's Old Boys
Rayaford Rangers 1-5 Gorseborough Town
Deudregg Dderw 7-2 Al Jabari
Gloucester City 1-3 Emcorn
Chinterford Town 3-1 Dairford Town
Zenit Tecnasi 4-1 Balad Aisha
Pen-yr-Heol 3-0 Hurnford Harriers
Sageham Town 7-1 Tewkesbury Town
Caeranyuna 5-1 Persukaluma
Stellville Town 3-3 Fortuna South End
......Replay: Fortuna South End 4-0 Stellville Town
Spiddaford Town 3-1 Shabilah
1.FC Rendrew 6-1 Al-Sheemal Tamrida
Upper Sweeney 3-1 Huwbridge Colliery
Arorair 3-0 Lorshill Victoria
Lanteglos Higher 1-2 Alfalfa Kickers
Cockbill Green 3-2 Bonvilston Town
Tremorgan Town 1-4 Llanbedistan
Savarnake Forest 2-4 Eyang Genjreng
Haylinham United 0-2 Tinting Warren
Dhur Tihari 3-4 Huwbridge Town
Tasik Malaya 2-3 Eastbeach Rovers

The Third Round saw the First and Second Division teams enter the fray and they soon made their class show. Porthbalfa Navy travelled to Alice Street and gave Butetown Dragons a real scare before the giants cruised to an easy victory in the replay. Eyang Genjreng put up a brave fight at Old Maxwellians but went down 4-2. The pick of the ties was the all First Division affair played at The Gasworks between Gabalfa Rovers and Grappenhall City, with the visitors edging out on top in an exciting five-goal thriller.

Third Round Results
Alfalfa Kickers 4-4 Fiilghud Town
......Replay: Fiilghud Town 4-1 Alfalfa Kickers
Butetown Dragons 3-3 Porthbalfa Navy
......Replay: Porthbalfa Navy 1-6 Butetown Dragons
Spiddaford Town 3-4 Fortuna Bettialis
Grappenhall City 2-1 Roath Albion
Gabalfa Rovers 2-3 Perumnasih
Betws-y-Triw 4-1 Lorshill Engineers
Old Maxwellians 4-2 Eyang Genjreng
Banastra Forest 2-1 FOYNLS
Dynamo Dini 3-2 Arorair
Racing Club Gabalfa 1-0 Deudregg Dderw
Ryoga Bay 1-0 Caeranyuna
Chinterford Town 2-5 Treebrook Wanderers
1.FC Rendrew 2-1 Pontybalfa United
Maindy 2-4 Sageham Town
Eastbeach Rovers 0-5 Grappenhall University
Pen-yr-Heol 1-3 Cockbill Green
Upper Sweeney 7-2 Llanbedistan
Sukatra Tigers 2-0 Lorshill City
Rhyngwladol Gabalfa 3-2 Pen-y-Bydd
Hyppo Fernley 3-0 Persifera
Kirkwood Town 5-1 Fortuna South End
Budiwati City 3-5 Sonastra FC
Akani Sands 5-0 Gorseborough Town
Lorshill United 4-0 BAF Chinterford
Downton 4-4 Tinting Warren
......Replay: Tinting Warren 2-3 Downton
Southward Ho! 3-0 Zenit Tecnasi
Drutton United 6-1 Emcorn
Llanedalia 2-3 Ceffinton Town
Tremwsa 2-2 Fforest Hen
......Replay: Fforest Hen 1-3 Tremwsa
Mihangel's Old Boys 1-6 Persubarnas
Tamrida 1-0 CPD Porthbalfa
Huwbridge Town 0-5 Tiddles Park

The Fourth Round saw a number of highly charged matches, not least of all the major shock of giants Akani Sands going down at home to Third Division Treebrook Wanderers. Elsewhere, Ceffinton Town won a ten-goal extravaganza at Ryoga Bay whilst Butetown Dragons lost 3-2 away to Second Division Downton.

Fourth Round Results
Tremwsa 2-0 Banastra Forest
Hyppo Fernley 4-1 Upper Sweeney
Cockbill Green 1-2 Lorshill United
Fortuna Bettialis 3-3 Persubarnas
......Replay: Persubarnas 0-0 Fortuna Bettialis (0-0 AET) (Fortuna Bettialis wins 4-3 on penalty kicks)
Perumnasih 3-3 Rhyngwladol Gabalfa
......Replay: Rhyngwladol Gabalfa 3-5 Perumnasih
Racing Club Gabalfa 2-0 Grappenhall University
Grappenhall City 2-0 Tamrida
Old Maxwellians 1-3 Southward Ho!
Ryoga Bay 4-6 Ceffinton Town
Betws-y-Triw 2-2 Sageham Town
......Replay: Sageham Town 3-3 Betws-y-Triw (3-4 AET)
Kirkwood Town 2-0 Fiilghud Town
Downton 3-2 Butetown Dragons
Sonastra FC 1-3 Tiddles Park
1.FC Rendrew 2-6 Dynamo Dini
Akani Sands 0-1 Treebrook Wanderers
Drutton United 3-5 Sukatra Tigers

Candelaria And Marquez

22-12-2007, 18:25

Matchday Thirty: It’s a Kura-Pellandi Christmas as the CMSC returns to Marquez

Albrecht FC v MN Smith 3 – 0 (Fattori og 11, Johnson 45, Vanderpent 49)
C.A.L v Port of Clotaire 0 – 0
Castillo FC v CandelariaAM 0 – 3 (Mazzeo 9, Bradley 89, Thadope 90+4)
KT Hotspur v El din Marbles 2 – 2 (Abellardo 16, Walsh 17; Pinkowski 21, Madden 71)
MarquezOW v A.Turks 2 – 1 (Okeke 78, Vélez 79; Stumpf 36)
Portuguese v Green Island 1 – 3 (Lauren 7; Zetaback 24 and 32, Vidakovic 77)
Radyukevich v Caires City 0 – 2 (Taha 1, Dionísio 75)
TurksKT v Abiodun North 3 – 2 (Pi 20 and 88, James 50; Rose 12, Bishop 63)

Final Standings:

P W D L GF GA GD PTS

1.Marquez-Onwere 30 16 7 7 51 34 17 55 Champions
2.Albrecht Turkish 30 16 6 8 56 35 21 54
3.Albrecht FC 30 13 11 6 58 46 12 50
4.Candelaria Arsenal 30 12 11 7 41 32 9 47
5.Green Island 30 13 6 11 60 48 12 45
6.KT Hotspur 30 11 11 8 36 42 -6 44
7.Port of Clotaire 30 10 12 8 35 30 5 42
8.AFC MN Smith 30 9 12 9 29 34 -6 39
9.Turks' Club 30 10 7 13 42 45 -3 37
10.El din Marbles 30 9 10 11 45 63 -18 37
11.Candelaria-Allemali 30 8 11 11 40 42 -2 35
12.Arrigo Portuguese 30 10 5 15 35 39 -4 35
13.Radyukevich 30 9 7 14 34 46 -12 34
14.Castillo FC 30 9 6 15 33 39 -6 33 Relegated
15.Abiodun North 30 9 6 15 38 48 -10 33 Relegated
16.Caires City 30 8 8 14 29 36 -8 32 Relegated

In few Candelariasian cities are the Christmas celebrations bigger than in Onwere, where the Winter Thing attracts secular well-wishers from across the region eager to take their place in the festive merriment. This year however, Onwere has awoken to find itself in the midst of an impromptu Shiny Season, in honour of the Kura-Pellandi manager who has brought them the title after two decades of struggle.

Naranja fans have been closer to tasting their early CMSC success before of course, finishing third in XVII and just second on goal difference in XXIV. But Andy Woolworth has managed what Macario Ayoví could not, and has become the first foreign coach to deliver a CMSC title. For a few weeks at least, this diverse town in south-east Marquez will be united behind their biggest football club, and will glory in their successes.

And after that final game, who could blame them? With quarter of an hour to play, it looked like the Millermen’s for the taking. Toby Stumpf’s single first half strike stood, and Oberon Martinez was standing tall to MarquezOW pressure. Playing as normal with one dedicated forward, the home side were still able to pepper the C&M ‘keeper’s goal thanks to José Felipe Cassumba Domingos, Reiban Okeke, Niclas Kjaer and Merlin Siriwong. The four young Candelariasians – just a few months old in the case of the recently naturalised Kjaer – combined again and again, but could simply not find a way through.

And then, suddenly, they did. Joe Beye, in at the best of the midfield for the still-injured Matt Reddington, hoofed a hopeful ball up to the lone frontman and Evan Laurie, the A.Turks defender who has proved an inspired signing this season, made a hash of his clearance. Speed Wang – playing what will almost certainly be his final game of competitive football – challenged his successor in the C&M national team Cassumba Domingos for the ball but came off second best. The extensively-named midfielder found Reiban Okeke at the near post and the equaliser was found in a torrent of dreadlocks.

The away side were rattled and Marquez-Onwere were on a roll. No team in the CMSC this season is unbeatable – both Woolworth’s and Healy’s men went into matchday thirty with seven defeats – and naranja fans sensed that that could yet achieve what the unheralded likes of Port of Clotaire and MN Smith had already managed. Moments after the restart Okeke powered forward, Siriwong was felled in the box and Andrés Toluca gave the stonewall penalty.

Perhaps with his international duties to worry about, Ignacio Vélez has not been at his very best this season; being MarquezOW’s top league goalscorer, but not by much. But here in the Francisco Álvarez all thoughts of World Cups were washed away from Vélez’ mind. He stepped up calmly, and score the penalty that won the naranja the CMSC for season XXVI.

There was still much to be done at the other end of the table, where two of the relegation spots where yet to be decided. And the two most relevant games provided a season’s worth of excitement on their own. Castillo FC hosted Candelaria-Allemali needing only a point to survive. But the Shining Sons have been an unpredictable outfit since Giles Walton came in; capable both of incredible performance and spectacular suicides. On the final day however, the defence marshalled by the Endmili right-back Thjis Tullier held firm, and the young pair of Jeruselemites in attack were inspired. It was the former C&M left-back Adrian Mazzeo who broke the deadlock with a header from a Sid Lindström corner early on, but the real stars were holding midfielder Connor Mengucci and the media starlets Down ‘n’ Thadope who foiled the gigantes’ hopes time after time. Gangly striker Andrew Bradley put things beyond Castillo on the eighty-ninth minute, and though Jacob Wilson urged his team forward yet, Gime Thadope finished it off on the counter.

Over at the Khatib Together Stadium meanwhile, Turks’ Club faced a similar dilemma at home to Abiodun North. The Storming Normans seemed set to push William Newell’s Turks to their first ever relegation after another William – this time 20-year-old William Rose – put the away side ahead. But the day would ultimately belong to Holger Pi, who scored the equaliser and then the late winner to keep his boyhood club up – topping the bottom half of the table indeed – and finding himself jointly the best Candelariasian marksman in the league.

And Caires City? On the day that Caires Sports’ promotion was assured, the Errant Knights won two-nil away at Radyukevich to finish on 32 point. Last year, that would have been enough to stay up. Perhaps it was a lesson in the value of foreigners, for all C.A.L and MN Smith’s successes – Castillo FC had none, Abiodun had but one, and Caires City’s two were not available until far too late.

CMS CUP:

Last 32:

Swords of Bass v Caires City 0 – 0, 2 – 3 aet
Ironside v Marquez-Onwere 0 – 1
Abiodun North v Independent 0 – 0, 1 – 0
Sloane Wanderers v Candelaria-Allemali 0 – 1
Castillo FC v Alvery Blades 0 – 2
El din Marbles v Caires FC 1 – 0
Port of Clotaire v Radyukevich 2 – 3
Mayo Valley v Melin & Nader 0 – 1
Arrigo Portuguse v East Blackwell Islands United 6 – 1
Turks’ Club of Khatib v AFC MN Smith 1 – 0
Albrecht Turkish v Gamboa FC 3 – 2
Alber City Wasps v Albrecht FC 1 – 1, 2 – 1
Fallon Utd v Candelaria Arsenal 1 – 6
Caires Sports v Green Island 1 – 1, 0 – 7
Cathedral City v Khatib FC 0 – 2
Dublynne Raiders v KT Hotspur 2 – 1

Last 16:

Green Island v Alvery Blades 4 – 0
Dunblynne Raiders v Khatib FC 1 – 1, 1 – 0
Marquez-Onwere v Candelaria Arsenal 0 – 2
El din Marbles v Caires City 2 – 0
Alber City Wasps v Turks’ Club of Khatib 1 – 0
Melin & Nader v Radyukevich 2 – 4
Albrecht Turkish v Arrigo Portuguse 0 – 0, 1 – 0 aet
Candelaria-Allemali v Abiodun North 4 – 0

Quarter-Finals:

Dublynne Raiders v Alber City Wasps 2 – 2, 0 – 2
Candelaria Arsenal v El din Marbles 0 – 2
Candelaria-Allemali v Albrecht Turkish 0 – 1
Green Island v Radyukevich 4 – 1

Semi-Finals:

Green Island v El din Marbles @ Millermen Sheppard Stadium (Albrecht), 2 – 3

Albrecht Turkish v Alber City Wasps @ Khatib Together Stadium, 1 – 0

CMS Cup Final:

El din Marbles v Albrecht Turkish @ Estadio Arrigo Nacional, 1 – 2 aet

Players of the Season:

Golden Boot:

1st Gary Maini, Albrecht Turkish, 19 goals
2nd Peter Vanderpent, Albrecht FC, 17 goals
3rd Guiseppe Abellardo, KT Hotspur; Joe Cunningham, Albrecht FC; Holger Pi, Turks’ Club of Khatib; all 14 goals

Players’ Player of the Season:

1st Gary Maini, Albrecht Turkish
His goals were the difference for the Millermen, despite their last-day failure to lift the title. No less important was his all-round play amid the transition from the initial aging side to the youthful one which ended the season.

2nd Peter Vanderpent, Albrecht FC
A never less than impressive player whose instinctive special awareness was obvious from matchday one. A commanding presence in the dressing room too by all accounts, who helped stop the Scorpions unravelling into rivals camps of foreigners and home-grown youngsters.

3rd José Felipe Cassumba Domingos, Marquez-Onwere
Cassa registered just five league goals this season, but this was never the less an excellent year for the versatile midfielder who has become a national team mainstay. By no means the sole star responsible for the naranja’s victory, but a stand-out figure all the same.

Sportswriters’ Player of the Season:

1st Gary Maini, Albrecht Turkish
2nd Ryan Westhead, Albrecht Turkish
3rd Roger Zetaback, Green Island

Young Player of the Season:

1st Joe Cunningham, Albrecht FC
Pace and a cool finish, Cunningham may not be the most intelligent player around but his partnership with Vanderpent terrified defences. Just a shame that the rest of the squad struggled to get their act together.

2nd Connor Mengucci, Candelaria-Allemali
The Shining Sons survived only on the last day of the season, but none of the blame for their poor season can be apportioned to the strong but skilful holding midfielder.

3rd José Luis Sosa, Marquez-Onwere
In a back-line that often looked anything but title-worthy, Sosa saw off the constant threat of a torrent of opposition goals from left-back, and provided a real threat going forward as well. A C&M star down to his boots.

Manager of the Season:

1st Andy Woolworth, Marquez-Onwere
Woolworth found himself with a talented but uneven squad at the start of the season, and had to deal with the loss of Matt Reddington to injury mid-season and an absence – besides Vélez – of striking options. Five games without a win late in the season looked to have killed them, but Woolworth’s years of regularly loosing with the Kura-Pellandi national team steadied him against panic. He even found time to blood a few of the club’s talented youngsters along the way. The only issue now is whether MarquezOW can keep him?

2nd Kris Healy, Albrecht Turkish
3rd Derek Marshall, AFC MN Smith

Foreigner of the Season:

1st Gary Maini, Albrecht Turkish [Zwangzug]
2nd Peter Vanderpent, Albrecht FC [Zwangzug]
3rd Roger Zetaback, Green Island [Valanora]

Keeper of the Season:

1st Harry Primrose, Marquez-Onwere
2nd Damien Lavander, Candelaria Arsenal
3rd Boris Oviedo, AFC MN Smith

Defender of the Season:

1st Tom Redway, Port of Clotaire
2nd José Luis Sosa, Marquez-Onwere
3rd Evan Laurie, Albrecht Turkish

Midfielder of the Season:

1st Roger Zetaback, Green Island
2nd Ryan Westead, Albrecht Turkish
3rd José Felipe Cassumba Domingos, Marquez-Onwere

Striker of the Season:

1st Gary Maini, Albrecht Turkish
2nd Guiseppe Abellardo, KT Hotspur
3rd Holger Pi, Turks’ Club of Khatib

Full review and Player Appeal to follow…

Kura-Pelland

23-12-2007, 21:23

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After a series of frenetic and controversial negotiations with TV companies, the KangaToast Soccer League of Kura-Pelland is no more. The top flight threatened to break away, but never did. Not quite; they do have a shiny new identity though, the Championship, and a new sponsor in building society Corganen. The remaining divisions have been rebranded as Soccer League 1, 2 and 3, and are still awaiting a sponsor, but multiple bids have been received and there will be confirmation very soon.

Increasing ties between Kura-Pellandi and Candelariasian football - with multiple swap deals between clubs from the two countries, and now a Kura-Pellandi manager winning the CMSC - are clear, and the CMSC TV deal has been reciprocated with C&M pay-TV station TTO Sport now adding Championship football to their eclectic collection of sports. But the league is believed to have greater ambitions with its new title, possibly becoming a rival to top leagues in Cafundéu and Bettia, and international broadcast rights are widely available. Four equally-sized packages exist, with each of Kura-Pelland's leading TV networks holding one of them:

* Package A (sold to NTV); 19 games all at 1545 Sunday, including one on the final day of the season
* Package B (sold to YourNet); 14 games at 1945 Monday, 5 games at any time not occupied by another game
* Package C (sold to PBS); 10 games at 1215 either Saturday or Sunday, 9 games at 1715 Saturday
* Package D (sold to PlusNet); 5 games at 1215 either Saturday or Sunday, 12 games at any time not occupied by another game, plus two games concurrently on the final day of the season at 1545 Sunday

The only games that will ever compete against each other are final-day fixtures, where NTV and PlusNet compete. The xx15/xx45 kickoffs are designed to optimise for a 150-minute broadcast timeslot starting 15 minutes before the kickoff. There are six matches this season that Kura-Pellandi police have recommended for 1215 kickoffs; PBS will air four and PlusNet two. The season is divided into 34 weeks, so no channel will be able to show a game every week; this, it is argued, will maintain viewer choice between football and other televisual options, but critics argue the opposite by saying that shows will not be able to 'settle' in a slot otherwise used for football, or that there will be more repeats instead.

Broadcasters will pick seven games from the first twelve weeks of the season to air. Six weeks in, they will pick six from the next eleven, a process repeated a further eleven weeks later. Obviously in practice the final week is assigned to NTV and PlusNet, and the final choices will be made accordingly; these two have the rights to defer their final-day decisions until 24 hours after the penultimate set of fixtures is complete, and almost certainly will do just that to avoid having a meaningless fixture to air.

That said, some teams are selling instead of - or as well as - buying, despite the new TV money. Most pertinently, relegated Delta Force Cardim are looking for big money for their star players that haven't left already, namely attacking midfielder Xavier Le Monde and young forward/left-winger Stephan Harltey. Other players are available for purchase; feel free to enquire.

Candelaria And Marquez

26-12-2007, 14:07

CMSC XXVI Season Review and Embarrassing Pleas for Players

The League: The goals-per-game ratio dipped slightly from 2.9 to 2.7, supported by the low scoring rate of the league’s strikers. The Zwangzugian pair of Maini and Vanderpent led the way, with Giuseppe Abellardo of St Samuel, Sargento Castelão of Cafundéu and Andy Madden of Kura-Pelland also impressing. On the home grown front, few expected Joe Cunningham (Albrecht FC), Holger Pi (Turks’ Club) and Luke Naylor (C.A.L) to be keeping up their end of the bargain, never mind previous unknowns like Kirby Brightmore of Arrigo Portuguese and Jamie Johansson of MN Smith. Once again, it was left for the midfielders to supply the finishes as often as not, with Ryan Westhead and Roger Zetaback leading the way on ten each, and Niclas Kjaer, Seb Cerullei, Zachary Pinkowski and Rueben Kennedy also among the goals.

Certainly the league is tighter than it’s been for many a year with four clubs still in with a chance up until the final few games and Caires City, at the bottom of the table, earning enough points to have kept them up in the previous year’s CMSC.

Heavens, weren’t there a lot of draws though?

On the Prowl: League bosses know that copious supplies of cash and a higher class of international talent can only come from greater exposure on sworld television. The CMSC has always been shown around the region, while the final day title decider between A.Turks and MarquezOW in Onwere attracted the highest ever figures for NTV Sport 2 in Kura-Pelland. But the league will no doubt be looking for more foreign broadcasters to take at least highlights – even if it’s just a half-hour show at midnight in between When Nazis Go Bad and The Archregimancy’s Next Top Model or something.

The CMSC and C&M government have taken the perhaps surprising decision to freeze the number of permitted foreigners per squad at three; leaving Albrecht FC, Radyukevich and Candelaria-Allemali cursing and the likes of champions Marquez-Onwere cock-a-hoop.

For god’s sake don’t google that, by the way.

Marquez-Onwere: Fans and pundits called the naranja the best side in the league last year, never mind this, but it took a foreigner to pull a young Candelariasian squad together and prove them right. Less goals both conceded and scored than their two nearest rivals hardly tells the full story of their season, with an offensive hunting pack of Siriwong, Kjaer, Cassumba Domingos, Okeke and whoever else was thrown on for good measure behind the tireless Ignacio Vélez. The mid-season loss of that vital midfield cog Matt Reddington could’ve crippled them, but Andy Woolworth was able to cobble together what he did have in the style of the guy off of Stargate on MacGyver and produced something quite beautiful. It may only have been one by a point, but the Estadio Francisco Álvarez outfit were well deserving of their victory.

On the Prowl: With long-term concerns over Reddington’s fitness and Joe Beye’s ultimate quality, a new holding midfielder is top of their shopping list. A new right-back and a stocky, powerful centre-back are also on the cards, though MarquezOW’s youth system is (almost) unquestionably the best in the islands right now and neither player is a must with talented teenagers available. The club have all three foreign spots available with Niclas Kjaer’s – and his younger brother Erik’s – conversion to C&M citizenship.

Albrecht Turkish: How do you deal with a squad with an average age pushing thirty? The simple answer is to bring in a Zwangzugian striker, who helped lift the Millermen out of potential mediocrity. Unfairly or not, many critics have argued that Kris Healy did a fine job this season of making a silk purse out of a capybara’s ear, as well as encouraging the involvement of youngsters like right-back Harris Dixon and the centre-half pairing of Steven Williams and Evan Laurie over more established names. As is so often with sides in C&M however, it was the wingers who raised them to title-challenging quality, with Ryan Westhead and his pacier companion on the left Reuben Kennedy playing out of their skins all season. Yet ultimately they would throw it all away on the final day, capping a miserable year after the apparent death of their former manager Mark Baker. A CMS Cup title did little to soften that blow.

On the Prowl: Turkish are believed to have already made inquiries as to a new partner for Maini and attacking midfielder to succeed Speed Wang, to bring the quota up to three. Otherwise, Healy is likely to look only for bench warmers.

Albrecht FC: What to make of the perennial champions? Finishing five points off the lead is nothing to be ashamed of and the Scorpions lost fewer games than anyone, with Peter Vanderpent and Joe Cunningham a shiny new strike force capable of scaring defences for many years to come. With a mostly young and home-grown midfield, it should have been their defence where they were strongest, but instead they let in 46 goals with only three sides doing worse. Little blame can be apportioned to the full-backs, with the relationship between centre-halves Benji Fu and Sam Young having clearly broken down. Trevor Organ’s inability to choose between Murphy Matthews and the veteran Rueben Uwakwe in goal hardly helped, while Ben Edwards and Beck Ragab on the wings took a downturn in form after their excellent XXV seasons. But Matteo Corradini looked every inch the international-quality star at the base of the midfield, and Vanderpent and Cunningham were awesome.

On the Prowl: Organ must stay on Candelariasian shores to find a new goalkeeper, centre-back and a few bench boys. Rudy Clark, at 33, will step down from the midfield, but great things are expected of young Jack Marshall after a successful loan spell in the second division.

Candelaria Arsenal: What a thoroughly, but welcomely, weird season for the Yellows of Lavange. The smallest club in the CMSC held ambitions only of staying up once more, and were able to make few additions to their squad for XXVI. Yet after half a dozen games under Adam Williamson they were high flyers; a solid but lovely to watch XI well worthy of their lofty perch. Williamson then up and left for Turks’ Club, but his assistant Trev George managed to keep everyone on side, and despite the mid-season loss of star man Fred Ma to the Imperial League they remained a title-worthy force until the bitter end. Özkan Yalçin has surely played his way into Lloyd Donnelly’s first C&M squad, and striker Luke Naylor may well join him.

On the Prowl: George must now prove that he can match Williamson in the transfer market. Almost every position could be enhanced, but little Lavange is hardly the bright lights of Albrecht, Arrigo or Caires and the C.A.L will again likely look to the lower leagues.

Green Island: Hane Davies did nothing this season but enhance his growing reputation by producing the only side the league to average 2 goals scored a game. The star of the show was once again Roger Zetaback, who was overshadowed in the international stakes by the Zwangzugian strike pair but was still his ever-glorious self behind the front two. But for Stuart Vidakovic’s poor form, the Negroes of Zapata would’ve surely been title contenders once more, but were instead forced to rely on veteran Simone Cammaroto to put away the goals. The wing pair of David Walker and Seb Cerullei were also pillow-chewingly wonderful.

On the Prowl: Cammaroto has already gone, off to continue his Pazhujebi Summer in the Kura-Pellandi second division. Former under-21 star Raul Vélez has come the other way, and may prove Davies’ last major signing of the off-season. The semi-autonomous eponymous island is not an unattractive destination however, and the club may yet be able to look abroad to bolster their overworked defence.

KT Hotspur: Another false dawn for Rose of Sharon’s ill-named finest, as Jerry Huntick reverted to type and put out an über-defensive side once more. A couple of utter drubbings aside, they were never far from competitive, but their back line was ultimately too mediocre to withstand a title challenge for all the ability of Giuseppe Abellardo and the wingers (again!) Nate Adams and Dave Walsh.

On the Prowl: Stephen Smith has been told he can leave with youngster Allen Gallagher set to partner the Samuelese mainstay. Bar goalkeeper Paolo Thorpe, just about every position is available for change, but the most pressing moves are for a goalscoring midfielder and top-quality centre-half.

Port of Clotaire: If the Spur are defensive, then several miles to the north-east the Harpies take the digestive. To be fair they could afford to – Nathalie Instonenext being an advert for female achievement in sport across the region now and Tom Redway heading for the C&M first team. The arrival of Kenan Olovic from the semi-pro nether regions was an inspired move by Niko Mason, who gave true solidity to the midfield. Perhaps most importantly, the unspectacular duo of Dan Davis and Ryan Gnom proved solid CMSC strikers with ten and eight league goals respectively.

On the Prowl: With little cash available, PoC may have to make do with some of the youngsters including goalkeeper Amis Cressey, right-winger Nathaniel Alaoui and versatile midfielder Rod Cozzi.

AFC MN Smith: The Smudgers’ season was if anything more remarkable than C.A.L – the other team considered by most pundits to be the worst in the league at the start of XXVI. After sneaking up through the play-offs, Derek Marshall’s squad of top-flight rejects showed the value of a robust, unshowy outlook in the CMSC. Domestically, they were arguably the story of the first half of the season; with their off-pitch nightmares as the animosity between the two sets of competing home fans often spilled over into handbags both inside and outside the new City of Bove Stadium contrasting dramatically with their unstoppable early form. In the long-term they were rather found out, and Jamie Johansson’s early scoring spree dried up, but the centre-back pairing of the Adams brothers Moreland and Lance, and their born-again goalkeeper Boris Oviedo, helped them to a remarkable top-half finish.

On the Prowl: MN Smith will offer no surprises next year, and will have their work cut out to avoid second-season syndrome striking. But they have little cash to spend, and may be forced to make do with a bench of promising youngsters. A decent left-back’ud come in handy, mind.

El din Marbles: All three of the new additions to the league this season added something, but the club that have been Recreativo El din, El din United, El din Recreationals and finally El din Marbles have arguably been the most pleasing arrival. A true example of the socially unifying qualities of the sport, the Marbles’ on-pitch disregard for defending made them everyone’s second team this season. Their half-decent early form encouraged CandelariaAM to make a move for manager Giles Walton, who duly opted to leave the Marbles to their fate after matchday twelve. In his place, 36-year-old former defender Carlos Panadero was left to pick up the pieces, and did a superb job. With two thirds of the season gone they were still firmly in the relegation zone and still conceding by the bucket load, but Panadero rallied his troops into taking a series of vital victories both from fellow strugglers Castillo and TurksKT and higher flyers MN Smith and MarquezOW.

On the Prowl: The Marbles have already been involved in one of the most potentially significant deals of the close-season after their fans’ player of the season, Zachary Pinkowski, opted to chase the Kura-Pellandi kak. In his stead is the superbly monikered if physically brutal Larry Torrell-Whyte, who will add much needed defensive steel. But an adequate replacement for Pinkowski must be found, and a new left-back and classy offensive midfielder wouldn’t go amiss.

Turks’ Club of Khatib: Turks’ Club didn’t have a manager. And then they did. And then they didn’t again. The long-awaited poaching of Adam Williamson failed to bring the Gassett-based club the success its size so desperately needs and instead things went as Dave Pearce as they’d be under the Robert Kilroy regime and then some. Williamson, to be fair, struggled with a squad of little talent, with few bar returning striker Holger Pi and the veteran midfielder and club captain Giorgio Pezzoni impressing greatly. Once highly-rated names like Joe James, Carlo Hone, Ben Moore and Steven Fiore are just going through the motions and only the momentum provided by William Newell’s tenure as caretaker boss following Williamson’s departure helped keep them up.

On the Prowl: The Turks need major reconstructive surgery, but first they need a new manager. The board look likely to look abroad, at least initially, with that decision dictating just who will join the playing staff. They may well look for a complete overhaul, since while fans rave incessantly about the kids on their books, Williamson himself looks unlikely to choose a single one in his first C&M Under-21 squad and resisted giving the likes of William Williams, Manuel Ballesteros and Mandla Nxele too many appearances in the first team.

Arrigo Portuguese: Last season’s Division Two champions, the second city side looked the most well-placed of the three newcomers to launch a realistic title challenge, never mind maintain their Division One status. With a powerful defence that included high-rated youngsters William Burgos and Seiichi Ganaha on the flanks and was protected by the aggressive Zwangzugian Ursula Lauren, and a front-line of Albrecht FC and C&M legend Steven Fritz and silky Kirby Brightmore and with Iain Belling and Cortez Carocha being tricky on the wings; Portuguese had all the equipment to be right up there. But perhaps the introduction of Lauren, Belling and Fritz threw them off balance upon their arrival in the top-flight for the first time in many years, and it all never quite happened for them. To Jay Zabojnik’s credit however they never looked genuinely in danger despite their late tumble down the table, and should be more of a threat next year.

On the Prowl: As with most teams towards the bottom, Portuguese will take what they can get but may look to fill up their final foreigner spot with a new striker following Fritz’ retirement, while Nathaniel Ferrero cannot go on forever at centre-half aged 35.

Candelaria-Allemali: For some fans, hopes for the Shining Sons were as high as they’d been since the naval hub’s club finished second two seasons running six editions ago. In truth however, young coach Jaon van Deene had a collection of unfulfilled talents to work with and found the task beyond him while the arrival of Giles Walton from El din Marbles failed to provide the expected impetus. A not unpositive but never the less dull outfit, the eventual ignition of the foreign trio of Gime Thadope and Smakam Downe (both Jeruselem) and Thjis Tullier (Endmile), and the strong if inconsistent performances of Prince Mapleson in goal and Connor Mengucci and Nathan Bornemann in the midfield proved that the right manager could get a lot out of this team. Is Walton truly the man for the job, however?

On the Prowl: CandelariaAM should be comfortably in the top half of the table even with an unchanged squad, but the centre-back partnership of Archie Dubicki and Boston Mårtensson simply isn’t up to the job and the long-term role in the side of striker Andrew Bradley must also be under review.

Radyukevich: Fans at the Hilltop Stadium expected so much this season after their fourth-place finish the years before and the arrival of an almost totally new defence – including three foreigners – to supplement their devastating attack. Instead, they were subjected initially to some of their worst performances and results in years under Finlay Endee (sacked after six games) and Leonard Dennis (sacked after two), and some frequently dire football under Vincent Peluso after his move from Mayo Valley. The form of club captain and hero Damien Waterman in defence, Giles Harpas behind the front two and wingers James Burridge and Matthew Sellami utterly collapsed, and Peluso was forced to put teams together with anything he could find down the sofa. Fans amused themselves with their traditional pig-releasings and surreal chants, but the Jukos would survive only by a point, and more than by luck than judgement.

On the Prowl: As the season progressed the Candelariasian-Sorthern-Uir-Kura-Pellandi defence finally got its act together, and Peluso will have to focus on rebuilding the attack from any spare Candelariasians he find. Five players should do it.

Castillo FC: “Where’re all yer ****ing Spaniards?” was the near universal chant from opposition fans as the little-loved three-time CMSC champions plodded through an initially forgettable season ending in a surprise relegation. But for Rex Sandstrom’s eleven goals their plight would have been far more obvious far earlier, as the since sacked Jacob Wilson struggled with the club’s benefactor Luis Gerardo Movilla’s unwillingness to spend big on non-Hispanic players and the unwillingness of their fellow Marquezian clubs to release such stars to their money-soaked neighbours. Yet with players the quality of left-winger Joey Pipes and versatile midfielder Carroll Eriksson they should clearly have put up more of a fight.

Abiodun North: No less of a disaster for the Storming Normans after their breakthrough season in XXV, and no less unexpected. Abiodun were the C.A.L of last season, playing some attractive football and possessing an extremely solid defence and a striker in form in the form of Henry Young. It’s hard to say quite what Andy Le Lan did differently this time around, with Sargento Castelão banging in the goals and the centre-half pairing of Pete Kimber and Shane Wojciechowski as good as any in the division. But the arrival of Eazalden Ernebrink to the right wing, and the introduction of youngsters William Rose and Rian Bishop failed to gel the new-look midfield, and this would ultimately prove their undoing. Their usually impressive youth system failed them as the season progressed, with Le Lan unable to get the best out of Hank Moya or Jack Weis, and they were left to sink away without a trace while other clubs found form at just the right time.

Caires City: After their (occasionally) good-natured mockery of their parent club Caires Sports’ utter failure in XXV, the last laugh was on the fans of the younger club. A third of the season gone and the Errant Knights had failed to win a game, Andy Walker had been relieved and new boss Elgin Dannat faced one hell of a challenge. The new man helped revive things slightly, following back-to-back wins at Green Island and A.Turks, but their squad was ultimately too thin to compete. The Bettian Samuel Taha returned from injury only when it was too late, crucial players including goalkeeper Ryan Lyra and midfielder Derek Tedder suffered from niggling complaints throughout the season, while O’Sullivan Caras’ mind was clearly on other things. C&M’s most capped player; the right-winger clearly couldn’t wait to leave for Cafundéu, and despite the emergence of Alessio Montano on the opposite flank that City were relegation certainties was obvious to all. Of the three relegated sides however they perhaps have the greatest chance of coming straight back up, with only two or three of their first team likely to be snapped up by top-flight clubs.

Caires Sports: It’s been a roller coaster ride for fans of Caires’ most popular club of the three in recent years. They went into XXV off the back of a fourth place finish gained by both scoring and letting in more than anyone, and followed that up with a thudding relegation. With former MarquezOW boss Macario Ayoví now in charge, the Knights were a class apart in the second division however thanks to the free-scoring of young strikers Archer French and Luke Cole, and a solid bunch of other young twentysomethings across the board from Andy Halford in goal to a midfield including Lars Weidemann and the potentially legendary Rockdale LeCass. A mobile, attacking side that will grace the CMSC proper.

On the Prowl: May choose not to break up a successful unit too much, but a new left side may be needed with Evident Moore well the wrong side of thirty and Charlie Diack unlikely to be robust enough for the highest level.

Cathedral City: Unlike last year’s crop of newcomers, the three promoted sides are all CMSC old hands with recent top-flight experience. The Cats were able to keep the spine of their last first division team and eased to promotion on their first attempt. A physical unit, Charlie Cunningham will have his work cut out to prove that CMSC failures such as Terry Hall, Andrew Muambe and Edward Moschopoulos can compete along side their city rivals, the El din Marbles.

On the Prowl: Catedral lack the cash of their suddenly competitive neighbours, and will take what they can get with XXVI’s relegated sides likely to be raided with some rapidity. Youngsters such as lofty defender Enrique Silva de Aviz and two-footed winger Kurt Folgueira are likely to be trusted, but Cunningham will surely search for a new goalkeeper and a top-class forward.

Gamboa FC: Gamboa on the other hand had a rather bumpier XXVI, with the club scraping along in the relegation zone and Geoffrey Unwin soon sacked as manager. Andrew Duffy was instead poached from the Alvery Blades and things soon picked up, with Duffy putting his faith in veterans discarded by Unwin including striker Tony Thorpe and zombie keeper Elam Adams. As the season reached squeaky bum time however their form started to fall away and Duffy resorted to using long-ball tactics, hoofing it up to the giant, talentless Mars Mottram, in order to make the play-offs. GFC were outplayed by McDonald Sports of Saurin for much of their play-off final in Albrecht, but old Thorpy would score the decisive winner late on.

On the Prowl: They badly need reinforcements, and could get them if they’re clever. Hailing from the posh side of Abiodun, Gamboa should be capable of attracting leading lights from home and abroad to the Candelarias’ Orange County. Years after playing a leading role in their title-winning season; Albrecht FC defender Sam Young looks all set to join up, but that still leaves ten other places needing genuine CMSC quality.

Elves Security Forces

28-12-2007, 11:00

EPL Season 20,002

Pos Club W D L F A GD Pts
1 Mar Sara Flames 25 7 6 73 35 +38 82 Champions
2 Raynor City Rockers 24 6 8 66 37 +29 78
3 Rinaldi Gunners 20 11 7 70 34 +36 71
4 Hondo Owls 18 9 11 52 35 +17 63
5 FC Capri 17 12 9 49 32 +17 63
6 Hartdale Hawks 17 10 11 64 44 +20 61
7 Juavi Reds 18 7 13 61 47 +13 61
8 Char Sara Inferno 16 13 9 50 38 +12 61
9 Gladerial Twilight 15 13 10 50 54 -4 58
10 AC Valanari 14 9 15 43 52 -9 51
11 Baysleef Bombers 12 14 12 46 44 +2 50
12 FC Longview 11 12 17 35 50 -15 43
13 Straightdale FC 12 7 19 40 57 -17 43
14 Soldarian FC 10 11 17 55 70 -15 41
15 Wexax United 10 10 18 48 61 -13 40
16 Kareen FC 8 14 16 42 60 -18 38
17 Sharala AC 9 11 18 34 52 -18 38
18 Turmondale FC 9 11 18 33 58 -25 38 Relegated
19 Manavawi Athletic 9 6 23 38 57 -19 33 Relegated
20 AC Cartmot 8 5 25 39 71 -32 29 Relegated

Star League

FC Vamas wins playoff 4-2(1-2) on aggregates
Pos Club W D L F A GD Pts
1 Monaven Breakers 21 1 0 44 17 +27 64 Champions
2 Oliviena United 19 2 1 49 24 +25 59 Promoted
3 FC Vamas 16 3 3 40 25 +15 51 Playoff
4 Travesian Generals 14 3 4 38 27 +11 45 Playoff
5 FC Travesian 11 4 7 52 47 +5 37
6 Char Sara Strike 10 7 5 35 42 -7 37
7 AS Sharala 8 7 9 32 44 -12 31
8 Everlin Snipers 7 10 5 36 49 -13 31
9 AC Goldsan 7 4 11 27 43 -16 25
10 DC Aulian 5 5 12 30 44 -11 20
11 Raynor City Rockets 5 4 13 22 50 -28 19 Relegated
12 FC Vernad 0 4 18 10 52 -42 4 Relegated

Green League

Pos Club W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 FC Wexax 19 1 2 49 26 +23 58 Champions
2 AS Everlin 17 3 2 45 28 +17 54 Promoted
3 SC Ianisle 16 4 2 43 31 +12 52
4 Rolalas FC 15 2 5 38 33 +5 47
5 Athletic Rolalas 13 1 8 42 39 +3 40
6 Gladerial Fortune Dwellers 10 3 9 37 37 0 33
7 Capri Marksmen 9 6 7 38 40 -2 33
8 Turmondale United 10 1 11 33 40 -7 31
9 Rinaldi Ravens 8 4 10 35 36 -1 28
10 Char Sara Volcano 4 2 16 24 42 -18 14 Playoff
11 Mar Sara Extreme 3 3 16 28 44 -16 12 Playoff
12 Cartmot Pride 1 2 19 17 56 -39 5 Playoff

Regional Playoffs
Char Sara Volcano 5-3 pks 4-4(2-2) Gladerial Divine
Mar Sara Extreme 4-3(1-2) Turbani Tornadoes
Cartmot Pride 1-3(1-1) SC Longview

two leg aggregate, team listed first hosted second leg, first leg score in ()s

End of Season Awards

Foriegner of the Year
Draco Gaurlung (22 goals, 9 assists) - Mar Sara Flames

Manager of the Year
Marco Defoe - Juavi Reds

Striker of the Year
Kiso Night (28 goals, 14 assists) - Rinaldi Gunners

Midfielder of the Year
Ali Alidare (14 goals, 14 assists) - Mar Sara Flames

Winger of the Year
Jere Jannian (6 goals, 32 assists) - Raynor City Rockers

Defender of the Year
Llyle Acevedo (2 goals, 9 assists) - Rinaldi Gunners

Goalkeeper of the Year
Jacob St. Louis (0.84 ga/a, 7 clean sheets) - FC Capri

Sportsman
Carl Underdark - FC Capri

Idiot (most bookings)
Espy va Drake (9 yellows, 2 reds) - Turmondale FC

Best X11
GK: Niella Norris - Mar Sara Flames
CB: Murphy Lee - Mar Sara Flames
CB: Dwier Titenburg Jr - FC Capri
CB: Llyle Acevedo - Rinaldi Gunners
RW: Rosario Mendez - Hartdale Hawks
MC: Xena Whitehurse - Hondo Owls
MC: Ashley Riot - Rinaldi Gunners
LW: Jere Jannian - Raynor City Rockers
AMC: Ali Alidare - Mar Sara Flames
ST: Draco Gaurlung - Mar Sara Flames
ST: Kiso Night - Rinaldi Gunners

Qazox

28-12-2007, 21:50

QFL UPDATE

W-League playoff system changed

Due to the fact that the W-League has expanded from 12 to 14 teams, and that within 3 years probably will expand to 16 teams, The W-League has expanded the playoffs to 4 teams up from just the division winners.

The format will be as follows:

East Division Champion vs. West Division runner-up
West Division Champion vs. East Division runner-up

The semifinals will be a home-away total goals series, and the final will be a single match, played at the best remaining record. It is expected that if the W-League expands to 16 teams, they will have a 4 division format with 4 teams in each. If so, then the format will be as follows, with the same semifinals and final series as previously stated.

Div A champion vs. Div B Champion
Div C champion vs. Div D champion

The format will rotate division champions against one another, as to "level" the field. So in the 2nd year the matchups will be A-C and B-D, the third year will be A-D and B-C, and repeated until changed.

Bettia

29-12-2007, 15:06

APEX LEAGUE 7 - news update

With the season now at the 30-matchday mark, things are really starting to get interesting. No, really, they are.

First Division

The race to be crowned champions of Bettia is really hotting up, with the top four seperated by just two points. Still out in front are Tiddles Park, which is where they have been since Matchday 10 although their advantage has been cut substantially. Snapping at their heels are a resurgant Sukatra Tigers who have hit some excellent form at just the right moment. Just behind them are the leader's bitter city rivals Gabalfa Rovers and Akani Sands, so long a dominant force in Bettian football.

At the bottom, things are equally tight with five teams battling it out to avoid being left in the bottom three. Currently occupying the wooden spoon position are Grappenhall City, with Fortuna Bettialis one point ahead of them behind Dynamo Dini, Lorshill City and Ceffinton Town. Although they hold a three-point advantage, CPD Porthbalfa and Kirkwood Town are still far from safe.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Tiddles Park 30 17 5 8 83 56 27 56
2 Sukatra Tigers 30 16 7 7 70 62 8 55
3 Gabalfa Rovers 30 17 3 10 90 66 24 54
4 Akani Sands 30 17 3 10 80 57 23 54
5 Banastra Forest 30 14 9 7 75 65 10 51
6 Lorshill United 30 15 5 10 63 76 -13 50
7 Persubarnas 30 14 5 11 64 61 3 47
8 Perumnasih 30 12 9 9 81 68 13 45
9 Ryoga Bay 30 12 7 11 64 68 -4 43
10 Tamrida 30 11 6 13 57 64 -7 39
11 Butetown Dragons 30 11 5 14 67 67 0 38
12 Kirkwood Town 30 10 6 14 73 81 -8 36
13 CPD Porthbalfa 30 11 3 16 61 75 -14 36
14 Ceffinton Town 30 9 6 15 66 72 -6 33
15 Lorshill City 30 9 5 16 62 81 -19 32
----------------------------------------------------------------
16 Dynamo Dini 30 8 7 15 69 86 -17 31
17 Fortuna Bettialis 30 8 6 16 55 69 -14 30
18 Grappenhall City 30 8 5 17 61 67 -6 29

Second Division

Just as the town's name would suggest, the supporters of Pen-y-Bydd are feeling on top of the world. With just four games to go and with their team holding a five point lead at the top of the Second Division, a quick return to the top flight is looking increasingly likely. In second place are Downton, a team whose struggle to regain their First Division status has been a long and hard one. Barring any major slip-ups, their long suffering fans could finally have something to cheer about.

Of the teams immediately below them, only Budiwati City are assured a place in the playoffs, with Hyppo Fernley and Rhyngwladol Gabalfa needing just a single point to join them. Eleven points behind them, Persifera are fighting it out with Betws-y-Triw, Drutton United, Pontybalfa United, Sonastra FC and Old Maxwellians for the final playoff spot.

Down at the bottom, Racing Club Gabalfa are already doomed to relegation thanks to their wretched form this season. Maindy and Fiilghud Town are looking equally doomed, thanks to them being a full eleven points behind Tremwsa. The only hope of survival for either one of these teams is for them to win all of their four remaining games and hope the newcomers lose all of theirs - a very tall order indeed.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Pen-y-Bydd 30 20 4 6 90 54 36 64 Play-Offs
2 Downton 30 18 5 7 80 58 22 59 Play-Offs
---------------------------------------------------------------
3 Budiwati City 30 17 6 7 82 64 18 57 Play-Offs
4 Hyppo Fernley 30 17 4 9 82 59 23 55
5 Rhyngwladol Gabalfa 30 17 4 9 74 57 17 55
6 Persifera 30 13 5 12 67 64 3 44
---------------------------------------------------------------
7 Betws-y-Triw 30 11 10 9 66 57 9 43
8 Drutton United 30 12 7 11 70 67 3 43
9 Pontybalfa United 30 13 3 14 75 73 2 42
10 Sonastra FC 30 12 6 12 75 82 -7 42
11 Old Maxwellians 30 12 6 12 68 75 -7 42
12 Grappenhall University 30 12 4 14 73 76 -3 40
13 Llanedalia 30 10 9 11 68 60 8 39
14 Roath Albion 30 11 6 13 69 79 -10 39
15 Tremwsa 30 10 5 15 65 74 -9 35
----------------------------------------------------------------
16 Fiilghud Town 30 6 6 18 57 89 -32 24
17 Maindy 30 6 5 19 57 92 -35 23
18 Racing Club Gabalfa 30 3 5 22 55 93 -38 14 RELEGATED

Third Division

Into the Third Division, where the first piece of silverware has already found a home. Thanks to their sometimes-rampant attack and stingy defence (stingy by Bettian standards anyway), Lorshill Engineers have confirmed themselves as champions despite losing their most recent game, after their nearest contenders Fforest Hen also lost. Emcorn now find themselves in second place.

Apart from Fforest Hen, the three playoff spots are currently taken by Treebrook Wnderes, Lower Sweeney and Southward Ho!, who all hold a five point lead over Gorseborough Town in seventh spot. Barring any disasters, the playoffs will be contested by four out of the previously mentioned five teams.

At the bottom, Huwbridge Town have some work to do if they are to avoid relegation as they have a five point gap between themselves and safety. Only just above them are Al-Sheemal Tamrida, with BAF Chinterford and Spiddaford Town sitting tantalisingly above them.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Lorshill Engineers 30 22 2 6 87 48 39 68 CHAMPIONS
2 Emcorn 30 16 6 8 76 62 14 54
---------------------------------------------------------------
3 Fforest Hen 30 15 8 7 79 61 18 53
4 Treebrook Wanderers 30 16 3 11 69 53 16 51
5 Lower Sweeney 30 15 6 9 79 64 15 51
6 Southward Ho! 30 14 9 7 75 62 13 51
---------------------------------------------------------------
7 Gorseborough Town 30 12 10 8 71 67 4 46
8 Deudregg Dderw 30 13 4 13 77 66 11 43
9 Zenit Tecnasi 30 13 4 13 61 62 -1 43
10 1.FC Rendrew 30 12 4 14 58 66 -8 40
11 Sageham Town 30 11 5 14 65 72 -7 38
12 Upper Sweeney 30 9 9 12 74 72 2 36
13 FOYNLS 30 10 5 15 61 79 -18 35
14 Tinting Warren 30 8 9 13 58 70 -12 33
15 Spiddaford Town 30 7 9 14 60 73 -13 30
----------------------------------------------------------------
16 BAF Chinterford 30 8 6 16 60 86 -26 30
17 Al-Sheemal Tamrida 30 8 3 19 60 84 -24 27
18 Huwbridge Town 30 5 10 15 57 80 -23 25

Fourth Division

In the Fourth Division, Lorshill Park Rangers are still in first place, as they have been for the past 25 consecutive matchdays. However, a major dip in form which has only seen them collect two points out of a possible fifteen has seen their lead slip to just one point. Following hard on their coat-tails are Pen-yr-Heol, who are in a good run of form and must fancy themselves at snatching the fourth division title away from the long-time leaders.

In third place are Pifton Rovers, who have assured themselves of at least a play-off berth but are also harbouring hopes of automatic promotion thanks to their red-hot front line. Behind them are Caeranyuna and Porthbalfa Navy, who cannot now be autmatically promoted but are still in with a good shout of reaching the playoffs. Taking up the plast spot are Ceffinton United, a team whose desire to match their more illustrious local rivals seems to be spurring them on, although a whole clutch of teams just below them could still spoil their ambitions.

At the wrong end of the table, things are very tight indeed with the bottom three all tied on points. Gilang Chandra, Fortuna South End and Alfalfa Kickers are all fighting hard to avoid the drop, with Mare's Tail Village looking nervously over their shoulders.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Lorshill Park Rangers 30 19 5 6 78 46 32 62 Play-Offs
2 Pen-yr-Heol 30 19 4 7 78 50 28 61 Play-Offs
---------------------------------------------------------------
3 Pifton Rovers 30 18 4 8 90 60 30 58 Play-Offs
4 Caeranyuna 30 14 7 9 85 68 17 49
5 Porthbalfa Navy 30 15 4 11 66 58 8 49
6 Ceffinton United 30 14 3 13 78 72 6 45
---------------------------------------------------------------
7 Mihangel's Old Boys 30 14 2 14 72 67 5 44
8 Arorair 30 12 7 11 74 69 5 43
9 Dhur Tihari 30 13 3 14 70 80 -10 42
10 Gabalfa Saints 30 11 8 11 70 77 -7 41
11 UC Gabalfa 30 13 1 16 74 79 -5 40
12 Cockbill Green 30 12 3 15 72 82 -10 39
13 Llanbedistan 30 11 6 13 67 82 -15 39
14 Shabilah 30 11 3 16 75 83 -8 36
15 Mare's Tail Village 30 9 5 16 57 70 -13 32
----------------------------------------------------------------
16 Alfalfa Kickers 30 8 6 16 61 75 -14 30
17 Fortuna South End 30 8 6 16 61 85 -24 30
18 Gilang Chandra 30 9 3 18 67 92 -25 30

Fifth Division

Despite already netting a century of goals, Rainy Grove have relinquished their grip at the top of the Fifth Division to Mirtaford Town, whose relatively mean defence seems to be serving them well. Indeed, this title race has been a real ding-dong battle with both teams trading places at the top at regular intervals.

In the playoff zone, only Loudoun Rovers are assured of any further participation this season. City rivals Waltham Dynamo[b] are also looking good to clinch a spot, with [b]Porthbalfa City and Thymeford Wanderers both holding a five point lead over seventh-placed Persukaluma.

Out of the bottom six, the only team with any real hope of avoiding the drop is Hurnford Harriers who are just two points from safety. The other five teams in the drop zone are Marjaham Town, Chinterford Town, Gabalfa Steelworks, Eastbeach Rovers and Lara Kencana, with the last three looking in very real danger.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Mirtaford Town 30 21 3 6 85 55 30 66 Play-Offs
2 Rainy Grove 30 21 1 8 102 63 39 64 Play-Offs
---------------------------------------------------------------
3 Loudoun Rovers 30 19 2 9 86 61 25 59 Play-Offs
4 Waltham Dynamo 30 16 6 8 71 63 8 54
5 Porthbalfa City 30 15 4 11 82 65 17 49
6 Thymeford Wanderers 30 15 4 11 82 69 13 49
---------------------------------------------------------------
7 Persukaluma 30 13 5 12 80 81 -1 44
8 Huwbridge Colliery 30 13 3 14 71 75 -4 42
9 Lorshill Victoria 30 10 10 10 78 69 9 40
10 Old Akanians 30 11 5 14 68 78 -10 38
11 Al Jabari 30 10 8 12 67 78 -11 38
12 Tremorgan Town 30 11 4 15 72 79 -7 37
----------------------------------------------------------------
13 Hurnford Harriers 30 10 5 15 72 88 -16 35
14 Marjaham Town 30 8 9 13 64 81 -17 33
15 Chinterford Town 30 9 5 16 78 95 -17 32
16 Gabalfa Steelworks 30 8 5 17 64 78 -14 29
17 Eastbeach Rovers 30 7 7 16 66 90 -24 28
18 Lara Kencana 30 7 6 17 64 84 -20 27

FAB Cup

In the cup, Tiddles Park seem to be marching towards a league and cup double, although it hasn't been without the odd scare. After ekeing out a narrow but highly exciting victory over Kirkwood Town, they were then taken to penalties by Lorshill United in the quarter-final. Luckily for them, there was no such drama in the semi as they comfortably beat Treebrook Wanderers to secure their place in the final, which will take place at Butetown's Alice Street's stadium oweing to the FAB's requirement that the final be played at a neutral venue.

Their opponents will be Sukatra Tigers, who took a less dramatic route to the final, beating both Ceffinton Town and Fortuna Bettialis 2-1 before dispatching plucky Hyppo Fernley in their semi-final.

Fifth Round

Kirkwood Town 5-6 Tiddles Park
Dynamo Dini 1-5 Hyppo Fernley
Betws-y-Triw 1-5 Southward Ho!
Sukatra Tigers 2-1 Ceffinton Town
Downton 1-2 Grappenhall City
Tremwsa 1-3 Treebrook Wanderers
Lorshill United 1-0 Racing Club Gabalfa
Fortuna Bettialis 4-0 Perumnasih

Quarter-Finals
Lorshill United 3-3 Tiddles Park
......Replay: Tiddles Park 2-2 Lorshill United (2-2 AET) (Tiddles Park wins 2-0 on penalty kicks)
Treebrook Wanderers 4-1 Southward Ho!
Grappenhall City 2-2 Hyppo Fernley
......Replay: Hyppo Fernley 3-2 Grappenhall City
Sukatra Tigers 2-1 Fortuna Bettialis

Semi-Finals
Sukatra Tigers 4-1 Hyppo Fernley (at Shubunkin Park, Akani Sands)
Tiddles Park 3-1 Treebrook Wanderers (at Parc Dociau, Porthbalfa)

Elves Security Forces

31-12-2007, 11:34

Valanora Express
Domestic Reform

In the wake of one of the most interesting seasons in the history of the Elven Premier League, the Valanora Sports Commitee has decreed that the League be put to reform. In the demands, it requires a more equal league structure, a better promotion and relegation setup, improved television deals, and stressed the importance of importing top talent from around the world. Up until this point, the EPL has been heavily reliant up talent born and groomed inside the countries of Valanora, even before the creation of the commonwealth, and those nations that were former colonies of the grand Sporting Domain. Yet, in the ever increasing more world nation, so to must the sport adapt if it is to continue it's success within the country and region, and hope to branch out and become one of the top international leagues like that of Bettia and Cafundeu.

In their responce, the Valanorian Football Association said they are willing and ready to implement these changes. Changing from a three division league, with a 20:12:12 setup, to a four division league with twenty teams in each division. As a result, each division would have three squads relegate at the end of the season. In the lower three divisions, the top two squads would each automatically be promoted, with the third seed gaining a bye in the one leg nuetral-field playoff final, while the forth and fifth placed team would play in a two-leg to detirmine their opponent. In the bottom division, the bottom three teams would have a two-leg playoff with one of regional teams. It has also said that is will henceforth be seeking foriegn talent and be offering these three programming packages to media seeking to cover the Premier league.

Package A
3 matches on Saturday with start times of 12:00, 14:15, 16:30
2 matches on Sunday with start times of 11:00 and 13:30
7 of 10 of the final matchday matches

Package B
4 matches on Saturday with start times of 12:00, 14:15, 16:30, 18:45
2 matches on Sunday with start times of 11:00 and 13:30
8 of 10 of the final matchday matches

Package C
4 matches on Saturday with start times of 12:00, 14:15, 16:30, 18:45
3 matches on Sunday with start times of 11:00, 13:30, 16:00
All 10 of the final matchday matches
All matches from the last 3 Rounds of the Silver Cup.

Transferlisted
GK Travis Neil, FC Longview (M)
LB Kristi Mars, Mar Sara Flames (F)
CB Krin Legoan , Baysleef Bombers (M)
CB Llyle Acevedo, Rinaldi Gunners (M)
MC Scott Soldarian, Raynor City Rockers (M)
MC Carl Underdark, FC Capri (M)
MC Vanessa Dallows, Wexax United (F)
RW Rosario Mendez, Hartdale Hawks (F)
LW Zany Ataman, Kareen FC (M)
FC Brenda Lee, Gladerial Twilight (F)
FC Anti Fresco, Mar Sara Flames (M)
FC Joan va Glaze, Juavi Reds (F)

Article by Ron Santapa

Bettia

31-12-2007, 14:32

APEX LEAGUE 7 - end of season report

First Division

Tiddles Park have been crowned champions of Bettia after the tightest title race ever seen in Bettian history which saw the top seven separated by just four points. Their title was made even sweeter by the fact that they beat their bitter city rivals Gabalfa Rovers by a single point thanks to the two teams playing out a dramatic last-day 2-2 draw along with Akani Sands' last-day defeat at Butetown Dragons. One point behind them came Banastra Forest, who were tied on points with cup finalists Sukatra Tigers.

Fortuna Bettialis' tenure in the First Division didn't last long as they finished rock bottom, five points adrift of Ceffinton Town. The third relegated team are CPD Porthbalfa, who were tied on points with Dynamo Dini and Grappenhall City but were ultimately made to pay for not finding the back of the net often enough.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Tiddles Park 34 18 6 10 88 69 19 60
2 Gabalfa Rovers 34 18 5 11 97 74 23 59
3 Akani Sands 34 18 5 11 90 67 23 59
4 Banastra Forest 34 16 10 8 85 71 14 58
5 Sukatra Tigers 34 17 7 10 77 72 5 58
6 Perumnasih 34 16 9 9 97 72 25 57
7 Lorshill United 34 17 5 12 75 88 -13 56
8 Butetown Dragons 34 15 5 14 76 70 6 50
9 Ryoga Bay 34 14 7 13 74 78 -4 49
10 Tamrida 34 14 6 14 66 69 -3 48
11 Persubarnas 34 14 5 15 68 73 -5 47
12 Lorshill City 34 12 5 17 77 93 -16 41
13 Kirkwood Town 34 11 6 17 81 92 -11 39
14 Grappenhall City 34 11 5 18 72 73 -1 38
15 Dynamo Dini 34 10 8 16 80 95 -15 38
----------------------------------------------------------------
16 CPD Porthbalfa 34 11 5 18 68 86 -18 38
17 Ceffinton Town 34 10 6 18 72 82 -10 36
18 Fortuna Bettialis 34 8 7 19 60 79 -19 31

Second Division

As predicted, Pen-y-Bydd have made a quick return to the top flight, winning the Second Division with a margin of four points from Downton. Also as predicted, Hyppo Fernley, Rhyngwladol Gabalfa and Budiwati City claimed the first three playoff spots, with the fourth spot going to Drutton United by virtue of their superior goal difference.

The relegation spots had been decided before the last matchday, with already dommed Racing Club Gabalfa joined by Maindy and Fiilghud Town joining them. It's a real fall from grace for Town after their amazing cup exploits last season, but financial worries have proved to be too much of a burden with them being forced to sell many of their better players.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Pen-y-Bydd 34 22 4 8 99 64 35 70
2 Downton 34 20 6 8 93 68 25 66
---------------------------------------------------------------
3 Hyppo Fernley 34 20 4 10 102 67 35 64
4 Rhyngwladol Gabalfa 34 20 4 10 93 75 18 64
5 Budiwati City 34 19 6 9 92 74 18 63
6 Drutton United 34 15 7 12 83 76 7 52
---------------------------------------------------------------
7 Persifera 34 15 7 12 75 69 6 52
8 Pontybalfa United 34 15 5 14 91 77 14 50
9 Sonastra FC 34 14 6 14 83 92 -9 48
10 Llanedalia 34 12 9 13 74 69 5 45
11 Old Maxwellians 34 13 6 15 81 90 -9 45
12 Roath Albion 34 13 6 15 77 92 -15 45
13 Betws-y-Triw 34 11 11 12 75 69 6 44
14 Grappenhall University 34 13 4 17 79 90 -11 43
15 Tremwsa 34 11 5 18 74 85 -11 38
----------------------------------------------------------------
16 Fiilghud Town 34 8 6 20 65 100 -35 30
17 Maindy 34 8 5 21 69 105 -36 29
18 Racing Club Gabalfa 34 4 5 25 64 107 -43 17

Playoff Semi-Final Fixtures
Drutton United vs. Hyppo Fernley
Budiwati City vs. Rhyngwladol Gabalfa

Third Division

The Third Division title was never in doubt, with Lorshill Engineers clinching top spot many weeks ago. However, the real drama was in who would be joining them, with any one of five teams in with a shout. Ultimately, it was Southward Ho! who claimed the second automatic promotion slot by a single goal from Emcorn, who suffered from a late wobble to let their rival slip through. They must now be content with a playoff spot along with Lower Sweeney, Treebrook Wanderers and Fforest Hen.

Just like the title race, the battle against relegation was decided before the final matchday. The fate of Huwbridge Town had never been in doubt as they ended up finishing elevent points from safety. Just above them came Al-Sheemal Tamrida, with BAF Chinterford also joining them in the drop zone.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Lorshill Engineers 34 24 3 7 96 54 42 75
2 Southward Ho! 34 16 10 8 84 70 14 58
---------------------------------------------------------------
3 Emcorn 34 17 7 10 89 76 13 58
4 Lower Sweeney 34 16 8 10 85 71 14 56
5 Treebrook Wanderers 34 17 3 14 79 62 17 54
6 Fforest Hen 34 15 9 10 84 69 15 54
---------------------------------------------------------------
7 Gorseborough Town 34 14 11 9 80 75 5 53
8 Deudregg Dderw 34 15 5 14 91 76 15 50
9 Zenit Tecnasi 34 14 5 15 67 71 -4 47
10 1.FC Rendrew 34 14 5 15 72 78 -6 47
11 Sageham Town 34 13 6 15 73 79 -6 45
12 FOYNLS 34 13 6 15 72 86 -14 45
13 Tinting Warren 34 11 10 13 67 75 -8 43
14 Upper Sweeney 34 10 9 15 76 81 -5 39
15 Spiddaford Town 34 10 9 15 72 83 -11 39
----------------------------------------------------------------
16 BAF Chinterford 34 9 7 18 69 96 -27 34
17 Al-Sheemal Tamrida 34 9 3 22 68 95 -27 30
18 Huwbridge Town 34 6 10 18 64 91 -27 28

Playoff Semi-Final Fixtures
Fforest Hen vs. Emcorn
Treebrook Wanderers vs. Lower Sweeney

Fourth Division

Just like the First Division, the Fourth Division title race went right down to the wire, with Lorshill Park Rangers finishing up on top, although they were almost made to pay for their late dip in form by Pifton Rovers, a team managed by a 250-year-old ifrit girl.

Likewise, the race for the playoffs was a tense one. Pen-yr-Heol finished a comfortable third, six points ahead of Caeranyuna and a further four ahead of Ceffinton United. The final playoff spot was a real three-horse race, with Porthbalfa Navy just edging it on goal difference from a rebranded Gabalfa Saints, whose playoff hopes were dashed by a last day defeat at Gilang Chandra.

The relegation battle was equally tight, although Fortuna South End will be dissappointed to finish five points away from safety. Mare's Tail Village are breathing a huge sigh of relief, thanks to their 4-1 home win on the last day, coupled with Alfalfa Kickers 4-4 draw. Gilang Chandra's last day heroics also came to no avail.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Lorshill Park Rangers 34 21 6 7 87 57 30 69
2 Pifton Rovers 34 21 5 8 105 69 36 68
---------------------------------------------------------------
3 Pen-yr-Heol 34 20 4 10 87 62 25 64
4 Caeranyuna 34 17 7 10 95 76 19 58
5 Ceffinton United 34 17 3 14 90 78 12 54
6 Porthbalfa Navy 34 15 5 14 73 69 4 50
---------------------------------------------------------------
7 Gabalfa Saints 34 14 8 12 84 83 1 50
8 Dhur Tihari 34 15 4 15 78 90 -12 49
9 Arorair 34 13 8 13 85 79 6 47
10 Mihangel's Old Boys 34 14 4 16 79 81 -2 46
11 UC Gabalfa 34 15 1 18 83 86 -3 46
12 Llanbedistan 34 12 8 14 74 90 -16 44
13 Cockbill Green 34 12 5 17 78 93 -15 41
14 Shabilah 34 12 4 18 83 95 -12 40
15 Mare's Tail Village 34 11 5 18 66 79 -13 38
----------------------------------------------------------------
16 Alfalfa Kickers 34 10 7 17 73 84 -11 37
17 Gilang Chandra 34 11 4 19 74 97 -23 37
18 Fortuna South End 34 9 6 19 70 96 -26 33

Playoff Semi-Final Fixtures
Porthbalfa Navy vs. Pen-yr-Heol
Ceffinton United vs. Caeranyuna

Fifth Division

After an enthralling title race which saw the lead change hands repeatedly, it was league new boys Rainy Grove who ultimately come out on top, clinching the title by a single point from Mirtaford Town. The Grovers also had the distinction of being the league's top scorers, finding the back of the net an incredible 112 times.

Loudoun Rovers finished a comfortable third, ahead of Waltham Dynamo and Porthbalfa City, whilst Thymeford Wanderers beat Huwrbidge Colliery to the last spot despite the Colliers' last day win.

The six teams making the drop into non-league football are Lara Kencana, Eastbeach Rovers, Chinterford Town, Gabalfa Steelworks, Hurnford Harriers and Marjaham Town. These teams will be replaced by the champions of the six regional conference leagues.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Rainy Grove 34 25 1 8 112 67 45 76
2 Mirtaford Town 34 24 3 7 97 64 33 75
---------------------------------------------------------------
3 Loudoun Rovers 34 21 3 10 95 68 27 66
4 Waltham Dynamo 34 18 6 10 81 71 10 60
5 Porthbalfa City 34 17 5 12 93 72 21 56
6 Thymeford Wanderers 34 16 6 12 88 75 13 54
---------------------------------------------------------------
7 Huwbridge Colliery 34 17 3 14 85 81 4 54
8 Persukaluma 34 15 5 14 89 90 -1 50
9 Tremorgan Town 34 14 4 16 83 85 -2 46
10 Old Akanians 34 13 5 16 77 89 -12 44
11 Lorshill Victoria 34 11 10 13 89 82 7 43
12 Al Jabari 34 11 8 15 72 91 -19 41
----------------------------------------------------------------
13 Marjaham Town 34 10 9 15 74 90 -16 39
14 Hurnford Harriers 34 11 5 18 79 97 -18 38
15 Gabalfa Steelworks 34 9 6 19 70 87 -17 33
16 Chinterford Town 34 9 6 19 83 106 -23 33
17 Eastbeach Rovers 34 8 7 19 74 103 -29 31
18 Lara Kencana 34 7 8 19 72 95 -23 29

Playoff Semi-Final Fixtures
Thymeford Wanderers vs. Loudoun Rovers
Porthbalfa City vs. Waltham Dynamo

Kura-Pelland

31-12-2007, 18:48

Kura-Pellandi players transfer-listed and available for international transfer
Ages are at end of WC38

* Xavier Le Monde, 26, central/attacking midfielder, current club Delta Force Cardim. Fancy feet and still quick, though likely to slow down a bit soon. Consistently on the fringes of the national team. An excellent 'impact substitution' player for some teams, potentially the key creator of chances for a smaller side. SOLD to Turks' Club of Khatib, C&M
* Stephan Harltey, 20, left winger/centre-forward, current club Delta Force Cardim. It was his bad luck with injuries that arguably ensured Delta Force Cardim were relegated. That and bad management, anyway. Almost single-handedly kept his side up for a while with some absolutely stunning long-range goals, but is - for now - tactically naive, and injuries might be a problem. With this much potential, though, he may be worth taking a punt on.
* Bo Phelps, 17, left-back/central defender/sweeper, current club Harrington Lakeside. Also a stab-in-the-dark punt, although as he wants first-team football he probably won't go to a really big club. An embryonic mix of Roberto Carlos and Franz Beckenbauer, he has electric pace and a thumping (though not terribly accurate) shot, and will happily chase the ball seemingly anywhere. His tackles can be rash, but that'll probably improve over time. LOANED to Caires Sports Club, C&M
* Teddy Ozi-Mayer, 23, striker, current club AFC Neegera. A tall, hulking fox in the box who has been overshadowed by Wayne Harcef doing much the same only a bit better. Still more than capable of getting in amongst the goals, especially from set pieces and crosses. SOLD to Cathedral City, C&M
* Bryan Withers, 24, central/attacking midfielder, current club Curzek Rovers. Has demanded a transfer request after being made to play out of position on the left as part of a prodigiously talented midfield unit that never quite clicked - mostly because the left-footer amongst the four was the defensive midfielder, and not Withers. Still, that experience has meant he can deliver a cutting through ball with either foot. SOLD to Ammites FE, Vephrall (for start of 1751 season)
* Dennis Dubois, 18, striker, current club Achorpe Rovers. Already in the first team and already not liking it, as he hasn't clicked with Iain Menzel. Has pace and a powerful shot, and could become very good indeed. Achorpe would be particularly interested in purchasing a midfielder, particularly a right-sided midfielder, in exchange.

Errinundera

02-01-2008, 12:46

Errinundera Football Association

League results for season 2135

Premier League
P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Bola Mine 38 27 7 4 93 40 53 88
Rodger River 38 22 8 8 83 61 22 74
Bonang 38 20 12 6 60 35 25 72
McKillops Bridge 38 19 7 12 82 59 23 64
Delegate 38 19 6 13 68 52 16 63
First Creek Falls 38 17 9 12 68 53 15 60
Deddick 38 17 9 12 69 58 11 60
Ootopia 38 16 9 13 60 59 1 57
Milosis 38 16 5 17 50 54 -4 53
Forest Shining 38 13 13 12 59 62 -3 52
Bemm River 38 13 11 14 59 66 -7 50
Malinns 38 13 7 18 78 84 -6 46
Murrindal 38 12 9 17 46 60 -14 45
Puggaree 38 11 11 16 61 74 -13 44
Wulgulmerang 38 11 11 16 44 66 -22 44
Monkeytop United 38 10 8 20 55 75 -20 38
Ellery Camp 38 9 10 19 59 72 -13 37
Three Sisters 38 10 6 22 46 66 -20 36 Relegated
Tubbut 38 8 11 19 42 62 -20 35 Relegated
Kanooka Creek 38 8 9 21 52 76 -24 33 Relegated

2nd Division
P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Mount Ellery 38 22 7 9 85 47 38 73 Promoted
Bendoc 38 22 6 10 68 44 24 72 Promoted
Gelantipy 38 17 10 11 73 50 23 61 Promoted
Waratah Flat 38 16 11 11 64 61 3 59
Coast Range 38 15 13 10 62 56 6 58
Jackson Crossing 38 16 9 13 58 52 6 57
Goongerah 38 16 8 14 71 68 3 56
Craigie 38 14 13 11 70 65 5 55
Combienbar 38 14 12 12 82 78 4 54
Amboyne Crossing 38 15 9 14 68 69 -1 54
Butchers Ridge 38 12 16 10 57 56 1 52
Cabanandra 38 13 11 14 67 67 0 50
Buldah 38 13 10 15 59 66 -7 49
Woolybutt Corner 38 12 11 15 62 70 -8 47
Murrungowar 38 10 14 14 53 59 -6 44
Bally Hooley 38 11 8 19 62 78 -16 41
Yalmy 38 10 10 18 50 65 -15 40
Martin Creek 38 10 9 19 44 65 -21 39 Relegated
Tonghi 38 8 13 17 41 60 -19 37 Relegated
Club Terrace 38 9 10 19 51 71 -20 37 Relegated

Regional Leagues Knockout competition
Hayden's Bog Promoted
Dellicknora Promoted
Pinnak Promoted

Trivia
1. This is the Hawks' first ever EFA Premier League championship. They were the Second Division champions in the Association's inaugural season in 1999 and were promoted to the Premier League for the following season but only made the occasional appearance until 2115. They have not been relegated since, steadily improving to become the power they are today. The fortunes of the team have risen since the re-opening of Bola Mine's namesake gold mine.
2. It is the first time that a team from the Goolengook province has become the Premier League champion.
3. The champions broke the long-standing wins and points record for a single season, set at 26 wins and 84 points by Ellery Camp in 2003.
4. Almost 10,000 fans, miners and ferals were killed in the Battle of Bola Mine as recently as eight years ago.
5. The overall ratio of result games to drawn games for the Premier League (all teams) was also the highest ever on record at 291 results to 89 draws. The previous highest ratio was 289 results to 91 draws set in 2123.

Bettia

02-01-2008, 13:19

APEX LEAGUE 7 - finals report

Second Division Playoffs

The first of the Second Division playoff ties pitted Hyppo Fernley, riding on a crest of a wave thanks to their Hypocrian backer, with Drutton United, a team striving to emerge from the shadow of Grappenhall City as a dominant force in the Banstran rainforest. With so much to play for, it was no surprise as the two teams went at it tooth and nail. After an exhilerating first leg which saw the Hyppos notch up six goals to United's three, Drutton went into the second leg knowing they had to get onto the scoresheet early, and they did just that by hitting four first half goals to wipe out Hyppo Fernley's advantage. However, the home team recomposed themselves and scored twice in the second half to edge out the tie 8-7.

The second semi-final saw up-and-coming Budiwati City taking on a Rhyngwladol Gabalfa side looking to return to the First Division. The first match saw the two teams equally matched until the late stages when City scored twice to hand them a rather fortunate 4-2 win. The return tie was a tense match, made even tenser when Rhyngwladol scored midway through the first half. As the game wore on, Gabalfa poured forward in search of a second goal and they rewarded with a fine late strike to give them the game on away goals.

And so to the final, where Rhyngwladol were understandably confident thanks to their last gasp win. However, Hyppo Fernley weren't to be outdone and were quickly into the driving seat with two early goals, and neevr looked like losing despite a late rally by their opponents. Just the season before, Hyppo fernley were struggling against relegation and financial troubles, but the remarkable turnaround in their fortunes was confirmed when team captain Bryan Nestor lifted the Playoff Trophy, much to the delight of their fans who had made the long journey form the east of the country.

Semi-Final Results

Drutton United 3-6 Hyppo Fernley
Hyppo Fernley 2-4 Drutton United
(Aggregate: Drutton United 7-8 Hyppo Fernley)

Budiwati City 4-2 Rhyngwladol Gabalfa
Rhyngwladol Gabalfa 2-0 Budiwati City (2-0 AET) ()
(Aggregate: Budiwati City 4-4 Rhyngwladol Gabalfa - Rhyngwladol Gabalfa wins on away goals)

Final Result (at Tiddles Park)
Hyppo Fernley 4-2 Rhyngwladol Gabalfa

Third Division Playoffs

The first of the Third Division playoffs saw former top flight team Emcorn taking on Fforest Hen. Emcorn had been cursing their bad luck after they had missed out on automatic promotion on goal difference, and unfortunately for them their luck was not about to change. Fforest Hen won the first leg 2-1, leaving Emcorn knowing they had to turn it around on their home soil. However, fortune wasn't smiling on them and the Gwlad Teg team ran out 4-3 winners to give them a place in the final.

The other semi was a much more straightforward affair between two Banastran teams, Treebrook Wanderers, who like Emcorn had been playing First Division not so long ago, and Lower Sweeney, a team who were hoping to follow their local rivasl Upper Sweeney into the Second Division. After taking a commanding 5-0 lead in the first leg, Wanderers battled out a 3-2 win in their away match to secure an easy 8-2 aggregate win.

The final, billed 'Battle of the Forests' by the media, was predicted to be a tight game between two teams who had only been separated by goal difference. However, Wanderers appeared to be suffering from stage fright after they conceded a soft goal early on and Fforest Hen never looked like losing control, winning 3-0 in the end.

Semi-Final Results

Fforest Hen 2-1 Emcorn
Emcorn 3-4 Fforest Hen
(Aggregate: Fforest Hen 6-4 Emcorn)

Treebrook Wanderers 5-0 Lower Sweeney
Lower Sweeney 2-3 Treebrook Wanderers
(Aggregate: Treebrook Wanderers 8-2 Lower Sweeney)

Final Result (at Tiddles Park)

Fforest Hen 3-0 Treebrook Wanderers

Fourth Division Playoffs

The first of the Fourth Division semi-finals was a local derby between Porthbalfa Navy and Pen-yr-Heol, and a typically frenetic local derby it was too. After both ties ended in a 3-1 home win, the game went into extra time where Porthbalfa Navy suddenly went up a couple of gears as their opponents tired, scoring three further times to win with a flattering 7-4 scoreline.

The second semi-final between Ceffinton United and Caeranyuna was also a tight one, but with a lot more goals. After coming away from Ceffinton with a 4-3 win, Caeranyuna then went one better and scored five at home - unfortunately for them, Ceffinton scored six to leave the aggregate scores level at 9-9, with United going through on the away goals rule.

In keeping with their semi-final victories, the final was also a close-fought game. After finishing the regulation 90 minutes tied at three goal apiece, the two teams still couldn't be separated after extra time and so the match went to a penalty shootout. Even here, there was little to separate the teams as nerves got the better of both teams with a succession of missed kicks. Only a single kick found the mark, meaning that it will be Porthbalfa Navy who will be playing Third Division football next season.

Semi-Final Results

Porthbalfa Navy 3-1 Pen-yr-Heol
Pen-yr-Heol 3-1 Porthbalfa Navy (3-4 AET)
(Aggregate: Porthbalfa Navy 7-4 Pen-yr-Heol)

Ceffinton United 3-4 Caeranyuna
Caeranyuna 5-6 Ceffinton United
(Aggregate: Ceffinton United 9-9 Caeranyuna - Ceffinton United win on away goals)

Final Result (at Tiddles Park)

Porthbalfa Navy 3-3 Ceffinton United (4-4 AET) (Porthbalfa Navy wins 1-0 on penalty kicks)

Fifth Division Playoffs

Both semi-finals in the Fifth Division playoffs were largely one-sided affairs. After recording a commanding 4-1 away win, Loudoun Rovers then put five past Thymeford Wanderers at home to book their place in the final. Meanwhile, Waltham Dynamo ran out easy 6-1 winners against Porthbalfa City to book their place in an all-Gabalfa final.

Tiddles Park was packed to the rafters for this final between two teams who have been bitter rivals as they worked their way up the non-league ladder. The game all the hallmarks of this, with little quality but plenty of passion and commitment. In the end, Waltham Dynamo were the victors by virtue of two second-half goals.

Semi-Final Results

Thymeford Wanderers 1-4 Loudoun Rovers
Loudoun Rovers 5-3 Thymeford Wanderers
(Aggregate: Thymeford Wanderers 4-9 Loudoun Rovers)

Porthbalfa City 1-3 Waltham Dynamo
Waltham Dynamo 3-0 Porthbalfa City
(Aggregate: Porthbalfa City 1-6 Waltham Dynamo)

Final Result (at Tiddles Park)

Loudoun Rovers 1-2 Waltham Dynamo

FAB Cup Final

The culmination of a exciting season of football saw Sukatra Tigers, who only missed out of the First Division title by just two points, taking on newly-crowned champions Tiddles Park in the final, which was played for the first time away from Bettia's national stadium in order to ensure both teams were playing on neutral ground.

Fittingly for a cup final, this match was a real thriller with both teams peppering their opponents goal at regular intervals. After the teams had shared ten goals, the game moved into extra-time where there was still nothing between the teams. Plenty of chances were made by both sides but to no avail. However, as the game appeared to be headed for penalties, promising young striker Andy Lines crashed the ball from all of thirty yards to ensure Tiddles Park secured a well-deserved league and cup double.

Final Result (at Alice Street)

Sukatra Tigers 5-5 Tiddles Park (5-6 AET)

Season Summary

League Champions: Tiddles Park
FAB Cup Winners: Tiddles Park
Relegated from First Division: CPD Porthbalfa, Ceffinton Town, Fortuna Bettialis

Second Division Champions: Pen-y-Bydd
Also Promoted from Second Division: Downton (runners up), Hyppo Fernley (playoff winners)
Relegated from Second Division: Fillghud Town, Maindy, Racing Club Gabalfa

Third Division Champions: Lorshill Engineers
Also Promoted from Third Division: Southward Ho! (runners up), Fforest Hen (playoff winners)
Relegated from Third Division: BAF Chinterford, Al-Sheemal Tamrida, Huwbridge Town

Fourth Division Champions: Lorshill Park Rangers
Also Promoted from Fourth Division: Pifton Rovers (runners up), Porthbalfa Navy (playoff winners)
Relegated from Fourth Division: Alfalfa Kickers, Gilang Chandra, Fortuna South End

Fifth Division Champions: Rainy Grove
Also Promoted from Fifth Division: Mirtaford Town (runners up), Waltham Dynamo (playoff winners)
Relegated from Fifth Division: Marjaham Town, Hurnford Harriers, Gabalfa Steelworks, Chinterford Town, Eastbeach Rovers, Lara Kencana
Promoted to Fifth Division:
Dairford Town (champions of Gabalfa)
Eyang Genjreng (champions of Bahagia)
Gloucester City (champions of Clodien)
Locket Bush (champions of Banastra)
Ystrad Aeron (champions of Gwlad Teg)
Zinjibar Warriors (champions of Al-Maghrib)

Elves Security Forces

04-01-2008, 10:51

EPL Preview
Season 20,003

Following the recommended reforms of the VSC, the EPL looks forward to the next season with a speck of glee and anticipation that has not been seen since the second season of its' existance. Able to get a good number of foriegners to come into the league, with exporting some talent in return, there is a freshness to this season, and should prove to create some interesting matches. The VFA and VSC have agreed to not altering the league structure for at least another season, until the finicial backing can be obtained.

Transfers
Foriegn
Jaime Gomes (Starblaydia) MCR -> Wexax United
Leandro Perheira (Starblaydia) CB/L -> Soldarian FC
Edmundo Rivolli (Starblaydia) CB -> Rinaldi Gunners
Jzeovak Tkermec (Squornshelous) AM/CL -> Hondo Owls
Tomas Kurka (Squornshelous) FC -> FC Capri
Markku Sykko (Squornshelous) FC -> Raynor City Rockers
Antônio Machado Veiga (Cafundeu) LB -> Rinaldi Gunners
Thiago Pardal (Cafundeu) MC -> Hartdale Hawks

Domestic
Scott Soldarian MC -> Albrecht Turkish FC (Canderlaria and Marquez)
Anti Fresco FC -> Petardos S/A (Cafundeu)
Carl Underdark MC -> Clube Imperial (Cafundeu)
Llyle Acevedo CB -> Central United (Cafundeu)
Joan va Glaze FC -> Raynor City Rockers
Bario Mandalin FC -> Juavi Reds

Listed below are the line ups of the top division teams with foriegners listed in italics and the best 3 players bolded, along with stadium information and team characteristics.

Raynor City: St. Louis; Asantai, Lopez, Walker; Morose, Jannian, Wahn, Demtre; Sykko, va Glaze, Underwind
Coach: Fabio Mannasuch
President: Zeratul Raynor
Team Style: Offensive
Strongest Point: Wingers and strikers
Weakest Point: Center of the midfield
Nickname(s) Rockers
Stadium used The Battleground (59,000)
Other facts: Has won the title a record 16 times, four more than any other club. It uses the money of its president's family to buy the best players in the land and is strongly supported inside the capital but despised outside of it.
Good Bench Players Manny Killi (striker), Rikar Solaris (attacking midfielder), Kile Shu (striker)

Rinaldi: Yoshida; Rivolli, Veiga, Debois, Kries; Mercado, Caldwell, Riot; Night, Saint-Émilion, Miles
Coach: Asanta Webber
President: Exan Forris
Team Style: Very Offensive
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: Wings
Nickname(s) Gunners
Stadium used The Beachfront (43,000)
Other facts A team on the one of the few beautiful beaches inside the country. Much like their sourrounding, the Gunners play a very aesthetically pleasing game and are quite strongly supported in the entire country and region. As such, they are able to obtain quite a number of foriengers when needed.
Good Bench Players Markan Nava (center midfielder), Elliot Leyva (winger), Wes Sterling (defender)

Char Sara: Merlose; Perrin, Kamtaker, Mahaska, Florez; Stoneburner, Hiat, Funteyn; Yocum, Carl, Neesa
Coach: Jamie Kiki
President: Michael Rover
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Defence
Weakest Point: Midfield
Nickname(s) Inferno
Stadium used The Tar Pit (39,000)
Other facts Constantly a strong club, but has only two titles in their long history. They are followed by a diverse group of people, being home to the High Preistess Temple, the home to the highest possession in the ways of Elunism.
Good Bench Players Darcello Cortes (striker), Rodney Murray (defender)

Monaven: Nelmes; Callan, Fortenbras, Oklan, Zapata; Kaphridie, Brooks, Clan, Jarrel; Ironsmith, Riftin
Coach: Deke Xavier
President: Trevor Jan
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: Keeper
Nickname(s) Breakers
Stadium used Orange Gate Falls (39,000)
Other facts A side who is constantly in the struggle of relegation and just recently earned their way back into the Premiership. Despite being in the exotic setting of a forest and beautiful waterfall, they can't attract the elite players, mostly due to the economic status of their owner.
Good Bench Players Kim Zettaback (Attacking midfielder), Rollan Kin (holding midfeilder)

FC Longview: Keller; Damx, Longman, Consmith, Smithston; King, Marl, Masc, Sikal; Cjin, Norm
Coach: Reta Bane
President: Danny Morriow
Team Style: Counter-attacking
Strongest Point: Wingers
Weakest Point: Center defenders
Nickname(s) Foxes
Stadium used Angelotic Temple (71,000)
Other facts The club's stadium doubles as a temple to the Angelotic family, whose rule created a golden age of over 300 years. It is supported by the high class, usually with ties to the ruling families and government positions.
Good Bench Players Yars Abu (Attacking midfielder), Markak Lars (Stiker)

Gladerial: Long; Angellete, Collin, Braswell; Griffan, McKnight, Park, Denys, Smyth; Rockana, Lee
Coach: Isle Underdark
President: Dwier Titenburg
Team Style: Possessive
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Team chemistry
Nickname(s) Twilight
Stadium used The White Fortress (70,000)
Other facts An elite club who has fallen upon troubles as of late, as they have yet to recover from the Kries clan being transfered away all at the same time. Yet their supporters, who come from all walks of life, will follow their squad even if it ends up in the Green League.
Good Bench Players Michelle Goodnight (Striker), Michael Daybreak (Striker), Zaku San (Defender)

Mar Sara: Norris; Mars, Zap, Shock, Dimitre; Zizzn, Alidare, Ikles; Quinn, Losstarrot, Gaurlung
Coach: Andres Crucitti
President: Rosemary Angelotic
Team Style: Offensive
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: None
Nickname(s) Flames
Stadium used Donna Cathedral (50,000)
Other facts One of the original clubs in the Premiership and uses it's elustrious history to bring in both elite players and fans. After going a long drought without any type of hardware, the Flames pulled the double last season, mostly thanks to the skill of Turruth Gordurian striker Draco Gaulung.
Good Bench Players Quint Farstio (Striker), Lauren Kels (Center midfielder) Aracio Cao (Defender)

Baysleef: Reas; Manars, Legoan, Pilot, Centron; Osarius, Warsaw, Olas, Venezula; Fu, Manuka
Coach: Kiki Red
President: Wolly Manark
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: Wings
Nickname(s) Bombers
Stadium used The Runway (30,000)
Other facts A steady club that has been steadily climbing the ranks and could soon be title contenders. While not being the richest squad around, they do have a substantial amount of fincial backing, and a good amount of supporters in the higher middle class to buy those expensive suites.
Good Bench Players Sharon Basis (Striker), Ricko St. John (Keeper)

Hartdale: van Posey; Mar, Metria, Wual; Müllenkamp; Mendez, Michion, Dorias, Pardal; English, Rikard
Coach Havin Roza
President Jennifer Sar
Team Style Defensive
Strongest Point Midfielder and Defence
Weakest Point Attacking consistancy
Nickname(s) Hawks
Stadium used Sky Fall (39,000)
Other facts A small market team that is known for it's rock solid defence. Having had multiple national team defenders come through their system, they have developed strong support throughout most of the country, most of which come from the middle class who work at small government positions.
Good Bench Players Morgan Banz (Holding midfielder), Brutus Macoi (Winger), Fred Michaels (Defender)

Hondo: Rowell; Depeatrio, Calli, Debois, Venus; Tkermec, Nikki, Carmichael, Whitehurse; Yin, Defecta
Coach: Daft Massimo
President: Clin Massai
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Attack
Weakest Point: None
Nickname(s) Owls
Stadium used Raynor Memorial (40,000)
Other facts A club just a few years old, yet one that has quickly risen from the Green League to title contenders in the Premiership. The squad has a large amount of support in the eastern part of the country, where the majority of the citizenry are poor farmers.
Good Bench Players Daphne Caldwell (Striker), Rosario Evans (Defender), Xian Gillan (Midfielder)

FC Capri: St. Louis; Florez, Harper, Titenburg Jr; Hardsworth, Morrison, Fortenbres, Vorsco; Kurka, Bragollach, Snape
Coach: Maria Morris
President: Tranin Briton
Team Style: Very Offensive
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: None
Nickname(s) Typhoon
Stadium used Hatire Memorial (60,000)
Other facts Just three seasons into it's existance, and Capri is not only a title contender, but have won a title and are the most popular squad in the country and region. Heavily supported by people from all walks of life and with a steady economic situation, this squad is going to be good for a long time.
Good Bench Players Rose Diamond Santapa (Striker), Trenton Oz (Midfielder), Davido Rollich (Defender)

Wexax United: Augustine; Qui, Sars, Armas, Grace; Applewhite, Claw, Dallows, Gar, Gomes; Claire
Coach: Emily Degas
President: Dan Mieals
Team Style: Defensive
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Attack
Nickname(s) Devils
Stadium used Castle de Mot (49,000)
Other facts A squad with a limited budget and poor luck. The squad is in real trouble if they can't get another signing or have Gomes have a big impact. The young Starblaydian midfielder will looked upon to play playmaker and get the ball into Claire as often as he can, as the young striker has proven she can score when gifted the oppurtunity.
Good Bench Players Cass Woo (Midfielder), Nancy Silver (Defender) Zulu Smite (Defender)

Juavi: Carte; Saragosa, Que, Sorano, Torres; Crass, Ira, Fernad, Keya; Toja, Mandalin
Coach: Marco Defoe
President: Jade Flow
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Youth System
Weakest Point: Reserves
Nickname(s) Reds
Stadium used Old Hartfast (47,000)
Other facts A small club who enjoys success now and then. With such a small budget when it comes to transfers, it is a blessing that they have one of the better youth academies in the country, and can develop their talent in that manner. After losing Joan va Glaze to transfer, there is the fear that their good performances of last season are gone. Despite picking up Bario Mandalin from Raynor City in part of the va Glaze transfer, the attack looks weak and its performance will make the difference between mid-table or relegation battle.
Good Bench Players Franchesco Carlos (Striker), Zuke (Winger)

Kareen FC: Save; Alstead, Quill, Sigma; Jokinen, Ostiken, Grey, Ataman; Milo, Hearts, Zadora
Coach: Crimea Yoshi
President: Sa Verladado
Team Style: Offensive
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: Defenders
Nickname(s) Amazons
Stadium used Rose Gardens (49,000)
Other facts A suburb to the beautiful Capri, this squad is always in the shadow of the more popular and successful crosstown rival. Despite having several talented strikers, the squad is very wretched on defence and was unable to make succesful offers to improve on the backline. Yoshi will have his work cut out if he is going to keep this squad in the topflight.
Good Bench Players Pandora Chimera (Striker), Copel Volz (Midfielder)

Oliviena United: Mill; Derosa; Smize, Furies, Windwalker, McFlury, Knight; Priest, Apps, Rodriguez; Cruze
Coach: Samantha Blanco
President: Olli Quintel
Team Style: Very defensive
Strongest Point: Defence
Weakest Point: Attack
Nickname(s) Miners
Stadium used Aranfield Bridge (52,000)
Other facts One squad that refuses to expirement at all in the attack, using a very unusual 6-3-1 formation. Blanco is likely going to get the gate if the Miners are unable to stay up after having just reearned their place in the Priemiership. Clearly one of the worst squads in talent in the divison, and might be worse than lower divison crosstown rivals in the two Everlin clubs.
Good Bench Players Flozell Dare (Sweeper), Lady Chapolet (Defender)

Sharala AC: Lee; Felhabier, Servas, Jensen, Strike; Walker, Hunt, Nunez, Marcelo; Rosella, Rikard
Coach: Sag Yan
President: Angelina Dolt
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Attack
Weakest Point: Consistancy
Nickname(s) Blues
Stadium used Old Ravens Cove (43,000)
Other facts One of the larger clubs that has very poor luck. They have the talent to be a constant midtable or upper echlion squad, but always ends up fighting against relegation during the latter part of the season. Yan has the full backing of Dolt and the rest of the board, and that alone might be enough to change this squad's perfromances.
Good Bench Players Silva Black (Striker), Jermichael Finley (Midfielder)

Straightdale FC: Rezzana; Cooper, Del, Ten; Calk, Xi, Xi, Matai, Rollich; Trini, Samoan
Coach: Allopo Drogba
President: Novato Mas
Team Style: Possesive
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Reserves
Nickname(s) Crusaders
Stadium used Red Fence (39,000)
Other facts The youngest side in the Premiership, and very excited after earning promotion. With plenty of room to improve, consistancy will likely be a problem for Drogba's troops, and the lack of depth will hurt them. Yet, for all that, expect to see the Crusaders around next season, as their starting talent should be enough for enough the likes of Raynor City and Mar Sara to get troubled over, much less the weakers clubs.
Good Bench Players Wolfgar Den (Midfielder), Savanna Elias (Defender)

AC Valanari: Allah; Milla, Vance, Martyr, Skull; Durosa, Millingham, Guerrero, Cavies; Castle, Sven
Coach: Duran Gill
President: Rosy Marlin
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Consistancy, Youth System
Weakest Point: Leadership
Nickname(s) Young Guns
Stadium used Duran Palace (50,000)
Other facts After exploding from the Star League into the Premiership, Valanari has risen to a solid midtable team. Renowned for their excellent youth system, it is not a large surprise that the majority of their supporters are families and former students at their academy. The only thing keeping this squad from a title is a player who is a bonafied captain.
Good Bench Players Miguel Cassel (Striker), Adam Durgot (Striker), Zulia Garr (Midfielder)

Soldarian FC: Vine; Perheira, Mias, Dogood, Suares; Durai, Florin, Ni, Quint; Lias, Armano
Coach: Omani Rios
President: Placebo Soldar
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Reserves
Nickname(s) Soldars
Stadium used Hellgate (54,000)
Other facts A very historic club owned by one of the most historic families in the nation. Despite being in the lower leagues for quite awhile, this squad is ready to make waves in the topflight. Having secured the young versatile defender, Perheira, from Starblaydia, the Soldars have addressed one of their few weaknessess and should win some foriegn support whilst it is at it. Despite their history, the clubs' supporters have dwindled and now mostly consist of the Soldar family and their close friends among the ruling families.
Good Bench Players Trian Kiev (Midfielder), Sherrie Murdock (MIdfielder), Qui Foster (Defender)

FC Vamas: Guy; McQueen, Clint, Rogers, Poi; Aura, Garr, Osarius, Rossi; Alexander, Dergot
Coach: Jason Cringle
President: Clark de Capri
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Coaching
Weakest Point: Consistancy
Nickname(s) Ravens
Stadium used New Ravens Cove (51,000)
Other facts A young and new club that probably does not deserve to be in the top flight and likely will not stay there. Not finicially sound and lacking the talent that even the other promoted sides possess, there is no doubt that Vamas will be back in the Star League next season. Yet for them and their faithful, of which consist mostly of postal workers, it will be an expierence that they can build upon for future seasons.
Good Bench Players Niko Augustus (Midfielder), Kit Spain (Defender)

Favorites
Mar Sara 40%
Raynor City 37%
Rinaldi 19%
FC Capri 3%
Hondo 1%

Worst Teams
FC Vamas 76%
Oliviena United 20%
Kareen FC 2.1%
Sharala AC 1.9%

Article by Ron Santapa

Elves Security Forces

05-01-2008, 23:11

EPL Season 20,003

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Mar Sara Flames 38 23 5 10 98 61 37 74 Champions
2 Raynor City Rockers 38 21 8 9 83 53 30 71
3 Hondo Owls 38 21 5 12 84 57 27 68
4 Char Sara Inferno 38 19 10 9 70 47 23 67
5 Juavi Reds 38 18 12 8 63 48 15 66
6 Rinaldi Gunners 38 18 8 12 69 57 12 62
7 FC Longview 38 18 8 12 53 51 2 62
8 AC Valanari 38 18 6 14 74 64 10 60
9 Soldarian FC 38 16 11 11 70 54 16 59
10 Baysleef Bombers 38 16 8 14 56 59 -3 56
11 Hartdale Hawks 38 14 10 14 52 52 0 52
12 FC Capri 38 11 15 12 69 65 4 48
13 Straightdale FC 38 11 11 16 57 71 -14 44
14 Wexax United 38 10 13 15 44 58 -14 43
15 Gladerial Twilight 38 11 9 18 58 65 -7 42
16 Monaven Breakers 38 11 8 19 52 77 -25 41
17 FC Vamas 38 10 7 21 40 65 -25 37
18 Sharala AC 38 9 8 21 52 76 -24 35 Relegated
19 Kareen FC 38 9 8 21 56 88 -32 35 Relegated
20 Oliviena United 38 4 14 20 32 64 -32 26 Relegated

Star League

AS Shalara 2-1(0-0) Everlin Snipers
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 FC Travesian 22 12 6 4 42 27 15 42 Champions
2 Travesian Generals 22 12 4 6 42 27 15 40 Promoted
3 AS Shalara 22 10 5 7 32 25 7 35 Playoff
4 Everlin Snipers 22 8 7 7 30 32 -2 31 Playoff
5 Char Sara Strike 22 9 4 9 37 41 -4 31
6 AS Everlin 22 8 7 7 32 38 -6 31
7 Turmondale FC 22 7 6 9 31 32 -1 27
8 AC Cartmot 22 6 9 7 31 37 -6 27
9 DC Aulian 22 7 5 10 29 35 -6 26
10 Manavawi Athletic 22 7 4 11 29 31 -2 25
11 AC Goldsan 22 5 10 7 33 36 -3 25 Relegated
12 FC Wexax 22 4 7 11 32 39 -7 19 Relegated

Green League
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Rolalas FC 22 12 6 4 45 34 11 42 Champions
2 Capri Marksmen 22 10 7 5 35 24 11 37 Promoted
3 Gladerial Fortune Dweller 22 10 6 6 32 26 6 36
4 Turmondale United 22 10 6 6 36 32 4 36
5 SC Ianisle 22 10 3 9 38 36 2 33
6 Athletic Rolalas 22 9 4 9 36 38 -2 31
7 SC Longview 22 8 5 9 32 37 -5 29
8 Raynor City Rockets 22 8 4 10 37 38 -1 28
9 Rinaldi Ravens 22 7 5 10 37 44 -7 26
10 Mar Sara Extreme 22 7 4 11 36 36 0 25 Playoff
11 FC Vernad 22 6 5 11 19 29 -10 23 Playoff
12 Char Sara Volcano 22 5 5 12 29 38 -9 20 Playoff

Regional Playoffs
Char Sara Volcano 3-2(2-2) Gladerial Divine
Mar Sara Extreme 2-1(1-0) Turbani Tornadoes
FC Vernad 4-3(1-1) Cartmot Pride

two leg aggregate, team listed first hosted second leg, first leg score in ()s

End of Season Awards

Foriegner of the Year
Markku Sykko (19 goals, 7 assists) - Raynor City Rockers

Manager of the Year
Omani Rios - Soldarian FC

Striker of the Year
Kiso Night (34 goals, 12 assists) - Rinaldi Gunners

Midfielder of the Year
Ali Alidare (14 goals, 20 assists) - Mar Sara Flames

Winger of the Year
Jzeovak Tkermec (9 goals, 19 assists) - Hondo Owls

Defender of the Year
Gabriel Florez (3 goals, 9 assists) - Char Sara Inferno

Goalkeeper of the Year
Alfonso Carte (1.26 ga/a, 7 clean sheets) - Juavi Reds

Sportsman
Joan va Glaze - Raynor City Rockers

Idiot (most bookings)
Bianca Sigma (11 yellows, 1 red) - Kareen FC

Best X11
GK: Alfonso Carte - Juavi Reds
CB/L: Gabriel Florez - Char Sara Inferno
CB: Dwier Titenburg Jr - FC Capri
CB/L: Leandro Perheira - Soldarian FC
LW: Jzeovak Tkermec - Hondo Owls
MC: Paru Keya - Juavi Reds
MC: Ashley Riot - Rinaldi Gunners
LRW: Jere Jannian - Raynor City Rockers
AMC: Ali Alidare - Mar Sara Flames
ST: Draco Gaurlung - Mar Sara Flames
ST: Kiso Night - Rinaldi Gunners

Cafundeu

08-01-2008, 16:09

CAFUNDÉU - PREVIEW OF THE NEW SEASON

The same introduction as ever: the most international league of the world returns to activity, and the teams are ready to fight for trophies again. A good time for domestic football, as many countries are improving their domestic teams, something that only benefits football as a whole. Now, in a world with many active leagues, the Cafundelense teams had to go after reinforcements again, and got many. Maybe soon the world can see a big competition between clubs from around the world.

See some transfers:

Foreign Players – Coming from abroad to play in Cafundéu:

Julian D’Abbo (Ad’ihan) ----------> to Clube Imperial
O’Sullivan Caras (Candelaria And Marquez) ----------> to Central United
Cruril Songsteel (Demot) ----------> to Dunboor FC
Fedde Beattis (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to A.F.F.
Graeme Vega (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to Atlético Insular
James Williams (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to Clube Imperial
Pavlos Demetriopoulos (Magnus Valerius) ----------> to SC Lasft
Hnio Intior (Nire and Nire) ----------> to Penders
Jus Intior (Nire and Nire) ----------> to Penders
Jon Serra (Qazox) ----------> to EC Elville
Wesley Tripp (Qazox) ----------> to Atlético Jutense
Paulo Salcedo (Scotchpinestan) ----------> to Khalmar-Tijhus
Igor Volkov (Scotchpinestan) ----------> to Khalmar-Tijhus
Karl Gepardo (Sel Appa) ----------> to Ranca Toco
Alfonso Di Angelo (Starblaydia) ----------> to Pernetas EC
Juan Oscar (Starblaydia) ----------> to Pernetas EC
Fernando Rodriguez (Starblaydia) ----------> to Cafundó do Juta
Vekaj Amutarrad (The Pazhujeb Islands) ----------> to Petrol
Xussanikara Ghur (The Pazhujeb Islands) ----------> to Ranca Toco
Llyle Acevedo (Valanora) ----------> to Central United
Anti Fresco (Valanora) ----------> to Petardos S/A
Carl Underdark (Valanora) ----------> to Clube Imperial
Jehoepe Pasarap (Vephrall) ----------> to A.F.F.
Jehoepe Shrifflu (Vephrall) ----------> to Atlético Jutense
Nilan Bahsir (Yafor 2) ----------> to Cafundó do Juta
Iktam Velastros (Yafor 2) ----------> to Petrol
Claude Seu (Zwangzug) ----------> to Clube Imperial

Cafundelense Players - leaving Cafundéu:

Dionísio (Central United) ----------> going to Candelaria And Marquez
Toninho (Central United) ----------> going to Valanora
Giovanni (Clube Imperial) ----------> going to Kura-Pelland
Rato (Clube Imperial) ----------> going to Valanora
Marinho (CR Submiria) ----------> going to Daehanjeiguk

Foreign Players - between Cafundelense teams, retiring or other changes:

Edward McCann (Ad’ihan) ----------> from Central United to América
Jorge Shockey (Az-cz) ----------> returns to play in Az-cz
Peter Waddington (Candelaria And Marquez) ----------> retired, stays in Cafundéu
Noach Steffy (Endmile) ----------> from CR Submiria to Pernetas EC
Antônio Carlos Gabalán (Estresse Intenso) ----------> retired, returns to the Institute
Kinta Burka (Jeruselem) ----------> retired, now trains Petardos S/A’s goalkeepers
Frank Sinclair (Kelssek) ----------> from A.F.F. to SC Lasft
Catch Esrimdo (Milchama) ----------> from SC Lasft to Atlético Insular
Carlos Cueto (Schiavonia) ----------> retired, stays in Cafundéu
Viggo Haakana (Squornshelous) ----------> from Atlético Insular to Petardos S/A
Nick Starkey (Wentland) ----------> from Ranca Toco to A.F.F.

Foreign Coaches:

Christophe Argentier (Ariddia) ----------> coach of Petardos S/A
Ke Sho (Ariddia) ----------> coach of Atlético Jutense
Javier Sanchez (Candelaria And Marquez) ----------> coach of América
Big Gay Al (Jeruselem) ----------> coach of Agreman FH (2nd Div)
Jason Fowler (Jeruselem) ----------> coach of Petrol
Sanderson Makiveli (Sel Appa) ----------> coach of Sambarilove (2nd Div)
Patrik Hermanni (Squornshelous) ----------> coach of Globo Multimedia (2nd Div)
Ensio Varg (Squornshelous) ----------> coach of Atlético Insular

The line-ups of the 20 best teams of the country(First Division Teams) will probably be the following (foreigners in italics, best 3 players in bold) – now with more information than ever (Experts’ Ratings details - the three journalists give the team a rating, from 1 to 5 stars [* - practically relegated; ** - intermediate team, battling against relegation; *** - intermediate team, battling for a top 8 place; **** - top 8 team, battling for a phase title; ***** - battling for the main title]):

PETARDOS S/A: Lauro; Coelho, Tuff and Eduardo Monte; Patette, Éverton, Misterson and Haakana; Fresco, Fe-Do and Newton.
Coach: Christophe Argentier.
President: Nerso Lapela.
Team Style: Offensive, uses the wings, passing style.
Strongest Point: explosive attack, even the bench player is very good.
Weakest Point: none, strong team in all sectors.
Nickname: Bilionários (Billionaires).
Stadium Used: Obelisco Monumental, in Lasft (cap. 200,000).
State: Lasft.
Other facts: after two bad seasons under the command of Christophe Argentier, Petardos S/A must try to rise again, and wants the title more than ever. As usual, it has an excellent team (with Rubiano in the bench!), and will battle for all the titles during the year. The fans want the team to lift the League trophy again.
Good Bench Players: Silvinho (winger), Rubiano (attacker), Fábio (defender).
The Fans Expect: the League title.
Experts’ ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*****), Jorge Lang (*****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (*****).

CAFUNDÓ DO JUTA: Rodriguez; Bahsir, Aligon and Cirino; Wilkirk, C.Vergara, Ilmari and Dário; Fabrício, Flecha and Careca.
Coach: João Canabrava.
President: Armando Marques Nogueira.
Team Style: offensive, with a mixed style.
Strongest Point: good offensive power.
Weakest Point: none, good team in all areas.
Nickname: Esquadrão de Prata (Silver Squadron).
Stadium Used: Praça Maior, in Cafundó do Juta (cap. 160,000).
State: Juta.
Other facts: the team that has the most number of supporters in the country still wants the title, after losing the final last year. It is strong, with the reinforcements of Flecha and some new players in the defence. The team can really win the title, but has difficult opponents to beat.
Good Bench Players: Bonfá (midfielder), Túlio Vergara (attacker), Didi (midfielder).
The Fans Expect: the League title.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*****), Jorge Lang (*****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (*****).

A.F.F.: Júnior; Léo Mattos, Augusto César, Burnside and Faustino; Petras, Pasarap, Silveira and Neto; Heitor and Beattis.
Coach: Benjamin Oliveira.
President: Sir Antônio Barbugli.
Team Style: Offensive, uses the wings, long passes style.
Strongest Point: wings, with Léo Mattos and Augusto César.
Weakest Point: team getting old.
Nickname: Os Monges (The Monks).
Stadium Used: Arena América V, in Abadia (cap. 100,000).
State: Old Cities.
Other facts: the current champions. This team is controlled by a powerful family, and has a lot of money. But, as the team won the league last season, it only mantained its main players, buying one player for each position.
Good Bench Players: Aldo (defender), Starkey (midfielder), Fausto (attacker).
The Fans Expect: another title, but a phase title would be good enough.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*****), Jorge Lang (****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (****).

DUNBOOR FC: Swift; Clituleng, Lionel and Lobato; Del Valle, Gian, Barnes, Songsteel, Jongguk; Hartenholm and Tales.
Coach: David Nefasto.
President: Pedro Marluf.
Team Style: Balanced, uses the centre, passing style.
Strongest Point: balanced team.
Weakest Point: no weak point.
Nickname: Leões do Norte (Northern Lions).
Stadium Used: Maracatu Arena, in Dunboor (cap. 80,000).
State: Dunboor.
Other facts: team that likes to use foreigners, takes advantage of the cold climate of the city in its home games. The team has an idol: the defensive midfielder Eddie Barnes. Wants the title, but many of its players usually play in the wrong positions (example is the defensive midfielder Lionel, playing as a defender).
Good Bench Players: Jorginho (midfielder) , Açaí (defender), Magal (midfielder).
The Fans Expect: the title back.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*****), Jorge Lang (****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (*****).

CENTRAL UNITED: Pedro; Guimarães, Elvis, Acevedo and Isaacs; Meback, Gaúcho, Lineu and Caras; Baltazar and Robinson.
Coach: João Augusto Figueiredo.
President: Marcelo Rojas Moutinho.
Team Style: Balanced, uses the wings and with frequent counterattacks.
Strongest Point: defence.
Weakest Point: attackers.
Nickname: Alvinegro.
Stadium Used: Toca do Tatu, in Central City (cap. 75,000).
State: Central.
Other facts: controlled by a rich petroleum businessman, had a bad performance in the last season. It wants a good position in the league, but it probably won’t happen, as the team is rebuilding its squad. Can have problems during the season.
Good Bench Players: Praiano (midfielder), Bino (defender) and Luzian (midfielder).
The Fans Expect: top 8 position.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (***), Jorge Lang (***), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (***).

CLUBE IMPERIAL: Yongdae; Alex, Williams and Carlão; Epasso, Da Silva, Underdark, Seu and Carlos Magno; Saulo and Guirreh.
Coach: Caio Meback.
President: Emperor Hector Van Tocco.
Team Style: Extremely offensive, uses the centre and with a fast passes style.
Strongest Point: midfield.
Weakest Point: team too offensive.
Nickname: Time Real (Royal Team).
Stadium Used: Estádio Rei Albieri Van Tocco, in Cafundó do Juta (cap. 100,000).
State: Juta.
Other Facts: Clube Imperial became one of the strongest team of the country after some good signings. The team of this season can be considered one of the strongest ever of this team, if not the strongest, with players from many different countries.
Good Bench Players: Ebrane (midfielder), Hauser (midfielder) and D’Abbo (attacker).
The Fans Expect: the title, a phase title or the Emperor’s Cup.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*****), Jorge Lang (*****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (*****).

RANCA TOCO: Moisés; Vital, Russo, Souza and Alemão; Carioca, Valtinho, Serginho and Ghur; Aatunen and Gepardo.
Coach: Renário.
President: Elias “Maluco” Veper.
Team Style: Extremely defensive, focuses on counterattacks and long balls.
Strongest Point: it seems contradictory, but it’s the attack!
Weakest Point: offensive midfield.
Nickname: Sarrafeiros.
Stadium Used: Presídio, in Carandirú City (cap. 75,000).
State: Central.
Other Facts: team famous for its violence, which is incentivated by the directors of the club. Gives high value to pride and home games. Its supporters are very violent too. After some bad seasons, the team is slowly recovering its old form.
Good Bench Players: Zecão (goalkeeper), Dinei (attacker), Luizão (defender).
The Fans Expect: top 4 position, maybe even a phase title.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (****), Jorge Lang (****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (***).

ATLÉTICO JUTENSE: Tu Wesh; Vasco, Leandro Cavalo, Perdigão and Conceição; Zé Sho, Si Ewe, Momtaz and Byeongji; Tripp and Shrifflu.
Coach: Ke Sho.
President: Ildefonso Recona Júnior.
Team Style: Very balanced, uses more the centre, passing style.
Strongest Point: good midfield.
Weakest Point: the central defence.
Nickname: Galo.
Stadium Used: Cerradão, in Cafundó do Juta (cap. 60,000).
State: Juta.
Other Facts: now the team finally was able to build a team to try to get the title back, won in the first season of the new Cafundelense league. The defence isn’t the same from the times of Cueto and Ke Sho (who now is the coach), but the midfield continues strong. The son of Ke, José (called Zé), has chance as a starter.
Good Bench Players: Franco (midfielder), Moscatto (goalkeeper), Saci (attacker).
The Fans Expect: a phase title.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (****), Jorge Lang (****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (****).

SC LASFT: Bartolomeu; Zé Carlos, Marçal, Demetriopoulos and João Carlos; Anormal, Wilson Magrão, Wissen, Cornelisse and Münzer; Sinclair.
Coach: Eduardo Bosschaart.
President: Nilceu McKeen.
Team Style: A bit defensive, very tactical.
Strongest Point: good midfield.
Weakest Point: lack of good options in the attack.
Nickname: Golden Team.
Stadium Used: Estádio Padre Anchieta, in Lasft (cap. 70,000).
State: Lasft.
Other Facts: it had difficulties to mantain a competitive squad. The defence is still weak and there is lack of options in the attack. The worst team of SC Lasft in ages, the team can have problems.
Good Bench Players: Nascimento (attacker) , Ronaldão (defender), Jatobá (attacker).
The Fans Expect: to not be ashamed of their team.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (***), Jorge Lang (***), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (***).

KHALMAR-TIJHUS: Knudson; De Lucia, Gray, Doriva and Fellendorf; Émerson Viana, Rubens, Salcedo and Marossi; Volkov and Senna.
Coach: Rivaldo Sodré.
President: Juvenal Corá Vaersk.
Team Style: Balanced, but very cautious when attacking.
Strongest Point: talented midfield.
Weakest Point: poor defensive midfield.
Nickname: Tricolor.
Stadium Used: Jóia da Lagoa, in Tijhus (cap. 30,000).
State: Juta.
Other Facts: the team that everyone expects to be relegated, but never is. The ghost of the relegation continues to threaten them... or not anymore? The team now seems good and can maybe even get a top 8 position, why not?
Good Bench Players: Jarbas (goalkeeper), Moreno (defender), Gil (midfielder).
The Fans Expect: mid-table position.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (**), Jorge Lang (***), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (**).

EC ELVILLE: Serra; Chiquinho, Del Mar, Tiago and Nasser; Giranu, Verdi, Kim and Itaú; Caubi and Yossarian.
Coach: Toki Ioshido.
President: Amanda Flores.
Team Style: Defensive, uses the centre of the field, very moving.
Strongest Point: midfield.
Weakest Point: defence in general.
Nickname: Gorila.
Stadium Used: Parque do Sol, in Elville (cap. 60,000).
State: Juta.
Other Facts: the legendary goalkeeper arata retired, and now EC Elville is in danger. Without many good players, it’ll have to count with a lot of team work to stay in the First Division of the league.
Good Bench Players: Chapelin (midfielder), Wandison (defender), Sérvulo (goalkeeper).
The Fans Expect: to escape relegation.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*), Jorge Lang (**), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (**).

ATLÉTICO INSULAR: Andrei; Marcelo Rocha, André Luís, Moraes and Vega; Edsanderson, Kléverson and Sytrobes; Esrimdo, Aristóteles and Sorato.
Coach: Ensio Varg.
President: Gustavo Bamerindus “Gugu da Lança”.
Team Style: Very offensive, uses the wings, passing style.
Strongest Point: good attacking trio.
Weakest Point: the team has some balance between the positions.
Nickname: Leões do Litoral (Coast Lions).
Stadium Used: Cúpula Tropical, in Ilha Eremita (cap. 30,000).
State: Coast.
Other Facts: the island team was never a good team. But with its fast improvement in the last years, is now much more respected. The squad still doesn’t look excellent, but is far from bad. Maybe it can get a top 8 place?
Good Bench Players: Selmar (midfielder), Olavo (midfielder), Mário (attacker).
The Fans Expect: mid-table position.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (***), Jorge Lang (***), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (**).

GALÁXIA: Júlio Sampa; Paulo Santos, Jerônimo Laguna, Everaldo and Richard; Wágner Paulista, Moreira, Tobias and Marcelinho; Ferreira and Danilo Sampa.
Coach: Nelson Yaschter.
President: Herbert Confiança.
Team Style: Extremely offensive, uses many individual plays.
Strongest Point: equal strength in all areas.
Weakest Point: equal strength in all areas.
Nickname: Academia Estelar.
Stadium Used: Mané Garrincha, in Santo Galvão (cap. 35,000).
State: Titã.
Other Facts: Galáxia became famous as the first team of many stars of Cafundéu’s football, with an excellent youth academy. The main players of the team started in Galáxia, and the team doesn’t like to use foreigners. The coach wants to finish at least in the top 8. Notice that the team usually doesn’t change its line-up.
Good Bench Players: Lucas Moura (midfielder), Pastor (defender), Juninho (attacker).
The Fans Expect: top 8 position.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (***), Jorge Lang (***), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (****).

PENDERS: Mané; Gilberto, Batista, Toledo and H.Intior; Rossi, Renato Costa, Dênis and Peninha; Kips and Cazarez.
Coach: Júlio Vargas.
President: Asano Pender.
Team Style: A bit offensive, uses the centre, good in home games.
Strongest Point: attack.
Weakest Point: the full-backs.
Nickname: Sombra (Shadow).
Stadium Used: Campo de Batalha, in Penderia (cap. 50,000).
State: Old Cities.
Other Facts: everyone in the country is happy that this traditional team was able to return to the First Division (promoted 2 seasons ago) after being relegated seasons ago. The team showed strength and has a good attack. Mid-table team.
Good Bench Players: Fred (midfielder), J.Intior (defender), Moraes (attacker).
The Fans Expect: mid-table position.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (**), Jorge Lang (***), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (**).

PETROL: Amutarrad; Al-Shadhar, Leone, Fontoura and Gäeif; Branco, Velastros, Zamed and Macedo; Jorge Muniz and Ricardão.
Coach: Jason Fowler.
President: Abdullah Bin Radid.
Team Style: sometimes offensive.
Strongest Point: attack.
Weakest Point: the central defence.
Nickname: the Sheiks.
Stadium Used: Estádio do Califa, in Al-Zalabahad (cap. 75,000).
State: Titã.
Other Facts: this team has a lot of money, but, as isn’t a traditional team, can’t attract big names. But, thanks to the money, the team was able to reach the First Division, and will fight against relegation.
Good Bench Players: Rabelo (goalkeeper), Fabinho (midfielder), Al-Rashif (attacker).
The Fans Expect: a top 8 position (yes, they are optimistic).
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (**), Jorge Lang (***), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (***).

UNIÃO TRABALHADORA: Inácio; Natanael, Enrico and Loiro; Genoino, Black, Cabeludo, Mano Brown and Horsch; Maurício and Jared.
Coach: João Paulo de Deus.
President: Rui "Comuna" Pimenta and Levy Fidélix.
Team Style: balanced.
Strongest Point: the midfield.
Weakest Point: the attack, really horrible.
Nickname: Sindicato.
Stadium Used: Estádio Ernesto Honesto, in Espinal (cap. 40,000).
State: Espinal.
Other Facts: team supported by the poorer citizens of Espinal, the União Trabalhadora has lots of supporters. It is a popular team, but not very good. With the help of the supporters, can escape relegation. Also, it is one of the most active political groups of the country, which defends the rights of the workers. Mantained last season’s team.
Good Bench Players: Zé Polenta (attacker), Baiano (midfielder), Miffese (defender).
The Fans Expect: to escape relegation.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*), Jorge Lang (*), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (**).

TÊNIS CLUBE: Mateus; Bira, Adoniran, Sandro Germano and Romualdo; Meligeni, Wecn, Amaral and Gatti; Ortiz and Ravache.
Coach: Seu Pereira.
President: Paula Braga Souto Maior.
Team Style: Very defensive, counts on counterattacks, likes to hold the ball.
Strongest Point: this is difficult to point out.
Weakest Point: especially the defensive midfield.
Nickname: Imortais.
Stadium Used: Estádio da Bossa, in Astari (cap. 25,000).
State: Titã.
Other Facts: one of the oldest teams of the country, Tênis Clube IS the weakest of this year’s league. With good chances to be relegated, the team will probably score few points.
Good Bench Players: Horácio (defender), Caetano (midfielder), Herrera (goalkeeper).
The Fans Expect: to escape relegation in a miracle.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*), Jorge Lang (*), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (*).

PERNETAS EC: Palmer; Castor, César Morel, Pingo and Steffy; Dentinho, Oscar, Betinho, Marcinho and Di Angelo; Kiko.
Coach: Lúcio Nizi Darcellos.
President: Raymond Altenkop.
Team Style: A bit offensive, likes to use the wings and aerial plays.
Strongest Point: the midfield.
Weakest Point: the defence, it’s simply horrible.
Nickname: Mosqueteiro.
Stadium Used: Arena América III, in Dunboor (cap. 80,000).
State: Dunboor.
Other Facts: intermediate team, which won the Second Division and is ready to return and stay in the first division. Signed two players from Starblaydia and can make a good campaign.
Good Bench Players: Romildo (attacker), Lugão (midfielder), Matraca (defender).
The Fans Expect: mid-table position.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*), Jorge Lang (**), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (***).

SÃO JOSÉ: Dutra, Pereira, Jorge Cruz, Fágner and Tadeu Neves; Takahashi, Brambatti and Diogo; Cabelo, Isini and Duncan.
Coach: Tony Auad.
President: Érica Maldonado.
Team Style: Very tactical, offensive or defensive depending on the opponent.
Strongest Point: the goalkeeper.
Weakest Point: the attack isn’t good.
Nickname: Estudantil.
Stadium Used: Estádio Pioneiro, in São José (cap. 120,000).
State: Old Cities.
Other Facts: controlled by a school, the team of São José uses players who studied there. They usually don’t release their players, but don’t sign much too. Battles against relegation again.
Good Bench Players: Samambaia (defender), Xerhet (midfielder), Meira (attacker).
The Fans Expect: to escape relegation.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*), Jorge Lang (**), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (**).

AMÉRICA: Kardec; Nilo, Índio, Cipriano and Rodriguez; Barbosa, Miguel Benevides, Bacharel and McCann; Di Nasi and Alazão.
Coach: Javier Sanchez.
President: Beto Faíska.
Team Style: bit offensive, turns defensive when playing away.
Strongest Point: the midfield is good... and Índio.
Weakest Point: the attack is far from good.
Nickname: Diabos de Lasft (Lasft Devils).
Stadium Used: Estádio Marte, in Lasft (cap. 40,000).
State: Lasft.
Other Facts: this team isn’t old, and is a big surprise. Founded by fanatic football supporters, it grew fast and now is the third biggest team of Lasft. It uses young players, many of them playing in the Sub-21 team, and can escape relegation without difficulties.
Good Bench Players: Almir (defender), Valdir (midfielder), Altair (attacker).
The Fans Expect: to escape relegation.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (**), Jorge Lang (**), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (**).

FAVOURITES: Petardos returns with full strength, now the favourites to win the title with more advantage. Clube Imperial and A.F.F. won some new supporters, and Dunboor FC isn’t with the strength of the last years. See the survey’s results:

30% - Petardos S/A
16% - Clube Imperial
13% - A.F.F. and Cafundó do Juta
11% - Dunboor FC
7,5% - Ranca Toco
5% - Atlético Jutense
2% - SC Lasft and Galáxia
0,5% - Central United

WORST TEAM: Another survey asked the supporters which team they thought that would finish the league in the last place, going to the Second Division(the last 4 are relegated):

54% - Tênis Clube
20,5% - União Trabalhadora
18% - EC Elville
2,5% - Pernetas EC, São José and América

SECOND DIVISION: The competitors are: Tabajara, Clube dos Banqueiros, Supersônicos, C-Electronics, Aldeia Vigiah, Agreman FH, Forças Armadas, Royal Pollvogarad, Imperatriz, Mondragon Warriors, Globo Multimedia, Faculdade de Medicina, Metropolitano, Coqueiros, Marinha, Lusitânio, Clube Comercial, CR Submiria, Amigos do Pebolim and Sambarilove.

The favourites are: Tabajara, Clube dos Banqueiros, Sambarilove, CR Submiria and Clube Comercial.

THIRD DIVISION: The competitors are: U.D.E.U., SC Carnavalesco, Colonial, Massaranduba FC, Varzeano, Ferroviário, Civil FC, Tio João, Espinalense, Carandirú 1, São Jorge, Porto Lacruz, Cézares, Virgem Maria EC, Intensivo, Vila Velha, Boiadeiros, Fulminense, Aliança and Espinalense.

The favourites are: Massaranduba FC, SC Carnavalesco, Vila Velha, Porto Lacruz and Boiadeiros.

FOURTH AND FIFTH DIVISIONS – Composed mainly by amateur teams, these teams are very weak and few of them play the National Cup, but some good teams can appear from there.

Kura-Pelland

10-01-2008, 02:53

http://i13.tinypic.com/6s7hw87.png

THE TEAMS

Achorpe Rovers defied all expectations in actually quite comfortably staying up last season, but second-season syndrome is quite ilkely to strike. Goalkeeper Michael Dunnington is safe as houses still, especially with Ben Wilkinson to back him up, and Iain Menzel will always be in amongst the goals. But Dennis Dubois isn't clicking with Menzel, and neither are getting an adequate supply from midfield - such are the club's weaknesses in that department that 17-year-old Liam Marling is set to be a regular starter on the left. Well, it's not like they have any real alternatives.

AFC Neegera are probably the most exciting team in the multiverse with five at the back. That's what you get when you have two wing-backs who'll bomb forward with gleeful abandon (Alessandro Quaores on the right being about as good an example as you'll see in Atlantian Oceania), a prolific little-and-large strike force who'll get goals from anywhere (tiny Chris Corderman, giant Wayne Harcef) and three crappy centre-backs trying and failing to protect an unpredictable 21-year-old goalkeeper. Mid-table again, probably; new C&M signing Yosgart Flores stands out from the existing centre-backs only inasmuch as he has one of the best names in the league.

AS Assiri are fast establishing themselves as a yo-yo club. Bottom two seasons ago, top of the second tier last term, and quite possibly going to be bottom again this season. The sale of St Samuelese star-in-waiting Frankie di Coa to Murley City is going to haunt them, make no mistake. Unless 16-year-old Norbert Fiero really is as good as they say he is... Elsewhere on the pitch, Giorgio Messini is the standout player, a classic example of the libero role and massively admired in the Italian-speaking community in this city, James Calthorp looks good enough for the top flight, ditto Stephan Burnham, but that's about it.

Club Virling prepare for another relegation battle with next-to-no reinforcements, and so once again goalkeeper Daniel Kaurin will have to carry his aging defence while Toni Elphin and Charles Rawinton deliver crosses to the over-rated Harry Celerano. To be quite honest, this team should be favourites for relegation, but they've pulled it off before...

Curzek Rovers have the most talented midfield outside the top three, possibly even including the top three. Just a shame that one of them's playing out of position. How the hell Bryan Withers hasn't been sold is an utter mystery, but while he's not at his best on the left of a diamond with Oscar Curley, Michael Lotura and Andy Kelly, that's still one hell of a midfield, and it is generally accepted that their absence from the national squad is stupidity defined. Just a shame the side has both a leaky defence - with Dom Byrne just not good enough in goal - and no consistent goal-getting striker.

Deportivo del Arapucera prepare to prove they really are a worthy top flight club - after being beaten in the league by both fellow promoted clubs last term - with an all-new, all-Hispanic attack to make any fan forget about Jose Cazarez. Rex Sandstrom will get most of the goals, Leonard Pinto will just keep getting better, and they'll get plenty of crosses from Manuel Pasinova and Dennis Rukovich bombing up and down both wings. Michael Modexa should also prove an excellent signing in midfield. This team look much more dangerous now, and should target a top-half place.

FC Bargoiten are the team that nobody notices are any good. They should notice them now, as Daniel Dillimer emerges as a potential national team candidate up front, and Al Ailron (what a name!) feeds him from an attacking midfield position. But they are more lacking in width than Keira Knightley, and their refusal to buy a Candelariasian winger is probably going to haunt them.

FC Helma 1495 are the pride of the Dutch-speaking Noorde region. That's not a lot of pride. The poorest region in Kura-Pelland, reflected in a club in dire straits financially. Expect their already-inadequate squad to be whittled down further, with their two national team players Walter Tensen and the prodigious talent Ruud Horin. Beyond that, Kurt Schipma up front, two highly promising teenagers in Robbi Rombley and Kurt de Roemer, and practically nothing else. Survived by one point last time, not widely expected to survive again.

Grayton City Wolves are many peoples' dark horses after finishing sixth last season and fourth before that. Fedde Jeffery is probably the best goalie in the league now that Stephen Hill has moved to C&M, and there's a fair amount of talent all over the field - Nelly Touniema at the back, Ricky Ross at the base of the midfield, Peter Gore on the right roaming forward, Steve Jackson and AJ Burtoni combining well up front and not a lame duck in the first eleven or indeed sixteen. What they really need is one or two truly gifted players who'll take them into the top three.

Harrington Lakeside used to be the team that bored you to tears while winning 1-0, but finishing a slightly distant third last term - only one point ahead of Sorbridge Soccer Storm fercryingoutloud - was enough to induce the biggest changes the club has ever seen. Matthew Tortini is the new manager, he won't stand for bore-fests, and the defence has been ripped up from scratch with two of the most audacious swap deals you will ever see. Goodbye brutal Larry Torrell-Whyte, hello silky winger Zachary Pinkowski. Goodbye impending defensive legend James Williams, hello instant attacking legend Giovanni. Lakeside fans are going to have to get used to Lakeside - also possessing Gregorio Morales up front along with Manuel Alfonso - playing like Parwood City at this rate. If the new-look defence - now hugely reliant on the super-speedy Morris Gardner - is as good as the old one, this team will almost certainly win the title. That won't happen, but it might not even need to...

Marthley Rovers are fiercely proud of their rise up the ranks on limited funds, mostly due to a settled side with a superlative defence. Steve Hurskill has been a revelation in goal, not that he's been that busy in the second tier with players like sweeper Michael Murton in front of him. However, the side have a drastically underpowered strike force - Tommy Cato and Eric Bubua might be remembered for years to come as the worst first-choice strikers in top-flight history - and all their defensive credentials surely won't be enough. Survival is the formal target, but realistically the fans will just take one victory against another side from Lake Branagh. Their games against Porterbridge City will define their season; Marthley is often dismissed as a satellite town of Porterbridge, and City have bought their way to the top.

Murley City are buoyant after the signing of Frankie di Coa, a potential legend in the making if he keeps improving the way he has lately. With John O'Hurley playing behind him, and potentially Matty Skelton alongside, goals seem certain. At the other end, Andy O'Keefe is given too much to do in goal but fortunately is highly capable, and Harry Zaperon provides much-needed support at the base of the midfield. The key weakness is a lack of width.

Parwood City will top the goalscoring charts, of that there is no doubt. Ramiro Novo's unbelievable debut season saw him score 20 goals, the only man in the league to do so, and both Bilú and Jamie Kirklees piled in the goals as well. As if all that weren't enough, Brandon Eldridge has been acquired from relegated Muffidge Rovers, combining on the right with national team stalwart Matthias Gellen on the left. There'll be goals galore - even if injuries occur, there's players like Denny Eleifo and Mick Zarelo on the bench who would walk into half the Championship's starting lineups. So why - after two seasons in a row where the title was lost by but one point - are the club still reliant upon a mid-table defence at best, with goalie Timothy Acalet in particular not good enough for a title-chasing team?

Porterbridge City bought and practically cheated their way to the top flight, and were so brutal about it that Fedde Beattis - and why was he even there anyway? - had enough and went to Cafundeu, where such behaviour is at least normal. That still leaves two internationals - Teddy Vax at the base of the midfield, Michel Queiroz at left-back - but suddenly the team look underpowered up front, reliant upon teenager Kevin Rotheroe who can't even get into the under-21 squad. Virtually everyone wants them to go down, and chances are they'll get their wish.

Prangren Greens are on the fringes of the big three but never break through. At least they'll now be familiar with their new kit and stadium, after rebranding from Prangren Lakeside seemingly to sell more shirts. The spine of the team is superb: Chris Chenoweth up front has all the technical ability you could wish for, Manuel Hurtado in goal is the best shot-stopper in Kura-Pelland and were he more consistent would be a shoo-in for the national team, Alan Ahap is a rock-solid centre-back and John Teagle is a steely holding midfielder. Constantly getting better, but can they break into the top three? They probably need some flair on the wings, especially the right wing.

Sorbridge Soccer Storm looked like doing just that last season after being in the relegation battle the prior season, but fell one point short. Now they are in disarray as Filipo Curana has left for Turks' Club in C&M and his fiercely loyal goalkeeper Stephen Hill has joined him. The players that have come in the other way, unpredictable goalkeeper Ray Winkett and immobile holding midfielder Manuel Ballesteros, are considered woefully inadequate replacements in the eyes of most fans, and despite the goalscoring form of Pete Spyrides and the solidity of Kevin Miller at the back, a swift return to the bottom half under new guy Vincenzo Mando seems more likely than most think. 66/1 against relegation has to be the league's bet of the season.

United Trilan defend their title with what is suddenly the most defensive of the big three sides. Ozzy Stefano may be frustratingly inconsistent but his penchant for the big save - especially from the spot - was immensely important last season, and Massimo Caparelli is still a massive force at centre-back. The midfield doesn't have a weak link to speak of, and prodigious teenager Danny Ibbetson is about to become a very strong one indeed; Graham Woburn may not be the most exciting of strikers but he keeps banging them in. Goals, that is. Furthermore, the fringe players are easily the strongest in the league, and one can expect them to deal far better with injuries and suspensions in the run-in than anyone else. Probably just about worthy of being title favourites.

Yarzoya FC are a side storming out of nowhere to become a big name, finishing a superb seventh in their first top-flight season last term, and will certainly be exciting to watch again this time round. Justin Urquhart and Alessandro Jaquin are a strike force second only to Parwood's Bilú/Novo duo, and Pepe Pupori provides superb support from midfield. Unfortunately that was about all they had last season. Not this time though - the hugely skilful Alessio Montano slots onto the left, pinched from under the noses of Curzek Rovers, and suddenly Yarzoya could be the ones to make the 'big three' become the 'big four'.

Vephrall

10-01-2008, 04:12

Vephraller Tririsec e Foutbill 1749

The 1749 season marks the VTF's tenth using the new-style league layout. Through 1739, the layout was very simple, consisting of nine divisions of 20 teams each and a tenth of 18, with a linear structure that meant it required nine promotions for a club to go from Division Ten to Division One. The new system places these same 198 teams in six levels. Cintrin A, B, and C are effectively just renamings of the old Division One through Three. The league then splits into two, with D1/A and D1/B making up the level below C. Below these are D2/A and D2/B, and finally the sixth level is split into three groups: E/A, E/B, and E/C.

Cintrin A

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Sichisers OB 38 22 9 7 63 37 26 75 C
2 Poikimitagiin FE 38 20 9 9 63 38 25 69
3 Terabits CE 38 19 9 10 51 34 17 66
4 Boalluns FE 38 17 12 9 56 40 16 63
5 Knoleier FE 38 16 14 8 55 39 16 62
6 Spoantects CE 38 18 8 12 53 38 15 62
7 Ammites FE 38 18 8 12 56 47 9 62
8 Merpisms CE 38 17 10 11 57 42 15 61
9 Bumpoogra FE 38 17 10 11 50 39 11 61
10 Penuler OC 38 18 3 17 51 55 -4 57
11 Huellim FE 38 16 7 15 49 48 1 55
12 Mylfe CE 38 14 12 12 53 46 7 54
13 Stestrenas OC 38 14 4 20 39 54 -15 46
14 Oillid CE 38 12 9 17 42 52 -10 45
15 Daazyiles OC 38 9 14 15 35 46 -11 41
16 Stithis FE 38 12 5 21 46 64 -18 41
17 Custler FE 38 10 9 19 38 60 -22 39
18 DFE Donseplock 38 10 6 22 41 61 -20 36 R
19 Burtneeg FE 38 8 8 22 37 53 -16 32 R
20 Netler FE 38 7 6 25 33 75 -42 27 R

Cintrin B

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 FE Dranacess 38 23 6 9 68 37 31 75 P
2 Fekler FE 38 20 14 4 54 29 25 74 P
3 DFE Anhenir 38 22 6 10 62 46 16 72 P
4 Grasset FE 38 18 10 10 57 34 23 64
5 Ucktingang OB 38 19 7 12 52 39 13 64
6 Pondrit FE 38 17 10 11 50 43 7 61
7 Pomperae FE 38 17 10 11 49 42 7 61
8 Berkemara FE 38 15 13 10 65 44 21 58
9 Gontarther FE 38 18 4 16 62 55 7 58
10 Shing OC 38 14 13 11 53 51 2 55
11 Bachans OC 38 13 12 13 43 40 3 51
12 Engset FE 38 13 11 14 40 47 -7 50
13 Cirbeod CE 38 13 10 15 44 49 -5 49
14 Tigajana OC 38 11 10 17 45 61 -16 43
15 Strapply FE 38 9 11 18 33 55 -22 38
16 Sante OB 38 10 7 21 52 62 -10 37
17 Cunceer CE 38 8 13 17 38 63 -25 37
18 Sesotnig FE 38 8 8 22 35 53 -18 32 R
19 CE e Flaarickug 38 6 14 18 33 59 -26 32 R
20 Mendid CE 38 7 9 22 36 62 -26 30 R

Cintrin C

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Firoum OB 38 24 6 8 72 35 37 78 P
2 Sondar FE 38 23 9 6 59 34 25 78 P
3 Trillet FE 38 21 9 8 63 33 30 72 P
4 Fishbogger FE 38 20 10 8 50 28 22 70
5 Feay FE 38 19 8 11 51 38 13 65
6 Sontirae CE 38 15 13 10 52 38 14 58
7 Tehtisms CE 38 16 9 13 52 37 15 57
8 Peondurte OC 38 15 9 14 39 35 4 54
9 Ceresstrer FE 38 16 6 16 47 52 -5 54
10 DFE Clyddly 38 14 10 14 53 43 10 52
11 Cose CE 38 15 7 16 39 46 -7 52
12 Brimpeng FE 38 14 8 16 51 43 8 50
13 Crussozech CE 38 12 11 15 41 52 -11 47
14 Dilkis FE 38 12 9 17 46 54 -8 45
15 DFE Unee 38 10 13 15 39 56 -17 43
16 Contrer FE 38 11 9 18 40 61 -21 42
17 Mency CE 38 9 12 17 37 57 -20 39 R
18 DFE Hyllesme 38 10 4 24 31 59 -28 34 R
19 FE Glaggemuda 38 9 4 25 34 62 -28 31 R
20 Festany CE 38 7 10 21 32 65 -33 31 R

Mency and Festany relegated to D1/A
DFE Hyllesme and Glaggemuda relegated to D1/B

Cintrin D1/A

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Oktidople FE 38 24 10 4 61 27 34 82 P
2 Girag FE 38 21 10 7 57 25 32 73 Pl
3 FE Mersira 38 19 12 7 66 47 19 69 Pl
4 Troorliil FE 38 21 6 11 59 41 18 69 Pl
5 Larospe OC 38 18 10 10 62 43 19 64 Pl
6 Spakisteis FE 38 17 9 12 56 45 11 60
7 Ertory FE 38 16 7 15 54 44 10 55
8 FE Sheoron 38 16 7 15 46 50 -4 55
9 Ans Jistrosts FE 38 14 12 12 48 42 6 54
10 Prechrus FE 38 15 8 15 48 42 6 53
11 Ceones OC 38 13 12 13 44 44 0 51
12 Iabras FE 38 13 12 13 43 49 -6 51
13 Triice CE 38 12 12 14 44 47 -3 48
14 Fulatic FE 38 10 14 14 47 53 -6 44
15 Shintene FE 38 9 10 19 37 61 -24 37
16 Triratter CE 38 8 12 18 38 57 -19 36
17 Ungs CE 38 7 14 17 46 66 -20 35
18 DFE Pallona 38 8 10 20 37 57 -20 34 R
19 Scinpefis FE 38 8 10 20 31 56 -25 34 R
20 Ibbuley OC 38 8 9 21 35 63 -28 33 R

All relegated to D2/A

Cintrin D1/B

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Zikeseng OC 38 23 6 9 71 43 28 75 P
2 Unshints CE 38 21 11 6 60 39 21 74 Pl
3 DFE Defae 38 20 8 10 59 35 24 68 Pl
4 Spostratter OB 38 19 11 8 57 33 24 68 Pl
5 Pindess OC 38 17 12 9 49 36 13 63 Pl
6 Nenbondler FE 38 18 9 11 52 40 12 63
7 Hings FE 38 16 14 8 50 33 17 62
8 Casomer FE 38 18 8 12 58 42 16 62
9 Swextrer FE 38 18 7 13 59 50 9 61
10 Fenster OC 38 15 8 15 48 46 2 53
11 Wifra FE 38 14 8 16 48 47 1 50
12 DFE Cloohends 38 13 10 15 39 50 -11 49
13 Splirts CE 38 12 8 18 47 55 -8 44
14 Ranalos CE 38 12 7 19 42 57 -15 43
15 Reengenid FE 38 10 10 18 31 46 -15 40
16 Emitis FE 38 11 7 20 44 63 -19 40
17 Gletros OB 38 9 10 19 27 65 -38 37
18 Meteca FE 38 6 17 15 36 47 -11 35 R
19 Grendless FE 38 7 9 22 30 56 -26 30 R
20 Spiegrigger FE 38 6 10 22 35 59 -24 28 R

All relegated to D2/B

Cintrin D2/A

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Snuxpond OC 38 22 7 9 56 30 26 73 P
2 Clidy OB 38 20 10 8 63 39 24 70 P
3 Nenirmiopoti FE 38 20 9 9 49 27 22 69 P
4 Arstor FE 38 17 13 8 49 36 13 64
5 Addipess FE 38 16 10 12 57 45 12 58
6 Swiihedeed OC 38 16 10 12 59 48 11 58
7 Stether FE 38 14 16 8 46 38 8 58
8 Lientos OC 38 15 10 13 50 49 1 55
9 DFE Jishmid 38 16 7 15 50 52 -2 55
10 Lirdebote OB 38 13 13 12 55 44 11 52
11 Freal CE 38 13 12 13 52 51 1 51
12 Oflilak OB 38 14 7 17 53 57 -4 49
13 Cenanier FE 38 13 9 16 47 47 0 48
14 Volstong FE 38 11 14 13 42 46 -4 47
15 Sellman CE 38 13 8 17 42 54 -12 47
16 Rigreny OC 38 14 5 19 43 59 -16 47
17 Pashomos FE 38 11 8 19 44 57 -13 41
18 Hetruts FE 38 9 9 20 40 67 -27 36
19 Tuffirrer FE 38 8 11 19 34 50 -16 35 R
20 Moroha FE 38 7 8 23 25 60 -35 29 R

All promoted to D1/A
Tuffir relegated to E/B
Moroha relegated to E/C

Cintrin D2/B

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Sascaenis CE 38 21 9 8 72 37 35 72 P
2 Pestrisms FE 38 22 6 10 64 37 27 72 P
3 Pirnyssied FE 38 19 10 9 60 41 19 67 P
4 Bastegoretik FE 38 19 7 12 49 39 10 64
5 DFE Rascenass 38 17 12 9 54 40 14 63
6 Gutchyrn FE 38 18 8 12 65 43 22 62
7 Spesser FE 38 18 7 13 51 42 9 61
8 Hentiragivers FE 38 15 13 10 61 48 13 58
9 Serod OB 38 14 14 10 41 38 3 56
10 Gastres FE 38 16 7 15 52 44 8 55
11 Cuntodis FE 38 13 13 12 42 47 -5 52
12 Suomeny FE 38 13 12 13 47 42 5 51
13 Captute OC 38 13 10 15 50 54 -4 49
14 Goggisettimac OB 38 10 14 14 48 56 -8 44
15 Seruletet FE 38 11 10 17 36 50 -14 43
16 Padgid OB 38 10 11 17 44 59 -15 41
17 Tiatelle FE 38 9 13 16 48 62 -14 40
18 Bronchianos CE 38 7 10 21 41 70 -29 31
19 Deballinos FE 38 7 9 22 33 62 -29 30 R
20 Fulos FE 38 7 7 24 25 72 -47 28 R

All promoted to D1/B
Deballinos relegated to E/A
Fulos replaces winner of Cintrin E Promotion Playoff

Cintrin E/A

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 FE En Hech 36 22 7 7 47 29 18 73 P
2 Igivofaic CE 36 21 8 7 52 24 28 71 Pl
3 Areleciil FE 36 19 6 11 64 41 23 63
4 Pheleilas CE 36 17 10 9 47 38 9 61
5 Poskods OC 36 16 10 10 57 45 12 58
6 Gaplipt OC 36 17 6 13 42 41 1 57
7 Issicams OB 36 14 14 8 60 44 16 56
8 Taltrehy CE 36 15 9 12 55 43 12 54
9 Reeniwahes OC 36 14 6 16 41 42 -1 48
10 Pipildems OC 36 13 7 16 41 44 -3 46
11 Cadinibatod FE 36 13 5 18 40 51 -11 44
12 Duffe OB 36 9 16 11 50 50 0 43
13 Shantong OB 36 10 12 14 40 43 -3 42
14 Petakier FE 36 10 11 15 47 57 -10 41
15 Gopa FE 36 11 8 17 41 58 -17 41
16 Preis OC 36 10 9 17 47 57 -10 39
17 Fewertnong OC 36 9 12 15 41 53 -12 39
18 Cocunassets FE 36 8 10 18 44 69 -25 34
19 Astenaster CE 36 5 12 19 23 50 -27 27

FEEH promoted to D2/B

Cintrin E/B

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Methwundy FE 38 25 9 4 69 28 41 84 P
2 Thembapt FE 38 24 9 5 61 25 36 81 Pl
3 Cans FE 38 20 10 8 56 36 20 70
4 Habblod OC 38 19 9 10 54 41 13 66
5 Crugrin FE 38 17 12 9 56 42 14 63
6 Antirras FE 38 18 6 14 57 44 13 60
7 Elilidrell FE 38 17 9 12 50 44 6 60
8 Cezot FE 38 17 6 15 53 49 4 57
9 Taeschander OC 38 17 6 15 43 41 2 57
10 Adronahings FE 38 15 9 14 41 44 -3 54
11 Reseamem CE 38 12 11 15 45 43 2 47
12 Roneciid FE 38 12 10 16 49 53 -4 46
13 Tevansteses FE 38 9 18 11 42 44 -2 45
14 Pora CE 38 11 10 17 38 53 -15 43
15 Dallbigil FE 38 10 10 18 32 53 -21 40
16 Uasang OB 38 9 11 18 37 50 -13 38
17 Cests FE 38 8 12 18 41 64 -23 36
18 Tompigatepepeosm FE 38 7 12 19 26 44 -18 33
19 Streghtap FE 38 7 10 21 32 58 -26 31
20 Pubbleeng OB 38 5 13 20 34 60 -26 28

Methwundy promoted to D2/A

Cintrin E/C

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Sotrediting FE 36 18 9 9 54 33 21 63 P
2 Cernmes OC 36 18 8 10 63 47 16 62 Pl
3 Timuner FE 36 18 8 10 54 38 16 62
4 Riors FE 36 17 9 10 55 39 16 60
5 FE Tecty 36 17 8 11 54 40 14 59
6 FE Shavawa 36 15 12 9 62 37 25 57
7 Thimptot CE 36 16 9 11 51 43 8 57
8 Swollmac FE 36 14 13 9 53 41 12 55
9 Siciraid CE 36 15 10 11 56 46 10 55
10 Moshwik CE 36 15 8 13 54 42 12 53
11 Puiphid CE 36 14 8 14 46 50 -4 50
12 Tefryhons FE 36 12 12 12 52 49 3 48
13 Triblahins FE 36 11 10 15 37 57 -20 43
14 DFE Iridost 36 10 12 14 46 60 -14 42
15 Clinny FE 36 9 9 18 43 63 -20 36
16 Hiwisod FE 36 8 11 17 33 56 -23 35
17 Braes FE 36 7 12 17 32 49 -17 33
18 Virdyr FE 36 5 16 15 34 51 -17 31
19 Scoly FE 36 8 6 22 32 70 -38 30

Sotrediting promoted to D2/A

The Cintrin D1 and E promotion playoffs are scheduled to take place next month.

Vephrall

10-01-2008, 20:29

VTF1749 Promotion Playoffs

Cintrin D1/A

Semifinals
Girag FE 0-1 FE Mersira
FE Mersira 2-0 Girag FE
Aggregate: Girag FE 0-3 FE Mersira

Troorliil FE 0-2 Larospe OC
Larospe OC 2-0 Troorliil FE
Aggregate: Troorliil FE 0-4 Larospe OC

Final
FE Mersira 1-0 Larospe OC

FE Mersira promoted to Cintrin C

Cintrin D1/B

Semifinals
Unshints CE 0-0 DFE Defae
DFE Defae 2-1 Unshints CE
Aggregate: Unshints CE 1-2 DFE Defae

Spostratter OB 0-1 Pindess OC
Pindess OC 3-0 Spostratter OB
Aggregate: Spostratter OB 0-4 Pindess OC

Final
DFE Defae 2-1 Pindess OC

DFE Defae promoted to Cintrin C

Cintrin E

Thembapt FE 0-1 Cernmes OC
Cernmes OC 0-2 Igivofaic CE
Igivofaic CE 3-1 Thembapt FE

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Igivofaic CE 2 2 0 0 5 1 4 6 P
2 Cernmes OC 2 1 0 1 1 2 -1 3
3 Thembapt FE 2 0 0 2 1 4 -3 0

Igivofaic CE promoted to Cintrin D2/B

Coming Sunday: a preview of the upcoming 1750 season!

Dancougar

12-01-2008, 08:49

We join the Kingdom of Dancougar, already in progress. In order to prepare for the upcoming BoF and WC qualifiers, I blasted through nine seasons worth of football to build up some history, and we pick things up in year ten:

The popularity of football continues to grow in the somewhat isolated Kingdom of Dancougar, but fans will have to remain content with the game at the college level. Still no signs of a professional league, but there are hopes that the Kingdom's imminent participation in international competition will spark interest. Here's a rundown of the tenth autumn of college competition:

The Dancougar Royal Academy overcame a slow start to take the Yuki Collegiate Premier League on 26 points, finishing ahead of Kishin Academy and the University of Dancougar. The Royal Academy defeated Kishin 3-1 in week 12 to draw even with league-leading Dancougar, which took only three points from its final three matches while the Royal Academy won out.

Port Royal University finished well clear of the field in the Kishin Delta CPL, unleashing the conference's best offense en route to a 10-2-4 finish, six points better than the competition. They led from matchday 3, building an insurmountable eight point advantage in just three games.

Shiba State University and Grandborough University finished atop the Shiba Valley Conference with 26 points apiece, but Shiba State took the title on a better goal differential, +7 to +5. But first, they had to make up two points in the final week. They did their part with a 3-2 win against third place Lansing College, and got help when Grandborough only managed to draw 1-1 against basement-dwellers Shiba Tech.

Pollock College won the Coastal Plains Conference thanks in part to the nation's second best defense, which ceded only 9 goals in 14 matches. They were tied with Yuki State - Helmsley, owners of the nation's best defense with 7 goals against in 14 games, going into the final matchday. But only Pollock came away with a victory.

Hazuki State University, after a year of setback, returned to winning form in the Hazuki CPL, taking their fifth title in six years with an 11-4-1 record. They dominated, finishing nine points clear of the competition thanks to the nation's best offense, which produced 40 goals for a +21 differential.

The Big Northeast was hotly contested, as two points separated the top three teams. Northeastern Masato University emerged victorious on 23 points from 14 matches, slightly edging out Muddy Banks State College and Zane Island State College. A 3-2 win against Muddy Banks on the final day, coupled with Zane Island's 2-1 loss, delivered NE Masato their first conference title.

Callihan College took the Shinobu Valley Conference with a 9-1-4 record, three points clear of Brackston College and Maehara University. Callihan defeated both by 3-1 scores in the second half of the season to break free.

Helmut State University finished a point ahead of Jena College to win the Helmut CPL. They leapfrogged the runners-up with a 2-1 win in week 12. Jena then helped Helmut State by defeating leaders Kimei Academy the following week.

With a 9-2-5 record, Shikibu Northwestern finished first in the South Central Conference, three points ahead of the University of Shikibu. The two clashed in the final week of the season tied at 26 points from 15 matches, and Shikibu Northwestern's 2-0 win delivered the title.

Rizzi College quietly played their game at a high level, finishing 7-6-1 in the Red River Conference, five points clear of the competition. They wielded the conference's top offense and second best defense, and their only loss came in week 12, 1-0 against second-place Hyland College.

Friedmann College took the Big West title with 30 points from 16 games, thanks in part to the conference's best defense. They finished ahead of the University of Desugaia, which had a chance going into their final match. They needed a two goal win against bottom-feeders Eastern Desugaia University to take the title on goal differential, but Eastern pulled off a 1-0 upset for their second win.

With 30 points from 15 matches and the conference's best defense, Aiken College finished atop the Lunarossa CPL, three points clear of Morewood Tech. Aiken's 2-1 win against Lunarossa State in week 7 put them in the driver's seat, and they didn't look back. The eight point cushion they'd built by week 10 turned out to be too great for the rest of the league to make up.

Wenger College were five points clear of Baptista College and Gotei College in the Big North, as the conference's best offense delivered nine wins and three draws. Gotei had the best chance to unseat Wenger, but Wenger triumphed 1-0 in their matchday 17 meeting.

In the Metro East, Hornbostel University and Wean State finished with identical 6-4-4 records. Hornbostel, three points back on the final matchday, defeated Wean State 4-1 to make up the difference and win the goal differential tiebreaker, finishing +4 to Wean State's +1. Morrison College, which sat between the two on the final day, lost 3-0 and fell out of contention.

Barynsk College won the Igor Valley Conference with an 8-4-2 record, thanks to a combination of the conference's best offense and defense. Barynsk took over the conference lead in week 8 after crushing Earlsburg College 4-1, and built it by taking points from their next five matches. It was part of a ten game unbeaten streak.

Two points separated the top four teams in a tight Big East, and Amada University edged out the University of Juusenkitai on goal differential, with both finishing level at 25 points. It was high drama on the final matchday with Amada losing 3-2 to Masaharu College. This gave Juusenkitai an opening, but a 3-0 win against Mainstead City College was not enough to make up the goal differential.

At 10-0-4, Bremley College comfortably won the Shapiro CPL. They led from week two and built a six point lead by week nine, which was how it ended. No clear challenger emerged from the pack.

Montefiore College took the Kishin Plains with 24 points from 14 matches, two ahead of Carnegie Tech. One point separated the top four teams on the final matchday, with Carnegie Tech first on goal differential. Montefiore defeated bottom half Clay Academy 2-0, while Carnegie Tech tied Bloomfield 1-1. Frickstowne College, the other team in the mix, lost 3-2 and dropped out of the race.

Akasaka University finished first in the Kotaru CPL, going 7-3-4 to be three points clear of Kotaru University. Akasaka's 1-0 win against Kotaru in week 11 gave them a five point cushion. It turned out to be critical, as Akasaka went 0-1-2 in the final three, just enough to counter Kotaru's 1-0-2 finish.

The University of Gilderome won the Gilderome River Conference on goal differential, tied with Vasco College on 31 points from 16 matches. They, armed with the conference's best offense, had +12; Vasco, which relied on the league's best defense, +8. Vasco took the season series with Gilderome with a win and a draw, but a 2-1 loss to Stoneridge University on matchday 16 turned out to be crucial.

In the Northern Plains, a similar race occurred between eventual winners Donovan Academy and Chastain College, who both finished 9-4-3. Donovan's league-best offense won a +12 differential, while Chastain and the league's best defense only managed +11. Chastain pulled even on points on matchday 17 by winning 2-1 while Donovan drew 2-2. But their 4-2 win on the final day was not enough to offset Donovan's 2-1 victory over Gilderome State.

Two points separated the top four in the Shikibu CPL, but it was Ladsburg College which emerged on top. With Ladsburg going down 3-1 to Stoddart-McLean College on the final day, defending champs Monagham State College had a shot at the title. But they were unable to beat sixth place Nikkei Academy, going down 2-1 to finish fourth in the league.

The Sullivan CPL went to Kensington University, who finished a point ahead of Monroeville College with a 9-3-4 record. On matchday 16, Monroeville earned a 1-0 win against Kensington's 1-0 loss, putting them a point behind the leaders. They had two games left to Kensington's one. However, Kensington won theirs and Monroeville lost 1-0 to Glassport City College, putting the title out of Monroeville's reach.

Hayward College finished 10-3-3 to win the Keats Island CPL, riding the league's best offense four points clear of runners-up Keats Island University. Hayward defeated Keats Island 4-2 on matchday 14 to take the league lead, and Keats Island lost two of its last three to fall to the wayside.

Each college league operates independently of the others, and so far, no attempt has been made to organize a tournament to determine a national champion. For now, we must be content with the media poll:

Hazuki State University (11-4-1, +21, Hazuki CPL)
Port Royal University (10-2-4, +9, Kishin Delta CPL)
Hayward College (10-3-3, +10, Keats Island CPL)
Aiken College (9-3-3, +8, Lunarossa CPL)
Rizzi College (7-6-1, +10, Red River)
Donovan Academy (9-4-3, +12, Northern Plains)
University of Gilderome (9-4-3, +12, Gilderome River)
Chastain College (9-4-3, +11, Northern Plains)
Barynsk College (8-4-2, +14, Igor Valley)
Vasco College (9-4-3, +8, Gilderome River)
Morewood Technical Institute (7-6-2, +10, Lunarossa CPL)
Friedmann College (9-3-4, +11, Big West)
Wenger College (9-3-4, +9, Big North)
Kensington University (9-3-4, +9, Sullivan CPL)
Bremley College (10-0-4, +6, Shapiro CPL)
Pollock College (8-3-3, +7, Coastal Plains)
Ouran College (8-4-4, +8, Hazuki CPL)
Dancougar Royal Academy (8-2-4, +6, Yuki CPL)
Shiba State University (7-5-2, +7, Shiba Valley)
Amada University (7-4-3, +11, Big East)
Briggs College (7-6-3, +9, Hazuki CPL)
University of Juusenkitai (6-7-1, +10, Big East)
Vartla City College (7-3-4, +8, Big East)
Northeastern Masato University (5-8-1, +7, Big Northeast)
Muddy Banks State College (5-7-2, +9, Big Northeast)

Elves Security Forces

12-01-2008, 12:00

Silver Cup: Season 20,003
Holders ~ Mar Sara Flames

First Round
FC Vernad 2-0 AC Cartmot
Char Sara Volcano 2-4 Capri Marksmen
Rinaldi Ravens 0-1 SC Longview
Rolalas FC 2-1 DC Aulian
Gladerial Fortune Dwellers 3-2 Athletic Rolalas
AS Shalara 1-2 Everlin Snipers
SC Ianisle 1-1 Char Sara Strike (2-1 AET)
FC Wexax 1-0 Manavawi Athletic
Turmondale FC 3-0 Mar Sara Extreme
AC Goldsan 1-0 AS Everlin
Travesian Generals 1-3 FC Travesian
Turmondale United 0-1 Raynor City Rockets

Second Round
Oliviena United 1-2 Gladerial Fortune Dwellers
Gladerial Twilight 2-4 Everlin Snipers
Sharala AC 3-3 Kareen FC (3-4 AET)
AC Goldsan 3-1 Rolalas FC
Hondo Owls 2-0 Hartdale Hawks
Turmondale FC 0-0 Wexax United (1-0 AET)
Capri Marksmen 2-3 Straightdale FC
Char Sara Inferno 2-3 SC Longview
FC Travesian 3-0 Monaven Breakers
Juavi Reds 3-1 Soldarian FC
Baysleef Bombers 2-0 Rinaldi Gunners
FC Longview 1-1 AC Valanari (2-1 AET)
SC Ianisle 0-1 Raynor City Rockets
FC Vernad 2-4 FC Capri
Raynor City Rockers 4-2 FC Wexax
Mar Sara Flames 2-0 FC Vamas

Third Round
Gladerial Fortune Dwellers 3-2 Everlin Snipers
Kareen FC 3-1 AC Goldsan
Hondo Owls 2-2 Turmondale FC (3-2 AET)
Straightdale FC 3-1 SC Longview
FC Travesian 2-1 Juavi Reds
Baysleef Bombers 2-0 FC Longview
Raynor City Rockets 1-4 FC Capri
Raynor City Rockers 1-1 Mar Sara Flames (1-1 AET) (Raynor City Rockers wins 2-0 on penalty kicks)

Quarterfinals
Gladerial Fortune Dwellers 1-1 Kareen FC (1-2 AET)
Hondo Owls 2-1 Straightdale FC
FC Travesian 1-1 Baysleef Bombers (1-1 AET) (FC Travesian wins 2-0 on penalty kicks)
FC Capri 0-3 Raynor City Rockers

Semifinals
Kareen FC 1-4 Hondo Owls
FC Travesian 1-3 Raynor City Rockers

3PPo
Hosted by The Hatire Memorial, Capri
Kareen FC 2-1 FC Travesian

Final
Hosted by The White Fortress, Gladerial
Hondo Owls 5-4 Raynor City Rockers

Continueing to defy the odds without their former superstar in Laborious Hawk, the Hondo Owls soared past the rest of the competition to take the third Silver Cup. The Cup was played after the season for the first time this season due to the players voting upon the move before the season. The MVP of the tournament was Xena Whitehurse (Hondo Owls), collecting 4 goals and 5 assists. The leading scorer was Joan va Glaze (Raynor City Rockers) with 7 goals.

Candelaria And Marquez

12-01-2008, 12:49

Cafundéu Preview Formations © and Kaleta Online Present CMSC XXVII

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w175/candelariaandmarquez/smallcmscsymbol.png

CMSC XXVII Preview

Yes, back like a bad smell it’s the Candelaria And Marquez Soccer Championship (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/cmsc.html), now in its twenty-seventh, or depending on how you look at it, third, edition.

And, um…

There’s a fair few new foreigners as per usual, though the three-player quota has remained in place forcing many clubs to focus on the domestic scene. Only a smattering come in from the lower leagues, bar the squads of the promoted trio, with that particular well having run dry for now, and many sides have been swapping some of their lesser lights like nobody’s business. The flood of cash from fans, television, government and foreign sources however has allowed even the lowliest sides to hang on to their best talent. Albrecht FC in particular have been most put out by MN Smith’s and Port of Clotaire’s refusal to let the country’s biggest club talk to Boris Oviedo and Tom Redway respectively, and only the three relegated clubs have been properly raided.

As for the newcomers? When Kura-Pelland’s right-wing government was sworn in months ago many of the more sensationalist Candelariasian papers predicted that the islands would be overrun by Kura-Pellandi migrants. They had a point, though few predicted that the torrent would come in the form of something in the region of fourteen footballers and a couple of managers. Nine other countries are however represented in this season’s intake.

The only other ‘new’ aspect to the league are the stadiums, most of which have been given a shiny new lick of paint, some extra architectural features and in several cases a couple of new stands.

Foreign transfers to Candelaria And Marquez

Kenneth Quinn (Ad’ihan) ----------> to El din Marbles
Karl Matthews (Bostopia) ----------> to KT Hotspur (delayed until after World Cup 39)
Wally Milton (Hopeless SC) ----------> to KT Hotspur
Carlos Avarelli (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to Castillo FC (Div 2)
Stephen Hill (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to Turks’ Club
John Horner (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to MarquezOW
Clayton Knight (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to Gamboa FC
Xavier Le Monde (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to Turks’ Club
Pep McGuire (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to Caires City (Div 2)
Teddy Ozi-Mayer (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to Cathedral City
Bo Phelps (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to Caires Sports (season-long loan)
Larry Torrell-Whyte (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to El din Marbles
Manuel Zelzi (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to Castillo FC (Div 2)
Étienne de Roviere (Magnus Valerius) ----------> to Green Island
Ávindu Zulqadr (The Pazhujeb Islands) ----------> to C.A.L (half-ownership with MarquezOW)
Orlando Moore (Scotchpinestan) ----------> to MN Smith
Seth Walker (Scotchpinestan) ----------> to MN Smith
Jamie Watson (Scotchpinestan) ----------> to MN Smith
Djagbor Cvecej (Squornshelous) ----------> to Portuguese
Jack Stafador (Starblaydia) ----------> to MarquezOW
Scott Soldarian (Valanora) ----------> to Albrecht Turkish

Candelariasian players leaving C&M

Manuel Ballesteros (Turks’ Club) ----------> to Kura-Pelland
Simone Cammaroto (Green Island) ----------> to Kura-Pelland
Micky Jones (MarquezOW) ----------> to Kura-Pelland
Alessio Montano (Caires City) ----------> to Kura-Pelland
Seb Moon (MarquezOW) ----------> to Kura-Pelland (season-long loan)
Ken Nilsson (Green Island) ----------> to Magnus Valerius
Zachary Pinkowski (El din Marbles) ----------> to Kura-Pelland
Leonard Pinto (Castillo FC) ----------> to Kura-Pelland
Rex Sandstrom (Castillo FC) ----------> to Kura-Pelland
Ethan Schepinov (MarquezOW) ----------> to Kura-Pelland
Ray Winkett (Turks’ Club) ----------> to Kura-Pelland

Foreign players moving between C&M clubs

Samuel Taha (Bettia) ----------> Caires City to A.Turks
Sargento Castelão (Cafundéu) ----------> Abiodun North to Gamboa FC

~ New players in italics, foreigners in bold. Right to left where applicable. Veteran sportswriter Tracker Edwards, new C&M boss and former Albrecht FC manager Lloyd Donnelly and former player and popular TTO pundit Tom McIndoe add their rankings. No elves were harmed in the making of this preview. ~

Marquez-Onwere FC (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/onwere.html#Football): Primrose – Horner, Douaydari, Kimber, Sosa – Cassumba Domingos, Okeke, Stafador, Siriwong, N. Kjaer (c) – Vélez.
Coach: Andy Woolworth, the former Kura-Pelland national team manager.
Nickname(s): MarquezOW (“mar-keth-ow”), la naranja
Stadium: Estadio Francisco Álvarez, in Onwere (cap. 30,538) (http://i8.tinypic.com/8eaakc7.png)
Details: The reigning champions will retain their adventurous 4-1-4-1 and the bulk of their team, but have made some very useful additions in defence with John Horner arriving from Woolworth’s native land and veteran Pete Kimber adding experience.. Arguably the key man however is Jack Stafador, a Starblaydi midfielder barely out of his teens who will be expected to provide the base from which the four men behind Ignacio Vélez can rove forwards.
Good Bench Players: Holding player Joe Beye and striker Caesar Lopo did a fine job when called upon last year, while this should be the season that Erik Kjaer repeats his brother’s success for his adopted club and country.
The Fans Expect: MarquezOW have finally captured the imagination of its university city’s populous, and fans will be hankering for back-to-back titles.
Experts’ ratings: Tracker Edwards (2), Lloyd Donnelly (3), Tom McIndoe (Ar, thirsty ill gud, banana gud otter Turkeys!)

Albrecht Turkish: Martinez (c) – Dixon, Williams, Laurie, Szczechowicz – Westhead, Soldarian, Stumpf, Kennedy – Maini, Taha.
Coach: Kris Healy, a studious little man who came to Turkish with little experience but could be now on the verge of hero status.
Nickname(s): A.Turks, Turkish, the Millermen, the Kinsmen
Stadium: Millerman Sheppard Stadium, in Albrecht (cap. 40,614) (http://i11.tinypic.com/6sajcls.png)
Details: That they are the best side in the league is taken as read, and yet… are they? The pairing at the back of Steven Williams and Evan Laurie will terrify no-one, while the advanced wing pair of Rueben Kennedy and Ryan Westhead were forced to play out of their skin and far beyond their natural ability last year. Yet who can argue with the threesome of Gary Maini – XXVI’s Player of the Season, new arrival Samuel Taha and the… experienced and versatile Valanoran midfielder Scott Soldarian.
Good Bench Players: Teenage utility man Can Cetin will be called upon regularly, while at 35 Speed Wang can still do a job.
The Fans Expect: After far too many years for C&M’s No. 2 club, the title must return to Turkish.
Experts’ ratings: Tracker Edwards (1), Lloyd Donnelly (4), Tom McIndoe (Beast sid inner lig. Tick itta rid.)

Albrecht FC (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/albrecht_fc.html): Brindley – Tonnelier, Fu (c), Wojciechowski, St. Louis – B. Edwards, Marshall, Corradini, Ragab – Vanderpent, Cunningham.
Coach: Trevor Organ, a large former club goalkeeper with an eighties moustache.
Nickname(s): Albrecht, the Scorpions, the Deviants
Stadium: Albrecht FC groundshare with Turkish, much to both sides’ irritation.
Details: They play a pretty bog-standard Diamond 4-4-2 and have made few additions, but who really knows what to expect of the Scorpions? Shane Wojciechowski was Defender of the Season a couple of years back, but is the step up to a title-challenging side too great after relegation with Abiodun? David Brindley is hardly the keeper Organ was after, but the big issue is the midfield. Ben Edwards, Jack Marshall, Matteo Corradini and Beck Ragab are all young and home-grown, and may need too much time to make it work.
Good Bench Players: Felix Currey has come in from Castillo FC and will challenge the much older Brindley for the ‘keeper’s jersey. This could be the season that 20-year-old striker Kovac Johnson breaks through, while Edwards’ little brother Ryan may be one to watch.
The Fans Expect: They’re the biggest club in the league, no arguments. The title, as ever.
Experts’ ratings: Tracker Edwards (3), Lloyd Donnelly (1), Tom McIndoe (Yell one nutha wickeds).

Candelaria Arsenal: Lavender – Pearson, Ytterland, Zulqadr, Whitbread – Reeve (c), Harouni, Beraza, Yalçin – Naylor, Calero.
Coach: Trev George, a quietly-spoken, rotund fellow who has ‘loyal number two’ written all over him. Except, so far, he’s doing wonders.
Nickname(s): C.A.L, the Yellows.
Stadium: Lavange Arena, in Lavange (cap. 18,548) (http://i15.tinypic.com/6t1djkm.png)
Details: Ickle, venerable C.A.L from ickle old Lavange have no money and little in the way of hardcore support, but few can argue that they were the story of last season. Playing a more robust variant of the style that saw them promoted, George has had little money to spend but has brought in unpredictable midfielder Hamzah Abdullah Harouni from A.Turks as his headline buy. Highly thought-of Pazhujebi kid Ávindu Zulqadr will be rotated with the defender old enough to be his dad Reilly Palacios, and may even play alongside him if George opts to change the 4-4-2 into a 3-4-3 with Robbie Shannon coming in up front.
Good Bench Players: Robbie Shannon, who could… come in… up front. Apparently. After that yer struggling, but the 17-year-old Ely twins Tom and Kevin could get games in midfield.
The Fans Expect: Some reckon they could challenge once again, but for most avoiding relegation again would be enough.
Experts’ ratings: Tracker Edwards (13), Lloyd Donnelly (8), Tom McIndoe (Tim’s Rini art furrum. Thelby seef, bat un le joost.)

Green Island Zapata (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/zapta.html): Petit – de Roviere, Young, Fiore, Desideri – Walker, Zetaback, Head (c), Cerullei – Vidakovic, Vélez.
Coach: Hane Davies, a thrusting young former right-back usually keen waving an arm to encourage his team – bar Ben Head – to push on forwards.
Nickname(s): Green Island, the Zapata-based club, GIZ, the major club of the semi-antonymous Green Island, the Negroes.
Stadium: Marlow Park, in Zapata (cap. 31,616) (http://i6.tinypic.com/6sv3gu9.png)
Details: Their real title challenge of XXV never really got off the ground last time out, so instead Davies forged his side into the league’s entertainers. No other side averaged two goals a game, and they could be set to do the same again despite the loss of Simone Cammaroto. Rául Vélez returns to C&M after his annus mediocritis in Kura-Pelland to partner Stuart Vidakovic who will have to find his XXV boots again if the GIZ are to challenge. Steven Fiore will hope that Davies can get his career back on track after his move from Turks’ Club, and there’s always the seldom-questioned best-player-in-the-Candelarias-right-now, Roger Zetaback off of Valanora.
Good Bench Players: Teen ‘keeper Roman Perkins has had scouts drooling over him since he was a babe in arms, while experienced striker Robin Young had come in from division two to keep the double-Vs on their toes.
The Fans Expect: A title challenge would be nice, but right now they’re happy enough to enjoy themselves.
Experts’ ratings: Tracker Edwards (4), Lloyd Donnelly (2), Tom McIndoe (T’parf fini shalizt; buddit dal deep-end son a’ Vid…da…da…ka..da..kka..a.vi..a…va..da…da…)

KT Hotspur (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/khatib.html#KT_Hotspur): Thorpe – Noble, Revault (c), Johnson, Klein – Adams, Milton, Bagshaw, Walsh – Abellardo, Gallagher.
Coach: Jerry Huntick, a white-haired, white-bearded and generally rather white old fellow, who’s been at the club for more than a decade.
Nickname(s): the Spur.
Stadium: The Valleys, in Rose of Sharon (cap. 22,284) (http://i1.tinypic.com/89tugz7.png)
Details: Hello? Mr Adamczyk? Hi, yes, just wondering about all the cash you promised, I… Hello? Hello? Yes, Spur fans refusal to contemplate leaving their hovel of a ground has been punished by the chairman’s refusal to spend any money, and old Jezza has been forced to make do. They’re likely to be as boring as sin as ever, with the team so reliant on Giuseppe Abellardo – long since discarded by St Samuel but a hero here – to get them out of trouble. Hopeless midfielder Wally Milton might not be, and that’s their only hope really.
Good Bench Players: Mostly kids, and mostly defenders at that. None of ‘em will make it at the highest level, one suspects, but names like Besnik Shehu, Anslem Fisher, Karahan Caner and Agamemnon Knight deserve to be shared with the world.
The Fans Expect: Mid-table respectability while they plot how to murder the Adamczyk clan.
Experts’ ratings: Tracker Edwards (12), Lloyd Donnelly (10), Tom McIndoe (Thar gud annist prose! Want ear a ward agin sem!)

Port of Clotaire (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/clotaire.html): Cressey – George, Instonenext, Redway, Langstone – Alaoui, Kim, Orlovic, Collins (c) – Gnom, Davis.
Coach: Niko Mason, a small, pleasant little man with the most remarkable sideburns.
Nickname(s): PoC, the Harpies.
Stadium: Harper Street, in Clotaire (cap. 26,600) (http://i10.tinypic.com/8g9c7eh.png)
Details: Their passionate working-class support is always eager to see them win at all costs, but my; aren’t they dull? The centre-back pairing of Natalie Instonenext and Tom Redway is as good as any in the league, while Nathanial Alaoui and Gary Collins provide the occasional cross. Only the fox-in-the-box skills of Dan Davis and Ryan Gnom stopped the Harpies from struggling last year, and many suspect they’re going to be in trouble this time.
Good Bench Players: With the cost of rebuilding their stadium following the pre-XXV arson attack still a horrible burden, Mason has spent most of his cash on promising youngsters and stalwarts of the lower leagues. Tiny defender Arthur Walker and strikers Eoin Osmer and Jason Federici could be involved – indeed Mason could yet pull a whole new team out of his arse if needs be.
The Fans Expect: Nobody to notice them finishing in the bottom of the top half.
Experts’ ratings: Tracker Edwards (14), Lloyd Donnelly (15), Tom McIndoe (Zey gor tajuz huffit attapa wee men. A FIFA em, I rilly-dee.)

AFC MN Smith (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/bove.html): Oviedo (c) – Fattori, L. Adams, M. Adams, O. Moore – B. Moore, Walker, Fauske, Jones – Johansson, Watson.
Coach: Derek Marshall, a man with ‘Derek’ written on his soul in fountain pen. Only accountants and rappers can be called Derek. Fact.
Nickname(s): MN Smith, the Smudgers, the Smith.
Stadium: City of Bove Stadium, in Bove (cap. 20,568) (http://i19.tinypic.com/535z1wn.png)
Details: The other story of XXVI, I suppose, MN Smith were expected to go straight back down on their first CSMC appearance but Marshall worked miracles to keep them competitive. Their success allowed their utterly negative outlook to be ignored, and it will once again be the performances in the stands that proves most entertaining. The major off-season moves involved their link-up with the Scotchpinestan Soccer Federation, that saw three stars coming to Bove and the club providing their national team training facilities, equipment and other assorted Stuff.
Good Bench Players: Perry Izzillo, Ed Martín, Pedro María Zuluaga. The guys forced out by Orlando, Seth and Jamie W., basically.
The Fans Expect: Well, fans of MN Smith since their creation in 1998 would be happy with avoiding a relegation battle. Fans of All Saints FC, the Bove club forced out of business by the Smith’s creation will boo every goal and long for their relegation and financial collapse.
Experts’ ratings: Tracker Edwards (7), Lloyd Donnelly (11), Tom McIndoe (Wuh Kent athice kinder fi’ing innas tans! Lessava prep or pun chop, nunna thess nan seaboy staff!)

El din Marbles (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/el_din.html): Mkhonza – Tokpah (c), Malde, Torrell-Whyte, Quinn – Gardner, Harpas, Panama, Percy – Hone, Madden.
Coach: Carlos Panadero, a very young former left-back best known for his swoon-inducing swarthy appearance.
Nickname(s): Marbles.
Stadium: Little Road Stadium, in El din (cap. 28,520) (http://i2.tinypic.com/6uiih6s.png)
Details: After looking relegation certainties for much of the season, Panadero finally turned things around and created one of the most outlandishly attacking sides in the league. For their second-ever year in the CMSC, the Marbles board have loosened their pocked to allow the new manager to bring in his own players. Right-back Kenneth Quinn and brutal centre-half Larry Torrell-Whyte are the headline foreign newcomers to sure up their leaky defence, but no less key are the arrivals of Giles Harpas (rescued from Radyukevich following his excellent XXV) and Carlo Hone (rescued from Turks’ Club following his excellent XXV). They should be some very nice stuff, with their new flying wingers Paulo Gardner and Nicholas Perry and knock it about in midfield… Well, for a good ten minutes at least, before they start lumping it up to big Andy Madden.
Good Bench Players: Cumbersome but effective midfielder Fabien Marks and striker Nataniel O’Leary are among those rather pissed off to find themselves relegated to the bench.
The Fans Expect: A relegation fight but eventual survival. And a happy dressing room, with a bit of luck.
Experts’ ratings: Tracker Edwards (10), Lloyd Donnelly (9), Tom McIndoe (Ah, iwwer fin will ate listed, bu’ thar prepper midi ocrener.)

Turks’ Club of Khatib (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/khatib.html#Turks.E2.80.99_Club_of_Khatib): Hill – Jordan, McDonald, Scalzi, Zois – Sellami, Le Monde, Pezzoni (c), Hutton – Bradley, Pi.
Coach: Felipo Curana, aka the other Kura-Pellandi boss.
Nickname(s): Turks’ Club, TurksKT, Turks and anything else on that them bar Turkish.
Stadium: Khatib Together Stadium, in Khatib-Gassett (cap. 27,044) (http://i9.tinypic.com/8fe4g3p.png)
Details: The debate over who’s C&M’s number three club will rage forever more, but Turks’ Club believe that their smaller stadium is the only thing separating them from that identity. Never ones to miss a good fad, the board have brought in a Kura-Pellandi manager and club captain Giorgio Pezzoni has been joined by two of his countrymen. That they happen to be arguably the league’s best ‘keeper Stephen Hill and the fairy-footed Xavier Le Monde has raised hopes among fans, though Curana’s domestic choices – including CandelariaAM’s Andrew Bradley, Radyukevich’s Matthew Sellami and MarquezOW’s Lucas Scalzi – have hardly set pulses racing.
Good Bench Players: It will be interesting to see if Curana cares for the club’s kids more than his predecessor Williamson. Inventive midfielders William Williams and Mandla Nxele are the stand-outs, though 17-year-old left-footer Ishmael Dolphin deserves a mention for being called Ishmael Dolphin.
The Fans Expect: An initial struggle, ending in safety and genuine hope for XXVIII.
Experts’ ratings: Tracker Edwards (8), Lloyd Donnelly (6), Tom McIndoe (Door carses an now Ms. Tak.)

Arrigo Portuguese (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/arrigo.html#Football): Sobers – Burgos, Trumble (c), Zebramawi, Ganaha – Carocha, James, Lauren, Belling – Cvecej, Brightmore.
Coach: Jay Zabojnik, progressive young former top-level striker let down by his enormous nose.
Nickname(s): Portuguese, the Hueva
Stadium: Estadio Arrigo Nacional, in Arrigo (cap. 44,123) (http://i24.tinypic.com/mt4ajl.png)
Details: Hailing from C&M’s second city, Portuguese are consistent underachievers, but finally look to be developing a squad capable of challenging. Wing-swapping wingers Iain Belling and Cortez Carocha are key, with the Zwangzugian amazon Ursula Lauren watching their back. Joe James has joined from Turks’ Club with everything to prove, and the defence looks solid if far from intimidating. The retirement of Steven Fritz is a big loss, but skinny Kirby Brightmore was among the goals last year and Djabgor Cvecej looks a useful lump, even if he was only signed ‘cos of his name.
Good Bench Players: Giacomo Delgado, Alfie André, Frankie Ramos and the other players who got them up into the top flight are still hanging about, but watch out for twinkle-toesed right-left-central-midfielder-come-striker Jamie González, a teenager with the reputation of the club’s youth system on his shoulders.
The Fans Expect: To be a slightly more restrained version of Green Island, and possible title challengers.
Experts’ ratings: Tracker Edwards (5), Lloyd Donnelly (6), Tom McIndoe (A bitter brill yunca bitter meh… To parf, thor.)

Candelaria-Allemali FC (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/allemali.html): Marpleson – Tullier, Mårtensson, Rockey, Mazzeo (c) – Downe, Bornemann, Mengucci, Pipes – Thadope, Smith.
Coach: Giles Walton, a studious, shivering little man hidden behind a vast pair of glasses.
Nickname(s): CandelariaAM, the Shining Sons, the Mariners
Stadium: Hallowfield Park (The Clifton Sausage Company Arena), in Allemali (cap. 29,876) (http://i15.tinypic.com/8ekqpmx.png)
Details: The fans have never gotten on with the board, and they may well prove correct over the decision to bring in Walton from Marbles. The Jeruselemite pair aside, this is a real collection of mediocrity. Chrissando Rockey arrives from McDonald Sports to partner Boston Mårtensson, but that won’t put the proverbial willies up anyone, while Stephen Smith was let go by KT Hotspur largely on his injury record and looks a far from adequate replacement for Bradley. The midfield at least has some class with Connor Mengucci and Joey Pipes, but pundits remain divided on their future.
Good Bench Players: None? What’s most worrying for their hopes this time is the utter lack of depth. Defender Archie Dubicki, veteran midfielder Archer Cannon and lively young forward Michael Sisson can all do a job, but in what division?
The Fans Expect: The fans probably wouldn’t be that upset with relegation, in all honesty, and a chance to boot out the current set of owners, but Thadope and Downe should provide enough quality.
Experts’ ratings: Tracker Edwards (9), Lloyd Donnelly (13), Tom McIndoe (Neee-oorrrr… Crrrr…. Bumb! Bag nim, bid sisson.)

Radyukevich Clotaire Sports Club (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/clotaire.html): Kilad – Krstev, Virta, Hurston, Min – Wilson, Eriksson, Osim (c) – Tanzani, Burridge – Stromberg.
Coach: Vincent Peluso, aka Big Vinny, a huge ex-defender known for his endless stream of invective against any social minority you care to name (apart from Italians, obviously). Like a genuinely offensive version of Chris Moyles.
Nickname(s): Radyukevich, the Jukos, the lilacs, the pigmen.
Stadium: Hilltop Stadium, in Clotaire (cap. 31,093) (http://i3.tinypic.com/6tc9c79.png)
Details: They were up there with the capital clubs in most peoples’ eyes at the start of XXV, but after a dire XXVI their aims are rather more modest. Peluso’s expected Christmas tree will feature the versatile Carroll Eriksson from Castillo, surplus-to-requirement-but-much-coveted-cross-machine Jackson Tanzani from Albrecht FC and another former Scorpion, Alex Stromberg, up front. With Dean Wilson and Almir Osim also in midfield it won’t be fun to watch, but relegation shouldn’t be an issue this time around.
Good Bench Players: Pablo López and Jamie Rawlinson have remained at the club to challenge Stromberg despite overtures from elsewhere, and 20-year-old defender Warren Crochemore could challenge the Kura-Pellandi Steve Hurston if he gets off to another shocker.
The Fans Expect: Radyukevich supporters are some of the most lively and, frankly, weird in the league; and seem to believe that this gives them the right to expect the world every season. When their not releasing pigs, they’ll be putting Peluso under pressure make no mistake.
Experts’ ratings: Tracker Edwards (6), Lloyd Donnelly (5), Tom McIndoe (Bunja silf absess pan zees. Cra passover, theel striggle – merk mew erds!)

Caires Sports Club: Halford – Naylor, Bensahnoun, Jansson, Phelps – LeCass, Wiedemann, Freitas (c) – Ashby, Cole, French.
Coach: Macario Ayoví, another larger-than-life type, who recovered from condemning Cathedral City to relegation to bring the Knights up with ease.
Nickname(s): Caires Sports, CSC, the Knights.
Stadium: Kalta Online Dome, in Caires (cap. 38,838) (http://i8.tinypic.com/8ellkjd.png)
Details: Likely to change things around a bit and adopt a 4-3-3, the CSC are never-the-less many people’s favourites for relegation despite winning division two. The fear is that the triumvirate of Luke Cole, Archer French and their elder colleague Ashley Ashby simply aren’t top-flight quality, while tricky winger Rockdale LeCass has a great name but little else. That Bo’Selected to come to Caires is a boon, but even young Phelps cannot save a sub-par looking defence.
Good Bench Players: Midfielder Charlie Diack may bring his experience to the first team, but kids like striker Oran Baron and leggy defender Harris Matthews are just along for the ride.
The Fans Expect: Promotion perhaps came to soon for the Knights, despite the size of the club, and they suspect that relegation will be tough to avoid.
Experts’ ratings: Tracker Edwards (16), Lloyd Donnelly (16), Tom McIndoe (Naah, thill beef ine! Ol’ Makky-A’s gone tea sippriz afra pepple, ah reck own.)

Cathedral City (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/el_din.html#Football): Yaqué – Ortiz, Hall (c), Silva de Aviz – Shelton, Murch, Robson – Jerez, Taffarel, Folgueira – Ozi-Mayer.
Coach: Charlie Cunningham, the handsome blond uncle of Albrecht FC’s Joe. He’s relegated a couple of clubs in his career, but third time’s the charm.
Nickname(s): Cathedral, Catedral, the Cats.
Stadium: La Neuva Decimotercia, in El din (cap. 27,227) (http://i1.tinypic.com/86pe1pk.png)
Details: It’s been described as a 3-3-3-1, and is just as widthless as it sounds. Still, it worked in division two and Teddy Ozi-Meyer is a far more threatening prospect for defenders than Edward Moschopoulos. Young Russell Jobson is an unknown quantity still after his move from KT Hotspur, but waltzing winger Kurt Folgueira could prove the revelation of the CMSC in XXVII.
Good Bench Players: Moschopoulos and second striker Andrew Muambe are veterans of the Cats’ last campaign, while Robinson Zarapov is a talented young goalkeeper who should force Carlos Yaqué out of the side in time.
The Fans Expect: To beat El din Marbles in the first El din derby for years. And then relegation, in all honesty.
Experts’ ratings: Tracker Edwards (15), Lloyd Donnelly (14), (Eh-he-he, Cumminghan do sit agin!)

Abiodun’s Gamboan Club (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/abiodun.html#Gamboa_FC): Matthews – Armstrong, Young (c), Knight, Price – Ask, Lewis, Ledor, Dobson – Katic, Castelão.
Coach: Andrew Duffy, a nice normal gentlemen with normally proportioned facial features. Clearly not cut out to be a football manager.
Nickname(s): Gamboa FC, Gamboa.
Stadium: Wallpark Road, in Abiodun (cap. 30,092) (http://i11.tinypic.com/6jote3a.png)
Details: Once upon a time, and not so many years ago at that, Gamboa looked to be the only side capable of breaking Albrecht FC’s monopoly with a mixture of their own great resources and an excellent selection of kids. They may have scraped up only by the skin of their teeth and bring a eye-wateringly pedestrian 4-4-2, but they look the best equipped of the newcomers to stay up. Sam Young has returned to his boyhood club from Albrecht FC to partner the Kura-Pellandi (duh) Clayton Knight, while the strike force of veteran returning old boy Rusty Katic and the Cafundulense Sargento Castelão has real promise. Murphy Matthews is still clearly a first division goalkeeper despite his exile from Albrecht, while Gamboa have a teen hero of their own in the form of innovative little Austin Lewis.
Good Bench Players: Big Tony Thorpe essentially got them up single-handedly, but it past it at 33. They have youngsters with names like George, Casper and Hugo however, as well as the man that makes the KT Hotspur ‘There’s only one Nic Noble’ chant rather redundant; centre-half Nick Noble.
The Fans Expect: God knows. They prefer not to talk to, ugh, journalists.
Experts’ ratings: Tracker Edwards (11), Lloyd Donnelly (12), Tom McIndoe (Cannae Stan Dem. Hop the gee strat bic den.)

Vephrall

13-01-2008, 19:41

VTF1750 - Cintrin A Preview

The proud tradition continues, as the Vephraller Tririsec e Foutbill prepares to launch its 141st season.

But it's a slightly altered tradition. Since the league began play in 1610, the VTF has completely disallowed any foreign players. In recent years, a few Vephrallers have departed the league in favor of other nations, most notably Cafundéu, but the VTF has remained 100 percent Vephrese from the start. However, on 12 January 1750 the VTF's board of directors voted to remove this barrier and allow entry of foreign players into the league.

The restrictions for each team are:
No more than 5 foreign players total
No more than 2 players from outside Atlantian Oceania

The first foreign entries will be allowed during the 1751 pre-season transfer window in January (OOC: Wednesday 23 January). Note that transfer windows occur every January (OOC: every 12 days).

National team players listed in bold

Ammites FE: T. Umsaasad (D R), W. Rutako (M L)
Manager: Meniarol Minanad
Location: Netlas, Sumbobor
Previous finish: 7th
Outlook: 1749 was a bit disappointing for Ammites, who saw their first finish outside the top five since the relegation scare of 1737. They won titles in '41 and '44, but seem to have been on a slow decline since then.
Predicted finish: 6th

DFE Anhenir: (no national team players)
Manager: Frireng Prarbens
Location: Anhenir, Dettune
Previous finish: 3rd, Cintrin B (promoted)
Outlook: Until recently a consistent mid-table Cintrin B club, they managed to make the push for promotion in '49. Most experts believe that City will enjoy exactly one season in the top flight.
Predicted finish: 20th (relegated)

Boalluns FE: D. Ponten (MRC)
Manager: Coteskais Doshese
Location: Gontarthe, Shentarong
Previous finish: 4th
Outlook: A fairly consistent top-half club that suffered from a slightly poor showing in 1748. They've rebounded well and will probably be in the top five again.
Predicted finish: 5th

Bumpoogra FE: (no national team players)
Manager: Cliriputed Persas
Location: Fekliir, Riestre
Previous finish: 9th
Outlook: These guys were perennial relegation candidates a few years ago, but their fortunes have turned for the better lately. Expect another mid-table finish.
Predicted finish: 12th

Custler FE: A. Gackbang (DC)
Manager: Mantlom Maleneds
Location: Custles, Calamen
Previous finish: 17th
Outlook: They saved themselves from relegation by just three points last year, largely as a result of being plagued by injuries. They'll be looking for slightly higher ground this time.
Predicted finish: 13th

Daazyiles OC: (no national team players)
Manager: Recasang Tesaire
Location: Mersira, Bektys
Previous finish: 15th
Outlook: Relative newcomers to the top flight, Daazyiles seem to have proven they can survive...but that's about it.
Predicted finish: 17th

FE Dranacess: (no national team players)
Manager: Ocilla Going
Location: Meice, Bektys
Previous finish: 1st, Cintrin B (promoted)
Outlook: Dranacess came out on top in the tight Cintrin B title race last year, but will they be good enough to compete at the next level? Many say the gap is just too great.
Predicted finish: 18th (relegated)

Fekler FE: (no national team players)
Manager: Cilleng Hahnea
Location: Fekliir, Riestre
Previous finish: 2nd, Cintrin B (promoted)
Outlook: This may be the club that's named after the city, but it's probably going to be Bumpoogra that brings the bigger glory to Fekliir this year. Just like the other two promotions from Cintrin B, this one isn't expected to last long.
Predicted finish: 19th (relegated)

Huellim FE: P. Fihor (M L)
Manager: Dotsmens Mocks
Location: Fekliir, Riestre
Previous finish: 11th
Outlook: It seems that Fekliir is the unofficial footballing capital of Vephrall; we're not even halfway down the list and we're already on the third club from that city. There's really not much to say about Huellim other than that their offense could use some work. Look for them to stay right where they are in mid-table.
Predicted finish: 11th

Knoleier FE: P. Scezes (DM C)
Manager: Rhoetang Dotsmens, former Vephrall national team assistant manager
Location: Knolees, Shentarong
Previous finish: 5th
Outlook: Knolees' namesake football club has been among the elite for well over a century, with league championships dating back to 1613. Can they win another title this year? Some say yes.
Predicted finish: 2nd

Merpisms CE: (no national team players)
Manager: Irupe Handbosm
Location: Flaarickug, Shentarong
Previous finish: 8th
Outlook: They have an explosive attack and a pretty good defense, too, but somehow they can never manage to get it working well enough to pull themselves up out of mid-table.
Predicted finish: 9th

Mylfe CE: (no national team players)
Manager: Ebrulefa Wilopteere
Location: Netlas, Sumbobor
Previous finish: 12th
Outlook: A solid top-half team that got off to a slow start last year and couldn't really recover. We don't think they'll make that mistake again.
Predicted finish: 8th

Oillid CE: O. Shuke (GK), M. Sads (D R)
Manager: Soscren Ocilla
Location: Gontarthe, Shentarong
Previous finish: 14th
Outlook: They've been a mid-table team for as long as anyone can remember, recently tending toward the lower reaches of that zone. That inertia will be hard to overcome.
Predicted finish: 14th

Penuler OC: (no national team players)
Manager: Edroklis Einy
Location: Penuls, Riestre
Previous finish: 10th
Outlook: POC simply have to fill the holes in their leaky defense if they want any chance of success this year.
Predicted finish: 10th

Poikimitagiin FE: (no national team players)
Manager: Sperobis Wilopteere, Vephrall national team midfielder WC36-37
Location: Penuls, Riestre
Previous finish: 2nd
Outlook: After a while in mid-table, Poiki exploded onto the scene in 1746 with a third-place finish and have finished either second or third every season since. Even more incredibly, they've done it without a single player on the national team squad! What Poiki lacks in superstars, it makes up for with rock-solid teamwork and general good play all around. One of the strongest title contenders this year.
Predicted finish: 1st

Sichisers OB: (no national team players)
Manager: Claspung Pochue
Location: Tuffir, Shentarong
Previous finish: 1st
Outlook: The newest champions of the VTF are losing a few key players, which could impact their chances of defending the title.
Predicted finish: 3rd

Spoantects CE: (no national team players)
Manager: Persas Gaicass
Location: Penuls, Riestre
Previous finish: 6th
Outlook: Another strong top-half team, but not quite good enough to challenge the elite.
Predicted finish: 7th

Stestrenas OC: R. Claspung (M RC), C. Spelaad (F C)
Manager: Solivasas Hesaramba
Location: Gloem, Shentarong
Previous finish: 13th
Outlook: Despite the presence of two current Vephrese national team players, the fact is they really have nothing else going for them. Nobody can get the ball to Spelaad to allow him to score, and the defense is nothing to write home about either. Some say they may have an outside chance at the drop.
Predicted finish: 15th

Stithis FE: C. Sperobis (M RLC), E. Solivasas (AM RLC)
Manager: Speocacks Scunt
Location: Knolees, Shentarong
Previous finish: 16th
Outlook: These guys are very good at maintaining possession. The problem is, they don't tend to do much with it. Stithis also is highly susceptible to counter-attacks when they do lose the ball.
Predicted finish: 16th

Terabits CE: S. Wismalies (AM R)
Manager: Ponten Gaicass
Location: Defae, Salle
Previous finish: 3rd
Outlook: Terabits has a relatively old squad compared with the rest of Cintrin A. But what these older players may lack in speed, they make up for with experience.
Predicted finish: 4th

Elves Security Forces

14-01-2008, 08:59

Valanora Express
Forward Progress

Following yet another hotly contested season that saw quite a few surprises in all three leagues and a surprise run from Hondo in the Silver Cup, we once again have entered the short off season period. Clubs will be looking to bolster their ranks and get prepared for another grueling season. However, this off season has been started with a bang, as the Raynor, Swent, and Swift families have each donated 1,000,000 silver coins (approx. US$50 billion) to help fund new clubs to get the domestic league to a more acceptable structure. Using these new funds, the domestic league can now boast 100 clubs, up from just 47 previously, and now a 5 division with 20 teams a division set up. Whilst this has temporarily put the regional teams non-eligable to enter the professional ranks, the VFA and VSC promise to make them eligable again within the next three seasons.

Moving on from that, it's clear that the world has taken notice of the elite footballers being produced here in the ESF as Kareen FC's Lucas Hearts has already been transferred away to Kura-Pellandi side Porterbridge City, while Raynor City stikers Manny Kili and Kile Shu have also been approached. While it is the perogative of the VFA to keep as much of the domestic talent at home as possible, it shows the respect from the foriegn community of their evaluation of our talent. In addition, with the growing number of foriegners gracing our clubs, it brings a freshness to the league and adds some flavor that having only domestic and regional talent can not. These next few seasons shall be interesting and quite enjoyable if things continue to progress as they have the last four seasons.

Transferlisted
GK Efeirn Ace, age 753, Raynor City Rockers (M)
GK Kevin Nelmes, age 834, Monaven Breakers (M)
GK Loras Carl Michael, age 732, Hartdale Hawks (F)
GK Travis Neil, age 632, FC Longview (M)
LB Kristi Mars, age 892, Mar Sara Flames (F)
RB Rio Perrin, age 784, Char Sara Inferno (M)
CB Kris Consmith, age 632, FC Longview (M)
CB Kati Venus, age 700, Hondo Owls (F)
CB Krin Legoan, age 702, Baysleef Bombers (M)
MC Vanessa Dallows, age 546, Wexax United (F)
MC San Fernad, age 604, Juavi Reds (M)
RLC/M Ali Jokinen, age 409, Kareen FC (M)
AM RL Sven Ostiken, age 673, Kareen FC (M)
RW Rosario Mendez, age 891, Hartdale Hawks (F)
LW Zany Ataman, age 693, Kareen FC (M)
FC Brenda Lee, age 701, Gladerial Twilight (F)
FC Pablo Trini, age 593, Straightdale FC (M)
FC Cleo Fu, age 793, Baysleef Bombers (F)
FC Egypt Claire, age 678, Wexax United (F)
FC Deuce Zadora, age 749, Kareen FC (M)

Article by Ron Santapa

Kura-Pelland

24-01-2008, 12:57

http://i13.tinypic.com/6s7hw87.png
And so we're away. The last action of the transfer window - its time dependent upon some very confusing application of time-dilation - was a swap deal which sent Bryan Withers away from Curzek Rovers to be replaced by Siestanin Mantlom of Vephrese club Ammites FE, who was struggling for first-team football ahead of national team player Wendelors Rutako. It is the first cross-Vircais transfer ever, remarkable given how many such deals have taken place between Kura-Pellandi and Candelariasian clubs. Mantlom will fill in the left side of Curzek's midfield diamond, and adds valuable experience to the side. Ryan Di Mambro, often vaunted as the rational replacement for Withers, may have to wait, but being notably younger than Mantlom his time will come.

Matchday One: Home is where the heart is - but not for Trilan

One thing was remarkable about the first day of the new-look Corganen Championship; every goalscorer was Kura-Pellandi. That would have been plain normal three years ago, what with there being no foreigners in the league, but such has been the emergence lately of stars like Ramiro Novo and Bilú at Parwood City that one would generally expect at least one of those two to score, or failing that someone else. To quote Toy Story - 'not today, Zerg!'

The closest anyone came was in the first Lake Branagh derby of the season at Walton Park, when Zachary Pinkowski's cross-shot from just wide of the corner of the penalty area hit the far post, and the rebound was tucked away by Manuel Alfonso in what proved to be the only goal against Marthley Rovers. Alfonso came on only as a substitute as Matthew Tortini opted for effectively a 4-3-2-1 with Holyoake and Pinkowski on the wings. He called it a 4-3-3, critics called it a 4-5-1, and to be honest the latter was right. The sacrifice of Tommy Gallagher to form a 4-4-2 proved instantly successful against a dreadfully dull but defensively solid Marthley, and the 79th-minute winner was warranted.

It wasn't just newly-promoted Marthley who shut up shop against the big guns. Deportivo del Arapucera did it too, playing five at the back against United Trilan. In fairness, United Trilan were playing an even more defensive 5-4-1, as if to say that they were going to steal Harrington Lakeside's thunder as the new most defensive team in Kura-Pelland. The first league match ever to take place in the Shanvley Stadium ended goalless, Depor were frankly the better side, and Trilan's odds of winning the title have lengthened dramatically already, from 9/4 to 4/1.

The new title favourites are Parwood City, who have gone from 3/1 to 11/4 after edging out Grayton City Wolves in the opening match of the season, a made-for-telly lunchtime kickoff. But lawks, who'd have thought Denny Eleifo would be the first goalscorer of the season? He came on in the 65th minute to enliven a match that the Wolves were controlling with stifling defensive work, with not one but two holding midfielders, and eight minutes later he had a goal out of nothing, a speculative 25-yard left-foot strike that took a slight deflection that took it past Fedde Jeffrey and in off the post. It was harsh on the Wolves, but the new implication is that Parwood City have added toughness to their flair, whereas United Trilan now have neither.

That's certainly true of Sorbridge Soccer Storm. Filipo Curana would be forgiven for watching smugly as his former side squandered a 1-0 lead at home to Murley City - precisely the kind of side that the Storm were once compared to and seemingly weren't now - by conceding two late goals, the second an injury-time goal from a corner scored by centre-back Kirk Warner after a massive blunder from Ray Winkett, bought in to replace Stephen Hill.

Two sides looking to exploit that weakness in the incumbent 'best of the rest' are Prangren Greens and Curzek Rovers, and it was the former who came out on top, as (you guessed it) new Vephrese midfielder Mantlom was dreadful, local striker Chris Chenoweth scored two first-half goals, and Curzek only looked dangerous when home-grown Ryan Di Mambro came on in the 75th minute. Far too late, he scored four minutes from time but the Greens held on.

Truly, this was a great day for Kura-Pellandi football. Not a great day for the league, with just eighteen goals in nine games (and the only team to concede three were Porterbridge City, 3-1 to Yarzoya FC, so maybe it was a great day for the league after all), but with so many foreigners off-colour and several home-grown players shining...

Summing up the day was AS Assiri's opening-day win at Northenden, 2-0 against AFC Neegera with both goals coming from 16-year-old local Norbert Fiero skinning Candelariasian defender Yosgart Flores with ease.

In the other games, Achorpe Rovers got their safety bid to the right start with a volleyed late winner from Dean Menzel fit for the TV cameras (good thing it was televised then), while FC Bargoiten got three points from the long trip to Helma through a Daniel Dillimer header.

THE SCORES
Achorpe Rovers 2 Club Virling 1 (Anstee 9, Menzel 89; Celerano 55) [Sun 1800 on Plus10]
AS Assiri 2 AFC Neegera 0 (Fiero 12, 29)
FC Helma 1495 0 FC Bargoiten 1 (Dillimer 55)
Harrington Lakeside 1 Marthley Rovers 0 (Alfonso 79) [Saturday 1715 on PBS5]
Parwood City 1 Grayton City Wolves 0 (Eleifo 73) [Saturday 1215 on Plus10]
Porterbridge City 1 Yarzoya FC 3 (Niedermeyer 50; Urquhart 9, Jaquin 43, Philips 76)
Prangren Greens 2 Curzek Rovers 1 (Chenoweth 12, 40; Di Mambro 86)
Sorbridge Soccer Storm 1 Murley City 2 (Spyrides 4; O'Hurley 81, Warner 90) [Monday 1945 on Super6]
United Trilan 0 Deportivo del Arapucera 0

Matchday Two: KangaToast so got out at the right time

It doesn't get duller than this. No fewer than four out of nine Championship matches finished goalless, and of the thirteen goals that were scored, no fewer than five were in one game. And even that was the Sunday afternoon game, the debut for NTV1's new-look graphics and music and stuff.

That match was Marthley Rovers v Porterbridge City. An intriguing derby with more spice than quality, this might have fit PBS5 better to be honest. But it was NTV who picked it first, and boy are they ever glad. The wealthy Porterbridge took a sixth-minute lead at Marthley's soon-to-be-demolished ground courtesy of Harold Niedermeyer's 30-yard piledriver, and when the Valanoran Lucas Hearts scored a diving header just before half-time it looked as though the most unpopular club in the country were going to waltz to victory.

Enter Eric Bubua.

Utterly written off at the start of the season, he took it upon himself to prove a point. In the 59th minute, a speculative long shot looped over Chocen and the fans started to dream again. In the 79th minute, a poor pass by Teddy Vax of all people set Bubua free in space, and he duly slotted home in a one-on-one situation to level the game and probably come close to levelling the ground's dodgy roof. In the 89th minute, he was bought down in a heap by, er, Heap, and the referee gave a penalty. It was saved, but only because Chocen had left his goal line before the kick was taken. The retake was ordered, the crowd were as loud as can be possible in a crumbling 14,500-seat stadium... the penalty went in off the post.

The number of fans here believing this was divine intervention makes one suspect the Morality Party are going to thrive in Marthley in impending elections...

The other games with goals; Yarzoya FC trailed to a magical lob from Iain Dean Menzel (who has taken to using both his first and middle names for no discernible reason) for over an hour before Alessio Montano showed his worth by setting up Justin Urquhart for the equaliser and six minutes later scoring the winner himself; that made him the first Candelariasian to score in the league this season, but the first foreigner was Parwood City's Cafundeuse star Bilú with a game-winning 25-yard free kick to sink Deportivo del Arapucera; Grayton City Wolves won an important match for 'best of the rest' 2-0 at home to Prangren Greens courtesy of excellent strikes from Steve Jackson and Peter Gore; finally, FC Helma 1495 defeated a woeful Curzek Rovers by the same score, and there is a huge clamour for Ryan Di Mambro to replace Mantlom already. Or for anyone who will do that to become the new manager.

Now for the nil-nils. Harrington Lakeside away to anyone, no shock, and Tortini has resorted to type and will be unpopular for it. Storm at Bargoiten, that'd be a clash of styles that the Storm won, and they'll take that as a point gained after their opening-day loss. Club Virling against AS Assiri, well that was always going to be dull. But for AFC Neegera to hold United Trilan to a 0-0 in front of the cameras has to count as a massive shock, and already the club's manager James Broten is under huge pressure. A goal-line clearance in the last minute by Yosgart Flores proved critical, and Neegera could not have dreamt of responding to losing to AS Assiri better than this.

All this leaves Parwood City and Yarzoya FC already clear at the top, the only teams with two wins out of two, and in the case of the former both of them were atypical 1-0s. Is this the year the league destroys itself by exposing its inadequacies to the world more than ever before? It is beginning to look it...

AFC Neegera 0 United Trilan 0 [Monday 1945 on Super6]
Club Virling 0 AS Assiri 0
Curzek Rovers 0 FC Helma 1495 2 (Tensen 59, Schipma 85)
Deportivo del Arapucera 0 Parwood City 1 (Bilú 45)
FC Bargoiten 0 Sorbridge Soccer Storm 0
Grayton City Wolves 2 Prangren Greens 0 (Jackson 5, Gore 55)
Marthley Rovers 3 Porterbridge City 2 (Bubua 59, 79, pen 90+3; Niedermeyer 6, Hearts 44) [Sunday 1545 on NTV1]
Murley City 0 Harrington Lakeside 0
Yarzoya FC 2 Achorpe Rovers 1 (Urquhart 69, Montano 75; Menzel 8)

Matchday Three: Flood follows drought and even Lakeside join in

To say the least, the TV networks messed up royally on this set of matches. Who picked the Achorpe-Marthley match, which was notable only for the fact that Achorpe defender Ben Wilkinson scored an own goal in the 51st minute only to respond by scoring at the right end eight minutes later? Oh, NTV1, in their infinite wisdom. Don't say there was nothing else to pick, on this day alone there was Parwood-Neegera and that had goalfest written all over it. Sure enough, it led the way on a goal-crazy Saturday afternoon in which six 3pm kickoffs produced no goalless draws and a crazy 21 goals.

Six of those 21 were at Barkham Park Stadium, and for a while it seemed as though Parwood were to be humbled at home as they fell 2-0 down by half-time through two classic examples of the little-and-large strike partnership; big Wayne Harcef's flick-on was chased by little Chris Corderman and chipped past Timothy Acalet for the opener, then just before the break Corderman's cross was headed in by Harcef at the far post. Fans were booing, two changes were made, and both substitutes - Bilú and Eleifo, replacing Kirklees and Teacen respectively - scored to level the game. when Ramiro Novo made it 3-2 with ten minutes left that seemed it, but Eleifo was sent off in the 89th minute, and then in the third minute of stoppage time the Candelariasian centre-back Yosgart Flores nodded home a Corderman corner to make it 3-3. It's Parwood's first dropped points of the season.

Indeed nobody has a 100% record now, as Yarzoya FC were involved in a not-dissimilar match against Club Virling. Taking the lead through another Justin Urquhart goal (the clamour for him to join the national team is growing now), only for Toni Elphin to level early in the second half and Harry Celerano scored what appeared to be the winner in the 89th minute. It wasn't; substitute striker Ali Furani scored a 30-yard stoppage-time stunner to keep Yarzoya top.

Those who counted out United Trilan after two deadly dull stalemates were fools; in the early kickoff they ate AS Assiri for lunch with three first-half goals, two in four minutes for Graham Woburn, and they are only two points off the top now. Those who thought Harrington Lakeside had reverted to type were fools also; their response to conceding a second-minute goal at home to FC Bargoiten was to be leading before the quarter-hour mark, thanks to two stunning goals from imported duo Morales and Giovanni. Then they did revert to type, a counter-attack in the 88th minute proving just about the only other chance of the game, and one that led to the clincher from Giovanni.

In the other 3pm games, Grayton City Wolves got three points from the long trip to Helma courtesy of a Steve Jackson penalty; Porterbridge City got the win few wanted them to, a double from the Valanoran striker Hearts proving sufficient to sweep past Murley City; and Prangren Greens edged past Depor at home with early Chenoweth and Sammons goals, Rex Sandstrom's debut goal in first-half stoppage time not triggering a second-half surge.

Perhaps the pick of the week, at least for mayhem, was the Saturday evening game between Sorbridge Soccer Storm and Curzek Rovers. Both managers were under pressure, reflected in a first half so cagey it was horrific viewing, enlivened only by four bookings. Pete Spyrides' header from a corner four minutes into the second half bought the match to life, and both sides were reduced to ten men just before the hour when Curley was bought down on the edge of the box from behind by Chris Boakes, the referee awarded a penalty and sent Boakes off, and in the resultant melee Ryan di Mambro - starting ahead of Mantlom - was sent off as well. Rickstrand eventually put away the penalty.

The controversy didn't end there. In the first minute of injury time, Mantlom scored his first goal in Kura-Pelland almost completely by accident, a left-footed cross that looped straight in off the far post. That looked it, but then Spyrides tripped in the box, a ludicrous penalty was given, goalkeeper Byrne was sent off for punching the referee, out-of-substitutes Rovers had to put Kelly in goal, he saved it, but the ball was apparently not on its spot. The retake went in, and Kelly himself was sent off for swearing at the referee. Mercifully the final whistle blew, but after such excitement earlier in the day for all the right reasons, is this the incident - live on national TV - that undermines the popularity of football, especially with cricket surging in appeal?

Achorpe Rovers 1 Marthley Rovers 1 (Wilkinson 59; Wilkinson og 51) [Sunday 1545 on NTV1]
FC Helma 1495 0 Grayton City Wolves 1 (Jackson pen 69)
Harrington Lakeside 3 FC Bargoiten 1 (Morales 8, Giovanni 13, 88; Ailron 2)
Parwood City 3 AFC Neegera 3 (Bilú 59, Eleifo 73, Novo 80; Corderman 12, Harcef 41, Flores 90+3)
Porterbridge City 2 Murley City 1 (Hearts 12 and 58; O'Hurley 45+2)
Prangren Greens 2 Deportivo del Arapucera 1 (Chenoweth 9, Sammons 29; Sandstrom 45+1)
Sorbridge Soccer Storm 2 Curzek Rovers 2 (Spyrides 49, pen 90+5; Rickstrand pen 59, Mantlom 90+1) [Saturday 1715 on PBS5]
United Trilan 3 AS Assiri 0 (Ibbetson 15, Woburn 40 and 43) [Saturday 1215 on Plus10]
Yarzoya FC 2 Club Virling 2 (Urquhart 20, Furani 90+1; Elphin 48, Celerano 89)

Matchday Four: The maddest day in Kura-Pellandi football history

32 goals in nine games, the Big Three all losing, Harrington Lakeside conceding four... this was the day all common sense was lost from the league.

There'll be calls for Matthew Tortini's head already for sanctioning the sale of practically the entire Lakeside defence; the new-look back four looked so good with one goal conceded in three games, but against Curzek Rovers they conceded two goals in ten minutes. Two Mantlom through balls, two embarrassing mistakes from Morris Gardner at the back, two one-on-one positions for Peter Jinera, two goals.

Harrington Lakeside don't know how to play in that situation. They shut up shop, hoped for another goal against the run of play, and got one handed to them on a plate, a hopeless clearance from Dom Byrne in goal going straight to Morales, who basically couldn't miss. And didn't. When Gardner headed in a corner to make it 2-2 on the stroke of half-time, all seemed fine. But in the second half the defence imploded again, and Mantlom completed a hat-trick of assists with a cross that Oscar Curley just got his head to, causing the ball to loop over Walsh and in off the post. Morales hit the post in the 83rd minute, and two minutes later yet another Mantlom cross went inadvertently straight in, misjudged horribly by Walsh.

Fortunately for Tortini, the giants of the west were on the end of even more humiliating defeats. United Trilan had the lead at Club Virling for over an hour after taking a 19th-minute lead from Danny Ibbeton's free-kick, but two late goals from substitute striker Jean Lascelles sealed just about the biggest shock home win this league can offer.

Two days later on the telly, a bigger one. AS Assiri were not expected to stand a chance even at home against Parwood City of all people. 16-year-old Norbert Fiero doesn't know how to play down to expectations, and within half an hour he had two goal-of-the-season candidates - first beating three defenders with outrageous stepovers before sliding the ball into the bottom corner, then lobbing Timothy Acalet from 35 yards. Ten minutes after half-time, a brilliant one-two with substitute midfielder Keith Heporano, a stunning side-step round substitute 'defender' Manuel Nontero, and a nonchalant sidefooted shot for 3-0 and insanity. The game petered out when Fiero left, but the point had been well and truly made in front of a huge television audience - this is a prodigious talent.

The other matches weren't bad either. Deportivo del Arapucera and FC Helma 1495 served up a Saturday night stunner; the Hispanic side twice threw away a lead against their opponents from the Dutch-speaking Noorde region before being handed victory on a plate by a horrific own goal by Wem Wursheling three minutes from time. AFC Neegera and Prangren Greens shared the spoils in a game that could easily have finished with a much higher score than 1-1 but for some great saves; the only goals were from the penalty spot, Corderman and Chenoweth delivering. Grayton City Wolves and Sorbridge Soccer Storm scrapped it out for an hour in the Battle Of The Three Word Team Names before Zenny Zelham produced two goals as remarkable as his name to kill the game off in four minutes, a 30-yard free-kick and a 25-yard volley. Achorpe Rovers came back from behind to win at Murley City, Liam Marling scoring the equaliser then setting up the winner for Iain Dean Menzel. FC Bargoiten, meanwhile, picked up a hugely popular 5-1 home win against Porterbridge City, with five different players on the scoresheet including substitute midfielder Jani Quiezan.

But it's Yarzoya FC who now have a clear position atop the Championship table, as on-fire Justin Urquhart scored twice to unlock the mean Marthley Rovers defence.

AFC Neegera 1 Prangren Greens 1 (Corderman pen 50; Chenoweth pen 29)
AS Assiri 3 Parwood City 0 (Fiero 18, 29 and 55) [Monday 1945 on Super6]
Club Virling 2 United Trilan 1 (Lascelles 82, 89; Ibbetson 19)
Curzek Rovers 4 Harrington Lakeside 2 (Jinera 5 and 9, Curley 53, Mantlom 85; Morales 29, Gardner 45+1)
Deportivo del Arapucera 3 FC Helma 1495 2 (Pinto 21, Sandstrom 41, Wursheling og 87; Schipma 28, Elk 67) [Saturday 1800 on Plus10]
FC Bargoiten 5 Porterbridge City 1 (Ailron 19, Portland 31, Dillimer pen 49, Celebi 53, Quiezan 69; Rotheroe 34)
Grayton City Wolves 2 Sorbridge Soccer Storm 0 (Zelham 61 and 64)
Marthley Rovers 0 Yarzoya FC 2 (Urquhart 29 and 57)
Murley City 1 Achorpe Rovers 2 (O'Hurley 22; Marling 65, Menzel 78)

Matchday Five: Brilliant Bilú brings Broten the boot

United Trilan have sacked manager James Broten just five games into the season and are now looking for a replacement, almost certainly from abroad, after their dreadful start to the season culminated in an astonishing four-goal humiliation at Parwood City that leaves them on the edge of the relegation zone after just five points from five games.

The architect was the Cafundeuse striker Bilú, who is looking on superb form at present; he put the hosts in the lead with an 11th-minute 35-yard free kick that Ozzy Stefano in the Trilan goal didn't seem to even try and save, and three minutes later rounded Stefano with alarming ease to make it two and send Barkham Park Stadium into raptures. He completed his hat-trick in fittingly outrageous style by lobbing Stefano from 30 yards, before making way for Jamie Kirklees, who completed the rout from the spot after Ramiro Novo was elbowed in the box by Zachary Caparelli, who was sent off and is now set to face a very long suspension after also pushing over Kirklees. 18-year-old Alan Farrell awaits...

...16-year-old Norbert Fiero, meanwhile, is carrying AS Assiri by himself. It's alarming when any one player carries a team, but a spotty teenager? Oh please. He scored with each foot in the first half-hour, and would have had a perfect hat-trick but for having a header dubiously disallowed on the stroke of half-time, but then was dragged off with a minor injury on the hour, and suddenly his side fell apart. 'Doctor' Daniel Dillimer scored with his bald head - and that one counted - then added another from the penalty spot with his right foot four minutes later, and in injury time his left-foot mishit scuffed into the bottom corner to seal an unlikely 3-2 win for FC Bargoiten that puts them second in the table.

The early pace-setters remain Yarzoya FC, but they missed a chance to go three points clear - and fuelled plenty of claims that their moment has come and gone - when they needed an 89th-minute goal from Ben Wilkins to snatch a point at home to Murley City. Two of the big three are now just one point behind them - Parwood City after that 4-0, and Harrington Lakeside after a terribly characteristic 1-0 at home to Grayton City Wolves, who would have gone top with a win but instead slip to sixth thanks to a Morales penalty.

In the other matches, AFC Neegera became the third side out of three to make the 'long trip to Helma' (as it must be referred to always) and come back with three points, thanks to Yosgart Flores' second injury-time header in three games; Marthley Rovers ground out a stultifying 0-0 with Club Virling, the first 0-0 in the league in three weeks; Prangren Greens edged past Achorpe Rovers with a goal from Harry Withers (no relation to Bryan, who is now playing well in Vephrall); and in the battle of the two longest team names in the league, Sorbridge Soccer Storm sunk sullenly to the bottom of the table as Deportivo del Arapucera beat them 1-0 with a Rex Sandstrom header.

AS Assiri 2 FC Bargoiten 3 (Fiero 16 and 29; Dillimer 65, pen 69 and 90+3)
FC Helma 1495 1 AFC Neegera 2 (Horin 56; Quaores 23, Flores 90+2)
Harrington Lakeside 1 Grayton City Wolves 0 (Morales pen 52) [Saturday 1715 on PBS5]
Marthley Rovers 0 Club Virling 0
Parwood City 4 United Trilan 0 (Bilú 11, 14 and 49; Kirklees pen 90+1) [Sunday 1545 on NTV1]
Porterbridge City 1 Curzek Rovers 0 (Hearts 76)
Prangren Greens 1 Achorpe Rovers 0 (Withers 69)
Sorbridge Soccer Storm 0 Deportivo del Arapucera 1 (Sandstrom 27)
Yarzoya FC 1 Murley City 1 (Wilkins 89; Hall 79)

Matchday 6: Is like Matchday 4; Big 3 drop 7 points. Tortini blames channel 10

'Notion of predictable league thrown to the Wolves', went the headline in Monday's Daily Kangaroo, as Grayton City Wolves took top spot in the Corganen Championship on goal difference after a much-cheered 4-1 defeat of Porterbridge City, despite conceding an early goal to that pesky Valanoran guy Hearts. Four different players scored for the home side, and little Kevin Corbett-Winder's injury-time thunderbolt from a narrow angle was both the sign of an emerging talent and the goal that took them top, leapfrogging Yarzoya FC on goal difference. That they were even there at all was down to an injury-time goal of their own, an equaliser at FC Bargoiten from the Candelariasian Montano; but for that, Bargoiten would have gone top instead. Crazily, the top three at this point were all West Coast cities. It won't last, presumably, but there's still plenty of hype around this increasingly forgotten area of Kura-Pelland - the old industrial hub - being the new football powerhouse, especially with a number of local players in all three sides. Indeed, Montano is the only foreigner in any of the three sides, and the right-wing press, especially in the west, are laughing their heads off at this.

They kinda ignored the fact that Deportivo del Arapucera have relied on their Candelariasian strikers for every single goal this season. Three against Harrington Lakeside, though, was insane. Not least to Matthew Tortini, who was beyond furious at his side having to play this game at 8pm on a Friday night at the behest of television. He knew that such a long away trip at this time would mean not many away fans would turn up - sure enough, Depor packed out the ground with home fans, Lakeside had just 600 fans in the 24,000-seat stadium, and two of the worst penalty decisions of the season went against the visitors. Sandstrom scored from the spot both times, having already given his side the lead in the 23rd minute, and Tortini has now confirmed he won't be doing any interviews with PlusNet in future. Next-but-one match on Plus10, Harrington Lakeside v Prangren Greens, matchday 11. The biggest derby match in the east. Handbags!

Speaking of Prangren Greens, they had a chance to go top on Monday night against panic-struck United Trilan, now in the relegation zone (yes, the relegation zone) and with the 34-year-old fitness coach Vincent Stingoe as caretaker manager. He managed to force through the signing of the suspiciously ageless Valanoran Kilu Shu, Shu made his debut and promptly scored two goals. Crisis over? Not a bit of it. Chris Chenoweth scored in the 69th minute after an incredible fumble from Ozzy Stefano, and in injury time substitute holding midfielder/defender Bobby DaWealia scored a header from a corner. Cue the sound of boos throughout Shanvley Stadium. 90,000 people booing is quite a sound.

The draw puts the Greens fourth, ahead of AS Assiri, for whom that man Fiero did it again with the opening goal in a 4-2 defeat of Helma, who are now rock bottom after Sorbridge Soccer Storm defeated AFC Neegera 3-1, with Ballesteros scoring the clincher late on, his first goal since arriving from Candelariasian side Turks' Club as partial compensation for the loss of goalie Hill and manager Curana. Incredibly, it's only the second win of the season for either Trilan club. Remember, they were first and fourth last season...

None of this would have been a story were it not for Club Virling though. If they had lost to Parwood City at home, the visitors would have been top of the table and everyone would be saying they were near-guaranteed title winners. Wrongly, but there you have it. Instead, two goals from Elphin, the second in the 89th minute, and Club Virling have their second victory over a Big Three club in succession. They play Harrington Lakeside on matchday 14. Somehow you suspect that'll be fairly high up the list of matches to televise...

In the other games, Curzek edged the battle of the Rovers against Achorpe in a dire game, and another Rovers - Marthley - were destroyed by Murley City in a game that was effectively over in seven minutes - an Alberta own-goal followed swiftly by an O'Hurley tap-in. Marthley's much-vaunted defence isn't looking so hot now.

AFC Neegera 1 Sorbridge Soccer Storm 3 (Reid 82; Spyrides 23, Boakye 67, Ballesteros 87)
AS Assiri 4 FC Helma 1495 2 (Fiero 4, Calthorp 49 and 86, Messini 60; Horin 40, Rombley 56)
Club Virling 2 Parwood City 0 (Elphin 59 and 89)
Curzek Rovers 1 Achorpe Rovers 0 (Gillingham 16)
Deportivo del Arapucera 3 Harrington Lakeside 1 (Sandstrom 23, pen 40 and pen 78; Holyoake 36) [Friday 2000 on Plus10]
FC Bargoiten 2 Yarzoya FC 2 (Ailron 3, Shapps 49; Montano 5 and 90+1)
Grayton City Wolves 4 Porterbridge City 1 (Gore 13, Jackson 41, Penery 68, Corbett-Winder 90+3; Hearts 6) [Sunday 1545 on NTV1]
Murley City 3 Marthley Rovers 0 (Alberta og 5, O'Hurley 7 , Skelton 26)
United Trilan 2 Prangren Greens 2 (Shu 15 and 55; Chenoweth 69, DaWealia 90+2) [Monday 1945 on Super6]

Matchday Seven: six minutes to change the season?

Early on Sunday afternoon, Prangren Greens were leading Parwood City 1-0, leaving the visitors potentially stuck within a point of floundering United Trilan and desperately low on confidence.

Then as the clock ticked towards the hour, Denny Eleifo got pushed over 30 yards out, Bilú quickly stepped up to take the free kick, and before a wall could form he had unleashed a thunderbolt into the top corner, reducing Greens goalkeeper Hurtado to complaining in vain to the referee.

That arguably changed Parwood's season. Ramiro Novo headed them into a lead just two minutes later, Bilú's low deflected drive made it 3-1 just four minutes after that, and three goals in six minutes had changed the game and the season. A late header from defender Ahap was of no significance, and Parwood City are now fourth, just two points back and coming to the boil nicely.

United Trilan look like they're going nicely through the gears too, that or they were flattered by yet another insipid performance from Helma; goals from Ibbetson and Shu ensured their long trip was worth it. Helma have now lost five on the spin and look shoo-ins for relegation at this rate.

At the other end, Grayton City Wolves and Yarzoya FC retain the top two slots after stupidly easy wins against teams called Rovers, the Wolves winning 4-1 in Achorpe to extend their goal difference advantage over Yarzoya, who defeated Curzek 3-1. Those two sides are now floating just above the relegation zone.

AFC Neegera are now in it after being humbled 4-0 by Harrington Lakeside, who put on a superb show to respond to their controversial Friday night defeat to Depor. They've only picked up one point from three away games, and Matthew Tortini won't let you forget that, but Walton Park is fast looking like a fortress; Lakeside have only conceded one goal there this season. Their next game is away to AS Assiri, who have already beat Parwood here 3-0, or rather Norbert Fiero did it himself; he was rested for the game at Sorbridge Soccer Storm, and a 1-1 draw flattered the unimaginative Assiri who took the lead through a freak Burnham cross looping straight in and were outplayed for the remaining 79 minutes, but with only Stefan Cadger's deflected shot to show for it.

Marthley Rovers escaped the drop zone in quite spectacular style, trailing for 79 minutes against high-flying FC Bargoiten before Oscar Caragizo's daisy-cutter bought them level and then Tommy Cato headed in a winner in a fourth minute of injury time that Bargoiten coach Roger Tarcota insisted did not exist. He reckons that 'the refereeing this season is awful, every decision favours the home side, and you can see it in the results'. Can you? Well, in the 63 games so far, there have been 32 home wins (15 away wins, 16 draws) and of the 170 goals, 103 have been scored by the home side, but that's not all that surprising. (Compare with the league in the RL nation of England: 368 home goals to 263 away goals so far, and 112 home wins out of 239 with 64 away wins and 63 draws.)

The other matches weren't great; a bore-draw between Murley City and Club Virling was one, the other was an unpopular 1-0 win for Porterbridge City with Hearts scoring a ludicrously awarded free-kick and Depor wing-back Dennis Rukovich being sent off for next to nothing, nine days after Depor won another televised match in equally dubious fashion. Pot, kettle, black? Now all we need is a homer of a ref for Lakeside-Porterbridge. Which is on the third-last weekend of the season... and will be televised, being one of the fixtures moved to a 1215 kickoff on police advice. The others are Harrington-Prangren, the first one of those in a few weeks... and the Trilan derby between Sorbridge Soccer Storm and United Trilan. That one's next week. United Trilan at home, for the first Trilan derby in Shanvley Stadium. It's going to be the loudest club match in Kura-Pellandi history, and with both sides having disastrous starts to the season...

Achorpe Rovers 1 Grayton City Wolves 4 (Dubois 45+1; Gore 34, Zelham 56, Emtira 69 and 90+1)
FC Helma 1495 0 United Trilan 2 (Ibbetson 5, Shu 56)
Harrington Lakeside 4 AFC Neegera 0 (Morales 32, Giovanni 59 and 88, Pinkowski 67)
Marthley Rovers 2 FC Bargoiten 1 (Caragizo 86, Cato 90+4; Symonds 7)
Murley City 0 Club Virling 0
Porterbridge City 1 Deportivo del Arapucera 0 (Hearts 69) [Sunday 1545 on NTV1]
Prangren Greens 2 Parwood City 3 (Chenoweth 41, Ahap 89; Bilú 60 and 66, Novo 62) [Sunday 1215 on PBS5]
Sorbridge Soccer Storm 1 AS Assiri 1 (Cadger 22; Burnham 11)
Yarzoya FC 3 Curzek Rovers 1 (Montano 31, Jaquin 55, Pupori 90+1; Gillingham 57)

Matchday Eight: Who's noisy now?

It was always a given that the first Trilan derby at Shanvley Stadium would be a noisy affair. 95,000 fans of two desperately underperforming clubs from either end of the capital city for a frenzied lunchtime clash...

sure enough, it was loud. Ridiculously loud. As the players headed out of the tunnel, a decibel meter recorded a measurement of 131.5 decibels. Kickoff produced another roar of almost equal intensity, and within six minutes Sorbridge had a cast-iron penalty turned down after roars from the home fans. Every decision seemed to favour the home side, but the game resolutely remained goalless, and to top it off the Kura-Pelland Committee on Health and Safety are set to report the club for inciting excess noise by displaying messages encouraging fan loudness around the ground before the game and inside it during the game, after several hundred fans left complaining of ringing ears and 15 people complained to PBS5 (who were broadcasting the game) about excess noise on the broadcast.

As if to make a point, Parwood City announced just two days later that next season, high-fidelity earplugs valued at K30 will be provided for all season ticket holders. Their point had long been made on the pitch though, a 5-0 destruction of bottom club FC Helma 1495 with Bilú scoring his second hat-trick in successive home games - the first, you may recall, was against United Trilan. It's the first five-goal winning margin of the season, and it puts Parwood six clear of United Trilan and temporarily top of the table, albeit in the bizarre situation where they were guaranteed to lose that place on Monday night.

That's because Grayton City Wolves and Yarzoya FC were set to meet then in a match that surely Super6 cannot have envisaged as a top-of-the-table encounter, merely a likely open absorbing contest in its own right. Ironically, that's precisely what it wasn't in the end, and the 1-1 draw was mutually assured destruction. Parwood are now level with both teams on points, between them on goal difference thanks to that slaughter of Helma.

Harrington Lakeside should be in that logjam on 16 points as well. Instead, they contrived to lose 1-0 to an AS Assiri side who were missing Norbert Fiero through an injury in training. James Calthorp stepped unto the breach, and duly scored a stoppage-time winner that sent the home fans nuts. Replays showed it was offside and also that the visitors had a perfectly good goal disallowed in the first half, and so no surprise to find Matthew Tortini going nutso in an interview. Which wasn't aired on PlusNet.

Elsewhere, FC Bargoiten won the mysteriously televised Sunday night clash with Murley City in a conventional-as-you-like 2-0 fashion, allowing them to leapfrog Lakeside into fourth; AFC Neegera came back from a half-time deficit to beat Porterbridge City; Curzek won a Rovers battle with Marthley thanks to two goals from the Vephrese midfielder Mantlom, now suddenly looking a different player; Depor lost at home, and to lowly Achorpe to boot, thanks to a Marling thunderbolt from the left corner of the penalty box; pick of the week, though, was Prangren Greens twice coming back from behind to win at Club Virling. The first goal was a dubiously awarded Elphin penalty, so Chris Chenoweth's 84th-minute winner must have been the most popular goal of the day on the Saturday night highlights show amongst neutral fans.

Well that and Fatora's winner for Neegera against hated Porterbridge City...

AFC Neegera 2 Porterbridge City 1 (Corderman 54, Fatora 68; Vax 22)
AS Assiri 1 Harrington Lakeside 0 (Calthorp 90+2)
Club Virling 2 Prangren Greens 3 (Elphin pen 41, Forrest 60; Withers 45+1 and 66, Chenoweth 84)
Curzek Rovers 2 Marthley Rovers 1 (Mantlom 25 and 82, Caragizo 60)
Deportivo del Arapucera 0 Achorpe Rovers 1 (Marling 25)
FC Bargoiten 2 Murley City 0 (Dillimer 23, Celebi 51) [Sunday 1800 on Plus10]
Grayton City Wolves 1 Yarzoya FC 1 (Jackson 72; Urquhart 24) [Monday 1945 on Super6]
Parwood City 5 FC Helma 1495 0 (Bilú 17, 34 and pen 63, Novo 65, Tensen og 82)
United Trilan 0 Sorbridge Soccer Storm 0 [Saturday 1215 on PBS5]

Matchday Nine: Trilan's twin terribleness continues as Parwood go top

'There's only no teams in Trilan', chanted Harrington Lakeside fans. You can see why. An 89th-minute winner from - of all people - local teenager Vincent Matlock sent the Walton Park faithful into raptures and United Trilan's season into yet further disarray. Ten points from nine games is quite astonishingly poor form, and don't say this is short-term - more than a quarter of the season has now passed. That's not a blip, that's a collapse.

Parwood City are now two points clear at the top - and as short as 11/8 with some bookmakers to win the title - after unpicking the even worse team in Trilan, Sorbridge Soccer Storm, 4-2. They had to come back from trailing twice in a pulsating first half before two late goals from Brandon Eldridge - his first since arriving at the club - made the difference. Grayton City Wolves relinquished their lead after being held by Marthley Rovers, who did what they do best - namely stifling opposition - while Yarzoya FC did even worse, losing at home to Deportivo del Arapucera. It is both their first defeat of the season and the first time they have failed to score, and it's the first goal by a Kura-Pellandi player Depor have scored all season. Unless you count the own goal from Wursheling against Helma...

It was draw-mania elsewhere, with the three sides on 14 points all dropping two points and allowing Lakeside to leapfrog them: FC Bargoiten were held at home by Club Virling in a dire match notable only for a red card on each side; Porterbridge City derailed AS Assiri's charge despite Norbert Fiero's ninth of the season, thanks to a sensational late equaliser from debutant midfielder Ed Fulleylove; finally, Prangren Greens needed an 82nd-minute equaliser from Chris Chenoweth to avoid humiliating defeat at Helma. They are the first side this season to make that long trek north without three points to show for it, and they won't be the last.

The other matches saw Achorpe Rovers come back from behind to defeat AFC Neegera and Murley City hold on to an early lead against Curzek Rovers; both sides have now leapfrogged Trilan in the table. That, my friends, is humiliation.

Achorpe Rovers 2 AFC Neegera 1 (Menzel 59, Orakin 74; Afal 17)
FC Bargoiten 0 Club Virling 0
FC Helma 1495 1 Prangren Greens 1 (Horin 62; Chenoweth 82)
Harrington Lakeside 2 United Trilan 1 (Morales 24, Matlock 89; Shu pen 60) [Sunday 1545 on NTV1]
Marthley Rovers 0 Grayton City Wolves 0
Murley City 1 Curzek Rovers 0 (Flokati 6)
Porterbridge City 1 AS Assiri 1 (Fulleylove 89; Fiero 62)
Sorbridge Soccer Storm 2 Parwood City 4 (Spyrides 13, Welkan 31; Bilú 22, Novo 39, Eldridge 79 and 90+2)
Yarzoya FC 0 Deportivo del Arapucera 1 (Cartechini 59)

Matchday 10: TV heaven, Touni hell

About the only common factor in Parwood-Lakeside and Virling-Helma was that they were televised. Parwood have suddenly gone on a run that makes them look like title shoo-ins - twelve goals in three games of which two were away from home, anyone? - while Lakeside remain the clear nearest contenders despite losing their last three away games, thanks to a 100% record at the fortress that is Walton Park. By contrast, Helma are looking horrific and Club Virling, well, they've drawn five games already this season and the only glory they have so far is being ahead of United Trilan. Bearing in mind that they are still behind AS Assiri - a newly-promoted side reliant on a precocious spotty teenager - that really isn't saying much.

Here's something else they had in common. They were both stunning 3-3 draws. Talk about pot luck for the telly guys.

At Lake Barkham Stadium on Saturday evening, PBS5's cameras saw Parwood exhibit everything awesome and awful about them - they took a two-goal lead with stunning strikes from Bilú and Eleifo, then simply froze, allowing Zachary Pinkowski a ridiculous amount of space to first cross for compatriot Gregorio Morales and then to cut inside and score himself. When Manuel Alfonso's toe-poke deflected in off the post, it seemed as though everything was about to change at the top, but Ramiro Novo's injury-time cross-shot - again off the inside of the post - saved the day.

Club Virling managed to squander a lead three times against the bottom club in a match that defined 'ding-dong battle'. Celerano gave Virling an early lead; Corsten quickly equalised. Elphin put the home side back in front just before half-time; Schipma equalised in first-half stoppage time. Substitute Jean Lascelles gave Virling a late lead; Walter Tensen scored a rare goal in the 89th minute to make it 3-3. Virling's three leads lasted a combined eleven minutes, 33 seconds; Helma stay bottom but gain hope. As, indeed, do United Trilan, with a regulation 2-0 win over Porterbridge City; they were even able to rest 692-year-old Kilu Shu in favour of 17-year-old Harry O'Connor, who scored his first goal for the club to seal the game.

Perhaps the real story of the week, though, was how Grayton City Wolves crumbled in the most spectacular of fashions against Murley City, in what could be a season-defining game. Zenny Zelham's early second-half strike looked to be the cue for a routine home win that would temporarily (before the Parwood-Lakeside game) put the wolves top, but then the team collapsed late on. Or rather Nelly Touniema did. Letting O'Hurley cruise unchallenged to a one-on-one with Fedde Jeffery, from which the equaliser was scored, was one thing. Heading a corner into his own net five minutes later was quite another. In fact he was in totally the wrong place in injury time, Murley's Frank Woodford - after running down the clock a little - spotted this, and delivered a perfect cross for Karim Doolub to head in. Talk about disastrous. One man may have entrenched the big three in ten crazy minutes.

Yarzoya won't have any of that though. The team who weren't even in the top flight two seasons ago are right in the mix again with a 3-1 win in Neegera, Pupori screaming out for a debut national team appearance with a goal and two assists. Nor will Prangren Greens, who cruised past woeful Sorbridge Soccer Storm; an hour of dominance led to nowt until Chenoweth earned and then converted a penalty, then followed that up with a screamer four minutes later. Heck, nor will AS Assiri, whose stunning start to the season continued with victory over Achorpe Rovers. And they didn't even need Fiero to score. In fact two players got their first of the season - three, if you count Aporo's own goal at the other end.

The other games saw score-draws - lawks, this was a good day for the pools - with Marthley hanging on superbly for a point against a dominant Depor, and Curzek coming back from a 2-0 half-time deficit against high-flying Bargoiten.

AFC Neegera 1 Yarzoya FC 3 (Corderman 37; Pupori 17, Furani 72, Montano 80)
AS Assiri 2 Achorpe Rovers 1 (Le Tourneur 32, Carlisle 69; Aporo og 40)
Club Virling 3 FC Helma 1495 3 (Celerano 6, Elphin 43, Lascelles 83; Corsten 9, Schipma 45+1, Tensen 89) [Monday 1945 on Super6]
Curzek Rovers 2 FC Bargoiten 2 (Di Mambro 63, Jinera 77; Dillimer 6 and 30)
Deportivo del Arapucera 1 Marthley Rovers 1 (Sandstrom 24; Bubua 16)
Grayton City Wolves 1 Murley City 3 (Zelham 52; O'Hurley 81, Touniema og 86, Doolub 90+1)
Parwood City 3 Harrington Lakeside 3 (Bilú 15, Eleifo 26, Novo 90+2; Morales 34, Pinkowski 40, Alfonso 78) [Saturday 1715 on PBS5]
Prangren Greens 2 Sorbridge Soccer Storm 0 (Chenoweth pen 60 and 64)
United Trilan 2 Porterbridge City 0 (Ibbetson 42, O'Connor 63)

Matchday Eleven: K-P hits Jolt limit, slower than C&M; new post on new page

Cafundeu

24-01-2008, 18:56

CAFUNDELENSE LEAGUE - FIRST HALF OF THE SEASON ENDED

Once again, the first half of the Cafundelense league was only important to fit the players for the biggest competitions. The State-related competitions don't have big value. The most important one is surely the Emperor's Cup, which is viewed as an important competition, but doesn't come close of the National League, and that's why the smaller teams have more chance. The others competitions are State Championships, and the only reason why the supporters want to win this is because they have to defeat their rivals to get the trophy. And that’s the only reason that they exist too. But the State Championships and the State Champions Cup have tradition, while the Emperor’s Cup has practical importance. So, see the names of the state champions:

JUTA STATE: Cafundó do Juta
LASFT STATE: Petardos S/A
CENTRAL STATE: Metropolitano
TITÃ STATE: Petrol
DUNBOOR STATE: Dunboor FC
OLD CITIES STATE: A.F.F.
ESPINAL STATE: Coqueiros
COAST STATE: Atlético Insular

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE STATE CHAMPIONS CUP

All the state champions played this unimportant competition. See the results:

Previous Champions:
Season 1 - Tênis Clube
Season 2 - Petardos S/A
Season 3 - A.F.F.
Season 4 - Clube Imperial
Season 5 - Petardos S/A
Season 6 - Ranca Toco

Quarterfinals
1st Leg
Petrol 3x0 Coqueiros
Dunboor FC 1x1 Atlético Insular
Petardos S/A 5x1 Metropolitano
Cafundó do Juta 2x3 A.F.F.

2nd Leg
Coqueiros 0x2 Petrol
Atlético Insular 1x1 Dunboor FC (6-5 on penalties)
Metropolitano 1x2 Petardos S/A
A.F.F. 1x0 Cafundó do Juta

Semifinals
1st Leg
A.F.F. 3x2 Petrol
Atlético Insular 0x1 Petardos S/A

2nd Leg
Petrol 2x2 A.F.F.
Petardos S/A 0x0 Atlético Insular

Final
1st Leg
A.F.F. 0x0 Petardos S/A

2nd Leg
Petardos S/A 3x1 A.F.F.

Champion: PETARDOS S/A!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE EMPEROR'S CUP

A bigger competition than the last ones, it involves 64 teams. See the results:

Previous Champions:
Season 1 - Petardos S/A
Season 2 - Dunboor FC
Season 3 - Petardos S/A
Season 4 - Central United
Season 5 - Clube Imperial
Season 6 - Cafundó do Juta

Round of 64
1st Leg
São Jorge 1x3 Khalmar-Tijhus
Vila Velha 2x4 A.F.F.
Cézares 0x2 Galáxia
Tio João 1x2 SC Lasft
Colonial 0x6 Petardos S/A
Imperatriz 1x3 Cafundó do Juta
Marinha 2x2 Forças Armadas
Carandirú 1x0 Penders
Massaranduba FC 2x1 Petrol
Rio Bonito 0x5 Dunboor FC
Amigos do Pebolim 2x1 Agreman FH
Varzeano 1x1 Sambarilove
Tabajara 1x1 América
SC Carnavalesco 0x0 CR Submiria
Porto Lacruz 2x2 União Trabalhadora
Ferroviário 0x3 Central United
Aliança 0x1 Globo Multimedia
Faculdade de Medicina 1x7 Clube Imperial
Virgem Maria EC 3x0 Espinalense
Intensivo 1x2 Metropolitano
Clube dos Banqueiros 0x4 Ranca Toco
Pico da Neblina 4x5 Atlético Insular
Fulminense 2x3 Clube Comercial
Nacional da Cruz 3x3 Coqueiros
Civil FC 2x4 Tênis Clube
Engenheiro Peres 2x0 Pernetas EC
U.D.E.U. 0x0 EC Elville
Dínamo de Natal 2x5 Atlético Jutense
Supersônicos 0x2 São José
Royal Pollvogarad 3x4 Mondragon Warriors
Lusitânio 1x0 Aldeia Vigiah
Boiadeiros 0x1 C-Electronics

2nd Leg
Khalmar-Tijhus 2x0 São Jorge
A.F.F. 3x0 Vila Velha
Galáxia 3x1 Cézares
SC Lasft 4x0 Tio João
Petardos S/A 4x1 Colonial
Cafundó do Juta 5x2 Imperatriz
Forças Armadas 1x1 Marinha (4-2 on penalties)
Penders 1x0 Carandirú (3-0 on penalties)
Petrol 3x0 Massaranduba FC
Dunboor FC 8x2 Rio Bonito
Agreman FH 1x0 Amigos do Pebolim (7-6 on penalties)
Sambarilove 3x2 Varzeano
América 0x0 Tabajara (5-3 on penalties)
CR Submiria 1x3 SC Carnavalesco
União Trabalhadora 1x4 Porto Lacruz
Central United 1x0 Ferroviário
Globo Multimedia 3x3 Aliança
Clube Imperial 9x0 Faculdade de Medicina
Espinalense 3x0 Virgem Maria EC (2-3 on penalties)
Metropolitano 3x1 Intensivo
Ranca Toco 1x1 Clube dos Banqueiros
Atlético Insular 4x0 Pico da Neblina
Clube Comercial 2x1 Fulminense
Coqueiros 0x0 Nacional da Cruz (4-5 on penaties)
Tênis Clube 2x0 Civil FC
Pernetas EC 4x1 Engenheiro Peres
EC Elville 2x1 U.D.E.U.
Atlético Jutense 3x0 Dínamo de Natal
São José 1x0 Supersônicos
Mondragon Warriors 2x1 Royal Pollvogarad
Aldeia Vigiah 3x2 Lusitânio (4-3 on penalties)
C-Electronics 0x3 Boiadeiros

Round of 32
1st Leg
Boiadeiros 0x3 Khalmar-Tijhus
Aldeia Vigiah 1x1 A.F.F.
Mondragon Warriors 2x4 Galáxia
São José 1x3 SC Lasft
Atlético Jutense 2x2 Petardos S/A
EC Elville 1x0 Cafundó do Juta
Pernetas EC 0x0 Forças Armadas
Tênis Clube 3x2 Penders
Nacional da Cruz 1x0 Petrol
Clube Comercial 3x3 Dunboor FC
Atlético Insular 0x2 Agreman FH
Ranca Toco 3x0 Sambarilove
Metropolitano 2x3 América
Virgem Maria EC 1x0 SC Carnavalesco
Clube Imperial 5x1 Porto Lacruz
Globo Multimedia 1x5 Central United

2nd Leg
Khalmar-Tijhus 2x1 Boiadeiros
A.F.F. 2x0 Aldeia Vigiah
Galáxia 3x0 Mondragon Warriors
SC Lasft 1x1 São José
Petardos S/A 2x2 Atlético Jutense (4-2 on penalties)
Cafundó do Juta 4x2 EC Elville
Forças Armadas 1x3 Pernetas EC
Penders 1x0 Tênis Clube (5-4 on penalties)
Petrol 1x1 Nacional da Cruz
Dunboor FC 4x0 Clube Comercial
Agreman FH 1x2 Atlético Insular
Sambarilove 0x0 Ranca Toco
América 1x0 Metropolitano
SC Carnavalesco 3x2 Virgem Maria EC (3-1 on penalties)
Porto Lacruz 2x4 Clube Imperial
Central United 3x0 Globo Multimedia

Round of 16 (Oitavas-de-final)
1st Leg
Central United 1x1 Khalmar-Tijhus
Clube Imperial 3x2 A.F.F.
SC Carnavalesco 3x2 Galáxia
América 1x0 SC Lasft
Ranca Toco 1x2 Petardos S/A
Agreman FH 0x0 Cafundó do Juta
Dunboor FC 3x0 Pernetas EC
Nacional da Cruz 0x2 Penders

2nd Leg
Khalmar-Tijhus 1x0 Central United
A.F.F. 3x2 Clube Imperial (4-5 on penalties)
Galáxia 2x0 SC Carnavalesco
SC Lasft 1x3 América
Petardos S/A 1x1 Ranca Toco
Cafundó do Juta 0x0 Agreman FH (5-6 on penalties)
Pernetas EC 0x4 Dunboor FC
Penders 4x2 Nacional da Cruz

Quarterfinals
1st Leg
Penders 2x1 Khalmar-Tijhus
Dunboor FC 1x3 Clube Imperial
Agreman FH 0x5 Galáxia
Petardos S/A 3x0 América

2nd Leg
Khalmar-Tijhus 0x2 Penders
Clube Imperial 1x1 Dunboor FC
Galáxia 3x1 Agreman FH
América 1x3 Petardos S/A

Semifinals
1st Leg
Petardos S/A 2x2 Penders
Galáxia 1x0 Clube Imperial

2nd Leg
Penders 2x0 Petardos S/A
Clube Imperial 3x2 Galáxia (5-3 on penalties)

Final
1st Leg
Clube Imperial 4x1 Penders

THE FINAL
PENDERS 1x1 CLUBE IMPERIAL

Place: Campo da Batalha, in Penderia.
Attendance: 50,000 people (full attendance).
Referee: Dênis Mobral (Dunboor State)
Assistants: Gildo Munia Borba (Titã State) and Lúcio Santiago Mafra (Dunboor State).
Time of the game: 21:30h (local time).
MOTM: Kim Yongdae (Clube Imperial).

PENDERS: Mané; Gilberto, Batista (Diguinho 80'), H.Intior and J.Intior; Toledo, Rossi, Renato Costa (Dênis 45') and Peninha (Moraes 80'); Kips and Cazarez.
Coach: Júlio Vargas.

CLUBE IMPERIAL: Yongdae; Alex, Williams and Carlão; Epasso (D'Abbo 74'), Da Silva, Underdark, Seu (Ebrane 56') and Carlos Magno; Saulo and Guirreh.
Coach: Caio Meback.

Goals:PEN: Kips 10'.
CIM: D'Abbo 87'.

CLUBE IMPERIAL WINS THE EMPEROR’S CUP!

Vephrall

24-01-2008, 20:35

VTF1750 - Cintrin A

Poikimitagiin FE, last season's runners-up, were the favorites to lift the title this time around, and at first it looked like Poiki would make good on that promise as they went undefeated for the first twelve league matches. But a shock home loss to then-relegation-strugglers Oillid started a four-game winless run that they never managed to recover from. Poiki quickly dropped to seventh place and would never crack the top three again, spending much of the season in mid-table instead. And it was no better for their most likely challengers from Knolees, who started moderately well but ended up unable to go the distance, spending most of their time on the fringes of the top five before finally dropping off into mid-table obscurity two-thirds of the way through the season and ending up with a highly disappointing 10th-place finish.

With six matches left in the season, it seemed that Sichisers OB, projected 3rd in preseason, had everything wrapped up with a ten-point lead on second-placed Boalluns. Then, as fate would have it, the leaders mustered just four points in the next five matches and went into the final day with only a one-point lead and a formidable obstacle in the form of Terabits ahead of them. Boalluns got the win they needed, but to no avail, as Sichisers finally found their form again and clinched the title with a 3-2 win.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Sichisers OB 38 23 10 5 69 33 36 79 C
2 Boalluns FE 38 23 9 6 59 32 27 78
3 Terabits CE 38 19 12 7 62 28 34 69
4 Penuler OC 38 19 8 11 54 46 8 65
5 Bumpoogra FE 38 19 6 13 59 42 17 63
6 Merpisms CE 38 17 10 11 56 38 18 61
7 Ammites FE 38 17 9 12 66 55 11 60
8 Poikimitagiin FE 38 16 11 11 57 43 14 59
9 Spoantects CE 38 16 11 11 58 49 9 59
10 Knoleier FE 38 15 10 13 48 49 -1 55
11 Huellim FE 38 14 12 12 48 42 6 54
12 Oillid CE 38 14 10 14 52 60 -8 52
13 Stestrenas OC 38 13 7 18 46 57 -11 46
14 Daazyiles OC 38 10 15 13 42 51 -9 45
15 Stithis FE 38 11 11 16 41 49 -8 44
16 Mylfe CE 38 7 12 19 36 53 -17 33
17 FE Dranacess 38 7 11 20 42 70 -28 32
18 Custler FE 38 8 7 23 31 60 -29 31 R
19 DFE Anhenir 38 5 12 21 43 70 -27 27 R
20 Fekler FE 38 6 9 23 27 69 -42 27 R

CLUB PREDICTION ACTUAL FINISH
Ammites 6th 7th [-1]
Anhenir 20th (R) 19th (R) [+1]
Boalluns 5th 2nd [+3]
Bumpoogra 12th 5th [+7]
Custler 13th 18th (R) [-5]
Daazyiles 17th 14th [+3]
Dranacess 18th (R) 17th [+1]
Fekler FE 19th (R) 20th (R) [-1]
Huellim 11th 11th [OT]
Knoleier 2nd 10th [-8]
Merpisms 9th 6th [+3]
Mylfe 8th 16th [-8]
Oillid 14th 12th [+2]
POC 10th 4th [+6]
Poiki 1st (C) 8th [-7]
Sichisers 3rd 1st (C) [+2]
Spoantects 7th 9th [-2]
Stestrenas 15th 13th [+2]
Stithis 16th 15th [+1]
Terabits 4th 3rd [+1]

Transfer news

Ammites FE will become the first Vephrese club to count a foreign player on its roster, with Kura-Pellandi attacking midfielder Bryan Withers joining from Curzek Rovers in time for the start of the 1751 season. Left midfielder Siestanin Mantlom made the trip over the rivers in exchange.

Next transfer window (1752): Monday 4 February. Please feel free to propose transfers before then; the players just can't actually play in Vephrall until the window.

New Manhattan

25-01-2008, 02:27

http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/logos/eliteleague/

Being tired of sorting out the various crazy league structures that clubs had created in the absence of any guidance from the football associations, Capitalizt SLANI and 자스연 (Jasīʼyūn) are proud to present the inagural season of the Capitalizt Élite League, a combined thirty-two–team national league of the Unified Capitalizt States. The teams will play a schedule of forty-six matches, thirty against the teams from their own association (home and away) and sixteen against the teams from the other association (with venues alternating each season). The league will use a single table; the team with the most points is the winner. The bottom two teams are relegated each season; they will be replaced by other teams from the same association, though there is no established process for choosing the promoted teams.

The CEL teams will also compete in the Capitalizt Élite League Cup, a simple knockout competition. As a first in Capitalizt football, a replay will be used if a match is tied; the match will proceed to extra time and penalty kicks if the replay is also tied. Each association also has its own cup competition, open to all affiliated teams, in which their CEL teams will receive byes to the later stages.

2139 Capitalizt Élite League—mid-season standings
The first Élite League could still go to anyone; no less than fourteen teams are within six points of current leaders Werd. The league’s tiebreaking procedures got a workout for mid-season, as five teams are level on 29 points, four of which have the same number of wins—though New Hampton has played more head-to-head matches than the other teams, their 2–1–0 record in those matches is enough to put them in twentieth place. Graceville Salamanders, who started the season with title hopes, are sitting at the foot of the table, and will be in danger of relegation if they do not recover soon.
Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Werd Beachcombers COM 23 11 6 6 35 23 12 39
2 Yuba United COM 23 10 8 5 29 20 9 38
3 High Mountain Buffalo JSY 23 11 4 8 32 24 8 37
4 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī JSY 23 10 7 6 31 24 7 37
5 Sonoma Center Panthers COM 23 9 10 4 31 23 8 37
6 New Haverford Albion JSY 23 11 3 9 28 29 -1 36
7 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK COM 23 10 6 7 38 28 10 36
8 San Diego Iguanas COM 23 10 6 7 42 30 12 36
9 Querzakhi United COM 23 10 6 7 28 24 4 36
10 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī JSY 23 9 8 6 26 23 3 35
11 Aeropag Penguins COM 23 9 8 6 19 23 -4 35
12 Black Oasis Athletic COM 23 10 4 9 28 35 -7 34
13 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen COM 23 8 10 5 36 32 4 34
14 San Solari FC COM 23 9 6 8 27 26 1 33
15 Carter FC JSY 23 8 9 6 27 25 2 33
16 Lexington FC JSY 23 8 7 8 29 29 0 31
17 Naquada Falls Demons JSY 23 8 6 9 24 32 -8 30
18 Qidade Savana JSY 23 7 9 7 31 30 1 30
19 Syoko Pogyūggijī COM 23 8 5 10 24 25 -1 29
20 New Hampton Terrapins JSY 23 7 8 8 28 31 -3 29
21 South Coast United JSY 23 7 8 8 29 28 1 29
22 Cordubovica Falcons COM 23 7 8 8 27 27 0 29
23 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana COM 23 7 8 8 25 30 -5 29
24 ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī COM 23 7 6 10 25 31 -6 27
25 Medoria Löwen COM 23 6 9 8 33 32 1 27
26 Πόρτο-Xε Δολοφόνοι COM 23 6 8 9 24 25 -1 26
27 Jamaica Giants JSY 23 5 11 7 32 34 -2 26
28 Heidelstadt Falken JSY 23 5 9 9 29 34 -5 24
29 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī JSY 23 5 8 10 24 32 -8 23
30 Griffin Zebras JSY 23 5 8 10 20 31 -11 23
31 Humai Titans JSY 23 6 3 14 25 37 -12 21
32 Graceville Salamanders JSY 23 5 6 12 20 29 -9 21

Capitalizt Élite League Cup
First Round
(COM) Cordubovica Falcons 0–1 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana (COM)
(JSY) Carter FC 2–1 San Diego Iguanas (COM)
(JSY) Heidelstadt Falken 2–0 Werd Beachcombers (COM)
(JSY) High Mountain Buffalo 3–3 Graceville Salamanders (JSY)
Replay: 2–2
Extra time: 3–3
Penalty kicks: 0–2
(COM) Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK 3–0 Yuba United (COM)
(JSY) Lexington FC 2–2 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (COM)
Replay: 4–0
(JSY) Humai Titans 0–1 Aeropag Penguins (COM)
(JSY) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī 2–1 Syoko Pogyūggijī (COM)
(COM) Medoria Löwen 3–0 Qidade Savana (JSY)
(JSY) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī 0–1 New Haverford Albion (JSY)
(JSY) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī 1–4 Naquada Falls Demons (JSY)
(JSY) Griffin Zebras 2–2 Sonoma Center Panthers (COM)
Replay: 2–3
(JSY) New Hampton Terrapins 3–1 ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī (COM)
(JSY) Jamaica Giants 0–1 Querzakhi United (COM)
(COM) Πόρτο-Xε Δολοφόνοι 1–1 Black Oasis Athletic (COM)
Replay: 0–3
(COM) San Solari FC 2–0 South Coast United (JSY)

Second Round
(COM) KQ Nepáïire Tingitana 2–1 Carter FC (JSY)
(JSY) Heidelstadt Falken 0–0 Graceville Salamanders (JSY)
Replay: 0–0
Extra time: 0–0
Penalty kicks: 0–2
(COM) Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK 2–1 Lexington FC (JSY)
(COM) Aeropag Penguins 3–3 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (JSY)
Replay: 3–3
Extra time: 3–3
Penalty kicks: 0–2
(COM) Medoria Löwen 1–2 New Haverford Albion (JSY)
(JSY) Naquada Falls Demons 1–0 Sonoma Center Panthers (COM)
(JSY) New Hampton Terrapins 1–1 Querzakhi United (COM)
Replay: 1–0
(COM) Black Oasis Athletic 2–1 San Solari FC (COM)

Quarterfinals
(COM) KQ Nepáïire Tingitana v Graceville Salamanders (JSY)
(COM) Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK v Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (JSY)
(JSY) New Haverford Albion v Naquada Falls Demons (JSY)
(JSY) New Hampton Terrapins v Black Oasis Athletic (COM)

TechConGroup Cup (Capitalizt SLANI)
First Round
(—) Verona FC v Cordubovica Falcons (CEL)
(—) Commerce Heights T’birds v San Diego Iguanas (CEL)
(—) Dawson Springs FC v Syoko Pogyūggijī (CEL)
(—) Jackson FC v San Solari FC (CEL)
(—) Chorion Bluffs Knights v Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK (CEL)
(—) Lolestu CK v Yuba United (CEL)
(—) Dennis Bears v Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)
(—) Χίλεστ Ενωμένος v Πόρτο-Xε Δολοφόνοι (CEL)
(—) KQ Sirto v Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (CEL)
(—) SV Veernan v Werd Beachcombers (CEL)
(—) Seansburgh Cougars v Black Oasis Athletic (CEL)
(—) New Seoul Cougars v ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī (CEL)
(—) Χιχή Ενωμένος v KQ Nepáïire Tingitana (CEL)
(—) Pine Village FC v Aeropag Penguins (CEL)
(—) FC Glückstadt v Medoria Löwen (CEL)
(—) Kagoshima Phoenix v Querzakhi United (CEL)

자스연 컵 (Jasīʼyūn Kūb)
First Round
(CEL) Qidade Savana (1) Alexandria Porcupines (—)
(—) Musketiere Twintown (2) Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)
(CEL) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (3) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (CEL)
(—) Noka Mariners (4) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (CEL)
(—) Floral FC (5) Griffin Zebras (CEL)
(—) Nyendoli ʼYoŋjī (6) New Haverford Albion (CEL)
(—) Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen (7) Forest Hill FC (—)
(CEL) Jamaica Giants (8) Eintracht Maastricht (—)

Second Round
(CEL) Carter FC v Naquada Falls Demons (CEL)
(CEL) New Hampton Terrapins v Graceville Salamanders (CEL)
winner match 5 v Humai Titans (CEL)
winner match 4 v winner match 1
winner match 2 v winner match 7
(CEL) Lexington FC v South Coast United (CEL)
winner match 6 v High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)
winner match 3 v winner match 8

Demot

25-01-2008, 11:27

It's been sixteen years since Demot has made thier league, and it was only in that first year that the results were posted for the world. However, with David Masteron retiring as national team manager, only to be rehired as the head of the Demotian Football Federation, he has decreed to show the world our league once more. What is an elite footballing power without it's domestic product being displayed? Despite protests from the isolationists, Masteron has also made availble the list of the champions of those seasons that Demot kept the rest of the world in the dark.

Former Champions
Season 1902 – Club Demot
Season 1901 – Club Demot
Season 1900 – Atalantian FC
Season 1899 – Santa Rosa FC
Season 1898 – Santa Rosa FC
Season 1897 – Oceanic United
Season 1896 – Skyhaven FC
Season 1896 – Santa Rosa FC
Season 1895 – Ropper FC
Season 1894 – Santa Rosa FC
Season 1893 – Skyhaven FC
Season 1892 – Skyhaven FC
Season 1891 – Skyhaven FC
Season 1890 – Skyhaven FC
Season 1889 – Mirria United

Much has occured over the past sixteen seasons, of which can obviously be seen of Skyhaven's early dominance. In seaons 1900 and 1901, the holders of the league found themselves relegated, a feat that had not happened in any domestic league that the Druids are aware of. What happens from now? Well, that is up to Masteron, and whatever the dice of fate decide.

Pride League 1903

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Mirria United 38 19 8 11 68 47 21 65 Champions
2 Santa Rosa FC 38 18 11 9 84 65 19 65
3 Oceanic United 38 19 7 12 69 42 27 64
4 Ropper FC 38 19 7 12 61 52 9 64
5 Vasanova United 38 19 5 14 58 56 2 62
6 Bellwater Tidal Wave 38 16 12 10 63 51 12 60
7 Likewell Kirk 38 16 9 13 71 64 7 57
8 Club Demot 38 16 8 14 60 59 1 56
9 Atalantian FC 38 14 13 11 57 47 10 55
10 Oceanic 38 16 7 15 63 59 4 55
11 Druidisian United 38 15 9 14 50 51 -1 54
12 New Mirria Patriots 38 16 5 17 67 60 7 53
13 Maracruse Typhoon 38 16 3 19 67 66 1 51
14 Skyhaven FC 38 13 11 14 63 69 -6 50
15 Freestone FC 38 12 13 13 44 45 -1 49
16 AC Santa Rosa 38 13 8 17 55 81 -26 47
17 RC Ririnkle 38 11 9 18 60 76 -16 42
18 Samarga FC 38 9 11 18 33 46 -13 38 Relegated
19 Skyhaven United 38 10 8 20 39 62 -23 38 Relegated
20 Maracruse United 38 9 4 25 40 74 -34 31 Relegated

Championship

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Ionnusyus FC 38 21 10 7 63 32 31 73 Champions
2 RC Ropper 38 19 9 10 61 46 15 66 Promoted
3 Dunmodra United 38 19 8 11 74 61 13 65 Promoted
4 Athletic Samarga 38 18 8 12 79 66 13 62
5 AS Freestone 38 19 5 14 69 57 12 62
6 Saravella City 38 18 7 13 67 49 18 61
7 AC Paragos 38 16 12 10 67 58 9 60
8 Druidisian FC 38 16 10 12 70 57 13 58
9 Mirria City 38 15 10 13 63 62 1 55
10 FC Bellwater 38 11 18 9 63 63 0 51
11 Parthen United 38 14 8 16 65 71 -6 50
12 AS Calada 38 14 7 17 51 53 -2 49
13 Ursona FC 38 12 13 13 49 53 -4 49
14 Real Escan 38 10 13 15 57 62 -5 43
15 RC Rarthon 38 9 15 14 69 75 -6 42
16 Faramore United 38 11 9 18 45 68 -23 42
17 Tiranyus FC 38 11 8 19 47 52 -5 41
18 Harthgate United 38 7 18 13 48 64 -16 39 Relegated
19 AS Klingsa 38 10 8 20 57 78 -21 38 Relegated
20 Geros City 38 8 8 22 52 89 -37 32 Relegated

League One

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 FC Ironwind 38 26 4 8 62 35 27 82 Champions
2 Morthinian FC 38 23 9 6 68 26 42 78 Promoted
3 Halland City 38 22 8 8 81 53 28 74 Promoted
4 AC Elacante 38 19 11 8 60 41 19 68
5 Fairland FC 38 17 10 11 64 44 20 61
6 Arthenian United 38 16 6 16 70 65 5 54
7 Arthenian FC 38 15 8 15 56 63 -7 53
8 Druidia United 38 14 10 14 60 63 -3 52
9 Villain City 38 15 6 17 58 64 -6 51
10 Dosastion United 38 12 12 14 46 54 -8 48
11 AC Dunmodra 38 14 5 19 52 59 -7 47
12 AS Icewind Dun 38 12 10 16 51 54 -3 46
13 Verandiom City 38 14 4 20 61 69 -8 46
14 Athletic Cortalias 38 14 4 20 50 64 -14 46
15 Parafell City 38 11 12 15 52 56 -4 45
16 Calada United 38 10 13 15 46 50 -4 43
17 Parthen City 38 11 9 18 46 59 -13 42
18 Clonsguard FC 38 9 15 14 34 50 -16 42
19 Mordras City 38 9 12 17 54 74 -20 39
20 Raldvila FC 38 8 10 20 46 74 -28 34

Candelaria And Marquez

25-01-2008, 17:31

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w175/candelariaandmarquez/smallcmscsymbol.png

Matchday One: Threesome on top, but KT leads the way

And so it was that twenty-seventhish edition of the Candelaria And Marquez Soccer Championship’s first division got underway at the Khatib Together Stadium. It provided a sombre start, the occasional idiot breaking the extended silence in the memory of the fallen of Hurricane Neil.

Perhaps the Turks’ Club players sensed that the crowd were not entirely up for it. Coupled with the understandably flat mood nationwide was a lack of enthusiasm for the newly rebuilt team in front of them. Sure, the goalkeeper Stephen Hill and the midfielder Xavier Le Monde brought impressive recommendations from across the seas in Kura-Pelland, but fans seemed less sure as to Felipe Curana’s knowledge of the Candelariasian market.

On paper, lanky Andrew Bradley would be the perfect foil for ickle Holger Pi; but off paper they all knew he could get injured switching on the telly, seldom deigned to break into a sweat and had hardly pulled up trees for Candelaria-Allemali, a club prepared to let Bradley go in favour of bringing in a KT Hotspur bench-warmer. It was a pattern repeated across the squad; sure, Walter Jordan was a C&M international right-back, but that was a dire last season for Caires City. Lucas Scalzi, a title-winner last year but since discarded? A Radyukevich misfit named Sellami? It hardly inspired confidence. An innately socialist-leaning and insular city, the people of Khatib-Gassett expected better for their hard-earned cash. And why did Curana feel the need to go out and gather these nothings from anywhere and everywhere when home-grown, local kids the quality of William Williams, Mandla Nxele, Hague Parr and Ishmael Dolphin were available?

They needn’t have worried, for before the first quarter of an hour was up Turks’ Club were two goals to the good against Green Island. The long-standing midfielder Jack Hutton had opened the scoring and in the most pleasing way possible; beating recently departed Turks’ star Steven Fiore for pace and placing a beautiful shot past Martin Petit in Green Island’s goal. The Zapata club were playing just three new arrivals to the home side’s six, but looked utterly clueless and soon lost any grip on the game when Hutton won a corner off the new Valerian defender Étienne de Roviere for Bradley to open his account for his new club.

The morning’s scoring ended there and then, but Hane Davies’ side aren’t considered title challengers for any old reason, and their more experienced midfield began to dominate the game. Stuart Vidakovic and Rául Vélez up front meanwhile could yet become a feared partnership, but they hadn’t accounted for the ability of Hill. On innumerable occasions did the Kura-Pellandi No.1 keep his new team ahead, before as the second half drove on his countrymen in midfield Giorgio Pezzoni and Le Monde began to get a stranglehold on the game and leave GIZ chasing shadows.

As opening games went it was a decent advert, though the most impressive performance from that mess of a north-eastern city came courtesy of KT Hotspur a couple of hours later. In a clash between one of XXVI’s meanest defences and one of the most shot-shy attacks; MN Smith against Jerry Huntick’s Spur was not picked as a telly game for good reason, but the away side were absolutely superb. If the first-half goals themselves came as much as a result of poor defending as anything else, the Spur’s overall play was excellent. Perhaps a benefit of having just one new face in the starting XI, the talented (if Hopeless) midfielder Wally Milton; KT seemed to know exactly what they were supposed to do whilst the Smudgers’ Scotchpine trio and other newcomers struggled to bed in. The (nominal) wingers Dave Walsh and Nate Adams capitalised on mistakes before on the half hour Boris Oviedo made a hash of Juan Carlos Revault’s header that will have made Albrecht FC bosses sigh with relief they couldn’t prize the ‘keeper from the City of Bove Stadium. One of the two Jamies up front – the foreigner this time – pulled a goal back after showing Revault’s aging legs, but later on the suddenly slimlined Allen Gallagher and his partner Giuseppe Abellardo combined to keep the Samuelese striker’s impressive scoring run going on into the new term.

Game of the day should have been in Arrigo, but the rains sweeping Marquez this weekend put pay to that. Portuguese and Turkish were forced to unleash their silky skills on a bog of a pitch that must result in some difficult questions for the ground staff at the self-proclaimed ‘National Stadium’. With Oberon Martinez and Coalville Sobers between the sticks looking comfortable, the game didn’t catch light until the sixtieth minute, when the inspired use of young left-back Ciaran Kelly in place of the ineffectual Reuben Kennedy on the wing gave Samuel Taha and Gary Maini both the chance to test Sobers. On Kelly’s third cross of the game Maini narrowly missed out once more, but Scott Soldarian was on hand to help the ball squelch over the line.

The Valanoran Soldarian has already become a star of Horse, Hound and Crown Magazine and similar upper-class tattlepapers, and seemed to take only a half of football to acclimatise to C&M. Portuguese, widely considered plausible outsiders for the title, were fortunate not to be well and truly demolished by the three-pronged foreign strikeforce of the XXVI runners-up, but managed to force an unlikely equaliser when Djabgor Cvecej hit a hopeful shot that looped off Steven Williams. The aristocratic Soldarian had the last laugh however, poking in the winner in the third minute of stoppage time.

With A.Turks among the leaders, it’s a familiar-looking table on matchday one, following their capital city rivals’ simple victory over Gamboa FC. The home side utterly dominated the first division newcomers, and only the promising combination of the Kura-Pellandi Clayton Knight and former Albrecht stars Sam Young and goalkeeper Murphy Matthews kept the scoreline down to two-nil – and combined to stop Joe Cunningham getting his hat-trick and putting him out for the clash with Marquez-Onwere next week. The reigning champions, missing a couple of key midfielders on the opening day, settled for a one-nil win at a nothingy-looking Port of Clotaire thanks to Merlin Siriwong’s early run and shot.

With only Candelaria Arsenal and Radyukevich playing out a draw, there were also results in the other two games as a new-look El din Marbles had the better of a tight contest with Candelaria-Allemali and their cross-city rivals Cathedral City won the battle of the other top-flight newcomers thanks to yet another header from Di Bradini Cup-winning defender Demario Ortiz.

Albrecht FC v Gamboa FC 2 – 0 (Cunningham 2 and 56)
Caires Sports v Cathedral City 0 – 1 (Ortiz 70)
C.A.L v Radyukevich 0 – 0
El din Marbles v CandelariaAM 2 – 0 (Madden 2, Rockey og 88)
MN Smith v KT Hotspur 1 – 4 (Watson 48; Walsh 11, Adams 17, Revault 30, Abellardo 90)
Port of Clotaire v MarquezOW (Mon) 0 – 1 (Siriwong 6)
Portuguese v A.Turks (Sat Evening) 1 – 2 (Williams og 81; Soldarian 65 and 90+3)
Turks’ Club v Green Island (Sat Morning) 2 – 0 (Hutton 10, Bradley 13)

Matchday Two: All about the Benjamins as Albrecht reap YTS rewards

Managers, players and owners of the current ‘big three’ have spent much of the last few weeks complaining impotently over a fixture list that sees Albrecht FC play against the reigning champions and runner-ups in the first three weeks. Three weeks are a long time in football however, and Scorpions manager Trevor Organ could only grin happily after his side caught the champions on the hop and came away from the Estadio Francisco Álvarez with three points and three goals.

Marquez-Onwere, for their part, were really rather poor; and Andy Woolworth’s fancy tactics floundered in the face of a bludgeoning by Albrecht’s 4-4-2. They weren’t helped by circumstances to be fair, when after an inevitably cagey opening few minutes key defender Mars Douyadari came off the worst from a striker’s tackle by Kovac Johnson. His absence – to be continued for a good couple of weeks while he recovers from the knee cartilage damage received – tested the naranja’s much-vaunted new defence to the limit. His replacement was the highly thought-of teenager Malcolm Howarth; ironically an Albrecht-born player who found himself up against former schoolmate Johnson on his CMSC debut.

Johnson may never be considered anything more than an occasional stand-in for his slightly older team-mate Joe Cunningham, but he succeeded in scoring against the champions after twelve minutes, skipping away from Niclas Kjaer’s laughable attempts at defending and leaving Howarth and Pete Kimber shouting obscenities at each other.

MarquezOW were increasingly overwhelmed as the game went on, the young Starblaydi Jack Stafador having a debut to forget. From Albrecht’s point of view, their entirely home-grown, Candelariasian midfield was cooperating superbly and under-21 star Jack Marshall was painfully unlucky not to give the away side a three-nil lead before half-time with a couple of well-worked efforts going either side of Harry Primrose’s goal.

The country’s biggest club can always count on the deliveries of Ben Edwards however, and it was the veteran C&M captain Benji Fu who put them a goal up from a corner won and taken by Tracker’s little boy. Woolworth attempted to shake things up with the introduction of teenagers Erik Kjaer and Sandor Schiewe, but Edwards had the final word with a perfect cross to the head of Peter Vanderpent.

Over in the capital, Albrecht’s arch-rivals had a rather tougher time of it against MN Smith. The Smudgers had not unreasonable elected to try and stop Turkish playing and for a little while it looked as though they might just do it with the Adams brothers dealing with Gary Maini with a near-telepathic bond and Orlando Moore frustrating Samuel Taha. Admittedly this was a far from original tactic against the free-flowing A.Turks, who last season were able to rely on their wingers if Maini looked like being otherwise engaged. But Rueben Kennedy and Ryan Westhead have hardly started the season on flying form, and for a while it looked like all memories of MN Smith’s opening day drubbing would be exorcised when the Scotchpine Moore sent a cross-field ball to his Candelariasian namesake. Ben Moore, the new signing from Turks’ Club, found Jamie Johansson with a great chance; but the twenty-five-year-old fluffed the away side’s best opportunity of the game.

Moments later and Scott Soldarian decisively found his way into the game; banishing fans’ wistful memories of Speed Wang with a stunning volley that proved the difference.

As a result, the two Albrecht clubs lead the way after matchday two, alongside Felipe Curana’s Turks’ Club. The Khatib-Gassett side were made to work for the win at Candelaria-Allemali, and could far from realistically be argued to have been the better side, but a gorgeous turn and shot from the young left-back Oscar Zois gave the visitors all three points at the Clifton Sausage Company Arena.

The other champions of day one found the going rather trickier though the two El din clubs both earned valuable points. KT Hotspur opened the scoring against the Marbles thanks to the newly berliner-format Allen Gallagher, but were pegged back before half-time by Andy Madden’s second of the season. Another of those pesky Kura-Pellandies was responsible for Cathedral City’s failure to pick up another win; Iain Belling the scorer of a well-earned goal after an impressive Arrigo Portuguese performance. Arrigo versus El din is a match-up with history however, and local lad Emiliano Taffarel snapped at Seiichi Ganaha’s heels all day until he finally earned the equaliser.

The day’s third one-one came in Abiodun where Sargento Castelão, having narrowly avoided being sent off for a horror tackle on the only-just-fit-again Nathanial Alaoui, scored in the fourth minute of injury time to deny Port of Clotaire a precious three points.

Another player having an interesting day was Reilly Palacios. The 36-year-old Candelaria Arsenal defender was made a fool of by Rául Vélez; the returning striker scoring Green Island’s second following Seb Cerullei’s free-kick. Palacios got the C.A.L back in it with a fine header, but three minutes later picked up his second yellow card of the game for a knee-high challenge on Vélez. Ceruelli took the free-kick, and Stuart Vidakovic restored Hane Davies’ side’s two-goal lead.

Up in Clotaire meanwhile, Vincent Peluso’s odds in the XXVII sack race shortened following a one-nil defeat to division two champions Caires Sports.

A.Turks v MN Smith 1 – 0 (Soldarian 65)
CandelariaAM v Turks’ Club 0 – 1 (Zois 68)
Cathedral City v Portuguese 1 – 1 (Taffarel 72; Belling 49)
Gamboa FC v Port of Clotaire (Sat Evening) 1 – 1 (Castelão 90+4; Collins 67)
Green Island v C.A.L 3 – 1 (Cerullei 9, Vélez 30, Vidakovic 63; Palacios 60)
KT Hotspur v El din Marbles 1 – 1 (Gallagher 18; Madden 37)
MarquezOW v Albrecht FC (Sat Morning) 0 – 3 (Johnson 12, Fu 58, Vanderpent 78)
Radyukevich v Caires Sports (Mon) 0 – 1 (Freitas 45)

Matchday Three: Turkish Delight. (Amazingly, that’s never been used before…)

Alright, so… All that stuff about Albrecht FC’s glorious, all-Candelariasian, all-homegrown midfield? Scratch it. For now at least.

For there was only one side in the capital city derby, and it wasn’t Trevor Organ’s youngsters. To be fair, Albrecht Turkish were given the best possible start thanks to Rueben Kennedy. The left-winger scored a fabulous solo goal almost from the kick-off; manoeuvring away brilliantly from the challenges of Ben Edwards and Jack Marshall and outfoxing Naoki Tonnelier with a classic dummy. The first lady of the CMSC could only look dejectedly behind her and Kennedy finished superbly.

For the first time this season, Kris Healy’s Millermen were up against a side that let them play their natural game, and Kennedy and Ryan Westhead were able to give the Scorpions’ defence nightmares. Both players were able to get in cross after cross while the vastly more experienced midfield duo of Scott Soldarian and Toby Stumpf kept their counterparts Matteo Corradini and Marshall at bay. In front of a mostly A.Turks crowd – this being Turkish’s nominal ‘home’ game – Healy’s men completely controlled the match; Peter Vanderpent and Joe Cunningham forced to feed on scraps from which they proved horribly profligate.

Their dominance was given just reward shortly before half-time, Steven Williams being one of three centre-halves scoring headed goals from set pieces on matchday three. Organ opted to send on the veteran midfielder Rudy Clark for Marshall in the second half, and under his watch Albrecht were better able to assert their game on their rivals’; but it all came to nought on the sixty-sixth minute when Beck Ragab became the fourth player this CMSC season to receive his marching orders, this time for a two-footed lunge on the young right-back Harris Dixon.

From then on it became merely an exercise to avoid embarrassment; a move that will win Organ few friends with Kovac Johnson et al waiting patiently on the bench. They pulled a goal back late on, an Edwards cross reaching a perfectly positioned Vanderpent; but Turkish had time left to rub salt into the wound after Gary Maini was felled in the box by Shane Wojciechowski and Samuel Taha converted the penalty.

On almost any other matchday, Monday’s game on TV1 would have seen the weekend’s finest fixture; as Marquez-Onwere travelled to Turks’ Club for the “Kura-Pelland derby”. Regrettably for those watching Andy Woolworth and Felipe Curana’s teams back home it was a dog with fleas; an open game to be sure, but one with no real pattern and involving the most negative performance from a naranja side in many months.

The combination of Giorgio Pezzoni and Xavier Le Monde flattered to deceive, with Le Monde forced to do all the 34-year-old’s running for him and failing to get around Jack Stafador. The young Starblaydi midfielder opened – and as it turned out, finished – the scoring with a swerving cross-shot from the left and looked altogether a better player indeed after his mare against Albrecht. That was good news for MarquezOW, the rest of whose midfield was too selfish by half; Merlin Siriwong, Niclas Kjaer, Reiban Okeke and José Felipe Cassumba Domingos snapping at half-chances that had little hope of beating Stephen Hill and leaving Ignacio Vélez starved. The champions at least had what it took at the back however, with Pete Kimber and Malcolm Howarth holding firm despite a late Turks’ Club rally, and Harry Primrose tipping a Holger Pi effort round the post on the ninety.

The two clubs sit with Albrecht on six points, and are also joined by Green Island. After their opening day flop in Khatib-Gassett, Zapata’s finest have already returned to the marvellous attacking force they were last year, and racked up a four-one win at Candelaria-Allemali. The Shining Sons’ Chris Rockey opened the scoring with his second own goal of the season, but Hane Davies’ team waited until the second half to come into their own with Roger Zetaback scoring his 25th and 26th goals for the club either side of sub Andrew Abbott’s tap-in. Stephen Smith’s first goal for the Allemali club was little consolation, and Giles Walton appears to have but a game to save himself, away at KT Hotspur next Monday.

Who perhaps aren’t quite as good as we thought they were after their opening day stunner away in Bove. After earning but a point at home to El din Marbles last time out the Spur were easily dispatched by C&M’s poorest city’s other club. Using their weird 3-3-3-1 formation; Cathedral City should have been pulled apart by KT wingers Dave Walsh and Nate Adams, but instead it was Charlie Cunningham’s group who dominated and opened the scoring through teenaged defender Enrique Silva de Aviz. Russell Jobson satisfyingly scored a free-kick against his former employers and the Cats coasted.

They sit in third, behind their less illustrious city rivals on goal difference. At just 38, Carlos Palacios is surely the hottest property in Candelarias management right now having kept up a terminally leaking El din Marbles outfit last year, and now leading them to seven points from three games. It’s early days to be sure; but their three-nil demolition of Radyukevich was impressive to say the least, coming thanks to early goals from their young, plucked-from-obscurity winger Nic Percy and Andy Madden’s fourth in four (counting the final game of XXVI.)

The Juko’s Vincent Peluso is another man whose future is well and truly in doubt, with a home game against Albrecht Turkish on matchday four hardly helping the situation. As least they have a point to their name, which is more than can be said for MN Smith. A nasty case of second season syndrome in setting in for the league’s most divided club, and the Scotchpine FA must be on the verge of a “Free the Bove Three” campaign as Derek Marshall’s side struggle to avoid being cut adrift early on. This time defeat came at the hands of Candelaria Arsenal; whose two-nil win was as textbook as it sounds.

Elsewhere; two other sides remained winless as Gamboa FC were dispatched by Arrigo Portuguese to put Jay Zabojnik’s side back on track, while Port of Clotaire’s Dan Davis equaliser through a late penalty to take a point against Caires Sports.

A.Turks v Albrecht FC (Sat Morning) 3 – 1 (Kennedy 1, Williams 44, Taha 90; Vanderpent 86)
C.A.L v MN Smith 2 – 0 (Naylor 31 and 58)
CandelariaAM v Green Island 1 – 4 (Smith 77; Rockey og 14, Zetaback 58 and 85, Abbott 69)
Cathedral City v KT Hotspur (Sat Evening) 2 – 0 (Silva de Aviz 38, Jobson 47)
El din Marbles v Radyukevich 3 – 0 (Percy 20, Madden 21, O’Leary 80)
Gamboa FC v Portuguese 1 – 2 (Katic 68; Belling 37, Trumble 51)
Port of Clotaire v Caires Sports 1 – 1 (Davis 82; French 22)
Turks’ Club v MarquezOW (Mon) 0 – 1 (Stafador 11)

Matchday Four: Purple Peluso passed P45 as Panadero’s purple patch persists

Seldom has a club experienced as much of a turn around in general popularity as the El din Marbles. Until recently, their endless name changes alone had helped make them representative in the eyes of the nation of everything wrong with Candelarias football in years past and threatening to encroach once more – the rampant commercialism, the utter disrespect and disregard for the club’s fans as anything but consumers. Salt of the earth Cathedral City were the true club of El din, everyone knew that. That the Marbles’ fanbase was mostly made up of those ghastly uneducated inbreds from the shanty towns and those no less ghastly self-made toffs only added to the sneers directed towards the Little Road Stadium.

Ambivalent towards outside attitudes, this fan-owned club set about creating a legacy that would last for years with a massive stadium extension and, for the first time, an actual genuine youth policy. They got themselves up into the fist division – leapfrogging Cathedral along the way – and started to loose. Really rather often.

When Candelaria-Allemali came calling for their manager, the Marbles board didn’t have to think twice. With the money in their pockets from Giles Walton’s move across the water, they promoted young player-coach Carlos Panadero into the hot seat, spotting something in the former right-back that could lead to great things. After a rocky start the ended the season in a ridiculous ninth place, but Panadero wasn’t willing to sit on his hands and knew he had cash to spend. With a career spent building contacts in the lower leagues, he plunged in to take the wingers Paulo Gardner and Nicholas Percy out of obscurity before signing up fallen top-flight talents Carlo Hone and Giles Harpas and making astute foreign buys in defenders Kenneth Quinn of Ad’ihan and Larry Torrell-White. Whether he had a director or two whispering in his ear and whether he brought whatever scouts were at work into the club himself is unclear. But on and off pitch, now no-one can argue that Panadero and the Marbles board haven’t worked wonders lately.

Okay, so it’s only matchday four and the club’s games have not been the most testing. But in signing six new first-team players and keeping them all happy, and guiding the club to second in the table; Panadero deserves the early plaudits and the Manager of the Month award.

Their defence may well still cost them in the long-term, for the Candelariasians involved are hardly of the highest standard. But the attack remains a well-constructed, nerve-inducing force and just now there is no stopping Andy Madden. The strapping Kura-Pellandi striker scored his inevitable goal in the four-two against Gamboa FC, and provided the nod downs for both of Carlo Hone’s. The tricky left winger Nic Percy also weighed in with another fine solo effort, but this victory was about far more than individual brilliance. Man-for-man, Gamboa are far from the Marbles’ inferiors, but they lack the mind of Panadero. With games to come against MN Smith and Port of Clotaire; the matchday seven El din Marbles versus Albrecht Turkish game could well become a key top of the table clash.

Anything the Marbles can do however Green Island can do… well, equally as well; as they also ran out four-two winners against Port of Clotaire in Zapata. If anything this was the strongest performance of the weekend, with Hane Davies’ team coming back from two early goals from the Harpies’ strike pair. After Ben Head had pulled one back, there seemed a horrible inevitability about the home side eventually emerging victorious, and it could have been much, much worse for Niko Mason’s team had Stuart Vidakovic been on song. As it was, Tom Redway and Natalie Instonenext could feel pleased with themselves for keeping Green Island down to four, and theirs is a club that looks very troubled indeed.

Though not quite as much as their neighbours Radyukevich. The Jukos board were just waiting for an opportunity to sack Vincent Peluso following another outburst against foreigners in the CMSC and Candelariasian society in general that had the club’s liberal supporters cringing. In truth, they didn’t play at all badly against Albrecht Turkish, but a two-nil home defeat is still an underachievement. That Radyukevich are still yet to score after four games despite Peluso’s signing of four upfield players serves to highlight Big Vinny’s failures since his arrival from Mayo Valley in the middle of last season; and it had become increasingly clear following the three-nil demolition in El din last week that he was not long for this job. As for who could possible come in and sort out this mess is anyone’s guess.

The other two expected title challengers also recorded comfortable wins; Albrecht FC returning to their XXVI habit of conceding the opener before outplaying Cathedral City in the second half, while Marquez-Onwere were made to work hard against a stubborn MN Smith side but eventually emerged three-nil winners. On the other side of the fence though were Turks’ Club, whose resurgent form under Felipe Curana came to a leaden end with a three-nil defeat themselves at Caires Sports. The Kaleta Online Dome outfit have an average first-team age of just under twenty-three – the youngest in the first division this year by some margin – but are playing a very attractive 4-3-3 under Macario Ayoví and look set to stick pre-season prediction of their inevitable relegation where the sun doesn’t shine.

Elsewhere, the TV channels didn’t have quite so much luck with their Saturday evening and Monday games, both of which ended one-all. Both Arrigo Portuguese and Candelaria Arsenal are struggling to live up to pre-season hopes right now, and the same can be said for KT Hotspur and Candelaria-Allemali. The Shining Sons’ point at the Valleys saves Giles Walton’s job for now, and at least the stunning strike of twenty-year-old striker Michael Sisson suggests that there is hope there, but the Spur were forced to rely on a dodgy Giuseppe Abellardo penalty in the dying moments. Worst of all was the broken jaw received by Pablo Thorpe from Smakam Downe. The KT goalkeeper, alongside Abellardo, has been their shining star for some years now; but looks set to miss a huge chunk of the season. Youngster Joel Sbaïz, signed from Castillo in the summer, will have very big gloves to fill indeed.

Albrecht FC v Cathedral City 3 – 1 (Corradini 55, Vanderpent 65 and 84; Taffarel 38)
Caires Sports v Turks’ Club 3 – 0 (Cole 23, Ashby 30, Wiedemann 69)
Green Island v Port of Clotaire 4 – 2 (Head 31, Walker 45+1, Vélez 56, LaRue 71; Davis 9, Gnom 20)
El din Marbles v Gamboa FC (Sat Morning) 4 – 2 (Hone 6 and 45+1, Madden 39, Percy 78; Dobson 14, Castelão 83)
KT Hotspur v CandelariaAM (Mon) 1 – 1 (Abellardo 90+4; Sisson 74)
MarquezOW v MN Smith 3 – 0 (Horner 58, Vélez 73, Cassumba Domingos 87)
Portuguese v C.A.L (Sat Evening) 1 – 1 (Brightmore 24; Reeve 43)
Radyukevich v A.Turks 0 – 2 (Westhead 25, Taha 50)

Matchday Five: Shining Sons Downe dim naranja

Six points is hardly insurmountable, but with a sixth of the season gone naranja fans will be all too aware that XXVII is not going entirely to plan. Candelaria-Allemali versus Marquez-Onwere is the CMSC’s oldest fixture and a real grudge match, and man for man the Shining Sons have a team that belies their poor early form. Defeat in the Clifton Sausage Company Arena is no great shame.

Yet once again this was a game about MarquezOW’s limitations rather than any inspired play by Giles Walton’s men. Jack Stafador alone cannot provide the champions a midfield, and when it comes to the coveted position behind the front man Ignacio Vélez; four into one won’t go. The communication between Niclas Kjaer, José Felipe Cassumba Domingos, Reiban Okeke and Merlin Siriwong that worked so well last season is taking too long to find its feet once more, and Andy Woolworth lost patience with his misfiring attack in the second half. The younger pair of Okeke and Siriwong were admonished by being brought off in favour of the holding player Joe Beye and the chunky little striker Caesar Lopo which gave MarquezOW a much more solid appearance, but it can hardly be said that they ‘battered’ the home side as Woolworth claimed.

Walton for his part has already wrung the changes after a poor start to XXVII, bravely chopping the big-money summer signing Stephen Smith in favour of Allemali-born Michael Sisson and reintroducing old Archer Cannon back into the line-up. It’s a unit for which the term ‘change of pace’ was invented, for none of the XI are capable of running for more than thirty seconds at a time – or at least in the case of the Jeruselemite duo Smakam Downe and Gime Thadope, can’t be bothered to. But these two are cult heroes for a reason and on the seventieth minute combined to score the decisive goal; Thadope capitalising on a misplaced Mars Douyadari pass to leave Downe with only the ‘keeper to beat.

Chris Rockey and Boston Mårtensson are hardly the scariest central pair in the world, but Connor Mengucci continued to show his class at the base of the midfield and snaffled any hopes at a MarquezOW comeback for the remaining twenty minutes.

There is enough talent in that squad for the champions to recover from such a set-back, but catching up with Albrecht Turkish may prove a challenge too far. Kris Healy’s seemingly flawless group have five wins from five, moving up to the fifteen point mark following a three-nil home win against Caires Sports. The Knights, to their credit, declined to sacrifice their 4-3-3 and Archer French narrowly failed to give them the lead after just five minutes with Oberon Martinez producing a fine save, but A.Turks’ greater foreign talent eventually told with Scott Soldarian scoring twice in quick succession and Samuel Taha settling things with a well-placed header in the second half. And all this without Gary Maini, last season’s CMSC golden boot and player of the year, finding the back of the net yet himself.

Still what remains most impressive about Turkish is their Candelariasian contingent, and Healy’s use of them. Those wingers, Ryan Westhead and Reuben Kennedy, simply aren’t that good, but the trickery of the former and pace of the latter is sufficient to tie up defences and leave Taha, Maini and Soldarian free to take advantage of any mistakes. At the back, solid Evan Laurie and an increasing assured Steven Williams are the perfect combination without actually being much cop themselves, and the 20-year-old right-back Harris Dixon could’ve played there all his life.

Perhaps it’s unfair to compare them to Albrecht FC, who are still a cut above most of the rest but are clearly in need of a bit of Healy’s organisation. Their game against Arrigo Portuguese was an utter mess, and after taking the lead through Peter Vanderpent the Scorpions found themselves under the cosh for much of the second half. Only the incident that saw the rejuvenated Joe James limp off and club (and C&M) captain Benji Fu receive his marching orders stopped the Marquez club from picking up an inevitable equaliser, with teenager Jamie González proving that he still has a way to go to be considered a first team player, twice blazing over the bar in good positions.

Someone else not ready for the top-flight is surely Leonard Dennis, the Radyukevich boss while the board dithers over the new full-time manager. The Jukos were sent out with a spoiling game that Felipe Curana’s Turks’ Club had few problems in dealing with. Of course, as far as the front pages were concerned the real story of the day involved Vincent Peluso. The outgoing Radyukevich manager appears to have now completely lost the plot following another anti-foreigner outburst, and is now threatening to stand for the far-right Freedom Party in one of the Clotaire seats in this year’s elections.

On a not an entirely unrelated matter; gosh, Green Island are fun, aren’t they? Another three-one win, this time at Cathedral City, was earned despite Teddy Ozi-Mayer taking an early lead for the home side. Stuart Vidakovic continued his much better season with a well-taken equaliser before Steven Fiore nudged in from a corner and Roger Zetaback put some slightly unfair gloss on the scoreline.

Elsewhere, El din Marbles could only manage a goalless draw in Bove, but the result still leaves them the only undefeated side in the league alongside Turkish. Their attempts to be this year’s C.A.L were given a boost by the failures of last year’s C.A.L (C.A.L), who came off the worse of a dog of a game at home to Gamboa FC. Meanwhile, Port of Clotaire just pipped the GIZ to the award for comeback of the day; Ryan Gnom and seventeen-year-old Jason Federici cancelling out Allen Gallagher’s opener for KT Hotspur. If nothing else, C&M is obviously breeding a decent generation of teenage supersubs.

Albrecht FC v Portuguese (Mon) 1 – 0 (Vanderpent 37)
A.Turks v Caires Sports (Sat Morning) 3 – 0 (Soldarian 41 and 42, Taha 67)
C.A.L v Gamboa FC 0 – 1 (Ask 76)
CandelariaAM v MarquezOW 1 – 0 (Downe 70)
Cathedral City v Green Island (Sat Evening) 1 – 3 (Ozi-Mayer 18; Vidakovic 51, Fiore 72, Zetaback 90+3)
MN Smith v El din Marbles 0 – 0
Port of Clotaire v KT Hotspur 2 – 1 (Gnom 78, Federici 83; Gallagher 13)
Turks’ Club v Radyukevich 2 – 0 (Pi 17, Le Monde 68)

Matchday Six: Disgruntled pigmen face liberation wrath

Leonard Dennis doesn’t have much going for him. He’s sixty-five. He looks eighty. He’s overweight, dull as ditchwater and wears a permanently mystified expression. He’s also an extremely wealthy ex- Gamboa FC striker and a long-time coach with few dependants on whom to squander his cash. And, oddly enough, a most attractive young girlfriend.

Alright, so perhaps things aren’t as bad as all that, but Dennis at least has to his name an interesting distinction; having managed the Radyukevich Clotaire Sports Club’s professional football team on two occasions, for a total of four games, and loosing the lot.

Predictions of the Jukos winning XXVI seem a lifetime ago, and those who suggested that they would remain far from safe in XXVII look increasingly on the money. It will all depend of course on just who is the manager on matchday seven – it is still yet to be announced – but for now fans at the Hilltop Stadium could be forgiven for thinking that it can’t get much worse. It all rather reached a nadir at half-time on Saturday morning, shortly after Jamie Johansson had headed MN Smith into the lead. That was bad enough, for the Smudgers were the only other team in the first division without a win to their name but had got just rewards from dominating much of the opening period.

And then the depressed but still singing lilac-clad supporters began to file out to the loos and begin the time-honoured process of helping the assembled members of the press and club officials and their guests down from the boxes suspended on the roof. As they were assembling the jump mats and stepladders, word began to circle around that an even worse fate had befallen them – the semi-governmental Animal Protection Bureau had descended on the stadium to remove the fans’ piglets as they were being readied for the traditional second-half invasion.

With the mood against animal cruelty sweeping through the nation, the government has been keen to be seen as proactive; organising raids on illegal bull fighting across Marquez and forcing through legislation finally banning the traditional west Candelarian sport of newt fencing. Taking away the Jukos’ pigs may yet prove a step too far (but then Clotaire’s two regional parliamentary seats are Modern Liberal Party safehouses), but for fans the loss of their beloved oinkers left a sow-er taste in the mouth and further summoned the slough of despond, or something, to envelope this most deliriously cheerful of grounds.

They lost, of course, and sit three points adrift in sixteenth having failed to so much as score a goal.

Thankfully, the game’s early morning position meant that a series of storming matches later in the weekend weren’t overshadowed. A couple of superb comebacks kicked things off, starting in Abiodun where Gamboa trailed to Turks’ Club. As is so often the case the first goal of the five was an all Kura-Pellandi affair, as big Clayton Knight attempted to wrestle Xavier Le Monde’s shirt off his back. Since the former United Trilan defender can’t run, and the Delta Force Cardim refugee Le Monde is clearly nursing a groin strain (or something equally unpleasant) right now, this was more a ballet than a tussle worthy of the hard-boiled CMSC, but Le Monde eventually gave Knight the slip and poked daintily past Murphy Matthews.

Gamboa make up for a general lack of talent with a simple but relentless and effective style, and twice came back in the second half with Adlai Dobson (him being a left winger, don’tcha’know) and Sargento Castelão twice producing equalisers before the Cafundelese striker muscled through the hopeless challenge of Lucas Scalzi (however did Marquez-Onwere win the league with him at the back?) to put away the winner.

Talking of which, the champs also produced a fine comeback at Arrigo Portuguese, after commentator’s nightmare Djabgor Cvecej had beaten the offside trap in the first period. Andy Woolworth had opted to bench the young guns Reiban Okeke and Merlin Siriwong after a poor last performance, but was forced into changes at half-time with Caesar Lopo and Niclas Kjaer picking up knocks. The extra solidity provided by Joe Beye’s inclusion alongside Jack Stafador ultimately worked well with Siriwong, Okeke and Cassumba Domingos in front of them and hinted strongly at the way Woolworth may choose to do things throughout the rest of the season after Ignacio Vélez and Siriwong both notched up their second of the season following classy moves orchestrated by the central pairing.

The loss of Luke Naylor to a three-match suspension was expected to hit Candelaria Arsenal hard, but it would quickly prove their defence that was the weakest link after Cathedral City bumped and grinded their way to a three-nil lead before half-time. The form of Robbie Shannon for the Yellows was a plus point, the striker finally earning a couple of goals (albeit the second from the penalty spot) to merit his recent contributions, but the Cats would ultimately take away the increasingly popular four-two scoreline.

As for the Albrecht clubs, there were rather different fortunes in store. With the Scorpions on half-decent goalscoring form and KT Hotspur missing their experienced no.1 Paulo Thorpe, the clash in Rose of Sharon was expected to be a walkover for Trevor Organ’s giants. As it was, the key performance was from the twenty-year-old Joel Sbaïz between the Spur’s sticks, the Arrigo-born player producing prodigious saves from Peter Vanderpent, Joe Cunningham and a Ben Edwards free-kick. The lad has the potential to be an enormously popular player in C&M – Candelariasians love an accent. Vélez? Brilliant. Yalçin? Awesome. Castelão? Fantastic. Two little dots over the i? It’s practically orgasmic.

After all this Saturday madness the stage was set for the evening clash between Green Island and Albrecht Turkish. Not a great deal can be said about this game, except that it was perhaps the highest quality in the CMSC for years with two well-drilled but offensive sides battling for every blade of grass for ninety minutes. The goals were of similarly superb quality; a Seb Cerullei free-kick under the wall cancelled out by Gary Maini’s first of the season, a thunderbolt from thirty years. A Scott Soldarian run from the half-way line ended with the Valanoran’s sixth goal in as many matches, but Étienne (nice) de Roviere found an equaliser after some achingly pretty stuff down the left with Cerullei and Stuart Vidakovic.

Kris Healy pulled the masterstroke however, and not for the first time it involved Ciaran Kelly; the young left-back put into midfield in place of Rueben Kennedy. Within moments he launched a cross that resulted in a fluky goal that had the goal-of-the-month nitwits dribbling all down their shirts.

Elsewhere, El din Marbles aren’t actually that good you know, I do wish you’d stop going on about them. They lost to Port of Clotaire, in a game most remarkable for the debut of 18-year-old midfielder Jon Bevaart; who played well for about twenty minutes before suffering a broken pelvis (as you do) and being ruled out for most of the rest of the season.

And Caires Sports beat Candelaria-Allemali, with Rockdale LeCass scoring the first goal and Boston Mårtensson (ooh, I say…) heading in a late commiseration for the Shining Sons.

Caires Sports v CandelariaAM (Mon) 2 – 1 (LeCass 4, Cole 17; Mårtensson 78)
Cathedral City v C.A.L 4 – 2 (Ozi-Mayer 9, Jerez 10, Jobson 18, Hall 71; Shannon 45+1 and 74)
El din Marbles v Port of Clotaire 0 – 1 (Kim 39)
KT Hotspur v Albrecht FC 0 – 0
Gamboa FC v Turks’ Club 3 – 2 (Dobson 66, Castelão 82 and 84; Le Monde 35, Sellami 72)
Green Island v A.Turks (Sat Evening) 2 – 3 (Cerullei 29, de Roviere 67; Maini 32, Soldarian 45+2, Kelly 78)
Portuguese v MarquezOW 1 – 2 (Cvecej 25; Vélez 64, Siriwong 76)
Radyukevich v MN Smith (Sat Morning) 0 – 1 (Johansson 45)

Matchday Seven: Mixed fortunes for favourite sons

Radyukevich are screwed. That being the view of the small percentage of Jukos fans not swept up in Mustard-Mania, after it was confirmed that the former left-winger, Coleman Mustard, would be returning to the club. Mustard is a legend in these parts, but in a move that speaks for a lack of imagination from both the Radyukevich board and the writer of these pointless reports, he has no managerial experience whatsoever, having spent his career out of the game in haulage, and doing television punditry.

Yet for most fans, the arrival of one of their own – a Clotaire-born Radyukevich player who proved as tiresomely zany as themselves – provides the lift they needed. General Manager Lewis Jones insists that the combination of Mustard and another former player, the ex-defender Andrew Yaysbrook, will give a much-needed boost to a deflated dressing room. What they actually need of course is some tactical instruction and, for preference, an entirely new attack; but the truth remains that man-for-man the Jukos are a top-half team. Perhaps us pundits are all wrong, and Mustard really will cut the… the…

Anyways, the new boss was thrown into the deep end on Saturday morning with the Clotaire derby. This is a far from friendly contest; as frilly, fancy-dan Radyukevich tackle the brain-dead hoofers of Port of Clotaire. But this time, of course, it was different. This time the Jukos had Mustard. This time…

It was a tepid nil-nil draw. Both these teams can play football but neither can be arsed, and the few attempts on goal than Dan Davis, Alex Stromberg, Ryan Gnom, Jackson Tanzani et al could muster between them were easily dealt with by Amis Cressey and Gari Kilad between the sticks. At least it gave both struggling sides a point, but Radyukevich remain the only side in the professional leagues yet to score.

Thankfully this lacklustre start didn’t set the tone for matchday seven. A series of top games got underway at the Little Road Stadium, where Albrecht Turkish dropped their first points all season. All three of the buggers in fact, as another returning hero, Carlos Panadero, masterminded a victory for the El din Marbles. It was an extremely even game with just a goal in it, but the Marbles’ progress is spoken for by the fact that they were never under the cosh and held on to the lead gifted by Giles Harpas early in the second half comfortably. Turkish were a tad unlucky not to be given a late penalty after Larry Torrell-White brought down Samuel Taha, but even Kris Healy was willing to magnanimously admit that the final result had been fair.

The Marbles now sit in third place, four points behind league leaders Turkish. Providing the filling are Marquez-Onwere, who took an incredible early victory at the Estadio Francisco Álvarez over Candelaria Arsenal. The Yellows were one-nil down after barely six minutes thanks to a goal bundled over the line by Joe Beye, but the real story of the game was the battle between Merlin Siriwong and Reilly Palacios.

The 36-year-old defender had been forced out of the C.A.L line-up after his nightmare against Green Island in favour of the 16-year-old Pazhujebi wonderkid Ávindu Zulqadr, but the youngster’s half-n-half contract shared between C.A.L and MarquezOW meant that he was forced to miss the game. Though the kid’s previous performances against Gamboa and Cathedral had hardly pulled up trees; Palacios’ return showed what C.A.L had been missing, and it wasn’t good.

Merlin Siriwong for his part appears to have reacted well to the missile received up his substructure following early poor performances. He may still be a legend in his own lunchtime, but on Saturday Siriwong tore Palacios to shreds to take a twenty-minute hat-trick; the first in the league this term. The 18-year-old midfielder Lemasson Kemp who played in place of Palacios in the second half was similarly murdered, though this time it resulted only in a Siriwong through-ball for Ignacio Vélez.

It was the biggest defeat in the season so far for all of two days however, as Turks’ Club also provided a four-goal drubbing. It was Arrigo Portuguese who were on the wrong end of it, with Jay Zabojnik apologising to fans after the game and ‘taking full responsibility’ for the manner of the defeat, whatever that meant. That Portuguese were too positive speaks for itself given the number of times they were caught on the counter attack, and Zabojnik may face the horrible choice of dropping either fans’ favourite Kirby Brightmore or the Squornshelan Djabgor Cvecej for the next game.

Which happens to be against Green Island, who are no slouches in the conceding goals after ridiculously offensive play department themselves. So it had proved again on Saturday evening as they surrendered a two-nil lead at the Millerman Sheppard Stadium. Heavy defeat could possible have spelt the end for Trevor Organ. As it was, Albrecht FC snatched a late point thanks to Rod Unzurrunzaga’s free-kick from the left to keep them within a not-unhealthy four points of Turkish.

Elsewhere, there were genuinely thrilling – if rather inconsequential – draws between MN Smith and Cathedral, and Candelaria-Allemali and Gamboa; while KT Hotspur, inspired by the form of Joel Sbaïz in goal, won two-nil at Caires Sports thanks to the player affectionately known as ‘Our Wally’, Hopeless’ Milton, and the old hand Giuseppe Abellardo.

They face local rivals Turks’ Club next. And Cathedral City play El din Marbles.

Oh, and Albrecht Turkish host Marquez-Onwere.

Bring plasters.

Albrecht FC v Green Island (Sat Evening) 2 – 2 (Vanderpent 71, Unzurrunzaga 88; Vidakovic 25, Vélez 57)
Caires Sports v KT Hotspur 0 – 2 (Milton 23, Abellardo 47)
CandelariaAM v Gamboa FC 2 – 2 (Bornemann 19, Sisson 53; Castelão 17, Dobson 70)
El din Marbles v A.Turks 1 – 0 (Harpas 50)
MarquezOW v C.A.L 5 – 1 (Beye 6, Siriwong 11 and 28 and 29, Vélez 58; Reeve 77)
MN Smith v Cathedral City 1 – 1 (Watson 61; Folgueira 73)
Port of Clotaire v Radyukevich (Sat Morning) 0 – 0
Turks’ Club v Portuguese (Mon) 4 – 0 (Bradley 2, Pi 32 and 41, Parr 86)

Vephrall

26-01-2008, 07:43

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...
FOOTBALL Mylfe agrees Ŀ36M deal with Kareen FC [Valanora] for F C Deuce Zadora, 749; transfer to go through 1 Jan 1752
FOOTBALL POC agrees Ŀ33.7M deal with Kareen FC [Valanora] for AM RL Sven Ostiken, 673; transfer to go through 1 Jan 1752
FOOTBALL Ammites agrees Ŀ27.9M deal with Raynor City Rockers [Valanora] for GK Efeirn Ace, 753; transfer to go through 1 Jan 1752
FOOTBALL Dranacess agrees Ŀ25.5M deal with FC Longview [Valanora] for D C Kris Consmith, 632; transfer to go through 1 Jan 1752
COLL BB 3SHENT SO 72 · 15BEKTYS ST 66 · 3:13 2nd
...

Ŀ1 (one len) = appx US$0.543

New Manhattan

27-01-2008, 00:44

http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/logos/eliteleague/

The 2139 season of the Élite League is over, and is, by any measure, a success. The combined attendance of the thirty-two clubs exceeds the previous record for annual attendance for all professional association football clubs in the States. A thrilling end to the season received excellent television ratings, promising the league a bright financial future.

2139 Capitalizt Élite League—final standings
Perhaps the biggest story in the second half of the season was the performance by Qidade Savana under new manager Sam Salazar, hired after the club had slipped to twenty-second place. Under his leadership, the club finished off the season 12–5–3, enough to put them level on points with the league champions. Going into the final matchday, Dusanto and Yuba were tied with seventy-three points, and though Savana trailed them by just three points, they had no hope of winning the league, as they were two wins short of Dusanto’s total and had lost their match against Yuba early in the season. Dusanto played Syoko Pogyūggijī in the afternoon, suffering a 0–2 loss, and giving Yuba the chance to expand their trophy cabinet with just a draw. However, their night game at New Hampton ended in a 1–0 home win, and Dusanto secured the first position on number of wins.
Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī JSY 46 20 13 13 61 51 10 73 C
2 Yuba United COM 46 19 16 11 57 48 9 73
3 Qidade Savana JSY 46 19 16 11 75 58 17 73
4 High Mountain Buffalo JSY 46 19 14 13 59 49 10 71
5 New Haverford Albion JSY 46 20 10 16 59 57 2 70
6 San Solari FC COM 46 19 12 15 61 50 11 69
7 Black Oasis Athletic COM 46 18 14 14 58 59 -1 68
8 San Diego Iguanas COM 46 17 17 12 69 52 17 68
9 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen COM 46 17 17 12 61 58 3 68
10 Syoko Pogyūggijī COM 46 18 13 15 56 42 14 67
11 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana COM 46 17 16 13 60 61 -1 67
12 Naquada Falls Demons JSY 46 18 11 17 56 59 -3 65
13 Sonoma Center Panthers COM 46 16 16 14 54 55 -1 64
14 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK COM 46 16 15 15 67 61 6 63
15 Werd Beachcombers COM 46 15 18 13 57 45 12 63
16 Medoria Löwen COM 46 15 18 13 70 62 8 63
17 Querzakhi United COM 46 17 11 18 46 50 -4 62
18 Aeropag Penguins COM 46 15 16 15 53 61 -8 61
19 Lexington FC JSY 46 16 12 18 60 64 -4 60
20 South Coast United JSY 46 15 14 17 54 53 1 59
21 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī JSY 46 15 14 17 53 54 -1 59
22 New Hampton Terrapins JSY 46 15 13 18 56 67 -11 58
23 Carter FC JSY 46 14 16 16 57 59 -2 58
24 Griffin Zebras JSY 46 14 14 18 46 59 -13 56
25 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī JSY 46 14 14 18 45 50 -5 56
26 Heidelstadt Falken JSY 46 14 14 18 54 60 -6 56
27 Jamaica Giants JSY 46 12 20 14 57 60 -3 56
28 Cordubovica Falcons COM 46 13 14 19 51 65 -14 53
29 Πόρτο-Xε Δολοφόνοι COM 46 12 17 17 49 48 1 53
30 Humai Titans JSY 46 15 7 24 54 66 -12 52
31 Graceville Salamanders JSY 46 12 11 23 43 60 -17 47 R
32 ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī COM 46 9 19 18 46 61 -15 46 R

End of season awards
Manager of the year: Sam Salazar (Qidade Savana)
Second: Alfreda Alesanka (Yuba United)
Third: 주소성 (Ju So-sūŋ) (Dusanto Mojaʼikījī)

Player of the year: Evelyn Richards (DR, Yuba United)
Second: 권기교 (Gwon Gi-gyo) (MC, High Mountain Buffalo)
Third: Brian Miller (MC, Yuba United)

Goalkeeper of the year: Σαπφώ Αγγελόπουλος (Sapphṓ Aggelópoulos) (Dusanto Mojaʼikījī)
Second: Πoλύαινoς Καρυωτάκης (Polýainos Karyōtákīs) (KQ Nepáïire Tingitana)
Third: 임희수 (ʼIm Hyi-su) (San Solari FC)

Defender of the year: Evelyn Richards (DR, Yuba United)
Second: 왕복욱 (ʼWaŋ Bog-ug) (DR, Qidade Savana)
Third: Carrie Miller (DC, High Mountain Buffalo)

Midfielder of the year: 권기교 (Gwon Gi-gyo) (MC, High Mountain Buffalo)
Second: Brian Miller (MC, Yuba United)
Third: Hunter MacDonald (ML, Qidade Savana)

Forward of the year: Tyrone Brock (FC, Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen)
Second: Albin Hoymann (FC, Black Oasis Athletic)
Third: Migelo Luiso (FC, Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen)

Top scorer: Theo Listen (High Mountain Buffalo), 20 goals
Second: Zachary Long (Syoko Poggyūggijī), 19 goals
Third: Juan Murray (Yuba United), 19 goals

Capitalizt Élite League Cup
Quarterfinals
(COM) KQ Nepáïire Tingitana 1–2 Graceville Salamanders (JSY)
(COM) Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK 1–1 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (JSY)
Replay: 0–2
(JSY) New Haverford Albion 0–2 Naquada Falls Demons (JSY)
(JSY) New Hampton Terrapins 1–1 Black Oasis Athletic (COM)
Replay: 3–3
Extra time: 4–3

Semifinals
(JSY) Graceville Salamanders 3–3 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (JSY)
Replay: 3–1
(JSY) Naquada Falls Demons 1–1 New Hampton Terrapins (JSY)
Replay: 0–0
Extra time: 1–0

Capitalizt Élite League Cup final
Graceville Salamanders 1–1 Naquada Falls Demons
(Naquada Falls Demons wins 2–1 after extra time)

Sokojito Überdome, 소코지토 도시 (Sokojito Dosi)
Attendance: 400552
Referee: Torben Lippe (Lontorika)
Man of the match: Derrick Clark (MC, Naquada Falls Demons)

Graceville: Morris — Kirby (Ernandeso 72′), ʼWaŋ Jā-ju, Englert, Sin Min-bi, Foster — Ruisa (Gonzalo 72′), Wiggins, Pérez (Robertson 65′) — Wright, Παπαχαραλάμπους
Naquada Falls: Pixner — Καζάν, Mun Su-hyi, Fabreso (Han Çaŋ-sin 45′), Simon — Lyons (Arnold 80′), Clark, Καβάφης, No ʼU-ha — Nerée (García 96′), Uölfa

Goals: Wright 52′ — Nerée 10′, Clark 93′

TechConGroup Cup (Capitalizt SLANI)
First Round
(—) Verona FC 0–2 Cordubovica Falcons (CEL)
(—) Commerce Heights T’birds 1–1 San Diego Iguanas (CEL)
Extra time: 1–2
(—) Dawson Springs FC 2–1 Syoko Pogyūggijī (CEL)
(—) Jackson FC 2–4 San Solari FC (CEL)
(—) Chorion Bluffs Knights 1–2 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK (CEL)
(—) Lolestu CK 0–3 Yuba United (CEL)
(—) Dennis Bears 1–3 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)
(—) Χίλεστ Ενωμένος 1–2 Πόρτο-Xε Δολοφόνοι (CEL)
(—) KQ Sirto 0–3 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (CEL)
(—) SV Veernan 0–4 Werd Beachcombers (CEL)
(—) Seansburgh Cougars 1–1 Black Oasis Athletic (CEL)
Extra time: 2–1
(—) New Seoul Cougars 1–3 ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī (CEL)
(—) Χιχή Ενωμένος 1–1 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana (CEL)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 1–0
(—) Pine Village FC 1–3 Aeropag Penguins (CEL)
(—) FC Glückstadt 0–2 Medoria Löwen (CEL)
(—) Kagoshima Phoenix 1–3 Querzakhi United (CEL)

Second Round
(CEL) Cordubovica Falcons 1–1 San Diego Iguanas (CEL)
Extra time: 1–2
(—) Dawson Springs FC 0–3 San Solari FC (CEL)
(CEL) Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK 1–2 Yuba United (CEL)
(CEL) Sonoma Center Panthers 2–3 Πόρτο-Xε Δολοφόνοι (CEL)
(CEL) Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen 2–1 Werd Beachcombers (CEL)
(—) Seansburgh Cougars 0–2 ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī (CEL)
(—) Χιχή Ενωμένος 0–2 Aeropag Penguins (CEL)
(CEL) Medoria Löwen 0–2 Querzakhi United (CEL)

Quarterfinals
(CEL) San Diego Iguanas 3–2 San Solari FC (CEL)
(CEL) Yuba United 1–1 Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι (CEL)
Extra time: 2–2
Penalty kicks: 1–0
(CEL) Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen 1–1 ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī (CEL)
Extra time: 1–2
(CEL) Aeropag Penguins 3–0 Querzakhi United (CEL)

Semifinals
(CEL) San Diego Iguanas 0–3 Yuba United (CEL)
(CEL) ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī 1–1 Aeropag Penguins (CEL)
Extra time: 1–2

Final
(CEL) Yuba United 2–1 Aeropag Penguins (CEL)
(@ Sokojito Überdome)

자스연 컵 (Jasīʼyūn Kūb)
First Round
(CEL) Qidade Savana 1–0 Alexandria Porcupines (—)
(—) Alexandria Porcupines (1) 1–1 (2) Qidade Savana (CEL)

(—) Musketiere Twintown 2–0 Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken (0) 0–0 (2) Musketiere Twintown (—)

(CEL) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī 1–1 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (CEL)
(CEL) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (3) 2–3 (4) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (CEL)

(—) Noka Mariners 2–1 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (CEL)
(CEL) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (3) 2–1 (3) Noka Mariners (—)
Extra time: (3) 2–2 (4)

(—) Floral FC 1–0 Griffin Zebras (CEL)
(CEL) Griffin Zebras (1) 1–1 (2) Floral FC (—)

(—) Nyendoli ʼYoŋjī 1–1 New Haverford Albion (CEL)
(CEL) New Haverford Albion (3) 2–0 (1) Nyendoli ʼYoŋjī (—)

(—) Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen 1–1 Forest Hill FC (—)
(—) Forest Hill FC (1) 0–1 (2) Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen (—)

(CEL) Jamaica Giants 0–1 Eintracht Maastricht (—)
(—) Eintracht Maastricht (2) 1–0 (0) Jamaica Giants (CEL)

Second Round
(CEL) Carter FC 2–2 Naquada Falls Demons (CEL)
(CEL) Naquada Falls Demons (4) 2–1 (3) Carter FC (CEL)

(CEL) New Hampton Terrapins 1–1 Graceville Salamanders (CEL)
(CEL) Graceville Salamanders (2) 1–0 (1) New Hampton Terrapins (CEL)

(—) Floral FC 2–1 Humai Titans (CEL)
(CEL) Humai Titans (1) 0–2 (4) Floral FC (—)

(—) Noka Mariners 3–0 Qidade Savana (CEL)
(CEL) Qidade Savana (2) 2–2 (5) Noka Mariners (—)

(—) Musketiere Twintown 1–0 Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen (—)
(—) Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen (0) 0–0 (1) Musketiere Twintown (—)

(CEL) Lexington FC 1–1 South Coast United (CEL)
(CEL) South Coast United (2) 1–1 (2) Lexington FC (CEL)
Extra time: (2) 1–1 (2)
Penalty kicks: 3–0

(CEL) New Haverford Albion 1–2 High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)
(CEL) High Mountain Buffalo (2) 0–1 (2) New Haverford Albion (CEL)
Away goals: 2–1

(CEL) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī 1–3 Eintracht Maastricht (—)
(—) Eintracht Maastricht (3) 0–0 (1) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (CEL)

Quarterfinals
(CEL) Naquada Falls Demons 2–1 Graceville Salamanders (CEL)
(CEL) Graceville Salamanders (2) 1–1 (3) Naquada Falls Demons (CEL)

(—) Floral FC 1–0 Noka Mariners (—)
(—) Noka Mariners (1) 1–0 (1) Floral FC (—)
Extra time: (1) 1–0 (1)
Penalty kicks: 1–0

(—) Musketiere Twintown 1–2 South Coast United (CEL)
(CEL) South Coast United (4) 2–0 (1) Musketiere Twintown (—)

(CEL) High Mountain Buffalo 0–1 Eintracht Maastricht (—)
(—) Eintracht Maastricht (1) 0–1 (1) High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)
Extra time: (1) 0–1 (1)
Penalty kicks: 3–0

Semifinals
(CEL) Naquada Falls Demons 3–1 Noka Mariners (—)
(—) Noka Mariners (1) 0–2 (5) Naquada Falls Demons (CEL)

(CEL) South Coast United 3–1 Eintracht Maastricht (—)
(—) Eintracht Maastricht (1) 0–3 (6) South Coast United (CEL)

Final
(CEL) Naquada Falls Demons 0–1 South Coast United (CEL)
(CEL) South Coast United (2) 1–1 (1) Naquada Falls Demons (CEL)

Transfer news
In the off-season, many of the richer clubs in the league, including cup winners Yuba United and Naquada Falls, are rumored to be searching for a left winger and a striker, which could lead to a substantial bid war if their scouts can find strong foreign players in those positions. South Coast are more interested in spending their cup winnings on a central midfielder or two. Black Oasis are somewhat desperate to find a replacement for Swen Liesenhoff in goal. All transfers from abroad should be proposed by January 30, the start of the 2140 season.

On the other hand, the following players are transfer listed by their clubs and may be interested in playing in a foreign league:

Adam Carter (DC, Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī, age 19)
Çu Gu-gi (DR, Cordubovica Falcons, age 18)
Lothar Kahlig (MR, Humai Titans, age 32)
Nicholas Love (MR, Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι, age 24)
Sū Jūŋ-gi (DL, Heidelstadt Falken, age 25)

Vephrall

27-01-2008, 07:10

Knoleier, Dotsmens part ways

With World Cup qualifying about to begin, Rhoetang Dotsmens has officially announced his resignation as manager of Knoleier FE.

Dotsmens has for the last few years been splitting time between the Knolees club and the Nire and Nire national team, but has decided that he "really [needs] to focus on one job now", and that job will be with Nire and Nire.

Dotsmens was previously the assistant manager for the Vephrall national team and served a short stint as interim manager prior to the hiring of Umsaasad Pentove.

Vephrall

27-01-2008, 19:08

1751 Midseason Update

[OOC: technically this is about a day early, but I've determined it's going to be easier for me to do this today than tomorrow]

At the halfway point of the season, the Cintrin A table is tight as a drum, with just three points separating 4th place from 13th. The top two in last season's final standings, Sichisers and Boalluns, also hold those two positions currently. The recent departure of manager Rhoetang Dotsmens from Knoleier doesn't seem to be having too many ill effects, and indeed the club currently sit fourth, rebounding nicely from last year's 10th-place finish - though it must be noted that losing a single game might very well put them right back in mid-table.

The apparent success story of the season is Strapply FE. The newly-promoted Flaarickug club is sitting comfortably in 11th place, seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Meanwhile, recent Kura-Pellandi signing Brian Withers seems to be doing well at Ammites, with four goals and nine assists in seventeen appearances so far for his new club.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Sichisers OB 19 12 3 4 29 13 16 39
2 Boalluns FE 19 11 3 5 38 22 16 36
3 Ammites FE 19 9 5 5 22 18 4 32
4 Knoleier FE 19 8 5 6 34 26 8 29
5 Terabits CE 19 7 8 4 23 16 7 29
6 Stestrenas OC 19 8 5 6 26 24 2 29
7 Penuler OC 19 7 7 5 27 24 3 28
8 Spoantects CE 19 8 3 8 25 24 1 27
9 Poikimitagiin FE 19 6 8 5 26 23 3 26
10 Mylfe CE 19 7 5 7 22 21 1 26
11 Strapply FE 19 6 8 5 18 18 0 26
12 Bumpoogra FE 19 7 5 7 23 24 -1 26
13 Daazyiles OC 19 7 5 7 20 21 -1 26
14 Merpisms CE 19 7 4 8 26 30 -4 25
15 Huellim FE 19 5 8 6 18 18 0 23
16 Oillid CE 19 5 6 8 18 23 -5 21
17 DFE Donseplock 19 6 2 11 24 34 -10 20
18 Stithis FE 19 4 7 8 23 30 -7 19
19 FE Dranacess 19 4 6 9 15 27 -12 18
20 Pomperae FE 19 3 3 13 10 31 -21 12

1751 has also, at long last, seen the resurrection of the Vephraller Kustriin e Foutbill. The VKF was the nation's original professional football competition, played a total of six times between 1595 and 1617. The creation of the VTF in 1610 eventually killed off the VKF, but the Cup (for that's what it was) has at long last returned.

A total of 274 teams are participating in the 1751 edition of the VKF, a notable increase from the 20 that participated in the previous running. Previous winners Sesotnig FE currently play in Cintrin B and entered the Cup in the First Round.

The Kustriin began with five qualifying rounds. Fifty teams representing the largest universities in Vephrall, in addition to twenty-six other non-league teams, started out in the First Qualifying Round. The fifty-eight Cintrin E clubs entered in the Second Qualifying Round, the forty Cintrin D2 clubs in the Fourth, and the forty Cintrin D1 clubs in the Fifth. Four non-league clubs (Islanders Utd, Olcenimy, H. Fenstus, and Amidy) managed to make it through to the Fourth Qualifying Round, where they were all defeated.

The clubs of Cintrin C entered the Cup in the First Round Proper, which was just completed. The 28 winners in that round will now be joined by 20 clubs from Cintrin B for the Second Round.

Note that the seeding was based on the division that the clubs played in last season. Thus, Mendid CE, for instance, while currently playing in Cintrin B, entered the cup in the First Round as they were in Cintrin C last year. This rule is expected to be changed for the next edition.

Demot

30-01-2008, 08:33

Season 1904

Pride League
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Oceanic 38 21 9 8 83 60 23 72 Champions
2 Oceanic United 38 22 6 10 71 50 21 72
3 Club Demot 38 20 7 11 60 45 15 67
4 Santa Rosa FC 38 18 11 9 78 65 13 65
5 Druidisian United 38 18 7 13 68 55 13 61
6 New Mirria Patriots 38 17 9 12 72 56 16 60
7 Bellwater Tidal Wave 38 17 8 13 67 52 15 59
8 Mirria United 38 16 7 15 78 66 12 55
9 Ionnusyus FC 38 14 12 12 39 34 5 54
10 Atalantian FC 38 14 12 12 54 62 -8 54
11 Likewell Kirk 38 15 7 16 67 72 -5 52
12 Ropper FC 38 14 9 15 78 64 14 51
13 Skyhaven FC 38 13 11 14 69 70 -1 50
14 Maracruse Typhoon 38 15 5 18 52 64 -12 50
15 RC Ririnkle 38 12 6 20 59 79 -20 42
16 Freestone FC 38 11 8 19 50 60 -10 41
17 Vasanova United 38 11 8 19 53 70 -17 41
18 AC Santa Rosa 38 11 6 21 64 89 -25 39 Relegated
19 Dunmodra United 38 11 5 22 61 73 -12 38 Relegated
20 RC Ropper 38 10 7 21 56 93 -37 37 Relegated

Championship
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Druidisian FC 38 19 10 9 71 49 22 67 Champions
2 AC Paragos 38 20 7 11 71 51 20 67 Promoted
3 Saravella City 38 19 8 11 69 50 19 65 Promoted
4 Skyhaven United 38 16 17 5 69 50 19 65
5 Ursona FC 38 18 10 10 56 45 11 64
6 FC Bellwater 38 17 10 11 59 51 8 61
7 Samarga FC 38 17 9 12 55 42 13 60
8 AS Calada 38 18 4 16 64 59 5 58
9 Mirria City 38 16 9 13 69 60 9 57
10 Real Escan 38 13 14 11 50 44 6 53
11 AS Freestone 38 14 9 15 62 68 -6 51
12 Tiranyus FC 38 12 14 12 45 51 -6 50
13 Morthinian FC 38 12 13 13 51 55 -4 49
14 Faramore United 38 11 11 16 50 53 -3 44
15 RC Rarthon 38 10 13 15 49 60 -11 43
16 FC Ironwind 38 11 9 18 37 53 -16 42
17 Maracruse United 38 11 8 19 50 68 -18 41
18 Parthen United 38 11 7 20 64 74 -10 40 Relegated
19 Halland City 38 9 6 23 53 75 -22 33 Relegated
20 Athletic Samarga 38 9 6 23 49 85 -36 33 Relegated

League One
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Geros City 38 26 6 6 85 44 41 84 Champions
2 Fairland FC 38 19 10 9 74 56 18 67 Promoted
3 Arthenian United 38 18 12 8 69 53 16 66 Promoted
4 AS Klingsa 38 19 6 13 69 48 21 63
5 AC Dunmodra 38 18 7 13 62 58 4 61
6 AC Elacante 38 17 8 13 68 57 11 59
7 Harthgate United 38 16 10 12 73 58 15 58
8 Druidia United 38 15 10 13 60 61 -1 55
9 Athletic Cortalias 38 15 9 14 66 61 5 54
10 AS Icewind Dun 38 16 6 16 57 59 -2 54
11 Villain City 38 15 7 16 59 62 -3 52
12 Arthenian FC 38 15 6 17 57 57 0 51
13 Raldvila FC 38 12 11 15 59 70 -11 47
14 Parafell City 38 12 10 16 56 60 -4 46
15 Clonsguard FC 38 12 9 17 44 56 -12 45
16 Parthen City 38 11 11 16 53 62 -9 44
17 Calada United 38 11 10 17 44 59 -15 43
18 Verandiom City 38 10 10 18 49 71 -22 40
19 Dosastion United 38 9 7 22 56 73 -17 34
20 Mordras City 38 8 7 23 54 89 -35 31

Septentrionia

31-01-2008, 07:27

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v338/Oli55/Superligue-soccer-logo2.png

After many years of negociations and other things, Septentrionia's football league is finally underway. Septentrionia's socialist economy means that it is very poor, but it is proud of its hockey teams and they hold most of the money available in the country, which means that the soccer teams in the nation are soccer divisions of the hockey clubs, for the most part. The most notable exception to that is Stade du Dauphin, the main soccer-only club in Septentrionia.

The whole league setup is inspired by its ice hockey counterpart, the Ligue Nordique de Hockey Septentrionienne (commonly known by its marketing name, Nordikliga (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v338/Oli55/Nordikliga-Hockey-logo.png)). The Superligue is a 16 team league where teams play the other teams twice, for a total of 30 matches. At the end regular season, top 8 qualify for the post-season playoffs. Teams are seeded according to their final rank (1st plays against 8th, 2nd against 7th, 3rd against 6th and 4th against 5th) to play in a single leg matchup. The winners of the playoff are crowned league champions.

There is also a 2nd division level, also comprising 16 teams playing each other twice. There is a promotion/relegation system in place between the two divisions. Top 4 from 2ème Division and Bottom 4 from Superligue are to be united in a single pot for a playoff phase called "Séries de rélégation". 4 matchups are drawn from that single pool. Matchups are 2 legged and the winners "promote" to Superligue, while the losers "relegate" to 2ème Division. That system has drawn criticisms from many people around the leagues because it could cause two teams from the same division to be drawn together, thus disadvantaging teams from the higher division.

Superligue 2008

As the league got underway, Club Sportif Sept-Onze started to take a lead over everybody. But during Matchday 15, a sad event happened as their star striker, Guillaume Giguère, got injured. The team, which had at the time an 8 point lead over Ourseville 1093, then had a complete drought and was overtaken by Stade du Dauphin, who went on to win the Regular season championship, a feat not easily done, as Sept-Onze were able to come back and were tied for 1st place with Dauphin with 4 games to go. While Dauphin were able to win their last 3 games and draw another, Sept-Onze screwed their late come back and finally ended in 2nd place, one point over Ourseville 1093.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Dauphin 30 18 6 6 45 28 17 60
2 Sept-Onze 30 17 5 8 46 27 19 56
3 Ourseville 1093 30 15 10 5 53 30 23 55
4 St-FX 30 12 12 6 34 23 11 48
5 Union 30 13 9 8 43 33 10 48
6 FC Grand-Glacier 30 12 10 8 35 27 8 46
7 CS Lac-Amédée 30 11 11 8 41 32 9 44
8 Richelieu AC 30 9 15 6 37 34 3 42
9 FC Cap-Phare 30 10 9 11 34 44 -10 39
10 Baie-Verte CCFC 30 10 5 15 28 35 -7 35
11 Nordiqueville AF 30 7 12 11 35 36 -1 33
12 ASJL Cap-Nord 30 10 3 17 31 49 -18 33
13 Bourdailleux 30 8 8 14 28 38 -10 32
14 AA Benoîtville 30 8 7 15 25 46 -21 31
15 US Septentrionalis 30 8 5 17 30 39 -9 29
16 Piedmont 30 4 9 17 23 47 -24 21

Colour code:
Orange: Saison Régulière Champions and Qualified for Séries Éliminatoires
Green: Qualified for Séries Éliminatoires
Blue: Will participate in Séries de Rélégation

Deuxième Division 2008

The 2nd division of the Système Septentrionien de Football has been a very tight affair until Matchday 22: In fact, until then, the leaders did not have more than a 4 point lead over the 2nd placed team. And for the major part of the season, the teams placed 3rd to 8th were in a very tight group, which had a first split in Matchday 23 after 3rd placed Baieville got near 2nd placed Desmarais. But then, Baieville destroyed a very good season with 3 losses and 4th place was settled by Matchday 29 when a 3 point lead confirmed that either SC Mont-Bleu or Club Athlétique Ourseville would finish 3rd and 4th.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Mont-Lambert FC 30 19 7 4 50 25 25 64
2 Desmarais 30 17 7 6 56 35 21 58
3 Athlétique 30 15 8 7 50 29 21 53
4 SC Mont-Bleu 30 14 9 7 50 36 14 51
5 Baieville 30 13 8 9 39 34 5 47
6 Calembourg 30 13 7 10 38 32 6 46
7 Sauvageville 30 13 4 13 41 33 8 43
8 Septentrionalis HC 30 12 5 13 38 46 -8 41
9 CH Vaudreuil 30 10 9 11 38 39 -1 39
10 L'Étoile du Nord FC 30 10 9 11 28 34 -6 39
11 Club Latin 30 11 6 13 31 40 -9 39
12 Orléans 30 7 12 11 41 42 -1 33
13 AS Île-Benoît 30 7 9 14 30 45 -15 30
14 Mont-Surrindère SC 30 6 10 14 25 40 -15 28
15 FC Les Vals 30 5 9 16 22 40 -18 24
16 SC Presqu'île 30 6 5 19 24 51 -27 23

Colour Code:
Orange: Deuxième Division Champions and Qualified for Séries de Rélégation
Blue: Qualified for Séries de Rélégation

Séries Éliminatoire de la Superligue 2008

A very cold November characterized this part of the season. Most games were played on completely frozen pitch that would look more like an ice hockey rink without boards than a soccer pitch. A round per week is played, with games on Saturdays, except for the final, held on a Sunday. The final is going to be held at Stade International, in Ourseville. This stadium was built with the purpose of being the future national stadium for Septentrionia.

Quart de Finale (Matches were on November 8):
Dauphin 2-2 Richelieu AC (2-2 AET) (Dauphin wins 4-1 on penalty kicks)
Sept-Onze 0-0 CS Lac-Amédée (0-0 AET) (CS Lac-Amédée wins 3-0 on penalty kicks)
Ourseville 1093 4-0 FC Grand-Glacier
St-FX 0-1 Union

Demi-Finale (Matches were on November 22):
Dauphin 1-0 CS Lac-Amédée
Ourseville 1093 2-1 Union

Finale (Match was on November 30):
Dauphin 2-4 Ourseville 1093

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v338/Oli55/Ourseville-1093.png
Champions de la Superligue de Football de Septentrionie

Séries de Rélégation 2008

The Séries de Rélégation were held over two weeks (the Saturdays of November where no Séries Éliminatoires games are being held).

1st leg (Matches were on November 15):
Bourdailleux 3-0 Desmarais
Mont-Lambert FC 1-1 Piedmont
AA Benoîtville 0-2 US Septentrionalis
SC Mont-Bleu 1-1 Athlétique

2nd leg (Matches were on November 29):
Desmarais 1-1 Bourdailleux
Piedmont 0-0 Mont-Lambert FC (0-1 AET)
US Septentrionalis 1-2 AA Benoîtville
Athlétique 4-0 SC Mont-Bleu

Aggregate results (Bolded team promotes to Superligue):
Bourdailleux 4-1 Desmarais
Mont-Lambert FC 2-1 Piedmont
AA Benoîtville 2-3 US Septentrionalis
SC Mont-Bleu 1-5 Athlétique

Congratulations to Sudistes de Bourdailleux (Superligue), Mont-Lambert Football Club (2eme Division), Union Sportive Septentionalis (Superligue), Club Athlétique Ourseville (2eme Division).

Season awards:
Manager of the year: Édouard Vaillancourt (Dauphin)
MVP: Jérôme Chiasson (Ourseville 1093)
Defender of the year: Roger Danis (St-FX)
Midfielder of the year: François Chagnon (Dauphin)
Striker of the year: Jérôme Chiasson (Ourseville 1093)
Keeper of the year: Alexis Briard (FC Grand-Glacier)

Elves Security Forces

01-02-2008, 00:02

EPL Preview
Season 20,004

With a huge amount of success last season with foriegners, many clubs brough out the checkbooks during the transfer window and splashed out the money to improve their teams. Most notaly is Rinaldi, who now seemed to be relying heavily on foriengers. Whether this massive influx in foriegn talent is good for the league will have to be observed long term. For now, another wacky season is about to begin, and we'll have to see if Mar Sara makes it three titles in a row, which would still leave them three short of Raynor City's record.

Transfers
Foriegn
Phootid Rilan (Vephrall) GK -> Monaven Breakers
Recasang Nastadgus (Vephrall) MR -> Rinaldi Gunners
Phootid Fihor (Vephrall) ML -> Rinaldi Gunners
Ferrys Sorrah (Vephrall) FC -> Soldarian FC
Einy Solivasas (Vephrall) AMRLC -> Hartdale Hawks
Pembace Pinteps (Vephrall) DLR -> Juavi Reds
Frederick Hampstead (Bazalonia) FC -> Wexax United
Everrett Kang FC (Bazalonia) -> Straightdale FC
Adam Carter (UCS) DC -> FC Longview
Nicholas Love (UCS) MR -> Baysleef Bombers
Miles Sinclair (Lamoni) FC -> Mar Sara Flames
Jordan Makashi (Lamoni) LB -> FC Capri
Martyn Kilranny (Lamoni) LW -> AS Sharala
Kevin Donald (Lamoni) ST -> AS Sharala
Flora Quintel (Vyinta) DCR -> AS Sharala
Isal Grazi (Vyinta) AMC -> Straightdale FC
Roland Carr (Vyinta) MC -> FC Travesian
Danny Bindett (Kura-Pelland) AMC -> Raynor City Rockers
Megan Kucinich (Zwangzug) DMC -> Wexax United
Asam Cirebon (Bettia) MC -> Raynor City Rockers
Llifon Rhys (Bettia) FC -> AC Valanari

Domestic
Michelle Durosa MRLC -> Pen-y-Bydd (Bettia)
Manny Kili FC -> Akani Sands (Bettia)
Sacra Menifee MC -> FC Wexax
Kali Rojas FC -> FC Wexax
Roger Zensan MC -> Juavi Reds
Kile Shu FC -> Trilan (Kura-Pelland)
Lucas Hearts FC -> Porterbridge City (Kura-Pelland)
Efeirn Ace GK -> Ammites FE (Vephrall)
Deuce Zadora FC -> Mylfe CE (Vephrall)
Sven Ostiken AMRL -> Penuler OC (Vephrall)
Kris Consmith CB -> FE Dranacess (Vephrall)
Kristi Mars LB -> Yuba United (UCS)
Cleo Fu FC -> Yuba United (UCS)
Kati Venus age CB -> San Diego Iguanas (UCS)
Zany Ataman LW -> Naquada Falls Demons (UCS)

Listed below are the line ups of the top division teams with foriegners listed in italics and the best 3 players bolded, along with stadium information and team characteristics.

Raynor City: St. Louis; Asantai, Lopez, Walker; Morose, Jannian, Wahn, Cirebon, Bindett; Sykko, va Glaze
Coach: Fabio Mannasuch
President: Zeratul Raynor
Team Style: Offensive
Strongest Point: Wingers and Strikers
Weakest Point: None
Nickname(s) Rockers
Stadium used The Battleground (59,000)
Other facts: Having gone without a form of silverware for some time, the team went out and aquired two talented center midfielders to fill their weaknesses. Despite having to give up good reserves of Killi and Shu to obtain them, this squad is improved from last year, and should win either the Silver Cup, League, or both.
Good Bench Players Rikar Solaris (Attacking Midfielder), Poarus Demtre (Center Midfileder), Kael Underwind (Striker)

Rinaldi: Yoshida; Rivolli, Veiga, Debois, Kries; Fihor, Nastadgus, Mercado, Riot; Saint-Émilion, Night,
Coach: Asanta Webber
President: Exan Forris
Team Style: Very Offensive
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: None
Nickname(s) Gunners
Stadium used The Beachfront (43,000)
Other facts After a dissapointing finish last season, Forris decided to continue his investment in foriegn talent, this time grabbing two Vephrese wingers to sure up that hole. While this side is still one of the best, they must remember that Yoshida and Riot are getting up there in years, and this is the time to win more titles if they are to be won.
Good Bench Players Markan Nava (center midfielder), Elliot Leyva (winger), Wes Sterling (defender)

Char Sara: Merlose; Perrin, Kamtaker, Mahaska, Florez; Stoneburner, Hiat, Funteyn; Yocum, Carl, Neesa
Coach: Jamie Kiki
President: Michael Rover
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Defence
Weakest Point: Midfield
Nickname(s) Inferno
Stadium used The Tar Pit (39,000)
Other facts This squad reamined quiet during the offseason, which may not be a bad thing. However like Rinaldi, Merlose and Florez are not getting any younger. The squad needs to invest in some good youth, or they could become the next Gladerial.
Good Bench Players Darcello Cortes (striker), Rodney Murray (defender)

Monaven: Rilan; Callan, Fortenbras, Oklan, Zapata; Kaphridie, Brooks, Clan, Jarrel; Ironsmith, Riftin
Coach: Deke Xavier
President: Trevor Jan
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: Focus
Nickname(s) Breakers
Stadium used Orange Gate Falls (39,000)
Other facts The squad did make one change in the down time, bringing in Vephrese keeper Phootah Rilan. Despite the upgrade between the pipes, this squad is one that could easily find itself in a relegation battle. Riftin is not scoring the way he did when he was one of the best strikers in the country, and they will need him to fiind his oldself if they are to achieve anything worthy of note this season.
Good Bench Players Kim Zettaback (Attacking midfielder), Rollan Kin (holding midfeilder)

FC Longview: Keller; Damx, Longman, Carter, Smithston; King, Marl, Masc, Sikal; Cjin, Norm
Coach: Reta Bane
President: Danny Morriow
Team Style: Counter-attacking
Strongest Point: Wingers
Weakest Point: Strikers
Nickname(s) Foxes
Stadium used Angelotic Temple (71,000)
Other facts The support of the squad is tad shaky right now. Despite a few small moves to get the squad going, these is a fright that the squad may go down. While I do not think this is going to happen, Longview should think about adding a real solid striker before next season if they hope to ever challange for a title.
Good Bench Players Yars Abu (Attacking midfielder), Markak Lars (Stiker)

Gladerial: Long; Angellete, Collin, Braswell; Griffan, McKnight, Park, Denys, Smyth; Rockana, Lee
Coach: Isle Underdark
President: Dwier Titenburg
Team Style: Possessive
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Team chemistry
Nickname(s) Twilight
Stadium used The White Fortress (70,000)
Other facts Gladerial is a team in crisis. Despite their elustrious history, the squad is stuck in medicority, and they can't seem to go anywhere but down. Rumors that Titenburg is ready to sell the club have not made it any easier for Underdark, who will have his troubles in getting this squad to even get to a midtable finish.
Good Bench Players Michelle Goodnight (Striker), Michael Daybreak (Striker), Zaku San (Defender)

Mar Sara: Norris; Mars, Zap, Shock, Dimitre; Zizzn, Alidare, Ikles; Quinn, Losstarrot, Gaurlung
Coach: Andres Crucitti
President: Rosemary Angelotic
Team Style: Offensive
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: None
Nickname(s) Flames
Stadium used Donna Cathedral (50,000)
Other facts After proving good champions by retaining their title, Mar Sara did the smart thing and invested in some youth. Grabbing a young striker from Lamoni, and bringing up another from their youth academy, the squad seems quite fit to achieve both the short and long term goals. As Losstarrot and Gaurlung still have two to three years of their prime talent left, they can groom these youngins to be their replacements while still fighting to bring titles to the Donna Cathedral.
Good Bench Players Quint Farstio (Striker), Lauren Kels (Center midfielder) Aracio Cao (Defender), Miles Sinclair (Striker)

Baysleef: Reas; Manars, Legoan, Pilot, Centron; Osarius, Love, Warsaw, Olas ; Basis, Manuka
Coach: Kiki Red
President: Wolly Manark
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: Reserves
Nickname(s) Bombers
Stadium used The Runway (30,000)
Other facts Baysleef is going to be the wild card this season. They're just good enough to be above the midtable teams, but not good enough to contend with the elite for titles. Their lack of depth may cause some problems, espicially if Basis can't prove an adequete replacement for the departed Fu.
Good Bench Players Ricko St. John (Keeper), Christinia Osarius

Hartdale: van Posey; Mar, Metria, Wual; Müllenkamp; Mendez, Dorias, Solivasas, Pardal; English, Rikard
Coach Havin Roza
President Jennifer Sar
Team Style Defensive
Strongest Point Midfielders and Defence
Weakest Point Attacking consistancy
Nickname(s) Hawks
Stadium used Sky Fall (39,000)
Other facts Sar decided to spend some of her own money along with that of the club's to try to improve the attack with Solivasas from Vephrall. I don't think it's going to impact the club much, but it does give hope to the supporters that Sar isn't just using Hartdale as a way to enhance her fortunes.
Good Bench Players Morgan Banz (Holding midfielder), Rikardo Michion (Versatile midfielder), Fred Michaels (Defender)

Hondo: Rowell; Depeatrio, Calli, Debois, Venus; Tkermec, Nikki, Carmichael, Whitehurse; Yin, Defecta
Coach: Daft Massimo
President: Clin Massai
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Attack
Weakest Point: None
Nickname(s) Owls
Stadium used Raynor Memorial (40,000)
Other facts Quite surprised not to see Hondo grab a signee or two during the transfer window. They have a very good line up, and Tkermec proved wonderous last season, but it is still surprising to see them quiet. If things go ary, you know that the suppoerters will be pointing to this lack of activity as a likely reason.
Good Bench Players Daphne Caldwell (Striker), Rosario Evans (Defender), Xian Gillan (Midfielder)

FC Capri: St. Louis; Makashi, Florez, Harper, Titenburg Jr; Hardsworth, Fortenbres, Vorsco; Kurka, Bragollach, Snape
Coach: Maria Morris
President: Tranin Briton
Team Style: Very Offensive
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: None
Nickname(s) Typhoon
Stadium used Hatire Memorial (60,000)
Other facts Capri struggled last season, when Bragoolach and Snape both went down with injuries toward the later part of the season. As a result, they dropped 5th place with ten matches to go, to eleventh at the final standings. With both of them in tip top shape now, the squad is hoping to rebound, and hopefully be a threat to the title again.
Good Bench Players Rose Diamond Santapa (Striker), Trenton Oz (Midfielder), Davido Rollich (Defender)

Wexax United: Augustine; Qui, Sars, Armas, Grace; Claw, Kucinich, Gar, Gomes; Hampstead, Claire
Coach: Emily Degas
President: Dan Mieals
Team Style: Defensive
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Attack
Nickname(s) Devils
Stadium used Castle de Mot (49,000)
Other facts The Starblaydian Gomes and the delicate Claire singlehandedly saved this squad from relegation. Now with Claire reinforced by the Bazalonian Hampstead up front, and the holding midfielder of Kucinich from Zwangzug, there is hope that the squad will not only be in the league next year, but may be fighting for midtable status.
Good Bench Players Cass Woo (Midfielder), Nancy Silver (Defender) Zulu Smite (Defender)

Juavi: Carte; Pinteps, Que, Sorano, Torres; Zuke, Ira, Zensan, Keya; Toja, Mandalin
Coach: Marco Defoe
President: Jade Flow
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Youth System
Weakest Point: Expierence
Nickname(s) Reds
Stadium used Old Hartfast (47,000)
Other facts It's safe to say that Mandalin and Toja were more than an adequete replacement for va Glaze last season. The squad also was one of the better teams in the transfer window, swooping the great Roger Zensan on a free transfer and veterand defender Pinteps from Vephrall. This squad is really dangerous and very easily could sneak up on the big squads and pull a title out of it's hat.
Good Bench Players Franchesco Carlos (Striker), Simon Crass (Winger), San Fernad (Versatile Midfielder)

FC Travesian: Sala; Johnson, de Rinaldi, Centron, Darcello; Huarde, More, Carr, Arroyo, Mathias; Angelotic
Coach: Henry Twagiramungu
President: Donna Rosario
Team Style: Defensive
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Skill
Nickname(s) Vandels
Stadium used Bandit’s Cove (41,000)
Other facts The squad was rocked heavily three years ago when one of it's members raped another. Since then, any highly skilled players have avoided this squad. Under the leadership of Twagiramunga, it's trying to break from its history, but it will be a tough battle for them to stay afloat.
Good Bench Players Stefan Deadleaf (Striker), Rasd Ekes (Wingback)

Travesian: Ra; Eton, Parker, Zapata, Vern; Jaque, Giggs, Underdark, Reav; Jannian, Flecour
Coach: Gregory Kelly
President: Neil Vatos
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Consistancy
Nickname(s) Generals
Stadium used Base 09 (39,000)
Other facts One of the premier organizations in the leagues. They have been a model of good skill and finicially stability for years. However, they someone could never find their way into the Premiership until now. I think they have just enough to keep them in the top flight this year, and with Vatos good relations with Vyinta, their might be a pipeline of talent to keep the squad up for seasons to come.
Good Bench Players Harley Va (Striker), Henry Gales (Winger)

AS Sharala: Tri; Sold; Grace, Do'Urden; Underdark, Kilranny, Ice, Swent, Glars; Kill, Donald
Coach: Rosario Martell
President: Mihgan Rose
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: Defence
Nickname(s) Crusaders
Stadium used Altar of Champions (38,000)
Other facts Despite having a championship to their name, the Crusaders have spent the majority of their existance in the lower leagues. Back into the topflight, they will try to rattle a few feathers but will ultimately be in a relegation tilt.
Good Bench Players Flora Quintel (Defender), Cleo Dia (Striker)

Straightdale FC: Rezzana; Cooper, Del, Ten; Calk, Xi, Xi, Matai, Grazi; Trini, Kang
Coach: Allopo Drogba
President: Novato Mas
Team Style: Possesive
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Defence
Nickname(s) Crusaders
Stadium used Red Fence (39,000)
Other facts One has to fear that Straightdale might suffer the sophmore slump. Despite bringing in some players to sure up the depth of the squad, they just have a that build to struggle this season. Grazi will need to improve on his form from the DBC Cup if he wants to upgrade this squad to a true competitor.
Good Bench Players Wolfgar Den (Midfielder), Savanna Elias (Defender)

AC Valanari: Allah; Milla, Vance, Martyr, Skull; Durosa, Millingham, Guerrero, Cavies; Castle, Sven
Coach: Duran Gill
President: Rosy Marlin
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Consistancy, Youth System
Weakest Point: Leadership
Nickname(s) Young Guns
Stadium used Duran Palace (50,000)
Other facts Valanari proved again that it is a solid club, with another high mid-table finish last season. Despite the need for a leader, the only move the squad made was a player exchange with Bettia to bring in an extremely young player. One has to wonder if that blazing heat has finnaly gotten to Marlin, or if he still has a few tricks up her sleeve.
Good Bench Players Miguel Cassel (Striker), Adam Durgot (Striker), Llifon Rhys (Striker)

Soldarian FC: Vine; Perheira, Mias, Dogood, Suares; Durai, Florin, Ni, Quint; Lias, Sorrah
Coach: Omani Rios
President: Placebo Soldar
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Reserves
Nickname(s) Soldars
Stadium used Hellgate (54,000)
Other facts After survival last year, this would be the perfect season for the Soldars to build up a squad that could contend for a title next season. They are a good side, but they lack the depth of a Raynor City and the over skill of Rinaldi and Mar Sara. If they survive this season and use it to build on those two weaknesses, they could be a growing power come a few seasons time.
Good Bench Players Trian Kiev (Midfielder), Sherrie Murdock (MIdfielder), Qui Foster (Defender)

FC Vamas: Guy; McQueen, Clint, Rogers, Poi; Aura, Garr, Osarius, Rossi; Alexander, Dergot
Coach: Jason Cringle
President: Clark de Capri
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Coaching
Weakest Point: Consistancy
Nickname(s) Ravens
Stadium used New Ravens Cove (51,000)
Other facts After completely defying the odds and survivng relegation, you would think the Ravens would of used the transfer window to buy better players. Yet they sat and watched the spectacle, and because of it I don't see them pulling another miracle in surving.
Good Bench Players Niko Augustus (Midfielder), Kit Spain (Defender)

Favorites
Raynor City - 37%
Mar Sara - 33%
Rinaldi - 20%
Juavi - 7%
FC Capri - 3%

Worst Teams
FC Vamas - 61%
FC Travesian - 19%
Monaven - 10%
AS Sharala - 9%
Gladerial - 1%

Article by Ron Santapa

Candelaria And Marquez

01-02-2008, 18:20

'The text you have entered is too long' my arse. You ain't seen nothin yet, jolty boy. This is me we're talking about.

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Matchday Eight: Condiments on your kit

Some people say things happen for a reason, and we won’t pass judgement on the matter, unless we really have to. But sometimes the universe hiccoughs up a little coincidence that cannot be explained away as readily as a groin strain at Christmas and phantom cats.

This is an unnecessary way of introducing a matchday eight that included some potentially season-defining results and tense affairs, but was somehow generally uninspiring. The two games that attracted the most nationwide press attention both involved mustard; with Coleman Mustard, the new boss of Radyukevich, picking up his first victory in management. Cynicism over the Jukos legend’s new role at the club remains high, fuelled by a mixture of inadvertent racism and a half-decent grasp of reality. Yes, there are Panadero-shaped exceptions to the rule; but in general ex-players simply can’t walk into a top job and expect to turn things around. With three up, three down in a sixteen team league, and Radyukevich looking really rather awful, this was surely not the time to experiment with Mustard.

In the long term the naysayers may well be proved right; but under Mustard’s stewardship they have at least scored a goal and won a game, thanks to Jamie Rawlinson’s return to the line-up and his fine hit in the first half. It may only have finished one-nil, but it gives the table-scraping side a real boost ahead of a daunting trip to Albrecht FC. Unfortunately however, it was only against Candelaria-Allemali; who are also crap as owt and clearly need to jettison Giles Walton as a matter of some urgency.

Switch to Monday night and the beginning of an all-new mustardgate; a story that will no doubt run and run until the Conservatives do the decent thing and drop out of the ruling coalition and give us something to talk about other than football. Albrecht Turkish v Marquez-Onwere decided the XXVI title on the final day of last season and was always going to be a massive game. But Turkish, who have a self-combustibility about them, seemed wary and subdued after their defeat at El din Marbles last week, while MarquezOW are at the current time exploring a less mindlessly offensive outlook as that which made them champions. The pairing of Jack Stafador and Joe Beye looks like it’s been about for a decade right now, and even for a Starblaydi Stafador is growing up fast. Perhaps he needed the relief gained from the knowledge that his move to the CMSC was finally sanctioned over the last couple of weeks by the bureaucracy-choked morass (a type of wetland. Or Wentland, possibly) that is the Starblaydi Football Association.

As such, there was no panicking in the naranja side after conceding early thanks to Gary Maini’s diving header and early in the second half Niclas Kjaer provided the cross for Ignacio Vélez that the Big Blues star tucked past his international team-mate Oberon Martinez.

Only afterwards did it emerge that the two teams had met in a corridor at half-time, and exchanged verbals over a series of decisions from referee Ted Garrido. The former lower-league defender is no stranger to criticism, at home or abroad, but it appears that the away side were right behind him. Lots of arguing, mustard thrown at Doug Szczechowicz, scandal scandal, can’t condone etcetera… TV bosses are loving it.

It was a rather violent weekend all round in fact, hardly surprising given that there were two major derbies. Both provided upsets, of sorts, though the home sides were ultimately victorious. In El din, the city’s two biggest clubs entered into a full-bodied affair for as long as they could be bothered, before spending the second half lumping it up to their respective Kura-Pellandi big men. Cathedral emerged with the three points in a two-one win to join the Marbles on 14 points from their eight games, but it could easily have gone the other way and dreamy dreamy Carlos Panadero wasn’t too dissatisfied with the performance.

The two first division clubs from Khatib-Gassett also share the same number of points, 12 in this case, following the side from the Rose of Sharon district’s win over Khatib’s finest. ‘Our Wally’ got KT Hotspur’s decisive goal after a maisie run (lovely girl, played the recorder) and shot from the Hopeless man.

Further towards the top of the table Albrecht FC and Green Island stayed in the running with tight but ultimately simple wins over Caires Sports and Arrigo Portuguese. Candelaria Arsenal beat Port of Clotaire two-one with a goal-of-the-season contender from Hamzah Abdullah Harouni, who got himself a second yellow card for his celebration. MN Smith’s woes continued, when they relinquished an early Jamie Watson lead to loose three-one at Gamboa FC.

A.Turks v MarquezOW (Mon) 1 – 1 (Maini 12; Vélez 51)
Caires Sports v Albrecht FC 0 – 1 (Vanderpent 50)
C.A.L v Port of Clotaire 2 – 1 (Beraza 36, Harouni 74; Federici 66)
Cathedral City v El din Marbles (Sat Morning) 2 – 1 (Moschopoulos 47, Ozi-Mayer 62; Gardner 77)
Gamboa FC v MN Smith 3 – 1 (Katic 22 and 44, Lewis 90+1; Watson 9)
KT Hotspur v Turks’ Club (Sun Morning) 1 – 0 (Milton 68)
Portuguese v Green Island 0 – 2 (Zetaback 17, Vélez 54)
Radyukevich v CandelariaAM 1 – 0 (Rawlinson 28)

Matchday Nine: Blessed is the Moon; it goes but it comes back again

So they say in Samcoa, or somewhere like that, I forget. But it may not come back soon enough for Andy Woolworth, if Harry Primrose insists on getting injured again. It was early in the second half when the C&M international made that wobbly fingers sign and hobbled about for a bit, and all eyes turned to the bench.

There was no Seb Moon waiting in the wings this time however, the highly-rated youngster instead off on a season-long loan in the Kura-Pelland second division. Instead, Woolworth’s single viable option was 36-year-old Charles Maddison; a veteran of the lower leagues seeking a final pay day for a season with the reigning champions. The manager’s face told its own story, for Woolworth has since had time to watch Maddison in training. The new keeper gave a little jog, and took his place between the sticks. And conceded three goals.

Marquez-Onwere had not got off to the best of starts against Gamboa FC it’s true, with the away side’s physical presence helping to give them an unexpected share of the game. Big Jonathan Ledor in the centre of the park has been an unsung hero of XXVII, while his teenage partner Austin Lewis had clearly gained confidence from his first top-flight goal last week. It was little surprise when Sargento Castelão broke the deadlock for the visitors on the half-hour and the Cafundelese striker could well have doubled his tally soon after, with a shot that Primrose strained to top over.

Primrose failed to run off that injury in the second half, but it didn’t appear like it would matter once the naranja had got back to their fluent best; Merlin Siriwong earning a corner off Sam Young from which the former Abiodun defender Pete Kimber scored. And the side from the posh end of Kimber’s former abode looked down and out minutes later; when John Horner, acting as Primrose’s kicker, skyed a ball into the centre which Jack Stafador collected and played into Ignacio Vélez for his fifth of the season.

But MarquezOW are always going to give away chances, and Maddison hardly provided a comfort blanket. Soon after his arrival he flapped at a Rusty Katic shot followed up by Castelão, who completed his hat-trick after a good move and cross down the left by Adlai Dobson. The now eight-in-nine striker turned provider in the dying minutes to allow Katic to wrap up a famous four-two win for Gamboa.

Having dropped to fifth, MarquezOW will have to watch themselves that they don’t loose touch on the leaders. They face a difficult game at the Valleys next; KT Hotspur coming off the back of a one-nil defeat at Green Island. Once again Joel Sbaïz played out of his skin, the young goalkeeper fending off Stuart Vidakovic, Rául Vélez and Roger Zetaback for most of the game until his own left-back Ebbrell Klein put the ball into his own net with a quarter of an hour remaining.

There were simple enough victories for the capital clubs; Albrecht FC beating Radyukevich two-nil thanks to goals early in each half by the improving midfielder Jack Marshall, while Albrecht Turkish beat their daughter club from Khatib-Gassett by the same scoreline.

El din Marbles remain among the leading pack after their blip against their local rivals, with a two-one win over Candelaria Arsenal for whom 17-year-old Kevin Ely’s goal on his first start proved scant consolation in the long run. Another youngster among the goals is Jason Federici, who scored his third for Port of Clotaire from the bench against Arrigo Portuguese. Now bottom of the table, Portuguese manager Jay Zabojnik appears on the verge of stepping down or being pushed, and may not even be in charge for the vital MN Smith game next week.

The Smudgers for their part drew goalless with Caires Sports, with Candelaria-Allemali had the better of a poor game with Cathedral City; Gime Thadope scoring decisively from a Smakam Downe run.

Albrecht FC v Radyukevich 2 – 0 (Marshall 9 and 53)
CandelariaAM v Cathedral City 1 – 0 (Thadope 39)
El din Marbles v C.A.L (Mon) 2 – 1 (Madden 26, Panama 35; K. Ely 43)
Green Island v KT Hotspur 1 – 0 (Klein og 76)
MarquezOW v Gamboa FC 2 – 4 (Kimber 51, Vélez 56; Castelão 29 and 64 and 74, Katic 84)
MN Smith v Caires Sports 0 – 0
Port of Clotaire v Portuguese (Sat Morning) 2 – 0 (Alaoui 81, Federici 85)
Turks’ Club v A.Turks (Sat Evening) 0 – 2 (Maini 14 and 20)

Matchday Ten: I can’t think of a pun or anything, sorry

XXVII’s CMSC first division has lost its second manager, in unusual circumstances given that it followed a victory. Jay Zabojnik threw in the towel at Arrigo Portuguese just hours after the Heuva had taken three vital points against MN Smith, admitting that he had simply not done enough with the resources available.

That the victory failed to lift the second city club out of the relegation zone after the first third speaks for the lack of progress made at Portuguese since their promotion two seasons ago. Zabojnik has had plenty of cash to work with, after the huge injection of funds by automobile tycoon Eduardo Morales that made them potentially the country’s richest club. Though the structure of the league prohibited Portuguese from investing big, one need only look at the three foreigners on their books to get a taste of the talent on offer; Ursula Lauren and Iain Belling are both starters for top international outfits, Djagbor Cvecej a recent arrival to the Squornshelous squad. The home-grown talent that Zabojnik’s predecessors help develop is second to none for a club at this level; from the C&M international right-back William Burgos to the likes of left-back Seiichi Ganaha, winger Cortez Carocha and the young forwards Jamie Gonazález and Isaac Burridge.

Yet this embarrassment of riches simply hasn’t gelled. Carocha and Belling should’ve been swapping flanks and bewitching the opposition like nobody’s business, while Kirby Brightmore and Cvecej looked a natural partnership. And with Osa Menor holding in the centre of the park, this side should have had no trouble challenging for a top half finish at the very least.

They may yet, though it won’t be thanks to Zabojnik’s signings. Why he launched bids for Oscar Zebramawi, the discarded Turks’ Club defender, and the hopelessly disappointing Joe James is anyone’s guess. Perhaps he arrogantly thought he could be the one to help these forgotten talents reach their full potential. But his faith in them would ultimately (shush, it’s a good word) cost him his job.

Ironically he left following a half-decent performance, albeit against MN Smith who really do look troubled. Jamie Watson is the bright point for the Smudgers, playing just off the shoulder of Jamie Johansson, and the Scotchpine score the equaliser on the stroke of half time. Belling and Carocha however were on-song for Portuguese, the Arrigo-born star scoring the winner after good work from the Kura-Pellandi. We should probably also mention MN Smith’s Craig James, the club’s back-up goalkeeper. Just to continue the theme.

For most papers however the weekend’s big story was on Saturday morning, when Albrecht FC fell to defeat at Candelaria Arsenal. Their big problem remains scoring goals, with Joe Cunningham celebrating his international squad place with a dire season and the wide pair of Ben Edwards and Beck Ragab not chipping in anywhere near enough. Their defence is certainly solid this season, with the arrivals of “Do me” David Brindley in goal and Shane Wojciechowski at centre-half augmented the strength of the Kelsekkian-Ariddian alliance at full-back and old Benji Fu. On Saturday they just happened to have an off day, Luke Naylor easily beating a sluggish Francois St. Louis to a dead ball and scoring late on.

It leave the Scorpions five points to make up on their nearest and dearest in the remaining twenty games, after Albrecht Turkish continued their return to form with a four-nil drubbing of Cathedral City. It was a bad week all-round for the El din clubs in fact, with the Marbles going two-one up at home to Turks’ Club, loosing Aubrey Mkhonza to injury and having Larry Torrell-White sent off, and promptly conceding four goals.

Green Island also remain in contention, though they had to work for it at Caires Sports. The Knights have been one of the surprises of the season, largely through being strong defensively but poor up front in a reversal of all expectations. The form of goalkeeper Andy Halford following his shocking and seldom remarked upon summer move from Gamboa following the Di Bradini Cup* has been particularly pleasing, while Bo Phelps has come on leaps and bounds recently following his soon-to-be-legendary two-men-one-goal game in the World Cup qualifiers. On Monday however the ultimate talent of the strikers Stuart Vidakovic and Rául Vélez was too much for this young side.

Two other young stars excelled themselves on matchday ten. Joel Sbaïz must be getting board of all the attention, but he once more played out of his skin to hold Marquez-Onwere to a draw at the Valleys while Jason Federici scored on his first start for Port of Clotaire in a one-nil win at Candelaria-Allemali.

A.Turks v Cathedral City 4 – 0 (Szczechowicz 5, Soldarian 26, Maini 61, Mottram 80)
Caires Sports v Green Island (Mon) 1 – 2 (Ashby 24; Vidakovic 59, Vélez 68)
C.A.L v Albrecht FC (Sat Morning) 2 – 1 (Beraza 34, Naylor 85; Vanderpent 33)
CandelariaAM v Port of Clotaire 0 – 1 (Federici 27)
El din Marbles v Turks’ Club (Sat Evening) 2 – 5 (McDonald og 56, Percy 71; Bradley 23 and 89, Sellami 72, Pi 73, Le Monde 86)
Gamboa FC v Radyukevich 1 – 0 (Castelão 65)
KT Hotspur v MarquezOW 1 – 1 (Abellardo 50; Cassumba Domingos 38)
Portuguese v MN Smith 2 – 1 (Belling 28, Carocha 73; Watson 45+1)

*Whoops.

P W D L GF GA GD PTS

1.Albrecht Turkish 10 8 1 1 21 6 15 25
2.Green Island 10 7 1 2 23 13 10 22
3.Albrecht FC 10 6 2 2 16 8 8 20
4.El din Marbles 10 5 2 3 17 11 6 17
5.Marquez-Onwere 10 5 2 3 16 12 4 17
6.Gamboa FC 10 5 2 3 18 16 2 17
7.Turks’ Club 10 5 0 5 16 12 4 15
8.Port of Clotaire 10 4 3 3 11 10 1 15
9.Cathedral City 10 4 2 4 13 16 -3 14
10.KT Hotspur 10 3 4 3 11 9 2 13
11.Caires Sports 10 3 2 5 8 10 -2 11
12.Candelaria Arsenal 10 3 2 5 12 17 -5 11
13.Candelaria-Allemali 10 2 2 6 7 14 -7 8
14.Arrigo Portuguese 10 2 2 8 8 17 -9 8
15.AFC MN Smith 10 1 3 5 5 16 -11 6
16.Radyukevich 10 1 2 7 1 12 -11 5

Matchday Eleven: Chasing pack move in on Turkish

It’s far too soon to be throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but Albrecht Turkish our going to have to watch themselves. On Monday night they were able to pull ahead of Green Island once more, but now their lead has been cut to one point following a two-all draw with KT Hotspur.

The Spur have arguably been the strangest outfit this year, and measuring Jerry Huntick’s performance remains difficult with five games drawn, three won and three lost. Yet they appear an extremely solid and united group, who have coped admirably with the loss of two of the better players, ‘keeper Paolo Thorpe and young forward Allen Gallagher, in recent weeks. While Joel Sbaïz has been a straight swap for his elder Thorpe, finding a replacement for Gallagher has proven more difficult and Huntick has frequently resorted to playing five at the back.

Thankfully for his sake, the Spur have what may well be three-quarters of the C&M back four at the next Di Bradini Cup, and all are getting chances with Ebbrell Klein’s form at right-back poor and questions remaining over Terence Johnson. On Monday however it was the unlikely figure of Riccardo Bates that proved their saviour; the injury-prone striker scoring the equaliser with a powerful strike from his unfavoured left foot.

Bates is unlikely to be given the chance to go on a run of games and goals with Gallagher due back soon, but there are still a host of strikers impressing in the CMSC. Foremost among them is Sargento Castelão, the former bench-warmer in the Cafundelese second division turned the Candelarias’ number one forward. His Saturday’s work was finished after just four minutes at Cathedral city this week, and he was barely in the game after that opening goal, but Adlai Dobson put Gamboa two-nil up at half-time thanks to a sensational hit and the Cats could but pull a goal back.

Gamboa’s emergence has gone almost unnoticed, but they are now in fifth and behind Marquez-Onwere only on goal difference. It is perhaps a testament to simple play and a striker capable of getting ten goals in eleven games; but Andrew Duffy’s team-building cannot go unmentioned; the pairing at the back of Sam Young and Clayton Knight proving inspired while the experience of Rusty Katic and Jonathan Ledor helps alleviate any concerns over the youth of Dobson or Austin Lewis.

Elsewhere, and the award for Least Likely Result with Fifteen Minutes to Go was at Radyukevich v Arrigo Portuguese. The away side, under caretaker Nathaniel Ferraro, had battered Coleman Mustard’s Jukos up until that point; looking a shadow of their former selves without hitting the back of the net. But then Coalville Sobers rashly brought down Jamie Rawlinson, and though eighteen-year-old substitute goalkeeper Alfonso Yaso saved the penalty he would go on to let in four and gift the home side a thumping win.

Every other home side won, with Albrecht FC’s Joe Cunningham scoring his first domestic goal since the opening day of the season in a two-one win over Candelaria-Allemali and Green Island moving to within a point of Turkish with comeback win over MN Smith. MarquezOW also conceded early on, to El din Marbles, but Merlin Siriwong’s standing volleys in the first half proved the difference.

Albrecht FC v CandelariaAM (Sat Morning) 2 – 1 (Cunningham 23, Vanderpent 40; Thadope 88)
A.Turks v KT Hotspur (Mon) 2 – 2 (Taha 5 and 59; Revault 52, Bates 64)
Caires Sports v C.A.L 2 – 0 (Ytterland og 9, Cole 22)
Cathedral City v Gamboa FC 1 – 2 (Folgueira 69; Castelão 4, Dobson 45+1)
Green Island v MN Smith 3 – 1 (Zetaback 35 and 45, Fattori og 74; Johansson 13)
MarquezOW v El din Marbles (Sat Evening) 2 – 1 (Siriwong 19 and 32; Madden 3)
Radyukevich v Portuguese 4 – 0 (Tanzani 75, Rawlinson 78 and 85, Burridge 79)
Turks’ Club v Port of Clotaire 3 – 0 (Jordan 8, Bradley 36, Le Monde 50)

Matchday Twelve: Can anyone stop the big four (or five or so)?

The answer may be a resounding No, if matchday twelve’s round of games is anything to go by. Though the margins of victory weren’t uniformally large, there was a horrible inevitability about them and not merely because I’m inordinately fond of the word.

CMSC bosses do so like to trumpet the openness of the league, stressing how Green Island came straight up from the second division three years ago to finish second in the table. Yet Albrecht FC’s five league title in six seasons alone rather pours salt on the particular slug of clichédness; and the current league standings also add fuel to that really rather inhumane fire. The introduction of the three- (or possible four- from next season) foreigner rule has supposedly introduced a greater degree of competitiveness to the first division, but it is a measure of the gap developing between the best and the rest that last week KT Hotspur fans were celebrating their draw at Albrecht Turkish as though they’d won the league. Too many managers seem comfortable with having “given it a go”, particularly away from home, and frequently seem happy enough not to be on the end of a drubbing. Given the openness in so many of the other world leagues right now, the CMSC would do well do consider brave new ways of rectifying the problem.

Or perhaps the dominant teams are just too good, both on the pitch and in the dugouts. One thing they certainly have in common is an arrogant belief that defeat – or even a draw – is beneath them and Turkish are as fine an example as this as any as they won by a single goal at Port of Clotaire; Gary Maini scoring late on after a deft touch took him away from the previously unbeatable Tom Redway.

Game of the weekend, as is so often the case, involved Green Island. With Brayton Desideri out injured, Hane Davies has hit upon a 3-5-2 more or less by accident with the veteran playmaker Russell LaRue finally getting games in the top flight. His involvement has given the Zapata club a much more solid appearance, though their defence is now as exposed as ever and Gamboa FC were able to capitalise twice, the first, of course, from Sargento Castelão. Andrew Duffy’s decision to rest Rusty Katic and pack the midfield ultimately proved a wasted opportunity however, and the powerful Rául Vélez was able to make short shrift of the home defence; missing out on a hat-trick thanks only to the Dubious Goals Panel.

Since we’re in a formationy sort of mood, the battle of 4-1-4-1 and 4-3-3 was decisively won by the reigning champions; though Marquez-Onwere had to wait until the second half to tire out Caires Sports’ young legs and give Andy Halford a day to forget. Albrecht FC were forced to change things around at the MSS after the confirmation that an injury received last week by Jack Marshall was worse than feared and the box-to-box player would be out for seven further weeks. Trevor Organ opted to introduce Kovac Johnson into a front three, and the 20-year-old would score what would prove to be the winner against a stubborn by still fruitless MN Smith.

It’s still hard to say whether Turks’ Club can now be considered one of the big boys, with seven wins, five losses and still no draws to their name. At any rate, Cathedral City’s utter lack of width proved their undoing once again since despite having arguably the best of the game the Turks’ Jack Hutton and Matthew Sellami were able to deliver crosses for the big man Andrew Bradley, who is proving an increasingly wise signing by Kura-Pellandi boss Filipo Curana.

Nathaniel Ferrero’s stint at the helm of Arrigo Portuguese looks set to go on a little longer meanwhile, though Larry Torrell-White would have to take the acclaim after a couple of dreadful fouls on Kirby Brightmore led to penalties put away by Djabgor Cvecej to give the strugglers a moral-boosting win in nearby El din.

Albrecht FC v MN Smith 2 – 1 (Ragab 23, Johnson 44; Walker 54)
CandelariaAM v C.A.L (Sat Evening) 3 – 0 (Smith 29, Thadope 65, Downe 81)
El din Marbles v Portuguese (Sat Morning) 1 – 2 (Madden 31; Cvecej 9 and 39)
Gamboa FC v Green Island 2 – 3 (Castelão 43, Ask 89; Vélez 33 and 48, Knight og 50)
MarquezOW v Caires Sports 4 – 0 (N. Kjaer 55, Siriwong 64, Vélez 85, Jansson og 88)
Port of Clotaire v A.Turks 0 – 1 (Maini 84)
Radyukevich v KT Hotspur 2 – 0 (Stromberg 21 and 82)
Turks’ Club v Cathedral City (Mon) 2 – 0 (Bradley 4 and 70)

Game Thirteen: Deevin defeated at Turks’ Club

It was a strange old day in the National Foot-Ball League and no mistake, as the perennial champion Albrecht FC were defeated by the Turks’ Club of Khatib, under the stewardship of the foreigner Felipe Curana.

AHEAD

The side from the capital took the lead after 18 minutes thanks to the little centre forward, Joe Cunningham. Cunningham has been struggling to reproduce his form of the 1973/74 season this time around, but was fully of fire as he led the line against a team that have thus far refused to settle for a point apiece in league play. Indeed, but for the quick reactions of the full-back Walter Jordan, Cunningham might well have widened the gulf in the scoreline twice more.

BETTER

The Turks’ Club’s revival began soon after Cunningham had failed to pounce on a classic opportunity, and the home outfit soon began to dominate a Deviants side missing classy half-back Jack Marshall. Not for the first time this season, once Xavier Le Monde and the centre-half Giorgio Pezzoni got themselves into the game Turks’ Club began to find real superiority. Le Monde in particular must be congratulated for his fine ball control and positional sense, and was rightly named “man of the match”.

REWARD

Not until the second period was the Turks’ Club’s domination rewarded, through two headed goals from the Gook-Kraut forward Holger Pi. Then Le Monde got the goal his play had warranted; when the wing half Jackie Hutton collected and went through to the bye line before crossing a good ball, and Le Monde headed well out of Davey Brindley’s reach from ten yards.

RESULT

Benjamin Edwards scored a late free hit, but Albrecht FC could not find an equaliser. The result, which will be seen as a disappointment, leaves the club six points behind the local rivals; Hoxton-based Albrecht Turkish. The title favourites won comfortably against Abiodun’s Gamboan Club.

OTHER GAMES

There were few real surprises in the NFBL’s ‘A’ Division on Saturday, though Port of Clotaire picked up a valuable win at Cathedral City. The young son of Italy, Jason Federici scored the only goal; the wonderful wop’s fifth of the season.

Among the other struggling sides, there was an important win for Bove’s All Saints FC; with a brace of goals coming from jinky Jimmy Watson against the Allemali Mariners. Radyukevich Sports Club was not so fortunate as they were defeated by a single goal at home by the reigning NFBL champions, the Onwere Academicals.

There were exciting scenes in Zapata, where the Negroes surrendered a two goal lead to be tying at half time with Sports of El din; the Ad’ihani Kenny Quinn scoring a beautiful equaliser after a run into the box by Nicky Percy. The skill of the Serb centre forward Stjojrt Vidakovic proved too much for the away side’s goalkeeper Aubrey Mkhonza in the second half however.

Exeter Rovers completed a good day for the Khatib/Gassett/Rose of Sharon area with a two goals to none win over Candelaria Arsenal.

In other news, this has been a strange day; and the kind reader will forgive me if I require a short lie down.

A.Turks v Gamboa FC (Sat 3 PM) 2 – 0 (Mr. S. Taha 19, Mr. R. Westhead 56)
Caires Sports v Portuguese (Sat 3 PM) 1 – 0 (Mr. D. Hill 60)
Cathedral City v Port of Clotaire (Sat 3 PM) 0 – 1 (Sig. J. Federici 63)
Exeter Rovers v C.A.L (Sat 3 PM) 2 – 0 (Mr. W. Milton 37, Sig. G. Abellardo 85)
Green Island v Sports of El din (Sat 3 PM) 3 – 2 (Gosp. S. Vidakovic 6 and 79, Mr. B. Head 12; Mr. P. Gardner 21, Mr. K. Quinn 41)
All Saints FC v Allemali Mariners (Sat 3 PM) 3 – 1 (Mr. J. Watson 16 and 44, Mr. N. Jones 70; Sig. C. Mengucci 4)
Radyukevich v Onwere Academicals (Sat 3 PM) 0 – 1 (Sr. I. Vélez 11)
Turks’ Club v Albrecht FC (Sat 3 PM) 3 – 2 (씨 Holger Pi 47 and 57, M. X. Le Monde 62; Mr. J. Cunningham 18, Mr. B. Edwards 89)

CMS Cup Round of 32: Turkish moderate degree of pleasure, Errant Knights take Turks’ head.

After last weekend’s impromptu “classic kits week”, which I think for everyone’s sake it would be worth forgetting about, the league breaks off for the CMS Cup.

The knock-out cup competition was always seen as an irritation in the past, and all attempts to create an artificial ‘history’ for the Cup have struggled to take off. Following professional football’s hiatus in the late 70s and early 80s the CMS Cup was the first real attempt to bring the country’s amateur clubs back together for a nationwide competition. Gamboa FC beat Ironside-Talinger in the first final, and since then it has always been an important date in C&M’s sporting calendar; though clubs at both ends of the table in all divisions have been known to rest players, even against superior sides, to concentrate on finishing one place higher in the final league table.

The money on offer from league finishes has dried up with the recent structural changes to the CMSC, and with it has come a renewed enthusiasm for the Cup. It is still a greatly flawed competition however, not least because the sixteen top-flight sides make up fully one half of those in the Round of 32. It is still possible for smaller clubs to have success however; one only need look at the now-defunct, semi-professional Arrigo City’s run to the final in XXI. There are no less than six sides from the semi-pro leagues remaining in this round, alongside eight clubs from Division Two and just two from Division Three.

There were few major upsets however, though several lower league sides were playing each other giving Brayton FC the chance to fight again while there will be replays between Chapon FC and Ironside-Talinger and Melin & Nader and Di Alfonso Phoenix. Swords of Bass will also have a shot at the Round of 16, after Conor Rogers nodded in a late equaliser against Caires Sports. Mayo Valley, a club with real tradition in the Cup, are through after beating Division Three Caires FC with goals from the highly thought-of target man Pascal Thorrington and former Division One star from El din Marbles, Andrey Osichenko.

The two real upsets both involved sides relegation from the top-flight last season, with Caires City winning all the headlines. They have surprisingly struggled so far this season, despite having been able to keep hold of much of their first division squad, but the Errant Knights got a moral-boosting win at Turks’ Club thanks – somewhat ironically – to the 6'4" Kura-Pellandi striker Pep McGuire who finally seems to be finding his feet.

A no less thumping win was delivered by Abiodun North. Their vanquished foes, Arrigo Portuguese, probably don’t need the distraction of the Cup right now but a three-one defeat to lower league opposition will none the less stick in their craw. Henry Young opened the scoring after a sublime show off skill from the rapidly improving left-winger (duh) Rian Bishop, but the Hueva’s defeat was ultimately their own responsibility after the increasingly hopeless-looking partnership of William Trumble and Oscar Zembramawi failed them once more and let in Brett Platts to score twice. Young and Platts are the first and third top scorers in the second division this year, but if the Storming Normans to get promoted again major changes will be needed given that both players are well on the wrong side of thirty.

Was Albrecht FC being knocked out by KT Hotspur really a shock? On current form you’d have to question it; but the Scorpions’ failure to fight back from a two-goal deficit before thirty minutes will have the club’s board members once again sporting itchy fingers.

Both last year’s finalists made it through; winners Albrecht Turkish easing to victory at Riverton Olympic of Green Island, while runners-up El din Marbles were two-nil victors over Candelaria-Allemali. The other capital club left in the draw, Alber City Wasps, failed to repeat their astonishing semi-final appearance of last year but pushed Port of Clotaire all the way until Nathaniel Alaoui netted for the Harpies in extra time. Gamboa FC failed to continue their superb season, going two up at Cathedral City but ultimately loosing by the odd goal, while the biggest victory was for the reigning league champions; Marquez-Onwere crushing last season’s division two play-off runners-up McDonald Sports of Saurin five-one with youngster Erik Kjaer scoring his first for the club.

Turks’ Club v Caires City 0 – 2 (McGuire 11 and 28)
Riverton Olympic v Albrecht Turkish 0 – 3 (Taha 8 and 85, Cetin 37)
MN Smith v Green Island 0 – 2 (Vélez 14 and 31)
Melin & Nader v Di Alfonso Phoenix 1 – 1 (Sixtos 67; Kochan 59)
El din Marbles v CandelariaAM 2 – 0 (Hone 62, Madden 87)
Radyukevich v Deportivo María 2 – 0 (Stromberg 22, Wilson 77)
C.A.L v Castillo FC 3 – 0 (Shannon 25 and 88, Naylor 39)
MarquezOW v McDonald Sports 5 – 1 (Okeke 6, Lopo 48 and 90+1, E. Kjaer 69, Plet og 81; Arnold 79)
Alber City Wasps v Port of Clotaire 0 – 1 (Alaoui 90+2)
Mayo Valley v Caires FC 3 – 0 (Thorrington 16 and 41, Osichenko 44)
KT Hotspur v Albrecht FC 2 – 0 (Adams 27, Gallagher 29)
Brayton FC v Estrellas Brillantes 3 – 2 (Kruyntjens 9, Sutton 10, Smith 90+4; Arango 75, E. Daniel 83)
Ironside v Chapon FC 2 – 2 (Wiater 23, Archer 42; Williams 17, Pavesi 57)
Abiodun North v Arrigo Portuguese 3 – 1 (Young 35, Platts 84 and 90+3; Emmett og 59)
Cathedral City v Gamboa FC 3 – 2 (Silva de Aviz 14, Jobson 30, Ozi-Mayer 63; Castelão 1, Ledor 7)
Caires Sports v Swords of Bass 1 – 1 (LeCass 21; Travers 83)

Matchday Fourteen: Our Wally in Knight mare

By which we mean that the popular KT Hotspur midfielder Wally Milton was gifted a host of opportunities in the game against Gamboa, and fluffed the lot; largely due to the imposing presence of Clayton Knight. That meant that despite being utterly under the cosh, Gamboa’s first minute lead from Jon Ledor remained untouched, keeping last year’s division two play-off winners in a ludicrous sixth place and bringing the Spur’s run of form to an abrupt halt.

That’s all, really. It wasn’t the most important game of the day by any means, but I thought the headline was kinda neat.

Because in actual fact this was a strange matchday altogether, in which every member of the supposed top four deciding that this whole winning lark wasn’t really for them. It all got under way on Saturday morning, when arguably the side least likely to be involved in a nil-nil draw, Marquez-Onwere, did just that. Andy Woolworth opted to keep Ceaser Lopo and Erik Kjaer in the first team following their performances in the Cup last weekend, but Cathedral City’s defence was boosted by the return of Demario Ortiz and Charlie Cunningham’s brave use of the previously out of favour wing-backs Terry Shelton and Archie Jones had the naranja’s wide men baffled.

The baton was passed to Green Island and Albrecht FC to take advantage of the champions’ lack of a killer touch, but both were on the end of pretty embarrassing failures. For the Scorpions, an initially promising season is starting to fade away and Trevor Organ will not be afforded too many more defeats. With Jack Marshall still injured and Rudy Clark looking utterly short of pace in the previous Cup game Organ switched back to a 4-3-3, but the gap left in the centre of the Harper Street pitch could not be filled by Matteo Corradini alone. Worn down by Port of Clotaire’s Kenan Olovic and Rodrigo Cozzi, Corradini’s resistance gave out in the second half and young Jason Federici earned a corner off Naoki Tonnelier that the right-back Ben George nodded home. On the opposite side of the field Tom Redway and Natalie Instonenext proved why the Harpies are right down there in the Goals Against column, and helped solidify their unlikely place in the top half of the table.

Green Island at least escaped with a point, but could have been home and hose by the half hour against a nervy Radyukevich on Saturday evening. Roger Zetaback scored a breakaway opener from a tentative Jukos attack before David Walker’s low cross and Ignacio Vélez’s stooping header made it two-nil. Mindful of previous failures from this position Green Island attempted to hold on to the lead but simply aren’t made to do so, and hadn’t reckoned for twenty-year-old Christian Sattler’s first CMSC goal on the stroke of half time. Coleman Mustard’s side started to take to their new 4-4-2 in the second half, and it was no surprise that they were able to grab an equaliser from Jamie Rawlinson’s close-ranged header.

All this was music to the ears of Albrecht Turkish fans, but the Millermen came up against a resolute Candelaria Arsenal defence led by a sickeningly assured Ávindu Zulqadr. The Pazhujebi slip of a lad had experienced internationals Gary Maini and Samuel Taha in his pocket throughout, though Kris Healy was left fuming when controversial ref Ted Garrido failed to give a penalty for a Chris Ytterland hack on Reuben Kennedy.

This would help brighten Albrecht FC fans’ weekends, of course, but the bare facts do not make good reading. Gamboa aside, the best of the rest achieved wins, with Turks’ Club moving a point clear of Organ’s men following a four-three win over MN Smith that wasn’t anywhere near as appealing as it sounds, but maintained the Khatib-Gassett side’s drawless season. El din Marbles took the lead three times against Caires Sports; Archer French seemingly grabbing a draw for the Knights for his second goal of a disappointing season before Bigandy Madden headed in the winner.

Arrigo Portuguese meanwhile got the better of a late flurry of goals at the Clifton Sausage Company Arena, but the two-one win is unlikely to be enough to save Nathaniel Ferrero’s caretaker role with Matthew Tortini – a Kura-Pellandi manager of slightly above-average intelligence and therefore likely to be nicknamed ‘the Prof’ – widely seen as Eduardo Morales’ number one target.

C.A.L v A.Turks (Mon) 0 – 0
CandelariaAM v Portuguese 1 – 2 (Downe 90+3; James 78, Brightmore 79)
El din Marbles v Caires Sports 3 – 2 (Panama 20, Hone 66, Madden 86; Wiedemann 36, French 78)
Gamboa FC v KT Hotspur 1 – 0 (Ledor 1)
MarquezOW v Cathedral City (Sat Morning) 0 – 0
Port of Clotaire v Albrecht FC 1 – 0 (George 67)
Radyukevich v Green Island (Sat Evening) 2 – 2 (Sattler 45+1, Rawlinson 70; Zetaback 12, Vélez 19)
Turks’ Club v MN Smith 4 – 3 (Hutton 25 and 60, L. Adams og 29, Pi 69; Johansson 31, Martín 58, Watson 87)

Mid-Week Cup Re-Plays

Swords of Bass v Caires Sports 1 – 2 (Rogers 74; Cole 5 and 90)
Di Alfonso Phoenix v Melin & Nader 2 – 3 (Panter 4, Penrose og 67; Sixtos 11, Pareja 32, Keddy 73)
Chapon FC v Ironside 1 – 0 (Cox 46)

Vephrall

02-02-2008, 17:56

http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gth681k/ns/vephrall/VTF.png
VTF1751

Cintrin A

It was a very simple situation as the final matchday commenced in Cintrin A. Defending champions Sichisers led the table on seventy-eight points, with defending runners-up (if we buy that the runner-up position is actually worth defending) Boalluns trailing by a point but with a superior goal difference. Relegation had already been decided the previous week; the crucial six-pointer between Stithis and Strapply, positioned 17th and 18th respectively, ended in a 3-2 win for the former, putting Stithis five points up on the Flaarickug club and ensuring continued participation in Cintrin A.

Boalluns would play first, making the trip west to Penuls to face fifth-placed Poiki in a nationally-televised 2pm kickoff. A miscommunication in the Boalluns defense put the Gontarthe side down one-nil inside five minutes, but it didn't take the visitors long to find their footing. Boalluns star Dotos Ponten, who was rumored to have had a shot at being called up to the national team for World Cup qualifying but didn't get the nod, would create the equalizer not too long later with a brilliant cross to Pagliloe Gackbang, who did his duty well. But it would be Poiki goalkeeper Ceedast Pinteps who would walk away with the man of the match award with an amazing twelve saves to keep the final score at 1-1.

And so as the nation prepared for the 4:30 kickoffs, which would include Sichisers' match, the situation was:

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Boalluns FE 38 23 9 6 73 34 39 78
2 Sichisers OB 37 24 6 7 60 29 31 78
3 Terabits CE 38 18 14 6 51 33 18 68
4 Spoantects CE 37 18 9 10 52 39 13 63
5 Poikimitagiin FE 38 17 11 10 53 37 16 62

Sichisers was also traveling on this final matchday, playing a Mylfe team that was surely cursing the men in charge of scheduling, having just played Boalluns the previous week (they lost 2-1). Mylfe, sitting in 11th place with nothing to play for, nevertheless made the defending champions work for it. It wouldn't be until the second half that the visitors would finally score, 31-year-old Thug Ellad getting himself on the scoresheet. And that was all Sichisers would need as the whistle would blow on a 1-0 scoreline and a successful title defense by the boys from Tuffir.

Full Matchday 38 results
National team scorers in bold

2pm kickoffs
(Claspung 15') DFE Donseplock 1-3 Merpisms CE (Edroklis 22', Doshese 58')
(Ebrulefa 26', 71'; Gaicass 38') Terabits CE 3-1 Daazyiles OC (Hetag 29')
(Hetag 4') Poikimitagiin FE 1-1 Boalluns FE (Gackbang 11')

4:30 kickoffs
(Nore 47') Penuler OC 1-0 Knoleier FE
Mylfe CE 0-1 Sichisers OB (Ellad 53')
(Uambe 33') Pomperae FE 1-2 Stestrenas OC (Spelaad 62', 73')
(Maleneds 12', 61'; Thug 26'; Fihor 82') Ammites FE 4-0 Spoantects CE

7pm kickoffs
Bumpoogra FE 0-0 Stithis FE
(Latissle 39') Oillid CE 1-0 Strapply FE
(Hesaramba 73') Huellim FE 1-0 FE Dranacess

Final league table

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Sichisers OB 38 25 6 7 61 29 32 81 C
2 Boalluns FE 38 23 9 6 73 34 39 78
3 Terabits CE 38 18 14 6 51 33 18 68
4 Spoantects CE 38 18 9 11 52 43 9 63
5 Poikimitagiin FE 38 17 11 10 53 37 16 62
6 Penuler OC 38 15 13 10 46 38 8 58
7 Merpisms CE 38 16 8 14 49 50 -1 56
8 Stestrenas OC 38 14 12 12 51 50 1 54
9 Knoleier FE 38 14 10 14 55 51 4 52
10 Bumpoogra FE 38 13 12 13 47 43 4 51
11 Oillid CE 38 13 10 15 39 43 -4 49
12 Mylfe CE 38 11 14 13 41 43 -2 47
13 Huellim FE 38 11 13 14 44 47 -3 46
14 Daazyiles OC 38 11 12 15 35 41 -6 45
15 Ammites FE 38 12 8 18 39 48 -9 44
16 FE Dranacess 38 10 12 16 35 49 -14 42
17 Stithis FE 38 9 14 15 41 52 -11 41
18 Strapply FE 38 8 11 19 38 60 -22 35 R
19 DFE Donseplock 38 10 5 23 43 69 -26 35 R
20 Pomperae FE 38 8 5 25 29 62 -33 29 R

Promoted from Cintrin B:
Fekler FE, DFE Anhenir, Custler FE

Vephraller Kustriin e Foutbill

A non-top-flight club nearly managed to reach the semifinals of the newly-revived VKF, but POC eventually managed to take care of the interlopers from Custles in a penalty shootout.

Fifth Round
(B) Custler FE 1-0 Mylfe CE (A)
(A) Stestrenas OC 1-0 Cirbeod CE (B)
(A) Stithis FE 0-1 Sichisers OB (A)
(B) Fekler FE 0-3 Ammites FE (A)
(A) Penuler OC 4-1 Sondar FE (B)
(A) Daazyiles OC 2-0 Sesotnig FE (B)
(A) Terabits CE 1-1 Knoleier FE (A) (replay: Knoleier 3-1 Terabits)
(B) DFE Anhenir 0-2 Boalluns FE (A)

Quarterfinals
(A) Stestrenas OC 1-2 Knoleier FE (A)
Knoleier FE 3-0 Stestrenas OC (agg 5-1)

(A) Ammites FE 1-2 Daazyiles OC (A)
Daazyiles OC 1-2 Ammites FE (1-2 AET) (agg 3-3, 3-4 pens)

(A) Boalluns FE 2-0 Sichisers OB (A)
Sichisers OB 3-1 Boalluns FE (4-1 AET) (agg 4-3)

(B) Custler FE 0-1 Penuler OC (A)
Penuler OC 2-3 Custler FE (2-3 AET) (agg 3-3, 3-2 pens)

Semifinals
Knoleier FE 1-0 Ammites FE
Ammites FE 0-2 Knoleier FE (0-3 agg)

Sichisers OB 2-0 Penuler OC
Penuler OC 3-4 Sichisers OB (3-6 agg)

Final
Ellime e Vephrall - Meice, Bektys
Attendance: 75,193

KNOLEIER FE 3 (Izorigor 19', 37'; Phootid 83')
Sichisers OB 1 (Ellad 51')

Elves Security Forces

03-02-2008, 10:50

Season 20,004

This season saw Raynor City cash in on their foriegn aquisitions and return once again to the title, adding to their record of sixteen. Also returning to glory were FC Capri and Hartdale, but just didn't have what it took to stop the will of the Rockers. A dissapointing season for the Gunners of Rinaldi can entirely be blamed on Kiso Night missing twenty-games in the middle of the season with a broken leg. FC Travesian will be dissapointed to be heading down, as they were only just nipped away in a 1-0 defeat to Monaven on the last day of the season. With the Silver Cup to be getting underway in two weeks time, there is still hope for Rinaldi and Mar Sar to save face and bring home a trophy, or for Raynor to seal their reemergance with a sweep of the trophies.

OCC: Playoff = Host of Second leg - aggregate score (first leg score) Host of First leg

Premiership
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Raynor City Rockers 38 24 5 9 89 61 28 77 Champions
2 FC Capri 38 21 8 9 80 48 32 71
3 Mar Sara Flames 38 20 6 12 86 56 30 66
4 Juavi Reds 38 19 8 11 77 59 18 65
5 Hartdale Hawks 38 18 10 10 66 51 15 64
6 Hondo Owls 38 18 8 12 79 69 10 62
7 Char Sara Inferno 38 16 6 16 74 66 8 54
8 Baysleef Bombers 38 16 6 16 72 76 -4 54
9 Wexax United 38 15 8 15 49 60 -11 53
10 AC Valanari 38 13 13 12 54 56 -2 52
11 AS Shalara 38 16 4 18 59 74 -15 52
12 Rinaldi Gunners 38 14 9 15 67 63 4 51
13 Soldarian FC 38 15 6 17 44 54 -10 51
14 Straightdale FC 38 13 9 16 61 56 5 48
15 FC Longview 38 10 15 13 51 51 0 45
16 Gladerial Twilight 38 12 7 19 49 60 -11 43
17 Monaven Breakers 38 11 10 17 43 58 -15 43
18 Travesian Generals 38 12 5 21 51 73 -22 41 Relegated
19 FC Travesian 38 11 6 21 59 83 -24 39 Relegated
20 FC Vamas 38 7 9 22 55 91 -36 30 Relegated

Star League
Playoff: Sharala AC 4-1(1-1) Oliviena United
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Turmondale FC 38 23 10 5 71 49 22 79 Champions
2 Manavawi Athletic 38 21 6 11 63 50 13 69 Promoted
3 Oliviena United 38 18 12 8 61 37 24 66 Playoff
4 Sharala AC 38 18 10 10 80 50 30 64 Playoff
5 SC Ianisle 38 19 7 12 66 54 12 64
6 Everlin Snipers 38 16 11 11 74 61 13 59
7 Raynor City Rockets 38 15 11 12 55 50 5 56
8 Turmondale United 38 15 9 14 74 69 5 54
9 Capri Marksmen 38 16 6 16 65 64 1 54
10 AC Cartmot 38 14 11 13 66 63 3 53
11 Kareen FC 38 15 6 17 71 57 14 51
12 SC Longview 38 14 7 17 57 66 -9 49
13 Char Sara Strike 38 11 14 13 70 67 3 47
14 AS Everlin 38 10 16 12 64 62 2 46
15 Rolalas FC 38 12 7 19 56 69 -13 43
16 Gladerial Fortune Dweller 38 10 11 17 65 78 -13 41
17 Athletic Rolalas 38 8 17 13 51 71 -20 41
18 Rinaldi Ravens 38 8 14 16 53 68 -15 38 Relegated
19 DC Aulian 38 7 12 19 49 89 -40 33 Relegated
20 Mar Sara Extreme 38 6 11 21 55 92 -37 29 Relegated

Green League
Playoff: AS Zul'Daratar 2-3(0-1) FC Wexax
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 FC Therathor 38 22 6 10 75 47 28 72 Champions
2 Quel'Tir United 38 18 10 10 73 46 27 64 Promoted
3 FC Wexax 38 18 8 12 72 64 8 62 Playoff
4 AS Zul'Daratar 38 17 8 13 63 53 10 59 Playoff
5 RC Rikana 38 16 11 11 41 32 9 59
6 AS Soldar 38 16 10 12 79 73 6 58
7 AC Goldsan 38 15 11 12 63 59 4 56
8 FC Suax 38 13 16 9 57 52 5 55
9 RC Durmosa 38 15 10 13 69 66 3 55
10 FC Quel'Mathar 38 16 6 16 61 63 -2 54
11 Turbani Tornadoes 38 15 8 15 61 66 -5 53
12 Char Sara Volcano 38 15 8 15 57 64 -7 53
13 AC Zul'Atun 38 15 7 16 69 65 4 52
14 Aras United 38 12 15 11 52 55 -3 51
15 Cartmot Pride 38 14 8 16 61 60 1 50
16 Vaharia FC 38 13 8 17 53 68 -15 47
17 Gladerial Divine 38 13 6 19 61 67 -6 45
18 AC Ispan 38 10 12 16 41 54 -13 42 Relegated
19 RC Liogan 38 7 9 22 46 70 -24 30 Relegated
20 FC Vernad 38 6 11 21 35 65 -30 29 Relegated

Blue League
Playoff: FC Silvershire 2-0(1-0) RC Jumangas
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 AC Stormguard 38 25 5 8 73 43 30 80 Champions
2 Quel'Thalas FC 38 20 8 10 76 58 18 68 Promoted
3 RC Jumangas 38 19 8 11 80 62 18 65 Playoff
4 FC Silvershire 38 18 9 11 75 62 13 63 Playoff
5 AC Port Swell 38 16 15 7 75 66 9 63
6 SC Quintal 38 16 11 11 62 49 13 59
7 FC Melikkiaz 38 15 11 12 76 67 9 56
8 Ironwind United 38 15 11 12 63 62 1 56
9 SC Soldar 38 15 9 14 64 61 3 54
10 RC Elunita 38 14 11 13 65 60 5 53
11 Arouw United 38 13 10 15 57 67 -10 49
12 RC Vahama 38 11 13 14 53 58 -5 46
13 Bree FC 38 14 3 21 45 55 -10 45
14 FC San Diromia 38 11 11 16 64 75 -11 44
15 FC Kilai 38 11 10 17 35 49 -14 43
16 Erran FC 38 11 9 18 65 70 -5 42
17 AS Solqual 38 11 9 18 63 73 -10 42
18 AC Rosenthal 38 11 7 20 63 81 -18 40 Relegated
19 Zanabia City 38 10 10 18 47 67 -20 40 Relegated
20 Yolan FC 38 11 6 21 40 56 -16 39 Relegated

Rose League
Playoff: AS Rikana 1-3(1-1) AS Vaharia
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 AC Therathore 38 25 10 3 105 54 51 85 Champions
2 Zul'Daratar FC 38 19 7 12 83 66 17 64 Promoted
3 AS Vaharia 38 18 9 11 67 62 5 63 Playoff
4 AS Rikana 38 17 8 13 68 56 12 59 Playoff
5 RC Quel'Mathar 38 17 8 13 77 73 4 59
6 AC Durmosa 38 16 8 14 60 54 6 56
7 AS Zul'Atun 38 16 7 15 61 58 3 55
8 FC Solqual 38 14 12 12 65 66 -1 54
9 Erran United 38 15 8 15 59 54 5 53
10 FC Rosenthal 38 16 5 17 58 56 2 53
11 DC Melikkiaz 38 15 7 16 59 59 0 52
12 Suax United 38 14 9 15 69 66 3 51
13 DC Quel'Tir 38 13 12 13 47 55 -8 51
14 AS Aras 38 12 14 12 50 60 -10 50
15 Arouw FC 38 11 14 13 57 63 -6 47
16 FC Ispan 38 11 12 15 57 65 -8 45
17 DC Liogan 38 9 14 15 47 64 -17 41
18 DC Bree 38 9 13 16 56 75 -19 40
19 AC Jumangas 38 8 13 17 51 64 -13 37
20 DC Kilai 38 4 12 22 29 55 -26 24

End of Season Awards

Foriegner of the Year
Markku Sykko (23 goals, 7 assists) - Raynor City Rockers

Manager of the Year
Emily Degas - Wexax United

Striker of the Year
Zeph Yan Yin (29 goals, 11 assists) - Hondo Owls

Midfielder of the Year
Roger Zensan (13 goals, 15 assists) - Juavi Reds

Winger of the Year
Jzeovak Tkermec (5 goals, 19 assists) - Hondo Owls

Defender of the Year
Dwier Titenburg Jr (3 goals, 8 assists) - FC Capri

Goalkeeper of the Year
Kile van Posey (6 clean sheets) - Hartdale Hawks

Sportsman
Aracio Mercado - Rinaldi Gunners

Idiot (most bookings)
Norbra Centron (8 yellows, 2 reds) - FC Travesian

Best X11
GK: Edward van Posey - Hartdale Hawks
CB: Wori Metria - Hartdale Hawks
CB: Dwier Titenburg Jr - FC Capri
CB/L: Lucas Damx - FC Longview
LW: Jzeovak Tkermec - Hondo Owls
MC: Roger Zensan - Juavi Reds
MC: Jaime Gomes - Wexax United
LRW: Jere Jannian - Raynor City Rockers
AMC: Isal Grazi - Straightdale FC
ST: Joan va Glaze - Raynor City Rockers
ST: Zeph Yan Yin - Hondo Owls

Adihan

03-02-2008, 11:08

http://www.nationstates.net/images/flags/uploads/adihan.jpg AFF announces United Islands League

The Ad'ihan Football Federation has announced that its clubs will form a new United Islands League, following the independence of the Outer Islands from Liverpool England entirely under the banner of Ad'ihan.

The nation's top two clubs, Protectorate United and Ad'ihan Country, which were previously in the Liverpool England Second League, will both transfer to the new league system, with the latter being renamed Olympique Protectorat. Both teams will still continue to play at the Protectorate Stadium.

Clubs from the Outer Islands previously involved in the FALE non-league system will withdraw from the FALE and form new Ad'ihan-based teams.

The league system will have a sole division, with one lower tier of non-league football. The professional division, which will simply be called the United Islands Premier (UIP), will comprise of 16 teams, while the non-league division, the United Islands Minor (UIM), will consist of just 8 teams.

This is how each season will work:
The UIP and UIM seasons are split up into two segments each. In the first phase of the UIP, all teams play each other once. The bottom placed team is put into a "drop/climb group" (DCG). The second phase emulates the first, with fixtures merely reversed. Similarly, the bottom placed team is put into the same DCG.

The UIM's first phase sees all teams play each other twice, with the top team being placed into the same DCG. The second phase emulates the first, again with the phase winner being placed into the DCG.

If the same UIP team finishes last for both phases, it is relegated.
If the same UIM team finishes first for both phases, it is promoted.
If there are four different teams in the DCG, a round-robin is played, with the top two taking part in the following season's UIP and the bottom two in the UIM.
If there are three different teams in the DCG, the two teams from the same division will play a one-off promotion or relegation playoff.

The two phases' combined tables will determine the winner of the United Islands Premier.

The cup format is a simple one, with the eight UIM teams and bottom eight UIP teams entering the cup in round one. The remaining top eight UIP teams get a bye to round two (round of 16). All ties up to the quarter-final, inclusive, are one-legged and settled on infinite replays. The semi-final is two-legged, home-and-away, whilst the final, to be played at the Protectorate Stadium, is a one-off event.

Teams:
United Islands Premier [Team (city)]:
Protectorate United (Ad'ihan)
Olympique Protectorat (Ad'ihan)
Northtown United (Modna Nord)
Flitton City (Flitton)
Djei Sporting Club (T'chéy)
Altsend FC (Altsend)
Pilminster Rovers (Pilminster)
Dalinn Wanderers (Tallyn)
Navon Beach FC (Navon Beach)
South Barrier United
Grand Arsenal FC
Oldbridge City (Oldbridge-Dullham)
Club de football du Mont Pluie [CFMP]
Kinney Road FC
Mountbatten Junction FC
Hatton Town FC (Hatton)

United Islands Minor:
Dullham and Oldbridge FC
Tallyn Rovers FC
Flitton Rangers
Southcast Town (Modna South)
AFC Hatton
Island Athletic FC
T'chéy Park FC
County Stanley FC

The inaugural season will begin later this month.

Krytenia

03-02-2008, 13:27

Elite Division

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Patriots Emberton 30 17 5 8 75 51 24 56
2 Emberton Reds 30 16 6 8 82 53 29 54
3 Avidia City 30 16 5 9 50 40 10 53
4 Ousevale Borough 30 15 7 8 72 59 13 52
5 Casuals Osteria 30 14 7 9 67 54 13 49
6 Dereapolis City 30 12 9 9 60 47 13 45
7 Caledon Simpson 30 13 4 13 67 63 4 43
8 Avidia United 30 13 4 13 66 67 -1 43
9 Caversham 30 11 7 12 54 63 -9 40
10 Bromham Mercia 30 11 7 12 53 69 -16 40
11 Ellisham 30 10 8 12 50 58 -8 38
12 Stanton Town 30 10 5 15 55 66 -11 35
13 Norton 30 9 5 16 54 71 -17 32
14 Bradwell Saints 30 8 7 15 49 59 -10 31
15 Secklow 30 7 9 14 59 75 -16 30
16 Bletcham Devils 30 8 5 17 52 70 -18 29

Senior Division

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Leston Town 30 16 8 6 70 45 25 56
2 Aigburth Athletic 30 16 7 7 72 50 22 55
3 Notegia Rangers 30 16 6 8 60 47 13 54
4 Neathill 30 17 3 10 56 48 8 54
5 Wroxham Trinity 30 15 7 8 60 53 7 52
6 Kallia United 30 15 4 11 62 46 16 49
7 Wylon United 30 13 7 10 52 50 2 46
8 Hoxton 30 12 9 9 60 51 9 45
9 Linford United 30 10 6 14 54 59 -5 36
10 Blakeland Town 30 9 8 13 55 62 -7 35
11 Aylesford 30 9 6 15 49 63 -14 33
12 Oldbrook 30 7 11 12 52 67 -15 32
13 Yardley Forest 30 8 8 14 45 64 -19 32
14 Noton City 30 8 7 15 46 55 -9 31
15 Westleigh United 30 6 10 14 58 62 -4 28
16 Penniton United 30 5 9 16 42 71 -29 24

National One

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Prutton Rovers 30 19 6 5 63 46 17 63
2 Stratford Rovers 30 16 7 7 81 56 25 55
3 Diorville 30 14 8 8 67 53 14 50
4 Elbridge 30 11 11 8 59 54 5 44
5 Huddlestone 30 12 8 10 58 53 5 44
6 Northern Star 30 12 7 11 67 58 9 43
7 CFE Monthuez 30 11 10 9 63 59 4 43
8 Middlehampton 30 12 7 11 62 60 2 43
9 Bulham City 30 13 4 13 46 45 1 43
10 Walton Town 30 12 5 13 66 64 2 41
11 Sandwell United 30 11 6 13 62 66 -4 39
12 Quinton 30 11 5 14 51 67 -16 38
13 Huntsford 30 9 8 13 58 62 -4 35
14 Aidenstone 30 9 6 15 48 63 -15 33
15 Dinamo Gravea 30 8 3 19 48 64 -16 27
16 Ashton Town 30 8 3 19 56 85 -29 27

National Two

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Faversham 30 16 6 8 71 49 22 54
2 Birmwood 30 15 5 10 67 48 19 50
3 Hastings Athletic 30 13 11 6 62 44 18 50
4 Firton Wanderers 30 16 2 12 53 49 4 50
5 Ospringe 30 15 3 12 55 54 1 48
6 Oustia 30 12 10 8 51 44 7 46
7 Bondhurst 30 14 4 12 55 49 6 46
8 Jorlestonr 30 12 9 9 56 46 10 45
9 Calderby 30 12 7 11 57 54 3 43
10 Prutton City 30 13 3 14 52 58 -6 42
11 Painton Town 30 10 10 10 44 54 -10 40
12 Eastham Town 30 11 4 15 50 55 -5 37
13 Aspley United 30 10 7 13 49 57 -8 37
14 Borton and Foxley 30 7 8 15 48 63 -15 29
15 Pentingby 30 8 5 17 55 74 -19 29
16 Harley Town 30 6 6 18 35 62 -27 24

KFA Cup Final : SECKLOW CITY 2 - 1 OUSEVALE BOROUGH

New Manhattan

04-02-2008, 21:55

http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/logos/eliteleague/

Major transfers
Players leaving Élite League
Nicholas Love (MR, Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι) → Baysleef Bombers [VAL] for 13500 silver coins (approx. 227 kg Au)
Adam Carter (DC, Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī) → FC Longview [VAL] for 13000 silver coins (approx. 219 kg Au)

Players entering Élite League
Kristi Mars (DL, Mar Sara Flames [VAL]) → Yuba United for 311.2 kg Au
Cleo Fu (FC, Baysleef Bombers [VAL]) → Yuba United for 298.5 kg Au
Kati Venus (DC, Hondo Owls [VAL]) → San Diego Iguanas for 154.1 kg Au
Zany Ataman (ML, Kareen FC [VAL]) → Naquada Falls Demons for 143.1 kg Au

Domestic
(JSY NT players)
Sin ʼYu-so (ML, Lexington FC) → Syoko Poggyūggijī for 136.1 kg Au
Ernano Eqpósito (DL, Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen) → Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī for 134.4 kg Au
Göran Leisten (MR, Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen) → Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK for 129.4 kg Au
Πoλύαινoς Καρυωτάκης (GK, KQ Nepáïire Tingitana) → Lexington FC for 127.0 kg Au
Geraldine Martínez (MR, New Haverford Albion) → New Hampton Terrapins for 123.0 kg Au
Gwaŋ Hye-san (GK, New Haverford Albion) → Medoria Löwen for 119.9 kg Au

2140 Capitalizt Élite League—mid-season standings
It’s been a good year for Bedistani clubs so far, with High Mountain, Yuba, and Jamaica all in the top five, although they’re not 13–3–7 like Manhattanite border club Lexington FC and defending champions Dusanto. After last year’s spectacular comeback, Qidade Savana find themselves in the bottom half of the table once again, and rumors are circulating that Sam Salazar will soon be fired. Sonoma Center, traditional powerhouse of Capitalizt SLANI club football, continues to struggle in the new league. Newly-promoted Seansburgh are flying high in the league, whereas fellow promotees Noka find themselves in a battle to avoid relegation.
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 High Mountain Buffalo JSY 23 14 7 2 34 18 16 49
2 Yuba United COM 23 13 6 4 37 23 14 45
3 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī JSY 23 13 3 7 32 22 10 42
4 Lexington FC JSY 23 13 3 7 42 30 12 42
5 Jamaica Giants JSY 23 11 6 6 33 25 8 39
6 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī JSY 23 11 5 7 31 20 11 38
7 Medoria Löwen COM 23 11 4 8 35 34 1 37
8 South Coast United JSY 23 10 7 6 21 18 3 37
9 Carter FC JSY 23 10 6 7 35 29 6 36
10 Seansburgh Cougars COM 23 9 9 5 22 22 0 36
11 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK COM 23 10 5 8 38 35 3 35
12 New Hampton Terrapins JSY 23 10 5 8 30 32 -2 35
13 Querzakhi United COM 23 9 7 7 15 14 1 34
14 San Solari FC COM 23 9 6 8 28 27 1 33
15 Sonoma Center Panthers COM 23 9 6 8 41 32 9 33
16 Syoko Poggyūggijī COM 23 8 7 8 14 17 -3 31
17 Aeropag Penguins COM 23 8 6 9 27 30 -3 30
18 San Diego Iguanas COM 23 7 9 7 31 25 6 30
19 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana COM 23 7 9 7 33 23 10 30
20 Heidelstadt Falken JSY 23 8 3 12 31 32 -1 27
21 Naquada Falls Demons JSY 23 7 6 10 21 29 -8 27
22 Humai Titans JSY 23 7 5 11 22 28 -6 26
23 Qidade Savana JSY 23 7 5 11 39 43 -4 26
24 Black Oasis Athletic COM 23 7 5 11 26 33 -7 26
25 New Haverford Albion JSY 23 6 8 9 24 30 -6 26
26 Griffin Zebras JSY 23 6 6 11 23 28 -5 24
27 Πόρτο-Xε Δολοφόνοι COM 23 5 9 9 15 22 -7 24
28 Cordubovica Falcons COM 23 5 8 10 24 31 -7 23
29 Noka Mariners JSY 23 5 8 10 16 25 -9 23
30 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen COM 23 5 8 10 22 35 -13 23
31 Werd Beachcombers COM 23 4 6 13 10 28 -18 18
32 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī JSY 23 3 9 11 14 26 -12 18

Capitalizt Élite League Cup
The main surprise here was the thrashing of defending champions Naquada Falls by New Hampton in the first round. In a flip from their league performance, newly-promoted Seansburgh was heavily defeated in the second round by New Haverford, while Noka advances to the quarterfinals to play the struggling Panthers. The second round saw all eight home teams win their matches, although two of them did so with an away win in the replay.
First Round
(JSY) New Haverford Albion 2–1 Heidelstadt Falken (JSY)
(COM) Seansburgh Cougars 3–1 Humai Titans (JSY)
(JSY) Lexington FC 2–1 San Solari FC (COM)
(COM) Yuba United 0–0 Jamaica Giants (JSY)
Replay: 0–2
(JSY) Noka Mariners 3–1 Medoria Löwen (COM)
(JSY) South Coast United 2–1 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (JSY)
(JSY) Qidade Savana 3–3 Sonoma Center Panthers (COM)
Replay: 2–4
(COM) Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen 3–1 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana (COM)
(COM) Πόρτο-Xε Δολοφόνοι 0–1 Black Oasis Athletic (COM)
(COM) Cordubovica Falcons 1–1 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (JSY)
Replay: 2–0
(COM) San Diego Iguanas 1–0 Querzakhi United (COM)
(JSY) Griffin Zebras 1–1 Syoko Poggyūggijī (COM)
Replay: 1–3
(COM) Aeropag Penguins 1–1 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK (COM)
Replay: 1–1
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 3–1
(JSY) Naquada Falls Demons 1–4 New Hampton Terrapins (JSY)
(COM) Werd Beachcombers 0–0 High Mountain Buffalo (JSY)
Replay: 1–1
Extra time: 1–2
(JSY) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī 0–1 Carter FC (JSY)

Second Round
(JSY) New Haverford Albion 3–0 Seansburgh Cougars (COM)
(JSY) Lexington FC 2–1 Jamaica Giants (JSY)
(JSY) Noka Mariners 1–0 South Coast United (JSY)
(COM) Sonoma Center Panthers 2–2 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (COM)
Replay: 3–0
(COM) Black Oasis Athletic 0–0 Cordubovica Falcons (COM)
Replay: 1–0
(COM) San Diego Iguanas 2–0 Syoko Poggyūggijī (COM)
(COM) Aeropag Penguins 1–0 New Hampton Terrapins (JSY)
(JSY) High Mountain Buffalo 3–0 Carter FC (JSY)

Quarterfinals
(JSY) New Haverford Albion v Lexington FC (JSY)
(JSY) Noka Mariners v Sonoma Center Panthers (COM)
(COM) Black Oasis Athletic v San Diego Iguanas (COM)
(COM) Aeropag Penguins v High Mountain Buffalo (JSY)

TechConGroup Cup
Capitalizt SLANI has now altered the format of the TechConGroup Cup so that the first round draw is unseeded, i.e., CEL teams can be drawn against each other.
First Round
(CEL) Sonoma Center Panthers v San Diego Iguanas (CEL)
(CEL) Cordubovica Falcons v Aeropag Penguins (CEL)
(—) SpVgg Königstadt v Jackson FC (—)
(—) Navarre Town v Black Oasis Athletic (CEL)
(—) Commerce Heights T’birds v Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι (CEL)
(—) Natestadt Nationalisten v Χιχή Ενωμένος (—)
(—) Verona FC v Yuba United (CEL)
(CEL) Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK v Querzakhi United (CEL)
(CEL) San Solari FC v Kitsilano Konquerors (—)
(—) Lolestu CK v Werd Beachcombers (CEL)
(—) Χίλεστ Ενωμένος v SV Veernan (—)
(—) KQ Sirto v Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (CEL)
(CEL) KQ Nepáïire Tingitana v Dennis Bears (—)
(—) Chorion Bluffs Knights v Medoria Löwen (CEL)
(CEL) Seansburgh Cougars v Dawson Springs FC (—)
(CEL) Syoko Poggyūggijī v ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī (—)

자스연 컵 (Jasīʼyūn Kūb)
First Round
(CEL) Humai Titans (1) Floral FC (—)
(—) Eintracht Maastricht (2) Jamaica Giants (CEL)
(CEL) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (3) Musketiere Twintown (—)
(CEL) Noka Mariners (4) Portland Safari (—)
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken (5) Südtolzerio Kreuzfahrer (—)
(—) St Lawrence FC (6) Keto Lodīlūnajī (—)
(CEL) Griffin Zebras (7) Graceville Salamanders (—)
(CEL) Carter FC (8) New Hampton Terrapins (CEL)

Second Round
winner match 5 v High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)
(CEL) Naquada Falls Demons v winner match 2
(CEL) Lexington FC v Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (CEL)
winner match 8 v South Coast United (CEL)
winner match 7 v winner match 4
(CEL) Qidade Savana v Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (CEL)
winner match 3 v winner match 1
winner match 6 v New Haverford Albion (CEL)

Kura-Pelland

05-02-2008, 02:02

http://i13.tinypic.com/6s7hw87.png
Matchday Eleven: Broken Hearts for Parwood, and Fortress Walton Withers

There was an established media myth that Parwood City and Harrington Lakeside are already fighting a private duel for the title, Lakeside aided by getting a result in the stunning match at Barkham Park last week.

Conspiracy theorists, then, were in overdrive as both teams conceded injury-time equalisers that had a stackful of controversy surrounding them, opening up the title race for everyone else if it were ever closed.

At Walton Park - where Lakeside have not dropped a point so far, the only 100% home record in the league - Morris Gardner headed the hosts into the lead against Prangren Greens (formerly Prangren Lakeside) early in the second half and all seemed fine and dandy. Then Gardner was sent off for a handball that certainly did not look deliberate, only superb goalkeeping by the veteran Walsh kept the Greens at bay, and then finally Tom Curatin was sent off in the 90th minute for a 'tackle from behind' despite winning the ball cleanly. From the resultant free-kick, Harry Withers had a free header which cannoned in off the post, and the 100% record was gone. Lakeside were now two points behind Parwood City - and behind AS Assiri of all people - having played a game more than either.

We'll come back to City in a moment, but first AS Assiri were involved in the unlikeliest of table-topping clashes at Yarzoya. Sure looks unlikely now; Norbert Fiero sustained a hamstring injury during the half-time break after threatening to score just minutes earlier, and a now-toothless Assiri were subject to a Yarzoya firestorm, ending with the far more mature Justin Urquhart scoring twice in ten minutes. The calls for him to make the national team are now far, far too loud to be ignored, especially with Fiero having been picked for the same reason of good domestic form but now out for some time.

That put Yarzoya top, but Parwood City could regain it on Sunday afternoon. And with Porterbridge City the opponents, it's not unreasonable to say most people wanted them to. First-half strikes from Bilú and Eldridge made it seem certain that this would be the case, and Porterbridge never threatened in the second half, despite the best efforts of Lucas Hearts up front.

But then in the 85th minute all changed. Substitute striker Tyrone Shott had a goal disallowed for offside - despite replays showing he was two yards behind left-back Ben Bourton - and the resultant free-kick found Hearts, who played a one-two with Ed Fulleylove before placing the ball firmly in the bottom corner from 20 yards.

As if that weren't bad enough, the home side then won an injury-time penalty courtesy of an utterly blatant dive from Harold Niedermeyer; any 'foul' wasn't even in the box. Four Parwood City players walked off the field in disgust, Denny Eleifo was sent off for arguing with the referee, Hearts scored the penalty, the full-time whistle blew immediately afterwards, and the commentators for NTV1 could not believe it.

In the post-match interviews, Parwood City manager Keith Matthews ordered an independent investigation into refereeing in the Championship, and declared that if no such investigation is complete by the end of the season he will leave the club and 'go to somewhere where football is fair'.

Wonder what Matthew Tortini will think of that...

United Trilan are still without a permanent manager, and they might be better that way too, a 3-0 win at Achorpe Rovers moving them to - unbelievably - within two points of Lakeside and five of Parwood City, with two-thirds of the season still to go. Punters who backed them for the title at 12/1 after the 4-0 at Parwood are feeling rather smug, some now locking in guaranteed profits by laying them at the new odds of nearer 6/1.

In the other games - yes, there were other games - FC Bargoiten and Grayton City Wolves made a mockery of their title credentials (unless you believe in the adage 'defence wins championships') with a 0-0 bore-draw; Curzek Rovers beat Club Virling more comfortably than 2-1 suggests and move away from trouble; Sorbridge Soccer Storm snatched a late winner in the battle of the bottom two against hapless Helma, who should have lost by five or six but somehow didn't; Depor produced a superb second-half display to beat Murley City 3-1 after trailing at half-time to Frankie Di Coa's first of the season; Marthley Rovers left it until injury time to get an equaliser against AFC Neegera, who stay in the drop zone as a result; finally, Club Virling slip into trouble after a 2-1 defeat at Curzek Rovers, two late Ryan Di Mambro goals proving the difference.

Achorpe Rovers 0 United Trilan 3 (Shu 12 and 42, O'Connor 70)
Curzek Rovers 2 Club Virling 1 (Di Mambro 72 and 80; Celerano 41)
FC Bargoiten 0 Grayton City Wolves 0
Harrington Lakeside 1 Prangren Greens 1 (Gardner 52; Withers 90+2) [Saturday 1215 on Plus10]
Marthley Rovers 1 AFC Neegera 1 (Selzini 90+1; Reid 25)
Murley City 1 Deportivo del Arapucera 3 (Di Coa 14; Pasinova 49, Pinto 71, Avila 74)
Porterbridge City 2 Parwood City 2 (Hearts 86 and pen 90+4; Bilú 29, Eldridge 44)[Sunday 1545 on NTV1]
Sorbridge Soccer Storm 1 FC Helma 1495 0 (Boakye 90)
Yarzoya FC 2 AS Assiri 0 (Urquhart 72 and 82)

Matchday Twelve: Tortini quits in fury, while Trilan's turnaround continues

Whoever said that United Trilan were the Big Three club in crisis was blatantly wrong. Vincent Stringoe has just one defeat in his seven games in charge, and that at Harrington Lakeside - who slumped to their fourth away defeat in six games (and the other two were draws) at bottom club FC Helma 1495 in a Monday night match that was not at all an obvious choice for the cameras especially as Lakeside had played big teams in three straight televised matches beforehand.

That defeat means they are now below United Trilan. It was the manner of that defeat, however, which caused the second sensational management change of the season. Matthew Tortini, only in the job since the start of the season, has left it and plans to work abroad, claiming 'this league is now rotten to the core and nobody has the guts to deal with it'. Lakeside had two perfectly good goals disallowed in the first ten minutes before Morales gave them the lead in the 17th minute; Helma had no shots in the whole of the first half, but were awarded a penalty for a tackle outside the box in the 52nd minute which Schipma converted, and Rombley scored the winner from a clearly offside position two minutes from time, at which point Tortini - after complaining furiously to the referee - left not only his dugout but the stadium altogether. Within minutes, he confirmed he was leaving the club and would never take a management position in Kura-Pellandi football again. He has now been linked with positions in the CMSC.

The other two of the Big Three won at home, victory for one - United Trilan's 2-0 defeat of Yarzoya FC during a shiny Saturday sunset at Shanvley, with Nick Belwood's first goal of the season proving the clincher - allowing the other, Parwood City, to regain top spot with a 2-1 win against Achorpe Rovers that was easier than the scoreline implied, Novo and Bilú both on the scoresheet and Orakin's goal coming far too late.

Prangren Greens also stayed in touch with the leaders after defeating Porterbridge City 2-0 with a goal just before and just after the break, and are easily the top side in the east now, four points clear of Lakeside. Yes, they're enjoying it. Depor look like they might be getting their breakthrough season, an early Sandstrom goal against fellow high-flyers FC Bargoiten proving the difference. Grayton City Wolves made an undeniable statement, a Steve Jackson hat-trick securing a 3-0 win over Curzek Rovers, for whom Mantlom looks lost again.

The other matches were pretty dull in all honesty: Murley City defeated lowly AFC Neegera 2-0, a regulation win notable only for the fact it was the only away win of the day; AS Assiri rested Fiero, were furious he was played for Kura-Pelland against St Samuel despite his excellent 45-minute display, and promptly dropped two points to the ultra-dull Marthley Rovers; finally Club Virling and Sorbridge Soccer Storm played out a tedious 1-1 draw, even the goals being scrappy.

AFC Neegera 0 Murley City 2 (O'Hurley 53, Flokati 71)
AS Assiri 0 Marthley Rovers 0
Club Virling 1 Sorbridge Soccer Storm 1 (Celerano 72; Cadger 45)
Deportivo del Arapucera 1 FC Bargoiten 0 (Sandstrom 6)
FC Helma 1495 2 Harrington Lakeside 1 (Schipma pen 52, Rombley 88; Morales 17) [Monday 1945 on Super6]
Grayton City Wolves 3 Curzek Rovers 0 (Jackson 19, 37 and 63)
Parwood City 2 Achorpe Rovers 1 (Novo 20, Bilú 65; Orakin 90+1)
Prangren Greens 2 Porterbridge City 0 (Withers 42, Hoborough 49)
United Trilan 2 Yarzoya FC 0 (Woburn 52, Belwood 79) [Saturday 1715 on PBS5]

Matchday Thirteen: Unlucky for some, mostly defenders

Yarzoya FC and Parwood City came out for their top-of-the-table clash at the made-for-telly time of 7pm with a huge audience mostly wondering how the hell this could even be the match of the day, let alone the season.

Two quite remarkable matches had already taken place. Three, if you count Club Virling getting a point from the Octagon a remarkable outcome. Achorpe Rovers and Prangren Greens produced the unexpected thriller of the season, with four goals in sixteen crazy second-half minutes after Chenoweth and Menzel had exchanged goals late in the first half. Wantaway striker Dennis Dubois scored two minutes after his arrival as substitue, Chenoweth replied with two superb long-range strikes in six minutes, only for Menzel to head an equaliser in off the bar four minutes from time. Frankly, there were defensive errors; frankly, who cares?

Even more astonishing was United Trilan's complete and utter collapse at Marthley Rovers, in their last match ever at their old ground before they move to the 41,093-seat St Margaret's Stadium. After a dull first half ended goalless, Marthley suddenly scored two goals in the first four minutes of the half, both from crossed free-kicks. Vincent Stilgoe's side looked all at sea, and yet another set-piece goal - this time from a corner by defender Alberta - sealed the stunning outcome. Farewell, then, to the 18,000-seat Marthley Stadium; the team from Kura-Pelland's newest city are rising at an appropriately stunning pace.

So, Yarzoya-Parwood. Made for television. The first half-hour wasn't all that exciting to be honest, as the defenders suddenly rose to the occasion. Oh. Justin Urquhart ended all that in the 34th minute by weaving past two players before unleashing a thunderbolt past a motionless Timothy Acalet. The blue touchpaper was lit.

Four minutes later it pretty much ignited, as Bilú scored from an outrageous 35-yard swerving free-kick. The Cafundelense star now has fifteen goals for the season and is looking like one of the best purchases in league history. He's still not in the national team. They are that good.

Ramiro Novo, who has made his national team on the back of club form, gave the visitors the lead - and after slips for all the chasing pack in the earlier games, a four-point cushion at the top of the table that could easily have been interpreted as decisive - with a brilliantly-placed far-post header in the 56th minute. But Yarzoya threw everyone forward, Ian Woodley made superb saves on two counter-attacks, and another Candelariasian - Montano - scored the equaliser in the 69th minute with a left-footed daisycutter that took a slight deflection off Innek to edge it over Acalet's flailing right hand. How the score stayed at 2-2 throughout the final quarter will never be satisfactorily explained, with the woodwork hit twice at either end, Yarzoya making two goal-line clearances in the final five minutes and Acalet pulling off a stunning point-blank save in injury time from an Urquhart header. But 2-2 it somehow finished.

And the value of that to both teams increased thanks to multiple upsets elsewhere. Depor lost at Curzek thanks to a Liljestrom own goal, you've already read about United Trilan's defeat and draws for the Greens and Wolves, and AS Assiri winning at Murley City arguably counts as an upset too. The biggest upset of the day, if you're a Tortini-esque conspiracist; it was the only away win of Matchday Thirteen, and it didn't even need Fiero. Assiri, unthinkably, are now fifth, three points off top and a point off second, and ahead of United Trilan, who look set to appoint a permanent manager in haste now. Candelariasian names are being spread at an alarming rate...

Oh, FC Bargoiten are well and truly back in business with a last-gasp win over AFC Neegera, who stay second-bottom above only Helma, who lost to Porterbridge City 2-1, all three goals coming in six crazy minutes just after the hour. And Harrington Lakeside, under the caretaker manager Harry Verlan, destroyed Sorbridge Soccer Storm with a Morales hat-trick. Who needs Tortini eh?

Whew, what a day.

Achorpe Rovers 3 Prangren Greens 3 (Menzel 42 and 86, Dubois 70; Chenoweth 34, 76 and 82)
Curzek Rovers 2 Deportivo del Arapucera 1 (Di Mambro 22, Liljestrom og 70; Merzat 59)
FC Bargoiten 2 AFC Neegera 1 (Celebi 42, Ailron 90+1; Gray 45+1)
Grayton City Wolves 1 Club Virling 1 (Jackson 23; Aflon 4) [Saturday 1215 on PBS5]
Harrington Lakeside 4 Sorbridge Soccer Storm 0 (Giovanni 21, Morales 35, 60 and 89) [Sunday 1545 on NTV1]
Marthley Rovers 3 United Trilan 0 (Cato 47, Caragizo 49, Alberta 66)
Murley City 0 AS Assiri 1 (Calthorp 40)
Porterbridge City 2 FC Helma 1495 1 (Starkey 61, Hearts 66; Turaley 63)
Yarzoya FC 2 Parwood City 2 (Urquhart 34, Montano 69; Bilú 38, Novo 56) [Saturday 1900 on Plus10]

Matchday Fourteen: Never, ever say Kura-Pellandi football is oligopolistic

That's 'competition amongst the few' for non-economists. Which in Kura-Pellandi football is summarised by the idea of a 'Big Three'. It's a pretty weak thought, all told - sure, the top three's been the same the last two seasons, in reverse order each time, but Lakeside were nearly pipped to third by Sorbridge Soccer Storm last season fercryingoutloud, and they now suck - 3-0 defeat of Porterbridge City this weekend notwithstanding.

Parwood City, top of the table, only Big Three side to meet expectations this season, title's theirs already, right? Right? Wrong. There's a Marthley Miracle going on, and St Margaret is well and truly shining on them. Hot on the heels of, um, a 3-0 home victory over United Trilan, they travelled to Barkham Park Stadium with hope of at least nicking a point. Suicidal against Parwood's attack, right? Right? Wrong. Bilú was injured in the warm-up, Ramiro Novo was utterly marked out of the game, and Brandon Eldridge pulled up at half-time. Marthley clung on, counter-attacking if they could, usually being denied. Until the 89th minute, when substitute left-winger (in the political sense too) Benny Worrell was released by a speculative through ball, beat Vinny Shinn for pace and then smashed a daisycutter at the far post, which Timothy Acalet fumbled in spectacular style into his own net. Jamie Kirklees hit the post in injury time, but that was it. Six points out of six for the so-called worst team in top-flight history. 'They have eleven great individuals and no team. We have eleven good individuals and one team,' declared an understandably gleeful manager Graham Clarke, who immediately declared that the only job he will ever leave Marthley for is managing the national team. Of Kura-Pelland, not Candelaria And Marquez or anywhere else.

The other two Big Three clubs have no permanent manager, an astonishing state of affairs. Vincent Stingoe is pretty certain not to last long after Murley City got a point at Shanvley Stadium, teenager Brian Cadbury - who only played because of an injury in training to Zaperon - cancelling out Kilu Shu's early 30-yard rocket. Harry Verlan may be a bit more secure, but not much, after Lakeside again failed to win away, this time being held 2-2 at Club Virling with Jean Lascelles the Virling supersub once again.

The net result of all that was that Yarzoya's trip to Prangren Greens became - unknowingly to them - effectively a shootout for top spot. A rare goal from defensive midfielder Teagle gave the Greens the lead, but Justin Urquhart levelled in stoppage-time after being played onside by left-back Neil McGregor, and McGregor was again at fault as Bhuller eased past him before crossing for Urquhart to score a simple header to give the visitors a 52nd-minute lead that they never relinquished. Yarzoya, then, are top. Two seasons ago they weren't even in the top flight.

Take that fancy-pants word 'oligopoly' and stick it up your jumper.

Also trying to break into that oligopoly are Grayton City Wolves and Deportivo del Arapucera. The former have been close before, but the latter are the form team of the moment, and won through at home with two goals from Pinto to keep their momentum going.

The televised game between Helma and Assiri barely warrants a mention, save for the fact that it was moved for reasons unclear, giving Assiri the chance to do the league's first 'double'. And that they did it - Helma lost at home again after taking an early lead and frankly may as well stop bothering at this rate. Oh, and with the 6pm kickoff on Sunday, almost no Assiri fans bothered to go all that way, and with Helma fans disinterested too, the crowd was a pitiful 13,690. Humiliating.

Much more like it was AFC Neegera's mysterious production of brilliant form, scoring five past hapless Curzek Rovers in the highest-scoring game of the season so far. Four of the goals came from big Wayne Harcef, finally free from a series of niggling injuries. Three of those, predictably, were headers; the other was a penalty. Three of the goals came in the first 15 minutes of the second half, prime goal-scoring time for Kura-Pellandi teams this season.

Jeepers, this league is insane...

AFC Neegera 5 Curzek Rovers 2 (Harcef 24, 47, pen 59 and 90+1, Corderman 53; Rickstrand 41, Jinera 86)
Achorpe Rovers 0 FC Bargoiten 1 (Celebi 50)
Club Virling 2 Harrington Lakeside 2 (Celerano 42, Lascelles 83; Morales 24, Holyoake 60)
Deportivo del Arapucera 2 Grayton City Wolves 0 (Pinto 13 and 69)
FC Helma 1495 1 AS Assiri 2 (Tensen 5; Le Tourneur 24, Calthorp 76) [Sunday 1800 on Plus10]
Parwood City 0 Marthley Rovers 1 (Worrell 89)
Prangren Greens 1 Yarzoya FC 2 (Teagle 42; Urquhart 45+1 and 52)
Sorbridge Soccer Storm 3 Porterbridge City 0 (Spyrides pen 3, Ballesteros 42, Batup 83)
United Trilan 1 Murley City 1 (Shu 6; Cadbury 39)

Calling all managers
The job at Harrington Lakeside - one of the three biggest clubs in Kura-Pelland - is still available. To apply, send a TG to Kura-Pelland.

Matchday Fifteen: Trilan tumble again on day of trashings

Not often you get three three-goal wins in a set of nine matches. For a short while it looked as though United Trilan would - unthinkably - be victim of one to FC Bargoiten (yes, really), but Kilu Shu at least got a goal to make it 3-1. Either way, Vincent Stilgoe was totally out of his depth as Bargoiten's rising manager Charles Nixon brilliantly rearranged his side at half-time, rewarded with two goals within twelve minutes of the restart and a third with a quarter-hour to go, all down to slack United Trilan marking. New signings - and a new manager - now seem just about inevitable, as does the fact there will be a new champion this season.

It looks most likely, still, to be Parwood City, and an away win at Murley (who, don't forget, got a point at Shanvley Stadium last weekend) helped that along; they had to do it the hard way though, coming back from behind before young Zarelo and old Kirklees saved the day. Not every day Bilú and Novo both draw blanks, either... but that is the real danger of Parwood, they can get goals from all over the pitch.

Depor, however, just needed one man to get their goals. When Rex Sandstrom slotted home an equaliser in first-half stoppage time against a hitherto impressive Club Virling, the game turned on its head, and another four minutes into the second half totally changed the complexion of the game. Suddenly Virling wilted, and two more Sandstrom strikes - the first a penalty - secured a superb 4-1 win and the second four-goal haul for a single player this season. The first was last week.

Also winning 4-1 were Yarzoya, who stayed top and kept Helma well and truly bottom after an exhibition display of attacking football. 2-0 up in 20 minutes, they just kept going, and should have scored more. As it was, Urquhart completed a hat-trick with a late penalty, the first two goals being outside-the-box screamers. At some point, someone will stop this lot. When, though, is quite another matter.

The other three-goal win was really the standout game, Harrington Lakeside - still under caretaker management - destroying Porterbridge City 3-0 for their first away win of the season. The home side were utterly confident of victory - with that Lakeside away record and their lack of a permanent manager - but went wild in the tackle to the point that, for all the referees have seemingly favoured them this season, there was no way free-kicks could not be awarded. Giovanni duly scored from one 30 yards out in the 13th minute, Morales headed in another in the 31st, and Manuel Alfonso completed the rout just after half-time, or lunch-time as it was for most of the TV audience (what with this being a 1215 kickoff on police advice). A hugely popular win, outside of Lake Branagh Stadium anyway, and it keeps Lakeside's title challenge well and truly alive.

They're still behind AS Assiri though; the newly-promoted wonderboys of this season won another game without Fiero, 1-0 at Curzek, and Fiero is set to return in a fortnight for the team's trip to Depor. They play Grayton City Wolves first, in a televised match; the Wolves edged past faltering Neegera courtesy of an own-goal.

Speaking of televised, the second televised match was Marthley's debut at St Margaret's Stadium. 41,093 filled the ground, Prangren Greens were the visitors, and they won more easily than 1-0 suggested. Some fans think they should never have moved. Funny that.

In the other game, Sorbridge Soccer Storm and Achorpe Rovers fought out the kind of bore-draw that makes you realise why they're the two teams closest to the relegation zone but not in it.

Achorpe Rovers 0 Sorbridge Soccer Storm 0
Curzek Rovers 0 AS Assiri 1 (Le Tourneur 59)
Deportivo del Arapucera 4 Club Virling 1 (Spyrides 45+1, 49, pen 63 and 69; Celerano 14)
FC Bargoiten 3 United Trilan 1 (Dillimer 52 and 75, Ailron 57; Shu 81)
Grayton City Wolves 1 AFC Neegera 0 (Whelkham og 32)
Marthley Rovers 0 Prangren Greens 1 (Hoborough 23) [Saturday 1900 on Super6]
Murley City 2 Parwood City 3 (O'Hurley 21, Doolub 56; Gellen 16, Zarelo 69, Kirklees 79)
Porterbridge City 0 Harrington Lakeside 3 (Giovanni 13, Morales 31, Alfonso 48) [Saturday 1215 on PBS5]
Yarzoya FC 4 FC Helma 1495 1 (Urquhart 11, 49 and pen 83, Wilkins 20; Noira 68)

Matchday Sixteen: Adam Williamson, welcome to the Championship.

Here, have a 41st-second goal against you, at home, to start your new job.

The nationalists were laughing their heads off when Rickstrand's weak shot was fumbled hopelessly into the net by one Candelariasian - Ozzy Stefano - to give another, manager Adam Williamson, the ultimate nightmare start to life at Shanvley Stadium. A few Curzek fans - and possibly a few Trilan fans - started waving banners with the tagline 'Crap And Mediocre'.

Two-and-a-half minutes later, Danny Ibbetson picked up the ball in an unthreatening position 45 yards out, sprinted past Lotura, weaved past Kelly, slipped past Stabham and then nonchalantly chipped the ball over Byrne. A stunning individual goal, and one that utterly changed everything. Barely two minutes after that, Kilu Shu headed in an Ibbetson cross with the help of the post, and suddenly United Trilan were 2-1 up after five minutes and 16 seconds.

Well, he did promise a more attacking approach, but this was ridiculous.

There was another goal, but it didn't come until midway through the second half, and was a scraptacular toe-poke by Woburn from a misjudged corner. But Williamson has come through one test. The big one is next week, with the trip to Grayton City Wolves.

And boy, do the Wolves come in with confidence, after bursting the AS Assiri myth possibly fatally. The 2-0 scoreline flattered the losing home side, who were totally outplayed. Fiero's back soon. Remember, that's a team depending on a spotty 16-year-old. How the fuck were they near the top of the table to start with?

Porterbridge City cheekily offered a Kura-Pellandi record K26m for Fiero on Thursday. It was rejected. Lucas Hearts injured himself in the fifth minute of their home game with Club Virling, substitute Keith Collar missed not one but two open goals, and Club Virling got a point from a match they barely turned up for courtesy of a Jean Lascelles equaliser (not the first of those this season) in stoppage time to respond to a Hannon penalty. Anti-capitalist neutrals are laughing their heads off. How did they lose Fedde Beattis immediately after promotion anyway?

On Sunday, Porterbridge City offered K32m for Fiero... and it was rejected...

One team don't need him. And that's Parwood City, who have goalscorers of all ages in all positions. As if to prove it, three unlikely goalscorers got the lot at home to Bargoiten on the tellybox, two of them substitutes - midfielder Shower and sweeper MacWinter. (The third - well first really - was centre-back Alano.) When MacWinter came on for Novo on the hour, everyone thought it was to protect the team's 2-0 lead - but he scored from a corner within three minutes. Ailron's 35-yard thunderbolt was mere consolation, though it'll get replayed far more than that suggests - it was that good, swerving wildly away from Timothy Acalet who for once was not at fault. And thanks to Sorbridge Soccer Storm's superb defensive effort to hold Yarzoya to a goalless draw, Ray Winkett producing several stunning saves including one from the spot, and the Storm have now kept three clean sheets on the bounce. Let's ignore the 4-0 at Walton Park just before those...

Deportivo del Arapucera just keep producing excellent results and may yet be viable title challengers at this rate - certainly top-three contenders, although Lakeside's oh-so-typical 1-0 home win against Achorpe helped entrench ye olde oligopoly a wee bit. A last-gasp winner from Modexa - one of the few disappointing players in their campaign up to now - did for poor Neegera, who produced possibly the best performance of their dreadful season so far only to lose. Prangren Greens also keep winning, though they had to come from an early deficit to do for Murley City.

In the other game, Marthley Rovers reverted to type, playing out the most atrocious 0-0 draw with bottom club Helma. There were four shots in the entire match, and two of those were off target. The 14,922 who turned up at Helma were poor misguided fools...

AFC Neegera 1 Deportivo del Arapucera 2 (Arginton 60; Sandstrom 56, Modexa 90+1)
AS Assiri 0 Grayton City Wolves 2 (Zelham 12 and pen 50) [Sunday 1545 on NTV1]
FC Helma 1495 0 Marthley Rovers 0
Harrington Lakeside 1 Achorpe Rovers 0 (Pinkowski 26)
Parwood City 3 FC Bargoiten 1 (Alano 4, Shower 33, Macwinter 63; Ailron 81) [Saturday 1900 on Super6]
Porterbridge City 1 Club Virling 1 (Hannon pen 20; Lascelles 90+2)
Prangren Greens 2 Murley City 1 (Teagle 24, Hill 69; Maxley 6)
Sorbridge Soccer Storm 0 Yarzoya FC 0
United Trilan 3 Curzek Rovers 1 (Ibbetson 4, Shu 6, Woburn 69; Rickstrand 1)

Matchday Seventeen: Viva Depor! ¡Medio al campeonato!

(That's 'halfway to the championship' in Candelarian Spanish.)

Kura-Pelland's top Hispanic club Deportivo del Arapucera are suddenly just about Kura-Pelland's top club full stop, two goals away from leading the Corganen Championship after they won and the top two didn't, and with a real shot of going top next week as they face a collapsing United Trilan at home while Parwood travel to Grayton City Wolves.

That Candelariasian strike force did the business yet again against AS Assiri, Sandstrom scoring his fourteenth of the season just before half-time and Pinto his fifth a short time after. Substitute Harry Hassell scored with a looping header to set up a big finish but without Fiero, Assiri lacked inspiration, and Depor's defence - the second best in the league with only fifteen let in so far - held firm. They now have six wins in their last seven, to Parwood City's - erm - three.

All this mattered because Parwood City were held to a 2-2 draw at Curzek Rovers - a Brasovean own-goal of the highest comedic value proving critical after Ramiro Novo scored twice to overturn Curzek's early lead - and Yarzoya FC were beaten 1-0 at home to Harrington Lakeside, who now have four wins and a draw from their last five and two away wins on the bounce and are just a point back in third. Lakeside, then, are right in the title race.

Which United Trilan aren't. A 1-1 draw at Grayton City Wolves - the one team to concede fewer than Depor, just twelve in seventeen now - isn't a bad result, but to concede an injury-time equaliser to unheralded substitute midfielder Alex Loupan is certainly bad. The team is over-dependent on Kilu Shu, who scored again in the 70th minute at the Octagon, right now; the rest of the team look woefully out of sorts, especially Ozzy Stefano and Graham Woburn.

Porterbridge City have been linked with the latter, but they showed they have better than that - teenager Kevin Rotheroe scoring twice to give the most hated team in the country a priceless 2-0 win at Achorpe Rovers, who slip into the bottom three as a result. And, indeed, the bottom two, as AFC Neegera overtook them with a hugely important win at Club Virling, Wayne Harcef with both goals. From headers, natch. Ludicrously, it's the first points City have acquired away from Lake Branagh Stadium, which rather throws the debate over refereeing into sharp perspective, especially with Porterbridge's huge funds...

The pick of the week, though, was FC Bargoiten's stunning comeback against Prangren Greens. The visitors took the lead through Chris Chenoweth, and when a Hoborough cross-shot just before the hour was dreadfully misjudged by Brian London the game looked up. For all of two minutes anyway; Mark Portland's solo run and shot burst the game open, substitute Bobby Shepherd levelled the game with ten minutes remaining with a deflected daisycutter from 20 yards, and "Doctor" Daniel Dillimer's header in the 89th minute sealed a remarkable victory that puts Bargoiten ahead of the Greens on goal difference and denies the Greens the chance to go within goal difference of the lead. Instead, they are seventh. But still only three points back, and five points clear of ninth-placed United Trilan. Read that again. Ninth-placed United Trilan. Halfway through the season.

Marthley Rovers aren't going to win any awards for aesthetics, but for sheer brutal efficiency they are excelling, their 1-0 defeat of Sorbridge Soccer Storm a textbook lesson in 'winning ugly'. Rovers are now closer to United Trilan than the relegation zone, and I don't think there's a bookmaker in the country who'd have even thought of odds for that one at the start of the season. The Storm, however are now separated from the relegation zone by two goals. No points. No really. Last season, remember, they were fourth.

What was that word again? 'Oligopolía', apparently.

Murley City destroyed FC Helma 1495 - it's like stealing candy from a baby, be honest - in the other game, the 3-0 score flattering the losing team.

Achorpe Rovers 0 Porterbridge City 2 (Rotheroe 29 and 89)
Club Virling 0 AFC Neegera 2 (Harcef 59 and 72)
Curzek Rovers 2 Parwood City 2 (Mantlom 4, Brasovean og 62; Novo 21 and 45+1)
Deportivo del Arapucera 2 AS Assiri 1 (Sandstrom 41, Pinto 56; Hassell 74)
FC Bargoiten 3 Prangren Greens 2 (Portland 61, Shepherd 80, Dillimer 89; Chenoweth 23, Hoborough 59)
Grayton City Wolves 1 United Trilan 1 (Loupan 90+1, Shu 70) [Sunday 1800 on Plus10]
Marthley Rovers 1 Sorbridge Soccer Storm 0 (Cato 39)
Murley City 3 FC Helma 1495 0 (O'Hurley 2 and 49; Di Coa 16)
Yarzoya FC 0 Harrington Lakeside 1 (Giovanni 51)

CORGANEN CHAMPIONSHIP: halfway table
Pos Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1 Parwood City 17 9 5 3 38 26 12 32
2 Deportivo del Arapucera 17 10 2 5 25 15 10 32
3 Harrington Lakeside 17 9 4 4 30 18 12 31
4 Yarzoya FC 17 8 6 3 29 18 11 30
5 Grayton City Wolves 17 8 5 4 23 12 11 29
6 FC Bargoiten 17 8 5 4 27 20 7 29
7 Prangren Greens 17 8 5 4 28 23 5 29
8 AS Assiri 17 8 4 5 21 18 3 28
9 United Trilan 17 6 6 5 22 19 3 24
10 Murley City 17 6 4 7 22 19 3 22
11 Marthley Rovers 17 5 7 5 14 15 -1 22
12 Curzek Rovers 17 5 3 9 22 32 -10 18
13 Porterbridge City 17 5 3 9 18 33 -15 18
14 Club Virling 17 2 10 5 19 24 -5 16
15 Sorbridge Soccer Storm 17 3 7 7 14 21 -7 16
--------------------------------------------------------------
16 AFC Neegera 17 4 4 9 21 30 -9 16
17 Achorpe Rovers 17 4 3 10 15 26 -11 15
18 FC Helma 1495 17 2 3 12 16 35 -19 9

Matchday Eighteen: Let's go round again... and remind ourselves why Tortini wanted out

The second set of fixtures starts again, and it's a reversal of the first lot, in the same order, apart from a couple of unexpected changes. Boring, much?

A theme from the first half of the season was complaints about referees' home bias. It was just dying away with a spate of away wins, but two matches in particular pretty much confirmed it's still alive.

In fact, all nine did, frankly. One away win, Parwood's win at the Octagon from a Novo cross-shot that puts them clear at the top and was televised on Sunday. One draw, United Trilan coming back from behind twice to take a point at Depor that keeps Parwood clear at the top and was televised on Sunday.

And seven home wins out of seven in the Saturday 3pm kickoffs, three of them utterly undeserved.

Daily Kangaroo sports writer Charles Filton has declared he will no longer be writing anything about the Corganen Championship, and is encouraging a boycott of the sponsoring building society, in light of what he calls 'widespread and severe corruption in the highest levels of our national sport', even claiming that 'efforts were made to keep the televised games clean while allowing the others to be tarnished'.

Matthew Tortini would go along with that one. Fittingly his former charges Harrington Lakeside lost at Marthley Rovers to a goal that should have been disallowed for offside and a penalty that should never have been given. With Trilan's match not until Sunday afternoon, Marthley spent 24 hours ahead of them in the table, humilation in the extreme for Adam Williamson.

With Lakeside cheated of temporary top spot, Yarzoya took it instead with a rather fairer win, 2-1 against Porterbridge City - a team who have rather benefitted from home advantage this season, to say the least. Two more goals from Justin Urquhart - making him the top scorer in the league this season with sixteen - effectively ensured his trip to WC39, especially with Fiero injured again as his AS Assiri side got utterly routed 4-0 by a rampant AFC Neegera, for whom Wayne Harcef has suddenly discovered his form of last season and then some. His hat-trick in this one takes his total to nine in five games, after scoring just one earlier in the season, kept out by niggling injuries. His replacement, defensive midfielder Yves Aparan, only went and bloody scored himself in stoppage time as well.

Here come the other two dodgy home wins that had spectacularly damaging consequences. And a third of note that had a whiff of controversy about it. The first clearly dodgy one was Murley City's 1-0 win over Sorbridge Soccer Storm; the Storm had Ray Winkett sent off for handling the ball outside the box, despite the fact he was actually just about in it, and ten minutes later Frankie Di Coa was only booked for an elbow to the face of defender Brian Yuram-Wilson. Guess what? Di Coa scored the winner in the 78th minute. Storm manager Charles Kensington mused that 'I'd almost welcome relegation now, it's quite obvious we would be playing in the top fair competition in Kura-Pellandi soccer'. Kensington was promptly fired, and is now seeking a job outside Kura-Pelland.

The other was Club Virling's relegation six-pointer with Achorpe Rovers; Virling had drawn ten of their seventeen games so far (!!!), and it was just about to be eleven from eighteen in a sleep-inducing match when Harry Celerano tripped up on the edge of the box with reserve defender Oscar Churton in close-ish proximity but not making a challenge. The referee gave a penalty. The entire Achorpe team quite reasonably swarmed around the man in black demanding what the hell made him make that decision, two of them were sent off for their trouble, and Celerano himself looked embarrassed to take advantage of his fortune, leaving it to Elphin to tuck the spot-kick away for Virling's first win in twelve. In the post-match interview, Celerano said that he 'feels sick that wins in this league might not mean anything, and there was no way that was a penalty', and spectacularly transfer-listed himself and - you guessed it - will only move to a club outside Kura-Pelland.

The third home win with a whiff of controversy about it - though undoubtedly a deserved win, and without that controversy it would stand alone as one of the most remarkable moments of the season - was Curzek Rovers' 5-0 demolition of Prangren Greens. Where the hell did that come from? A Greens fan would have no trouble pinning it on the man in black, Claudio Suarez; Ahap was given a straight red on the half-hour for a tackle that warranted a booking at most, Rickstrand headed in the resultant free kick, and the Greens utterly failed to reorganise, allowing Curzek's midfield to dominate the entire game. Lotura, Curley and Mantlom all scored, and Di Mambro came on from the bench to add another. It's the first time in Kura-Pellandi history that five different players have scored for one team in the same top-flight game.

The other home win at 3pm was utterly predictable, FC Helma 1495 caving in 3-0 to Bargoiten. Imagine what the score would have been there with a biased referee.

AFC Neegera 4 AS Assiri 0 (Harcef 24, 50 and 61; Aparan 90+1)
Club Virling 1 Achorpe Rovers 0 (Elphin pen 90+4)
Curzek Rovers 5 Prangren Greens 0 (Rickstrand 31, Lotura 42, Curley 50, Mantlom 63, Di Mambro 76)
Deportivo del Arapucera 2 United Trilan 2 (Sandstrom 12, Avila 52; Ibbetson 40, O'Connor 73) [Sunday 1545 on NTV1]
FC Bargoiten 3 FC Helma 1495 0 (Celebi 6 and 30, Portland 59)
Grayton City Wolves 0 Parwood City 1 (Novo 27) [Sunday 1215 on PBS5]
Marthley Rovers 2 Harrington Lakeside 0 (Caragizo 38, Cato pen 63)
Murley City 1 Sorbridge Soccer Storm 0 (Di Coa 78)
Yarzoya FC 2 Porterbridge City 1 (Urquhart 20 and 53; Fulleylove 29)

Dancougar

08-02-2008, 03:51

It was a big year for football in Dancougar. Over the summer, the newly-created national team took the field and won the Baptism of Fire, winning six of its seven games en route to the title. World Cup qualifying, though, presented a unique challenge. Many players would have to split time between their schools and the national team, and no one was sure how much of an impact it would have on either sphere. The regular season produced few truly dominant teams, but it provided plenty of excitement for the fans, as the title races in many conferences were very close.

Kishin Academy won the Yuki Collegiate Premier League with a pedestrian 7-4-3 record, but only four points separated the top four. Kishin led by five points with three games left to go, which was enough even though their performance slipped. They finished with only two points from the final three games, including a 2-2 draw to second-place Army.

The Kildare Maritime Academy bounced back from a disappointing 4-6-6 season to carry the Kishin Delta CPL, seven points clear of the Naval Academy with an 11-2-3 record. With two games left, they led the Navy by only two points in the standings. But they stepped up and won their final two, while Navy was only able to manage a loss and a draw.

Shiba State University repeated as champions of the Shiba Valley Conference, one point clear of Lansing and two of Grandborough University. Shiba State and Grandborough were tied after matchday eleven, and they stayed neck and neck until the final day, at which point Lansing had burst into the picture. Shiba State, though, thrashed last-place Shiba Tech 5-1 in the final match to clinch the title.

For the second season in a row, Yuki State - Helmsley brought the league's best defense to bear on the Coastal Plains Conference. This time, however, it earned them the conference championship. They finished undefeated at 5-9-0, one point better than Mandrake City College, which led the conference in goals scored! Mandrake led on the final matchday, but only managed a 1-1 draw at Southport City while Helmsley beat Kanata State 2-0 for the crucial points.

Hazuki State University won its sixth title in seven years despite sharing star players Hideo Ikeda and Akira Morimoto with the national team. They received a scare from Kimstown City College, however, finishing only one point clear. On the final matchday, Kimstown saw its two point cushion evaporate when they lost 2-1 to third-place Beresford College, and Hazuki State won 4-2 at Mugen Bend State.

A year after losing their shot at the conference title on the last matchday, Zane Island State College emerged as winners in the Big Northeast, tied with Dyson College at 8-4-2 but crushing them in goal differential. After matchday seven, there was never more than three points between the two, and most of the time they were in a dead heat. They also drew both of their meetings, 2-2 and 1-1.

In the Shinobu Valley, Maehara University finished with a healthy cushion on an 8-5-1 record, wielding the league's best offense with deadly effect. Deimon City were their chief competitors, but Maehara's 1-0 victory in the next-to-last match of the season gave them uncatchable separation in the table.

Branstein College won the Helmut CPL with a 7-5-2 record, four points clear of Granger Island. Branstein took the league lead on matchday five and never looked back. In one of the strangest stories of the season, Schwartzer College finished dead last in the standings at 5-0-9... and still had a positive goal differential!!

Leona College finished 8-6-2 to win the South Central Conference, two points ahead of the University of Shikibu, which had two more losses despite wielding the league's best offense. Leona took the league lead with a 3-1 win over Shikubu U in their ninth game of the season, and they kept pace until the end, stretching their lead as wide as five points.

Waugaman City College win the Red River Conference on an average 7-4-3 record, two points ahead of Masato State University. Masato State led going into the final matchday, but were unable to produce a result, going down 3-2 against Regola University. Waugaman took the title with their resounding 3-0 win against bottom-feeders Raymaley.

In the Big West, the University of Desugaia won the title on thirty one points from sixteen matches, two ahead of Eastern Desugaia University, which rebounded from last season to finish 7-8-1. Defending champs Friedmann led through thirteen matches, but their next match was 1-0 loss to Air Force. The University of Desugaia, winning 2-0 against Inbit, took over the conference lead and didn't look back.

Although Lunarossa State had the league's best offense and goal differential, the Lunarossa CPL went to Morewood Technical Institute, which finished 9-4-2. After week thirteen, only two points separated the top five. And it was actually the University of Lunarossa that was giving Morewood Tech a pace to keep down the stretch, matching them at twenty eight points going into the final matchday. Lunarossa State won the rivalry game against the Lunarossa U 3-2, and Morewood Tech's 1-0 win gave them the title.

Kotetsu Tech won the Big North with a 7-8-1 record, one point clear of Baptista College. Kotetsu Tech and Tetsuya State traded blows through the middle of the season, but Baptista's 2-0 win over Tetsuya State in their thirteenth match made it unclear who would present the threat to Kotetsu. At one point, one point separated second through fifth place, and no one caught up.

The Metro East champion, Purnell College brought the nation's second-best defense en route to an 8-3-3 record, four points clear of second place Porter College. They almost led wire to wire, the single blemish coming in week two when a 1-1 draw saw them fall behind Cyert Tech. Purnell retook the league lead by beating Cyert 1-0 the next week, and they never looked back.

South Koratu State University finished 8-2-4 with the conference's best offense to win the Igor Valley, two points clear of defending champions Barynsk. This came despite an embarrassing drop of form during the final three weeks of the season. Four points clear of Barynsk, they hit a dry spell, drawing seventh-place Pearson and then losing their last two matches.

Amada University finished undefeated in the Big East, going 6-8-0. But Jefferson College were a point better and won the conference, although the national pollsters stil believed Amada were the better side. Amada led the league through eleven matches, but Jefferson slowly clawed back, while Sanders College fell out of the mix after two straight losses. Jefferson took the points lead and kept pace with Amada, as both one on the final matchday.

In the Shapiro CPL, Shapiro State University finished 8-5-1 to take the conference title behind a stingy defense that rivaled Yuki State - Helmsley for top honors. Three points behind Eimoto after week eleven, they rattled off three straight wins while Eimoto stumbled, going 0-2-1 in the same stretch.

The Kishin Plains went to Bloomfield College, on thirty points from fourteen matches. The league's best offense delivered a massive eight point cushion. They leapfrogged defending champs Montefiore in week eight. With three matches to go, a draw with Montefiore and second-place Carnegie Tech's 2-1 loss to Herron University gave them a five point lead with two games left. They won both.

Akasaka University repeated as champions in the Kotaru CPL, again fighting off Kotaru University. And again, Kotaru floundered down the stretch. A loss in week thirteen gave Akasaka an opening after a hard-fought 3-3 draw with Takano. On the final day, both sat on twenty three points, with Kotaru leading comfortably on goal differential. They lost 3-1 to Hinamizawa while Akasaka won 1-0 at Irie City.

The University of Gilderome was unable to repeat in the Gilderome River Conference, finishing second to the University of Zorbados, who had a four point edge thanks to a 9-4-3 record. They took the lead from Shadow Cliffs State in their fourth game with a 2-1 win, and nobody caught them after that. The lead maxed out at seven points.

Akatsuki University finished 11-2-3 in the Northern Plains. It was utter domination, as they finished twelve points ahead of Donovan Academy. After starting the season with three straight losses, Akatsuki went on a tear which including winning streaks of four, three, and four matches.

In a tight race, [/B]Port Gintoki University[/B] won the Shikibu CPL with a 6-4-4 record, which was equaled by Monagham State. But their +10 goal differential easily beat Monagham's +4, although the records shows that there were very few games in which they truly looked like champions. They won the title despite losing 2-1 to Ogasawara City on the final matchday, while Monagham and Stoddart-McLean put on a show that Monagham ultimately won 4-3.

Glassport City College took the Sullivan CPL on thirty one points from sixteen matches, eight clear of second place Wexford. Two points separated second through fifth places, with ties making all the difference because each of those squads had five wins apiece.

Fremont Univesrity win the Keats Island CPL with a 9-3-4 record. Keats Island University were only a point behind at 8-5-3. It came down to the last match of the season for both teams, a head-to-head showdown with Keats Island at the top of the table. Fremont, despite having a lower-ranked offense and defense, pulled together for the 3-2 clincher.

Several factors are coming together that may see a national tournament appear within the next season or so. First, football fans around the country reveled in the excitement generated by the national team's participation in international tournaments.

Secondly, no professional league exists in Dancougar and no capital has appeared on the horizon. That leaves college rosters as the only source for players, but the regular season is short. Additionally, the conference setup means that a lot of the best teams - and their players - never get to meet and truly show off and develop their talents.

Finally, the committees convened by the major conferences to choose and run the national team have ended their total independence by spreading knowledge of each league's teams and players to other parts of the country. College athletic directors are starting to believe that a competition would raise the overall level of football in Dancougar.

Until then, here are the Top 25:

Kildare Maritime Academy (11-2-3, +12, Kishin Delta CPL)
Bloomfield College (9-3-2, +12, Kishin Plains)
University of Desugaia (9-4-3, +12, Big West)
Akatsuki University (11-2-3, +8, Northern Plains)
Morewood Technical Institute (9-4-2, +10, Lunarossa CPL)
Hazuki State University (9-3-4, +10, Hazuki CPL)
Maehara University (8-5-1, +10, Shinobu Valley)
Shapiro State University (8-5-1, +11, Shapiro CPL)
Lunarossa State University (9-2-4, +13, Lunarossa CPL)
Zane Island State College (8-4-2, +12, Big Northeast)
Amada University (6-8-0, +13, Big East)
Glassport City College (9-4-3, +8, Sullivan CPL)
Keats Island University (8-5-3, +10, Keats Island CPL)
University of Lunarossa (8-4-3, +9, Lunarossa CPL)
Eastern Desugaia University (7-8-1, +12, Big West)
Leona College (8-6-2, +8, South Central)
Jefferson College (8-3-3, +9, Big East)
Dyson College (8-4-2, +7, Big Northeast)
University of Shikibu (8-4-4, +11, South Central)
South Kotaru State University (8-2-4, +8, Igor Valley)
Shiba State University (8-2-4, +7, Shiba Valley)
Branstein College (7-5-2, +9, Helmut CPL)
Waugaman City College (7-5-3, +10, Red River)
Kotetsu Tech (7-8-1, +6, Big North)
Kishin Academy (7-5-3, +6, Yuki CPL)

Elves Security Forces

08-02-2008, 07:02

20,004 Silver Cup

First Round
AS Zul'Daratar 2-1 Erran FC
AC Ispan 0-0 Everlin Snipers (1-1 AET) (Everlin Snipers wins 3-0 on penalty kicks)
SC Quintal 0-0 DC Liogan (3-0 AET)
SC Longview 3-1 RC Durmosa
Capri Marksmen 0-2 AC Port Swell
AC Zul'Atun 0-0 RC Elunita (1-1 AET) (AC Zul'Atun wins 5-4 on penalty kicks)
AS Aras 0-3 Zanabia City
Kareen FC 1-0 DC Melikkiaz
Char Sara Volcano 1-3 AC Durmosa
DC Bree 1-3 FC Silvershire
Raynor City Rockets 2-0 FC Quel'Mathar
RC Liogan 0-1 Gladerial Fortune Dwellers
FC Solqual 2-8 SC Soldar
FC Kilai 1-1 AS Zul'Atun (3-1 AET)
FC Melikkiaz 3-4 AC Cartmot
Erran United 0-1 Yolan FC
Rolalas FC 2-1 DC Aulian
AS Vaharia 2-2 Quel'Tir United (3-3 AET) (AS Vaharia wins 3-0 on penalty kicks)
Sharala AC 4-0 Turbani Tornadoes
AS Solqual 5-0 DC Kilai
FC San Diromia 1-0 Vaharia FC
RC Quel'Mathar 1-1 FC Suax (1-1 AET) (FC Suax wins 3-1 on penalty kicks)
AC Rosenthal 1-3 Turmondale United
DC Quel'Tir 6-2 Arouw FC
Quel'Thalas FC 3-3 Char Sara Strike (3-3 AET) (Char Sara Strike wins 3-2 on penalty kicks)
FC Wexax 0-2 AS Soldar
Oliviena United 2-0 FC Ispan
RC Vahama 1-2 AS Everlin
RC Rikana 3-1 Zul'Daratar FC
Gladerial Divine 5-1 AS Rikana
FC Rosenthal 4-4 Athletic Rolalas (5-5 AET) (Athletic Rolalas wins 4-3 on penalty kicks)
Mar Sara Extreme 2-0 Bree FC
Aras United 3-2 Manavawi Athletic
Cartmot Pride 1-2 AC Goldsan
AC Jumangas 2-4 Rinaldi Ravens
Ironwind United 2-1 SC Ianisle
Arouw United 1-1 FC Vernad (1-1 AET) (FC Vernad wins 4-3 on penalty kicks)
RC Jumangas 1-3 Suax United

Second Round
Raynor City Rockets 3-2 Hondo Owls
Turmondale United 2-0 Athletic Rolalas
DC Quel'Tir 0-4 AC Valanari
Zanabia City 0-2 FC Capri
FC Therathor 1-3 Char Sara Inferno
Raynor City Rockers 4-1 Mar Sara Extreme
FC Silvershire 4-0 Suax United
AS Shalara 1-1 Rolalas FC (1-1 AET) (Rolalas FC wins 3-0 on penalty kicks)
AS Soldar 2-2 FC Suax (4-2 AET)
FC Vernad 3-0 Gladerial Twilight
AS Everlin 0-3 Rinaldi Ravens
Turmondale FC 0-1 Mar Sara Flames
AC Port Swell 1-2 Ironwind United
FC Kilai 1-6 Sharala AC
AC Stormguard 2-3 AC Cartmot
Travesian Generals 1-2 Rinaldi Gunners
Gladerial Divine 0-0 Straightdale FC (0-2 AET)
Yolan FC 4-4 RC Rikana (5-5 AET) (Yolan FC wins 3-0 on penalty kicks)
Char Sara Strike 3-2 AS Solqual
FC San Diromia 2-0 Monaven Breakers
AC Durmosa 1-1 AC Therathor (1-2 AET)
AC Zul'Atun 2-2 AS Vaharia (2-2 AET) (AC Zul'Atun wins 3-2 on penalty kicks)
Soldarian FC 0-3 Baysleef Bombers
Everlin Snipers 0-1 Wexax United
Hartdale Hawks 0-1 AS Zul'Daratar
SC Soldar 2-1 FC Vamas
FC Travesian 3-1 Gladerial Fortune Dwellers
Juavi Reds 4-0 Aras United
Oliviena United 1-1 FC Longview (1-1 AET) (FC Longview wins 3-2 on penalty kicks)
SC Longview 3-2 SC Quintal
AC Goldsan 2-2 Kareen FC (2-2 AET) (AC Goldsan wins 2-1 on penalty kicks)

Third Round
Rolalas FC 0-1 FC Vernad
Baysleef Bombers 1-2 Char Sara Inferno
FC Longview 4-1 AC Zul'Atun
Raynor City Rockets 1-2 Sharala AC
Char Sara Strike 1-1 AS Zul'Daratar (3-1 AET)
Rinaldi Gunners 5-3 AC Cartmot
FC Travesian 2-3 FC Capri
Turmondale United 0-2 Straightdale FC
FC Silvershire 1-2 AC Valanari
Mar Sara Flames 1-0 Yolan FC
Juavi Reds 1-9 Raynor City Rockers
SC Soldar 2-0 AS Soldar
AC Therathor 2-2 Ironwind United (2-2 AET) (Ironwind United wins 1-0 on penalty kicks)
SC Longview 2-2 Rinaldi Ravens (2-2 AET) (SC Longview wins 3-1 on penalty kicks)
Wexax United 2-0 FC San Diromia

Fourth Round
FC Longview 3-1 Mar Sara Flames
FC Capri 3-3 Sharala AC (4-3 AET)
AC Valanari 2-1 Straightdale FC
Ironwind United 3-1 SC Soldar
Char Sara Strike 0-3 Char Sara Inferno
FC Vernad 1-0 SC Longview
AC Goldsan 1-2 Wexax United
Rinaldi Gunners 4-3 Raynor City Rockers

Quarterfinals
Char Sara Inferno 2-1 Ironwind United
FC Capri 3-3 Rinaldi Gunners (3-4 AET)
Wexax United 0-1 FC Vernad
AC Valanari 4-0 FC Longview

Semifinals
Char Sara Inferno 3-0 AC Valanari
Rinaldi Gunners 3-0 FC Vernad

3PPo
AC Valanari 4-0 FC Vernad

Final
Char Sara Inferno 1-2 Rinaldi Gunners

Adihan

08-02-2008, 07:19

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b68/NSLE/NationStates/adihanleague.png

The inaugural United Islands League is now underway, with the two tiers of Ad'ihani football both at their halfway point of Season 1.

The United Islands Premier's strict rules mean that no foreign players or coaches (except from Liverpool England) are allowed to play in the league – a rule similarly adopted by the non-league United Islands Minor. There is no such rule in the cup, but most teams find it a waste of money to pay foreign players just to play in the cup. However, Ad'ihani players are allowed to move the other way.

Let's have a look back at the first 15 matchdays of Ad'ihani domestic football.

Matchday One
In the United Islands Premier, Oldbridge City and CF Mont Pluie played out a thrilling eight-goal match in which the visitors won 5-3. The nation's two top teams, Protectorate United and Olympique Protectorat, both won their matches.

Meanwhile, in non-league, Tallyn Rovers, Southcast Town and County Stanley were the only teams to win their matches. A last-minute goal gave County Stanley a 4-3 victory over Island Athletic, while Tallyn Rovers and Southcast Town both won away.

Matchday Three
By Matchday Three, one team had taken a clear two-point lead at the top of the Premier – Olympique Protectorat, which had won all three of their matches. Rivals Protectorate United faltered with a shock 3-4 defeat away at Altsend.

Southcast Town and County Stanley, meanwhile, shared the lead in the Minor, both on 7 points.

Matchday Five
Protectorate United more than made up for their loss at Altsend by winning their next two games by a combined aggregate of 7-0, pushing them to the top of the table. Olympique Protectorat could not keep up the pressure, dropping five points in two games by drawing one and losing the other, falling to third. Mountbatten Junction remained one of only two unbeaten teams in the top flight, with three wins and two draws. Grand Arsenal (2-3-0) were the other team to still not have lost; they placed 4th after five games leading a pack of five teams on nine points.

At the bottom of the league, Djei SC, Kinney Road and Northtown United had all picked up only one point from their five games.

Matchday Seven
Hatton Town in 13th handed Mountbatten Junction their second straight defeat on Matchday Seven. In a day of draws involving the top teams, Protectorate United and Olympique Protectorat both dropped points away to CFMP and Navon Beach respectively. Grand Arsenal – still unbeaten – took the chance to leapfrog CFMP and Mountbatten Junction into second place, with a 2-0 win over South Barrier Utd. Kinney Road and Djei SC, in 14th and 15th respectively with two points each, were still fighting to avoid marking down into the drop/climb group, but Northtown United had still not managed to pick up any more points.

Matchday Seven also marked the quarter point in the Minor. County Stanley now had a three-point lead over Southcast Town, with Tallyn Rovers a further point back. With all teams having already faced each other once in the UIM, it was time for the first set of reverse fixtures to be played.

Matchday Eight
Grand Arsenal's run was finally snapped with a 4-1 thumping away at Olympique Protectorat. In a DCG/relegation six-pointer, Northtown United picked up their first win of the season in a close-fought 1-0 win over Kinney Road, who dropped to 16th and last. Djei SC battled to a goalless draw with Altsend, but both Kinney Road and Djei SC remained winless after eight matches.

In the ultimate irony, County Stanley lost 4-3 to Island Athletic thanks to a last-minute goal in their first reverse fixture, having been 4-3 victors on Matchday One. Southcast Town remained undefeated (3-5-0) thanks to a goalless draw against Flitton Rangers.

Matchday Ten
Djei Sporting Club secured a crucial 1-0 away win against South Barrier United to pull away from Kinney Road FC – who played out a goalless draw against Hatton Town – at the bottom of the table. At the top, Protectorate United continued on their unbeaten run, having not lost since a 3-4 defeat on Matchday Three to Altsend. CF Mont Pluie occupied second place three points back, with two teams a further two points off in third and fourth.

Southcast Town dropped crucial points in the Minor to fellow promotion battlers Tallyn Rovers, allowing County Stanley and Tallyn to pull away from them at the top of the table.

Matchday Twelve
Protectorate Utd's dominance at the top of the table continued, building up a six-point lead on CF Mont Pluie. Olympique Protectorat dropped yet more points, losing on both MD11 and MD12, to stay stuck on 20 points from a possible 36.

County Stanley dropped points in the Minor with a 3-3 draw at home to AFC Hatton and a tough 2-0 loss away at Southcast Town, allowing Tallyn Rovers to overtake them at the top of the United Islands Minor. Only nine points separated top from bottom at this stage, with three teams tied on 13 points in last place.

Matchday Fourteen
Protectorate United's unbeaten run of nine games was abruptly ended at home by Mountbatten Junction, who snatched a 1-0 victory in the early moments of the match. That was enough to boost Mountbatten Junction into second over CF Mont Pluie, who could only manage a dull and drab scoreless draw at South Barrier United. Djei SC got their second win of the season by posting a 5-0 drubbing of mid-table Oldbridge City in the shock of the day.

Meanwhile, at the end of the first stage of the United Islands Minor, a County Stanley loss to Flitton Rangers meant that Tallyn Rovers topped the league by two points over Southcast Town and County Stanley, and secured themselves a chance at promotion into the Premier for next season by qualifying for the Drop/Climb Group. If Tallyn win the second stage as well, they will automatically be promoted. However, should Southcast Town or County Stanley win – as they'll be wanting to – a playoff (either one-off or round-robin) would be needed.

United Islands Minor – end of Phase One
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Tallyn Rovers 14 8 2 4 27 25 2 26 DCG
2 Southcast Town 14 6 6 2 18 9 9 24
3 County Stanley 14 7 3 4 26 20 6 24
4 T'chéy Park 14 5 3 6 18 19 -1 18
5 Flitton Rangers 14 5 3 6 14 17 -3 18
6 Island Athletic 14 4 5 5 26 28 -2 17
7 Dullham and Oldbridge 14 3 4 7 14 18 -4 13
8 AFC Hatton 14 3 4 7 23 30 -7 13

Matchday Fifteen
At the start of the season few people would have doubted that Protectorate United would far and away be a strong contender for the league title. To have a nine-point lead over their closest rivals at midseason was probably unexpected. Low-scoring Mountbatten Junction, meanwhile, surprised everyone to finish Phase One in second place, having scored just 18 goals in 15 games. At the bottom, Kinney Road managed a 2-0 win over Dalinn Wanderers, but even that and a Djei SC loss was not enough for them to escape finishing bottom and dropping into the end-of-season Drop/Climb Group. Should Kinney Road fail to escape the second half of the season in anywhere but 16th, they will be relegated.

United Islands Premier – end of Phase One
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Protectorate United 15 12 1 2 35 12 23 37
2 Mountbatten Junction 15 8 4 3 18 15 3 28
3 Olympique Protectorat 15 8 3 4 24 17 7 27
4 CF Mont Pluie 15 8 2 5 34 29 5 26
5 Pilminster Rovers 15 7 2 6 22 19 3 23
6 Oldbridge City 15 7 2 6 26 30 -4 23
7 Grand Arsenal 15 6 4 5 23 21 2 22
8 Navon Beach 15 5 5 5 13 17 -4 20
9 Dalinn Wanderers 15 6 2 7 21 27 -6 20
10 Flitton City 15 5 4 6 16 15 1 19
11 South Barrier Utd 15 4 5 6 14 16 -2 17
12 Hatton Town 15 3 7 5 13 16 -3 16
13 Altsend 15 4 3 8 27 31 -4 15
14 Northtown Utd 15 4 3 8 25 34 -9 15
15 Djei Sporting Club 15 2 6 7 12 16 -4 12
16 Kinney Road 15 2 5 8 8 16 -8 11 DCG

Some mid-season awards...
Attacking power – Protectorate United, 35 GF, 2.33 GF/match
Defensive power – Protectorate United, 12 GA, 0.80 GA/match
Most unexpected performance – Mountbatten Junction, 2nd
Attack is not our thing award – Kinney Road, 8 GF, 0.53 GF/match
Defence? What's defence? Award – Northtown United, 34 GA, 2.27 GA/match

Candelaria And Marquez

09-02-2008, 13:51

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Matchday Fifteen: Blood red robbers kabob-bob-bobbing along

Ugh. That took guts.

So, that was an odd few days. We’ll start, not unsuitably, at the end; on Monday where Albrecht FC took on the El din Marbles, with Trevor Organ knowing that his continued employment probably rested on the result. But any 4-3-3, particularly one played against the Marbles’ one-off 4-5-1, requires top-class delivery and equally on-song finishing, and it wasn’t coming. Carlos Panadero’s side were for their part happy enough to soak up pressure and lump it to Andy Madden occasionally and but for a couple of excellent saves it would have proven Panadero’s impressive versatility with a smash-and-grab away win.

The saves came from Felix Currey, the former Castillo FC ‘keeper who was a late call-up to the first team after David Brindley’s injury in the warm-up. The youngster kept the Scorpions in it, single-handedly at times, while up front Albrecht were having a nightmare. Peter Vanderpent in particular was as usual getting into great positions, and as usual just now failing to find the back of the net. The Zwangzugian is a hugely popular player in these parts, and his one-in-two record this season could hardly be considered poor, but fans have quietly expressed concerns over his weight; particularly after media reports exposing his fondness for the meat-based products of Mehmet & Sarigiannidis. Opposition fans of course have spent the last few weeks giving him pelters.

Just when it looked as though the game would dissolve into an increasingly familiar nil-nil draw, Naoki Tonnelier punted from right-back and Vanderpent got on the end of it to feed Joe Cunningham. The C&M international scored past the previously unbeatable Aubrey Mkhonza, but that was far from the end of it. Two minutes later, as the clock reached 80, he poked in a second from another Vanderpent ball before the star striker knocked in one himself after Ben Edwards won and took a free-kick. Barely credibly, mere seconds later, Kovac Johnson collected a Matteo Corradini through-ball and finished comfortably to give Albrecht a four-nil win that could hardly be described as deserved.

Hence the ‘robbers’ bit, y’see. Oh, I don’t just throw these headlines together.

What was more remarkable was that this wasn’t even the first four-niller of the week, oh no. By Monday it had become old hat thanks to MN Smith and KT Hotspur. One of the victims was no less unlikely that the Marbles, being the defensively sound Port of Clotaire who had a proper off day in the City of Bove Stadium to the extent that even Pedro María Zuluaga found the back of the net.

Arrigo Portuguese weren’t to be out-done however in their efforts to show the next manager just how much work he has to do. To be fair they at least tested Joel Sbaïz, who once again rose to the challenge and kept a clean sheet that will surely keep Paolo Thorpe on the bench into the second half of the season.

All this couldn’t detract from the more significant facts of the mid-way matchday: We have a new leader.

Granted it came only by the slightest of margins, after a game in which Albrecht Turkish had run Candelaria-Allemali utterly ragged. Yet their dip in form, and that of the usually reliable foreign trio, was made flesh when Stephen Smith scored for the Shining Sons in the fourth minute of injury time. This made some people quite upset with life, really.

It was left to Green Island to formally make them pay, though they had the challenge of a visit of Marquez-Onwere. This wasn’t an incident packed game, it wasn’t full of controversy and debating points. It was just very, very good; helped by an early goal, if it needed it, when Roger Zetaback’s twenty-five yarder was deflected in by John Horner. The Eesseffian has become something of a cause célèbre in his homeland thanks to his non-inclusion in the current Valanoran squad, and another strong performance here only enhanced his claims.

It was as open a contest as you could wish for and Harry Primrose and the eighteen-year-old debutant Green Island keeper Roman Perkins had to show just why they are so well considered in their different age groups, but their was ultimately only one more goal shared and it was Andrew Abbott’s low drive. For a Negroes side missing Martin Petit and Rául Vélez to injury and suspension respectively this was a superb result and gave them thirty-five points; two more than the Millerman.

They’ve led the table in years past, of course, but unless Turkish can pick up fast this most positive of teams may just go on to spring a very popular upset.

Elsewhere, Turks’ Club stayed fifth after a one-nil defeat in Lavange and Gamboa FC hit the buffers with defeat by the same scoreline to Archer French’s volley. And Radyukevich and Cathedral City drew goalless, but who cares, eh?

Albrecht FC v El din Marbles (Mon) 4 – 0 (Cunningham 78 and 80, Vanderpent 88, Johnson 89)
C.A.L v Turks’ Club 1 – 0 (Whitbread 27)
CandelariaAM v A.Turks 1 – 0 (Smith 90+4)
Gamboa FC v Caires Sports (Sat Morning) 0 – 1 (French 17)
Green Island v MarquezOW (Sat Evening) 2 – 0 (Zetaback 4, Abbott 54)
MN Smith v Port of Clotaire 4 – 0 (Johansson 26, Watson 52, Martín 84, Zuluaga 90+3)
Portuguese v KT Hotspur 0 – 4 (Ward 28, Abellardo 42 and 47, Burgos og 90+1)
Radyukevich v Cathedral City 0 – 0

Matchday Sixteen: Portuguese man o’ Cor! (as in blimey. Presumably.)

National Tortini Day isn’t until February the thirteenth, apparently, but Arrigo Portuguese can be forgiven for celebrating a little early.

The arrival of Matthew Tortini to the Portuguese dugout has provoked mixed reactions across the C&M footballing community; with the League Managers’ Association, though taking great pains to welcome the newcomer to the CMSC with open arms, questioning why one fifth of all first division bosses were now of Kura-Pellandi birth. The National Reporter went as far as to complain that the move was simply part of a rapidly increasing ‘hostile takeover’ of Candelarias football by the AO country.

Arrigo Portuguese fans, one suspects, will adore him. Tortini is known for liking a good old complain, and he will feel right at home among the Hueva. The only show in town, in C&M’s second city; Portuguese have shared with Arrigo at large a rather unwarranted hard-done-by feeling over the years. And so far in his three days in charge he’s done everything right: Dropping Oscar Zebramawi in favour of Tortini’s own managerial predecessor Nathaniel Ferraro, finding a place for young, home-grown Jamie González, introducing Kirby Brightmore back to the first team. Oh, and winning, somehow, at Albrecht Turkish.

To be fair they couldn’t have been playing the Millermen at a better time, with Kris Healy’s men suffering from a crisis of confidence in the manner of the title run-in of XXVI. They dominated the opening period, finally going a goal up through Gary Maini’s tap-in from a Reuben Kennedy cross. But Portuguese were staying in the game by their fingernails, and Brightmore and Djabgor Cvecej were able to worry the all-Candelariasian backline intermittently. On the stroke of half time Steven Williams deflected in a hopeless effort from the Squornshelan striker, and from then on the away side grew while the capital club wilted. The two further goals from Tortini’s boys were utterly warranted, and hefted them out of the relegation zone. It may just prove new manager syndrome, but already there will be a few more chairman going gooey over the thought of recruiting a foreigner.

One such may be Martin Hole-Simpkins, the Director of Football and power behind the throne at Albrecht FC. The Scorpions board and fans appear utterly divided over Trevor Organ’s long-term future, with many calling for his head. Others accept that given the number of youngsters in the team and squad this remains very much a work in progress, but still express concerns over who could possibly replace Benji Fu in the long-term. At any rate, Albrecht’s run of results is no better than their neighbours after a two-nil loss at Gamboa FC. Yes, it could have gone either way and yes, Adlai Dobson only opened the scoring after bodychecking Naoki Tonnelier. But as with Organ’s two previous seasons – even the title-winning one – his side are simply loosing too many games.

The two-nil scoreline was something of a collector’s item in a week where five of the eight games were four-goal thrillers. One such involved Green Island, which was no surprise for a team which has scored thirty-eight times in the league and conceded twenty-two. Shockingly though, the four came in a draw with Turks’ Club, a side previously thought of as incapable of sharing a point. A late dink from Holger Pi forced an attractive game in Zapata to end in a stalemate.

All this was great news for Marquez-Onwere, who even without the injured Ignacio Vélez were able to move back to within six points of the GIZ with a four-nil win against Port of Clotaire; the Harpies second such defeat in a row. Quite how they’re managing this is hard to say, since strictly speaking the Redway-Instonenext axis is doing nothing wrong, but Amis Cressey in goal is looking nervier with every goal let in and Kenan Olovic appears to be nursing a knock. Teenager Jason Federici up front certainly needs a rest.

That wasn’t the end of the weekend’s scoring however, with a rejuvenated Radyukevich hitting four against Candelaria Arsenal. Despite the odd good result, the Yellows season has slipped away to nothingness following their heroic XXVI, and the Lavange side have moved into the relegation – a point ahead of Candelaria-Allemali. The game against El din Marbles proved just how much the Clifton Sausage Company Arena outfit’s acquisition of Giles Walton from the Marbles last year has failed to pay off, with his former club staying in the top half of the table with a three-one win at his current charges.

Elsewhere, Cathedral City and Caires Sports drew a game of two sides looking to avoid being sucked into a relegation battle; while life just got worse for poor MN Smith when they were downed by a solitary header from KT Hotspur debutant defender Caner Karahan.

A.Turks v Portuguese (Sat Evening) 1 – 3 (Maini 29; Williams og 45+2, Cvecej 62, Carocha 75)
CandelariaAM v El din Marbles 1 – 3 (Smith 72; Madden 5 and 38, Mazzeo og 13)
Cathedral City v Caires Sports (Sat Morning) 1 – 1 (Ozi-Mayer 36; French 66)
Gamboa FC v Albrecht FC 2 – 0 (Dobson 52, Castelão 90+4)
Green Island v Turks’ Club (Mon) 2 – 2 (Vélez 46, Cerullei 59; Le Monde 23, Pi 83)
KT Hotspur v MN Smith 1 – 0 (Caner 12)
MarquezOW v Port of Clotaire 4 – 0 (Stafador 4, Kimber 9, Cassumba Domingos 16, Okeke 64)
Radyukevich v C.A.L 4 – 0 (Burridge 27, Sattler 41, Wilson 74, Rawlinson 81)

Matchday Seventeen: One in, one out, one in a hole

Over half the season gone, and only now have we seen the third managerial change of XXVII, and only the second proper sacking. Few were surprised when Giles Walton’s departure was announced; hours after Candelaria-Allemali slumped to a four-one defeat at Turks’ Club. Walton’s complaints against the general unfairness of life have risen sharply in tandem with the Shining Sons decline, but he can have few excuses.

This not untalented side have looked without inspiration from the very start, when Walton’s first signings were confirmed. Getting good money for Andrew Bradley looked a masterstroke – until the gangly striker settled in at Turks’ Club and became an invaluable part of Curana’s squad, while the names he’s brought to the club have simply failed to ignite. Chrissandro Rockey, the central defender, has been nothing short of dreadful but even worse in their own way have been Joey Pipes (the former C&M international left winger) and Stephen Smith, the KT Hotspur striker. Any lefty with C&M caps must have something about him, but Pipes seems to have completely lost his pace, is so low on confidence that he has hardly put in a decent cross in months, and hasn’t found the back of the net once.

The lack of goals really hasn’t helped. Other sides have scored less, but at least they have a defence. But a side with a Mårtensson-Rockey partnership needs a reliable striker, and neither Smith nor Gime Thadope can be relied upon to finish regularly. Certainly, the Jeruselemite pair have been particularly disappointing this year, and new boss Jay Zabojnik will face a battle on his hands to get the best out of them if he wants to avoid planning for life in the second division any time soon.

One manager going nowhere is Trevor Organ, but only just. Amid calls to “sack him or back him”, Martin Hole-Simpkins grudgingly chose the latter and declared that Organ would be staying in the Albrecht FC hot seat for next season regardless of results between then and now. Perhaps that will help take the pressure off, but for the Scorpions players it may be off already. They sit ten points behind the leaders, and on current form that looks a very big gap. Saturday’s defeat came at the hands of Marquez-Onwere, despite Albrecht opening the scoring at the MSS through Kovac Johnson; the 21-year-old enhancing his reputation with a diving header. The naranja however were at their lively best and helped by the unexpectedly quick return to health of Ignacio Vélez, prompting claims that the C&M record scorer had merely be rested for the Port of Clotaire, despite his obvious injury received in the game in Northern Bettia.

MarquezOW equalised when Niclas Kjaer floated a free kick into the box and José Felipe Cassumba Domingos stole in between Benji Fu and Shaun Wojciechowski* to fire into David Brindley’s top right-hand corner. With no Jack Marshall to strengthen the home side’s midfield, MarquezOW were playing with both Jack Stafador and Joe Beye, in place of a rested Reiban Okeke, and it showed; the away side dominating proceedings and it was no surprise that they scored on the stroke of half time when Merlin Siriwong spotted Vélez’s run and the front man finished with ease.

Organ should be congratulated at least for his willingness to make desperate changes when needs be, for in the second period he removed the ineffectual Joe Cunningham and Beck Ragab in favour of throwing 18-year-olds Ryan Edwards and Peter De’Ath into the fray. The pair, recently returning from half-season loans in the lower leagues, caught MarquezOW on the hop and the presence of the former and quick feet and mind of the latter almost combined on more than one occasion to force an equaliser that alas never came.

It’s far too early to give up on the title, of course, but Organ faces a tricky decision as to whether to give his scorplings a go in the next game. Which just happens to be the Albrecht derby. Eek.

In many ways, it’s a game given all the more oomph thanks to the current poor form of both its competitors. Albrecht Turkish could only manage a point this weekend, and at MN Smith at that. Scott Soldarian’s piledriver looked set to open a comfortable win at the City of Bove Stadium; but Derek Marshall, though apparently all-but resigned to relegation, was wise enough to let his strikers focus on beating a currently sub-par Evan Laurie, and Jamie Watson soon brought it back to one-one, converting a Neil Jones cross.

It allowed Green Island to extend their lead to five points, though they also had to huff and puff for a win that came only when the art of communication failed Chris Ytterland and Ávindu Zulqadr, and David Walker nonchalantly wandered in from the right to score the game’s single goal.

And there ended the victories, for five of the league’s eight games ended in draws. Radyukevich failed to make up ground on Caires Sports and Port of Clotaire likewise on sixth-place Gamboa FC, while on Monday an 18-yard drive from Andy Madden was cancelled out late on by Nate Adams’ strike in the one-one draw between El din Marbles and KT Hotspur.

Slightly more inspiring action came in the Estadio Arrigo Nacional; in a nasty little grudge match between the two biggest clubs from Marquez’s traditionally two biggest cities. Matthew Tortini, not entirely realising the mutual dislike between Arrigo Portuguese and Cathedral City, opted to send out his team with a mission to play football rather than randomly hack at the opposition, and it paid off initially with Djabgor Cvecej heading in Iain Belling’s early corner and Kirby Brightmore doubling-up on fifteen after a solo run from Cortez Carocha. The Cats got their act together in the second half however, and the invention of Kurt Folgueira got the better of William Trumble before Vincent Murch headed a Russell Jobson free-kick past Coalville Sobers.

*You know you’re going a bit odd when you can spell Shaun Wojciechowski and Doug Szczechowicz without even thinking about it.

Albrecht FC v MarquezOW (Sat Morning) 1 – 2 (Johnson 7; Cassumba Domingos 22, Vélez 45+1)
Caires Sports v Radyukevich 0 – 0
C.A.L v Green Island 0 – 1 (Walker 58)
El din Marbles v KT Hotspur (Mon) 1 – 1 (Madden 76; Adams 87)
MN Smith v A.Turks 1 – 1 (Watson 51; Soldarian 44)
Port of Clotaire v Gamboa FC (Sat Evening) 0 – 0
Portuguese v Cathedral City 2 – 2 (Cvecej 2, Brightmore 15; Folgueira 47, Murch 72)
Turks’ Club v CandelariaAM 4 – 1 (Bradley 4, Pi 18, Mapleson og 52, Sellami 79; Thadope 5)

Matchday Eighteen: Turkish thoroughly pissed off now

Whether you’re into gritty realism or high fantasy, the CMSC’s two big games bookending this weekend proved utterly enthralling, which was needed after all the nothingy draws lately. There were still nothingy draws, mind you, as the combined forces of KT Hotspur, Cathedral City, Arrigo Portuguese and Gamboa FC failed to find they net and MN Smith’s Jamie Watson scored a late volley from a throw-in laughably badly defended by Candelaria Arsenal to level it up one apiece, but still. What do you want, blood?

The capital city derby was something of a collector’s item, with both sides going into their biggest game of the season on a real low. A comparative low, obviously, since Albrecht Turkish were still second and the Scorpions comfortably in the top five. Oh, we like an oligopoly over here, mm-mm. But Trevor Organ’s men had gone two games without victory and the Millermen hadn’t tasted three points in four matches; and the scene was set for a thoroughly depressing encounter.

We didn’t get one, largely thanks to the invention of Organ. Kris Healy had already sprung a surprise when the away side’s team list came in, with the injured Ryan Westhead replaced by thirty-six year-old Speed Wang for his first start of the season. It was a brave move, met by Organ with the benching of Beck Ragab in favour of Ryan Edwards, the midfielder half Wang’s age.

With Albrecht playing three up front, never mind the Edwards brothers, and A.Turks fielding as ever three top-class internationals in Gary Maini, Samuel Taha and Scott Soldarian, this game was always going to have goals in it which was why it finished one-nil. Some superb goalkeeping helped, as well as the odd embarrassing miss, but the final difference was made early in the second period by, of course, the young master Ryan. It came from a quickly taken Scorpions throw from his older brother that Steven Williams could manage only to head to Joe Cunningham who shared a short spell of one-touch football with Peter Vanderpent. With Kovac Johnson drawing Evan Laurie, Edwards 2 was left to receive the ball from the Zwangzugian and accelerate past Harris Dixon’s brave lunge to open his first-team account and, as it would turn out, win the game. Turkish battered the ‘home’ side late on, Vanderpent’s international team-mate Maini hellishly unlucky on two occasions, but Albrecht were left to stay in the hunt, however distantly, while Turkish notched up their fifth game in a row without a win.

There was some equally good goalkeeping on show on Monday, and so there should’ve been given the pedigree of the one-cap-wonder C&M international Harry Primrose and the Kura-Pellandi number one Stephen Hill. With at times less than adequate defences in front of them both have to do a lot of work and this was a clash that could easily have finished ten each without their input. As it was, this was a classic encounter, with Turks’ Club taking the lead through a José Luis Sosa own goal forced by Jack Hutton before some poor defending allowed Reiban Okeke to run unmarked into the box and score from Niclas Kjaer’s corner. Not long after, José Felipe Cassumba Domingos hit a screamer Hill and his defence could do nothing about, but the former Marquez-Onwere centre-half Lucas Scalzi had the last laugh of the half after getting on the end of a Matthew Sellami free-kick.

Despite his successes, Turks’ Club fans have been concerned at Felipe Curana’s apparent unwillingness to through locally-born young talent into the fray – in the manner of Trevor Organ, for example – but he made a key call here in replacing Giorgio Pezzoni, injured after the half hour, with the twenty-year-old Mandla Nxele. Granted he barely had any other options, but still. Nxele’s involvement quickly provided goalscoring dividends, when he got in the way of a Primrose long ball and with Jack Stafador slow to react he chested it down and leathered it into the top corner from thirty-five yards.

It wouldn’t last. Turks’ Club are good, and have improved beyond all measure under Curana, but they still have a way to go to match Andy Woolworth’s fine assemblage. Mere minutes after Nxele had taken the lead, MarquezOW combined to equalise with Ignacio Vélez perfectly weighting a pass for Merlin Siriwong, who broke beyond the back four and with Kjaer acting as a decoy Siriwong left Scalzi baffled and finished himself. Siriwong strained a muscle in scoring the goal but Woolworth’s luck did not desert him as the substitute Caesar Lopo popped up the hit the seventh goal of the game and the winner.

Ryan Edwards and Mandla Nxele are not the only kids impressing just now of course, with Jason Federici looking at the tender age of eighteen a potential C&M legend who’s single-handedly keeping Port of Clotaire afloat just now. Another two fine efforts; one a poacher’s goal in the first minute the other a gorgeous swerving run and shot on the ninetieth, helped the Harpies to a three-two win in a pulsating game at the Kaleta Online Dome.

The team to beat though remain Green Island. A Candelaria-Allemali side with Jay Zabojnik at the helm for the first time were their latest opposition and represented a sterner test than many, but the physicality of Rául Vélez and the footballing beauty of Roger Zetaback combined more than once to give the Marlow Park outfit a three-one win on a cool Zapata evening.

Albrecht FC v A.Turks (Sat Morning) 1 – 0 (R. Edwards 54)
Caires Sports v Port of Clotaire 2 – 3 (Cole 33 and 76; Federici 1 and 90, Alaoui 15)
Green Island v CandelariaAM (Sat Evening) 3 – 1 (Vélez 17 and 71, Zetaback 77; Thadope 4)
KT Hotspur v Cathedral City 0 – 0
MarquezOW v Turks’ Club (Mon) 4 – 3 (Okeke 31, Cassumba Domingos 45, Siriwong 52, Lopo 60; Sosa og 9, Scalzi 45+2, Nxele 49)
MN Smith v C.A.L 1 – 1 (Watson 89; Ytterland 39)
Portuguese v Gamboa FC 0 – 0
Radyukevich v El din Marbles 0 – 2 (Hone 50, Malde 63)

CMS Round of 16: Much to everyone’s amusement, Brayton beat Brayton

Once upon a time, Brayton was the bubbling metropolis around which the British Candelarias turned. Situated inland, on the banks of Lake Wessex, the capital and seat of government was far away from any conflicts with Spanish Marquez and was left to quietly get on with the business of becoming one of the most powerful cities in Rushmore.

But times changed, and the power in the Candelarias moved to the coasts and so too, as the years went by, did the capital. Brayton found itself torn between its grand history and inauspicious future, and while nearby cities such as Vo and Di Alfonso set about becoming industrial powerhouses, and Maidment and Webley became sprawling market towns, the spirit of Merry England multiplied tenfold; Brayton struggled to carve out a distinct identity.

These days it is sadly a notoriously dull place, and not even dull in the good, honest, Candelariasian way; home to a major car production plant, the usual couple of regional offices of info-tech companies and a factory making the giggles for several hundred nation’s tickle-me-elmos. It’s Swindon, basically, but without the roundabouts.

Anyhoo, all this is a long-winded way to build up to the fact that the city’s barely professional football team have knocked the CMSC favourites, Green Island, out of the CMS Cup. In a move that could’ve been designed to show that C&M is suffering from one of them oli…oly… olly, oi oi ois, after all; Art Upton scored in the sixty-sixth minute to give Brayton FC a one-nil win.

Green Island had, to be fair, taken it a tad easy and rested Rául Vélez, Stuart Vidakovic and Roger Zetaback, among others, but Hane Davies was man enough to admit that Tommy Corrigan had out-managed him. The defining moment came when the 27-year-old striker Upton rounded left-back Brayton Desideri with a superb bit of skill that places him much higher than Brayton FC’s third division status, and whacked a screamer past Martin Petit. The Negroes strikeforce of Andrew Abbott and Robin Young proved utterly ineffectual and were later sub’d for Vidakovic and the 18-year-old Tom Smith, but a rearguard action saw the Mighty Spoons qualify for the quarter-finals for the first time in modern history.

Not that they were the only ones. Well, of course not, there were seven others, that’s how it works. But there was another lower division side to qualify in the form of Melin & Nader, who have struggled badly in the second division so far this year but beat Candelaria Arsenal at home thanks to José Luis Sixtos’ late volley.

One more lower league club will be guaranteed of joining them, with two of last year’s relegated sides drawing at the McNeil Bingo Arena with Caires City’s young Cafundelense midfielder Dionísio finding a second-half answer to Rian Bishop’s 25-yard flyer for Abiodun North. Mayo Valley could also join them, the Vo side earning the right to take Cathedral City back to The Wall.

The only other tie involving clubs from different divisions saw Port of Clotaire emerge from recent struggles with a moral-boosting five-nil drubbing of Marquez side Chapon FC. The three all-CMSC ties meanwhile were all won by the home side, with KT Hotspur easing past a disinterested Radyukevich, Marquez-Onwere sweeping past El din Marbles and Albrecht Turkish finally getting a win, albeit in the Cup, against Caires Sports.

Brayton FC v Green Island 1 – 0 (Upton 66)
MarquezOW v El din Marbles 3 – 0 (Horner 16, Siriwong 61, Okeke 87)
KT Hotspur v Radyukevich 2 – 0 (Gallagher 8, Milton 27)
Melin & Nader v C.A.L 1 – 0 (Sixtos 88)
Port of Clotaire v Chapon FC 5 – 0 (Orlovic 9, Davis 52, Cozzi 55, Gnom 86, Langstone 90+4)
Caires City v Abiodun North 1 – 1 (Dionísio 67; Bishop 7)
Cathedral City v Mayo Valley 1 – 1 (Moschopoulos 49; Thorrington 11)
A.Turks v Caires Sports 2 – 1 (Maini 13, Laurie 53; Jansson 22)

Matchday Nineteen: The Cup runneth over

Who says the CMS Cup doesn’t matter? Many clubs may value their league position over an extended run in the country’s premier knock-out competition, but a boost in the Round of Sixteen or Quarter-Finals – or a poor defeat – can have a dramatic impact on a side’s league form. The most eye-catching results of last weekend – Green Island’s defeat at third tier Brayton FC and Port of Clotaire’s five-nil drubbing of Chapon FC – would come back to bite the table toppers on their sable posteriors. The Harpies have been on a bit of a role these last few games, and continued their revival this weekend with an utterly unexpected two-one win over the favourites.

Young midfielder Rodrigo Cozzi – who may have a future in this division after all despite manager Nico Mason’s previous willingness to let him go – bundled in the opener, but it seemed only a matter of time until the title favourites equalised; and they soon did so when Seb Cerullei floated in a free kick and Roger Zetaback wandered in from the right to fire into the top corner.

The Eesseffian remains one of the CMSC’s brightest stars, and has finally found reward for it with a call-up to his national team squad. His obscure homeland may be most famous in the Candelarias as place where the cult Land Beyond Rethshaar film series was filmed, but the experienced midfielder has done much to promote friendly Candelariasian-Eesseffian relations. Unfortunately for Green Island he couldn’t muster up another goal, while their attack became blunted when eleven-goal striker Rául Vélez pulled a hammy and limped out of the game.

Suddenly, the Harper Park outfit took control; and the star of the show, once again, was Jason Federici. The eighteen-year-old* striker has simply been a revelation this year, and the cash-strapped Harpies will surely face one hell of a battle to keep the next best thing come next season. The youngster won’t be looking that far ahead though**; being more interested at this stage in scoring goals for his boyhood club. Which he’s going with unnerving regularity, this time a lovely off the ball run preceding a well-timed pass from Nathaniel Alaoui and a spot-on shot past Martin Petit.

One side certainly not enjoying a good run right now is Albrecht Turkish, whose title challenge looked in danger of rapidly slipping away. It may well still do, for although they got all the points at home to Radyukevich it took an injury time ricochet around the box and into Gari Kilad’s net that young sub Cam Cetin claimed.

The defeat sent the Jukos back into the relegation zone, suggesting that they may need rather more than a change of manager to secure survival. Another team with similar issues are Arrigo Portuguese, who lost a huge relegation clash with Candelaria Arsenal two-nil despite a late goal pulled back by ex-caretaker Nathanial Ferraro. They remain two points outside the drop zone, but Matthew Tortini better watch himself or face the possibility of rebuilding the second city club from the lower leagues.

Green Island’s defeat means that the title race is still open, and all contenders stepped up to the plate on matchday nineteen. Albrecht FC rode their luck at La Decimoteria, where Carlos Yaqué had an absolute nightmare between the sticks first setting up Peter Vanderpent with a dreadful clearance before handling needlessly outside the area and receiving his marching orders. New goalkeeper Robinson Zarapov had little to do from then on, besides watch a Ben Edwards free kick whistle past his ear.

Marquez-Onwere could easily have been the story of the day when they found themselves two-nil down to MN Smith. But the beleaguered Bove club aren’t six points from safety for no reason, and the naranja fought back for a four-two away win that included a hat-trick from Ignacio Vélez that brought him up to eleven league goals this season and equal with his ickle bro.

Turks’ Club eased to victory at home to Caires Sports, with a left-right brace from Andrew Bradley following Smith Naylor’s amusing own goal on the fifth minute. The Knights are an odd team this year under Macario Ayoví, who theoretically play lovely attacking football and yet don’t score very many and aren’t too keen on conceding either. Saturday at least put pay to the latter with a nice three-nil defeat to suck on.

The Gamboa FC versus El din Marbles clash at the Wallpark was essentially a bid to decide which of these two outsiders could continue their distant but plausible title challenge and t was the home side the won out; conceding early on when Normal Armstrong gifted the Adi’hani Kenneth Quinn a free header but storming back with Adlai Dobson continuing his highly impressive season on the left and Sargento Castelão moving back clear of Andy Madden at the top of the goal scoring charts.

*He’s 18 now. All Candelariasian footballers celebrate their birthdays on the same day. It helps.
**He’s already got a baby bentley, after all

A.Turks v Radyukevich 1 – 0 (Cetin 90+2)
C.A.L v Portuguese 2 – 1 (Naylor 31, Burgos og 63; Ferraro 76)
CandelariaAM v KT Hotspur (Sat Evening) 1 – 0 (Thadope 22)
Cathedral City v Albrecht FC (Mon) 0 – 2 (Vanderpent 47, B. Edwards 86)
Gamboa FC v El din Marbles (Sat Morning) 3 – 2 (Malde og 15, Dobson 30, Castelão 39; Quinn 9, Harpas 54)
MN Smith v MarquezOW 2 – 4 (Watson 26, Jones 37; Douaydari 40, Vélez 66 and 68 and 70)
Port of Clotaire v Green Island 2 – 1 (Cozzi 8, Federici 65; Zetaback 18)
Turks’ Club v Caires Sports 3 – 0 (Naylor og 5, Bradley 21 and 55)

Cup Re-Plays

Abiodun North v Caires City 2 – 0 (Bishop 36, Medlin 46)
Mayo Valley v Cathedral City 1 – 1 (Thorrington 37; Murch 53) 1 – 1 aet, Mayo Valley 3 – 2 on penalties

Matchday Twenty: Chasing pack Green with envy as Islanders push on

With just one week left before the start of the World Cup break (yes, after 21 games. No idea) Green Island remain in pole position. Granted, victory over Cathedral City was never really in doubt, with Charlie Cunningham’s side having a poor time of it of late and, at the two-thirds stage, slipping back into the relegation zone, albeit on goal difference.

Cathedral this year appear to be a grand experiment that has run out of steam, and Cunningham will surely use the weeks off to work out just how he’s going to restructure his side. The inevitable fan-pacifying injection of youth has been introduced, but this is already a pretty young side and the introduction of another teenage defender in the form of Caleb Christmas really isn’t going to get any pulses racing. Theoretically, the Cats could look abroad since they have only the Kura-Pellandi striker Teddy Ozi-Mayer on their books, but attracting top-line foreign talent to a club that may well be nine games from a return to the second tier would likely prove beyond Cunningham’s gift.

If life wasn’t bad enough for them, the travelling squad enjoyed a brief but interesting moment of near-certain death when their plane taking them to Green Island suffered mid-air technical problems and had to be diverted to Knee Island, prompting a delay of three days and serious questions as to why they and they alone feel the need to overlook the ferries used by their fourteen peers.

In the long run, their horribly young defensive trio of Christmas, Demario Ortiz and Enrique Silva de Aviz managed to stem the home side’s flow for much of the game, particularly in the second half, but unfortunately by then Green Island were cruising after a typically spectacular free kick from Seb Cerullei and a Stuart Vidakovic goal gifted by stand-in ‘keeper Robinson Zarapov.

Both goalscorers are players with something to prove. Green Island will have but two players at the World Cup, and only Ben Head is Candelariasian. Vidakovic suffered the blow as the season opened of being dropped by Lloyd Donnelly from the C&M squad. His nine goals thus far and general all-round play will have put in back in the radar for WC40, but his form will have to improve even further if he is to stand out amongst a crowd including Andrew Bradley, Holger Pi, Joe Cunningham, Jason Federici, Jamie Rawlinson, the Vélez brothers, Ramiro Novo, Rex Sandstrom, Gregorio Morales and more. Cerullei has even more at stake: aged 29 he would surely have only one international campaign in him and from his position on the left has to compete with Jos Cornelisse, Özkan Yalçin, Zachary Pinkowski, Alessio Motano, Rueben Kennedy, Beck Ragab, Dave Walsh, Joey Pipes, Jack Hutton, Nic Percy, Neil Jones, Adlai Dobson, Kurt Folgeuira… C&M can certainly produce a lefty, but it would be a shame if Green Island’s long-term form wasn’t rewarded with more call-ups.

Or, indeed, a league title since the Zapata club remain five points clear of the field. At least Albrecht Turkish won to keep up their mini-revival and maintain the pressure on Hane Davies’ men. Their win came thanks to a belt and braces approach in the face of Caires Sports’ pretty-pretty stuff, and they had to do it the hard way after Ashley Ashby put the home side in front. A brace, not unsuitably, from Gary Maini sorted things out in the Millermens’ favour however.

There were other players notching up a couple of goals each, and not ones the bookies had expected. The biggest upset came at the Estadio Francesco Álvarez as Nathan Bornemann, restored to the Candelaria-Allemali side by Jay Zabojnik, put two headers past Harry Primrose to give the Shining Sons all three points against Marquez-Onwere. Both came from crosses fired in by Aaron Kortsarian, a teenage left-winger plucked from reserve team obscurity by the new manager and keeping former C&M international Joey Pipes out of the side. Suddenly, the chances of a third consecutive Di Bradini Cup title don’t look so bad.

If Arrigo Portuguese meanwhile were wrong to let Zabojnik leave, there was little evidence on Monday night where Matthew Tortini masterminded a second win over capital opposition with two penalties from Djabgor Cvecej seeing them beat an increasingly disheartened Albrecht FC side now ten points behind the leaders.

And if Green Island’s weekend wasn’t rosy enough, Turks’ Club also lost to make their challenge all but over and give Radyukevich a fillip, whoever he is.

Elsewhere it all rather went to form, as Gamboa FC moved equal on points with Felipe Curana’s men following a two-nil win over Candelaria Arsenal, while El din Marbles were tested by a guns-all-blazing MN Smith, who are attempting something of a scorched earth policy towards their increasingly nailed-on relegation. The Marbles’ attack – and their really rather good young left winger (yawn) Nic Percy – was simply too good and Andy Madden was able to score twice to continue his mid-table race for the golden boot with Sargento Castelão. Both chunky foreigners have fourteen league goals.

Caires Sports v A.Turks 1 – 2 (Ashby 17; Maini 47 and 60)
El din Marbles v MN Smith 3 – 1 (Percy 12, Madden 80 and 85; Martín 79)
Gamboa FC v C.A.L 2 – 0 (Ytterland og 20, Castelão 57)
Green Island v Cathedral City (Tuesday Evening) 2 – 0 (Cerullei 8, Vidakovic 41)
KT Hotspur v Port of Clotaire 0 – 0
MarquezOW v CandelariaAM (Sat Morning) 1 – 2 (Sosa 69; Bornemann 25 and 65)
Portuguese v Albrecht FC (Mon) 2 – 0 (Cvecej 21 and 78)
Radyukevich v Turks’ Club 1 – 0 (Rawlinson 73)

CMSC XXVII Division One – Two-Thirds Table
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Green Island 20 14 3 3 45 25 20 45
2 Albrecht Turkish 20 12 4 4 31 15 16 40
3 Marquez-Onwere 20 12 3 5 38 23 15 39
4 Albrecht FC 20 11 2 7 30 20 10 35
5 Gamboa FC 20 10 4 6 30 25 5 34
6 Turks’ Club of Khatib 20 11 1 8 40 26 14 34
7 El din Marbles 20 9 3 8 35 30 5 30
8 Port of Clotaire 20 8 5 7 18 25 -7 29
9 KT Hotspur 20 6 8 6 21 16 5 26
10 Caires Sports Club 20 6 4 10 18 26 -8 22
11 Arrigo Portuguese 20 6 4 10 21 33 -12 22
12 Radyukevich CSC 20 5 5 10 14 18 -4 20
13 Candelaria-Allemali 20 6 2 11 20 28 -8 20
14 Cathedral City 20 4 7 9 17 28 -11 19
15 Candelaria Arsenal 20 5 4 11 15 33 -18 19
16 AFC MN Smith 20 3 5 11 22 36 -14 14

Matchday Twenty-One: Turkish. Happy. I mean, overjoyed. Weee! Boo’yah!

Whoever wins the CMSC this year; players, fans and pundits alike may find themselves drawn away from Albrecht Turkish when it comes to those all-unimportant Player of the Season awards. When you look at the performances of Ben Young, Ben Head, Roger Zetaback and Rául Vélez for Green Island this year, of Ignacio Vélez and Merlin Siriwong and Jack Stafador for Marquez-Onwere, of Naoki Tonnelier or Matteo Corradini or Stephen Hill or Matthew Sellami or Andrew Bradley or Sargento Castelão or Adlai Dobson or Andy Madden or Joel Sbaïz or Gari Kilad… Few of the A.Turks side really seem to jump out at you. Not because they’re poor players, not by a long shot, but because in each and every case it remains difficult to argue that they have played to the very best of their ability.

And yet they may very well end up winning their first league title in many years. Fittingly, the final major game before the league’s World Cup break was between the two overwhelming title favourites, Turkish and Green Island, at the MSS. For the home side, it was a chance to prove that their unstoppable early form wasn’t mere fluke. For the travellers, it was a vital chance to show that they were not about to bottle it when a title looked in their grasp.

The game was hyped up beyond all measure, and TV3 will be pigs in something, I forget what, with as high an audience share as a pay-per-view channel has ever received in C&M, and that’s not counting those who squeezed into the local pub on Saturday night. But Kris Healy was in no mood to provide a ninety minute spectacle for the watching millions, and the Millermen came out like the proverbial clappers, harrying their more dainty opponents off the ball wherever possible. Barely two minutes were up when the pressure told; Ryan Westhead cutting inside and beating Steven Fiore to present Gary Maini with the perfect opportunity.

Maini’s tally of ten leagues goals, though better than all but five CMSC strikers this year, is still less than he would like, and the same can be said of Samuel Taha’s seven. The pair are far from a natural partnership in the style of Rául Vélez and Stuart Vidakovic, for example, but their international pedigree is still proving telling and before twenty minutes was out both players were on the scoresheet.

The real star of the show however was Scott Soldarian. The Eesseffian midfielder has suffered a real dip in form since his scintillating start, perhaps struggling to be away from his previous cosseted lifestyle, but he was immense against Green Island. As the A.Turks held back on a two-nil lead and Hane Davies’ men continued to plough forwards, viewers were treated to a battle royal between Soldarian and his countryman Zetaback, but it was the elder man and his team that would emerge victorious. Several bookies have now reduced Healy’s team in to favourites once more, though they remain two points behind the Islanders.

Creeping up on their tails now, just a point further back, are Marquez-Onwere. The naranja were at their dazzling best against Arrigo Portuguese in another of those all-too common Kura-Pellandi managerial battles; this time between the former national team boss Andy Woolworth and the man once favourite to replace him Matthew Tortini. A rainy Saturday morning in Onwere was lit up by Ignacio Vélez, who hit a hat-trick to move to the top of the goalscorer’s charts alongside Andy Madden and Sargento Castelão.

Yet rumours persist that his perfect three-some – left foot, right foot and a second-half header – may prove a way of saying goodbye. Clement Wiley, the club’s legendary director of football, is saying tight-lipped, but the Cafundulense press are convinced that C&M’s hot-shot will be playing out his career for Cafundó do Juta, with a player possibly coming the other way to bring MarquezOW foreigner tally up to its limit. Those who maintain that with the Kjaer brothers on their books they have already surpassed it would be spitting feathers were that the case; but naranja fans may also not take kindly to their star man chasing the filthy vintem.

Connor Mengucci meanwhile has been linked to América, the Lasft club managed by Candelariasian Javier Sanchez. If that’s the case then he too may have just scored a goodbye goal; the opener against Caires Sports. Sadly for Shining Sons fans it was also their last, with a point apiece doing no-one any good.

Another eagerly anticipated game was in Khatib-Gassett. Both Turks’ Club and Gamboa FC are basically safe and both are unlikely to be able to mount a realistic final-third title bid, but this was the game that would essentially decide which remained with an outside chance. Plus, it was a chance for revenge for the home side, having twice gone a goal up in Abiodun earlier in the season but going on to loose three-two. As so often in C&M it was the wide men that did the damage – though at least Matthew Sellami and Jack Hutton can hardly be described as ‘flying wingers’ like so many of their peers – with both players notching up their fourth goals of the season in a two-nil win.

Felipe Curana’s side remain a point behind Albrecht FC, who appear to have rather gone back to basics in a bid to stay in the title race. Jack Marshall remains out of favour, with the stupidly young Ryan Edwards in his place. The teenager combined with his brother to score the only goal of the game against KT Hotspur, while it was a family affair all-round when nineteen-year-old striker Kian Donnelly – grandson of C&M manager Lloyd – made his debut late off the bench. Another teenager, Peter De’Ath made a brief appearance, with Trevor Organ apparently hoping that he can prove how much promise this squad has by sending half of it to Starblaydia in the summer.

There were key clashes at the bottom of the table meanwhile, with MN Smith taking three points off Radyukevich to prove that perhaps they aren’t doomed after all (and perhaps Coleman Mustard’s motley lot are). Candelaria Arsenal weren’t so impressive however; taking the lead but ultimately loosing to Cathedral City with Teddy Ozi-Mayer hitting a second half mid-air volley for the winner.

Albrecht FC v KT Hotspur (Mon) 1 – 0 (R. Edwards 65)
A.Turks v Green Island (Sat Evening) 2 – 0 (Maini 2, Taha 17)
C.A.L v Cathedral City 1 – 2 (Harouni 4; Whitbread og 46, Ozi-Mayer 66)
CandelariaAM v Caires Sports 1 – 1 (Mengucci 10; Naylor 19)
MarquezOW v Portuguese (Sat Morning) 3 – 0 (Vélez 26 and 45 and 71)
MN Smith v Radyukevich 2 – 0 (Johansson 14, Watson 89)
Port of Clotaire v El din Marbles 2 – 1 (Torrell-White og 18, Harpas 32; Percy 80)
Turks’ Club v Gamboa FC 2 – 0 (Hutton 53, Sellami 70)

New Manhattan

10-02-2008, 02:03

http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/logos/eliteleague/

2140 Capitalizt Élite League—final standings
High Mountain and Yuba were the stars of the show this season, having held the top two spots in the league for the entire second half of the season. High Mountain were clear favorites, keeping a death grip on the head of the table since matchday 13, but Yuba finally jumped them on matchday 43 (defeating South Coast away while the Buffalo suffered a home loss to relegation-threatened Cordubovica), and clinched their thirteenth league championship (their first since affiliating with Capitalizt SLANI, as it had no national league until the Élite League) two weeks later. Jasīʼyūn national team manager Sam Salazar was sacked from his club job at Qidade Savana at the end of the season, due to the team’s failure to finish in the top half. Despite Capitalizt SLANI’s strong performance last season, the bottom three teams in the league were all their affiliates, and Πόρτο-Χε and Werd will be replaced by new SLANI teams next year.
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Yuba United COM 46 26 11 9 75 39 36 89 C
2 High Mountain Buffalo JSY 46 25 12 9 61 36 25 87
3 Lexington FC JSY 46 24 10 12 77 57 20 82
4 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī JSY 46 22 11 13 55 43 12 77
5 Jamaica Giants JSY 46 20 15 11 63 50 13 75
6 Carter FC JSY 46 19 13 14 66 59 7 70
7 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana COM 46 18 15 13 66 42 24 69
8 San Solari FC COM 46 18 14 14 57 52 5 68
9 Syoko Pogyūggijī COM 46 18 14 14 32 31 1 68
10 Seansburgh Cougars COM 46 17 17 12 50 52 -2 68
11 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK COM 46 20 6 20 65 69 -4 66
12 New Hampton Terrapins JSY 46 18 12 16 63 60 3 66
13 Querzakhi United COM 46 16 17 13 27 26 1 65
14 Aeropag Penguins COM 46 18 10 18 57 55 2 64
15 Heidelstadt Falken JSY 46 18 10 18 60 58 2 64
16 South Coast United JSY 46 17 13 16 38 45 -7 64
17 Medoria Löwen COM 46 17 11 18 64 73 -9 62
18 Qidade Savana JSY 46 17 10 19 88 82 6 61
19 San Diego Iguanas COM 46 16 13 17 65 59 6 61
20 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī JSY 46 15 15 16 51 46 5 60
21 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen COM 46 14 17 15 49 58 -9 59
22 New Haverford Albion JSY 46 15 12 19 47 61 -14 57
23 Sonoma Center Panthers COM 46 15 11 20 74 72 2 56
24 Naquada Falls Demons JSY 46 14 14 18 50 58 -8 56
25 Black Oasis Athletic COM 46 13 14 19 62 69 -7 53
26 Humai Titans JSY 46 13 12 21 45 56 -11 51
27 Noka Mariners JSY 46 12 15 19 33 45 -12 51
28 Griffin Zebras JSY 46 11 15 20 43 55 -12 48
29 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī JSY 46 10 18 18 34 47 -13 48
30 Cordubovica Falcons COM 46 11 14 21 48 60 -12 47
31 Πόρτο-Xε Δολοφόνοι COM 46 8 19 19 28 48 -20 43 R
32 Werd Beachcombers COM 46 10 12 24 28 58 -30 42 R

Capitalizt Élite League Cup
Newly-promoted Noka were surprise winners this year, making the tally here 2–0 in favor of Jasīʼyūn. Black Oasis were the first Capitalizt SLANI team to reach the final.
Quarterfinals
(JSY) New Haverford Albion 0–0 Lexington FC (JSY)
Replay: 2–1
(JSY) Noka Mariners 1–0 Sonoma Center Panthers (COM)
(COM) Black Oasis Athletic 3–0 San Diego Iguanas (COM)
(COM) Aeropag Penguins 1–2 High Mountain Buffalo (JSY)

Semifinals
(JSY) New Haverford Albion 0–1 Noka Mariners (JSY)
(COM) Black Oasis Athletic 2–2 High Mountain Buffalo (JSY)
Replay: 2–1

Capitalizt Élite League Cup final
Noka Mariners 2–1 Black Oasis Athletic

Sokojito Überdome, 소코지토 도시 (Sokojito Dosi)
Attendance: 400552
Referee: Daniel Terry (New Manhattan)
Man of the match: Axel Matijašević (DC, Noka Mariners)

Noka: Bright — Bāg ʼYu-hyi, Hwaŋ Ja-yūŋ (Norman 45′), Matijašević, Lyu Hwaŋ-sin, Khodl — Κόλλιδα, Bell, Mörzinger (Rodríguez 76′) — Bolúfera (Klaez 76′), Woods
Black Oasis: Liesenhoff — Preis (Riba 12′), Bates (Tran 69′), Maqankoso, Gwon Min-sa — Cox, Jaŋ Ju-yun, Shea, Tillner — Hoymann, Carter (Osérina 69′)

Goals: Bolúfera pen 38′, Bell 60′ — Osérina 75′

TechConGroup Cup
A wild TechConGroup Cup, with no less than twelve of the thirty-one matches going into extra time, finally ended in a victory for struggling Cordubovica in a showcase of attacking football against Sokojito Dosi.
First Round
(CEL) Sonoma Center Panthers 0–0 San Diego Iguanas (CEL)
Extra time: 0–1
(CEL) Cordubovica Falcons 0–0 Aeropag Penguins (CEL)
Extra time: 1–0
(—) SpVgg Königstadt 1–1 Jackson FC (—)
Extra time: 2–2
Penalty kicks: 2–3
(—) Navarre Town 1–0 Black Oasis Athletic (CEL)
(—) Commerce Heights T’birds 2–2 Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι (CEL)
Extra time: 2–3
(—) Natestadt Nationalisten 1–1 Χιχή Ενωμένος (—)
Extra time: 2–1
(—) Verona FC 0–2 Yuba United (CEL)
(CEL) Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK 0–1 Querzakhi United (CEL)
(CEL) San Solari FC 2–1 Kitsilano Konquerors (—)
(—) Lolestu CK 2–2 Werd Beachcombers (CEL)
Extra time: 2–2
Penalty kicks: 3–2
(—) Χίλεστ Ενωμένος 1–2 SV Veernan (—)
(—) KQ Sirto 0–0 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (CEL)
Extra time: 0–1
(CEL) KQ Nepáïire Tingitana 2–0 Dennis Bears (—)
(—) Chorion Bluffs Knights 2–3 Medoria Löwen (CEL)
(CEL) Seansburgh Cougars 2–0 Dawson Springs FC (—)
(CEL) Syoko Poggyūggijī 3–0 ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī (—)

Second Round
(CEL) San Diego Iguanas 1–1 Cordubovica Falcons (CEL)
Extra time: 1–2
(—) Jackson FC 3–3 Navarre Town (—)
Extra time: 3–3
Penalty kicks: 3–1
(CEL) Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι 1–0 Natestadt Nationalisten (—)
(CEL) Yuba United 0–0 Querzakhi United (CEL)
Extra time: 0–0
Penalty kicks: 1–3
(CEL) San Solari FC 5–0 Lolestu CK (—)
(—) SV Veernan 0–2 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (CEL)
(CEL) KQ Nepáïire Tingitana 1–2 Medoria Löwen (CEL)
(CEL) Seansburgh Cougars 0–1 Syoko Poggyūggijī (CEL)

Quarterfinals
(CEL) Cordubovica Falcons 3–1 Jackson FC (—)
(CEL) Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι 3–2 Querzakhi United (CEL)
(CEL) San Solari FC 0–2 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (CEL)
(CEL) Medoria Löwen 0–2 Syoko Poggyūggijī (CEL)

Semifinals
(CEL) Cordubovica Falcons 1–1 Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι (CEL)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 3–1
(CEL) Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen 0–0 Syoko Poggyūggijī (CEL)
Extra time: 0–0
Penalty kicks: 3–1

Final
(CEL) Cordubovica Falcons 3–2 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (CEL)
(@ Sokojito Überdome)

자스연 컵 (Jasīʼyūn Kūb)
First Round
(CEL) Humai Titans 0–0 Floral FC (—)
(—) Floral FC (3) 3–0 (0) Humai Titans (CEL)

(—) Eintracht Maastricht 1–2 Jamaica Giants (CEL)
(CEL) Jamaica Giants (6) 4–0 (1) Eintracht Maastricht (—)

(CEL) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī 4–0 Musketiere Twintown (—)
(—) Musketiere Twintown (0) 0–0 (4) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (CEL)

(CEL) Noka Mariners 1–0 Portland Safari (—)
(—) Portland Safari (0) 0–2 (3) Noka Mariners (CEL)

(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken 2–0 Südtolzerio Kreuzfahrer (—)
(—) Südtolzerio Kreuzfahrer (1) 1–4 (6) Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)

(—) St Lawrence FC 1–1 Keto Lodīlūnajī (—)
(—) Keto Lodīlūnajī (3) 2–0 (1) St Lawrence FC (—)

(CEL) Griffin Zebras 7–0 Graceville Salamanders (—)
(—) Graceville Salamanders (0) 0–0 (7) Griffin Zebras (CEL)

(CEL) Carter FC 1–1 New Hampton Terrapins (CEL)
(CEL) New Hampton Terrapins (3) 2–1 (2) Carter FC (CEL)

Second Round
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken 3–1 High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)
(CEL) High Mountain Buffalo (2) 1–2 (5) Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)

(CEL) Naquada Falls Demons 2–2 Jamaica Giants (CEL)
(CEL) Jamaica Giants (4) 2–2 (4) Naquada Falls Demons (CEL)
Extra time: (5) 3–2 (4)

(CEL) Lexington FC 2–2 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (CEL)
(CEL) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (3) 1–0 (2) Lexington FC (CEL)

(CEL) New Hampton Terrapins 4–3 South Coast United (CEL)
(CEL) South Coast United (3) 0–3 (7) New Hampton Terrapins (CEL)

(CEL) Griffin Zebras 0–1 Noka Mariners (CEL)
(CEL) Noka Mariners (2) 1–0 (0) Griffin Zebras (CEL)

(CEL) Qidade Savana 4–0 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (CEL)
(CEL) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (2) 2–2 (6) Qidade Savana (CEL)

(CEL) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī 2–0 Humai Titans (CEL)
(CEL) Humai Titans (1) 1–1 (3) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (CEL)

(—) Keto Lodīlūnajī 0–2 New Haverford Albion (CEL)
(CEL) New Haverford Albion (4) 2–1 (1) Keto Lodīlūnajī (—)

Quarterfinals
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken 3–0 Jamaica Giants (CEL)
(CEL) Jamaica Giants (2) 2–1 (4) Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)

(CEL) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī 3–2 New Hampton Terrapins (CEL)
(CEL) New Hampton Terrapins (5) 3–2 (5) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (CEL)
Extra time: (6) 4–2 (5)

(CEL) Noka Mariners 1–0 Qidade Savana (CEL)
(CEL) Qidade Savana (1) 1–1 (2) Noka Mariners (CEL)

(CEL) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī 0–1 New Haverford Albion (CEL)
(CEL) New Haverford Albion (4) 3–1 (1) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (CEL)

Semifinals
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken 2–3 New Hampton Terrapins (CEL)
(CEL) New Hampton Terrapins (3) 0–1 (3) Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)
Away goals: 3–1

(CEL) Noka Mariners 0–0 New Haverford Albion (CEL)
(CEL) New Haverford Albion (0) 0–0 (0) Noka Mariners (CEL)
Extra time: (0) 0–0 (0)
Penalty kicks: 3–1

Final
(CEL) New Hampton Terrapins 3–2 New Haverford Albion (CEL)
(CEL) New Haverford Albion (3) 1–0 (3) New Hampton Terrapins (CEL)
Away goals: 2–0

Adihan

10-02-2008, 09:42

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b68/NSLE/NationStates/adihanleague.png

With the first season of the United Islands League and the Ad'ihan Football Federation Cup now complete, let's look at the final results. Could Protectorate United hold on to their nine-point lead at the midseason break? Would a cup run distract some teams? Would Kinney Road be able to avoid outright relegation and would Tallyn Rovers stave off County Stanley and Southcast Town for promotion? Who would end up champions and who would win the cup?

Matchday Fifteen
In non-league, the second half of the season started where it left off for leaders Tallyn Rovers, who beat T'chéy Park 1-0 away. County Stanley kept up the pressure with a 3-2 win over Island Athletic, but Southcast Town fell victim to a 1-0 loss against Flitton Rangers, who moved into fourth overall. County Stanley lead the second phase table on goals scored, but Tallyn Rovers remain top of the overall standings – which counts for little in this tier of football.

Matchday Sixteen
The top five teams in the United Islands Premier all won their first league matches back from the mid-season break, ensuring no change at the top of the table. At the bottom, Djei Sporting Club beat Hatton Town to pick up what could be a critical three points for the second half of the season.

Matchday Twenty-five
Fast-forward all the way to Matchday Twenty-five. Protectorate United were still unbeaten in the second half of the season, going 8-2-0 in their ten games so far. CF Mont Pluie, by now the only team who could challenge Protectorate Utd for the title, were handed a surprise 2-1 defeat at home by Grand Arsenal, thus ensuring that the inaugural title would go to the Protectorate Stadium with five matches to spare.

At the bottom, Altsend had picked up a miserable three points from a possible 30, six points behind halfway point bottom fodder Kinney Road, who has managed nine points in their ten second half games so far.

In the United Islands Minor, after MD25 (11 games into the second half), both Tallyn Rovers and County Stanley were tied on 14 points (40 and 38 overall respectively). In comparison, at this same stage in the first phase of the season, County Stanley had a whole seven points more on 21. No explanations have been offered as to how the two teams apparently collapsed in the second half of the season. Amazingly, Flitton Rangers, AFC Hatton and Dullham and Oldbridge all led the second phase table, with 18 points (36, 31 and 31 overall) each.

Matchday Twenty-six
With the inaugural league title now wrapped up, all eyes turned to the relegation fight in the Premier, and even more to the amazing second-phase table in the Minor. It was clear by this stage that the relegation fight would be between Altsend (3 points) and Kinney Road (9 points), but with four games remaining Kinney Road fans would no doubt have been breathing sighs of relief that their team would not finish bottom outright and be relegated. Even more promisingly for them, Kinney Road had embarked on a surprising cup run, by this point reaching the semi-finals of the AFF Cup to face Pilminster Rovers, who were fourth in the league.

Flitton Rangers won again to put themselves into a tie for second place overall and to take a clear lead at the top of the second phase standings on 21 points, as AFC Hatton (18 points) fell 3-1 to Tallyn Rovers (17 points) and Dullham and Oldbridge (19 points) could only manage a goalless draw with County Stanley (15 points). Southcast Town's 3-2 win over bottom club Island Athletic (10 points) moved them onto 15 points for the second phase. T'chéy Park's loss to Flitton left them on 15 points.

Matchday Twenty-seven
Altsend and Kinney Road both drew to record their fourth and tenth points of the second phase respectively. Mountbatten Junction – second at the halfway point – had picked up only nine points from twelve games in the second phase, which threw them dangerously into the relegation dogfight. With three matches left, only Altsend (4), Mountbatten Junction (9), Kinney Road (10), Flitton City (10), South Barrier Utd (12) had a mathematical chance of finishing bottom in the second phase.

Flitton Rangers (22 points) suffered a minor setback in their quest to be promoted as they were held to a scoreless draw by County Stanley (16 points). AFC Hatton (21 points) closed the gap at the top and ensured that it would go to the final matchday with a 3-2 win over T'chéy Park (15 points). Dullham and Oldbridge (22 points) moved to joint-top with an important 1-0 win over Southcast Town (15 points). Tallyn Rovers (17 points), however, put themselves out of the running for an automatic promotion spot with a calamitous 2-1 reverse away at Island Athletic (13 points).

Matchday Twenty-eight
Protectorate United continued their unimaginable unbeaten run with a 1-1 draw at Kinney Road, putting them 16 points clear of archrivals Olympique Protectorat. At the bottom, Altsend (4 points) lost again, 2-0 at home to Navon Beach. Mountbatten Junction's (9 points) perilous fall continued with a 3-4 defeat against CF Mont Pluie. Kinney Road's draw put them on 11 points for the second phase, whilst other relegation fighters Flitton City (11 points) and South Barrier United (13 points) both drew. With just six points left to fight for, the points picked up by Flitton City and South Barrier United was enough to secure safety for the two teams. Kinney Road's draw also ensured that they would not be relegated outright, although their poor first-half showing meant that they would still be involved in a postseason playoff.

This was it in the United Islands Minor. The final matchday, with two teams tied on 22 points at the top of the second phase table. Perhaps fittingly, the two – Dullham and Oldbridge and Flitton Rangers – played out a goalless draw to put both onto 23 points, which meant that an AFC Hatton win would be enough for them to leapfrog over the two teams and take the other promotion playoff spot. They did, beating County Stanley (16 points), sparking wild celebrations in Hatton. The amazing win was made all the more impressive by the fact that Hatton were last at the half-way stage. Their job wasn't done yet though, with the postseason Drop/Climb Group round-robin to come.

United Islands Minor – Phase Two standings
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 AFC Hatton 14 7 3 4 26 20 6 24 DCG
2 Flitton Rangers 14 6 5 3 24 21 3 23
3 Dullham and Oldbridge 14 6 5 3 13 11 2 23
4 Tallyn Rovers 14 6 2 6 17 19 -2 20
5 Island Athletic 14 4 4 6 25 27 -2 16
6 County Stanley 14 3 7 4 17 20 -3 16
7 T'chéy Park 14 4 3 7 18 22 -4 15
8 Southcast Town 14 4 3 7 11 15 -4 15

United Islands Minor – Overall standings
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Tallyn Rovers 28 14 4 10 48 44 4 46 DCG/C
2 Flitton Rangers 28 11 8 9 38 38 0 41
3 County Stanley 28 10 10 8 43 40 3 40
4 Southcast Town 28 10 9 9 29 24 5 39
5 AFC Hatton 28 10 7 11 49 50 -1 37 DCG
6 Dullham and Oldbridge 28 9 9 10 27 29 -2 36
7 Island Athletic 28 8 9 11 51 55 -4 33
8 T'chéy Park 28 9 6 13 36 41 -5 33

Matchday Twenty-nine
Protectorate United suffered their first defeat since Matchday Fourteen – a run of 14 unbeaten games – with a 1-0 loss at home to Dalinn Wanderers. At the bottom, Altsend lost 1-0 to Djei Sporting Club, thus sealing their own fate. Mountbatten Junction lost their match as well, but with just the one match to play, a five-point gap would be too much for Altsend to overcome, sending them into the postseason playoff. Mountbatten Junction's coaches will be wondering how they only managed nine points from 14 matches, however.

Matchday Thirty
The grand finale to the league season proper, Matchday Thirty, was a bit of a disappointment. Still, Protectorate United celebrated their title in style with a 2-1 win away at Grand Arsenal, who did not begrudge them holding the trophy presentation at their ground. Altsend's woes were compounded by a 4-1 thumping against Oldbridge City, meaning they finished the season in last overall on 19 points, having picked up just four from their last 15 matches. Better news for Mountbatten Junction as they drew 0-0 at Kinney Road to bring their second half tally to two digits.

United Islands Premier – Overall standings
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Protectorate United 30 22 5 3 61 24 37 71 C
2 CF Mont Pluie 30 17 4 9 73 56 17 55
3 Olympique Protectorat 30 16 6 8 51 37 14 54
4 Pilminster Rovers 30 14 8 8 37 27 10 50
5 Navon Beach 30 13 10 7 30 24 6 49
6 Oldbridge City 30 14 6 10 52 49 3 48
7 Dalinn Wanderers 30 14 5 11 48 43 5 47
8 Mountbatten Junction 30 11 5 14 31 41 -10 38
9 Northtown Utd 30 10 7 13 47 57 -10 37
10 Grand Arsenal 30 9 9 12 37 43 -6 36
11 South Barrier Utd 30 7 13 10 34 37 -3 34
12 Djei Sporting Club 30 7 12 11 27 32 -5 33
13 Hatton Town 30 7 12 11 24 33 -9 33
14 Flitton City 30 7 9 14 28 34 -6 30
15 Kinney Road 30 4 11 15 22 36 -14 23 DCG
16 Altsend 30 5 4 21 38 67 -29 19 DCG

End of season team awards...
Attacking power – CF Mont Pluie, 73 GF, 2.43 GF/match
Defensive power – Protectorate United and Navon Beach, 24 GA, 0.80 GA/match
Most unexpected performance – Mountbatten Junction, falling from 2nd to 9th (and finishing the second phase in 15th)
Attack is not our thing award – Kinney Road, 22 GF, 0.73 GF/match
Defence? What's defence? Award – Altsend, 67 GA, 2.23 GA/match

Ad'ihan Football Federation Cup
The eight Minor teams and bottom eight Premier teams enter the cup in the first round, whilst the remainder of the Premier teams enter at the second round. All matches, up to and inclusive of the quarter-finals, use infinite replays to break ties. The semi-finals are two-legged and the final is a one-off.

For the inaugural season, with no prior league history to go on, the mid-season standings were used to seed the clubs' entry into the competition.

Round One saw two matches decided by way of replay, with the all-United Islands Premier clash between Flitton City and Altsend going to a second replay. There were only two ties involving clubs from different divisions, with Tallyn Rovers (Minor) losing 2-1 to South Barrier United of the Premier in a replay. The other such match was the shock of the day as Flitton Rangers surprised Grand Arsenal 1-0.

Round One
UIM T'chéy Park 0-2 County Stanley UIM
UIM Southcast Town 1-0 Dullham and Oldbridge UIM
UIP South Barrier Utd 0-0 Tallyn Rovers UIM
UIP Kinney Road 1-0 Djei Sporting Club UIP
UIP Hatton Town 0-1 Northtown United UIP
UIM Island Athletic 3-1 AFC Hatton UIM
UIP Altsend 1-1 Flitton City UIP
UIP Grand Arsenal 0-1 Flitton Rangers UIM

Round One Replay
UIM Tallyn Rovers 1-2 South Barrier Utd UIP
UIP Flitton City 1-1 Altsend UIP

Round One Second Replay
UIP Altsend 0-1 Flitton City UIP

Round Two saw another surprise in an all-Premier tie as Oldbridge City stunned everyone to thrash CF Mont Pluie – ultimately league runners-up – six goals to one. Another all-UIP tie went to a second replay, with Kinney Road eventually coming out 1-0 victors over Mountbatten Junction after two awful goalless draws. Protectorate United, meanwhile, needed a replay to see off South Barrier Utd.

Round Two
UIP Kinney Road 0-0 Mountbatten Junction UIP
UIP Oldbridge City 6-1 CF Mont Pluie UIP
UIP Northtown United 0-2 Pilminster Rovers UIP
UIP Dalinn Wanderers 3-1 Navon Beach UIP
UIM County Stanley 2-3 Olympique Protectorat UIP
UIM Flitton Rangers 3-1 Island Athletic UIM
UIP South Barrier Utd 1-1 Protectorate United UIP
UIM Southcast Town 1-1 Flitton City UIP

Round Two Replay
UIP Mountbatten Junction 0-0 Kinney Road UIP
UIP Protectorate United 3-0 South Barrier Utd UIP
UIP Flitton City 2-0 Southcast Town UIM

Round Two Second Replay
UIP Kinney Road 1-0 Mountbatten Junction UIP

In the quarter-finals, Kinney Road needed yet another replay to get past their opposition, this time Oldbridge City on the receiving end of a 2-0 home embarrassment in the replay. The United Islands Minor's last representative, Flitton Rangers, lost 3-0 away at Olympique Protectorat, while two days later their Premier neighbours City lost at the same stadium 2-0 to Protectorate United.

Quarterfinals
UIP Kinney Road 1-1 Oldbridge City UIP
UIP Pilminster Rovers 3-1 Dalinn Wanderers UIP
UIP Oly. Protectorat 3-0 Flitton Rangers UIM
UIP Protectorate United 2-0 Flitton City UIP

Quarterfinal Replay
UIP Oldbridge City 0-2 Kinney Road UIP

This set up a tantalising Ad'ihan city derby for the semi-finals of the inaugural AFF Cup, while underdogs Kinney Road, despite struggling in the league, somehow made it to face Pilminster Rovers in the semis. Over the course of two legs just one goal would be enough to see Kinney Road through, as a 1-0 home victory was not answered in the return leg by Pilminster. The two legs of the Ad'ihan city derby saw a combined total of three sendings off and two penalties as Protectorate United won out 4-1 on aggregate.

Semifinals (aggregate)
UIP Kinney Road 1-0 Pilminster Rovers UIP
UIP Oly. Protectorat 1-4 Protectorate United UIP

Kinney Road, against all the odds, had fought through since Round One – including three replays – to reach the final, which was to be held at Protectorate Stadium. Officially a neutral game, the stadium still served as Protectorate United's home ground, which no doubt gave them a slight edge over the unfavoured Kinney Road. What was to transpire in the final was beyond belief as two late penalties were converted by the underdogs to stun the crowd, and Kinney Road held on to win the AFF Cup.

Final
UIP Kinney Road 2-1 Protectorate United UIP

Celebrations over, Kinney Road still had another six matches to play to save their United Islands Premier status, as they were in the Drop/Climb Group playoffs alongside Altsend, Tallyn Rovers and AFC Hatton. A home-and-away series of matches beckoned, and if they wanted to save their league status and avoid becoming a non-league club, they would have to finish in the top two. All six matches were held over the span of two weeks, on Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday.

Matchday One
Both United Islands Premier sides got off to good starts with wins over their United Islands Minor counterparts. Kinney Road thumped Tallyn Rovers 3-0 away from home, proving perhaps that the Premier might just be too strong for Tallyn, whilst AFC Hatton lost 2-1 at Altsend.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Kinney Road 1 1 0 0 3 0 3 3
2 Altsend 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 3
3 AFC Hatton 1 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0
4 Tallyn Rovers 1 0 0 1 0 3 -3 0

Matchday Two
Kinney Road showed no mercy to their relegation rivals Altsend. Buoyed by their Cup win, they continued their high-scoring ways with an impressive 4-0 whipping of their fellow Premier side. Meanwhile, the two Minor sides picked up their first points with an entertaining 2-2 draw at AFC Hatton.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Kinney Road 2 2 0 0 7 0 7 6
2 Altsend 2 1 0 1 2 5 -3 3
3 AFC Hatton 2 0 1 1 3 4 -1 1
4 Tallyn Rovers 2 0 1 1 2 5 -3 1

Matchday Three
Kinney Road's goal bonanza might have been slowed, but the single goal was enough to give them victory away at AFC Hatton. Meanwhile, a Minor team finally scored a win as Tallyn Rovers beat Altsend 3-2.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Kinney Road 3 3 0 0 8 0 8 9
2 Tallyn Rovers 3 1 1 1 5 7 -2 4
3 Altsend 3 1 0 2 4 8 -4 3
4 AFC Hatton 3 0 1 2 3 5 -2 1

Matchday Four
Fans of Kinney Road may have ended up criticising their manager's cautious ways, but another 1-0 win eked out over Tallyn Rovers, coupled with AFC Hatton's impressive 4-0 thumping of Altsend, was enough to ensure that Kinney Road would spend next season in the Premier as they went eight points clear of AFC Hatton and Tallyn Rovers.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Kinney Road 4 4 0 0 9 0 9 12
2 AFC Hatton 4 1 1 2 7 5 2 4
3 Tallyn Rovers 4 1 1 2 5 8 -3 4
4 Altsend 4 1 0 3 4 12 -8 3

Matchday Five
Altsend did their hopes of staying up some good with a much-needed, and perhaps surprising, 2-0 win over Kinney Road. The same scoreline was replicated in the other match as AFC Hatton's chances of going up took a knock away at Tallyn Rovers.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Kinney Road 5 4 0 1 9 2 7 12
2 Tallyn Rovers 5 2 1 2 7 8 -1 7
3 Altsend 5 2 0 3 6 12 -6 6
4 AFC Hatton 5 1 1 3 7 7 0 4

Matchday Six
This was it. This was where things stood – Altsend had to play Tallyn Rovers in their final match while Kinney Road would take on AFC Hatton. A win or a draw would be enough to guarantee Tallyn promotion; AFC Hatton were now out of it. It would come down to the match between Altsend and Tallyn, with the other match inconsequential.

Ultimately, though, both matches ended in draws as Tallyn Rovers fought hard to hold on to a 3-3 draw salvaged in the last few minutes of their match against Altsend. Altsend painfully had a clear-cut last-minute penalty appeal turned down, which meant that they wound up losing their league status with relegation to the United Islands Minor. Tallyn Rovers would be promoted, where next season two tantalising league clashes against city rivals Dalinn Wanderers awaited.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Kinney Road 6 4 1 1 9 2 7 13 UIP
2 Tallyn Rovers 6 2 2 2 10 11 -1 8 UIP/P
3 Altsend 6 2 1 3 9 15 -6 7 UIM/R
4 AFC Hatton 6 1 2 3 7 7 0 5 UIM

Vephrall

11-02-2008, 07:19

http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gth681k/ns/vephrall/VTF.png
VTF1752
Midseason Update

Cintrin A

With the 600 baud modem being the pinnacle of Vephrese telecommunications, you won't hear anyone talking about terabit-per-second connections. But you will hear them talking about a certain football club from the eastern city of Defae that has pretty well dominated the first half of this VTF season.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Terabits CE 19 14 2 3 39 9 30 44
2 Boalluns FE 19 10 6 3 33 18 15 36
3 Stestrenas OC 19 10 4 5 23 17 6 34
4 FE Dranacess 19 9 6 4 24 18 6 33
5 Poikimitagiin FE 19 8 7 4 32 22 10 31
6 Merpisms CE 19 8 6 5 28 21 7 30
7 Bumpoogra FE 19 9 3 7 26 27 -1 30
8 Stithis FE 19 8 5 6 27 26 1 29
9 Penuler OC 19 7 7 5 31 24 7 28
10 Knoleier FE 19 8 4 7 27 29 -2 28
11 Sichisers OB 19 6 7 6 23 19 4 25
12 Huellim FE 19 6 7 6 25 27 -2 25
13 Mylfe CE 19 6 7 6 22 24 -2 25
14 Spoantects CE 19 4 8 7 20 24 -4 20
15 Fekler FE 19 5 3 11 20 28 -8 18
16 DFE Anhenir 19 4 6 9 24 34 -10 18
17 Ammites FE 19 3 8 8 20 29 -9 17
18 Oillid CE 19 4 5 10 21 34 -13 17
19 Daazyiles OC 19 3 6 10 17 30 -13 15
20 Custler FE 19 1 7 11 16 38 -22 10

Meanwhile, defending champions Sichisers, after performing well for the first twelve matches, suddenly saw the bottom drop out from under them. They've now failed to win in their last seven league games, managing just two draws in that stretch and causing them to plummet from second place to eleventh at the halfway point. Naturally it's rumored that long-time manager Claspung Pochue may soon be out on his head.

And what has happened to Ammites? Just a few years ago they were a consistent strong top-half club, and the Netlas club is home to more Vephrall internationals than any other. Now they find themselves apparently locked into a relegation dogfight. Expect a bunch of these national team players to start jumping ship if this continues. Also a little uncomfortable here is perennial mid-table team Oillid.

Gontarther FE seem to be favorites to promote in from Cintrin B, currently leading Donseplock, Netler, and Pomperae by five points at the halfway mark.

Vephraller Kustriin e Foutbill

First Round

One Cintrin E club, Volstong FE, managed to survive four qualifying rounds to reach the big dance. Alas, they were stomped four-nil by Triice CE from two tiers up.

CE e Flaarickug, a once elite club that has recently fallen on hard times and now plays in Cintrin C, still showed a flash of greatness with an emphatic six-nil away win over Scinpefis.

First Round

(C) Spakisteis FE 1-0 Dilkis FE (C)
(D2A) Cenanier FE 0-3 Tehtisms CE (C)
(D1A) Triratter CE 1-1 Sascaenis CE (D1B)
(D2A) Clidy OB 0-2 Contrer FE (C)
(D1B) Hings FE 1-4 Peondurte OC (C)
(D1A) FE Sheoron 1-2 Fenster OC (D1B)
(D2A) Scinpefis FE 0-6 CE e Flaarickug (C)
(C) Zikeseng OC 1-1 Troorliil FE (C)
(D2A) Swiihedeed OC 0-2 Feay FE (C)
(D2A) DFE Jishmid 1-2 Meteca FE (D2B)
(D1B) Crussozech CE 0-0 Cose CE (C)
(D1B) Spostratter OB 0-0 Arstor FE (D1A)
(C) Bachans OC 2-0 Nenirmiopoti FE (D1A)
(D1A) Ans Jistrosts FE 2-3 Casomer FE (D1B)
(E/A) Volstong FE 0-4 Triice CE (D1A)
(D1A) Festany CE 2-1 DFE Cloohends (D1B)
(D1B) Ranalos CE 0-0 Spiegrigger FE (D2B)
(D1B) Pestrisms FE 1-1 FE Glaggemuda (C)
(D1A) Mency CE 0-2 FE Mersira (C)
(C) Ceresstrer FE 2-1 Deballinos FE (D2A)
(D1B) Unshints CE 1-1 Serod OB (D1B)
(C) Sesotnig FE 3-2 Shintene FE (D1A)
(C) Trillet FE 3-0 Swextrer FE (D1B)
(C) Brimpeng FE 1-0 Oktidople FE (D1A)
(D2A) Lirdebote OB 0-2 DFE Unee (C)
(C) Berkemara FE 3-0 Grendless FE (D2B)
(C) DFE Clyddly 2-0 Ibbuley OC (D1A)
(D1B) Emitis FE 0-2 Larospe OC (D1A)

First Round Replay
(D1B) Sascaenis CE 1-3 Triratter CE (D1A)
(C) Troorliil FE 1-2 Zikeseng OC (C)
(C) Cose CE 1-0 Crussozech CE (D1B)
(D1A) Arstor FE 0-2 Spostratter OB (D1B)
(D2B) Spiegrigger FE 0-1 Ranalos CE (D1B)
(C) FE Glaggemuda 1-2 Pestrisms FE (D1B)
(D1B) Serod OB 1-0 Unshints CE (D1B)

Elves Security Forces

13-02-2008, 11:04

Valanora Express
Surprises In Store?

Following the temporary anarchy inside Turruth Gordur and Assegai Developments, a fair number of elven footballers have had their contracts either voided, ended, or have been released as a result. The players of interest are now free and are looking to apply their trade either abroad or even domestically if the right offer is made to them. They will all be listed below, with national teamers bolded.

CB Hizzen Hocn - age 625 (M)
CB Placibus Hardsworth - age 926 (M)
AMC Laborious Hawk - age 653 (M)
LRW Cristi Kries - age 773 (F)
DMC Nelson Kries - age 773 (M)
MC Lemarcus Jole - age 239 (M)
MC Fars Manningham - age 201 (M)
AMC Xanxz - age 900 (M)
MC Rickle House - age 686 (M)
ST Heather Hall - age 492 (F)
ST Kersee Hall - age 792 (F)
ST Ikles Razov - age 830 (M)

All players who are signed will be made available to their new clubs come August 1, 20,004AE. (The month after the World Cup has ended in the ESF timeline)

Article by Luna Santapa

Cafundeu

15-02-2008, 21:25

CAFUNDÉU LEAGUE RESULTS – (Before WC 39)

ANOTHER REVIEW OF CAFUNDÉU’S LEAGUE SYSTEM – Cafundéu’s league is composed of 5 divisions of 20 teams. All the divisions have the same style:

-1st phase: All the clubs play each other 2 times(home and away). It’s called “primeiro turno”. The winner of these phase it’s the first place at the end of the league.

Tiebreakers: points, number of wins, goal difference, goals scored, yellow cards.

-2nd phase: The 8 best placed teams in the 1st phase play in a knockout stage. The 1st plays the 8th (Game A), the 2nd plays the 7th(Game B), the 3rd plays the 6th(Game C) and the 4th plays the 5th (Game D). They play two games(home and away). The winner continues. In case of draw, the team with better performance in the 1st phase wins. Then, the winner of the game A plays against the winner of game D, and the winner of game B plays the winner of game C(semifinals) with the same rules. Then, the winners play the final using the same rules.

-3rd phase: The winners of the 1st and 2nd phase play each other in one game in neutral ground. In case of draw, there’s extra time and penalties. The winner is the Cafundéu champion.

Promotion and Relegation: In all the leagues 4 teams get relegated. They are the 4 worst teams of the 1st phase. The promoted teams are the 3 best teams of the 1st phase and the best team of the 2nd phase(note that the champion of the 2nd phase can be already promoted in the 1st phase, so the best placed team that still wasn’t promoted will be promoted (the one which reached the final or the semifinal of the 2nd phase).

Orange: Division champions
Blue = promoted
Red = relegated
Green = 2nd phase champions(if lost the Grand Final)
Purple = 1st phase champions(if lost the Grand Final)
Phase Champions are promoted too.

1st Division Past winners (since the entrance of Cafundéu in the NS World Cup -before that, there were many champions in competitions with different formats):

Season 1 - Atlético Jutense
Season 2 - Cafundó do Juta
Season 3 - Petardos S/A
Season 4 - Petardos S/A
Season 5 - Dunboor FC
Season 6 - A.F.F.

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CAFUNDÉU’S FIRST DIVISION – tough dispute between three forces Dunboor FC, Clube Imperial and Petardos S/A but, in the last rounds, Dunboor got a comfortable lead. Khalmar-Tijhus impressed, the title holders A.F.F. failed to go to the next stage and Central United shocked the country in being relegated:

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Dunboor FC 38 22 8 8 89 51 38 74
2 Clube Imperial 38 19 7 12 79 55 24 64
3 Petardos S/A 38 17 11 10 79 60 19 62
4 Ranca Toco 38 17 10 11 45 45 0 61
5 Khalmar-Tijhus 38 17 8 13 73 67 6 59
6 Cafundó do Juta 38 16 9 13 55 53 2 57
7 Atlético Jutense 38 15 12 11 67 51 16 57
8 SC Lasft 38 15 12 11 41 36 5 57
9 Atlético Insular 38 17 5 16 57 57 0 56
10 A.F.F. 38 16 5 17 61 64 -3 53
11 Galáxia 38 13 13 12 59 52 7 52
12 Penders 38 15 6 17 48 58 -10 51
13 Pernetas EC 38 13 11 14 56 67 -11 50
14 América 38 14 5 19 54 67 -13 47
15 São José 38 12 11 15 36 34 2 47
16 Petrol 38 12 11 15 54 63 -9 47
17 Central United 38 11 12 15 55 64 -9 45
18 União Trabalhadora 38 10 13 15 48 70 -22 43
19 EC Elville 38 8 12 18 58 72 -14 36
20 Tênis Clube 38 5 11 22 37 65 -28 26

For the 2nd phase, the 8 teams battled for the segundo turno, and Petardos S/A reacted well:

Quarter-Finals – 1st Leg:
SC Lasft 0-0 Dunboor FC
Atlético Jutense 3-1 Clube Imperial
Cafundó do Juta 2-4 Petardos S/A
Khalmar-Tijhus 1-0 Ranca Toco

2nd Leg:
Dunboor FC 0-2 SC Lasft
Clube Imperial 4-2 Atlético Jutense (C. Imperial wins due to better campaign on 1st phase)
Petardos S/A 3-0 Cafundó do Juta
Ranca Toco 2-1 Khalmar-Tijhus (Ranca Toco wins due to better campaign on 1st phase)

Semifinals – 1st Leg:
SC Lasft 1-1 Ranca Toco
Petardos S/A 2-1 Clube Imperial

2nd Leg:
Ranca Toco 5-3 SC Lasft
Clube Imperial 0-1 Petardos S/A

Final 1st Leg:
Ranca Toco 2-3 Petardos S/A

Final 2nd Leg:
Petardos S/A 0-0 Ranca Toco

THE DECISIVE FINAL:

DUNBOOR FC 1x2 PETARDOS S/A

Place: Praça Maior, in Cafundó do Juta (neutral ground).
Attendance: 200,463 people (more than full capacity).
Referee: Alan Nenberg (Coast State).
Assistants: Milene Nunes (Old Cities State) and Marcos Anders Olivares (Coast State).
MOTM: Viggo Haakana (Petardos S/A).

DUNBOOR FC: Swift; Clituleng, Lionel and Lobato; Del Valle, Gian (Jorginho 65’), Barnes, Songsteel (Magal 80’), Jongguk; Hartenholm (Luca 45’) and Tales.
Coach: David Nefasto.

PETARDOS S/A: Lauro; Coelho, Tuff (Octávio 76’) and Eduardo Monte; Patette, Éverton (Silvinho 67’), Misterson and Haakana; Fresco, Fe-Do (Rubiano 55’) and Newton.
Coach: Christophe Argentier.

Goals: DUB: Tales 78’.
PSA: Fresco 28’ , Haakana 74’.

Yellow Cards: Lionel, Barnes, Misterson, Tuff and Patette.

PETARDOS S/A WINS THE LEAGUE!

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Other details of the first division:

Best Player:
1st – Viggo Haakana (Petardos S/A)
2nd – Eddie Barnes (Dunboor FC)
3rd – Karl Gepardo (Ranca Toco)
4th – Lobato (Dunboor FC)
5th – Jarl Knudsen (Khalmar-Tijhus)

Top Goalscorer:
1st – Saulo (Clube Imperial) - 30 goals
2nd – Anti Fresco (Petardos S/A) - 27 goals
3rd – Karl Gepardo (Ranca Toco) - 23 goals
4th – Igor Volkov (Khalmar-Tijhus) - 23 goals
5th – Roy Hartenholm (Dunboor FC) - 22 goals

*in case of draw, the player with less games played stays in front of the others

Best Goalkeeper:
1st – Jarl Knudsen (Khalmar-Tijhus)
2nd – Moisés (Ranca Toco)
3rd – Tu Wesh (Atlético Jutense)
4th – Lucas Dutra (São José)
5th – Bartolomeu (SC Lasft)

Best Defender (full-backs and center-backs):
1st – Lobato (Dunboor FC)
2nd – Russo (Ranca Toco)
3rd – André Vital (Ranca Toco)
4th – James Williams (Clube Imperial)
5th – Souza (Ranca Toco)

Best Midfielder (defensive and offensive):
1st – Viggo Haakana (Petardos S/A)
2nd – Eddie Barnes (Dunboor FC)
3rd – Cruril Songsteel (Dunboor FC)
4th – Caj Ilmari (Cafundó do Juta)
5th – Da Silva (Clube Imperial)

Best Attacker:
1st – Karl Gepardo (Ranca Toco)
2nd - Anti Fresco (Petardos S/A)
3rd – Saulo (Clube Imperial)
4th – Igor Volkov (Khalmar-Tijhus)
5th – Lennie Newton (Petardos S/A)

Best Coach:
1st – Rivaldo Sodré (Khalmar-Tijhus)
2nd - Caio Meback (Clube Imperial)
3rd – Christophe Argentier (Petardos S/A)
4th – Renário (Ranca Toco).
5th – David Nefasto (Dunboor FC)

Team of the Season:

First Team:

-------------------------Knudsen(KTJ)-------------------------
-----Vital(RCT)-----Lobato(DUB)--Williams(CIM)----Russo(RCT)--
--------------------------Barnes(DUB)-------------------------
----------Songsteel(DUB)--------------Da Silva(CIM)-----------
-------------------------Haakana(PSA)------------------------
---------------Gepardo(RCT)-------Fresco(PSA)----------------

Coach: Rivaldo Sodré (KTJ).

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Second Team:

-------------------------Moisés(RCT)-------------------------
-------Ronaldão(SCL)-----Souza(RCT)-----Lionel(DUB)---------
----------Zé Sho(AJU)-------------------Patette(PSA)--------
---Underdark(CIM)------------------------------Ilmari(CJU)----
-------------------Volkov(KTJ)---Saulo(CIM)------------------

Coach: Caio Meback (CIM).

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2nd Division Past Winners:

Season 1 - CR Submiria
Season 2 - Clube Comercial
Season 3 - Clube Imperial
Season 4 - Galáxia
Season 5 - Petrol
Season 6 - Pernetas EC

CAFUNDÉU'S SECOND DIVISION - CR Submiria simply dominated the second division. Clube Comercial lost to rivals Clube dos Banqueiros:

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 CR Submiria 38 22 8 8 77 51 26 74
2 Clube dos Banqueiros 38 19 7 12 58 47 11 64
3 Agreman FH 38 19 6 13 62 53 9 63
4 Coqueiros 38 16 12 10 71 55 16 60
5 Clube Comercial 38 17 7 14 69 71 -2 58
6 Globo Multimedia 38 16 10 12 68 63 5 58
7 Sambarilove 38 15 13 10 65 52 13 58
8 Metropolitano 38 15 11 12 56 51 5 56
9 Tabajara 38 17 4 17 86 83 3 55
10 Forças Armadas 38 14 10 14 62 61 1 52
11 Aldeia Vigiah 38 14 9 15 63 68 -5 51
12 Faculdade de Medicina 38 13 10 15 56 52 4 49
13 Lusitânio 38 12 12 14 63 69 -6 48
14 Imperatriz 38 12 11 15 41 53 -12 47
15 Royal Pollvogarad 38 12 10 16 48 57 -9 46
16 Mondragon Warriors 38 11 10 17 47 57 -10 43
17 Amigos do Pebolim 38 11 9 18 38 54 -16 42
18 Marinha 38 10 12 16 70 77 -7 42
19 Supersônicos 38 10 10 18 66 82 -16 40
20 C-Electronics 38 9 11 18 46 56 -10 38

2nd Phase: Sambarilove won the promotion, and...:

2nd phase – Quarterfinals first leg:
Metropolitano 0-3 CR Submiria
Sambarilove 3-1 Clube dos Banqueiros
Globo Multimedia 2-2 Agreman FH
Clube Comercial 2-0 Coqueiros

Second Leg:
CR Submiria 5-1 Metropolitano
Clube dos Banqueiros 1-0 Sambarilove
Agreman FH 1-1 Globo Multimedia (Agreman wins due to better campaign on 1st phase)
Coqueiros 0-1 Clube Comercial

Semifinals First Leg:
Clube Comercial 1-0 CR Submiria
Sambarilove 2-2 Agreman FH

Second Leg:
CR Submiria 3-0 Clube Comercial
Agreman FH 1-2 Sambarilove

Final 1st Leg:
Sambarilove 0-0 CR Submiria

FINAL 2ND LEG:

CR SUBMIRIA 2x0 SAMBARILOVE

Place: Arena América, in Abadia (neutral ground).
Attendance: 97,540 people.
Referee: Mandrack Issao (Old Cities State).
Assistants: Miro Di Massi and Jonas Fontana (Old Cities State).
MOTM: Hubert (CR Submiria).

CR SUBMIRIA: Geraldão; Michael, Sadia, Bueno and Marcos Moreno; Paulo (Murilo 56’), Ravache and Horsch; Hubert, Casagrande and Pieterszen (Alencar 65’).
Coach: Paulo Netinho.

SAMBARILOVE: Peru; Nivaldo, Nino, Ely and Sandro Nunes; Jules, Kissington, Schneider and Ortega; Dedé and Betão.
Coach: Ivan Anysio.

Goals:SUB: Hubert 23’/45’.

Yellow Cards: Ravache, Peru, Ely, Sandro Nunes, Kissington.

CR SUBMIRIA WINS THE SECOND DIVISION!

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3rd Division Past Winners:

Season 1 - Tio João
Season 2 - Marinha
Season 3 - Galáxia
Season 4 - Royal Pollvogarad
Season 5 - SC Carnavalesco
Season 6 - Metropolitano

THIRD DIVISION - Porto Lacruz won the first stage, and some surprises appeared, as Ferroviário, which won the promotion.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Porto Lacruz 38 22 7 9 82 51 31 73
2 Vila Velha 38 22 2 14 83 62 21 68
3 Ferroviário 38 18 10 10 76 66 10 64
4 Cézares 38 18 7 13 84 73 11 61
5 São Jorge 38 18 6 14 70 54 16 60
6 Nacional da Cruz 38 15 14 9 62 51 11 59
7 Aliança 38 16 9 13 71 61 10 57
8 SC Carnavalesco 38 16 7 15 78 69 9 55
9 Carandirú 1 38 16 6 16 67 74 -7 54
10 Virgem Maria EC 38 15 8 15 39 44 -5 53
11 Intensivo 38 15 7 16 55 66 -11 52
12 Varzeano 38 14 7 17 62 71 -9 49
13 Boiadeiros 38 13 8 17 55 54 1 47
14 Tio João 38 11 14 13 63 62 1 47
15 Massaranduba FC 38 13 6 19 63 72 -9 45
16 Espinalense 38 11 11 16 51 62 -11 44
17 Civil FC 38 11 10 17 56 72 -16 43
18 Fulminense 38 9 16 13 38 45 -7 43
19 U.D.E.U. 38 10 11 17 55 77 -22 41
20 Colonial 38 9 10 19 55 79 -24 37

2nd Phase: São Jorge got the promotion, soon after being promoted from the fourth division.

Second Phase – Quarterfinals First Leg:
SC Carnavalesco 1-3 Porto Lacruz
Aliança 2-3 Vila Velha
Nacional da Cruz 4-2 Ferroviário
São Jorge 3-0 Cézares

Second Leg:
Porto Lacruz 2-0 SC Carnavalesco
Vila Velha 0-1 Aliança (Vila Velha wins due to better campaign on 1st phase)
Ferroviário 0-0 Nacional da Cruz
Cézares 2-2 São Jorge

Semifinals First Leg:
São Jorge 1-1 Porto Lacruz
Nacional da Cruz 2-1 Vila Velha

Second Leg:
Porto Lacruz 3-4 São Jorge
Vila Velha 1-1 Nacional da Cruz

Final 1st Leg:
São Jorge 4-0 Nacional da Cruz

2nd Leg:
Nacional da Cruz 3-1 São Jorge

Grand Final:

Porto Lacruz 3-1 São Jorge

PORTO LACRUZ WINS THE THIRD DIVISION!

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FOURTH AND FIFTH DIVISIONS – Composed mainly by amateur teams, these teams are very weak and few of them play the National Cup.
PROMOTED TO THIRD DIV. – União, Dínamo de Natal, Serrano and Rio Bonito.
RELEGATED TO FIFTH DIV. – Refugiados, Dunbooritano, Ribeirão and Miragaia FC.
PROMOTED TO FOURTH DIV. – Mocidade, Clube do Fusca, Associação Imobiliária and Capital.

Septentrionia

16-02-2008, 06:51

Tournoi Invitation Raoul-Chagnon

Club Sportif Ourseville 1093 have been the hosts of a round-robin tournament last week as they played hosts to three of the best clubs in the world, who have accepted an invitation to this tournament: Yuba United, formerly from Bedistan, now from the Capitalizt Élite League, Sichisers OB, from Vephrall and Protectorate United, from Ad'ihan. The format was a single round robin tournament and the winner was going to win the Trophée Milquatrevintreize. Games were played at Stade 1093, part of the Complexe Sportif d'Ourseville. (Pic here (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v338/Oli55/Stade1093witharena.png)) Here's how the tournament went:

Matchday 1:

Afternoon game:
Yuba United 3-1 Protectorate United
Attendance: 13,657

Evening game:
Sichisers OB 3-0 Ourseville 1093
Attendance: 31,506

Matchday 2:

Afternoon game:
Ourseville 1093 0-3 Yuba United
Attendance: 28,700

Evening game:
Protectorate United 0-1 Sichisers OB
Attendance: 15,331

Matchday 3:

Afternoon game:
Yuba United 3-1 Sichisers OB
Attendance: 14,591

Evening game:
Ourseville 1093 0-3 Protectorate United
Attendance: 21,300

Final table:

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Yuba United 3 3 0 0 9 2 7 9
2 Sichisers OB 3 2 0 1 5 3 2 6
3 Protectorate United 3 1 0 2 4 4 0 3
4 Ourseville 1093 3 0 0 3 0 9 -9 0

Yuba United win the first edition of the Tournoi Invitation Raoul-Chagnon (Tournoi IRC)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v338/Oli55/Superligue-soccer-logo2.png

Surprisingly, the winners of the 2009 edition of the Superligue are Union Sportive Ourseville, aka Union. They've had quite a challenge this year, with teams coming such as Sept-Onze and St-FX threatening them. Perhaps the most surprising and spectacular comeback this season is the one made by US Septentrionalis. After a disastrous last season where they were almost relegated, they were able to manage a quite reasonable 6th place, so they secured a place in the post-season playoffs. The surprise was also from Ourseville 1093, who ended in 8th place this year. Let's now take a look at the final tables:

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Union 30 18 6 6 63 36 27 60
2 Sept-Onze 30 18 3 9 50 35 15 57
3 St-FX 30 16 7 7 40 28 12 55
4 CS Lac-Amédée 30 14 8 8 47 35 12 50
5 FC Cap-Phare 30 14 7 9 45 39 6 49
6 US Septentrionalis 30 14 6 10 42 38 4 48
7 Dauphin 30 13 8 9 51 32 19 47
8 Ourseville 1093 30 13 6 11 44 38 6 45
9 FC Grand-Glacier 30 13 6 11 33 32 1 45
10 ASJL Cap-Nord 30 11 8 11 40 44 -4 41
11 Richelieu AC 30 10 8 12 32 38 -6 38
12 Athlétique 30 9 5 16 26 44 -18 32
13 Bourdailleux 30 8 7 15 28 37 -9 31
14 Nordiqueville AF 30 6 9 15 25 41 -16 27
15 Baie-Verte CCFC 30 7 5 18 27 45 -18 26
16 Mont-Lambert FC 30 6 1 23 29 60 -31 19
Colour code:
Orange: Saison Régulière Champions and Qualified for Séries Éliminatoires
Green: Qualified for Séries Éliminatoires
Blue: Will participate in Séries de Rélégation

Deuxième Division

Unlike last season, this year's version of the 2ème Division has been quite unsecured for the most part of the season. Baieville emerged champions of the league and will try to promote in the Séries de rélégation. AA Benoîtville will be the only ones to try a comeback in the Superligue, being part of the first season of the league and having finished 3rd this year in 2ème Division. Most notably is the exclusion of Piedmont from Séries de Relégation, having finished in 5th place.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Baieville 30 15 8 7 48 30 18 53
2 Sauvageville 30 15 7 8 39 32 7 52
3 AA Benoîtville 30 13 10 7 44 29 15 49
4 AS Île-Benoît 30 11 15 4 41 32 9 48
5 Piedmont 30 12 11 7 46 32 14 47
6 Desmarais 30 11 12 7 40 31 9 45
7 SC Mont-Bleu 30 12 9 9 43 37 6 45
8 Calembourg 30 10 10 10 41 39 2 40
9 CH Vaudreuil 30 11 6 13 33 33 0 39
10 L'Étoile du Nord FC 30 9 11 10 34 35 -1 38
11 Mont-Surrindère SC 30 8 10 12 23 32 -9 34
12 SC Presqu'île 30 7 11 12 28 40 -12 32
13 Septentrionalis HC 30 8 7 15 33 41 -8 31
14 FC Les Vals 30 8 7 15 34 53 -19 31
15 Orléans 30 6 12 12 29 43 -14 30
16 Club Latin 30 7 8 15 29 46 -17 29
Colour Code:
Orange: Deuxième Division Champions and Qualified for Séries de Rélégation
Blue: Qualified for Séries de Rélégation

Séries éliminatoires de la Superligue 2009:

Will Ourseville 1093 be able to keep their championship? We'll see as they are going to face Union Sportive d'Ourseville in their First Round game. As last year, November was very cold this year, but the inclusion of undersoil heating on most pitches ruled the problems arising from icy grass.

Quarterfinals:
Union 3-2 Ourseville 1093
Sept-Onze 1-1 Dauphin (2-2 AET) (Sept-Onze wins 3-1 on penalty kicks)
St-FX 0-2 US Septentrionalis
CS Lac-Amédée 1-0 FC Cap-Phare

Semifinals:
Union 2-0 Sept-Onze
US Septentrionalis 0-1 CS Lac-Amédée

Final:
Union 2-3 CS Lac-Amédée

CS Lac-Amédée are the Superligue champions in 2009.

Séries de relégation:

First Leg:
Sauvageville 3-0 Mont-Lambert FC
AA Benoîtville 3-1 BaievilleAggregate: Sauvageville 3-3 Mont-Lambert FC
AS Île-Benoît 1-2 Nordiqueville AF
Bourdailleux 1-1 Baie-Verte CCFC

Second Leg:
Mont-Lambert FC 3-0 Sauvageville
Baieville 0-0 AA Benoîtville
Nordiqueville AF 2-0 AS Île-Benoît
Baie-Verte CCFC 0-2 Bourdailleux

Aggregate:
Sauvageville 3-3 Mont-Lambert FC (Mont-Lambert FC wins 4-1 on penalty kicks)
AA Benoîtville 3-1 Baieville
AS Île-Benoît 1-4 Nordiqueville AF
Bourdailleux 3-1 Baie-Verte CCFC

Congratulations to Mont-Lambert FC, Nordiqueville AF and Bourdailleux for keeping their spot in the Superligue. Good luck as well to AA Benoîtville in the Superligue next season.

Season awards:
Manager of the year: Lionel Henri (US Septentrionalis)
MVP: Roger Brind'amour (Union)
Defender of the year: Roger Danis (St-FX)
Midfielder of the year: Mario Latraverse (Union)
Striker of the year: Nicolas Maloeil (Union)

Vephrall

16-02-2008, 07:02

http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gth681k/ns/vephrall/VTF.png
VTF1752
End-of-Season Update

Cintrin A

At the halfway mark, Terabits CE looked pretty much set, holding a comfortable eight-point lead over Boalluns. And with eight matches to go, this eight-point lead was still intact. But a 2-0 loss to Huellim on matchday 31 saw things start to go south for the leaders. An 0-1-2 run combined with an ongoing Boalluns winning streak saw that entire lead completely evaporate in just three matches. Boalluns ended up finishing the season by winning all of their last nine games, securing the title in the penultimate game against previous champions Sichisers.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Boalluns FE 38 25 10 3 70 23 47 85 C
2 Terabits CE 38 25 5 8 69 31 38 80
3 Poikimitagiin FE 38 19 12 7 59 38 21 69
4 Sichisers OB 38 17 12 9 57 33 24 63
5 Stestrenas OC 38 17 12 9 44 37 7 63
6 Merpisms CE 38 17 10 11 50 41 9 61
7 Bumpoogra FE 38 17 7 14 45 44 1 58
8 Mylfe CE 38 16 9 13 52 48 4 57
9 Penuler OC 38 14 12 12 55 47 8 54
10 FE Dranacess 38 13 11 14 39 51 -12 50
11 Spoantects CE 38 12 13 13 42 43 -1 49
12 Knoleier FE 38 12 12 14 45 50 -5 48
13 Huellim FE 38 12 10 16 46 55 -9 46
14 Stithis FE 38 11 9 18 43 54 -11 42
15 Daazyiles OC 38 10 10 18 36 51 -15 40
16 Oillid CE 38 9 12 17 38 54 -16 39
17 DFE Anhenir 38 9 11 18 40 55 -15 38
18 Ammites FE 38 8 12 18 42 62 -20 36 R
19 Fekler FE 38 8 8 22 39 56 -17 32 R
20 Custler FE 38 5 11 22 34 72 -38 26 R

Meanwhile, the departure of Ammites FE from the top flight has resulted in a lot of activated minimum fee release clauses for its star-studded lineup, which includes seven Vephrall national team players and two of the five foreigners playing in the league. Valanoran goalkeeper Efeirn Ace and Kura-Pellandi attacking midfielder Bryan Withers are rumored to be in talks with other Cintrin A clubs, but nothing definite has been confirmed. Defender Thug Umsaasad, meanwhile, has already agreed a contract with new league champions Boalluns.

Vephraller Kustriin e Foutbill

Ammites' troubles were by no means confined to the league. Calling their quarterfinal matchup against Mylfe "ugly" would hardly do it justice. Indeed, the 1-6 home loss in the first leg was the final straw for the Ammites board, who decided that a managerial change was necessary. The second leg wasn't much better, as the team headed back home on the wrong end of an embarrassing 11-2 aggregate defeat.

Meanwhile, Boalluns successfully completed the double with a 2-0 win over Stestrenas in the final.

Fifth Round
FE Dranacess 1-0 Fekler FE
Cose CE 0-2 Ammites FE
Boalluns FE 2-1 Terabits CE
Pomperae FE 2-2 Sante OB
Replay: Sante OB 0-0 Pomperae FE (2-1 AET)
Mylfe CE 2-0 Grasset FE
DFE Anhenir 2-2 Merpisms CE
Replay: Merpisms CE 3-0 DFE Anhenir
DFE Donseplock 1-1 Stithis FE
Replay: Stithis FE 2-0 DFE Donseplock
Stestrenas OC 2-1 Daazyiles OC

Quarterfinals
Sante OB 1-3 FE Dranacess
FE Dranacess 2-1 Sante OB
Aggregate: Sante OB 2-5 FE Dranacess

Merpisms CE 0-1 Boalluns FE
Boalluns FE 1-2 Merpisms CE (2-2 AET)
Aggregate: Merpisms CE 2-3 Boalluns FE

Stithis FE 1-3 Stestrenas OC
Stestrenas OC 1-0 Stithis FE
Aggregate: Stithis FE 1-4 Stestrenas OC

Ammites FE 1-6 Mylfe CE
Mylfe CE 5-1 Ammites FE
Aggregate: Ammites FE 2-11 Mylfe CE

Semifinals
FE Dranacess 2-3 Boalluns FE
Boalluns FE 1-1 FE Dranacess
Aggregate: FE Dranacess 3-4 Boalluns FE

Stestrenas OC 5-0 Mylfe CE
Mylfe CE 2-0 Stestrenas OC
Aggregate: Stestrenas OC 5-2 Mylfe CE

Final
Boalluns FE 2-0 Stestrenas OC

New Manhattan

16-02-2008, 22:29

http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/logos/eliteleague/

Major domestic transfers
The increased profits from the Élite League have resulted in increased competition for players, driving up transfer prices.

Clifford Ellis (MC, Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī) → San Solari FC for 327.7 kg Au
Isaiah Hall (DL, Werd Beachcombers) → High Mountain Buffalo for 295.8 kg Au
Júlia Marina (MC, Syoko Poggyūggijī) → KQ Nepáïire Tingitana for 288.1 kg Au
Christian Richards (MC, New Hampton Terrapins) → San Diego Iguanas for 276.2 kg Au
Ernano Eqpósito (DL, Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī) → Qidade Savana for 264.6 kg Au
Gwaŋ Hye-san (GK, Medoria Löwen) → Naquada Falls Demons for 260.1 kg Au
Hayden Jackson (MC, Dusanto Mojaʼikījī) → Syoko Poggyūggijī for 210.9 kg Au

2141 Capitalizt Élite League—final standings
After a somewhat mediocre first half, Yuba United cemented their position as the team to beat in the second, taking a short break late in the season to sweep a friendly tournament in Septentrionia. Carter FC and a resurgent Sonoma Center stood close enough to the Silver–Blues to have a shot at the title, but Yuba’s 2–1 victory over New Hampton on the final matchday secured their second Élite League trophy. After firing Sam Salazar, who was also recently fired from his national team post due to his failure to earn qualification for World Cup 39, Qidade Savana reëstablished themselves as a top-half team. Newly-promoted Jackson FC and Natestadt Nationalisten stayed well clear of relegation, but Jamaica Giants came crashing down from their fifth-place perch of last season to end up in the drop zone, along with defending Élite League Cup champions Noka.
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Yuba United COM 46 25 10 11 71 45 26 85 C
2 Carter FC JSY 46 24 11 11 62 43 19 83
3 South Coast United JSY 46 23 13 10 60 39 21 82
4 Sonoma Center Panthers COM 46 24 9 13 81 65 16 81
5 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī JSY 46 23 8 15 61 55 6 77
6 San Solari FC COM 46 19 18 9 67 55 12 75
7 Syoko Poggyūggijī COM 46 20 14 12 44 33 11 74
8 Heidelstadt Falken JSY 46 19 13 14 58 50 8 70
9 Querzakhi United COM 46 18 16 12 41 33 8 70
10 Naquada Falls Demons JSY 46 18 14 14 62 54 8 68
11 Aeropag Penguins COM 46 16 19 11 62 49 13 67
12 Qidade Savana JSY 46 18 11 17 77 62 15 65
13 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī JSY 46 17 14 15 55 55 0 65
14 New Haverford Albion JSY 46 15 20 11 60 55 5 65
15 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK COM 46 17 13 16 66 65 1 64
16 Black Oasis Athletic COM 46 16 16 14 64 63 1 64
17 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana COM 46 16 13 17 49 57 -8 61
18 Lexington FC JSY 46 16 12 18 54 62 -8 60
19 Jackson FC COM 46 13 19 14 47 46 1 58
20 New Hampton Terrapins JSY 46 15 11 20 52 56 -4 56
21 Medoria Löwen COM 46 16 7 23 71 86 -15 55
22 Seansburgh Cougars COM 46 14 13 19 56 60 -4 55
23 Humai Titans JSY 46 14 12 20 50 63 -13 54
24 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen COM 46 13 15 18 62 68 -6 54
25 Natestadt Nationalisten COM 46 11 21 14 32 35 -3 54
26 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī JSY 46 10 21 15 31 39 -8 51
27 Cordubovica Falcons COM 46 13 11 22 55 73 -18 50
28 San Diego Iguanas COM 46 12 14 20 60 68 -8 50
29 High Mountain Buffalo JSY 46 12 13 21 47 54 -7 49
30 Griffin Zebras JSY 46 11 13 22 51 70 -19 46
31 Jamaica Giants JSY 46 10 15 21 50 64 -14 45 R
32 Noka Mariners JSY 46 7 13 26 33 69 -36 34 R

Capitalizt Élite League Cup
Syoko got revenge for their first-round TechConGroup Cup loss, beating out Sonoma Center in extra time for the right to become the first Capitalizt SLANI team to win the League Cup.
First Round
(COM) Black Oasis Athletic 0–0 Humai Titans (JSY)
(COM) San Solari FC 3–3 Lexington FC (JSY)
(JSY) Carter FC 3–2 Cordubovica Falcons (COM)
(COM) Aeropag Penguins 0–1 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK (COM)
(COM) Yuba United 1–1 Jackson FC (COM)
(COM) Syoko Poggyūggijī 1–1 Jamaica Giants (JSY)
(COM) San Diego Iguanas 1–1 Noka Mariners (JSY)
(JSY) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī 2–1 Griffin Zebras (JSY)
(COM) Natestadt Nationalisten 0–2 New Haverford Albion (JSY)
(COM) Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen 1–0 Seansburgh Cougars (COM)
(JSY) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī 2–1 New Hampton Terrapins (JSY)
(JSY) High Mountain Buffalo 4–1 Medoria Löwen (COM)
(COM) Querzakhi United 2–0 Naquada Falls Demons (JSY)
(JSY) Qidade Savana 2–1 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana (COM)
(JSY) South Coast United 2–3 Heidelstadt Falken (JSY)
(JSY) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī 0–1 Sonoma Center Panthers (COM)

First Round Replays
(JSY) Humai Titans 2–0 Black Oasis Athletic (COM)
(JSY) Lexington FC 1–2 San Solari FC (COM)
(COM) Jackson FC 2–0 Yuba United (COM)
(JSY) Jamaica Giants 0–2 Syoko Poggyūggijī (COM)
(JSY) Noka Mariners 1–1 San Diego Iguanas (COM)
Extra time: 2–2
Penalty kicks: 1–3

Second Round
(JSY) Humai Titans 1–2 San Solari FC (COM)
(JSY) Carter FC 1–0 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK (COM)
(COM) Jackson FC 1–1 Syoko Poggyūggijī (COM)
(COM) San Diego Iguanas 2–0 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (JSY)
(JSY) New Haverford Albion 2–1 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (COM)
(JSY) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī 3–0 High Mountain Buffalo (JSY)
(COM) Querzakhi United 0–1 Qidade Savana (JSY)
(JSY) Heidelstadt Falken 1–2 Sonoma Center Panthers (COM)

Second Round Replay
(COM) Syoko Poggyūggijī 1–1 Jackson FC (COM)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 3–0

Quarterfinals
(COM) San Solari FC 2–2 Carter FC (JSY)
(COM) Syoko Poggyūggijī 1–0 San Diego Iguanas (COM)
(JSY) New Haverford Albion 2–0 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (JSY)
(JSY) Qidade Savana 2–4 Sonoma Center Panthers (COM)

Quarterfinal Replay
(JSY) Carter FC 0–5 San Solari FC (COM)

Semifinals
(COM) San Solari FC 0–0 Syoko Poggyūggijī (COM)
(JSY) New Haverford Albion 1–3 Sonoma Center Panthers (COM)

Semifinal Replay
(COM) Syoko Poggyūggijī 1–0 San Solari FC (COM)

Final
(COM) Syoko Poggyūggijī 0–0 Sonoma Center Panthers (COM)
Extra time: 1–0

TechConGroup Cup
First Round
(CEL) Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK 5–0 KQ Sirto (—)
(—) Dawson Springs FC 0–2 Midway Wolves (—)
(—) Werd Beachcombers 3–1 Teʼyaçu Joŋlyugijī (—)
(CEL) Sonoma Center Panthers 3–1 Syoko Poggyūggijī (CEL)
(CEL) San Diego Iguanas 4–0 SV Veernan (—)
(—) Chorion Bluffs Knights 2–0 Seansburgh Cougars (CEL)
(CEL) Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen 4–0 Lolestu CK (—)
(CEL) Natestadt Nationalisten 1–0 Navarre Town (—)
(—) Verona FC 0–1 Querzakhi United (CEL)
(—) Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι 0–4 Yuba United (CEL)
(—) Kitsilano Konquerors 0–1 Black Oasis Athletic (CEL)
(CEL) Medoria Löwen 1–1 Jackson FC (CEL)
Extra time: 1–2
(—) Dennis Bears 1–2 Aeropag Penguins (CEL)
(CEL) KQ Nepáïire Tingitana 3–0 Commerce Heights T’birds (—)
(CEL) San Solari FC 3–1 Cordubovica Falcons (CEL)
(—) Tidus Gaŋçūl 1–3 Sonoma City Volcanoes (—)

Second Round
(CEL) Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK 2–1 Midway Wolves (—)
(—) Werd Beachcombers 0–3 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)
(CEL) San Diego Iguanas 2–1 Chorion Bluffs Knights (—)
(CEL) Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen 1–1 Natestadt Nationalisten (CEL)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 3–1
(CEL) Querzakhi United 0–0 Yuba United (CEL)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 2–4
(CEL) Black Oasis Athletic 3–0 Jackson FC (CEL)
(CEL) Aeropag Penguins 1–1 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana (CEL)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 1–3
(CEL) San Solari FC 5–0 Sonoma City Volcanoes (—)

Quarterfinals
(CEL) Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK 1–3 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)
(CEL) San Diego Iguanas 1–1 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (CEL)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 4–1
(CEL) Yuba United 1–1 Black Oasis Athletic (CEL)
Extra time: 2–1
(CEL) KQ Nepáïire Tingitana 0–0 San Solari FC (CEL)
Extra time: 1–0

Semifinals
(CEL) Sonoma Center Panthers 1–1 San Diego Iguanas (CEL)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 4–1
(CEL) Yuba United 2–0 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana (CEL)

Final
(CEL) Sonoma Center Panthers 2–1 Yuba United (CEL)
(@ Sokojito Überdome)

자스연 컵 (Jasīʼyūn Kūb)
First Round
(CEL) Humai Titans 3–0 Musketiere Twintown (—)
(—) Musketiere Twintown (1) 1–3 (6) Humai Titans (CEL)

(CEL) New Haverford Albion 0–2 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (CEL)
(CEL) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (3) 1–0 (0) New Haverford Albion (CEL)

(—) Keto Lodīlūnajī 1–5 Qidade Savana (CEL)
(CEL) Qidade Savana (8) 3–0 (1) Keto Lodīlūnajī (—)

(—) Nyendoli ʼYoŋjī 0–1 Südtolzerio Kreuzfahrer (—)
(—) Südtolzerio Kreuzfahrer (2) 1–0 (0) Nyendoli ʼYoŋjī (—)

(—) Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen 2–1 Portland Safari (—)
(—) Portland Safari (1) 0–0 (2) Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen (—)

(—) Alexandria Porcupines 0–0 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (CEL)
(CEL) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (2) 2–0 (0) Alexandria Porcupines (—)

(CEL) Noka Mariners 1–0 Naquada Falls Demons (CEL)
(CEL) Naquada Falls Demons (1) 1–0 (1) Noka Mariners (CEL)
Extra time: (1) 1–2 (3)

(CEL) Griffin Zebras 4–1 Forest Hill FC (—)
(—) Forest Hill FC (1) 0–1 (5) Griffin Zebras (CEL)

Second Round
(CEL) Lexington FC 0–2 Carter FC (CEL)
(CEL) Carter FC (4) 2–1 (1) Lexington FC (CEL)

(CEL) High Mountain Buffalo 0–1 Qidade Savana (CEL)
(CEL) Qidade Savana (2) 1–1 (1) High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)

(CEL) New Hampton Terrapins 2–1 South Coast United (CEL)
(CEL) South Coast United (3) 2–0 (2) New Hampton Terrapins (CEL)

(CEL) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī 3–1 Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen (—)
(—) Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen (1) 0–4 (7) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (CEL)

(CEL) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī 3–1 Südtolzerio Kreuzfahrer (—)
(—) Südtolzerio Kreuzfahrer (2) 1–2 (5) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (CEL)

(CEL) Noka Mariners 1–0 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (CEL)
(CEL) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (1) 1–0 (1) Noka Mariners (CEL)
Extra time: (2) 2–1 (2)
Away goals: 0–1

(CEL) Griffin Zebras 2–0 Humai Titans (CEL)
(CEL) Humai Titans (2) 2–2 (4) Griffin Zebras (CEL)

(CEL) Jamaica Giants 1–1 Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken (1) 0–0 (1) Jamaica Giants (CEL)
Away goals: 1–0

Quarterfinals
(CEL) Carter FC 1–3 Qidade Savana (CEL)
(CEL) Qidade Savana (5) 2–1 (2) Carter FC (CEL)

(CEL) South Coast United 1–2 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (CEL)
(CEL) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (2) 0–0 (1) South Coast United (CEL)

(CEL) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī 0–1 Noka Mariners (CEL)
(CEL) Noka Mariners (2) 1–1 (1) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (CEL)

(CEL) Griffin Zebras 1–3 Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken (3) 0–1 (2) Griffin Zebras (CEL)

Semifinals
(CEL) Qidade Savana 1–1 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (CEL)
(CEL) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (2) 1–0 (1) Qidade Savana (CEL)

(CEL) Noka Mariners 1–0 Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken (1) 1–0 (1) Noka Mariners (CEL)
Extra time: (2) 2–1 (2)
Away goals: 0–1

Final
(CEL) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī 4–0 Noka Mariners (CEL)
(CEL) Noka Mariners (1) 1–2 (6) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (CEL)

Adihan

17-02-2008, 09:38

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Offseason News Snippets

League status
Following the end of the first season of Ad'ihani domestic football, an executive meeting of the United Islands League committee approved the United Islands Minor's request of full league status, making it the official second league division of the League. Previously, it had only had associate status, meaning its clubs were still considered non-league. The name of the division will be modified to the more respectable-sounding Second Division to reflect its new status.

Promotion and relegation change
With this change comes a change in the relegation and promotion method, since the previous indirect method was due to the Minor's non-league status. Now, the bottom two teams from the United Islands Premier are automatically relegated to the Second Division, with the two separate phases scrapped.

In the Second Division, the winners of the two phases qualify for a post-season playoff. At the end of the season, if these two winners are 1st and 2nd overall, the playoff does not happen and both are promoted. If either of the winners is 1st overall, they are promoted and the other team plays off against the team 2nd overall.

If the same team wins both phases, and a team does not finish second in both phases, a playoff between the two runners-up of the two phases is held to determine the second promoted team. If both phase winners do not finish first at the end of the season, the team that finished first overall is promoted while the two phase winners play off for the second spot.

Reserve league?
At the same executive meeting of the United Islands League committee, the possibility of setting up a reserve league was mooted by at least six of the top sixteen club chairmen. The League committee agreed to investigate the possibility, but ruled it our happening before Season Four.

Quinn to move?
Sources in El din, Candelaria And Marquez, close to Ad'ihani international left-back Kenneth Quinn have told multiple news media in Ad'ihan that Quinn is quietly becoming increasingly unsettled with the El din Marbles and wants a move away. However, it is unlikely that Quinn will return home to play in the UIL as the sources have said Quinn would prefer to stay in Candelaria And Marquez. His agent refused to comment.

Foreigners in the league?
It is understood that the United Islands Premier's rulemaking body has been asked by at least ten clubs to consider allowing foreigners to play in the league. Currently, foreigners are not permitted to play in league games in Ad'ihan (at both Premier and Second level), and although they are allowed to play in the AFF Cup none do because of the impracticality. The UIP has referred the matter to be discussed at the next UIL executive committee meeting, which will take place shortly after the start of next season. If it is approved, the first international Ad'ihani transfer window could occur at the half-way point of next season. However, the UIL has warned that it will not sanction anything that "may damage the state of Ad'ihani club football".

Tony Jones set for move?
Following a string of impressive substitute performances in World Cup qualifying, Olympique Protectorat youngster Anthony Jones has been linked with a move out of the country. Jones, 18, has already scored one goal – in the 2-1 loss to Bazalonia – and has wowed spectators. It's rumoured that Jones may be headed to join Quinn in the Candelaria And Marquez Soccer Championship, although at least one newspaper speculates Jones may join international teammate Julian D'Abbo at Cafundéulense league challengers Clube Imperial. Jones has insisted that he wants to stay at Protectorate Stadium, although the lure of playing abroad may prove too much.

AFF Club rankings announced
The first-ever set of club rankings issued by the Ad'ihan Football Federation (AFF) has been released. It takes into account a team's league and cup performances over the past three seasons, although for now it only includes last season's data.

Unsurprisingly, Premier champions and Cup runners-up Protectorate United have been ranked as the best club in the country ahead of the start of the new season, scoring a league ranking score of 7.141 points and a cup score of 2.824 points for a total of 9.965 points.

However, the system has been criticised by some teams as when the cup score is calculated, the number of goals scored is taken into account, meaning teams that are knocked out in the first round without scoring get 0 cup ranking points. The AFF have acknowledged the criticism and have said they are working on finding a better ranking method.

Due to the skew of the cup ranking points, County Stanley of the Second Division ended up being ranked 7th out of 24 teams, the best-placed team from the Second Division. Similarly, Island Athletic, who finished second-last in the Minor last season, were ranked 10th overall as they scored four goals in two games in the cup, a fact that helped their ranking.

The AFF have advised clubs and fans not to read too much into the overall rankings and instead to look at the more representative league rankings.

Altsend, who finished last overall in the Premier last season and were relegated, ranked last – 24th out of 24 – with just 3.036 total ranking points.

AFF Club rankings – overall
Pos Team League
1 Protectorate United Premier
2 Olympique Protectorat Premier
3 Oldbridge City Premier
4 Dalinn Wanderers Premier
5 Pilminster Rovers Premier
6 CF Mont Pluie Premier
7 County Stanley FC Second
8 Navon Beach FC Premier
9 Flitton Rangers Second
10 Island Athletic FC Second
11 Kinney Road FC Premier
12 Tallyn Rovers FC Second (promoted)
13 South Barrier United Premier
14 Flitton City Premier
15 Southcast Town Second
16 Northtown United Premier
17 AFC Hatton Second
18 Grand Arsenal FC Premier
19 Mountbatten Junction FC Premier
20 Djei Sporting Club Premier
21 Hatton Town FC Premier
22 Dullham and Oldbridge FC Second
23 T'chéy Park FC Second
24 Altsend FC Premier (relegated)

AFF club rankings – League points
Pos Team League/finishing pos
1 Protectorate United Premier /01
2 Olympique Protectorat Premier /03
3 CF Mont Pluie Premier /02
4 Pilminster Rovers Premier /04
5 Navon Beach FC Premier /05
6 Oldbridge City Premier /06
7 Dalinn Wanderers Premier /07
8 Tallyn Rovers FC Second /01/promoted
9 Flitton Rangers Second /02
10 South Barrier United Premier /11
11 Northtown United Premier /09
12 Grand Arsenal FC Premier /10
13 Mountbatten Junction FC Premier /08
14 County Stanley FC Second /03
15 Southcast Town Second /04
16 Djei Sporting Club Premier /12
17 Hatton Town FC Premier /13
18 Dullham and Oldbridge FC Second /06
19 AFC Hatton Second /05
20 Kinney Road FC Premier /15
21 Flitton City Premier /14
22 T'chéy Park FC Second /08
23 Island Athletic FC Second /07
24 Altsend FC Premier /16/relegated

Casari

18-02-2008, 02:27

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presents

The (slightly delayed) 1524 Season Preview

It's been a bit of a lack of soccer reporting (we're sorry about that, we truly are), but as the sport continues to come around, the new 1524 season promises to be one of the most hotly contested in years. And we wouldn't want to leave you poor souls out in the dark about the top level of the sport (knowing you'll see more information about non-top levels of the sport than you'll ever care to), the 1524 season preview focuses on the big teams who you're likely to see internationally.

The Juggernaut
Tyrellia City Soccer Club

A club started by the city to fill a ground emptied then the former occupants left, Tyrellia City has grown from a poor team to crushing opposition, becoming the depressing favorite. Winning the title in 1522 and 1523, they're the smart pick.

Featuring Michael Reoni, returning from National Team Duty, Keith Lorini, the man given the duty of getting him the ball all year long, and who has done so with alarming frequency and accuracy, and Lucas Ryans, who possesses his own highlight reel of amazing fingertip saves, City will be distressingly tough to beat for the rest of the First Division, and their big-money roster consists of enough trade bait to tempt any team- foreign or domestic- into making them even better.

The Rival
Tyrellian International Football Club

The most successful club in the history of Casari is in danger of losing it's title- something which it surely doesn't want to see.

However, this could be the year in which it all turns around for International- the move that made the club infamous for chasing the affluent fans to the suburbs now replacing those quiet, dignified individuals with a new group of passionate, younger fans determined to see the once great club return. And the passion blossoming on the stands is reflected with the talent the team is putting on the field- after years of buying the best and brightest, a crop of the club's youth stars are now fixtures on the first team.

The brightest of the two are the twins, Peter and Mina Leir, who have clearly inherited their mother's skill as a striker and are making up the front two for International. The team is young, an average age of 22, but all have the feeling that they can turn the current Red trend.

The Best Chance
West Baronies Soccer Club

West Baronies- the eternal also-ran, creater of great talents only to see them leave, keeping the team just on the brink. Most notably, the career of Vivica Hill, former National Team coach and all-around hero, ended with a shattered ankle, denying the team a top spot once again.

But, life goes in circles, and while the team lost the services of the last greatest player the country's ever seen, the services of the next one have dropped conveniently in their laps. Getting over her unwillingness to play for a club, Silvia Hill's signed with the team coming off of her national team contract.

That, really, is the long and short of West Baronies' season- Hill gives them the chance that no other team in the country possesses, and that makes them very dangerous.

The Blast from the Past
Shelby Football Club

While the National Team never embraces it, the Casaran way is to attack. Strikers get the glory, the midfielders that feed them the ball are in high demand, but the backs that protect the goal only feature as the other person you can't see on posters in kid's rooms.

Except in Shelby.

Shelby looked at soccer in Casari long ago and, seeing the way things were going, made a bold decision to embrace the dark arts of defense and put up the 7-2-1 or 6-3-1 that made other teams yell in frustration. And it worked, bringing them a title and several years of success before turning back into a typical Casaran team.

However, the dark art has returned to Shelby, with a trio of strong defenders- Ryan Deros, James Randii, and Bryan Reynolds- heading up a team that is expected to give up few goals- and hopefully, score just a few more than they give up.

The Wild Card
The Casaran Armed Forces Land Command Athletics Club Representative Team

The Casaran Armed Forces Land Command Athletics Club Representative Team- also known as the Casaran Army Team to most sane individuals- fought their way to the First Division, literally and figuratively. Using their army conditioning to the max, since the admission of the Army Team to the professional leagues they've won almost everything they've played in, outclassing the weaker competition.

However, the army recruits are sorely lacking in talent, and their conditioning can only go so far, which raises the question of how well the Army can perform at the top level- they can light it up, they could fail spectacularly, or they could end up somewhere in the middle, making them the definite Wild Card of the season.

The Power Rankings

A media poll taken today, asking the Casaran Sportswriters Association to rank the First Division clubs, placed Tyrellia City solidly on top- the exact place where most fans want them to avoid. The complete table is here:

The First Division
Tyrellia City
West Baronies SC
Tyrellian International
Corneria United SC
Shelby FC
Winton Market SC
Tyir FC
Astra Royal SC
Tyrellia Blues
FC Stockton
Cornerian
Casaran Army Team
Sanjuku United
Leyton FC
Presscot FC
Inslow FC
Brighton Hill FC
Granite City FC
Brooks FC
AFC Port Royal

Brooks FC are probably the most surprising to be on the bottom, but the club's glory days seem far behind them this year, as they continue to struggle in the top flight of competition.

The Season

With twenty teams at the top level, a regular 38-game season seems to be in the cards for Casari's best, all the way down to the sixth level. Cup inflation is in full effect as well, with the CSA Cup for Teams in levels 1-7, the CSA Trophy for 8-10, and with the Hearts Trophy and Granite Cup being played as well, the fixture list looks as crowded as ever- and CasariTV is looking to bring you as many matches as we can this season, culminating in what should be a hotly contested First Division championship.

Kelssek

18-02-2008, 04:58

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KBC ONLINE | SPORTS | FOOTBALL

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Arsenault signs with Cafundéu team
18 FEBRUARY 2008 - ULYANOV

The Ulyanov Wolves football club have confirmed the transfer of Kelssek international Vincent Arsenault to Cafundéu's CR Submiria.

The midfielder, a two-time Kelssek Football League season MVP and the offensive lynchpin of the national team, is the third Kelssekian to head abroad and the second to move to Cafundéu. Ian Sinclair made headlines last year when he became Kelssek's first major footballing export, signing with Cafundéu's AFF club.

Sinclair was a regular feature in the team and has since been transferred to São José, another team in the First Division, Cafundéu's highest league.

CR Submiria, newly promoted from the Second Divison, paid over 5 million vintems (KSD 7.1 million) to acquire Arsenault. Contract details have not been disclosed, but the deal for the person widely considered this nation's best football player is likely even more lucrative than Sinclair's contract, which is worth over $6 million per year.

Adihan

18-02-2008, 07:30

"Future star" leaves Ad'ihan for Vephrall

In a surprise move, Olympique Protectorat has announced that Ad'ihan international midfielder Anthony Jones has left the club for Vephrese league club Stithis FE for a reported 3.88 million Tazos (US$6.79m).

Jones, 18, who has four international caps and one goal, played in only six of his team's 30 league matches last season and has faced stiff competition for a place in the starting eleven at Protectorate Stadium.

Recently linked with a move to both Candelaria And Marquez and Cafundéu, Jones had told the United Islands League News Magazine that he wanted to stay at Protectorate Stadium. However, when the offer from Stithis was made for the Tz 4 million-rated Jones, the club were willing to accept.

Jones agreed personal terms with the club speculated to be worth at least twice his current deal of Tz 7,000 (US$12,250) per week, and Jones is expectged to feature regularly in the VTF Citirin A for his new club.

Jones, who has been described by his international manager Dave Hollow as a "future star of Ad'ihani football", explained his decision to move. "When the club came to me and told me I'd had an offer made from abroad, I knew that this was my chance to start playing first-team football and at least get the chance to impress Mr Hollow enough to get an international start. I'm delighted to be playing in Vephrall."

However, Jones indicated he would consider a return to the United Islands to play in the future. "Maybe in a couple of years, when I'm in my mid-twenties and at the top of my game I'll come back to Ad'ihan to play. Olympique Protectorat and Protectorate United both, and their staff, have been very kind to me here at Protectorate Stadium and I can't forget that."

Dancougar

18-02-2008, 16:33

Kingdom of Dancougar International Transfers

With its Baptism of Fire victory and average run in World Cup 39 qualifiers, Dancougar was able to raise its footballing profile. A few players on the national team caught the attention of foreign clubs, which will allow them to continue their development beyond their college playing days. Players to make the jump so far:

Hideo Ikeda (F) to América, Cafundeu: Hideo was a force to be reckoned with during his senior season at Hazuki State University, scoring 18 times in 16 games as the leader of the nation's best offense. He continued his streak during the Baptism of Fire, and despite cooling off during World Cup qualifiers, he remains the national team's top scorer.

Brandon Barclay (D) to Pernetas EC, Cafundeu: Brandon helped make Chastain College a contender in the Northern Plains Conference by playing tight defense. During qualification, Brandon was a familiar sight on the right side of goal, keeping attackers wide and closing down space at critical moments.

Andrew Nance (D) to Kareen FC, Elves Security Forces: Solid defending has always been the Pollock mantra, and nobody embodied it quite like Andrew Nance, who stands at 6' 4" and controls the eighteen with powerful clearing headers. His fitness is never in doubt, but his mobility might be, so developing better reaction speed will be a key project.

Jericho Leyton (M) to Everlin Snipers, Elves Security Forces: During his senior season as Chastain College, Leyton was a jack of all trades. He scored goals in big games and served as a proxy for his coach, often directing attacks and set pieces and ensuring the pace of the game remained in his side's favor. Leyton continued to serve that role at the national level, and is able to create goals with his passing just as easily as with his shooting.

Fred Naylen (M) to Turmondale United, Elves Security Forces: A surprise pick by the foreign scouts, as Naylen has seen little international action outside of being a late-game substitute on several occasions. He possesses above-average vision and a willingness to mix it up all over the field.

(Future updates inline if needed.)

Candelaria And Marquez

18-02-2008, 17:24

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World Cup Break: CMSC Chairmen agree rules changes

The executive committee of the CMSC, including the sixteen chairmen (or equivalents thereof) met Monday to agree to a series of amendments designed to, to quote CMSC President Sam O’Neil, continue the league’s progress in becoming one of the world’s pre-eminent competitions in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

As well as the usual tedious stuff about goal celebrations and the traditional blanket refusal to change that daft thing where injured players have to wait to come back on; the headline change was the increase of the limit of foreigners in the league to four per team, starting in the XXVIII season. Though the decisions was taken unanimously, numerous club officials have raised concerns over the plans in recent weeks; but O’Neil was quick to point out that with future C&M national team squads widely anticipated to be made up of around a third of players from foreign-based clubs, it was only natural to allow anywhere up to around a third of first-team players in the CMSC to be non-nationals; international stars or otherwise.

Regrettably for those who pushed for a restructuring of the league’s calendar, the meeting ended with no agreement on bringing the CMSC in line with the normal international programme; meaning that the transfer window will still open around twelve matchdays after the end of the World Cup by which point many of the world’s most available stars will have been snapped up.

As expected, the league will expand to eighteen teams for the start of XXIX, with a complicated play-off procedure introduced next year to decide the make-up of that first increased series. The CMSC also renewed its commitment to encouraging more international agreement between foreign leagues and clubs in the hope of the future initiation of a regular international knock-out competition, years after the collapse of the IAFL.

Other news centres around those leaving the CMSC, for even the most respected of national leagues can only flounder in the shadow of Cafundéu. The transfer of William Burgos, the Arrigo Portuguese and C&M right-back, to América was the first to go through; with the Lasft side’s manager Javier Sanchez eager to bring countrymen to the nascent club. Burgos is widely expected to be given the armband, though his first job remains to force his way back into Lloyd Donnelly’s preferred first team. Portuguese manager Matthew Tortini has since hit out at Burgos’ “disloyalty”, and claimed that, since Alfie Felipe André is a more than capable replacement, he won’t be missed anyway.

Meanwhile, though Candelaria-Allemali director of football Tom Ramsay has refused to comment on the matter, it has been widely reported in the Candelariasian and Cafundelense press that Connor Mengucci, the holding midfielder, is also set to join the Candelariasian diaspora at América. Mengucci will likely return to CandelariaAM on loan however for the remainder of the season, forgoing the Lasft state championship in order to help the Shining Sons stay in the first division. His transfer may be dependent however on América showing that they possess the ability to spell his surname correctly.

The biggest news however surrounds Ignacio Vélez, C&M’s twenty-seven-goal international striker. At twenty-eight, Vélez has long been known to be seeking an international experience, despite his brother Rául’s inglorious stint in Kura-Pelland. Marquez-Onwere, fearing a back-lash from fans while a second straight league title remains in the grasp, are said to be on the verge of concluding a deal that would see Vélez join the Cafundelense giants Cafundó do Juta, with their powerful forward Carecha coming the other way. Since the naranja have only two foreigners on their books Carecha would be permitted to go straight into the first team, though several CMSC clubs have threatened legal action already if MarquezOW go on to win the title with Carecha on board. Cyril Mastini, the ancient powerless chairman of Albrecht FC, has been quick to complain about the mooted move to anyone who’ll listen; his objections principally surrounding the presence of Niclas and Erik Kjaer in the MarquezOW squad, who, although Candelariasian nationals, were both born in the now defunct Australian state of Recluse Island and in the elder’s case has represented his country internationally.

El din Marbles, though comfortably placed in the top half of the table after matchday twenty-one, are having internal issues of their own with the Ad’ihani left-back Kenneth Quinn and the young left-winger Nic Percy believed to have suffered a serious fall-out in recent weeks, with a video of a training ground scuffle posted on YouTube. If it comes to it, Carlos Panadero and the Marbles board will clearly prefer to get shot of the foreigner, with Percy a popular home-grown player expected to be an important part of C&M’s next Di Bradini squad. Albrecht Turkish have shown an interest in Quinn, but after loosing out on Mengucci are more likely to attempt to look abroad to find a midfield replacement for thirty-two-year-old Toby Stumpf, making a trip back to the UIL more probable.

Most other clubs are weeks away from confirming foreign moves with the league still very much to play for, but Radyukevich have jumped the gun to end press speculation by confirming that the Sorthern veteran left-back Min Cho-Hi would be departing in the off-season, while the Kura-Pellandi centre-back Steve Hurston’s contract will not be renewed, the twenty-five-year-old being one of the few of his countrymen not to have impressed since his move to the CMSC. Ironically; Jacob Wilson, the Candelariasian manager of Hurton’s ex-club Delta Force Cardim, has shown interest in bringing him back to the club should they achieve promotion back into the Corganen Championship.

Elves Security Forces

18-02-2008, 18:09

Valanora Express
Hawk Makes Big News

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Laborious takes a photo with a fan before a big match in Turruth Gordur

Laborious Hawk, perhaps the most talented footballer the nation has, has made quite a splash in the news this week. After having his contract voided by the Turruth Gordur government, the superstar midfielder was courted by many clubs. After spruning offers from hometown Hondo, and giants Raynor City, it was leaked late last night that the midfielder has signed with Petardos S/A in Cafundeu. He'll be joining fellow national teamer Anti Fresco in the starting eleven, and will be part of an attack that looks like it will light up the rest of the league. Also making way to Cafundeu sides are defender Hizzen Hocn, striker Ikles Razov, and versatile midfielder Nelson Kries. Two top talents that are returning home are Placibus Hardsworth, who refused to comment to which club he gave his signature to, and winger Cristi Kries, who made the surprise decision to sign with AC Valanari. Whether this is enough to lft the consistant Valanari side to elite will have to be seen, but it is one of the biggest surprises to be had in the transfer market over the past four seasons. With two weeks still left for clubs to improve thier rosters, look for the giants to try and strengthen themselves to deal with this new Valanari threat.

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Cristi showing off for the camera during a national team practice.

Article by Luna Santapa

The Gupta Dynasty

18-02-2008, 20:35

The LIDYT

Off-season Recap

Two-time champions Chelmar FC went into the off-season looking to improve their all-star line-up, which already contained eight national team players, but, in the eyes of Manager Hares Dalermo, could use more international lever players. Chelmar scouts descended upon the training facilities of the World Cup Qualifiers, as well as the games, and soon had several players in their sights. First of their major transfers was Joshua Kanga, the Bazalonian national team goalkeeper, a transfer, given his excellent qualifying performances, the critics were raving about his potential. Given that goalkeeper had been Chelmar's only position of weakness in the previous season, the critics were soon all over Chelmar as clearly the best team in the league.

This was followed by the announcement that Chelmar had signed Ian Felsenfeld, the Zwangzug national team striker, who had come to Chelmar mostly to follow his close friend, Evan Terwilliger, with whom he had tended to play exceedingly well. Felsenfeld, who had been seen as very erratic on the national level, tended to do much better when playing with Terwilliger. Coming in the wake of last year's signing of Vorin Dariegan, Chelmar's offense now looked severely potent, and with their league-leading defense, the main analysts began to pick Chelmar as the favorites, even though there was still much of the off-season to go.

Two-time cup winners IYC Ajer, however, who had not had a major transfer since acquiring Prince Sebard three season ago, had money to spare, and an interest in stopping Chelmar's third consecutive title. Emphasizing their cup victories, IYC Ajer managed to sign hotly-pursued Zwangzug center midfielder Brandon Deguela, as well as the Zwangzug national team captain, Stephen Ruck. These two acquisitions, from a top-ten national team, catapulted IYC Ajer, in the eyes of the experts, to the team with the best midfield in the league - Ruck, Deguela, Sebard and Ahsian Vanadrin, the Yaforite national team left midfielder, made up an international-level midfield, that soon looked that, if not challenge Chelmar, might even put IYC Ajer on top of the LIDYT table.

They were not yet done. IYC Ajer's main problem in the previous season had been their inability to score from the striker position. This problem was quickly rectified by the acquisition of Jeros Dragonhand, the Valanora under-21 international. Not to be outdone, as if in response, Chelmar immediately jumped back into the market, spending a large amount of money in gaining Demotian center defender Alan Lockdale (who improved an already all-international defense) and Aleosi defensive midfielder Braca, whose strength and athleticism provided a powerful backup to center midfielder Mosada Juhan.

Cardarel FC and IYC Uharan were not interested in being outdone, either. Reaching into the Valanora youth team, Cardarel signed nineteen-year-old center midfielder Jamichel Totez, who had been attracting scouts from all over the world due to his gutsy performances in Starblaydia. Center defender Lance Wiat quickly followed, bringing youth to Cardarel's aging squad, anchored by the retiring defender Thia Boley, for whom Wiat was intended to be a future replacement. Cardarel's main strength had always been their strike force, with national team starter Zyante Meleherat, but they moved to the Bazalonian national team side to grab another striker, David Insfield, who would bring both youth and skill to a Cardarel team that had often been described as "tired" and "weary".

Uharan, meanwhile, were far more interested in Zwangzug players. Phillip Stings, the aging striker, was the first player over. He had been a "speed demon" many world cups ago, but was now much better noted for his age, experience, and fouling ability. Uharan saw him as an excellent way to improve their youthful team. A similar move was getting Frank Knead, a Bazalonian center midfielder, who, they hoped, would educate and work with young superstar Maharta Kiranar, as he learned the ropes of, what was, in their mind, as well as the minds of many experts, the most dangerous position on the football field.

For many mid-level clubs, however, it was not economically feasible to go to foreign countries like Zwangzug and Bazalonia to get players. Instead, the military culture of neighboring Aleos provided an easy, and cheaper, way to get skilled and aggressive players. Real Alumno was the first of these clubs, gaining center midfielders Rigel and Verd from Aleosi clubs. Not to be outdone, Kiera FC immediately reached in, grabbing national team striker Nero, the best Aleosi center defender, Valgaav, and another striker, Perri. The Prestonian league also provided a cheaper option for many clubs, and Kiera moved to Prestonia to gain a goalkeeper, Kevin Kane.

IYC Kaharan, many analysts' upset pick, signed Aleosi outside midfielder Zaren, while IYC Hadaris signed national team goalkeeper Ave, defender Fram, and outside midfielder Simon. Hadaris looked to prosper greatly from their Aleosi players, whose common strength fit well into Hadaris' strong style of play. Ramen United, who rarely moved out of their shell to get any foreign player, no matter how skilled, were persuaded by the skill of jack-of-all-trades Aleosi Sarvic to acquire him. That even Ramen were interested in gaining an Aleosi player spoke well, in the eyes of experts, for the skill of the Aleosi league and players. Interested in Aleosi players as well were lower-end clubs IYC Odarian, the most recently promoted club, as well as IYC Tucorin, the former gaining defenders Bora and Valleha (between whom there is reported to be common blood), and the latter gaining attacking midfielder Alma and defender Renda.

[OOC: Will have the recaps of triads one, two, and three up soon, along with the finished league table.]

Casari

19-02-2008, 02:25

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The 1524 Champion's Vase (And other interesting announcements)

The Champion's Vase would be a minor trophy, pitting the First Division and CSA Cup champions against one another for a bit of preseason competition. However, the addition of a 1,500,000 selari prize to the winning team gave both sides a bit of a reason to compete.

The first team was the all-destroying Tyrellia City SC, looking to add a bit more to their trophy shelf, their position being not at all surprising at this point. The other team, however, was. Tyir Football Club was a surprising winner, particularly in the CSA Cup, while they struggled mightily in the league season, struggling to say up and narrowly avoiding the drop. Looking stronger this year, they wanted to provide the first upset in a season of them- And did quite well at that.

1524 Champion's Vase
Tyrellia City SC 1-2 Tyir FC

The Other Interesting Announcements

While Tyir's win gave the rest of the league hope, a much more exciting announcement was at hand, as after some preliminary discussions with foreign FAs, the plans to restart a top-flight international league such as the former International Association Football League have come to light.

Incorporating some lessons learned from the initial competition, early plans call for four teams from participating nations to play in a single league table. Relegation from and Promotion to the new league would be controlled by the member FAs, allowing nations to offer their positions in a franchise basis, set up a system of promotion or relelgation, or form new upper-level teams to participate in the competition. A number of more complicated alternate plans have been set forth as well, including a split season and multiple parallel conferences and a greater number of teams, but these have been met with less acceptance among officials due to the increased complexity.

Terms of the competition (given the tenative name of the World Association Football League, although that name is subject to change as well) are sure to be completed in final negotiations with other FAs. The CSA hopes to begin the new league after the upcoming domestic season, pending the desire to participate.

Zwangzug

19-02-2008, 02:49

As if the current computer glitches, invisible fences, and assorted randomness wasn't enough, the Zwangzug Athletic Organization has gone one step farther.

In a short statement, some random guy announced the formation of a rival to the tentative World Association Football League. "Simply put, not all countries have the domestic structure to enter such a system," said whoever it was. "Therefore, we'd like to propose a league for Minor United Footballing Nations." There are about four entities-Arlington City, Spenson Suburbia, Namiri Forest, and the always-dangerous Rovers United-that might qualify as actual clubs if defined loosely enough, and their participation in such an entity would likely stand in for an actual domestic league within Zwangzug.

Can MUFN compete with WAFL? Only time will tell.

Adihan

24-02-2008, 19:21

CF Mont-Pluie slammed for signing foreigner

The United Islands League executive board has criticised Premier club CF Mont-Pluie for signing the Ad'ihani league's first-ever foreign professional.

Starblaydi attacking midfielder Chen Myung-bo, 16, is ineligible to play in the United Islands Premier due to the current league rules, which forbid non-Ad'ihanis or non-Liventians from playing in the league's two divisions. Despite the fact that the league's 24 directors/chairmen are due to meet shortly to discuss the possibility of foreign players, Chen would still not meet the age requirement of 18 years to play in the league.

Chen is available for CFMP's cup matches, as the AFF Cup's rules do not forbid foreigners and the minimum age is 16. Therefore, CFMP's signing of Chen from the Starblaydi FA has attracted widespread criticism in the country, with people both concerned over Chen's development as a player as well as CFMP's perceived ignorance of the rules.

UIL Chairman Albert Kostenević slammed the CFMP at a hastily-arranged press conference to discuss the issue. "The League's position on this issue is very clear and has not yet changed. Foreigners, as well as players under 18, are not allowed to play in either division of the League, and should CF Mont-Pluie take the decision to field an ineligible player then penalties will be applied as necessary.

"The League has written to the club's management to remind them of their commitments to the League's rules. The player's welfare is also at stake, as the player will not be able to play until the second half of the season, when the cup starts. The League doesn't have a youth division either and do not expect to have one for the forseeable future. We are very concerned that CFMP's management may be severely hindering the player's future, and have written to the Football Federation with our views."

CFMP manager Nicolas Tarini dismissed Kostenević's concerns. "We know what we're doing, and Chen will not be playing in the league, so Mr Kostenević can relax. We have full confidence that Chen will develop into a great player for us and for Starblaydia and implore the league to allow foreign players."

The AFF's director, Pierre-André Kavan, issued a statement discussing the move. "The AFF is of the view that foreign imports harm the Ad'ihani game. However, we do note that there is currently no AFF legislation against the signing of non-Ad'ihani or non-Liventian players. Indeed, foreign nationals are eligible to play in the AFF Cup should they meet all requirements.

"We would like to remind the club involved that as a member of the United Islands League, they are bound by the League's rules, and the AFF will treat any breach of these rules seriously."

Candelaria And Marquez

26-02-2008, 18:45

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Matchday Twenty-Two: Who the #$*! are you?

No, not the latest effort from the What the Bleep Do We Know!? eejits, but the general reaction of many of the CMSC sixteen’s less hardcore supporters as their team-sheets were read out this weekend. XXVII may be back under way and ready for the final stages, but there were few clubs able to pick from their entire compliment of players with six international stars still away at the World Cup and at least fourteen expected first-team players likely to miss most if not all of the final eight league fixtures while at the earlier-than-usual Di Bradini Cup.

The managers of the worst-hit clubs have of course been complaining bitterly about their losses, but it has always been written in stone that the league must re-start as soon as the C&M squad becomes available again, for fear of falling further behind the usual international calendar. And so matchday twenty-two became a game of “gosh, is he still on our books?” and “how the hell do you pronounce Gogrichiani?”

Commentators and fans alike soon had to break out the lozenges when regular Radyukevich keeper Gari Kilad was, ironically all things considered, confined to the bench after picking up a knock in training. Instead, nineteen year-old debutant Dak Gogrichiani was thrown into the fray, as the CMSC opened back up with the Clotaire derby. Indeed, Coleman Mustard was forced to put out a pretty new-look side all round. Left-back Min Cho-Hi had left the club in the break, with Steve Hurston reluctantly filling in, which with Jari Virta away at the DBC presented a first-time centre-back pairing of the veteran Tommy Tohver and youngster Warren Crochemore. Carroll Eriksson returned to the side meanwhile, with Christian Sattler likewise taking on the Fujisawan Territories half a world away.

And funnily enough, it actually worked. Port of Clotaire were rather less touched by the World Cup gap, and were able to play C&M international Tom Redway and the Zwangzugian defender Natalie Instonenext together after their mutual last-16 exists, despite lurid allegations surrounding Redway’s private life popping up in the tabloids. Thankfully for the Jukos however, the Hilltop Stadium club had the form of DBC veteran Jamie Rawlinson on their side, and the tall forward scored twice in the first half after capitalising on errors in the box by DBC veteran Amis Cressey and, um, DBC veteran Nathaniel Alaoui.

Despite his one mistake, Alaoui was on top form and his colleague on the left Gary Collins also provided some excellent balls in, but the Harpies were clearly suffering from the loss of Jason Federici to, as it happens, the Di Bradini Cup. On any other day however Dan Davis and Ryan Gnom would have got goals, and Niko Mason’s squad still look safe. Radyukevich on the other hand stay in the relegation zone despite the win, and have also lost Jamie Rawlinson for at least a couple of games after a late injury.

The real focus of course was at the other end of the table, with the big game being Green Island’s meeting with Albrecht FC. Defeat in Zapata would see Tony Organ’s Scorpions all but concede the title and that fear was clearly worrying the capital club from the off. The GIZ for their part were shorn of their talismanic playmaker Roger Zetaback and the small size of their squad was very much in evidence with Rául Vélez forced to play in midfield and teenager Tom Smith in up front with Andrew Abbott suspended. It meant that the table-toppers were playing just one foreigner, and that was the Valerian youngster Étienne de Roviere – music to the ears of those striking out against the increased four-foreigner limit to be imposed next year.

To be fair, Albrecht were also down to the bare bones with Naoki Tonnelier and Kovac Johnson away and Jack Marshall continuing an injury-ravaged season on the sidelines. A host of younger players – Aaron Abdellah, Kian Donnelly and Ryan Edwards respectively – were given a go, but this time Organ’s focus on the kids came up against a brick wall. Though Ben Edwards’ free-kick equalised Vélez’s 20-yard opener, the home side always looked the favourites as Albrecht’s rear-guard action finally gave out in the second half when the right winger David Walker, so often criminally overlooked for his country, nodded in Seb Cerullei’s corner.

Their cushion at the top is still but two points however, with Albrecht Turkish’s wide men also making the difference in the Millermen’s game. Rueben Kennedy and Ryan Westhead were both able to exploit the absence of Kenneth Quinn (World Cup with Ad’ihan) and Carlos Humberto Tokpah (nose injury) while without Nicholas Percy (Di Bradini Cup) the El din Marbles looked toothless and also succumbed to a two-one defeat, with Aubrey Mkhonza’s late red card capping it off. They remain just inside the top half however, as KT Hotspur could only manage a two-all draw with Caires Sports in the absence of star goalkeeper Joel Sbaïz.

It was as much about who wasn’t there as who was in Lavange too, as Candelaria Arsenal met Marquez-Onwere in what should have been an utter mismatch. The naranja however were without the inspirational Jack Stafador, off on his continued bench-warming duties with Starblaydia; and, more to the point, Ignacio Vélez. Andy Woolworth and the club’s board could not stand in the way of the C&M star’s wishes to play the last couple of years of his professional career for one of the world’s biggest clubs, Cafundó do Juta, and no doubt the money will come in handy too. Of more of a pressing concern is how quickly newcomer Careca can fit into the team. He was on the bench this weekend with Woolworth feeling his mid-season fitness isn’t yet quite up to scratch, but if they are to have any hoping of retaining their title they will need him and fast. Caesar Lopo was hardly an adequate replacement, but more worrying was the defensive performance with Mars Douyadari and Pete Kimber swept aside on more than one occasion as the struggling C.A.L ran out two-nil winners.

All this almost overshadowed another all-Kura-Pellandi-management battle in Arrigo, which saw the Portuguese come from an Andrew Bradley goal down to win two-one against Turks’ Club through Cortez Carocha’s curling effort and an Iain Belling effort that whistled just past his international team-mate Stephen Hill.

The defeat more or less put the mockers on Felipe Curana’s Turks’ Clubs’s unlikely title challenge, while any residual hopes of Gamboa FC were also easily dealt with by Candelaria-Allemali. The Shining Sons’ downward spiral may finally be over, for even in the absence of Aaron Kortsarian they smashed four past a hapless Murphy Matthews in the home side’s goal. Andy Walker was missing Austin Lewis to be fair, but the other star men Sargento Castelão and Adlai Dobson were clearly still on mental holidays, and only two late strikes from seventeen year-old sub George Jones helped to lighten the mood.

And to finish off this almost unbelievably long matchday report, MN Smith lost. And, more to the point, Cathedral City won lifting the Cats a couple of points further towards safety and the Smudgers marooned five points behind the nearest challenger, in sixteenth place.

A.Turks v El din Marbles 2 – 1 (Kennedy 14, Westhead 76; Harpas 85)
C.A.L v MarquezOW 2 – 0 (Naylor 27, Yalçin 52)
Cathedral City v MN Smith (Mon Evening) 1 – 0 (Jobson 37)
Gamboa FC v CandelariaAM 2 – 4 (Jones 88 and 90; Downe 22, Mårtensson 23, Bornemann 50, Thadope 62)
Green Island v Albrecht FC (Sat Evening) 2 – 1 (Vélez 31, Walker 72; B. Edwards 58)
KT Hotspur v Caires Sports 2 – 2 (Abellardo 46, Bates 90+2; Wiedemann 10, Bensahnoun 60)
Portuguese v Turks’ Club 2 – 1 (Carocha 41, Belling 48; Bradley 36)
Radyukevich v Port of Clotaire (Sat Morning) 2 – 0 (Rawlinson 6 and 44)

CMS Cup Quarter Finals: Milton’s Paradise Regained

Whatever the direction of the CMSC title, there will certainly be a new champion of C&M’s premier knock-out competition after holders Albrecht Turkish came a cropper in Rose of Sharon.

It all looked so rosy for the away team, with KT Hotspur looking nervy without the talismanic Joel Sbaïz between the sticks and Paolo Thorpe instead looking like a goalkeeper who had lost all confidence in the face of his young rival’s meteoric rise, while Riccardo Bates represented a sledgehammer to crack the Millermen’s nut. Given Allen Gallagher’s injury problems this wasn’t the first time Giuseppe Abellardo and Bates had led the Spur’s line, but fans at the Valleys could be forgiven for their pessimism, even if they were playing against a side missing both Samuel Taha and Scott Soldarian.

The home side also had a loss to deal with in the form of Anslem Fisher, but the debut handed to the thirty-three year-old Bostopian Karl Matthews helped soften that blow. Ostensibly brought in as a coach in the long-term, Matthews’ new boss Jerry Huntick didn’t count on the emergence of Fisher, Besnik Shehu, Caner Karahan et al but will have gratefully received Matthews’ still impressive ability as a player as well. Certainly Juan Carlos Revault’s career as a centre-back seems to be over after his move into the base of midfield, while Neville Bagshaw, at thirty-three himself, has been sent on loan in the lower leagues.

Huntick’s squad is not as anorexic as others in the CMSC however, and together they have proven a capable force when many were predicting their relegation. Yet without Sbaïz, Fisher and Gallagher they initially looked overawed by the holders and Turkish soon took the lead when Toby Stumpf headed in Rueben Kennedy’s corner. Another veteran with worries for his future job prospects, this will surely be Stumpf’s last season in the top-flight with Kris Healy keen on adding yet another foreigner to the midfield whilst knowing that Can Cetin and the out-on-loan Joel Mercado are champing at the bit to get involved.

A key part of Healy’s philosophy has been that CMSC success can be attained with a mixture of expensive foreigners up front and unheralded younger or home-grown players at the back, but KT Hotspur had a second half in the Cup that showed that the Millermen haven’t corned the market in this idea. Giuseppe Abellardo equalised from a Nate Adams through-ball and his fellow international star Wally Milton took the lead with a curling free-kick in a horrible sixty seconds for the Turkish defence. Abellardo, the forgotten figure among all the exciting foreign forwards in the CMSC this year but still a top-class talent, added insult to injury late on with a hard shot that was propelled past Oberon Martinez by Steven Williams’ unwitting head.

It was the only real upset of the weekend, though the other favourites were made to work for their place in the semi-finals. Marquez-Onwere appeared to be cruising against Melin & Nader, but Careca’s placid start to CMSC life was cut short in the eightieth minute when M&N suddenly decided to stop camping in their own penalty area for once and send Russell Keddy off on a run from which the midfielder scored a beautiful solo effort. For the away fans, the chance to get their fellow south-west Marquez side back to Melin was a real dream after a couple of godawful seasons spent in the second division, but Merlin Siriwong and José Felipe Cassumba Domingos cruelly cut their hopes short when they set up each other for two late goals.

Another second tier team fared rather better, albeit against third division opposition, with Mayo Valley securing their place in the semis despite the absence of Rick Sekerci to the Di Bradini. Two goals from the exciting late bloomer Pascal Thorrington and a header from left-back Michael Harrison helped the Vo outfit to a three-one victory at home to Brayton Town.

Port of Clotaire meanwhile drew goalless with Abiodun North, in a game that gave whatever Sunday-night tosh TTO were serving up its biggest ratings for years.

Mayo Valley v Brayton FC 3 – 1 (Thorrington 30 and 67, Harrison 39; Smith 71)
KT Hotspur v A.Turks 3 – 1 (Abellardo 63, Milton 64, Williams og 90+2; Stumpf 24)
MarquezOW v Melin & Nader 3 – 1 (N. Kjaer 26, Siriwong 86, Cassumba Domingos 90+4; Keddy 81)
Port of Clotaire v Abiodun North 0 – 0

Matchday Twenty-Three: Bald person can play football

Every now and again in league football, you get a weekend of astonishing comebacks, heated derbies, relegation six-pointers and full-bodied clashes at the top of the table. Matchday 23 of the CMSC XXVII was one such of these.

We have to start at the end however, on Monday evening where third met second as Marquez-Onwere hosted Albrecht Turkish at the Estadio Francisco Álvarez. Life didn’t seem especially rosy for the home side, sitting nine points behind leaders Green Island following the Zapata club’s routine one-nil win over Arrigo Portuguese. To rub salt into the wound, their only goal had been scored by Rául Vélez, the younger brother of C&M international Ignacio. Brought through at MarquezOW before spending spells at Cathedral City, Radyukevich and Delta Force Cardim; Rául has racked up thirteen league goals for Hane Davies’ men this season, pushing him up to fifth in the golden boot race and to within a goal of his brother’s tally.

Yet that sibling rivalry in the race for the golden boot has now vanished after Ignacio’s move to Cafundó do Juta, and naranja fans aren’t exactly overjoyed about it. The two-nil defeat at Candelaria Arsenal following the World Cup break suggested to much of the club’s young support base that hopes of back-to-back titles were over without their talisman, but what a different a fortnight makes. Two three-one wins later, and MarquezOW are back in the hunt for a pair of trophies.

Andy Woolworth’s side had one significant advantage of the Millermen in having a full squad to choose from, with Turkish shorn of both Scott Soldarian and – perhaps no less importantly – right-back Harris Dixon. Without utility man Can Cetin too they were particularly short in the centre of the park and with Kris Healy unwilling to throw seventeen year-old Joel Mercado into the fray, it was left to a man old enough to be his father; Speed Wang. The Big Blues legend (well, two goals in thirty-seven caps, but still…) was given only his third start of the season and effectively told to go out and do whatever he liked with the support of Toby Stumpf. And for a short while, (relative) youngsters like Jack Stadafor, José Luis Sosa and Mars Douaydari were left baffled by the ancient one’s trickery and nouse and Wang soon turned his starring role into tangible reward; dribbling past José Felipe Cassumba Domingos and drifting out to the left of the box to shoot. John Horner blocked his effort, and the Kura-Pellandi right-back appeared to save his team with a second fine challenge on the waiting Samuel Taha, but the ball merely ended up back at the feet of Wang who curled it expertly past Oberon Martinez.

It was to prove a false dawn, for the simple fact is that Albrecht Turkish aren't all that. Their start; those initial six wins in a row, and the presence of Taha and Gary Maini to bail them out of trouble has helped masked their deficiencies. They may yet win the title, and would be deserving champions, but Soldarian is going to have to return from the World Cup quickly to sort out the midfield. Niclas Kjaer was soon following KT Hotspur’s lead last week by making a mockery of crumbling bones and earned a corner off Steven Williams. After a spell of head tennis the ball came out to Jack Stafador who blasted in the equaliser that began a period of MarquezOW domination that would last until the full-time whistle.

Though Kjaer was on top form, the real star of the show was the player already affectionately known as ‘El Slaphead’; Careca. The Cafundulense player was given his first CMSC start this weekend and showed that, after a couple of previous, uninspiring substitute appearances, his long chats with fellow Lasft native Sargento Castelão have been doing the trick. Bald as a coot, strong as an ox and as t… and very tall, Careca found his feet in the second half and on the sixty-seventh minute raced past the unfortunate Williams to score his first goal in Candelariasian football. And soon after the job was completed when he got his first assist as well, collecting a punt from Sosa and nodding the ball down into the area for Reiban Okeke to run on to.

In the euphoria of a three-one victory, few pondered on the fact that Green Island are still six points ahead of them, and still playing wonderfully even without Roger Zetaback. The Zapata club’s fixture list also looks less than arduous, but who would still bet against the final game of the season being the title decider once more, with MarquezOW hosting the current table-toppers.

All that leaves little breath for the rest of the game, which is a shame cos they were bloody good, frankly. It all got under way with a (not ‘the’, but still) Khatib-Gassett derby as Gassett-based Turks’ Club welcomed Rose of Sharon’s KT Hotspur to the Khatib Together Stadium, and that’s an unholy amount of Ks. The setting may have been different, but the scoreline was identical to the return fixture with the Spur coming away with a one-nil win.

It moved them into the top half on goal difference, following the El din derby. A seldom-played affair historically, with Cathedral City and the various precursors to the El din Marbles never often in the same division, but it has certainly established itself as one of the season’s most attractive (in its own unique way) fixtures. Once again though the outcome was the same, with Cathedral City taking a two-nil win after eighty minutes spent under the cosh ending in Robinson Zapirov whacking one up field to Emiliano Taffarel who forced Zach Malde into putting one past his own ‘keeper, stand-in Héctor Netto. Teddy Ozi-Mayer finished the Marbles off shortly after.

And if those games weren’t enough there were a couple of tasty draws, with a dispirited Albrecht FC slipping to twelve points off the lead with a one-all with Caires Sports who have found a new lease off life with the form of playmaker Lars Wiedemann. The real comeback was in Bove however, where Gamboa FC looked to be cruising after just five minutes through young George Jones and the Sergeant, but Jamie Watson is a proper star without a proper club and the Scotchpine striker continued his string of ‘come and get me’ performances with a second-half brace.

MN Smith are still clearly doomed though, but the other two relegation spots remain uncertain. C.A.L and Radyukevich currently occupy them, both on twenty-three points, but Trev George’s Yellows are the side with all the form while Coleman Mustard is proving to be anything but the messiah for the Jukos.

Albrecht FC v Caires Sports 1 – 1 (Cunningham 44; Wiedemann 38)
CandelariaAM v Rayukevich 1 – 0 (Smith 27)
El din Marbles v Cathedral City (Sun Morning) 0 – 2 (Malde og 80, Ozi-Mayer 88)
Green Island v Portuguese 1 – 0 (Vélez 63)
MarquezOW v A.Turks (Mon Evening) 3 – 1 (Stafador 20, Careca 67, Okeke 81; Wang 8)
MN Smith v Gamboa FC 2 – 2 (Watson 61 and 90; G. Jones 1, Castelão 5)
Port of Clotaire v C.A.L 0 – 0
Turks’ Club v KT Hotspur (Sat Morning) 0 – 1 (Johnson 56)

Mid-Week Cup Re-Play:

Abiodun North v Port of Clotaire 0 – 0, 0 – 0 aet, Abiodun North win 5 – 4 on pens after eight pens apiece.

Abiodun North will play KT Hotspur @ Millerman Sheppard Stadium, Albrecht

MarquezOW will play Mayo Valley @ Kaleta Online Dome, Caires

Matchday Twenty-Four: Title alive, but man dead.

All eyes were on The Valleys on Saturday morning, as KT Hotspur fans reacted to the news that owner Laurence Adamczyk had died in the night, aged sixty-nine. It will go down now as a relationship whose difficulties and paradoxes will never be fully understood, from the day twenty-eight seasons ago the coal tycoon announced he would be financing the creation of a new club in the Rose of Sharon area of Khatib-Gassett to replace the defunct Exeter Rovers, and a plush new stadium in which to play professional football.

Adamczyk came to the sport relatively late in life, but you cannot argue with the amount of rupees he ploughed into the club as well as the CMSC in the first few tentative years of professional sports return to the Candelarias. He was also happy to fund the youth system, but his overactive trigger finger quickly made him the enemy of fans seeking some kind of long-term stability. The owner could never mentally reconcile the amount of money spent on assembling frequently the best XI in the league with the Spur’s lack of tangible success, and never seemed capable of understanding the need to give his managers time to build a side organically. His longest-serving manager, Fred Ristic, lasted three years in the job; winning the club’s first and only CMSC title after twelve months but sacked barely twenty-four months later after a couple of sixth-place finishes.

What was more, he couldn’t get to grips with the fact that Spur fans weren’t madly in love with him; he, the great Laurence Adamczyk, their beautiful founder. What did these supporters expect when the club was trying to compete with both Turks’ Club and Khatib FC for dominance in the sprawling, gritty, socialist north-eastern city? Famously, in mid-1997, he announced to the city via a loudspeaker and an open top bus that he hated every ungrateful one of them, and would be passing the club on to his son instead.

Lee Adamczyk hardly represented a breath of fresh air in his authoritarian style, but his decision to give new boss Jerry Huntick the chance to work on the Spur as a long-term project was widely applauded, and both remain in their roles to this day. But fans quickly found that the big problem was Adamczyk Senior’s blanket withdrawal of his cash. Long-term business allies of Laurence had also invested and money was still available, but it was nothing now compared to the cash of Castillo FC and the Albrecht clubs. Within a few years they had been turfed out of their Rosebery Place stadium, supposedly on safety issues, and were playing in the former athletics centre they still frequent, with the city council still unwilling to permit further building within already built-up Rose of Sharon. And though their top-flight status had seldom been under real threat; the absence of the elder Adamczyk and his willing wallet has been keenly felt. Ironically, his death may bring the good times back; though it depends rather on just how much of his fortune remains as how much Lee or his sister Lydia get their sweaty mitts on.

At any rate, Saturday was about celebrating the best of their divisive patriarch; and all things considered it was a pretty decent game to do so, against the table-toppers Green Island. Following Marquez-Onwere’s victory over Albrecht Turkish last week, Hane Davies’ men knew that a first title for eleven seasons could be in their grasp if only they could keep their heads in difficult games such as this.

They didn’t. Not quite, anyway. It didn’t exactly start well, when Besnik Shehu broke past Alan Hampson, in for the injured Étienne de Roviere, and found Nate Adams in the area who produced a lovely strike past Martin Petit. But Green Island can always be counted upon for a goal and equalised within four minutes; Rául Vélez rising to meet Seb Cerullei’s cross from the left and planting a head past Paolo Thorpe.

But the Islanders’ problem right now is that a goal really is all they can be counted on for, having not scored more than three in a game for eight matches. For a supposedly free-scoring side in the CMSC that’s poor and if they do win the title fans would be forgiven for granting their player of the season award to centre-back Ben Young ahead of any of the attacking stars. They certainly needed him here, for Giuseppe Abellardo was on superb form and could have had a hat-trick were it not for Young and Petit.

The game finished in a draw, one of four this weekend with six of the bottom eight all tying against each other. The exceptions came in Arrigo Portuguese’s vital two-nil victory against the Harpies that lifted Matthew Tortini’s team four points clear of the drop zone and Radyukevich’s three-one capitulation at home to Albrecht FC after taking the lead. Still second from bottom, Jukos fans really are starting to think the unthinkable now. Without their precious pigs and self-consciously daft chants, their world is suddenly seeming a much darker place and the absence of Jari Virta and Christian Sattler to the Di Bradini Cup for several more games to come could sound the death knell for one of the country’s giants.

It’s all still as juicy up t’other end, mind you, with Turkish back to winning ways against their own ungrateful progeny, Turks’ Club. But crikey, they’re going to be short for the Cathedral game next weekend after Speed Wang was ruled out with strained ankle ligaments and Doug Szczechowicz was also picked up a broken toe. Marquez-Onwere meanwhile won a really rather good game against Gamboa FC with arguably their season’s star man – Merlin Siriwong – and the newcomer Careca both on the scoresheet.

A.Turks v Turks’ Club (Mon Evening) 1 – 0 (Maini 7)
Caires Sports v MN Smith (Sat Evening) 1 – 1 (LeCass 10; Johansson 15)
C.A.L v El din Marbles 0 – 0
Cathedral City v CandelariaAM 1 – 1 (Ozi-Mayer 5; Pipes 66)
Gamboa FC v MarquezOW 0 – 2 (Siriwong 20, Careca 61)
KT Hotspur v Green Island (Sat Morning) 1 – 1 (Adams 9; Vélez 13)
Portuguese v Port of Clotaire 2 – 0 (Burridge 2, Belling 8)
Radyukevich v Albrecht FC 1 – 3 (Rawlinson 19; Cunningham 41 and 71, Vanderpent 86)

Matchday Twenty-Five: That was a very strange day

Right. Okay. Bit odd, that. The upshot is that with five games to go Green Island still lead the table, with Albrecht Turkish three points behind and the team that many people felt could be about to sneak right back in it, Marquez-Onwere, a further four points back and in imminent danger.

Where to start? Might as well be on Saturday morning, when Andy Wooloworth’s naranja hosted KT Hotspur. The Spur, you’ll remember, are pretty much safe (granted only the top four are actually, mathematically, but still) and have very little to play for. The CMS Cup is their aim now, with a semi-final against second division Abiodun North just a couple of weeks away.

Should they get through, Huntick’s men will face either Mayo Valley or, funnily enough, MarquezOW; so this game constituted a warm-up for both sides. For the champions though, the stakes were rather higher and despite the Spur’s form (including that one-all draw with the Islanders), few could have been surprised when the home side took the lead inside ten minutes, albeit from the unlikely source of occasional holding midfielder Joe Beye.

A side with the attacking philosophies of Woolworth’s MarquezOW will also give up chances, but seldom has an away team so expertly capitalised on their few openings as KT Hotspur. It started when Giuseppe Abellardo won a corner off Pete Kimber, a bittersweet moment for Spur fans as it was with rumours increasing in strength and ferocity lately that the St Samuel forward plans to quit the club on a bosman in favour of a return to his unnervingly quiet homeland. Any road up, Nate Adams swung it in and Bostopian veteran Karl Matthews rose beyond Mars Douyadari to head in the equaliser.

Key for the Spur throughout the first half was Paolo Thorpe’s sudden rise in stature. The experienced goalie, a player who has managed to be named in several C&M squads over the years without making a single competitive appearance, has suffered of late since Joel Sbaïz capitalised on his earlier injury, but was in fine fettle and exuding confidence as his batted away efforts from Careca, José Felipe Cassumba Domingos and Merlin Siriwong in quick succession.

For a side that have brought in just two new faces this year – Matthews from Hilltop FC and Sbaïz from Castillo FC – the Spur are having a pretty remarkable season and in the long term their concentration on youth will surely pay major dividends. Though missing Anslem Fisher and Allen Gallagher as well as their young ‘keeper, they had a second half to coo over, once Dave Walsh had scored a left-wing piledriver in the first minute after the re-start. From then on; Besnik Shehu, Matthews, Agamemnon Knight and Ebbrell Klein kept the MarquezOW front four at bay and began the rare attacks that ended in two more goals from Abellardo and Klein from another Adams corner.

Remarkably, MarquezOW’s four-one home defeat was far from the only headline scoreline of the weekend. MN Smith, who look determined to go out with a bang, moved to within four points of unlikely safety with, somehow, a five-one win against Arrigo Portuguese in Bove. Matthew Tortini’s Heuva were missing the suspended Ursula Lauren, the rested Nathaniel Ferraro and the sold William Burgos admittedly, but how they conceded a brace by right-wing nobody Ben Moore is anyone’s guess, along with strikes from Jamie Johansson, Scotchpine wonder Jamie Watson and substitute striker Rory Ireland.

Thing was though, Albrecht FC also managed a six goal thriller. A glorious Ben Edwards free-kick added to Peter Vanderpent’s assured finish put the Scorpions on course for a simple win at home to Candelaria Arsenal, but life is never that easy for Trevor Organ’s side who seem to have lurched from one calamity to the next this season. The Yellows hauled themselves back in the running from Chris Pearson’s cross and teenager Kevin Ely’s emphatic header, before Chris Ytterland equaliser with a scuffed shot from Ely’s own corner.

The C.A.L suffered a major blow when the midfielder Paulo Beraza limped off, but in the dying minutes the left-wing pair of Mark Whitbread and Özkan Yalçin combined to give Trev George a famous victory… Until second from time Albrecht substitute Ryan Edwards was set through on goal by his brother and beat Damien Lavender to the ball to give his side a three-all draw.

There was goalscoring aplenty in the unlikely area of Harper Street too, where Port of Clotaire continued an extremely acceptable season even without Jason Federici with the more experienced strikers Ryan Gnom and Dan Davis bookending a four-nil win over Candelaria-Allemali.

All that made the games involving the current ‘big two’ look rather tame… and they were. Green Island hardly broke a sweat in a three-nil sweep of Caires Sports, who have dropped back into the relegation zone. Albrecht Turkish also got a win, though by all accounts they were the lesser side at La Decimotercia on Monday night and most fortunate to come away with a one-nil win that kept the pressure of Hane Davies’ men.

Elsewhere; El din Marbles got an away win against Turks’ Club (who have still only drawn once all season) and Radyukevich actually won, albeit against Gamboa FC who are rather going through the motions right now.

And a stern letter, probably written in blood, will be sent to the University of Fariynuff’s Institute of Margaret Studies if this sort of thing carries on…

Albrecht FC v C.A.L 3 – 3 (Vanderpent 21, B. Edwards 47, R. Edwards 90+2; K. Ely 48, Ytterland 57, Yalçin 89)
Cathedral City v A.Turks (Mon Evening) 0 – 1 (Stumpf 49)
Green Island v Caires Sports 3 – 0 (Vidakovic 20 and 56, Walker 45+2)
MarquezOW v KT Hotspur (Sat Morning) 1 – 4 (Beye 7; Matthews 23, Walsh 46, Abellardo 71, Klein 74)
MN Smith v Portuguese 5 – 1 (Johansson 12, Moore 18 and 61, Watson 44, Ireland 84; Burridge 51)
Port of Clotaire v CandelariaAM 4 – 0 (Gnom 6, Collins 16, Orlovic 26, Davis 58)
Radyukevich v Gamboa FC (Sat Evening) 2 – 0 (Tohver 5, Rawlinson 22)
Turks’ Club v El din Marbles 1 – 2 (Hutton 80; Hone 17, Panama 45)

Matchday Twenty-Six: Race back on as leaders falter

The end of season run-in can produce some strange results at both ends of the table; but the CMSC seems to enjoy being odd just for the sake of it at the moment, perhaps in solidarity with Radyukevich’s annoyingly wacky fans.

The only place to start is at the most important game of the year not to be broadcast on live telly. On the basis that Green Island couldn’t be on every week as they marched towards the title and that MN Smith would offer scant contest to Hane Davies’ boys; even pay-per-view opted to go for far more attractive fixtures elsewhere.

‘Attractive’ is probably not the right word, for any game between these two sides is going to be a fun watch. The Smudgers have scored thirty-four goals this season; far more than anyone else in the bottom half bar the El din Marbles, and let in forty-two. The figures speak for a poor defence, with Boris Oviedo and the Adams brothers failing to live up to their form last season and young Rueben Fattori turning out to be a complete dud. The statistics show that that’s not the only factor, for Gamboa FC have let in only one fewer goal and scored only two extra yet sit ten points clear of the Bove club in eighth following their four-two home defeat to Cathedral City this weekend. Derek Marshall’s team can certainly score, but unlike Andrew Duffy’s they seem incapable of picking their moments.

The difference between victory and defeat, not only in a single game but across the thirty match-days, has always been so very slim in this sport; and MN Smith are living embodiments of it. They have already scored more goals than they managed in all of last season, where they finished in eighth place having secured just nine wins. And the thing is; on current form, with four games to go, is it so impossible to imagine them equalling that tally?

Green Island, for their part, have fifty-five points – the total by which MarquezOW won the league last year, but the Zapata club may well yet miss out on keeping the trophy out of Candelarian hands. This weekend, in the battle between bottom and top, they came out thoroughly undeserving of only loosing by the odd goal in three, for the Smudgers utterly dominated the champions-elect with a performance that almost managed to unite both halves of their support base behind them. Jamie Watson, of course, finally converted their supremacy into goals, and added another in the second half after a swift, precise move between Ben Moore, Jamie Johansson, Neil Jones and the Scotchpine man that had pundits cooing like nobody’s pigeons. Andrew Abbott pulled one back from the penalty spot, and Jones picked up a yellow card that earned him a suspension for the upcoming Albrecht FC game, but they were minor blemishes on a tremendous performance.

Just hours later though, Green Island were done one hell of a favour by KT Hotspur. Perhaps with the knowledge of Giuseppe Abellardo’s impending departure the Spur are fixated on finishing as high as they can in order to attract a similar top-line foreign forward to the club, but their performances of late have certainly suggested that they could mount a real title bid next season. They too were the prevailing side in the game against Albrecht Turkish, though this time the title chasers at least got a point when Ryan Westhead’s free-kick was nodded home by Gary Maini to equalise Karl Matthews’ own opener from a Nate Adams set piece.

All this gave Marquez-Onwere the chance to have once last go at closing the gap, knowing that they surely cannot afford any more slip-ups. Still reeling from that four-one home defeat to the Spur, Andy Woolworth’s men also struggled away from home later on, but an early goal in the second half gave them hope and they ultimately maintained their lead against El din Marbles in a lively game that deserved more than a solitary goal. Naranja fans won’t be complaining of course, but José Felipe Cassumba Domingos and Merlin Siriwong need to get back in the groove quickly with Careca being left to feed on scraps right now.

At the other end, the biggest result was Radyukevich’s two-nil win in Arrigo. Coleman Mustard has been the centre of attention lately following his Di Bradini Cup-based moans, but somehow they seem to have done the trick. It’s still as tight as something that is tight, but the Jukos have been given a great chance to survive while Matthew Tortini must seriously be wondering what he’s taken on. He had a nice long rant about the ref, not entirely without justification it had to be said following Jamie Rawlinson’s early penalty, but the fact remains that he has a perfectly good squad to pick from and right now isn’t doing anything with it.

Arrigo Portuguese stay out of the drop zone thanks only to Candelaria Arsenal and Caires Sports sharing a goalless draw in Lavange. Candelaria-Allemali meanwhile are also a long way from safety, following a ghastly game at the Clifton Sausage Company Arena in which the gave up four goals to Albrecht FC and right-back Thjis Tullier ruled out for the rest of the season with a torn knee ligament.

Elsewhere, Tortini’s countryman Felipe Curana did rather better with a one-nil victory in a slightly pointless game at Harper Street, while alongside Xavier Le Monde another Kura-Pellander got on the scoresheet with Teddy Ozi-Mayer hitting two in Cathedral City’s four-two win in Abiodun, with the dreadful Gamboa performance notable only for a first goal from seventeen year-old striker Cas Richardson.

C.A.L v Caires Sports 0 – 0
CandelariaAM v Albrecht FC 0 – 4 (Corradini 39, Marshall 64, B. Edwards 70, Vanderpent 90+1)
El din Marbles v MarquezOW (Mon Evening) 0 – 1 (N.Kjaer 46)
Gamboa FC v Cathedral City 2 – 4 (Ledor 26, Richardson 72; Ortiz 16, Ozi-Mayer 23 and 51, Taffarel 35)
KT Hotspur v A.Turks (Sat Evening) 1 – 1 (Matthews 14; Maini 25)
MN Smith v Green Island 2 – 1 (Watson 45+1 and 65; Abbott 74)
Port of Clotaire v Turks’ Club 0 – 1 (Le Monde 22)
Portuguese v Radyukevich (Sat Morning) 1 – 2 (André 27; Rawlinson 11, Eriksson 20)

Matchday Twenty-Seven:

Not every Candelariasian has a wonderful time of it abroad. For every Ramiro Novo, there’s a Manuel Ballesteros. For every Jos Cornelisse there’s a Mamdooh Momtaz. For every Yasser Zaghloul putting them away in St Samuel there’s a Ken Nilsson looking red-faced in Magnus Valerius.

And then there’s Rául Vélez. The striker that has spent his left thus far as “Ignacio Vélez’s little brother” has also suffered from being, famously, “the guy who was crap in Kura-Pelland”, at a time when Candelariasian imports to the then KangaToast Championship were invariable doing very well for themselves indeed.

In truth, Vélez was a victim of tabloid exaggeration and broadsheet parochialism, for his short tenure at Delta Force Cardim still ended in twelve goals in twenty-five games in a season blighted by injury. Those who really understood the game however realised that Vélez still possessed a strong enough first touch and power in those lovely Hispanic thighs to warrant a return to a big club, and Hane Davies will be forever beloved by Green Island fans for being the first to bite. In Zapata this weekend, Rául’s goal tally moved ahead of his brother’s (granted, Ignacio hasn’t played for several games on account of being contracted to Cafundó do Juta now, but still…) as he scored in the second minute of second half stoppage time to give the Islanders victory over Gamboa FC.

For quite some time in the first half it looked as though Green Island’s season was about to come crashing down around their ankles. Following the defeat in Bove, they were desperate for victory at home to a side whose CMSC place for next year was all but assured, and had a full squad to pick from including a certain Roger Zetaback. Yet Gamboa are rather better than recent results have suggested, and know that the possibility of being sucked into a relegation battle is still alive if certain, admittedly unlikely, results fail to go their way. And in less than half an hour they were two-nil up, after a virtuoso performance from the unnervingly precocious Casper Richardson saw him knock on the first and sent up Sargento Castelão not long after.

The Islanders were shaken, but aren’t top for nothing and Stuart Vidakovic opened the second-half with a powerful far-post header before David Walker, the season’s forgotten man despite his top-class performances, cut in from the right to wallop the equaliser past Murphy Matthews on seventy minutes. The twenty-nine year-old remains one of those players that manage to make it for his career without anyone really noticing them. Perhaps it’s his dull name. In either case, Walker has been an ever present since Green Island’s promotion campaign four seasons ago, and Vélez and Vidakovic have been quick to stress lately just how much they would have struggled without his crosses.

Twenty minutes later, it was Walker and Vélez who combined to give the Marlow Park side a three-two victory that put all the pressure back on Albrecht Turkish.

Thankfully for the Millermen, they were up against the notoriously unpredictable Port of Clotaire side, and one missing not only Jason Federici but injured defender Tom Redway, out with a suspicious torn groin muscle. Even so, the home side’s current form meant that this was a far from forgone conclusion and Kris Healy’s side were forced to wear down the Harpies for the first hour until a piece of Scott Soldarian magic, and a slip in the mud from stand-in centre-half Arthur Walker, gave Turkish the opener. Samuel Taha knocked in a penalty late on to calm the nerves.

Though these two are the favourites by a country mile; with three games to go there are still two other clubs in it. Barely. Albrecht FC came from behind (of course) to win at MN Smith to keep up their challenge, but even with Green Island’s loss last weekend they still have to hope that the GIZ loose their three final games and Turkish to get no more than two points either. More realistic are Marquez-Onwere, but the champions face a truly uphill task to retain their title, after they snatched but a draw in Caires with Niclas Kjaer’s looping header. They will also be without defender Mars Douyadari for a game, who was injured in a conflab in the box with Archer French from which young Bo Phelps hit the opener for his first in Candelariasian football.

Alongside Andy Woolworth’s draw, the other Kura-Pellandi bosses in the CMSC completed a weekend of mixed fortunes, with Matthew Tortini’s Arrigo Portuguese moving three points clear of the relegation zone with a three-one win in a boisterous Marquez derby against the El din Marbles. The Cathedral City’s other big club, Cathedral City, leap-frogged their hated rivals for the first time this season after a four-two comeback win against Felipe Curana’s Turks’ Club; a side who, unluckily for some, have a 13-1-13 record after twenty-seven games.

Radyukevich won, annoyingly, thus ruling out any comments on how they must be rueing letting Rául Vélez slip from their fingers – not when they have Jamie Rawlinson in the form of his life. But the battle to avoid relegation is still as hot as anything, with Candelaria Arsenal and Candelaria-Allemali sharing a point. It may well come down to the final day to decide the three spots, though MN Smith’s fate could be sealed following the break for the CMS Cup; with their game at, funnily enough, CandelariaAM.

There will be blood.

A.Turks v Port of Clotaire (Mon Evening) 2 – 0 (Soldarian 63, Taha 85)
Caires Sports v MarquezOW 1 – 1 (Phelps 69; N. Kjaer 90+1)
C.A.L v CandelariaAM 1 – 1 (Shannon 81; Thadope 29)
Cathedral City v Turks’ Club 4 – 2 (Jerez 35, Taffarel 53, Ozi-Mayer 58, Jobson 84; Sellami 11, Pezzoni 32)
Green Island v Gamboa FC (Sat Morning) 3 – 2 (Vidakovic 47, Walker 70, Vélez 90+2; Richardson 8, Castelão 24)
KT Hotspur v Radyukevich (Sat Evening) 0 – 2 (López 48, Rawlinson 61)
MN Smith v Albrecht FC 1 – 3 (Watson 5; R. Edwards 54, Corradini 57, Vanderpent 87)
Portuguese v El din Marbles 3 – 1 (Quinn og 9, Lauren 43, Cvecej 90+3; Trumble og 70)

[b]CMS Cup Semi-Finals: *Yawn*

The semi-finals of cup competitions are often better than the final, it is said.

Candelariasian football fans will hope that isn’t going to be the case this time, after Marquez-Onwere and KT Hotspur did just enough, no more no less, to sneak into the final after modest victories against lower league opposition.

It’s fair to suggest that if the two top-flight sides had been given the chance to select their second division opponents, these would have been they. Abiodun North have been struggling all season since they did away with Andy Le Lan and brought in former Albrecht Turkish boss Charlie Rushbury, though in truth that won’t bother the board too much who know that the Storming Normans still need major restructuring before they can even attempt another shot at life amongst the big guns. With their place in mid-table assured, they were now free to concentrate on their remarkable cup run, but the loss of goalkeeper Leo Fluck to the Di Bradini Cup was a major blow and with old ‘keeper Oran Mejia still out on the sidelines following a series injury, the eighteen year-old Will Poole was forced to play only his sixth game for the club, against the likes of Giuseppe Abellardo, Wally Milton and Nate Adams.

It was so obviously going to end in tears, and the Millerman Sheppard Stadium prepared itself for a nice little massacre. On the tenth minute, Spur left-winger Dave Walsh was played in by Ebbrell Klein and scored with ease, but Abiodun declined to crumble. This was primarily thanks to Damien Waterman; the former club captain at Radyukevich and C&M international hounded out of both roles after a series of all-but careering ending tackles. He’s not always found it easy to adapt to life in the second division, but on Saturday joined up with partner at the back Dion Eckhardt to keep the Spur’s internationals at bay.

At the other end, Paolo Thorpe had little to do bar parry a couple of weak Brett Platts efforts and turn a William Rose free-kick around the post; while Riccardo Bates and his late replacement Seb Neveau should both have extended the first division side’s lead past Poole, but despite the one-nil scoreline this was never really in doubt.

Following the game, manager Jerry Huntick confirmed press speculation that his long-time assistant Mark Barnes would be leaving the club to take the Warbirds Talinger job, with former Praying2God player and Hopeless SC manager Thomas Larson coming in as his replacement with a long-term view towards him being Huntick’s successor – perhaps sooner rather than later if rumours surrounding Huntick’s ongoing health concerns prove truthful.

There were mixed feelings for MarquezOW fans, who knew that their CMSC title challenge was hanging by a knife-edge and in all probability was destined to fail. The CMS Cup represented a much better chance of silverware, but dare they risk key players getting injured against Dave Carr-Fluck’s robust Mayo Valley?

Andy Woolworth ultimately went for a compromise, with Jack Stafador, José Felipe Cassumba Domingos, Merlin Siriwong and José Luis Sosa rested in favour of Joe Beye and the teenagers Erik Kjaer, Dean Shen and Alex San respectively. It was a brave move that almost backfired early on, when Pascal Thorrington beat the young left-back San for trickery and set up Jean Moreira, but the young striker on loan from Radyukevich fluffed his chance.

The break-up of the Thorrington-Sekerci axis hit the Valley hard in Caires as it had done throughout recent weeks interrupted by the Di Bradini Cup, and their league form has suffered as a result. In truth, the Cup has become a distraction for this promotion-chasing side and there was more than a little relief among fans that they were finally knocked out at the Kaleta Online Dome, with their fate being all but sealed when Careca beat the offside trap and fired past Lewis Piccioni in goal shortly before the half hour.

El Slaphead himself finished things off early in the second half when he evaded the challenge of former naranja midfielder Matt Reddington and thumped a rocket at goal that deflected savagely off the left-back Michael Harrison. He almost forced a hat-trick of sorts moments later, but the on-loan Turks’ Club right-back Justin Hunter got his body in the way.

And so it was that to no-one’s surprise KT Hotspur and Marquez-Onwere qualified for the final. In the modern era both of these sides have lifted the cup twice, and though the naranja will start as favourites their Candelarian opponents will have Joel Sbaïz, Anslem Fisher and Allen Gallagher back, as well as a chance to wave goodbye to Giuseppe Abellardo.

Abiodun North v KT Hotspur (Sat Evening) 0 – 1 (Walsh 10)
@ Millerman Sheppard Stadium, Albrecht

MarquezOW v Mayo Valley (Mon Evening) 2 – 0 (Careca 26, Harrison og 48)
@ Kaleta Online Dome, Caires

Kose and The Turkomans

26-02-2008, 21:23

Inaugural Season preview
The clubs have been placed in their leagues by wealth not by ability so some upsets could be on in the Kosecell Buyuk Lig.

The Unbeatables
Sultanli FC: With the force of the imperial finance behind them they could easily walk over the league with young royal striker Prince Sinan Kose who is celebrating his 16th by the start of the elections he will be eligable to play for the first game

The Dark Horse
Kose Buyuksehir SK: with a strong defence as their foundation they could prehaps overthrow the Princes team

The Suprize
Atlar: A village team who were sponsered by a foreign source now have the chance to battle with the big boys with young striker Volkan Erhan as their main player.

The Uninspiring
Muhamedbey SK: A team of Over-paid Foreigners who are unlikely to gel and are candidates for the number 18 spot at the bottom of the league however Goalie Iskender Sukur-Kazim will be the one to watch.

Vephrall

27-02-2008, 05:56

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VTF1753
End-of-Season Update

Cintrin A

Alas, it turned out to not be a very exciting season this time around, as Boalluns finished top a mile ahead of Poiki, which in turn was a mile ahead of the rest of the pack.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Boalluns FE 38 27 7 4 87 27 60 88 C
2 Poikimitagiin FE 38 23 8 7 60 39 21 77
3 Merpisms CE 38 16 12 10 56 43 13 60
4 Penuler OC 38 17 8 13 50 37 13 59
5 Stestrenas OC 38 16 9 13 55 46 9 57
6 Sichisers OB 38 16 9 13 51 55 -4 57
7 Stithis FE 38 16 7 15 48 51 -3 55
8 FE Dranacess 38 16 6 16 48 55 -7 54
9 Bumpoogra FE 38 14 10 14 46 41 5 52
10 Terabits CE 38 15 7 16 60 56 4 52
11 Huellim FE 38 14 10 14 50 52 -2 52
12 Mylfe CE 38 14 10 14 44 47 -3 52
13 Spoantects CE 38 13 11 14 54 53 1 50
14 Knoleier FE 38 14 7 17 44 51 -7 49
15 Oillid CE 38 14 6 18 43 56 -13 48
16 Daazyiles OC 38 11 14 13 46 44 2 47
17 DFE Anhenir 38 10 11 17 38 51 -13 41
18 Gontarther FE 38 11 5 22 41 71 -30 38 R
19 Pomperae FE 38 7 12 19 32 57 -25 33 R
20 Netler FE 38 8 7 23 42 63 -21 31 R

Promoted from Cintrin B: Ammites FE (champions), Fekler FE, Custler FE

Vephraller Kustriin e Foutbill

Fifth Round
Mendid CE 1-3 Penuler OC
Stithis FE 3-0 Pomperae FE
Stestrenas OC 0-0 Gontarther FE (replay: 1-1, 2-2 AET, Gontarther FE wins 4-3 on penalty kicks)
Poikimitagiin FE 1-3 Terabits CE
Cunceer CE 1-1 Merpisms CE (replay: 0-2)
Boalluns FE 1-0 Oillid CE
FE Dranacess 1-3 Mylfe CE
Knoleier FE 0-3 Bumpoogra FE

Quarterfinals
Terabits CE 0-0 Gontarther FE
Gontarther FE 1-4 Terabits CE (1-4 agg)

Penuler OC 2-0 Bumpoogra FE
Bumpoogra FE 1-1 Penuler OC (1-3 agg)

Stithis FE 2-0 Mylfe CE
Mylfe CE 1-1 Stithis FE (1-3 agg)

Boalluns FE 1-1 Merpisms CE
Merpisms CE 3-3 Boalluns FE (4-4 agg, 4-4 AET, Boalluns FE wins 3-2 on penalty kicks)

Semifinals
Terabits CE 2-0 Penuler OC
Penuler OC 3-1 Terabits CE (3-3 agg, 4-3 AET)

Stithis FE 1-1 Boalluns FE
Boalluns FE 2-0 Stithis FE (3-1 agg)

Final
Penuler OC 0-3 Boalluns FE

Boalluns FE do the double!

Collegiate Sporting Alliance

After many delays, the Collegiate Sporting Alliance finally completed its first official season in 1753.

Fifty universities compete for the national championship. These schools are divided into six conferences, each of which contains eight or nine members: the Southwestern Conference, Isthmian Conference, East Coast Conference, Big North Conference, Southern Crescent Conference, and Midland Conference.

All teams play all other teams in their conference once during the regular season. Thus, teams in the SCC and Midland play eight games, while those in the other four conferences play seven.

Each of the six conference champions, in addition to the ten highest-ranked teams that did not win their conference, gains entry to the CSA football tournament for a shot at the national title.

In addition, all 50 CSA teams participate in the qualifying rounds for the Vephraller Kustriin e Foutbill, starting from the First Qualifying Round. The University of Riestre advanced farthest in the competition, losing 0-3 to FE En Hech in the Fourth Qualifying Round.

The regular season standings:

Big North
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Dettune Mtn 7 5 2 0 12 4 8 17 Q
2 North Bektys 7 4 2 1 14 6 8 14
3 Cimnersog 7 3 2 2 9 8 1 11
4 Sirinis 7 2 2 3 7 9 -2 8
5 Sirinis Ag 7 2 1 4 6 10 -4 7
6 Darnai 7 2 1 4 4 10 -6 7
7 Western Darnai 7 1 3 3 8 9 -1 6
8 Eastern Darnai 7 1 3 3 4 8 -4 6

East Coast Conference (ECC)
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Solonds 7 4 1 2 12 7 5 13 Q
2 Shentarong Tech 7 4 0 3 15 9 6 12
3 Salle 7 4 0 3 12 9 3 12
4 Calamen 7 3 2 2 8 6 2 11 Q
5 Sheoron 7 3 2 2 13 14 -1 11
6 Defae 7 3 0 4 11 16 -5 9
7 North Salle 7 2 2 3 6 10 -4 8
8 Salle Southern 7 1 1 5 8 14 -6 4

Isthmian Conference
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 BTI 7 4 2 1 11 6 5 14 Q
2 Flaarickug 7 4 1 2 8 5 3 13 Q
3 South Bektys 7 4 1 2 11 10 1 13
4 Bektys State 7 3 2 2 10 7 3 11 Q
5 Fishbog 7 3 1 3 8 9 -1 10
6 Isthmian 7 2 3 2 8 8 0 9 Q
7 Scusenany 7 1 1 5 9 13 -4 4
8 Bektys Coastal 7 1 1 5 8 15 -7 4

Midland Conference
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Riestre 8 7 0 1 23 7 16 21 Q
2 Westlake 8 4 2 2 11 10 1 14
3 Riestre State 8 4 1 3 11 9 2 13
4 Siellal 8 4 1 3 13 12 1 13 Q
5 Riestre Tech 8 4 0 4 8 11 -3 12
6 Taeschand 8 3 1 4 16 15 1 10
7 Military 8 3 1 4 14 15 -1 10
8 Till 8 1 3 4 4 10 -6 6
9 Fekliir State 8 1 1 6 2 13 -11 4

Southern Crescent Conference (SCC)
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Sumbobor State 8 5 3 0 19 6 13 18 Q
2 Shentarong Southern 8 5 2 1 17 6 11 17 Q
3 Shentarong 8 5 2 1 13 7 6 17 Q
4 Southeastern 8 4 2 2 17 11 6 14 Q
5 Sumbobor 8 3 2 3 10 10 0 11 Q
6 Twin Cities 8 2 2 4 10 15 -5 8 Q
7 East Point 8 2 0 6 7 19 -12 6
8 Shentarong State 8 1 2 5 5 13 -8 5
9 Highland 8 1 1 6 6 17 -11 4

Southwestern Conference (SWC)
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Anhenir 7 4 3 0 15 6 9 15 Q
2 Seibeng 7 4 2 1 14 8 6 14
3 Southwestern 7 4 1 2 10 9 1 13
4 Jishmid 7 3 1 3 9 9 0 10
5 Virdys 7 2 2 3 8 11 -3 8
6 Dettune 7 1 3 3 6 8 -2 6
7 Baseng 7 1 2 4 4 11 -7 5
8 Western Dettune 7 0 4 3 7 11 -4 4

The conferences are certainly not equal in quality, explaining why the SCC sends six teams to the tournament while the Big North and SWC get only one each.

In the tournament, teams were seeded according to postseason rankings. The rankings of the teams in the tournament were:

#1 Sumbobor State (SCC, 1st)
#2 Riestre (Midland, 1st)
#3 Shentarong (SCC, 3rd)
#4 Shentarong Southern (SCC, 2nd)
#5 Southeastern (SCC, 4th)
#6 Flaarickug (Isthmian, 2nd)
#7 Twin Cities (SCC, 6th)
#8 Sumbobor (SCC, 5th)
#9 Calamen (ECC, 4th)
#10 Siellal (Midland, 4th)
#11 Bektys State (Isthmian, 4th)
#12 Solonds (ECC, 1st)
#13 Isthmian (Isthmian, 6th)
#14 BTI (Isthmian, 1st)
#26 Seibeng (SWC, 1st)
#37 Dettune Mtn (Big North, 1st)

[OOC: One might notice those rankings seem a bit out of whack. That's because they're working from preseason rankings, which were based entirely on school size. This should shake itself out over the course of a few seasons.]

CSA Football Tournament

First Round
#1 Sumbobor State 3-2 #37 Dettune Mtn
#2 Riestre 1-0 #26 Seibeng
#3 Shentarong 2-3 #14 BTI
#4 Shentarong Southern 1-1 #13 Isthmian (2-1 AET)
#5 Southeastern 1-0 #12 Solonds
#6 Flaarickug 0-3 #11 Bektys State
#7 Twin Cities 0-0 #10 Siellal (0-0 AET, Twin Cities wins 3-0 on penalty kicks)
#8 Sumbobor 0-0 #9 Calamen (0-2 AET)

Quarterfinals
#1 Sumbobor State 1-3 #9 Calamen
#2 Riestre 1-1 #7 Twin Cities (2-1 AET)
#14 BTI 1-0 #11 Bektys State
#4 Shentarong Southern 3-2 #5 Southeastern

Semifinals
#9 Calamen 0-1 #4 Shentarong Southern
#2 Riestre 2-2 #14 BTI (2-2 AET, Riestre wins 1-0 on penalty kicks)

Final
#9 Calamen 1-1 #2 Riestre (1-2 AET)

The University of Riestre are declared the CSA's first national champions.

Demot

27-02-2008, 07:21

Season 1905

This season saw the first foriegners to play in the league, with Likewell Kirk making a record transfer of D$27.3M ($10.5m) for Ad'ihan's attacking midfielder Jake Holmes.

Pride League 1905

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Oceanic United 38 21 9 8 67 46 21 72 Champions
2 Santa Rosa FC 38 21 8 9 87 52 35 71
3 Club Demot 38 18 10 10 60 46 14 64
4 Druidisian United 38 17 11 10 65 48 17 62
5 Ionnusyus FC 38 14 15 9 40 32 8 57
6 New Mirria Patriots 38 15 11 12 58 50 8 56
7 Ropper FC 38 16 8 14 62 61 1 56
8 Likewell Kirk 38 16 7 15 66 65 1 55
9 Atalantian FC 38 16 7 15 73 81 -8 55
10 Oceanic 38 14 10 14 70 56 14 52
11 Saravella City 38 13 12 13 64 71 -7 51
12 Freestone FC 38 13 11 14 48 51 -3 50
13 Vasanova United 38 14 8 16 54 76 -22 50
14 Mirria United 38 12 13 13 60 56 4 49
15 Druidisian FC 38 12 13 13 54 55 -1 49
16 AC Paragos 38 11 11 16 51 64 -13 44
17 Skyhaven FC 38 10 10 18 60 72 -12 40
18 Bellwater Tidal Wave 38 9 11 18 53 67 -14 38 Relegated
19 Maracruse Typhoon 38 9 7 22 47 68 -21 34 Relegated
20 RC Ririnkle 38 8 10 20 55 77 -22 34 Relegated

Championship 1905

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Skyhaven United 38 21 10 7 66 39 27 73 Champions
2 Maracruse United 38 17 14 7 67 47 20 65 Promoted
3 Dunmodra United 38 19 7 12 73 54 19 64 Promoted
4 AC Santa Rosa 38 18 10 10 73 58 15 64
5 AS Freestone 38 19 7 12 65 59 6 64
6 FC Bellwater 38 15 16 7 57 41 16 61
7 Mirria City 38 16 11 11 66 54 12 59
8 Samarga FC 38 15 13 10 44 32 12 58
9 Tiranyus FC 38 17 5 16 49 47 2 56
10 RC Rarthon 38 17 4 17 68 82 -14 55
11 Real Escan 38 14 12 12 54 50 4 54
12 AS Calada 38 14 8 16 63 62 1 50
13 Geros City 38 12 12 14 56 70 -14 48
14 Faramore United 38 11 14 13 50 55 -5 47
15 RC Ropper 38 11 9 18 56 70 -14 42
16 Fairland FC 38 11 8 19 61 67 -6 41
17 Morthinian FC 38 10 10 18 36 44 -8 40
18 FC Ironwind 38 8 11 19 36 57 -21 35 Relegated
19 Ursona FC 38 8 10 20 41 63 -22 34 Relegated
20 Arthenian United 38 9 5 24 50 80 -30 32 Relegated

League One 1905

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Harthgate United 38 27 4 7 96 43 53 85 Champions
2 Athletic Samarga 38 20 10 8 96 61 35 70 Promoted
3 AS Klingsa 38 22 4 12 80 56 24 70 Promoted
4 Halland City 38 22 2 14 81 67 14 68
5 Parthen United 38 17 13 8 85 60 25 64
6 AC Elacante 38 19 7 12 76 56 20 64
7 AS Icewind Dun 38 18 5 15 73 61 12 59
8 Verandiom City 38 16 6 16 63 66 -3 54
9 Clonsguard FC 38 16 5 17 48 53 -5 53
10 Villain City 38 14 10 14 76 69 7 52
11 Arthenian FC 38 14 7 17 60 83 -23 49
12 Parafell City 38 15 3 20 57 67 -10 48
13 Raldvila FC 38 13 9 16 64 77 -13 48
14 Athletic Cortalias 38 12 8 18 62 79 -17 44
15 Calada United 38 11 10 17 53 62 -9 43
16 AC Dunmodra 38 11 10 17 50 73 -23 43
17 Druidia United 38 10 12 16 66 84 -18 42
18 Mordras City 38 10 11 17 60 70 -10 41
19 Dosastion United 38 10 8 20 46 69 -23 38
20 Parthen City 38 6 10 22 49 85 -36 28

Adihan

27-02-2008, 11:02

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Offseason News Snippets

Offseason moves
Two United Islands Premier players have left their clubs for record sums to join foreign-based teams in the offseason. Tony Jones, 18, and Jake Holmes, 24, both Ad'ihani internationals, left Olympique Protectorat and CF Mont-Pluie respectively for new clubs in Vephrall and Demot.

Jones, described by national manager Dave Hollow as a "future star", broke the under-21 transfer record in a Tz 3.88 million move to Stithis FE in Vephrall's Citrin A. Attacking midfielder Holmes, meanwhile, commanded a Tz 6 million transfer fee from Demotian mid-table side Likewell Kirk.

Kenneth Quinn rubbishes reports of bust-up
El din Marbles and Ad'ihani international left-back Kenneth Quinn has dismissed rumours of a training ground altercation, following reports that he was looking to leave El din. Speaking on his return to Ad'ihan, where he will take part in squad debriefs, following the World Cup, Quinn told Radio Ad'ihan International that he was happy with the Marbles and had no intention of moving.

League committee to meet again
The United Islands League committee will hold its final pre-season executive meeting in the next few days before the start of the new season. Items on the agenda include discussions about a reserve league and the possibility of allowing foreigners to play in the league.

This has taken on a new dimension following the signing of Starblaydi under-21 international Chen Myung-bo by CF Mont-Pluie. However, Chen, 16, will still be barred from playing in the league even if the rule is relaxed, as the Committee confirmed that they would not lower the age requirement of 18.

Draft?
The idea of a draft has been mooted by various teams in the United Islands Second Division, in order to inject some quality into the lower league. At least six Premier clubs are understood to be opposed to the idea of a draft, although the League committee have said that they will consider any proposal.

The most popular proposal has the 16 top-flight clubs each selecting two youth players to be entered into a draft every three seasons, with the eight Second Division clubs drafting four each in set order. Draft picks may not be sold to other teams, and players drafted who are not offered contracts would return to their Premier clubs.

Season start
The second season of the United Islands League is scheduled to begin next week. The season will kick off as scheduled despite damage to the Protectorate Stadium not being fully repaired yet. Protectorate United will ground-share with Oldbridge City, while Olympique Protectorat will groundshare with Second Division Dullham and Oldbridge. The two teams are expected to move back into the Protectorate Stadium in time for the second half of the season.

Adihan

27-02-2008, 16:40

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Preseason Preview

As we approach the start of the second season of domestic football here in Ad'ihan, we here at the United Islands League Championship press team would like to present to you a closer look at the twenty-four teams that make up the two divisions, and where we think they'll finish.

You'll find a guide to where the teams are based (city, region), where they play, their manager, and the core elements of the team. Teams are listed in order of last season's finish.

Today, we'll start with the top six teams from last season, with the other 18 teams to come in future issues of the Press Guide.

1. Protectorate United
Based in: Ad'ihan City, Ad'ihan
Homeground: Bridge Road, Oldbridge, Grand Island (temporary); Protectorate Stadium, Ad'ihan City (permanent)
Manager: Jayden Thomas, 46 (Style of play: +1)
Last season: 1st in Premier (71 points), Cup runners-up
Prize money earned last season: Tz 5.5 million
Ad'ihan Internationals:
Ben Ropes (GK), Jed Fisher (DC), Garry Gardner (DR), Barry Miller (DM), Phillip Brennan-Evans (ML), Darren Mills (ML), Steve Bryson (FC), James McDonald (FC)
Notes:
With eight of Ad'ihan's 23 World Cup 39 internationals plying their trade for Thomas' side, it is hard to look beyond Protectorate United retaining their league title. However, having been shocked in the cup final last season, Thomas will be gunning for the double this season. The chance to win the Tournoi Invitation Raoul–Chagnon, featuring the Septentrionian, Capitalizt, Vephrese and Ad'ihani champions, will also be on Thomas' mind.

Projected finish: Champions

2. CF Mont-Pluie
Based in: Mount Rain, Grand Island
Homeground: The Water Valley, Mount Rain
Manager: Louis Stewart, 49 (Style of play: +2)
Last season: 2nd in Premier (55 points), Cup second round
Prize money earned last season: Tz 3.8 million
Other income: Tz 6 million from sale of Jake Holmes
Ad'ihan Internationals:
Harry Kemble (GK), John Bristow (DL), Chad Hatch (DC), Laurénzo Argent (MC)
Notes:
Having recently lost up-and-coming talent Jake Holmes to Demotian side Likewood Kirk for a club record Tz 6m, Stewart will probably struggle to make up the gap Holmes leaves in attacking midfield. Argent, at 31, is getting slower, and is not the perfect replacement for Holmes. Stewart's main aim will be to do better in the cup, after going out in the first round the club were involved in last time with a 1-6 shellacking at Oldbridge.

Projected finish: 4th

3. Olympique Protectorat
Based in: Ad'ihan City, Ad'ihan
Homeground: Athlete Stadium, Dullham, Grand Island (temporary); Protectorate Stadium, Ad'ihan (permanent)
Manager: Alex Graham, 46 (Style of play: +4)
Last season: 3rd in Premier (54 points), Cup semi finals
Prize money earned last season: Tz 4.1 million
Other income: Tz 3.88 million from sale of Anthony Jones
League fine: Tz 1.5 million for fielding ineligible player
Ad'ihan Internationals:
Justin Stenstrom (DC), Jeffery Dustin (DR), Peter Schilling (DM), Chris Stall (AM), George Connor (FC), Lenny Fowler (FC)
Notes:
Olympique Protectorat recently sold 18-year-old Ad'ihani international Tony Jones for Tz 3.88m to Vephrese side Stithis FE. However, while the paperwork was being examined, it was realised that Jones had made four substitute league appearances for the club before his 18th birthday. As league rules do not allow players under 18 playing, and as the season had ended, a decision was taken to impose a Tz 1.5m fine on the club for fielding Jones illegally.

As for the club, going out at the semi-final stage in the cup last season to hated rivals Protectorate United must have hurt badly. With six Ad'ihani internationals, one expects them to go one better than last season. We think they'll challenge their rivals for the title – but fall short.

Projected finish: 2nd

4. Pilminster Rovers
Based in: Pilminster, Barrier Island
Homeground: The Vineyard, Pilminster
Manager: Léon Touchette, 53 (Style of play: -4)
Last season: 4th in Premier (50 points), Cup semi finals
Prize money earned last season: Tz 3.9 million
Ad'ihan Internationals:
Derrick Hunt (GK)
Notes:
One of just four teams to boast a World Cup quarter-finalist amongst its ranks, Pilminster Rovers are an ageing side that surprised the critics last season by finishing 4th and reaching the semi finals of the cup before being knocked out by eventual champions Kinney Road.

Don't put it past them to surprise everyone again this season, but we seriously doubt they will. Hunt, at 34, is retiring from international football after a career that saw him pick up nearly 30 caps for Ad'ihan, and he has announced that he will retire from all football at the end of his contract at the Vineyard in two seasons. Maybe they'll do it for the man.

Projected finish: 6th

5. Navon Beach FC
Based in: Navon Beach, Barrier Island
Homeground: DuneDome, Navon Beach
Manager: Roland Loiselle, 51 (Style of play: +5)
Last season: 5th in Premier (49 points), Cup second round
Prize money earned last season: Tz 3.2 million
Ad'ihan Internationals: None
Notes:
The first of the rest with no Ad'ihani internationals in their squad. Navon Beach did well enough last season, although were unremarkable in the cup, going out in the first round they entered, 3-1, in a shock defeat to Second Division Island Ahtletic. It was an up season for them, and we think this one will be a down.

Projected finish: 7th

6. Oldbridge City
Based in: Oldbridge, Grand Island
Homeground: Bridge Road, Oldbridge (temporarily shared with Protectorate United)
Manager: Jeremy Scott, 45 (Style of play: +4)
Last season: 6th in Premier (48 points), Cup quarter finals (replay)
Prize money earned last season: Tz 3.25 million
Ad'ihan Internationals: None
Notes:
Our pick for dark horse of the season. Oldbridge City's players and staff might just be energised by all the Protectorate United stars around them while the two teams groundshare for the first half of the season, and it could inspire Oldbridge to great achievements. Having painfully gone out in a quarter-final replay last season in the cup to eventual winners Kinney Road, they might just challenge for some silverware this season.

Projected finish: 3rd.

The next edition will be available in print shortly before the start of the next season.

Kose and The Turkomans

27-02-2008, 17:36

Week 16/34 Summary
Table:
1. Sultanli FC P:16 W:16 D:0 L:0 PTS:48
2. Kose Buyuksehir P:16 D:0 L:0 PTS: 48
3. Muhamedbey SK P:16 W:14 D:0 L:2 PTS:42
4. Atlar P:16 W:12 D:1 L:3 PTS:37
5. Hakan Pasa P:16 W:8 D:6 L:2 PTS:30
6. Tumirbey P:16 W:6 D:2 L:6 PTS:20
7. Gelibolu P:16 W:6 D:2 L:6 PTS:20
8. Sultan Mehmet P:16 W:5 D:3 L:8 PTS:18
9. Gokcenk P:16 W:5 D:3 L:8 PTS:18
10.Olympic al-Turk P:16 W:4 D:4 L:8 PTS:16
11.Seyhanspor P:16 W:4 D:4 L:8 PTS:16
12.Seyhan GenclerBirligi P:16 W:4 D:4 L:8 PTS:16
13.Guc Ada P:16 W:3 D:6 L:7 PTS: 15
14.Kucukkoy P:16 W:3 D:6 L:7 PTS: 15
15.Iskendurum-Cakkale-Spor P:16 W:3 D:6 L:7 PTS: 15
16.Nihatspor P:16 W:2 D:5 L:9 PTS:11
17.Yeni-Besiktas P:16 W:1 D:2 L:13 PTS:5
18.Uzulmez P:16 W:0 D:0 L:16 PTS:0

As it Stands:
Uzulmez may lose every match

Atlar have made no transfers

Sinan Kose is top scorer with 24 Goals

Iskender Sukur-Kazim has the most clean sheets standing at 14

Vephrall

27-02-2008, 19:40

Meice Journal - Sports - Football

VFR clarifies youth player rule

After the recent signing of 18-year-old Ad'ihani midfielder Anthony Jones by Stithis FE passed without comment from the Vephraller Foutbiller Restritris, several Cintrin A managers asked the VFR to clarify its stance on players under the age of 21 being allowed to play professionally in the Commonwealth.

About ten years ago, the VFR issued a decree stating that existing youth teams would be disbanded and all players under the age of 21 would in future be ineligible to play as a professional. This was done, said then-VFR president Angufams Wecoisus, in order to ensure that the Vephrese youth would concentrate on their education just in case a playing career wouldn't work out. He called on the universities of Vephrall to institute their own teams to provide competitive play for these youngsters, which led to the foundation of the Collegiate Sporting Alliance.

In a press conference this morning, VFR president Rictavos Izorigor (Wecoisus has left this post in order to take his new role as president of the World Cup Committee) clarified that this rule was intended to apply only to Vephrese citizens under the age of 21. "The intent was to promote education for the football-playing youth of Vephrall," said Izorigor. "As such, anyone who is not a Vephrese citizen may play professionally in Vephrall provided he is over the age of 18."

CSA adjusts conference system

Concerns have been mounting about the great disparity in apparent strength among the six Collegiate Sporting Alliance football conferences. The end-of-season rankings tell the tale: while the Southern Crescent Conference seems to be the granddaddy of them all featuring six of the top eight ranked teams, Big North champions Dettune Mountain College were ranked 37th of the 50 participating teams.

"There were other teams that deserved to be in the tournament much more than Dettune Mountain," said Diors Gulertis, obviously hinting at Riestre State, where he is the head coach. Riestre State finished third in the Midland Conference, while fourth-place finishers Siellal did receive a tournament bid. Both finished with a 4-1-3 record, though Siellal won their match against Riestre State in Dostey 1-0. Siellal ended the season ranked 10th; R-State was 16th, the second highest ranked team to not reach the tournament (South Bektys, 15th, was the highest).

So how did such a weak Dettune Mountain team win its conference? Simple: the rest of its conference is even worse. The conference included the six lowest-ranked teams in the nation: Sirinis, Cimnersog, Sirinis Ag, Western Darnai, Darnai, and dead-last Eastern Darnai.

"It's really not that difficult to see why the Big North is so weak," says Ostalir Sytrobes, a writer for BCN: The Magazine. "It's just a bunch of small schools with no recruiting base. The good players just aren't going to be there." The nation's near complete lack of population north of the Trirat River, in other words, is the reason for the apparent void of footballing talent in that region.

The Big North may be a lost cause, but the CSA is still attempting to make some changes in order to make the other five conferences somewhat more equal in strength while maintaining their geographic ties. Seven of the fifty schools will be moving into a different conference next season:

#5 Southeastern moves from the SCC to the ECC
#18 Shentarong Tech moves from the ECC to the Midland
#28 Highland moves from the SCC to the SWC
#31 Till moves from the Midland to the Big North
#38 Fekliir State moves from the Midland to the SCC
#40 Southwestern moves from the SWC to the SCC
#41 North Bektys moves from the Big North to the Isthmian

These moves are largely focused on the SCC, which contained a large number of the nation's biggest and athletically strongest schools. Fekliir State and Southwestern are likely to still be quite over their heads in their new home, but perhaps playing against stronger opposition will help to elevate those programs to a higher level.

Till College, which stood very little of a chance in the Midland Conference, should now become one of the two major powers (along with Dettune Mountain) in the Big North.

The SCC and Midland are expected to be the two strongest conferences, now being of roughly equal overall power after what some fans have deemed a "watering down" of the SCC. Unsurprisingly, the schools in these two conferences are in the most heavily populated part of the nation. The Isthmian and East Coast Conferences should still be able to hold their own, though. As for the Southwestern and the Big North...well, these schools are going to have to start recruiting hard if they want to be taken seriously in the future.

Casari

27-02-2008, 20:37

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Because we're determined to smash your face in with soccer

The 1524 Counties Cup

The struggle continues, as the players return to the localities of their birth for the five-round street fight of the Counties Cup. The snow is blown off the fields, they have a few practices, put on the colors, and warm up for the true club season.

First Round
County Wheeler 2-0 County Hornby
County Hornby 1-1 County Wheeler
Aggregate: County Wheeler 3-1 County Hornby

County Viliandi 0-0 County Kittson
County Kittson 3-0 County Viliandi
Aggregate: County Viliandi 0-3 County Kittson

County Lawfort 2-3 County Redhill
County Redhill 1-0 County Lawfort
Aggregate: County Lawfort 2-4 County Redhill

County Silanta 1-1 County Lexin
County Lexin 0-0 County Silanta (1-0 AET)
Aggregate: County Silanta 1-2 County Lexin

County Qurei 1-1 County Hillan
County Hillan 1-1 County Qurei (2-1 AET)
Aggregate: County Qurei 2-3 County Hillan

County Whitefox 3-0 County Karino
County Karino 2-1 County Whitefox
Aggregate: County Whitefox 4-2 County Karino

County Barrin 2-1 County Arnia
County Arnia 1-0 County Barrin (3-1 AET)
Aggregate: County Barrin 3-4 County Arnia

County Einhaven 1-0 County Portio
County Portio 1-2 County Einhaven
Aggregate: County Einhaven 3-1 County Portio

County Mattari 1-2 County Terris
County Terris 2-1 County Mattari
Aggregate: County Mattari 2-4 County Terris

County Wyatt 3-1 County Albi
County Albi 1-1 County Wyatt
Aggregate: County Wyatt 4-2 County Albi

County Snyder 3-0 County Dannson
County Dannson 2-1 County Snyder
Aggregate: County Snyder 4-2 County Dannson

County Bruli 0-2 County Dearney
County Dearney 1-2 County Bruli
Aggregate: County Bruli 2-3 County Dearney

County Conchester 0-4 County Jillan
County Jillan 1-0 County Conchester
Aggregate: County Conchester 0-5 County Jillan

County Norris 0-1 County Callax
County Callax 0-1 County Norris (0-1 AET) (County Callax wins 3-0 on penalty kicks)
Aggregate: County Norris 1-1 County Callax

County Trajik 0-2 County Firona
County Firona 0-3 County Trajik
Aggregate: County Trajik 3-2 County Firona

County Sancrost 0-3 County Ronway
County Ronway 0-2 County Sancrost
Aggregate: County Sancrost 2-3 County Ronway

Second Round
County Lexin 2-2 County Kittson
County Kittson 0-1 County Lexin
Aggregate: County Lexin 3-2 County Kittson

County Ronway 2-2 County Redhill
County Redhill 3-2 County Ronway
Aggregate: County Ronway 4-5 County Redhill

County Whitefox 1-0 County Hillan
County Hillan 2-2 County Whitefox
Aggregate: County Whitefox 3-2 County Hillan

County Terris 0-0 County Dearney
County Dearney 0-1 County Terris
Aggregate: County Terris 1-0 County Dearney

County Arnia 1-1 County Callax
County Callax 1-0 County Arnia
Aggregate: County Arnia 1-2 County Callax

County Trajik 1-1 County Wheeler
County Wheeler 0-2 County Trajik
Aggregate: County Trajik 3-1 County Wheeler

County Jillan 0-1 County Snyder
County Snyder 1-3 County Jillan
Aggregate: County Jillan 3-2 County Snyder

County Wyatt 0-1 County Einhaven
County Einhaven 2-0 County Wyatt
Aggregate: County Wyatt 0-3 County Einhaven

Quarterfinals
County Trajik 2-0 County Lexin
County Lexin 3-0 County Trajik
Aggregate: County Trajik 2-3 County Lexin

County Callax 0-2 County Einhaven
County Einhaven 1-0 County Callax
Aggregate: County Callax 0-3 County Einhaven

County Redhill 1-0 County Terris
County Terris 0-1 County Redhill
Aggregate: County Redhill 2-0 County Terris

County Jillan 2-2 County Whitefox
County Whitefox 2-1 County Jillan
Aggregate: County Jillan 3-4 County Whitefox

The quarterfinals left us with four teams- some likely, some not.

County Whitefox, of course, should be there. Home to the capital city of Tyrellia and the massive suburban population which surrounds the city, they should be more than able to field a team twice as skilled as the smallest counties. The same, of course, would go for County Einhaven, which is immediately to the west of the Capital City, home to Soling and some of the extreme suburbs, the country still holds about 29 million people, and is definitely not lacking for talent of it's own.

County Lexin is a bit of a different cake- Halfway down the chart, in the much less densely populated, much more fishing oriented Northern regions of the country, they have little to do other than play, of course, ensuring that they have a fair amount of talent as well. Then, there's Country Redhill, with a robust 5.1 million citizens and just about as many mountains- a full 12 times less than Whitefox, and, seemingly, at a significant disadvantage.

But, of course, this wouldn't be the season for things to play out to form.

Semifinals
County Lexin 1-3 County Einhaven
County Einhaven 2-2 County Lexin
Aggregate: County Lexin 3-5 County Einhaven

County Redhill 2-2 County Whitefox
County Whitefox 1-2 County Redhill
Aggregate: County Redhill 4-3 County Whitefox

Final
County Einhaven 3-3 County Redhill (3-4 AET)

A thrilling victory for the highlanders came as the match entered it's extended extra time, with the little known Fourth Division player Chris McNoren taking the lob pass up the field from his much better paid First Division teammate Chris Maginty of Leyton Football Club and heading the ball into the net. Two Competitions, two upsets- hardly a way to start the season, particularly if you're the favorites.

The CSA Trophy

This is the first major exposure for what's typically been the lower-level prize, for teams sitting between 6th and 8th on the league structure- all 512 of them. Of course, people who watch 7th and 8th tier football are mad, and as an effort to not cause those problems to our somewhat suggestible fanbase, we're pleased to skip to the final rounds of the competition, and give you some tantalizing blow-by-blow reports from the field.

Sixth Round
Corby FC 2-0 Golden Beach FC
Golden Beach FC 2-0 Corby FC (2-0 AET) (Corby FC wins 4-3 on penalty kicks)
Aggregate: Corby FC 2-2 Golden Beach FC

Narissa CSC 1-0 Orleans Traders
Orleans Traders 0-0 Narissa CSC
Aggregate: Narissa CSC 1-0 Orleans Traders

Browning Westlake FC 1-2 Astrup-Xei FC
Astrup-Xei FC 1-1 Browning Westlake FC
Aggregate: Browning Westlake FC 2-3 Astrup-Xei FC

Sidney Halls 2-1 Glencoe Heights FC
Glencoe Heights FC 2-1 Sidney Halls (2-1 AET) (Glencoe Heights FC wins 2-0 on penalty kicks)
Aggregate: Sidney Halls 3-3 Glencoe Heights FC

Glendale FC 2-2 Atwood AFC
Atwood AFC 1-1 Glendale FC (1-1 AET) (Atwood AFC wins 2-1 on penalty kicks)
Aggregate: Glendale FC 3-3 Atwood AFC

Belmonte United 0-1 Hancock Warriors FC
Hancock Warriors FC 1-0 Belmonte United
Aggregate: Belmonte United 0-2 Hancock Warriors FC

Casari City FC 0-2 Southern Angle FC
Southern Angle FC 2-0 Casari City FC
Aggregate: Casari City FC 0-4 Southern Angle FC

Resia Hunters 1-2 Massaya PFC
Massaya PFC 1-0 Resia Hunters
Aggregate: Resia Hunters 1-3 Massaya PFC

The Seventh Round

The Seventh Round has a bit of a striking name- much more than say, the sixth, fifth, or fourth. Which is why the name "The Seventh Round" has maintained itself much longer than "The Quarterfinals." Right, sorry, soccer.

Astrup-Xei FC 1-1 Narissa CSC
Narissa CSC 1-0 Astrup-Xei FC
Aggregate: Astrup-Xei FC 1-2 Narissa CSC

Astrup-Xei Football Club (Of the Northern Division West), one of the members of the oddly named club of Casaran Soccer, were drawn against Narissa City Soccer Club (Of the Home Counties League First Division). The long trip between the two grounds seem to have diluted the club's fighting spirit, leading to a pair of rather forgettable matches- a 1-1 tie up North put the deciding match on the return engagement in the southwest, where Narissa were able to up their defense and advance, 2-1.

Glencoe Heights FC 1-2 Southern Angle FC
Southern Angle FC 1-1 Glencoe Heights FC
Aggregate: Glencoe Heights FC 2-3 Southern Angle FC

Glencoe Heights (Northern Division West) were always at a disadvantage to Southern Angle (Southern Division East), who handled the drive far better than their Northern counterparts. The first match was dominated by Southern, who could have easily scored three or for if not for the unfortunate injury to striker Peter Ferris. However, Southern weren't pressed to defend their lead in the second leg, giving Southern a semifinal birth.

Corby FC 4-0 Hancock Warriors FC
Hancock Warriors FC 1-2 Corby FC
Aggregate: Corby FC 6-1 Hancock Warriors FC

Corby FC (Southern Division West) was too much of a match for Hancock Warriors (Highland League First Division), who folded early and often, taking the death roll in the first match away and putting up a token resistance at home, making for an extremely unmemorable match.

Atwood AFC 0-0 Massaya PFC
Massaya PFC 1-0 Atwood AFC
Aggregate: Atwood AFC 0-1 Massaya PFC

Atwood (Southern Division East) and Massaya (Home Counties League First Division) took the different approach in their match- if both sides defend, one goal will win. And it was a good strategy for lower level Massaya, who defended for a full one and two-thirds of the two-leg fixture, before Colin Mattson managed a 67th minute leg in front of the home crowd.

Semifinal

Narissa CSC 2-1 Massaya PFC
Massaya PFC 1-2 Narissa CSC
Aggregate: Narissa CSC 4-2 Massaya PFC

League rivals made a rare cup semifinal meeting in the first semifinal, but Narissa proved to be the better team, on a brace of goals by Ryan Torr in the first leg and a pair of singles by Maria Dells and Otis Samuels, to counter Massaya's goals by Thomas Faron and Colin Mattson, giving Massaya the first spot of two at Casari World Stadium on the second Saturday in November.

Corby FC 1-0 Southern Angle FC
Southern Angle FC 2-0 Corby FC
Aggregate: Corby FC 1-2 Southern Angle FC

The other half saw Corby, while putting up 6 goals in the previous round, fail to make such an offensive splash in the Semifinal, relying on a 1-0 lead to hold on the road and giving Southern a golden oppertunity. One that they seized quite well, taking just enough from the second to finish off Corby and fill out the final lineup.

Final
Narissa CSC 1-3 Southern Angle FC

However, in the end, the break in talent between the two was just too much to bridge- the extra level that Southern had on Narissa shone through in the final, the more skilled players of Southern playing around the overmatched Narissa defenders all day and scoring three- One for Ferris and two for his up front companion, Georgia Meyer. The trio of goals was more than enough to raise the trophy for Southern, who had a mid-table season otherwise.

The CSA Cup

The senior trophy saw another well-fought competition, with the big teams in the mix for this one. Tyrellia City would have to be the favorite, as they're the favorite for everything, but nine rounds is a long way to go to claim any title.

Third Round
Granite Falls FC 2-3 AFC Port Royal
AFC Port Royal 3-1 Granite Falls FC
Aggregate: Granite Falls FC 3-6 AFC Port Royal

Union AFC 0-2 Hammond Local
Hammond Local 3-0 Union AFC
Aggregate: Union AFC 0-5 Hammond Local

Stockton Miners 3-0 Gorman FC
Gorman FC 1-3 Stockton Miners
Aggregate: Stockton Miners 6-1 Gorman FC

Adams FC 0-0 Longhorn NSC
Longhorn NSC 2-1 Adams FC
Aggregate: Adams FC 1-2 Longhorn NSC

West Baronies SC 4-1 Vinyards SC
Vinyards SC 0-4 West Baronies SC
Aggregate: West Baronies SC 8-1 Vinyards SC

Ashford United 1-0 Mandini FC
Mandini FC 0-3 Ashford United
Aggregate: Ashford United 4-0 Mandini FC

United Arcadian 3-0 Ostra Town FC
Ostra Town FC 1-3 United Arcadian
Aggregate: United Arcadian 6-1 Ostra Town FC

Symriu SC 0-0 Tyrellia City
Tyrellia City 4-2 Symriu SC
Aggregate: Symriu SC 2-4 Tyrellia City

FC Reian 2-1 Brezkin Cannons
Brezkin Cannons 1-2 FC Reian
Aggregate: FC Reian 4-2 Brezkin Cannons

Corneria United SC 1-1 Mabase Martians
Mabase Martians 0-5 Corneria United SC
Aggregate: Corneria United SC 6-1 Mabase Martians

Cambridge College SC 3-1 Paterna Islands FC
Paterna Islands FC 0-0 Cambridge College SC
Aggregate: Cambridge College SC 3-1 Paterna Islands FC

Bamako Racers 4-2 Estra SC
Estra SC 1-3 Bamako Racers
Aggregate: Bamako Racers 7-3 Estra SC

Bourneson Central FC 2-2 Presscot FC
Presscot FC 0-1 Bourneson Central FC
Aggregate: Bourneson Central FC 3-2 Presscot FC

Heiatville Warriors FC 1-0 Yonnaros SC
Yonnaros SC 1-0 Heiatville Warriors FC (1-0 AET) (Yonnaros SC wins 3-0 on penalty kicks)
Aggregate: Heiatville Warriors FC 1-1 Yonnaros SC

Huntsville Rockets 0-1 Ayuma FC
Ayuma FC 1-0 Huntsville Rockets
Aggregate: Huntsville Rockets 0-2 Ayuma FC

Densun United 3-1 Zeliana Xi
Zeliana Xi 1-2 Densun United
Aggregate: Densun United 5-2 Zeliana Xi

Dampier FC 0-1 6th Ries FC
6th Ries FC 1-0 Dampier FC
Aggregate: Dampier FC 0-2 6th Ries FC

Golden Beach FC 2-2 Appleby FC
Appleby FC 2-0 Golden Beach FC
Aggregate: Golden Beach FC 2-4 Appleby FC

Ennis FC 1-1 Port Sky Cloudskimmers
Port Sky Cloudskimmers 2-0 Ennis FC
Aggregate: Ennis FC 1-3 Port Sky Cloudskimmers

Unified Turia 0-1 FC Stockton
FC Stockton 1-2 Unified Turia (1-2 AET) (FC Stockton wins 2-0 on penalty kicks)
Aggregate: Unified Turia 2-2 FC Stockton

Silenia FC 0-1 Fairley FC
Fairley FC 0-3 Silenia FC
Aggregate: Silenia FC 3-1 Fairley FC

Hillard Seekers 2-2 Tesra AAA
Tesra AAA 2-1 Hillard Seekers
Aggregate: Hillard Seekers 3-4 Tesra AAA

Willingby SC 0-0 Leyton FC
Leyton FC 2-0 Willingby SC
Aggregate: Willingby SC 0-2 Leyton FC

Vestia FC 2-4 Kyeton Dwarves
Kyeton Dwarves 1-1 Vestia FC
Aggregate: Vestia FC 3-5 Kyeton Dwarves

Queenstown Wanderers 3-1 White Villa
White Villa 1-1 Queenstown Wanderers
Aggregate: Queenstown Wanderers 4-2 White Villa

Brighton Hill FC 2-2 Remoro 44
Remoro 44 0-4 Brighton Hill FC
Aggregate: Brighton Hill FC 6-2 Remoro 44

Narissa CSC 1-2 Willham County SC
Willham County SC 1-0 Narissa CSC
Aggregate: Narissa CSC 1-3 Willham County SC

Kilroy Guardians 2-1 Prosov SC
Prosov SC 2-2 Kilroy Guardians
Aggregate: Kilroy Guardians 4-3 Prosov SC

Tyrellia Blues 3-0 Johnston Islanders
Johnston Islanders 0-1 Tyrellia Blues
Aggregate: Tyrellia Blues 4-0 Johnston Islanders

Astra Royal SC 2-0 Sanjuku United
Sanjuku United 1-3 Astra Royal SC
Aggregate: Astra Royal SC 5-1 Sanjuku United

Juno Explorers 1-1 Foreign Quarter SC
Foreign Quarter SC 0-1 Juno Explorers
Aggregate: Juno Explorers 2-1 Foreign Quarter SC

Wonham Central FC 1-1 Hamilton Bay SC
Hamilton Bay SC 1-0 Wonham Central FC
Aggregate: Wonham Central FC 1-2 Hamilton Bay SC

Escalon FC 4-0 Birmingham Casari FC
Birmingham Casari FC 3-3 Escalon FC
Aggregate: Escalon FC 7-3 Birmingham Casari FC

Delson 2-0 Awi Athletic Club
Awi Athletic Club 4-1 Delson
Aggregate: Delson 3-4 Awi Athletic Club

Brooks FC 1-2 Shelby Rovers
Shelby Rovers 1-0 Brooks FC
Aggregate: Brooks FC 1-3 Shelby Rovers

Guilford Rovers FC 0-3 Dundeen FC
Dundeen FC 3-0 Guilford Rovers FC
Aggregate: Guilford Rovers FC 0-6 Dundeen FC

Newton FC 0-0 Delphi Oracle FC
Delphi Oracle FC 1-1 Newton FC (1-1 AET) (Delphi Oracle FC wins 2-0 on penalty kicks)
Aggregate: Newton FC 1-1 Delphi Oracle FC

Northwall Guards 1-1 Grasstop Ei SC
Grasstop Ei SC 1-2 Northwall Guards
Aggregate: Northwall Guards 3-2 Grasstop Ei SC

Factory Row SC 1-1 Gateway Mountains FC
Gateway Mountains FC 2-1 Factory Row SC
Aggregate: Factory Row SC 2-3 Gateway Mountains FC

Imperial FC 2-2 Kaylami Racers
Kaylami Racers 4-1 Imperial FC
Aggregate: Imperial FC 3-6 Kaylami Racers

Aitland United 0-3 Mount Crisari FC
Mount Crisari FC 1-4 Aitland United (3-5 AET)
Aggregate: Aitland United 5-6 Mount Crisari FC

Plymouth SC 0-2 FC Clarmont
FC Clarmont 1-2 Plymouth SC
Aggregate: Plymouth SC 2-3 FC Clarmont

Wendyll Town SC 3-2 Lancayre ASC
Lancayre ASC 1-1 Wendyll Town SC
Aggregate: Wendyll Town SC 4-3 Lancayre ASC

FC Fairford 1-2 Middelburg Selia FC
Middelburg Selia FC 0-2 FC Fairford
Aggregate: FC Fairford 3-2 Middelburg Selia FC

Nottshire Panthers 2-1 Trout FC
Trout FC 2-0 Nottshire Panthers
Aggregate: Nottshire Panthers 2-3 Trout FC

Ashburton Grove 0-0 Southern Angle FC
Southern Angle FC 1-1 Ashburton Grove (1-1 AET) (Southern Angle FC wins 2-0 on penalty kicks)
Aggregate: Ashburton Grove 1-1 Southern Angle FC

Ayuma United 2-0 Panthaham FC
Panthaham FC 2-5 Ayuma United
Aggregate: Ayuma United 7-2 Panthaham FC

Alberton Hill 1-1 Bronero Ei FC
Bronero Ei FC 0-0 Alberton Hill (0-1 AET)
Aggregate: Alberton Hill 2-1 Bronero Ei FC

Cambridge City FC 0-2 Queenstown FC
Queenstown FC 2-0 Cambridge City FC
Aggregate: Cambridge City FC 0-4 Queenstown FC

Granite City FC 2-2 Cornerian
Cornerian 4-1 Granite City FC
Aggregate: Granite City FC 3-6 Cornerian

Aramac and Leo SC 1-2 Iliandri FC
Iliandri FC 1-2 Aramac and Leo SC (1-2 AET) (Iliandri FC wins 4-0 on penalty kicks)
Aggregate: Aramac and Leo SC 3-3 Iliandri FC

Winton Market SC 2-0 FC Tica
FC Tica 2-0 Winton Market SC (2-1 AET)
Aggregate: Winton Market SC 3-2 FC Tica

Kubale FC 1-1 Poplar Grove SC
Poplar Grove SC 2-1 Kubale FC
Aggregate: Kubale FC 2-3 Poplar Grove SC

Bielfield Rangers 1-0 Huntington Beach FC
Huntington Beach FC 5-3 Bielfield Rangers
Aggregate: Bielfield Rangers 4-5 Huntington Beach FC

Futora Stars FC 2-2 Immigrants FC
Immigrants FC 1-2 Futora Stars FC
Aggregate: Futora Stars FC 4-3 Immigrants FC

Hobson Town 1-2 Lemuix National FC
Lemuix National FC 2-1 Hobson Town
Aggregate: Hobson Town 2-4 Lemuix National FC

Lexington FC 1-0 West Hamilton Rangers
West Hamilton Rangers 0-2 Lexington FC
Aggregate: Lexington FC 3-0 West Hamilton Rangers

Casaran Army Team 5-0 FC Almedia
FC Almedia 2-2 Casaran Army Team
Aggregate: Casaran Army Team 7-2 FC Almedia

Longford River FC 1-0 FC Wilmington
FC Wilmington 1-2 Longford River FC
Aggregate: Longford River FC 3-1 FC Wilmington

Reisburg Town SC 1-0 Edmonson Range UFC
Edmonson Range UFC 1-1 Reisburg Town SC
Aggregate: Reisburg Town SC 2-1 Edmonson Range UFC

Shelby FC 3-3 Westhatton SC
Westhatton SC 2-0 Shelby FC
Aggregate: Shelby FC 3-5 Westhatton SC

FC Hatton 2-4 Yons NFC
Yons NFC 0-0 FC Hatton
Aggregate: FC Hatton 2-4 Yons NFC

Inslow FC 2-0 Hannover Knights FC
Hannover Knights FC 1-1 Inslow FC
Aggregate: Inslow FC 3-1 Hannover Knights FC

Cava FC 4-3 Northport Xi FC
Northport Xi FC 2-2 Cava FC
Aggregate: Cava FC 6-5 Northport Xi FC

Fourth Round
Northwall Guards 0-1 Brighton Hill FC
Brighton Hill FC 2-1 Northwall Guards
Aggregate: Northwall Guards 1-3 Brighton Hill FC

Yons NFC 1-0 Dundeen FC
Dundeen FC 2-1 Yons NFC (2-2 AET)
Aggregate: Yons NFC 3-2 Dundeen FC

Longford River FC 1-3 Bamako Racers
Bamako Racers 1-0 Longford River FC
Aggregate: Longford River FC 1-4 Bamako Racers

Tesra AAA 3-1 Huntington Beach FC
Huntington Beach FC 0-1 Tesra AAA
Aggregate: Tesra AAA 4-1 Huntington Beach FC

Longhorn NSC 0-2 Tyrellia Blues
Tyrellia Blues 0-0 Longhorn NSC
Aggregate: Longhorn NSC 0-2 Tyrellia Blues

Mount Crisari FC 1-2 Hammond Local
Hammond Local 0-2 Mount Crisari FC
Aggregate: Mount Crisari FC 3-2 Hammond Local

Ayuma United 0-0 Westhatton SC
Westhatton SC 1-2 Ayuma United
Aggregate: Ayuma United 2-1 Westhatton SC

Awi Athletic Club 3-1 Futora Stars FC
Futora Stars FC 2-0 Awi Athletic Club (2-0 AET) (Futora Stars FC wins 2-0 on penalty kicks)
Aggregate: Awi Athletic Club 3-3 Futora Stars FC

AFC Port Royal 5-0 Iliandri FC
Iliandri FC 1-0 AFC Port Royal
Aggregate: AFC Port Royal 5-1 Iliandri FC

6th Ries FC 2-0 Juno Explorers
Juno Explorers 3-1 6th Ries FC (3-2 AET)
Aggregate: 6th Ries FC 4-3 Juno Explorers

Lemuix National FC 2-1 Trout FC
Trout FC 3-2 Lemuix National FC (3-2 AET) (Trout FC wins 1-0 on penalty kicks)
Aggregate: Lemuix National FC 4-4 Trout FC

Delphi Oracle FC 0-3 Lexington FC
Lexington FC 2-1 Delphi Oracle FC
Aggregate: Delphi Oracle FC 1-5 Lexington FC

Alberton Hill 1-0 Port Sky Cloudskimmers
Port Sky Cloudskimmers 1-3 Alberton Hill
Aggregate: Alberton Hill 4-1 Port Sky Cloudskimmers

Poplar Grove SC 1-0 Ashford United
Ashford United 2-2 Poplar Grove SC
Aggregate: Poplar Grove SC 3-2 Ashford United

Inslow FC 1-2 United Arcadian
United Arcadian 2-2 Inslow FC
Aggregate: Inslow FC 3-4 United Arcadian

Bourneson Central FC 3-1 Astra Royal SC
Astra Royal SC 2-1 Bourneson Central FC
Aggregate: Bourneson Central FC 4-3 Astra Royal SC

Cornerian 0-0 West Baronies SC
West Baronies SC 0-1 Cornerian
Aggregate: Cornerian 1-0 West Baronies SC

FC Clarmont 2-2 Winton Market SC
Winton Market SC 1-1 FC Clarmont (1-1 AET) (Winton Market SC wins 2-0 on penalty kicks)
Aggregate: FC Clarmont 3-3 Winton Market SC

Queenstown FC 1-0 Wendyll Town SC
Wendyll Town SC 3-1 Queenstown FC
Aggregate: Queenstown FC 2-3 Wendyll Town SC

Escalon FC 1-2 Appleby FC
Appleby FC 4-1 Escalon FC
Aggregate: Escalon FC 2-6 Appleby FC

Ayuma FC 0-1 Leyton FC
Leyton FC 1-2 Ayuma FC (1-4 AET)
Aggregate: Ayuma FC 4-2 Leyton FC

FC Stockton 0-1 Casaran Army Team
Casaran Army Team 4-2 FC Stockton
Aggregate: FC Stockton 2-5 Casaran Army Team

Cava FC 0-3 FC Fairford
FC Fairford 3-1 Cava FC
Aggregate: Cava FC 1-6 FC Fairford

Yonnaros SC 1-1 Reisburg Town SC
Reisburg Town SC 2-0 Yonnaros SC
Aggregate: Yonnaros SC 1-3 Reisburg Town SC

Southern Angle FC 1-3 FC Reian
FC Reian 3-1 Southern Angle FC
Aggregate: Southern Angle FC 2-6 FC Reian

Gateway Mountains FC 1-1 Queenstown Wanderers
Queenstown Wanderers 1-2 Gateway Mountains FC
Aggregate: Gateway Mountains FC 3-2 Queenstown Wanderers

Silenia FC 1-0 Tyrellia City
Tyrellia City 1-2 Silenia FC
Aggregate: Silenia FC 3-1 Tyrellia City

Kaylami Racers 1-3 Cambridge College SC
Cambridge College SC 1-2 Kaylami Racers
Aggregate: Kaylami Racers 3-4 Cambridge College SC

Willham County SC 3-1 Densun United
Densun United 2-0 Willham County SC (2-0 AET) (Densun United wins 1-0 on penalty kicks)
Aggregate: Willham County SC 3-3 Densun United

Kyeton Dwarves 2-2 Corneria United SC
Corneria United SC 2-1 Kyeton Dwarves
Aggregate: Kyeton Dwarves 3-4 Corneria United SC

Hamilton Bay SC 0-2 Stockton Miners
Stockton Miners 1-3 Hamilton Bay SC (1-3 AET) (Stockton Miners wins 3-0 on penalty kicks)
Aggregate: Hamilton Bay SC 3-3 Stockton Miners

Shelby Rovers 6-2 Kilroy Guardians
Kilroy Guardians 3-2 Shelby Rovers
Aggregate: Shelby Rovers 8-5 Kilroy Guardians

Fifth Round
Casaran Army Team 2-2 Tesra AAA
Tesra AAA 0-1 Casaran Army Team
Aggregate: Casaran Army Team 3-2 Tesra AAA

Densun United 0-2 Ayuma United
Ayuma United 2-2 Densun United
Aggregate: Densun United 2-4 Ayuma United

Silenia FC 3-3 Brighton Hill FC
Brighton Hill FC 3-0 Silenia FC
Aggregate: Silenia FC 3-6 Brighton Hill FC

6th Ries FC 1-1 Ayuma FC
Ayuma FC 4-0 6th Ries FC
Aggregate: 6th Ries FC 1-5 Ayuma FC

Shelby Rovers 1-2 AFC Port Royal
AFC Port Royal 1-0 Shelby Rovers
Aggregate: Shelby Rovers 1-3 AFC Port Royal

FC Fairford 4-0 Yons NFC
Yons NFC 3-2 FC Fairford
Aggregate: FC Fairford 6-3 Yons NFC

Cambridge College SC 3-1 Alberton Hill
Alberton Hill 2-1 Cambridge College SC
Aggregate: Cambridge College SC 4-3 Alberton Hill

Cornerian 4-0 Bourneson Central FC
Bourneson Central FC 0-1 Cornerian
Aggregate: Cornerian 5-0 Bourneson Central FC

Futora Stars FC 1-1 Trout FC
Trout FC 2-2 Futora Stars FC (2-2 AET) (Trout FC wins 2-0 on penalty kicks)
Aggregate: Futora Stars FC 3-3 Trout FC

United Arcadian 3-1 Appleby FC
Appleby FC 2-2 United Arcadian
Aggregate: United Arcadian 5-3 Appleby FC

FC Reian 1-0 Corneria United SC
Corneria United SC 3-4 FC Reian
Aggregate: FC Reian 5-3 Corneria United SC

Poplar Grove SC 5-0 Wendyll Town SC
Wendyll Town SC 0-3 Poplar Grove SC
Aggregate: Poplar Grove SC 8-0 Wendyll Town SC

Reisburg Town SC 2-3 Gateway Mountains FC
Gateway Mountains FC 2-0 Reisburg Town SC
Aggregate: Reisburg Town SC 2-5 Gateway Mountains FC

Lexington FC 0-2 Tyrellia Blues
Tyrellia Blues 2-0 Lexington FC
Aggregate: Lexington FC 0-4 Tyrellia Blues

Bamako Racers 1-0 Mount Crisari FC
Mount Crisari FC 1-2 Bamako Racers
Aggregate: Bamako Racers 3-1 Mount Crisari FC

Stockton Miners 0-1 Winton Market SC
Winton Market SC 3-0 Stockton Miners
Aggregate: Stockton Miners 0-4 Winton Market SC

Sixth Round
Trout FC 3-1 Cambridge College SC
Cambridge College SC 4-0 Trout FC
Aggregate: Trout FC 3-5 Cambridge College SC

Brighton Hill FC 2-1 Ayuma FC
Ayuma FC 3-1 Brighton Hill FC
Aggregate: Brighton Hill FC 3-4 Ayuma FC

Cornerian 3-1 Tyrellia Blues
Tyrellia Blues 0-3 Cornerian
Aggregate: Cornerian 6-1 Tyrellia Blues

Gateway Mountains FC 1-2 Casaran Army Team
Casaran Army Team 5-1 Gateway Mountains FC
Aggregate: Gateway Mountains FC 2-7 Casaran Army Team

FC Fairford 3-1 Poplar Grove SC
Poplar Grove SC 0-1 FC Fairford
Aggregate: FC Fairford 4-1 Poplar Grove SC

United Arcadian 0-2 Bamako Racers
Bamako Racers 1-2 United Arcadian
Aggregate: United Arcadian 2-3 Bamako Racers

Winton Market SC 1-2 AFC Port Royal
AFC Port Royal 0-4 Winton Market SC
Aggregate: Winton Market SC 5-2 AFC Port Royal

FC Reian 0-2 Ayuma United
Ayuma United 1-0 FC Reian
Aggregate: FC Reian 0-3 Ayuma United

The early rounds were notable only for the early exit of Tyrellia City, losing both legs against Silenia for a total of a 3-1 loss.

The Seventh Round

Cornerian 2-0 Ayuma United
Ayuma United 1-0 Cornerian
Aggregate: Cornerian 2-1 Ayuma United

Cornerian has always been a classy side with classy fans, with their citymates United attracting the huddled masses, like most teams with the suffix United manage. They proved their class, taking care of the first match with an admirable amount of flair at home and playing well enough to resist the plebeian counterattack.

Casaran Army Team 1-0 FC Fairford
FC Fairford 3-1 Casaran Army Team
Aggregate: Casaran Army Team 2-3 FC Fairford

The Army team has been shockingly good this season, to the point of having people question why they're even playing in the First Division instead of doing far more sensible things like defending the nation. However, Fairford showed that there's no substitute for the professionals, outclassing the Army for one of the first times all year.

Bamako Racers 4-1 Ayuma FC
Ayuma FC 0-0 Bamako Racers
Aggregate: Bamako Racers 4-1 Ayuma FC

The Third Division replay in the cup, Bamako was able to reverse their issues in the league, taking a decisive cup win through the first leg and demoralizing Ayuma, who were able to present little to no offense in the second leg.

Winton Market SC 2-1 Cambridge College SC
Cambridge College SC 0-3 Winton Market SC
Aggregate: Winton Market SC 5-1 Cambridge College SC

Cambridge College isn't the school- it's the neighborhood around the school. Although the team does have some routine student players taking a turn on the pitch. Of course, this didn't stop them from being on the receiving end of a 5-1 aggregate throttling at the hands of Winton Market.

Semifinals

Cornerian 0-4 Winton Market SC
Winton Market SC 2-0 Cornerian
Aggregate: Cornerian 0-6 Winton Market SC

And Winton markey didn't stop there, continuing to do bad things to the fans of Cornerian, forcing them to endure a 0-4 loss at home. not patient enough to rest on their laurels, they scored another two for the home fans.

Bamako Racers 1-0 FC Fairford
FC Fairford 1-0 Bamako Racers (2-2 AET)
Aggregate: Bamako Racers 3-2 FC Fairford

Bamako racers continues to play over their head, earning an extra-time win over Fairford to reach the final, their first CSA Cup final.

Final
Bamako Racers 0-2 Winton Market SC

But, a team that's been destroying people is just sometimes too mighty to be stopped. An early lead proved to last throughout the match, with Jason Richardson and Arthur Riley each putting one home to raise the cup for Winton Market and surely making the season for the Club's supporters, who have been eager to see the club move into the big time.

Dancougar

28-02-2008, 07:26

The Cup of Harmony ended with elimination for the Dancougar Black Wings in the first round, while the two teams ahead of them in the group proceeded to make the cup final. Full attention of the nation's fans then swung towards the colleges, where teams now had an extra incentive to play hard. In the spring semester, there would be a tournament to decide the national champion, and forty teams would make the cut - twenty four of those spots were allocated for the conference champions, leaving the remaining sixteen spots up for grabs at the discretion of a tournament selection committee. The format would be home and away in each round except for the single-match final to be played at the National Stadium.

REGULAR SEASON

The Dancougar Royal Academy dominated the nation's oldest league, the Yuki Collegiate Premier League, finishing fourteen points clear with a 10-4-0 record, their best showing in four years. The Kishin Delta CPL was much closer, with Port Royal University edging out Nara by two points. The league was incredibly competitive from top to bottom, with only two points separating the bottom seven. In the Shiba Valley, Grandborough University finished 8-4-2 and held off Shiba State.

After a down year, Pollock College bounced back in the coastal Plains Conference, five points clear of Hinata Academy. The lead was two going into the final match... against Hinata, and a 2-1 win delivered the title. A surprise in the Hazuki Collegiate Premier League, as Ouran College finally broke Hazuki State's monopoly, although it was a fight to the finish, as four points separated the top five. Koi Shores Technical College took the Big Northeast with a best-ever 9-2-3 finish, defeating second-place Northeastern Masato University 4-2 on the final matchday.

In the Shinobu Valley, Callihan College finished first on twenty six points from fourteen matches, although the fight for second was more vicious, as four teams jockeyed for position, all with six wins and a varying number of ties. Granger Island College had a breakout year, finished 10-1-3 to win the Helmut CPL ten points ahead of second-place Branstein. In the South Central, Crane State College leapfrogged then-leaders Shikibu Northwestern with a 2-1 win on matchday fourteen and held on to win the conference at 7-5-4.

Meadowridge University took the Red River on the conference's best defense, eight goals ceded in fourteen matches. They were five points clear of Hyland College, who couldn't seem to lose or win, as they finished 5-8-1. The Big West saw places two, three, and four in a dead heat at twenty five points. But it was Eastern Desugaia University that won with twenty eight. The Lunarossa CPL saw a competitive season go down to the wire, with Craig State College and Negley Run Academy both finishing with twenty nine points, with Craig State winning on goal differential. They were neck and neck for the final three weeks of the season.

The Big North went to Kabuto University at 9-4-3. They leapfrogged then-leaders Billick on matchday sixteen with a 2-0 win and held off Gotei's challenge. Purnell College took the always quiet Metro East with twenty five points from fourteen matches, maintaining a three point cushion for the final three weeks. The Igor Valley went to Darrough University at 8-4-2, five points clear of South Kotaru State and Earlsburg. Each of those top three sides averaged less than a goal given up per game.

The Big East went to the school that produced the most offensive fireworks, one of the few in the nation to average over two goals a game - Amada University, which had a five point cushion over second and nine over third, finishing at 9-3-2 with thirty three goals scored. Castillo University won the Shapiro CPL on a wild final day which saw one point separating the top four. Karin Tech vs Shapiro State was supposed to be the game that decided the conference title, but they drew 1-1 while Castillo, third in the table, defeated bottom-feeders Canton 3-1 to jump past them both. The Kishin Plains went to Frickstowne College, which tied Bloomfield on twenty two points but won on goal differential. Frickstowne were a point behind on the final matchday and earned a draw to pull even, while Bloomfield lost to bottom-feeders University of Shiba in a heartbreaker, 4-3.

Akasaka University had a breakout season in the Kotaru CPL, finishing a dominant 10-3-1 to finish seven points clear of Kotaru University. They did it with a punishing defense that only gave up six goals in fourteen games. Also finishing with ten wins were the University of Zorbados, which took the Gilderome River Conference title. They built a seven point cushion after fourteen games to clinch early. Chastain College returned to prominence in the Northern Plains with an undefeated season, 11-5-0, and a defense that only yielded seven goals in sixteen games.

The award for tightest standings went to the Shikibu CPL, where top to bottom only spanned five points. Stoddart-McLean College emerged on top at 6-3-5, amazingly managing to finish with a negative goal differential. Their 2-1 win over Nikkei Academy on the final day vaulted them from fifth to first. With a 10-4-2 record, the University of Sullivan took the Sullivan CPL, nine points clear of the competition for second, where places two through six were settled with only two points between them. Alameda Academy won the Keats Island CPL, catching up to Keats Island on matchday sixteen with a 4-1 win over Hayward and then setting a pace down the stretch that their competition couldn't match.

TOURNAMENT - PLAY-IN ROUND

All conference winners won an automatic bid to the inaugural Kingdom of Dancougar College Cup, and with those automatic bids came free passage to the second round. A play-in round of sixteen teams would be made up entirely of at-large bids which were chosen at the start of the new year. Plenty of teams felt like they had a case for making the tournament, and many picks were deemed controversial by outsiders.

Mount Fujiko State was a late selection out of the Big West, and they were downed by #25 Pembrooke Academy 4-2, one of three teams to be selected out of the Shiba Valley. Elsewhere, #16 Dyson College won the opening match with #21 Aiken College and went through after a draw in the return leg.

Shikibu Northwestern, at 5-8-3, were a surprise pick out of the South Central Conference, and they went up against Hinata Academy, another late selection at 6-5-3 from the Coastal Plains. Neither was considered an attractive side, and Hinata needed penalties in the return leg to go through. #15 Negley Run Academy, considered one of the top at-large teams, and #18 Keats Island University swapped 2-0 wins and also went to penalties, with Negley Run going through.

The Kasai Academy were the last of the sixteen teams selected, and many doubted their credentials, 7-5-4 in the Hazuki CPL. But they got past #24 Gotei College after scoring twice in overtime in the return leg to win on aggregate. In what was considered the msot attractive tie of the play-in round, #10 Shiba State, who finished a strong 8-3-3 in the Shiba Valley, crushed #17 Gilderome State 4-0 in the first leg to seal the deal.

From the South Central, Shiratori University began its run by taking down Koratu University 4-2 on aggregate. The final match of the first round pitted Hyland College of the Red River Conference and #19 Mainstead City of the Big East. Mainstead won the return leg 3-1 to wipe out a 1-0 loss in the first match.

TOURNAMENT - CONFERENCE ROUND

The eight first-round winners were thrown into the pot with the conference champs and the pairings were drawn at random. Such a draw was made before each round to reduce predictability.

Port Royal, two years removed from their ten win campaign, went down to #11 Craig State 3-1 on aggregate. Chastain College, whose 11-5-0 record merited a #1 ranking by the media, lived up to the pressure in the first round by dispatching #25 Pembrooke 3-0.

Hinata figured to crash out after drawing #8 Grandborough University, winners of the Shiba Valley. But they proved that their selection was no fluke with wins of 2-1 and 3-2. Shiratori University ran into #13 Granger Island State and took them into overtime in the return leg. A late goal forced penalties, and they emerged victorious.

The upsets continued when Kasai was paired with #23 Ouran College. They also proved that they belonged with a pair of wins, 3-0 in all to bounce the Hazuki CPL champs. Crane State met Purnell in the least attractive tie of the ground, and Purnell went through 2-0, proving the Metro East had some talent.

#7 Kabuto University ran into #22 Meadowridge University, and Meadowridge pulled off the upset with a 2-1 win and 1-1 draw. In a tough matchup between #10 Shiba State University and #14 Koi Shores, Koi won the return leg 2-0 to advance.

Frickstowne, unranked champs of the Kishin Plains, took on #12 Darrough University and took them into overtime in the return leg. Penalties were needed, and Frickstowne emerged the winners. One tie that garnered a lot of attention was #4 University of Sullivan against #9 University of Zorbados, and after losing the first tie 2-0, Sullivan roared back to take the return leg 2-0 and move on.

Penalties were also needed to settle the matchup between Callihan College and #6 Alameda Academy. Alameda avoided the embarrassing upset, but didn't look capable of clearing the next stage. #16 Dyson College and #20 Pollock College figured to be evenly matched, and after Dyson tied the aggregate score in the return leg, both teams scored in overtime to force penalties. Dyson were the winners.

Stoddart-McLean was prediced to crash out against #15 Negley Run Academy, but they scored an overtime winner in the return leg to advance 4-3 on aggregate. The marquee matchup of the Conference Round was #3 Akasaka University and #5 Amada University, but it looked over with Akasaka's 3-1 win in the first leg. Amada fought back in the second, scoring twice unanswered to tie the aggregate score, but a late dagger by Akasaka gave them the round.

Castillo University ran into #2 Dancougar Royal Academy but put up an incredible fight, taking the Royals to penalty kicks in the return leg before finally losing. The last match of the round saw #19 Mainstead City defeat Eastern Desugaia University 2-0.

TOURNAMENT - CONSTRUCTION HUT SWEET SIXTEEN

Shiratori University drew #1 Chastain, and they were written off. But they were only fueled by their detractors and won the opening leg 2-0. Chastain's vaunted defense was cut apart by Shiratori, the 6-7-3 team, who also took the second leg 3-2 to advance. Kasai Academy couldn't duplicate Shiratori's success against #4 University of Sullivan, going down 3-2.

Purnell's run ended against #11 Craig State College, 2-1 on aggregate. #19 Mainstead City kept going against #14 Koi Shores, winning the opening leg 3-0 to create an unassailable cushion.

Stoddart-McLean and Frickstowne was a tie that no one was prepared to deal with, since neither team had been expected to advance. They produced an entertaining series, with Frickstowne losing the opener 2-1 but winning the return leg 3-0 to advance. Hinata Academy gave #3 Akasaka a hard time by taking them into overtime, but their Cinderella run ended with Akasaka's equilizer.

The matchup of the round was #2 Dancougar Royal Academy against #6 Alameda Academy, and it turned out to be the highest scoring matchup of the tournament. Alameda figured to be in the last eight after a 4-2 opening leg win. But the Royals played with abandon in the return. After going down 1-0 early, they systematically dissected the Alameda defense to score five unanswered goals, winning the set 7-5 on aggregate. Less entertaining was the tie between #16 Dyson College and #22 Meadowridge University, with Dyson advancing on penalties for the second round in a row.

TOURNAMENT - QUARTERFINALS

#4 University of Sullivan and #19 Mainstead City College combined for ten goals in two matches, with Sullivan winning the first leg 4-2. They tied the return, and Mainstead were out. Frickstowne finally ran out of gas against #3 Akasaka, although Akasaka had to come back from a goal defecit in the return leg, a 2-0 win seeing them through.

#2 Dancougar Royal Academy drew #11 Craig State College, and they got two shutout wins to go into the semifinals 3-0 on aggregate. #16 Dyson had the unfortunate luck to draw Shiratori University, who had taken on the air of "men on a mission." Dyson were their latest upset victims, a 3-0 return leg win giving them the round.

TOURNAMENT - SEMIFINALS AND CHAMPIONSHIP

Shiratori University, the lone survivor of the play-in round, drew #2 Dancougar Royal Academy. The Royals were confident and declared they would not take their opponents lightly. But perhaps they were the ones taken lightly, as Shiratori rattled off wins of 3-0 and 2-0 to cruise into the final. There, they would meet #4 University of Sullivan, who defeated #3 Akasaka 5-2 on aggregate, including a 4-1 thumping in the opening leg.

The Grand Final in Yuki City pitted Shiratori, no longer the hopeless underdogs, against the champions of the Sullivan Collegiate Premier League. The neutral fans were behind them, and having already beaten the #1 and #2 teams in the land, would downing #4 really be that difficult? But the University of Sullivan finally came up with the solution to the Shiratori defense and raced out to a 2-0 halftime lead. Shiratori pulled one back with a little over a half hour left, but time ran out on the surprise team of the tournament. A 3-1 win for the #4 University of Sullivan, and the first College Cup goes south.

Adihan

29-02-2008, 16:20

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b68/NSLE/NationStates/adihanleague.png
Season Two: First Half recap

The latest installment of the United Islands League, featuring the United Islands Premier and the League Championship Second Division, is now underway, with the two tiers of Ad'ihani football both at their halfway point of Season 2.

Before we begin this first-half recap, a quick review of the final League Committee executive meeting, held three days before AFC Hatton hosted Altsend in the Second Division to kick the season off.

On the agenda were discussions about a player draft, a reserve league, and foreign players in the league. The Committee expressed reservations about a reserve league, saying that at the present moment the squad cap of 21 players meant that there was no need for such a league, unless teams were willing to merge in the reserves. This was rejected by a majority of the 24 teams, and the idea was marked for future consideration.

The idea of a draft had been mooted by various teams in the Second Division in order to inject some quality into the lower league. However, eight of the sixteen top-flight clubs blocked the proposal at the meeting. The Committee said it was a "feasible idea" but would require "further intense discussion and negotiation".

Overwhelmingly, 14 of the 16 top-flight clubs and three of the eight Second Division clubs (71% of all teams) voted in favour of allowing foreigners into the league. The Committee noted its reservations at allowing non-Ad'ihani or Liventian players, but agreed to take the proposal forward.

Clubs will be allowed to name a maximum of two foreign (non-Ad'ihani or Liventian) nationals to the match sixteen per match. However, no two foreign nationals may be on the pitch for the same team at the same time, meaning one playing has to be substituted off before another can be brought on.

The age restriction of 18 years will continue to apply across the two divisions, including to foreigners. Furthermore, the Committee, in consultation with the Football Federation, has instituted an international incoming transfer window, which states that foreign players may only be signed during the mid-season break or the close season, but not during active season play. Ad'ihani or foreign players leaving for overseas clubs, or transfers between two League clubs of Ad'ihani players, can continue to take place at any time.

Now, let's have a look back at the first 15 matchdays of Ad'ihani domestic football.

Matchday One
There were no real games of note on paper for Matchday One in the Premier, but by the end of the day football neutrals watching League Today on Ad'ihani television were treated to a 31-goal feast as none of the eight games finished goalless.

With an average of 3.9 goals per game, it was a treat for the neutrals. Not one for Tallyn Rovers fans, though, as their club began life in the top flight with a tough 0-3 loss away at the High Stand against Grand Arsenal, while defending champions Protectorate United won 5-3 at the DuneDome against a stubborn Navon Beach.

In the Second Division, Altsend were unlucky to come away with only a 1-1 draw away to AFC Hatton in the very first match of the new season. T'chéy Park recorded the largest margin of victory on the day, winning 4-1 over their visitors Dullham and Oldbridge.

Matchday Two
Protectorate United, temporarily playing at Bridge Road while Protectorate Stadium was being repaird, suffered a shock defeat in their first match at their new home for the following few months, losing 1-3 to Grand Arsenal. Two days prior, stadium owners Oldbridge City beat Dalinn Wanderers 2-0. The Protectors' rivals Olympique Protectorat (temporarily playing at Oldbridge's city rivals Dullham and Oldbridge), meanwhile, stamped their authority on the new season by thrashing their title rivals – and the team that pipped them to second last season – CF Mont-Pluie 5-0.

Last season's cup champions Kinney Road, who only escaped relegation last season by winning the relegation round-robin group, beat Navon Beach 3-1 to earn their second win from two games. Pilminster Rovers rounded off the four teams to still have perfect 2-0-0 records after two matches.

In the Second Division, there was nearly nothing to shout about. The only result of note was T'chéy Park's single-goal win at home to Flitton Rangers which made them one of only five teams to still have a perfect winning record after just two games.

Matchday Three
Only one team of the 24 retained a perfect winning record after Matchday Three, and surprisingly, it wasn't Olympique Protectorat. Instead, Pilminster Rovers' 3-0 win away at the Tallyn Ground, home to promoted Tallyn Rovers, was enough to see them top the league. Northtown Utd managed to defeat Oly. Protectorat 2-1, dropping the Ad'ihan side down to 6th. Defending champions Protectorate United were even worse off, with just four points from the first three games after a goalless draw at Flitton City.

Altsend continued their horrible run of form since being relegated, losing 1-3 at Dullham and Oldbridge, who leapfrogged Altsend into 5th. T'chéy Park's goalless draw with County Stanley was enough to keep them at the top of the division.

Matchday Four
If you guessed that Tallyn Rovers had still yet to win a game by this point, you wouldn't be wrong. A 2-5 reverse away at Bridge Road left them rock bottom, having conceded 13 goals in just four matches. Pilminster Rovers' impressive run of four wins on the bounce continued with a stunning 2-0 win at home to Protectorate United, who fell to 11th, resulting in the dreaded board vote of confidence for Protectorate Utd manager Jayden Thomas. Oldbridge City's win over Tallyn kept the pressure up on Pilminster, though, with the top six teams all within four points of the leaders.

Meanwhile, Altsend's dreadful luck in the Second Division continued, with some fans remarking that they would do well to even finish in the top half of the division this season. A 0-1 home loss to Flitton Rangers – who moved to the top of the table – sent them crashing to the bottom of the league system. Three teams remained tied on seven points, two behind Rangers.

Matchday Five
Pilminster's unbeaten record continued on Matchday Five but their win streak was snapped by Kinney Road as the two teams drew 1-1 at The Vineyard. Pilminster and Kinney Road, along with Northtown United, remained the only teams left unbeaten among all 24 league teams. Only three points split the top four at this stage, with Olympique Protectorat (4-0-1) second on 12 points, Northtown Utd (3-2-0) in third one behind, and Oldbridge City (3-1-1) on ten points in fourth.

Protectorate United managed to beat Oldbridge City in the first "derby" of Bridge Road, as Protectorate Utd beat their temporary hosts 3-0 to move up into 8th, six points off the pace.

Altsend picked up their first win of the season and their first win in the Second Division, with a 1-0 win away at T'chéy Park, who fell to 4th with that loss. County Stanley climbed to the top of the league with a 3-1 win over the new bottom side Island Athletic.

Matchday Six
Tallyn Rovers nil, Northtown United four. Very bad reading for Tallyn Rovers fans as they continued their horrible run of no wins – or draws – from six, conceding twenty goals in the process. With a city derby away at Dalinn Wanderers up next, it was starting to be hard to see how Tallyn could possibly survive the drop this season. Jayden Thomas' job appeared to become more secure after Protectorate United shellacked Djei Sporting Club 4-0. Northtown Utd remained the only team still unbeaten in the league system following Pilminster's 0-1 loss at Mountbatten Junction and Oldbridge City's 3-0 steamrollering of Kinney Road.

Meanwhile, a dull day in the Second Division meant that there was only one table move. Only one of the four matches ended in a result as leaders County Stanley beat Dullham and Oldbridge 2-1 to extend their lead at the top of the table to three points. Dulham and Oldbridge lost a position on goal difference to AFC Hatton, who drew 1-1 at T'chéy Park, while Southcast Town and Flitton Rovers and Altsend and Island Athletic both had respective goalless draws to end the first matchups in the Second Division. By now, every team had at least a win.

Matchday Seven
You just knew it was coming. Tallyn Rovers notched up their first points in the top flight with a crucial 2-1 win away at city rivals Dalinn Wanderers. Protectorate United suffered their third defeat of the season to Northtown Utd, who remained unbeaten. Still only three points separated the top four, although a gap was now building up to eighth-placed Protectorate United, now eight points off the lead.

With the painful loss to their city rivals, Dalinn fell into last place, having yet to win all season, picking up just one draw from seven matches. Both Tallyn/Dalinn (your choice of transliteration) remained in the relegation zone at this point.

Meanwhile, AFC Hatton thrashed Island Athletic four without reply in the Second Division, while County Stanley remained top of the division after a 1-1 draw away at Altsend, who remained second-from-bottom on goals scored, behind Dullham and Oldbridge.

Matchday Eight
Well, good thingd come in droves, don't they? Wins like buses for Tallyn Rovers. You wait a damn long time for one, then two come along at the same time. A 2-1 win over South Barrier, coupled with a 2-0 defeat for Hatton Town against Pilminster, was enough to lift the Premier newcomers out of the relegation zone. Their friends over at Dalinn weren't as lucky, losing 3-0 to Protectorate United, resulting in the sacking of manager Charles Richardson.

Dalinn have now expressed a desire to bring in the league's first foreign manager, following the preseason relaxing of rules. Interested parties should contact Dalinn by email (TG Ad'ihan with name, age, nationality and playing style -5 to +5). Olympique Protectorat continued to dominate the top of the table with a 4-2 win over Grand Arsenal. Meanwhile, Northtown United finally lost their unbeaten start to the season, going down to the season's surprise package Kinney Road, who moved into sixth place.

The Second Division was turning out to be a very low-scoring affair this season. After eight matchdays (32 matches), only 67 goals had been scored for an average of 2.09 goals per game, compared to the Premier's 3.52 (225 goals from 64 matches). At this point last season, 3.06 goals per game were being scored in this division (98 goals). The trend continued on Matchday Eight, as only five goals were scored among the eight teams. For the second time this season, two of the four matches ended goalless, with only T'chéy Park (over Dullham and Oldbridge) picking up a win, 2-1. The other scoring game featured a 1-1 draw between cellar-dwellers Island Athletic and Southcast Town.

Matchday Nine
Do good things come in threes? In the shock of the season so far, league leaders Olympique Protectorat were stunned 4-2 by the resurgent Tallyn Rovers, who moved up into 13th with their third win in a row. Meanwhile, Dalinn Wanderers – now under the temporary charge of caretaker manager Bert Wilson – won their first game of the season, a 1-0 home victory over Kinney Road. Northtown Utd got back to winning ways with a solitary goal against Mountbatten Junction enough for three points. Defending champions Protectorate United could not take advantage of their rivals' slip-up as they were held to a 2-2 draw by South Barrier, leaving them seven points off the pace.

County Stanley slipped up in the second division, meanwhile, with a 0-1 defeat at AFC Hatton, now just two points back. However, a more imminent threat was from Flitton Rangers, who beat T'chéy Park 1-0 to move into second, behind Stanley only on goal difference. Amazingly, after nine games, Rangers had only scored five goals and conceded four. Southcast Town in third, one point back, had only scored just one more and conceded the same number.

Matchday Ten
The run had to end somewhere, and end it did in spectacular fashion as Tallyn Rovers were shown no mercy as they faced Protectorate United at Bridge Road, with the defending champs coming up tops in a 6-1 thumping. Early pace-setters Pilminster Rovers drew 0-0 against Grand Arsenal, slipping back down into 7th. Oldbridge City beat Navon Beach 5-1 at Bridge Road the day after their temporary tenants put six into the nets, showing perhaps that the attacking form was still within the ground.

A second loss for Northtown Utd, at home by a goal at the hands of CF Mont-Pluie, was enough to see them lose one spot to their conquerors and fall into third place. At the bottom, Dalinn Wanderers continued their relatively good form under Wilson with a 1-1 draw away at Mountbatten Junction. However, they remained four points adrift of rivals Tallyn and safety.

In the tight-as-ever Second Division, Altsend and Southcast Town both added to their already-miserable GF and GA tallies with low-scoring matches. Altsend fell two places into last place with a 0-1 defeat to Dullham and Oldbridge, who moved into 6th, while previously-last Island Athletic stunned joint-leaders Flitton Rangers with a comfortable 2-1 win. County Stanley also slipped up, losing points in a goalless draw against T'chéy Park.

Matchday Eleven
After their... soggy start to the season, Protectorate United seemed to be getting back into their groove, moving to within five points of the new leaders with a crucial 1-0 win over rivals Olympique Protectorat at Bridge Road. After the match, both teams and their fans were greeted by the good news that both teams were expected to be able to move back into Protectorate Stadium after Matchday Thirteen for the final two matches of the first half.

The loss for Olympique Protectorat meant that CF Mont-Pluie, who beat relegation-threatened Dalinn Wanderers 4-1, climbed into pole position in the table, a point ahead of l'OP and a further point ahead of Northtown Utd, who beat Hatton Town 2-1. Last season's cup winners (and lucky relegation battlers) Kinney Road, still in sixth place, lost 0-1 at the Tallyn Ground, allowing their opponents to pull yet further away from the drop zone.

Southcast Town dampened the mood in Stanley with a goalless draw in the second division, allowing Rangers' 1-0 win over the hopeless Altsend to move the team from Flitton into the lead at the peak of the standings. The loss, which left Altsend nine points off the top of the division, resulted in Timothy Campbell's sacking. He was replaced by former Dalinn Wanderers manager Charles Richardson.

Matchday Twelve
In one of the more high-scoring matches of the season so far, Oldbridge City walloped Flitton City 6-2 at Bridge Road to keep them within four points of new leaders Olympique Protectorat, who defeated Pilminster 2-0. CF Mont-Pluie lost a bit of momentum with after being denied 1-0 by South Barrier, while Protectorate United's charge up the table also suffered a temporary blow with a 1-1 draw away at Kinney Road. Dalinn Wanderers managed to win their second match of the season, meanwhile, with a 4-2 win over fellow relegation battlers Hatton Town, now only three points above them in the drop zone. At this point, only five points separated mid-table from relegation, while eleven points was the gap to the top of the table.

County Stanley regained top spot in the Second Division after battling hard to a 1-0 win over Island Athletic, who fell back into last place. Southcast Town won 3-1 away at Athlete Stadium in Dullham, while Altsend recorded the largest win of the day with a powerful 4-0 thumping of T'chéy Park.

Matchday Thirteen
Protectorate United said goodbye to stand-in home Bridge Road with a solid 3-1 win over Mountbatten Junction as they prepared to move back into the Protectorate Stadium, moving them to within four points of the new joint-leaders. CF Mont-Pluie beat Tallyn Rovers 3-1 but Olympique Protectorat dropped points in a 2-2 draw at Kinney Road, leaving both teams on 28 points. Third and fourth Oldbridge and Northtown were both on 26 points by this stage, with a win away at Pilminster and a loss at home to Grand Arsenal respectively.

Hatton Town, previously in 15th and a relegation spot, beat fellow strugglers South Barrier Utd to climb into 12th as their rivals slipped into 13th, ahead of Tallyn on goal difference. Djei Sporting Club, who lost 0-1 to Flitton City, dropped into the other relegation spot not occupied by Dalinn, who were defenceless against a relentless Navon Beach (5-1).

What a day in the second division! Leaders County Stanley, on 20 points, lost 2-3 to Dullham and Oldbridge, while their promotion rivals Southcast Town and Flitton Rangers played out a goalless draw that left them in second and third respectively (scoring a mere 18 goals and conceding only 14 in 26 games amongst them!). A bottom-of-the-league clash saw Island Athletic come out eventual winners by a single goal in a nine-goal thriller against Altsend, who were unlucky to lose.

Matchday Fourteen
Would you know it, they're back. In a match that could prove crucial to deciding the direction of the title race, Protectorate United celebrated returning to Protectorate Stadium with a 4-3 win over CF Mont-Pluie to move into third, with Oldbridge City and Northtown United both losing and falling back. Leaders Olympique Protectorat recorded a win to mark their return to the stadium too, leaving the race for the title very tasty.

Tallyn Rovers' survival hopes took a huge blow as they could not hold off former relegation candidates Hatton Town in a seven-goal toss-up, losing 3-4 in the end. Dalinn Wanderers' surprise 4-1 away win at Grand Arsenal saw them move to equal on points with 15th-placed Djei Sporting Club, leaving five teams at the bottom within three points of each other.

At the end of the first phase in the second division, you might be forgiven for thinking, based on the past few matchdays, that County Stanley would do just enough to hang on. Unfortunately for them, Altsend held them to a 1-1 draw, and with Southcast Town also drawing, Flitton Rangers struck while the iron was hot and beat Dullham and Oldbridge 1-0 to win the first phase of Season 2 and guarantee them one foot in next season's Premier if they could keep their form up. Amazingly, Flitton Rangers' goals scored tally was not even into double digits, as their defensive strategy paid off.

Second Division — end of Phase One
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Flitton Rangers 14 6 4 4 9 8 1 22 Q
2 County Stanley 14 5 6 3 14 10 4 21
3 Southcast Town 14 4 9 1 10 6 4 21
4 AFC Hatton 14 5 5 4 28 20 8 20
5 T'chéy Park 14 5 4 5 15 18 -3 19
6 Dullham and Oldbridge 14 4 5 5 23 26 -3 17
7 Altsend 14 2 7 5 14 15 -1 13
8 Island Athletic 14 3 4 7 20 30 -10 13

Matchday Fifteen
Well, we have a fight on our hands. CF Mont-Pluie showed they weren't going to give up easily with a 5-0 win over Kinney Road, but an Olympique Protectorat capitulation and eventual defeat to Mountbatten Junction, coupled with a 4-1 win for Protectorate United win, meant that last season's champions moved to within a single point of CFMP and l'OP, both tied on 31. At the bottom, Djei SC and Dalinn Wanderers both drew, while Tallyn Rovers appeared to have gone back to their losing ways, meaning Tallyn were now dangerously placed to be relegated, as South Barrier's win over Grand Arsenal gave them some breathing space ahead of Tallyn.

United Islands Premier — halfway stage
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Olympique Protectorat 15 10 1 4 34 17 17 31
2 CF Mont-Pluie 15 10 1 4 35 25 10 31
3 Protectorate United 15 9 3 3 38 19 19 30
4 Oldbridge City 15 8 3 4 40 24 16 27
5 Northtown Utd 15 8 3 4 27 19 8 27
6 Navon Beach 15 8 0 7 42 38 4 24
7 Kinney Road 15 6 5 4 17 18 -1 23
8 Pilminster Rovers 15 6 3 6 19 15 4 21
9 Grand Arsenal 15 5 4 6 28 30 -2 19
10 Flitton City 15 5 4 6 15 21 -6 19
11 Mountbatten Junction 15 4 5 6 23 28 -5 17
12 Hatton Town 15 5 2 8 23 32 -9 17
13 South Barrier Utd 15 5 1 9 17 27 -10 16
14 Tallyn Rovers 15 4 1 10 21 44 -23 13
15 Djei Sporting Club 15 3 3 9 20 30 -10 12
16 Dalinn Wanderers 15 3 3 9 20 32 -12 12

Some mid-season awards...
Attacking power – Navon Beach, 42 GF, 2.80 GF/match (Second Division: AFC Hatton, 28 GF, 2.00 GF/match)
Defensive power – Pilminster Rovers, 15 GA, 1.00 GA/match (Second Division: Southcast Town, 6 GA, 0.43 GA/match)
Most unexpected performance – Tallyn Rovers, 14th, following their 0-0-6 start to end the first half at a respectable 4-1-10.
Attack is not our thing award – Flitton City, 15 GF, 1.00 GF/match (Second Division: Flitton Rangers, 9 GF, 0.64 GF/match)
Defence? What's defence? Award – Tallyn Rovers, 44 GA, 2.93 GA/match (Second Division: Island Athletic, 30 GA, 2.14 GA/match)

Vephrall

29-02-2008, 17:22

BCN's 1754 Football Preview
with Fihor Gaicass and Freprisis Pipletone

(starting a few minutes into the show because we overslept)

FG: "So let's get down to business, then. Who's your pick to win the VTF Cintrin A this year?"

FP: "Do you even have to ask? Boalluns with the three-peat. Come on, they absolutely dominated last year and I don't see them suddenly getting any weaker. I haven't seen any big Boalluns players leaving. And if they're keeping the same team they had last year, I think we can expect a similar performance, don't you?"

FG: "But are you so sure they can keep this up? You're quite right, they basically wiped their behinds with the rest of the league last year. Don't you think that's gonna go to their heads? They're probably thinking they can get it done with little to no effort. I say fifteen games in they'll be in the bottom half of the table, and only then will they realize that they actually do need to show up mentally for the games. And by then it'll be too late to mount a serious title challenge."

FP: "They scored 87 goals last year. No other team had over 60! With Boalluns' strikers, I just don't see how you can possibly expect them not to win."

FG: "Well, I'm not saying they're not good. I'm just saying they're not going to put in enough effort. They might end up finishing in the top five, but they're not going to win the league."

FP: "All right, then who will?"

FG: "Well, I'd say you have to go with the other team that showed it was a cut above the rest last year - Poiki."

FP: "So you think Boalluns will get big-headed, but Poiki won't?"

FG: "Poiki hasn't won the league the last two years and didn't finish 28 points ahead of third place. They're still mortal, and they know it. And that's why they'll be working from day one to lift that silverware."

FP: "Whatever. Who's going down?"

FG: "I think, as usual, two of the promoted clubs will go right back down. In this case, that's Fekler and Custler. And it'll be Daazyiles that will join them. In fact, I really was expecting them to go down several years ago, but they've been managing to survive, even with a few midtable finishes. But their time in Cintrin A is done."

FP: "I'm going with a surprise pick to drop. I agree, Fekler and Custler will go straight back down, but I think it'll be Oillid that will join them. I pretty much feel the same way about Oillid that you do about Daazyiles."

FG: "I could see that, but I wouldn't bank on it. Last question: who's going to take everyone by surprise this year?"

FP: "That's easy - Ammites. I really have to give the Ammites players props. Even when they got relegated in '52, most of the stars stayed with the club. They're obviously loyal to the cause. First year down, they win Cintrin B, and now we're welcoming them back up top. If there's anything I'm more certain of than Boalluns winning the league, it's that Ammites will not be going down. In fact, I'd go so far as to say a finish in the bottom six would be a disappointment."

FG: "I agree wholeheartedly with you there, but I also think it's going to be a breakout year for Anhenir. They've been barely avoiding relegation for the last couple years, but I think they're finally getting adjusted to life in Cintrin A and are ready to make the push for midtable."

FP: "And now let's have a look at the youngsters. Give me next season's conference champions, quick!"

FG: "Till will be very happy to have made the move to the Big North, where they're now the class of the league. Southeastern looks like a good pick in the ECC, but they also just switched conferences. They play very different football in the ECC than they do in the SCC. So I think they'll need a year or two to adjust and in the meantime Calamen will take that conference. In the Isthmian, I'm going with BTI to repeat. They won it last year, they had a good performance in the tournament, and if they can get past Flaarickug, they're golden. Midland's no contest, Riestre to win it again, and I wouldn't be surprised if they repeat their national championship too. The SCC is still wide open, still more talent there than you can shake a stick at, and you might as well put half the league in a hat and draw one out. And I've drawn Shentarong Southern out of that hat. In the Southwestern, I see three or four teams with a legitimate shot at it, and I'm going to go with one of the outsiders. Dettune to win that conference."

FP: "All right, good stuff. Well, that concludes our preview. From everybody at BCN, goodbye."

Casari

01-03-2008, 20:16

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b20/Casari/casaritv.png

Presents

The 1524 League Season

The First Division

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 West Baronies SC 38 24 9 5 73 26 47 81
2 Casaran Army Team 38 23 8 7 62 39 23 77
3 Tyrellia Blues 38 21 8 9 61 40 21 71
4 Tyrellian International 38 21 7 10 74 41 33 70
5 Corneria United SC 38 20 10 8 64 40 24 70
6 Winton Market SC 38 20 9 9 62 43 19 69
7 Tyrellia City 38 19 10 9 73 44 29 67
8 Shelby FC 38 15 11 12 53 48 5 56
9 Tyir FC 38 13 12 13 54 48 6 51
10 Astra Royal SC 38 12 15 11 56 59 -3 51
11 Sanjuku United 38 14 8 16 56 51 5 50
12 Inslow FC 38 12 13 13 55 54 1 49
13 Leyton FC 38 13 9 16 51 63 -12 48
14 Brighton Hill FC 38 14 5 19 45 62 -17 47
15 Cornerian 38 12 10 16 49 55 -6 46
16 FC Stockton 38 8 10 20 38 62 -24 34
17 AFC Port Royal 38 8 8 22 36 68 -32 32
18 Granite City FC 38 8 6 24 41 72 -31 30 R
19 Brooks FC 38 7 6 25 43 81 -38 27 R
20 Presscot FC 38 6 6 26 35 85 -50 24 R

In a season where Tyrellia City was expected to be an overwhelming force, destroying all comers, they ended up being the third best team in the city. However, a stellar season for West Baronies, who finally were able to capitalize, with Silvia Hill leading the team to their first championship in quite a long time. On the other side, both Brooks and Presscot FC are making the drop, sad days for a pair of teams with a considerable amount of history behind them- both playing in the old IAFL, Presscot even winning an improbable title.

The Second Division

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Remoro 44 38 32 4 2 101 27 74 100 C
2 Longford River FC 38 25 5 8 72 41 31 80 P
3 Queenstown FC 38 24 5 9 97 44 53 77 P
4 United Arcadian 38 23 7 8 78 49 29 76
5 Fenstrom-Riverside 38 23 6 9 69 37 32 75
6 Shelby Rovers 38 22 5 11 69 46 23 71
7 Ayuma FC 38 19 6 13 60 44 16 63
8 FC Tica 38 16 6 16 54 45 9 54
9 FC Clarmont 38 14 12 12 49 50 -1 54
10 Appleby Rovers 38 15 8 15 54 55 -1 53
11 FC Fairford 38 12 14 12 55 52 3 50
12 Kota Junction SC 38 13 9 16 57 74 -17 48
13 West Hamilton Rangers 38 12 11 15 48 49 -1 47
14 Silenia FC 38 13 8 17 55 71 -16 47
15 FC Southborough 38 11 10 17 38 55 -17 43
16 Birmingham Casari FC 38 10 7 21 39 62 -23 37
17 Welsian SC 38 8 8 22 43 70 -27 32
18 Arcadia Fire 38 5 5 28 28 74 -46 20 R
19 Kotan AFC 38 4 8 26 39 96 -57 20 R
20 Factory Row SC 38 4 6 28 31 95 -64 18 R

Remoro proved they need to move up a level in excellent style, getting a full 20 points over second place and proving that there's just no comparison to the rest of the field. The fight for third was rather close as well, with three teams within three points. The story at the bottom of the table was similar to the story at the top, however- a 12 point break from 17th to 18th gave the teams on the bottom little hope.

Lower Divisions

Third Division

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Ayuma United 38 29 5 4 92 27 65 92 C
2 Cava FC 38 26 7 5 90 32 58 85 P
3 East Sanjuku 38 25 9 4 101 40 61 84 P
4 Kelsia Lions 38 23 7 8 89 36 53 76
5 Sansbury FC 38 23 6 9 65 44 21 75
6 FC Reian 38 22 7 9 76 38 38 73
7 Fenstrom FC 38 22 7 9 71 39 32 73
8 Cambridge College SC 38 20 8 10 68 45 23 68
9 Appleby FC 38 15 8 15 51 52 -1 53
10 Bourneson Central FC 38 15 7 16 43 59 -16 52
11 Hamilton Bay SC 38 14 6 18 48 60 -12 48
12 Bamako Racers 38 13 4 21 40 60 -20 43
13 Sanaux FC 38 11 6 21 43 63 -20 39
14 Greenknight SC 38 10 7 21 40 68 -28 37
15 Ashford United 38 10 7 21 38 79 -41 37
16 Revolution Square FC 38 10 6 22 35 53 -18 36
17 Cottonwood National 38 8 8 22 44 82 -38 32
18 Willingby SC 38 6 12 20 33 66 -33 30 R
19 Whitestone FC 38 5 5 28 26 87 -61 20 R
20 FC Wilmington 38 4 6 28 27 90 -63 18 R

Fourth Division

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Terrace Gunners 38 26 7 5 95 40 55 85 C
2 West Highlands SC 38 25 7 6 96 32 64 82 P
3 Foreign Quarter SC 38 23 9 6 79 41 38 78 P
4 Alberton Hill 38 23 8 7 95 35 60 77
5 Ashburton Grove 38 21 8 9 62 41 21 71
6 Panthaham FC 38 21 7 10 68 39 29 70
7 Aramac and Leo SC 38 19 11 8 70 45 25 68
8 Wonham Central FC 38 19 9 10 62 52 10 66
9 Cambridge City FC 38 19 8 11 72 41 31 65
10 Stockton Miners 38 17 8 13 66 44 22 59
11 Kyeton Dwarves 38 16 8 14 66 45 21 56
12 Poplar Grove SC 38 15 11 12 55 49 6 56
13 Unified Turia 38 14 12 12 60 52 8 54
14 Arcadia United FC 38 12 2 24 41 68 -27 38
15 Tyrellia Stars SC 38 10 5 23 47 82 -35 35
16 Heierson FC 38 9 4 25 40 86 -46 31
17 Winton NSC 38 5 7 26 38 86 -48 22 R
18 Tesra AAA 38 6 3 29 33 116 -83 21 R
19 Fira United SC 38 4 6 28 30 98 -68 18 R
20 Longford Town SC 38 3 6 29 27 110 -83 15 R

Northern Division

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Oxford Athletic 38 25 9 4 99 35 64 84 C
2 Dampier FC 38 25 4 9 88 35 53 79 P
3 Hillcrest Raiders FC 38 23 8 7 76 32 44 77
4 Red River SC 38 22 9 7 74 44 30 75
5 Plymouth SC 38 21 11 6 83 41 42 74
6 Lancayre ASC 38 22 8 8 66 28 38 74
7 Northwall Guards 38 22 7 9 61 35 26 73
8 Juno Explorers 38 20 10 8 67 41 26 70
9 La Crosse SC 38 19 7 12 60 43 17 64
10 Hannover Knights FC 38 19 4 15 60 54 6 61
11 Huntington Beach FC 38 15 10 13 51 49 2 55
12 Wei Densun 38 15 6 17 45 57 -12 51
13 Lexington FC 38 14 2 22 44 70 -26 44
14 Baniff FC 38 11 8 19 43 57 -14 41
15 Prosov SC 38 7 13 18 32 61 -29 34
16 Mount Crisari FC 38 8 7 23 48 82 -34 31
17 6th Ries FC 38 8 6 24 38 63 -25 30 R
18 Awi Athletic Club 38 8 4 26 30 83 -53 28 R
19 Sendera Sands SC 38 3 4 31 26 108 -82 13 R
20 Vestia FC 38 2 5 31 34 107 -73 11 R

Southern Division

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Hammond Local 38 23 9 6 66 36 30 78 C
2 Grasstop Ei SC 38 22 9 7 58 26 32 75 P
3 Kilroy Guardians 38 20 9 9 68 40 28 69
4 Willham County SC 38 20 8 10 73 44 29 68
5 Guardia FC 38 19 8 11 59 45 14 65
6 Longhorn NSC 38 19 7 12 67 48 19 64
7 Adams FC 38 17 12 9 50 39 11 63
8 FC Cascade 38 17 11 10 62 38 24 62
9 Roma White 38 17 8 13 55 47 8 59
10 Union AFC 38 13 11 14 43 58 -15 50
11 West Alvian SC 38 12 12 14 48 47 1 48
12 Wilson Street FC 38 11 13 14 42 49 -7 46
13 Winfred SC 38 11 11 16 44 51 -7 44
14 Octal FC 38 13 5 20 44 58 -14 44
15 Chapel FC 38 10 13 15 51 52 -1 43
16 FC Almedia 38 12 7 19 42 63 -21 43
17 Gateway Mountains FC 38 9 14 15 44 54 -10 41 R
18 Kaylami Racers 38 7 12 19 42 69 -27 33 R
19 Estra SC 38 9 5 24 49 84 -35 32 R
20 Northport Xi FC 38 4 6 28 33 92 -59 18 R

Northern Division West

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Densun United 38 28 6 4 92 33 59 90 C
2 Dundeen FC 38 26 7 5 88 32 56 85 P
3 Glencoe Heights FC 38 25 7 6 73 31 42 82
4 Postuli Star FC 38 24 9 5 86 32 54 81
5 Westhatton SC 38 23 9 6 84 40 44 78
6 Lemuix National FC 38 24 6 8 69 32 37 78
7 Iliandri FC 38 17 10 11 63 39 24 61
8 Guilford Rovers FC 38 18 6 14 65 56 9 60
9 Queenstown Wanderers 38 18 6 14 54 53 1 60
10 Oak Hill FC 38 15 7 16 48 50 -2 52
11 Hardin Lions 38 14 6 18 37 54 -17 48
12 Cinton FC 38 12 10 16 58 62 -4 46
13 East Hill FC 38 12 9 17 43 55 -12 45
14 Fairley FC 38 12 9 17 44 68 -24 45
15 Oxford City FC 38 9 7 22 46 59 -13 34
16 Sendar Square FC 38 6 11 21 37 70 -33 29
17 Lesara SC 38 7 8 23 28 72 -44 29 R
18 Catres SC 38 6 8 24 34 78 -44 26 R
19 Esterberry SC 38 4 8 26 32 96 -64 20 R
20 Andover City 38 3 5 30 20 89 -69 14 R

Northern Division East

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Lancaster Roses 38 27 7 4 94 37 57 88 C
2 Yons NFC 38 25 9 4 81 34 47 84 C
3 Imperial FC 38 22 9 7 74 35 39 75
4 Valwater FC 38 21 11 6 77 36 41 74
5 Fort Jenkins FC 38 21 8 9 68 42 26 71
6 Heiatville Warriors FC 38 20 10 8 72 42 30 70
7 Hillard Seekers 38 20 9 9 83 47 36 69
8 Lawrence FC 38 20 7 11 58 38 20 67
9 Hartland FC 38 14 14 10 58 52 6 56
10 Colditz FC 38 16 8 14 47 44 3 56
11 Escalon FC 38 14 8 16 52 56 -4 50
12 Resnia Hydra FC 38 14 7 17 50 51 -1 49
13 Edson City FC 38 9 11 18 38 70 -32 38
14 Golden Beach FC 38 8 13 17 49 58 -9 37
15 Huntsville Rockets 38 9 7 22 44 72 -28 34
16 Hammond SC 38 9 7 22 42 81 -39 34
17 Dutton City FC 38 7 7 24 37 81 -44 28 R
18 Knok FC 38 6 9 23 35 79 -44 27 R
19 Astrup-Xei FC 38 5 7 26 24 68 -44 22 R
20 Marsh Lake FC 38 4 10 24 30 90 -60 22 R

Southern Division West

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Southern Breweries ASC 38 27 6 5 99 32 67 87 C
2 Kubale FC 38 27 6 5 87 35 52 87 C
3 Glendale FC 38 26 8 4 99 35 64 86
4 Sidney Halls 38 26 7 5 86 37 49 85
5 Quilverry Peak FC 38 23 7 8 75 36 39 76
6 Darwin FC 38 22 9 7 81 39 42 75
7 Mabase Martians 38 19 12 7 76 45 31 69
8 FC Croy 38 17 10 11 60 36 24 61
9 Harmony FC 38 17 8 13 50 43 7 59
10 Tyrellia Docks FC 38 15 12 11 61 53 8 57
11 Century CAC 38 13 9 16 46 65 -19 48
12 Noma Wolves 38 13 7 18 52 62 -10 46
13 Trout FC 38 12 9 17 42 48 -6 45
14 Corby FC 38 11 12 15 50 57 -7 45
15 Hobson Town 38 9 7 22 51 79 -28 34
16 Remoro Southend 38 7 5 26 40 91 -51 26
17 Greek Quarter FC 38 7 3 28 39 80 -41 24 R
18 Tain FC 38 6 6 26 30 94 -64 24 R
19 Elkara FC 38 3 9 26 31 99 -68 18 R
20 St. Richard AAA 38 1 6 31 19 108 -89 9 R

Southern Division East

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Kolomia FC 38 30 1 7 95 31 64 91 C
2 Palm Shores SC 38 25 9 4 90 34 56 84 C
3 Reisburg Town SC 38 27 3 8 81 42 39 84
4 Mount Bannister Gunners 38 25 7 6 89 41 48 82
5 Corneria Wilson FC 38 25 6 7 83 34 49 81
6 Gorman FC 38 23 9 6 84 31 53 78
7 Podskiya Astronauts 38 21 10 7 66 28 38 73
8 Southern Angle FC 38 21 8 9 80 42 38 71
9 Delahay FC 38 16 10 12 57 54 3 58
10 Easthaven Wanderers 38 16 9 13 57 53 4 57
11 Resia Hunters 38 13 8 17 42 54 -12 47
12 Ennis FC 38 12 8 18 46 61 -15 44
13 Reian Federal SC 38 10 9 19 44 73 -29 39
14 United FC of Wembley 38 7 12 19 51 80 -29 33
15 Onimura SC 38 9 5 24 37 69 -32 32
16 Wandry Beach Builders 38 7 9 22 45 98 -53 30
17 Bakersfield Fields FC 38 6 5 27 32 86 -54 23 R
18 Bearshead Tribe SC 38 3 11 24 31 89 -58 20 R
19 Charleston FC 38 2 13 23 22 65 -43 19 R
20 Atwood AFC 38 4 4 30 28 95 -67 16 R

Kose and The Turkomans

01-03-2008, 21:11

Survaival Saturday Week 33/34
Table:
1. Sultanli FC P:33 W:33 D:0 L:0 PTS:99 SC*
2. Kose Buyuksehir P:33 W:32 D:0 L:1 PTS: 96 SC
3. Muhamedbey SK P:33 W:29 D:0 L:4 PTS:84 SC
4. Atlar P:33 W:25 D:2 L:6 PTS:77 SC
5. Hakan Pasa P:33 W:18 D:11 L:4 PTS:65
6. Tumirbey P:33 W:17 D:4 L:12 PTS:55
7. Gelibolu P:33 W:16 D:6 L:12 PTS:53
8. Sultan Mehmet P:33 W:11 D:6 L:16 PTS:39
9. Gokcenk P:33 W:10 D:6 L:17 PTS:36
10.Olympic al-Turk P:33 W:9 D:8 L:16 PTS:35
11.Guc Ada P:33 W:7 D:12 L:14 PTS: 33
12.Seyhanspor P:33 W:7 D:10 L:16 PTS:31
13.Kucukkoy P:33 W:6 D:13 L:14 PTS: 31
14.Seyhan GenclerBirligi P:33 W:6 D:11 L:16 PTS:29
15.Iskendurum-Cakkale-Spor P:33 W:6 D:10 L:17 PTS: 28
16.Nihatspor P:33 W:5 D:10 L:18 PTS:25
17.Uzulmez P:16 W:4 D:0 L:29 PTS:12 R
18.Yeni-Besiktas P:16 W:2 D:5 L:26 PTS:11 R

*Super cup is the domestic cup for the 8 professional leagues top 4.

Kose and The Turkomans

02-03-2008, 16:17

Season Sumary
Super Lig:
Champions: Sultanli FC
Super Cup: Kose Buyuksehir, Muhamedbey, Atlar
Underachievers:Kuccukoy
Overachievers:Atlar
Fair Play Cup Qual.: Guc Ada
Relegated:Yeni-Besiktas, Uzulmez, Iskendurum-Cakkale-Spor

Sampionlar Ligi:
Champions: Kazimspor
Super Cup: Yasin, Caggar, Umur.

Super Cup 1st Round Draw.(Seeded Teams have home Advantage):
Sultanli FC Vs Kuruslus
Kose Buyuksehir Vs Atlar
Kazimspor Vs Muhamedbey
Yasin Vs Ferhat Aybi
Teyrahn Vs Caggar
Yenilmez Vs Bulutspor
Eskispor Vs Umur

Top Scorers:
Sinan Kose (Sultanli): 36 goals From 34 Games
Volkan Erhan (Atlar): 24 Goals From 34
Reyhan Sukur (Kose Buyuksehir): 20 From 34
Tamer Aydin (Guc Ada): 15 From 34

Elves Security Forces

03-03-2008, 01:17

EPL Preview
Season 20,005

After Raynor City succesfully naivagted last season and made good on their foriegn investment with a title, you would think that this season would see more transfers than last. Yet, it's been a quiet window with most sales being that of those players who had their contracts voided by Assegai, with a few clubs here grabbing a small transfer or two to reinforce their depth. The face of the elite squads are starting to change, as Gladerial has not finished in the top half of the table in three seasons, Char Sara, Mar Sara, and Rinaldi are getting older, and Juavi is making sound investments. This could be the final season for the supposed "Big 5" to stay as they are.

Transfers
Foriegn
Jaime Kuu (Starblaydia) C/LM -> Raynor City
Andrew Nance (Dancougar) CB -> Kareen FC
Jericho Leyton (Dancougar) LRCM -> Everlin Snipers
Fred Naylen (Dancougar) MC -> Turmondale United
Peter Schilling (Ad’ihan) DMC -> Juavi
Zieta Swift (Bazalonia) CB -> Raynor City
John Hernandez (Sorthern Northland) FC -> FC Longview

Domestic
Hizzen Hocn CB -> Cafundó do Juta (Cafundeu)
Nelson Kries DMC -> Khalmar-Tijhus (Cafundeu)
Ikles Razov FC -> Dunboor FC (Cafundeu)
Laborious Hawk AMC -> Petardos S/A (Cafundeu)
Jeros Dragonhand FC -> IYC Ajer (Yafor 2)
Lance Wiat CB -> Cardarel (Yafor 2)
Jamichel Totez DAMC -> Cardarel (Yafor 2)
Xanxz AMC -> Oceanic United (Demot)
Rickle House MC -> Mirria United (Demot)
Heather Hall ST -> Skyhaven FC (Demot)
Kersee Hall ST -> Skyhaven FC (Demot)
Cristi Kries LRW -> AC Valanari
Placibus Hardsworth CB -> Hondo Owls

Listed below are the line ups of the top division teams with foriegners listed in italics and the best 3 players bolded, along with stadium information and team characteristics.

Raynor City: Dart; Swift , Lopez, Walker; Morose, Jannian, Wahn, Cirebon, Bindett; Sykko, va Glaze
Coach: Fabio Mannasuch
President: Zeratul Raynor
Team Style: Offensive
Strongest Point: Wingers and Strikers
Weakest Point: Keepers
Nickname(s) Rockers
Stadium used The Battleground (59,000)
Other facts: After winning the title last season, Raynor City looks to be ready to repeat. Yet they do now face an unusual challange at the keeper position, as the great Martin St. Louis finally called it quits. As a result, the squad brought in Bazalonian international Swift to sure up the defence in front of the inexpierenced Dart.
Good Bench Players Rikar Solaris (Attacking Midfielder), Poarus Demtre (Center Midfileder), Kael Underwind (Striker)

Rinaldi: Yoshida; Rivolli, Veiga, Debois, Kries; Fihor, Nastadgus, Mercado, Riot; Saint-Émilion, Night,
Coach: Asanta Webber
President: Exan Forris
Team Style: Very Offensive
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: None
Nickname(s) Gunners
Stadium used The Beachfront (43,000)
Other facts Despite winning the Silver Cup, last season was quite the dissapointment for Rinaldi, finishing a wretched 12th mostly due to Kiso Night being out for a large portion of time. Yet, the squad is very much the same as it was last season, just a year older. With Riot and Kries retiring after this season, Rinaldi needs to do well now, or else risk falling into the massive amount of teams that are in the mid-table range.
Good Bench Players Markan Nava (center midfielder), Elliot Leyva (winger), Wes Sterling (defender)

Char Sara: Merlose; Perrin, Kamtaker, Mahaska, Florez; Stoneburner, Hiat, Funteyn; Yocum, Carl, Neesa
Coach: Jamie Kiki
President: Michael Rover
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Defence
Weakest Point: Midfield
Nickname(s) Inferno
Stadium used The Tar Pit (39,000)
Other facts A seventh place finish would of been decent enough for most seasons, but when the squad is eight points off of 6th and 23 off first, something is wrong. I think Kiki is going to have to make the unpopular but neccasary move in telling Merlose that her golden days are behind her. Like Rinaldi, they need to get younger quickly, or else this just might be it for their title hopes.
Good Bench Players Darcello Cortes (striker), Rodney Murray (defender)

Monaven: Rilan; Callan, Fortenbras, Oklan, Zapata; Kaphridie, Brooks, Clan, Jarrel; Ironsmith, Riftin
Coach: Deke Xavier
President: Trevor Jan
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: Focus
Nickname(s) Breakers
Stadium used Orange Gate Falls (39,000)
Other facts This just might be the season that the Breakers luck finally runs out and they make the dissapointing move down a league. Xavier is going to need to play Zettaback more often if the squad is to avoid the dread drop, and hope that Rilan proves the old theory about keepers and age true.
Good Bench Players Kim Zettaback (Attacking midfielder), Rollan Kin (holding midfeilder)

FC Longview: Keller; Damx, Longman, Carter, Smithston; King, Marl, Masc, Sikal; Hernandez, Norm
Coach: Reta Bane
President: Danny Morriow
Team Style: Counter-attacking
Strongest Point: Wingers
Weakest Point: Attack
Nickname(s) Foxes
Stadium used Angelotic Temple (71,000)
Other facts After the utter failure of last season, Longview decided it was time to finally replace Samantha Black with another star striker. Grabbing the Sorthern international, Morriow can only hope that his attack is now potent enough to get them back into title contention. Another lackluster campaign like last season, and the squad might find itself relegated and withouth a manger, as the competition in the league this season is very high.
Good Bench Players Yars Abu (Attacking midfielder), Markak Lars (Striker), Naresl Cjin (Striker

Gladerial: Long; Angellete, Collin, Braswell; Griffan, McKnight, Park, Denys, Smyth; Rockana, Lee
Coach: Isle Underdark
President: Dwier Titenburg
Team Style: Possessive
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Team chemistry
Nickname(s) Twilight
Stadium used The White Fortress (70,000)
Other facts I do believe that this is the season that Gladerial's decent into second tierdom occurs. Despite the obvious need for improvement, the squad has neither promoted players from their academy or switched around the starters. The Twilight of this once great club does seem at hand.
Good Bench Players Michelle Goodnight (Striker), Michael Daybreak (Striker), Zaku San (Defender)

Mar Sara: Norris; Mars, Zap, Shock, Dimitre; Zizzn, Alidare, Ikles; Quinn, Losstarrot, Gaurlung
Coach: Andres Crucitti
President: Rosemary Angelotic
Team Style: Offensive
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: None
Nickname(s) Flames
Stadium used Donna Cathedral (50,000)
Other facts Was last season a failure? Depends on who you asked, but it was obvious that the squad missed the touch of Fresco towards the end of the season when Capri and Raynor seperated themselves from the rest of the league. While the squad isn't changed, Sinclair is showing signs of being able to adequately replace Gaurlung, and Farstio looks a good replacement for the aging Losstarrot. Unlike Char Sara and Rinaldi, the Flames don't need to win now, as their future looks as bright as their present. Expect them to either retake the title or finish second.
Good Bench Players Quint Farstio (Striker), Lauren Kels (Center midfielder) Aracio Cao (Defender), Miles Sinclair (Striker)

Baysleef: Reas; Manars, Legoan, Pilot, Centron; Osarius, Love, Warsaw, Olas ; Basis, Manuka
Coach: Kiki Red
President: Wolly Manark
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: Reserves
Nickname(s) Bombers
Stadium used The Runway (30,000)
Other facts Just when you thought Baysleef was ready to make the jump to the upper echilion, they lay a bad egg of a season. What hurts more is that the squad was nixed twice of two potential huge transfers that sees their attack still remain average. Red is a good mananger, but without a great player to base this team around, they will continue to be just another one of the many good but not great sides.
Good Bench Players Ricko St. John (Keeper), Christinia Osarius

Hartdale: van Posey; Mar, Metria, Wual; Müllenkamp; Mendez, Dorias, Solivasas, Pardal; English, Rikard
Coach Havin Roza
President Jennifer Sar
Team Style Defensive
Strongest Point Midfielders and Defence
Weakest Point Attacking consistancy
Nickname(s) Hawks
Stadium used Sky Fall (39,000)
Other facts Solivasas and Pardal proved quite a combination in the middle of the park last season, and was nearly enough for the squad to crack the top four. With a season of adjusting under the belt, Hartdale is poised to make it into the top four now, as Kile van Posey is showing the same amount of skill his older brother on the national team had.
Good Bench Players Morgan Banz (Holding midfielder), Rikardo Michion (Versatile midfielder), Fred Michaels (Defender)

Hondo: Rowell; Calli, Debois, Hardsworth, Venus; Tkermec, Nikki, Carmichael, Whitehurse; Yin, Defecta
Coach: Daft Massimo
President: Clin Massai
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Attack
Weakest Point: None
Nickname(s) Owls
Stadium used Raynor Memorial (40,000)
Other facts Hondo made a huge stride in securing their status as an elite squad by netting the signature of Placibus Hardworth. This one time national teamer secures a backline that looked fragile at times. Tkermec is coming off a good showing at the World Cup in the summer and this squad has all the showing of what could be a dangerous squad, and one that has a realistic shot of surprising a good number of experts by taking a possible title.
Good Bench Players Daphne Caldwell (Striker), Rosario Evans (Defender), Xian Gillan (Midfielder)

FC Capri: St. Louis; Makashi, Florez, Harper, Titenburg Jr; Hardsworth, Fortenbres, Vorsco; Kurka, Bragollach, Snape
Coach: Maria Morris
President: Tranin Briton
Team Style: Very Offensive
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: None
Nickname(s) Typhoon
Stadium used Hatire Memorial (60,000)
Other facts It was quite a rebound season for the green giants of Capri, finishing second to the machine that is Raynor City. I want to say that this could be the year that they take their second title, but there is just soo many good squads this season, that it's hard to see the squad pulling it off. A third place finish is likely their fate this season, and perhaps a Bragollach move to the bench next season to let Santapa finally get a starting spot in more than just Cup and meaningless matches.
Good Bench Players Rose Diamond Santapa (Striker), Trenton Oz (Midfielder), Davido Rollich (Defender)

Wexax United: Augustine; Qui, Sars, Armas, Grace; Claw, Kucinich, Gar, Gomes; Hampstead, Claire
Coach: Emily Degas
President: Dan Mieals
Team Style: Defensive
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Attack
Nickname(s) Devils
Stadium used Castle de Mot (49,000)
Other facts A very good season for the Devils saw them eclipse the middle of the table and finish suprisingly in ninth. Gomes and Hampstead worked perfectly together, with Claire getting her usual ten goals a season. I look now for Claw and Gar to show some growth this season, and move this squad into the top six in the Premiership.
Good Bench Players Cass Woo (Midfielder), Nancy Silver (Defender) Zulu Smite (Defender)

Juavi: Carte; Pinteps, Sorano, Torres; Schilling ; Zuke, Ira, Zensan, Keya; Toja, Mandalin
Coach: Marco Defoe
President: Jade Flow
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Youth System
Weakest Point: Expierence
Nickname(s) Reds
Stadium used Old Hartfast (47,000)
Other facts Juavi continues to show that a small club can hang in there with the big boys. This season, they look to have the right mix for a title when it comes to skills, adding Ad'ihan international Schilling, but just lack the killer instinct to really be true title contenders. A repeat at fourth is likely, though no squad should count this group of individulas out on any matchday.
Good Bench Players Franchesco Carlos (Striker), Simon Crass (Winger), San Fernad (Versatile Midfielder), Que (Centerback)

Manavawi Athletic: de Soldar; Gomez, Mondale, Chorine; Estonia, Rykos, Segall, de le Carte, Cy; Colewell, Whisperwind
Coach: Heather Sequin
President: Bryon Nikes
Team Style: Possession
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Defence
Nickname(s) Hoops
Stadium used New Hartsfast (38,000)
Other facts A poor squad in truth, but do have the ability to cause trouble on any given matchday. I expect them to be back down in the Star League next season, with little to show for their stint in top flight football again except the expierence.
Good Bench Players Echo Zulian (Striker), Kida Zuldan (Striker/Center midfeilder)

Turmondale FC: Ward; Sly, Fergus, Santa Cruz; va Drake , Karma, Fabrio, Wertz; Rasaz, Espinoza, Mars
Coach: Chell Warsdom
President: Aswan Raulph
Team Style: Offensive
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Coaching
Nickname(s) Wanderers
Stadium used Turmondale Grounds (43,000)
Other facts The "other" Turmondale team, one who gets decent results and isn't that flashy about it. I think their quiet nature, and just the skill alone should be enough to overcome Warsdom's sometimes suspect tactics, and keep the Wanderers in the topflight, at least a season more.
Good Bench Players Jamie Xylems (Attacking Midfielder), Ronaldo Sesutu (Centerback)

AS Sharala: Tri; Sold; Grace, Do'Urden; Underdark, Kilranny, Ice, Swent, Glars; Kill, Donald
Coach: Rosario Martell
President: Mihgan Rose
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: Defence
Nickname(s) Crusaders
Stadium used Altar of Champions (38,000)
Other facts Definately the overachievers of last season, Sharala finished ten points above the drop despite being the early favorites to be sent back down. Though it is nice to see this once championship side back in the top-flight, the competitveness of this season is likely going to be too much for them.
Good Bench Players Flora Quintel (Defender), Cleo Dia (Striker)

Straightdale FC: Rezzana; Cooper, Del, Ten; Calk, Xi, Xi, Matai, Grazi; Trini, Kang
Coach: Allopo Drogba
President: Novato Mas
Team Style: Possesive
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Defence
Nickname(s) Crusaders
Stadium used Red Fence (39,000)
Other facts Grazi and Kang were steller with the ball, the rest of the squad really struggled. I don't know if it was just bad luck, or if the Crusaders are up against it talent-wise, but they could be in trouble if they have a repeat of last year. I expect Elias to see more time this season, likely at the expence of Del.
Good Bench Players Wolfgar Den (Midfielder), Savanna Elias (Defender)

AC Valanari: Allah; Milla, Vance, Martyr, Skull; Kries, Jun, Guerrero, Cavies; Castle, Sven
Coach: Duran Gill
President: Rosy Marlin
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Consistancy, Youth System
Weakest Point: Leadership
Nickname(s) Young Guns
Stadium used Duran Palace (50,000)
Other facts Valanari got the steal of the century by inking Valanora international Cristi Kries to a five year deal worth well over 25,000 silver coins in guranteed money and performance based rewards. With Kries deliverring those beautiful crosses into the tall Castle, I expect to see an increase in goals scored by the Valanari side, and perhaps finally a real title chase.
Good Bench Players Miguel Cassel (Striker), Adam Durgot (Striker), Llifon Rhys (Striker)

Soldarian FC: Vine; Perheira, Mias, Dogood, Suares; Durai, Florin, Ni, Quint; Lias, Sorrah
Coach: Omani Rios
President: Placebo Soldar
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Reserves
Nickname(s) Soldars
Stadium used Hellgate (54,000)
Other facts Soldarian continue to stick around in the topflight, and I'm starting to believe that they are here to stay. Despite only trying out some of their academy players in the offseason, the Soldars have proven that they can get the results when they need them. While there is no transfer news for this season, there are several rumors going around that Calla Soler will be making her way to the Raynor City suburb next season, and that alone should be enough to motivate the squad to keep themselves in the topflight.
Good Bench Players Trian Kiev (Midfielder), Sherrie Murdock (MIdfielder), Qui Foster (Defender)

Sharala AC: Lee; Felhabier, Servas, Jensen, Strike; Walker, Hunt, Nunez, Marcelo; Rosella, Rikard
Coach: Sag Yan
President: Angelina Dolt
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Attack
Weakest Point: Consistancy
Nickname(s) Blues
Stadium used Old Ravens Cove (43,000)
Other facts The Blues find themselves back in the topflight, but I have severe doubts about their ability to stay here. They have yet done anything to alter their roster from the one that was nixed out of the Premiership, and the players have not gotten any better. With as close as teams are in talent this year, not upgrading yourself can be a suicidal thrust, and it shale be so for the Blues.
Good Bench Players Silva Black (Striker), Jermichael Finley (Midfielder)

Favorites
Raynor City - 50%
Juavi - 27%
FC Capri - 19%
Rinaldi - 3%
Mar Sara - 1%

Worst Teams
Monaven - 41%
Gladerial - 30%
Manavawi Athletic - 15%
Sharala AC - 8%
Turmondale FC - 6%

Star League Favorites: FC Travesian, Travesian, Kareen FC, Everlin

Green League Favorites: Mar Sara, RC Rikana, AS Zul'Daratar, FC Suax, AS Soldar

Blue League Favorites: AC Port Swell, FC Vernad, Ironwind United, SC Quintal

Rose League Favorites: Zanabia City, Yolan FC, AS Rosenthal, AS Rikana, AS Zul'Atun

Article by Ron Santapa

Kose and The Turkomans

03-03-2008, 08:20

Super Cup Results
First round
Sultanli FC 6-0 Kuruslus
Kose Buyuksehir 1-3 Atlar
Kazimspor 4-1 Muhamedbey
Yasin 0-9 Ferhat Aybi
Teyrahn 6-3 Caggar
Yenilmez 1-0 Bulutspor
Eskispor 13-0 Umur

Quater Final
Sultanli FC 2-1 Atlar
Kazimspor 1-3 Ferhat Aybi
Teyrahn 0-1 Caggar
Yenilmez 2-1 Eskispor

Semi's
Sultanli FC 4-3 Ferhat Aybi
Yenilmez 1-0 Caggar

Final
Sultanli FC 8-1 Yenilmez

Fair play Sheild
Guc Ada 9-10 Balikspor

Zwangzug

03-03-2008, 14:19

The Minor United Footballing Nations (technically, it should be singular at this point, but who's counting?) invite countries to send football teams into a club league. "Whether your economy can't support it, you're too disorganized, don't have enough fans..." said the same random guy from twenty-some posts ago, "...heck, all of the above, you're welcome to join." Countries are preferred to have either participated in a World Cup sanctioned competition before, or be planning to participate shortly, but any nation without an established domestic league is welcome. Interested countries should contact the Zwangzug Athletics Organization, floors 7-12, 33 Drury Lane.

(OOC: or just telegram me.)

Elves Security Forces

03-03-2008, 17:44

Season 20,005

Raynor City succesfully defended their title, thanks in large part to attacking force of Markku Sykko and Jere Jannian. A dissapointing season for Juavi, who looked primed to make a huge statement by finishing in the top four again, however it would be Hondo that made the statement. The Owls are the early favorites to take the Silver Cup, but be wary of Mar Sara and Rinaldi, as we all know how dangerous they are in Cup competitions. The first round of the Cup will be starting in two weeks, and the final will be on April 3rd, 20,006 at the Hatire Memorial in Capri.

OCC: Playoff - Host of second leg - Aggregate score (first leg score) - Host of first leg

Premiership

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Raynor City Rockers 38 22 9 7 84 58 26 75 Champions
2 Hondo Owls 38 22 7 9 85 52 33 73 TQCC
3 AC Valanari 38 20 7 11 68 53 15 67 TQCC
4 FC Capri 38 18 11 9 76 57 19 65 TQCC
5 Wexax United 38 17 12 9 69 61 8 63
6 FC Longview 38 17 10 11 65 44 21 61
7 Hartdale Hawks 38 17 10 11 64 48 16 61
8 Rinaldi Gunners 38 18 6 14 77 68 9 60
9 Mar Sara Flames 38 17 7 14 67 68 -1 58
10 Straightdale FC 38 16 9 13 74 66 8 57
11 Juavi Reds 38 13 13 12 48 42 6 52
12 Soldarian FC 38 12 11 15 56 64 -8 47
13 Char Sara Inferno 38 13 8 17 53 66 -13 47
14 AS Shalara 38 12 8 18 58 70 -12 44
15 Baysleef Bombers 38 11 9 18 49 56 -7 42
16 Gladerial Twilight 38 10 7 21 56 77 -21 37
17 Turmondale FC 38 9 9 20 44 72 -28 36
18 Manavawi Athletic 38 8 11 19 58 77 -19 35 Relegated
19 Sharala AC 38 7 12 19 48 74 -26 33 Relegated
20 Monaven Breakers 38 6 14 18 41 67 -26 32 Relegated

Star League

Playoff: FC Therathor 4-2(1-2) FC Wexax

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 FC Travesian 38 21 7 10 82 54 28 70 Champions
2 Kareen FC 38 19 10 9 83 57 26 67 Promoted
3 FC Wexax 38 20 6 12 78 66 12 66 Playoff
4 FC Therathor 38 18 9 11 72 60 12 63 Playoff
5 Char Sara Strike 38 18 7 13 64 47 17 61
6 Quel'Tir United 38 18 6 14 74 67 7 60
7 AC Cartmot 38 19 3 16 57 56 1 60
8 Everlin Snipers 38 18 5 15 67 60 7 59
9 Turmondale United 38 16 11 11 54 50 4 59
10 Travesian Generals 38 17 6 15 65 58 7 57
11 SC Ianisle 38 15 9 14 61 62 -1 54
12 Oliviena United 38 14 12 12 46 49 -3 54
13 Rolalas FC 38 15 7 16 69 83 -14 52
14 Raynor City Rockets 38 12 11 15 58 66 -8 47
15 SC Longview 38 13 3 22 60 74 -14 42
16 Athletic Rolalas 38 11 9 18 57 78 -21 42
17 FC Vamas 38 10 11 17 58 62 -4 41
18 Capri Marksmen 38 12 5 21 60 74 -14 41 Relegated
19 AS Everlin 38 10 8 20 59 69 -10 38 Relegated
20 Gladerial Fortune Dweller 38 9 5 24 48 80 -32 32 Relegated

Green League

Playoff: AS Zul'Daratar 4-4[4-4 AET, 5-3 PKs](2-2) Vaharia FC

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Mar Sara Extreme 38 21 8 9 83 63 20 71 Champions
2 FC Quel'Mathar 38 18 12 8 74 49 25 66 Promoted
3 Vaharia FC 38 19 6 13 62 58 4 63 Playoff
4 AS Zul'Daratar 38 16 11 11 69 57 12 59 Playoff
5 AC Goldsan 38 14 15 9 64 49 15 57
6 RC Rikana 38 16 8 14 36 31 5 56
7 Aras United 38 16 8 14 53 51 2 56
8 Rinaldi Ravens 38 15 9 14 69 59 10 54
9 AC Zul'Atun 38 14 12 12 66 61 5 54
10 Quel'Thalas FC 38 14 12 12 58 61 -3 54
11 AS Soldar 38 14 7 17 62 63 -1 49
12 FC Silvershire 38 13 10 15 50 67 -17 49
13 Cartmot Pride 38 14 6 18 50 58 -8 48
14 AC Stormguard 38 12 11 15 48 54 -6 47
15 FC Suax 38 14 5 19 49 64 -15 47
16 RC Durmosa 38 11 12 15 51 57 -6 45
17 Gladerial Divine 38 12 8 18 55 61 -6 44
18 Turbani Tornadoes 38 11 11 16 56 64 -8 44 Relegated
19 Char Sara Volcano 38 9 16 13 53 59 -6 43 Relegated
20 DC Aulian 38 8 11 19 48 70 -22 35 Relegated

Blue League

Playoff: SC Quintal 2-0(1-0) Arouw United

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 AC Ispan 38 24 6 8 83 51 32 78 Champions
2 FC Vernad 38 19 9 10 59 38 21 66 Promoted
3 Arouw United 38 18 12 8 55 43 12 66 Playoff
4 SC Quintal 38 18 8 12 56 53 3 62 Playoff
5 SC Soldar 38 18 6 14 64 57 7 60
6 FC San Diromia 38 16 11 11 65 48 17 59
7 Ironwind United 38 16 11 11 74 58 16 59
8 RC Vahama 38 14 13 11 53 54 -1 55
9 FC Kilai 38 13 12 13 54 51 3 51
10 RC Elunita 38 14 9 15 68 69 -1 51
11 Erran FC 38 14 8 16 72 66 6 50
12 AC Therathor 38 14 8 16 82 87 -5 50
13 RC Jumangas 38 13 9 16 67 67 0 48
14 RC Liogan 38 11 14 13 48 58 -10 47
15 Zul'Daratar FC 38 13 8 17 56 67 -11 47
16 AC Port Swell 38 12 8 18 56 66 -10 44
17 Bree FC 38 12 7 19 62 72 -10 43
18 FC Melikkiaz 38 10 11 17 49 59 -10 41 Relegated
19 AS Vaharia 38 11 7 20 51 83 -32 40 Relegated
20 AS Solqual 38 7 9 22 53 80 -27 30 Relegated

Rose League

Playoff: AS Zul'Atun 4-3(0-3) AC Durmosa

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 AC Rosenthal 38 25 4 9 81 49 32 79 Champions
2 Zanabia City 38 23 9 6 90 41 49 78 Promoted
3 AC Durmosa 38 19 10 9 64 45 19 67 Playoff
4 AS Zul'Atun 38 18 10 10 66 46 20 64 Playoff
5 Yolan FC 38 18 9 11 70 44 26 63
6 Arouw FC 38 17 11 10 67 66 1 62
7 FC Solqual 38 17 9 12 59 58 1 60
8 Erran United 38 16 10 12 65 55 10 58
9 RC Quel'Mathar 38 18 4 16 71 71 0 58
10 FC Rosenthal 38 16 6 16 71 76 -5 54
11 DC Melikkiaz 38 13 11 14 61 74 -13 50
12 AC Jumangas 38 12 8 18 40 46 -6 44
13 Suax United 38 11 11 16 48 59 -11 44
14 DC Quel'Tir 38 12 8 18 49 65 -16 44
15 FC Ispan 38 11 10 17 52 64 -12 43
16 DC Bree 38 10 12 16 61 64 -3 42
17 AS Rikana 38 9 13 16 64 71 -7 40
18 AS Aras 38 11 7 20 49 79 -30 40
19 DC Kilai 38 7 12 19 33 58 -25 33
20 DC Liogan 38 6 8 24 35 65 -30 26

End of Season Awards

Foriegner of the Year
James Gomes (4 goals, 17 assists) - Wexax United

Manager of the Year
Reta Bane - FC Longview

Striker of the Year
Zeph Yan Yin (28 goals, 4 assists) - Hondo

Midfielder of the Year
Ali Alidare (15 goals, 15 assists) - Mar Sara

Winger of the Year
Cristi Kries (3 goals, 20 assists) - AC Valanari

Defender of the Year
Leandro Perheira (1 goal, 6 assists) - Soldarian FC

Goalkeeper of the Year
Alfonso Carte (10 clean sheets) - Juavi

Sportsman
Nathan Vorsco - FC Capri

Idiot (most bookings)
Alasandar Mar (13 cautions) - Hartdale

Best X11
GK: Alfonso Carte - Juavi
CB: Leandro Perheira - Soldarian FC
CB: Dwier Titenburg Jr - FC Capri
CB: Pembace Pinteps - Juavi
LRW: Jere Jannian - Raynor City
MC: James Gomes - Wexax United
MC: Ali Alidare - Mar Sara
LRW: Cristi Kries - AC Valanari
ST: Markku Sykko - Raynor City
ST: Tomas Kurka - FC Capri
ST: Zeph Yan Yin - Hondo

Vephrall

03-03-2008, 20:19

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VTF1754 - Spring Update

Fifteen games down, twenty-three to go, and it's still a tight race at the top. Unsurprisingly, it's last year's top two that are fighting for the lead, with Poiki edging out Boalluns on goal difference after Stithis' critical matchday 15 draw with the defending champions. Both must be careful not to slip, though - Stestrenas and Stithis are both waiting in the wings.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Poikimitagiin FE 15 10 1 4 28 9 19 31
2 Boalluns FE 15 9 4 2 28 15 13 31
3 Stestrenas OC 15 8 4 3 27 18 9 28
4 Stithis FE 15 7 7 1 24 18 6 28
5 Merpisms CE 15 7 5 3 25 17 8 26
6 FE Dranacess 15 8 2 5 27 21 6 26
7 Penuler OC 15 6 5 4 19 18 1 23
8 Oillid CE 15 7 1 7 18 21 -3 22
9 Huellim FE 15 5 6 4 19 17 2 21
10 Sichisers OB 15 4 8 3 18 15 3 20
11 Terabits CE 15 5 4 6 18 17 1 19
12 Mylfe CE 15 5 3 7 17 20 -3 18
13 Bumpoogra FE 15 4 6 5 15 20 -5 18
14 Ammites FE 15 4 5 6 17 20 -3 17
15 Custler FE 15 3 7 5 12 14 -2 16
16 Spoantects CE 15 3 6 6 10 16 -6 15
17 Knoleier FE 15 2 6 7 13 20 -7 12
18 Fekler FE 15 2 6 7 13 24 -11 12
19 DFE Anhenir 15 2 5 8 16 29 -13 11
20 Daazyiles OC 15 2 3 10 8 23 -15 9

Also of note: newly-promoted and star-studded Ammites are climbing their way up the table, as expected.

Collegiate Sporting Alliance - Season 1754

For Vephrall's colleges and universities, football is a spring sport. The season begins in mid-February, usually about a week after the Vephraller Tririsec e Foutbill gets started, with the regular season wrapping up near the end of April. Even by college standards, the regular season is quite short, just nine weeks long.

One of the plus sides of this short season, according to some, is that pretty much anything can happen. One unexpected loss can ruin a team's title chances, so every game truly counts.

Seven of the CSA's fifty participating universities changed conferences after last season, as detailed in a previous report. In addition, there was another notable change. An additional criterion was added for qualification for the postseason tournament. Starting this season, a team must finish in the top half of its conference standings in order to qualify. This was done in response to numerous complaints about the Southern Crescent Conference being allowed to send six of its nine teams last year.

So, without further ado, the regular season results:

Big North
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Dettune Mtn 7 5 0 2 14 9 5 15 Q
2 Sirinis Ag 7 3 4 0 10 5 5 13
3 Western Darnai 7 4 1 2 14 11 3 13
4 Darnai 7 3 2 2 9 7 2 11
5 Eastern Darnai 7 3 1 3 9 11 -2 10
6 Till 7 2 2 3 8 9 -1 8
7 Cimnersog 7 2 1 4 11 10 1 7
8 Sirinis 7 0 1 6 4 17 -13 1

East Coast
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Solonds 7 4 3 0 10 5 5 15 Q
2 Calamen 7 3 3 1 14 9 5 12
3 Defae 7 3 3 1 11 11 0 12 Q
4 Southeastern 7 2 5 0 13 9 4 11 Q
5 Sheoron 7 2 2 3 10 11 -1 8
6 North Salle 7 2 2 3 9 10 -1 8
7 Salle Southern 7 1 1 5 6 12 -6 4
8 Salle 7 1 1 5 5 11 -6 4

Isthmian
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Scusenany 8 5 2 1 17 11 6 17 Q
2 BTI 8 5 0 3 11 8 3 15
3 Flaarickug 8 5 0 3 14 12 2 15 Q
4 South Bektys 8 4 1 3 12 7 5 13 Q
5 Fishbog 8 3 3 2 13 9 4 12
6 Bektys State 8 3 2 3 11 10 1 11
7 Isthmian 8 3 0 5 7 11 -4 9
8 Bektys Coastal 8 2 1 5 7 14 -7 7
9 North Bektys 8 1 1 6 6 16 -10 4

Midland
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Siellal 7 4 2 1 18 10 8 14 Q
2 Military 7 3 3 1 10 7 3 12 Q
3 Taeschand 7 3 3 1 12 10 2 12 Q
4 Riestre 7 4 0 3 10 10 0 12 Q
5 Riestre State 7 2 4 1 10 9 1 10
6 Westlake 7 2 3 2 11 11 0 9
7 Riestre Tech 7 0 3 4 7 12 -5 3
8 Shentarong Tech 7 0 2 5 7 16 -9 2

Southern Crescent
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Shentarong 8 5 1 2 14 9 5 16 Q
2 Shentarong Southern 8 4 3 1 18 10 8 15 Q
3 Twin Cities 8 4 1 3 12 11 1 13 Q
4 Fekliir State 8 3 3 2 10 12 -2 12 Q
5 Sumbobor State 8 3 2 3 15 12 3 11
6 Shentarong State 8 3 2 3 14 14 0 11
7 Sumbobor 8 2 3 3 10 11 -1 9
8 Southwestern 8 3 0 5 11 13 -2 9
9 East Point 8 1 1 6 7 19 -12 4

Southwestern
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Anhenir 7 4 3 0 8 2 6 15 Q
2 Seibeng 7 3 4 0 12 6 6 13
3 Highland 7 2 4 1 11 10 1 10
4 Virdys 7 2 3 2 12 9 3 9
5 Dettune 7 2 2 3 6 6 0 8
6 Baseng 7 1 4 2 6 8 -2 7
7 Western Dettune 7 2 1 4 6 10 -4 7
8 Jishmid 7 1 1 5 5 15 -10 4

The month of May, then, is devoted to determining the national champion in the same 16-team tournament from last year, unchanged in rules (apart from qualification).

#16 Scusenany did its best to prove that its low ranking was a fluke and its Isthmian Conference championship was not. Perennial powerhouse Shentarong Southern went down in the first round, then Scusenany eked out a penalty kick win over previously-undefeated Southeastern. But they would prove to be no match for another SCC powerhouse, the University of Shentarong, dropping out with a 2-0 loss in the semis. #1 ranked Shentarong then proceeded to defeat Solonds to become the new national champions.

First Round
#1 Shentarong 1-0 #37 Dettune Mtn
#3 Siellal 1-1 #26 Anhenir (1-1 AET, Siellal wins 1-0 on penalty kicks)
#4 Twin Cities 0-0 #18 Defae (0-1 AET)
#5 Shentarong Southern 0-1 #16 Scusenany
#7 Southeastern 1-1 #15 South Bektys (2-1 AET)
#8 Solonds 3-1 #13 Fekliir State
#9 Military 2-2 #12 Riestre (2-2 AET, Military wins 1-0 on penalty kicks)
#10 Taeschand 0-1 #11 Flaarickug

Quarterfinals
#1 Shentarong 2-1 #11 Flaarickug
#3 Siellal 1-2 #9 Military
#18 Defae 0-1 #8 Solonds
#16 Scusenany 1-1 #7 Southeastern (1-1 AET, Scusenany wins 3-0 on penalty kicks)

Semifinals
#1 Shentarong 2-0 #16 Scusenany
#9 Military 0-2 #8 Solonds

Final
#1 Shentarong 2-1 #8 Solonds

Adihan

04-03-2008, 13:37

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Season Two: Season recap

And do you believe it, season two is already over. During the first-ever international incoming transfer window in Ad'ihani football, no moves were made, which led the League committee to submit a written reprimand to the 17 of the 24 teams which had voted for such a window during pre-season.

There were two major moves of note, with Juavi of Valanora signing Peter Schilling from Olympique Protectorat for a conditional Tz 5 million (Tz 4m up front and Tz 1m if Juavi place in the top two during the next two seasons). The league also welcomed its first-ever foreign manager, with Valanoran Devida Cal, 34 in human years, being appointed manager of relegation battlers (and bottom-placed side) Dalinn Wanderers.

Now, let's have a look back at the last fifteen matchdays of Ad'ihani football, as well as the AFF Cup.

Matchday Fifteen (Second Division)
With the Premier teams all getting an extra week off, the league returned from its mid-season break with the resumption of Second Division matches. Altsend suffered a humiliating 1-4 defeat at Southcast Town. First phase winners Flitton Rangers continued their good form with a 3-0 away win at last-place Island Athletic, while T'chéy Park's 3-1 win over Dullham and Oldbridge saw them go three unbeaten.

Matchday Sixteen
The United Islands Premier resumed with the reverse set of fixtures on yet another high-scoring matchday. 31 goals were scored with this set of games on Matchday One, and the teams appeared to want to beat that mark this time when they took to the pitches. By the end of Monday night, following Tallyn Rovers and Flitton City's 3-3 draw, that mark had indeed fallen, with the sixteen teams scoring 32 goals among them.

Three of the matches saw six goals each; another two games had at least four goals. The pick – and shock – of the matchday, however, saw "only" three goals, as Olympique Protectorat's Sunday evening home game against Grand Arsenal ended in a 3-0 victory for the visitors. Meanwhile, Djei SC eked out a 1-0 win over Kinney Road, forcing Tallyn Rovers back into the relegation zone. Rivals Dalinn, playing their first match under new manager Devida Cal, lost by a single goal to Pilminster Rovers. CF Mont-Pluie were only held to a 3-3 draw at Bridge Road, which allowed Protectorate United to climb back to the top of the table for the first time this season.

Altsend, meanwhile, continued to struggle in their fight to earn promotion back to the Premier, with a 1-0 loss to T'chéy Park. Flitton Rangers beat Southcast Town 1-0 as well, keeping them at the top of the division and on course for possible automatic promotion.

AFF Cup Round One
The league took a break for a weekend as the AFF Cup returned for its second season. Round One saw 16 of the 24 teams involved, with last season's Minor teams and the last eight teams from last season's Premier taking part in this round.

Premier relegation battlers Tallyn Rovers managed to beat their promotion rivals from last season, County Stanley, 3-0, while last season's cup champions, Kinney Road, suffered a shock first round exit at the hands of Djei Sporting Club by a single goal.

Elsewhere, Southcast Town beat Flitton Rangers by the same scoreline, Second Division strugglers Altsend lost 2-3 to South Barrier Utd, Island Athletic managed to put four past Dullham and Oldbridge in a two-goal victory, T'chéy Park beat Flitton City 1-0, Northtown Utd and Grand Arsenal played out a 1-1 draw, and Hatton Town won the Hatton derby 1-0 over AFC Hatton.

Matchday Seventeen
In a relegation six-pointer, Tallyn Rovers earned a crucial away point at Djei SC with a 1-1 draw. However, there was no such luck for rivals and fellow relegation strugglers Dalinn Wanderers, who lost 1-3 to Protectorate Utd. With Tallyn Rovers having just won their first round cup match as well, there was some new hope injected into the team.

Meanwhile, T'chéy Park managed to scrape through an important 1-0 away win at Southcast Town in the Second Division to move them up to second in the league overall and first in the phase table, as Flitton Rangers suffered a 1-2 defeat at the hands of AFC Hatton. Altsend and Island Athletic, the bottom two teams, both recorded wins to please their fans.

AFF Cup First Round Replay
Just the one replay to get through as Grand Arsenal hosted fellow Premier side Northtown Utd for the right to move on to the second round, where the eight first round winners would be joined by last season's top eight teams. In a match low on excitement that somehow produced three goals, the home side never gave up a 2-1 half-time lead despite Northtown's great efforts in the second half. Grand Arsenal, therefore, went through and Northtown went home dejected.

Matchday Eighteen
Tallyn Rovers fell to the bottom of the Premier with a 0-4 home drubbing against CF Mont-Pluie, who moved back to the top of the league following Protectorate United's 2-3 defeat to Grand Arsenal, who claimed their second big scalp in three games. Olympique Protectorat's 5-2 victory over Hatton Town also saw them leapfrog their arch-rivals into second. Oldbridge City's 2-1 win away at Navon Beach also allowed them to close the gap on the leaders to just four points. However, with another six points back to fifth-placed Northtown, it appeared that the title race would be a four-team affair this season.

T'chéy Park's impressive run of matches unbeaten continued and stretched to six (four wins in a row) with a 1-0 win over first phase winners Flitton Rangers. Altsend and Island Athletic both picked up their fourth points of the phase with by sharing the spoils in a six goal fiesta.

Matchday Nineteen
Protectorate Utd again dropped points as Jayden Thomas' position started to look shaky once more, only managing a 2-2 draw away at Flitton City. Kinney Road, who barely escaped relegation last season, continued their good run of form to maintain their mid-table position with a 2-1 win over Navon Beach.

At the bottom, Devida Cal's Dalinn Wanderers and their rivals Tallyn Rovers both lost, keeping both Tallyn clubs joint-last and in the relegation spots with just 15 points. With Hatton Town in 14th losing 1-3 to South Barrier, however, the three teams remained within a win of each other.

T'chéy Park's run of four wins on the bounce, meanwhile, was stopped dead in its tracks by a goalless draw at home to County Stanley on a day when all eight Second Division teams contrived to score just one goal between them, with Island Athletic the surprise scorers in a 1-0 win over Southcast Town, enough to lift them off the foot of the table.

AFF Cup Round Two
Midweek between Matchdays 19 and 20 saw Round Two of the cup take place, as the top teams all entered the cup. This round saw the much-heralded debut of 17-year-old Starblaydi Chen Myung-bo for CF Mont-Pluie, who cannot play him in the league due to age restrictions.

Unfortunately for Chen, who played the last twenty minutes of his side's match against Devida Cal's Dalinn Wanderers, CF Mont-Pluie could not fight back despite scoring two goals in the last fifteen minutes as Dalinn held on for a 3-2 win to see them through to the quarter finals.

Elsewhere, a repeat of last season's semi-final saw Protectorate United win the Ad'ihan City derby 4-2 over Olympique Protectorat. Navon Beach held Grand Arsenal to a 2-2 draw, much to the disappointment of the away team who now faced yet another replay. Tallyn Rovers continued their march through the competition, setting aside their league worries to win 2-1 away at Mountbatten Junction, while Oldbridge City, widely tipped to win the cup this year, beat Southcast Town 2-0.

Island Athletic were knocked out of the cup 1-2 away at Premier opponents South Barrier Utd, while league strugglers Hatton Town managed to hold Pilminster Rovers to a 2-2 draw. T'chéy Park, doing so well in the second division, also had a good result with a 1-1 draw against top-flight opponents – and city rivals – Djei SC.

Matchday Twenty
A record high-scoring draw featured ten goals split between Hatton Town and Grand Arsenal on MD20, much to the delight of the neutrals. Three own goals, two red cards and two penalties added to that mix to produce what one commentator described as "the purest, most unadulterated football I have ever seen in Ad'ihan". Dalinn Wanderers took an important point off league leaders CF Mont-Pluie, giving them a one-point gap from Tallyn Rovers, who cruelly lost 3-4 at home to Navon Beach.

Protectorate United's 4-2 win over Mountbatten Junction, coupled with CFMP's draw and a surprise 0-1 loss for Olympique Protectorat to Kinney Road, saw them climb to the top of the table on 40 points, leading on goal difference (+23) from l'OP (+18) and CFMP (+16). Oldbridge City remained only three points back and still in the hunt.

You'd never guess T'chéy Park finished last season last in the Second Division as they continued their romp through the league, recording their eighth unbeaten league match in a row with a 3-1 win over Island Athletic. Southcast Town's 1-1 draw at AFC Hatton meant that they fell to the bottom of the phase table, with only five points, as Altsend's 3-3 draw with Dullham and Oldbridge saw them pick up their sixth point of the phase. The other match saw Flitton Rangers beat County Stanley 1-0.

AFF Cup Round Two Replay
Three Second Round ties had to be decided by way of replay, following draws in the first matches. Of the three, two were decided with only one replay, but the third tie required a second replay, held on the Friday after the first replays (on a Tuesday).

Grand Arsenal won their second replay in a row as their opponents Navon Beach imploded in the second half; a 1-0 lead for the visitors at half-time had turned into a 4-1 rout for Grand Arsenal by the final whistle. Elsewhere, Hatton Town hosted Pilminster Rovers, and despite taking an early 2-0 lead, ultimately surrendered it and lost to three very good second half goals.

The Dz'ai derby replay (yes, take your pick of transliteration: French T'chéy, Ad'ihani Creole (and the original name of the town) Dz'ai or English (and the most commonly used transliteration) Djei) between Djei Sporting and T'chéy Park, however, ended 2-2, meaning a third Dz'ai derby in two weeks would be required to break the tie.

AFF Cup Second Round Second Replay
Just when everyone at the Djei Sporting Club (yes, that's the ground's name too) thought a third replay might yet be needed to sepatate Djei SC and T'chéy Park, the visitors were awarded a controversial last-minute penalty. Djei SC's players walked off the field of play in protest, resulting in the match being suspended for twenty minutes until Djei's players returned to the pitch. The penalty was duly converted and T'chéy won the right to progress to the quarter finals.

Post-match, Djei SC's manager, David James, criticised referee Paul Stenstrom – brother of Ad'ihan and Olympique Protectorat defender Justin – for giving the penalty, and suggested that Stenstrom had had no intention of giving the penalty until consulting with his linesman.

Djei SC were fined Tz 150,000 for James' comments and a record further Tz 3 million for their walk-out. Djei were also severely cautioned and given a suspended ten-point league penalty that would take effect should the team walk out on any future matches. Djei announced that they would appeal, with the AFF's disciplinary board scheduled to hear the appeal following the cup semi finals first leg.

Matchday Twenty-one
The need for a second replay meant that T'chéy Park's second division visit to AFC Hatton, as well as Djei SC v. Protectorate Utd in the Premier, had to be postponed to midweek from the weekend, leading to some criticism of the scheduling from Protectorate Utd manager Jayden Thomas.

Thomas needn't have worried, though, as his side came away with a comfortable 3-1 win at the Sporting Club. Rivals Olympique Protectorat kept up the pressure with a 2-1 win away at Tallyn Rovers, but CF Mont-Pluie dropped points in a 1-2 loss to Flitton City, allowing Oldbridge City, who won 5-3 away at Grand Arsenal, to leapfrog them into third on goal difference. At this point, only three points separated the top four teams.

At the bottom, where thirty points has come to represent the safety mark for surviving in the division, things looked bleak for the two Tallyn teams, on 16 and 15 points respectively with only nine matches left to play. Hatton Town's 2-2 draw at Mountbatten Junction gave them a four-point cushion over Dalinn, who lost 1-2 to Northtown.

By matchday 21 (MD7 in second phase), T'chéy Park had racked up enough points in the second phase seven matchdays as they had in the entire first phase, leading the standings with 19 points – and now unbeaten in nine games, following a 2-0 win away at AFC Hatton (12 points). First phase winners Flitton Rangers (10 points) were the deserved recipients of a 0-2 defeat at Altsend (9 points), while Island Athletic (10 points) beat County Stanley (4 points) 1-0 and Southcast Town (5 points) were beaten by Dullham and Oldbridge (6 points) 2-0.

Matchday Twenty-two
We start at the bottom of the Premeir on MD22 as Dalinn Wanderers managed to score an away record seven goals in a 7-3 drubbing of Navon Beach at DuneDome. Dalinn were now a whole three points clear of their rivals, and just two points behind Hatton Town. Relegation and city rivals Tallyn also picked up some points as they held South Barrier to a 1-1 draw, while Hatton Town, also down in the relegation mire, held the league leaders Protectorate Utd to the same score.

Thankfully for Protectorate Utd, Olympique Protectorat were also held to a draw, 2-2 away at the underperforming Pilminster Rovers. Rovers, who finished 4th in the league last season, were now dangling down in 11th. Meanwhile, CF Mont-Pluie closed the gap on the leaders to just one point with a 4-0 drubbing of Djei SC, but Oldbridge City lost some steam and fell to a 2-3 defeat at home to Mountbatten Junction.

In the Second Division, T'chéy Park continued their unbeaten start to the Second Phase with yet another win (and tenth match in a row unbeaten), this time away 2-1 at Dullham and Oldbridge (6 points), putting them on 22 points and still seven clear of AFC Hatton (15 points), who beat County Stanley (4 points) 2-0. County Stanley's poor start to the phase, on the other hand, meant that they fell to third-from-bottom, just two points clear of Altsend (who drew 0-0 with Southcast Town) and Dullham and Oldbridge. Island Athletic, meanwhile, beat Flitton Rangers (10 points) 2-1 to move to fifth overall and third in the phase with 13 points.

AFF Cup Quarter finals
Protectorate Utd claimed some sweet revenge over Grand Arsenal in the quarter finals for dealing them their first defeat of the second half of the season, as the Protectors prevailed 6-2 in a match that never appeared to even as much as swing Grand Arsenal's way.

Tallyn Rovers once again put aside their league relegation worries as they saw off the challenge of South Barrier Utd. Playing South Barrier for the second time in six days, Tallyn did what they failed to do the first time by beating South Barrier by the lone goal.

T'chéy Park's amazing overall unbeaten run came to an end in a 0-1 defeat at Pilminster Rovers, although manager David Richards conceded it would help them focus more on winning the Second Division and securing automatic promotion. Meanwhile, Devida Cal's Dalinn Wanderers saw their cup challenge ended 2-5 at home against Oldbridge City.

Matchday Twenty-three
Where do we start? We'll just run through the key scores, and you can visualise the scenario yourself now. Only two points separate the bottom three, while Protectorate Utd extend their lead at the top from goal difference to two points with a 3-1 win away at CF Mont-Pluie.

Dalinn Wanderers, in 15th, drew 1-1 with second-placed Oly. Protectorat. Last-placed side Tallyn, meanwhile, managed to beat Grand Arsenal 1-0 while Hatton Town lost 1-2 to Oldbridge City. With South Barrier Utd in 13th drawing 0-0 against Pilminster Rovers, they appeared to be within touching distance of safety.

In the Second Division, T'chéy Park bounced back from their cup defeat to beat Altsend 2-1 and extend their unbeaten league run to eleven matches, stretching back to the first phase. As those around Altsend all picked up points, Altsend once again fell to last in the overall standings.

Matchday Twenty-four
Tallyn Rovers could count themselves plain unlucky, but a plucky Mountbatten Junction side managed to beat the offside trap and slot home a 93rd minute winner to beat the hosts 4-3 as Tallyn started to look doomed for the drop. Elsewhere in the relegation battle, Dalinn Wanderers managed to climb out of the drop zone for the first time since Matchday Four after they drew 4-4 against South Barrier and Hatton Town lost 0-3 to Kinney Road, moving Dalinn into 14th on goal difference.

Meanwhile, at the top it appeared to have become a two-horse race to the finish as Protectorate United beat third-place Oldbridge City 2-1 at Protectorate Stadium and Olympique Protectorat did likewise to Flitton City. CF Mont-Pluie in fourth were subject to a 1-2 defeat away at Northtown, which left them and Oldbridge both now seven points off the leaders with just six matches left, while Oly. Protectorat remained two points behind their rivals.

In the Second Division, T'chéy Park continued to maintain a solid gap from second placed AFC Hatton both in the phase table and the overall standings. With just four matches left to play, Phase One winners Flitton Rangers sat twelve points behind T'chéy Park in the overall table, effectively ruling them out of automatic promotion by winning the division. Still eight points behind AFC Hatton, the Rangers would need to work hard to overhaul that gap and earn automatic promotion by finishing second overall.

AFF Cup Semi Finals First Leg
In mid-week, the first leg of the two AFF Cup semi-finals were played, with Protectorate United – top of the Premier – hosting bottom of the Premier Tallyn Rovers in what, on paper, appeared to be a one-sided clash, while Pilminster Rovers looked to salvage their poor league season in their tie against Oldbridge City.

By the end of the day, Tallyn Rovers had quite possibly pulled off the shock of the cup so far, coming away from Protectorate Stadium with a 1-0 win and the crucial away goal as well. Pilminster Rovers, meanwhile, did not put up anything resembling a fight in their 0-2 loss to Oldbridge.

The AFF disciplinary committee also met following the two matches to discuss Djei SC's appeal from their second round second replay match against T'chéy Park. Djei, which originally received a Tz 3 million fine and suspended 10-point deduction, were ruled to have no basis for the appeal, given the fact that their players had walked off the pitch.

After consulting with the United Islands League's disciplinary board, it was decided to activate the suspended ten-point deduction for the "frivolous appeal", and Djei were fined a further Tz 250,000 for "wasting the AFF's time and resources with their frivolous claim". Djei SC accepted the disciplinary action without comment.

Matchday Twenty-five
The ten-point deduction threw the relegation battle into the spotlight as Djei SC, previously on 31 points, fell to 13th in the league on 21 points prior to MD25, ahead of both Dalinn and Hatton Town only on goal difference.

At the top, all of the top four teams won, with no changes in position. The result of the four matches played by the top four with the most implications was Olympique Protectorat's 2-1 win away at a dejected Djei SC, a result that saw Djei slip into the relegation zone as both Dalinn (3-1 over Grand Arsenal) and Tallyn (3-2 over relegation rivals Hatton Town) picked up vital wins.

It was also a crucial day in the Second Division, as Flitton Rangers could only manage a goalless draw away at T'chéy Park. With AFC Hatton's 2-1 win over Dullham and Oldbridge, this put AFC Hatton ten points clear of the Rangers in third with only three games left, which meant that Flitton Rangers' hopes of automatic promotion were smashed. They would now require a playoff against either T'chéy or AFC Hatton to determine who would be promoted alongside the division champions.

Matchday Twenty-six
Oldbridge City's 4-3 win over Tallyn Rovers was the only result of the day that provided three points for any of the top four teams – incidentally the only teams mathematically left in the title race with four matches left to play. Protectorate Utd (1-1 Kinney Road), Olympique Protectorat and CF Mont-Pluie (2-2 against each other) all drew, pushing Oldbridge to within three points of second place.

At the bottom, Djei SC's 0-2 loss to South Barrier Utd saw them fall into last place. Hatton Town managed to score a potentially vital away win, 2-1, against Pilminster Rovers, lifting them out of the drop zone to the misfortune of Tallyn Rovers. Dalinn's loss to Mountbatten Junction, however, kept the bottom four within three points of each other. By now, only the four and Pilminster (4th last season) remained under the "magic number" of 30 points, although mathematically any team from 10th down could yet be relegated.

In the second division, all the focus was on the race for the division title – and the only automatic promotion spot this season. With both T'chéy Park and AFC Hatton still in the race for both the phase win and the overall win, things were heating up. T'chéy Park managed a 0-0 away draw at County Stanley – their 14th unbeaten match in a row, while AFC Hatton dropped points in a 2-3 loss at Altsend, meaning the gap – with two games left to play – now stood at three points overall and four points in the phase table.

AFF Cup Semi Finals Second Leg
If the first-leg win for Tallyn Rovers over Protectorate United was the shock of the cup, then their second leg result would be the heart attack moment of the cup, as they tossed aside league form to stun the league leaders – and last season's beaten cup finalists – 5-1 at home for an outstanding 6-1 aggregate victory. The result left Jayden Thomas, manager of the Protectors, speechless, and on the verge of losing his job. He revealed to the press the next day that the board ordered him to win the league or lose his job, following the team's calamitous exit.

In the other match, Oldbridge City – still challenging for the league title as well, mind – were given a scare by league strugglers Pilminster who put up a solid but uneventful fight to win 1-0 for a 1-2 aggregate result which put Oldbridge into the final at Protectorate Stadium. Manager Jeremy Scott was understandably ecstatic after the match, and champagne showered any press member daring enough to approach him for an interview.

Matchday Twenty-seven
We'll start the recap for MD27 in the Second Division instead of the Premier, as the title was decided with just one match to spare. Southcast Town played AFC Hatton to kick off the weekend, and managed to hold their perhaps more illustrious opponents to a 1-1 draw. What this meant for T'chéy Park was that a win away at Island Athletic would secure the phase win and the overall title and thus automatic promotion, and they did not fail to deliver.

A late goal was enough to see them win 1-0 and spark celebrations in Dz'ai. The result meant that the promotion playoff was also now set in stone; Flitton Rangers, the winners of Phase One and mathematically unable to finish second and take an automatic promotion spot, would face AFC Hatton, who were mathematically unable to finish anywhere but second.

In the top flight, Dalinn Wanderers dealt their survival hopes a great boost with an emphatic 6-2 thrashing of relegation rivals Hatton Town. Djei SC remained rooted to the foot of the table with their ten-point penalty following a 2-5 humiliation at the hands of Grand Arsenal. Meanwhile, Tallyn Rovers lost again, keeping them in the drop zone. At the top, Protectorate Utd and Olympique Protectorat both won, extending their lead over the chasing pack of Oldbridge City (who drew 2-2 against Pilminster) and CF Mont-Pluie (who beat South Barrier 2-1) to seven and five points respectively over the two teams on 50 points.

Matchday Twenty-eight
This matchday provided results that could prove critical at either end of the table in the Premier. Djei SC managed a 2-1 win over Mountbatten Junction that lifted them out of the relegation zone, while Dalinn's shock 2-0 win away at Bridge Road against Oldbridge City saw them hit the "safety" level of 30 points. Protectorate United got some sweet revenge for their cup semi-final humiliation by unforgivingly beating Tallyn 5-0. However, Olympique Protectorat failed to pick up any points after a 2-3 loss to Navon Beach, leaving the defending champions five points clear with just two games left. To think they failed to lead the league only until Matchday Sixteen...

Not much to cover in the by-now-settled Second Division except the final placings. Altsend, Dullham and Oldbridge, and Island Athletic all finished the season joint-last on 30 points. T'chéy Park, meanwhile, set a new UIL record – in either division – for most consecutive league matches unbeaten, with sixteen, having gone the entire second phase without a loss.

United Islands Second Division — Phase Two standings
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts FP
1 T'chéy Park 14 9 5 0 17 5 12 32 5 P
2 AFC Hatton 14 7 5 2 22 15 7 26 4 Pl
3 Altsend 14 4 5 5 19 20 -1 17 7
4 Island Athletic 14 5 2 7 19 25 -6 17 8
5 Flitton Rangers 14 3 6 5 10 11 -1 15 1
6 County Stanley 14 2 8 4 8 12 -4 14 2
7 Dullham and Oldbridge 14 2 7 5 21 25 -4 13 6
8 Southcast Town 14 1 8 5 11 14 -3 11 3

FP – First Phase finish

United Islands Second Division — Overall standings
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 T'chéy Park 28 14 9 5 32 23 9 51 C/P
2 AFC Hatton 28 12 10 6 50 35 15 46 Pl
3 Flitton Rangers 28 9 10 9 19 19 0 37 Pl
4 County Stanley 28 7 14 7 22 22 0 35
5 Southcast Town 28 5 17 6 21 20 1 32
6 Altsend 28 6 12 10 33 35 -2 30
7 Dullham and Oldbridge 28 6 12 10 44 51 -7 30
8 Island Athletic 28 8 6 14 39 55 -16 30

Matchday Twenty-Nine
Devida Cal has worked wonders with a Dalinn Wanderers team that had failed to win a match eight matches into the season. Dalinn, bottom at the halfway stage, officially secured their Premier status for next season with a 1-0 win over Kinney Road. Djei SC defeated Hatton Town 3-1, effectively condemnining their opponents to relegation due to a superior goal difference. Tallyn's spell in the top flight lasted only one season, as a 0-3 loss to Pilminster mathematically ended their chances of survival.

What a match to decide the title at the top. With five points between the two going into today, Olympique Protectorat had to defeat their Ad'ihan City and tital rivals Protectorate United to stand a chance of winning the league. Unfortunately for them, Protectorate United held strong and a 2-0 win for the 'away' side sealed the title. Protectorate Utd had somehow come from a weak start to the season to successfully defend their championship. Meanwhile, Oldbridge City did their hopes of catching up to second or third some good with a 1-0 win over Flitton City, while third-placed CF Mont-Pluie could only manage a 2-2 draw at Mountbatten Junction.

Matchday Thirty
Unfortunately for them, Oldbridge City's league position challenge faltered at the final hurdle after being held to a 0-0 draw by Djei SC – a result that guaranteed the visitors safety despite their ten-point penalty. Both Olympique Protectorat and CF Mont-Pluie won their final matches, meaning l'OP finished the season in second place.

At the bottom, Dalinn just added misery on Tallyn's season with a smash-and-grab 3-0 victory in the final Tallyn derby of the season. The result meant that Dalinn would finish the season a respectable 11th on 36 points – after being last at the halfway stage with just 12 points.

Following the end of the season, the AFF also announced that Djei SC's ten-point penalty would be taken into account in its annual club rankings, much to the dismay of the club's fans, who began to feel as if their club was being victimised.

United Islands Premier — final table
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Protectorate United 30 20 6 4 77 36 41 66 C
2 Olympique Protectorat 30 18 4 8 62 42 20 58
3 CF Mont-Pluie 30 17 6 7 67 47 20 57
4 Oldbridge City 30 16 6 8 70 49 21 54
5 Navon Beach 30 15 1 14 73 69 4 46
6 Northtown Utd 30 13 5 12 49 50 -1 44
7 Flitton City 30 12 8 10 36 38 -2 44
8 Kinney Road 30 11 10 9 33 34 -1 43
9 Mountbatten Junction 30 11 8 11 58 56 2 41
10 Grand Arsenal 30 10 7 13 62 65 -3 37
11 Dalinn Wanderers 30 10 6 14 55 58 -3 36
12 Pilminster Rovers 30 8 8 14 32 35 -3 32
13 South Barrier Utd 30 8 6 16 41 55 -14 30
14 Djei Sporting Club 30 11 5 14 41 51 -10 28 *
15 Hatton Town 30 6 6 18 46 75 -29 24 R
16 Tallyn Rovers 30 6 4 20 42 84 -42 22 R
*Deducted ten points

AFF Cup Final and Promotion Playoff
The two big matches were to be held the same day at Protectorate Stadium, with the Second Division promotion playoff taking place at 5 pm before the big Cup final kicked off at 8 pm.

Second Division Phase One winners Flitton Rangers took on overall second placed team AFC Hatton for the second promotion spot. The tie would be decided on the day; in case of a draw extra time and penalties would occur. And that is exactly how it played out.

Leading 1-0 with ten minutes to play, AFC Hatton appeared to be on the verge of winning promotion when a goalkeeping error allowed Flitton Rangers to tie the match, much to the disappointment of AFC Hatton's goalkeeper. As the match prepared to enter extra time, it was realised that the outcome of this match could provide extra intrigue to next season – if Flitton Rangers won promotion, there would be both a Flitton and a Hatton city derby in the league next season.

Two goalless periods of extra time, however, meant it would come down to the luck of penalty kicks, and unfortunately for AFC Hatton none of their three takers could convert, leaving Flitton Rangers' third taker to score the winning penalty that sent them up.

Full time: Flitton Rangers 1-1 AFC Hatton (1-1 AET) (Flitton Rangers wins 3-0 on penalty kicks)

In the cup final, the relegated side Tallyn were looking to have a bright ending to the season by snatching the cup out of heavy favourites Oldbridge City's hands. Oldbridge City had been tipped to do well in the league and win the cup at the start of the season, but ultimately failed at both, as Tallyn did the unthinkable and won the cup in front of a rapturous, delighted crowd. Tallyn Rovers, therefore, despite being relegated, would earn an amount of prize money for winning the cup equivalent to finishing between 8th and 9th in the league; money that could help next season.

Season Two AFF Cup

Round One
PRM Tallyn Rovers 3-0 County Stanley 2DV
PRM Djei Sporting Club 1-0 Kinney Road PRM
2DV Southcast Town 1-0 Flitton Rangers 2DV
PRM Northtown United 1-1 Grand Arsenal PRM
2DV Dullham and Oldbridge 2-4 Island Athletic 2DV
PRM Flitton City 0-1 T'chéy Park 2DV
PRM Hatton Town 1-0 AFC Hatton 2DV
2DV Altsend 2-3 South Barrier Utd PRM

Round One Replay
PRM Grand Arsenal 2-1 Northtown United PRM

Round Two
PRM Protectorate United 4-2 Olympique Protectorat PRM
PRM Navon Beach 2-2 Grand Arsenal PRM
PRM Mountbatten Junction 1-2 Tallyn Rovers PRM
PRM South Barrier Utd 2-1 Island Athletic 2DV
PRM Pilminster Rovers 2-2 Hatton Town PRM
PRM Djei Sporting Club 1-1 T'chéy Park 2DV
PRM Dalinn Wanderers 3-2 CF Mont-Pluie PRM
PRM Oldbridge City 2-0 Southcast Town 2DV

Round Two Replay
PRM Grand Arsenal 4-1 Navon Beach PRM
PRM Hatton Town 2-3 Pilminster Rovers PRM
2DV T'chéy Park 2-2 Djei Sporting Club PRM

Round Two Second Replay
PRM Djei Sporting Club 1-2 T'chéy Park 2DV

Quarterfinals
PRM Protectorate United 6-2 Grand Arsenal PRM
PRM Tallyn Rovers 1-0 South Barrier Utd PRM
PRM Pilminster Rovers 1-0 T'chéy Park 2DV
PRM Dalinn Wanderers 2-5 Oldbridge City PRM

Semifinals (aggregate)
PRM Protectorate United 1-6 Tallyn Rovers PRM
PRM Pilminster Rovers 1-2 Oldbridge City PRM

Final
PRM Tallyn Rovers 3-2 Oldbridge City PRM

End of season league awards...
Attacking power – Protectorate United, 77 GF, 2.57 GF/match (Second Division: AFC Hatton, 50 GF, 1.79 GF/match)
Defensive power – Kinney Road, 34 GA, 1.13 GA/match (Second Division: Flitton Rangers, 19 GA, 0.68 GA/match)
Most unexpected performance – Protectorate United, coming back from a horrible first half to win the league. (Second Division: T'chéy Park, who blazed through the division as if there was no tomorrow, going the final 16 games unbeaten as they won the division.)
Attack is not our thing award – Pilminster Rovers, 32 GF, 1.07 GF/match (Second Division: Flitton Rangers, 19 GF, 0.68 GF/match)
Defence? What's defence? Award – Tallyn Rovers, 84 GA, 2.80 GA/match (Second Division: Island Athletic, 55 GA, 1.96 GA/match)

New Manhattan

05-03-2008, 00:50

TakilQuip Champions’ Cup
TakilQuip announces its sponsorship of the TakilQuip Champions’ Cup, a new tournament that intends to pit the finest clubs against each other to determine which is the best in the world. Every association is invited to send up to four clubs to this tournament, which will first be held in 2144, and then once every two years (OOC: at the halfway point of World Cup qualifying and the end of the World Cup). The exact format will be depend on the number of entries, but fixtures will be played home and away, with the final to be played as a single match at Holmes Stadium in Columbia, Bedistan. Teams may be entered by making an appropriate note in the league’s regular end-of-season reports.

(OOC: This tournament will not be based on any rankings; the only effect other than random numbers will be a slight bonus for detailed newswires posts.)

http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/logos/eliteleague/

Transfers
The Élite League imposed a moratorium on domestic transfers (other than free transfers) due to unsubstantiated allegations that extortion was involved in Christian Richards’s signing by San Diego. This will be lifted for the 2143 season. Still, two international transfers were made:

Γιὰννις Χρουσαλά (DL, Dusanto Mojaʼikījī) → SC Lasft (Cafundéu)
Felipa Uölfa (FC, Naquada Falls Demons) → Penders (Cafundéu)

Rules changes for 2143–2146 Élite League cycle
The committee of the Capitalizt Élite League held its first formal meeting this year, and decided to revamp the league’s structure. Capitalizt SLANI and Jasīʼyūn have each agreed to add sixty-five clubs, resulting in a 162-team, three-tier league system. The current top division will be reduced to eighteen teams (and will be a full double round-robin, with each team playing thirty-four matches). The second division will consist of the Élite League 2 North and Élite League 2 South; the third will have six regional leagues, named Élite League 3/A through 3/F. Each of the new leagues will also have eighteen teams. No relegation will occur from the third tier, and no attempt will be made to balance SLANI and Jasīʼyūn clubs between the tiers.

2142 Capitalizt Élite League—final standings
South Coast United dominated the final dozen matches, leaving no doubt that they would take home their first-ever domestic championship. Black Oasis and Lexington were able to snag the initial Champions’ Cup spots from the more traditional powers like Yuba United, though four more spots will be up for grabs in 2143.
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 South Coast United JSY 46 26 12 8 69 39 30 90 Tournoi IRC/TQCC
2 High Mountain Buffalo JSY 46 23 12 11 67 50 17 81 TQCC
3 Black Oasis Athletic COM 46 22 15 9 72 45 27 81 TQCC
4 Lexington FC JSY 46 23 8 15 73 63 10 77 TQCC
5 Qidade Savana JSY 46 22 9 15 93 72 21 75
6 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK COM 46 21 9 16 69 62 7 72
7 Yuba United COM 46 20 12 14 61 46 15 72
8 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī JSY 46 21 8 17 71 59 12 71
9 Sonoma Center Panthers COM 46 21 7 18 96 88 8 70
10 San Solari FC COM 46 21 6 19 68 68 0 69
11 Jackson FC COM 46 17 18 11 49 39 10 69
12 Syoko Poggyūggijī COM 46 17 18 11 38 30 8 69
13 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī JSY 46 18 14 14 49 53 -4 68
14 San Diego Iguanas COM 46 20 7 19 72 67 5 67
15 Carter FC JSY 46 17 15 14 55 59 -4 66
16 Heidelstadt Falken JSY 46 17 13 16 60 61 -1 64
17 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen COM 46 15 18 13 61 61 0 63
18 Natestadt Nationalisten COM 46 15 15 16 39 39 0 60
19 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī JSY 46 14 18 14 42 35 7 60 Relegated
20 Naquada Falls Demons JSY 46 15 13 18 55 57 -2 58 Relegated
21 Medoria Löwen COM 46 15 13 18 69 69 0 58 Relegated
22 New Hampton Terrapins JSY 46 13 17 16 65 65 0 56 Relegated
23 New Haverford Albion JSY 46 13 17 16 58 62 -4 56 Relegated
24 Cordubovica Falcons COM 46 12 18 16 60 69 -9 54 Relegated
25 Aeropag Penguins COM 46 13 14 19 50 57 -7 53 Relegated
26 Querzakhi United COM 46 12 17 17 37 47 -10 53 Relegated
27 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana COM 46 13 12 21 61 68 -7 51 Relegated
28 Seansburgh Cougars COM 46 11 16 19 50 69 -19 49 Relegated
29 Griffin Zebras JSY 46 11 12 23 41 59 -18 45 Relegated
30 Humai Titans JSY 46 9 18 19 50 72 -22 45 Relegated
31 Südtolzerio Kreuzfahrer JSY 46 10 9 27 54 85 -31 39 Relegated
32 Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen JSY 46 6 16 24 30 69 -39 34 Relegated

Capitalizt Élite League Cup
First Round
(COM) Natestadt Nationalisten 1–0 High Mountain Buffalo (JSY)
(COM) Cordubovica Falcons 2–2 Humai Titans (JSY)
(JSY) Griffin Zebras 3–1 Naquada Falls Demons (JSY)
(JSY) New Haverford Albion 2–0 Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen (JSY)
(COM) San Diego Iguanas 0–1 Black Oasis Athletic (COM)
(COM) Querzakhi United 1–0 Jackson FC (COM)
(JSY) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī 0–0 Seansburgh Cougars (COM)
(COM) Aeropag Penguins 0–1 Yuba United (COM)
(JSY) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī 2–0 San Solari FC (COM)
(COM) Medoria Löwen 2–2 Südtolzerio Kreuzfahrer (JSY)
(COM) Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen 2–4 Heidelstadt Falken (JSY)
(JSY) Carter FC 1–2 South Coast United (JSY)
(COM) Syoko Poggyūggijī 1–1 Sonoma Center Panthers (COM)
(JSY) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī 2–0 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK (COM)
(JSY) Qidade Savana 3–1 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana (COM)
(JSY) New Hampton Terrapins 1–0 Lexington FC (JSY)

First Round Replays
(JSY) Humai Titans 1–1 Cordubovica Falcons (COM)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 2–1
(COM) Seansburgh Cougars 1–1 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (JSY)
Extra time: 2–2
Penalty kicks: 1–3
(JSY) Südtolzerio Kreuzfahrer 3–2 Medoria Löwen (COM)
(COM) Sonoma Center Panthers 0–0 Syoko Poggyūggijī (COM)
Extra time: 1–0

Second Round
(COM) Natestadt Nationalisten 0–1 Humai Titans (JSY)
(JSY) Griffin Zebras 2–2 New Haverford Albion (JSY)
(COM) Black Oasis Athletic 1–0 Querzakhi United (COM)
(JSY) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī 1–1 Yuba United (COM)
(JSY) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī 1–0 Südtolzerio Kreuzfahrer (JSY)
(JSY) Heidelstadt Falken 3–2 South Coast United (JSY)
(COM) Sonoma Center Panthers 3–2 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (JSY)
(JSY) Qidade Savana 1–0 New Hampton Terrapins (JSY)

Second Round Replays
(JSY) New Haverford Albion 1–0 Griffin Zebras (JSY)
(COM) Yuba United 3–0 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (JSY)

Quarterfinals
(JSY) Humai Titans 2–3 New Haverford Albion (JSY)
(COM) Black Oasis Athletic 1–1 Yuba United (COM)
(JSY) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī 3–2 Heidelstadt Falken (JSY)
(COM) Sonoma Center Panthers 4–2 Qidade Savana (JSY)

Quarterfinal Replay
(COM) Yuba United 2–3 Black Oasis Athletic (COM)

Semifinals
(JSY) New Haverford Albion 2–1 Black Oasis Athletic (COM)
(JSY) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī 1–0 Sonoma Center Panthers (COM)

Final
(JSY) New Haverford Albion 1–1 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (JSY)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 2–1

TechConGroup Cup
First Round
(—) Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι 0–0 Werd Beachcombers (—)
Extra time: 0–0
Penalty kicks: 3–1
(CEL) San Diego Iguanas 4–0 Dawson Springs FC (—)
(—) SV Veernan 0–1 Dennis Bears (—)
(CEL) Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen 2–2 Midway Wolves (—)
Extra time: 3–2
(CEL) Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK 2–1 Aeropag Penguins (CEL)
(—) Verona FC 0–4 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)
(CEL) Yuba United 1–1 Natestadt Nationalisten (CEL)
Extra time: 3–2
(CEL) Querzakhi United 0–0 Sonoma City Volcanoes (—)
Extra time: 0–0
Penalty kicks: 4–1
(CEL) Medoria Löwen 2–1 Chorion Bluffs Knights (—)
(—) Navarre Town 0–4 Black Oasis Athletic (CEL)
(—) Kitsilano Konquerors 2–2 Lolestu CK (—)
Extra time: 2–2
Penalty kicks: 0–2
(—) Tidus Gaŋçūl 1–2 Teʼyaçu Joŋlyugijī (—)
(CEL) Jackson FC 0–0 Commerce Heights Tʼbirds (—)
Extra time: 2–0
(CEL) KQ Nepáïire Tingitana 2–1 Cordubovica Falcons (CEL)
(CEL) Seansburgh Cougars 0–0 KQ Sirto (—)
Extra time: 0–2
(CEL) Syoko Poggyūggijī 1–1 San Solari FC (CEL)
Extra time: 1–2

Second Round
(—) Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι 1–2 San Diego Iguanas (CEL)
(—) Dennis Bears 1–1 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (CEL)
Extra time: 2–2
Penalty kicks: 5–4
(CEL) Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK 2–2 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)
Extra time: 2–3
(CEL) Yuba United 0–2 Querzakhi United (CEL)
(CEL) Medoria Löwen 0–1 Black Oasis Athletic (CEL)
(—) Lolestu CK 0–0 Teʼyaçu Joŋlyugijī (—)
Extra time: 1–0
(CEL) Jackson FC 2–1 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana (CEL)
(—) KQ Sirto 0–3 San Solari FC (CEL)

Quarterfinals
(CEL) San Diego Iguanas 3–0 Dennis Bears (—)
(CEL) Sonoma Center Panthers 4–1 Querzakhi United (CEL)
(CEL) Black Oasis Athletic 2–0 Lolestu CK (—)
(CEL) Jackson FC 1–1 San Solari FC (CEL)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 4–3

Semifinals
(CEL) San Diego Iguanas 1–1 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)
Extra time: 2–1
(CEL) Black Oasis Athletic 2–1 Jackson FC (CEL)

Final
(CEL) San Diego Iguanas 1–1 Black Oasis Athletic (CEL)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 4–3

자스연 컵 (Jasīʼyūn Kūb)
First Round
(—) Forest Hill FC 2–1 Portland Safari (—)
(—) Portland Safari (3) 2–0 (2) Forest Hill FC (—)

(—) Musketiere Twintown 0–2 Alexandria Porcupines (—)
(—) Alexandria Porcupines (4) 2–1 (1) Musketiere Twintown (—)

(—) Nyendoli ʼYoŋjī 0–3 Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen (CEL)
(CEL) Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen (6) 3–0 (0) Nyendoli ʼYoŋjī (—)

(CEL) New Hampton Terrapins 4–0 Griffin Zebras (CEL)
(CEL) Griffin Zebras (1) 1–1 (5) New Hampton Terrapins (CEL)

(—) Keto Lodīlūnajī 1–3 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (CEL)
(CEL) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (4) 1–0 (1) Keto Lodīlūnajī (—)

(—) Noka Mariners 0–1 Südtolzerio Kreuzfahrer (CEL)
(CEL) Südtolzerio Kreuzfahrer (2) 1–1 (1) Noka Mariners (—)

(CEL) Lexington FC 0–1 Humai Titans (CEL)
(CEL) Humai Titans (3) 2–2 (2) Lexington FC (CEL)

(—) Jamaica Giants 1–3 High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)
(CEL) High Mountain Buffalo (5) 2–1 (2) Jamaica Giants (—)

Second Round
(CEL) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī 1–0 New Haverford Albion (CEL)
(CEL) New Haverford Albion (0) 0–0 (1) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (CEL)

(CEL) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī 0–2 Qidade Savana (CEL)
(CEL) Qidade Savana (2) 0–1 (1) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (CEL)

(CEL) Naquada Falls Demons 2–1 Humai Titans (CEL)
(CEL) Humai Titans (3) 2–3 (5) Naquada Falls Demons (CEL)

(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken 0–1 Portland Safari (—)
(—) Portland Safari (2) 1–3 (3) Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)

(CEL) New Hampton Terrapins 2–1 Südtolzerio Kreuzfahrer (CEL)
(CEL) Südtolzerio Kreuzfahrer (1) 0–2 (4) New Hampton Terrapins (CEL)

(CEL) Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen 0–1 High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)
(CEL) High Mountain Buffalo (3) 2–0 (0) Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen (CEL)

(CEL) South Coast United 2–2 Alexandria Porcupines (—)
(—) Alexandria Porcupines (4) 2–1 (3) South Coast United (CEL)

(CEL) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī 0–0 Carter FC (CEL)
(CEL) Carter FC (0) 0–2 (2) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (CEL)

Quarterfinals
(CEL) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī 1–2 Qidade Savana (CEL)
(CEL) Qidade Savana (7) 5–1 (2) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (CEL)

(CEL) Naquada Falls Demons 0–0 Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken (1) 1–0 (0) Naquada Falls Demons (CEL)

(CEL) New Hampton Terrapins 2–1 High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)
(CEL) High Mountain Buffalo (3) 2–0 (2) New Hampton Terrapins (CEL)

(—) Alexandria Porcupines 0–0 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (CEL)
(CEL) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (0) 0–0 (0) Alexandria Porcupines (—)
Extra time: (0) 0–1 (1)

Semifinals
(CEL) Qidade Savana 2–1 Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken (3) 2–1 (3) Qidade Savana (CEL)
Extra time: (5) 4–1 (3)

(CEL) High Mountain Buffalo 2–0 Alexandria Porcupines (—)
(—) Alexandria Porcupines (0) 0–2 (4) High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)

Final
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken 1–1 High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)
(CEL) High Mountain Buffalo (2) 1–0 (1) Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)

Elves Security Forces

05-03-2008, 07:10

20,005 Silver Cup
Holders ~ Rinaldi Gunners

First Round
Turmondale United 4-2 DC Liogan
AS Everlin 3-2 Cartmot Pride
RC Vahama 2-1 Erran United
RC Jumangas 6-3 FC Ispan
FC Quel'Mathar 3-2 SC Soldar
AC Therathor 0-4 FC Kilai
AS Solqual 3-0 RC Durmosa
DC Kilai 3-3 RC Liogan (3-3 AET) (DC Kilai wins 4-0 on penalty kicks)
Vaharia FC 5-2 Arouw FC
AC Zul'Atun 6-2 FC Rosenthal
AC Cartmot 3-1 Ironwind United
Rinaldi Ravens 3-2 Yolan FC
Capri Marksmen 2-2 Quel'Tir United (2-2 AET) (Capri Marksmen wins 3-0 on penalty kicks)
AC Port Swell 0-3 FC Silvershire
Rolalas FC 3-1 Char Sara Volcano
Kareen FC 4-1 Everlin Snipers
Athletic Rolalas 4-1 DC Aulian
Aras United 3-2 SC Ianisle
Gladerial Fortune Dwellers 1-3 Erran FC
FC Wexax 1-1 AS Zul'Daratar (1-1 AET) (FC Wexax wins 2-0 on penalty kicks)
AC Goldsan 3-0 AC Jumangas
Arouw United 2-3 Char Sara Strike
Oliviena United 1-1 Turbani Tornadoes (1-1 AET) (Oliviena United wins 1-0 on penalty kicks)
FC Therathor 3-2 FC Suax
AS Zul'Atun 2-1 AS Aras
Raynor City Rockets 3-1 AS Vaharia
RC Rikana 5-0 AC Durmosa
Quel'Thalas FC 3-0 FC Solqual
Zul'Daratar FC 2-1 Zanabia City
SC Longview 4-3 RC Elunita
FC Melikkiaz 2-1 RC Quel'Mathar
Travesian Generals 4-0 DC Melikkiaz
AS Rikana 2-7 AS Soldar
Suax United 0-3 FC Vamas
Gladerial Divine 4-3 AC Stormguard
FC Vernad 1-1 SC Quintal (2-2 AET) (FC Vernad wins 1-0 on penalty kicks)
FC San Diromia 4-0 DC Bree
DC Quel'Tir 0-2 Bree FC

Hondo's twelve nil white-washing of fourth division side Erran FC ties the records for: most goals scored by a single team, largest margin of victory, and most goals scored by one player (Zeph Yan Yin with 8).

Second Round
Athletic Rolalas 3-0 RC Rikana
Juavi Reds 1-2 Raynor City Rockers
Manavawi Athletic 2-3 Turmondale FC
FC Kilai 0-2 AC Zul'Atun
Quel'Thalas FC 1-4 Hartdale Hawks
Manavawi Athletic 5-0 Turmondale United
Monaven Breakers 4-2 Capri Marksmen
FC Silvershire 1-4 Wexax United
Soldarian FC 1-3 Rinaldi Gunners
AC Ispan 0-0 Rolalas FC (1-0 AET)
Char Sara Inferno 1-3 Gladerial Twilight
Oliviena United 1-0 Vaharia FC
SC Longview 3-1 FC San Diromia
AC Rosenthal 0-1 FC Wexax
Sharala AC 0-1 FC Travesian
AC Cartmot 5-2 Mar Sara Flames
AS Solqual 2-5 FC Vamas
Kareen FC 5-3 RC Vahama
Travesian Generals 1-2 AS Everlin
Baysleef Bombers 1-1 Char Sara Strike (2-2 AET) (Baysleef Bombers wins 3-0 on penalty kicks)
Aras United 3-2 Raynor City Rockets
AS Soldar 2-2 FC Vernad (2-3 AET)
Gladerial Divine 1-0 Rinaldi Ravens
FC Melikkiaz 2-2 AS Zul'Atun (2-3 AET)
Straightdale FC 5-1 AC Goldsan
Zul'Daratar FC 4-0 DC Kilai
AC Valanari 6-2 Mar Sara Extreme
Hondo Owls 12-0 Erran FC
FC Capri 7-1 RC Jumangas
FC Therathor 4-3 AS Shalara
FC Quel'Mathar 2-4 FC Longview

Third Round
Hartdale Hawks 3-2 Raynor City Rockers
Turmondale FC 6-1 Aras United
FC Capri 0-1 Hondo Owls
AC Ispan 2-2 Gladerial Divine (3-3 AET) (AC Ispan wins 1-0 on penalty kicks)
FC Vernad 1-1 Athletic Rolalas (1-2 AET)
Gladerial Twilight 1-2 FC Wexax
FC Vamas 0-2 AC Zul'Atun
Baysleef Bombers 2-1 AS Everlin
Monaven Breakers 4-2 Kareen FC
FC Therathor 3-9 AC Valanari
AC Cartmot 5-2 Manavawi Athletic
Bree FC 0-8 Wexax United
AS Zul'Atun 2-8 Rinaldi Gunners
Straightdale FC 5-0 Zul'Daratar FC
SC Longview 0-3 FC Longview
FC Travesian 1-2 Oliviena United

Fourth Round
Hartdale Hawks 3-2 Baysleef Bombers
Turmondale FC 1-1 Oliviena United (2-2 AET) (Turmondale FC wins 2-0 on penalty kicks)
AC Cartmot 2-2 AC Ispan (3-2 AET)
Monaven Breakers 0-2 FC Wexax
AC Valanari 5-0 Athletic Rolalas
FC Longview 1-1 Rinaldi Gunners (1-2 AET)
AC Zul'Atun 1-7 Hondo Owls
Straightdale FC 1-2 Wexax United

Quarterfinals
FC Wexax 3-3 Turmondale FC (3-4 AET)
Hartdale Hawks 4-2 AC Valanari
Hondo Owls 4-2 Rinaldi Gunners
Wexax United 4-1 AC Cartmot

Semifinals
Hartdale Hawks 5-1 Turmondale FC
Hondo Owls 4-1 Wexax United

3PPo @ The White Fortress, Gladerial
Wexax United 6-2 Turmondale FC

Final @ Hatire Memorial, Capri
Hartdale Hawks 3-1 Hondo Owls
Nikali Rikard (38), Einy Solivasas (46), Thiago Pardal (69) ; Zeph Yan Yin (26)

Hartdale, having taken out the league champions in the third round, ran a fierce run of form all the way to the final, including another good victory over a strong AC Valanari, where they met a powerful Hondo side. Hondo, who had to take out second place Capri and holders Rinaldi, were ready to do battle at the beautiful Hatire Memorial in Capri. Zeph Yan Yin had the former winners of the competition up early after Tkermec feed him in with a weighted through pass and Yin calmly slipped it past the keeper near side. Former National teamer Nikali Rikard would equalize twelve minutes later on a good exchange of passes that eventual freed Rikard in front of net for a tap in. Vephrese attacking midfielder Solivasas, who found himself out on the wing for this match, had a masterful blast from forty yards out to give Hartdale the lead fifteen seconds after the restart. Hondo had an equalizer four minuntes later, but Defecta was called offside though replays showed the striker was clearly on. The striker nearly leveled again ten minutes later, but his effort from ten yards out went banging off the post and was cleared to safety. Hartdale would then get the dagger from Cafundeu winger Pardall, who was the recepient of some hard work from Rikard, holding off the strong Hardsworth, and then tapping it for the oncoming Pardall to blast into the net.

MVP: Nikali Rikard (10 goals, 4 assists) - Hartdale
Golden Boot: Zeph Yan Yin (12 goals) - Hondo

Dancougar

05-03-2008, 14:29

The spring tournament was a way for several teams to gain greater nationwide exposure, and as a result of several upsets, players in the incoming class were more likely to take their chances with a middle-of-the-road team in hopes of making it big when it counted. As a result, many analysts predicted that the game would start to see a little more parity outside of the top teams, although they were now taking their programs more seriously to avoid the upstarts. This would have the effect of raising the quality of the game almost across the board, which was good, because the Turtle Cup and World Cup 40 qualifiers were just around the corner...

Regular Season

Here's a breakdown of each conference with the winners and at-large tournament bids. Rankings are as of the end of the regular season, and additional comments are provided by our very own Rick Libide!

Yuki Collegiate Premier League
Winners: (#12) Barclay State College (9-2-3, 23/16)
At Large: (#19) Carling Military Institute (8-4-2, 29/19)
Comments: Carling were in the driver's seat with that 4-2 win over Barclay in week eleven, but they faltered down the stretch. Two ties and a win in their last three, that's four points they dropped. Four points which Barclay made up with three straight wins!

Kishin Delta CPL
Winners: (#9) Kildare Maritime Academy (9-3-4, 33/21)
At Large: Gabthley University (7-5-4, 24/16)
Comments: Well, Kildare had this thing wrapped up by their final game, but not taking the best momentum into the tournament, a season-ending 4-0 loss to Nara, who climbed out of last place with that win.

Shiba Valley Conference
Winners: (#11) Pembrooke Academy (9-2-3, 24/12)
At Large:
Comments: Pembrooke led this thing for all but three weeks out of fourteen, seven point cushion with four weeks to go, never really in danger. Another tie or two might have seen Thane get an at large bid, but when you lose five games in a fourteen game season, the committee doesn't give you a good look.

Coastal Plains Conference
Winners: Hale University (7-4-3, 20/18)
At Large: (#21) Hinata Academy (7-3-4, 30/19)
Comments: Hinata almost had this thing, they beat Hale 3-0 and tied them 3-3 on the season, but a tough 3-2 loss to Kanata State on the last day gave Hale the opening they needed for the title!

Hazuki CPL
Winners: (#1) Hazuki State University (11-4-1, 31/15)
At Large: (#10) Ouran College (9-3-4, 31/21)
Comments: I love watching this league, baby, Ouran have really come alive these last two years to really challenge for the top. But eleven wins and only one loss for the Zooks, that's what we've come to expect from this team, and all eyes were on them after that dismal season last year.

Big Northeast Football Conference
Winners: Dyson College (7-3-4, 24/25)
At Large:
Comments: Winning the conference with a negative goal differential, are you kidding me? None of the teams fighting for the top spot here, Zane Island, Foster, could really ever assert control. Foster, third at 6-4-4 and plus ten, may just be the best average team in the country.

Shinobu Valley Conference
Winners: (#15) Akiba College (9-1-4, 23/12)
At Large:
Comments: Akiba beat Brackston 2-1 in week nine to take the lead, and they built it from there by going 3-1-1 to close. Best defense in the conference, only twelve goals given up.

Helmut CPL
Winners: Jena College (5-8-1, 23/17)
At Large:
Comments: Just looking at the table, you'd guess that nobody could get a win when they really needed it. Everyone playing solid, but average football. The difference for Jena is that they didn't give up the backbreaking goals and DID get the big win, week thirteen, against second-place Lake Gandor State. This was a great game, best in the conference all year, 5-3 to Jena!

South Central Conference
Winners: (#2) University of Shikibu (13-0-3, 40/15)
At Large:
Comments: Is there really any question about this being a one horse race in the South Central, Shikibu beat up on everyone. The crazy thing was the rest of the table. Second place through ninth separated by only four points, are you kidding me? But there you have it, with three teams on twenty one, two on eighteen at the bottom, and nearly everyone with a negative differntial because Shikibu put up more goals than anybody in the country!

Red River Conference
Winners: Waugaman City College (8-2-4, 24/17)
At Large: Regola University (7-5-2, 22/16), (#23) Rizzi College (7-3-4, 28/15)
Comments: Rizzi led this thing in the final week, looking like the team to take the Red River, but who do they run into for the last game? Rivals for the crown Regola, baby! And how about Regola with the big 1-0 win to jump into second. Meanwhile, Waugaman beats Raymaley 2-1 to take the crown. All three rewarded with a trip to the big dance!

Big West Conference
Winners: (#4) Mount Fujiko State College (10-3-3, 26/16)
At Large: (#13) Friedmann College (9-3-4, 21/15)
Comments: Well, Mount Fujiko got a gift when Friedmann lost its last game of the year in midweek, giving Fujiko the crown even before their weekend match with the University of Desugaia. Desugaia got their ninth win of the year convincingly, 3-0, but with six losses to go with those, you know they weren't going to get a good look.

Lunarossa CPL
Winners: (#25) Aiken College (7-5-3, 21/13)
At Large: Forbes College (7-5-3, 21/17), University of Lunarossa (7-4-4, 30/21)
Comments: I love this league, baby. Year in, year out, some of the most competitive football in the country you'll see, and this year, three points between the top SEVEN teams. All of those guys had seven wins apiece, that's insane, and it came down to draws and goals. Controversy when fourth place University of Lunarossa got an at large bid over third place Lunarossa State, who matched the leaders at 7-5-3 and beat UL 2-1. Did State get the raw deal? Maybe so, but the committee thought UL played more entertaining ball this year, and that counts at tournament time.

Big North Conference
Winners: Kotetsu Tech (7-8-1, 20/13)
At Large: (#22) Kabuto University (8-3-5, 37/25)
Comments: The Techies won this thing with superb defense, best in the conference. So hard to break them down, and the record reflected that. The surprise, though, Kabuto making it as an at large despite five losses. But they had some huge wins this season, and away from home. A pair of 5-1 beatings against Gotei and Baptista, that'll get you attention!

Metro East Football Conference
Winners: Cyert Technical Institute (7-4-3, 17/11)
At Large:
Comments: The Metro East is all about defense, and it says alot when the team with the best D in the country finishes sixth out of eight! Cyert's 2-0 win over then-second Purnell on the last day earns them a date for the big dance.

Igor Valley Conference
Winners: (#8) Barynsk College (10-1-3, 31/20)
At Large:
Comments: Barynsk were alone at the top, ten points clear of their nearest competition, they haven't been this good since Boris Boskov was taking their free kicks!

Big East Conference
Winners: (#3) University of Fujiwara (11-1-12, 24/7)
At Large: Jefferson College (7-4-3, 25/16), Konoha Academy (7-3-4, 25/16)
Comments: Seven goals against in fourteen games, are these guys for real? Sure enough, nobody in the conference could break through that back four, and Fujiwara finish nine points clear of Jefferson. But Jefferson and Konoha, two pretty good sides, both with the credentials needed to make the tournament. You never know where you might find the next Cinderella!

Shapiro CPL
Winners: (#16) Eimoto College (9-2-3, 20/11)
At Large:
Comments: Eimoto put together their best season ever, nine wins to take the Shapiro league, seven points over Souichiro City, they led the way the entire second half of the season.

Kishin Plains Conference
Winners: (#24) Carnegie Technical Institute (8-4-2, 19/12)
At Large: Montefiore College (9-0-5, 23/17)
Comments: Montefiore getting a berth despite a five loss season, but up until week thirteen, they appeared to be on track to just take the automatic bid as conference champs. But they couldn't get past Carnegie Tech in the showdown at the top, a 3-2 loss. Both teams won their final games of the year, so it's Tech on top by a point.

Kotaru CPL
Winners: (#20) Kotaru University (8-3-3, 23/15)
At Large: Akasaka University (8-2-4, 26/20)
Comments: It was Kotaru, Akasaka, and Furude in a dogfight down the stretch. And in those final three games, it was Akasaka that looked more like the class of the conference. They won all three, including a pair of huge away wins against Kotaru and Furude, that's what you call stepping up, baby! Opposite side, Furude lost their final three, better luck next season for them.

Gilderome River Conference
Winners: (#5) University of Gilderome (10-4-2, 27/14)
At Large: (#7) Stoneridge University (10-3-3, 29/18)
Comments: I don't think you'll find a better top two anywhere, maybe in Hazuki, but ten wins apiece for Gilderome and Stoneridge, a great duel between them for top honors. Gilderome won the first meeting 1-0, but Stoneridge made a strong case at the end of the season. Four points back with two games to go, they beat the leaders 1-0 to get within a point, but that's where they stayed after both won their final contests.

Northern Plains Conference
Winners: (#18) Big Mountain State College (8-5-3, 27/18)
At Large:
Comments: A pretty even conference, but Big Mountain were the kings of it most of the way, taking the lead from Chastain around the halfway point and never looking back.

Shikibu CPL
Winners: Monagham State College (7-4-3, 18/13)
At Large:
Comments: Three points between the top four teams, but teams in the Shikibu league had a hard time breaking past that Monagham back line. Best D in the conference. Ogasawara City looked like they might steal the title at the end, but a 3-0 loss to Nikkei Academy ended that run. It was Monagham after all after a season-ending 2-0 win over Donneley.

Sullivan CPL
Winners: (#6) Trafford Technical Institute (10-3-3, 28/17)
At Large:
Comments: One year removed from the national title, and the University of Sullivan crashes into the middle of the table, 5-5-6. No, this year was all about Trafford Tech, finishing six points clear of Kensington. Kensington actually led most of the way, but down the stretch, only Trafford was able to keep winning. Unfortunately for the Kenzies, five losses to go with their eight wins, and a complete loss of form not looking good to the selection committee.

Keats Island CPL
Winners: (#14) Alameda Academy (10-2-4, 25/22)
At Large: (#17) Berkeley State Univesrity (7-8-1, 28/13)
Comments: Berkeley State were the team to beat down the stretch, literally, they were undefeated up to that point, taking a 7-8-0 record into their season finale with Alameda Academy, whose quality was undeniable, but teams had found ways around them. And Berkeley had the game of the year on their side, when they put up seven - SEVEN! - against Richmond. But Alameda finally found the answer they needed, a 2-1 win over Berkeley State to claim the title.

TOURNAMENT

The format of the tournament through the semifinals is home-and-away, the scores listed here are the aggregate results. The final is a single game at the National Stadium in Yuki City. Rick Libide chips in with his comments.

At-Large Round

Forbes College 3-4 Regola University
(#22) Kabuto University 2-3 Akasaka University
Konoha Academy 1-4 (#10) Ouran College
(#23) Rizzi College 5-4 (#13) Friedmann College
Jefferson College 3-4 Montefiore College
(#19) Carling Military Institute 5-6 University of Lunarossa
(#7) Stoneridge University 4-4 (#21) Hinata Academy
(#17) Berkeley State University 7-6 Gabthley University

Comments: Akasaka had a long way to go to repeat that semifinal appearance from last year, when they were #3 in the nation, and here's a good start, upsetting Kabuto with a 2-0 victory in the return leg. Rizzi had to win 3-1 on the road to make up for a first leg loss against Friedmann. How about Lunarossa stepping up, a 3-2 win and 3-3 draw with Carling Military Institute. Hey, they said they were more fun to watch than Luna State, and they showed it, baby! And let's talk OVERTIME! Hinata offset a 2-0 first leg loss to force the extra frame, and then upset Stoneridge in penalties, can they make it back to the round of sixteen? And Berkeley State getting a scare from Gabthley, a pair of 3-3 draws for the two, and Berkeley get the overtime winner in the return leg. Great set of games between those two, that's what tournament time is all about!

Conference Round

(#24) Carnegie Technical Institute 3-5 (#23) Rizzi College
(#10) Ouran College 5-2 Montefiore College
(#9) Kildare Maritime Academy 2-1 (#2) University of Shikibu
(#11) Pembrooke Academy 5-2 Jena College
(#16) Eimoto College 1-3 (#4) Mount Fujiko State College
(#1) Hazuki State University 6-1 (#15) Akiba College
(#21) Hinata Academy 1-4 University of Lunarossa
Waugaman City College 2-1 (#25) Aiken College
(#14) Alameda Academy 2-3 Kotetsu Tech
Regola University 3-4 Dyson College
(#8) Barynsk College 1-3 (#12) Barclay State College
(#20) Kotaru University 2-1 (#6) Trafford Technical Institute
Cyert Technical Institute 2-3 (#18) Big Mountain State College
Monagham State College 3-1 (#17) Berkeley State University
Hale University 0-1 Akasaka University
(#5) University of Gilderome 2-3 (#3) University of Fujiwara

Comments: Both of the Hazuki league teams looking pretty dangerous, with Ouran advancing 5-2 and Hazuki State crusing 6-1. Shikibu's offense deserted them against Kildare, and the Mariners go through in a tough match of nine versus two. But if you want tough, look no farther than five versus three - Fujiwara wins on an overtime goal in the second leg! The University of Lunarossa, are they this year's Shiratori? They beat Hinata comfortably to keep all the Luna State fans quiet. Aiken get upset at home, losing the return leg to Waugaman on an overtime winner. How about Dyson and Regola, a couple of entertaining games there. Dyson win the first 3-1 on the road and then hold off Regola in the second, giving up two goals within the first hour, but winning it with a backbreaker in minute seventy eight.

Construction Hut Sweet Sixteen

Kotetsu Tech 2-3 (#11) Pembrooke Academy
Dyson College 5-8 University of Lunarossa
Waugaman City College 2-4 (#1) Hazuki State University
(#9) Kildare Maritime Academy 5-4 (#20) Kotaru University
Monagham State College 4-4 (#12) Barclay State College
(#3) University of Fujiwara 4-2 Akasaka University
(#10) Ouran College 2-1 (#4) Mount Fujiko State College
(#18) Big Mountain State Col 2-2 (#23) Rizzi College

Comments: Life getting harder as the top teams rise up. And no shortage of entertaining football in this round, with Lunarossa leading the way. Their offense is possessed, they beat Dyson 3-1 away and 5-4 at home to advance. This is exactly what we want to see in the tournament! If you're unranked, at-large out of your own conference, you want to prove that you're just as good as the top dogs. And that's exactly what we saw in this tie, I love it, baby! Hazuki State lost the first leg on the road 2-0 to Waugaman, took them into overtime in the return, and won it there. That's clutch! Barclay State and Rizzi both needed penalty kicks to escape to the quarterfinals. And Akasaka are done, they go down to Fujiwara.

Quarterfinals

University of Lunarossa 2-4 (#23) Rizzi College
(#9) Kildare Maritime Academy 2-5 (#12) Barclay State College
(#11) Pembrooke Academy 3-5 (#10) Ouran College
(#1) Hazuki State University 3-2 (#3) University of Fujiwara

Comments: Midnight for Cinderella! Rizzi defeat Lunarossa 2-0 at home in the second leg of that one. Barclay State and Kildare, and we haven't talked much about them. They're from the two oldest conferences in the country, the Kishin Delta and Yuki Premier, and it's been a long time since we had two teams ranked so high out of both. And Barclay State was the better side, winning 3-1 and 2-1. Pembrooke and Ouran, two teams that match up pretty well with each other, Pembrooke back in the spotlight for the first time since they started playing nine or ten years ago. But Ouran wants to challenge Hazuki State for prominence, they win the return leg after an opening 3-3 draw. Do they get that chance? Do the Zooks get by Fujiwara in the marquee matchup of the quarterfinals? Overtime again, on the road again, and they get the winning goal again!

Semifinals

(#23) Rizzi College 5-3 (#10) Ouran College
(#1) Hazuki State University 5-4 (#12) Barclay State College

Comments: We could very well have seen both finalists come out of the Hazuki league, but how about Rizzi College? A 4-1 domination in the opening match, even Ouran can't make that up, and they go home! It's Rizzi, third place in the Red River conference, the almost-champs, with a chance now to win it all. But who do they play? Hazuki State gave themselves a cushion on the opening leg, 3-1 at home, but Barclay State stormed back. They were so close to making the final, which would have almost been a home game for them in the capital, but Hazuki did what champions do. They found the goals they needed to stay on top.

Collegiate Grand Final

(#23) Rizzi College 2-1 (#1) Hazuki State University

Comments: And how about that! Hazuki State finally ran out of gas against Rizzi, who came into the tournament looking defeated. They lost their conference on the final day, but when they got that tournament bid, it didn't even matter anymore. And that was the right frame of mind to be in, because the tournament is really a second season. For Hazuki State, we expected them to do well, they did, and now they just need to take that final step. We'll see you next year!

Candelaria And Marquez

05-03-2008, 18:25

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Matchday Twenty-Eight: And then there were three

The top four all won this weekend, which at least confirmed that Albrecht FC would be missing out once again. Just the five title in eight seasons, then.

Fans are divided as to the future of Trevor Organ, with many prepared to believe rather unlikely press reports suggesting that former boss Lloyd Donnelly is on the verge of quitting the C&M national team in favour of one last stab at the Scorpions job. In the meantime, Organ is just getting on with his job and faces some major decisions in the not-too-distant future. Is Benji Fu good for another season at the back? Are David Brindley or Felix Currey really top-line ‘keepers? Does he play three up front or reintroduce a left winger? Do Jack Marshall or Ryan Edwards play in midfield, or are they both too inexperienced?

What’s certainly true is that even with all these issues facing them, Albrecht are still better than most of what’s out there as they eased to victory over Turk’s Club thanks to Matteo Corradini’s long, curling shot and Joe Cunningham’s late tap-in from a Ben Edwards free-kick. Though it would soon become clear that it was a meaningless game in the end, it served at least to highlight the gap between the best and the rest, with the Scorpions in fourth moving twelve points clear of the Turks in fifth.

Had Stephen Hill not been his usual outstanding self for the Khatib-Gassett side it could have been a much bigger defeat, but with Felipe Curana’s side safe in the first division for another season no-one could really be surprised at the lack of competitiveness. Turks’ Club are a rarity though, since incredibly with just two games to go only they and Port of Clotaire, alongside the top four, are mathematically safe. The three sides on thirty-five points are all still theoretically in danger still, setting up a fascinating two final weeks at both ends of the table.

The real business is at the top of course, where Green Island stayed in pole position after a one-nil win at the Little Road Stadium. Not so much smash-and-grab as hands-to-the-pumps; the Zapata club went a goal up through Andrew Abbott, in for Stuart Vidakovic who failed a late fitness test, before their nerve gave out. For once, the crucial relationship between Ben Head and Roger Zetaback at either end of the midfield diamond gave out, and the ever-important creative full-backs Brayton Desideri and Étienne de Roviere were forced to deal with the presence of Fabian Marks, the flank-swapping winger who’s proved a bit of a revelation since replacing the Di Bradini Cup’s Nic Percy.

That Cup may yet prove crucial in the two races, since it now appears likely that the Starblaydia-based twenty-three could miss the entire remainder of the season, leaving several teams without their key men for the final game of the season as they had been expecting. The loss of Harris Dixon has certainly been a pain for Albrecht Turkish, though the use of youngster Sylvain Carmona as a stop-gap has proved inspired. They too got an away win this weekend, rather more comfortably than their main rivals, with Gary Maini’s dipping volley setting the tone at Gamboa FC. Not for the first time this season it was the centre-back pairing of Clayton Knight and Sam Young that saved the Abiodun side from a drubbing, with Turkish only able to add a Samuel Taha strike to the scoreline.

Much debate now surrounds who has the easier final two games with Green Island still two crucial points ahead. Turkish are at home to Candelaria Arsenal and Candelaria-Allemali; two of the weakest teams in the league undoubtedly but both of whom are desperate to survive and can always pull out some unlikely results. Lest we not forget that in the return fixtures C.A.L held A.Turks to a draw while the Shining Sons got a one-nil win.

Green Island meanwhile have Radyukevich at home first, another highly unpredictable team hanging on to top-flight status by their fingernails. Form would not back the Jukos however, as they lost two-nil at Marquez-Onwere this weekend with Careca nodding in from a 40-yard Merlin Siriwong effort that rebounded off Gari Kilad’s post before Siriwong himself made the points safe late on. And we cannot forget the champions of course, who could still potentially retain the title if the GIZ loose their remaining two games, A.Turks do no more than draw both, and MarquezOW win both and make up a terrifying goal difference. Let’s be honest, it’s not going to happen, but the naranja may still have a chance to hand the title to Turkish when they host the Islanders on the final day.

T’other end, and frankly it’s as mad as a bucket of badgers down there. Bottom of the table on goal difference now are Caires Sports following a one-nil defeat at Arrigo Portuguese. They have two homes games left, but in truth they look the most likely to go despite having come up as division two champions last year. The key issue has been goals – Archer French, Luke Cole and Ashley Ashby simply haven’t scored enough of ‘em. Macario Ayoví’s experiment deserves applause, but ultimately their defensive pairing of Kam Bensahnoun and Andy Jansson couldn't live up to their team-mates in the full-back positions Smith Naylor and Bo Phelps and hold up the second least scorinnyest team in the league.

That’s the American term, isn’t it?

The Errant Knights could still avoid being leap-frogged by their parent club Caires City, the new division two champions, but MN Smith look a better bet. Loved and loathed in equal measure, often by the same people, the Smudgers have had a season to forget on and off the pitch… and then somehow won four-one at CandelariaAM. Jay Zabojnik rounded on his defence, who really are dreadful it must be said, but if it comes to it the Jeruselemite pair of Gime Thadope and Smakam Downe may come in for the bulk of Shining Sons fans’ ire for a series of lacklustre performances when the going got tough.

Derek Marshall’s MN Smith now face back-to-back games against Turks’ Club and Port of Clotaire – tricky, certainly, but reduced by the fact that both clubs are safe and have nothing to play for, while CandelariaAM travel to Portuguese, who are still far from safe and Albrecht Turkish, who could well still be in with a shot at glory on that last day.

The other piece of the puzzle are Candelaria Arsenal, who beat KT Hotspur thanks to another superb performance from their teen hero Kevin Ely and a late goal from Luke Naylor; only the striker’s sixth of the season. It may yet prove enough, but the Yellows still have to travel to both Turkish outfits in the final two games.

Albrecht FC v Turks’ Club 2 – 0 (Corradini 45+2, Cunningham 90+3)
C.A.L v KT Hotspur 2 – 1 (K. Ely 33, Naylor 84; Klein 90+1)
CandelariaAM v MN Smith (Sat Morning) 1 – 4 (Smith 8; Watson 39, Jones 70, Walker 83, Martín 88)
El din Marbles v Green Island 0 – 1 (Abbott 11)
Gamboa FC v A.Turks (Sat Evening) 0 – 2 (Maini 4, Taha 65)
MarquezOW v Radyukevich (Mon Evening) 2 – 0 (Careca 50, Siriwong 85)
Port of Clotaire v Cathedral City 3 – 0 (Orlovic 17, Walker 31, Alaoui 81)
Portuguese v Caires Sports 1 – 0 (Carocha 20)

Matchday Twenty-Nine: Race set for the wire

Who needs play-offs? What’s all this nonsense about a few dozen league fixtures not being enough to decide the season’s champions? A final, on neutral territory, that renders the previous thirty games utterly moot? What a load of nonsense.

Thirty games is always enough. But twenty-nine isn’t. For the third time in four seasons, the title race will come down to the final round of games. In XXIV it was Albrecht FC who emerged victorious over Marquez-Onwere by dint of the Scorpions’ marginally superior goal difference. Two seasons later the naranja got their own back on the capital with a two-one victory in the Estadio Francisco Álvarez over Albrecht Turkish that delivered them the title ahead of the Millermen.

And now it’s Green Island’s turn to travel to Onwere and, in short, do better than Kris Healy’s Turkish do at home to Candelaria-Allemali.

Oh dear.

Oh dear because the Shining Sons really are crud, with their two-nil defeat at Arrigo Portuguese leaving this once great club teetering on the edge of the second tier precipice for the first time.

On the other hand, at least they have something to play for, which is more than can be said for MarquezOW. As it turned out; even if they’d won they would have lost their final, remote chance at the title thanks to other results, but their two-nil defeat at Cathedral City just put the tin lid on it. Peter Kimber’s own goal on the stroke of half-time proved the killer and though the soon-to-be-deposed champions were the dominant force in La Decimotercia, their Marquezian rivals eased to a two-nil victory that, without anyone really noticing, eased the Cats into a top-half position. It may be academic at this stage of the season, but you can’t fault the job Charlie Cunningham has done to turn around this seemingly doomed team of late. Who needs wingers, eh?

You can’t fault Hane Davies either, but once again Green Island look like coming up short in the final moments. It could have been much worse for them an’ all, after Pablo López had given a desperate Radyukevich side an early lead in Marlow Park. What followed was one of the most impressive goalkeeping displays in the history of Candelarias football, as the Uir number one Gari Kilad pulled off several dozen or more saves to keep the Jukos ahead and heading for safety until the final seconds of the final minute of second-half stoppage time when Seb Cerullei put in his 10000000000th cross of the night and Rául Vélez headed home.

Twenty-four hours earlier Albrecht Turkish had steadied themselves for the final weekend with a four-one win over Candelaria Arsenal; a brace from Reuben Kennedy sealing the win in between goals from the foreign duo of Scott Soldarian and Gary Maini.

So here’s the situation. Turkish have won nineteen, drawn five and lost five. They have a goal difference of +27. GIZ have won nineteen, drawn five and lost five. They have a goal difference of +24. Frankly, either Turkish are going to have to balls it up mightily or MarquezOW are going to have to be truly dreadful but hey; it’s still a final day battle.

As it will be at the other end, though Caires Sports are all but down following their one-nil defeat at home to El din Marbles, with a huge goal difference to make-up on Radyukevich. CandelariaAM, given their final game, could well be down all bar the shouting as well.

The real issue surrounds C.A.L and MN Smith. The Smudgers are truly the team on form right now, at least at the wrong end of the table, following a second four-one victory in as many weeks, this time at home to Turks’ Club. Felipe Curana’s men may have long since had nothing left to play for, but this was still a stunning capitulation made all the more impressive by the fact that Jamie Watson – the Scotchpine striker on course for the golden boot and quite possibly the Player of the Season award as well – didn’t even get on the scoresheet.

To have scored nineteen goals for a team dancing with relegation is truly a special achievement, but Watson may yet have to step it up one more gear next week when the Smudgers travel to Harper Street to play Port of Clotaire, and C.A.L to the Khatib Together Stadium to face Turks’ Club, with just a point remaining in it.

A.Turks v C.A.L (Sun Evening) 4 – 1 (Soldarian 7, Kennedy 18 and 23, Maini 55; Harouni 42)
Albrecht FC v Port of Clotaire 3 – 0 (Cunningham 3, Vanderpent 76 and 88)
Caires Sports v El din Marbles 0 – 1 (Madden 25)
Cathedral City v MarquezOW (Sat Morning) 2 – 0 (Kimber og 45+2, Taffarel 61)
KT Hotspur v Gamboa FC 2 – 0 (Milton 4, Abellardo 56)
Green Island v Radyukevich (Mon Evening) 1 – 1 (Vélez 90+4; López 2)
MN Smith v Turks’ Club 4 – 1 (Johansson 8, B. Moore 14, Martín 31, M. Adams 62; Pi 19)
Portuguese v CandelariaAM 2 – 0 (James 9, Carocha 40)

Vephrall

06-03-2008, 03:54

VKF, VTF announce changes for next season

The Vephraller Kustriin e Foutbill, the national cup, has announced that there will be a change in its format for next season.

The total field will be reduced from 274 entrants to 236. The 50 colleges that formerly entered in the First Qualifying Round will now no longer be in the cup and will be replaced by 12 additional (currently non-league) clubs. This contraction will also cause the cup to drop one round, meaning there will now only be four qualifying rounds rather than five.

Members of Cintrin E1 and E2 (see below) will start the competition in the First Qualifying Round. Members of Cintrin D2 will enter in the Third Qualifying Round and Cintrin D1 in the Fourth. Cintrin C members will begin their run in the First Round Proper, Cintrin B in the Second, and Cintrin A in the Fourth. All other components of the format are expected to remain the same.

At the same time, the Vephraller Tririsec e Foutbill is expanding to accommodate all Cup participants. The existing three-division Cintrin E will be replaced by a two-tier, six-division portion. Cintrin E1 will consist of E1/A, E1/B, and E1/C, each of which will include 16 clubs. Cintrin E2 will be identical; promotion and relegation is expected to be two clubs per season directly from E1/A to E2/A, etc.

The reason for the removal of the college teams from the Cup has not been given, though it is speculated that those teams may be seeing an expansion of their regular-season schedule in the near future.

Septentrionia

07-03-2008, 06:34

Tournoi Invitation Raoul-Chagnon II

It seems that it will become a yearly event, still hosted at Stade 1093: The champion teams from Vephrall, Ad'ihan, the Unified Capitalizt States and Septentrionia gather together for a single weekend to decide what's the best club between the four nation. What was originally thought of simply to develop soccer in Septentrionia is rapidly becoming an event not to miss. Three days before the beginning of the tournament, there were no ticket left through legal means. In addition, TVNord, Septentrionia's national public broadcaster, live broadcasted the games featuring a Septentrionian team and delayed broadcasted the other games.

So now, it's time for the games recap:

Matchday 1:

Afternoon game:
CS Lac-Amédée 2-4 Boalluns FE
Attendance: 40,000

Evening game:
Protectorate United 0-0 South Coast United
Attendance: 37,347

Matchday 2:

Afternoon game:
Boalluns FE 2-2 Protectorate United
Attendance: 38,614

Evening game:
South Coast United 5-0 CS Lac-Amédée
Attendance: 40,000

Matchday 3:

Afternoon game:
Protectorate United 11-0 CS Lac-Amédée
Attendance: 32,431

Evening game:
Boalluns FE 2-2 South Coast United
Attendance: 40,000

Final table:

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Protectorate United 3 1 2 0 13 2 11 5
2 South Coast United 3 1 2 0 7 2 5 5
3 Boalluns FE 3 1 2 0 8 6 2 5
4 CS Lac-Amédée 3 0 0 3 2 20 -18 0

The games against Lac-Amédée were very important, as Protectorate United had to win 11-0 against them to win the tournament. Boalluns suffered from their "low" 4-2 win against Lac-Amédée.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v338/Oli55/Superligue-soccer-logo2.png

A new regular season champion have been crowned once again. This time, it's another club from Ourseville: Sept-Onze. They held up challenges from Union and CS Lac-Amédée to get the field advantage for the playoffs. The biggest surprise must come from Ourseville 1093, who are now facing relegation to the Deuxième Division. It's a second deceiving season in a row and, at the end of the year, they sacked their manager, Richard Boutin, to hire a new one, Louis Levasseur.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Sept-Onze 30 19 7 4 46 24 22 64
2 Union 30 18 7 5 71 35 36 61
3 CS Lac-Amédée 30 16 10 4 52 30 22 58
4 Dauphin 30 13 7 10 38 36 2 46
5 FC Cap-Phare 30 11 12 7 43 32 11 45
6 US Septentrionalis 30 11 10 9 37 36 1 43
7 Richelieu AC 30 13 4 13 36 40 -4 43
8 ASJL Cap-Nord 30 12 6 12 37 37 0 42
9 FC Grand-Glacier 30 10 7 13 30 39 -9 37
10 St-FX 30 9 9 12 38 35 3 36
11 Mont-Lambert FC 30 9 9 12 35 46 -11 36
12 Nordiqueville AF 30 7 14 9 32 42 -10 35
13 Ourseville 1093 30 8 7 15 34 44 -10 31
14 Athlétique 30 7 8 15 28 42 -14 29
15 Bourdailleux 30 7 7 16 26 39 -13 28
16 AA Benoîtville 30 5 6 19 21 47 -26 21

Colour code:
Orange: Saison Régulière Champions and Qualified for Séries Éliminatoires
Green: Qualified for Séries Éliminatoires
Blue: Will participate in Séries de Rélégation

Deuxième Division

The Deuxième Division has been a two team affair for most of the season, as AS Île-Benoît and Baie-Verte CCFC were fighting for first place for most of the season. It's worthy to know that, while there is no sportive advantage in finishing first in Deuxième Division, there's a monetary one. Sauvageville and Baieville were also far ahead of the 5th placed team (L'Étoile du Nord FC).

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 AS Île-Benoît 30 19 5 6 58 34 24 62
2 Baie-Verte CCFC 30 18 5 7 46 32 14 59
3 Sauvageville 30 17 4 9 46 29 17 55
4 Baieville 30 17 3 10 51 23 28 54
5 L'Étoile du Nord FC 30 13 6 11 42 42 0 45
6 SC Mont-Bleu 30 13 5 12 36 39 -3 44
7 CH Vaudreuil 30 12 6 12 37 38 -1 42
8 Mont-Surrindère SC 30 11 8 11 33 32 1 41
9 Calembourg 30 9 11 10 31 37 -6 38
10 Piedmont 30 10 5 15 32 40 -8 35
11 SC Presqu'île 30 9 7 14 41 47 -6 34
12 Orléans 30 9 6 15 32 51 -19 33
13 Septentrionalis HC 30 7 11 12 35 43 -8 32
14 FC Les Vals 30 6 13 11 36 42 -6 31
15 Desmarais 30 6 12 12 31 40 -9 30
16 Club Latin 30 8 5 17 23 41 -18 29

Colour Code:
Orange: Deuxième Division Champions and Qualified for Séries de Rélégation
Blue: Qualified for Séries de Rélégation

Phase éliminatoire de la Superligue 2010

CS Lac-Amédée were last year's champions. This year, they finished 3rd in the league. Will they be able to keep the trophy home? Another question arises: Will Sept-Onze be able to complete the first double in Septentrionian Soccer history? For those unfamilliar with the Septentrionian use, that would mean that a team would win both the league and the playoffs. Let's find out.

Quarterfinals
Sept-Onze 2-1 ASJL Cap-Nord
Union 0-1 Richelieu AC
CS Lac-Amédée 3-0 US Septentrionalis
Dauphin 1-0 FC Cap-Phare

Semifinals
Sept-Onze 3-0 Richelieu AC
CS Lac-Amédée 1-2 Dauphin

Final
Sept-Onze 2-1 Dauphin

Sept-Onze HAVE DONE IT! They're the undisputable Septentrionian champions as they won both the Regular Season and the Playoffs.

Séries de relégation:

First Leg:
AA Benoîtville 1-3 Baie-Verte CCFC
Baieville 3-1 AS Île-Benoît
Athlétique 1-3 Sauvageville
Bourdailleux 0-3 Ourseville 1093

Second Leg:
Baie-Verte CCFC 2-1 AA Benoîtville
AS Île-Benoît 1-2 Baieville
Sauvageville 0-0 Athlétique
Ourseville 1093 2-2 Bourdailleux

Aggregate:
AA Benoîtville 2-5 Baie-Verte CCFC
Baieville 5-2 AS Île-Benoît
Athlétique 1-3 Sauvageville
Bourdailleux 2-5 Ourseville 1093

Season awards:
Manager of the year: Jean-Luc Letendre (Sept-Onze)
MVP: William Benoît (Sept-Onze)
Defender of the year: William Benoît (Sept-Onze)
Midfielder of the year: Alain Bellemare (CS Lac-Amédée)
Striker of the year: Nicolas Maloeil (Union)

Candelaria And Marquez

07-03-2008, 17:49

Matchday Thirty: Turkish bathe in sweet success

A.Turks v CandelariaAM 3 – 1 (Taha 17 and 21, Kennedy 22; Thadope 43)
Caires Sports v Gamboa FC 3 – 0 (Hill 1, Naylor 47, LeCass 88)
Cathedral City v Radyukevich 1 – 0 (Jobson 77)
El din Marbles v Albrecht FC 1 – 1 (Madden 66; Vanderpent 12)
KT Hotspur v Portuguese 1 – 0 (Abellardo 64)
MarquezOW v Green Island 3 – 4 (B. Young og 25, Careca 60, Kimber 90+4; Vélez 19, Zetaback 38 and 50 and 82)
Port of Clotaire v MN Smith 3 – 0 (Gnom 24, Istonenext 28, Orlovic 32)
Turks’ Club v C.A.L 3 – 1 (Pi 9, Sellami 14, Bradley 31; Ytterland 18)

CMSC XXVII Division One – Final Standings
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Albrecht Turkish 30 20 5 5 50 21 29 65 CHAMPIONS
2 Green Island 30 20 5 5 62 37 25 65
3 Albrecht FC 30 17 5 8 52 29 23 56
4 Marquez-Onwere 30 17 4 9 54 37 17 55
5 Turks’ Club of Khatib 30 14 1 15 51 43 8 43
6 Port of Clotaire 30 12 6 12 30 36 -6 42
7 KT Hotspur 30 10 11 10 35 29 6 41
8 Cathedral City 30 11 8 11 34 38 -4 41
9 El din Marbles 30 11 5 13 40 40 0 38
10 Arrigo Portuguese 30 11 4 15 33 46 -16 37
11 Gamboa FC 30 10 5 15 38 51 -13 35
12 Radyukevich CSC 30 9 6 15 24 29 -5 33
13 AFC MN Smith 30 8 7 14 43 50 -7 31
----------------------------------------------------------------
14 Caires Sports 30 7 10 13 27 37 -10 31 REL
15 Candelaria Arsenal 30 7 9 14 26 47 -21 30 REL
16 Candelaria-Allemali 30 8 5 17 30 50 -20 29 REL

Once upon a time, Albrecht Turkish were the undisputed giants of the most important football competition in the Candelarias – the Cove Combined Footer League. Granted, that was partly because Deevin FC (the club that would become Albrecht FC) and Thompsontown, the ‘big two’ of the Albrecht region’s many football clubs, had upped and joined the professional National Foot-Ball League; but still for many in the capital suspicious of professionalism, the A.Turks remained the embodiment of the sport’s soul. From a club that had once struggled to make friends because of its unique ethnic identity in its earliest years, by the 1930s and 40s they had established themselves as one of country’s most popular amateur clubs. The charm and talent of stars such as the legendary striker Erdem Büyükbayrak, the inside left Harry Çevik and the rangy defender Erhan Rawlinson would make them perhaps the most romantic team in all Rushmore.

In time of course, they would give in to the national game and the riches it provided, at the cost of much of the club’s traditional identity and support base. By the mid-fifties as today, the term ‘Turkish’ had been rendered meaningless in any practical sense, and the professional club’s new owner – fish merchant and childhood Deevin fan Joe Lyons – even toyed with a name change more than once.

In no time at all they would abandon Albrecht altogether in favour of the city of Hoxton – still part of the Cove region and eventually to become just one of the six boroughs of Albrecht granted, but still far from their roots. The club settled in to their new home and new group of supporters however, and in the aftermath of the Civil War they exploded into life. With James Santle in the dug-out and Alex Hope churning out the youth-team products, Turkish won four straight NFBL titles in the mid-sixties. For many Candelariasian football fans, you can stuff Ignacio Vélez, Ramiro Novo, Benji Fu, Ben Head and O’Sullivan Caras et al taking C&M to the World Cup knock-out stages. No, this was the golden age of Candelarias football; when little Millerman Sheppard was the league’s top scorer for eight years in a row, when the spine of goalkeeper Carlos Meyer, centre-half Donovan Alexander, skilful midfielder William Muzzi and the wingers Martin Price and Ollie Prior provided as strong a core of players as was ever assembled in the islands.

In many ways, it was the domination of the ‘Millermen’ that brought about the collapse of professional football in C&M, as so many other clubs old and new burst their banks in order to try and make in-roads on the Lexaton side’s perennial lead. Turkish though, with their large, affluent following could afford to remain a mighty force in Rushmore as a kind of regional globetrotters. By CMSC V they finally deigned to return to their homeland, promptly winning VI at a canter.

But their years away from regular Hoxton games had cost them. In the wilderness period that followed, many fans drifted away. With Hoxton now subsumed into a greater Albrecht, many of their traditional supporters found a new identification with Albrecht FC, Alber City Wasps, Albrecht Independent and more. The club were always in the first division, but remained but a minor force until the arrival of Mark Baker as manager some fourteen seasons later. In that time, Albrecht FC had won three titles – with Millerman Sheppard himself as their manager. Even Turks’ Club of Khatib, their spawn in the north-east, had become a major, league-winning club. Albrecht Turkish couldn’t even manage the CMS Cup.

How they didn’t win a league title under Baker however is anyone’s guess, but it never quite happened and the move to the new Millerman Sheppard Stadium in the Songstress district of Albrecht’s old town was almost the nail in that coffin. They still finished second in XXIII, albeit far behind the Scorpions, but Baker left to become C&M manager. The false dawn of Charlie Rushbury followed, before Kris Healy – a manager with a reputation for saving struggling sides – was appointed.

And after delivering Albrecht Turkish their first title for twenty-two seasons, he will forever be a club legend. His has been a victory for a well-honed side – not the inanely attacking forces of Marquez-Onwere last year or Green Island this but a compact 4-4-2 where everyone knows what they are doing. The presence of five home-grown stars in the first team– including the wonderfully over-achieving wingers Ryan Westhead and Rueben Kennedy – has been the biggest bonus as the A.Turks slowly rebuild their fanbase, and the talents of Can Cetin, Sylvain Carmona, Ciaran Kelly and Joel Mercado suggest there could be more to come in the not too distant future.

Of course, a couple of world-class strikers help, but even there Healy must be congratulated. Gary Maini was far from a first-choice pick for Zwangzug when he joined the club, and Samuel Taha had played barely half a dozen games for Caires City after his leg break in sympathy with his Bettian countryfolk. And then there was Scott Soldarian. Regal in every sense, the Eesseffian may be destined for a move back to his homeland eventually given Raynor City’s buy-back clause, but no-one can doubt the versatile youn… ol… ageless midfielder’s influence since his arrival in Candelariasian football.

Soldarian set up two of the final Saturday’s goals, both for Taha. Kennedy added the other, all in the first half, to let Turkish fans and players enjoy the second forty-five against Candelaria-Allemali in the knowledge that they had, probably, won the title. Having pulled a goal back through Gime Thadope, the Shining Sons attempted to take charge and battered Oberon Martinez’s goal late on, but they were still doomed and for the home fans the news from the Estadio Francisco Álvarez was still positive.

Theoretically, the CMSC trophy was hovering in a helicopter over the estrecho innomado, somewhere between Albrecht and Onwere where Green Island were playing; but there could be few doubts as to which way it was pointing. Yet it was far from plain sailing for the A.Turks, despite their early goals; for Hane Davies’ men had also found the net early on. Ben Young, arguably Green Island’s player of the season in his own way, then scored a terrible own goal; but their own Eesseffian, Roger Zetaback, wasn’t ready to settle for second place again. With the Millermen on course for victory, Green Island had only goal difference to worry about.

For a time, after Zetaback scored the first two of what would prove a hat-trick, it looked as though they could really notch-up the huge win they needed against Marquez-Onwere to sneak above their only remaining rivals. But Careca, keen to impress the watching Cafundulense as well as Candelariasians, wasn’t willing to settle for that, and scored a superb solo effort that all but ended the Islanders’ hopes.

A.Turks fans were already celebrating when news of the naranja’s third came through, condemning Green Island to second place one more, and this time by just four goals.

In their own way, the goings-on at the bottom of the table were just as entertaining. With CandelariaAM loosing in Albrecht, it was left to a horribly complicated fight between Candelaria Arsenal, Caires Sports, Radyukevich and MN Smith for the two remaining places. The opening salvo came at the Kaleta Online Dome, when the young Knights midfielder Douglas Hall scored against a plummeting Gamboa side in the first minute. Caires Sports fan knew that their fate was out of their hands however, since they were reliant on both the C.A.L and MN Smith loosing – and loosing big.

As it happens, they did; but it just wasn’t enough. All Port of Clotaire’s goals came in a short period in the first half, when the poor MN Smith defence was utterly torn apart. But the Yellows were doing no better in Khatib-Gassett, where Turks’ Club were attempting to make up some of the huge gap between them and the top four, for posterity’s sake. Remarkably, Radyukevich also lost which doesn’t say much about Candelariasian performances under pressure, but both they and MN Smith had already done enough. They survived to fight another day – the latter by but three goals. Had they conceded a couple more, and Caires Sports been able to extend their three-nil lead, the pair’s ultimate finish would have been, very popularly, reversed.

But they weren’t, and Smudgers fans in Clotaire, all few dozen of them, were left to worship at the feet of Jamie Watson – the golden boot winner for a club that survived by the barest of margins.

Players of the Season:

Golden Boot:

1st Jamie Watson, AFC MN Smith, 19 goals
2nd Rául Vélez, Green Island, 17 goals
3rd Sargento Castelão, Gamboa FC; Andy Madden, El din Marbles; Peter Vanderpent, Albrecht FC; all 16 goals

Players’ Player of the Season:

1st Scott Soldarian, Albrecht Turkish
Once again it’s a foreigner who gets the nod, but who can blame his fellow pros for voting for him? Soldarian offered defensive strength and pace, helping to mask Toby Stumpf’s deficiencies, but it was going forward where he was at his most dangerous. He scored a fifth of the A.Turks’ league goals and his assists helped Gary Maini and Samuel Taha cope with the transition between Speed Wang and himself seamlessly.

2nd Jamie Watson, AFC MN Smith
A truly remarkable season given MN Smith’s troubles, it would not be unfair to suggest that the Smudgers would have been all but down before Easter without him. For someone who’s not even an out-and-out striker – preferring to cut in from the left rather than hang about up front – his final tally was immense and he set up his partner Jamie Johansson more than once too.

3rd Rául Vélez, Green Island
A sensational buy from Hane Davies, all things considered; the younger Vélez took Green Island to the next level with his powerful runs and precise finishes. Surely he will become the first player to follow his sibling into the C&M national squad, if not the first XI.

Sportswriters’ Player of the Season:

1st Rául Vélez, Green Island
2nd Scott Soldarian, Albrecht Turkish
3rd Merlin Siriwong, Marquez-Onwere

The performances of the rest of the A.Turks team probably helped take votes away from Soldarian, but Vélez is still a deserving winner. This was the season meanwhile that underlined Merlin Siriwong’s bright future, with both Ignacio Vélez and Careca so reliant on him and MarquezOW needing his eleven goals as well; though between Alessio Montano, Reuben Kennedy, Jos Cornelisse, Adlai Dobson, Zachary Pinkowski, Özkan Yalçin, Seb Cerullei, Aaron Kortsarian et al he will still face a challenge to step up to the national team.

Young Player of the Season:

1st Jason Federici, Port of Clotaire
2nd Harris Dixon, Albrecht Turkish
3rd Joel Sbaïz, KT Hotspur

Difficult for anyone to choose this year, given the players missing a huge chunk of the season on Di Bradini Cup duty, but Federici’s eight goals both off the bench and as a starter proved vital for Port of Clotaire as he displaced the more experienced duo of Ryan Gnom and Dan Davis. Dixon on the other hand was a regular starter from the beginning, and A.Turks were never able to quite find any older player to replace him at right-back. And what can you say about Joel Sbaïz, who will surely succeed Oberon Martinez as the C&M No.1 sooner rather than later.

Manager of the Season:

1st Kris Healy, Albrecht Turkish
2nd Hane Davies, Green Island
3rd Andrew Duffy, Gamboa FC

The title winner generally wins this, but Healy certainly deserves it from using his cash wisely and putting together a near-perfect little team. The votes were in fact cast before the season ended, contributing to Duffy’s place among the three, but despite their ultimate lowly finish this was an extremely promising debut season for Duffy’s Gamboa.

Foreigner of the Season:

1st Jamie Watson, AFC MN Smith [Scotchpinestan]
2nd Scott Soldarian, Albrecht Turkish [Valanora]
3rd Andy Madden, El din Marbles [Kura-Pelland]

Few arguments here, with Gary Maini and Roger Zetaback’s previous titles probably helping Andy Madden into the top three; but his sixteen goals, for a man of his age, were extremely impressive and the Marbles certainly deserve some recognition after an entertaining season under young manager Carlos Panadero.

Keeper of the Season:

1st Oberon Martinez, Albrecht Turkish
2nd Gari Kilad, Radyukevich
3rd Stephen Hill, Turks’ Club

But for Hill, Turks’ Club’s season would not have got off the ground and though Felipe Curana still has much work to do there he can at least rely on the mighty Kura-Pellandi ‘keeper for one more season at least. Martinez was always going to win this one, but Kilad is very worthy in second place, coping with an often dire defence to concede fewer goals than anyone but the A.Turks.

Defender of the Season:

1st Natalie Instonenext, Port of Clotaire
2nd Ben Young, Green Island
3rd Shane Wojciechowski, Albrecht FC

Instonenext takes the title from her colleague Tom Redway after another season in which Niko Mason’s slow development of the Harpies was marshalled by the Zwangzugian. Young gets in there largely through having to cope with the often awful Steven Fiore as his partner, while Wojciechowski is similarly fêted for helping Benji Fu along as the C&M captain’s feet fall apart.

Midfielder of the Season:

1st Scott Soldarian, Albrecht Turkish
2nd Roger Zetaback, Green Island
3rd Matteo Corradini, Albrecht FC

The power of the Eesseffian midfielders is all too evident here, and there will be more than one club looking to see who’s available from the EPL. Corradini is a rather less than inspired choice in third place, but there we go.

Forward of the Season:

1st Jamie Watson, AFC MN Smith
2nd Sargento Castelão, Gamboa FC
3rd Rául Vélez, Green Island

Watson and Vélez get in there again, and finally Sargento Castelão gets some recognition.

Coming Next: Cup Final Result, full season review and player search… Why? It does not do to wonder about such things, my dear.

Urarail

07-03-2008, 21:01

From San Salvacion, Urarail Sports Network Special Report

Following the recent civil war that swept our new government to power, all play in the National Football League and the Imperial Preimership came to a hault as countless stadiums, teams, and players were damaged or gone. However, we are pleased to announce that for the first time since the opening shots of the Second Civil War five years ago, there will be soccer in Urarail tonight. For newcomers to Urarail's national pastime, the National League is comprised of farm teams cultivating the best talent for the big time: the Imperial Preimership.

While many teams have not yet returned, both leagues have decided to hold a full season schedule. The season has just started and fans are attending in record numbers.

TABLES AND SCHEDULES: NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

1) Norika United------3-0-0
2) Arelia F.C.---------2-0-1
3) Capula Rangers----2-0-1
4) Witchhaye F.C.-----1-1-1
5) Capula Rovers------1-2-0
6) Thade F.C.----------0-2-1
7) Bannock County----0-3-0

This Week's Games:
Norika United vs. Arelia F.C.
Capula Rangers vs. Bannock County
Witchhaye F.C. vs. Thade F.C.
Capula Rovers: Bye week

TABLES AND SCHEDULES: IMPERIAL PREMEIRSHIP

1) San Salvacion United---2-0-0
1) Real St. Ark-------------2-0-0
3) Fabanti City F.C.--------1-0-1
3) Dysith F.C.--------------1-1-0
5) Fabanti United----------0-2-1
6) Anatole F.C.-------------0-3-0

This Week's Games:
San Salvacion United vs. Fabanti United
Anatole F.C. vs. Dysith F.C.
Real St. Ark vs. Fabanti City F.C.

Special Notes:
This year's National League championship game will be held at Capula Athletic Grounds in Capula.

This year's Premiership championship game will be held at the Old Alabaster in San Salvacion.

The Premeirship club Odessa United has announced it will return to action next year after signing an additional 3 players and hiring a manager.

That's all for now from Urarail. We look forward to an amazing return of the national sport to our towns and cities. Until next time.

Liverpool England

08-03-2008, 02:40

(OOC: Your tables aren't mathematically possible. You should download a league scorinator. Try NS Footy Sim (http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gth681k/nsfs/nsfs203.zip).

New Manhattan

08-03-2008, 02:52

(OOC: Your tables aren't mathematically possible. You should download a league scorinator. Try NS Footy Sim (http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gth681k/nsfs/nsfs203.zip).
They are if he’s using the Americanesque wins–losses–draws rather than the usual wins–draws–losses.

Liverpool England

08-03-2008, 03:16

They are if he’s using the Americanesque wins–losses–draws rather than the usual wins–draws–losses.

I have to admit not something I considered, although it's still not commonplace in any form of football, even American soccer. ;)

Septentrionia

08-03-2008, 05:03

Official statement from the President of the Superligue, M. Jean-Guy Larivière:

I, with the Conseil des propriétaires de clubs de soccer, decided that the Superligue will send four sides to the TakilQuip Champions’ Cup. After a vote, the owners have decided that the four sides to be sent to the first Champions' Cup will be the playoffs semi-finalists, who are:

Sept-Onze
Richelieu AC
CS Lac-Amédée
Dauphin

We wish good luck to the participating teams from Septentrionia

Vephrall

08-03-2008, 06:15

OOC:

I have to admit not something I considered, although it's still not commonplace in any form of football, even American soccer. ;)

You say this based on your experience in FM, I'm guessing, where MLS is shown in the international W-D-L format. Generally in American media records are expressed as W-L-T.

IC (really just so that this isn't entirely OOC):

The Vephraller Foutbiller Restritris has indicated that the top four finishers in Cintrin A this year will participate in the TakilQuip Champions' Cup. The season ends in approximately six weeks [OOC: about a day and a half].

Errinundera

08-03-2008, 07:54

Errinundera Football Association

League results for season 2139

Premier League
P W D L GF GA GD P
Delegate 38 23 9 6 80 42 38 78
Bola Mine 38 21 8 9 107 62 45 71
Bonang 38 20 9 9 74 57 17 69
McKillops Bridge 38 18 11 9 75 53 22 65
Deddick 38 18 9 11 89 65 24 63
Ootopia 38 17 9 12 73 63 10 60
Malinns 38 16 9 13 82 77 5 57
Milosis 38 15 9 14 67 59 8 54
Rodger River 38 15 9 14 63 69 -6 54
Forest Shining 38 14 11 13 54 60 -6 53
Bemm River 38 13 10 15 75 71 4 49
Puggaree 38 12 10 16 69 69 0 46
Ellery Camp 38 13 6 19 57 68 -11 45
Murrindal 38 11 12 15 53 64 -11 45
First Creek Falls 38 13 6 19 66 79 -13 45
Mount Ellery 38 12 8 18 45 71 -26 44
Bendoc 38 13 3 22 50 75 -25 42
Monkeytop United 38 10 9 19 54 78 -24 39 Relegated
Wulgulmerang 38 10 8 20 62 81 -19 38 Relegated
Gelantipy 38 8 11 19 58 90 -32 35 Relegated

2nd Division
P W D L GF GA GD P
Jackson Crossing 38 23 2 13 78 42 36 71 Promoted
Tubbut 38 18 12 8 70 50 20 66 Promoted
Waratah Flat 38 18 11 9 81 55 26 65 Promoted
Three Sisters 38 18 8 12 86 85 1 62
Kanooka Creek 38 17 9 12 76 53 23 60
Amboyne Crossing 38 16 10 12 76 59 17 58
Craigie 38 15 13 10 60 50 10 58
Cabanandra 38 16 10 12 48 47 1 58
Murrungowar 38 16 6 16 80 73 7 54
Butchers Ridge 38 14 11 13 54 59 -5 53
Coast Range 38 15 7 16 69 67 2 52
Dellicknora 38 15 7 16 77 79 -2 52
Goongerah 38 13 11 14 73 73 0 50
Bally Hooley 38 15 5 18 64 74 -10 50
Pinnak 38 13 8 17 48 72 -24 47
Yalmy 38 10 11 17 56 74 -18 41
Combienbar 38 10 11 17 60 79 -19 41
Buldah 38 9 12 17 58 72 -14 39 Relegated
Woolybutt Corner 38 8 13 17 51 66 -15 37 Relegated
Hayden's Bog 38 10 5 23 58 94 -36 35 Relegated

Regional Leagues Knockout competition
Club Terrace Promoted
Martin Creek Promoted
Victoria Star Promoted

Total premierships: teams
9 McKillops Bridge
6 Bonang
5 First Creek Falls
3 Ellery Camp
3 Fanny Moo / Ootopia
2 Milosis
2 Monkeytop United
2 Rooty Break / Forest Shining
1 Bola Mine
1 Delegate
1 Mount Ellery
1 Rodger River

Total premierships: provinces
11 Deddick (McKillops Bridge, Milosis)
10 Plateau (First Creek Falls, Fanny Moo, Ootopia, Rooty Break, Forest Shining)
7 Delegate (Bonang, Delegate)
4 Ellery (Ellery Camp, Mount Ellery)
3 Rodger (Monkeytop United, Rodger River)
1 Goolengook (Bola Mine)

Trivia
1. For the second season running the Association has a first time Premiership winner. (Last season it was Bola Mine). The City of Delegate is the second team from the Delegate Province to take the trophy: (Bonang has won it six times previously.) Delegate joined the Association in 2035 and was promoted to the Premier League in 2107. Since then their rise has been steady.
2. Jackson Crossing will be promoted to the Premier League for the first time, after arriving from the Regional Leagues in 2043. Since then their performances have been patchy. The team came to some prominence when orangekenny became the only Potoroo goalie not to suffer a dramatic off-field injury during Cup of Harmony 22.
3. Jackson Crossing also have the distinction of setting a new mark for the fewest draws ever in a season where a team plays all matches. McKillops Bridge had no draws in 2103, however they forfeited 18 games. Excepting the Kingfishers 2103 effort, the previous mark for fewest draws was held by Bola Mine in 2119. Oddly, Bendoc matched that figure in the season just completed.
4. Draws are continuing to be less likely. For the second season running, a new low mark has been achieved in the Premier League, 176 as against last season’s 178. The Second Division’s 182 draws is also the lowest amount ever for that division.
5. Monkeytop United will be relegated to the Second Division for the first time since it was created from the amalgamation of Big Tree Camp and Monkeytop, both of whom were inaugural members of the Association back in 1999 and neither of whom ever suffered the ignominy of relegation. The next season will be the first time in its 140 year history that the Amphitheatre in Big Tree Camp will host Second Division matches.
6. Bola Mine becomes the first team ever to score a century of goals in a season, passing the previous best effort of 96 goals by Milosis in 2019. Coincidently, neither team won the Premiership in their record breaking years.
7. Victoria Star has been promoted from the Regional Leagues for its first ever shot in the Second Division.

Qazox

08-03-2008, 08:39

QFL W-league Update

The W-League has expanded to 14 teams and with the expansion, has come some name changes to some of the teams.

Here's a complete list of name changes, as not to confuse any followers of the league.

(Old name)>>>> New Name

EAST DIVISION
St. Nash WC>>>>Nash Freya
Rockport WC>>>>Isis Rockport

WEST DIVISION
Pika City WC>>>>Artemis Pika
Lake Porter WC>>>>Porter Eris

The appearently more common theme amongst the women's clubs is taking a name of an ancient goodess.

Zwangzug

08-03-2008, 16:35

(OOC: Aguazul is my puppet)
MUFN season preview
Zwangzug's teams include female players, Aguazul's stadia are somewhat larger, but on the whole the divergent nations are more similar than-wait, Aguazul?

The inappropriately-styled republic is located in the Shell Shock Troop Clan, only familiar to football aficionados (read: obsessees) as the home of Violitism. (We did mention the "minor" bit?) Its most recent try at a professional league failed when the government deemed it a waste of taxpayer pesos, so it's into the MUFN for their four sides, bringing the total up to...eight.

Nothing wrong with mini-muffins.

Competition format
Everyone had their own idea: los aguazuleños wanted an apertura and clausura, Arlington City thought the Cafundelense system was pretty cool, Spenson Suburbia figured a 28-match regular season would be just perfect, Namiri Forest were partial to the Swiss system...Rovers United would have probably chimed in too, if they weren't too busy figuring out that the home team goes on the left.

In the end, all of them got a little bit of their way. The cycle will begin with an Apertura, in which each team plays the others twice (once at home and once away). Then comes the Cupcake Cup (we needed something to do with those extra muffin tins), a three-matchday Swiss system tournament. The Clausura mirrors the Apertura, and then a championship match is played between the Cupcake Cup winner and the team with the best record when the Apertura and Clausura standings are combined. Unless they happen to be the same team.

Got that? Us neither. Then there's the problem of how long this actually takes: the teams in Aguazul probably could play for thirty-two weeks, but the Zwangzug climate isn't quite as conducive. Maybe the cycle takes two years, to correspond to the players' approximate aging between World Cups? Or will the probable increase of talent necessitate a decrease in aging to keep the national team's turnover rate roughly consistent? Who knows.

Heck, there's time to scrap it all if someone else joins.

The teams

Arlington City
Style: somewhat defending
National team players: Rebecca Calhoun (defender), Bennett Covy (defender), Geoff Kempner (midfielder)
The 1-3-4-3 belies a defensive style hearkening back to the early days of the national team. The setup is as amusing for the fans as it is quixotic, however, and the team should enjoy support from a city said to represent the nation.

Spenson Suburbia
Style: neutral
National team players: Dirk Grosa (midfielder), Michael Sheldon (defender), Trent Gerson (forward)
First the Worms and now this. There are rumors of a far-off world where impoverished children dream of becoming football stars, while within a global hegemony soccer is seen as a game for rich kids. Spenson takes after the latter-it's said that money can't buy championships, and in a socialist state that's even more true...

Namiri Forest
Style: most defensive
National team players: Zoe McQuoid (midfield), Rohit Sharma (forward)
Because the indigenous peoples need something to complain about now that we've discovered the Unkers were here first.
Sorry, that was bad. We don't mix sports (even football?!) and politics. Anyhow, they're a little less insufferable since signing an outsider of sorts (how do you pass up a name like Zoe McQuoid?!), so perhaps we can all get along nicely.

Rovers United
Style: somewhat attacking
National team players: Natasha Keller (midfielder), Tara Lenski (defender)
The Rovers have always been around, it seems, and their experience will probably make up exactly for everyone else's home-field advantage. (In fact, all the teams are fairly equal in caliber. Huzzah for competitive balance.)

San Pablo
Style: fairly offensive
Key players: Gabriel Vega (forward), Raúl Ventura (defender)
Las pumas won the Aguazul league's last championship and still think they're the best team in the league. Unfortunately for them, said championship was long enough ago to be moot. Unfortunately for the rest of us, they haven't figured that out, so we have to put up with the city's journalists raving about the glory days.

12 de noviembre
Style: neutral
Key players: Melchor Fonseca (goalkeeper), Joaquín Cuéllar (midfielder)
Why is this team named after a calendar date? Your guess is as good as ours, we don't want to look it up if it's some history junk. Honestly, simple competence is all that can be said about this side-no flashes of brilliance, but no glaring weaknesses either.

Trecelunas FC
Style: fairly defensive
Key players: Eleuterio Roldán (defender), Apolinar Vargas (midfielder)
It's not a good sign when the coach is the one working up the most sweat, but Sabas Melendez seemingly has memorized every possible tactical substitution in the book, and employs most of them on a regular basis.

Deportivo Peralta
Style: most attacking
Key players: Adalberto Molina (forward), Guiomar Oleastro (winger)
All-out attack is the style of play, and the rabid fanbase has taken it to heart. No team in the country has more fans, or more opposition, than the capital club, and you can guess the scoreline by the amount of smoke on the horizon.

Candelaria And Marquez

08-03-2008, 18:08

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w175/candelariaandmarquez/smallcmscsymbol.png

CMS Cup Final: *Yawn*

Cup football blows, basically, as two of the more entertaining teams in the league played out a dour game that remained goalless until extra-time.

For Jerry Huntick and KT Hotspur, there were some huge decisions to be made in the aftermath of the Di Bradini Cup. The return to the starting XI of Allen Gallagher and Anslem Fisher surprised no-one, but the bigger issue surrounded the choice between the goalkeepers Joel Sbaïz and the man his elder by nearly a decade, Paolo Thorpe.

That Huntick went with Sbaïz over the former C&M international spoke volumes for the manager’s faith in the boy and effectively ended Thorpe’s career at the club – he’ll certainly be more than one CMSC club’s major transfer target of the summer now despite his age. As it happens though, Huntick got the decision completely right as Sbaïz continued his form with the under-21s in keeping the Cafundulense ‘B’ international Careca and his team-mates quiet all night in Arrigo, with Fisher and the Bostopian veteran Karl Matthews also dealing expertly with Merlin Siriwong, Niclas Kjaer and co. José Felipe Cassumba Domingos had the clearest chances of both halves; a sweetly-struck volley tipped over the bar by Sbaïz on the half-hour before he was unfortunate not to be granted a penalty when Besnik Shehu cuddled him like a big ol’ bear in the box.

The Spur for their part were painfully quiet, not mustering a shot on target until the eightieth minute; but they awoke in the first period of extra time when Wally Milton exposed the cracks forming in the naranja midfield and sent Nate Adams clear into the penalty area. Adams’ progress was halted by Mars Douyadari, but he passed back to the Hopelessian who played in Giuseppe Abellardo to give the former St Samuel international a simple opportunity to open the scoring in his final game for the club.

It was, inevitably, backs against the wall from then on and, though the Spur failed to extend their lead despite Abellardo gifting Gallagher with a gift-horse opportunity following José Luis Sosa’s slip, they held out for their first item of silverware in seven years, and a certain amount of the bragging rights in Khatib-Gassett. And MarquezOW, last year’s league champions, left with nothing.

Goodnight.

KT Hotspur v Marquez-Onwere 0 – 0, 1 – 0 aet (Abellardo 101)
@ Estadio Arrigo Nacional

Champions’ Cup: CMSC President Sam Mc O’Neil confirmed this morning that the league had, as a bloc, tentatively marked its interest in taking part in the forthcoming TakilQuip Champions’ Cup, a competition slated to be the first formal global club football tournament for many years.

Speaking on TTO’s The Football Show, Mc O’Neil admitted logistical concerns over Candelariasian entry into the tournament – with two events set to be held every CMSC season – and declined to confirm whether the same four teams would be entered in every two tournaments, or if a different system would be employed to select the contenders for every other contest. The relevant chairmen, directors of football and assorted bureaucratic detritus from Albrecht Turkish, Green Island, Albrecht FC and Marquez-Onwere have all been seen rubbing their hands together in barely-disguised glee.

CMSC XXVII Team Reviews

The League: The goals-per-game ratio dipped a smidgen again to 2.6, as increasingly experienced defenders get wise to the traditional set of strikers, but once again having a top-class goalscorer made all the difference. One only need look at MN Smith, doomed without Jamie Watson’s nineteen efforts. As usual it was foreigners who led the way up front, with only the Vélez brothers waving the two-circles-and-an-ovular-thing, while some unlikely figures including Andrew Bradley and Jamie Rawlinson also proved the usefulness of a big, gangly Candelariasian chap up front.

The competitiveness of newly promoted sides was once again pleasing, with Cathedral City and Gamboa FC eventually having fairly comfortable seasons while Caires Sports went down only on goal difference. Where CMSC bosses will be concerned however is the possibility of a growing gap between the ‘top four’ and the rest; with twelve points separating Marquez-Onwere from fifth-placed Turks’ Club. Indeed, such was the much-of-a-muchnessness in the league that Felipe Curana’s men lost more games than they won but still accrued forty-three points.

There were more points all-round, as it happens. Only two sides got into double figures in the draws column this season, compared to seven last time round.

On the Prowl: The CMSC’s foreigner limit has increased to four – and allegedly will go no further – meaning that there will likely be the usual period of embarrassing begging letters being fired off. This season however the gap between matchday thirty and the new matchday one looks to be smaller than usual, and those clubs looking for foreign talent will have to do some fast work. Equally, given the expense involved it seems that few clubs will take the league up on its four-player offer.

Albrecht Turkish: As usual, little more needs to be said about the champions who were so much more than just their foreign front-three. Indeed, the growing stature of Steven Williams and Evan Laurie, alongside Oberon Martinez’s magnificent goalkeeping, was just as important in helping to forge an extremely solid unit that found the character to return from their mid-season blues to finally cement the Millermen’s position as one of C&M’s true giants. They’re helped by being one of the few major forces in a city the size of Albrecht, granted, but with Healy at the helm they should push on next year and have the tools to begin a real era of domination.

On the Prowl: With Connor Mengucci having gone to Cafundéu, Kris Healy will have to look elsewhere to find Toby Stumpf’s replacement at the base of midfield – assuming he doesn’t give a chance to young Can Cetin. Otherwise, there’s always room for upgrades and any of the defenders bar right-back Harris Dixon could be on the way out if Healy can eek-out a bargain. The same could be said for the wingers in truth, particularly the ever-overachieving Ryan Westhead, but Healy is more likely to prefer to keep a settled unit.

Green Island: Finishing second for the second time in three years will take some time to recover from, but many Green Island fans will consider them moral victors. Importantly, Hane Davies opted to sacrifice none of the club’s attacking instincts for a chance at competitiveness, and was rewarded by the dramatic revival in form of Stuart Vidakovic and his strike partner Rául Vélez. Those two can go on for a good few seasons yet and with a few additions the Islanders can expect to bring their distinctive brand of slightly sinister parochialism to the top table for many years to come.

On the Prowl: Steven Fiore was, by all accounts, a failed experiment and Ben Young can expect a new partner at the back. The big worry surrounds the wide pair of David Walker and Seb Cerullei, who are both pushing thirty. Despite their obvious talents, a bit of pace wouldn’t go amiss. Aside from this, Hane Davies will want to bulk-up a painfully small squad, but picking them up from defeat on goal difference could be the biggest challenge.

Albrecht FC: The predictions for the Scorpions proved pretty much correct across the board – they were good, better than most of what’s out there, but just not quite good enough. By all accounts the boardroom is in turmoil with Martin Hole-Simpkins’ domination of the club under threat from Lynn Lukes, and Trevor Organ not left not knowing whether he’s coming or going – quite lidderally. The result was a mish-mash of the Brindleys, Fus and Tonneliers of this world on their penultimate legs and an otherwise extremely youthful, most home-grown side. The constant shifting between the 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 didn’t do anyone any favours, but the impact of Ryan Edwards, Peter De’Ath, Kian Donnelly, Ryan Fattori and more suggests the long-term future is very bright. They will have to work out how to avoid going 1-0 down however, with too many of their seventeen wins coming from a comeback.

On the Prowl: Trevor Organ has much to do. Firstly, he must decide which of Jack Marshall, Ryan Edwards and Kovac Johnson to make a regular starter – or whether he can somehow fit two or even three of them into the side. The main problems are at the back though, where Benji Fu may be released given his rapid decline, Naoki Tonnelier is looking extremely haggard and David Brindley may find himself replaced by a younger ‘keeper.

Marquez-Onwere: The arrival of Andy Woolworth looks set to make a title challenge a regular tradition for the university city’s biggest club, but in truth the seeds were sewn before his arrival with a youth policy that has unearthed plenty of gems over the last few years. Perhaps this year however his 4-5-1 – with Jack Stafador allowing José Felipe Cassumba Domingos, Reiban Okeke, Merlin Siriwong, Niclas Kjaer et al to get forward in support of first Ignacio Vélez and later Careca – was a little too familiar to the brighter managers and player, while the naranja also showed an unfortunate tendency to collapse by large scorelines when the going got tough. The form of the four men in their very large hole was the main factor however, with only Siriwong having anything more than a ‘good’ season.

On the Prowl: They were unable to retain their title, but the naranja will be looking only for steady development next year. Ávindu Zulqadr will take up their final foreign place as support (and eventually a replacement) for Pete Kimber, meaning that the only major changes will be on the bench with a new ‘keeper, right-back and right-winger in the offing.

Turks’ Club of Khatib: The best of the rest; though with ten points separating the Turks from twelfth-place Radyukevich it’s clear that there’s little in it. Felipe Curana’s side earned only six more points than last year, but that’s a statistical quirk based on their late surge under William Newell last time out and their last-third collapse after safety had been assured this season. Curana is clearly yet to settle on his best XI – they used more players in the league than anyone else this season – but generally played an attractive, offensive formation that bodes well for his second season.

On the Prowl: The big question surrounds the partnership of Holger Pi and Andrew Bradley, who got twenty-three goals between them to help the Turks score more than the champions Turkish, and whether Curana believes they can really be a front two to help them to the title. The midfield looks sound enough, with Mandla Nxele doing Xavier Le Monde’s running, but long-serving lefty Jack Hutton may have outlived his usefulness and a least one new centre-back is going to have to come in. Whether Curana will chose to promote more kids to the first-team – with Hague Parr, Ishmael Dolphin, William Williams and Francis Rosdi waiting in the wings – remains the key concern of the supporters.

Port of Clotaire: Their aim was to quietly do alright without anyone really noticing it, and they achieved it with flying colours. Niko Mason was able to make just a couple of signings in the summer – and only Turks’ Club reject Graeme Langstone at left-back was a regular – but once again managed to put out a side that, while extremely defensive, still produced enough to keep the Harper Street faithful satisfied. The emergence of Jason Federici up front came at just the right time, but no side with Natalie Instonenext and Tom Redway at the back are going to concede by the bucket-load.

On the Prowl: Those in the wall of noise will expect the Harpies to step up another gear next year, but they may be disappointed with it still unclear how much Mason will have to spend. However, the club still have three foreign places open and a second striker, left midfielder and right-back could all be on the boss’s shopping list if a hunt around the BoF and elsewhere proves fruitful.

KT Hotspur: A strange old season for the Spur, who proved to be so much more than the dull mid-table outfit most had been predicting. Ironically considering Jerry Huntick’s decade plus in charge; change was the order of the season with a number of newcomers forcing their way into the first XI over the course of the season. With the emergence of Joel Sbaïz and Wally Milton, and the ailing status and eventual death of their founder, they were a key story of the season – which helped to mask just how reliant they still were on Milton and Giuseppe Abellardo for creativity and goals, with Nate Adams and Dave Walsh providing little from the flanks.

On the Prowl: Though still unconfirmed, Huntick looks increasingly likely to step down before the start of the new season given his health worries, with the former Praying2God international Thomas Larson – no spring chicken himself – coming in from his stint at the Hopeless SC job. His preferred formation is best described as a 6-3-1, so visitors to the Valleys shouldn’t expect much in the way of thrills. Given the number of talented young defenders on the club’s books it may be a formation well suited to the current squad, but Larson will still no doubt be on the hunt for full-backs with a more attacking pedigree than Besnik Shehu and Ebbrell Klein and both Adams and Walsh could be under threat.

Cathedral City: While the press were busy swooning over Carlos Panadero and his El din Marbles, the Cats were being largely ignored. And why wouldn’t they be? For, once CMSC viewers had got used to their anorexic 3-3-3-1, there was little to mark them out and they quietly got on with the job of being relegated. The turning point however was loosing Enrique Silva de Aviz and Caleb Christmas to the Di Bradini Cup and arrival of left-back Archie Jones and extra midfield body Gary Revie into the first team. The new bog-standard 4-4-2 so easily recognisable by Candelariasian fans and players alike paid out huge dividends as Catedral lost only two of their last ten games – and won seven – propelling them ten points out of trouble.

On the Prowl: Despite their form at the back end of the season, Charlie Cunningham can usually be counted upon to go a bit weird and his choices of summer signings may result in a no less wonky side than was used at the start of XXVII. It may even involve wingers of some sort. But the form of the big Kura-Pellandi striker Teddy Ozi-Mayer and tricky young midfielder Kurt Folgueira among others may dissuade from bringing in too many newcomers.

El din Marbles: El din’s other big club had a rather less topsy-turvy season, though their astonishing early form failed to result in the title challenge some had rather ambitiously predicted. Carlos Panadero and his team won plenty of admirers however, even when they shifted to a rather stifling 4-5-1 and started to become characterised by a tendency to leave their foot in and lump it up to their own large Kura-Pellandi, Andy Madden.

On the Prowl: With Andy Madden’s age and Carlo Hone’s utter nothingness, a new striker will be first on the shopping list. But Giles Harpas behind the front man is also pushing on, Paolo Gardner is hardly anything more than an okay right midfielder, and both Carlos Humbero Tokpah (right-back) and Zach Malde (centre-back) could afford to be dumped. Basically, Panadero needs to use his knowledge of lower-league football once again, if the Marbles are to keep up their recent debut top-flight status.

Arrigo Portuguese: Traditionally the great underachievers of the Candelariasian game, the second city club finally looked to be back on the right track with the arrival of Jay Zabojnik as manager and Eduardo Morales’ cash injection. Yet after a mediocre first season in the CMSC first division they followed it up with an XXVII of hopeless underachievement that saw Zabojnik let go at the half-way stage and Matthew Tortini adding to the numbers of Kura-Pellandi bosses. El profesor soon had to deal with the loss of William Burgos, the absence of star youngster Jamie González and the simple fact that the defence he’d inherited was utter rubbish. Up front, Kirby Brightmore failed to live up to his rookie top-flight season and Djabgor Cvecej took a long time to adapt to live away from Squornshelous, but they were effectively saved by the flanking duo of Iain Belling and Cortez Carocha.

On the Prowl: So, that’ll be a goalkeeper, right-back, two centre-halves and probably a striker too. They only have one foreigner spot available however, meaning that Portuguese will probably be one of the biggest domestic spenders prior to XXVIII.

Gamboa FC: The Abiodun club were expected to add little to the top-flight on their return, with Andrew Duffy having got his side up only through a ghastly long-ball game. What actually happened was that Duffy employed the finances available to C&M’s most exclusive football club wisely, in bringing in Sam Young from Albrecht FC and Clayton Knight from United Trilan to partner him at the back. It didn’t stop Gamboa from being the league’s leakiest defence, but with Sargento Castelão banging them it up front it didn’t really matter. But is the future really that bright? Not if loosing nine of their last ten games is anything to go by…

On the Prowl: The money’s still there and they’ll have to spend it. Castelão, Knight, Austin Lewis and hugely impressive left-winger Adlai Dobson are dead certs but they otherwise need reinforcements to replace aging bodies or those that just aren’t good enough for where they think they should be. Duffy’s big dilemma will surround George Jones and Casper Richardson – the creative midfielder and striker who will both be barely eighteen at the start of the season but have all the talent in the world.

Radyukevich CSC: In theory it’s supposed to be the Jukos’ supporters who are the strangest bunch of freaks in Candelariasian football, but their team can give them a run for their money. As one of the bigger spenders in the break, Radyukevich has been expected to finish comfortably in the top half having added Carroll Eriksson, Jackson Tanzani, Sid Lindström and Alexander Stromberg to support their not-unimpressive defence. It didn’t work, principally thanks to the arrogance of Vincent Peluso, whose barminess took to a new level after he blamed his sacking on the club’s alleged ‘foreign ownership’ (they have a chairman born in Sorthern Northland. So what? Doesn’t everyone?) and announcing he planned to stand as the Association of Nationalist Parties’ candidate in the Clotaire East Regional Constituency come the next election. Anyway, club leg end Coleman Mustard came in and kinda sorta turned things around by introducing half the reserve team and keeping his opponents guessing with a constantly revolving XI.

On the Prowl: Min Cho-Hi has gone, so a new left-back is in order, though young Warren Crochemore will probably be trusted in defence in place of Steve Hurston. The future of Gari Kilod is up in the air, while Mustard could probably use a new partner for Jamie Rawlinson up front and someone who’ll play on the right without complaining bitterly about it.

AFC MN Smith: The Smith story just gets stranger. Their two sets of supporters still can’t stand the sight of each other, but this was a comeback to warm even the most cynical fans’ hearts. They looked dead and buried with just a few games to go but Derek Marshall managed to bring out a resurgence in form in each and every one of their underachieving players to support the heroics of Jamie Watson, and pull out some late thumping wins. It wasn’t always pretty, it certainly wasn’t in the spirit of Smith himself, but when all’s said and done they couldn’t give a shit.

On the Prowl: The key issue is what happens to the Scotchpine trio, at least three-quarters of which is Jamie Watson. Otherwise, their top targets probably include a new right side, but they really haven’t got the cash and Marshall may have to make do with scraps.

Caires Sports: Widely predicted to finish last, the Knights at least managed to keep things alive until the final day. Ironically, the ultimate reasons for their rapid departure from the top-flight were the reverse of what had been widely expected; with the defence looking surprisingly strong and the three up front failing to live up to expectations. Ashley Ashby, Archer French and Luke Cole found three, four and five goals respectively, leaving Macario Ayoví’s men with little offensive punch to counter their reedy midfield. On the plus side, few of their young first XI are likely to be snapped up by division one clubs, and the manager will be expected to take the club back up on the first time of asking.

Candelaria Arsenal: How the not-especially-mighty have fallen. One year on from that remarkable fourth-place finish, the team-building achievements of Adam Williams look all the more impressive now that Trev George has managed to take the Yellows down. In the final examination, the Lavange side simply weren’t good enough from top to bottom with Özkan Yalçin and the Ely twins unable to lift them out of danger single-handedly. They too will have a chance to rebuild, but it may be a while before we see the C.A.L gracing the first division again.

Candelaria-Allemali: The CMSC must now come to terms with the grim reality of not playing in a stadium with the word ‘Sausages’ written into the stands for a whole season. In truth however this one surprised nobody, not when injury-prone striker Stephen Smith and lumpen defender Chrissando Rockey were Giles Walton’s headline buys. More of a surprise was that Walton’s mid-season replacement, Jay Zabojnik, couldn’t do any better; but in the long term the apparent lack of interest of the Jeruselemite duo and the loss of Aaron Kortsarian to the Di Bradini Cup was always going to make life a struggle. With the exception of Kortsarian and the already Cafundéu-bound Connor Mengucci however they too will be able to hold on to much of a squad more than capable of taking on the second division, whoever may be in the dugout.

Caires City: A grim season for Caires Sports got that little bit worse once Caires City’s promotion was confirmed. The Errant Knights left it late to secure the second division title, but once the big Kura-Pellandi striker Pep McGuire and the diminutive Cafundulense playmaker Dionísio had kicked into gear the bright light of the McNeil Bingo Arena were destined to make it straight back up. Elgin Dannat’s flexible, counter-attacking team should be comfortable in the CMSC if they make a couple of signings and the wide midfielders Murat Varnali and Eddie Dyer can live up to their late-blooming potential.

On the Prowl: City will need top-class full-backs with Quincy Loga and Rusty Shan both the wrong side of thirty. A pacier alternative to McGuire could be useful on the bench, while Dannat may choose to seek an upgrade on ‘keeper Ryan Lyra.

Castillo FC: The leaders almost from the off, the gigantes slipped off the pace a little later on in the absence of their young Kura-Pellandi duo Carlos Avarelli and Manuel Zelzi. Dan Díaz’s side was heavily reliant on the striking duo of little Jack Yilmaz and big James Birkby but the young manager made the best of what he had with Óscar Gomez, Merlin Evans and the superb teenager Diego Sánchez forming an impervious midfield trio while the advanced wing pair of Zelzi and Fernando Quirante tracked back well enough to protect the back three. Whether Díaz can translate his obvious tactical nous into top-flight competitiveness remains to be seen.

On the Prowl: A solid group with excellent team spirit, Díaz may choose not to shake things up a bit. But at thirty-seven, Birkby has clearly outlived his top-flight role and a large new striker is a must.

Mayo Valley: A somewhat longer spell in the second tier for the Vo side, but middle-middle-middle-class Candelaria’s favourite club is back where it belongs. Dave Carr-Fluck’s side was comfortably chasing promotion all season, even if they did have to rely on a play-off win against McDonald Sports, but their strong-arm tactics may come a cropper come next season. Still, you can’t deny the talent on show with Pascal Thorrington and Rick Sekerici forming a terrifying partnership up front, Matt Reddington back to his best in midfield and a sprinkling of very solid youngish players.

On the Prowl: Andrey Osichenko is too old to give Thorrington and Sekerci adequate support from midfield, while their lofty defence needs a cooler head to avoid regular panicking at the back.

New Manhattan

09-03-2008, 02:11

http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/logos/tqcc/

The organizers of the TakilQuip Champions’ Cup are pleased with the level of interest shown so far, with nine associations already pledging to enter a total of thirty-four clubs. With the giants of the Cafundelense league, Elven Premiership, and Capitalizt Élite League set to participate, along with representatives of lesser-known leagues like the Superligue Septentrionienne, the Champions’ Cup will be a true world club championship. Still, there is plenty of time before the first Cup will be held, and plenty of room for other nations to send their best clubs.

http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/logos/eliteleague/

2142–2143 transfer window
The lifting of the Élite League’s transfer restrictions produced a flurry of activity, with over a dozen internationals making moves during the window. The league’s transfer fee record was shattered by the strong interest from Cafundelense clubs looking for a piece of the World Cup–winning Capitalizt SLANI team.

International
Göran Leisten (MR, Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK) → Atlético Jutense (Cafundéu) for V$75M
Tobias (MC, Atlético Jutense [Cafundéu]) → Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK
Migelo Luiso (FC, Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen) → Dunboor FC (Cafundéu) for V$50M
Aiden Mason (ML, Medoria Löwen) → SC Lasft (Cafundéu) for V$30M

Domestic
Donna King (MC, San Diego Iguanas) → Yuba United for 263.1 kg Au
Hwaŋ Hyo-gyo (DC, San Solari FC) → Medoria Löwen for 260.6 kg Au
Maureen Britt (DC, New Haverford Albion) → Syoko Poggyūggijī for 245.4 kg Au
ʼIm Sa-mi (FC, Qidade Savana) → Sonoma Center Panthers for 244.1 kg Au
Marjorie Hoover (DC, San Solari FC) → South Coast United for 231.3 kg Au
Philip Grillen (ML, Lexington FC) → High Mountain Buffalo for 222.9 kg Au
Marc Atkinson (MC, South Coast United) → KQ Nepáïire Tingitana for 221.3 kg Au
Danielle Brown (FC, Medoria Löwen) → Carter FC for 205.6 kg Au
Edna Gordon (FC, High Mountain Buffalo) → Qidade Savana for 189.5 kg Au
Çwe Jā-lyoŋ (DR, Jamaica Giants) → Naquada Falls Demons for 174.9 kg Au
No Būm-mo (FC, San Diego Iguanas) → Black Oasis Athletic for 152.9 kg Au
Çu Gwaŋ-yūŋ (GK, Black Oasis Athletic) → Querzakhi United for 144.7 kg Au

2143 season preview

South Coast United
Association: Jasīʼyūn
Previous finish: First (qualified for TakilQuip Champions’ Cup)
International players: Jack Bennett (GK), Benjamin Mitchell (DC), Marjorie Hoover (DC), Alejandro Marugano (MR)
Weakness: Central midfield
Expectation: Defend title; reach League Cup or Jasīʼyūn Kūb final

High Mountain Buffalo
Association: Jasīʼyūn
Previous finish: Second (qualified for TakilQuip Championsʼ Cup)
International players: Isaiah Hall (DL), Carrie Miller (DC), Gwon Gi-gyo (MC)
Other key players: Jacob Richardson (DC), Philip Grillen (ML)
Weakness: Right wing
Expectation: Finish in top four

Black Oasis Athletic
Association: Capitalizt SLANI
Previous finish: Third (qualified for TakilQuip Champions’ Cup)
International players: Luciano Preis (DL), No Būm-mo (FC)
Other key players: Bradley Cox (ML)
Weakness: Central defense
Expectation: Finish in top four

Lexington FC
Association: Jasīʼyūn
Previous finish: Fourth (qualified for TakilQuip Champions’ Cup)
International players: none
Weakness: Defense, attack
Expectation: Avoid relegation

Qidade Savana
Association: Jasīʼyūn
Previous finish: Fifth
International players: Katie Jennings (DC), Hunter MacDonald (ML), Daniëla Zurita (MC), Tino Liener (MR), Edna Gordon (FC)
Weakness: Goalkeeper
Expectation: Qualify for Champions’ Cup

Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK
Association: Capitalizt SLANI
Previous finish: Sixth
International players: No Du-yun (FC), Karsten Piestert (FC), Satúria Pola (FC)
Other key players: Gwon ʼI-sam (DL), Phillip Smith (DR), Αντώνης Βασιλικός (ML), Tobias (MC)
Weakness: Right wing
Expectation: Finish in top three

Yuba United
Association: Capitalizt SLANI
Previous finish: Seventh
International players: Ha Sun-ji (GK), Evelyn Richards (DR), Donna King (MC)
Other key players: Kristi Mars (DL), Rolf Küsperth (ML), Brian Miller (MC), Cleo Fu (FC)
Weakness: Central defense
Expectation: Qualify for Champions’ Cup

Dusanto Mojaʼikījī
Association: Jasīʼyūn
Previous finish: Eighth
International players: Jaŋ Hyūn-sig (MC)
Other key players: Σαπφὼ Ἀγγελόπουλος (GK), Raula Mansa (DL), Çwe Saŋ-mo (FC)
Weakness: Central defense and wings
Expectation: Finish in top half

Sonoma Center Panthers
Association: Capitalizt SLANI
Previous finish: Ninth
International players: ʼWaŋ Hwaŋ-an (FC)
Other key players: ʼIm Sa-mi (FC)
Weakness: Defense
Expectation: Finish in top half

San Solari FC
Association: Capitalizt SLANI
Previous finish: Tenth
International players: ʼIm Hyi-su (GK), Alfredo Alegro (DL), Clifford Ellis (MC)
Weakness: Central defense, attack
Expectation: Finish in top half

Jackson FC
Association: Capitalizt SLANI
Previous finish: Eleventh
International players: none
Weakness: Wing backs
Expectation: Finish in top twelve

Syoko Poggyūggijī
Association: Capitalizt SLANI
Previous finish: Twelfth
International players: Maureen Britt (DC)
Other key players: ʼI Bin-gīn (GK)
Weakness: Midfield
Expectation: Avoid relegation

Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī
Association: Jasīʼyūn
Previous finish: Thirteenth
International players: none
Weakness: Defense, midfield
Expectation: Battle relegation

San Diego Iguanas
Association: Capitalizt SLANI
Previous finish: Fourteenth
International players: Miliana Borja (DR)
Other key players: Bag Hwe-jun (DL), Kati Venus (DC), Çwe Hyo-ha (ML), Christian Richards (MC)
Weakness: Central midfield
Expectation: Finish in top half

Carter FC
Association: Jasīʼyūn
Previous finish: Fifteenth
International players: Alio Moráleso (DR), Lyu ʼI-so (ML), Danielle Brown (FC), Nickolas Neukäufer (FC)
Weakness: Goalkeeper, central midfield
Expectation: Avoid relegation

Heidelstadt Falken
Association: Jasīʼyūn
Previous finish: Sixteenth
International players: none
Other key players: Νίκος Κυπριώτου (MC)
Weakness: Defense
Expectation: Battle relegation

Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen
Association: Capitalizt SLANI
Previous finish: Seventeenth
International players: none
Other key players: Sūl Gyūŋ-jun (DL), Agnes Brown (DC), Νίκος Διανέλλος (ML)
Weakness: Central midfield, attack
Expectation: Avoid relegation

Natestadt Nationalisten
Association: Capitalizt SLANI
Previous finish: Eighteenth
International players: none
Weakness: Goalkeeper, defense
Expectation: Battle relegation

Kura-Pelland

09-03-2008, 15:43

http://i13.tinypic.com/6s7hw87.png
Matchday Nineteen: Exceptional Eldridge reinforces la Oligopolía

The single most important moment of the season so far came at half-time in Barkham Park. Deportivo del Arapucera were 1-0 up and cruising when Brandon Eldridge came on for the frankly shocking 'defender' Alano to leave the team playing 3-5-2. Four minutes later, Eldridge had cruised past three players before beating Ilin at his near post from a tight angle. On the hour, his cross found Bilú, who couldn't miss. Three minutes after that, his cross-shot cannoned in off the post, and Parwood had turned a crisis into glory courtesy of one man who'd been sporadically injured and off-form all season.

Parwood are now odds-on with many bookmakers to win the title, despite their other two main rivals staying well in touch with wins; that one of those rivals is Yarzoya FC (still widely available at 7/1 to win the title, and you can't get much longer odds than that on them 'achieving' a bottom-half finish) is probably part of that, but their priceless 3-2 back-from-behind win at Achorpe Rovers will have silenced a few doubters, though not those who think they can't defend. Despite the fact they've only conceded 21 in 19 games, six fewer than Parwood and the joint fourth lowest in the league.

And the stingiest team of the lot, Grayton City Wolves, suffered a hugely damaging 2-1 defeat at Prangren Greens, two late Chenoweth goals proving the difference after the Wolves had led for an hour courtesy of Zenny Zelham. Marthley Rovers now jointly hold the distinction of 'stingiest defence in the league', after holding their fiercely hated rivals Porterbridge City to a 0-0 draw. Not what they'd have wanted, and they missed the chance to - incredibly - leapfrog United Trilan who suffered another humiliating home draw, this time against AFC Neegera; but Sorbridge Soccer Storm's shock 1-0 defeat of high-flying FC Bargoiten (la Oligopolía reinforced, you think?) means it is the moneybags of Lake Branagh in the drop zone now.

And, let's face it, Marthley fans would take them being 15th and Porterbridge 16th as a dream season.

The other games, then. AS Assiri, being very careful with Fiero now, edge undeservedly past drawmasters Club Virling with two late goals from James Calthorp; FC Helma 1495 led twice before reality set in and Curzek Rovers beat them 3-2; finally, Harrington Lakeside kept their challenge going with a defeat of Murley City that was more routine than 2-1 suggests.

Achorpe Rovers 2 Yarzoya FC 3 (Dubois 5, Marling 51; Jaquin 31, Montano 72, Bhuller 81)
AS Assiri 2 Club Virling 0 (Calthorp 81 and 89)
FC Helma 1495 2 Curzek Rovers 3 (van der Rassel 9, Schipma 60; Curley 22 and 75, Jinera 70)
Harrington Lakeside 2 Murley City 1 (Morales 6, Painter 24; Ephrato 90+1)
Parwood City 3 Deportivo del Arapucera 1 (Eldridge 49 and 79, Bilú 60; Sandstrom 27)
Porterbridge City 0 Marthley Rovers 0
Prangren Greens 2 Grayton City Wolves 1 (Chenoweth 78 and 85, Zelham 18)
Sorbridge Soccer Storm 1 FC Bargoiten 0 (Boakye 45+1)
United Trilan 1 AFC Neegera 1 (Hurnama 45+1, Arginton 66)

Matchday Twenty: Title race over? Fat chance

Who said Parwood were champions-elect? Willie Fatora didn't, and he sent the title race into a new dimension with his first ever senior hat-trick as a scratch Neegera side beat Parwood City 3-1.

Fatora - who had only scored one goal all season before this one, albeit a hugely popular winner against Porterbridge City - always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, none more so than when he headed in a 19th-minute cross to respond immediately to the free-kick by Bilú (yes, him again) that gave the visitors the lead. The other two goals were frankly ugly goal-mouth scrambles, but Fatora was always ready for those, and was unlucky not to score a fourth on the hour in such a situation before eventually being substituted. A superb defensive show kept the score fixed at the other end, and Parwood have squandered top spot again.

Boy oh boy that's not the end of the story though. Yarzoya FC were 3-1 down at half-time against Club Virling and everyone in their little ground thought that this was the end of Yarzoya's miracle. Wrong, wrong and thrice wrong; a Justin Urquhart hat-trick (taking him to an awe-inspiring 19 for the season) gave Yarzoya a stunning 4-3 victory and puts them top. 7/1? They're now 7/2.

And when did Harrington Lakeside start playing like Yarzoya? Twice they fell behind at FC Bargoiten, but their response was to attack - and 4-2 was the final score for the team still under caretaker management in Chris Tinorek, with all the goals scored by different players. Lakeside are two points off the top in third, and are second favourites at 3/1 behind Parwood, who have slipped to 8/5.

Deportivo (15/2) retain their challenge with a comfortable and critical 3-1 defeat of Prangren Greens (100/3), while United Trilan (still only 10/1) defeated AS Assiri (100/1) 2-0 away with two goals from their one on-form player, Kilu Shu.

At the basement, second-bottom Achorpe picked up a critical win at Marthley, while there were costly away defeats for the Storm (3-0 at Curzek) and Porterbridge (2-0 at Murley). It shouldn't even have needed saying that Grayton City Wolves won at home to FC Helma 1495. 2-0, by the way.

AFC Neegera 3 Parwood City 1 (Fatora 19, 40 and 63; Bilú 18)
AS Assiri 0 United Trilan 2 (Shu 24 and 68)
Club Virling 3 Yarzoya FC 4 (Elphin 21 and 40, Rawinton 25; Montano 7, Urquhart 50, 70 and 84)
Curzek Rovers 3 Sorbridge Soccer Storm 0 (Jinera pen 49, Mantlom 70, Lotura 88)
Deportivo del Arapucera 3 Prangren Greens 1 (Sandstrom 24 and 56, Pinto 76; Ahap 71)
FC Bargoiten 2 Harrington Lakeside 4 (Ailron 12, Dillimer 53; Morales 28, Giovanni 60, Alfonso 79, Pinkowski 90+2)
Grayton City Wolves 2 FC Helma 1495 0 (Touniema 15, Gore 66)
Marthley Rovers 0 Achorpe Rovers 2 (Menzel 52, Arby-Nielsen 66)
Murley City 2 Porterbridge City 0 (Cadbury 16, Ephrato 62)

Matchday Twenty-One: Nothing lasts, life goes on, full of surprises

FC Helma 1495 are faced with problems of all shapes and sizes. Big, bigger and bigger still. Yet another defeat at home, 3-1 to Deportivo who had one of the longest trips of the lot to get here, and they still have the grand non-total of nine points. More pertinently in terms of things left undecided, Depor remain in the title race.

The top two remain unchanged, as Yarzoya's irresistable force eventually overcame the immovable object of the Marthley Rovers defence despite the visitors taking a shock third-minute lead while Parwood City gained absolutely and utterly perfect revenge for their Fiero-induced 3-0 defeat at Assiri by winning by precisely the same scoreline in the reverse fixture. With goals from three different players. Eat that, one-trick ponies!

Harrington Lakeside's title challenge took a big - and to many short-termist observers, fatal - blow with their first home defeat of the season, 1-0 to a Curzek Rovers side who hung on for the first 75 minutes before suddenly bursting out of their shell, striking on the counter-attack through Ryan Di Mambro. Lakeside are now looking out of it. But only for now...

Meanwhile, United Trilan's season goes from bad to worse as draw machines Club Virling do it again, their eleventh of the season coming at Shanvley Stadium. Hilariously, United Trilan hold the last unbeaten home record of the league now, but Virling are the sixth team in ten to leave the Big Top with a point.

Sorbridge Soccer Storm's survival scrap was significantly smoothed by superb Spyrides strikes, Grayton City Wolves stunned not by my alliterative prowess but by losing 2-0. Their title chase, surely, is over. Meanwhile, FC Bargoiten suffered their third defeat on the bounce, a 3-2 at Porterbridge City that was so full of bad refereeing they may as well have painted FIX on the Lake Branagh Stadium pitch. Two penalties for nothing challenges - both converted by Lucas Hearts - was just the tip of the iceberg.

In the other games, Murley won at Achorpe and Prangren Greens defeated AFC Neegera.

Achorpe Rovers 0 Murley City 1 (Ephrato 25)
FC Helma 1495 1 Deportivo del Arapucera 3 (Shymira 56; Sandstrom 23, Avila 52, Cartechini 76)
Harrington Lakeside 0 Curzek Rovers 1 (di Mambro 76)
Parwood City 3 AS Assiri 0 (Bilú 24, Eldridge 64, Gellen 73)
Porterbridge City 3 FC Bargoiten 2 (Hearts pen 35 and pen 70, Hannon 55; Dillimer 42, Quiezan 77)
Prangren Greens 2 AFC Neegera 1 (Chenoweth 13, Sammons 40; Harcef 43)
Sorbridge Soccer Storm 2 Grayton City Wolves 0 (Spyrides 33 and 49)
United Trilan 1 Club Virling 1 (Entarou 12; Rogers 27)
Yarzoya FC 2 Marthley Rovers 1 (Jaquin 54, Pupori 70; Cato 3)

Matchday Twenty-Two: There are no words to do it justice

Three teams didn't score in this set of fixtures. Let's deal with them first. Porterbridge City were one of them - woohoo, I hear you cry - and their opponents were not, as Curzek Rovers picked up a 1-0 win that makes near enough certain they have no relegation worries to consider in this disappointing season. The other two were, predictably enough, Marthley Rovers and their opponents; Marthley came to Club Virling, parked the metaphorical bus in front of the goal, and left with their sixth - and Virling's fifth - 0-0 of the season. Just to put that into context, there have been seventeen 0-0s this season, and more than half have involved these two teams (the reverse fixture was, yes, a 0-0, but that's still nine separate games). It's their tenth clean sheet of the season, a distinction no other team can claim.

Two of the teams level with them on nine before this weekend, Grayton City Wolves and Harrington Lakeside, played out a dull-as-ditchwater first half, then ultra-reliable little anchorman Lee Xin - believed to be interested in a move abroad after being subject to racist abuse in Grayton earlier this week - scored his first ever senior goal, tapping in after an attempted goal-line clearance from Robbi Skaera merely sent the ball skidding across the six-yard box, only for Gregorio Morales to respond instantly with his own poachers' goal from a corner. Both teams went for a win, but it is Lakeside that know how to better these days, and the team still under temporary management scored a late winner courtesy of a man who needs no coaching, the prodigious Cafundelense star Giovanni. We'll come to his compatriot in a moment. First, we have to set the scene for it.

This weekend was the Late Late Goal Show. Kevin Salo sealed a priceless away win for still-challenging Prangren Greens at no-longer-challenging AS Assiri with a 92nd-minute header. Deportivo maintained their challenge with a very dodgy penalty (is there any other kind in this league anymore?) in the 93rd minute from Rex Sandstrom to defeat Sorbridge Soccer Storm, who had led for most of the match and frankly got shafted; AFC Neegera, despite being 3-0 up inside nine minutes against FC Helma 1495, needed a 91st-minute header from Kevin Corderman to seal a 4-2 win; FC Bargoiten, having fallen to an 87th-minute equaliser from the stupidly-named Arby-Nielsen, scored in the 91st minute with a wicked lob from the equally stupidly-named 'Doctor' Dillimer.

And then there were the big two clashes. United Trilan vs Parwood City, the biggest match in Kura-Pellandi football... and Murley City vs Yarzoya FC, which has never been even a remotely big match before. Was now; Yarzoya still top, and Murley - for what it's worth - above United Trilan. Bring it on.

Five minutes in, the leaders' world had caved in, when Doolub headed in from a clearly offside position, and Justin Urquhart was booked for a protest - thrown in with his other bookings, he will now miss next weekend's game with Bargoiten. Just to show how much they'll miss him, he scored with a stunning solo effort from 30 yards - after beating two defenders - to level the game in the 29th minute. Yarzoya took the lead early in the second half through a Pupori deflected strike, but just two minutes later Skelton's header gave Murley an undeserved equaliser. Teenage wunderkind Tanzay Tukis, fresh from the bench for only his third appearance, scored what looked a winner in the 81st minute, and a goal fit to win any game - a 25-yard curling drive after exchanging an aerial one-two with Pupori - but the homer of a ref had other ideas, and gave a penalty in the 90th minute for a 'foul' on O'Hurley, who was never touched and clearly dived. He nonchalantly scored the penalty and Urquhart walked off the field, only to think better of it and channel that energy into the remaining three minutes of stoppage time. Guess what? In the 94th minute, he latched onto what looked like a loose desperate pass, then absolutely smashed the ball first time from 45 yards over the onrushing O'Keefe in goal and in off the post. Glorious, glorious justice. Except Urquhart then got a second yellow for celebrating amongst the 2,500 visiting fans, who were probably more surprised this referee had let him play on this long anyway. Urquhart now misses four matches - the three-match ban for a red card plus the one for accrued yellows - and Yarzoya's title race appeared over, despite a three-point gap now at the top above Deportivo del Arapucera.

How on earth could Murley-Yarzoya suddenly be bigger in every sense than Trilan-Parwood? Simple answer; it couldn't. If you thought that was special, this was even better. A cagey half-hour rather didn't suggest that, but that man Bilú bought it to life as only he can, with a 35-yard free-kick that probably left Ozzy Stefano considering alternative employment as a striker. Ten minutes later, Caparelli felled Ramiro Novo in the box, the referee gave a penalty and sent the Kura-Pelland captain off, Bilú slotted the penalty nonchalantly in the bottom corner for 2-0. Two minutes after that, a stunned defence gave Bilú acres of space to complete his hat-trick with a cool chip. Remember, it was a Bilú hat-trick in the reverse fixture that led the way to a 4-0 win and the end of James Broten's tenure at United Trilan; the same scoreline and the end of Adam Williamson was the least Parwood City fans expected. Such was the complacency that Bilú was substituted at half-time, while on the other side Williamson bought on teenage left-footer Henry Thomas as a third striker in lieu of Elora, leaving the team in effectively a 3-3-3 formation, and at first it seemed disastrous; Zarelo had all the space in the world down the right, but when Denny Eleifo somehow put a header over the bar from three yards on the hour everything changed. On the very next attack, Thomas unleashed a glorious through ball for Kilu Shu, who slotted superbly past Timothy Acalet. Ten minutes later, Thomas turned scorer; having swapped wings with Danny Ibbetson, he cut in from the right before unleashing a wonderful curling shot with his left foot. The miracle was on.

But in the following 20 minutes, it was Parwood City on the break who looked closer to scoring, and when a corner was awarded in the 92nd minute even Ozzy Stefano came forward. And whaddya know? Ibbetson's cross found the head of Stefano, and the ball flew straight in past his opposite number. 3-3. The comeback was complete, the unbeaten record at Shanvley maintained, and this seventh draw was to feel so much better than the first six.

Oh no it wasn't. Oh no oh no. In the last of the four minutes of stoppage time, Ibbetson was viciously fouled 20 yards out by Gaught, who was correctly sent off. Over three extra minutes were added on for treatment of the right midfielder before he was eventually stretchered off, leaving Trilan with only nine men. They only needed one. Thomas took the free-kick, it smashed through a hole in the wall, cannoned off the post and went in.

Will Adam Williamson ever have a game like that in his career again, wherever that career leads him?

AFC Neegera 4 FC Helma 1495 2 (Quaores 2, Harcef 4 and 9, Corderman 90+1; Tensen 45+1, Elk 80)
AS Assiri 1 Prangren Greens 2 (Le Ilme 59; Salo 52 and 90+2)
Club Virling 0 Marthley Rovers 0
Curzek Rovers 1 Porterbridge City 0 (Efera 34)
Deportivo del Arapucera 2 Sorbridge Soccer Storm 1 (Buenafe 73, Sandstrom pen 90+3; Cadger 19)
FC Bargoiten 3 Achorpe Rovers 2 (Dillimer 24 and 90+1, Rectopa 60; Orakin 23, Arby-Nielsen 87)
Grayton City Wolves 1 Harrington Lakeside 2 (Xin 51; Morales 53, Giovanni 89)
Murley City 3 Yarzoya FC 4 (Doolub 5, Skelton 53, O'Hurley pen 90+1; Urquhart 29 and 90+4, Pupori 51, Tukis 81)
United Trilan 4 Parwood City 3 (Shu 61, Thomas 71 and 90+7, Stefano 90+2; Bilú 30, pen 40 and 42)

Goal Wars Episode XXIII: The Empires Strike Back

Ahem.

The 'big three' scored ten unanswered goals between them in three superb victories that entrenched La Oligopolía in remarkable fashion.

Harrington Lakeside's was perhaps the most impressive of the lot, as second-place upstarts Deportivo del Arapucera were torn apart at Walton Park with a superb defensive display and three excellent goals from counter-attacks, Gregorio Morales scoring two of them to overshadow his on-fire compatriots Rex Sandstrom and Leonard Pinto, who may as well not have been on the pitch the way the Lakeside defence - now with Bo Phelps back from his Candelariasian adventure - played today.

Club Virling have taken draws off just about anyone and everyone this season, and even had the audacity to beat Parwood City in the two clubs' first meeting. But they played like a team with only three wins from 22 at Barkham Park, and so easy was it that 17-year-old striker Joe Gutarani was thrown on in place of Bilú (who opened the scoring, his 22nd this season) for his debut at half-time, and promptly added the third and fourth goals.

Finally, United Trilan have gained immense confidence all of a sudden, and a leaky Prangren Greens defence were humiliated by Kilu Shu, who scored all three in a 3-0 victory at Greens Park. Prangren Greens have now let in 37 in 23 this season, completely against all expectations, and a new-look defence in the close season is nigh-inevitable.

Unfortunately the obvious choice, Lee Xin, is not going to be allowed to move from Grayton City Wolves to a rival club; Xin is rumoured to be off to the CMSC after this season ends. He was on top form again as the Wolves overcame fourteen-man Porterbridge City - the eleven players and the three officials - 2-0. The moneymen of Lake Branagh stay fifteenth, and the force is not with them right now.

Instead it is with Yarzoya, who go four points clear at the top of the table in only their second top-flight season after Depor's slip-up and their own 2-0 defeat of FC Bargoiten, who had held outside title ambitions of their own. This was a huge victory for being gained without Justin Urquhart; it was Montano and Bhuller, cutting in from the wings, who got the goals this time round.

In the other games, Sorbridge beat Neegera to boost their survival bid, Marthley beat Murley by the most un-Marthleyesque score of 3-1 to virtually seal theirs (is it too soon to say that when they're nine points from the drop zone?), and Achorpe Rovers beat Curzek 3-1 to give vital impetus to theirs, though they stay seventeenth on goal difference.

No game for Helma or Assiri, as they've played each other twice due to a schedule screwup (OOC: mine). There'll be extra midweek matches thrown in late in the season. It's not like Helma will have anything to play for, nor will Assiri in honesty unless they keep losing all the way to the end of the season...

Achorpe Rovers 3 Curzek Rovers 1 (Menzel 23 and 80, Marling 50; Mantlom 30)
Harrington Lakeside 3 Deportivo del Arapucera 0 (Giovanni 14, Morales 40 and 71)
Marthley Rovers 3 Murley City 1 (Caragizo 13 and 79, Bubua 45+1; Maxley 42)
Parwood City 4 Club Virling 0 (Bilú 13, Novo 30, Gutarani 67 and 83)
Porterbridge City 0 Grayton City Wolves 2 (Penery 23, Jackson 59)
Prangren Greens 0 United Trilan 3 (Shu 24, 42 and 69)
Sorbridge Soccer Storm 2 AFC Neegera 1 (Ballesteros 66, Cadger 78; Flores 43)
Yarzoya FC 2 FC Bargoiten 0 (Montano 35, Bhuller 71)

Matchday Twenty-Four: Hello?

OK, that changes things. The top three all lost.

Yarzoya were made to look rubbish by nothing-to-play-for-already Curzek Rovers, whose home record this season has been suspiciously good - only ten points dropped at their little ground all season - and just got better with this scalp, sparked by a superb performance from Ryan di Mambro who scored two and provided the cross that Kevin Effingham deflected into his own net for the third. Those who said that Yarzoya depended too much on their Urquhart-Jaquin strike force - the latter half was injured, the former suspended - were utterly right, it seems. This scoreline was nothing to do with the ref, who was perfectly fair, but some fans rounded on him anyway. That's what happens when the rest suck. They could have picked on any other game this season here and had a point; coming into this game Curzek Rovers had the league's third best home record and the third worst away record!

That opened the door for Parwood City to move within a point on Saturday night. Prangren Greens, of all people, slammed it in their faces. Their defence actually showed up at Barkham Park - about time, too - and goals from the inevitable source of Chris Chenoweth and the far-from-inevitable source of Marcus DaWealia, despite a late goal from Brandon Eldridge who came on as a substitute, sent Parwood to a hugely damaging defeat.

Stage set for Harrington Lakeside to come in and start the run that would win them the title, right? Wrong. Their Sunday match with AFC Neegera... saw them concede three goals in twenty remarkable minutes, two to Wayne Harcef, one to Chris Corderman. They did strike back quickly through Zachary Pinkowski but the damage was done.

Instead it is Deportivo del Arapucera who are once again in second place, after they defeated Porterbridge City far more easily than 1-0 suggests. That score also sends the visitors into the drop zone, thanks to Club Virling's priceless late winner against Murley City. United Trilan welcomed FC Helma 1495 to Shanvley Stadium and duly destroyed them in the first half before easing up in the second with a 2-0 win secured. They're sixth, would you believe, and now only nine points off top and not to be completely discounted yet... a Champions' Cup slot has to be the real target, though, and they're four points off that at present.

Other games, then. Sorbridge's safety bid is looking more and more secure after they nicked a late win at Assiri; Achorpe's, erm, isn't after they lost at Grayton City Wolves; FC Bargoiten edged out a five-goal thriller with, erm, Marthley Rovers. Some fans reported a glass orb in the stadium; the Margaret Institute is investigating if this could be a 'va'takila', an orb originating as a counter to the Rejistanian 'va'karela' that causes players to become highly defensive.

AFC Neegera 3 Harrington Lakeside 1 (Harcef 20 and 40, Corderman 29; Pinkowski 43)
AS Assiri 0 Sorbridge Soccer Storm 1 (Esura 89)
Club Virling 1 Murley City 0 (Rogers 86)
Curzek Rovers 3 Yarzoya FC 1 (di Mambro 16 and 69, Effingham og 76; Furani 38)
Deportivo del Arapucera 1 Porterbridge City 0 (Buenafe 35)
FC Bargoiten 3 Marthley Rovers 2 (Dillimer 5, Portland 54, Celebi 73; Cato 23 and 60)
Grayton City Wolves 1 Achorpe Rovers 0 (Jackson 24)
Parwood City 1 Prangren Greens 2 (Eldridge 85; Chenoweth 32, DaWealia 58)
United Trilan 2 FC Helma 1495 0 (Entarou 12, Hurnama 40)

Matchday Twenty-Five: What the Helma?

As upsets go, long-doomed FC Helma 1495 beating Parwood City is about as big as they come. And yet it is that which the whole of Kura-Pelland are having to assimilate, as a hat-trick from 20-year-old Robbi Rombley sent their home fans into astonished delight.

As if that weren't enough, Harrington Lakeside were held to a goalless draw - at Walton Park for crying out loud - by an AS Assiri side who have lost seven of their last eight, lost Fiero to a mercifully minor injury just twelve minutes in, and chose thereafter to park the bus in front of goal. It worked. Any other day, this would have been the shock of the day. Lakeside's former manager Matthew Tortini probably thinks it still is, what with Helma and Lakeside being at home.

Sometimes, however, skill can overcome the worst refereeing bias. Or rather, lack of skill can make it impossible to exploit the worst refereeing bias. Such was the situation in the Trilan derby; Sorbridge Soccer Storm contrived to miss not one but two ludicrously awarded penalties, and after having had a goal outrageously disallowed not five minutes earlier, Kilu Shu contrived to beat four defenders before rounding goalkeeper Ray Winkett and literally running the ball into the net. They couldn't disallow that one - and where the heck has this come from? United Trilan are now unbeaten in ten - the season's longest unbeaten run - and just seven points off the top, after Grayton City Wolves snatched a late equaliser at Yarzoya through Corbett-Winder.

Deportivo del Arapucera are now just a point off top after winning at Achorpe Rovers, coming back from behind with two goals from set-pieces - one 30-yard free kick from Dennis Rukovich, one header from unheralded defender Jan Liljestrom. The wing-back pair of Rukovich and Manuel Pasinova have been the quiet revelation of the season.

Other matches: it's 1-0 to the Marthley again, this time Curzek the victims; Club Virling looked set fair for draw number thirteen at Prangren Greens, but contrived to score a last-gasp winner through supersub Jean Lascelles; that leaves Porterbridge four points adrift of safety despite their 2-2 draw against AFC Neegera, who aren't safe themselves; Murley City's early goal against FC Bargoiten proved to be the only one, mostly through the excellent goalkeeping of Andy O'Keefe.

Achorpe Rovers 1 Deportivo del Arapucera 2 (Dubois 42; Rukovich 60, Liljestrom 71)
FC Helma 1495 3 Parwood City 1 (Rombley 19, 55 and 90+1; Gellen 23)
Harrington Lakeside 0 AS Assiri 0
Marthley Rovers 1 Curzek Rovers 0 (Bubua 40)
Murley City 1 FC Bargoiten 0 (di Coa 4)
Porterbridge City 2 AFC Neegera 2 (Hearts 12, Rotheroe 69; Harcef 42, Afal 60)
Prangren Greens 1 Club Virling 2 (Withers 51; Rawinton 54, Lascelles 90+2)
Sorbridge Soccer Storm 0 United Trilan 1 (Shu 67)
Yarzoya FC 1 Grayton City Wolves 1 (Furani 23; Corbett-Winder 89)

Matchday Twenty-Six: It shouldn't be about this

On possibly the most eventful day of the season so far - Trilan facing Lakeside at Shanvley with their place in La Oligopolía (and the TakilQuip Champions' Cup) on the line, the unlikely top two of Yarzoya and Depor meeting at the home of the second-place Hispanic side, nosediving Assiri facing desperate Porterbridge City, other relegation clashes - who knew that it could be one of the least important matches that would be the standout.

Especially when it involved the two most defensive teams in the league.

Then again, that was precisely the point as Marthley mysteriously collapsed to a 7-0 (SEVEN-nil) defeat at Grayton City Wolves. Food poisoning at a Grayton City hotel is suspected, but it's not known if this is foul play or not - however, in this season of scandal, everyone assumes it is. Investigations are already under way and a huge fine - if not a points penalty - beckons. For what it's worth, Jackson got a hat-trick before being substituted at half-time, his replacement Kevin Burtoni responded by scoring three of his own before teenage midfielder Travis Weaver completed the rout. The Wolves still think they can get a top-four finish.

And it was that fourth place that was the focus at Shanvley Stadium. For either of United Trilan and Harrington Lakeside to miss this competition would be immensely damaging, given that they thought they had a three-way cosy cartel. Wrong, wrong, wrong - but we'll come to the origin of that in a moment. Harrington Lakeside bossed the first half and took the lead through a Morris Gardner header from a free-kick, but Adam Williamson reshuffled his hand expertly, bringing on Vincent Cherwell on the left and allowing Thomas to move to a more central position. It worked brilliantly; Cherwell's deep cross five minutes into the second half was only half-cleared by the head of Bo Phelps, and Thomas hit a 20-yard daisycutter which took a deflection off Gardner that left Walsh utterly stranded. From then on it was one-way traffic, and Graham Woburn scored twice in six minutes to give the home side a 3-1 win, their eleventh game unbeaten, their thirteenth successive game in which they've scored, and a top-four spot.

But still the top two are shock teams; two years ago they were in this position - in the second tier. Depor won that title battle, though both went up, and they now lead this one too - the first time they've been top all season - after coming back from behind to win 2-1. Yarzoya, still without Urquhart don't forget, looked like they were playing for a point, and became even more withdrawn when Alessio Montano's cross looped right into the net. But Yarzoya don't know how to play that way, and Depor were completely and utterly dominant throughout the second half, goals from Pinto and Pitman not even beginning to reflect the one-sided nature of the half. Even Yarzoya's chase of the game was anaemic, and anyone watching this would have to say it's Depor's to lose now; they're four points clear of their nearest serious contenders, if you now count Yarzoya as not a serious contender (and on this form you'd have to, and the exchanges suggest as much - they're being traded at odds of 6.5 and longer again).

That nearest serious contender is Parwood City, who bounced back from utter humiliation in Helma to destroy Sorbridge Soccer Storm 3-0. They'd better be more ready for travelling sharpish, though - their next match is at Harrington Lakeside...

Other games, then. Curzek Rovers lost the distinction of the league's best home record with a 2-2 draw against Murley City, and it sadly almost goes without saying they needed a dubious late penalty to get even a point; 30 of their 37 points have been gained at home, which is just suspicious. AS Assiri beat Porterbridge City with a goal from - at last! - Norbert Fiero, and that plus Club Virling's 3-2 victory over FC Bargoiten (and before you ask - no, it wasn't a Jean Lascelles winner) gives the impression that there really is no relegation battle this season, a five-point gap now between fifteenth and sixteenth. Oh and Achorpe remain in that drop zone after losing at Neegera, while Helma revert to rubbishness with a 3-1 loss in Prangren.

AFC Neegera 1 Achorpe Rovers 0 (Corderman 48)
AS Assiri 1 Porterbridge City 0 (Fiero 32)
Club Virling 3 FC Bargoiten 2 (Elphin 29 and 69, Rogers 50; Portland 21, Symonds 80)
Curzek Rovers 2 Murley City 2 (Jinera 42 and pen 87; Hall 54, O'Hurley 60)
Deportivo del Arapucera 2 Yarzoya FC 1 (Pinto 62, Pitman 74; Montano 29)
Grayton City Wolves 7 Marthley Rovers 0 (Jackson 11, 18 and 40, Burtoni 52, 69 and 78, Weaver 84)
Parwood City 3 Sorbridge Soccer Storm 0 (Novo 23 and 59, Eleifo 33)
Prangren Greens 3 FC Helma 1495 1 (Chenoweth 29, Hoborough 59 and 70; van der Rassel 68)
United Trilan 3 Harrington Lakeside 1 (Thomas 50, Woburn 65 and 71; Gardner 29)

Matchday Twenty-Seven: Destiny is with Depor

Remember when Parwood were odds-on for the title, nobody even looked at Depor to win it and everyone thought that United Trilan might somehow sneak into contention?

Well they got one of them right.

Parwood City are now fourth on goal difference alone, and Depor four clear at the top with Yarzoya (dismissed pre-season) and United Trilan (dismissed mid-season) now the only realistic threats between them and their first ever title. Coming back from 1-0 down at half-time at Marthley Rovers - who looked more than recovered from last weekend's suspiciously bad performance - to win 3-1 with goals from three different players is the kind of performance that proves one's title-winning credentials.

And being held at home by AFC Neegera - who effectively have nothing to play for now - is the kind of performance that disproves one's title-winning credentials. That was what happened to Yarzoya though, through the humiliating source of a Maltus own-goal. Urquhart is back next week, but the damage is done. They may be second, but they are fifth (!) favourites for the title, with all of La Oligopolía given a better chance than their 17/2.

Parwood City failed to take advantage of the chance to move ahead of Yarzoya, though; they were beaten 1-0 by Harrington Lakeside at a raucous Walton Park, Gregorio Morales' header late in the first half proving the only goal of a game notable mostly for stunning Lakeside defending. It was the archetype of Lakeside football, and Bo Phelps marked Bilú totally out of the game - a remarkable feat. Lakeside stay fifth, but only by five goals; United Trilan leapfrog Parwood into third and are still only six points off top, not insurmountable with seven games to go especially in a league like this, after a 1-0 defeat of Porterbridge City. Yet again, Kilu Shu scored, he's now on 18 for the season. His compatriot for the opposition, Lucas Hearts, had to be stretchered off in first-half stoppage time.

Prangren Greens also moved level with Parwood on points when they won 1-0 at Sorbridge Soccer Storm, and shock! Horror! It was a penalty! And they weren't at home! The Greens have now gone fourteen games without a draw, losing six and winning eight. For what it's worth, the Storm are on an eleven-game drawless streak, but have won just four of those, and this is their third straight loss. They stay five away from the drop zone, though, thanks to that Porterbridge defeat.

Other games, then. AS Assiri put another nail in the Achorpe coffin with a 1-0 away win, Norbert Fiero scoring his eleventh of a remarkable season; Murley City probably killed off Grayton City Wolves' season when a late Woodford long-range screamer secured a back-from-behind 2-1 win; FC Helma 1495 produced a most unexpected 2-1 defeat of draw machines Club Virling, who may not be quite safe yet especially if they keep playing this badly; even more shockingly, however, Curzek Rovers won away, 4-2 at Bargoiten with three goals in the last twenty minutes.

Achorpe Rovers 0 AS Assiri 1 (Fiero 59)
FC Bargoiten 2 Curzek Rovers 4 (Dillimer 22 and 56; Mantlom 11, Di Mambro 70 and 90+2, Curley 77)
FC Helma 1495 2 Club Virling 1 (Tensen 22, van der Rassel 50; Rawinton 66)
Harrington Lakeside 1 Parwood City 0 (Morales 36)
Marthley Rovers 1 Deportivo del Arapucera 3 (Cato 35; Sandstrom 49, Avila 70, Buenafe 73)
Murley City 2 Grayton City Wolves 1 (Zaperon 26, Woodford 89; Jackson 6)
Porterbridge City 0 United Trilan 1 (Shu 9)
Sorbridge Soccer Storm 0 Prangren Greens 1 (Chenoweth pen 64)
Yarzoya FC 1 AFC Neegera 1 (Montano 59; Maltus og 69)

Matchday Twenty-Eight: It's almost over

There are six matches left in this season and the only area of interest now is surely who takes the Champions' Cup spots. Depor are now six points clear with as many games left after they won and Yarzoya didn't, and United Trilan are looking like the only serious contenders left.

Start at the top; Depor were home to Murley, were expected to win, and did, a very professional 2-0 with a goal in each half from on-fire midfielder Buenafe. Nothing to see here.

Now for the contenders. Yarzoya were dire at AS Assiri, and trailed for over an hour to Norbert Fiero's twelfth goal of the season before the returning Justin Urquhart popped up with a 76th-minute equaliser. He's on 22 for the season and one suspects Cafúndeu, the CMSC or one of La Oligopolía will come a-knocking. Yarzoya may be booming, but they may well take the money and run - but they really shouldn't, because Urquhart's partnership with Jaquin is why he is so effective.

Speaking of La Oligopolía, it is they we come to now. Parwood City's once-unstoppable title chase is now all but over, after they were held 2-2 by Porterbridge City after twice leading. That would be acceptable as sour grapes were it at Lake Branagh Stadium, but at Barkham Park it is a humiliating result. The relegation battle still looks all but settled though, as Sorbridge Soccer Storm won at Helma who face Achorpe Rovers in a midweek fixture that is now really part of the battle to avoid bottom, not the drop.

Back to the big guns, and Harrington Lakeside slipped up as well, 1-1 at Prangren Greens in a crunch match between fifth and sixth. The fear showed in a cagey affair that was goalless until the 85th minute; Lakeside struck first through Giovanni but in injury time Marcus DaWealia scored coming forward for a corner, not for the first time this season. In honesty he's done more there than in his usual holding midfield position lately. Both sides have matches with Yarzoya in the run-in, and it is these two matches that could determine who enters the Champions' Cup.

United Trilan can probably stop thinking about that and start thinking about the title, as they pick up yet another win, 2-0 against an Achorpe side now all but relegated if they ever weren't. It was a laughably easy game at Shanvley, and puts Trilan second on goal difference above Yarzoya. Another for Kilu Shu, one for Graham Woburn as well, and this side are looking unstoppable. They only have one match against a team with anything to play for in the run-in. Unfortunately, Depor arguably don't have any, certainly not after Grayton City Wolves lost 3-0 at home to FC Bargoiten and thus squandering their last real hope of Champions' Cup football this season. They have to face the top two in their final six games and their main contribution to this season may be merely influencing who wins the title.

As for the other two games, Club Virling picked up their second 3-2 home win in a row, Curzek Rovers the victims this time, and that rather leaves them home and dry in the relegation fight after a miraculous run of four wins from five; Marthley Rovers lost 2-0 at Neegera, but both of those two look safe now.

AFC Neegera 2 Marthley Rovers 0 (Harcef 45, Corderman 56)
AS Assiri 1 Yarzoya FC 1 (Fiero 13; Urquhart 76)
Club Virling 3 Curzek Rovers 2 (Elphin 4, Rawinton 59, Bechinski 62; Rickstrand 16, Jinera 77)
Deportivo del Arapucera 2 Murley City 0 (Buenafe 23 and 63)
FC Helma 1495 0 Sorbridge Soccer Storm 1 (Ballesteros 19)
Grayton City Wolves 0 FC Bargoiten 3 (Dillimer 45+1 and 60; Quiezan 75)
Parwood City 2 Porterbridge City 2 (Novo 19, Kirklees 70; Fulleylove 35, Vax 76)
Prangren Greens 1 Harrington Lakeside 1 (DaWealia 90+2; Giovanni 85)
United Trilan 2 Achorpe Rovers 0 (Shu 19, Woburn 48)

MIDWEEK BONUS MATCH

And the inevitable is delayed and Helma now have nine points from their last five games, matching their total for the first twenty-three. Bit late now boys.

FC Helma 1495 1 Achorpe Rovers 0 (van der Rassel 69)

Matchday Twenty-Nine: Clarification

While Helma and Achorpe aren't mathemtaically down they may as well be, and Sorbridge Soccer Storm being the only one of the bottom four to win (2-0 against a Club Virling side who now have fifteenth for themselves again) rather leaves the relegation places sorted.

Full marks to Helma though, they learned how to play football again lately, and pulled off their second stunning upset of their belated recovery with a 1-1 draw at Harrington Lakeside. AT Harrington Lakeside! Young striker Dirk van der Rassel is almost certainly going to be sold to help the club's solvency, and his fifth of the season here will probably boost his value a bit. Achorpe caved though, 3-0 at home to Parwood City who will now feel a lot more secure about a top-four finish, especially with Prangren Greens also being held by still-near-doomed Porterbridge City courtesy of a ludicrous penalty. What do you expect in a local derby where the home team have multi-squillions behind them and have cheated all season? A 92nd-minute equaliser from Chris Chenoweth was poetic justice and virtually ensures that this team will no longer darken the Championship next season.

Depor picked up a priceless win in a potential banana-skin tie at FC Bargoiten, but United Trilan confirmed that it is they who will be pushing the Hispanic side all the way and not Yarzoya after they won the battle of second and third 2-0 away with two desperately late goals. It's an eighth win in a row, and Adam Williamson is expected to be offered a three-season contract extension according to media reports. Whether he'll take it or not is another matter, but the fans at Shanvley now love him.

The best match of the day didn't matter to either side, which is probably why it was so good; Murley City and AFC Neegera indulged in something akin to playground football at Brickleyplace, the visitors eventually emerging 4-2 winners after being 1-0 and 2-1 down. In the other games, Curzek Rovers picked up another dodgy home win against Grayton City Wolves, while Marthley did what they do best in grinding out victory over AS Assiri, an injury-time counter-attack adding gloss to what was really a classic Marthley 1-0.

Achorpe Rovers 0 Parwood City 3 (Bilú 4, Eldridge 43, Shower 60)
Curzek Rovers 2 Grayton City Wolves 1 (Jinera pen 43, Rickstrand 59; Lidierth 16)
FC Bargoiten 0 Deportivo del Arapucera 1 (Pinto 25)
Harrington Lakeside 1 FC Helma 1495 1 (Giovanni 44; van der Rassel 70)
Marthley Rovers 2 AS Assiri 0 (Cato 30 and 90+2)
Murley City 2 AFC Neegera 4 (O'Hurley 12 and 30; Corderman 22 and 79, Reid 36, Pritchard 81)
Porterbridge City 1 Prangren Greens 1 (Hearts pen 29; Chenoweth 90+2)
Sorbridge Soccer Storm 2 Club Virling 0 (Spyrides 4, Ballesteros 59)
Yarzoya FC 0 United Trilan 2 (Woburn 88, Thomas 90+2)

Vephrall

09-03-2008, 17:58

http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gth681k/ns/vephrall/VTF.png
VTF1754

May/June

The second half of May started off with a pivotal six-pointer at the top between Stestrenas and defending champions Boalluns. Stestrenas walked into the latter's home ground, and by the time it was over the champs barely knew what had hit them. A 3-0 win for the visitors moved them into second place on goal difference.

Boalluns' home form was not good at all through this stretch, with a week 18 loss to Daazyiles lifting the latter momentarily out of the relegation zone while Poiki and Stestrenas forged ahead. The following week, it would be Stestrenas that would stumble, managing only a draw with relegation candidates Anhenir and giving Poiki a comfortable five-point cushion at the top.

Meanwhile, the race was also on at the bottom. Week 19 saw 14th through 18th separated by just a single point. At the moment it was Daazyiles that was in the drop zone, but Anhenir, Spoantects, Ammites, and Custler were by no means safe. Custler certainly helped their case in week 20, though, taking three points from league leaders Poiki.

The last matchday of June was rife with upsets. Stestrenas got blown out by Sichisers, Boalluns could only draw with Bumpoogra, and Merpisms (who had managed to sneak into fourth place unnoticed) went down to basement-dwellers Fekler. Only league leaders Poiki (1-0 over Oillid) were safe, and Stithis moved into contention for a Champions' Cup place, taking fifth place away from Dranacess after the latter lost to newly-promoted Ammites.

July

VKF - Fourth Round
The month of July opened with the Fourth Round of the Vephraller Kustriin e Foutbill, the first round in which the Cintrin A clubs participate. The fixtures included five all-Cintrin A matchups; outside of those, the top-flight clubs all progressed to the next round.

Cintrin A
Cintrin B
Cintrin C

All replays take place at the opposite ground 1.5 weeks later

Penuler OC 4-0 DFE Anhenir
Pomperae FE 3-0 Dilkis FE
Feay FE 1-1 Mylfe CE (replay: 0-3)
Stithis FE 2-1 Netler FE
Ammites FE 1-1 Terabits CE (replay: 1-1, 1-1 AET, 2-4 pens)
Boalluns FE 6-0 Sante OB
Fekler FE 4-0 Gontarther FE
Merpisms CE 3-0 Strapply FE
Berkemara FE 0-2 Custler FE
Pondrit FE 0-2 Knoleier FE
Stestrenas OC 1-0 Oillid CE
Huellim FE 0-0 Sontirae CE (replay: 1-1, 1-1 AET, 3-1 pens)
FE Dranacess 1-1 Cirbeod CE (replay: 3-0)
Sichisers OB 2-0 Brimpeng FE
Daazyiles OC 1-0 Bumpoogra FE
Spoantects CE 1-2 Poikimitagiin FE

Despite their cup thrashing of Sante, Boalluns' home form in the league remained awful. Another disappointing draw with Anhenir sent the club nine points adrift of leaders Poiki with Stithis knocking on the door. Merpisms had momentarily fallen to fifth after a draw with Knoleier, but they weren't about to take it lying down. They welcomed Poiki into their ground the next week and sent them back with no points from the 3-1 home win, allowing Stestrenas to move within striking distance of the lead.

Knoleier continued to play spoiler, churning out a 0-0 draw with Poiki in week 24. Stestrenas' comfortable win over Custler tied them on points with Poiki and moved them eight points ahead of the hapless Boalluns. At the end of the month, the title fight seemed to be a two-horse race. Relegation, however, was still anyone's guess, though most were pretty certain that Fekler, eight points from safety with just three wins from 25 games, would be punching the down button in the proverbial elevator lobby.

VKF - Fifth Round
Pomperae was the only non-Cintrin A club remaining in the VKF by the Fifth Round, and that would be the end of the line for them after a convincing home win for POC. Overall, there really weren't any surprises, though Poiki and Stithis seemed to have a harder than expected time getting through their ties, the latter needing extra time in the replay to take care of Knoleier.

Stestrenas OC 1-0 Daazyiles OC
Custler FE 0-0 FE Dranacess (replay: 1-4)
Terabits CE 5-0 Fekler FE
Huellim FE 0-1 Poikimitagiin FE
Boalluns FE 1-0 Sichisers OB
Mylfe CE 2-1 Merpisms CE
Penuler OC 4-1 Pomperae FE
Stithis FE 1-1 Knoleier FE (replay: 1-1, 2-1 AET)

August

The first half of August was fairly lacking in excitement, producing no real news in either the title or relegation contests. But then came matchday 28. Stestrenas' home ground was packed to the gills as Poiki came to town. Try as they might, Poiki couldn't break through Stestrenas' defense. And Soscren Pranasik would be the player declared a hero by Stestrenas fans after scoring the game's only goal to move Stestrenas into first place in the league table, leapfrogging their opponents.

VKF - Quarterfinals - First Leg
After that, there was a break in the league action for some, as the quarterfinals of the VKF got underway with the first leg. Dranacess did themselves a huge favor with a 3-0 win, but the other three matchups were still very much up for grabs, including a rematch of Stestrenas-Poiki.

Stestrenas OC 1-1 Poikimitagiin FE
Stithis FE 0-0 Terabits CE
FE Dranacess 3-0 Penuler OC
Boalluns FE 2-1 Mylfe CE

Alas, Stestrenas' league lead didn't last long. A simple trip to mid-table Mylfe saw Stestrenas on the other side of that same scoreline, and Poiki's 2-0 win over Ammites put them back on top. But no, it didn't stop there either! Relegation fighters Daazyiles fought Poiki to a 0-0 deadlock the next week while Stestrenas laid down the law against POC, four goals to nil, causing yet another lead change.

And speaking of the relegation battle, the formerly safe Custler now seemed to be pretty firmly entrenched in 19th place, seven points from safety. But who would be 18th? At the moment it was Spoantects, but there were four others potentially just one loss away from finding themselves there instead.

And so, going into the home stretch, here's how it looked:

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Stestrenas OC 30 17 8 5 54 30 24 59
2 Poikimitagiin FE 30 18 4 8 46 20 26 58
3 Boalluns FE 30 15 10 5 49 29 20 55
4 FE Dranacess 30 15 7 8 47 35 12 52
5 Stithis FE 30 13 10 7 40 33 7 49
6 Merpisms CE 30 13 9 8 52 40 12 48
7 Sichisers OB 30 11 14 5 43 31 12 47
8 Huellim FE 30 12 10 8 42 36 6 46
9 Penuler OC 30 11 9 10 34 33 1 42
10 Mylfe CE 30 11 6 13 30 37 -7 39
11 Oillid CE 30 10 8 12 36 44 -8 38
12 Knoleier FE 30 9 9 12 35 38 -3 36
13 Bumpoogra FE 30 8 11 11 32 41 -9 35
14 Terabits CE 30 8 9 13 35 41 -6 33
15 Ammites FE 30 6 14 10 32 37 -5 32
16 Daazyiles OC 30 8 8 14 31 44 -13 32
17 DFE Anhenir 30 8 8 14 31 48 -17 32
18 Spoantects CE 30 7 9 14 24 34 -10 30
19 Custler FE 30 5 10 15 21 40 -19 25
20 Fekler FE 30 4 9 17 27 50 -23 21

VKF - Quarterfinals - Second Leg
The second leg looked very much like the first, just with different scenery. The two draws in the first leg were complemented with further draws in the second, requiring extra time in both. Poiki finally got revenge for their league loss to Stestrenas by picking up the extra-time victory. Meanwhile, Stithis would be the upset victims of the round thanks to a 96th-minute goal from winger Seketre Wismalies.

Poikimitagiin FE (1) 0-0 (1) Stestrenas OC (1-0 AET)
Terabits CE (0) 0-0 (0) Stithis FE (1-0 AET)
Penuler OC (0) 0-2 (5) FE Dranacess
Mylfe CE (1) 0-2 (4) Boalluns FE

September

What a start to the month! Poiki seemed to have forgotten that Boalluns were the defending league champions, but the latter provided a good reminder in the form of a 4-1 away win. Stestrenas also picked up an away win over Stithis to give themselves a bit more breathing room at the top. And a comeback wasn't going to be easy for Poiki after failing to score against Huellim the following week. But it was starting to look like crunch time for Merpisms and Stithis, both six points out of the Champions' Cup places with six games to go.

VKF - Semifinals - First Leg
On the surface, it looked like Poiki and Boalluns were going to have very little trouble going through to the final. And it looked like that prediction would certainly be true for Poiki after the first leg. Boalluns, though, were having a bit more trouble dispatching Dranacess.

Poikimitagiin FE 3-1 Terabits CE
FE Dranacess 1-1 Boalluns FE

But in the league, Poiki were absolutely collapsing. A loss to Bumpoogra in week 33 meant they had taken just two points from their last four matches. Stestrenas picked up another win, sending Ammites into the relegation zone while extending their lead at the top to five as Boalluns lost to POC. The final matchday of the month, though, reminded us all that it wasn't over yet. Stestrenas stumbled against Daazyiles while Poiki finally found a beatable opponent in Anhenir to move from fourth place back up to second and within four points of the lead. And was time running out for fifth-placed Stithis? With only four matches remaining, they were still six points behind Boalluns in fourth.

VKF - Semifinals - Second Leg
Just as in the quarterfinals, the second leg of the semis looked a lot like the first leg. This meant that Poiki got the relatively comfortable win that had been predicted and were bound for Ellime e Vephrall. Similarly, it meant that Boalluns-Dranacess wound up in extra time. It was only in extra time that the likely Champions' Cup participants finally found their form.

Terabits CE (3) 2-3 (6) Poikimitagiin FE
Boalluns FE (2) 1-1 (2) FE Dranacess (3-1 AET)

October

October. The month that decides it all. And there was still plenty to decide.

Boalluns had now finally begun their league title defense in earnest, albeit rather late in the season. A 1-0 victory over league leaders Stestrenas away served the dual purpose of moving them up into second place over Poiki (who drew 3-3 with Dranacess in another clash of title contenders) and narrowing that lead to two points. Meanwhile, an ill-timed loss to Huellim pretty much dashed the Stithis fans' Champions' Cup dreams.

And it was no less exciting at the bottom. With three games to go, Ammites, Spoantects, and Anhenir were all tied on 36 points. One of these (or maybe Daazyiles on 39 points) would be going down. Fekler was already mathematically confirmed, and it would take nothing short of a miracle for Custler to stay up, nine points adrift with three to play.

Stestrenas' inability to come up with a win continued in week 36, with Huellim claiming another draw against a top-six team, and Boalluns took the opportunity to draw level at the top. Stestrenas now led the defending champions by a single unit of goal difference. A loss to Sichisers in that same week was the last thing Poiki needed; now they had to figure out how to make up four points in two games.

Poiki blew out Spoantects 4-0 in the next match, but it was still too little too late as Stestrenas also picked up a win, leaving Poiki four points off the pace with just one match to go. Meanwhile, Boalluns fans cursed as they drew nil-all with Daazyiles, meaning they pretty much had to get a Stestrenas loss in the last week to have a shot at the title.

Meanwhile, at the bottom, what had been a season of hope for Ammites was starting to look pretty dismal indeed, as they found themselves the occupants of the third and final relegation place after matchday 37. Nevertheless they remained just one point from Spoantects and safety, and there was also Anhenir, three points ahead but with inferior goal difference.

And the Champions' Cup? Well, Stestrenas, Boalluns, and Poiki had secured their slots, but fourth place still hadn't yet been decided, at least not officially. Stithis fans were pretty much resigned to not going through, though, as they would need to make up nine units of goal difference against Dranacess.

VKF - Final
But the season still wasn't quite over for Poiki. No league title for them, but could they win the Cup? 90 minutes wouldn't be enough to find out, with the score tied at one in front of a capacity crowd at Ellime e Vephrall.

117th minute. A corner kick for Boalluns. The crowd held their breath. The kick was taken, and met the head of Vephrall national team defender Thug Umsaasad. His aim was true, and Poiki goalkeeper Ceedast Pinteps could only watch as the ball hit the back of the net. 2-1 Boalluns, and that's how it would stay.

1754 VEPHRALLER KUSTRIIN E FOUTBILL WINNERS: BOALLUNS FE

And now, the final league matchday. All the important matches for the relegation-fighters were 3pm kickoffs.

The bottom of the table before the matches:

15 Daazyiles OC 37 10 11 16 41 55 -14 41
16 DFE Anhenir 37 10 9 18 38 58 -20 39
17 Spoantects CE 37 8 13 16 30 44 -14 37
18 Ammites FE 37 7 15 15 39 50 -11 36
19 Custler FE 37 6 12 19 27 50 -23 30 R
20 Fekler FE 37 6 11 20 34 60 -26 29 R

Ammites managed a draw with Bumpoogra, as did Anhenir with league leaders Stestrenas. As the final whistle neared, Spoantects and Mylfe were tied at two, which would have sent Ammites down. But a blatant professional foul by a Spoantects defender deep in injury time sent Soscren Cilleng to the spot for Mylfe. The penalty was converted, Mylfe won 3-2, and Spoantects would be the club spending next season in Cintrin B.

The bottom of the table after those matches:

15 Daazyiles OC 38 10 11 17 41 58 -17 41
16 DFE Anhenir 38 10 10 18 38 58 -20 40
17 Ammites FE 38 7 16 15 40 51 -11 37
18 Spoantects CE 38 8 13 17 32 47 -15 37 R
19 Fekler FE 38 6 12 20 35 61 -26 30 R
20 Custler FE 38 6 12 20 28 54 -26 30 R

So with the bottom decided, we look at the top. After the conclusion of the 3pm matches (included the aforementioned Stestrenas draw with Anhenir), it looked like this:

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Stestrenas OC 38 20 11 7 63 36 27 71 CC
2 Boalluns FE 37 19 11 7 59 35 24 68 CC
3 Poikimitagiin FE 38 20 7 11 57 33 24 67 CC
4 FE Dranacess 37 18 10 9 60 45 15 64
5 Merpisms CE 38 17 12 9 68 48 20 63
6 Stithis FE 37 17 10 10 48 42 6 61
7 Huellim FE 38 16 13 9 55 44 11 61

It was a tall order for Boalluns, who would need to win by four to take the title. Likewise, Stithis would have to defeat Dranacess by five in order to gain entry to the TakilQuip Champions' Cup. Stithis got the win, but a 1-0 scoreline wasn't going to be anywhere near enough and they would finish fifth. As for Boalluns...well, they didn't win by four. In fact, they didn't win at all, as Knoleier closed out the season by claiming their scalp by the score of 2-1.

The final league table:

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Stestrenas OC 38 20 11 7 63 36 27 71 C/CC
2 Boalluns FE 38 19 11 8 60 37 23 68 CC
3 Poikimitagiin FE 38 20 7 11 57 33 24 67 CC
4 FE Dranacess 38 18 10 10 60 46 14 64 CC
5 Stithis FE 38 18 10 10 49 42 7 64
6 Merpisms CE 38 17 12 9 68 48 20 63
7 Huellim FE 38 16 13 9 55 44 11 61
8 Sichisers OB 38 14 17 7 56 41 15 59
9 Mylfe CE 38 16 8 14 46 48 -2 56
10 Penuler OC 38 14 10 14 45 42 3 52
11 Oillid CE 38 12 11 15 45 56 -11 47
12 Knoleier FE 38 11 13 14 45 49 -4 46
13 Bumpoogra FE 38 11 13 14 45 53 -8 46
14 Terabits CE 38 11 12 15 44 48 -4 45
15 Daazyiles OC 38 10 11 17 41 58 -17 41
16 DFE Anhenir 38 10 10 18 38 58 -20 40
17 Ammites FE 38 7 16 15 40 51 -11 37
18 Spoantects CE 38 8 13 17 32 47 -15 37 R
19 Fekler FE 38 6 12 20 35 61 -26 30 R
20 Custler FE 38 6 12 20 28 54 -26 30 R

Netler FE, Gontarther FE, and Strapply FE are promoted from Cintrin B.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Netler FE 38 24 8 6 82 40 42 80 C/P
2 Gontarther FE 38 20 12 6 67 35 32 72 P
3 Strapply FE 38 19 11 8 65 44 21 68 P
4 DFE Donseplock 38 16 12 10 58 48 10 60
5 Ucktingang OB 38 16 10 12 57 47 10 58

Vephrall

10-03-2008, 01:11

VTF1754 Player Awards
Foreigners in italics

Forward of the Year
1. Soscren Pranasik (Stestrenas OC)
2. Pagliloe Gackbang (Boalluns FE)
3. Tidus Doshese (Merpisms CE)

Winger of the Year
1. Dotos Ponten (Boalluns FE)
2. Sven Ostiken (Penuler OC)
3. Cothasat Sperobis (Stithis FE)

Midfielder of the Year
1. Anthony Jones (Stithis FE)
2. Rictavos Claspung (Stestrenas OC)
3. Mocks Fihor (Ammites FE)

Defender of the Year
1. Thug Umsaasad (Boalluns FE)
2. Turpres Pembace (Poikimitagiin FE)
3. Kris Consmith (FE Dranacess)

Goalkeeper of the Year
1. Efeirn Ace (Ammites FE)
2. Ceedast Pinteps (Poikimitagiin FE)
3. Ocilla Shuke (Oillid CE)

Youth Player of the Year (awarded to players under the age of 25)
1. Anthony Jones (Stithis FE)
2. Gianfranco DiCampo (FE Dranacess)
3. Prorim Phootid (Knoleier FE)

Foreign Player of the Year
1. Sven Ostiken (Penuler OC)
2. Anthony Jones (Stithis FE)
3. Bryan Withers (Ammites FE)

College football sees another shakeup

The Collegiate Sporting Alliance has decided to expand its field from 50 teams to 61. In addition, the Big North Conference, always the weakest of the original six, has been dissolved. Four of the Big North's eight members have become founding members of the new Northeast Conference, while the other four have decided to join existing conferences.

The Northeast Conference, along with another new conference, the Lowland, will be considered by the CSA to be "Tier Two" conferences. Tier Two conferences are made up of weaker teams than Tier One conferences, and they do not receive automatic bids to the postseason tournament (though they can still qualify for at-large bids). There will be one extra at-large tournament bid available now, since there are now only five Tier One conferences instead of six.

Till, Eastern Darnai, Cimnersog, and Sirinis, the four teams judged to be the weakest in the Big North, will join the Northeast Conference along with new entrants Rascenass, South Sirinis, Healfat, and Northern Darnai. The other four members are moving into other Tier One conferences. Dettune Mtn and Western Darnai will join the Southwestern Conference, Sirinis Ag will play in the Isthmian, and Darnai will become a member of the Southern Crescent.

One member of the Southwestern Conference, Baseng, has decided to downgrade to Tier Two and will join the new Lowland Conference. The Lowland features the other seven new schools: Dettune State, Northwest Sumbobor, Speilers, Bayside, Narrows, Middle Bektys, and Chezlot.

This leaves the conference composition as follows:

Tier One
East Coast (8)
Isthmian (10)
Midland (8)
Southern Crescent (10)
Southwestern (9)

Tier Two
Lowland (8)
Northeast (8)

As yet, there is to be no change in the scheduling format, meaning seasons will continue to be uneven for the forseeable future. Isthmian and SCC teams will play nine games in the regular season, compared with only seven for the ECC, Midland, and both Tier Two conferences.

Adihan

10-03-2008, 08:36

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Postseason News Snippets

TakilQuip Champions Cup entrants revealed
The AFF has announced that it will send two teams to the inaugural TakilQuip Champions Cup following the second season of domestic league football in Ad'ihan. United Islands Premier champions Protectorate United, as well as second-placed Olympique Protectorat, will represent the nation.

New offseason regional tournament
The AFF, in conjunction with the United Islands League Committee, has also announced plans for a new offseason league tournament in which teams will be split up by region, with four conferences representing the three areas of Ad'ihan — the former protectorate, the rest of Grand Island, and Barrier Island.

The league's executive committee, made up partially of the 24 club chairmen, unanimously approved the plan. Under the plan, the 24 clubs will be split up. There will be four teams in the Ad'ihan Region (including two teams geographically outside the region – Oldbridge City and Dullham and Oldbridge), six teams in the Barrier Island Region, and two conferences of seven each for the Grand Island Region.

The two winners from the Grand Island conferences will play-off for the title of Grand Island champion. The four conference winners will also play in a knockout bracket to determine a winner of the Interregional Championship, with the winners taking a TakilQuip Champions Cup position if they don't already have one through the league.

Teams will not be obliged to field full-strength squads and are allowed to play age-group teams (above the UIL's age restriction of 18).

AFF Cup changes
There will be a number of changes to the AFF Cup starting from next season. The most important of them is that the semi-final round, currently a two-leg home-and-away affair, will lose the home-and-away method and have two legs at two different neutral grounds, meaning away goals will no longer apply.

Furthermore, the AFF is trialing getting rid of replays altogether during the first round. If there are draws in the first round, the tie will be settled on the day itself with extra time and penalty kicks. The second round and quarter-finals will still use infinite replays to decide draws.

The final change announced was that starting from next season, the AFF Cup champions will be given a ticket into the TakilQuip Champions Cup, unless the winner has already qualified through the league, in which case the entry is left blank. This will increase the number of Ad'ihani entries in the Champions Cup to a provisional four.

Third Division?
The UIL are understood to be in talks with eight Ad'ihani universities to form a possible third division. The eight—University Grand Island, Stanley College, Dullham Technological University, L'Uni Dz'ai, Hatton College of Medicine, Technological Institute at Hatton, Technological Institute at Dalinn and Flitton University—are being asked by the UIL to form clubs made up of students at the respective schools and who would take part in an exclusive third division (with no promotion to the second relegation).

At least five of the eight schools are believed to have indicated an interest in such a project, and this could be in place as early as Season Four.

Ex-Olympique Protectorat talent stars in Vephrese league
Former Olympique Protectorat midfielder Anthony Jones has starred in his first full season in Vephrall with Stithis FE. Jones, who moved for Tz 3.88 million, helped his club to a 5th place finish in the Vephrese Citrin A and was named midfielder of the year by the Vephraller Tririsec e Foutbill.

Jones, 19, also picked up the award for youth player of the year, and was voted into second place for the best foreign player of the year award.

Vephrall

10-03-2008, 15:38

Vephrall undergoes time shift

Through some sort of advanced technology that we at the Meice Journal are, quite frankly, completely clueless about, the passage of time in Vephrall has been slowed down by approximately 50 percent.

"This change, while being entirely unnoticeable by those within Vephrall itself, will help to bring our calendar into slightly closer alignment with those of many other nations," said the Prime Minister, who approved the change, in a speech today.

The upshot of this change is that events within Vephrall, such as the completion of domestic football seasons, will appear to outside observers to take place at about half the frequency that they used to. The nature of the technology used to perform this change is unclear, though it is speculated that scientists from the Unified Capitalizt States may be involved.

Elves Security Forces

10-03-2008, 17:23

Valanora Express
The Tide Turns

The VSC has anounced few, but very important reforms for the upcoming seasons. First off is the mandate that all clubs must choose a traditonal football name for the club. This is coming under heavy oppisition from traditional powers like Rinaldi, Hartdale, Galderial, and most notably Raynor City. Despite the protest, the VSC is giving all clubs a deadline of season 20,007 to adopt a more suitable club name. Secondly, they have announced that the winter seasons are to be done away with, which consequently results in players now aging only two years per World Cup Proper. A source from inside the VSC leaked the information that the sporting body has been working with the High Priestess Temple in order to alter time to allow this shift from four years to two year go smoothly. It is not yet known whether the altering of the space-time dimension will have any adverse affects on ordinary life. Lastly, with the formation of the TakilQuip Champions Cup, the VSC voted , and approved with a 69% majority, that the top four finishers of each season shall be the Premiership representatives, with Raynor City, Hondo, FC Capri, and AC Valanari being the first clubs to be entrents from the Premiership.

http://www.flccaa.org/images/Soccer%20Player.jpg
Maria Golden taking a corner during a training pitch match against Straightdale FC

The transfer prospects for this window are decent enough. For the majority, it is bench players whom the club can either dispence with, or are wanting first team action and realize they wont get it in their current postition. The most surprising of those who are officially listed is Capri striker Maria Golden and Solaris of Ranor City, who both looked to be only a season or two away from starting at their respective clubs. It shall be interesting to see if these players go abroad, or decide to try and hook another club domestically to take the risk on them.

Transferlisted
GK Venus Bridgestone age 787 - Hondo Owls (F)
LCB Emanual Gonzales age 800 - Baysleef Bombers (M)
CB Loren Meyer age 608 - Mar Sara Flames (F)
DAMRLC Rikardo Michon age 417 - Hartdale Hawks (M)
RW Espy va Drake age 690 - Turmondale FC (M)
LRW Zach Rykos age 732 - Manavawi Athletic (M)
MC Morgan Banz age 719 - Hartdale Hawks (M)
AMC Kim Zettaback age 598 - Monaven Breakers (F)*
AMC Rikar Solaris age 771 - Raynor City Rockers (M)
ST Brenda Lee age 803 - Gladerial Twilight (F)
ST Kiki Kurman age 549 - Hartdale Hawks (M)
ST Homour Cythis age 800 - Hondo Owls (M)
ST Maria Golden age 766 - FC Capri (F)

Article by Ron Santapa

* Zettaback and Zetaback are the same last name, the spelling just differs in the region of the country you live in.

Adihan

10-03-2008, 18:01

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Postseason News Snippets 2

AFF Club rankings announced
The latest set of club rankings issued by the Ad'ihan Football Federation (AFF) has been released. It takes into account a team's league and cup performances over the past three seasons, although for now it only includes data from the first two seasons of Ad'ihani football.

Unsurprisingly, Premier Division champions Protectorate United retain their ranking as the best club in the country. Right below them, though, there's been a shakeup, as Oldbridge City's strong cup run saw them move into second overall ahead of Olympique Protectorat.

Last season, the system was criticised by some teams as when the cup score was calculated, the number of goals scored were taken into account, meaning teams that happened to be knocked out in the first round without scoring received 0 cup ranking points. The AFF have made a change to the formula this season, choosing to award a set of points instead and dividing that by the number of matches a team plays. However, this change was not applied retrospectively, meaning the rankings remained slightly skewed from the first season's cup results.

AFF Club rankings – overall

Pos Team Division

1 Protectorate United Premier
2 Oldbridge City Premier
3 Olympique Protectorat Premier
4 Dalinn Wanderers Premier
5 Pilminster Rovers Premier
6 CF Mont Pluie Premier
7 Tallyn Rovers FC Premier (relegated)
8 Navon Beach FC Premier
9 South Barrier United Premier
10 T'chéy Park FC Second (promoted)
11 Island Athletic FC Second
12 Northtown United Premier
13 Kinney Road FC Premier
14 Southcast Town Second
15 Grand Arsenal FC Premier
16 Flitton City Premier
17 AFC Hatton Second
18 Djei Sporting Club Premier
19 Flitton Rangers Second (promoted)
20 County Stanley FC Second
21 Mountbatten Junction FC Premier
22 Hatton Town FC Premier (relegated)
23 Dullham and Oldbridge FC Second
24 Altsend FC Second

AFF club rankings – League points

Pos Team Division

1 Protectorate United Premier
2= Olympique Protectorat Premier
2= CF Mont Pluie Premier
4 Oldbridge City Premier
5 Navon Beach FC Premier
6 T'chéy Park FC Second (promoted)
7 Northtown United Premier
8 Kinney Road FC Premier
9= Mountbatten Junction FC Premier
9= Flitton City Premier
11 Dalinn Wanderers Premier
12 Pilminster Rovers Premier
13 AFC Hatton Second
14 Grand Arsenal FC Premier
15 Flitton Rangers Second (promoted)
16 County Stanley FC Second
17 South Barrier United Premier
18 Djei Sporting Club Premier
19 Southcast Town Second
20 Tallyn Rovers FC Premier (relegated)
21= Dullham and Oldbridge FC Second
21= Island Athletic FC Second
23 Hatton Town FC Premier (relegated)
24 Altsend FC Second

Off-season Interregional Tournament information released
The AFF have today released more information about the new off-season tournament to be held starting this offseason. All 24 clubs in Ad'ihan will participate in the tournament. There will be four conferences; the Ad'ihan Region Conference, the Barrier Island Conference, First Conference Grand Island and Second Conference Grand Island, and each will have four, six, seven and seven teams respectively.

The teams in the Ad'ihan Region Conference are Protectorate Utd, Oly. Protectorat, Oldbridge City and Dullham and Oldbridge. The teams will play each other twice (home-and-away) for a total of six matches, with the winner being declared Ad'ihan Region champions and moving on to the semi-finals.

The teams in the Barrier Island Conference are Navon Beach, South Barrier Utd, Southcast Town, Dalinn Wanderers, Tallyn Rovers and Mountbatten Junction. The teams will play each other once (random home advantage), following which the team in first will host the team in sixth; the team in second will host the team in fifth; and the team in third will host the team in fourth, for a total of six matches. The winner will be declared Barrier Island champions and move on to the semi finals.

The teams in the First Conference Grand Island are Pilminster Rovers, T'chéy Park, Northtown Utd, Grand Arsenal, AFC Hatton, Flitton Rangers and Hatton Town. The teams will play each other once (random home advantage) for a total of six matches. The winner will move on to the semi-finals, and will have a further one-match playoff with the winner of the Second Conference Grand Island for the title of Grand Island champions.

The teams in the Second Conference Grand Island are CF Mont-Pluie, Island Athletic, Kinney Road, Flitton City, Djei Sporting Club, County Stanley and Altsend. The teams will play each other once (random home advantage) for a total of six matches. The winner will move on to the semi-finals, and will have a further one-match playoff with the winner of the First Conference Grand Island for the title of Grand Island champions.

The four conference champions will then play in a knockout bracket to determine a winner of the Interregional Championship, with the winners taking a TakilQuip Champions Cup position if they haven't already qualified through the league or AFF Cup.

Teams will not be obliged to field full-strength squads and are allowed to play age-group teams (above the UIL's age restriction of 18). As such, matches played in this tournament will not count towards the AFF's club rankings.

AFF clarifies TakilQuip Champions' Cup qualification
Following some confusion, the AFF has issued a press release to clarify the rules on qualification for the TQCC. The top two teams in the United Islands Premier at the end of the league season will qualify for the TQCC.

This is where it gets tricky. The winners of the AFF Cup will earn a TQCC berth as well. This is provided they have not finished in the top two of the league. If so, this berth is left empty.

The winners of the Interregional Championship will also earn a TQCC berth, provided that they have not already qualified through the league or cup. If they have already qualified through the league, this berth is left empty. However, if they qualified through the AFF Cup, then the next best team in the United Islands Premier not already in the TQCC would qualify.

If a team qualifies through winning the Interregional Championship but no team does so through the AFF Cup (or vice-versa), the respective runners-up (or the next best team in the league) will also qualify.

Therefore, at each TQCC Ad'ihan will have either only two, or the full quota of four representatives, but never three.

Adihan

11-03-2008, 20:30

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Conference Phase Review

The conference phase of the first-ever AFF/UIL Championnat d'Après-Saison has now been completed, with some surprising results. Perhaps it was to be expected, with each of the 24 clubs playing only six matches in this stage.

The surprise of the lot was that a Second Division club – in fact, the second division club that finished the season bottom in the league standings, Island Athletic – managed to win its conference and qualify for the knockout rounds.

Also of note is that none of the four teams who qualified for the semi-finals are already in the Champions Cup. The winner of this tournament will, however, not be entered into the upcoming cup. The next edition of this tournament will be the first edition to start sending Champions Cup teams.

Nonetheless, the four managers – Jeremy Scott, Roland Loiselle, Eli Roberts and Seth Miller – have all expressed their delight at qualifying past the first round.

Here are the tables and reaction.

Ad'ihan Region
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Oldbridge City 6 4 0 2 13 11 2 12 Q
2 Olympique Protectorat 6 3 1 2 12 8 4 10
3 Protectorate United 6 3 0 3 10 10 0 9
4 Dullham and Oldbridge 6 1 1 4 13 19 -6 4

Protectorate Utd chose to field a weakened side for four of the six matches, giving their first-team a holiday following the United Islands Premier season. However, this reflected on the field and on the scoresheets, as they lost half their games.

Dullham and Oldbridge, the sole Second Division team in a conference made up of three top Premier Division sides, struggled to find any sort of form. However, they did score a moral victory with a 2-1 away win at Bridge Road against city rivals Oldbridge City.

In the end, just two points separated the top two in this conference, but Oldbridge City – who did well in the cup – managed to win the conference and are still on course for some silverware this season.

Barrier Island
Matchday Five table
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Navon Beach 5 3 2 0 9 6 3 11
2 South Barrier Utd 5 3 0 2 11 8 3 9
3 Dalinn Wanderers 5 3 0 2 9 7 2 9
4 Tallyn Rovers 5 1 2 2 6 7 -1 5
5 Southcast Town 5 1 2 2 3 5 -2 5
6 Mountbatten Junction 5 0 2 3 4 9 -5 2

After one round of matches in the Barrier Island Conference, only two points separated the top three sides. The bottom three, however, were out of the running. Based on this table, on MD6 Navon Beach hosted Mountbatten Junction; South Barrier hosted Southcast Town and Dalinn Wanderers hosted city rivals Tallyn Rovers.

Matchday Six table
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Navon Beach 6 4 2 0 12 8 4 14 Q
2 South Barrier Utd 6 4 0 2 12 8 4 12
3 Dalinn Wanderers 6 3 1 2 11 9 2 10
4 Tallyn Rovers 6 1 3 2 8 9 -1 6
5 Southcast Town 6 1 2 3 3 6 -3 5
6 Mountbatten Junction 6 0 2 4 6 12 -6 2

With Dalinn being held to a 2-2 draw by Tallyn, they were eliminated from the running and meant that South Barrier and Navon Beach would battle it out for the qualification spot. South Barrier's match against Southcast Town was scheduled for 19:30, one hour before Navon Beach's tie against Mountbatten Junction kicked off.

South Barrier took an early lead and held on to it throughout, winning the game 1-0. However, not a singly person in the stadium left their seats as the big screens changed to show the second hald from the DuneDome, where Mountbatten Junction were, incredibly, holding a 2-1 lead. However, their hopes were dashed as two goals in quick succession from Navon Beach ensured they won the match and thus the conference.

Grand Island One
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Northtown Utd 6 5 1 0 18 4 14 16 Pl
2 Grand Arsenal 6 3 1 2 13 12 1 10
3 AFC Hatton 6 2 2 2 9 11 -2 8
4 Pilminster Rovers 6 1 4 1 7 8 -1 7
5 Flitton Rangers 6 1 3 2 5 6 -1 6
6 T'chéy Park 6 0 4 2 7 10 -3 4
7 Hatton Town 6 0 3 3 10 18 -8 3

This conference was clear-cut. Northtown Utd surprised everyone by going undefeated through the six matches, especially since two of their key players did not play any part in any of the matches. Their dominance, scoring 18 goals, also showed.

Grand Island Two
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Island Athletic 6 3 2 1 12 5 7 11 Pl
2 Djei Sporting Club 6 3 1 2 6 7 -1 10
3 County Stanley 6 2 2 2 5 5 0 8
4 CF Mont-Pluie 6 1 4 1 7 6 1 7
5 Kinney Road 6 1 4 1 2 2 0 7
6 Altsend 6 2 1 3 7 12 -5 7
7 Flitton City 6 1 2 3 5 7 -2 5

The total opposite of Grand Island One, this conference was very tough to call until Matchday Five was over, when Island Athletic opened a four-point lead on CF Mont-Pluie, Kinney Road and Djei SC to mathematically win the conference.

Northtown Utd will play Island Athletic at Bridge Road four days before the semi-finals start to determine a Grand Island overall champion. The semi-finals will see Northtown Utd play Navon Beach and Oldbridge City play Island Athletic. Both semi-finals and the final will be played at the Protectorate Stadium.

Vephrall

14-03-2008, 03:25

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VTF1755 - Cintrin A Preview

Transfers

The only transfer of note is that of Vephrall national team defender Avilass Gackbang from recently-relegated Custler FE to Arrigo Portuguese in the Candelaria And Marquez league for an estimated 5 million len.

The teams

Players listed in alphabetical order
Vephrall national team players in bold
Foreigners in italics

Ammites FE
Stadium: Ellime Apenbast, Netlas (66,218) [shared with Netler FE]
Last season: 7-16-15 (17th)
Best players: Efeirn Ace (GK), Chezlot Mantlom (D RC), Bryan Withers (AM C)
Board expectation: Mid-table finish

Boalluns FE
Stadium: Log Ba, Gontarthe (55,139) [shared with Gontarther FE]
Last season: 19-11-8 (2nd, qualified for TakilQuip Champions' Cup)
Best players: Cese Maleneds (GK), Dotos Ponten (M RC), Thug Umsaasad (D RC)
Board expectation: Title challenge

Bumpoogra FE
Stadium: Ellime Sninnapars, Fekliir (41,685)
Last season: 11-13-14 (13th)
Best players: Persas Sarashe (M RL), Contrope Spesseurs (F C), Ceedast Wesy (M C)
Board expectation: Mid-table finish

Daazyiles OC
Stadium: Gaadirpass, Mersira (38,991)
Last season: 10-11-17 (15th)
Best players: Urkero Mantlom (D R), Sperobis Menburid (M LC), Chezlot Wesy (M RL)
Board expectation: Avoid relegation

DFE Anhenir
Stadium: Ellime Becaray, Anhenir (40,012)
Last season: 10-10-18 (16th)
Best players: Tomprism Tolspong (M LC), Solivasas Osprite (WB R), Ock Wassaraat (D C)
Board expectation: Avoid relegation

FE Dranacess
Stadium: Boorbuzid, Meice (53,349)
Last season: 18-10-10 (4th, qualified for TakilQuip Champions' Cup)
Best players: Kris Consmith (D C), Gianfranco DiCampo (D C), Brameit Seketre (M RLC)
Board expectation: Qualify for Champions' Cup

Gontarther FE
Stadium: Log Ba, Gontarthe (55,139) [shared with Boalluns]
Last season (Cintrin B): 20-12-6 (2nd, promoted)
Best players: Crublig Cegeeng (D RC), Apyrphung Cinerne (D L), Angufams Mocks (F C)
Board expectation: Fight bravely against relegation

Huellim FE
Stadium: Biidramaby, Fekllir (46,298)
Last season: 16-13-9 (7th)
Best players: Tomprism Boimoks (D RL), Dotos Hesaramba (AM/F C), Wendelors Wassaraat (AM LC)
Board expectation: Top-half finish

Knoleier FE
Stadium: Ellime Grakey, Knolees (60,669)
Last season: 11-13-14 (12th)
Best players: Meniarol Izorigor (F C), Prorim Phootid (F C), Pazyheas Scezes (DM C)
Board expectation: Mid-table finish

Merpisms CE
Stadium: Ellime Cuhrales, Flaarickug (42,664)
Last season: 17-12-9 (6th)
Best players: Tidus Doshese (F C), Fihor Edroklis (AM C), Misina Pembace (F C)
Board expectation: Mid-table finish

Mylfe CE
Stadium: Ellime Anaved, Netlas (45,500)
Last season: 16-8-14 (9th)
Best players: Preptyrs Ostalir (DM C), Doshese Thwante (M C), Deuce Zadora (F C)
Board expectation: Top-half finish

Netler FE
Stadium: Ellime Apenbast, Netlas (66,218) [shared with Ammites]
Last season (Cintrin B): 24-8-6 (1st, promoted)
Best players: Soscren Cilleng (F C), Bunsars Rhoetang (AM L), Cese Scathock (F C)
Board expectation: Avoid relegation

Oillid CE
Stadium: Ellime Krust, Gontarthe (37,920)
Last season: 12-11-15 (11th)
Best players: Gackbang Latissle (F C), Nastadgus Pasarap (AM R), Ocilla Shuke (GK)
Board expectation: Mid-table finish

Penuler OC
Stadium: Fira Cepponog, Penuls (51,580)
Last season: 14-10-14 (10th)
Best players: Clituleng Cetsels (D R), Umsaasad Nore (AM C), Sven Ostiken (AM RL)
Board expectation: Top-half finish

Poikimitagiin FE
Stadium: Uddaphyphose, Penuls (62,951)
Last season: 20-7-11 (3rd, qualified for TakilQuip Champions' Cup)
Best players: Recasang Hetag (F C), Turpres Pembace (D RC), Nastadgus Rhoetang (D C)
Board expectation: Win Cintrin A

Sichisers OB
Stadium: Peppatzerris, Tuffir (50,220)
Last season: 14-17-7 (8th)
Best players: Thug Ellad (D LC), Gicks Filler (F C), Lit Hesaramba (D RL)
Board expectation: Qualify for Champions' Cup

Stestrenas OC
Stadium: Ellime Neoss, Gloem (58,551)
Last season: 20-11-7 (1st, champions, qualified for TakilQuip Champions' Cup)
Best players: Ferrys Cegeeng (D L), Meniarol Latissle (M L), Soscren Pranasik (F C)
Board expectation: Win Cintrin A

Stithis FE
Stadium: Ellime Stithis, Knolees (54,569)
Last season: 18-10-10 (5th)
Best players: Menburid Fyls (SW/D C), Anthony Jones (M C), Cothasat Sperobis (M RLC)
Board expectation: Qualify for Champions' Cup

Strapply FE
Stadium: Ablaseenacy, Flaarickug (36,943)
Last season (Cintrin B): 19-11-8 (3rd, promoted)
Best players: Ebrulefa Pranasik (AM C), Woshash Rempidar (F C), Pagliloe Thwante (D RLC)
Board expectation: Enjoy the experience of competing in Cintrin A

Terabits CE
Stadium: Ellime Astiis, Defae (47,000)
Last season: 11-2-15 (14th)
Best players: Pipletone Gaicass (F C), Taclik Prarbens (D C), Seketre Wismalies (AM R)
Board expectation: Mid-table finish

Favorites
Poiki - 14%
Stestrenas - 13%
Dranacess - 11%
Stithis - 9.1%
Merpisms - 7.5%

Worst teams (percentage likelihood of winning league)
Strapply - 0.00%
Gontarther - 0.01%
Netler - 0.17%
Anhenir - 1.1%
Ammites - 1.9%

Adihan

15-03-2008, 14:53

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Playoff Review

The first Championnat d'Après-Saison is now over, and a champion has been crowned. In the semi-finals, Northtown Utd faced Navon Beach while Oldbridge City battled Island Athletic. However, four days before the semi-finals, there was the little issue of deciding the overall champion of the Grand Island Region between the two conference winners Northtown Utd and Island Athletic.

Surprisingly, the side that finished last out of the 24 teams in the league season managed to triumph over the team which finished 18 places higher in the league structure, as Island Athletic triumphed over Northtown Utd 3-1 to claim the title of Grand Island champions.

Amazingly, they repeated the feat of beating Premier Division teams in both the semi final and the final to become inaugural champions of the Offseason Championship. However, they do not get a pass into the TakilQuip Champions Cup as one is not offered for this season from this tournament.

Semi finals
PRM Northtown Utd 3-0 Navon Beach PRM
PRM Oldbridge City 1-1 Island Athletic 2DV
AET 1-1
Penalties 5-6

Final
PRM Navon Beach 2-3 Island Athletic 2DV

Zwangzug

17-03-2008, 00:23

Matchday One: Here goes something

If all you knew about the first matchday was that exactly one team scored three goals, who would you guess? Deportivo Peralta, at home against Rovers United? Easy choice.

Their game didn't lack in excitement. Jonas Henke converted a Natasha Keller pass to give the Rovers the lead in the fourteenth minute, but Adalberto Molina had equalized before the half was out. Guiomar Oleastro set up Rafael Jasso to take the lead for Deportivo after an hour had passed, and Muus Jurin tied the game in minute seventy-one. But the two-all scoreline held.

Spenson Suburbia got their act together long enough to beat 12 de noviembre 2-1 on the road, with Trent Gerson and Wayne Crumbliss scoring for the visitors. In between was Toribio Garza's blast from midfield. Arlington City and Trecelunas FC battled to a 0-0 grind in Arlington that surprised nobody in particular.

Which leaves...San Pablo? Gabriel Vega did his part, scoring in the fortieth minute, while Venceslás Robledo tapped in a late pass from Alejo Iñíguez. But Raúl Ventura's classy defense couldn't stop the Namiri Forest attack.

No, seriously. The Namiri Forest attack.

Rohit Sharma's face in minute 72, after his second goal, said it all-quizzical and not quite sure what was going on, but quite pleased with himself nonetheless. Midfielder Ahmed Ghebregergish caught Dimas Holguín off-guard earlier in the first half, and the home team somehow walked away 3-2 winners.

It's going to be a fun season.

Matchday Two: ¿Hola, Melendez? Se llama "gol".

Seemingly lost in the mess that is Sabas Melendez's clipboard is the sticky note reminding him that when the ball goes into those nets at the end of the field, it's called a goal, and we mark it up on the scoreboard. It was 12 de noviembre's turn to play out a scoreless tie, with Melchor Fonseca barely needing to put any effort in (though seventieth-minute substitute Elian Lobo hit the post off an Apolinar Vargas pass).

But when San Pablo play Deportivo Peralta there will be goals aplenty, and it was the latter that emerged victorious. Jasso and Molina built up a 2-0 lead for the visitors before halftime, but Iñíguez dribbled across the midfield to make it 2-1. Deportivo replied almost immediately, Molina getting credit for a play Oleastro brilliantly executed, and Gabriel Vega's late strike wasn't enough for the Pumas.

The Zwangzug games were 2-1 victories for the 1-3-4-3 sides. Rohit Sharma scored in the third minute for Namiri Forest and was apparently too shell-shocked to do anything useful the rest of the day. But Curtis Naluk tied the match up, and Muus Jurin's header gave the Rovers, no doubt assisted by their inexplicable increase of skill every other game or so, the lead. Arlington City, meanwhile, took a two-goal lead through Melissa Prine and Johan Matchett that Wayne Crumbliss's goal couldn't erase.

Matchday Three: Trecelunas score. And concede. Twice. Each.

Games in Ciudad Peralta are going to have goals, like it or not, and Trecelunas seemed to make up for lost time as Lobo's ninth-minute tap past Epifanio Patia was answered by Patricio Olmos five minutes later. The offense subsided for a while, with Eleuterio Roldán clearing several home team attacks, until Molina brought Deportivo ahead only for Rosendo Cabrera to tie it once again.

Namiri Forest hung on for a close win at home: Sharma spearheaded a counterattack towards the end of the first half and deflected a free kick by Zoe McQuoid following a Bradley Curnow foul into the goal. Spenson Suburbia could muster only a feeble shot that Gerson happened to send at exactly the perfect angle.

Why Keller was wandering deep in the 12 de noviembre half is one of those mysteries we might not figure out, but she wound up in the right place at the right time to score the first goal in a game filled with them. The home team fought its way to a 2-1 lead through Garza and Donato Casales, before Naluk and Henke pulled the Rovers back ahead. Over in Arlington, Robledo sent an arcing shot into the very top corner to give the home team a heartbreaking one-nil defeat.

Matchday Four: Sportswriter reorganizes NotePad file, football matches also played

Trecelunas FC (Cabrera, specifically) somehow scored again, and against Namiri Forest to boot. And boot would be the word of the day for McQuoid, who was clearly attempting to deny Vargas the ball that just happened to sail across the field and past a somewhat annoyed Rainerio Porras. Joaquín Cuéllar's similar goal against San Pablo was at least aimed at the net.

Olmos and Molina's first-half goals couldn't silence Gerson, who scored twice in ten minutes. Molina's eighty-seventh minute shot, however, gave Deportivo the lead. And maybe that's a good thing too-do we really want angry Deportivo Peralta fans in the same vicinity as advanced spacefaring equipment?

Muus Jurin's powerful shots make loud noises when they hit the posts, which they did on pretty much all but one of his attempts against Arlington City. Wesley Ridder and Melissa Prine did their part to secure the win for the (technical) visitors.

Matchday Five: Two to too many? Not for San Pablo

The glory days are now, perhaps. The Pumas stormed to a 3-0 lead before Spenson Suburbia got back into it. Vega scored twice, but a more pleasant surprise for home fans was the goal from winger Amilcar Quintana: injuries have until recently held him back from fulfilling potential. Gerson and Crumbliss scored a goal apiece, but it was too little, too late.

Two pairs of goals was the scoreline when Deportivo Peralta visted 12 de noviembre, and this time two players (Molina and Casales) scored both of them. The Rovers edged out Trecelunas FC on Naluk's sixty-seventh minute grass-skimmer, Cabrera and Henke having previously tied it up.

Johan Matchett's goal against Namiri Forest was protested by the visiting manager, Vidur Chatterjee, but it's tough to be offsides against Namiri Forest, and Franklin Geremund let the goal stand. He also added on time at the end due to the argument, and Arlington fans don't leave before it's all over-Prine scored in the added time to give Arlington City a 2-0 win.

Matchday Six: Melendez' micromanaging pays off

The Pumas brought momentum to Trecelunas and fell absolutely flat, with a flukish goal from Robledo a meager bright spot. Melendez was his usual substitute-oriented self, with the trio of goalscorers (Cabrera, Lobo, and Manolo Ybarra) testifying to the flurry of changes from the home team's bench. Three goals, three points-it was Trecelunas' first win of the season.

Bradley Curnow and Cedric Nwachuku were sent off early in the Spenson-Rovers game; you'd think fewer players for both sides meant fewer chances to attack, but it felt like a more open game with longer dribbling runs. Natasha Keller found herself on the defensive today, not that the Rovers are known for it-Gerson and Crumbliss scored a goal apiece. But so did Henke and Naluk, and the match was a tiring two-two tie.

Quique Aiza is one of those guys people who actually know something about football call "second strikers"-a creative attacker of sorts. Not the type to score a goal of his own, not against a stifling Namiri Forest defense. Of course, today he did just that, outmaneuvering Viroopa Pasri. Sharma and Casales also scored, the latter off a high-hangtime Cuéllar pass.

Wesley Ridder's soft tap into the goal was somehow enough for Arlington City to win in Ciudad Peralta. Deportivo fans were not pleased at being shut out, to put it lightly, but Arlington hero Kai Masson didn't seem to mind. "They want to set something on fire? It's their stadium. So they throw stuff at us? Ninety minutes against that team, I've got a lot of flinching built up, I think."

Matchday Seven: We didn't come up with tiebreakers, did we?

Two draws on the field, and at the halfway point of the Apertura there are two ties in the standings. It'll sort itself out eventually, we hope.

Deportivo fans thought one-nil to Arlington City was bad, but today was the ultimate ideological clash. Stylistically, that is. And it was Namiri Forest that came out on top, Sharma unsurprisingly scoring one goal and midfielder Manish Patel the other. An Olmos goal wasn't enough to stop supporters from being, er, incensed with the final result.

It was two-one to the home side over in Spenson, but Gerson's goals came in incredibly disparate ways: the first just wrapped around the goalpost after an impressive cross from Dirk Grosa, the second was launched from far away, scattering defenders as it soared. Ybarra's fifty-first minute goal wasn't enough to stop him being substituted out for Pascual Rendón in the sixtieth, but we're dealing with Melendez so then again what is.

The Rovers' attack rolls on. As, brief heroics from Tara Lenski notwithstanding, does their lack of defense. After scoring the first goal of the game, Vega almost made it two before the ball careened off her arm-the Pumas thought it was a handball, but Robledo was able to score three minutes later, so no harm done. Jurin and Henke scored for the Rovers.

Diehards might see it differently, but in some ways the scoreless draw in Arlington was testament more to both sides having a bad day than anything else. Cuéllar at least moved the ball around, but this was more than anything a dull match.

W D L GF GA GD Pts
Arlington City 4 2 1 7 3 4 14
Rovers United 3 3 1 14 12 2 12
Namiri Forest 3 1 3 10 11 -1 10
12 de noviembre 2 3 2 8 8 0 9
Deportivo Peralta 2 3 2 13 13 0 9
San Pablo 2 2 3 11 14 -3 8
Spenson Suburbia 2 1 4 12 14 -2 7
Trecelunas FC 1 4 2 8 8 0 7

Spenson, of course, beat Trecelunas today-while head-to-head might not be the ultimate tiebreaker, we're using it now. 12 de noviembre and Deportivo Peralta drew, so that's no help.

Seven games might be too soon to tell anything, but most amusing at the moment is that Arlington City have scored the fewest goals-and they're still leading the league...

Matchday Eight: Deja vu all over again? Not quite

Namiri Forest scored just one goal in San Pablo (Sharma, did you have to ask?). Other than that, it was a reversal of matchday one as the home and away roles swapped teams but kept their scorelines. And that meant three goals for the Pumas-more specifically, a Gabriel Vega hat trick.

No score in Trecelunas, of course, so over to wherever Rovers United are playing. Molina drew first blood (not literally) before Jurin equalized and Naluk surged ahead off a pass from the similarly-initialed Nwachuku. But Oleastro's blazing shot tied the game for Deportivo.

Spenson looked lifeless all day, to be honest, with Crumbliss's goal a stark contrast to the dull defense. Aiza distracted Michael Sheldon while Casales scored twice.

Matchday Nine: Thirteen one greater than 12

If it doesn't work, add one. Simple but effective, and Elian Lobo's eighty-seventh minute goal sent the point home (away?), breaking what had been a grueling one-all draw with goals from Garza and Cabrera.

Of course, any software can crash, and then you'd better hope you've saved. Well...we can't all be Kai Masson...If matchday seven brought a boring match, Arlington-Spenson was anything but today. Hometown midfielder Tori Pfendler dazzled on the counterattack, but the solid Curnow and the rest of the visiting defense held strong. Arlington fans are really enjoying this shutout business.

Oh, we have to try and remember the Deportivo-Pumas score? 3-2 sounds about right, with two goals from Jasso and one from Olmos overshadowing Vega and Quintana's. Setting up Olmos and Jasso was midfielder Carlito Digüella, probably a distant relation of Zwangzug national team member Brendan Deguela (whose surname was misspelled by incompetent census bureaucrats).

Even Namiri Forest can score against Rovers United, and they duly did so through (duh) Sharma and (apologies in advance) Ghebregergish...ish. Henke scored the lone goal for the visitors.

Matchday Ten: You'd be lying...

...but you could describe Rovers United's style of play as defensive and dull. The point is, wherever they and 12 de noviembre wound up today, Aiza felt right at home. He scored two goals and set up Casales', frustrating Lenski, whose acrobatic attempts at defense are going to get her hurt one of these days. The two goals scored by the Rovers were testament more to their ceaseless attack (today exemplified by Jurin and Naluk) than any flaw on Fonseca's end, though the lackluster defense of center-back Saturnino Puga could be cause for concern.

Deportivo Peralta was stymied by Trecelunas FC, scoring only one goal through Molina. The hosts had the run of the place, with Rendón, Cabrera, and Vargas scoring. Roldán, for his part, started the game. Since he's probably the best player on Trecelunas' squad, this shouldn't be surprising. But Melendez being Melendez, Roldán becomes the only member of the team to have started all ten matches.

Spenson Suburbia has to be getting their money somewhere, but fans who sat through ninety-three minutes (injury time necessitated by Bradley Curnow's foul on Mobin Singh) of the Namiri Forest match might deserve it back. (If Spenson actually has fans.) Sharma converted the penalty, Crumbliss eked out a goal, Chatterjee protested, and it was altogether not the best way to spend an hour and a half. Meanwhile, a Prine goal helped Arlington City avenge their only defeat so far as they won by the slimmest of margins in San Pablo.

Matchday Eleven: Brawl mars match, though not from Deportivo fans' perspective

A sizable plurality of the action was in Ciudad Peralta, as the Deportivo-Spenson game turned nasty. Well, "turned" is an exaggeration. It was bad from the get-go, with the first goal being a Wayne Crumbliss penalty kick (after defender Fidel Nieves felled Grosa) that was quickly met by an Olmos shot. By the time the first half had ended, Trent Gerson had made it two-one.

Oleastro scored early in the second half, but there was barely time to score any more goals as things quickly degenerated. A completely overwhelmed Alanna Fitzpatrick had to call the game fairly early. A visiting Spenson fan was hospitalized and released quickly, probably due less to his recovery than Aguazul physicians realizing that he was unlikely to be able to pay. No other injuries have been confirmed.

12 de noviembre beat San Pablo handily, with a Vega goal nearly meaningless between Casales' two and Garza's long-range shot. Rohit Sharma's early goal past right-back Tancredo Crespo (Roldán got the night off) was enough for Namiri Forest to slip pass Trecelunas FC.

Here's news. Arlington City conceded twice. In one match. Jurin and Naluk represented relentless Rovers on the offensive, while Johan Matchett scored for the home side. While Muus's goal was a traditional overpowering blast that happened to fly in the right direction, Naluk's required a textbook pass from midfielder Leo Butz.

Matchday Twelve: "One of these days?" This day

We knew it would happen, and yet...Rendón's goal gave Trecelunas FC a lead they'd have through the first half. By the second, he was out and Lobo was in. The substitute converted a Vargas pass to a shot on goal deflected by Lenski, who had to leave the game with an injury. Lobo eventually scored to put the home side up 2-0 before Henke scored: too little, too late.

Trent Gerson scored a hat trick at home against San Pablo and actually should have had a fourth: he was wide open with Ventura marking Crumbliss, who simply refused to pass. Robledo scored for San Pablo. 12 de noviembre blew a two-goal lead after Molina echoed Casales' pair of goals, but Aiza tapped it in with a minute to play. Arlington City and Namiri Forest played to a scoreless draw, though why we need to report it...

Matchday Thirteen: Namiri Forest beats and ties 12 de noviembre

Yep, you read it right. Patel's goal broke the tie Casales and Sharma had created to give the visitors the victory. But that puts the pair of them in a tie for first place as the Apertura heads for its final game. A point behind is Arlington City, which lost at home on an eleventh-minute Olmos goal. They'll play 12 de noviembre next week, while Namiri Forest host Deportivo Peralta...the intricacies, the intricacies.

We've finally decided on tiebreakers in the haphazard way everything happens around here: head-to-head will sort the Apertura and Clausura placements, while the regular season final standings will use goal differential. San Pablo beat Trecelunas FC, not that it'll help as they're still at the bottom of the table. Vega scored twice, Robledo and Ybarra once each.

Zwangzug has had plenty of famous and infamous defensive midfielders, and being too cowardly to come forward might just let Leo Butz squeak onto that list. Between him and Keller, Rovers United aren't going to be accused of unnecessary intellectualism any time soon, but they evidently play perfectly together: both got assists on Jurin's pair of goals, while Crumbliss and Gerson scored one each.

Matchday Fourteen: It's always the quiet ones

We're starting in Trecelunas. Just to heighten the suspense.

Not that there was much after the first half. Vargas scored on a flukish shot, Cabrera scored on a decent shot, and it was 2-0. Lobo made it 3-0 before Gerson scored but that didn't keep Spenson out of the bottom of the table. There are few who will mind them there.

Back when they didn't have any decent opposition in Zwangzug, the Rovers once...roved...all the way to San Pablo, who if you haven't heard used to be good. The near-rivalry was a draw the last time around, not so today as the Pumas came out on top. Ventura's steady defense meant Naluk's was the only goal for the visitors, while Vega and Robledo scored once each. Fittingly, this game breaks the tie in the Apertura standings: the Pumas are sixth, the Rovers seventh.

The matches that mattered, of course, were the culture clash in Namiri Forest and 12 de noviembre-Arlington City. In the first of those, the home defense held firm through the first half, and Sharma scored a thirty-third minute goal. But Deportivo Peralta's consistent attacks eventually wore down the hosts. Molina scored in the sixty-eighth to give Deportivo their sixth draw of the season, most of any team-and they were supposed to be the offensive ones! Namiri Forest had the tiebreaker over 12 de noviembre, so they'd win the Apertura if the other game played to a draw.

It didn't.

For seventy minutes, Masson and Fonseca were as untouchable as heralded: while some fans clamored for goals, others watched excitedly and tried to keep pace with the video scoreboard. Almost as soon as Molina scored, it seemed the home team suddenly realized the magnitude of the task before them, and were up to the challenge. Cuéllar leaped to send a sharp pass to Casales, striking high on the ball and keeping it low on the ground. Casales came up with it and faced down Bennett Covy. For whatever reason: youthful jitters or the pressure of the big game, he couldn't do anything about it, and Casales fired it in. 1-0.

Arlington City really had needed to go on the attack all day, and with three forwards it might not have seemed as difficult as it was. But with defender Justin Briant too far forward, Aiza exploited the opportunity, and all of a sudden it was 2-0.

12 de noviembre won five of their seven games in the second half without drawing comment, and didn't mind. They won without superstars, without extremes of attack or defense. We don't know how much the Apertura actually means, but it is the first thing to win, and 12 de noviembre won.

W D L GF GA GD Pts
12 de noviembre 7 3 4 23 18 5 24
Namiri Forest 6 4 4 18 18 0 22
Trecelunas FC 5 5 4 19 16 3 20
Arlington City 5 5 4 9 9 0 20
Deportivo Peralta 4 6 4 25 25 0 18
San Pablo 5 2 7 23 27 -4 17
Rovers United 4 5 5 25 26 -1 17
Spenson Suburbia 3 5 6 22 25 -3 14

Cupcake Cup Matchday One: No cheerfulness

12 de noviembre's success was over as quickly as it began, as they lost 3-2 to Deportivo Peralta. Or even 2-3, the matches being on neutral ground.

They came in as favorites but didn't give any indication of it, certainly not when Digüella nicely set up Jasso for a goal in the seventeenth minute. It was an unsuccessful game of catch-up from there: Aiza's goal was followed by Olmos', Casales' by Molina's, and full-time came as it inevitably does.

Other matches were a bit more predictable. Namiri United held San Pablo to a Vega goal while McQuoid and Ghebregergish scored. Okay, not so predictable-Sharma's evidently still giddy from his national team debut. Or something. Trecelunas FC beat the Rovers by the same margin, Henke's header of a Naluk cross being no match for Rendón and Cabrera's goals.

Arlington City and Spenson Suburbia drew one apiece, Prine and Crumbliss the goalscorers, and probably would have wreaked havoc with the seeding if we actually knew what we were doing-as the higher seeds, Arlington City will probably be treated as if they'd won for purposes of scheduling the next round.

Cupcake Cup Matchday Two: Rematches set up fitting final

Another chapter in the actually pretty short Rovers-Pumas chronicle was written in the lower bracket. Once again, San Pablo scored two goals, both Robledo's as Quintana fulfilled expectations in setting them up. But the Rovers would win, with each of their forwards scoring in one of those egalitarian hat-trick deals. Or something.

12 de noviembre can relax knowing they can at least beat Spenson Suburbia. The match was closer than it should have been, perhaps, with Gerson's fiftieth-minute shot on target and Jared Egelston's defense accurate, but Aiza's creativity set up two Casales goals.

Trecelunas FC got the easiest draw of the quarterfinal winners, Arlington City, who had, um, drawn. No prizes for guessing the 0-0 scoreline.

The other rematch was Deportivo-Namiri. It was the latter that came up with this system, and the latter that emerged triumphant. Molina's goal was sandwiched between Sharma's pair.

This means Namiri Forest and Trecelunas FC will play in the final, and in a system like this it shouldn't be a surprise. The good news for anyone who likes goals is that Trecelunas will have to go on attack to win...this should be fun to see.

Cupcake Cup Matchday Three: The best defense?

Building up suspense starting with Spenson Suburbia and San Pablo. Crumbliss converted a pass from Whitney Osden, nobody else scored, and the Pumas salvage something from the tournament.

Another last-day rematch saw 12 de noviembre reaffirm their status, beating Arlington City by two goals (from Casales and Aiza) to one (Prine). Deportivo Peralta and Rovers United drew 2-2 for the third time in three matches: Henke, Naluk, Molina, and Olmos your goalscorers of record.

Trecelunas FC, as per above, had to win to win the tournament. Namiri Forest needed only a draw. Melendez and Chatterjee manage the most defensive teams in the league, and are respectively the busiest and most infuriating. It could have been a long day.

Instead, Melendez kept things "interesting", beginning the match with a 1-3-4-3 (because it got Arlington and the Rovers so far?). With just Roldán, Crespo, and Herminio Suero in front of Porras' net, Sharma (used to twice that) scored in the sixth minute. Back to the 1-4-4-2 then, but needing even farther to go, Trecelunas never came together despite (or perhaps because of) Melendez maxing out on substitutions before halftime. McQuoid's seventy-fourth minute goal barely made a difference.

So Namiri Forest win the Cupcake Cup they basically designed, no conspiracy theories there, and get to play in the final.

There have been several suggestions of nominating teams to compete in the TakilQuip Champions' Cup, but it is unsure what, if anything, will come of that. There are some ethical objections to nominating half the league, so perhaps just the finalists? Imagining Namiri Forest in a TakilQuip tournament, however...

OOC: I'll most probably post Clausura results at the halfway point or after the season, not every day.

Kura-Pelland

19-03-2008, 00:12

http://i13.tinypic.com/6s7hw87.png
Matchday Thirty: As Buzz Lightyear would say, that's falling with style

Any old set of bums can get relegated by being plain crap all season, or by collapsing in the final third of it. To pick up nine points in 23 games and then twelve in seven when it doesn't matter, that is special. That's what FC Helma 1495 have done - and for good measure they've pretty much determined who they'll face in Soccer League 1 next season as well, with victories over first Achorpe Rovers and now Porterbridge City. They are now off the bottom for the first time since the first month of the season, but are of course still near enough down, though Club Virling didn't seal the deal for they were held by Grayton City Wolves - still enough to take them into 14th, swapping with Sorbridge Soccer Storm who fell 1-0 to Harrington Lakeside. The gap between the drop zone and the rest is nine points, with four games to go. Yeah, it's over. Also, Achorpe's relegation is mathematically a lock now, even though they didn't play today as the fixture mixup is sorted out.

So to the relevant matches we go, the fight for top and the big fight for fourth or better. Goodness, this could have been a dull season but for the Champions' Cup... Depor remain six clear with now only four to play after defeating Curzek Homers, sorry Rovers, 3-0; you can't see them losing to two from Assiri, Virling, Wolves and Neegera, even if the first three of these (not in that order) are away from home; they have now won seven in a row and ten of their last eleven. United Trilan delayed the inevitable, and extended their own winning streak to nine (and their unbeaten run to 15) with a 3-0 destruction of Marthley Rovers. They have conceded just one goal in 765 minutes of football since letting in three in the first half against Parwood City, a game they famously went on to win 4-3. In those 765 minutes they have scored 21 goals, Kilu Shu alone contributing nine of them. Adam Williamson has built one hell of a team, and they will surely start next season as title favourites.

The big clash was between the top two of a little while ago, Parwood and Yarzoya. It was as open as you'd expect from these two, but it was Parwood who came back from behind to win it courtesy of a brace from wily old fox Jamie Kirklees. Parwood stay third, Yarzoya slip to sixth after Prangren Greens' victory over Achorpe.

In irrelevant but still fun action, FC Bargoiten ran riot with four at Neegera, while AS Assiri left it late to defeat Murley City.

AFC Neegera 0 FC Bargoiten 4 (Celebi 4 and 60, Quiezan 45+1, Dillimer 47)
AS Assiri 2 Murley City 1 (Le Tourneur 14, Carlisle 88; Whitaker 56)
Club Virling 1 Grayton City Wolves 1 (Lascelles 13; Zelham 25)
Deportivo del Arapucera 3 Curzek Rovers 0 (Pinto 4, Cartechini 52, Rukovich 80)
FC Helma 1495 1 Porterbridge City 0 (Corsten 16)
Parwood City 2 Yarzoya FC 1 (Kirklees 61 and 77; Montano 25)
Sorbridge Soccer Storm 0 Harrington Lakeside 1 (Giovanni 35)
United Trilan 3 Marthley Rovers 0 (Shu 21 and 42; Woburn 50)

BONUS MIDWEEK MATCH

Prangren Greens destroyed AS Assiri 3-0 to keep their Champions' Cup hopes alive; only goal difference separates them and Harrington Lakeside, the only two teams from outside 'old' Kura-Pelland to not suck this season.

Prangren Greens 3 AS Assiri 0 (Sammons 14, Hoborough 55 and 58)

Matchday Thirty-One: Sorted at the bottom... anything but at the top!

The top of the table was looking processional. Depor needed to drop six points in four games to stand any chance of being caught, and all against sides with nearly nothing to play for; Club Virling could still theoretically be relegated, the Wolves could still theoretically be top-four, but two mid-table sides would be easy meat for a team on fire, right? They'd better be, as the Wolves' easier-than-it-sounds 1-0 defeat of an absolutely terrified-looking Depor means the title race is well and truly back on, confirmed when United Trilan beat Murley 3-1 at Brickleyplace in superb style, a remarkable tenth win on the spin.

Parwood City aren't mathematically out of it, though in reality they are, and their rather uncharacteristic 1-0 win at Marthley is vital in that other push, for international competition next season. Yarzoya FC's season has collapsed as most people said it would, and then some; a 3-1 loss at home to Prangren Greens aids the latter and virtually ends the season of the Y's, who have now gone eight games without a win. They're looking like a one-man band, and Justin Urquhart (who scored Yarzoya's only goal to draw level with Bilú on 23 for the season) is said to be considering a move to one of the bigger world leagues...

Harrington Lakeside, meanwhile, picked up a Lakeside-esque 1-0 again, this time against the former draw machines Club Virling who have actually only drawn three in the second half of this season, after drawing more than half their games in the first half of the term (an eleven-game winless streak during it only contained four defeats!). That result also means the bottom isn't mathematically sorted, but Sorbridge Soccer Storm's 2-0 win at Porterbridge City - and it should have been more, the visitors had not one or two but three perfectly good goals disallowed in a dominant display - means that Porterbridge would have to win their last three and Virling would have to end with three defeats, and the combined winning margin in the six games would have to exceed 14. Yeah, it's over. We won't miss you, Porterbridge City. Achorpe's 2-0 win over FC Helma 1495 moves the former out of the basement and mathematically seals the fate of the latter. Who knew it'd take this long?

Perhaps the matches are more exciting for having nothing at stake. Curzek Rovers fans would certainly say so; facing an AFC Neegera side they lost to 5-2 away earlier in the season, they responded by winning, erm, 6-2. Six different players got on the scoresheet, a first in any Kura-Pellandi senior fixture. Viva Takila! In other irrelevant football, FC Bargoiten beat AS Assiri 3-1, and at this rate may just condemn Yarzoya to a second seventh-place finish in a row...

Achorpe Rovers 2 FC Helma 1495 0 (Menzel 12, Marling 59)
Curzek Rovers 6 AFC Neegera 2 (Smik 2, Gillingham 23, Curley 49, Lotura 76, Mantlom 81, Zarimin 90+2; Harcef 14 and 45+1)
FC Bargoiten 3 AS Assiri 1 (Ailron 45+1, Celebi 60 and 86; Carlisle 66)
Grayton City Wolves 1 Deportivo del Arapucera 0 (Weaver 33)
Harrington Lakeside 1 Club Virling 0 (Morales 16)
Marthley Rovers 0 Parwood City 1 (Kirklees 66)
Murley City 1 United Trilan 3 (Di Coa 59; Shu 14, Ibbetson 39, Woburn 79)
Porterbridge City 0 Sorbridge Soccer Storm 2 (Spyrides 36, Boakye 71)
Yarzoya FC 1 Prangren Greens 3 (Urquhart 42; Chenoweth 6, Chotina 47, Salo 80)

Matchday Thirty-Two: No one mourns the wicked

And many hope they don't return... Porterbridge City's relegation was mathematically secured Saturday lunchtime in a party atmosphere at Walton Park, as Harrington Lakeside defeated their Lake Branagh adversaries 3-1 in an utterly dominant display that maintains their push for Champions' Cup football. Just to make it sweeter, all three home goals were by local lad Manuel Alfonso. The music of Stephen Schwartz added great atmosphere before and after the match.

Prangren Greens are the only team that can stop them, they won by the same score against a Marthley Rovers side whose fans were too busy celebrating the confirmation of their dream season - they stayed up on nominal funds, and Porterbridge City didn't despite many millions to spend.

Part of the credit goes to the third newly-promoted side, AS Assiri, for not selling Norbert Fiero to Porterbridge even for a national record K32m. Without him - and without Fedde Beattis, who should never have been there last season anyway - Porterbridge looked hopeless up front. With him, AS Assiri settled firmly in mid-table, but really it was defence that proved the difference for the two first-time survivors.

Club Virling, now with nothing to play for, faced Deportivo del Arapucera, still with everything to play for. They navigated this potential banana skin with laughable ease, a 4-0 scoreline harsh on the winning side who had two perfectly good goals disallowed. Seven referees are to be sacked at the end of the season and it is believed international referees may be welcomed to the Championship, although this is unlikely and would be controversial. Not as much as some of these decisions mind.

United Trilan's response was to knock in four without reply themselves, Bargoiten the victims of this Shanvley slaughter. Eleven wins in a row now, and if they let Adam Williamson go after this... Depor have two games to drop three points, assuming Trilan win their last two - home to Neegera, away at Assiri.

Parwood City are in the box seat for Champions' Cup football after a late winner against Murley City, Yarzoya's season is over after they were humiliatingly held on the long trip to Helma, while in the meaningless matches there were wins for Sorbridge Soccer Storm (against relegated Achorpe), Curzek Rovers (AWAY at Assiri) and AFC Neegera (against a self-imploding Grayton City Wolves).

AFC Neegera 3 Grayton City Wolves 0 (Harcef 13, Corderman 42 and 82)
AS Assiri 0 Curzek Rovers 2 (Jinera 23 and 60)
Club Virling 0 Deportivo del Arapucera 4 (Sandstrom 21, Cartechini 34, Avila 60 and 79)
FC Helma 1495 1 Yarzoya FC 1 (van der Rassel 12; Jaquin 40)
Harrington Lakeside 3 Porterbridge City 1 (Alfonso 12, 39 and 79; Hearts 76)
Parwood City 1 Murley City 0 (Eldridge 86)
Prangren Greens 3 Marthley Rovers 1 (Chenoweth 55, Salo 70 and 76; Cato 57)
Sorbridge Soccer Storm 1 Achorpe Rovers 0 (Batup 42)
United Trilan 4 FC Bargoiten 0 (Shu 21, Woburn 23 and 56, Ibbetson 69)

Matchday Thirty-Three: Cor, what a finish!

There's nothing like a final-day title decider to add interest to a competition, and hence value to its sponsor. Corganen can thank Corderman, then, for the last-minute winner against Deportivo del Arapucera that denied the Hispanic side from winning the title with a game to spare.

The whole thing was set up when United Trilan's miraculous streak under Adam Williamson - eleven wins in a row, nineteen consecutive games without drawing a blank - hit the frankly inevitable stumbling block of Curzek Rovers' fourteen men. Kilu Shu had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside, Caparelli was sent off for two 'bookable' offences, and Williamson himself was banished from the touchline for goodness knows what reason. 'The title race is over', he said, 'and it's all because of one man'. He had a point, the referee went by the decidedly Hispanic name of Carlos Suarez. A Depor win the next day against AFC Neegera - seen as a formality - would seal the title. The trophy was in el Arapucera, as were the cameras, the hotel that is built onto the pitch was full of journalists and fans packed out all hotels nearby, and everyone in the Estadio Tallua assumed that this was a coronation. Wrong! The match was dire, Depor played with four up front to try and get the winner but succeeded only in leaving acres of space for Corderman to strike seconds before the start of the four minutes of stoppage time - which grew longer than that as Rex Sandstrom, in the act of hitting a shot against the outside of the post, tweaked his hamstring. He'll be out for the final game, at Assiri; United Trilan are two points down and play Grayton City Wolves at Shanvley Stadium, so that's almost certainly three points against a side in meltdown.

But if both they and Depor slip up, there could even be a successful title defence for Parwood City, who won at Bargoiten. They are at home to Curzek - and Curzek are toothless away from home - and if they win that, they will then rely on Depor losing and United failing to win. The KPFA have confirmed that the trophy will be held in Parwood City's Barkham Park Stadium, and will be transported by helicopter to Assiri or Trilan should the title - as expected - be decided there. The choice of Parwood is because it is between the two cities, coincidentally slightly closer to Assiri where the title is most likely to be decided. The journey from Barkham Park to Assiri's Northenden Stadium is 38.8km; to Shanvley, 44.2km. The flight will, if need be, take off at full-time (or up to 15 minutes before if the result is abundantly clear); the helicopter used has a top cruising speed of 200km/h, so will take under 15 minutes to reach either stadium from Parwood.

The battle for fourth took a surprise twist; Harrington Lakeside lost 2-1 at already-relegated Achorpe Rovers, and look set for utter humiliation as Prangren Greens won at Murley City. The Greens need only draw against Bargoiten to secure Champions' Cup football; even if they don't, Lakeside would need to win against - oh, Yarzoya at home. Yarzoya looked like they'd be there themselves not long ago. They did beat Sorbridge Soccer Storm, but that's their first win in ten games. The previous win of their campaign put them four points clear of Parwood City at the top of the table, with Depor six adrift in fourth and Trilan twelve adrift in sixth.

It's not how you start, it's how you finish. Unless you're Helma of course; yet another win for them, 1-0 at a Marthley side who are in la-la-don't-care-we're-safe-Porterbridge-aren't mood. Given the gap in resources and attitude, you can't blame them. Porterbridge lost 2-0 at Virling, for what it's worth, leaving the gap between the drop zone and the rest at a laughable eleven points; the other match was between Grayton City Wolves and AS Assiri, wasn't interesting at the time (the Wolves won 3-1, Assiri's fourth straight defeat) but is now being overanalysed because it is these two, in a very roundabout way, who could determine the title winners.

Only three meaningless matches on the last day. Who'd have called that two weeks ago? Hold onto your hats...

Achorpe Rovers 2 Harrington Lakeside 1 (Menzel 41, Dubois 59; Morales 14)
Club Virling 2 Porterbridge City 0 (Celerano 21 and 48)
Curzek Rovers 0 United Trilan 0
Deportivo del Arapucera 0 AFC Neegera 1 (Corderman 90)
FC Bargoiten 1 Parwood City 2 (Dillimer 69; Bilú 56, Kirklees 70)
Grayton City Wolves 3 AS Assiri 1 (Xin 21, Emtira 46, Jackson 76; Le Tourneur 9)
Marthley Rovers 0 FC Helma 1495 1 (Shymira 14)
Murley City 0 Prangren Greens 1 (Chenoweth 59)
Yarzoya FC 2 Sorbridge Soccer Storm 0 (Urquhart 21 and 80)

Vephrall

22-03-2008, 00:12

Collegiate Sporting Alliance - 1755 Season

East Coast Conference

Solonds and Southeastern, two programs that went undefeated in ECC play last year, were the favorites to do well again this season. Southeastern was the defending conference champion, while Solonds had reached the final of the CSA tournament, losing to Shentarong.

Solonds, ranked #8 in preseason, started poorly, managing just a single point against Sheoron and Salle. They met #7 Southeastern in the third game of the season, and predictably enough they played out a 1-1 draw. Meanwhile, last season's sixth-place finishers North Salle were off to a dream start, undefeated and top of the table with four games out of seven played. Nobody really seemed to be able to break out, though. Southeastern regained the conference lead on goal difference after game five after Solonds managed a 1-1 draw with North Salle; although the top two were still undefeated, they had only won two games each at that point. But both undefeated runs would end right after that, Southeastern being unfortunate enough to lose at home to Salle while Defae's road win over North Salle catapulted them straight up to first place.

In the seventh and final week of regular-season games, Defae was held 0-0 by Solonds, opening up possibilities for half the field sitting just three points back. North Salle picked up a 2-1 win, but their goal difference wasn't good enough to pass Defae. But Southeastern's was, and a 2-0 win over Calamen on the final day gave them the title.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Southeastern 7 3 3 1 12 6 6 12 C/Q
2 Defae 7 3 3 1 10 6 4 12 Q
3 North Salle 7 3 3 1 9 7 2 12 Q
4 Salle 7 3 2 2 9 10 -1 11
5 Calamen 7 2 3 2 9 9 0 9
6 Sheoron 7 3 0 4 10 11 -1 9
7 Solonds 7 1 5 1 4 4 0 8
8 Salle Southern 7 0 1 6 3 13 -10 1

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS:
http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gth681k/ns/vephrall/CSA/ECC/Southeastern.png
SOUTHEASTERN

Most improved: Salle (last season: 1-1-5, 8th)
Most disappointing: Solonds (last season: 4-3-0, 1st)

Isthmian Conference

Conference newcomers Sirinis Ag, formerly of the now-defunct Big North, made a statement in their first match by holding traditional power Flaarickug goalless. Even though they also failed to score themselves, they gave the indication that they were indeed ready to play. Once again, one of the poorest performers from last season got off to a great start; in this case it was Bektys Coastal that was undefeated after three, having played an average schedule made up of BTI, North Bektys, and Bektys State. A 1-1 draw with Sirinis Ag in week four allowed South Bektys to move into the lead with a 2-0 win over defending champion Scusenany. The resulting top of the table clash resulted in a 1-0 win for Coastal in Mersira.

Coastal finally ran into the Flaarickug juggernaut in week six and came out on the wrong end of a 2-3 scoreline. Flaarickug's win over BTI the next week put them on top, and they went on to complete an undefeated season and take the conference title while last year's champs Scusenany ended up only fifth.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Flaarickug 9 6 3 0 11 4 7 21 C/Q
2 Bektys Coastal 9 5 2 2 12 7 5 17 Q
3 South Bektys 9 5 1 3 9 7 2 16
4 North Bektys 9 4 1 4 10 8 2 13 Q
5 Scusenany 9 3 4 2 6 6 0 13
6 BTI 9 3 3 3 10 11 -1 12
7 Bektys State 9 2 5 2 6 6 0 11
8 Fishbog 9 3 1 5 9 10 -1 10
9 Sirinis Ag 9 1 3 5 5 10 -5 6
10 Isthmian 9 1 1 7 3 12 -9 4

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS:
http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gth681k/ns/vephrall/CSA/Isthmian/Flaarickug.png
FLAARICKUG

Most improved: Bektys Coastal (last season: 2-1-5, 8th)
Most disappointing: Scusenany (last season: 5-2-1, 1st)

Midland Conference

The Midland featured four preseason top-twelve teams, more than any other conference besides the SCC. #3 Siellal seemed like they had the best chance to win the title.

The first matchday was full of draws, with only one match having a real result. Shentarong Tech immediately bettered their performance in the entirety of last season, where they didn't win a single game. Riestre Tech was on the losing end of that 2-1 result. Our theme of previously poor teams doing well continues, as after week four S-Tech remained in second place behind undefeated defending champions Riestre. But the Military Academy proved to be too much for S-Tech, and the game in Moje ended three-nil in favor of the home team.

With one week of matches to go, it was effectively down to Riestre and Riestre Tech. R-Tech was top of the table due to the fact that they had beaten Riestre 2-1 in week five; otherwise their records were identical. Riestre met Siellal in the final matchup, which ended in a 1-1 draw. So all R-Tech had to do was defeat Taeschand (or draw while scoring at least twice). But it was not to be; Taeschand took home a 1-0 victory and UR took the conference title.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Riestre 7 3 3 1 8 6 2 12 C/Q
2 Riestre Tech 7 3 2 2 7 6 1 11 Q
3 Military 7 2 3 2 5 3 2 9 Q
4 Taeschand 7 2 3 2 6 6 0 9 Q
5 Shentarong Tech 7 2 3 2 6 8 -2 9
6 Siellal 7 1 5 1 8 8 0 8
7 Riestre State 7 1 4 2 5 6 -1 7
8 Westlake 7 1 3 3 4 6 -2 6

Most improved: Riestre Tech (last season: 0-3-4, 7th)
Most disappointing: Siellal (last season: 4-2-1, 1st)

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS:
http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gth681k/ns/vephrall/CSA/Midland/Riestre.png
RIESTRE

Southern Crescent Conference

The SCC, still considered by many to be the granddaddy of them all. Defending national champions #1 Shentarong seemed like the obvious pick to win it this time around, but as everyone knew, there was so much talent in the SCC that any prediction was just a crapshoot.

Some also say the SCC plays the most entertaining football. It was hard to dispute that after the first week of matches, which featured Sumbobor State and Southwestern fighting to a 3-3 draw while Twin Cities laid the smack down on Big North refugees Darnai to the tune of 5-0. Undoubtedly it took Darnai a while to get used to their new league, as shown by a 4-1 loss to Southwestern the next time out. Two-nil to Sumbobor in week three seemed a bit better, though. Meanwhile, Twin Cities was rolling, having beaten the defending national champs in week two.

Darnai picked up their first win in week four against perennial league whipping boys East Point, while Fekliir State got the upset over Twin Cities to end that unbeaten run. Surprisingly, TC's 5-0 demolition of Darnai would not end up being the biggest smackdown of the season. Shentarong trashed East Point 6-1 on the road in week five, though it didn't really mean that much alongside Twin Cities' 3-0 win over Shentarong Southern.

Meanwhile, Darnai was starting to find a bit of a groove, grinding out three consecutive draws against Shentarong Southern, Shentarong, and Shentarong State. Combined with Shentarong's draw with Southern in week eight, Twin Cities seemed to be receiving the conference title on a silver platter. The last week of matches wasn't even needed to decide it, but Twin Cities' closing 1-0 win over Sumbobor State did knock the latter out of postseason contention.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Twin Cities 9 7 1 1 19 8 11 22 C/Q
2 Shentarong 9 4 4 1 20 12 8 16 Q
3 Fekliir State 9 4 2 3 16 13 3 14 Q
4 Sumbobor 9 3 4 2 13 12 1 13 Q
5 Southwestern 9 3 3 3 17 15 2 12 Q
6 Sumbobor State 9 3 3 3 18 17 1 12
7 Shentarong Southern 9 2 3 4 12 14 -2 9
8 Shentarong State 9 2 3 4 9 11 -2 9
9 East Point 9 2 2 5 13 21 -8 8
10 Darnai 9 1 3 5 8 22 -14 6

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS:
http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gth681k/ns/vephrall/CSA/SCC/Twin Cities.png
TWIN CITIES

Most improved: Sumbobor (last season: 2-3-3, 7th)
Most disappointing: Shentarong Southern (last season: 4-3-1, 2nd)

Southwestern Conference

Perhaps the only people who missed the Big North were SWC fans, who now had to get used to the idea of being indisputably the weakest Tier I conference.

Defending champions Anhenir had the first week bye, so they had to leave it to Seibeng to kick off the season with a bang. And they did, 5-0 over Western Dettune. This apparently served as a wakeup call to the latter, who proceeded to win the next two games and move into the lead. The top of the table remained tight the whole way through, but Anhenir would end up successfully defending their title and gaining the conference's automatic (and only) tournament bid.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Anhenir 8 4 4 0 16 6 10 16 C/Q
2 Highland 8 4 2 2 14 7 7 14
3 Dettune 8 4 2 2 10 7 3 14
4 Seibeng 8 4 1 3 12 9 3 13
5 Virdys 8 2 5 1 11 9 2 11
6 Dettune Mtn 8 3 2 3 8 10 -2 11
7 Western Dettune 8 2 2 4 9 12 -3 8
8 Western Darnai 8 2 1 5 4 13 -9 7
9 Jishmid 8 0 3 5 6 17 -11 3

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS:
http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gth681k/ns/vephrall/CSA/SWC/Anhenir.png
ANHENIR

Most improved: Dettune (last season: 2-2-3, 5th)
Most disappointing: Somehow, there were no true disappointments in the SWC.

Tier II Conferences

No Tier II teams ended the season with a high enough ranking to gain a bid to the tournament.

Lowland Conference

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Middle Bektys 7 3 3 1 14 9 5 12 C
2 Dettune State 7 3 2 2 9 7 2 11
3 Baseng 7 3 2 2 6 6 0 11
4 Narrows 7 3 2 2 7 8 -1 11
5 NW Sumbobor 7 2 4 1 8 8 0 10
6 Bayside 7 1 6 0 6 5 1 9
7 Speilers 7 1 3 3 8 10 -2 6
8 Chezlot 7 1 0 6 6 11 -5 3

Champions: http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gth681k/ns/vephrall/CSA/Lowland/Middle Bektys.png MIDDLE BEKTYS

Northeast Conference

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Rascenass 7 4 1 2 14 9 5 13 C
2 Cimnersog 7 4 1 2 12 9 3 13
3 Northern Darnai 7 4 1 2 13 12 1 13
4 Till 7 3 2 2 10 9 1 11
5 Eastern Darnai 7 2 4 1 6 4 2 10
6 Healfat 7 3 1 3 11 12 -1 10
7 Sirinis 7 1 2 4 6 10 -4 5
8 South Sirinis 7 1 0 6 8 15 -7 3

Champions: http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gth681k/ns/vephrall/CSA/NEC/Rascenass.png RASCENASS

National Championship Tournament

First Round

The first round saw an unprecedented number of upsets, with only three higher-seeded teams advancing. This included a last-seed-over-first-seed matchup, with SWC champions Anhenir somehow taking down the best in the SCC.

#1 Twin Cities 0-0 #16 Anhenir (0-0 AET, Anhenir wins 4-1 on PKs)
#8 Sumbobor 0-2 #9 Riestre Tech
#5 Military 3-0 #12 Defae
#4 Shentarong 0-1 #13 North Bektys
#6 Southwestern 3-3 #11 Riestre (3-3 AET, Riestre wins 3-0 on PKs)
#3 Taeschand 0-0 #14 North Salle (1-1 AET, North Salle wins 4-1 on PKs)
#7 Fekliir State 2-1 #10 Southeastern
#2 Flaarickug 2-1 #15 Bektys Coastal

Quarterfinals

Who was Cinderella this year? Well, there seemed to be two very good candidates - North Bektys and North Salle, the 13th and 14th seeds respectively, would end up going through to the semifinals.

#16 Anhenir 1-3 #9 Riestre Tech
#5 Military 0-0 #13 North Bektys (0-0 AET, North Bektys wins 4-2 on PKs)
#11 Riestre 1-3 #14 North Salle
#7 Fekliir State 1-1 #2 Flaarickug (3-2 AET)

Semifinals

Analysts found themselves absolutely stunned after these matches. Where in the world had North Salle managed to pull a 4-0 win from? Not only was the 14th seed going to the final, they now looked like a great bet to defeat fellow finalists R-Tech.

#9 Riestre Tech 1-0 #13 North Bektys
#14 North Salle 4-0 #7 Fekliir State

Final

But Cindy couldn't quite take the whole shebang. They played Riestre Tech close, but the Midland runners-up weren't going to be content with second place again.

#9 Riestre Tech 2-1 #14 North Salle

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gth681k/ns/vephrall/CSA/Midland/Riestre Tech.png
RIESTRE TECH

And don't forget to check back Sunday as we look at the midpoint of the Vephraller Tririsec e Foutbill's 1755 season!

Kura-Pelland

22-03-2008, 01:41

http://i13.tinypic.com/6s7hw87.png

Matchday Thirty-Four: You can't write this stuff

OK, this final matchday requires telling as it happens, as reported on the NTV website by Kevin 'K-Lo' Longhurst.

----------------------------------

1259: Good afternoon. Ready for this? Two and a half hours to go. Last time I was this excited, Norbert Fiero was in nappies. Actually, I thought he still was. Anyway...

1303: ...his Assiri side entertain Deportivo del Arapucera, who now have to win to be sure. No ifs, no buts. If they don't win, they have to hope that both United Trilan and Parwood City also fail to win. Although a draw would take Parwood out of the equation. I'd forgotten they could still win this until yesterday when my mate reminded me.

1334: Latest odds from the exchanges; Depor 2.1, Trilan 2.3, Parwood 10. Hmm. Remember, for Trilan to take the title they need to win and hope Depor don't; for Parwood they need to win and hope that Depor lose and Trilan don't win. A Depor draw would be enough if Parwood win and Trilan don't, but if Depor lose they need both their rivals to draw or lose.

'This league's a fix. How else did CORderman, same kinda name as CORganen remember, score a goal? Depor were dominant and still didn't win, it's a fix.'
bigolemonster on SportChat

You want a conspiracy theory? Look back at any Curzek Rovers or Porterbridge City home game this season.

'Whateva happens let Adam stay!!!'
Matt, via text

Adam Williamson, I presume. He's been bloomin' good, yes.

1340: I can't help but think 10 on Parwood is too long. Presumably people are assuming United Trilan will get the job done against Grayton City Wolves, which means it comes down to Depor... ah, they're in at 8.5 now, with Trilan at 2.4.

[lots more ignored]

1500: You can't say they're not making the most of this. There's a live concert at the Roflcoptre Dome - soon to be hosting top-flight footy at last, as Fariynuff FC got promoted along with Delta Force Cardim and either Wulting or Tilsham Rovers - which is being beamed to all nine grounds. The crowd in Fariynuff are also being treated to the bizarre sight of screens showing all of the games. I can't see anyone watching Helma-Murley, can you?

1506: PUBLICITY COUP! Vinny Dallago is in the Roflcoptre Dome! Remember, his rap criticising the unfairness of this league is the WorldVision 5 entry.

> Dallago raps his way to WorldVision (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13527966&postcount=27)

1512: Team news: Fiero starts for Assiri, along with Le Tourneur.

1520: Ten minutes to go. I'll stick my neck out: Depor will do it. Assiri do have nothing to play for.

'Nothing but a few million in transfer value for Fiero... and they still have to protect 11th place and extra prize money'
gjthommo on SportChat

Yeah, but they've lost four in a row... as James and Jo Jo have pointed out by text.

1526: Final pre-match odds: Depor 2.1, Trilan 2.5, Parwood 7.75.

1530: Matches kick off simultaneously, literally.

1532: GOAL! AS Assiri 1-0 Deportivo del Arapucera
Disaster for Depor. Norbert Fiero picks the ball up 35 yards out, sidesteps Michael Modexa and as the defence close in on him, unleashes an absolute rocket that cannons in off the post. The worst possible start.

1534: GOAL! Parwood City 1-0 Curzek Rovers
Ramiro Novo scores in almost typical fashion for Parwood City, cutting in from the left before tucking a low shot into the corner with his right foot. As things stand - would you believe it - Parwood City will win the title.

'FIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRROOOOOO!!! GAME ON!!'
gorgeousgiorgio on SportChat

1539: RED CARD
United Trilan are now facing ten men. Lee Xin is sent off for a tackle on Graham Woburn. In all honesty it was the wrong colour card, but the 90,000-strong crowd at Shanvley sway the referee. Yet again.

'Whoever wins this title, it's tainted. That was the worst refereeing decision I've seen since... last week, probably.'
lathas on SportChat

1542: Irrelevant but Steve Hurston has scored his first goal for Porterbridge City, who lead 1-0 against fellow fall guys Achorpe Rovers. Parwood are suddenly being quoted at 3.5, as are Depor, with United Trilan favourites at 2.3. Anyone betting on Parwood at 10 must be laughing their heads off. And possibly laying them to seal in a profit.

'If you'd said nine days ago that Parwood City would win the title, I'd have laughed at you.'
Anon, via text

1544: GOAL! Parwood City 1-1 Curzek Rovers
Parwood City won't win the title if this is the end of it. Curley has curled in a cracker from the D, and Curzek Rovers are level at Parwood! As things stand, the trophy is indeed going to be flown to Assiri for Depor's collection.

1549: Kilu Shu is clean through on goal but is called offside. He probably wasn't. That's probably about the third big decision to go against a side playing at home all season, if you believe some people. Trilan now at 2.2, Parwood at 3.9, Depor at 3.4.

1552: GOAL! Harrington Lakeside 1-0 Yarzoya FC
The battle for fourth takes a twist. Gregorio Morales heads in a Zachary Pinkowski cross and the Candelariasian combo has put Lakeside in the lead at home to Yarzoya. They still need Bargoiten to do them a favour by winning in Prangren.

1553: GOAL! Parwood City 2-1 Curzek Rovers
Parwood are top again! Gellen's corner is headed in at the far post by Ramiro Novo. He's on 16 for the season, four short of last season's tally but he's been an incredible second fiddle to the breathtaking Bilú.

1555: What a chance. Rex Sandstrom is one-on-one and hits the bar. That, my friends, is panic. I wouldn't want to bet on Depor getting the win they need now. But if you want to, they're at 3.8... Trilan are at 2.5 and Parwood at 2.9. This is changing so fast I would check first, though...

'So much for this being our year...'
Michel, El Arapucera, via text

1600: Bit quiet in the big matches so just a chance to say that Iain Dean Menzel has made it 1-1 at Porterbridge. Wonder if he's looking to increase his sell-on value? His contract is rumoured to have a relegation release clause...

1601: It's not quiet now. Penalty to Parwood.

1602: PENALTY MISS
They give it to Bilú despite Novo being on a hat-trick... IT'S SAVED! Brilliant save from Ed Byrne, and Novo is furious!

'If I was Ramiro Novo, I'd be demanding a transfer back home.'
barkham-mad on SportChat

1604: It should be said that the tackle was probably just outside the box. That said, Stabham was very lucky to only get a yellow for it... it was high and from behind. Parwood drift to 3.1 and Depor are now at 3.7, with Trilan now at 2.4.

1606: GOAL! Harrington Lakeside 2-0 Yarzoya FC
Lakeside are keeping their end of the bargain, as Zachary Pinkowski's cross-shot wrong-foots Iain Woodley and makes it 2-0 at Walton Park. They now need a Bargoiten goal.

1610: Five minutes to half-time. As things stand, Parwood will be champions. Kevin Rotheroe just scored a brilliant 20-yard volley to make it 2-1 to Porterbridge in one of the irrelevant games.

1613: Odds update: Trilan 2.5, Parwood 3, Depor 3.7.

1616: GOAL! United Trilan 1-0 Grayton City Wolves
UNITED TRILAN TOP THE TABLE! Kilu Shu, who hasn't even played a whole season for the club, sends his club top for the first time all season with his 24th goal in 28 games - frankly an ugly goalmouth scramble but who cares? Game on now!

1617: GOAL! Harrington Lakeside 3-0 Yarzoya FC
Gregorio Morales' header effectively ends that match. Lakeside fans start chanting 'come on Bargoiten', for they still need them to beat Prangren Greens in order to change the destination of the priceless fourth spot.

1619: Phew! Half-time everywhere now, Corderman's scored against Club Virling if you care. As things stand, United Trilan will be champions, a point clear of Depor - who'd drop to third on goal difference - and Parwood. Prangren Greens, being held in a dire match by Bargoiten, will sneak fourth by a point, and we knew the bottom three a long time ago.

'Kilu Shu and Adam Williamson have turned the worst United Trilan side I can remember into invincibles. I'm loving it.'
united90 on SportChat

1622: Odds now: Trilan odds-on for the first time today at 1.9, Depor at 4.7 and Parwood at 3.7.

1625: 'Did anyone else think Depor should have had a penalty just before half time when Burnham tripped Pinto?'
Charlie, via text

Nope, a few of you have pointed that out. Just seen it and it doesn't look like a penalty to me. Not surprised you think it is though, we've seen softer ones given this season.

'Is this league title tainted?'
Michael, via text

No. Every home side has benefitted near enough equally. Except maybe Curzek and Porterbridge but they didn't benefit much did they?

1630: 'The real league table is the one of just away games. Depor are top, then Trilan, then Parwood, then Prangren, then Yarzoya, then Harrington a full nine points behind those. Please don't let Harrington come fourth, that's all I'll say.'
hawkstar39 on SportChat

Well that's one way to look at the refereeing scandals.

1632: We're back under way for the second half. Harrington need Bargoiten to do them a favour; Depor need to get back into this game against a side that, let's not forget, have lost their last four.

1636: GOAL! Parwood City 3-1 Curzek Rovers
Parwood have a cushion again, and Ramiro Novo has his hat-trick. Their hopes now lie with Assiri and the Wolves...

'Assiri are looking very good indeed. They are clearly desperate to avoid accusations of rolling over for Depor.'
thepinkelephant on SportChat

I never heard any hint of such allegations myself.

1640: Prangren Greens look like they've taken a priceless lead against Bargoiten but Chris Chenoweth hits the bar.

1642: Parwood have drifted in to 3.3, Depor are at 4.9, Trilan are at 2. That's evens to old-school punters.

1645: And that could have changed those odds totally. Leonard Pinto is left open in front of goal - or so it seems - but is brilliantly denied by a last-ditch tackle from Stephan Burnham.

1648: GOAL! Prangren Greens 0-1 FC Bargoiten
Oh my goodness that changes things. Daniel Dillimer shrugs off two challenges before slotting the ball firmly into the corner. As things stand, Lakeside will snatch fourth on goal difference.

1649: GOAL! Harrington Lakeside 4-0 Yarzoya FC
Just as the crowd were roaring their approval at a goal across the water from them, they get a goal right in front of their very eyes, Manuel Alfonso striking on a swift counter-attack. Lakeside have done their bit, and now pin their hopes on Bargoiten.

1651: GOAL! Prangren Greens 1-1 FC Bargoiten
Oh. Chris Chenoweth's header beats London at the near post and Prangren are back in fourth. Chenoweth has levelled with Justin Urquhart on 25 goals for the season.

'Who else thinks Depor should have hung on for a point against Neegera at the end? We'd have taken Parwood out of the equation that way.'
sandstromsrightpeg on SportChat

1653: GOAL! AS Assiri 2-0 Deportivo del Arapucera
Oh my goodness. Stephan Burnham is left completely and utterly unmarked in the six-yard box to score the easiest of headers from a corner. Depor's fate is looking completely out of their hands - they have to score three to change that, and that ain't happening the way they're playing now. I must say, sandstromsrightpeg might be onto something...

'If Depor had got the point there, they'd now only need a draw, and even a loss would leave them only relying on Trilan. As it is, they're going to have to rely on Parwood as well - and I can't see them throwing this away.'
shortie49 on SportChat

Hmm. You can't blame them for trying to win it at the first attempt as it were. But will this come back to haunt them?

1656: If Grayton City Wolves get a point or three from Shanvley, yes it will. Steve Jackson came perilously close for the ten-man visitors there. United Trilan really aren't posing enough threat against ten men considering the title's on the line - could they possibly blow it at the last?

1658: The exchanges now say: Trilan 1.7, Parwood 3.7, Depor 7. That's a tad generous for Depor, as they need either three goals themselves or for Curzek to get three away from home, or Depor to get two and the Wolves one. Ain't happening.

1700: GOAL! Prangren Greens 2-1 FC Bargoiten
Meanwhile in the battle for fourth, a priceless strike from Chris Chenoweth, playing an excellent one-two with Hoborough before easily tucking the ball away into the corner. Across the water, Walton Park is silenced. Justin Urquhart hit the bar but the home fans aren't even thinking about that. Gotta love the last day...

1702: Norbert Fiero nearly makes it three but is excellently denied by Marty Ilin in the Depor goal. Depor don't deserve to win the title on this display.

1704: Penalty to Prangren.

1705: GOAL! Prangren Greens 3-1 FC Bargoiten
As if he'd heard what happened in Parwood earlier, Chris Chenoweth insists on taking the penalty himself, and duly smashes it into the top corner. Champions' Cup football looks set to come to Greens Park next season. It's Chenoweth's 27th goal this season. Unbelievable.

1707: Just under fifteen minutes plus stoppages to go. Depor need three goals to go in their favour, have just bought on Daniel Avila and St Samuelese misfit Niassidia and are now quoted at 10.5. United Trilan need to hang on against ten-man Grayton City Wolves, they're 1.6. Parwood are cruising against Curzek Rovers and their hopes are pinned elsewhere, they're 3.5.

'Against a three-man defence, we should go for a second.'
Graham, Trilan, via text

1709: GOAL! United Trilan 1-1 Grayton City Wolves
No choice now! Travis Weaver's through pass into the channel catches out the Trilan offside trap and Steve Jackson does the rest. Shanvley is silenced. Barkham goes bonkers. As of right now, Parwood City are champions. Unbelievable.

'I believe Graham is an expert in what we call 'tempting fate'...'
mysticmug492 on SportChat.

1711: Curzek Rovers were just building a nice move when news broke of the Wolves goal. To hear the home fans go mental as the away side were starting an attack that nearly led to a goal was surreal. Even bigger cheers when Bobby Jinera eventually shot straight at Timothy Acalet. Depor are still 10.5, but Parwood are now 2.1, with Trilan 2.3. Wow. Just wow.

1713: RED CARD
That, my friends, is the end of Deportivo's title challenge. Substitute Avila is sent off for a ridiculous tackle on Giorgio Messini, high and from behind.

'Parwood City were six points down with two games to go. How did Depor blow it so badly?'
Keith, via text

How did Trilan fail to take advantage after looking invincible? Or is it premature to say that? Six minutes plus stoppages left...

1716: United Trilan bring on Henry Thomas and Danny Ibbetson. We all know Adam Williamson doesn't rate Danny Ibbetson much... this is desperation time.

1717: Oh my god. Adam Williamson nearly pulled off one more tactical coup. Thomas storms unopposed down the left, his cross is only half-cleared by Nelly Touniema, and Ibbetson snatches onto the rebound - and hits the bar. Something tells me this is Parwood's day.

1719: Just a mention for the other games. Jean Lascelles has done it again and scored two late goals from the bench to give Club Virling the lead at Neegera; Achorpe levelled ages ago through Menzel, and Helma-Murley and Sorbridge-Marthley are 0-0. The Helma game drew a league record low crowd of 6,792. That's nearly seven thousand too many if you ask me.

1721: Into stoppage time. Three minutes at Barkham Park, four minutes at Shanvley (greeted by massive cheers), three minutes at Northenden. Not that it matters at Northenden anymore - oh hang on! Penalty to Depor!

1722: PENALTY MISS
And that does it. Rex Sandstrom's penalty hits the bar. As, no doubt, do Depor's fans.

1723: Ibbetson hits the bar again! And Fedde Jeffrey makes an amazing save as Kilu Shu looked set for the rebound... Trilan are being denied by amazing twists of fate.

1724: GOAL! Parwood City 4-1 Curzek Rovers
Ramiro Novo gets his fourth, but the party can't start yet...

1724: FULL-TIME - AS Assiri 2-0 Deportivo del Arapucera

1725: FULL-TIME - Parwood City 4-1 Curzek Rovers

1725: Another brilliant save from Fedde Jeffrey! This time it's Graham Woburn denied from eight yards...

1726: FULL-TIME - United Trilan 1-1 Grayton City Wolves
And that's it! Parwood City's hero didn't even play for them - it was Grayton City Wolves goalkeeper Fedde Jeffrey, making two brilliant saves to deny United Trilan a second straight title victory.

PARWOOD CITY WIN THE CORGANEN CHAMPIONSHIP

'Just reading this on my PDA, you are kidding right?'
Matty, Jhanna, Starblaydia, via email

1730: Of course, this means no helicopter flight so the presentation can start quickly. Thank goodness!

---------

AFC Neegera 1 Club Virling 2 (Corderman 45; Lascelles 82 and 88)
AS Assiri 2 Deportivo del Arapucera 0 (Fiero 2, Burnham 65)
FC Helma 1495 0 Murley City 0
Harrington Lakeside 4 Yarzoya FC 0 (Morales 21 and 45+1, Pinkowski 36, Alfonso 60)
Parwood City 4 Curzek Rovers 1 (Novo 4, 23, 48 and 90+3; Curley 14)
Porterbridge City 2 Achorpe Rovers 2 (Hurston 12, Rotheroe 40; Menzel 23 and 50)
Prangren Greens 3 FC Bargoiten 1 (Chenoweth 62, 70 and pen 75; Dillimer 59)
Sorbridge Soccer Storm 0 Marthley Rovers 0
United Trilan 1 Grayton City Wolves 1 (Shu 45+1; Jackson 81)

---------

Pos Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1 Parwood City 34 20 6 8 73 45 28 66
--------------------------------------------------------------
2 Deportivo del Arapucera 34 21 3 10 54 33 21 66
3 United Trilan 34 18 11 5 57 29 28 65
4 Prangren Greens 34 19 7 8 57 46 11 64
--------------------------------------------------------------
5 Harrington Lakeside 34 18 7 9 56 36 20 61
6 Yarzoya FC 34 15 10 9 56 48 8 55
7 Grayton City Wolves 34 14 8 12 46 33 13 50
8 Curzek Rovers 34 15 5 14 58 56 2 50
9 FC Bargoiten 34 14 5 15 56 53 3 47
10 AFC Neegera 34 13 7 14 55 56 -1 46
11 AS Assiri 34 13 6 15 33 45 -12 45
12 Sorbridge Soccer Storm 34 11 8 15 27 36 -9 41
13 Club Virling 34 9 13 12 39 51 -12 40
14 Murley City 34 11 6 17 40 45 -5 39
15 Marthley Rovers 34 9 10 15 27 43 -16 37
--------------------------------------------------------------
16 Achorpe Rovers 34 8 4 22 31 50 -19 28
17 FC Helma 1495 34 7 6 21 32 62 -30 27
18 Porterbridge City 34 6 8 20 30 60 -30 26

Post-season post to come...

New Manhattan

22-03-2008, 06:08

http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/logos/eliteleague/

2143 Élite League
The Panthers were superglued to the top of the table this season, having held it continuously since matchday 2, in a performance reminiscent of their earlier days. They and Yuba United automatically secured spots in next year’s Champions Cup, joining last year’s qualifiers South Coast, High Mountain, Black Oasis, and Lexington. Since South Coast and Black Oasis finished in the top four in both seasons, Qidade Savana additionally qualified as the fifth-placed team from this season. Savana also finished fifth last year, so this year’s sixth team, Dusanto, earned the final spot. Lexington seemed to get caught up in their preparations for international competition, as they only escaped relegation by a single point, and only because Yuba held Syoko to a draw on the final matchday.
Rk Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Sonoma Center Panthers COM 34 21 5 8 77 53 24 68 Tournoi IRC/TQCC
2 South Coast United JSY 34 18 9 7 45 24 21 63 TQCC
3 Yuba United COM 34 19 5 10 53 28 25 62 TQCC
4 Black Oasis Athletic COM 34 18 8 8 49 27 22 62 TQCC
5 Qidade Savana JSY 34 17 9 8 84 64 20 60 TQCC
6 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī JSY 34 16 9 9 49 42 7 57 TQCC
7 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK COM 34 13 8 13 60 62 -2 47
8 High Mountain Buffalo JSY 34 12 10 12 34 36 -2 46 TQCC
9 Jackson FC COM 34 10 14 10 32 33 -1 44
10 San Solari FC COM 34 12 7 15 37 46 -9 43
11 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī JSY 34 11 8 15 36 53 -17 41
12 San Diego Iguanas COM 34 10 11 13 48 46 2 41
13 Carter FC JSY 34 10 11 13 37 41 -4 41
14 Heidelstadt Falken JSY 34 8 12 14 34 44 -10 36
15 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen COM 34 9 5 20 41 58 -17 32
16 Lexington FC JSY 34 6 14 14 35 54 -19 32 TQCC
17 Syoko Poggyūggijī COM 34 5 16 13 23 35 -12 31 Relegated
18 Natestadt Nationalisten COM 34 6 9 19 26 54 -28 27 Relegated

2143 Élite League Two
League 2 North
Rk Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Naquada Falls Demons JSY 34 24 5 5 70 30 40 77 Promoted
2 Medoria Löwen COM 34 22 8 4 72 37 35 74
3 Aeropag Penguins COM 34 22 3 9 59 31 28 69
4 New Haverford Albion JSY 34 18 12 4 46 25 21 66
5 Humai Titans JSY 34 16 8 10 46 36 10 56
6 Noka Mariners JSY 34 16 7 11 38 32 6 55
7 Graceville Salamanders JSY 34 13 11 10 31 29 2 50
8 Teʼyaçu Joŋlyugijī COM 34 12 8 14 36 43 -7 44
9 Griffin Zebras JSY 34 11 8 15 35 42 -7 41
10 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī JSY 34 10 11 13 28 27 1 41
11 Jamaica Giants JSY 34 11 7 16 36 40 -4 40
12 Keto Lodīlūnajī JSY 34 11 5 18 55 74 -19 38
13 Musketiere Twintown JSY 34 10 7 17 22 38 -16 37
14 KQ Sirto COM 34 9 8 17 41 56 -15 35
15 Lolestu CK COM 34 7 13 14 18 31 -13 34
16 Sonoma City Volcanoes COM 34 9 6 19 49 70 -21 33 Relegated
17 Nyendoli ʼYoŋjī JSY 34 6 11 17 21 42 -21 29 Relegated
18 Forest Hill FC JSY 34 5 10 19 23 43 -20 25 Relegated

League 2 South
Rk Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Cordubovica Falcons COM 34 19 10 5 61 34 27 67 Promoted
2 Querzakhi United COM 34 18 9 7 37 22 15 63
3 New Hampton Terrapins JSY 34 17 10 7 63 34 29 61
4 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana COM 34 16 12 6 58 31 27 60
5 Seansburgh Cougars COM 34 13 14 7 48 35 13 53
6 Kitsilano Konquerors COM 34 13 11 10 31 22 9 50
7 Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι COM 34 10 20 4 38 27 11 50
8 Südtolzerio Kreuzfahrer JSY 34 12 12 10 57 51 6 48
9 ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī COM 34 13 8 13 35 40 -5 47
10 Eintracht Maastricht JSY 34 13 7 14 48 53 -5 46
11 Portland Safari JSY 34 12 8 14 45 55 -10 44
12 Werd Beachcombers COM 34 10 10 14 33 32 1 40
13 Alexandria Porcupines JSY 34 9 13 12 17 22 -5 40
14 Midway Wolves COM 34 8 13 13 30 48 -18 37
15 Commerce Heights T’birds COM 34 9 9 16 48 64 -16 36
16 Dennis Bears COM 34 8 11 15 29 42 -13 35 Relegated
17 Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen JSY 34 5 12 17 25 50 -25 27 Relegated
18 Floral FC JSY 34 5 3 26 55 96 -41 18 Relegated

2143 Élite League Three promotees
League 3/A: Sokojito Dosi Dalamjwijī (JSY)
League 3/B: Chorion Bluffs Knights (COM)
League 3/C: Dawson Springs FC (COM)
League 3/D: Kagoshima Phoenix (COM)
League 3/E: Ἄργος ΛΠ (COM)
League 3/F: Lexington Firefoxes (COM)

2143 Élite League Cup
With the expansion of the Élite League, the League Cup will see a new format. League Three teams (except four of the relegatees from League Two) enter in the first round, League Two teams in the second round, and League One teams in the third round. The final has been moved from the Überdome to Holmes Stadium.

Third Round
(L2S) ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī 4–0 Prontera Bulldogs (3/A)
(CEL) South Coast United 2–2 Jamaica Giants (L2N)
(CEL) Black Oasis Athletic 6–0 Κδρεδίκας Πόλη (3/F)
(CEL) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī 4–0 Lexington FC (CEL)
(L2N) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī 0–1 Humai Titans (L2N)
(L2S) KQ Nepáïire Tingitana 1–2 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK (CEL)
(CEL) Carter FC 0–4 Qidade Savana (CEL)
(3/B) SV Klütz 0–2 Natestadt Nationalisten (CEL)
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken 7–0 Χίλεστ Ἐνωμένος (3/E)
(CEL) San Diego Iguanas 1–2 Eintracht Maastricht (L2S)
(3/C) Canton United 0–3 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (CEL)
(L2N) Nyendoli ʼYoŋjī 0–0 Graceville Salamanders (L2N)
(L2N) Teʼyaçu Joŋlyugijī 0–2 Querzakhi United (L2S)
(L2N) New Haverford Albion 8–0 Eintracht Südtolzerio (3/D)
(3/D) 1. FC Fredricksburg 0–2 Syoko Poggyūggijī (CEL)
(3/C) KQ Internepáïire 0–4 San Solari FC (CEL)
(CEL) Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen 4–0 RKA Warriors (3/F)
(3/A) Goʼyaŋ CK 2–2 SpVgg Königstadt (3/B)
(CEL) Jackson FC 4–0 SK Fjordalen (3/B)
(L2N) Naquada Falls Demons 2–0 Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι (L2S)
(L2S) New Hampton Terrapins 2–1 Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen (L2S)
(L2N) Medoria Löwen 2–0 Musketiere Twintown (L2N)
(L2S) Alexandria Porcupines 2–2 High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)
(3/C) SV Metrewalk 1–2 Keto Kanaliʼajī (3/A)
(3/F) Lexington Firefoxes 0–10 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)
(L2S) Cordubovica Falcons 1–0 Noka Mariners (L2N)
(L2N) Lolestu CK 0–0 Syoko Bīlluʼwiŋjī (3/D)
(CEL) Yuba United 4–0 SV Sorastadt (3/B)
(L2S) Dennis Bears 0–0 Kitsilano Konquerors (L2S)
(L2S) Südtolzerio Kreuzfahrer 6–0 Blauplanet Krieger (3/B)
(L2S) Portland Safari 3–4 Keto Lodīlūnajī (L2N)
(L2S) Commerce Heights T’birds 6–0 Sokojito Dosi Dalamjwijī (3/A)

Third Round Replays
(L2N) Jamaica Giants 2–1 South Coast United (CEL)
(L2N) Graceville Salamanders 1–1 Nyendoli ʼYoŋjī (L2N)
Extra time: 2–2
Penalty kicks: 1–4
(3/B) SpVgg Königstadt 0–3 Goʼyaŋ CK (3/A)
(L2S) Alexandria Porcupines 0–0 High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 5–4
(3/D) Syoko Bīlluʼwiŋjī 0–3 Lolestu CK (L2N)
(L2S) Kitsilano Konquerors 1–0 Dennis Bears (L2S)

Fourth Round
(L2S) ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī 3–0 Jamaica Giants (L2N)
(CEL) Black Oasis Athletic 3–2 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (CEL)
(L2N) Humai Titans 4–2 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK (CEL)
(CEL) Qidade Savana 1–0 Natestadt Nationalisten (CEL)
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken 3–2 Eintracht Maastricht (L2S)
(CEL) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī 1–0 Nyendoli ʼYoŋjī (L2N)
(L2S) Querzakhi United 1–0 New Haverford Albion (L2N)
(CEL) Syoko Poggyūggijī 2–0 San Solari FC (CEL)
(CEL) Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen 6–1 Goʼyaŋ CK (3/A)
(CEL) Jackson FC 2–1 Naquada Falls Demons (L2N)
(L2S) New Hampton Terrapins 0–0 Medoria Löwen (L2N)
(L2S) Alexandria Porcupines 3–0 Keto Kanaliʼajī (3/A)
(CEL) Sonoma Center Panthers 1–1 Cordubovica Falcons (L2S)
(L2N) Lolestu CK 0–2 Yuba United (CEL)
(L2S) Kitsilano Konquerors 1–0 Südtolzerio Kreuzfahrer (L2S)
(L2N) Keto Lodīlūnajī 2–2 Commerce Heights T’birds (L2S)

Fourth Round Replays
(L2N) Medoria Löwen 0–4 New Hampton Terrapins (L2S)
(L2S) Cordubovica Falcons 1–2 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)
(L2S) Commerce Heights T’birds 4–3 Keto Lodīlūnajī (L2N)

Fifth Round
(L2S) ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī 1–0 Black Oasis Athletic (CEL)
(L2N) Humai Titans 4–0 Qidade Savana (CEL)
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken 2–3 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (CEL)
(L2S) Querzakhi United 0–0 Syoko Poggyūggijī (CEL)
(CEL) Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen 0–2 Jackson FC (CEL)
(L2S) New Hampton Terrapins 2–0 Alexandria Porcupines (L2S)
(CEL) Sonoma Center Panthers 1–2 Yuba United (CEL)
(L2S) Kitsilano Konquerors 0–1 Commerce Heights T’birds (L2S)

Fifth Round Replay
(CEL) Syoko Poggyūggijī 1–0 Querzakhi United (L2S)

Quarterfinals
(L2S) ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī 1–0 Humai Titans (L2N)
(CEL) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī 0–1 Syoko Poggyūggijī (CEL)
(CEL) Jackson FC 0–2 New Hampton Terrapins (L2S)
(CEL) Yuba United 6–1 Commerce Heights T’birds (L2S)

Semifinals
(L2S) ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī 0–1 Syoko Poggyūggijī (CEL)
(L2S) New Hampton Terrapins 1–4 Yuba United (CEL)

Final
(CEL) Syoko Poggyūggijī 0–0 Yuba United (CEL)
Extra time: 0–0
Penalty kicks: 2–4

2143 TechConGroup Cup
In the new TechConGroup cup format, the top forty-seven SLANI teams will have a bye to the third round, while the other thirty-four league teams will face the winners from the qualifying rounds in the first round. Like the League Cup, the final will be played at Holmes Stadium.

Third Round
(L2S) Kitsilano Konquerors 2–0 SpVgg Tolzerio (3/D)
(3/F) Konduli Sanʼyaŋjī 0–0 FC Glückstadt (3/C)
Extra time: 1–0
(3/F) Florence Opera 0–1 Lolestu CK (L2N)
(L2S) ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī 1–1 Jackson FC (CEL)
Extra time: 1–2
(L2S) KQ Nepáïire Tingitana 4–0 SpVgg Königstadt (3/B)
(L2S) Dennis Bears 1–4 San Solari FC (CEL)
(3/F) Χιχή Ἐνωμένος 0–2 Keto Kanaliʼajī (3/A)
(L2N) Sonoma City Volcanoes 2–0 Prontera Bulldogs (3/A)
(3/B) Cambridge Pioniere 0–3 San Diego Iguanas (CEL)
(3/E) KQ Krotas 0–3 Yuba United (CEL)
(3/E) Tallahassee FC 2–0 Santa Monica FC (—)
(3/D) 1. FC Fredricksburg 0–1 Navarre Town (3/C)
(3/F) RKA Warriors 0–1 Dyaçyi ʼYumonminjī (3/A)
(3/A) Muroran United 1–0 Dawson Springs FC (3/C)
(CEL) Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK 2–1 Werd Beachcombers (L2S)
(CEL) Black Oasis Athletic 5–0 Laniuq Explorers (3/B)
(CEL) Syoko Poggyūggijī 5–0 Linsug Dosi CK (—)
(3/E) Ἄργος ΛΠ 3–0 SV Veernan (3/D)
(3/C) Pine Village FC 0–0 Esto Wanderers (3/E)
Extra time: 0–1
(3/E) Jonloli Gyūlhabdwen 3–3 KQ Sirto (L2N)
Extra time: 4–3
(L2S) Querzakhi United 3–0 Verona FC (3/E)
(L2S) Commerce Heights T’birds 11–1 Bucks Lake Athletic (—)
(L2S) Cordubovica Falcons 4–0 Χίλεστ Ἐνωμένος (3/E)
(3/A) Port-au-Honey Hive 0–3 KQ Internepáïire (3/C)
(3/D) Groitzsch Stiere 1–3 Midway Wolves (L2S)
(CEL) Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen 5–0 New Seoul Cougars (3/F)
(L2S) Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι 1–1 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)
Extra time: 2–1
(—) Justus Loons 0–11 Medoria Löwen (L2N)
(3/B) Chorion Bluffs Knights 0–3 Aeropag Penguins (L2N)
(3/A) Tidus Gaŋçūl 1–1 Kagoshima Phoenix (3/D)
Extra time: 1–2
(CEL) Natestadt Nationalisten 3–0 Goʼyaŋ CK (3/A)
(L2S) Seansburgh Cougars 1–2 Teʼyaçu Joŋlyugijī (L2N)

Fourth Round
(L2S) Kitsilano Konquerors 2–1 Konduli Sanʼyaŋjī (3/F)
(L2N) Lolestu CK 0–0 Jackson FC (CEL)
Extra time: 0–1
(L2S) KQ Nepáïire Tingitana 3–2 San Solari FC (CEL)
(3/A) Keto Kanaliʼajī 1–3 Sonoma City Volcanoes (L2N)
(CEL) San Diego Iguanas 0–1 Yuba United (CEL)
(3/E) Tallahassee FC 1–3 Navarre Town (3/C)
(3/A) Dyaçyi ʼYumonminjī 2–1 Muroran United (3/A)
(CEL) Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK 1–1 Black Oasis Athletic (CEL)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 2–4
(CEL) Syoko Poggyūggijī 2–0 Ἄργος ΛΠ (3/E)
(3/E) Esto Wanderers 0–2 Jonloli Gyūlhabdwen (3/E)
(L2S) Querzakhi United 3–0 Commerce Heights T’birds (L2S)
(L2S) Cordubovica Falcons 0–0 KQ Internepáïire (3/C)
Extra time: 2–0
(L2S) Midway Wolves 1–0 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (CEL)
(L2S) Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι 1–0 Medoria Löwen (L2N)
(L2N) Aeropag Penguins 3–0 Kagoshima Phoenix (3/D)
(CEL) Natestadt Nationalisten 0–1 Teʼyaçu Joŋlyugijī (L2N)

Fifth Round
(L2S) Kitsilano Konquerors 1–0 Jackson FC (CEL)
(L2S) KQ Nepáïire Tingitana 1–3 Sonoma City Volcanoes (L2N)
(CEL) Yuba United 3–0 Navarre Town (3/C)
(3/A) Dyaçyi ʼYumonminjī 1–0 Black Oasis Athletic (CEL)
(CEL) Syoko Poggyūggijī 3–1 Jonloli Gyūlhabdwen (3/E)
(L2S) Querzakhi United 0–2 Cordubovica Falcons (L2S)
(L2S) Midway Wolves 0–0 Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι (L2S)
Extra time: 0–0
Penalty kicks: 0–3
(L2N) Aeropag Penguins 3–0 Teʼyaçu Joŋlyugijī (L2N)

Quarterfinals
(L2S) Kitsilano Konquerors 1–0 Sonoma City Volcanoes (L2N)
(CEL) Yuba United 7–0 Dyaçyi ʼYumonminjī (3/A)
(CEL) Syoko Poggyūggijī 1–2 Cordubovica Falcons (L2S)
(L2S) Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι 1–2 Aeropag Penguins (L2N)

Semifinals
(L2S) Kitsilano Konquerors 0–1 Yuba United (CEL)
(L2S) Cordubovica Falcons 1–0 Aeropag Penguins (L2N)

Final
(CEL) Yuba United 3–2 Cordubovica Falcons (L2S)

자스연 컵 (Jasīʼyūn Kūb)
The format of the Jasīʼyūn Kūb is designed to be extremely harsh to lower teams, allowing larger profits to be made from the later rounds. Most League Three teams enter in the first round; all but one League Two team and remaining League Three teams enter in the third. The seven teams that make it through the fifth round join the top nine teams in the sixth round.
Sixth Round
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken 1–2 High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)
(CEL) High Mountain Buffalo (5) 3–1 (2) Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)

(L2N) Graceville Salamanders 1–0 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (CEL)
(CEL) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (0) 0–1 (2) Graceville Salamanders (L2N)

(L2N) Noka Mariners 2–0 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (CEL)
(CEL) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (2) 2–0 (2) Noka Mariners (L2N)
Extra time: (3) 3–0 (2)

(L2N) Musketiere Twintown 1–2 Qidade Savana (CEL)
(CEL) Qidade Savana (3) 1–0 (1) Musketiere Twintown (L2N)

(CEL) Lexington FC 0–0 Naquada Falls Demons (L2N)
(L2N) Naquada Falls Demons (5) 5–3 (3) Lexington FC (CEL)

(L2S) Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen 2–2 Carter FC (CEL)
(CEL) Carter FC (4) 2–1 (3) Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen (L2S)

(L2N) Griffin Zebras 0–1 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (L2N)
(L2N) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (2) 1–1 (1) Griffin Zebras (L2N)

(CEL) South Coast United 2–1 Jamaica Giants (L2N)
(L2N) Jamaica Giants (1) 0–1 (3) South Coast United (CEL)

Quarterfinals
(CEL) High Mountain Buffalo 1–0 Graceville Salamanders (L2N)
(L2N) Graceville Salamanders (1) 1–1 (2) High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)

(CEL) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī 2–1 Qidade Savana (CEL)
(CEL) Qidade Savana (2) 1–2 (4) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (CEL)

(L2N) Naquada Falls Demons 0–1 Carter FC (CEL)
(CEL) Carter FC (2) 1–1 (1) Naquada Falls Demons (L2N)

(L2N) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī 0–0 South Coast United (CEL)
(CEL) South Coast United (1) 1–1 (1) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (L2N)
Away goals: 0–1

Semifinals
(CEL) High Mountain Buffalo 2–1 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (CEL)
(CEL) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (1) 0–2 (4) High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)

(CEL) Carter FC 0–1 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (L2N)
(L2N) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (3) 2–1 (1) Carter FC (CEL)

Final
(CEL) High Mountain Buffalo 1–0 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (L2N)
(L2N) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (0) 0–3 (4) High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)

Errinundera

22-03-2008, 17:23

Arcane facts about the Errinundera Football Association that you never realised you needed to know.

1. The EFA is currently into its 37th season of competition. That doesn’t seem like much but, with 4 years between premierships, it’s just over 144 years since the first kick off.

2. No-one is sure why the competition occurs every four years but it is suspected that two factors are involved:
a) a desire to keep in sync with the NationStates World Cup (even though Errinundera competes intermittently); and
b) the relaxed nature of Errinundrian organisation discouraging four competitions between World Cups.

3. The Association has member teams from all ten provinces, however, as a general rule, the more northerly or easterly a team is located, the more successful they are.

4. The exception that proves rule 3 is Rodger River, located in, you guessed it, the south-west.

5. Teams from the three most north-easterly provinces, Deddick, Delegate and Plateau, have won 28 of the 36 premierships.

6. In the current season, teams from these provinces hold the top six places in the Premier League.

7. The EFA consists of two divisions, each of twenty teams – the Premier League and the Second Division. Three teams are relegated / promoted between the two divisions.

8. Three teams are also relegated / promoted between the Second Division and the Provincial Leagues.

9. The Provincial Leagues are independent of the Association. A condition of / reward for promotion is membership of the EFA.

10. 58 teams have competed in the 37 seasons. 41 of the teams have played at least one season in the Premier League. This indicates that there is a considerable barrier between the Second Division and the Provincial Leagues.

11. Only two teams have played in all 37 seasons in the Premier League: First Creek Falls and McKillops Bridge. Falls Folk like to point out that the Kingfishers forfeited 18 games in 2103, thus only First Creek Falls have competed in all possible 1,368 games prior to the current season.

12. Fans of Ootopia and Forest Shining claim their teams have also played all 1,368 Premier League games. Ootopia was formed in 2107 from the amalgamation of Fanny Moo, Cobb Hill and Lilly Pilly Creek. Although Cobb Hill and Lilly Pilly Creek have histories of relegation and promotion, Fanny Moo played in every Premier League season up until the amalgamation and Ootopia has played in every one since.

13. Similarly, Forest Shining was formed from Rooty Break, Goonmirk Rocks and Sassafras Basin in 2115. Rooty Break and Forest Shining have, likewise, between them, played in every Premier League season.

14. Monkeytop United was formed in 2011 as a representative team for the entire Monkeytop district, including the villages of Monkeytop and Big Tree Camp which had Premier League Teams in all previous seasons of the EFA. Monkeytop United was relegated for the first time last season, finally ending their perfect record.

15. Ellery Camp, Rodger River and Mount Ellery and have each played every season bar one in the Premier League. Their stints in the Second Division were in 2055, 2059 and 2135 respectively. Monkeytop United will join this select band in 2143.

16. Bonang and Milosis both arrived in the Premier League for the first time in 2011, ie the fourth season of the Association. Neither team has been relegated since. Milosis was runners-up in their first season and won the Premiership in their second. Bonang took a little longer, winning Premierships in their fifth and sixth seasons, however they have been more successful overall.

17. McKillops Bridge has been the most successful team, winning the Premiership 9 times, ie a quarter of all titles, and coming second 11 times. In over half the seasons they have been either first or second. Their lowest end of season position was 9th in 2115.

18. The following teams have reached the Premier League from the Provincial Leagues, via the Second Division: Deddick, Pinnak, Three Sisters, Puggaree and Jackson Crossing. Of these Deddick, Puggaree and Jackson Crossing are currently in the Premier League. For Jackson Crossing it is their first season in the Premier League.

19. The following teams have fallen into the Provincial Leagues after appearing in the Premier League: Little Plains, Coast Range, Seldom Seen, Pinnak, Yalmy and Goolengook. For Pinnak it was a case of returning from whence they came.

20. Former Premier League team Cobb Hill earned a place in the Provincial Leagues for 2107 but amalgamated with Lilly Pilly Creek and Fanny Moo to be part of the Premier League team, Ootopia.

21. Where are they today? The fate of the inaugural twenty Premier League Teams from 1999. (Note: the 37th season – 2143 - is currently under way.)

Ellery Camp: Played in 36 of 37 Premier League seasons, last season were 13th in the PL, have won 3 Premier League cups.
McKillops Bridge: 37/37 PL, ult PL 4th, 9 cups
First Creek Falls: 37/37 PL, ult PL 15th (their equal worst ever), 5 cups
Mount Ellery: 36/37 PL, ult PL 16th, 1 cup
Big Tree Camp: 3/37 PL, nil cups, high PL 5th, amalgamated into Monkeytop United
Waratah Flat: 19/37 PL, ult Second Division 3rd (promoted), nil cups, high PL 6th
Monkeytop: 3/37 PL, nil cups, high PL 7th, amalgamated into Monkeytop United
Goonmirk Rocks: 27/37 PL, nil cups, high PL 4th, amalgamated into Forest Shining
Kanooka Creek: 14/37 PL, ult SD 5th, nil cups, high PL 7th
Bemm River: 33/37 PL, ult PL 11th, nil cups, high PL 4th
Fanny Moo: 27/37 PL, amalgamated into Ootopia, as Fanny Moo 2 cups
Seldom Seen: 9/37 PL, ult Upper Snowy League, nil cups, high PL 12th
Goongerah: 25/37 PL, ult SD 13th, nil cups, high PL 2nd
Wulgulmerang: 19/37 PL, ult PL 19th (relegated), nil cups, high PL 9th
Rodger River: 36/37 PL, ult PL 9th, 1 cup
Yalmy: 7/37 PL, ult SD 16th, nil cups, high PL 4th, at risk of relegation to the Rodger Wilderness League
Rooty Break: 29/37 PL, amalgamated into Forest Shining, as Rooty Break 1 cup
Sassafras Basin: 17/37 PL, amalgamated into Forest Shining, nil cups, high PL 9th
Combienbar: 3/37 PL, ult SD 17th, nil cups, high PL 17th, at risk of relegation to the Bemm & Plateau Base League
Goolengook: 11/37 PL, not fielding a team currently, nil cups, high PL 6th

PL = Premier League; SD = Second Division

21. Summary

7 teams are in the Premier League
5 teams are in the Second Division
6 teams no longer exist in the same form
1 team is in the Provincial Leagues
1 team is apparently defunct

22. Big Tree Camp, Waratah Flat, Monkeytop and Seldom Seen had their best ever results in that inaugural season.

23. Teams formed from the ashes of inaugural teams have won the following cups: Monkeytop United 2, Ootopia 1, Forest Shining 1

Qazox

23-03-2008, 06:21

QFL 1926 REPORT

Rockport AC wins its 2nd QFL title in three seasons by a comfortable 5 points over Deportivo Iguana, as Lorax City gets relegated for the first time since 1910, while in Division Deux, New Recife offically joins the top tier for the first time in over a quarter of a century (1900), by dominating the second tier for most of the season. Fort Lee, in only its second season, finished with a strong 7-0-1 record over the last month to claim second place in a close race that saw 8 teams finish within 4 points of each other between 2nd and 9th.

The league reduced the schedule from 26 games to 24, with each team facing every team in the Division twice, eliminating the so-called "Derby matches", as the league deemed the extra two matches "unneccessary".

DIVISION UNE FINAL STANDINGS
QFL CHAMPION
Relegated
TEAM W-D-L PTS
Rockport AC 16-1-7 49
Deportivo Iguana 14-2-8 44
Fromburg Aston 11-5-8 38
FC Fromburg 11-4-9 37
SaxerVilla 10-5-9 35
Vogg United 11-1-12 34
Qazox City 10-3-11 33
Iguana de Mia 9-6-9 33
Chivas Saxer 8-5-13 31
Bruxen AC 9-3-12 30
Pika City 8-6-10 30
Real Qazox 9-1-14 28
Lorax City 8-1-15 25

DIVISION DEUX FINAL STANDINGS
Promoted
TEAM W-D-L PTS
New Recife 14-3-7 45
Fort Lee 12-3-9 39
Saint Nash 13-2-9 38
InterRockport 11-5-8 38
Lake Porter City 11-5-8 38
Las Vitas 12-1-11 37
Graverville 11-3-10 36
New Bruxen 11-2-11 35
San Guano 10-5-9 35
Yorkshire 8-4-12 28
Kibbutz 8-2-14 26
Gothika 7-3-14 24
Joehio Ajax 6-6-12 24

QAZOX CUP RESULTS
Just before the beginning of the QAZOX CUP, the league presidents decide to have a single-elimination tourney, with a two-leg final, instead of the previously mentioned 2-leg elimination rounds and single match final. Real Qazox won its first Cup since 1900 beating New Bruxen, who made its first Cup final ever, by an aggregate of 3-0 (2-0 home, 1-0 away).

(Home teams listed first, winners in BOLD)
FIRST ROUND
FC Fromburg 0-1 Fromburg Aston
Iguana de Mia 2-3 Fort Lee
Real Qazox 4-2 New Recife
Vogg United 1-2 Kibbutz
New Bruxen 2-1 Gothika (AET 98')
Chivas Saxer 2-0 Saint Nash
Pika City 1-2 Deportivo Iguana
Bruxen AC 4-1 Graverville
Lake Porter City 2-0 Yorkshire
Las Vitas 3-4 Lorax City

SECOND ROUND
InterRockport 3-0 FC Fromburg
Real Qazox 4-2 Fort Lee
New Bruxen 4-2 Kibbutz
San Guano 2-3 Chivas Saxer
Joehio Ajax 1-0 Deportivo Iguana (AET 114')
SaxerVilla 4-1 Bruxen AC
Rockport AC 1-2 Lake Porter City
Qazox City 1-0 Lorax City

QUARTERFINALS
InterRockport 0-1 Real Qazox
SaxerVilla 2-4 Joehio Ajax
New Bruxen 3-1 Chivas Saxer
Qazox City 0-0 Lake Porter City (4-3 penalties)

SEMIFINALS
Joehio Ajax 2-2 Real Qazox (3-1 penalties)
Qazox City 1-2 New Bruxen

CUP FINAL
Real Qazox 2-0 New Bruxen
New Bruxen 0-1 Real Qazox

Real Qazox wins 3-0 aggregate.

W-LEAGUE STANDINGS
(Division Winner is in Bold)

Like the Qazox Cup, the W-League decided that the Cup Final should be a 2-leg aggregate and in the end, Bruxen WC claimed its first title since 1909, beating newly re-named Artemis Pika 3-2 (aggregate), becoming the first women's team with 3 titles. Bruxen easily won the East by 13 points, while Artemis Pika, Fromburg WC, New Recife WC and defending Champ River Vitas battled all season long for the West title. WC Yorkshire did rather well in its first season, finishing 4th int he east, while Joehio Hera finished last in the west.

EAST W-D-L PTS
Bruxen WC 15-4-7 49
Nash Freya 11-3-12 36
Qazox Athena 10-6-10 36
WC Yorkshire 10-5-11 35
Graverville WC 10-3-13 33
Isis Rockport 9-6-11 33
SaxerVilla WC 8-1-17 25

WEST W-D-L PTS
Artemis Pika 16-2-8 50
Fromburg WC 15-2-9 47
New Recife WC 13-5-8 44
River Vitas 13-4-9 43
Porter Eris 11-1-14 34
Lorax WC 9-4-13 31
Joehio Hera 8-2-16 26

CHAMPIONSHIP (Home team listed first)
Bruxen WC 2-0 Artemis Pika
Artemis Pika 2-1 Bruxen WC

Bruxen WC wins 3-2 aggregate

Nethertopia

24-03-2008, 21:21

THE NETHERTOPIAN SPORTSTIMES

The Nethertopian Football Association presents: The Nethertopian A-League!

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/9942/nethertopianaleaguenp1.jpg

After our rather succesful BoF campaign (last 8, getting knocked out in the last minute by a penalty) the Nethertopian Football Association has decided to introduce a professional league to our country. Willem Opdeheuvel, president of the NFA has presented the first professional competition of Nethertopia, the Nethertopian A-League (NA-L). In a press conference he told the reporterts that the NFA asked seven clubs to enter the competition and all were interested. Every city in Nethertopia has it’s own representative, except for the Capitol Peregrinus City, who has two. Originally the plan wat that Peregrinus City had three clubs but Ngu FC and Aktbf PCS have decided to merge their clubs, making 6 club entering professional status. We’ll provide some short information about the clubs here, in alphabetic order:

(map of Nethertopia:http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/9530/thefederationofnethertopg9.png)

Ashdom City
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Lies at the edge of Ashdom, the gambling city. It’s stadium: The Placeabet.ntp Stadium has a capacity of 27,500. The last club added to the list of professional teams. It has the least non-internationals in it’s team together with FC DePardenti, only two, but BoF 27 best XI player Mike Igwe is on their side. Tipped as outsiders to win the first NA-L. Internationals (2): DR Mike Igwe & MR Obinna Agbo.

FC DePardenti
http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/5109/fcdepardentipb8.png
This club, positioned right at the foot of the Gift of the Gods seem to have no chance at the trophee. They barely survived the first amateur division last season. It’s stadium, the DePardenti Arena, has 10,000 seats. It was a strange choice from the NFA to include this team in the A-League. Internationals: DR Ruben van Wonderen & MC Boy Krohne.

The Gray Towers
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/1748/thegreytowersdl9.png
A club positioned in the centre Mignon. They play in a mediocre stadium called The White Peak. It allows 30,000 men to sit there. It’s named after the mountains that are visable in the whole city: the Grey Towers. Their team is very defensive. Internationals (3): DL Marnix Huisman, DC Daniel de Lange & SC Souleymane Diakité.

NAPC
http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/7084/napckl0.png
Short for: Ngu & Aktbf PC S&SC, short for: Never give up & Always keep the ball foward Peregrinus City Sports and Soccer Combination. Their home ground is the Falcon Stadium, a 90.000 seater. Fusion from Ngu FC and Aktbf PCS. This club probably has one of the longest names in history of Football. Three Nethertopian internationals are on this team: GK Ron de Vries, DC Ahmed Hammami & SC David Muños.

The Peregrins
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First professional club, even before the competition was created. Not that they had much about it, though. Their homeground is the same as NAPC’s, the Falcon Stadium. Possesses the most internationals (6) including first goalkeeper van Dalen and captain Torres and are almost certainities for the championship. The internationals are: GK Wouter van Dalen, DL Sergio Torres, ML Daouda Diompy, MC Klaas Koppers, MR Andrés García & SC Kingsley Kalu.

Tenderville United
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If there’s one club who can beat the Peregrins to their title it’s Tdv Utd. They lie the most northern of all on the map, near the border with our neighbour Bhutopia. The Home of the Dragon, their home ground, has a capacity of 65,000. They’ve got lots of foreign players from neighbours and our vassals South Offtopica and YnosYnos. They’ve also got the most fierce fans who call themselves and the club the Dragons. Five internationals are in this team: DC Gert-Jan Meijer, DC Ronnie de Haan, MC Fouad Snijders, ML Cees Hendriks & MC Jeremy Hofman. Coach Kietecs was the coach of this team before he started to manage the Falcons, our national team. He hasn’t spoken a word about returning to his old club yet.

All the clubs are still looking for players to add to their squad. If any country wants players in this competition or a peticular club, please do not hesitate to TG our nation (or post in this thread).

Cafundeu

25-03-2008, 01:14

For those that have been wondering what's happening in Cafundéu's domestic league, and if there'll be reports about that, we have the answer. The transfer window has closed last week, and now the teams are getting ready for the State Championships. Due to the creation of the TakilCup (the CL), the CCFM gave more time for the teams to get prepared, while the biggest teams go to this international competition. But the Cafundelense league can't stop, and won't stop.

(OOC: Preview of the next season will be posted here soon. If not this week, in the next one. Not later than that, even if I have to post it still incomplete.)

Kura-Pelland

25-03-2008, 16:47

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The season in summary

An extraordinary title chase, with Parwood City seemingly destined for a while as nobody thought Yarzoya or Depor could maintain their pushes. They were right about the former, but spectacularly wrong about the latter - but it all went full circle on a remarkable final day, despite the intervention from nowhere of a United Trilan side who were left for dead before an incredible revival under Adam Williamson that just tailed off in the final moments. Still, they maintain a league record of 19 games unbeaten, and will try and extend that into next season.

The other team in the Champions' Cup is Prangren Greens, who pipped Harrington Lakeside unexpectedly. In many ways this season was all about the run-in - Parwood won their last six to deprive Depor (who were on a winning streak but contrived to lose three of their last four to throw away a title that seemed certain to be theirs) and Trilan (who drew their last two after an incredible winning streak), while Prangren won their last five to deny Lakeside (who for their part dropped just three in those five, but it was away to relegated Achorpe and that's unforgiveable).

Speaking of relegation, that was done and dusted long before the run-in, although FC Helma 1495 snatched respectability from ignominy by suddenly discovering top-half form far too late. Expect them to be raided big time, as they are in financial difficulty. Unlike Porterbridge City, who bought their way up and got taunted back down (most memorably on Walton Park's PA system after Lakeside mathematically sealed their relegation). Lucas Hearts will certainly be sold, he won't want to be a Soccer League One flat-track bully, and without him the team will resort to being average. As will Achorpe, who are set to be raided.

The promoted sides are Delta Force Cardim (inevitable), Fariynuff FC (bring on the shiny stadium!) and... Tilsham Rovers, in the big time for the first time after a flukey 1-0 playoff victory over FC Wulting (whose hitherto impressive young Candelariasian keeper Seb Moon might take years to get over being freakishly lobbed from 45 yards by a combination of Trevor Marsh and a strong gust of wind). The Rovers are Trilan's third club in the league now, what with Tilsham being an outer south-eastern suburb of Trilan - and that also makes them the first Trilan side on the Kura side of the river in the top flight. Oh boy are the Trilan derbies going to be interesting; all of them will have enforced lunchtime kickoffs.

The biggest theme was of prodigious strikers providing a big chunk of the league's 827 goals (2.7 per game) - Chris Chenoweth led the way with 27, but no fewer than eight made it to twenty, and with four of them (including the top two, Chenoweth and Justin Urquhart) being Kura-Pellandi, not to mention the inexorable (injury notwithstanding) rise of teenage wunderkind Norbert Fiero, one has to doubt the long-term future of Cafundeu-based Cazarez and Beattis. Oh, and masses of home wins, 159 out of the 306 games (82 away wins and just 65 draws). Which leads on to...

The refereeing scandal

The independent enquiry into refereeing never happened, and Parwood manager Keith Matthews has stayed true to his word from his mid-season interview after being ludicrously beaten at Porterbridge City - if no enquiry happened, he'd leave. No enquiry happened. He's left - and is being linked to the national team position. Two referees have been sacked and two demoted to the lower leagues though, and three more are expected to be demoted. Controversy continues to surround Carlos Suarez but he seems safe - he's generally seen as Kura-Pelland's most knowledgable referee at least.

Television

The television schedule has been simplified this season, as Plus10 have decided not to renew their contract; there are three televised matches per week now and a fixed slot for each network. NTV have Sunday 1545 again, but now every week; Super6 have Saturday 1715; PBS have Saturday 1215, and thus all the really tasty matches to be honest.

Matches are chosen in three eleven-week blocks, with the last day covered separately again; the networks can use their digital offshoots as desired if, as this season, there are more than three matches of significance on the last day. (This time around, the fourth-place battle was left utterly ignored as all three matches involving the title were aired, and Parwood's ultimately decisive game was aired on

The teams

In order of their finish last season. Gotta love C&M precedent.

Parwood City went from unstoppable to weak to somehow snatching the title from nowhere when nobody else seemed to want it. But no team with a front two of Bilú and Novo can be ignored, and they racked up an outrageous 42 goals between them - Bilú getting 24 of them including three hat-tricks, the only person with that distinction in this season of prodigious strikers. Brandon Eldridge came into prominence to help the team through the weak period mid-season, and his nine goals included a priceless brace from the bench against Depor and the late winner against Murley. 73 goals in 34 games is remarkable stuff, and all they need now is to cut the 45 they conceded and they'll be nigh unstoppable. And if they won't do it with the Yaforite revolution, when the heck will they?
THEY HAVE: the best attacking options the league's ever seen, and most of the midfield to service them.
THEY NEED: the Yaforites to provide the solidity, and for the flair players to be left alone. And possibly a replacement for goalie Timothy Acalet, but he won't have much to do anyway.

Deportivo del Arapucera had no right to be so close to the title. Apparently someone told them that after thirty-two games, as they lost their last two to squander the title on goal difference. They'll almost certainly never come that close again, but with Rex Sandstrom and Leonard Pinto proving remarkable as a pair - even if Sandstrom missed a last-day penalty when he really wasn't fit to play in the first place - and the defence looking excellent in leaking under a goal a game, the foundations are there for the club to be established as Kura-Pellandi giants. The fanbase have waited for it, it might be coming.
THEY HAVE: quality and team chemistry at either end of the field.
THEY NEED: goalscoring midfielders to ease the pressure on Sandstrom in particular.

United Trilan were marooned in midtable and set for humiliation when Adam Williamson came in; nineteen unbeaten games later, they wound up a quarter of an hour from winning the title. The famous comeback against Parwood City changed the whole complexion of the season, even if it was Parwood who wound up snatching the title; caretaker Vincent Stilgoe deserves credit if only for bringing in the Valanoran legend-to-be Kilu Shu.
THEY HAVE: strength in depth and the stingiest defence in the league, plus a proven goalscorer.
THEY NEED: confirmation on Adam Williamson's future, to be frank. And to turn draws into victories somehow.

Prangren Greens wound up only two points short of the title. What ze hell? Had they not been shafted by Porterbridge City they'd have only missed out on the title on goal difference. Five wins in a row after that ended the season and secured Champions' Cup football, a huge achievement for the club. They've reached the promised land and gained the massive distinction of 'top team in the east', but they will be desperate to utilise the Champions' Cup money to become the established force. It was all about Chris Chenoweth, he scored almost half the team's goals with the next highest scorer being winger Charlie Hoborough with seven.
THEY HAVE: one of the best goalscorers in Kura-Pellandi history. How is he not in the Kura-Pelland team? Oh he is now.
THEY NEED: more players to help him - and fill in when he's injured - and a rebuilt defence

Harrington Lakeside were the crisis club of the season. Yes, they were only five points off the top spot, but come on, FIFTH. Their world caved in and their caretaker manager was allowed to hold on for far too long. With no chance of Tortini returning, it's a return for their title-winning manager Paul Martin, so expect a reversion to a callow Lakeside.
THEY HAVE: the reputation, a brilliant fanbase, an intimidating home ground and two brilliant imports in Giovanni and Morales.
THEY NEED: to be as boringly brilliant at the back as they used to be under Martin. Which means replacing the players they lost and making the most of their new star Bo Phelps. Oh, and for crying out loud don't lose eight away from home or they'll be told they're only a force at all because of biased refereeing at Walton Park.

Yarzoya FC are looking like an established elite club now, after two top-seven finishes in their first two seasons in the top flight. They need more strength in depth to really hold that reputation, as was shown in their late-season collapse. Nine winless games took them from top to nowhere, and it's clear they need mental toughness and fast.
THEY HAVE: a brilliant striking duo of Urquhart and Jaquin.
THEY NEED: the mental toughness and strength in depth to keep them competitive all season long. And a better defence would help.

Grayton City Wolves had a strange season, falling apart on a couple of occasions after a strong start, before ultimately denying Trilan the title on the last day. That goal, like fifteen before it, came from Steve Jackson; they really need more goals, as they only had 46 all season and seven of those came against a Marthley Rovers side that frankly were poisoned. The investigation has found them innocent, most don't agree with that, and they are going to be this season's Team To Hate. Last season's Team To Hate came bottom; Grayton City Wolves are too good to go down... or are they?
THEY HAVE: a solid defence and that all-important quality striker.
THEY NEED: Weaver and Penery to come into their own in midfield, Zenny Zelham to hit his potential, and to not be so rubbish away or the conspiracists will be on them in a flash.

Curzek Rovers were entertainment all the way, almost outdoing Parwood City for aggregate goals. Indeed only Parwood scored more than them all season, although their defence leaked almost as many and four of those were at Parwood on the last day in the win that set up the miracle finish. They had strength in depth though - incredibly, they were the only team with three players scoring ten goals, and two of them were left-wingers Di Mambro and Mantlom, the former of whom eventually proved highly successful in a free role behind Bobby Jinera.
THEY HAVE: the ability to make any right-back's day a misery.
THEY NEED: to lose the ability to make any striker's day a joy. Especially when the referee isn't helping them, their home record was great but their away record was shocking.

FC Bargoiten were only just short of Curzek in goal-scoring and goal-leaking. They lost a horrendous number of games, but with no draws in their last, erm, er, 23 games (they won 10 and lost 13 of those) they didn't fare too badly. More exciting than a mid-table team have any right to be, and most of that was 'Doctor' Daniel Dillimer ratcheting up 23 goals. He had some useful help from Al Ailron with eight goals and god knows how many assists, though. Steve Portland helped out from the right as well, and now Liam Marling will chip in from the left in the biggest summer transfer so far. Possibly literally as well as metaphorically looking at his lofted shots...
THEY HAVE: the ability to turn draws into victories.
THEY NEED: to lose the ability to turn draws into defeats. Mostly by not conceding silly goals.

AFC Neegera were also goal-crazy, albeit with a different style mostly driven by 100mph long-ball football that invites other teams to attack the world's worst five-man defence, only to be occasionally beaten by a long ball to big man Wayne Harcef. Any team that scores 55 goals - more than second-placed Depor fercryingoutloud - but still has a negative goal difference is, er, there are no words. The only teams who let in more were the bottom two, but with the little-and-large pair of Harcef and Chris Corderman knocking in an outrageous 35 goals defensive frailties were often exposed. But any defence aided by Yosgart Flores is not up to scratch, and any team for whom Flores is the fourth highest goalscorer is lacking in midfield.
THEY HAVE: an in-your-face style of play that's difficult to deal with.
THEY NEED: a midfield. No not a midfielder. A midfield full stop. And a defender who can defend, please, thanks, bye.

AS Assiri had no right to stay up. Bottom two seasons ago, and on their return this time they sold their top striker and kept faith in a spotty 16-year-old. Who then got injured half the season. This was no ordinary 16-year-old though, this was the outrageously talented Norbert Fiero, and his hat-trick against Parwood City made him a household name. What most didn't really notice was that he had an excellent defence to back him up, although they seemed to crumble without Fiero and the team lost seven games in eight after being a ludicrously high third at one point. The main mission was accomplished though, survival, and now they have a massive decision - do they keep Fiero and build around him, or do they sell him and build a team around the inevitable monstrous transfer fee?
THEY HAVE: possibly the most marketable commodity in Kura-Pellandi football.
THEY NEED: to decide what to do with him. And improve their midfield, regardless of whether it's Fiero they're serving or not.

Sorbridge Soccer Storm were in the relegation dogfight for ages, and lost their manager out of refereeing-scandal fury. Now they have to get back to where they were before, and with Ray Winkett instead of Stephen Hill in goal that ain't happening. That said, their defence (and particularly young Yuram-Wilson) were stingy - but goals were just not coming, their 27 goals the league's lowest total. Just to put it into perspective, Chris Chenoweth scored as many as this entire team.
THEY HAVE: a defence that can live without Stephen Hill.
THEY NEED: a striker, damnit!

Club Virling were draw machines early on, with ten from seventeen being just plain ludicrous. They stopped drawing late on, and won enough to drag themselves out of a relegation battle. There really wasn't a relegation battle this season was there? They spread the goals around, Jean Lascelles scoring nine off the bench and gaining a notorious supersub reputation.
THEY HAVE: a certain reliability, and good form to take into the incoming season.
THEY LACK: real quality, frankly. Harry Celerano as a leading striker? Puh-leaze.

Murley City bought Frankie di Coa off AS Assiri and regretted it. He's been shocking. It's all been about O'Hurley, with thirteen goals, but after a solid enough run they capitulated with six straight defeats and a draw at relegated Helma to end the season. Fortunately the job was done then, but they've still picked up a new manager in James Broten, and the former United Trilan man will need to be sharp.
THEY HAVE: a reliable goalscorer in O'Hurley, one in the making if they're lucky in di Coa, and a defence that doesn't capitulate too much.
THEY NEED: better concentration and mental toughness, to be honest. Next time, their late collapse could send them down.

Marthley Rovers always said that if they were fifteenth and Porterbridge were sixteenth, that'd be a perfect season. They were indeed fifteenth, and Porterbridge were actually eighteenth, so that's even better than perfect. The moral high ground having been claimed (and the Grayton City poisoning scandal made them somehow even more popular), they now need to build on their ultra-solid 5-3-2 with enough flair to get more than 27 goals in a season, without suddenly leaking goals. Heck, if they can get goals as well, they'll be everyone's second club, and the merchandise sales might help them... virtuous circle!
THEY HAVE: the grittiest and toughest defence in the bottom half. Yes, even beating Sorbridge's.
THEY NEED: to complete the 'working-class hero' image with a Roy of the Rovers striker.

Achorpe Rovers will be raided big time after a humiliating relegation. Second-season syndrome struck big time and the eleven (!) 1-0 defeats just showed they lacked that something. Teenage left-wing star Liam Marling has already gone, strikers Dennis Dubois and Iain Dean Menzel will surely go, and this team are favourites to stay down out of the bottom three.

FC Helma 1495 will also be raided with some rapidity. They just didn't show up until it was too late, with most of their 27 points coming in the last ten weeks of the season. Wrong wrong wrong - and the club's parlous finances took a major hit this season with shocking attendances. They won't be going back up either, something tells me.

Porterbridge City had - still have - all the money you could wish for and more, but couldn't attract many teams to join their evil revolution, and their bottom-place finish was much cheered. No-one mourns the wicked - but chances are, they will return. They'll still lose some of their players, but will be able to get new ones easily even as a second-tier club. Anyone who wants the money... they're rumoured to be interested in Downe and Thadope, the Jerusalemite misfits from C&M.

Delta Force Cardim suffered the mother and father of all shock relegations last season, but stormed right back, the new-look 'Delta Force C&M' (as the press called them) dominating Soccer League 1. They're expecting big things now, especially with Stephan Harltey still at the club banging them in.
THEY HAVE: Lots of Candelariasian talent.
THEY NEED: to prove their mental toughness.

Fariynuff FC bring top-flight football to the 80,000-seat Roflcoptre Dome for the first time. The multi-purpose venue has hosted many different events but hasn't come close to selling out for footy since the World Cup semi-final, unless you count the Corganen Championship final day show which drew 68,000. It probably will now; 26,000 season tickets have been sold and the city is rocking, especially with near-neighbours Achorpe going down at the same time. The club is believed to be targeting 60,000 for most games with sell-outs against the top sides, and that revenue stream will allow manager Adam Ilford to buy some good players. They'll need them, this job lot is not fit for the top flight.
THEY HAVE: the ability to buy new players.
THEY NEED: to buy new players.

Tilsham Rovers stunned the country when they made the top flight, and now their 20,000-seater dump is going to be attracting the biggest names in Kura-Pellandi football. It'll be a mildly intimidating place to go, and the defence is solid, but surely they can't 'do a Marthley'?
THEY HAVE: a defence that won't leak two and a half goals a game.
THEY NEED: a miracle.

Transfer gossip

As usual, Candelariasian crossovers are the talk, with Yarzoya facing an almighty battle to hold onto mega-goalscorer Justin Urquhart from two Kura-Pellandi managers in the CMSC. Matthew Tortini has already made a bid, which the Daily Kangaroo reports to be 'over K10m', while Filipe Curana have offered a part-exchange deal which would give Yarzoya the pick of his Turks' Club strike force of Holger Pi and Andrew Bradley. Both players were moderately successful last term, and Pi is believed to be keen on the move after a modest season at United Trilan where he scored musician Sasha Martins but not many goals. Urquhart is said to be considering his options, and given the continued presence of Jose Cazarez and Fedde Beattis up front despite modest form in Cafúndeu it is said that he wants to play there to prove his national team credentials.

Port of Clotaire want a new right-back to replace the severely injured Ben George, and Depor may face an almighty battle to keep Dennis Rukovich. Or they could sell him while he's hot. That of course leads on to Norbert Fiero, but nothing confirmed on that front, a rumour linking him with two clubs in Cafúndeu having absolutely no weight.

Gregorio Morales is said to close out his career back home, and has refused a contract extension at Lakeside. That could bring them into contention for Fiero, and it is also believed they have made a predictable big-money move for Chris Chenoweth, with an equally predictable rebuttal.

Adam Williamson is set to confirm a three-year deal with United Trilan after his stunning run at the helm at Shanvley; he is linked with tall central defender Demario Ortiz of Cathedral City, and may cash in on young right midfielder Danny Ibbetson in exchange, although 30-year-old left-footed centre-back Michael Spelman - who can play on the left as well, perhaps predictably - might be the more likely sacrifice, and some believe he may send the veteran Massimo Caparelli to pasture instead or even as well.

Porterbridge City midfielder Ed Fulleylove is being linked with Fariynuff FC and AFC Neegera, and the former have also allegedly made a bid for FC Helma 1495's veteran holding midfielder Walter Tensen.

The standout deals are of course at Barkham Park, of which more below...

The Gupta Dynasty

26-03-2008, 00:08

The following is an excerpt from The Times of Chelmar, international edition.

Dalermo off to Kura-Pelland
Changes almost immediate at Parwood City

PARWOOD, KURA-PELLAND - Former Chelmar FC manager and Yaforite national team captain Hares Dalermo was not ready for the press conference. Dressed in a suit and tie that looked remarkably fancy upon his normally casual frame, the new manager of Parwood City, the top club in Kura-Pelland, seemed almost uneasy, as he stepped to the podium. "It is an honor to be joined by one of my former players at Chelmar, here in Parwood. Garin Malan is the type of player you see once in a generation - the type of player who has the skills the few do, and yet has the humility and poise that many others who are far better known do not. It is with great happiness that I announce that Garin will once again be joining my team." The way in which he spoke was rather contemplative - almost thinking about the journey that has lead him to this moment.

To most, the name "Hares Dalermo" brings up images of Yaforite defenders - the tall, strong center defender who was the heart and soul of a defensive machine so long ago. Many may recall the Cup of Harmony run in Schiavonia and Spaam, where the Golden Wolves were defeated in the final by the former, under the captaincy of Dalermo. Others may recall the first Yaforite team ever to qualify for a World Cup, lead by Lisa Simpson, and with this man as captain. That is what shaped Dalermo - his obsessive and strong defensive skill and his obsessive and strong captaincy of the Yaforite national team, his long-running captaincy that shaped a generation of players in the sport.

Since his retirement from the playing field, Dalermo has not kept away. First offered a managership while still playing, three years ago, he signed with Chelmar FC to become their new manager. This was a perfect time - many saw Chelmar as the best team in the Grand Democratic Duchy, as Ajer FC were entering the high parts of the debt crisis. Since gaining the reins, Dalermo was not quiet, galvanizing a team that had on it a young generation of players, all of whom bore characteristics that would later make them stars. That was the first year that Chelmar took the LIDYT championship and they have not looked back since, recently winning their third straight title under the leadership of Hares Dalermo.

This year, however, Dalermo's contract was up, and it was no secret that he was looking beyond Chelmar and abroad. One perfect opportunity was that of Parwood City - the Kura-Pelland club had just grabbed the title from their country, but they were in very dire straights - despite having a powerful attack and strong midfield, they possessed no defense and had no manager to guide them. Dalermo first addressed Parwood City not long back, inquiring into the possible job of becoming their manager. To his surprise, he was met with great enthusiasm from the Parwood City front office, who were impressed with his resume, and he was soon hired.

He has immediately jumped into the role. Not long ago, he announced the purchase of Iadoris Caliandris from Ajer FC, for an unspecified sum. Yesterday, he announced the part-exchange deal that sent attacking midfielder Denny Eleifo to Chelmar and right defender Garin Malan to Parwood. Both transfers are a sign up for Parwood fans - while many do think that he too focussed on defense, these two signings look to drastically improve the club's defense, while not losing much attacking potential.

Many Parwood fans are looking forward to what will most likely be a good season for the Kura-Pelland club.

Acapais

26-03-2008, 02:08

Diamond Cup - Final - Season 11
Edgewood United 1-1 Three Rivers (2-3 AET)

Gold Division - Season 11

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Edgewood United 38 23 9 6 86 46 40 78 TQCC - Gold Division Champions
--- ----------------------- --- -- -- -- --- --- --- ---
2 Elkheart Spartans 38 25 2 11 61 32 29 77
3 Real Malakoff 38 22 7 9 75 40 35 73
4 Holliday FC 38 22 7 9 67 46 21 73
5 Kaufman Wanderers 38 20 8 10 66 56 10 68
6 Highland Park FC 38 18 11 9 67 45 22 65
7 Schulenburg 38 18 6 14 60 44 16 60
8 Lockney Town 38 18 6 14 69 55 14 60
9 Keenshire 38 18 5 15 54 52 2 59
10 Lakeside AC 38 15 11 12 57 55 2 56
11 Three Rivers 38 13 16 9 71 54 17 55 TQCC - Diamond Cup Champions
12 Sweetwater Rovers 38 11 9 18 52 62 -10 42
13 Tontovilla 38 11 9 18 45 69 -24 42
14 Yorktown 38 11 8 19 55 66 -11 41
15 Natalia Athletic 38 11 6 21 46 70 -24 39
16 Saint Paul United 38 11 5 22 57 75 -18 38
17 Stinnett West 38 9 10 19 43 64 -21 37
--- ----------------------- --- -- -- -- --- --- --- ---
18 AC Newark 38 9 9 20 50 72 -22 36
19 Rendon Dynamo 38 10 5 23 44 85 -41 35
20 Ansonbrough 38 5 11 22 45 82 -37 26

Diamond Cup - Final - Season 12
Holliday FC 1-1 Elkheart Spartans (1-2 AET)

Gold Division - Season 12

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Real Malakoff 38 23 7 8 75 44 31 76 TQCC - Gold Division Champions
--- ----------------------- --- -- -- -- --- --- --- ---
2 Highland Park FC 38 24 4 10 76 51 25 76
3 Schulenburg 38 18 9 11 74 52 22 63
4 Three Rivers 38 17 11 10 69 49 20 62
5 Yorktown 38 17 9 12 66 47 19 60
6 Lakeside AC 38 17 8 13 62 52 10 59
7 Elkheart Spartans 38 17 8 13 56 55 1 59 TQCC - Diamond Cup Champions
8 Lockney Town 38 15 13 10 69 62 7 58
9 Holliday FC 38 15 9 14 57 61 -4 54
10 Edgewood United 38 15 8 15 58 59 -1 53
11 Tontovilla 38 14 10 14 52 57 -5 52
12 Kaufman Wanderers 38 14 9 15 63 55 8 51
13 Sweetwater Rovers 38 12 12 14 58 59 -1 48
14 Stinnett West 38 12 11 15 53 59 -6 47
15 Keenshire 38 11 12 15 59 65 -6 45
16 Trinidad Underground 38 11 8 19 52 73 -21 41
17 Saint Paul United 38 10 10 18 62 81 -19 40
--- ----------------------- --- -- -- -- --- --- --- ---
18 Seven Points FC 38 10 6 22 53 72 -19 36
19 Forest Hill 38 8 12 18 43 69 -26 36
20 Natalia Athletic 38 7 10 21 34 69 -35 31

Edgewood United, Elkheart Spartans, Real Malakoff and Three Rivers will be the reps for the Next TQCC

Candelaria And Marquez

27-03-2008, 17:40

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w175/candelariaandmarquez/Cmscxxviii1.png

Last Five Seasons
CMSC Winners Runners-Up Third Place Cup Winners Runners-up
XXIII Albrecht FC A.Turks Turks’ Club Mayo Valley Radyukevich
XXIV Albrecht FC MarquezOW Turks’ Club Radyukevich Turks’ Club
XXV Albrecht FC Green Island A.Turks Green Island Radyukevich
XXVI MarquezOW A.Turks Albrecht FC A.Turks El din Marbles
XXVII A.Turks Green Island Albrecht FC KT Hotspur MarquezOW

CMSC XXVIII Preview

Back once again, for the renegade… league, or something, yes; it’s the Candelaria And Marquez Soccer Championship which, like snow and stuff, just seems to come later every year. Or every two years, strictly speaking. Or every month or so. Or every four years, possibly. Who knows?

Any road up, there are all sorts of confident predictions now that this’ll be the closest league in ages. There may not be quite so many foreigners this time around, largely because of an ongoing dispute between the CMSC and its Kura-Pellandi counterpart over image rights, or something equally spurious, but a rush of transfers between the Corganen and the Kaleta might yet be on the cards and those that have arrived from elsewhere have genuine quality and give Port of Clotaire, Radyukevich, the El din Marbles and Gamboa FC their best chance in years of, well, not being any more than fifteen points or so behind Albrecht Turkish and Green Island.

For that is the general consensus of opinion given Marquez-Onwere’s sameyness and Albrecht FC’s internal crises. The biggest chunk of newcomers this year comes from the Eesseff, two of the four to the GIZ, which hasn’t gone down especially well in the Home Office for reasons we can’t begin to imagine. Minister for Social Affairs Reuben Queseda went as far as summoning the semi-autonomous island’s Prime Minister, Michael Ferrington, to Albrecht to explain why quite Hane Davies feels the need to bring in quite so many of those pointy-eared… humans; but the Marlow Park faithful don’t seem to mind.

There’s been plenty of activity between clubs, of course, but most of that seems to be swapping the contents of each other’s benches. The lack of real financial disparity has enabled most clubs to hang on to their top talent, but that could all change once the Champions’ Cup kicks in. With the top four having sole access to the TV money, not to mention the gate receipts, those at the bottom on the bottom rung could soon find it increasingly difficult to avoid the Albrecht giants, as well as those who happen to get into the top for regularly, pinching their favourite stuff.

The sudden addition of a meaty reward for finishing fourth may come to change the complexion of the league utterly, and indeed this will be a season of transition all-round. With the CMSC intent on cooking his golden goose the league will be expanded to eighteen teams next season, meaning that there will be just one automatic relegation place in XXVIII, with the fifteenth-place team involved in a play-off with the fourth-place side from the second division. Expect things to get extremely dull at the bottom, particularly if someone gets cut adrift.

But the biggest story of the season may be Albrecht FC, who are in utter disarray following Trevor Organ’s defection to a Hopeless cause and the ongoing dispute between the key players in the boardroom; Martin Hole-Simpkins and Lynn Lukes. Whether new man Andy Le Lan can marry the foreigner-heavy defence and home-grown midfield will make the difference between the country’s biggest club challenging as normal, or finding itself overtaken by the rapid development of those hanging just below.

Oh, and ickle OnwereTV lost the main highlights package to TTO, keeping old Tom McIndoe in work and giving Rich Stevens something to do when he’s not having emotional breakdowns.

Foreign transfers prior to XXVIII

Johnathon Filmar (Bloumany) ----------> to Cathedral City
Henry Morisson (Bloumany) ----------> to Caires City
Kim Mihyeon (Daehanjeiguk) ----------> to Castillo FC
Julius Rotherwell (Demot) ----------> to Radyukevich
Andrew Ryan (East Antairees) ----------> to Gamboa FC
Hirokazu Reizei (Fujisawan Territories) ----------> to Albrecht Turkish
Serkan Turkmen (Kose and The Turkomans) ----------> to Port of Clotaire
Tenicia Martinez (Kosovoe) ----------> to Mayo Valley
David Wolverton (Krytenia) ----------> to Radyukevich
Danny Ibbetson (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to KT Hotspur
Ruud Horin (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to Arrigo Portuguese
Michael Spelman (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to Cathedral City
Walter Tensen (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to Port of Clotaire
Lee Xin (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to Castillo FC
Abdoulaye Soro (Nethertopia) ----------> to El din Marbles
Jua Huwang (Sorthern Northland) ----------> Gamboa FC
Lee Waywide (Sorthern Northland) ----------> to Port of Clotaire
Jacin Raellis (Taeshan) ----------> to Radyukevich
Loren Meyer (Valanora) ----------> to Albrecht FC
Fred Michaels (Valanora) ----------> to Green Island
Espy va Drake (Valanora) ----------> to Green Island
Kim Zetaback (Valanora) ----------> to Mayo Valley
Avilass Gackbang (Vephrall) ----------> to Arrigo Portuguese
Dana Bloomquist (Zwangzug) ----------> to Turks’ Club

Players leaving the CMSC prior to XXVIII

Guiseppe Abellardo (KT Hotspur) ----------> Bosman Free Transfer back to what remains of St Samuel
Riccardo Bella (Arrigo Portuguese ) ----------> Season-long loan to FC Helma of Kura-Pelland
Jon Bevaart (Port of Clotaire) ----------> to AFC Neegera of Kura-Pelland
Peter De'Ath (Albrecht FC) ----------> Season-long loan to AFC Neegera of Kura-Pelland
Guillermo Ibarra (El din Marbles) ----------> Season-long loan (with view to a permanent transfer) to FC DePardenti of Nethertopia
Ursula Launre (Arrigo Portuguese) ----------> Retires, returns to Zwangzug
Gary Mills (El din Marbles) ----------> Season-long loan (with view to a permanent transfer) to FC DePardenti of Nethertopia
Demario Ortiz (Cathedral City) ----------> to United Trilan of Kura-Pelland
Joey Pipes (Free Agent) ----------> NAPC of Northtopia
Arthur Wangen (Caires City) ----------> Part-Exchange for Henry Morrison, to Northport of the Blouman Empire

~ New players in italics, foreigners in bold. New players who are also foreign are in both italics and bold. Not that you need to be told what italics and bold look like, but anyway. Players are aligned from right to left where applicable. ~

Albrecht Turkish: Martinez (c) – Dixon, Williams, Laurie, Kelly – Westhead, Soldarian, Reizei, Kennedy – Maini, Taha.
The Boardroom: Robert Gilbert (President), Donovan Alexander (Director of Football)
Coach: Kris Healy
Nickname(s): A.Turks, Turkish, the Millermen, the Kinsmen
Stadium: Millerman Sheppard Stadium, in Songstress, Albrecht (cap. 40,614) (http://i11.tinypic.com/6sajcls.png)
Details: The reigning champions, albeit by but four clear goals, will face just as tricky a job to retain their title but still look the best equipped. Expect more goals for and against this time around with Reizei playing rather further up the field than his predecessor, while the only other change to the first XI sees Ciaran Kelly get his chance at left-back. Despite the ghastly threat of his buy-back clause they retain Scott Soldarian, but is the thirtysomething Taha past his peak? They make ‘em young in Bettia these days, after all.
On the Bench: Can Cetin will probably get a game in every single position this season, Ryan Westhead will be pushed by Andrew Ask and teen James Falconer will be looking to make an impact up front.
The Fans Expect: Back-to-back titles, thank you very much, but their support from Albrecht’s more salubrious side are arrogant enough to expect a TQCC run an’ all.
The Pundits Expect: Them and the GIZ to slug it out all the way once again, but most have taken Maini and Taha to edge it over Vélez and Vidakovic.

Green Island Zapata (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/zapta.html): Petit – de Roviere, Young, Michaels, Desideri – va Drake, Zetaback, Head (c), Cerullei – Vidakovic, Vélez.
The Boardroom: Allan Adams (Chairman), Michael Farmer (Director of Football)
Coach: Hane Davies
Nickname(s): Green Island, Green Zapata, Green, the Islanders, the Zapata-based club, GIZ, the major club of the semi-antonymous Green Island, the Negroes
Stadium: Marlow Park, in Zapata (cap. 31,616) (http://i6.tinypic.com/6sv3gu9.png)
Details: Inches away from a first league title in eleven seasons, Davies must make sure that that his side don’t suffer a hangover from that heartbreaking run-in. The GIZ this season however do look very strong indeed, what with the 200% increase in the Eesseffian diaspora. Should be more controlled this year and may pass their opponents to death rather than outpace them, and with more than a few players pushing thirty this may be their best and only chance of league victory.
On the Bench: Solid if unspectacular, but at least they have bodies now. Surefooted teen striker Tom Smith is the most appealing, Fred Irvine may become the regular right-back while de Roviere’s status remains in question, but giant centre-half Luis Eduardo Vásquez from Deportivo María is an odd buy.
The Fans Expect: As long as they’re playing good football and still in with a shot late on they’ll be happy enough.
The Pundits Expect: Second place by the narrowest of margins for the third time in four seasons.

Albrecht FC (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/albrecht_fc.html): Thorpe – Tonnelier (c), Meyer, Wojciechowski, St. Louis – Corradini – B. Edwards, R. Edwards, Marshall – Vanderpent, Cunningham.
The Boardroom: Cyril Mastini (Owner), Martin Hole-Simpkins (Director of Football), Lynn Lukes (Executive Vice-President)
Coach: Andy Le Lan
Nickname(s): Albrecht, the Scorpions, the Deviants
Stadium: Albrecht FC groundshare with Turkish, much to both sides’ irritation.
Details: Gosh, that was interesting. So, the Scorpions have now lost Trevor Organ and brought in Le Lan, fresh from not winning the Di Bradini Cup which these days is a feat in itself. On field they’ve lost captain Benji Fu, who declined to sign a new deal, but the Eesseffian Loren Meyer looks a very able replacement. The midfield is full of youngish Candelariasian stars, with Corradini holding for the Edwards brothers and Marshall, but it really does look horribly inexperienced. They may be found out at the global level, but reports of their imminent collapse in the CMSC still seem well wide of the mark, at least while Vanderpent and Cunningham continue to grow as a partnership.
On the Bench: Asides from Nic Noble, the former C&M and KT Hotspur right-back whose career has spiralled downwards so quickly that he’s now just a back-up for the aging Ariddian Tonnelier, it’s all about the kids. Not that Le Lan would want it any other way, at least publicly, but having to rely on lads like Kian Donnelly up front and barely legal midfielders Ryan Fattori, Daniel Armour and Ben Zec when injuries and suspensions strike can hardly fill anyone with confidence.
The Fans Expect: It’s all doom and gloom, with supporters feeling that they’ll still need another season or two to get back to where the belong. The proper, Albrecht-based supporters, anyway. The rest of the glory-hunters from Candelaria and beyond know perfectly well that they’ll do a treble, as is their wont.
The Pundits Expect: Predictions of a mid-table finish have been roundly dismissed by calmer heads, but it’s going to be tricky for them to touch the rest of the big four, by all accounts.

Marquez-Onwere FC (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/onwere.html#Football): Primrose – Horner, Douyadari, Kimber, Sosa – Cassumba Domingos, Okeke, Stafador, Siriwong, N. Kjaer (c) – Careca.
The Boardroom: Serge Facey (Chairman), Clement Wiley (Director of Football)
Coach: Andy Woolworth
Nickname(s): MarquezOW (“mar-keth-ow”), the naranja
Stadium: Estadio Francisco Álvarez, in Onwere (cap. 30,538) (http://i8.tinypic.com/8eaakc7.png)
Details: Barring the late-season exchange between Ignacio Vélez and the Cafundulense international Careca, the first XI looks set to be unchanged; with a large parcel of vintems still burning a hole in Woolworth’s pocket. The 4-1-4-1 will stay the same too – though the Starblaydi Jack Stafador has facial hair now and is more than up to the task – but though the squad is now comfortably in the mid-twenties, the same old midfield frailty remains and Primrose is going to have to have a stormer if they’re to challenge the current runaway two.
On the Bench: Erik Kjaer seems to be getting older without ever actually improving, and the 20 year-old will still find breaking through difficult. Pazhujebi teen Ávindu Zulqadr may have an easier time ousting Pete Kimber, but intelligent midfielder Joe Beye will probably get the most games when Woolworth realises you just can't play four in the hole.
The Fans Expect: Careca can be the new hero of the club’s Hispanic faction and may yet fire them to the title, but there’s an unaccustomed air of pessimism about the place.
The Pundits Expect: That the top four will still be the top four, but with the TQCC to worry about it may be in spirit only.

Turks’ Club of Khatib (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/khatib.html#Turks.E2.80.99_Club_of_Khatib): Hill (c) – Jordan, McDonald, Bloomquist, Zois – Sellami, Le Monde, Nxele, Dolphin – Bradley, Pi.
The Boardroom: Milo Craven (Chairman), Sheila Howes (Director of Footballing Operations)
Coach: Felipo Curana.
Nickname(s): Turks’ Club, TurksKT, Turks and anything else on that theme bar Turkish.
Stadium: Khatib Together Stadium, in Khatib-Gassett (cap. 27,044) (http://i9.tinypic.com/8fe4g3p.png)
Details: Another summer of movement failed to materialise as Kura-Pellandi Boss v.2 looks for a more settled side, albeit largely because the fan-owned club aren’t exactly rolling in it. Still, they look as tediously well-balanced as any side in the CMSC, but younger stars including midfield orchestrater Mandla Nxele and the shifty lefty Ishmael Dolphin will have to prove world-beaters if the deficiencies of Oscar Zois, Karl McDonald and Dana Bloomquist (dropped from the Zwangzug NT squad! Whoever heard of such a thing?) aren’t to be exposed. Majestic ‘keeper Stephen Hill will also help spare the defence’s blushes, but lanky Andrew Bradley will have to follow up on his magnum opus season and then some. Unless Curana can pull off a ridiculously good signing in the next couple of weeks…
On the Bench: Young and mostly home-grown, but expect them to be called upon with little Hague Parr sniffing around Holger Pi’s boots, Michael Gießner hoping to oust his slightly elder colleague Dolphin and delicate midfielder Luke Kruyntjens looking to step up from division three Brayton Town.
The Fans Expect: Fans expected a real struggle last time and were pleasantly surprised not to get it. Now they expect a real if modest challenge, and may very well fail utterly to get that as well.
The Pundits Expect: Anywhere from third to thirteenth unless the likes of Pi and Jordan can rediscover some form, but most see this as a long-term project with a mid-table end this time around.

Port of Clotaire (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/clotaire.html): Cressey – Walker, Instonenext (c), Redway, Szczechowicz – Alaoui, Tensen, Orlovic, Turkmen – Federici, Waywide.
The Boardroom: Patrick Verde (Chairman), Robert Moyes (General Manager)
Coach: Niko Mason
Nickname(s): PoC, the Harpies.
Stadium: Harper Street, in Clotaire (cap. 26,600) (http://i10.tinypic.com/8g9c7eh.png)
Details: Not nearly as dull as they looked last year, honest, they showed the benefit of giving the kids a chance perfectly and have reaped the financial rewards of a top-half finish by adding a couple of potential international legends to the strike force. Not that it’s anything but a routine 4-4-2 of course, but the C&M-born Sortherner Waywide and jinky Jason Federici will score by the bucket-load, their defence is even better with the addition of Doug Szczechowicz and Alaoui and Turkmen will ping in balls from the wings like nobody’s business. Only the potential of vital creative midfielder Jon Bevaart retains a question mark, but they could really do something this season.
On the Bench: Mason has spent all of his limited resources on the first-team, bar sub goalkeeper Finlay Tenorio on a free. Ryan Gnom remains from a previously strong partnership, but that he had no takers at the requested money tells its own story, but among the kids inventive Evan Barton will challenge Kenan Orlovic and diminutive Dean Dotson will be hoping to ‘do a Jason’ up front. Right-back Ben George may be needed to get over his groin troubles pretty damn quickly if young Arthur Walker can’t step up to the plate, however.
The Fans Expect: Suddenly, a top-four finish really means something and they see this as well within the Harpies’ grasp.
The Pundits Expect: So often in the shadow of Radyukevich, there’s real hype now about Clotaire’s other Candelariasian-style-conservative-socialist-leaning-small-l-liberals-letting-their-hair-down club. Not a title challenge, surely, but they may not be far off if the front two hit the ground running.

KT Hotspur (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/khatib.html#KT_Hotspur): Sbaïz – Ibbetson, Knight, T. Johnson, Fisher, Matthews, Yalçin, – Adams, Milton (c), Kortsarian – Gallagher.
The Boardroom: Laurence Adamczyk (Eternal Chairman), Lee Adamczyk (President, Vice-Chairman, Director of Sporting Affairs), Jerry Huntick (Director of Football Development)
Coach: Thomas Larson
Nickname(s): the Spur.
Stadium: The Valleys, in Rose of Sharon, Khatib-Gassett (cap. 22,284) (http://i1.tinypic.com/89tugz7.png)
Details: Well, this is going to be… interesting. Despite a promising season, Huntick has taken his wife’s advice and moved upstairs, leaving the former Praying2God captain and goalscoring hero to build his own unfeasible defensive formation. His 6-3-1 isn’t as bad as it looks – witness the arrival of Özkan Yalçin as the left wing-back and Danny Ibbetson as a very makeshift right wing-back – but there will still be almighty pressure on Anslem Fisher and Terence Johnson to bring it out from the back and let the skilful if slow trio in midfield do their thang.
On the Bench: Funds have been made available following Laurence Adamczyk’s death, but only surprise Albrecht reject Kovac Johnson looks likely to challenge with Allen Gallagher watching his back. Caner Karahan will get games most weeks whenever one of the four centre-backs are injured or suspended, while young Reuben Ryan is left to curse his luck that potential lefty hero Aaron Kortsarian has been snapped up from CandelariaAM.
The Fans Expect: They haven’t got a clue, really, the absence of Huntick having completely thrown them out of whack. They’ve got to push for the top four, though.
The Pundits Expect: They’re just as bemused as the fans, but they’ll certainly be safe from harm and could prod at the Champions’ Cup places if all goes to plan.

Cathedral City (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/el_din.html#Football): Zaripov – Shelton (c), Spelman, Christmas, Silva de Aviz, Duxbury – Filmar, Jobson, Folqueira – Ozi-Mayer, Taffarel.
The Boardroom: Nigel Morilla (Chairman), Jacob Martín (Director of Football)
Coach: Charlie Cunningham
Nickname(s): Cathedral, Catedral, the Cats.
Stadium: La Neuva Decimotercia, in El din (cap. 27,227) (http://i1.tinypic.com/86pe1pk.png)
Details: 5-3-2 this time for one of C&M’s few genuine innovators, Cunningham will be hoping to pick up from their end-of-season run as the CMSC’s form team. The signing of pacey left-back Alex Duxbury is a bit of a coup, but this XI won’t strike fear into anyone, with the three centre-backs all aged under twenty-three. Teddy Ozi-Mayer’s head will have to become a very regular sight on OnwereTV’s highlights show unless the Cats are going to face another bitter struggle. The late arrival of the Bloumany international Filmar is a huge boost however.
On the Bench: It’s really meh here too, with the big striker Edward Moschopoulos still scratching his arse in the hope of replacing Taffarel, but he’s never been a top-flight player and neither have the rest of his benched colleagues.
The Fans Expect: If they can be better than the Marbles they’ll take it, but they sadly expect another season of strugglement.
The Pundits Expect: A young side who might be quite nice to watch this year but may face a really tricky season unless the newcomers can make a real impact.

El din Marbles (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/el_din.html): Mkhonza – Naylor, Malde, Torrell-Whyte, Quinn – LeCass, James, Panama (c), Percy – Soro, Madden.
The Boardroom: Keith Last (Chairman), Cidro Siles (Director of Sporting Relations)
Coach: Carlos Panadero
Nickname(s): The Marbles.
Stadium: Little Road Stadium, in El din (cap. 28,520) (http://i2.tinypic.com/6uiih6s.png)
Details: Everyone likes the El din Marbles, what with their long lower-league history, socially diverse support and that hunk of burning love in the dug-out. Unfortunately they also played some pretty crap stuff last season, but with Percy and LeCass on the flanks they’ll have little choice but to get it on the floor this time. They reckon they’ve got a little bobby dazzler in the Nethertopian Soro, who should compliment big ol’ Andy Madden perfectly, with Torrell-Whyte and newcomer Smith Naylor providing some steel and Crawford Panama and Kenneth Quinn the craft, but they may yet revert to their old ways and leave Joe James marooned far behind the front two.
On the Bench: Having been forced out by the newcomers, resourceful Giles Harpas and wide midfielder Paolo Gardner will offer righteous fury off the bench, but the rest are rather sub-par, especially given their rather odd decision to send a couple of rather promising kids off on loan in Nethertopia.
The Fans Expect: If the newcomers slot in well, they share the media’s confidence in a top-four push.
The Pundits Expect: That Panadero, being the next best thing and all, can take this side to fifth or so… but no higher, despite the enthusiasm.

Arrigo Portuguese (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/arrigo.html#Football): Harford – Travers, Horin, Gackbang, Ganaha – Carocha, González, Eriksson, Belling (c) – Cvecej, da Silva.
The Boardroom: Eduardo Morales (Owner, Executive Director) John Alessandri (Chairman), Stephen White (Director of Football)
Coach: Matthew Tortini
Nickname(s): Portuguese, the Hueva
Stadium: Estadio Arrigo Nacional, in Arrigo (cap. 44,123) (http://i24.tinypic.com/mt4ajl.png)
Details: Some interesting moved from Kura-Pellandi boss v.3, but big question marks remain. Is Andy Harford really an upgrade of the unpredictable but vastly more experienced Coalville Sobers? Is Farris Travers cut out to be a CMSC full-back? Fernando da Silva is better than Kirby Brightmore? Since when? Can Carroll Eriksson, despite having a girl’s name, possibly step into the shoes of Ursula Lauren? Vephrese international Avilass Gackbang is a sure thing at the back, but Alfie Felipe André? Really? Why? Anyway, they’ll be focussed on getting the ball to their admittedly very good wide men and letting twinkle-toes himself, Jamie González, pick up on the scraps.
On the Bench: Paulo Beraza may wrestle the number four shirt from Eriksson sooner rather than later while big little Riccardo Bella may replace André soon too, but otherwise Tortini remains stuck with the deadwood.
The Fans Expect: A title challenge, please God a title challenge!
The Pundits Expect: A really tricky first full season for Tortini actually, which could see them flirt with the drop zone again but ultimately stay safe.

Abiodun’s Gamboan Club (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/abiodun.html#Gamboa_FC): Matthews – Armstrong, Young (c), Knight, Ryan – Ely, Lewis, Jua, Dobson – Shannon, Castelão.
The Boardroom: Dave Quinzi (Owner), Edward Armstrong (Chairman), Waheeda Benromdane (Chief Executive), Terry Cooper (Director of Football)
Coach: Andrew Duffy
Nickname(s): Gamboa FC, Gamboa.
Stadium: Wallpark Road, in Abiodun (cap. 30,092) (http://i11.tinypic.com/6jote3a.png)
Details: With the money available they comfortably stayed up as predicted and could have gone that bit further were it not for a bizarre late slump. Duffy shows faith in much of the side but brings in some genuinely intriguing additions. Who’ll play up front with the sergeant is the big question, alongside whether Lewis, Jua and Ely are just too young to make up three-quarters of the midfield. Duffy’ll chuck ‘em forwards at every opportunity, but this time they’ve got a veritable host of strikers to relax the goalscoring burden on Adlai Dobson and the like.
On the Bench: Quite scary actually, since defenders Nick Noble and Eddy Price, and midfield strongman Jon Ledor, could still do a job if needed, while the choice between Robbie Shannon, Carlo Hone and young Cas Richardson up front is one that many bottom-half managers would kill for. All that and gifted teen midfielder George Jones too.
The Fans Expect: That this isn’t the team that’s going to deliver them the title, but it could well be, soon enough.
The Pundits Expect: That the bubble may have burst somewhat, but they’ll still be great fun to watch and should stay up comfortably.

Radyukevich Clotaire Sports Club (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/clotaire.html): Kilod – Krstev, Virta, Fu (c), Raellis – Wolverton, Tanzani, Wilson, Ragab – Rotherwell, Rawlinson.
The Boardroom: Patrick Whelehan, (Chairman), Lewis Jones (General Manager)
Coach: Coleman Mustard
Nickname(s): Radyukevich, the Jukos, the lilacs, the pigmen.
Stadium: Hilltop Stadium, in Clotaire (cap. 31,093) (http://i3.tinypic.com/6tc9c79.png)
Details: Who knows where they’re getting the money from, but the Jukos board have backed the messiah big over the break. Experts may yet to be convinced over the Mustard Revolution, but they can’t argue that he hasn’t been able to put an impressive squad together. The concern is that they’re a fairly random lucky dip of talented players rather than a team, and without great pace they look set to be a rather cautious outfit. But they certainly have rather more options that Rawlinson’s head or Rotherwell’s feet, what with Wolverton’s free-kicks and what will hopefully be a rejuvenated Beck Ragab after his move from Albrecht. And he’s not the only one – old Benji Fu will partner Jari Virta at the back.
On the Bench: Any side that can leave Christian Sattler, James Burridge and, more remarkably, striker Luke Naylor on the sidelines is an impressive one and there’s real competition for pretty much every position. Warren Crochemore will be eyeing the thirty-three year-old Fu’s place, but teenager Hansson Kemp could yet snatch it from him.
The Fans Expect: If they win a High Court battle next week they may even be getting their pigs back, which will prove symbolic of what they expect to be a title-challenging renaissance.
The Pundits Expect: That they’ll take a season to gel, but if Mustard calms down and stops ending every sentence with ‘bruv’ this could be the dominant side of the near-future. Merely comfortable for now, though.

AFC MN Smith (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/bove.html): Oviedo (c) – Fattori, L. Adams, M. Adams, O. Moore – Keddy, Walker, Fauske, Jones – Johansson, Watson.
The Boardroom: Alistair Parnell (President), Lincoln Kjellin (Vice-President Rex), Denis Martin (Director of Football)
Coach: Derek Marshall
Nickname(s): MN Smith, the Smudgers, the Smith, the Smiths.
Stadium: City of Bove Stadium, in Bove (cap. 20,568) (http://i19.tinypic.com/535z1wn.png)
Details: Right. So, no sooner had everyone calmed down from their late miracle did the board resign on mass, tired of the infighting that was eating away at the soul of their club. Finally the fans were able to elect a new board – with the hated former All Saints FC supporter Parnell – branded a ‘terrorist’ by Derek Marshall recently – stunningly winning the elections. The apathy of the mainstream MN Smith support was quickly blamed, but there can be no doubt that many recent converts have abandoned the shiny new club following many months of violence, and Saints fans may yet succeed in bringing down from the inside the club they blame for destroying their own. What it meant in real terms was that only one, pre-arranged, signing went through in the break – hoppity-skippity winger Russell Keddy from Melin & Nader – but at least Jamie Watson was able to be hidden in a box for a month or so and so stays put.
On the Bench: Everyone there was last year, pretty much. Right-back Jasper Maax looks the only probable youngster likely to step up, and that’d be in place of Reuben Fattori who’s only young himself.
The Fans Expect: Smith fans believe that whatever Watson can achieve relegation must be on the cards. And so do Saints fans.
The Pundits Expect: They’re not the worst team out there by any means, but with all their other troubles and Watson facing that Difficult Second Season they’re the bookies’ favourites for the drop.

Caires City (http://nationstates.wikia.com/wiki/Caires): Currey – San, Tipton, Avdeev (c), Morisson – Cozzi, Becchio – Varnali, Dionsío, Dyer – McGuire.
The Boardroom: Ivor Fisher (President), Simon Largo (Director of Football)
Coach: Elgin Dannat
Nickname(s): the Errant Knight, City, the Towers
Stadium: The McNeil Bingo Arena, in Caires (cap. 25,119)
Details: Caires’ third club are once again the only representative of north-east Candelaria’s casino capital, having leapfrogged their parent club Caires Sports. In their year away from the top-flight they have been shorn of most of their recognisable names, with those of Caras, Jordan, Taha, Montano et al but distant memories. Still, they were promoted comfortably and their somewhat defensive but still flexible 4-2-3-1 should be well suited to the CMSC. Much will rely on their new full-backs – MarquezOW’s young Alex San and the Blouman Henry Morrison – being able to assert themselves as offensive forces while Eddie Dyer and Murat Varnali will have to prove every bit the top-flight status of their Cafundulense colleague Dionísio, while vital holding midfielder Rod Cozzi looks a steal from the Harpies. But the key man is their big, strong Kura-Pellandi striker (that’s unusual…) Pep McGuire, who’s going to have to prove adept both at scoring against international defences and leading the line.
On the Bench: Heuva striker Isaac Burridge will pressure McGuire while David Roberts could yet force himself back into the team despite his age. They also have a young goalkeeper called Leagon Schwarzer, which is pretty much the best of a poor selection of new names for youth-team players this year. Apart from GIZ midfielder Andrew Fitzpatrick, or “Does he?” in the dressing room
The Fans Expect: With all the money that’s being flashed around elsewhere, they’ll be happy with staying up. Or even relegation, if neither Caires Sports nor Caires FC get promotion.
The Pundits Expect: That they may yet turn out to be the worst of the three newcomers and will be in the mire from the very start.

Castillo United FC (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/castillo.html): Avarelli – Kishishev, Amah, Fiore – Zelzi, Gomez (c), Lee, Sánchez, Quirante – Yilmaz, Kim.
The Boardroom: Luis Gerardo Movilla (Owner, President, Chairman), Felipe Medina (General Manager)
Coach: Dan Días
Nickname(s): Castillo FC, Castillo, the gigantes
Stadium: The Estadio de Movilla del Candelarias Online, in Castillo (cap. 24,996)
Details: Central to both C&M’s Spanish-speaking population and the engineering industry, Castillo was for a time known also as the home of the truly dominant force of C&M football, winning three league titles in five years (and finishing runners-up in the other two) between XV and XIX. Those times came to a crashing end in XXVI, after a season in which the footwear tycoon Movilla’s transformation from benevolent benefactor to deranged, interfering owner was completed. Relegation softened Movilla, and Días has been given the time and money to build a side himself, with the only caveat being the insistence on including as many players with Zs in their name as possible. Anyhoo, his side look the most equipped of the newcomers to life in the CMSC, with the talented young wingmen Manuel Zelzi and Fernando Quirarte playing high up the pitch in a 3-5-2. The back three could be suspect, with Steven Fiore on his third club in as many seasons and Dominic Amah barely out of nappies, but the real battle though is up front, with big home-grown Jack Yilmaz competing with the Han, Kim Mihyeon, talented young David Báez and another player torn from Melin & Nader’s gutted squad, José Luis Sixtos, for the two starting spots.
On the Bench: Besides the strikers there’s some real experience there in the form of lanky left Rod Unzurrunzaga and combative midfielder Merlin Evans.
The Fans Expect: That they’re going to be a lot better than everyone thinks and retain their top-flight status with ease.
The Pundits Expect: Very little, but it’s hard to say with so many young players. They’ll win nothing with kids, but they should stay up.

Mayo Valley FC: Piccioni – Hunter, Towle, Martinez, Harrison (c) – Randall, Zetaback, Reddington, Meakin – Sekerci, Thorrington.
The Boardroom: Dick Dodds (Chairman), Gerard Siddik (Chief Executive)
Coach: Dave Carr-Fluck
Nickname(s): Valley, Mayo, the Sky Blues
Stadium: The Wall, in Hodgehill nr Vo (cap. 21,867)
Details: “Ooh, look, it’s Mayo Valley. Aren’t they sweet, with their stadium out in the sticks where Central Candelarias poshos, subrural 2.4ers and count-the-toes-and-divide-by-twelve yokels come from miles around to watch their beloved club. Look, aren’t they… Aren’t they rough? I say! Is that was passes for a fair tackle in the lower leagues?” Actually, the Valley are top-flight regulars but have always fostered a general mood of put-upon-small-club. They’ve little cash to spend and on the face of it should go down, but a central midfield pairing of the distressingly large Matt Reddington and the distressingly dainty Kim Zetaback (yes, as in ‘Roger’) could prove as good as any in the league, while if Sekerci and Thorrington can repeat their second tier heroics they could be in for quite a season.
On the Bench: Riccardo Bates, off of KT Hotspur, will be hoping to give the front two something to worry about while hefty midfielder Douglas Hill arrives from Caires Sports as back-up for Reddington.
The Fans Expect: The fact they’ve got two birds in the line-up is entertaining enough for them, but with only one and a half relegation spots this year they’d be forgiven for feeling rather confident.
The Pundits Expect: That Sekerci and Thorrington will be another French and Cole and flatter to deceive in the top-flight. However, the yo… sensibly aged Miss Zetaback could yet follow her brother’s route to stardom and relegation looks far from nailed on, all things considered.

Candelaria And Marquez

29-03-2008, 19:18

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w175/candelariaandmarquez/Cmscxxviii1.png

Deadline Day Deals

There was still time for a few panic buys, though the most notable were all internationally-based; by which we mean involving Kura-Pelland.

The headline signing is probably Danny Ibbetson’s move from United Trilan to KT Hotspur. The young midfielder, widely expected to find himself playing as part of Larson’s nightmarish six at the back, is the latest buy made possible by Laurence Adamczyk’s released funds.

It was mostly one-in-one-out elsewhere, with Adam Williamson’s coveting of Demario Ortiz finally paying off and Michael Spelman taking his place between the rather younger Caleb Christmas and Alex Duxbury in the Cathedral City back five. A couple of former Kura-Pellandi internationals have also shipped up; with Port of Clotaire somewhat surprisingly happy to let young Jon Bevaart leave the club with the cooler head of Walter Tensen preferred. Matthew Tortini meanwhile has brought in a second countryman, Ruud Horin, to form an all-Vircais centre-back partnership with Avilass Gackbang. In the opposite direction, Riccardo Bella has accepted a loan move to Helma which seems beyond the call of duty, frankly.

FC Neegara seem to feel that young Candelariasian midfielders are the way to go, presumably to avoid their own home-grown darlings receiving the brunt of the home fans’ ire; and Albrecht’s Peter De’Ath has gone on loan to join Bevaart.

Matchday One: Dyer and direr Turkish stop early oligopolía dominance in its tracks

How not to retain your league title, step one: Loose your first match, against a newly promoted side.

If the Caires district of Rider Castle is a mecca for compulsive gamblers from across the region and beyond, then Albrecht Turkish were out to prove to the north-east natives just why the capital city has earned the title as one of the world’s few true ‘paradises for football fans’ – in a certain foreign telly show at any rate. For the people of Caires, with their three clubs across the top two divisions, hearing that designation being handed out to any other city in the Candelarias is hard to bear. The days when they could always count on having at least two of their sides in the top-flight have long since passed, and the city’s denizens must feel lucky to have but one club mixing it in the CMSC. The city’s economy may be thriving – certainly compared to Clotaire and Khatib-Gassett – but many Cairesians would merrily give that up to see their particular club challenge for even a top-half place in the same way as their neighbours’ and rivals elsewhere in north-east Candelaria.

Many experts believe that Caires City are the weakest of the three newly promoted sides in XXVIII, and that in any other season they would be all-but nailed-on certainties for relegation. With just one automatic drop place however, the Errant Knights’ board knew they had a tremendous opportunity to retain their place and make plans for the eighteen-team XXIX, where their not-unimpressive funds could make them a successful force. So while the city’s big two remain down in the dumps in division two, Caires City fans are determined to have a whale of a time: however bad they turn out to be.

The reigning champions’ early play suggested that Elgin Dannat’s men could face a true baptism of fire on the opening day, with Turkish looking utterly dominant against a nervous home side. The only real surprise was that it took until the twenty-eighth minute for the Millerman to take the lead, Scott Soldarian picking up the ball just inside the City and striding laconically towards the back-tracking defence. His subsequent piledriver left Felix Currey, the goalkeeper making his club debut, with little to do but pick his nose and watch it go in.

The combination between the reigning player of the season and his new midfield partner, the Fujisawan Hirokazi Reizei, looks like sparking off superbly, but elsewhere Turkish seemed a little way off their best. In truth, they arguably haven’t been at their best since the early games of last season; after which it was the class-above performances of Soldarian, the sure-footedness of Gary Maini up front and some heroic defending from the chunky centre-half Steven Williams that primarily kept them in the hunt until a late surge brought them a long-awaited league title. Beyond Reizei and Ciaran Kelly’s more regular role, the starting XI is unchanged; but it certainly looks older. Samuel Taha, the thirty-something Bettian, has never needed to rely on pace, but if the first matchday is anything to go by he has become increasingly in need of the support of the two men (or boys, as often as not) he has alongside him for the aroras. Against the Errant Knights he was marooned up front and marked out of the game by Shane Avdeev.

City for their part played some nice stuff; always working from the back and sharing out time on the ball around the whole side. Their most valuable triangle started with the young Blouman debutant Henry Morrison, who had Ryan Westhead to deal with but managed to evade him as often as not and provide Wayne Becchio or Eddie Dyer. Once the ball reached the midfield however they were forced merely to lump it up to the big Kura-Pellandi Pep McGuire, who was meeting his match in the form of Williams.

The turning point came with an injury ironically, when McGuire sprained an ankle shortly before half-time in a challenge with Evan Laurie and was sub’d for Isaac Burridge, the recent new signing from Arrigo Portuguese. Eight minutes into the second period Burridge proved the wisdom of his move by latching on to a Dyer cross and nodding past Oberon Martinez.

For a club that opened their XXVII season with six straight wins, merely picking up a point on the first day would have been seen as a major failure and Turkish powered forwards. With Currey earning his wages in goal it was the home side who laughed last however, when the Cafundulense Dionísio and the ironically Dancougan-born, Albrecht raised Dyer shared a nice one-two to outfox young Harris Dixon. Dyer fired in the ninetieth-minute winner, and the capital club’s paradise was well and truly lost.

It’s far too early to read the last rites for the CMSC’s own Champions’ Cup oligopolía, however. Green Island had the easiest time of it on the opening day, easing to victory away at KT Hotspur with embarrassing simplicity. Perhaps the GIZ are just very good indeed, but the Spur seemed to have little idea what they were doing with only Wally Milton excelling in his former national team manager’s preferred formation – before picking up two yellow cards in close succession. Thomas Larson may yet regret handing the Hopelessian the captaincy, and Danny Ibbetson, Özkan Yalçin and Aaron Kortsarian might just be wondering what they’ve signed up to. At any rate, the six at the back couldn’t stop Hane Davies’ men winning 3-0.

The scoreline was even greater for Marquez-Onwere, playing in an attractive Saturday evening fixture against Turks’ Club. The ‘derbies’ between Kura-Pellandi CMSC bosses are always eagerly awaited and this one didn’t disappoint, but the deadlock remained unbroken until mid-way through the second half, after Dana Blomquist had got her CMSC career off to a disappointing start by picking up an achilles injury in a challenge with the MarquezOW target man Careca. Her replacement Alun Lennartson, a man who has had shares in the Turks’ Club bench for many years, proceeded to have a mare of epic proportions; his errors letting in Niclas Kjaer to score twice in quick succession. His fellow centre-half got in on the action with a comedy own goal before Lennartson conceded a soft corner swung in by Merlin Siriwong and headed home by the Cafundéu forward. A 4-0 home win is a pretty good warm up to the matchday two trip to Turkish, all things considered.

Albrecht FC had a rather tougher time of it, also playing against a newly promoted club. After Peter Vanderpent had slotted in Ben Edwards’ free-kick the game became an excuse to watch Naoki Tonnelier and Loren Meyer defending, which is always a welcome sight for any red-blooded Scorpions fan. Castillo FC created few chances and those they did have fell at the feet of strikers exhibiting a distinct lack of sharpness. Are Jack Yilmaz and José Luis Sixtos CMSC quality? Probably not, and we’ll have to wait for Dan Díaz to grant Kim Mihyeon a start to find out what he can do. Chances went begging for the home side too, but Francois St. Louis missing an open goal from a Ben Edwards corner thankfully didn’t prove costly to Albrecht’s 1-0 win.

The first goal of the season came for Jamie González. While the El din Marbles versus Arrigo Portuguese is no match-up with a long and bloody history; any game between Marquez sides with large Hispanic followings usually finds itself on in the morning. If the grudges between these two sets of fans are more of the what-his-mamá-said-about-our-Antonio variety rather than for footballing reasons, they may be able to add a new slice of bitterness to the burgeoning history books, after Nataniel O’Leary collapsed like in the box like a Tennessee fainting goat after Avilass Gackbang’s violent nearness, and Andy Madden tucked away as soft a penalty as you’ll see all season to equalise. A draw at home isn’t quite what the new-look Marbles would have been hoping for, but it represents a solid start given that they were without Abdoulaye Soro; the Nethertopian apparently still suffering from some kind of “stomach injury”.

The Marbles weren’t the only ones with missing foreigners. Port of Clotaire were forced to bench Walter Tensen until the second half, the experienced midfielder having yet to have trained with the first-team since his late arrival; while the highly-talented new Sorthern forward, Lee Waywide, was stopped by the local constabulary after attempting to bring a fully-loaded firearm onto the field of play. Instead, the Harpies were forced to put out an all-teenage front two of Jason Federici and Dean Dotson; and their inexperience showed as they allowed themselves to be bullied by the three strong-arm members of the Mayo Valley defence while the fourth element, the Kosovoen Tenicia Martinez, used other means to keep the young PoC attack at bay.

Serkan Turkmen, the left winger from Kose and The Turkomans (which is not a post-punk revival band from Albrecht, disappointingly) looks to have settled in rather better than some of his fellow new Harpies, and tested the Mayo ‘keeper Lewis Piccioni from the dead ball on numerous occasions, but ultimately failed to find the back of the net. Instead, in the fourth minute of injury time, the former C&M international Doug Szczechowicz attempted to clear a week Rick Sekerci effort and managed instead to smash into his own ‘keeper; scoring the decisive own goal and injuring the PoC No. 1 Amis Cressey in the progress.

The remaining games could hardly be described as upsets in the manner of the Sky Blues’ victory, but Gamboa’s 1-0 victory over a new-look but still rather toothless Radyukevich side was impressive enough. Teddy Ozi-Mayer meanwhile scored a first-half brace for Cathedral City; who held on against MN Smith for whom only the Scotchpine striker Jamie Watson was anything other than craptacular. The miracle of XXVII has been long since forgotten now, and it’s going to be a loooong season for the Smudgers’ remaining fans.

And that, I should point out, was an abnormally long report, even for me. You can tell it’s a Saturday, can’t you?

Albrecht FC v Castillo FC 1 – 0 (Vanderpent 8)
Caires City v A.Turks (Mon Evening) 2 – 1 (Burridge 53, Dyer 89; Soldarian 28)
El din Marbles v Portuguese (Sat Morning) 1 – 1 (Madden 61; González 35)
Gamboa FC v Radyukevich 1 – 0 (Castelão 38)
KT Hotspur v Green Island 0 – 3 (Desideri 5, Vidakovic 10, va Drake 67)
MarquezOW v Turks’ Club (Sat Evening) 4 – 0 (N. Kjaer 62 and 65, McDonald og 73, Careca 79)
MN Smith v Cathedral City 0 – 2 (Ozi-Mayer 14 and 17)
Port of Clotaire v Mayo Valley 0 – 1 (Szczechowicz og 90+4)

Matchday Two: Pretty MarquezOW taken down in paradise city

Mere beauty is just not enough. Marquez-Onwere won XXVI through a combination of their gorgeous, ever-attacking, tippity-tappity stuff and a genuine cutting age, but the naranja seemed badly lacking in the latter in the Millerman Sheppard Stadium on Saturday morning.

The injury to Dana Bloomquist and subsequent awfulness of Alun Lennartson was the primary contributing factor to Andy Woolworth’s side’s previous 4-0 victory, a scoreline than helped masked their deficiencies shown up against Albrecht Turkish. It was a perfectly even game; devoid of any great skill it must be said, with far too much bitterness between these two clubs following last season’s mustardgate for the more robust members of both teams to ease off at all, but both ended with 50% possession and seven shots on target apiece. The difference proved in the finishing, and for a side containing Careca, Merlin Siriwong, Reiban Okeke and José Felipe Cassumba Domingos et al that’s just too bad.

It’s easy to be harsh on MarquezOW, who were at least playing against the reigning champions – albeit a side chastened by their opening day defeat. Yet once the home side had taken the lead, the final result never really seemed in doubt. Hirokazu Reizei started the move with a perfect long pass that sought out Samuel Taha in the box, and the Bettian needed no invitation to practise for the forthcoming international fixture by scoring past the C&M ‘keeper Harry Primrose. Taha missed two more great opportunities while Okeke somehow managed to put Niclas Kjaer’s seventieth-minute corner over the bar before Oberon Martinez proved why he, rather than Primrose, is C&M’s No. 1 with a top-class point-blank save from Careca.

Turkish made things safe in the ninetieth minute; Ciaran Kelly feeding Gary Maini who laid off for Taha, who added his second with a simple side-footed finish.

It’s far too early to suggest that the added pressure of the Champions’ Cup is making life difficult for last season’s top four – mainly because it’s far too early to work out whether they’ve actually been playing TQCC fixtures or preparing for a big block to be played in a couple of weeks (aah, time dilation) – but it certainly looks like they’re not going to have it all their own way this time. Albrecht FC’s narrow 1-0 opening day win turned into a narrow 1-0 second matchday defeat to Radyukevich, themselves coming off the back of a narrow 1-0 opening day defeat. Their 1-0 win (which was narrow) came courtesy of a free-kick from the Krytenian David Wolverton; but the game itself, which featured Benji Fu and Beck Ragab facing their former club, failed to live up to expectations.

Not so Green Island versus El din Marbles, which was about as much fun as you can have on a Monday evening. The GIZ look even more of a class act this year, with Fred Michaels offering vast experience at the back and, while David Walker’s crosses are missed, Espy va Drake has more than enough pace and trickery wide on the right to make up for it. It was an Eesseffian of a rather longer-standing vintage that gave Green Island the opener, though Rául Vélez will ultimately be credited with his first of the season for getting a toe on Roger Zetaback’s lofted effort, before on the half hour C&M defender Ben Young scored a rare goal from va Drake’s corner.

The Marbles still need to get their heads around their own new men, but once they started to relax and keep it on the floor they began to dominate the second half. The much-maligned Joe James did well to evade Michaels and hit a stunning shot to get Carlos Panadero’s men back in it, (not that they weren’t still in it anyway, it was only 2-0, what, are we supposed to think that at 2-0 down they can’t possibly win but at 2-1 it suddenly becomes feasible again? What an odd phrase that is.) before debutant Abdoulaye Soro exploited Green Island’s one obvious failing – the goalkeeper – by hitting a weak shot that Martin Petit fumbled into the net.

Moments later disaster struck as the Marbles’ own keeper, Aubrey Mkhonza, became the third custodian this season to limp off mid-game. The veteran Héctor Netto came on, but his first act was to pick what proved to be the winner from Stuart Vidakovic out of the net.

That win takes Green Island top on goals scored, with two other sides also taking six points from two games. And unlikely clubs they are too; in the form of Cathedral City, who brought Caires City back down to earth with a bump with a 3-1 comeback win, and Mayo Valley, who repeated Catedral’s opening day ‘achievement’ in beating MN Smith. If the opener was fortunate in the extreme – young lefty James Meakin’s corner hitting the inside of Boris Oviedo’s post and going in – the Sky Blues were more than deserving of the three points as they ran in four goals to Jamie Watson’s one. The fourth was the pick of the bunch; substitute midfielder Douglas Hall giving Dave Carr-Fluck something to think about with an excellent run and shot. In truth however, the result said far more about the Smudgers than the home side; and even with only one guaranteed relegation spot this year the Bove outfit have moved into odds on.

Aside from the top three, the only other undefeated side are Arrigo Portuguese who took a second draw, this time goalless, at home to KT Hotspur. The Spur looked much better this time, even with the absence of Wally Milton, and the Estadio Arrigo Nacional faithful had Ruud Horin and Avilass Gackbang (or Whorin’ and Gangbang, as they have rapidly become known among the Hueva’s more ‘street’ supporters) to thank for clearing Allen Gallagher and Aaron Kortsarian shots off the line either side of half-time.

After an extended period of domination by the away side the tables were almost turned, after Terence Johnson’s slip let in Iain Belling and Joel Sbaïz was forced to chop the Kura-Pelland international down and concede a penalty – and the first red card of his career. Twenty year-old Ryan Gonzaléz then took to the pitch against his childhood club and promptly watched as Djabgor Cvecej skied the spot-kick high into the terraces. Gonzaléz’s near-namesake Jamie González (oh, those pesky accents) challenged the young ‘keeper twice, but the Spur held on for the clean sheet.

Elsewhere, Turks’ Club joined the bevy of clubs on three points with a 3-0 victory over Gamboa FC, whose form is going to be up and down like anything over the next few weeks with so many youngsters on show. More worrying was how mediocre the defence looked, though C&M fans among the crowd won’t have minded the East Antairees defender Andrew Ryan’s hashed clearance that gave William Williams the simple third.

Castillo FC and Port of Clotaire make up the rest of the early bottom four, following a 1-1 draw at the Estadio de Movilla del Candelarias Online.

And that was still an abnormally long report, even for me…

A.Turks v MarquezOW (Sat Morning) 2 – 0 (Taha 48 and 90)
Castillo FC v Port of Clotaire 1 – 1 (Quirarte 43; Instonenext 1)
Cathedral City v Caires City 3 – 1 (Jobson 33, Silva de Aviz 38, Ozi-Mayer 62; Dionísio 6)
Green Island v El din Marbles (Mon Evening) 3 – 2 (Vélez 16, Young 29, Vidakovic 69; James 57, Soro 63)
Mayo Valley v MN Smith 4 – 1 (Meakin 13, Thorrington 18, Reddington 77, Hill 83; Watson 53)
Portuguese v KT Hotspur 0 – 0
Radyukevich v Albrecht FC (Sat Evening) 1 – 0 (Wolverton 47)
Turks’ Club v Gamboa FC 3 – 0 (Pi 3, Zois 45+2, Williams 49)

Matchday Three: Watson has Duffy begging for mercy

It’s not easy being a striker in the CMSC. Not because it’s an especially strong competition on the defensive front, perish the thought. But the goals that do get scored tend to be shared around the team, even at the highest level, with the unshakable Candelariasian fascination for sticking two up front tending to stop any one forward gaining a monopoly on his side’s goalscoring. For many players, merely getting into double figures is quite something.

Even within single matches that’s the case, with hat-tricks a really rather unusual commodity. And the last time anyone scored four in a game was waay back in XXIV, before those numerals were even employed and the closest thing to a foreigner in the league was the Cabrera Island-born defender Darwin Rondags. On that fateful day, Steven Fritz – who would eventually become C&M’s leading man, when there actually was a C&M to talk about – hit all four goals for Albrecht FC against Radyukevich to help the Scorpions towards yet another title.

It’s been a long wait but finally his achievement has been equalled, by the Scotchpine forward Jamie Watson. His four were in truth far more remarkable; for Watson is anything but an out-and-out striker and his perfect quadruplet – right foot, left foot, header and penis – came while playing for AFC MN Smith, who are by any reckoning absolute gash. They came against Gamboa FC, which is less of a claim to fame. But whatever the struggles of the Scotchpinestan national team right now, Watson has guaranteed that his Golden Boot of XXVII will not be his only pass into the Candelariasian history books.

Gamboa for their part were all-new all-different, Andrew Duffy having rung the changes following the 3-0 defeat to Turks’ Club. In what was a very pointed message to the club’s foreign contingent; Andrew Ryan, Clayton Knight and Jua Huwang were all dropped for Eddy Price, Nick Noble and George Jones, while Kevin Ely came back in and Robbie Shannon was sacrificed up front for Casper Richardson. Jones, Ely and Richardson are all teenagers – highly unusual in the CMSC where the overwhelming majority of players are in their mid-twenties – but they were arguably Gamboa’s best performers on the day.

The creative midfielder Jones opened the scoring after just four minutes with a free-kick that whistled in under the feet of Reuben Fattori, but from then on the Smudgers dominated the first half. It took until the twentieth minute for Davey Fauske to equalise with a carbon copy of Jones’, before Watson came into his own. First Fauske turned provider, his long pass brought down and fired in first time by the Scotchpiner. He soon added a second from twenty yards with his favoured left foot, before a perfectly-timed run into the box ended with Watson’s head meeting his countryman Seth Walker’s cross and Murphy Matthews left flailing. It was a ten-minute hat-trick, one of the quickest in CMSC history.

Being 4-1 down at half-time understandably rocked Gamboa, but Duffy stayed firm and an unchanged side came out in the second half. Some nice work down the right from Normal Armstrong and Ely saw the former C.A.L youngster pull one back for the away side before Sargento Castelão was brought down by Moreland Adams in the box and Richardson calmly tucked away the penalty to make it 4-3. It was left to Watson to give MN Smith their two-goal margin back, though in truth it was his anonymous strike partner Jamie Johansson that made the goal with a mazey run through the Gamboan defence. Matthews saved his shot, but Watson was in the right place to groin the ball into the net for his fourth and the Smudgers’ fifth.

All this helped overshadow a potentially vital game in Zapata where Green Island were able to get an early march on everyone else with a 3-1 win over Marquez-Onwere. Stuart Vidakovic scored his third in three in the first half, while Seb Cerullei’s free-kick gave the GIZ breathing space early in the second after a period of MarquezOW pressure. Careca finally pulled one back, but Hane Davies’ total football was epitomised when the old bones of the Eesseffian Fred Michaels wandered up from the back, into the penalty area, and tucked away Cerullei’s cross. The big games keep coming next week, when the GIZ travel to Albrecht FC.

It may not be long before some of the bookies are paying out on Green Island. Of last year’s big four, Albrecht are the best placed following a fairly routine 2-0 win over Cathedral City. Albrecht Turkish were held to a draw by Radyukevich, who must surely be major contenders for a top-four place and Champions’ Cup football after the half-way-stage cut-off. The combined might of Samuel Taha and Gary Maini – not to mention everything behind them – couldn’t pierce Gari Kilod’s net and it took the promising teenage Candelariasian striker James Falconer to give the Millermen a point at home, after former Albrecht FC winger Beck Ragab’s opener.

The weekend’s derby was in the Triple City, where the Kura-Pellandi boss won out over the Praying2Godi. KT Hotspur did look strong at the back (having six defenders’ll do that), but Turks’ Club only needed two openings when Matthew Sellami whacked in an unstoppable curling free-kick and Andrew Bradley caused havoc in the box to allow Holger Pi to nip in and score past the little ‘keeper Ryan Gonzaléz. The Spur are now bottom of the table, and are the only side yet to find the back of the net.

Clearly having a notable foreign manager isn’t the be-all-and-end-all to any kind of success, for Arrigo Portuguese are just a point ahead of them following their 2-0 loss at Port of Clotaire thanks to the Di Bradini Cup stars Jason Federici and Lee Waywide. Elsewhere, newcomers Castillo FC and Mayo Valley shared a point but remain at opposite ends of the table – and that was only because of Manuel Zelzi’s injury-time equaliser for the gigantes – while Caires City’s opening day heroics are fading somewhat after a 2-0 loss at the El din Marbles. Clearly, the Errant Knights have to learn to play to the whistle, after conceding in stoppage time at the end of both halves.

A.Turks v Radyukevich (Mon Evening) 1 – 1 (Falconer 79; Ragab 45)
Albrecht FC v Cathedral City 2 – 0 (Marshall 61, Wojciechowski 83)
Castillo FC v Mayo Valley 1 – 1 (Zelzi 90+1; Meakin 43)
El din Marbles v Caires City 2 – 0 (Madden 45+1 and 90+4)
Green Island v MarquezOW (Sat Evening) 3 – 1 (Vidakovic 17, Cerullei 55, Michaels 84; Careca 76)
MN Smith v Gamboa FC 5 – 3 (Fauske 20, Watson 27 and 34 and 37 and 71; Jones 4, Ely 51, Richardson 67)
Port of Clotaire v Portuguese 2 – 0 (Federici 41, Waywide 42)
Turks’ Club v KT Hotspur (Sat Morning) 2 – 0 (Sellami 8, Pi 69)

Matchday Four: I’ve had custard with more consistency

If you’re going to be bad, at least be interestingly bad. It’s just a pity MN Smith have so few genuine fans left to see it all unfold, following the apparent victory by former All Saints FC supporters in the off-season elections. As such, it was a party atmosphere at the Estadio Francisco Álvarez on Saturday with both sets of supporters fully enjoying Marquez-Onwere’s 5-1 demolition of the Smudgers, just a week after the Smith themselves put five past Gamboa FC.

Remarkably there was very nearly a quadruplet for the second time this season, involving the unlikely figure of Merlin Siriwong. The Onwere-born player doesn’t score all that regularly but when they do come it’s usually by the bucket load. After opening the scoring with a simple tap-in following a move in which just about every MarquezOW player had a touch and their MN Smith counterparts merely watched with mild interest, Siriwong had two more glorious first-half chances that were saved superbly by Boris Oviedo. He and the naranja were able to catch MN Smith unawares in the first minute of the second period however, with José Felipe Cassumba Domingos whacking the ball up to the Cafundulense international Careca who nodded down for Siriwong to finish. Careca scored a lovely solo strike later on to put the game beyond MN Smith before a bizarre moment of miscommunication between the Adams brothers let Siriwong in to finish off his hat-trick on eighty.

A fourth for the former under-21 almost came three minutes later, but his shot was punched out by Oviedo and tucked into the net by Jack Stafador. That the Starblaydi midfielder was high enough up the pitch to be able to score highlighted the home side’s dominance, with MarquezOW clearly in the hunt to break some goalscoring records of their own in the final few minutes. Instead however a sweeping cross from the Smudgers’ right midfielder Russell Keddy was brought down by Jamie Watson, who unselfishly laid on Jamie Johansson to pull a goal back.

In the final minute, Keddy received his second yellow for a challenge on Niclas Kjaer – the very last thing MN Smith need ahead of the Matchday Five visit of Green Island. The GIZ will be smarting after dropping their first points of the season, though a 1-1 draw at Albrecht FC hardly represents a failure. The Scorpions are playing some pretty deathly stuff right now under Andy Le Lan, and even Hane Davies’ Green Island couldn’t enliven a match given any oomph only in a seven-minute period early in the second half when Rául Vélez received a pass from Espy va Drake on the right, spun around Shane Wojciechowski and finished vigorously with his less-favoured left foot past Paolo Thorpe. The home side soon came up with a good, good goal of their own however thanks to Ben Edwards. The son of the legendary sportswriter Tracker Edwards capped his breakthrough season with some sensational performances in the Justantina Cup and the second Di Bradini, but since then he has struggled to live up to his early promise. His free-kicks are still valuable but those boisterous runs have been conspicuous by their absence recently. Here however he seemed to be getting somewhere back towards his best and left Seb Cerullei, Fred Michaels and Brayton Desideri flummoxed as he scored a barnstorming equaliser.

The game turned sour in the final few minutes with another red card, this time for the C&M international Ben Head on Loren Meyer. There will be plenty who are thankful that chivalry is dead but not the Eesseffian defender, who faces a month on the sidelines with a knee injury picked up in the challenge. Head will miss just one match, while the Scorpions will be without Meyer for a testing series of matches.

Green Island stay top with that point, just ahead of Cathedral City. The Cats surely aren’t there to stay, but Charlie Cunningham’s side still look set to defy the critics. The loss of Demario Ortiz to United Trilan doesn’t appear to have affected them in the least; with the new back three of Caleb Christmas, Enrique Silva de Aviz and Michael Spelman looking as solid as a rock. The flanks are where they’ve been the most impressive however, with the Shelton-Filmar combination down the right and Duxbury-Folgueira on the left each creating one of the two goals in their victory over Turks’ Club. The Turks, at this stage, look as inconsistent as last year, and are clearly missing the injured Dana Bloomquist at the back.

Another side currently defying gravity are Mayo Valley, who remain with Green Island as the only unbeaten outfits thus far. They were held at home by the El din Marbles in as watchable a game as you’re likely to see, with the Wall outfit twice coming back from a goal down in the second half, thanks largely to the play of Kim Zetaback. The midfielder seems to be a carbon copy of her elder brother, except with norks and that, and scored one and made one for the beanpole Pascal Thorrington. Mayo are anything but a one-woman (or even two-woman) team however, and Dave Carr-Fluck’s support of youngsters such as Leon Towle, James Meakin and Rick Sekerici deserves applauds at a time when Di Bradini-eligible Candelariasian youngsters in the CMSC seem distressingly thin on the ground.

KT Hotspur meanwhile got a point against Albrecht Turkish, but Jesus it was dull. The A.Turks for their part sit five points behind Green Island – a pretty big margin at this stage, but they’ve made it up before.

The surprise result of the day was Castillo FC’s 3-0 win at Radyukevich, which could be put down to a bad day at the office for the Jukos but in truth Coleman Mustard was simply out-thought by Dan Díaz, who returned Jack Yilmaz to his striking role to devastating effect. To make matters worse, the Jukos’ city rivals Port of Clotaire took a 4-0 win at Caires City; giving an utterly dominant performance that will have Turkish fans shaking their heads at how they could possibly have lost to this year’s Errant Knights. The Harpies’ only sub-par player was the young left-sided midfielder Serkan Turkmen, who looked tense and nervy throughout. A 9-1 international defeat’ll do that to you.

Oh, and in one of the more predictable results of the day Arrigo Portuguese drew for the third time this season, against Gamboa FC. Matthew Tortini threw a tizzy after Vallender Harvey declined to grant Djabgor Cvecej a second-half penalty but, while the Kura-Pellandi probably had a point; it doesn’t help mask just how badly he’s doing at the moment with a club of the Heuva’s resources.

Albrecht FC v Green Island (Sat Morning) 1 – 1 (B. Edwards 59; Vélez 53)
Caires City v Port of Clotaire 0 – 4 (Waywide 2, Alaoui 7, Orlovic 39, Federici 82)
Cathedral City v Turks’ Club 2 – 0 (Filmar 5, Folgueira 37)
KT Hotspur v A.Turks (Mon Evening) 0 – 0
MarquezOW v MN Smith 5 – 1 (Siriwong 11 and 46 and 80, Careca 62, Stafador 83; Johansson 85)
Mayo Valley v El din Marbles 2 – 2 (Thorrington 68, Zetaback 79; Madden 48, Torrell-Whyte 78)
Portuguese v Gamboa FC (Sat Evening) 1 – 1 (da Silva 10; Armstrong 45+1)
Radyukevich v Castillo FC 0 – 3 (Yilmaz 13 and 52, Zelzi 88)

Matchday Five: This joke isn’t funny any more

Just how much longer are the Smith going to maintain their monopoly on the key game of the weekend? They’ve got Albrecht Turkish next week an’ all. I’m thoroughly sick of them and, by now, so are Green Island.

The City of Bove Stadium currently houses the smallest attendances in the CMSC – despite Bove itself being the third largest city in the islands – and may not even be hosting top-flight football for much longer, even if MN Smith do stay up. If the rumours are to be believed, the club’s new President Alistair Parnell is intent on moving the side to a new location to allow his first love, All Saints FC, to reform and return to their status as the city’s premier club. Michael Norris Smith himself would be rolling in his grave to discover that the club that was founded in his honour could be playing their home game outside of the Candelarias in future years, never mind outside his beloved Bove.

For the here and now at least, those Smudgers fans who have remained loyal to the cause are really being treated. This time it was a sensational 2-0 win over the league favourites, in which goalkeeper Boris Oviedo was ultimately the hero, but the home side still fully deserved the victory. Nothing went right for the GIZ right from kick-off, though on another day both Rául Vélez and Stuart Vidakovic up front could have filled their boots. In the event however it was the Smith who took a shock lead through the equally unexpected figure of Niv Cohen, the eighteen year-old winger starting on the right in place of the suspended Russell Keddy, who latched onto a Reuben Fattori long ball and showed exceptional confidence for young player in taking it down, bursting beyond Brayton Desideri and scoring.

The goal knocked Green Island for six, but worse was to come early in the second half when the Eesseffian midfielder Espy va Drake collapsed in agony following a high but relatively soft challenge from the Scotchpine defender Orlando Moore. va Drake was stretchered off and later tests revealed torn knee ligaments that could keep the star out for at least two months, including the later stages of the Champions’ Cup should the GIZ make it that far.

Hane Davies threw on David Walker, but he seemed a shadow of his former self and young Andrew Fitzpatrick may be called into the fray rather sooner than he’d expected. At any rate, perhaps it was concern over their team-mate’s plight but the visitors never looked championship material, and conceded a second goal from Jamie Watson’s run and Neil Jones’ shot that pretty much put the tin lid on it.

That put the cat amongst the pigeons as far as the nascent title race goes, with Albrecht FC one of two teams moving up to join the GIZ on ten points. My word the Scorpions left it late however, after twice being pegged back by the ever-unpredictable Gamboa at the Wallpark Stadium. Clayton Knight and Andrew Ryan were back for the home team, but the other displaced foreigner Jua Huwang is still being kept out by George Jones. As such, goals were guaranteed and two had come within the first quarter of an hour from Ben Edwards’ twenty-yard drive and Casper Richardson’s fine header. Albrecht had much the better of it after that and were up at half-time through Peter Vanderpent, but they too would rue the loss of their Eesseffian to injury when Sargento Castelão exploited the Loren Meyer-shaped hole filled by Nic Noble and supplied the simple finish. In the long run however an injury did the visitors the power of good, Jack Marshall spending several minutes out cold early in the second half and young Ryan Edwards using the wealth of stoppage time to his best advantage with a waltzing run and top-class finish that gave Albrecht a 3-2. Perhaps the kids are alright after all..

With goal difference the deciding factor however neither they nor Green Island can match Port of Clotaire, the semi-unlikely leaders at the one-sixth-stage. Theirs was a tricky win as well, coming from a 1-0 scoreline over Cathedral City thanks to Lee Waywide’s late solo strike. Undoubtedly there’ll be a bit more talk about the Harpies next time out when, funnily enough, they travel to play Green Island.

Albrecht Turkish are back on the road to recovery meanwhile, after a 3-0 win over Mayo Valley. Defensive errors on the part of the away side were primarily to blame, with Leon Towle’s youth and Justin Hunter’s not-very-goodness shown up on Saturday evening telly, but Mayo fans remain overjoyed with their overall performances thus far. They’re on eight points, alongside the A.Turks and El din Marbles who got a fine, albeit incredibly late, win at home to Radyukevich. The Jukos seemed to be heading for a much-needed victory thanks to Jackson Tanzani’s forty-sixth minute free-kick, but for once they were let down by their much-loved Uir ‘keeper Gari Kilod who was lobbed by Rockdale LeCass. The former Caires Sports winger then sent Abdoulaye Soro through on goal, only for the Nethertopian to be hacked down by the Tieshanese left-back Jacin Raellis. Cue Andy Madden’s third-minute-of-stoppage-time penalty, put away with aplomb. It says much for the depth of the Kura-Pellandi attack that both he and Cathedral City’s Teddy Ozi-Meyer are considered surplus to requirements for the national team.

Elsewhere KT Hotspur drew, which is hardly newsworthy in itself but it was against Marquez-Onwere. Rumours of a possible return to the club by Giuseppe Abellardo seemed to lift the Spur’s spirits – and lone frontman Allen Gallagher’s performance level – but the Valleys faithful were forced to settle for a point. Arrigo Portuguese also drew, which is, like, just the most predictable thing ev-urrr.

Turks’ Club, who are incapable of drawing, lost, at home, to Caires City. For a club that’s supposed to be right up there that’s really pretty crap, frankly. What’s the deal with all the Kura-Pellandi managers this season, eh?

A.Turks v Mayo Valley (Sat Evening) 3 – 0 (Laurie 15, Westhead 31, Taha 71)
Castillo FC v Portuguese 1 – 1 (Kim 52; González 8)
El din Marbles v Radyukevich (Sat Morning) 2 – 1 (LeCass 83, Madden 90+3; Tanzani 46)
Gamboa FC v Albrecht FC 2 – 3 (Richardson 12, Castelão 72; B. Edwards 9, Vanderpent 42, R. Edwards 90+4)
KT Hotspur v MarquezOW 1 – 1 (Gallagher 47; Careca 19)
MN Smith v Green Island 2 – 0 (Cohen 34, Jones 63)
Port of Clotaire v Cathedral City (Mon Evening) 1 – 0 (Waywide 82)
Turks’ Club v Caires City 0 – 1 (Dionísio 5)

Matchday Six: Scorpions strike for top spot

In the understandable rush to praise Derek Marshall and his MN Smith outfit, the season’s other triumph-against-adversity story has been pushed rather unfairly into the background. Until this weekend few really noticed that Albrecht FC, the biggest club in the country don’tcha’know, are back on form despite all their troubles on and off the pitch.

The off-pitch wrangles have quietened down somewhat, with the fans accepting that Andy Le Lan – and more to the point, Martin Hole-Simpkins – aren’t going anywhere just now, and Lynn Lukes has yet to forge a new consortium capable of buying out the Mastini family. This more settled arrangement has certainly worked into the hands of Le Lan, with the team showing a vast improvement in recent games. There is a But, of course, and it’s really quite a big one. Though the final results may have been impressive enough, the Scorpions have generally been winning only by the skin of their teeth and matchday six was no exception – 3-0 against the El din Marbles it was, but only after Peter Vanderpent’s seventy-sixth minute low strike past Aubrey Mkhonza opened the floodgates, with the Zwangzugian only just missing out on a five-minute hat-trick – his final effort being put away by Joe Cunningham for the C&M striker’s first of the season.

What has to be remembered though is just how mediocre this particular Albrecht XI really is. Paolo Thorpe in goal has been a superb force for many years, but not for nothing were KT Hotspur willing to let him go, and everyone knows he’s just a stop-gap until Stefan Santamaria is ready. Naoki Tonnelier is still a class act but the Ariddian’s age is catching up with her. But if you’d take her over the Marbles’ Smith Naylor, surely Kenneth Quinn would be picked ahead of Francois St. Louis? With Loren Meyer out injured, aren’t Larry Torrell-Whyte and Zach Malde every bit the equals of Shane Wojciechowski and Nic Noble? Rockdale LeCass versus Ben Edwards? Matteo Corradini versus Crawford Panama? Cunningham-Vanderpent or Soro-Madden? It’s all rather much of a muchness between sides like this, which makes Le Lan’s performance all the more special. If he can keep it up – and they’ve got a string of home game to come, including the derby – there’ll be more than a few humble pies eaten in Songstress over the coming weeks.

Albrecht are top by a goal then, after Green Island’s 1-0 win over Port of Clotaire. The GIZ had to get through much of the game with only ten men, after Stuart Vidakovic – having been booked in the first half for dissent – received his marching orders after taking off his shirt to celebrate his goal. It hardly mattered since the Harpies were battered throughout, with Tom Redway, Natalie Instonenext and all really living up to their defensive reputations in keeping the scoreline down, and Jason Federici and Lee Waywide not getting a sniff. They’re still a good outfit, but PoC fans may have to wait a little longer to see a side capable of a real title challenge.

Right, now that’s all done with, I think we need to have a little chat about MN Smith, don’t you? ‘Fortress City of Bove Stadium’ lacks a dramatic ring, but how else do you explain successive scorelines of 5-3 versus Gamboa, 2-0 versus Green Island and, now, 3-1 versus Albrecht Turkish, apart from match fixing and stuff. The A.Turks really were poor, particularly at the back after the Big Blues’ Steven Williams was sent off on thirty for a stamp on Seth Walker, but the Smudgers took their opportunities perfectly. Young Niv Cohen was again the star, picking out Jamie Watson deftly shortly before half-time and scoring from the follow-up himself after Oberon Martinez saved Watson’s effort. There was a major element of fortune about the second, Davey Fauske shinning the ball in from a corner, but sub striker Rory Ireland’s textbook header from Cohen’s faultless cross put the champions’ efforts completely to shame.

The Millermen are going to have to improve a great deal if they aren’t going to surrender their long-awaited title after just one season, but their one saving grace is how random the rest of the league is. Look at Turks’ Club, who followed up a 1-0 home defeat to Caires City with a 1-0 away win at Mayo Valley. Other games ran more to form, with the Errant Knights comfortably beating Castillo FC 3-1 and Cathedral City continuing their highly impressive season with a 2-0 victory over Gamboa FC.

Both the gigantes and Gamboans remain in trouble, but at least they’ve won games – which is more than you can say for two of the foreign-coached sides, Arrigo Portuguese and KT Hotspur. Matthew Tortini could have no complaints in the Hueva’s 3-1 loss in Onwere, while the Spur showed absolutely nothing in loosing by a single goal at the Hilltop Stadium.

Albrecht FC v El din Marbles 3 – 0 (Vanderpent 76 and 77, Cunningham 81)
Caires City v Castillo FC 3 – 1 (McGuire 10, Dionísio 48, Cozzi 87; Sixtos 39)
Cathedral City v Gamboa FC 2 – 0 (Filmar 30, Spelman 59)
Green Island v Port of Clotaire (Sat Evening) 1 – 0 (Vidakovic 67)
MarquezOW v Portuguese 3 – 1 (Careca 27 and 52, Okeke 75; Cvecej 15)
Mayo Valley v Turks’ Club (Sat Morning) 0 – 1 (Towle og 4)
MN Smith v A.Turks (Mon Evening) 3 – 1 (Cohen 43, Fauske 50, Ireland 71; Kennedy 90+3)
Radyukevich v KT Hotspur 1 – 0 (Naylor 62)

TQCC Round-Up

Albrecht FC will be involved in arguably the stand-out tie of the preliminary round of the inaugural Champions’ Cup when they take on United Trilan. The biggest clubs in their respective countries; this will be the first competitive meeting between Candelariasian and Kura-Pellandi domestic sides, and will feature a C&M-born manager in both dugouts with Adam Williamson set to take on his successor as under-21 coach Andy Le Lan. Williamson has narrowly had the edge the last couple of times these two have faced – his Turks’ Club side taking a point at Le Lan’s Abiodun the same season that, in his final game as Candelaria Arsenal boss, he beat the Storming Normans 2-1 – but all that will surely count for little here, and both managers will be eagerly awaiting a chance to show local fans and neutrals alike what they can do.

Two Kura-Pellandis will be looking for a Candelariasian victory in the other tie with C&M interest (aside from O’Sullivan Caras’ Clube Imperial’s clash with the Acapais outsiders Three Rivers), when Andy Woolworth’s Marquez-Onwere take on Druidisian United. They should be a very tricky couple of games too, but their opposition’s loss of striker Julius Rotherwell to Radyukevich may give them a little more of a chance.

Whichever from United Trilan and the Scorpions make in through will be involved in the most attractive-looking group, with Petardos S/A and Raynor City Rockers likely to be joined by Club Demot. Albrecht Turkish will take on the recent champions of Ad’ihan and Vephrall, as well as Rex Sandstrom and Leonard Pinto up front for Kura-Pelland’s Depor. Green Island look like having the best chance of progression, both on CMSC form and the standard of their opposition.

Concerns over the reputation for hooliganism possessed by the Eesseffian clubs, apparently, have led to the Foreign Office placing heavy restrictions on the numbers of visiting fans from that country as well as Candelariasians allowed to travel. Similarly, only a specially selected group of season-ticket holders will be permitted to travel with Green Island to face Qidade Savana and MarquezOW to face High Mountain Buffalo, should the tie take place.

New Manhattan

30-03-2008, 01:51

http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/logos/tqcc/

Organizers formalize Champions’ Cup format
With the 2144 Élite League season quickly approaching, the TakilQuip Champions’ Cup has officially closed entries for its first edition, which will encompass forty-two teams from eleven associations. Along with setting a deadline for the next Cup’s entries—shortly after the World Cup 40 final—the format for the inaugural cup has been set out in black and white (or blue and silver, for those Yuba United fans possessing the appropriate glasses).

Preliminary Round
Draw on 5 June 2144 (OOC: Wednesday, 2008–04–02)
First leg 16–17 June 2144, second leg 23–24 June 2144 (OOC: Thursday, 2008–04–03)
The preliminary round will consist of the twenty lower-seeded teams, which will be paired off and play home and away ties. Teams from the same nation will not meet. If the aggregate score of a fixture is tied, the away goals rule will be used, followed by extra time, the away goals rule, and penalty kicks.

Participating teams:
Elkheart Spartans (Acapais)
Three Rivers (Acapais)
Clube Imperial (Cafundéu)
Ranca Todo (Cafundéu)
Albrecht FC (Candelaria And Marquez)
Marquez-Onwere (Candelaria And Marquez)
Black Oasis Athletic (Capitalizt SLANI)
Club Demot (Demot)
Druidisian United (Demot)
AC Valanari (Elves Security Forces)
FC Capri (Elves Security Forces)
Lexington FC (Jasīʼyūn)
Qidade Savana (Jasīʼyūn)
Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (Jasīʼyūn)
United Trilan (Kura-Pelland)
Prangren Greens (Kura-Pelland)
Richelieu AC (Septentrionia)
CS Lac-Amédée (Septentrionia)
Poikimitagiin FE (Vephrall)
FE Dranacess (Vephrall)

Group stage
Draw on 5 June 2144 (OOC: Wednesday, 2008–04–02)
Six matchdays, held 7–8 July, 21–22 July, 4–5 August, 18–19 August, 1–2 September, and 15–16 September 2144 (OOC: Thursday, 2008–04–03)
The group stage will see the ten winners from the preliminary round join the twenty-two higher seeds, where they will be drawn into eight groups of four. Each team will play the others in its group home and away, for a total of six matchdays. Head-to-head results will be the first tiebreaker if teams are level on points, followed by goal difference, goals scored, number of wins, and drawing of lots. The top two teams from each group will advance.

Each group may have no more than one team from any association. Since the draw will be conducted before the preliminary round is completed, the winner of a preliminary round tie may not be drawn in a group with a team from either association represented in that tie.

Participating teams:
Real Malakoff (Acapais)
Edgewood United (Acapais)
Protectorate United (Ad’ihan)
Olympique Protectorat (Ad’ihan)
Petardos S/A (Cafundéu)
Dunboor FC (Cafundéu)
Albrecht Turkish (Candelaria And Marquez)
Green Island (Candelaria And Marquez)
Sonoma Center Panthers (Capitalizt SLANI)
Yuba United (Capitalizt SLANI)
Oceanic United (Demot)
Santa Rosa FC (Demot)
Raynor City Rockers (Elves Security Forces)
Hondo Owls (Elves Security Forces)
South Coast United (Jasīʼyūn)
High Mountain Buffalo (Jasīʼyūn)
Parwood City (Kura-Pelland)
Deportivo del Arapucera (Kura-Pelland)
Sept-Onze (Septentrionia)
Dauphin (Septentrionia)
Stestrenas OC (Vephrall)
Boalluns FE (Vephrall)

First knockout round
Draw on 25 September 2144 (OOC: Thursday, 2008–04–03)
First leg 6–7 October, second leg 13–14 October 2144 (OOC: Friday, 2008–04–04)
The first knockout round will consist of eight home-and-away ties, using the same rules as the preliminary round. In addition to preventing teams from the same association from meeting, the group winners will be seeded.

Quarterfinals
Draw on 25 September 2144 (OOC: Thursday, 2008–04–03)
First leg 27–28 October, second leg 3–4 November 2144 (OOC: Friday, 2008–04–04)
The quarterfinals will consist of four home-and-away ties. At this stage, the draw will be fully random; teams from the same association may meet.

Semifinals
Draw on 25 September 2144 (OOC: Thursday, 2008–04–03)
First leg 17–18 November, second leg 24–25 November 2144 (OOC: Friday, 2008–04–04)
The semifinals will follow the same rules as the quarterfinals.

Final
Draw on 25 September 2144 (OOC: Thursday, 2008–04–03)
Match on 9 December 2144 (OOC: Friday, 2008–04–04)
The final will be a single match held at Holmes Stadium in Columbia, Bedistan, Unified Capitalizt States. Extra time and penalty kicks will be used if needed to decide the winner of the Cup.

The Pazhujeb Islands

01-04-2008, 02:54

http://www.freewebs.com/abduldukhirahiq/Eenadu%201.PNG

Translated from Pazhujebi to English by Tertius Shajarrayam

With the final matchday of the 2012-2013 Ivheshbu A season finishing yesterday, we at Eenadu feel compelled to recap for outsiders sake what has taken place in the top-level Pazhujebi football league. Since the results of the 2011-2012 season were only just released to a furious public last week (they were being held confidential by the military regime), many were starving for information regarding their favorite clubs, and luckily for them, we have all the information at our disposal.

2011-2012 Ivheshbu A Final Table

TEAM P W D L PTS
Kuratmad 30 20 7 3 67
Rujananja Bears 30 14 7 9 49
K’arasi 30 12 11 7 47
Lammachi 30 10 14 6 44
Bengaluru 30 12 8 10 44
Urajbina Rovers 30 10 9 11 39
Urajbina 30 9 10 11 37
Zhevassi 30 9 6 15 33
Juvapanam 30 7 10 13 31
Therakham 30 7 9 14 30
Sahagaman Street 30 6 7 17 25

2011-2012 Ivheshbu B Final Table

TEAM P W D L PTS
Parajaykarak 26 14 9 3 51
Vikhajadukhrim 26 14 9 3 51
Vrikshmay 26 14 7 5 49
Dhanish Chalal 26 11 11 4 44
Khal Upar 26 12 7 7 43
Vuke 26 9 6 11 43
Vaishnavottar 26 12 6 8 42
Xhede Isl. Jaguars 26 9 15 2 42
Urajbina Blackberet 26 11 7 8 40
Rujananja Chargers 26 8 14 4 38
Vyavaharik 26 10 8 8 38
Yurish Falcons 26 9 11 6 38
Karikri 26 11 3 12 36
Winasya Demons 26 9 9 8 36
Dhatu Vadr 26 10 2 14 32
Qasa'ika 26 8 8 10 32
Vana 26 7 10 9 31
Vyutpatti 26 8 6 12 30
Xiphias 26 8 6 12 30
Baqqalni Serpents 26 7 8 11 29
Tyakra 26 7 8 11 29
Viratajmad 26 7 8 11 29
Thymum 26 7 6 13 27
F'iz Jumla 26 6 8 12 26
Barracudas 26 6 8 12 26
Icharus United 26 5 9 12 24
Yagyopaviti 26 4 7 15 19

2011-2012 Ivheshbu C Final Table

TEAM P W D L PTS
Seven Stars 26 15 11 0 56
Karikri Mariners 26 13 7 6 46
NVAZ 26 13 7 6 46
TQB Mahathu 26 12 9 5 45
Dhatu Vadr Tigers 26 11 11 4 44
Mahathu Hawks 26 12 6 8 42
AAKZA 26 11 7 8 40
Winasya 26 11 6 9 39
Kapavesi 26 10 8 8 38
Thagiya 26 11 5 10 38
Bhaji 26 9 10 7 37
Fawwaratmad 26 10 7 9 37
Courthouse 26 8 11 7 35
Zanjalabmad 26 10 5 11 35
Turanjabin 26 9 7 10 34
Naishadi 26 7 12 7 33
Nazaratmad 26 8 8 10 32
Anujivi 26 7 10 9 31
Yurish Titans 26 8 6 12 30
Ekraqam 26 6 11 9 29
Baqqalni Dolphins 26 5 12 9 27
Kanjarmad 26 7 6 13 27
Bayer Alligatoren 26 7 5 14 26
Betawajahmad 26 5 10 11 25
Darbahra 26 5 10 11 25
Futuri 26 6 7 13 25
Bhaji Phantoms 26 4 8 14 20

2012-2013 Ivheshbu A Final Table

TEAM P W D L PTS
Kuratmad 30 12 18 0 54
Rujananja Bears 30 11 13 6 46
K’arasi 30 7 22 1 43
Lammachi 30 9 15 6 42
Bengaluru 30 8 17 5 41
Urajbina Rovers 30 8 16 6 40
Zhevassi 30 8 10 12 34
Urajbina 30 7 12 11 33
Juvapanam 30 4 16 10 28
Therakham 30 3 18 9 27
Parajaykarak 30 5 9 16 24

2012-2013 Ivheshbu B Final Table

TEAM P W D L PTS
Sahagaman Street 26 16 7 3 55
Dhanish Chalal 26 13 8 5 47
Vrikshmay 26 12 9 5 45
Vikhajadukhrim 26 12 9 5 45
Vuke 26 10 14 2 44
Khal Upar 26 12 7 7 43
Vaishnavottar 26 10 10 6 40
Black berets 26 10 9 7 39
Xhede Isl. Jaguars 26 10 8 8 38
Rujananja Chargers 26 8 14 4 38
Karikri Mariners 26 10 7 9 37
NVAZ 26 11 4 11 37
Yurish Falcons 26 10 6 10 36
Vyavaharik 26 11 3 12 36
Seven Stars 26 11 3 12 36
Karikri 26 9 7 10 34
Winasya Demons 26 9 5 12 32
Dhatu Vadr 26 7 10 9 31
Qasa'ika 26 8 7 11 31
Vana 26 7 9 10 30
Vyutpatti 26 6 11 9 29
Baqqalni Serpents 26 7 6 13 27
Xiphias 26 6 9 11 27
Viratajmad 26 6 8 12 26
Tyakra 26 5 6 15 21
TQB Mahathu 26 4 9 13 21
Thymum 26 4 9 13 21

2012-2013 Ivheshbu C Final Table

TEAM P W D L PTS
Turanjabin 26 15 5 6 50
Mahathu Hawks 26 15 4 7 49
Winasya 26 15 4 7 49
Navishtajatmad 26 14 5 7 47
Bayer Alligatoren 26 13 7 6 46
Courthouse 26 14 3 9 45
Kanjarmad 26 14 2 10 44
Thagiya 26 13 4 9 43
Khem Kusal 26 13 4 9 43
Zanjalabmad 26 13 3 10 42
AAKZA 26 12 4 10 40
Kapavesi 26 12 4 10 40
Raghunayak 26 11 7 8 40
Ekraqam 26 10 7 9 37
Bhaji 26 10 6 10 36
Naishadi 26 9 9 8 36
Nazaratmad 26 9 8 9 35
Yagyopaviti 26 11 1 14 34
Yurish Titans 26 9 6 11 33
Baqqalni Dolphins 26 9 3 14 30
Dhatu Vadr Tigers 26 8 5 13 29
Anujivi 26 8 5 13 29
Mahuk 26 9 2 15 29
Icharus United 26 9 1 16 28
F'iz Jumla 26 7 3 16 24
Barracudas 26 6 4 16 22
Fawwaratmad 26 3 4 19 13

As one can see, Kuratmad have continued in their domination of the Pazhujebi top league, despite losing several valuable players during transfer windows. The club has collected three straight championships, the most recent won with an unbeaten season. (One note: Kuratmad had more draws than wins during this unbeaten season, so questions can legitimately be raised about how good the club actually is. However, during this season many teams experienced difficulty scoring due to terrible pitch conditions, which arose from neglect of funding caused by the regime and from an usually rainy year. So, many of these draws were scoreless, with both teams involved simply slogging around in mud and/or wet sand. Hopefully, conditions will be better next year, as the regime has ended.)

Another story is ZL Urajbina's gradually declining fortunes. A team that regularly was considered part of the Big Three in Pazhujebi club football has now collected a miserable 8th place this past season. Management problems and debt are frequent reasons cited for the clubs downfall.

Another club experiencing up and down fortunes is Sahagaman Street, who were relegated at the end of the 2011-2012 season (their first in Ivheshbu A), a leakier-than-expected defense doing them in. However, their first season back in Ivheshbu B resulted in promotion back to the top league, as they ran over all nearby competition in the second division. They will try to improve on their 2011-2012 performance in 2013-2014.

http://www.freewebs.com/abduldukhirahiq/Eenadu%202.PNG

Vephrall

02-04-2008, 01:45

http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gth681k/ns/vephrall/VTF.png
VTF1755

Cintrin A

Note: Stestrenas and Poiki are qualifiers for the second TakilQuip Champions Cup, not the one that is about to start. If the 1756 season is completed prior to the close of submissions for the TQCC, its league and cup champions will also qualify (with the usual sort of provisions in place if they're already in, etc.). Otherwise, Dranacess and Boalluns will take the other two places.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Stestrenas OC 38 26 4 8 71 31 40 82 C/TQCC
2 Poikimitagiin FE 38 22 10 6 70 37 33 76 TQCC
3 FE Dranacess 38 20 12 6 59 30 29 72
4 Boalluns FE 38 19 13 6 70 41 29 70
5 Stithis FE 38 15 17 6 46 30 16 62
6 Merpisms CE 38 18 8 12 47 44 3 62
7 Huellim FE 38 16 12 10 57 47 10 60
8 Mylfe CE 38 16 9 13 50 45 5 57
9 Sichisers OB 38 15 11 12 58 45 13 56
10 Oillid CE 38 15 10 13 48 45 3 55
11 Penuler OC 38 12 12 14 48 53 -5 48
12 Daazyiles OC 38 12 11 15 45 52 -7 47
13 Ammites FE 38 12 7 19 46 59 -13 43
14 DFE Anhenir 38 12 6 20 46 60 -14 42
15 Bumpoogra FE 38 11 8 19 42 56 -14 41
16 Terabits CE 38 10 10 18 36 56 -20 40
17 Knoleier FE 38 9 10 19 35 60 -25 37
18 Netler FE 38 8 11 19 42 62 -20 35 R
19 Gontarther FE 38 6 13 19 41 69 -28 31 R
20 Strapply FE 38 4 10 24 27 62 -35 22 R

Cintrin B

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Custler FE 38 23 11 4 73 37 36 80 P
2 Spoantects CE 38 21 14 3 63 34 29 77 P
3 Ucktingang OB 38 21 8 9 56 35 21 71 P
4 Fekler FE 38 19 12 7 54 32 22 69
5 Cunceer CE 38 18 11 9 62 45 17 65

Vephraller Kustriin e Foutbill

This was the VKF's first season in its new format, one round shorter and minus all the college teams. We join the Cup in the Fourth Round, with the Cintrin A representatives having just entered the fray:

Cintrin A
Cintrin B
Cintrin C
Cintrin D1
Cintrin D2

Fourth Round
Sichisers OB 4-1 Knoleier FE
Stithis FE 4-0 Bumpoogra FE
Stestrenas OC 1-0 Boalluns FE
Tigajana OC 1-1 Mylfe CE (replay: 0-1)
FE Dranacess 2-1 Fekler FE
CE e Flaarickug 0-4 DFE Anhenir
Tehtisms CE 0-3 Serod OB
Cunceer CE 0-1 Huellim FE
Strapply FE 0-0 Daazyiles OC (replay: 2-1)
Girag FE 2-1 Penuler OC
Shing OC 0-0 Gontarther FE (replay: 0-3)
Firoum OB 1-1 Merpisms CE (replay: 2-1)
Sante OB 0-0 Terabits CE (replay: 0-3)
Ammites FE 1-1 Netler FE (replay: 0-3)
Burtneeg FE 0-0 Poikimitagiin FE (replay: 0-4)
Ucktingang OB 0-1 Oillid CE

Fifth Round
FE Dranacess 1-0 Stithis FE
Gontarther FE 1-1 Huellim FE (replay: 1-3)
Oillid CE 3-0 Mylfe CE
DFE Anhenir 1-2 Poikimitagiin FE
Sichisers OB 4-0 Firoum OB
Stestrenas OC 1-2 Terabits CE
Strapply FE 4-1 Serod OB
Girag FE 1-2 Netler FE

Quarterfinals
No non-Cintrin A teams are present from this round forward

FE Dranacess 1-1 Huellim FE
Huellim FE 1-2 FE Dranacess (agg 2-3)

Netler FE 0-0 Strapply FE
Strapply FE 1-2 Netler FE (agg 1-2)

Sichisers OB 0-2 Poikimitagiin FE
Poikimitagiin FE 2-0 Sichisers OB (agg 4-0)

Oillid CE 1-0 Terabits CE
Terabits CE 0-2 Oillid CE (agg 0-3)

Semifinals

FE Dranacess 4-0 Netler FE
Netler FE 2-2 FE Dranacess (agg 2-6)

Poikimitagiin FE 4-0 Oillid CE
Oillid CE 0-2 Poikimitagiin FE (agg 0-6)

Final (Ellime e Vephrall, Meice)
FE Dranacess 0-1 Poikimitagiin FE

Poiki win the Vephraller Kustriin e Foutbill and a berth in the second TakilQuip Champions Cup.

Elves Security Forces

02-04-2008, 06:18

EPL Preview
Season 20,006

Defying the odds, Raynor City successfully defended their title against the strong challange of Hondo. As a result, they, alongside Hondo, AC Valanari, and FC Capri will be representing Valanora at the inagural TakilQuip Champions Cup. Despite a poor season in the league, Hartdale stormed through the Silver Cup to win their first piece of silverware in over a decade. This season promises to be just as competitive, but with a smaller amount of transfers, the squads will be predominatly the same, which may lead to some very interesting tatical matchups late in the season when survival and the title are on the line.

Transfers
Foriegn
Brian Scrivener (Scrivernia) GK -> FC Therathor
Areitis Narohan (Yafor 2) CB -> Hartdale Hawks
Cianian Theros (Demot) GK -> FC Wexax
Cristiano Narsiss (Assegai Deveolpments) RW -> FC Therathor

Domestic
Loren Meyer CB -> Albrecht FC (Candelaria and Marquez)
Kim Zetaback AMC -> Mayo Valley (Candelaria and Marquez)
Espy va Drake RW -> Green Island (Candelaria and Marquez)
Fred Michaels CB -> Green Island (Candelaria and Marquez)
Maria Golden FC -> FC Therathor
Rikar Solaris AMC -> FC Therathor
Calla Soler MC/FC -> Soldarian FC

Listed below are the line ups of the top division teams with foriegners listed in italics and the best 3 players bolded, along with stadium information and team characteristics.

Raynor City: Dart; Swift , Lopez, Walker; Morose, Jannian, Wahn, Cirebon, Bindett; Sykko, va Glaze
Coach: Fabio Mannasuch
President: Zeratul Raynor
Team Style: Offensive
Strongest Point: Wingers and Strikers
Weakest Point: Keepers
Nickname(s) Rockers
Stadium used The Battleground (59,000)
Other facts: Back to back titles, and the Rockers look as strong as they ever have. The only thing that will stop this machine of a team from taking some silver this season is injuries or not performing up to their abilities, they are that talented.
Good Bench Players Poarus Demtre (Center Midfileder), Kael Underwind (Striker), Mario Gors (Center midfielder)

Hondo: Rowell; Calli, Dubois, Hardsworth, Venus; Tkermec, Nikki, Carmichael, Whitehurse; Yin, Defecta
Coach: Daft Massimo
President: Clin Massai
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Attack
Weakest Point: None
Nickname(s) Owls
Stadium used Raynor Memorial (40,000)
Other facts Falling just short by the smallest of margins, Hondo has sealed their place as an elite squad. Tkermec has proved a great signing, with Yin showing his class time and time again. Now with Hardsworth, this squad is strong in all areas of the pitch and very well could usurp Raynor City if a few breaks go their way.
Good Bench Players Daphne Caldwell (Striker), Rosario Evans (Defender), Xian Gillan (Midfielder)

AC Valanari: Allah; Milla, Vance, Martyr, Skull; Kries, Jun, Guerrero, Cavies; Castle, Sven
Coach: Duran Gill
President: Rosy Marlin
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Consistancy, Youth System
Weakest Point: Leadership
Nickname(s) Young Guns
Stadium used Duran Palace (50,000)
Other facts Having their best finish in their long history, it's clear that a single player can make a huge difference in how a squad performs. The real thing keeping Valanari from being a serious title threat is a proven goal scorer, for Castle and Sven just don't fit the bill. Perhaps a transfer is too come before the start of the season, or the young Bettian Rhys given his chance.
Good Bench Players Miguel Cassel (Striker), Adam Durgot (Striker), Llifon Rhys (Striker)

FC Capri: St. Louis; Makashi, Florez, Harper, Titenburg Jr; Hardsworth, Fortenbres, Vorsco; Kurka, Bragollach, Snape
Coach: Maria Morris
President: Tranin Briton
Team Style: Very Offensive
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: None
Nickname(s) Typhoon
Stadium used Hatire Memorial (60,000)
Other facts Two straight top four finsihes for Capri and it's clear that they are back to being among the best in the nation. With aging strikers, it can only be a matter of time before young Rose gets her chance to be a starter. For now, Capri is still a very dangerious side, and will likely be in battle for the title going into the last few fixtures.
Good Bench Players Rose Diamond Santapa (Striker), Trenton Oz (Midfielder), Davido Rollich (Defender)

Wexax United: Augustine; Qui, Sars, Armas, Grace; Claw, Kucinich, Gar, Gomes; Jaques, Claire
Coach: Emily Degas
President: Dan Mieals
Team Style: Defensive
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Attack
Nickname(s) Devils
Stadium used Castle de Mot (49,000)
Other facts The complete surprise package of last season, taking everyone completely out of their wits with a fifth place finish. Everyone expected the club to move up in the tier of Elven football, but to go from survivalists to upper echilion is quite impressive. If Gomes and Clair can keep up their strong connection it will be another good season, however Hampstead is out for the season following an automobile accident.
Good Bench Players Cass Woo (Midfielder), Nancy Silver (Defender) Zulu Smite (Defender)

FC Longview: Keller; Damx, Longman, Carter, Smithston; King, Marl, Masc, Sikal; Hernandez, Norm
Coach: Reta Bane
President: Danny Morriow
Team Style: Counter-attacking
Strongest Point: Wingers
Weakest Point: Attack
Nickname(s) Foxes
Stadium used Angelotic Temple (71,000)
Other facts I was quite a bad prophet when it came to Longview, as I thought they might of been destined for relegation and Bane on the out. Then they go and finish sixth in what proved to be a very unpredictable season, and Bane has a new contract, keeping her in Longview for another three seasons. Expect a small slip back into midtable from the Foxes despite the terrific season of last.
Good Bench Players Yars Abu (Attacking midfielder), Markak Lars (Striker), Naresl Cjin (Striker

Mar Sara: Norris; Mars, Zap, Shock, Dimitre; Zizzn, Alidare, Ikles; Quinn, Losstarrot, Gaurlung
Coach: Andres Crucitti
President: Rosemary Angelotic
Team Style: Offensive
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: None
Nickname(s) Flames
Stadium used Donna Cathedral (50,000)
Other facts Mar Sara had another poor season by their standards and could be slipping from elite to just good. I'm sure Crucitti's job is safe with all the titles he brought to the squad, yet the same can not be said of his players, and the play needs to be better if they wish to keep their starting spots and keep the fans content.
Good Bench Players Quint Farstio (Striker), Lauren Kels (Center midfielder) Aracio Cao (Defender), Miles Sinclair (Striker)

Rinaldi: Yoshida; Rivolli, Veiga, Debois, Kries; Fihor, Nastadgus, Mercado, Riot; Saint-Émilion, Night,
Coach: Asanta Webber
President: Exan Forris
Team Style: Very Offensive
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: None
Nickname(s) Gunners
Stadium used The Beachfront (43,000)
Other facts Rinaldi really likes like their window for more titles is now closed and their fans are very unhappy with the latest performances. Webber might be on his way out here as well, and several of the foriegn based players could be on their way back home or to different clubs if a turnaround this season can not be made.
Good Bench Players Markan Nava (center midfielder), Elliot Leyva (winger), Wes Sterling (defender)

Baysleef: Reas; Manars, Legoan, Pilot, Centron; Osarius, Love, Warsaw, Olas ; Basis, Manuka
Coach: Kiki Red
President: Wolly Manark
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: Reserves
Nickname(s) Bombers
Stadium used The Runway (30,000)
Other facts Back to back poor seasons, just barely escaping relegation this last, and the bombers find themselves in a poor position. The funds to purchase improvements are not coming with the poor finishes, and Manark is not willing to expand his budget for Red. It seems as if Red can't get back into midtable with the current squad, he might not have the oppurtunity to do so at all.
Good Bench Players Ricko St. John (Keeper), Christinia Osarius (Winger)

Hartdale: van Posey; Mar, Metria, Narohan; Müllenkamp; Mendez, Dorias, Solivasas, Pardal; English, Rikard
Coach Havin Roza
President Jennifer Sar
Team Style Defensive
Strongest Point Midfielders and Defence
Weakest Point Attacking consistancy
Nickname(s) Hawks
Stadium used Sky Fall (39,000)
Other facts Solivasas and Pardal proved quite a combination in the middle of the park last season, and was nearly enough for the squad to crack the top four. With a season of adjusting under the belt, Hartdale is poised to make it into the top four now, as Kile van Posey is showing the same amount of skill his older brother on the national team had. The addition of Yaforite Narohan makes things that much easier for the Hawk supporters to believe in their title dreams.
Good Bench Players Morgan Banz (Holding midfielder), Rikardo Michion (Versatile midfielder)

Juavi: Carte; Pinteps, Sorano, Torres; Schilling ; Zuke, Ira, Zensan, Keya; Toja, Mandalin
Coach: Marco Defoe
President: Jade Flow
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Youth System
Weakest Point: Expierence
Nickname(s) Reds
Stadium used Old Hartfast (47,000)
Other facts Just poor, very poor showing last season from a side that was supposed to challange for a title. The squad looked lost in some matches, and Toja couldn't finish to save his life. The squad is on the edge of a knife right now, and must be careful as they progress, lest they fall back into mediocraty.
Good Bench Players Franchesco Carlos (Striker), Simon Crass (Winger), San Fernad (Versatile Midfielder), Que (Centerback)

Char Sara: Rosell; Perrin, Kamtaker, Mahaska, Florez; Stoneburner, Hiat, Funteyn; Yocum, Carl, Neesa
Coach: Jamie Kiki
President: Michael Rover
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Defence
Weakest Point: Midfield
Nickname(s) Inferno
Stadium used The Tar Pit (39,000)
Other facts Merlose retired, an unproven keeper between the pipes, and the squad another year older with another poor showing. The writing is on the wall for this proud franchise, perhaps Kiki will be replaced, as his system just is not bringing in the results anymore. If so, it will be the sad end of a very honorable manager.
Good Bench Players Darcello Cortes (striker), Rodney Murray (defender)

Turmondale FC: Ward; Sly, Fergus, Santa Cruz; Karma, Deju, Fabrio, Wertz; Rasaz, Espinoza, Mars
Coach: Chell Warsdom
President: Aswan Raulph
Team Style: Offensive
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Coaching
Nickname(s) Wanderers
Stadium used Turmondale Grounds (43,000)
Other facts The "other" Turmondale team, one who gets decent results and isn't that flashy about it. I think their quiet nature, and just the skill alone should be enough to overcome Warsdom's sometimes suspect tactics, and keep the Wanderers in the topflight, at least a season more.
Good Bench Players Jamie Xylems (Attacking Midfielder), Ronaldo Sesutu (Centerback)

Gladerial: Long; Angellete, Collin, Braswell; Griffan, McKnight, Park, Denys, Smyth; Rockana, Lee
Coach: Isle Underdark
President: Dwier Titenburg
Team Style: Possessive
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Team chemistry
Nickname(s) Twilight
Stadium used The White Fortress (70,000)
Other facts After an miraculous escape from relegation, they are bound to be dragged down by their age and faltering chemistry. I don't think anything can save this once historic club now.
Good Bench Players Michelle Goodnight (Striker), Michael Daybreak (Striker), Zaku San (Defender)

AS Sharala: Tri; Sold; Grace, Do'Urden; Underdark, Kilranny, Ice, Swent, Glars; Kill, Donald
Coach: Rosario Martell
President: Mihgan Rose
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: Defence
Nickname(s) Crusaders
Stadium used Altar of Champions (38,000)
Other facts Twice overachieving, twice surviving relegation by double digit points. I think this proves that the Crusaders are in the topflight for good now, and are ready to start building up their profile much like Soldarian and Straightdale have. Look for them to be a power in two to three seasons.
Good Bench Players Flora Quintel (Defender), Cleo Dia (Striker)

Straightdale FC: Rezzana; Cooper, Del, Ten; Calk, Xi, Xi, Matai, Grazi; Trini, Kang
Coach: Allopo Drogba
President: Novato Mas
Team Style: Possesive
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Defence
Nickname(s) Crusaders
Stadium used Red Fence (39,000)
Other facts A very solid season for Straightdale who continue to slowly build there way up to a power player. People continue to underestimate the Crusaders, and until they are taken seriously by everyone in the league, they will continue to pull the upsets that keep them in the topflight.
Good Bench Players Wolfgar Den (Midfielder), Savanna Elias (Defender)

Soldarian FC: Vine; Perheira, Mias, Dogood, Suares; Durai, Florin, Ni, Quint; Lias, Sorrah
Coach: Omani Rios
President: Placebo Soldar
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Reserves
Nickname(s) Soldars
Stadium used Hellgate (54,000)
Other facts With the addition of Soler and the knowledge that their spot in the topflight is pretty much secure, there was not much for Soldarian to do. I can see them finsihing above tenth this season, and are very well equipped to take points off anyone, including the top five.
Good Bench Players Trian Kiev (Midfielder), Sherrie Murdock (MIdfielder), Qui Foster (Defender), Calla Soler (Striker)

FC Travesian: Sala; Johnson, de Rinaldi, Centron, Darcello; Huarde, More, Carr, Arroyo, Mathias; Angelotic
Coach: Henry Twagiramungu
President: Donna Rosario
Team Style: Defensive
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Skill
Nickname(s) Vandels
Stadium used Bandit’s Cove (41,000)
Other facts Still trying to recover their fans, and it's happening with another foray into the topflight, but with nearly the same roster. These players are just not of high quality and the depth is lacking. Sad to say it, but the Vandels are doomed to another one and done season.
Good Bench Players Stefan Deadleaf (Striker), Rasd Ekes (Wingback)

FC Therathor: Scrivener; Naguma, Shang, Artemis; Love, Narsis, Solaris, Mesah, Wildwind; Golden, Milas
Coach: Rokki Preok
President: Falla Naiana
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Attack
Nickname(s) Rangers
Stadium used The Liar (29,000)
Other facts A squad who has quickly risen through the leagues and now finds themselves in the top. Having many players from when they started in Blue League, the Rangers spent heavily in bringing in players with Premiership exiperence and hope it's enough to keep the popular club in the topflight.
Good Bench Players Zethai Fora (Winger), Sinead Likewell (Centerback)

Kareen FC: Save; Alstead, Nance, Sigma; Jokinen, Nike, Grey, Cortes, Volz; Milo, Chimera
Coach: Crimea Yoshi
President: Sa Verladado
Team Style: Offensive
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: Defenders
Nickname(s) Amazons
Stadium used Rose Gardens (49,000)
Other facts Once again back in the topflight, and bringing the first person from Dancougar in with them with Nance. It's hard to gage how much better this squad is from the one that got relegated, as it's nearly a completely new starting eleven. Things are going to be tough, and I think the Amazons might be headed back down.
Good Bench Players Benny Clairg (Striker), Mobie Vcick (Midfielder), Cal Dean Quill (Centerback)

Favorites
Raynor City - 45%
Hondo - 25%
FC Capri - 20%
Hartdale - 7%
AC Valanari - 3%

Worst Teams
Gladerial - 37%
Turmondale - 23%
Travesian - 21%
Kareen - 19%

Star League Favorites: Monaven, Travesian, Sharala AC, Everlin, FC Wexax

Green League Favorites: AC Goldsan, RC Rikana, Aras United, FC Suax, AS Soldar

Blue League Favorites: SC Soldar, Arouw United, Ironwind United, Turbani

Rose League Favorites: Arouw FC, Yolan FC, Erran United, FC Melikkiaz

Article by Ron Santapa

New Manhattan

02-04-2008, 22:28

http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/logos/tqcc/

Preliminary round fixtures
Poikimitagiin FE (VPH) vs AC Valanari (ESF)
Richelieu AC (SPT) vs Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (JSY)
Ranca Todo (CAF) vs CS Lac-Amédée (SPT)
FC Capri (ESF) vs Black Oasis Athletic (COM)
Lexington FC (JSY) vs Club Demot (DEM)
Marquez-Onwere (CAM) vs Druidisian United (DEM)
Three Rivers (ACA) vs Clube Imperial (CAF)
FE Dranacess (VPH) vs Elkheart Spartans (ACA)
United Trilan (KPL) vs Albrecht FC (CAM)
Qidade Savana (JSY) vs Prangren Greens (KPL)

Group draw
Group A
Parwood City (KPL)
Dunboor FC (CAF)
FC Capri (ESF)/Black Oasis Athletic (COM)
Richelieu AC (SPT)/Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (JSY)

Group B
Oceanic United (DEM)
Poikimitagiin FE (VPH)/AC Valanari (ESF)
Yuba United (COM)
Sept-Onze (SPT)

Group C
Lexington FC (JSY)/Club Demot (DEM)
Raynor City Rockers (ESF)
Petardos S/A (CAF)
United Trilan (KPL)/Albrecht FC (CAM)

Group D
Stestrenas OC (VPH)
Deportivo del Arapucera (KPL)
Albrecht Turkish (CAM)
Protectorate United (AHN)

Group E
High Mountain Buffalo (JSY)
Edgewood United (ACA)
Boalluns FE (VPH)
Marquez-Onwere (CAM)/Druidisian United (DEM)

Group F
FE Dranacess (VPH)/Elkheart Spartans (ACA)
Ranca Todo (CAF)/CS Lac-Amédée (SPT)
Santa Rosa FC (DEM)
Olympique Protectorat (AHN)

Group G
Sonoma Center Panthers (COM)
Dauphin (SPT)
Three Rivers (ACA)/Clube Imperial (CAF)
South Coast United (JSY)

Group H
Green Island (CAM)
Qidade Savana (JSY)/Prangren Greens (KPL)
Hondo Owls (ESF)
Real Malakoff (ACA)

The preliminary and group stages will be scorinated tomorrow.

New Manhattan

03-04-2008, 23:06

http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/logos/tqcc/
First TakilQuip Champions’ Cup—Preliminary/Group Stages

Preliminary round
First leg
(VPH) Poikimitagiin FE 3–4 AC Valanari (ESF)
(SPT) Richelieu AC 1–1 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (JSY)
(CAF) Ranca Todo 3–0 CS Lac-Amédée (SPT)
(ESF) FC Capri 3–2 Black Oasis Athletic (COM)
(JSY) Lexington FC 1–1 Club Demot (DEM)
(CAM) Marquez-Onwere 1–3 Druidisian United (DEM)
(ACA) Three Rivers 2–4 Clube Imperial (CAF)
(VPH) FE Dranacess 1–0 Elkheart Spartans (ACA)
(KPL) United Trilan 2–1 Albrecht FC (CAM)
(JSY) Qidade Savana 0–0 Prangren Greens (KPL)

Second leg
(ESF) AC Valanari (5) 1–3 (6) Poikimitagiin FE (VPH)
(JSY) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (2) 1–0 (1) Richelieu AC (SPT)
(SPT) CS Lac-Amédée (1) 1–3 (6) Ranca Todo (CAF)
(COM) Black Oasis Athletic (4) 2–1 (4) FC Capri (ESF)
Away goals: 2–1
(DEM) Club Demot (1) 0–1 (2) Lexington FC (JSY)
(DEM) Druidisian United (4) 1–2 (3) Marquez-Onwere (CAM)
(CAF) Clube Imperial (6) 2–1 (3) Three Rivers (ACA)
(ACA) Elkheart Spartans (3) 3–1 (2) FE Dranacess (VPH)
(CAM) Albrecht FC (3) 2–1 (3) United Trilan (KPL)
Extra time: (3) 2–1 (3)
Penalty kicks: 5–6
(KPL) Prangren Greens (4) 4–3 (3) Qidade Savana (JSY)

Group stage
Group A
Group A P W D L GF GA GD Pts Par BOa Dun Dus
1 Parwood City KPL 6 5 0 1 17 7 +10 15 — 4–1 3–0 3–0
2 Black Oasis Athletic COM 6 4 0 2 11 11 0 12 4–3 – 1–0 3–1
3 Dunboor FC CAF 6 3 0 3 7 5 +2 9 0–1 3–0 — 2–0
4 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī JSY 6 0 0 6 3 15 −12 0 2–3 0–2 0–2 —

Group B
Group B P W D L GF GA GD Pts Yub Poi Oce S-O
1 Yuba United COM 6 4 1 1 12 5 +7 13 — 1–1 2–0 4–0
2 Poikimitagiin FE VPH 6 2 2 2 10 11 −1 8* 2–3 — 2–1 1–0
3 Oceanic United DEM 6 2 2 2 7 7 0 8* 1–0 2–2 — 2–0
4 Sept-Onze SPT 6 1 1 4 6 12 −6 4 1–2 4–2 1–1 —
* tie broken on head-to-head

Group C
Group C P W D L GF GA GD Pts Tri Ray PSA Lex
1 United Trilan KPL 6 4 1 1 14 10 +4 13 — 3–3 2–1 2–0
2 Raynor City Rockers ESF 6 3 1 2 18 15 +3 10* 2–3 — 5–2 2–1
3 Petardos S/A CAF 6 3 1 2 15 12 +3 10* 3–1 5–2 — 0–0
4 Lexington FC JSY 6 0 1 5 5 15 −10 1 1–3 1–4 2–4 —
* tie broken on goals for

Group D
Group D P W D L GF GA GD Pts AlT Ste PrU DdA
1 Albrecht Turkish CAM 6 4 0 2 9 4 +5 12 — 3–0 1–0 3–0
2 Stestrenas OC VPH 6 2 2 2 8 10 −2 8 2–1 – 1–1 1–1
3 Protectorate United AHN 6 2 1 3 4 6 −2 7* 0–1 1–0 — 2–0
4 Deportivo del Arapucera KPL 6 2 1 3 7 8 −1 7* 2–0 3–4 1–0 —
* tie broken on head-to-head

Group E
Group E P W D L GF GA GD Pts HMo Bol Edg Dru
1 High Mountain Buffalo JSY 6 4 2 0 10 4 +6 14 — 2–1 1–1 2–1
2 Boalluns FE VPH 6 2 3 1 13 8 +5 9 1–1 — 4–0 2–2
3 Edgewood United ACA 6 1 2 3 5 13 −8 5 0–3 2–4 — 1–0
4 Druidisian United DEM 6 0 3 3 5 8 −3 3 0–1 1–1 1–1 —

Group F
Group F P W D L GF GA GD Pts OPr SRo RTo Elk
1 Olympique Protectorat AHN 6 5 0 1 12 5 +7 15 — 0–2 3–1 3–0
2 Santa Rosa FC DEM 6 3 2 1 13 8 +5 11 1–3 — 2–2 3–0
3 Ranca Todo CAF 6 0 3 3 6 11 −5 3* 1–2 2–4 — 0–0
4 Elkheart Spartans ACA 6 0 3 3 1 8 −7 3* 0–1 1–1 0–0 —
* tie broken on goal difference

Group G
Group G P W D L GF GA GD Pts SCU SCP CIm Dau
1 South Coast United JSY 6 4 0 2 9 7 +2 12* — 1–0 3–1 2–1
2 Sonoma Center Panthers COM 6 4 0 2 8 6 +2 12* 2–1 — 2–0 2–0
3 Clube Imperial CAF 6 3 0 3 10 9 +1 9 3–1 4–1 — 1–2
4 Dauphin SPT 6 1 0 5 3 8 −5 3 0–1 0–1 0–1 —
* tie broken on head-to-head away goals

Group H
Group H P W D L GF GA GD Pts RMa GrI Hon PrG
1 Real Malakoff ACA 6 3 2 1 6 5 +1 11 — 0–0 2–0 0–0
2 Green Island CAM 6 3 1 2 7 4 +3 10 1–2 — 1–0 1–0
3 Hondo Owls ESF 6 2 2 2 7 6 +1 8 4–1 2–1 — 1–1
4 Prangren Greens KPL 6 0 3 3 1 6 −5 3 0–1 0–3 0–0 —

First knockout round draw
Parwood City (KPL) vs Sonoma Center Panthers (COM)
Green Island (CAM) vs High Mountain Buffalo (JSY)
Albrecht Turkish (CAM) vs Santa Rosa FC (DEM)
Olympique Protectorat (AHN) vs Stestrenas OC (VPH)
Real Malakoff (ACA) vs Raynor City Rockers (ESF)
Boalluns FE (VPH) vs United Trilan (KPL)
Poikimitagiin FE (VPH) vs Yuba United (COM)
Black Oasis Athletic (COM) vs South Coast United (JSY)

Quarterfinal draw
1: Albrecht Turkish (CAM)/Santa Rosa FC (DEM) vs Real Malakoff (ACA)/Raynor City Rockers (ESF)
2: Green Island (CAM)/High Mountain Buffalo (JSY) vs Parwood City (KPL)/Sonoma Center Panthers (COM)
3: Olympique Protectorat (AHN)/Stestrenas OC (VPH) vs Black Oasis Athletic (COM)/South Coast United (JSY)
4: Poikimitagiin FE (VPH)/Yuba United (COM) vs Boalluns FE (VPH)/United Trilan (KPL)

Semifinal draw
1: Quarterfinal 4 (Poikimitagiin/Yuba/Boalluns/Trilan) vs Quarterfinal 2 (Green Island/High Mountain/Parwood/Sonoma Center)
2: Quarterfinal 1 (Turkish/Santa Rosa/Malakoff/Raynor) vs Quarterfinal 3 (Olympique/Stestrenas/Black Oasis/South Coast)

Final draw
Semifinal 2 vs Semifinal 1 (@ Holmes Stadium, Columbia, UCS)

Kura-Pelland

04-04-2008, 00:10

The pre-season is over in Kura-Pelland now, and what a pre-season. Highly unconventional time-dilation feats will now drive United Trilan and Parwood City as they showed form is temporary but class is permanent by surviving well while upstarts Deportivo del Arapucera and Prangren Greens both finished bottom of their groups.

That does still show that the Greens got through their preliminary match, no small feat in itself; Qidade Sevana of JSY were the opposition. A relatively open first leg somehow remained goalless, although the Greens had a Chris Chenoweth goal wrongly chalked off for offside and Sevana had a free-kick on the edge of the box for a foul committed inside the box. 1-1 might have been better away from home than 0-0 for the Greens, and it was no shock to find Sevana attacking at Greens Park, knowing that if they scored one the hosts would have to score two. They did score one; the Greens scored four, Chris Chenoweth helping himself to a hat-trick. Two late goals for Sevana weren't enough, but the Greens were hopelessly outclassed in their group, not winning a game. That group was topped by Acapais surprise packages Real Malakoff.

Kura-Pellandi surprise packages Deportivo del Arapucera wound up in a very tight group including teams from both of Kura-Pelland's main sporting partners, Stestrenas OC of neighbours Vephrall and Albrecht Turkish of C&M. We'll come to the other Albrecht club in a moment... the group remained tight throughout, but Depor's final-day defeat to Turkish proved costly. It meant that Turkish finished top of the group and Depor bottom; the reverse score would have put Depor on top of the group with Turkish joining them in the next round in second. The group was that tight.

No such problems for Parwood City, whose new Yaforite defence is doing its job while the attack continues to play with freedom - if anything, even more of it, for they now know they are more likely to be bailed out if they lose the ball. Seventeen goals in six games, ten goals scored and one conceded in three games at Barkham Park, and they even managed to beat a Cafundelense club 1-0 away. Parwood are now seen as genuine contenders to win the competition, and their match with Sonoma City Panthers of UCS SLANI has the potential to be one of the matches of the tournament. A potential last-eight clash with Candelariasian entertainers Green Island could be even better, though...

...not least because of the spice in encounters between teams of these two nations, shown for the first time in a 'Clash of the Capitals' between the biggest clubs in each country, United Trilan and Albrecht FC. Both play in national stadia, both have plenty of resources and talent, both finished third last season - although that's not telling even half the story of Trilan's season of two halves, the second half of which was orchestrated by a Candelariasian, Adam Williamson. His supersub Henry Thomas proved pivotal in the first leg at Shanvley, scoring the winning goal eleven minutes from time after the Valanorans of Kilu Shu and Peter Vanderpent had scored within minutes of each other late in the first half. In the return at the Millerman Shepherd Stadium, Albrecht raced into a two-goal lead through Joe Cunningham and Nic Noble, but apparently the Wililamson team-talk worked, and Thomas came on again to set up Shu for the aggregate leveller. The fall guy, however, was teenage midfielder Daniel Armour, who came on from the bench in extra-time only to hit the bar from ten yards in the 118th minute and hit the post with his penalty in the shootout, which duly set up the reprieved Trilan goalkeeper Ozzy Stefano to take the winning penalty himself.

Trilan then somehow topped the Group of Death - their only defeat was in Cafundeu to Petardos, and they were unbeaten at Shanvley, even their 100% record undone in part by one of their alumni - Danny Bindett creating all three goals for Raynor City Rockers in a 3-3 draw that allowed the Valanoran side to edge out Petardos on goals scored. Boalluns of Vephrall are next in a tasty Vircais derby - and there's potential for another in the last eight if Poikimitagiin somehow beat Yuba United. (They won't.)

Candelaria And Marquez

04-04-2008, 16:53

Too long? Already? After six matchdays? God, that's depressing...

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w175/candelariaandmarquez/Cmscxxviii1.png

Matchday Seven: Gamboa constrict Turkish chances

For many Candelariasian fans and much of the press, the focus is on the Champions’ Cup right at this minute, and gosh it shows. Three of last season’s top four failed to pick up victories on matchday seven, and early suspicions that this will be one of the most open and topsy-turvy CMSCs for years seem to be very well founded.

The big result came in Abiodun, where reigning champions Albrecht Turkish – coming off the back of a 3-1 defeat in Bove – were beaten again by the same scoreline. It’s hard to say whether Andrew Duffy’s policy of rotating his young squad is working – Gamboa are still second from bottom after all – but it was enough to surprise the Millermen who looked distinctly lethargic and well below par after their exertions on the global stage. Without the suspended Steven Williams at the back they suddenly looked very shaky indeed, and in less than ten minutes Oberon Martinez’s net had been pierced twice; firstly when Kevin Ely’s cross from the right was met by the imperious head of Casper Richardson for an all-teenage opener, before from the restart the rather more experienced Sargento Castelão received a pass from the C&M international Adlai Dobson, left stand-in centre-half Rachid Hadji for dead and beat Martinez again with a solid hit.

Nothing the A.Turks could produce seemed capable of dampening the youthful exuberance of the Gamboan midfield, nor penetrate the veteran pairing at the back of Sam Young and Clayton Knight; and not until the seventy-third minute did they muster a shot in anger, from which Gary Maini elected not to pass to the on-his-arse Samuel Taha and scored himself. Austin Lewis kept Gamboa fans singing into the night – well, that portion of the stadium not too busy stuffing their faces with prawn sandwiches and whatnot – with a solo strike that rebounded off the post late on.

It all means that Kris Healy’s team are in tenth place and eight points behind their city rivals. Healy’s job can’t possibly be in danger, but it’s still galling for them to see the supposedly ailing Scorpions leading the table. They’re certainly grinding out results right now – this Saturday’s a tight 1-0 over Turks’ Club – but Albrecht don’t have the TQCC to worry about any more, and look like being real contenders this time around. We’ll know a little more when the MSS two meet in the derby next Sunday.

Andy Le Lan’s side were able to move two points clear of Green Island, after the GIZ managed only a 2-2 draw in Castillo. Coming back from a couple down at half time was still pretty impressive however, but the front two clearly need a rest and young Tom Smith will likely get a chance up front for the visit of Gamboa.

Game of the day undoubtedly was in Clotaire, where the Harpies and the naranja played out ninety-five end-to-end minutes; but the important statistic in the long term will be Niko Mason’s men’s 3-1 victory. On his first start for the club, Pazhujebi teen Ávindu Zulqadr opened the scoring, showing a striker’s touch to put the ball in his own net on the stroke of half-time; and, though the away side had the better of the second period, the defence – particularly the highly impressive young right-back Arthur Walker – held firm and the PoC scored with two breakaway moves.

The all-important top four is finished off by Cathedral City, but surely not for much longer after they lost a hearty derby – and their ‘keeper Robinson Zapirov to injury – by a late Andy Madden goal. While Abdoulaye Soro takes his time settling into El din life, the Kura-Pellandi is a true renaissance man, and has six for the season up their with MarquezOW’s Cafundelense star Careca.

If the Cats are destined to make their way down the table over the next few weeks they’ll find just as exciting a contest. This weekend both sides without a win to their names ended that record with 2-0 victories; KT Hotspur playing a very solid game to beat Mayo Valley, whilst MN Smith’s bizarre season continued with defeat in Arrigo. Matthew Tortini and Thomas Larson’s sides should start to snake their ways back up the table now and Radyukevich should follow, though the Jukos could only surrender an early 2-0 lead at Caires City to tie the game; foreign duo Julius Rotherwell and Pep McGuire both bagging a brace.

Albrecht FC v Turks’ Club 1 – 0 (R. Edwards 46)
Caires City v Radyukevich 2 – 2 (McGuire 21 and 65; Rotherwell 11 and 18)
Castillo FC v Green Island 2 – 2 (Quirarte 27, Sixtos 29; de Roviere 49, Zetaback 52)
El din Marbles v Cathedral City (Sat Morning) 1 – 0 (Madden 90)
Gamboa FC v A.Turks 3 – 1 (Richardson 5, Castelão 6, Lewis 84; Maini 73)
KT Hotspur v Mayo Valley 2 – 0 (Yalçin 17, Milton 55)
Port of Clotaire v MarquezOW (Sat Evening) 3 – 1 (Zulqadr og 45+1, Waywide 63, Alaoui 77; Lopo 87)
Portuguese v MN Smith (Mon Evening) 2 – 0 (Carocha 30, Cvecej 60)

TQCC Round-Up: Group Stages

A dubious late penalty tucked in by Stuart Vidakovic gave Green Island a 1-0 win over the Hondo Owls and formally made it two from two into the knock-out stages for the CMSC following Albrecht Turkish’s 3-0 drubbing of Deportivo del Arapucera the previous evening.

It was a major boost after a disappointing start to the inaugural Champions’ Cup for the Candelariasian quadruplet, with the third- and fourth-placed sides knocked out in the Preliminary round. Marquez-Onwere could have few complaints following the 3-1 defeat at home to Druidisian United, which could in truth have been so much worse. Much to their own surprise they won 2-1 in the away leg, after the Demotian side took their feet off the gas somewhat, but the performance – which perfectly encapsulated the naranja’s stuttering league form – was never going to be enough to keep them in the tournament.

Albrecht FC had a rather better time of it against United Trilan. TTO were beside themselves after winning the rights to the two games, the long-awaited first meetings between Candelariasian and Kura-Pellandi sides, and neither leg disappointed with full-blooded but top-class play aplenty, and more than a little controversy – mostly, it has to be said, created by the CMSC side after the Zwangzug striker Peter Vanderpent was accused in the first game of wearing fake plastic pointy ears in a bid to put Trilan’s Kilu Shu off his game, while in the second Nic Noble came in for criticism after elbowing his countryman Demario Ortiz in the nose moments before knocking in the Scorpions’ second from a Ben Edwards corner.

The away side in the MSS went on to level however, and the game drifted towards a penalty shoot-out in which once again two Candelariasians were the defining players. Eighteen year-old Daniel Armour will take some time to recover from his missed spot-kick, while C&M international Ozzy Stefano will be persona non grata in one-half of the capital at least after scoring Trilan’s winning penalty himself.

The result added weight to those who claim that the current fad for loading your team with as many foreigners as legally possible is damaging to the Candelariasian game, given that MarquezOW’s Kura-Pellandi coach Andy Woolworth is down and out and Trilan’s Candelariasian Adam Williamson was able to sail on through at the Scorpions’ expense. And the group stages themselves didn’t disprove that theory too far, with all four Cafundelense clubs remarkably knocked out before the last sixteen and no less than three sides from one of the less foreigner-heavy leagues – the Vephrese Citrin A – making it through (albeit in second place each time).

C&M’s best performers were Albrecht Turkish, amid rumours that Kris Healy may be choosing to concentrate on that competition this year rather than the league. It’s a dangerous game, given that a second tilt at the Champions’ Cup will be impossible if the Millermen aren’t in the CMSC top four come matchday fifteen, but their form in the group stage of the TQCC was striking enough with three victories and clean sheets at home. Unsurprisingly it was away from the MSS where they struggled, but a 1-0 win over the Ad’ihani champions Protectorate United courtesy of Samuel Taha’s pinpoint header will raise spirits ahead of games with the Demotian surprise package of Santa Rosa.

Green Island were on far from their usual goalscoring form, clearly suffering without Edsy va Drake on the right, but they still managed that crucial victory over the Owls and an impressive 3-0 away win from a Rául Vélez hat-trick – albeit against Kura-Pelland’s own Greens, whose qualification ahead of Qidade Savana was shown up for the fluke it was as they failed to win a game in the group. The GIZ now face High Mountain Buffalo – the Jaseyun team who finished only eighth in the most recent Élite League but emerged undefeated from an admittedly below-par Group E.

TQCC Round-Up: Knockout Stages

Pity that the inaugural final had to come down to penalties, and pity ‘we’ weren’t there; but after that poor initial start from Marquez-Onwere and Albrecht FC, the Candelariasian dual contingent did not embarrass themselves and that the very best of the CMSC really can mix it with the very best of everywhere else.

It’s a tribute to government funding, certainly – but more to the point to Kris Healy, Hane Davies and their squads. Whether either will be competing in the second tournament is unclear still, with the current CMSC way behind several competitions that have already selected their competitors. But for now at least Albrecht Turkish and Green Island have established themselves as major international names. Who knows, they may even be able to flog a few replica shirts abroad. At the very least, the television money is really going to come in handy when XXVIII comes to a close and the transfer window is open again.

Perhaps they benefited slightly from the first knockout stage draw, for their opposition was not among the highest class. High Mountain Buffalo qualified for the next Champions’ Cup only as domestic Cup winners (possibly. It’s all a tad complicated over there), and are clearly on something of a downward spiral; but the degree to which the GIZ brushed aside the Élite League outfit was really rather impressive, a simple 3-0 victory at home making a mockery of recent league struggles. The victory over there was if anything just as notable, with an early opener from Gwon Gi-gyo quickly cancelled out by a Rául Vélez brace. The perennial C&M substitute established himself as one of the stars of this tournament, with seven goals and more than a few assists.

Green Island weren’t always on their best goalscoring form, understandably given the quality of the opposition, but the centre-half pairing deserves huge credit. The true veteran Fred Michaels, one of the GIZ’s three Eesseffians, and his partner Ben Young were generally unbeatable in the group stage. The quarters however offered a different challenge, the Kura-Pellandi champions Parwood City. The stage was set for two classic encounters between the top scorers from their respective nations, but it was clear from the off that Parwood were that little cup above; with the Candelariasian-Cafundelense strike force of Ramiro Novo and Bilú now augmented by the Yaforite influx at the back. For Green Island to escape from Marlow Park after being battered for eighty minutes was remarkable, with that man Vélez scoring past Timothy Acalet late on with practically his only touch of the second half.

It looked entirely plausible in the second leg that Davies’ team were about to take another smash-and-grab victory to make semis, with Iadoris Caliandris twice clearing off the line from Stuart Vidakovic in the first ten minutes. But the visitors were slowly worn down and in the second half they suffered the increasingly inevitable heartbreak of conceding twice – the first a ferocious free-kick from Bilú, the second a Novo effort tucked in off the left boot of the Valerian right-back Étienne de Roviere. The only bright spot left was the surprisingly rare phenomenon of away goals knocking Hares Dalermo’s men out of the tournament in the semis.

For Albrecht Turkish meanwhile, this was truly a tournament to savour at a time when their league form is truly substandard for a club of their size. If anything they made hard work of the Santa Rosa tie, but that was always going to be little more than a taster for the big one to follow.

The two games between the champions of C&M and the Eesseff could hardly be said to have been played in party atmospheres – that was never going to be possible given the small numbers of away fans permitted. It was on the pitch where it really mattered, and all the attention was on one ma… one e… one man, yeah, that’ll do; Scott Soldarian. The former Raynor City star dominated the press coverage in both countries prior to the first leg at the MSS, and Fabio Mannasuch had clearly put the fear of Elune into his players that last season’s CMSC player of the year couldn’t be allowed to dictate the game. Even usually offensive forces including the Bettian midfielder Assam Cirebon and his Kura-Pellandi colleague Danny Bindett were trained on keeping Soldarian quiet, and it proved the Rockers’ undoing. Twice in the first leg was Rueben Kennedy left free on the left to cross for Gary Maini, and twice did the Zwangzugian lay in the perfect passes for Cirebon’s veteran colleague Samuel Taha to score past the young keeper Dart.

What was truly special though was the away leg, when Turkish travelled to the Battleground and truly wiped the floor with the back-to-back EPL winners, Taha again on the scoresheet and the Fujisawan Hirokazu Reizei joining him.

Any crazy notions that the A.Turks’ name was on the cup were soon dispelled by Olympique Protectorat. An early headed goal by Justin Stenstrom in the MSS was well-deserved, for even without Anthony Jones the Ad’ihani side looked a special outfit this year. Young striker James Falconer equalised for the home side late on, but over in the Heartland Kris Healy admitted his side had been fortunate to loose only 1-0.

It was a disappointing result in truth, but the Millermen’s semi-final place has done their reputation – and the CMSC’s all-important coefficient – the world of good. Their performance should help to get their stuttering league season into first gear, while the CMSC can count on being a major player in the global game on this showing.

Let’s just hope Cathedral City or someone equally dire doesn’t end up qualifying for the next one and really embarrassing us…

Matchday Eight: Would everyone please stop scoring, you’re giving me a headache

Green Island (13 goals scored, 8 conceded) played Gamboa FC (10 scored, 15 conceded) at Marlow Park on Monday. It was a goalless draw.

Ah, okay. One of those weekends, then.

Chalk it up to the post- Champions’ Cup blues, I guess, but this was a thoroughly odd matchday that deserves a great deal of time spent dissecting it. I can’t be arsed though, so here’s the short version.

The Derby v.1: Radyukevich v Port of Clotaire. One lot performing really well, the other lot having a pretty poor season considering the cash spent. This was actually a cracking little game, but the final score is what will shake up the season and make the long-term battle between the Clotaire giants fascinating to watch – Jukos 5, Harpies 2. When you’ve got Tom Redway and Natalie Instonenext at the back that. just. doesn’t. happen., but the Hilltop Stadium outfit were on just the most incredible form. The crucial part was the new pairing of Julius Rotherwell, the Demot international, and Luke Naylor, the former C&M under-21 star, who provided a taster of their future work in the 2-2 at Caires City and were simply brilliant here; looking on telepathic terms throughout and giving the PoC back four so much to worry about that Jackson Tanzani was effectively given a free run of the midfield.

The Harpies at least have still got Lee Waywide, the Sorthern forward who has all the attributes to be a great player, but Jason Federici isn’t enjoying his second season next to him. It’s hardly all doom and gloom for Niko Mason’s men, and they’re still three points ahead of their nearest and dearest, but a defeat like this will take some time to recover from – it’ll be up to Walter Tensen, Doug Szczechowicz, Kenan Orlovic et al to pick this otherwise inexperienced side up for the visit of Turks’ Club. Coleman Mustard meanwhile will be thanking his lucky stars that Jamie Rawlinson’s injury has allowed him to happen upon a front two that will at the very least save his job and could yet propel the Jukos into the next Champions’ Cup.

The Derby v.2: Albrecht Turkish v Albrecht FC. The reigning champions are eleven points off the lead, in twelfth place – ahead of Mayo Valley on the head-to-head record. Couple that with the semi-finals of the TQCC, and the only conclusion is the football really is a funny old game. With some honourable exceptions this was a battle between the A.Turks’ expensively assembled squad and the Scorpions’ home-grown talent (even Songstress boy Aaron Abdellah was selected ahead of Nic Noble for the injured Loren Meyer).

Two sort-of exceptions were the Edwards brothers Ben and Ryan, brought up in a small community near Dublynne (which is hardly a bubbling metropolis itself, even for West Candelaria) as the children of Tracker Edwards himself; Ben was picked up as a fifteen year-old playing for the Dublynne Raiders first team. Ryan soon followed him to Albrecht’s academy, and in the long term it is he that may be the greater prospect. C&M, after all, produces wide midfielders like disposable towels, while what we generally think of as “no. 8s” are trickier to come by – be they box-to-box midfielders or out-and-out in-the-hole people. There’s Tanzani, of course, and Jamie González and Austin Lewis, and Marquez-Onwere have at least three of ‘em, but the twenty-year-old Ryan Edwards may be the pick of the bunch. Despite not picking him for the last DBC squad, Andy Le Lan has given the boy the freedom to do pretty much whatever he likes; and he responded in the derby with a superb hit late in the first half, before cutting through Scott Soldarian, Hirokazu Reizei and Evan Laurie like they were pub players and playing in his elder brother to send Albrecht four points clear at the top.

The Rest: Roight, Cathedral City are – on goal difference – in second place. This is weird. But their unusual (for the CMSC, any road) 5-3-2 system, with the big lumps of Teddy Ozi-Mayer and Emiliano Taffarel up front and a host of hugely talented players behind them – though all as different as snowflaketh in their abilities – the Cats have become a side to fear. This week, the tore apart local rivals Castillo FC 5-0, and they were honestly good for it.

The battle for bragging rights in El din will be a long one if the Marbles have anything to do about it. Carlos Panadero’s side won 3-1 in Bove, but it’s proving hard for the fans to really celebrate their success just yet. The form of Catedral isn’t helping, but the big problem is the weight of expectations that the hype surrounding Panadero and his team has engendered. Yes, they have in Abdoulaye Soro a striker who scored an international career’s worth of goals in his Baptism of Fire alone; but supporters would do well to recognise that this XI is far from the finished article. That they’re up in the top four should be cause enough for celebration.

MarquezOW will surely push their way into the top four before too long, though they were made to work for their 2-1 home win over Mayo Valley. Andy Woolworth’s countryman Matthew Tortini is also on the up after a late 1-0 win at Turks’ Club. Thomas Larson meanwhile is hanging on to his job, just about, with a 1-1 draw in Caires; but Lee Adamczyk’s patience must surely be running out.

A.Turks v Albrecht FC (Sun Morning) 0 – 2 (R. Edwards 38, B. Edwards 46)
Caires City v KT Hotspur 1 – 1 (Dionísio 35; Adams 67)
Cathedral City v Castillo FC 5 – 0 (Silva de Aviz 34, Taffarel 43, Filmar 55, Folgueira 58, Ozi-Mayer 82)
Green Island v Gamboa FC (Mon Evening) 0 – 0
MarquezOW v Mayo Valley 2 – 1 (E. Kjaer 10, Cassumba Domingos 77; Sekerci 74)
MN Smith v El din Marbles 1 – 3 (Torrell-Whyte og 42; L. Adams og 9, LeCass 40, Soro 90)
Radyukevich v Port of Clotaire (Sat Morning) 5 – 2 (Tanzani 2 and 69, Rotherwell 11, Redway og 45+2, Naylor 52; Waywide 23, Alaoui 45)
Turks’ Club v Portuguese (Sat Evening) 0 – 1 (Brightmore 81)

Matchday Nine: Oiii, that hadda hoit

The season seems to have hit the point now where injuries and suspensions are taking their toll, with almost every side in the league missing at least one major name. Look at beleaguered Albrecht Turkish – the last thing they needed was Harris Dixon missing their league game after picking up a knock against Vephrall, considering that Steven Williams was serving the last of his three-match suspension. They travelled to Castillo expecting to concede, with Sylvain Carmona press-ganged into the unfamiliar right-back role, but thankfully for Millermen fans the gigantes are looking increasingly out-classed in the top-flight.

Perhaps their side is just too young, including a couple of Kura-Pellandi teens alongside the defender Dominic Amah and midfielder Óscar Gomez – both of whom will surely be in C&M’s next DBC squad, but have clearly been given too much responsibility too soon. Kim Mihyeon up front wasn’t a regular starter for his mid-table Imperial League club Jonan by any means, and it shows. He’s talented but woefully naïve, while his current partner José Luis Sixtos looks to be the lower-league flat-track bully that the Marquezian press widely anticipated he would be at this level. Luis Gerardo Movilla’s hand must be wavering on the trapdoor as far as manager Dan Díaz (or possibly Días) is concerned – the owner feeling that his club can ill-afford to miss out on the first eighteen-team CMSC season come XXIX. In the long term however he may find fans turning on himself rather than the manager, thanks to his perverse transfer policy – though such an event would surely result in an MN Smith/Albrecht FC-esque civil war. There are enough Castillo fans after all who would like to see the pro-Hispanic principles of old maintained even more strongly than they are now, with even local lads like Amah and Cryton Kishishev whistled in recent weeks.

At any rate, they were gash on Saturday and easily defeated, 2-0, by the A.Turks – a huge morale boost for the visitors ahead of a trip to their daughter club in Khatib-Gassett. Not that Turks’ Club are a particularly scary prospect right now, sitting in thirteenth after a 1-0 defeat to Port of Clotaire. Felipe Curana must be another man worried about his job prospects, while the PoC still have every chance of making the TQCC after bouncing back from that 5-2 defeat to their neighbours.

The big focus of the weekend however was on the injury situation, and particularly in the El din Marbles v Marquez-Onwere game. The naranja were already without Merlin Siriwong – though at least Erik Kjaer was in the side and on form – but they suffered a major blow after just ten minutes when Larry Torrell-Whyte, a former amateur boxer in his native Kura-Pelland, went in hard against José Felipe Cassumba Domingos. Cue a cacophony of whistles towards the C&M nancy boy, even while the player was being stretchered off, and complaints from ex-pros that the game was being watered down following the defender’s straight red card. The Marbles felt hard done by, and saw their goal from the Nethertopian Abdoulaye Soro on the stroke of half-time as just reward, but the pressure from the eleven men of the MarquezOW eventually told with Careca involved in both goals in their eventual 2-1 win – he’s now the leading scorer in the league with seven.

After the game however it was revealed that Cassumba Domingos had received a broken ankle in the tackle, putting him out at least until the half-way stage and making him a major doubt for C&M’s World Cup – assuming they make it that far – never mind the rest of the qualifiers. He’s hardly the only one – similar tackles have also forced Green Island’s Espy va Drake and Mayo Valley’s Pascal Thorrington to miss big chunks of the early season – but perhaps Cassa’s plight will provide something of a wake-up call that tackles like that are harming the national team’s chances in the long term. Or perhaps it won’t.

Elsewhere the inconsistency continued with the two sides that hit five last week both loosing; with Cathedral City going down at KT Hotspur and Radyukevich coming off the worst of a five goal thriller with Mayo Valley. For a team missing two of their better players to injury – Thorrington and James Meakin – that’s a pretty impressive result, while Jukos fans must be wondering why Coleman Mustard seems to be capable of getting his players up only for the big games. They can win the derby, they can take points off the Albrecht giants; but if they’re going to challenge for the league matches like this have to be their bread and butter.

The dullest match of the week was undoubtedly in the capital, as Albrecht FC chewed their way through MN Smith to a 2-0 win. With Green Island again drawing nil-each on Monday night, this time with Arrigo Portuguese, the Scorpions have opened up a six point lead at the top of the table.

Albrecht FC v MN Smith 2 – 0 (Cunningham 17, Donnelly 59)
Castillo FC v A.Turks 0 – 2 (Taha 58, Soldarian 70)
El din Marbles v MarquezOW (Sat Morning) 1 – 2 (Soro 45+2; Careca 63, E. Kjaer 77)
Gamboa FC v Caires City 1 – 1 (Richardson 2; Dionísio 33)
KT Hotspur v Cathedral City 2 – 0 (Kortsarian 28, Gallagher 50)
Mayo Valley v Radyukevich (Sat Evening) 3 – 2 (Sekerci 8 and 74, Zetaback 12; Naylor 17, Ragab 52)
Port of Clotaire v Turks’ Club 1 – 0 (Alaoui 77)
Portuguese v Green Island (Mon Evening) 0 – 0

Matchday Ten: You Do Know What Yer Doing!

Well, a third of the way through XXVIII (really? God, it seems much longer than that), and it’s all about the Scorpions so far. It’s hardly been an imperious march to their six point lead, with pretty much every game threatening to go the other way at some point during the ninety, but for a side supposedly in utter disarray it’s a pretty impressive achievement. Clearly, their performances have been built on defence; with Shane Wojciechowski making a mockery of his failure to have ever been capped by C&M, Naoki Tonnelier enjoying her twilight season, the seemingly unaging Kelsekkian Francois St. Louis still as solid a right-back as they come and the equally age-ambiguous Eesseffian Loren Meyer coming back from injury to help the side to five league games without letting in a goal. Perhaps their early exit from the TQCC helped too, but Andy Le Lan deserves all the plaudits he’s – grudgingly – starting to get from those Albrecht fans that opposed his appointment (i.e., all of them).

This weekend saw a 1-0 victory over Port of Clotaire that was completely and utterly undeserved, and all the more welcome for it. These two are actually pretty similar sides – an experienced defence coupled with a worryingly youthful attack – with Walter Tensen filling in the role of the cool-headed Peter Vanderpent character. Except that he’s a central midfielder. And isn’t especially keen on kebabs. Any road, it’s far too early to say that this defeat put the kibosh on the Harpies’ own title hopes; but nine points is a lot to make up already. Niko Mason’s main aim is to make sure his side are still in the top four (and for preference top two) in five league games time, with individuals such as Lee Waywide and the stroppy winger Serkan Turkmen clearly hankering after the highest level of club football possible.

The two sides snuggled in between the aforementioned pair are united by the loss of a key, right-leaning midfielder – but you wouldn’t have noticed on matchday ten. Green Island glided serenely to a 2-0 victory against Cathedral City – who, revoltingly, are somehow fifth with a 5-0-5 record – with a curling shot by Roger Zetaback after Seb Cerullei’s run, and a surging run, cross and flukey goal from Espy va Drake’s young stand-in Andrew Fitzpatrick, sealing the win in the first half. Shit, man; we’re good at producing wide players. Marquez-Onwere meanwhile saved most of the action in their game for the second period, following Niclas Kjaer’s opener; a firm header from the Recluse Island-born star from the Recluse Island-born star’s Recluse Island-born former C&M under-21 star brother Erik’s ball in, and a couple of mighty thwacks from Jack Stafador and Joe Beye guiding the naranja to a 4-1 win over Gamboa FC. They barely seemed to miss José Felipe Cassumba Domingos at all – even after seventeen year-old Dean Shen was sent off for a head butt on that ghastly smug young forward Casper Richardson – though they may come to regret his extended absence rather more in the future against stronger opponents.

Gamboa are second bottom on nine points, but the difference between themselves and the Cats are three drawn games. Andrew Duffy’s main problem seems to be an embarrassment of riches, with last season’s third-best-manager-of-the-year – according to the end-of-season votes, at any rate – struggling to work out how to squeeze all of Austin Lewis, Jua Huwang and George Jones into the side whilst still giving all of Sargento Castelão, Robbie Shannon, Richardson and Carlo Hone playing time up front. They’re still very pretty to watch, mind, so we’ll have to hold off on those ‘all brass, no class’ headlines for a little longer.

Castillo FC and Mayo Valley are tumbling, but it’s good to see Caires City still just about holding their own, following a 3-0 win over the latter of their fellow newcomers. For the long term future of the Candelariasian game, Elgin Dannat’s albeit relative success is a welcome boost. Yes, their key men – and scorers this Saturday – have been the little Cafundelense playmaker Dionísio and the big scary Kura-Pellandi forward Pep McGuire, but the Errant Knights have none the less been playing in a relatively unusual formation that shamelessly departs from the usual 4-4-2 mercilessly forced upon their teams by other Candelariasian managers. Zwangzug’s goalkeeperless formation has been much discussed, but in an international arena where many of the top teams play with three or more up front – or with sides that while still highly attacking essentially forgo mainstream strikers entirely – it’s a positive development to see someone with a blue and green passport trying something a little different. If the traditional two up front really is on the way out, it’s important that C&M – both are international and domestic level – is at the forefront of such a movement.

At least, that’s what the Italian bloke writing in the Herald said this morning, and who am I to argue?

Elsewhere, and how many points are Albrecht Turkish off their local rivals? That’s right, THIRTEEN. So, that’s a second straight title over and done with, then. They shared a goalless draw with Turks’ Club, and host Green Island next. Expect the first few “You don’t know what you’re doing”s at the MSS next Monday if they don’t get any kind of result.

Meanwhile, Radyukevich are up to eight with a 1-0 win over Arrigo Portuguese courtesy of the very in form Jackson Tanzani’s right shin. They may not be on the title-chasing form many were anticipating, but bearing in mind that this time last year they’d only hit the back of the net once, it’s fair to say that Coleman Mustard is still doing a pretty decent job. As is Derek Marshall, off of MN Smith, who must be in line for a bigger job. This weekend’s victory at Fortress COBS was a 2-1er over KT Hotspur, a certain young winger scoring the winner. If only we could produce some young guys in the centre of the park, we might have quite a good international side, y’know..

Albrecht FC v Port of Clotaire (Sat Evening) 1 – 0 (Vanderpent 63)
Caires City v Mayo Valley 3 – 0 (Dionísio 27, McGuire 28 and 75)
Castillo FC v El din Marbles (Sat Morning) 2 – 2 (Zelzi 4, Kim 45; Soro 11 and 74)
Green Island v Cathedral City 2 – 0 (Zetaback 8, Fitzpatrick 37)
MarquezOW v Gamboa FC 4 – 1 (N. Kjaer 22 and 77, Stafador 56, Beye 85; Castelão 65)
MN Smith v KT Hotspur 2 – 1 (O. Moore 7, Cohen 42; Fisher 14)
Radyukevich v Portuguese (Mon Evening) 1 – 0 (Tanzani 45+2)
Turks’ Club v A.Turks 0 – 0

CMSC XXVIII Division One – One-Third Table
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Albrecht FC 10 8 1 1 16 4 12 25
2 Marquez-Onwere 10 6 1 3 23 14 9 19
3 Green Island 10 5 4 1 15 8 7 19
4 Port of Clotaire 10 5 1 4 14 10 4 16
5 Cathedral City 10 5 0 5 14 9 5 15
6 El din Marbles 10 4 3 3 16 15 1 15
7 Caires City 10 4 3 3 14 15 -1 15
8 Radyukevich CSC 10 4 2 4 15 15 0 14
9 Albrecht Turkish 10 3 3 4 11 11 0 12
10 AFC MN Smith 10 4 0 6 15 23 -8 12
11 Arrigo Portuguese 10 2 5 3 7 9 -2 11
12 Mayo Valley 10 3 2 5 12 16 -4 11
13 KT Hotspur 10 2 4 4 7 10 -3 10
14 Turks’ Club of Khatib 10 3 1 6 6 10 -4 10
15 Gamboa FC 10 2 3 5 12 20 -8 9
16 Castillo FC 10 1 5 4 11 18 -7 8

Matchday Eleven: Loukoum

Whither Albrecht Turkish? That would be the query of the season, were anybody really sure quite what wither means, but the core of that question has supplied arguably the bulk of radio phone-ins this year. How can a side like this go from winning the title to being thirteen points behind the leaders? Yes, everyone’s a year older – particularly noticeable in the front two Gary Maini and Samuel Taha – but Kris Healy has strengthened the side with the arrival of Hirokazu Reizei, and there’s some good kids on the bench to mop up after any injuries.

Yet all the took in the week leading up to matchday eleven was that a failure to get positive results from the games with top-fourers Green Island and Port of Clotaire would see Healy sacked, or at least stepping down to take the national under-21 job, with the former K&TT boss Murat widely linked with the job, or Derek Marshall arriving from MN Smith as a stop-gap measure.

So much for that, then. Instead, the Millermen celebrated Monday evening with a 5-1 comeback win against the team they just pipped to the title last year, further serving to increase the bitterness GIZ fans feel towards the capital club. Supporters feared the worst when Roger Zetaback met Seb Cerullei’s low cross and drove home past Oberon Martinez for the opener, but they were determined to hold off the inevitable cavalcade of boos until half-time. Moments before the whistle however Turkish got their first shot on target all day, with Maini supplying a cracking finish to the through-ball of that other great Eesseffian midfield Mozart: Scott Soldarian. Turkish began the second half in some style, but the key moment came on the sixty-second minute; when Maini, sent through on goal by Reizei this time, was brought down by GIZ ‘keeper Martin Petit.

Not for the first time this season did a goalkeeper walk, but Hane Davies could feel comfortable enough in bringing off Stuart Vidakovic and putting young Roman Perkins between the sticks. After all, he’d been talked-up by Davies and his staff all year as Petit’s replacement, and perhaps sooner rather than later.

Not on this showing. Taha scored the spot kick and, while Perkins held on for twenty minutes more, the floodgates eventually opened. Ryan Westhead crossed, got the ball back from Soldarian, and scored the third, before Taha was twice set up by sub striker James Falconer. Panic over.

On the other hand, they face a trip to PoC next week while another early Cup exit after that is always possible and wouldn’t go down too well. One suspects that however the A.Turks go this season, the Champions’ Cup run will save Healy’s job, but if this is just a fluke there’s going to be trouble.

That opening day defeat to Caires City meanwhile is suddenly looking more respectable. The Errant Knights stormed to a 4-0 win over MN Smith this weekend, and are just a point off the TQCC places. Seeing the McNeil Bingo Arena host Cafundó do Juta or Yuba United in the coming months would certainly rate as the most unlikely occurrence this season, never mind Healy’s struggles, but on performances like this it would be well deserved.

They and PoC were able to close the gap on the leaders after the latter’s 2-0 win over the El din Marbles, with Albrecht FC loosing their second game of the season, at Arrigo Portuguese for some reason – though you can’t blame the fans from the second city wanting to put one over the capital’s finest – while Marquez-Onwere were held to a draw at Cathedral City – and that only came as a result of Careca’s eighth league goal, in the third minute of second-half stoppage time. The top two meet next Saturday.

Elsewhere, it was a bittersweet afternoon for KT Hotspur fans after a 3-0 victory over Castillo FC. Aaron Kortsarian, the highly-rated Di Bradini Cup star bought from Candelaria-Allemali in the summer, scored his second of the season, but in doing so tore ligaments in his left leg. As a conservative estimate, he could be out for at least ten games – giving hope to young Candelariasian lefties everywhere seeking the coveted spot on the under-21 team, but leaving Spur fans distraught. Castillo for their part really do look in a bad way, and a failure to beat MN Smith next week could see the exit of Dan Díaz.

The other two games ended in 1-1 draws. Clearly Mayo Valley and Gamboa are going to be among the relegation candidates this season, but both can get better. Can Turks’ Club? They’re going to have to but scoring only seven league goals at this stage simply isn’t good enough. It looks like Felipe Curana was right to want to find a replacement for Holger Pi and/or Andrew Bradley; but his failure to secure the signing of a high-profile Kura-Pellandi countryman who shall remain nameless may come to cost the Turks very badly indeed.

A.Turks v Green Island (Mon Evening) 5 – 1 (Maini 45+2, Taha 63 and 87 and 89, Westhead 83; Zetaback 11)
Caires City v MN Smith 4 – 0 (Becchio 45, Varnali 71, Burridge 81, Mårtensson 82)
Cathedral City v MarquezOW (Sat Evening) 1 – 1 (Taffarel 35; Careca 90+3)
KT Hotspur v Castillo FC 3 – 0 (Gallagher 29, T. Johnson 46, Kortsarian 53)
Mayo Valley v Gamboa FC 1 – 1 (Zetaback 71; Richardson 49)
Port of Clotaire v El din Marbles (Sat Morning) 2 – 0 (Tensen 10, Waywide 86)
Portuguese v Albrecht FC 1 – 0 (Carocha 24)
Turks’ Club v Radyukevich 1 – 1 (Dolphin 70; Wolverton 37)

Matchday Twelve: Dan’s no longer the man, then

Now here’s a thing. Green Island went into matchday twelve with nineteen points, Mayo Valley with twelve. They played each other, and drew one apiece, and there’s now just seven points between the second-place team in the league and the fourteenth. So basically, the upshot is that everyone’s just about as rubbish as each other, and the results on the day all depend really on which foreigners turn it on at the right moment. God only knows who’s going to get into the Champions’ Cup, and for neutrals this does appear to be the main area of interest; largely to see whether the CMSC contingent are going to get mullered or not.

It’s certainly not the title race that’s capturing the imagination right now, because there’s a certain relentless quality about Albrecht FC. They’re certainly still far from pretty to watch, as a unit at least, though in an individual sense there’s a certain satisfaction to be gained from observing Ryan Edwards’ prodigious runs, while for some reason Naoki Tonnelier and Loren Meyer seem to hog TV3’s playercam function at the moment. This weekend the Scorpions had the opportunity to come back from a 1-0 defeat in Arrigo with a home game against Marquez-Onwere, and the MSS was treated to a textbook display of tedious, effective football.

Whisper it quietly and do that pointy thing with your fingers if you must, but Andy Le Lan tactically outthought Andy Woolworth, with the Kura-Pellandi’s gameplan failing miserably. Albrecht controlled the midfield, went ahead through Joe Cunningham’s header from Jack Marshall’s long ball from his base alongside Matteo Corradini in front of the back four, and sat back. Meyer, Shane Wojciechowski and Paolo Thorpe et al were battered by waves of naranja attacks, but MarquezOW just couldn’t get Careca free while the rest of their attacking forces were blunted by the home side’s rearguard. It could have ended up an embarrassment for the visitors, with only the shot-shy Cunningham and a couple of near misses from Peter Vanderpent failing to take the score beyond the 1-0 it finished. Le Lan’s a jolly little bugger at the best of times, but eight points clear from the rest he’s really laughing just now.

Since the rest are pretty much inseparable, we might as well drop to the bottom of the table to join Castillo FC. Their home game against MN Smith was always going to be decisive and, though they had the bulk of the possession, the gigantes’ narrow defence proved their undoing. Niv Cohen jumped over Fernando Quirante’s tackle from the two Jamies’ kick-off, and left the aging Cryton Kishishev on the ground to finish. The younger winger had more chances, but the killer didn’t come until the eight-fifth minute, when Neil Jones performed a despicably similar move on Manuel Zelzi and Steven Fiore and tucked his shot past the league’s youngest ‘keeper, Carlos Avarelli.

They may only be two points behind Gamboa, but one win in twelve is hardly staying-up form; and Dan Díaz was relieved of his post after little more than a season at the helm. Such is Luis Gerardo Movilla’s wont, but you can hardly blame him. Fiore, Lee Xin, José Luis Sixtos and Kim Mihyeon hardly came cheap, after all. So, his assistant – the appropriately named Héctor Castillo – will take charge for the CMS Cup trip to the Di Alfonso Phoenix next week, but Movilla will surely have someone in place in his eponymous stadium within a couple of weeks. An audacious swoop (is there any other kind?) for Turks’ Club’s Felipe Curana has been mooted, but bringing in Macario Ayoví from Caires Sports seemed the more likely bet.

Curana’s own status at the Khatib Together Stadium is slightly more robust now, after a 2-1 win against the El din Marbles – and besides, all the locals have been focusing on for the last few weeks is the impending C&M v Bettia game in their back yard. Andrew Duffy is probably on shakier ground in Gamboa, after his side took the lead in Rose of Sharon but were 3-1 down by half-time. The game was notable for an outstanding performance for the KT Hotspur teenager Reuben Ryan, starting for the very injured Aaron Kortsarian. It was a brave move by Thomas Larson but one which royally paid off; the young left winger (but we hardly needed to tell you that) scoring one and creating both others. He tired in the second half, but it was some debut and bodes well for the Spur’s rebirth.

One side whose form hasn’t even been conceived this season are Albrecht Turkish. Losing to Port of Clotaire is no shame, especially by just the odd goal from one of Serkan ‘not-remotely-ironic-or-anything’ Turkmen’s trademark free-kicks, but it still means they’re thirteen points Albrecht FC. They really did play well however, with only a pickmepickmepickmepickmepickme performance from perennial bench-warmer Andrew Jordan at the back stopping the Taha-Maini axis from flourishing as they had last week. Their next game is in the CMS Cup where, would-you-Adam-and-Steve-it, they visit Green Island.

Elsewhere, the still rather-less-than-the-sum-of-their-parts Radyukevich drew 2-2 at a Cathedral side who seem to get more muscley every time you see them, while Caires City knocked it around very pleasantly but came up against an Arrigo Portuguese side on a high, who poked in two in the first ten minutes and spent the rest of the game with their tongues sticking out. For a side with the man-for-man technique the Heuva have on offer they really should be more appealing than this, but it seems to be starting to work for Matthew Tortini so no-one at the EAN’s complaining just yet.

Albrecht FC v MarquezOW (Sat Evening) 1 – 0 (Cunningham 14)
Castillo FC v MN Smith 0 – 2 (Cohen 1, Jones 85)
Cathedral City v Radyukevich (Mon Evening) 2 – 2 (Jobson 26, Taffarel 84; Rotherwell 42 and 51)
El din Marbles v Turks’ Club 1 – 2 (Madden 87; Le Monde 48, Bradley 73)
Green Island v Mayo Valley 1 – 1 (Fitzpatrick 39; Harrison 10)
KT Hotspur v Gamboa FC 3 – 1 (Gallagher 18, Milton 27, Ryan 33; Castelão 12)
Port of Clotaire v A.Turks (Sat Morning) 1 – 0 (Turkmen 46)
Portuguese v Caires City 2 – 0 (Belling 5, González 8)

New Manhattan

05-04-2008, 01:30

http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/logos/tqcc/
First TakilQuip Champions’ Cup—Knockout Stage

First knockout round
First leg
(KPL) Parwood City 0–2 Sonoma Center Panthers (COM)
(CAM) Green Island 3–0 High Mountain Buffalo (JSY)
(CAM) Albrecht Turkish 1–0 Santa Rosa FC (DEM)
(AHN) Olympique Protectorat 3–0 Stestrenas OC (VPH)
(ACA) Real Malakoff 2–0 Raynor City Rockers (ESF)
(VPH) Boalluns FE 3–0 United Trilan (KPL)
(VPH) Poikimitagiin FE 1–1 Yuba United (COM)
(COM) Black Oasis Athletic 0–2 South Coast United (JSY)

Second leg
(COM) Sonoma Center Panthers (2) 0–2 (2) Parwood City (KPL)
Extra time: (2) 0–3 (3)
(JSY) High Mountain Buffalo (1) 1–2 (5) Green Island (CAM)
(DEM) Santa Rosa FC (1) 1–1 (2) Albrecht Turkish (CAM)
(VPH) Stestrenas OC (2) 2–2 (5) Olympique Protectorat (AHN)
(ESF) Raynor City Rockers (4) 4–1 (3) Real Malakoff (ACA)
(KPL) United Trilan (4) 4–1 (4) Boalluns FE (VPH)
Away goals: 0–1
(COM) Yuba United (4) 3–1 (2) Poikimitagiin FE (VPH)
(JSY) South Coast United (2) 0–2 (2) Black Oasis Athletic (COM)
Extra time: (2) 0–2 (2)
Penalty kicks: 3–4

Quarterfinals
First leg
(CAM) Albrecht Turkish 2–0 Raynor City Rockers (ESF)
(CAM) Green Island 1–0 Parwood City (KPL)
(AHN) Olympique Protectorat 1–1 Black Oasis Athletic (COM)
(COM) Yuba United 3–0 Boalluns FE (VPH)

Second leg
(ESF) Raynor City Rockers (0) 0–2 (4) Albrecht Turkish (CAM)
(KPL) Parwood City (2) 2–0 (1) Green Island (CAM)
(COM) Black Oasis Athletic (2) 1–2 (3) Olympique Protectorat (AHN)
(VPH) Boalluns FE (2) 2–1 (4) Yuba United (COM)

Semifinals
First leg
(COM) Yuba United 1–1 Parwood City (KPL)
(CAM) Albrecht Turkish 1–1 Olympique Protectorat (AHN)

Second leg
(KPL) Parwood City (3) 2–2 (3) Yuba United (COM)
Away goals: 1–2
(AHN) Olympique Protectorat (2) 1–0 (1) Albrecht Turkish (CAM)

The Final
(at Holmes Stadium, Columbia, Bedistan, UCS)
(AHN) Olympique Protectorat 2–2 Yuba United (COM)
Extra time: 2–2
Penalty kicks: 8–9

The Silver–Blues win the inaugural Champions’ Cup. Entries for the next Cup are open; either TG me or list your qualified teams (up to four) in your league table.

In subsequent tournaments, league coëfficients (calculated based on the UEFA formula) will be used to determine how many teams from each association receive byes to the group stage, and club coëfficients will be used to seed teams for the preliminary and group stage draws. They will not be used to scorinate. These coëfficients may be found at http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/tqcc/coefficients/1/ (http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/tqcc/coefficients/1/).

Efronmurillo

05-04-2008, 20:24

From the United Socialist States of Efronmurillo Ministry of Sport and Leisure:

The following announcement:

Results for 01-05 April 2008 for Division one of the USSE football league:

Team Score Team

Jaredia City 2-0 Dante Bay
Murillo United 7-4 Sutton City
Latham Rovers 3-4 Verranos FC
Admadan City 2-2 Nichi RFC
Bolton City 1-5 Maisey Point FC
Stringini FC 3-3 Efron City FC
Massing Athletic 2-1 Poynter Wonderers
Langley RFC 1-1 Farridia Bay
Jshmurillo United 2-0 Barton Rovers

Current League Positions:
1. Murillo United
2. Jaredia City
3. Verranos FC
4. Efron City FC
5. Poynter Wonderers
6. Stringini FC
7. Massing Athletic
8. Jshmurillo United
9. Barton Rovers
10. Maisey Point FC
11. Latham Rovers
12. Sutton City
13. Dante Bay
14. Nichi RFC
15. Bolton City
16. Admadan City
17. Langley RFC
18. Farridia Bay

New Manhattan

06-04-2008, 00:04

http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/logos/eliteleague/

2144 Élite League—Matchday 34
Saturday, December fifth, twenty-one forty-four—a date which will live in infamy. Parties (or pirates, if you ask a dyslexic in the music industry) sprang up spontaneously across the Capitalizt states. Grocers ran out of key commodities. Sales figures of shareware programs went through the roof. What was the occasion? Had a space exploration consortium made contact with a race of geeky aliens? Was the HURD only six months away from completion?

No, it was the final matchday of the Capitalizt Élite League. Five clubs had their eye on the title. Seven had designs on entering the Champions’ Cup in 2146, but none could be certain of reaching it. Six matches, kicking off simultaneously, would decide their success or failure. Table generator programs abounded to work out all the crazy hypothetical situations—and one not-so-hypothetical situation, the current table:

Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts BOa Car Yub SSo Sav SDi SCU
1 Black Oasis Athletic COM 33 17 7 9 49 39 10 58 — 0–0 0–1 0–1 3–1 1–1 1–0
2 Carter FC JSY 33 18 3 12 49 39 10 57 0–1 — 0–3 3–0 0–2 1–0 2–1
3 Yuba United COM 33 16 8 9 47 32 15 56 3–1 1–0 — 1–0 1–3 3–1 1–0
4 San Solari FC COM 33 15 11 7 45 36 9 56 1–1 1–1 1–0 — 3–2 3–2 1–0
5 Qidade Savana JSY 33 17 4 12 62 53 9 55 3–1 2–0 2–2 0–2 — 2–1 0–3
6 San Diego Iguanas COM 33 16 7 10 49 40 9 55 1–2 2–1 2–1 3–1 3–0 — 0–0
7 South Coast United JSY 33 16 6 11 43 31 12 54 2–1 1–0 2–1 2–2 W34 3–1 —

Electronics stores had no problem putting each of the six matches up on their assortment of ultra-definition displays, but for the average home user, the Aeropag Tribune set up a feed with general commentary and highlights from all of the various stadiums. That commentary would recount the twenty goals scored on the day:

19:00
“The opening whistle sounds across the Unified Capitalizt States. Just to remind you, we have all the action from the six decisive matches here—that’s Jackson–Carter, San Diego–Sonoma Center, High Mountain–Yuba, South Coast–Savana, Dusanto–San Solari, and Cordubovica–Black Oasis all wrapped up into a neat little package by our Aeropag Tribune staff.”

19:04
“Remember, on this Championship Week presented by TakilQuip, we’ll be bringing you the TechConGroup Cup final live on Monday night from Holmes Stadium, with the Aeropag Penguins of League 2 trying to upset defending champions Yuba United. On Tuesday, we’ll have the second leg of the Jasīʼyūn Kūb final from New Haverford, who held Dusanto to a Karelan draw in the first leg. On Wednesday, we’ll be back in Columbia with ‘matere’da, te’grádie’da, les grandes équipes,’ the TakilQuip Champions’ Cup final, with surprise package Olympique Protectorat of Ad’ihan trying to knock off the Silver–Blues in their home country. And back to the action, we’ve got a highlight to show from the Bætica Stadium, where relegation-threatened Cordubovica are taking on top-of-the-table Black Oasis. Corner kick to the Falcons, Çu Gu-gi lofts it into the area…goal for Cordubovica! Pepó Juniënto with the header! They’re the first to score today, and they’ve put a serious dent in Black Oasis’s title hopes! For now, that puts Carter into first place, and Black Oasis, Yuba, and San Solari into the Champions’ Cup, but we’ve still got a lot of football to play.”

Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Carter FC JSY 34 18 4 12 49 39 10 58
2 Black Oasis Athletic COM 34 17 7 10 49 40 9 58
3 Yuba United COM 34 16 9 9 47 32 15 57
4 San Solari FC COM 34 15 12 7 45 36 9 57
5 Qidade Savana JSY 34 17 5 12 62 53 9 56
6 San Diego Iguanas COM 34 16 8 10 49 40 9 56
7 South Coast United JSY 34 16 7 11 43 31 12 55

19:06
“Here you see our live possession stats from each of the six matches; as you can see, High Mountain are effectively shutting down Yuba’s normally-strong midfield, but never mind that, we’ll head out to Syoko Island, where San Solari is mounting their title challenge against the high-powered Dusanto offense. Ellis rifles in a shot from distance, no trouble for the keeper…he throws the ball on with power, it falls to Çwe Saŋ-mo…he’s got plenty of room, he patiently sets up the shot…he’s made the keeper slip! He buries it! Logambina isn’t going to have fond memories of that attempt…One–nil to the Mojaʼikījī, who are trying to make the best of a bad season. That drops San Solari down to sixth in the live table, putting Qidade Savana in place to return to the Champions’ Cup.”

19:07
“Well, the pre-match odds from Pallona have finally arrived at our studio, Black Oasis at evens to win the title, with—let’s head back to Dusanto for another highlight. Çwe Saŋ-mo down the right-hand channel, Hoover misses the tackle, he’s one-on-one, shot! Into the top corner! Dusanto up two–nil! Two goals in two minutes for Çwe Saŋ-mo! Maybe it’s a tad early, but that pretty much knocks San Solari out of consideration for the Champions’ Cup…”

19:10
“It’s been end-to-end action at the Stádie Montánire, with both sides getting a number of chances, but the score sheet remains blank. Let’s take a peek now at the match in San Diego, where the Iguanas face the troubled Sonoma Center Panthers. Han Çūl-li takes the shot…the keeper only able to push it away, Stewart tries to clear, into the arm of Richards, the referee unimpressed by the shout for handball, Richards strikes! The Iguanas take the lead, one–nil over Sonoma Center! That catapults them into a Champions’ Cup spot, in third place behind Black Oasis on head-to-head, displacing Savana. This will only fuel the rumors that System Takil is on its way out at the Anaphase Alchemy…”

19:11
“Now we go down under to Hendersonburg, where the visiting Qidade Savana has been bounced around like a ping-pong ball between fourth and fifth place. South Coast piling on the pressure, Tobias crosses to Alejandro Marugano…terrible touch there, Savana now on the counter…Lüssen sends in a shot…it’s in! Through the arms of the keeper! Savana jumps into the title race with a shout! There’s now four teams level on fifty-eight points, with Savana on top due to their pair of two–nil wins over Carter. Yuba are now down to fifth, and just might have to rely on winning the Champions’ Cup final to enter the next one.”

Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Qidade Savana JSY 34 18 4 12 63 53 10 58
2 Carter FC JSY 34 18 4 12 49 39 10 58
3 Black Oasis Athletic COM 34 17 7 10 49 40 9 58
4 San Diego Iguanas COM 34 17 7 10 50 40 10 58
5 Yuba United COM 34 16 9 9 47 32 15 57
6 San Solari FC COM 34 15 11 8 45 38 7 56
7 South Coast United JSY 34 16 6 12 43 32 11 54

19:15
“The tension is mounting for everyone as events unfold today…just to round up some scores from around the world, Murillo United currently leads Sutton City 7–4 as they approach full time in some country we’ve never heard of; Ourseville Mille Quatre-Vingt-Treize put on an impressive display against—forget about those surrenderers, we’ve got some action in Jackson. Mun Li-sūg comes forward for Jackson, but appears to have few options…he goes down! The referee points to the spot, and he’s reaching for his back pocket too! Jasīʼyūn international Alio Moráleso is sent off for the blatant foul in the area, and Mun Li-sūg will take the spot kick for Jackson…he bulges the back of the net! Jackson one, Carter zero! They only need a draw to escape relegation, and it looks like they’ll get it. Carter teeters on the edge of Champions’ Cup qualification, and Yuba needs just one goal to get back in.”

Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Qidade Savana JSY 34 18 4 12 63 53 10 58
2 Black Oasis Athletic COM 34 17 7 10 49 40 9 58
3 San Diego Iguanas COM 34 17 7 10 50 40 10 58
4 Carter FC JSY 34 18 3 13 49 40 9 57
5 Yuba United COM 34 16 9 9 47 32 15 57
6 San Solari FC COM 34 15 11 8 45 38 7 56
7 South Coast United JSY 34 16 6 12 43 32 11 54

19:17
“We have word that Dusanto has extended their lead to three goals over San Solari, but before we show that, we’ve got more pressing matters in Jackson. Velperpoort crosses into the box, Neukäufer tries to control the ball, taken away by Edwards…Lyu ʼI-so tackles it away to Brown—who scores! Carter have equalized! Danielle Brown with the goal! They’re back in second place, and Yuba is in trouble once again. And now, the goal in Dusanto: Clifford Ellis has nowhere to go for San Solari…he plays the ball back to Alegro, who’s similarly out of options, and plays it back to the keeper…Logambina can’t get to it! It rolls over the line! Own goal by Alegro! Dusanto leads three–nil, and this game is as good as over.”

Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Qidade Savana JSY 34 18 4 12 63 53 10 58
2 Carter FC JSY 34 18 4 12 50 40 10 58
3 Black Oasis Athletic COM 34 17 7 10 49 40 9 58
4 San Diego Iguanas COM 34 17 7 10 50 40 10 58
5 Yuba United COM 34 16 9 9 47 32 15 57
6 San Solari FC COM 34 15 11 8 45 39 6 56
7 South Coast United JSY 34 16 6 12 43 32 11 54

19:20
“Okay, now before this next highlight, we assure you that there is nothing wrong with your computer; you haven’t rewinded. In Dusanto again: Alegro can’t find a pass, he boots the ball into touch—the wind catches it and tries to make it a corner kick to Dusanto…no, not a corner kick! Logambina can’t reach it! A fluke own goal by Alegro again makes it four for Dusanto! Logambina is having terrible luck today, and perhaps is coming out of the game early…no, Ju So-sūŋ elects to bring in the backup keeper for Dusanto.”

19:38
“…and in Élite League 3/F, RKA Warriors recorded a fortuitous 6–0 win over the pansies of Floral FC this afternoon to clinch promotion to League 2. And we finally have a another goal—would anyone care to guess where? Free kick to Dusanto at the edge of the box. Çwe Saŋ-mo to take it…he curls in a shot, and scores! That’s his hat-trick! And Logambina has given up five today!”

19:41
“Black Oasis are desperately trying to get their number one spot back at the Bætica Stadium, but it just doesn’t seem to be in the cards…now, we head back to San Diego. That challenge was badly mistimed by Stewart, and it looks like he’s going to pay for it with a booking. San Diego take the free kick from midfield, Borja puts the ball up for Han Çūl-li, and he shoots on the volley! Defense, of course, is not one of the Panthers’ strengths, and it shows here, as they now trail two–nil as we approach the forty-five minute mark.”

19:46
“With two games already reaching the halftime interval, we’ve got more to show from the Stádie Montánire. The fourth official indicates two minutes of time added. No doubt this is the most interesting match of the six today…Brian Miller attempts an ambitious forward pass for the Silver–Blues…Cleo Fu runs onto it…Fu with the freedom of the Stádie Montánire! Marona saves for the Buffalo…a quick release puts High Mountain on the counter, Gwon Gi-gyo with the ball…Leisten gets free…at last, we have a goal! High Mountain leads the Silver–Blues one–nil! Exceptional strike by Theo Leisten! Yuba need some serious help if they want to reach another Champions’ Cup.”

19:48
“Well, we’re now at halftime in all six matches. The scores stand at Jackson 1–1 Carter, San Diego 2–0 Sonoma Center, High Mountain 1–0 Yuba, South Coast 0–1 Savana, Dusanto 5–0 San Solari, and Cordubovica 1–0 Black Oasis. We’ll have scores and highlights from these and other matches during the break.”

Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Qidade Savana JSY 34 18 4 12 63 53 10 58
2 Carter FC JSY 34 18 4 12 50 40 10 58
3 Black Oasis Athletic COM 34 17 7 10 49 40 9 58
4 San Diego Iguanas COM 34 17 7 10 51 40 11 58
5 Yuba United COM 34 16 8 10 47 33 14 56
6 San Solari FC COM 34 15 11 8 45 41 4 56
7 South Coast United JSY 34 16 6 12 43 32 11 54

20:04
“And with that great equalizer chance for Black Oasis squandered, and still no news from the Stádie Montánire, we’ll take a look back at Jackson’s clash with Carter, now in the forty-eighth minute. Moráleso will take the corner for Carter; he tries the out-swinger…Brown collects the ball at the edge of the area, and shoots with power! Carter have taken the lead, in the match and the Élite League, with Danielle Brown’s second goal of the night. Jackson is now in the drop zone, behind Cordubovica on number of wins.”

Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Carter FC JSY 34 19 3 12 51 40 11 60
2 Qidade Savana JSY 34 18 4 12 63 53 10 58
3 Black Oasis Athletic COM 34 17 7 10 49 40 9 58
4 San Diego Iguanas COM 34 17 7 10 51 40 11 58
5 Yuba United COM 34 16 8 10 47 33 14 56
6 San Solari FC COM 34 15 11 8 45 41 4 56
7 South Coast United JSY 34 16 6 12 43 32 11 54

20:08
“We now have word from High Mountain—the stadium was blacked out for several minutes after the halftime interval, preventing the resumption of play. The cause of the blackout has not yet been identified. Power has now been restored, and the second half is underway.”

20:12
“…clearly the official was in the wrong, and San Solari fans will be disappointed that the linesman’s flag denied them some small shred of dignity. Anyway, we’ll now look in again on what could be an interesting battle at Orange Stadium. The attack fizzles out for the Iguanas as Venus plays the ball back to Go Gwaŋ-ho…who makes a terrible pass…ʼIm Sa-mi has the ball in front of the defense…ʼIm Sa-mi tries to lob it in! From forty meters! Sonoma Center reduces their deficit to two–one!”

20:18
“Things aren’t looking good for South Coast, and that missed penalty in the first half probably cost them a Champions’ Cup berth. But that aside, we’ve got more from Orange Stadium, where San Diego and Sonoma Center are in the sixty-first minute. ʼIm Sa-mi strikes! The keeper can’t save it cleanly…ʼWaŋ Hwaŋ-an tries to finish the job; Venus clears it off the line! But not far enough—ʼIm Sa-mi buries it! The Panthers are level! That drops San Diego to fifth in the league, behind Yuba on head-to-head. I guess Takil does work sometimes…”

Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Carter FC JSY 34 19 3 12 51 40 11 60
2 Qidade Savana JSY 34 18 4 12 63 53 10 58
3 Black Oasis Athletic COM 34 17 7 10 49 40 9 58
4 Yuba United COM 34 16 8 10 47 33 14 56
5 San Diego Iguanas COM 34 16 8 10 51 42 9 56
6 San Solari FC COM 34 15 11 8 45 41 4 56
7 South Coast United JSY 34 16 6 12 43 32 11 54

20:30
“With that rather embarrassing miss out of the way, we turn back to High Mountain, where they’re only in the sixty-seventh minute because of the blackout. Küsperth plays it to Brian Miller, who returns it…Küsperth comes forward, oh, Carrie Miller just gave him all the space in the world! Terrible mistake, but will it cost the Buffalo a goal—yes! Küsperth scores the equalizer for Yuba! That won’t move them up the table, but it does give them a one-point lead over San Diego and San Solari.”

20:37
“…and now that we’re up to date on the intricacies of the Candelariasian league, we’ve got a couple more highlights. First, in Jackson: The goalkeeper horribly misstrikes the free kick, and the race is on to get to the ball…Knowles slides in on the ball! The keeper races to stop it, but is too late! Jackson has made it two–two! They knock Cordubovica back into the drop zone, and Qidade Savana back into the title position. Second, we’ve got some additional excitement in San Diego: Richards with the free kick for the Iguanas…he shoots…it’s deflected past the keeper! Christian Richards will take the credit for putting San Diego up three–two, but Alexander Stewart could also be said to have cost them the goal. We’ve got a log jam in first place again, as San Diego jumps back ahead of Yuba into the Champions’ Cup.”

Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Qidade Savana JSY 34 18 4 12 63 53 10 58
2 Carter FC JSY 34 18 4 12 51 41 10 58
3 Black Oasis Athletic COM 34 17 7 10 49 40 9 58
4 San Diego Iguanas COM 34 17 7 10 52 42 10 58
5 Yuba United COM 34 16 9 9 48 33 15 57
6 San Solari FC COM 34 15 11 8 45 41 4 56
7 South Coast United JSY 34 16 6 12 43 32 11 54

20:43
“As full time draws near, Savana looks good value for their lead, but anything can happen…and the crew are telling me that something did happen—we’ll turn to Bætica Stadium for that. Cox attempts the far-post cross…Osérina strikes it! It goes in off the keeper! Black Oasis pulls back to one–one in the eighty-seventh minute, and takes the top spot in the league. Clearly the goalie knew nothing about that critical shot!”

Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Black Oasis Athletic COM 34 17 8 9 50 40 10 59
2 Qidade Savana JSY 34 18 4 12 63 53 10 58
3 Carter FC JSY 34 18 4 12 51 41 10 58
4 San Diego Iguanas COM 34 17 7 10 52 42 10 58
5 Yuba United COM 34 16 9 9 48 33 15 57
6 San Solari FC COM 34 15 11 8 45 41 4 56
7 South Coast United JSY 34 16 6 12 43 32 11 54

20:49
“San Diego managed to hold onto their three–two victory over Sonoma Center, and it’s also full time in Cordubovica, where the Falcons made a last-gasp attempt at goal. Juniënto breaks free…he tries the shot from distance…caught by Liesenhoff. He pauses for a moment and boots the ball upfield…headed on by Çu Gu-gi for Juniënto…he may have one more crack at goal! He tries from the edge of the box, but Liesenhoff pushes it aside, and it’s gone out for a Cordubovica throw. They won’t get to take the throw, as the referee signals the end of the match—Cordubovica one, Black Oasis one. Cordubovica will be relegated, but it’s all smiles for the visitors, as they have won the Capitalizt Élite League!”

20:53
“As the six minutes of added time have expired in Hendersonburg, we’ll turn to live action in the only game in progress, at the Stádie Montánire. In this single minute of injury time, it’s all or nothing for the Silver–Blues—score and they win the Élite League; fail and they’ll have to wait another year to try for Champions’ Cup qualification. King with a pinpoint pass for Fu…this could be the goal they need…Richardson scrambles the ball away and into touch! The fans want a penalty kick, Fu wants a penalty kick—the referee hesitantly obliges! And the entire season comes down to this one moment…Evelyn Richards will take the kick for Yuba United. She’s no stranger to pressure, having scored in the national team’s penalty shootout against Casari that sent them to the World Cup final, but I doubt she knows the stakes here; the stadium screen doesn’t show the league table. Yuba fans may not want to watch this…GOAL! Marona dives the right way, but Richards sneaks it in off the top of the post! Yuba United two, High Mountain one! And the final whistle sounds—Yuba United has won its fifteenth domestic league title in dramatic fashion! Now the stadium screen gives the good news to the visiting supporters, and the Capitalizt Élite League trophy should be teleported here soon…

“What a finish. To recap, Yuba United are Élite League champions; Black Oasis Athletic, Qidade Savana, and Carter FC have qualified for the next Champions’ Cup; Cordubovica will join Silto Dosi in League 2 next season. And the commentator of that Black Oasis game is probably getting fired.”

2143–2144 transfer window
An active transfer window was fueled by the money from Cafundelense clubs last season, with Sokojito Dosi making the biggest moves, and Medoria also spending big to cement their place as heavy favorites for promotion. Sokojiʼwa Dosi spent a more modest amount, even selling one of their internationals, preferring instead to direct their transfer windfall towards a new stadium.

No Būm-mo (FC, Black Oasis Athletic) → Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen for 744.5 kg Au (domestic transfer record)
Andrew Lawson (FC, Naquada Falls Demons) → Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen for 409.5 kg Au
Çwe Hyo-ha (ML, San Diego Iguanas) → Noka Mariners for 214.2 kg Au
Gwon ʼI-sam (DL, Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK) → Medoria Löwen for 281.6 kg Au
Justin Morris (FC, Qidade Savana) → Medoria Löwen for 254.5 kg Au
Abúndio Buëglo (FC, Jamaica Giants) → Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK for 253.6 kg Au
Charlie Edwards (DL, Jamaica Giants) → Jackson FC for 242.9 kg Au
Paul Lüssen (FC, Noka Mariners) → Qidade Savana for 206.7 kg Au
Marjorie Hoover (DC, South Coast United) → San Solari FC for 193.3 kg Au
Jorja Logambina (GK, Humai Titans) → San Solari FC for 178.1 kg Au
Tobias (Cafundéu, MC, Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK) → South Coast United for 178.1 kg Au
Benjamin Mitchell (DC, South Coast United) → Lexington FC for 151.2 kg Au
Hoŋ ʼIn-ju (DC, Jackson FC) → Black Oasis Athletic for 150.0 kg Au

Capitalizt Élite League—final standings
(Note: Yuba leads Black Oasis on head-to-head results. Savana and Carter lead San Diego on number of wins; Savana leads Carter on head-to-head.)
Rk Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Yuba United COM 34 17 8 9 49 33 16 59 Tournoi IRC/TQCC
2 Black Oasis Athletic COM 34 17 8 9 50 40 10 59 TQCC
3 Qidade Savana JSY 34 18 4 12 63 53 10 58 TQCC
4 Carter FC JSY 34 18 4 12 51 41 10 58 TQCC
5 San Diego Iguanas COM 34 17 7 10 52 42 10 58
6 San Solari FC COM 34 15 11 8 45 41 4 56
7 South Coast United JSY 34 16 6 12 43 32 11 54
8 Sonoma Center Panthers COM 34 15 5 14 70 59 11 50
9 High Mountain Buffalo JSY 34 13 11 10 49 36 13 50
10 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen COM 34 15 4 15 52 51 1 49
11 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK COM 34 13 8 13 47 51 -4 47
12 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī JSY 34 13 8 13 45 41 4 47
13 Naquada Falls Demons JSY 34 12 10 12 39 42 -3 46
14 Heidelstadt Falken JSY 34 10 10 14 36 38 -2 40
15 Lexington FC JSY 34 9 7 18 38 54 -16 34
16 Jackson FC COM 34 7 12 15 31 40 -9 33
17 Cordubovica Falcons COM 34 7 9 18 35 61 -26 30 Relegated
18 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī JSY 34 5 6 23 30 70 -40 21 Relegated

Élite League Two
League 2 North
Rk Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Medoria Löwen COM 34 22 10 2 79 38 41 76 Promoted
2 New Haverford Albion JSY 34 18 10 6 51 27 24 64
3 Noka Mariners JSY 34 17 10 7 39 20 19 61
4 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī JSY 34 13 14 7 39 31 8 53
5 Natestadt Nationalisten COM 34 12 16 6 28 19 9 52
6 Chorion Bluffs Knights COM 34 14 8 12 52 43 9 50
7 Aeropag Penguins COM 34 14 6 14 45 32 13 48
8 Musketiere Twintown JSY 34 11 13 10 27 30 -3 46
9 Keto Lodīlūnajī JSY 34 10 13 11 44 40 4 43
10 Griffin Zebras JSY 34 12 6 16 33 38 -5 42
11 Dawson Springs FC COM 34 10 12 12 21 25 -4 42
12 Lolestu CK COM 34 10 12 12 19 24 -5 42
13 Sokojito Dosi Dalamjwijī JSY 34 10 10 14 27 37 -10 40
14 Humai Titans JSY 34 8 13 13 30 37 -7 37
15 Jamaica Giants JSY 34 9 9 16 41 65 -24 36
16 Graceville Salamanders JSY 34 8 11 15 26 34 -8 35 Relegated
17 KQ Sirto COM 34 7 10 17 36 65 -29 31 Relegated
18 Teʼyaçu Joŋlyugijī COM 34 5 9 20 21 53 -32 24 Relegated

League 2 South
Rk Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Querzakhi United COM 34 17 10 7 35 21 14 61 Promoted
2 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana COM 34 17 9 8 60 41 19 60
3 New Hampton Terrapins JSY 34 17 8 9 56 44 12 59
4 Ἄργος ΛΠ COM 34 15 11 8 50 40 10 56
5 Werd Beachcombers COM 34 15 11 8 45 36 9 56
6 Syoko Poggyūggijī COM 34 15 10 9 39 27 12 55
7 Lexington Firefoxes COM 34 13 9 12 52 56 -4 48
8 Midway Wolves COM 34 13 9 12 42 43 -1 48
9 Seansburgh Cougars COM 34 12 9 13 40 37 3 45
10 Eintracht Maastricht JSY 34 12 8 14 47 53 -6 44
11 Commerce Heights T’birds COM 34 12 5 17 54 77 -23 41
12 Portland Safari JSY 34 11 8 15 47 58 -11 41
13 Alexandria Porcupines JSY 34 9 12 13 23 24 -1 39
14 Kitsilano Konquerors COM 34 8 14 12 28 27 1 38
15 ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī COM 34 10 7 17 41 51 -10 37
16 Kagoshima Phoenix COM 34 7 15 12 30 32 -2 36 Relegated
17 Südtolzerio Kreuzfahrer JSY 34 6 14 14 36 47 -11 32 Relegated
18 Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι COM 34 3 19 12 19 30 -11 28 Relegated

Élite League Three promotees
League 3/A: Ari FC (COM)
League 3/B: SV Pößneck (COM)
League 3/C: Forest Hill FC (JSY)
League 3/D: SpVgg Tolzerio (COM)
League 3/E: Laniuq Explorers (COM)
League 3/F: RKA Warriors (COM)

Capitalizt Élite League Cup
Medoria put together an impressive League Cup run, proving that they have the strength to stay up in the Élite League. Yuba United needed extra time to defend their title at Holmes Stadium, a very familiar venue to them this season.
Third Round
(L2S) Kagoshima Phoenix 3–0 St Raphael B’ing Bihsops (3/F)
(L2S) Syoko Poggyūggijī 1–0 Forest Hill FC (JSY)
(L2N) Chorion Bluffs Knights 1–3 Aeropag Penguins (L2N)
(CEL) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī 2–2 SV Veernan (3/D)
(CEL) High Mountain Buffalo 6–0 Scarab Inferno (3/E)
(L2N) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī 0–0 South Coast United (CEL)
(L2S) Midway Wolves 2–1 Dawson Springs FC (L2N)
(CEL) Sonoma Center Panthers 6–2 RKA Warriors (3/F)
(CEL) Qidade Savana 2–2 Musketiere Twintown (L2N)
(3/D) Altera Griffins 2–2 Querzakhi United (L2S)
(L2S) Alexandria Porcupines 0–0 Humai Titans (L2N)
(3/D) Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen 1–3 Accola Eagles (3/A)
(L2N) Medoria Löwen 11–0 SimuNation FC (3/E)
(L2S) Eintracht Maastricht 3–2 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (CEL)
(L2S) Portland Safari 1–1 ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī (L2S)
(3/E) New Werteimann FC 1–6 Sonoma City Volcanoes (3/C)
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken 3–0 SK Fjordalen (3/B)
(3/B) Dalit Säbel 0–3 Nyendoli ʼYoŋjī (3/A)
(CEL) San Solari FC 1–0 Natestadt Nationalisten (L2N)
(L2N) Keto Lodīlūnajī 3–1 Naquada Falls Demons (CEL)
(CEL) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī 2–1 Jackson FC (CEL)
(L2N) Graceville Salamanders 0–3 New Haverford Albion (L2N)
(CEL) Yuba United 5–1 Ἄργος ΛΠ (L2S)
(L2N) Jamaica Giants 2–0 Kitsilano Konquerors (L2S)
(3/F) Χιχή Ἐνωμένος 0–2 Lolestu CK (L2N)
(3/D) Eintracht Südtolzerio 0–4 New Hampton Terrapins (L2S)
(CEL) Cordubovica Falcons 0–2 San Diego Iguanas (CEL)
(CEL) Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK 2–4 Black Oasis Athletic (CEL)
(L2S) Commerce Heights T’birds 2–2 Griffin Zebras (L2N)
(L2S) KQ Nepáïire Tingitana 5–0 Port Lusambo Paladins (3/A)
(CEL) Carter FC 1–0 Noka Mariners (L2N)
(CEL) Lexington FC 3–3 SpVgg Tolzerio (3/D)

Third Round Replays
(3/D) SV Veernan 1–3 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (CEL)
(CEL) South Coast United 2–0 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (L2N)
(L2N) Musketiere Twintown 5–0 Qidade Savana (CEL)
(L2S) Querzakhi United 4–0 Altera Griffins (3/D)
(L2N) Humai Titans 1–0 Alexandria Porcupines (L2S)
(L2S) ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī 2–1 Portland Safari (L2S)
(L2N) Griffin Zebras 1–2 Commerce Heights T’birds (L2S)
(3/D) SpVgg Tolzerio 2–3 Lexington FC (CEL)

Fourth Round
(L2S) Kagoshima Phoenix 1–1 Syoko Poggyūggijī (L2S)
(L2N) Aeropag Penguins 3–2 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (CEL)
(CEL) High Mountain Buffalo 0–2 South Coast United (CEL)
(L2S) Midway Wolves 2–2 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)
(L2N) Musketiere Twintown 0–3 Querzakhi United (L2S)
(L2N) Humai Titans 7–1 Accola Eagles (3/A)
(L2N) Medoria Löwen 7–2 Eintracht Maastricht (L2S)
(L2S) ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī 1–0 Sonoma City Volcanoes (3/C)
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken 0–0 Nyendoli ʼYoŋjī (3/A)
(CEL) San Solari FC 4–2 Keto Lodīlūnajī (L2N)
(CEL) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī 1–3 New Haverford Albion (L2N)
(CEL) Yuba United 1–1 Jamaica Giants (L2N)
(L2N) Lolestu CK 1–3 New Hampton Terrapins (L2S)
(CEL) San Diego Iguanas 2–0 Black Oasis Athletic (CEL)
(L2S) Commerce Heights T’birds 1–3 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana (L2S)
(CEL) Carter FC 0–0 Lexington FC (CEL)

Fourth Round Replays
(L2S) Syoko Poggyūggijī 0–0 Kagoshima Phoenix (L2S)
Extra time: 0–0
Penalty kicks: 3–2
(CEL) Sonoma Center Panthers 2–0 Midway Wolves (L2S)
(3/A) Nyendoli ʼYoŋjī 2–0 Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)
(L2N) Jamaica Giants 0–1 Yuba United (CEL)
(CEL) Lexington FC 1–1 Carter FC (CEL)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 2–4

Fifth Round
(L2S) Syoko Poggyūggijī 1–0 Aeropag Penguins (L2N)
(CEL) South Coast United 1–1 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)
(L2S) Querzakhi United 1–1 Humai Titans (L2N)
(L2N) Medoria Löwen 3–1 ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī (L2S)
(3/A) Nyendoli ʼYoŋjī 0–1 San Solari FC (CEL)
(L2N) New Haverford Albion 1–1 Yuba United (CEL)
(L2S) New Hampton Terrapins 1–2 San Diego Iguanas (CEL)
(L2S) KQ Nepáïire Tingitana 1–2 Carter FC (CEL)

Fifth Round Replays
(CEL) Sonoma Center Panthers 0–1 South Coast United (CEL)
(L2N) Humai Titans 1–2 Querzakhi United (L2S)
(CEL) Yuba United 2–1 New Haverford Albion (L2N)

Quarterfinals
(L2S) Syoko Poggyūggijī 0–1 South Coast United (CEL)
(L2S) Querzakhi United 0–0 Medoria Löwen (L2N)
(CEL) San Solari FC 2–3 Yuba United (CEL)
(CEL) San Diego Iguanas 2–1 Carter FC (CEL)

Quarterfinal Replay
(L2N) Medoria Löwen 3–2 Querzakhi United (L2S)

Semifinals
(CEL) South Coast United 1–1 Medoria Löwen (L2N)
(CEL) Yuba United 2–1 San Diego Iguanas (CEL)

Semifinal Replay
(L2N) Medoria Löwen 2–1 South Coast United (CEL)

Final
(L2N) Medoria Löwen 0–0 Yuba United (CEL)
Extra time: 0–1

TechConGroup Cup
Extra time just wasn’t Medoria’s friend, as they went down to San Solari in the fifth round not long after their loss in the League Cup final. Also, the Auswärtssieg Arena was no such thing, as Natestadt strung together three home wins before losing away in the quarterfinals, also to San Solari. Aeropag put together an impressive run, including an upset away to league runners-up Black Oasis, but in the end Yuba United would edge them out 3–2 to win the first-ever treble in Capitalizt/Bedistani domestic football history.
Third Round
(3/A) Kainia Marauders 0–0 Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι (L2S)
Extra time: 0–2
(L2N) Teʼyaçu Joŋlyugijī 1–1 Prontera Bulldogs (3/B)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 2–3
(CEL) San Diego Iguanas 11–0 Washington Tigers (—)
(3/C) SV Metrewalk 1–1 Midway Wolves (L2S)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 5–4
(3/C) Sonoma City Volcanoes 2–3 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (CEL)
(CEL) Cordubovica Falcons 3–0 Seansburgh Cougars (L2S)
(3/B) Dalit Säbel 3–1 Santa Monica FC (—)
(CEL) Sonoma Center Panthers 3–1 KQ Sirto (L2N)
(3/D) SpVgg Tolzerio 3–0 Sonobago Dosi CK (—)
(L2S) Lexington Firefoxes 6–0 Χιχή Ἐνωμένος (3/F)
(3/D) 1. FC Fredricksburg 2–0 Tidus Gaŋçūl (3/A)
(L2S) Querzakhi United 1–1 Dennis Bears (3/F)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 3–0
(L2S) Ἄργος ΛΠ 1–3 Black Oasis Athletic (CEL)
(L2S) Syoko Poggyūggijī 0–2 Aeropag Penguins (L2N)
(3/C) Pine Village FC 0–3 Port-au-Honey Hive (3/D)
(3/B) SV Pößneck 2–0 Tallahassee FC (3/E)
(L2S) Kagoshima Phoenix 3–0 SimuNation FC (3/E)
(CEL) Yuba United 6–0 Muroran United (3/A)
(CEL) Jackson FC 2–1 Χίλεστ Ἐνωμένος (3/E)
(3/E) Laniuq Explorers 0–0 Keto Kanaliʼajī (3/A)
Extra time: 1–2
(L2N) Lolestu CK 4–1 Navarre Town (3/C)
(L2S) ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī 4–1 SV Klütz (3/B)
(3/D) SV Veernan 1–3 FC Glückstadt (3/C)
(3/B) SpVgg Königstadt 1–2 Eintracht Südtolzerio (3/D)
(L2N) Chorion Bluffs Knights 2–1 Werd Beachcombers (L2S)
(CEL) San Solari FC 8–0 Tigo Gyūlhabdwen (3/D)
(L2S) Kitsilano Konquerors 3–0 New Seoul Cougars (3/F)
(L2N) Medoria Löwen 2–1 Commerce Heights T’birds (L2S)
(L2N) Natestadt Nationalisten 2–1 Ari FC (3/A)
(3/C) Hundon FC 2–1 Jonloli Gyūlhabdwen (3/E)
(L2N) Dawson Springs FC 0–2 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana (L2S)
(3/E) Verona FC 0–7 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK (CEL)

Fourth Round
(L2S) Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι 3–0 Prontera Bulldogs (3/B)
(CEL) San Diego Iguanas 4–0 SV Metrewalk (3/C)
(CEL) Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen 2–0 Cordubovica Falcons (CEL)
(3/B) Dalit Säbel 0–5 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)
(3/D) SpVgg Tolzerio 1–5 Lexington Firefoxes (L2S)
(3/D) 1. FC Fredricksburg 1–3 Querzakhi United (L2S)
(CEL) Black Oasis Athletic 0–1 Aeropag Penguins (L2N)
(3/D) Port-au-Honey Hive 1–0 SV Pößneck (3/B)
(L2S) Kagoshima Phoenix 0–2 Yuba United (CEL)
(CEL) Jackson FC 5–1 Keto Kanaliʼajī (3/A)
(L2N) Lolestu CK 1–0 ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī (L2S)
(3/C) FC Glückstadt 1–1 Eintracht Südtolzerio (3/D)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 3–0
(L2N) Chorion Bluffs Knights 0–2 San Solari FC (CEL)
(L2S) Kitsilano Konquerors 0–2 Medoria Löwen (L2N)
(L2N) Natestadt Nationalisten 3–0 Hundon FC (3/C)
(L2S) KQ Nepáïire Tingitana 2–2 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK (CEL)
Extra time: 3–2

Fifth Round
(L2S) Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι 1–0 San Diego Iguanas (CEL)
(CEL) Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen 4–4 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)
Extra time: 5–5
Penalty kicks: 2–3
(L2S) Lexington Firefoxes 1–0 Querzakhi United (L2S)
(L2N) Aeropag Penguins 7–0 Port-au-Honey Hive (3/D)
(CEL) Yuba United 1–1 Jackson FC (CEL)
Extra time: 2–1
(L2N) Lolestu CK 4–0 FC Glückstadt (3/C)
(CEL) San Solari FC 3–3 Medoria Löwen (L2N)
Extra time: 4–3
(L2N) Natestadt Nationalisten 1–0 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana (L2S)

Quarterfinals
(L2S) Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι 1–1 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 3–0
(L2S) Lexington Firefoxes 2–5 Aeropag Penguins (L2N)
(CEL) Yuba United 3–2 Lolestu CK (L2N)
(CEL) San Solari FC 0–0 Natestadt Nationalisten (L2N)
Extra time: 1–0

Semifinals
(L2S) Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι 0–0 Aeropag Penguins (L2N)
Extra time: 0–1
(CEL) Yuba United 2–2 San Solari FC (CEL)
Extra time: 2–2
Penalty kicks: 3–1

Final
(L2N) Aeropag Penguins 2–3 Yuba United (CEL)

자스연 컵 (Jasīʼyūn Kūb)
The highlight of the cup was Champions’ Cup participant Qidade Savana’s complete self-destruction against Griffin, losing the first leg 2–7 at home. Naquada Falls also filled up the score sheet, scoring an aggregate ten goals agains Keto. However, the goals dried up in the final, as New Haverford played Dusanto to a scoreless draw through one hundred eighty minutes. The only goal would finally come for the home side in extra time, making New Haverford the first team outside the top flight to win a cup in the modern era.
Sixth Round
(CEL) South Coast United 3–1 Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken (3) 2–1 (4) South Coast United (CEL)

(L2S) Portland Safari 2–2 High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)
(CEL) High Mountain Buffalo (4) 2–2 (4) Portland Safari (L2S)
Extra time: (4) 2–2 (4)
Penalty kicks: 2–3

(CEL) Qidade Savana 2–7 Griffin Zebras (L2N)
(L2N) Griffin Zebras (8) 1–0 (2) Qidade Savana (CEL)

(CEL) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī 1–0 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (L2N)
(L2N) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (1) 1–1 (2) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (CEL)

(L2S) Alexandria Porcupines 1–0 Musketiere Twintown (L2N)
(L2N) Musketiere Twintown (0) 0–0 (1) Alexandria Porcupines (L2S)

(CEL) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī 0–1 New Haverford Albion (L2N)
(L2N) New Haverford Albion (1) 0–0 (0) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (CEL)

(CEL) Naquada Falls Demons 6–1 Keto Lodīlūnajī (L2N)
(L2N) Keto Lodīlūnajī (1) 0–4 (10) Naquada Falls Demons (CEL)

(CEL) Lexington FC 1–2 Carter FC (CEL)
(CEL) Carter FC (3) 1–0 (1) Lexington FC (CEL)

Quarterfinals
(CEL) South Coast United 3–2 Portland Safari (L2S)
(L2S) Portland Safari (2) 0–1 (4) South Coast United (CEL)

(L2N) Griffin Zebras 0–0 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (CEL)
(CEL) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (2) 2–1 (1) Griffin Zebras (L2N)

(L2S) Alexandria Porcupines 0–2 New Haverford Albion (L2N)
(L2N) New Haverford Albion (3) 1–0 (0) Alexandria Porcupines (L2S)

(CEL) Naquada Falls Demons 2–1 Carter FC (CEL)
(CEL) Carter FC (2) 1–0 (2) Naquada Falls Demons (CEL)
Away goals: 1–0

Semifinals
(CEL) South Coast United 1–0 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (CEL)
(CEL) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (2) 2–0 (1) South Coast United (CEL)

(L2N) New Haverford Albion 4–0 Carter FC (CEL)
(CEL) Carter FC (1) 1–0 (4) New Haverford Albion (L2N)

Final
(CEL) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī 0–0 New Haverford Albion (L2N)
(L2N) New Haverford Albion (0) 0–0 (0) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (CEL)
Extra time: (1) 1–0 (0)

TakilQuip Champions’ Cup
In the preliminary stage, Qidade Savana played Kura-Pellandi side Prangren Greens to an uncharacteristic Karelan draw, but found their offense in the second leg away, losing 4–3. The other Jasīʼyūn sides, Dusanto and Lexington, edged out their opponents, Richelieu and Club Demot, in relatively even ties. The only SLANI team in the round, Black Oasis, played well against a strong FC Capri, advancing on away goals.

All three SLANI sides would pick up at least a dozen points in the group stage, putting them all through to the knockouts. Black Oasis and Sonoma Center would qualify in second place despite thrashings in Cafundéu by Dunboor and Clube Imperial, respectively. Dusanto and Lexington were not so lucky, however, as they were thoroughly outclassed and finished with a combined one point. 2142 Élite League champions South Coast United managed to win their group based on their head-to-head results with the Panthers, and High Mountain did likewise, being the only team to make it through the group stage without a defeat.

The taste of defeat would come quickly for the Buffalo, however, as a visit to Candelaria And Marquez saw them lose 3–0 to Green Island, losing the tie 1–5 on aggregate. Black Oasis and South Coast were drawn against each other in the first knockout round, and a penalty shootout was needed to decide the outcome, with Black Oasis knocking out the last remaining Jasīʼyūn side. Sonoma Center appeared to have their tie with Corganen Championship winners Parwood City under control, winning 2–0 away, but a 2–0 loss at the Anaphase Alchemy sent the match to extra time, where Parwood would add to their total and go through to the quarterfinals. After stumbling in the first leg with a 1–1 draw, Yuba United managed to salvage their campaign by defeating Poikimitagiin 3–1 in the second.

In the quarterfinals, Black Oasis struggled against AFF Cup winner Olympique Protectorat, drawing 1–1 on the island and going down 1–2 in the States. Yuba were somewhat more confident at this stage, giving Boalluns a 3–0 beating in their fifth meeting with Vephrese opposition in the tournament. They would lose the away leg, primarily because some key players were rested for an upcoming league match. In the semifinal, Yuba could only draw their home match against Parwood City 1–1, but in their next visit to Virceis, they managed a 2–2 draw, sending the Silver–Blues through to the final on away goals.

With effective home advantage in the final, Yuba was expected to easily defeat Olympique Protectorat, but the Ad’ihani side was aided by the schedule, as it was Yuba’s third match in five days (after the final matchday of the Élite League and the TechConGroup Cup final). Protectorat managed to take the lead twice, but equalizers for Yuba made the score 2–2 after ninety minutes. Two uneventful extra periods gave way to a penalty shootout. Yuba had the chance to win the Cup on its fifth kick, with the score tied 4–4, but a miss by Brian Miller sent the shootout to sudden death. It would take ten kicks by each side to resolve the match; goalkeeper Ha Sun-ji scored the game-winner for Yuba after a miss by Protectorat, making the final shootout score 9–8.

Elves Security Forces

06-04-2008, 07:49

Season 20,006

Juavi followed up what most consider their poorest performance in the history of the club, relatively, with a performance of dominance that the topflight has not seen in over a decade. After previously perfect Hartdale fell 2-1 at home to AC Valanari on matchday four, the squad never looked back. Having lead the season the rest of the way, bar following matchday seventeen when Raynor City pulled level, the Reds completly dominated the league, much like Raynor City did in the decade before. It was a very tight race for the squads fighting for a berth into the Champions Cup, yet Soldarian managed to grab the last spot on matchday thirty-six when Straightdale drew away with Mar Sara and FC Capri were suprisingly held at home to a two-all draw by already relegated Gladerial. With Rinaldi's midtable finish, the board has decided to sack Webber and ship away all the club's foriegn talent in responce to fan discontent. All other managers survived the topsy turvy season, and it shall be quite interesting to see where the massive amount of foriegners Rinaldi had end up, and who replaces Asanta.

OCC: Playoff - Host of second leg - Aggregate score (first leg score) - Host of first leg

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Juavi Reds 38 24 4 10 70 55 15 76 Champions
2 Mar Sara Flames 38 20 8 10 89 57 32 68 TQCC
3 Raynor City Rockers 38 19 10 9 92 64 28 67 TQCC
4 Soldarian FC 38 20 6 12 72 65 7 66 TQCC
5 FC Capri 38 18 9 11 92 66 26 63
6 Straightdale FC 38 18 9 11 89 72 17 63
7 Hondo Owls 38 18 8 12 71 61 10 62
8 Char Sara Inferno 38 17 6 15 67 63 4 57
9 Hartdale Hawks 38 16 8 14 65 66 -1 56
10 AC Valanari 38 17 4 17 76 70 6 55
11 Wexax United 38 15 8 15 74 77 -3 53
12 Rinaldi Gunners 38 14 7 17 68 70 -2 49
13 AS Shalara 38 12 9 17 62 69 -7 45
14 FC Travesian 38 11 12 15 59 69 -10 45
15 FC Therathor 38 12 9 17 64 78 -14 45
16 Baysleef Bombers 38 12 9 17 49 65 -16 45
17 FC Longview 38 10 11 17 50 62 -12 41
18 Gladerial Twilight 38 9 10 19 53 77 -24 37 Relegated
19 Kareen FC 38 9 6 23 54 82 -28 33 Relegated
20 Turmondale FC 38 8 9 21 48 76 -28 33 Relegated

Star League

Playoff: Turmondale United 1-3(1-2) FC Wexax

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Monaven Breakers 38 20 7 11 82 47 35 67 Champions
2 Travesian Generals 38 20 6 12 67 46 21 66 Promoted
3 FC Wexax 38 19 9 10 73 59 14 66 Playoff
4 Turmondale United 38 18 10 10 53 52 1 64 Playoff
5 Everlin Snipers 38 19 5 14 73 55 18 62
6 Sharala AC 38 18 8 12 68 51 17 62
7 Manavawi Athletic 38 18 7 13 72 55 17 61
8 SC Ianisle 38 18 7 13 66 67 -1 61
9 Rolalas FC 38 16 8 14 67 59 8 56
10 Quel'Tir United 38 16 6 16 67 66 1 54
11 AS Zul'Daratar 38 13 9 16 65 75 -10 48
12 FC Quel'Mathar 38 13 9 16 55 70 -15 48
13 Raynor City Rockets 38 14 5 19 74 75 -1 47
14 Char Sara Strike 38 13 8 17 54 65 -11 47
15 Athletic Rolalas 38 11 13 14 58 76 -18 46
16 Oliviena United 38 11 11 16 39 50 -11 44
17 Mar Sara Extreme 38 13 5 20 54 68 -14 44
18 FC Vamas 38 12 7 19 55 61 -6 43 Relegated
19 AC Cartmot 38 12 6 20 46 66 -20 42 Relegated
20 SC Longview 38 10 6 22 52 77 -25 36 Relegated

Green League

Playoff: RC Rikana 2-1(1-1) Rinaldi Ravens

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 AC Zul'Atun 38 23 7 8 71 57 14 76 Champions
2 FC Vernad 38 20 9 9 54 34 20 69 Promoted
3 Rinaldi Ravens 38 20 5 13 60 52 8 65 Playoff
4 RC Rikana 38 18 8 12 46 43 3 62 Playoff
5 Gladerial Divine 38 17 9 12 65 56 9 60
6 AC Ispan 38 16 12 10 57 48 9 60
7 Vaharia FC 38 15 10 13 61 54 7 55
8 AC Goldsan 38 14 13 11 55 50 5 55
9 Quel'Thalas FC 38 16 6 16 69 67 2 54
10 AS Soldar 38 13 13 12 66 60 6 52
11 FC Suax 38 13 13 12 47 50 -3 52
12 SC Quintal 38 15 6 17 51 57 -6 51
13 AS Everlin 38 14 8 16 61 54 7 50
14 RC Durmosa 38 15 5 18 59 52 7 50
15 Capri Marksmen 38 14 8 16 64 63 1 50
16 Aras United 38 11 7 20 54 66 -12 40
17 Cartmot Pride 38 11 7 20 52 67 -15 40
18 FC Silvershire 38 10 9 19 57 76 -19 39 Relegated
19 AC Stormguard 38 8 13 17 46 58 -12 37 Relegated
20 Gladerial Fortune Dweller 38 10 6 22 52 83 -31 36 Relegated

Blue League

Playoff: AS Rosenthal 5-5[6-6 AET, 4-5 PKs](3-2) RC Elunita

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Char Sara Volcano 38 23 7 8 87 57 30 76 Promoted
2 Arouw United 38 22 9 7 78 48 30 75 Promoted
3 RC Elunita 38 18 9 11 77 58 19 63 Playoff
4 AC Rosenthal 38 19 6 13 74 65 9 63 Playoff
5 RC Liogan 38 16 10 12 73 60 13 58
6 FC San Diromia 38 15 12 11 69 54 15 57
7 DC Aulian 38 15 12 11 41 38 3 57
8 Turbani Tornadoes 38 17 5 16 67 54 13 56
9 Zanabia City 38 15 11 12 62 56 6 56
10 SC Soldar 38 17 5 16 71 72 -1 56
11 Ironwind United 38 14 11 13 71 70 1 53
12 RC Vahama 38 15 8 15 59 60 -1 53
13 RC Jumangas 38 14 9 15 69 72 -3 51
14 Erran FC 38 14 9 15 66 70 -4 51
15 Bree FC 38 11 10 17 47 63 -16 43
16 AC Therathor 38 10 9 19 52 59 -7 39
17 AC Port Swell 38 10 8 20 49 77 -28 38
18 Zul'Daratar FC 38 11 4 23 58 90 -32 37 Relegated
19 AS Zul'Atun 38 7 13 18 51 77 -26 34 Relegated
20 FC Kilai 38 6 15 17 33 54 -21 33 Relegated

Rose League

Playoff: AC Durmosa 1-4(0-2) AS Vaharia

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 AS Solqual 38 24 4 10 74 46 28 76 Champions
2 Yolan FC 38 22 4 12 77 52 25 70 Promoted
3 AS Vaharia 38 20 8 10 67 45 22 68 Playoff
4 AC Durmosa 38 19 8 11 69 64 5 65 Playoff
5 FC Ispan 38 19 4 15 61 62 -1 61
6 FC Rosenthal 38 18 6 14 61 59 2 60
7 Suax United 38 16 9 13 71 62 9 57
8 FC Melikkiaz 38 17 6 15 64 55 9 57
9 DC Melikkiaz 38 16 8 14 59 55 4 56
10 Erran United 38 17 5 16 59 58 1 56
11 DC Kilai 38 14 9 15 42 45 -3 51
12 DC Liogan 38 14 8 16 39 49 -10 50
13 AC Jumangas 38 12 13 13 52 49 3 49
14 Arouw FC 38 13 9 16 57 70 -13 48
15 AS Rikana 38 12 9 17 71 73 -2 45
16 DC Quel'Tir 38 12 9 17 44 52 -8 45
17 DC Bree 38 11 11 16 49 64 -15 44
18 FC Solqual 38 11 7 20 51 63 -12 40
19 RC Quel'Mathar 38 11 5 22 64 83 -19 38
20 AS Aras 38 6 10 22 42 67 -25 28

End of Season Awards

Foriegner of the Year
Tomas Kurka (29 goals) - FC Capri

Manager of the Year
Omani Rios - Soldarian FC

Striker of the Year
Tomas Kurka (29 goals) - FC Capri

Midfielder of the Year
Ali Alidare (17 goals, 5 assists) - Mar Sara

Winger of the Year
Jere Jannian (4 goals, 27 assists) - Raynor City

Defender of the Year
Manuel Lopez (2 goals, 4 assists) - Raynor City

Goalkeeper of the Year
Alfonso Carte (7 clean sheets) - Juavi

Sportsman
Nathan Vorsco - FC Capri

Idiot (most bookings)
Glenn Olas - Baysleef

Best X11
GK: Niella Norris - Mar Sara
CB: Manuel Lopez - Raynor City
CB: Leandro Perheira - Soldarian FC
CB: Fernando Sorano - Juavi
LRW: Jere Jannian - Raynor City
MC: Isal Grazi - Straightdale FC
AMC: Ali Alidare - Mar Sara
LRW: Vak Xi - Straightdale FC
ST: Tomas Kurka - FC Capri
ST: Sidney Losstarot - Mar Sara
ST: Joan va Glaze - Raynor City

Dancougar

06-04-2008, 08:33

It's the halfway point of World Cup 40 qualifying, which means the college regular season has ended! Here's a breakdown of each conference with the winners and at-large tournament bids. Rankings are as of the end of the regular season, and additional comments are provided by our very own Rick Libide!

Yuki Collegiate Premier League
Winners: (#15) Carling College (9-1-4, 18/10)
At Large: (#17) Dancougar Royal Academy (7-4-3, 23/10)
Comments: Carling were in the same position they were last season, and once again, they were challenged to the end. The Royals made it close in week thirteen by beating Carling 1-0 to pull to within a point, but Carling won the following week to stay on top.

Kishin Delta CPL
Winners: (#5) Nara College (10-2-4, 26/18)
At Large: (#10) Gabthley University (9-4-3, 28/17), (#13) Port Royal University (10-0-6, 26/21)
Comments: Worst to first, Nara College roaring to the top of a tough Kishin Delta, three teams with nine wins or more! Gabthley led on the final day, with Port Royal and Nara next in line, with Nara going up against Port Royal. Gabthley lost to the Maritime Academy to open the door, and Nara's 2-1 victory dotted the I on an impressive tournament resume!

Shiba Valley Conference
Winners: Grandborough Tech (6-6-2, 21/12)
At Large:
Comments: Shiba Valley pretty quiet this year, but Grandborough played solid ball, only two losses in the campaign. After drawing their last match of the year, Tech got help from Ochoa City when they beat then-second Grandborough University 2-1.

Coastal Plains Conference
Winners: (#7) Hinata Academy (8-4-2, 26/13)
At Large: (#16) Yuki State - Helmsley (9-1-4, 19/10)
Comments: Hinata continued to improve from last season, and this year, they got it right. But Helmsley fought hard down the stretch and almost overtook them behind the conference's best defense. They drew even in points with a 2-1 win over Mandrake City on the last day, but goal differential gave the tie to Hinata.

Hazuki CPL
Winners: Kasai Academy (7-6-3, 25/19)
At Large: (#23) Hazuki State University (6-7-3, 32/20), Briggs College (5-8-3, 22/17)
Comments: Hazuki State, roller coaster the past few years, and this year they finish second in a tight Hazuki Premier, top four teams all with three losses apiece. It was Kasai Academy who won the last two games to take the title, but Hazuki State showed signs of the team we saw last year, winning 5-1 at Kimstown, 5-0 against Hazuki U.

Big Northeast Football Conference
Winners: Dyson College (7-4-3, 26/21)
At Large: Muddy Banks State College (6-6-2, 23/13), Foster College (6-5-3, 22/14)
Comments: Three bids out of an average Big Northeast, are they for real? Dyson, Muddy Banks, and Foster all compiled decent records, sure enough, but is six wins really enough to go dancing? Dyson got sloppy at the end, losing 2-0 to bottom-feeders Maribito after clinching with a week to go, but Muddy Banks and Foster both finished on the upswing. Perhaps we're underestimating these guys.

Shinobu Valley Conference
Winners: (#25) Reyes Academy (7-5-2, 18/11)
At Large:
Comments: Once again, the best defense takes the Shinobu Valley. Reyes was a healthy six points clear of Deimon City after ending the season with a three game winning streak. Maehara fought with them most of the way, but hit a slump after drubbing Shino State 5-1, going 0-2-2 down the stretch.

Helmut CPL
Winners: (#9) Schwartzer College (9-2-3, 30/19)
At Large: Helmut State University (6-6-2, 23/16)
Comments: Schwartzer was the power in Helmut, best offense in the conference guiding them to a nine win season, most in school history! They led from week three and were never really threatened. Helmut State played its way into the tournament by defeating third-place Granger Island 2-1 on the final day.

South Central Conference
Winners: (#2) Leona College (12-3-1, 29/13)
At Large: (#24) Shiratori University (9-1-6, 26/20)
Comments: Once again, one team dominates the South Central, but Shikibu U faltered after finishing #2 in the nation last year... this season belonged to Leona, they've never won more than eight in a season and look at that, only one loss! Shiratori loses six, but make it into the tournament on the strength of nine wins and that magical tournament run two years ago; hey, can they do it again?

Red River Conference
Winners: Rizzi College (7-3-4, 28/18)
At Large:
Comments: Four schools at the top separated by a point, and Meadowridge and Raymaley have legitimate gripes about being left out when you look at who got in. Rizzi needed help to win it, still a team that can't seem to control its own destiny. A tie on the final day opened the door for Masato State, but they got upended by Raymaley, and Meadowridge's win didn't make up the goal differential. Once again, a crazy final day on the Red River!

Big West Conference
Winners: (#6) Inbit College (9-4-3, 28/18)
At Large:
Comments: When Inbit beat Randall 3-1 back on matchday thirteen, they grabbed a four point lead that never got any smaller than that. But a 3-1 loss on the last day to second-place finishers Eastern Desugaia, not the way you want to enter spring. And Eastern, that was their eighth win, feeling the snub!

Lunarossa CPL
Winners: (#12) Forbes College (9-4-2, 18/9)
At Large:
Comments: Are you kidding me, second place all the way down to twelfth, only four points between them all! So many teams with five or six wins, five or six ties. So much parity in Lunarossa, so much balance, but the scales tipped in favor of Forbes, stingy defense, nine goals against in fifteen matches!

Big North Conference
Winners: (#3) Hibiki University (11-2-3, 31/15)
At Large:
Comments: Hibiki cruised through the Big North, finishing with eleven wins and a seven points cushion. University of Masato, nine wins to go with six losses, making a case for the tournament. But they had the second worst offense in the league, that's not going to impress voters! And hey, neither did that season-ending loss to Hibiki.

Metro East Football Conference
Winners: Cyert Technical Institute (6-6-2, 15/12)
At Large:
Comments: Cyert repeat as champions of the Metro East, impressive with only two losses, but not so impressive with only fifteen goals scored in fourteen games. But they stepped up on the last day when they needed to - top four teams all tied at twenty one points, are you kidding me? Cyert and Morrison were two of those teams, and Cyert got the 1-0 win, the only one of the four to get the maximum three points.

Igor Valley Conference
Winners: (#8) Barynsk College (8-3-3, 32/16)
At Large:
Comments: Hey, Barynsk are rolling now, second year in a row, they top the Igor Valley. And they played better defense, too, even though they dropped down from that ten-win year. And the 6-1 win they piled on Igor U, that was the highlight of the year for them, looked better than that season-ending loss to Katya!

Big East Conference
Winners: (#4) Konoha Academy (9-3-2, 29/17)
At Large: (#21) Marble Cliffs State College (9-1-4, 17/11), (#11) Amada University (8-3-3, 27/13), (#22) University of Fujiwara (7-4-3, 23/14)
Comments: The Big East was big this year, baby. Four teams in the tournament, no conference has ever had more than three! But these guys earned it with the right combination of dynamic offense and brutal defense; maybe except Marble Cliffs, they just knew how to get results. Except for the final day, when it mattered, they lost to Moore-Worth. That gave Konoha an opening, and they took it by beating Seiei 3-0. And that prevented Seiei from getting a bid at fifth place, they looked poised to after crushing Juusenkitai U 7-0 the week before!

Shapiro CPL
Winners: (#19) Shapiro State University (7-6-1, 24/14)
At Large: Bremley College (8-2-4, 16/11)
Comments: Much closer at the top, three points separating the top four, but with only one loss, Shapiro State took the title. They needed to make up seven points in the last four games, and that's when Bremley hit a snag, 0-2-2 in those four. Shapiro went 3-1-0 in the same stretch, including a critical 3-1 win over Souichiro City on the final day, the same day Bremley's fall was completed in a 1-0 loss to third-place Canton.

Kishin Plains Conference
Winners: (#14) Clay Academy (9-1-4, 28/14)
At Large: Frickstowne College (8-2-4, 20/15)
Comments: Clay and Frickstowne broke away from the pack, nobody else in the conference topped five wins, and Clay won the title behind what was far and away the league's best offense. They took the season series from Frickstowne, but still found themselves second on the final day. But Frickstowne lost 1-0 to Buhlsborough City while Clay rolled up Herron 3-1.

Kotaru CPL
Winners: (#18) Akasaka University (6-8-0, 18/8)
At Large:
Comments: Undefeated, baby! Akasaka, though not bringing the power we've seen from them the last few seasons, bringing an unbreakable defense into the Kotaru Premier. Takano had the conference's best offense, averaging over two goals per game, but they weren't able to mount a serious challenge or beat Akasaka, finishing 6-4-4 and on the wrong side of the tournament selection committee.

Gilderome River Conference
Winners: Vasco College (7-6-3, 22/15)
At Large: Stoneridge University (7-5-4, 25/22)
Comments: Another tight duel at the top for the Gilderome River, but more teams invited this season, two points between the top four, and only four between the top six! Five teams with at least seven wins, this league was fun to watch. Stoneridge were in the driver's seat on the last day, but went down hard, 3-0 to Murrieta. Vasco won 3-2 against Zorbados U; hey, you step up, you reap the rewards!

Northern Plains Conference
Winners: (#1) Chastain College (11-3-2, 33/20)
At Large:
Comments: They're back! Chastain College, #1 ranking after breezing through the Northern Plains, twelve point cushion, best offense and defense in the conference, they were the complete package. But a little shaky down the stretch, just what happened when they went to Gilderome State and wound up on the wrong end of a 6-1 domination? Lucky to stay on top of the polls, they'll have some work to do in the tournament.

Shikibu CPL
Winners: Donneley College (8-2-4, 27/18)
At Large:
Comments: An average team at the top of an average-looking league, Donneley beat Ogasawara City by three points for the title. Ogasawara led with two weeks to go, but picked a bad time to go on a two game skid, as Donneley countered with two straight wins.

Sullivan CPL
Winners: Coraopolis University (8-4-4, 26/21)
At Large:
Comments: One point between the top three, all with eight wins, as champions Trafford Tech lose their senior class and come crashing down to Earth, first to worst, just like that. First and second, Coraopolis and Glassport, both lose on the final day, definitely not how to close a campaign, and so only Coraopolis gets a chance to prove themselves.

Keats Island CPL
Winners: (#20) Alameda Academy (9-2-5, 25/18)
At Large:
Comments: Keats Island dominated the first half of the season, but they peaked too early, and Alameda jumped to the top after crushing Hayward 4-2 and Fremont 3-1. One too many losses for Keats Island, who finished fourth after a tough last day that saw them get jumped twice, I think they could've made some trouble in the spring.

And now, preparations for the college tournament are underway...

Cafundeu

06-04-2008, 20:14

CAFUNDÉU - PREVIEW OF THE NEW SEASON

The same introduction as ever: the most international league of the world returns to activity, and the teams are ready to fight for trophies again. A good time for domestic football, as many countries are improving their domestic teams, something that only benefits football as a whole. Now, in a world with many active leagues, the Cafundelense teams had to go after reinforcements again, and got many. Maybe soon the world can see a big competition between clubs from around the world.

See some transfers:

Foreign Players – Coming from abroad to play in Cafundéu:

M’an Gwent (Bettia) ----------> to SC Lasft
Brian Hool (Bettia) ----------> to Atlético Insular
Thomas Whitecroft (Bettia) ----------> to A.F.F.
Henry Burner (Blouman Empire) ----------> to Atlético Insular
Steven Holdings (Blouman Empire) ----------> to CR Submiria
William Burgos (Candelaria And Marquez) ----------> to América
Connor Mengucci (Candelaria And Marquez) ----------> to América
Ignácio Vélez (Candelaria And Marquez) ----------> to Cafundó do Juta
Göran Leisten (Capitalizt SLANI) ----------> to Atlético Jutense
Migelo Luiso (Capitalizt SLANI) ----------> to Dunboor FC
Aiden Mason (Capitalizt SLANI) ----------> to SC Lasft
Peter Danialson (Casari) ----------> to Ranca Toco
Brandon Barclay (Dancougar) ----------> to Pernetas EC
Hideo Ikeda (Dancougar) ----------> to América
Kitahachi Ozaki (Fujisawan Territories) ----------> to São José
Nobomitsu Sataka (Fujisawan Territories) ----------> to São José
Giànnis Chroysalá (JSY) ----------> to SC Lasft
Felipa Uölfa (JSY) ----------> to Penders
Vincent Arsenault (Kelssek) ----------> to CR Submiria
Matthias Gellen (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to Khalmar-Tijhus
Barry Fukui (Northern Bettia) ----------> to América
Kallie Jauz (Qazox) ----------> to Pernetas EC
Reid Vidaca (Qazox) ----------> to Atlético Jutense
Alex Urmanov (Scotchpinestan) ----------> to Sambarilove
Arkady Kaneda (Starblaydia) ----------> to Cafundó do Juta
Jarko Pitkanen (Squornshelous) ----------> to CR Submiria
Volad Ulcviecel (Squornshelous) ----------> to Cafundó do Juta
Pav Panithaj (The Pazhujeb Islands) ----------> to SC Lasft
Huvem Tushambanda (The Pazhujeb Islands) ----------> to Clube Imperial
Laborious Hawk (Valanora) ----------> to Petardos S/A
Hizzen Hocn (Valanora) ----------> to Cafundó do Juta
Nelson Kries (Valanora) ----------> to Khalmar-Tijhus
Ikles Razov (Valanora) ----------> to Dunboor FC
David Eager (Wentland) ----------> to Cafundó do Juta
Imon Juile (Yafor 2) ----------> to Penders

Cafundelense Players - leaving Cafundéu:

Careca (Cafundó do Juta) ----------> went to Candelaria And Marquez
Júnior (A.F.F.) ----------> left as a free agent (TG us if you want this goalkeeper)
Tobias (Galáxia) ----------> went to Capitalizt SLANI

Foreign Players - between Cafundelense teams, retiring or other changes:

Neil McCann (Ad’ihan) ----------> disappeared
Elmi Guirreh (Ariddia) ----------> retired, now works as a politician involved in the Communist Party
Jeremy Isaacs (Ariddia) ----------> from Central United to Petardos S/A
Chris Swift (Bettia) ----------> retired, returns to Bettia
O’Sullivan Caras (Candelaria And Marquez) ----------> from Central United to Clube Imperial
Mamdooh Momtaz (Candelaria And Marquez) ----------> retired, still undecided about his future
Roy Hartenholm (Capitalizt SLANI) ----------> retired, now works as a sports commentator in Cafundéu
Albert Münzer (Capitalizt SLANI) ----------> retired, returns to the UCS
Ian Sinclair (Kelssek) ----------> from SC Lasft to São José
Zachary Fellendorf (Kura-Pelland) ----------> retired, returns to Kura-Pelland
Kendry Wilkirk (Milchama) ----------> retired, no one knows where he is now
Jon Serra (Qazox) ----------> from EC Elville to Sambarilove
Colin Patette (Sel Appa) ----------> retired, now lives in Cafundéu
George Palmer (Sorthern Northland) ----------> retired, went to the army
Alfonso Di Angelo (Starblaydia) ----------> from Pernetas EC to Petardos S/A
Llyle Acevedo (Valanora) ----------> from Central United to Ranca Toco
Yan Kips (Valanora) ----------> from Penders to Khalmar-Tijhus
Tommy Burnside (Wentland) ----------> retired due to injury

Foreign Coaches:

Christophe Argentier (Ariddia) ----------> coach of Petardos S/A
Ke Sho (Ariddia) ----------> coach of Atlético Jutense
Javier Sanchez (Candelaria And Marquez) ----------> coach of América
Big Gay Al (Jeruselem) ----------> coach of Agreman FH
Jason Fowler (Jeruselem) ----------> coach of Metropolitano (2nd Div)
Patrik Hermanni (Squornshelous) ----------> coach of Globo Multimedia (2nd Div)
Ensio Varg (Squornshelous) ----------> coach of Atlético Insular

The line-ups of the 20 best teams of the country(First Division Teams) will probably be the following (foreigners in italics, best 3 players in bold) – now with more information than ever (Experts’ Ratings details - the three journalists give the team a rating, from 1 to 5 stars [* - practically relegated; ** - intermediate team, battling against relegation; *** - intermediate team, battling for a top 8 place; **** - top 8 team, battling for a phase title; ***** - battling for the main title]):

PETARDOS S/A: Lauro; Coelho, Silvinho, Isaacs and Eduardo Monte; Gian, Hawk and Haakana; Fresco, Fe-Do and Newton.
Coach: Christophe Argentier.
President: Nerso Lapela.
Team Style: Offensive, uses the wings, passing style.
Strongest Point: explosive attack and midfield, even the bench players are very good.
Weakest Point: none, strong team in all sectors.
Nickname: Bilionários (Billionaires).
Stadium Used: Obelisco Monumental, in Lasft (cap. 220,000).
State: Lasft.
Team Sponsor: Globo Multimedia.
Home Kit: blue shirt and white shorts.
Away Kit: white shirt and purple shorts.
Other facts: last season, Petardos S/A could finally win the league title under the command of Christophe Argentier, who would probably be fired if he didn’t conquer the title. Now, the team is the favourite to win the title again, after some excellent signings. Petardos S/A has an incredible number of quality players (three NT players in the bench!), and because of that 5 players are listed as “good bench players” instead of 3. Strong in all areas, a difficult team to beat.
Good Bench Players: Índio (left-back), Rubiano (attacker), Misterson (midfielder), Di Angelo (midfielder), Tuff (defender).
The Fans Expect: the League title.
Experts’ ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*****), Jorge Lang (*****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (*****).

CAFUNDÓ DO JUTA: Rodriguez; Bahsir, Aligon and Kaneda; C.Vergara, Hocn, Ilmari and Carlos Magno; Ulcviecel, Flecha and Vélez.
Coach: Eduardo Bosschaart.
President: Armando Marques Nogueira.
Team Style: offensive, with a mixed passing style.
Strongest Point: good offensive power.
Weakest Point: none, good team in all areas.
Nickname: Esquadrão de Prata (Silver Squadron).
Stadium Used: Praça Maior, in Cafundó do Juta (cap. 180,000).
State: Juta.
Team Sponsor: Nature Cosmetics.
Home Kit: grey (silver) shirt with white vertical stripes and grey shorts.
Away Kit: white shirt and grey (silver) shorts.
Other facts: the team that has the most number of supporters in the country. Won the title some years ago, but had difficulties in the last season. But was the team that spent more in signings, and is ready to win a trophy this season. It is very strong, with many new players. The team can really win the title. Also, this team has a very high number of foreigners.
Good Bench Players: Bonfá (midfielder), Túlio Vergara (attacker), Eager (defender).
The Fans Expect: the League title.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*****), Jorge Lang (*****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (*****).

A.F.F.: Zecão; Léo Mattos, Augusto César, Whitecroft and Faustino; Petras, Silveira, Pasarap and Neto; Heitor and Beattis.
Coach: Benjamin Oliveira.
President: Sir Antônio Barbugli.
Team Style: Offensive, uses the wings, long passes style.
Strongest Point: wings, with Léo Mattos and Augusto César.
Weakest Point: not many options in the bench.
Nickname: Os Monges (The Monks).
Stadium Used: Arena América V, in Abadia (cap. 100,000).
State: Old Cities.
Team Sponsor: Bovacaf Stock Market.
Home Kit: red shirt with black vertical stripes and black shorts.
Away Kit: black shirt and black shorts.
Other facts: this team is controlled by a powerful family, and has a lot of money. After winning the title two seasons ago, the directors decided to not spend much money in the last season, and in this one too. Because of that, the team is getting weaker, but still is very strong.
Good Bench Players: Aldo (defender), Starkey (midfielder), Fausto (attacker).
The Fans Expect: a phase title.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (****), Jorge Lang (****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (****).

DUNBOOR FC: Moscatto; Clituleng, Lionel and Lobato; Del Valle, Jorginho, Barnes, Songsteel and Jongguk; Luiso and Razov.
Coach: David Nefasto.
President: Pedro Marluf.
Team Style: Balanced, uses the centre, passing style.
Strongest Point: midfield and attack.
Weakest Point: the inexperienced goalkeeper Moscatto.
Nickname: Leões do Norte (Northern Lions).
Stadium Used: Maracatuzão, in Dunboor (cap. 120,000).
State: Dunboor.
Team Sponsor: Banco Econômico.
Home Kit: dark blue shirt with dark blue shorts.
Away Kit: white shirt with light blue shorts.
Other facts: team that likes to use foreigners, takes advantage of the cold climate of the city in its home games. The team has an idol: the defensive midfielder Eddie Barnes. Wants the title, but many of its players usually play in the wrong positions. After Hartenholm retired, the directors bought two excellent attackers in his place: Luiso and Razov.
Good Bench Players: Açaí (defender), Magal (midfielder), Alves (attacker).
The Fans Expect: the title, nothing less.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*****), Jorge Lang (*****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (*****).

CLUBE IMPERIAL: Yongdae; Alex, Williams and Carlão; Epasso, Da Silva, Underdark, Caras and Seu; Saulo and D’Abbo.
Coach: Júlio Vargas.
President: Emperor Hector Van Tocco.
Team Style: Extremely offensive, uses the centre and with a fast passes style.
Strongest Point: midfield.
Weakest Point: team too offensive.
Nickname: Time Real (Royal Team).
Stadium Used: Estádio Rei Albieri Van Tocco, in Cafundó do Juta (cap. 100,000).
State: Juta.
Team Sponsor: Velog Automobiles.
Home Kit: dark blue with green vertical stripes and green shorts.
Away Kit: light green shirt with dark blue shorts.
Other Facts: Clube Imperial became one of the strongest team of the country after some good signings. Last season, Clube Imperial had an extremely strong team, capable of winning the title. This year, didn’t make many signings, and can suffer from that, as some players left the team.
Good Bench Players: Ebrane (midfielder), Tushambanda (defender) and Juca Bala (attacker).
The Fans Expect: a phase title.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (****), Jorge Lang (*****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (*****).

RANCA TOCO: Moisés; Vital, Russo, Souza, Acevedo and Alemão; Valtinho, Serginho and Ghur; Aatunen and Gepardo.
Coach: Renário.
President: Elias “Maluco” Veper.
Team Style: Extremely defensive, focuses on counterattacks and long balls.
Strongest Point: defence, best of the country.
Weakest Point: offensive midfield.
Nickname: Sarrafeiros.
Stadium Used: Presídio, in Carandirú City (cap. 75,000).
State: Central.
Team Sponsor: Cacete Security.
Home Kit: purple shirt with yellow vertical stripes and purple shorts.
Away Kit: yellow shirt and purple shorts.
Other Facts: team famous for its violence, which is incentivated by the directors of the club. Gives high value to pride and home games. Its supporters are very violent too. After some bad seasons, the team is slowly recovering its old form. The team’s defence is now considered the best of the country.
Good Bench Players: Danialson (attacker), Dinei (attacker), Luizão (defender).
The Fans Expect: top 4 position, maybe even a phase title.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (****), Jorge Lang (****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (***).

ATLÉTICO JUTENSE: Tu Wesh; Vasco, Leandro Cavalo, Vidaca and Conceição; Zé Sho, Si Ewe, Leisten and Byeongji; Fabrício and Shrifflu.
Coach: Ke Sho.
President: Ildefonso Recona Júnior.
Team Style: Very balanced, uses more the centre, passing style.
Strongest Point: good midfield.
Weakest Point: a balanced team, although not a world class one.
Nickname: Galo.
Stadium Used: Cerradão, in Cafundó do Juta (cap. 60,000).
State: Juta.
Team Sponsor: Penalty Kick Sport Equipments.
Home Kit: yellow shirt and red shorts.
Away Kit: red shirt and red shorts.
Other Facts: now the team finally was able to build a team to try to get the title back, won in the first season of the new Cafundelense league. The defence isn’t the same from the times of Cueto and Ke Sho (who now is the coach), but the midfield continues strong. The son of Ke, José (called Zé), has chance as a starter.
Good Bench Players: Franco (midfielder), Tripp (attacker), Perdigão (defender).
The Fans Expect: top 4 position, maybe a phase title.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (****), Jorge Lang (****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (****).

SC LASFT: Bartolomeu; Zé Carlos, Chroysalá, Demetriopoulos and João Carlos; Anormal, Wilson Magrão, Gwent, Mason and Dário; Panithaj.
Coach: João Augusto Figueiredo.
President: Nilceu McKeen.
Team Style: A bit defensive, very tactical.
Strongest Point: good midfield.
Weakest Point: lack of good options in the attack.
Nickname: Golden Team.
Stadium Used: Estádio Padre Anchieta, in Lasft (cap. 70,000).
State: Lasft.
Team Sponsor: Medicare Healthcare.
Home Kit: black shirt with details in gold and black shorts.
Away Kit: golden shirt and black shorts.
Other Facts: in the last 2/3 seasons, SC Lasft faced many problems, having only average teams and being unable to fight for titles. This season, things have changed. With many signings, very good ones, the team finally could build a strong squad, ready to fight for the top positions.
Good Bench Players: Cornelisse (midfield) , Ronaldão (defender), Jatobá (attacker).
The Fans Expect: a phase title.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (****), Jorge Lang (****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (***).

KHALMAR-TIJHUS: Knudson; Elvis, Everaldo and Doriva; Gellen, Salcedo, Kries and Marossi; Volkov, Kips and Tales.
Coach: Rivaldo Sodré.
President: Juvenal Corá Vaersk.
Team Style: Balanced, but very cautious when attacking.
Strongest Point: good attack.
Weakest Point: poor defensive midfield.
Nickname: Tricolor.
Stadium Used: Jóia da Lagoa, in Tijhus (cap. 30,000).
State: Juta.
Team Sponsor: Canabrava Cachaça.
Home Kit: orange shirt and black shorts.
Away Kit: grey shirt with a orange diagonal stripe and orange shorts.
Other Facts: the team that everyone expected to be relegated seasons ago, but wasn’t. Now, the team probably won’t have any difficulties in staying in the First Division. After some good signings, this team is now a strong one, and ready to finish in a good position in the table.
Good Bench Players: Senna (attacker), Moreno (defender), Gil (midfielder).
The Fans Expect: top 8 position.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (****), Jorge Lang (***), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (***).

ATLÉTICO INSULAR: Burner; Marcelo Rocha, Amaral, Moraes and Vega; Edsanderson, Éverton and Sytrobes; Esrimdo, Aristóteles and Hool.
Coach: Ensio Varg.
President: Gustavo Bamerindus “Gugu da Lança”.
Team Style: Very offensive, uses the wings, passing style.
Strongest Point: good attacking trio.
Weakest Point: poor defence.
Nickname: Leões do Litoral (Coast Lions).
Stadium Used: Cúpula Tropical, in Ilha Eremita (cap. 30,000).
State: Coast.
Team Sponsor: Duramais Batteries.
Home Kit: half-blue-half-yellow shirt and light blue shorts.
Away Kit: white shirt and half-blue-half-yellow shorts.
Other Facts: the island team was never a good team. But with its fast improvement in the last years, is now much more respected. The squad still doesn’t look excellent, but is far from bad. Maybe it can get a top 8 place?
Good Bench Players: Selmar (midfielder), Kléverson (midfielder), Mário (attacker).
The Fans Expect: mid-table position, top 10.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (***), Jorge Lang (***), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (**).

GALÁXIA: Júlio Sampa; Paulo Santos, Jerônimo Laguna, Zé Luiz and Richard; Wágner Paulista, Moreira, Lucas Moura and Marcelinho; Ferreira and Danilo Sampa.
Coach: Marcus Gouveia Sólimão.
President: Herbert Confiança.
Team Style: Extremely offensive, uses many individual plays.
Strongest Point: equal strength in all areas.
Weakest Point: equal strength in all areas.
Nickname: Academia Estelar.
Stadium Used: Mané Garrincha, in Santo Galvão (cap. 35,000).
State: Titã.
Team Sponsor: Severino Bookshops.
Home Kit: black shirt with narrow light blue horizontal stripes and light blue shorts.
Away Kit: light blue shirt and white shorts.
Other Facts: Galáxia became famous as the first team of many stars of Cafundéu’s football, with an excellent youth academy. The main players of the team started in Galáxia, and the team doesn’t like to use foreigners. Notice that the team usually doesn’t change its line-up.
Good Bench Players: Michel (midfielder), Pastor (defender), Juninho (attacker).
The Fans Expect: top 8 position.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (***), Jorge Lang (***), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (***).

PENDERS: Juile; J.Intior, Toledo and H.Intior; Batista, Dourado, Rossi, Lineu and Peninha; Uölfa and Cazarez.
Coach: João Canabrava.
President: Asano Pender.
Team Style: A bit offensive, uses the centre, good in home games.
Strongest Point: attack.
Weakest Point: the wingers.
Nickname: Sombra (Shadow).
Stadium Used: Campo de Batalha, in Penderia (cap. 50,000).
State: Old Cities.
Team Sponsor: Linha Vermelha Mobile Phones.
Home Kit: white shirt and black shorts.
Away Kit: brown shirt and black shorts.
Other Facts: this team is just a mid-table team, that probably will stay in the intermediate positions during all the competition. Has some good players, but not in all areas. Is a traditional team with loyal supporters.
Good Bench Players: Fred (midfielder), Gilberto (right-back), Moraes (attacker).
The Fans Expect: mid-table position.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (***), Jorge Lang (***), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (**).

PETROL: Amutarrad; Al-Shadhar, Nasser, Fontoura and Gäeif; Fahid, Velastros, Zamed and Mano Brown; Jorge Muniz and Ricardão.
Coach: Said Muchiba.
President: Abdullah Bin Radid.
Team Style: sometimes offensive.
Strongest Point: midfield.
Weakest Point: wings, full-backs.
Nickname: the Sheiks.
Stadium Used: Estádio do Califa, in Al-Zalabahad (cap. 75,000).
State: Titã.
Team Sponsor: Bin Radid-Zalabahad Petroleum.
Home Kit: red shirt and dark red shorts.
Away Kit: white shirt and white shorts.
Other Facts: a rich team, was able to reach the First Division and stay there for two seasons. Now, without any huge signings, this team is weaker than before, and can have more difficulties.
Good Bench Players: Rabelo (goalkeeper), Fabinho (midfielder), Al-Rashif (attacker).
The Fans Expect: mid-table position.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (**), Jorge Lang (**), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (**).

PERNETAS EC: Andrei; César Morel, Renildo, Barclay and Steffy; Dentinho, Oscar, Black and Verdi; Sorato and Jauz.
Coach: Lúcio Nizi Darcellos.
President: Raymond Altenkop.
Team Style: A bit offensive, likes to use the wings and aerial plays.
Strongest Point: the midfield.
Weakest Point: it’s a balanced team, but an average one.
Nickname: Mosqueteiro.
Stadium Used: Arena América III, in Dunboor (cap. 80,000).
State: Dunboor.
Team Sponsor: C-Electronics.
Home Kit: blue shirt and white shorts.
Away Kit: white shirt and blue shorts.
Other Facts: intermediate team, which usually makes some nice signings. Changed completely its offensive sector, and now looks stronger. But some people think that they will be relegated easily.
Good Bench Players: Betinho (midfielder), Marcinho (midfielder), Matraca (defender).
The Fans Expect: mid-table position.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (**), Jorge Lang (*), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (***).

SÃO JOSÉ: Dutra, Pereira, Jorge Cruz, Fágner and Tadeu Neves; Takahashi, Meira and Diogo; Sinclair, Isini and Duncan.
Coach: Nelson Yaschter.
President: Érica Maldonado.
Team Style: Very tactical, offensive or defensive depending on the opponent.
Strongest Point: the goalkeeper.
Weakest Point: the attack isn’t good.
Nickname: Estudantil.
Stadium Used: Estádio Pioneiro, in São José (cap. 120,000).
State: Old Cities.
Team Sponsor: HSA Advertisement.
Home Kit: light blue shirt and white shorts.
Away Kit: white shirt with light blue narrow vertical stripes and light blue shorts.
Other Facts: controlled by a school, the team of São José uses players who studied there. They usually don’t release their players, but don’t sign much too. Will battle against the relegation, surely.
Good Bench Players: Samambaia (defender), Cabelo (attacker), Piau (defender).
The Fans Expect: to escape relegation.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*), Jorge Lang (**), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (*).

AMÉRICA: Kardec; Nilo, Almir, Burgos and Fukui; Barbosa, Miguel Benevides, Bacharel and Mengucci; Ikeda and Alazão.
Coach: Javier Sanchez.
President: Beto Faíska.
Team Style: bit offensive, turns defensive when playing away.
Strongest Point: the midfield is good.
Weakest Point: the attack is far from good.
Nickname: Diabos de Lasft (Lasft Devils).
Stadium Used: Estádio Marte, in Lasft (cap. 40,000).
State: Lasft.
Team Sponsor: Planetário Airlines.
Home Kit: red shirt and white shorts.
Away Kit: white shirt and red shorts.
Other Facts: this team isn’t old, and is a big surprise. Founded by fanatic football supporters, it grew fast and now is the third biggest team of Lasft. It uses young players, together with some known players from foreign NTs (some very good signings for this season), and can escape relegation without difficulties.
Good Bench Players: Titi (defender), Valdir (midfielder), Altair (attacker).
The Fans Expect: a mid-table position.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (***), Jorge Lang (***), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (**).

CR SUBMIRIA: Pitkanen; Latte, Bueno and Marcos Moreno; Paulo, Holdings, Meback and Arsenault; Caubi, Casagrande and Hubert.
Coach: Paulo Netinho.
President: Valéria Nogueira Suárez.
Team Style: just a bit offensive, likes to use long ranged passes.
Strongest Point: offensive midfield.
Weakest Point: defence in general, excluding the goalkeeper.
Nickname: Golfinhos (Dolphins).
Stadium Used: Aquário Nacional, in Submiria (cap. 60,000)
State: Coast.
Team Sponsor: VC Travel Agency.
Home Kit: blue shirt with a diagonal white stripe and white shorts.
Away Kit: orange shirt and blue shorts.
Other Facts: had some good campaigns in the past, but now the team is completely changed. It isn’t a bad one, but probably won’t do more than escape the relegation. Not a traditional team, but a known one.
Good Bench Players: Pieterszen (attacker), Ravache (midfielder), Geraldão (goalkeeper).
The Fans Expect: escape relegation without problems.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (**), Jorge Lang (**), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (***).

CLUBE DOS BANQUEIROS: Mané; Cardoso, Bruno Valeta, Moreno and Barba; Alexandre, Duque, Chapelin and Assim; Saci and Cacique.
Coach: Polegar.
President: Gerhard Dollar.
Team Style: varied.
Strongest Point: central defence.
Weakest Point: offensive midfield.
Nickname: Caixa.
Stadium Used: Estádio Caixa Dois, in Espinal (cap. 50,000).
State: Espinal.
Team Sponsor: Bacharel Bank.
Home Kit: white shirt with one red-black stripe in the middle of it and black shorts.
Away Kit: red shirt and black shorts.
Other Facts: this team has money, but the directors don’t spend it, because they’re extremely economic. Because of that, the team continues with low quality, and will probably get relegated.
Good Bench Players: Pelézinho (midfielder), Rogério (defender), Mau (midfielder).
The Fans Expect: to escape relegation.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*), Jorge Lang (**), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (*).

AGREMAN FH: Lili; Fábian, Gigi, Vinny and Robertinho; Eneus, Romergleydson, Vanderney and Pitoiola; Robinson and Mercado.
Coach: Big Gay Al.
President: Jean Willys.
Team Style: offensive, but probably will be more balanced.
Strongest Point: defensive midfield.
Weakest Point: entire defence.
Nickname: Pó-de-Arroz.
Stadium Used: Sauna do Ney, in Central City (cap. 40,000).
State: Central.
Team Sponsor: Oficina do Amor Sex Shop.
Home Kit: pink shirt and pink shorts.
Away Kit: white shirt with narrow pink vertical stripes and light pink shorts.
Other Facts: a team that in the past was even able to win some titles, but now is nothing more than a Second Division team. Will battle against relegation, and its loyal supporters can help the team to reach this goal.
Good Bench Players: Fágner (midfielder), Dinho (midfielder), Bianc (attacker).
The Fans Expect: to escape relegation.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (**), Jorge Lang (*), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (*).

SAMBARILOVE: Serra; Nivaldo, Nino, Ely and Sandro Nunes; Jules, Kissington, Schneider and Ortega; Urmanov and Ortiz.
Coach: Ivan Anysio.
President: Renato Muquirana “Bilú-Bilú”.
Team Style: defensive one, very tactical.
Strongest Point: the attack.
Weakest Point: defensive midfield.
Nickname: Boêmios.
Stadium Used: Várzea do Bar do Zé, in Guará (cap. 25,000).
State: Lasft.
Team Sponsor: Bar do Zé.
Home Kit: blue shirt with big red stripes and blue shorts.
Away Kit: red shirt and blue shorts.
Other Facts: recently promoted, this team was just an amateur club years ago. Got some success and became sponsored by a small bar, which helped this team to reach the first division. Has determined players, but it’ll be difficult for them to escape relegation.
Good Bench Players: Zezé (defender), Peru (goalkeeper), Vart (attacker).
The Fans Expect: to escape relegation.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (**), Jorge Lang (**), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (*).

FAVOURITES: Petardos returns with full strength, now the favourites to win the title with EVEN more advantage. Dunboor FC recovers some popularity and Cafundó do Juta and Clube Imperial continue strong. See the survey’s results:

33% - Petardos S/A
16% - Clube Imperial and Cafundó do Juta
15% - Dunboor FC
8.5% - Ranca Toco
6% - A.F.F.
3% - Atlético Jutense
2.5% - SC Lasft

WORST TEAM: Another survey asked the supporters which team they thought that would finish the league in the last place, going to the Second Division(the last 4 are relegated):

38% - Clube dos Banqueiros
30% - Sambarilove
22% - Agreman FH
5% - São José
2,5% - Pernetas EC and Petrol

SECOND DIVISION: The competitors are: Tabajara, Central United, Ferroviário, São Jorge, Aldeia Vigiah, EC Elville, Forças Armadas, Royal Pollvogarad, Imperatriz, Mondragon Warriors, Globo Multimedia, Faculdade de Medicina, Metropolitano, Coqueiros, Vila Velha, Lusitânio, Clube Comercial, União Trabalhadora, Porto Lacruz and Tênis Clube.

The favourites are: Tabajara, União Trabalhadora, Central United, EC Elville and Clube Comercial.

THIRD DIVISION: The competitors are: Serrano, SC Carnavalesco, Rio Bonito, Massaranduba FC, Varzeano, Marinha, União, Tio João, Espinalense, Carandirú 1, Supersônicos, Amigos do Pebolim, Cézares, Virgem Maria EC, Intensivo, C-Electronics, Boiadeiros, Dínamo de Natal, Aliança and Nacional da Cruz.

The favourites are: Massaranduba FC, SC Carnavalesco, Nacional da Cruz, C-Electronics and Boiadeiros.

FOURTH AND FIFTH DIVISIONS – Composed mainly by amateur teams, these teams are very weak and few of them play the National Cup, but some good teams can appear from there.

Elves Security Forces

08-04-2008, 20:54

20,006 Silver Cup
Holders ~ Hartdale Hawks

First Round
Zanabia City 1-0 FC Melikkiaz
RC Rikana 0-1 FC Vernad
Char Sara Strike 3-1 Gladerial Divine
FC Kilai 3-1 RC Jumangas
Arouw United 1-2 FC Rosenthal
Erran United 1-1(1-1 AET, 3-5 PKs) AS Zul'Daratar
Zul'Daratar FC 2-3 Rinaldi Ravens
RC Vahama 4-1 FC Quel'Mathar
RC Quel'Mathar 0-10 Sharala AC
SC Ianisle 5-3 FC San Diromia
AC Jumangas 1-2 Suax United
Yolan FC 1-0 FC Ispan
AS Vaharia 2-2(3-3 AET, 3-4 PKs) FC Vamas
Erran FC 2-3 RC Elunita
Oliviena United 0-1 Athletic Rolalas
AC Cartmot 6-1 Arouw FC
Bree FC 1-2 Quel'Tir United
AS Aras 0-6 Rolalas FC
Ironwind United 2-3 SC Soldar
AC Goldsan 0-1 AS Everlin
DC Liogan 0-4 AC Therathor
Vaharia FC 3-4 Aras United
AS Soldar 0-0(0-0 AET, 2-4 PKs) AC Ispan
AC Stormguard 0-3 Cartmot Pride
Capri Marksmen 2-0 FC Silvershire
DC Quel'Tir 2-2(2-2 AET, 3-4 PKs) AC Durmosa
Turbani Tornadoes 1-3 Manavawi Athletic
Manavawi Athletic 2-1 Turmondale United
Mar Sara Extreme 5-1 DC Kilai
FC Suax 2-1 SC Longview
Raynor City Rockets 6-1 AS Rikana
Quel'Thalas FC 5-1 FC Solqual
Everlin Snipers 2-1 RC Liogan
AS Zul'Atun 1-3 Gladerial Fortune Dwellers
FC Wexax 3-0 DC Bree
SC Quintal 2-1 DC Aulian
DC Melikkiaz 2-5 RC Durmosa
Travesian Generals 6-4 AC Port Swell

Second Round
FC Travesian 1-1(1-1 AET, 2-4 PKs) Quel'Tir United
AC Valanari 1-1(2-2 AET, 6-7 PKs) AS Shalara
FC Longview 1-0 Monaven Breakers
Suax United 2-6 FC Wexax
Char Sara Volcano 0-7 Soldarian FC
AC Cartmot 2-0 FC Rosenthal
FC Vamas 4-1 AC Durmosa
Juavi Reds 11-2 AS Solqual
Rinaldi Gunners 3-3(3-3 AET, 3-4 PKs) Straightdale FC
AS Everlin 0-6 Raynor City Rockers
AC Ispan 3-1 RC Elunita
Raynor City Rockets 6-0 Mar Sara Extreme
Gladerial Fortune Dwellers 1-7 Wexax United
Hondo Owls 2-1 Sharala AC
Manavawi Athletic 2-3 Everlin Snipers
Baysleef Bombers 4-1 Aras United
SC Soldar 5-1 SC Ianisle
Turmondale FC 6-6(8-8 AET, 5-6 PKs) Athletic Rolalas
FC Suax 1-2 AC Zul'Atun
Rolalas FC 1-2 Rinaldi Ravens
Zanabia City 0-1 Mar Sara Flames
Kareen FC 1-8 FC Capri
Cartmot Pride 3-2 FC Vernad
AC Therathor 1-1(2-2 AET, 0-3 PKs) SC Quintal
FC Therathor 7-0 AC Rosenthal
Char Sara Strike 1-3 Char Sara Inferno
AS Zul'Daratar 3-3(3-3 AET, 1-3 PKs) Hartdale Hawks
RC Durmosa 2-0 FC Kilai
Capri Marksmen 1-0 RC Vahama
Yolan FC 2-2(3-3 AET, 4-5 PKs) Manavawi Athletic
Quel'Thalas FC 2-4 Gladerial Twilight

Third Round
Straightdale FC 4-2 Manavawi Athletic
AC Ispan 0-2 Cartmot Pride
Soldarian FC 6-1 Travesian Generals
Wexax United 5-1 SC Quintal
SC Soldar 2-1 Quel'Tir United
Athletic Rolalas 6-0 Rinaldi Ravens
FC Capri 3-3(3-3 AET, 2-4 PKs) Baysleef Bombers
Raynor City Rockers 4-3 Hondo Owls
FC Vamas 2-0 RC Durmosa
Hartdale Hawks 3-1 FC Longview
Everlin Snipers 1-3 Char Sara Inferno
Raynor City Rockets 3-2 FC Wexax
Gladerial Twilight 2-1 FC Therathor
AC Cartmot 0-2 Capri Marksmen
AC Zul'Atun 2-7 Mar Sara Flames
AS Shalara 0-2 Juavi Reds

Fourth Round
Char Sara Inferno 2-3 Wexax United
Soldarian FC 8-1 SC Soldar
FC Vamas 0-6 Straightdale FC
Hartdale Hawks 2-0 Raynor City Rockets
Gladerial Twilight 6-0 Athletic Rolalas
Raynor City Rockers 3-1 Juavi Reds
Cartmot Pride 0-5 Mar Sara Flames
Capri Marksmen 0-8 Baysleef Bombers

Quarterfinals
Mar Sara Flames 4-4(5-5 AET, 3-5 PKs) Raynor City Rockers
Wexax United 2-1 Gladerial Twilight
Hartdale Hawks 2-1 Baysleef Bombers
Straightdale FC 3-1 Soldarian FC

Semifinals
Donna Cathedral, Mar Sara
Straightdale FC 1-0 Wexax United

The White Fortress, Gladerial
Hartdale Hawks 1-5 Raynor City Rockers

3PPo
Angelotic Temple, Longview
Wexax United 2-1 Hartdale Hawks

Final
Hatire Memorial, Capri
Straightdale FC 0-5 Raynor City Rockers

MVP: Jere Jannian (3 goals, 7 assists)
Golden Boot: Markku Sykko (12 goals)

Raynor City bounce back into silveware, and capture thier first Silver Cup title. Having escaped Donna Cathedral on penalties in the Quarters, the Rockers showed their class in back to back drubbings of Hartdale and Straightdale to continue their run of three straight seasons with a trophy. For Straightdale, this shows that they are still far from being among the elite, but they are a very promising side, as did Wexax show on their run to the semi-finals, and taking of the third place game.

Bettia

10-04-2008, 09:38

APEX LEAGUE 8 - the Rovers Return

First Division

At the commencement of the season, many experts were predicting a league campaign that would be tighter and more intense than the one before. As it turned out, the Apex League crown was claimed at a canter by Gabalfa Rovers, who looked a class apart for most of the season. Their cause was helped greatly by them only drawing three times and winning twenty of their games, five more than their nearest rivals.

As always though, the places behind them were very closely fought, and in the end it was newly promoted Pen-y-Bydd who shocked all by claiming second place. Unlike their previous forays into the top flight, they made their home advantage count this time, going the whole season unbeaten on their own turf as many teams struggled to cope with the high altitude of their literally-named Stadiwm Pedwar Milltir (Four Mile Stadium). The Doomsdayers also finished the season with the stingiest defence in the country. Tamrida continued their steady improvement by finishing third, with previous champions Tiddles Park beating Perumnasih to fourth spot by virtue of their superior goals scored column.

One of the other promoted teams Hyppo Fernley also continued their drastic change in fortunes, putting the sizable investment of their Hypocrian owner to good use with some shrewd and highly effective signings which saw them finish in a creditable seventh place.

However, things didn't turn out quite so well for the third of the new teams, with Downton finishing rock bottom. Although they put in a good run towards the end of the season, it was too little too late as teams sitting above the relegation zone picked up vital wins during the latter stages. Also relegated are Kirkwood Town and Dynamo Dini, two teams who struggled to find their feet after a couple of seasons at this level and so must try again to bounce back.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Gabalfa Rovers 34 22 3 9 98 67 31 69
2 Pen-y-Bydd 34 17 7 10 80 56 24 58
3 Tamrida 34 17 6 11 90 78 12 57
4 Tiddles Park 34 17 4 13 83 76 7 55
5 Perumnasih 34 15 10 9 80 65 15 55
6 Lorshill United 34 16 6 12 66 64 2 54
7 Hyppo Fernley 34 16 5 13 77 69 8 53
8 Butetown Dragons 34 16 4 14 79 66 13 52
9 Persubarnas 34 16 4 14 75 74 1 52
10 Akani Sands 34 14 6 14 79 72 7 48
11 Lorshill City 34 13 9 12 75 78 -3 48
12 Ryoga Bay 34 13 7 14 78 83 -5 46
13 Grappenhall City 34 11 8 15 81 92 -11 41
14 Banastra Forest 34 11 7 16 76 85 -9 40
15 Sukatra Tigers 34 9 9 16 72 89 -17 36
----------------------------------------------------------------
16 Dynamo Dini 34 9 7 18 67 89 -22 34
17 Kirkwood Town 34 10 2 22 61 100 -39 32
18 Downton 34 7 10 17 63 77 -14 31

Second Division

If the First Division title was a foregone conclusion, the other divisions were the total opposite. Many pundits had predicted that the Second Division title would go to one of the 'big three' teams relegated form the First Division last season, but instead the honours went to Southward Ho! who claimed the title with virtually the very last kick of the season thanks to their injury time winner in their top-of-the-table clash at home to CPD Porthbalfa, who had started the last matchday two points clear of their rivals.

With the automatic promotion spots already decided, the fight was on to claim the best spots in the playoffs. Third place went to Ceffinton Town, who finished two points clear of Rhyngwladol Gabalfa. Fortuna Bettialis and Old Maxwellians made up the rest of the playoff spots. Ceffinton narrowly beat Old Maxwellians in a thrilling semi-final tie that finished 9-8 on aggregate, whilst Fortuna Bettialis's excellent display in their home leg against Rhyngwladol Gabalfa was enough to see them through.

And so to the final between the other two of the previously relegated teams. With a quick return to the top flight to play for, it was inevitable that both teams would come out with all guns blazing in true Bettian style. It was a close-fought game, but in the end Fortuna Bettialis held the upper hand and they won 4-2 thanks to two late goals.

At the bottom of the table, it seems Grappenhall University didn't do their homework as they trailed in a miserable last place. Tremwsa's rapid emergence from the non-league ranks was halted as they finished second-from-bottom, with the last relegation spot taken by Sonastra FC.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Southward Ho! 34 20 6 8 100 64 36 66
2 CPD Porthbalfa 34 20 5 9 91 61 30 65
---------------------------------------------------------------
3 Ceffinton Town 34 16 8 10 90 79 11 56
4 Rhyngwladol Gabalfa 34 16 6 12 83 80 3 54
5 Fortuna Bettialis 34 16 3 15 84 68 16 51
6 Old Maxwellians 34 15 5 14 84 76 8 50
---------------------------------------------------------------
7 Pontybalfa United 34 15 3 16 89 90 -1 48
8 Betws-y-Triw 34 13 9 12 79 75 4 48
9 Roath Albion 34 14 6 14 76 76 0 48
10 Drutton United 34 13 9 12 73 88 -15 48
11 Budiwati City 34 13 8 13 69 73 -4 47
12 Lorshill Engineers 34 12 8 14 64 75 -11 44
13 Llanedalia 34 11 10 13 83 94 -11 43
14 Fforest Hen 34 11 9 14 75 80 -5 42
15 Persifera 34 13 3 18 68 84 -16 42
----------------------------------------------------------------
16 Sonastra FC 34 11 6 17 78 83 -5 39
17 Tremwsa 34 10 7 17 76 88 -12 37
18 Grappenhall University 34 10 3 21 66 94 -28 33

Playoff Semi-Final Results

Old Maxwellians 4-3 Ceffinton Town
Ceffinton Town 6-4 Old Maxwellians
(Aggregate: Old Maxwellians 8-9 Ceffinton Town)

Fortuna Bettialis 4-1 Rhyngwladol Gabalfa
Rhyngwladol Gabalfa 2-0 Fortuna Bettialis
(Aggregate: Fortuna Bettialis 4-3 Rhyngwladol Gabalfa)

Final Result (at Tiddles Park)

Ceffinton Town 2-4 Fortuna Bettialis

Third Division

As with the Second Division, the Third Division title was decided on the last day of the season. In the end, the glory went to Pifton Rovers, one of only three teams to score 100 goals this season. Their rapid rise through the ranks was helped no end by them drawing just one of their games, a factor which provide crucial as second-placed Fiilghud Town conceded a late equaliser in their last game to hand the Rovers their title.

Once again, the race for the playoff places was tight, with Upper Sweeney finishing third, Tinting Warren and Zenit Tecnasi seperated by just a single point, and Racing Club Gabalfa claiming the last spot one point ahead of Spiddaford Town. The first of the semi-finals pitted Upper Sweeney against Racing Club Gabalfa, and Racing Club looked to have had the tie sown after registering a 4-0 win in their home leg. However, Upper Sweeney followed suit in the second leg to take it into extra-time. In the end, a single goal to the home team was enough to send them through to the final. The second semi was a much more straightforward affair, with Tinting Warren cruising to a 9-2 aggregate win. The Warren took this excellent form into the final, and they managed to shut out their opponents on their way to earning promotion with a 2-0 win.

Two of the three relegation spots were taken up by former First Division teams who have endured rotten times of late. Maindy finished bottom amid financial turmoil and rumours of non-payment of players' wages which were stringently denied by club officials. 1.FC Rendrew finished third from bottom, just a single point from safety. Although they harboured hopes of making a late grab at avoiding relegation, they were unable to clinch that vital win on the last day and so face playing next season in the Fourth Division alongside FOYNLS, whose inconsistancy saw them draw more games than they won.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Pifton Rovers 34 23 1 10 101 70 31 70
2 Fiilghud Town 34 21 4 9 98 70 28 67
---------------------------------------------------------------
3 Upper Sweeney 34 17 7 10 81 74 7 58
4 Tinting Warren 34 16 8 10 75 67 8 56
5 Zenit Tecnasi 34 16 7 11 92 87 5 55
6 Racing Club Gabalfa 34 15 8 11 76 63 13 53
---------------------------------------------------------------
7 Spiddaford Town 34 15 7 12 87 83 4 52
8 Treebrook Wanderers 34 15 4 15 85 82 3 49
9 Deudregg Dderw 34 12 10 12 80 84 -4 46
10 Lower Sweeney 34 14 3 17 79 83 -4 45
11 Emcorn 34 11 11 12 79 80 -1 44
12 Gorseborough Town 34 11 10 13 75 75 0 43
13 Porthbalfa Navy 34 11 7 16 74 82 -8 40
14 Sageham Town 34 10 10 14 70 88 -18 40
15 Lorshill Park Rangers 34 11 4 19 73 92 -19 37
----------------------------------------------------------------
16 1.FC Rendrew 34 11 3 20 72 93 -21 36
17 FOYNLS 34 8 10 16 72 81 -9 34
18 Maindy 34 9 6 19 71 86 -15 33

Playoff Semi-Final Results

Racing Club Gabalfa 4-0 Upper Sweeney
Upper Sweeney 4-0 Racing Club Gabalfa (5-0 AET)
(Aggregate: Racing Club Gabalfa 4-5 Upper Sweeney)

Zenit Tecnasi 2-4 Tinting Warren
Tinting Warren 5-0 Zenit Tecnasi
(Aggregate: Zenit Tecnasi 2-9 Tinting Warren)

Final Result (at Tiddles Park)

Upper Sweeney 0-2 Tinting Warren

Fourth Division

The tightest of all the title races came in the Fourth Division, with Huwbridge Town and Ceffinton United taking it right down to the wire. In the end, both teams finished on 67 points with the same number of wins and draws and with an equal head-to-head record (both teams won their home games 3-1), but in the end the divisional title went to Huwbridge Town thanks tho their superior Goals Scored column.

Waltham Dynamo finished clear in third place, with an almighty scrap taking place to decide the other three playoff berths. Cockbill Green came in fourth, two points ahead of Al-Sheemal Tamrida, while Mihangel's Old Boys and newly-promoted Rainy Grove could only be seperated on their head-to-head record, with the Old Boys winning their home game and snatching a draw in the return.

Mihangel's Old Boys luck carried on into the playoffs. After beating Waltham Dynamo 4-1 in the first leg, the Dynamos came back strongly to lead 5-1 in the second leg, but the Old Boys scored a late goal to secure the tie on away goals. The second semi-final saw Al-Sheemal Tamrida win both ties to end with a comfortable 6-3 aggregate win. The final was a very close match with the lead changing hands on a number of occasions, but in the end it was Mihangel's Old Boys who came through to win 4-3.

Two Gabalfan teams were relegated from the Fourth Division; UC Gabalfa, who completed a rotten year for students in this years Apex League, and Gabalfa Saints. They go down along with Dhur Tihari.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Huwbridge Town 34 20 7 7 100 72 28 67
2 Ceffinton United 34 20 7 7 91 60 31 67
---------------------------------------------------------------
3 Waltham Dynamo 34 18 7 9 87 60 27 61
4 Cockbill Green 34 16 7 11 93 83 10 55
5 Al-Sheemal Tamrida 34 15 9 10 86 77 9 54
6 Mihangel's Old Boys 34 15 7 12 77 66 11 52
---------------------------------------------------------------
7 Rainy Grove 34 14 10 10 87 77 10 52
8 BAF Chinterford 34 13 10 11 81 69 12 49
9 Llanbedistan 34 14 6 14 70 67 3 48
10 Caeranyuna 34 11 11 12 86 81 5 44
11 Pen-yr-Heol 34 13 5 16 56 79 -23 44
12 Shabilah 34 12 7 15 73 77 -4 43
13 Arorair 34 12 5 17 72 88 -16 41
14 Mare's Tail Village 34 10 9 15 65 84 -19 39
15 Mirtaford Town 34 11 3 20 84 98 -14 36
----------------------------------------------------------------
16 Gabalfa Saints 34 10 4 20 65 92 -27 34
17 Dhur Tihari 34 8 10 16 64 92 -28 34
18 UC Gabalfa 34 8 8 18 69 84 -15 32

Playoff Semi-Final Results

Mihangel's Old Boys 4-1 Waltham Dynamo
Waltham Dynamo 5-2 Mihangel's Old Boys
(Aggregate: Mihangel's Old Boys 6-6 Waltham Dynamo - Mihangel's Old Boys win on away goals)

Al-Sheemal Tamrida 2-1 Cockbill Green
Cockbill Green 2-4 Al-Sheemal Tamrida
(Aggregate: Al-Sheemal Tamrida 6-3 Cockbill Green)

Final Result (at Tiddles Park)

Mihangel's Old Boys 4-3 Al-Sheemal Tamrida

Fifth Division

Out of all the title run-ins, the Fifth Division's was probably the most intriguing with the top spot changing hands on many occasions. At one point there was only four points seperating the top six team but in the end it was the league's newcomers Gloucester City who came out on top, three points ahead of Gilang Chandra who themselves were playing their first season back in the Apex League after relegation to non-league obscurity a couple of years ago.

Interestingly enough, third and fourth places also went to newly promoted teams, perhaps illustrating that the gap between this division and the regional leagues is shrinking - either that or the form and euphoria of the promoted teams has been carried over into this season. Zinjibar Warriors finished third, four points ahead of Eyeng Genjreng. Behind them were Thymeford Wanderers and Huwbridge Colliery, locked together on 54 points, just one point ahead of Porthbalfa City.

The first of the playoff semi-finals saw the Colliers overcoming the Warriors with some ease, beating them 8-4 on aggregate. The second of the ties between Thymeford Wanderers and Eyeng Genjreng was a lot less straightforward but definately more intriguing. After both matches finished 4-3 in favour of the home team, extra time was needed to seperate them. In the end, Thymeford Wanderers scored the decisive goal that sent them through to the final. Unfortunately for them, their epic win seemed to take something out of them, with Huwbridge Colliery prevailing by two goals to emulate their local rival Huwbridge Town in earning promotion.

Out of the six teams dropping from the Apex League, the most interesting of them was Fortuna South End who suffered the ignominy of back-to-back relegations. The other teams to lose their league status were Al Jabari, Old Akanians, Tremorgan Town, Dairford Town and Persukaluma.

Returning to the Apex League after a gap of many seasons will be Floraton Town, who secured promotion after winning the Banastran Conference with considerable ease, and will be looking to progress well in order to step out of the shadow of the clubs in nearby Grappenhall. The other teams joining them will be Aberlayla City, Andover Lions, At-Tâf Railway Workers, Rander City Raiders, and Ratungabei Narawita.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Gloucester City 34 19 6 9 90 65 25 63
2 Gilang Chandra 34 18 6 10 96 72 24 60
---------------------------------------------------------------
3 Zinjibar Warriors 34 18 5 11 88 78 10 59
4 Eyeng Genjreng 34 16 7 11 82 66 16 55
5 Thymeford Wanderers 34 15 9 10 83 66 17 54
6 Huwbridge Colliery 34 17 3 14 80 85 -5 54
---------------------------------------------------------------
7 Porthbalfa City 34 16 5 13 75 81 -6 53
8 Alfalfa Kickers 34 14 8 12 79 70 9 50
9 Lorshill Victoria 34 14 7 13 88 84 4 49
10 Locket Bush 34 12 11 11 79 77 2 47
11 Ystrad Aeron 34 13 6 15 70 78 -8 45
12 Loudoun Rovers 34 12 7 15 63 68 -5 43
----------------------------------------------------------------
13 Persukaluma 34 11 8 15 69 74 -5 41
14 Dairford Town 34 11 8 15 78 87 -9 41
15 Tremorgan Town 34 11 5 18 82 101 -19 38
16 Fortuna South End 34 10 7 17 80 87 -7 37
17 Old Akanians 34 11 4 19 72 90 -18 37
18 Al Jabari 34 7 10 17 73 98 -25 31

Playoff Semi-Final Results

Huwbridge Colliery 4-1 Zinjibar Warriors
Zinjibar Warriors 3-4 Huwbridge Colliery
(Aggregate: Huwbridge Colliery 8-4 Zinjibar Warriors)

Thymeford Wanderers 4-3 Eyeng Genjreng
Eyeng Genjreng 4-3 Thymeford Wanderers (4-4 AET)
(Aggregate: Thymeford Wanderers 8-7 Eyeng Genjreng)

Final Result (at Tiddles Park)

Huwbridge Colliery 2-1 Thymeford Wanderers

FAB Cup

First Round

As always, the First Round of the FAB Cup pitted with teams from Divisions Four and Five against the forty non-league teams who battled through the qualifying stages. Although the formbook was largely followed, one or surprises was thrown up, the most notable of which was the shock defeat of fourth division title challengers Ceffinton United at home to non-league Hoshoss-Super-Mare. Another game of interest, dubbed The Battle Of Aroras, also produced another shock result, with fourth division Arorair going down 1-2 at home to Arora City.

Hirnant Valley Swifts 1-2 Gullow Rangers
Old Akanians 3-1 Llanbedistan
Tywyn 3-2 Gilang Chandra
Fairy Cross 2-1 Angelina Angels
Ystradenni 4-3 Tremorgan Town
Tremyhammad City 2-2 Mihangel's Old Boys
......Replay: Mihangel's Old Boys 5-2 Tremyhammad City
Gloucester City 4-2 Cockbill Green
Willbourne Town 3-3 Caeranyuna
......Replay: Caeranyuna 5-1 Willbourne Town
Floraton Town 1-1 UC Gabalfa
......Replay: UC Gabalfa 2-1 Floraton Town
Ceffinton United 1-2 Hoshoss-Super-Mare
Fortuna South End 1-7 Persukaluma
Coutances 5-4 At-Taf Railway Workers
Zinjibar Warriors 0-1 Eyeng Genjreng
Tarani Town 3-4 Waltham Dynamo
Jarreton Town 3-3 Persambong
......Replay: Persambong 1-2 Jarreton Town
Huwbridge Town 2-1 Gabalfa Saints
Al Jabari 2-0 Thatcham Town
Charlotte's Corner 2-1 Aberlayla City
Lightning Ti'i 4-0 Locket Bush
Penybalfa 1-3 Thymeford Wanderers
Dhur Tihari 6-2 Savernake Forest
Huwbridge Colliery 2-2 Ystrad Aeron
......Replay: Ystrad Aeron 4-0 Huwbridge Colliery
Lanteglos Higher 3-1 Polperro Town
Throwleigh Rangers 2-3 Andover Lions
Rainy Grove 6-1 Llwyngeril
Alfalfa Kickers 3-2 Pen-yr-Heol
Mirtaford Town 4-2 Dinas Blodwyn
BAF Chinterford 4-1 Loudoun Rovers
PNN Neneng 4-3 Treywsif Town
Mare's Tail Village 2-2 Cecep
......Replay: Cecep 1-0 Mare's Tail Village
Lorshill Victoria 4-3 Lanteglos Rovers
Porthbalfa City 4-3 FC Tud'i
Arorair 1-2 Arora City
Al-Sheemal Tamrida 4-1 Ratungabei Narawita
Rander City Raiders 2-1 Dairford Town
Kingswinford Town 2-4 Shabilah

Second Round

The teams from the Third Division entered the compeition at the second round stage, and by and large they didn't waste time punishing any lower-ranked opposition that came their way. This is no more evident than at Racing Club Gabalfa, who crushed the last round's heroes Hoshoss-Super-Mare by putting ten goals past them without reply. Gullow Rangers were also on the receiving end, leaking seven goals to Emcorn. Likewise, Rander City Rangers shipped seven goals at home to Alfalfa Kickers. Even though none of the non-league teams were successful when pitted against higher opposition, it wasn't all doom and gloom - Fairy Cross did well to earn a reply with Huwbridge Town, whilst Andover Lions acquitted themselves well away to Pifton Rovers.

1.FC Rendrew 4-1 Ystradenni
Tinting Warren 3-0 Porthbalfa City
Cecep 2-4 Caeranyuna
Upper Sweeney 1-1 Al Jabari
......Replay: Al Jabari 0-1 Upper Sweeney
Dhur Tihari 3-5 Maindy
Racing Club Gabalfa 10-0 Hoshoss-Super-Mare
Tywyn 0-2 UC Gabalfa
Gloucester City 4-2 Lightning Ti'i
Mirtaford Town 1-1 Mihangel's Old Boys
......Replay: Mihangel's Old Boys 2-2 Mirtaford Town (3-2 AET)
Fairy Cross 1-1 Huwbridge Town
......Replay: Huwbridge Town 3-1 Fairy Cross
Eyeng Genjreng 0-5 Waltham Dynamo
Rander City Raiders 2-7 Alfalfa Kickers
Pifton Rovers 4-3 Andover Lions
Charlotte's Corner 0-3 Porthbalfa Navy
BAF Chinterford 4-1 Coutances
Old Akanians 1-5 FOYNLS
Al-Sheemal Tamrida 3-0 Sageham Town
Ystrad Aeron 2-3 Lorshill Victoria
Arora City 2-3 Spiddaford Town
PNN Neneng 3-3 Lanteglos Higher
......Replay: Lanteglos Higher 2-1 PNN Neneng
Gorseborough Town 4-1 Rainy Grove
Treebrook Wanderers 4-0 Shabilah
Thymeford Wanderers 2-6 Lorshill Park Rangers
Fiilghud Town 4-0 Deudregg Dderw
Emcorn 7-3 Gullow Rangers
Jarreton Town 0-5 Lower Sweeney
Zenit Tecnasi 1-1 Persukaluma
......Replay: Persukaluma 0-4 Zenit Tecnasi

Third Round

The big boys waded into the action in the third Round and they quickly started to thrown their weight around. Lorshill United were merciless in thrashing Lanteglo Higher, the only non-league team left in the cup. Likewise, Dynamo Dini showed their visitors little respect as they thrashed Lorshill Victoria 8-1. Perhaps the biggest eye-opener came in the all Second Division clash between Drutton United and Rhyngwladol Gabalfa. After finishing all square and forcing a reply, Drutton completely fell to pieces in the reply, getting four men sent off as they went down by eight goals to one.

Alfalfa Kickers 1-3 Banastra Forest
Fortuna Bettialis 6-1 Upper Sweeney
Sukatra Tigers 1-1 Tamrida
......Replay: Tamrida 3-2 Sukatra Tigers
Mihangel's Old Boys 3-4 Hyppo Fernley
Fiilghud Town 1-4 Persubarnas
UC Gabalfa 0-4 Kirkwood Town
Pen-y-Bydd 6-1 Tinting Warren
FOYNLS 3-2 Spiddaford Town
Lorshill Engineers 3-0 Pifton Rovers
Tiddles Park 4-2 Downton
Grappenhall City 2-1 Gabalfa Rovers
Maindy 2-3 Sonastra FC
Caeranyuna 1-2 Lower Sweeney
Butetown Dragons 3-1 Gorseborough Town
Porthbalfa Navy 2-2 Betws-y-Triw
......Replay: Betws-y-Triw 4-2 Porthbalfa Navy
Al-Sheemal Tamrida 0-4 Pontybalfa United
Tremwsa 1-3 Southward Ho!
Persifera 4-0 CPD Porthbalfa
1.FC Rendrew 2-2 Huwbridge Town
......Replay: Huwbridge Town 4-2 1.FC Rendrew
Llanedalia 3-4 Lorshill City
Old Maxwellians 5-1 Gloucester City
Fforest Hen 5-0 Waltham Dynamo
Treebrook Wanderers 2-2 Roath Albion
......Replay: Roath Albion 3-2 Treebrook Wanderers
Ryoga Bay 6-1 Emcorn
Lorshill United 8-2 Lanteglos Higher
Drutton United 1-1 Rhyngwladol Gabalfa
......Replay: Rhyngwladol Gabalfa 8-1 Drutton United
Lorshill Park Rangers 2-3 BAF Chinterford
Ceffinton Town 1-2 Perumnasih
Akani Sands 4-3 Budiwati City
Grappenhall University 5-1 Racing Club Gabalfa
Dynamo Dini 8-1 Lorshill Victoria

Fourth Round (Last 32)

With many of the smaller teams now eliminated, many eyes were now focused on potential cup winners. Tiddles Park came through a very tough tie, beating Perumnasih after a replay, whilst Butetown Dragons won comfortably at Huwbridge Town. Third division Zenit Tecnasi were rewarded with a plum home tie against Akani Sands, but the Storm won an entertaining match 4-2 to progress.

Lorshill Engineers 2-0 Lower Sweeney
Perumnasih 3-3 Tiddles Park
......Replay: Tiddles Park 2-0 Perumnasih
Kirkwood Town 2-1 Pontybalfa United
Huwbridge Town 0-4 Butetown Dragons
Fforest Hen 3-5 Fortuna Bettialis
Persifera 3-1 Dynamo Dini
Southward Ho! 2-0 Old Maxwellians
BAF Chinterford 3-3 Banastra Forest
......Replay: Banastra Forest 6-0 BAF Chinterford
Pen-y-Bydd 3-2 Betws-y-Triw
Roath Albion 1-3 Sonastra FC
Hyppo Fernley 5-0 Grappenhall University
Rhyngwladol Gabalfa 4-2 Grappenhall City
Ryoga Bay 2-3 Lorshill City
Zenit Tecnasi 2-4 Akani Sands
Tamrida 3-2 FOYNLS
Persubarnas 2-1 Lorshill United

Fifth Round (Last 16)

Into the Last 16, and each of ties more or less went as expected. Butetown Dragons were big winners against second Division strugglers Sonastra FC, who had done an admirable job of putting their miserable league form behind them to progress ths far but were ultimately no match for their bigger opponents. Pen-y-Bydd put their devastating home form to good use by dispatching many people's favourites Akani Sands, whilst Tiddles Park came out on top in a tense local derby against Rhyngwladol Gabalfa. Only two teams from outside the Firs Division got through to the next round - Southward Ho! ran out easy 4-0 winners against Lorshill Engineers, whilst Banastra Forest overcame Tamrida by four goals to one.

Persifera 1-4 Persubarnas
Fortuna Bettialis 2-4 Lorshill City
Hyppo Fernley 3-1 Kirkwood Town
Butetown Dragons 6-1 Sonastra FC
Banastra Forest 4-1 Tamrida
Rhyngwladol Gabalfa 2-3 Tiddles Park
Pen-y-Bydd 2-1 Akani Sands
Southward Ho! 4-0 Lorshill Engineers

Quarter-Finals

Out of all the matches played at this quarter-final stage, perhaps the most shocking of all was the quite unbelievable match played between Pen-y-Bydd and Lorshill City - it finished goalless, something almost unheard of at this level of football here in Bettia. The replay also ended all square after extra-time, with City coming through 4-2 on penalties. Butetown Dragons also needed a reply to overcome a stubborn Banastra Forest. Southward Ho! continued their good cup form by coming from behind to beat First Division Hyppo Fernley, whilst Tiddles Park beat Persubarnas to complete the semi-final lineup.

Banastra Forest 2-2 Butetown Dragons
......Replay: Butetown Dragons 2-1 Banastra Forest
Tiddles Park 2-1 Persubarnas
Pen-y-Bydd 0-0 Lorshill City
......Replay: Lorshill City 1-1 Pen-y-Bydd (Lorshill City win 4-2 on penalties)
Hyppo Fernley 2-3 Southward Ho!

Semi-Finals

As is the tradition, the FAB Cup semi-finals are played on neutral ground. The first of these matches was played at Shubunkin Park, the home of Akani Sands FC, and pitted Butetown Dragons against Southward Ho!. Even though the second Division team have more than matched higher league opponents thus far, they were no match for the Dragons and it was the top flight outfit who came out 6-3 winners to progress to the final. Their opponents were Tiddles Park, who beat Lorshill City 4-2 at Butetown's Alice Street stadium.

Butetown Dragons 6-3 Southward Ho! (at Shubunkin Park, Akani Sands)
Lorshill City 2-4 Tiddles Park (at Alice Street, Butetown)

Final (at Al-Fath Stadium, Sukatra)

Just as last year, the final had to be switched from its traditional venue of Bettia's national stadium (which also happens to be the home of Tiddles Park) in order to ensure neutrality. The scene for this season's FAB Cup final was Sukatra's imposing Al-Fath Stadium, which has once again been increased in capacity. Over 90,000 spectators crammed into the famous Cauldron of Noise for this all-Gabalfan final expecting to see a tight even match between two teams who were only divided by three points in the league. In the end the final was anything but, with Tiddles Park comfortably beating the Dragons to claim their fourth FAB Cup.

Butetown Dragons 1-4 Tiddles Park

APEX LEAGUE 8 SUMMARY
League Champions: Gabalfa Rovers
Relegated from First Division: Dynamo Dini, Kirkwood Town, Downton

Second Division
Champions: Southward Ho!
Runners Up: CPD Porthbalfa
Also Promoted: Fortuna Bettialis
Relegated: Sonastra FC, Tremwsa, Grappenhall University

Third Division
Champions: Pifton Rovers
Runners Up: Fiilghud Town
Also Promoted: Tinting Warren
Relegated: 1.FC Rendrew, FOYNLS, Maindy

Fourth Division
Champions: Huwbridge Town
Runners Up: Ceffinton United
Also Promoted: Mihangel's Old Boys
Relegated: Gabalfa Saints, Dhur Tihari, UC Gabalfa

Fifth Division
Champions: Gloucester City
Runners Up: Gilang Chandra
Also Promoted: Huwbridge Colliery
Relegated: Persukaluma, Dairford Town, Tremorgan Town, Fortuna South End, Old Akanians, Al Jabari

Promoted to Apex League Fifth Division from Regional Conferences:
Aberlayla City (champions of Gwlad teg)
Andover Lions (champions of Gabalfa)
At-Tâf Railway Workers (champions of Al-Maghrib)
Floraton Town (champions of Banastra)
Rander City Raiders (champions of Clodien)
Ratungabei Narawita (champions of Bahagia)

Candelaria And Marquez

10-04-2008, 18:02

I know, I know. STOP WRITING SO FREAKIN' MUCH!

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w175/candelariaandmarquez/Cmscxxviii1.png

CMS Cup Last 32: Scorned Saints better poor Smudgers

Sooo… The CMS Cup, then? Remind me again who cares? It does rather seem that for the top teams chasing the CMSC title – or, these days, a Champions Cup spot – this is a rather superfluous tournament, and ditto for those struggling at the bottom or looking for promotion. The telly money’s still useful for the lower league clubs, but though their numbers in the last thirty-two were more impressive than is often the case – particularly as far as the Candelarian League One went – even their managers have been known to mutter about how disruptive this can be to their season.

The CAMAFA, to their credit, have considering livening things up by following several countries’ leads and opening up a TQCC place for the winners, but the obvious unfairness of this remains perfectly clear. And so, this is really still just an opportunity for the press to celebrate the great cup shocks of old… and they watch as basically none happen this time around.

Actually that was a tad unfair, but the two CMSC clubs knocked out by lower league opposition suffered more of mutual ‘upsets’ than genuine shocks, for neither clearly had much interest in the Cup and put out scratch sides. As a result, C.A.L looked the class act against MN Smith as the Yellows – after a difficult start to the league season – enjoyed a 3-0 win. Trev George’s group are a good little side still, and with a bit of luck this performance may kick-start their efforts to join XXIX’s big eighteen. Although, from next season, the CMSC2 will also be a big eighteen; before the leagues drop down into two extended, professional regional competitions.

Any road, it was a mixed day for the Ely family, with one twin scoring for the C.A.L and Tom’s brother Kevin on the scoresheet for Gamboa FC. It wasn’t enough however; for Andrew Duffy’s side were already 3-0 down to Ironside-Talinger, the surprise package of the second tier this season. The nippy striker Adam Wiater gave the visitors’ ageing defence nightmares in scoring a hat-trick in Ironside’s 4-2 win, but in truth staying up is far more important to Gamboa’s board and management alike.

As far as those Neanderthals at TTO were concerned however, the big games of the day were all-CMSC affairs. Green Island v Albrecht Turkish certainly got the most attention of all, and both managers put out first-choice teams. The result – 2-0 to Turkish – was telling, with Scott Soldarian winning the battle of the Eesseffians by a mile. In El din meanwhile, the focus was on the Man Who Wasn’t There; Johnathon Filmar. The Blouman’s absence was costly, but Port of Clotaire were far the better side and deserved their 2-1 win.

Clubs who weren’t there were noticeable too; with Division Two’s Abiodun North, McDonald Sports, Caires Sports, Alvery Blades, Melin & Nader, Swords of Bass, Independent and Fallon United all missing have been knocked out in the previous round. Perhaps that reflects the lack of a gap between the second, third and regional leagues brought on by the CMSC’s new wealth, or perhaps that most of these clubs just have rather bigger fish to fry, but at least it gave the opportunity to same less familiar names. Not all were able to take said chance however; with Webley easily downed at home to Albrecht FC and the Dublynne Raiders swept aside by an under strength Caires City side. Bass FC managed to open the scoring in Onwere through a former MarquezOW youngster Alejandro Zubeldía, but in the long term their only claim to fame was on-loan Turks’ Club midfielder Michael Gießner’s tackle on Harry Primrose which left the ‘keeper with broken ribs. Substitute Seb Moon kept a clean sheet after that however, as last year’s CMS Cup runners-up went on to a 4-1 win.

Another MarquezOW also fared well, with the teenage striker Carlos Benali hitting a brace for Clube Marquez in their 2-1 win at the Melin Professionals. Benali’s presence at the Clube remains highly controversial, given the traditionally poor relations between Onwere’s finest, but fans will forgive their board for bringing him in for at least this weekend.

In the other CMSC/lower league clashes, Di Alfonso held Castillo goalless while Brayton Town – quarter-finalists last time out – likewise held the reigning champions KT Hotspur. They’ll both get their chances in replays, but lower league clubs definitely through include Sloane Wanderers, Khatib FC and, rather notably, The New Saints. The side birthed from supporters of All Saints FC – the club effectively destroyed by the creation of MN Smith – are the lowest-ranked side into the last sixteen after Harry Haider and Alton Randall twice combined in their 2-1 comeback win against Mount Lo.

Webley Stadium v Albrecht FC 0 – 3 (B. Edwards 1 and 27, Cartwright og 84)
C.A.L v MN Smith 3 – 0 (Pearson 10, Ely 26, Morales 53)
Radyukevich v Turks’ Club 0 – 0
Di Alfonso Phoenix v Castillo FC 0 – 0
Southampton TNS v Mount Lo 2 – 1 (Haider 45, Randall 50; Dai 11)
Melin Professionals v Clube Marquez 1 – 2 (Jerez 87; Benali 59 and 73)
Ironside v Gamboa FC 4 – 2 (Wiater 8 and 17 and 90+3, Archer 42; Ely 62, Castelão 90+1)
MarquezOW v Bass FC 4 – 1 (Careca 3, N. Kjaer 5 and 55, Stafador 75; Zubeldía 2)
Brayton Town v KT Hotspur 0 – 0
Caires City v Dublynne Raiders 3 – 1 (Burridge 24, Eich 25, Roberts 68; Osmer 78)
Mayo Valley v Portuguese 0 – 1 (Beraza 33)
CandelariaAM v El din Marbles 0 – 2 (O’Leary 15, Percy 16)
Cathedral City v Port of Clotaire 1 – 2 (Ozi-Mayer 38; Federici 21, Walker 90+2)
Khatib FC v Hanlon Beavers 3 – 2 (Mottram 7 and 29, Jusczyk 67; Hurd 13, Yeates 74)
Green Island v A.Turks 0 – 2 (Soldarian 48 and 54)
Sloane Wanderers v Alber City Wasps 2 – 1 (King 85, Oliver 86; Harvey 17)

Matchday Thirteen: Errant Knights spoil perfectly predictable day

And so, after a curious little gap brought about by, I dunno, a general strike or something, the CMSC returns with a day of utter predictability.

Well, for those armchair punters with little understanding of the course of the season, at any rate. Given the recent wobbles of Albrecht Turkish and Green Island, and the total randomness at the middle of the table, the more cultured gambler might have chosen a few more long-shot outcomes. And they would’ve lost their money, for the day belonged to those prepared to marry up a few rather excessive scorelines with a bevy of humdrum results.

It got underway on Saturday morning (as it usually does..) with Cathedral City’s 3-0 vanquishing of Arrigo Portuguese. There’s only those three points between the two clubs now, but only the home side was in this game. Johnathon Filmar was the focus of course, on his first start for club or country since his interesting recent diversion in Suite 204 and it was he that was the driving force; his cross allowing Emiliano Taffarel to rise beyond Avilass Gackbang, before the Blouman added the second with a strong drive from the edge of Andy Harford’s box.

The result pushed the Cats back to within a point of the Champions’ Cup spots, something which absolutely nobody would’ve predicted. Rather, it was their increasingly annoying neighbours who were pencilled in for a sudden elevation into world football’s higher echelons, with Carlos Panadero’s winning smile and the presence of Abdoulaye Soro masking just how limited a side the El din Marbles really are. Off-pitch, they’re still trying to forge a new identity; complete with rousing anthems and a “People’s Club” mentality which is really starting to piss off supporters of the rather more venerable Catedral; but on-pitch they’re in danger of slipping towards a relegation battle if they don’t watch themselves.

This weekend their own personal drubbing was at the hands of the A.Turks – four-one, no less, even with young Ben Rasmussen in for Oberon Martinez between the sticks – with the champions looking every inch just that. Hirokazu Reizei was the sacrificial lamb (Me-e-e-e-e-h-h-h) after some poor league performances lately, and Can Cetin rewarded Kris Healy’s faith by laying on the pass for Gary Maini’s opener and scoring himself almost from the re-start. Larry Torrell-Whyte’s amusing season continued in the second half when he received his second straight red of the year for a tackle on Samuel Taha. The striker had already done his day’s work by adding the fourth and he hobbled off, and looks set to miss the next couple of games. Sadly for Torrell-Whyte’s Candelariasian employers it all came a little too late to stop Bettia from lifting the World Cup qualifying Group 3.

Injuries were a key theme up in Khatib-Gassett, with the visitors Green Island missing Ben Head but featuring Espy va Drake for the first time in ages. Head’s replacement was another of C&M’s promising teens, Lloyd Carpenter, who did his job in the centre simply and effectively and allowed Roger Zetaback to steal all the glory. The caveat though is that their 3-0 win was against Turks’ Club, for whom the first signs of panic are starting to settle in. Felipe Curana faces two away trips now, to MN Smith and Castillo FC. Any measure of failure in these two games could give him the honour of becoming the CMSC’s first foreign manager to be sacked.

His next two opponents thankfully aren’t in much form either however, though Castillo’s squad will have the advantage of new manager syndrome, with Macario Ayoví set to manage his first game against the Turks. Before that comes his former club Marquez-Onwere – with Castillo owner Luis Gerardo Movilla apparently keen not to give his new man a potentially bloody baptism of fire against his former club. Such concerns may be unduly pessimistic however, with the naranja only scraping to a point this weekend against Caires City.

It was enough for the Errant Knights to break the pattern however; with Albrecht FC winning in Vo, Port of Clotaire squeezing two goals out of the KT Hotspur defence, and Radyukevich beating MN Smith. By five goals to two. That being the second game the Jukos have won 5-2 this season. Curious.

A.Turks v El din Marbles 4 – 1 (Maini 9 and 38, Cetin 10, Taha 52; Panama 53)
Caires City v MarquezOW (Mon Evening) 2 – 2 (Dionísio 19, McGuire 78; Stafador 54, Careca 86)
Cathedral City v Portuguese (Sat Morning) 3 – 0 (Taffarel 8, Filmar 57, Ozi-Mayer 90+3)
Gamboa FC v Castillo FC (Sat Evening) 2 – 0 (Lewis 46, Shannon 90+2)
Mayo Valley v Albrecht FC 1 – 2 (Sekerci 33; Cunningham 56, Tonnelier 75)
Port of Clotaire v KT Hotspur 2 – 0 (Alaoui 12, Federici 67)
Radyukevich v MN Smith 5 – 2 (Virta 21, Ragab 34, Rotherwell 55 and 72, Crochemore 68; Cohen 50, Johansson 76)
Turks’ Club v Green Island 0 – 3 (Vélez 23, Desideri 65, Zetaback 69)

Cup Re-plays:

Turks’ Club v Radyukevich 0 – 1 (Rotherwell 35)
Castillo FC v Di Alfonso Phoenix 3 – 1 (Gomez 9 and 80, Yilmaz 20; Panter 28)
KT Hotspur v Brayton Town 2 – 0 (Fisher 34, Knight 64)

Matchday Fourteen: Cunningham’s Cathedral take the lead in Champions’ Cup contest

Only Albrecht Turkish now stand in the way of the big, scary units of Cathedral City announcing themselves on a global stage with an unlikely TQCC qualification. The nerves are clearly there, for the Cats were limited to just a 1-0 win against freefalling Mayo Valley, courtesy of Teddy Ozi-Mayer’s early penalty, and but for Robinson Zaparov in goal they might well have lost this game. Only Mayo’s toothlessness up front really saved them, with Pascal Thorrington not available to join the big but wayward Rick Sekerci until next week.

Catedral and Charlie Cunningham have won few friends with their style of play, but you can’t help but doff your cap to Joe Cunningham’s Uncky Chuck. Unlike so many of their fellow CMSC sides they have neglected a 4-4-2 in favour of a 5-3-2 or 3-5-2, with Terry Shelton and Alex Duxbury performing vital roles in the wing-back positions. Cunningham has certainly bought well – permitting Demario Ortiz’s late move to United Trilan and getting the rather more experienced head of Michael Spelman coming in the other way – to add to Sword of Bass’ Duxbury and the controversial Blouman Johnathon Filmar. He’s clearly got the best out of what he had to work with as well, for Emiliano Taffarel is a very limited forward and Kurt Folgueira nothing if not flimsy down the flanks, but both local lads have been playing out of their skin this year. The neutral may prefer Marquez-Onwere to fly the flag for the CMSC, but Cathedral have every chance of making it, and good on ‘em.

MarquezOW are realistically the only other option, for their own next opponents Radyukevich have a somewhat skinnier goal difference to make up, and would need to beat the naranja and hope Cathedral lose to the A.Turks. All those clubs ‘enjoyed’ draws this weekend that hardly helped their various bids. The title has surely slipped out of Andy Woolworth’s grasp, following his side’s 2-2 tie in Castillo. Héctor Castillo knows that he’ll be out of a job in a matter of days when Macario Ayoví ships up to take the vacant managerial position, but the gigantes players were clearly wearing their much-loved assistant manager’s heart on their sleeves after Óscar Gomez had fired them into a first minute lead. It took until the sixty-fifth minute for Reiban Okeke’s overhead kick to tally MarquezOW up against the bottom-placed side, but the real action of the game was reserved for injury time. Seemingly no sooner had Careca put the visitors into the lead did Fernando Quirarte take the ball on the half-way line, ghost past Jack Stafador and John Horner, and thump a shot into Seb Moon’s net.

If Woolworth’s side are clearly missing Oberon Martinez and José Felipe Cassumba Domingos, then Hane Davies is discovering that Lloyd Carpenter is no substitute for the presence of Ben Head. Green Island were second best against Coleman Mustard’s Jukos at Marlow Park; the home side twice coming back from a goal down following Luke Naylor’s opener and Beck Ragab’s thumping shot. It was the GIZ’s sixth draw of the campaign, and leaves them ten points behind the side who, without even reaching the half-way stage, appear to be the champions-elect. Albrecht FC once again left it late, with Peter Vanderpent only scoring once Caires City had been knocked down to ten men after Derek Spencer’s red card, but there’s a horrible air of inevitability about the Scorpions right now.

Sort of like the inevitability that says that Felipe Curana’s days are numbered. His Turks’ Club side were downed 2-0 by MN Smith, after Jamie Watson had nodded in the opener on five minute and the remarkably little find that is Niv Cohen scored his fifth of the season with another cracking shot that gave Stephen Hill no chance at all. The Smudgers could even survive Cohen pulling a muscle and limping off, with Holger Pi and Hague Parr utterly ineffectual up front. Anything but a 3-0 win in Castillo next week should surely end Curana’s stay, for the Turks simply can’t afford to risk relegation.

Of course, a win could change things utterly. One only need look at their rivals from KT Hotspur, who were flying early in the season but suffered another 1-0 defeat on Saturday to slip down to twelfth. That’s still only seven points from the TQCC places mind you, which just shows how remarkably close the second half of the season’s going to be.

Except for the title race, of course. Albrecht look home and hosed already.

Albrecht FC v Caires City (Sat Evening) 1 – 0 (Vanderpent 86)
Castillo FC v MarquezOW 2 – 2 (Gomez 1, Quirarte 90+3; Okeke 65, Careca 90+1)
Cathedral City v Mayo Valley 1 – 0 (Ozi-Mayer 19)
El din Marbles v KT Hotspur 1 – 0 (Soro 33)
Green Island v Radyukevich (Mon Evening) 2 – 2 (Vélez 45+2, va Drake 84; Naylor 41, Ragab 75)
MN Smith v Turks’ Club (Sat Morning) 2 – 0 (Watson 5, Cohen 16)
Port of Clotaire v Gamboa FC 1 – 1 (Waywide 64; Ely 56)
Portuguese v A.Turks 1 – 1 (Brightmore 24; Soldarian 60)

Matchday Fifteen: Well, that’s the apachu… araputer… appit… first half dealt with.

So, we could do one of those Kura-Pellandi-style around-the-grounds matchday thingies, with the four spots in the TQCC at stake. But we can’t, because of the telly.

Yes, the clamour for live games ensured that a potentially most exciting back-and-forth couple of hours were instead spread over a couple of days. Still, each and every game of matchday fifteen is worth mentioning, since this weekend was CMSC XXVIII in microcosm: utterly bonkers. When I tell you that there are just three points separating the team in second from the team in tenth, you get some idea of the absolute openness of the first division this year. Apart from Albrecht FC, obviously. It’s starting to get slightly silly where they are concerned.

We can start on Saturday morning however, where a yawning Macario Ayoví waved the Kaleta Online Stadium behind to start his new job at the Estadio Movilla del Candelarias Online. On the face of it, his Castillo side didn’t look a whole lot different to that of Dan Díaz or Héctor Castillo, the same 3-5-2 – albeit with José Luis Sixtos starting up front in place of Jack Yilmaz and Lucas Saglam starting for Steven Fiore – but the New Manager Effect, at the very least, had clearly taken hold. Within four minutes Sixtos had beaten the offside trap and played in Manuel Zezli, the young Kura-Pellandi winger scoring smartly past his veteran countryman Stephen Hill.

And that was kinda it, as far as the morning was concerned. Ayoví’s Castillo looked a solid unit, with the reintroduced Saglam having a fine game in snaffling out Holger Pi and Andrew Bradley’s few openings. Turks’ Club kept up the pressure but the two sides ultimately cancelled each other out… until Karl McDonald let in Fernando Quirarte and Hill was left to sacrifice himself to avoid letting in the killer second goal. Brett Wardle was brought on as the substitute goalkeeper, but his only act of significance was to watch Kim Mihyeon sky his penalty.

1-0 was enough however and Felipe Curana did the decent thing and stepped down before he was pushed. Perhaps had he had longer he would have fulfilled in Khatib-Gassett the reputation he had developed at Sorbridge as a team builder par excellence, but Milo Craven and the rest of the board simply couldn’t risk beginning that reconstruction effort in the CMSC2 next season. Ultimately, scoring nine goals in fifteen games isn’t going to get you anywhere. Perhaps he was just put off what with everyone calling him Felipe instead of Felipo, which is actually his real name and frankly we’re embarrassed about that, as a country. But still. He’s had a season and a half, and it just hasn’t worked.

Ironically it’s another Kura-Pellandi, the former club captain and international midfielder Giorgio Pezzoni, taking charge against Marquez-Onwere next week, but the Turks will no doubt be looking further afield for someone to save them from disaster. Any ideas, then?

On to some of the week’s less important games in the Saturday 3PM slot then, and the Scorpions’ domination is becoming proper tiresome now. But once again they showed how Andy Le Lan has perfected the art of the late win, for KT Hotspur looked much the better side once Anslem Fisher had headed in the equaliser, four minutes after Peter Vanderpent’s surging run (not a phrase you hear very often) resulted in Albrecht’s opener. But the visitors to the Valleys were always going to win, and it wasn’t so much that the Spur wilted as Albrecht just stepped it up in the last ten minutes as they do so very often. First Ryan Edwards set up his brother, then the elder sibling laid on two crosses for Vanderpent to casually wander into the box and tap home past Joel Sbaïz. Twice. For his hat-trick. Thank god he’ll be gone during the World Cup…

The Spur are only two points ahead of Turks’ Club, but at least you can see that there’s a plan there. And at least they do actually score, on occasion. But it’s still the case that they could end up going down or confidently securing a place in the third TQCC. Witness Green Island v Caires City, what should have been a procession for last season’s runner-ups for all the Errant Knights’ progression. Yet the GIZ were still Headless, Esdy va Drake is only slowly getting back into the grove, Roger Zetaback seems slightly perturbed by having his sister around the place, and Stuart Vidakovic is going through one of his little slumps right now. City meanwhile defended superbly for most of the game before hitting the home side on the counter and scoring twice. And for once both their scorers were actually Candelariasian… providing you ignore Eddie Dyer’s Dancougan birth and Murat Varnali’s Turkoman heritage…

Meanwhile that afternoon, Gamboa’s bright young things were having a whale of a time in thumping the El din Marbles 4-1. If Andrew Duffy appears to be getting things right at last then Carlos Panadero’s outfit are definitely on the slide, and will now have to do without Andy Madden for a few games after he was injured in a tackle with his own countryman Clayton Knight. Mayo Valley, another side who seem to have packed away their early-season expressionism in favour of coming out all elbows blazing, continued their own slump into obscurity with a 3-1 home defeat to Arrigo Portuguese. Djabgor Cvecej scored for them, so you know that Mayo really were awful.

Also awful were Port of Clotaire, who had one of those utter mares they’re capable of away from home. Against MN Smith, though, come on. Something was really in the water this weekend.

On to the evening then, and this was the big one. If Marquez-Onwere could beat Radyukevich at home then all the pressure would be on Cathedral City to stop Andy Woolworth’s men getting a second title at the global trophy. And this was a truly odd game as well, once Niclas Kjaer had cut back for Merlin Siriwong to open the scoring on twenty-one. Not long after, Christian Sattler – himself in only for the suspended Dean Wilson – received his second yellow card for a blatant attempted headbutt on Jack Stafador (and my word, it takes a proper headcase to try that). But going down to ten men somehow solidified Coleman Mustard’s schizophrenic unit, and they were much the better side for the rest of the game. Indeed, at one stage it seemed possible that they could overthrow the goal difference stopping them from challenging the Cats themselves, but Careca (who else?) eventually pulled one back for the naranja. Luke Naylor gave the Jukos their fourth shortly after, but it was clear that they would have to rely on a mammoth effort from Albrecht Turkish to squeezed into the top four.

Yet remarkably that mammoth effort looked entirely possible, with Turkish looking robust and silky in equal measure and Catedral’s ultimate lack of genuine talent – Johnathon Filmar and Alex Duxbury honourable exceptions – badly showed up. Only the goalkeeping of Robinson Zaparov and a few fair, if hefty, challenges from Michael Spelman stopped at utter rout at La Decimotercia, and the A.Turks had to settle for a 2-0 win.

Aaand breeeeath…

The upshot? Cathedral City and Port of Clotaire join Albrecht FC and Green Island in the Champions’ Cup, with Radyukevich missing out by one goal behind their local rivals. I can assure you, they’re not loving that fact. And Turkish, meanwhile, have snuck up into sixth place without anyone noticing. Reports of their death, etcetera and so forth…

And all this was before C&M got knocked out of the World Cup at the play-off stage. Except the recriminations to begin next week.

Lock up your elves…

Castillo FC v Turks’ Club (Sat Morning) 1 – 0 (Zelzi 4)
Cathedral City v A.Turks (Mon Evening) 0 – 2 (Soldarian 22, Maini 79)
Gamboa FC v El din Marbles 4 – 1 (Castelão 6 and 78, Richardson 25, Jua 33; Soro 13)
Green Island v Caires City 0 – 2 (Dyer 72, Varnali 90+3)
KT Hotspur v Albrecht FC 1 – 4 (Fisher 50; Vanderpent 46 and 83 and 90+4, B. Edwards 82)
MarquezOW v Radyukevich (Sat Evening) 2 – 4 (Siriwong 21, Careca 85; Wolverton 38, Ragab 59, Horner og 68, Naylor 87)
Mayo Valley v Portuguese 1 – 3 (Zetaback 47; Cvecej 9, Travers 28, Brightmore 77)
MN Smith v Port of Clotaire 3 – 0 (Martín 1, Jones 51, Watson 27)

CMSC XXVIII Division One – Half-Way Table
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Albrecht FC 15 11 1 2 24 7 17 37 TQCC
2 Green Island 15 6 6 3 22 18 4 24 TQCC
3 Cathedral City 15 7 2 6 21 14 7 23 TQCC
4 Port of Clotaire 15 7 2 6 19 14 5 23 TQCC
5 Radyukevich CSC 15 6 5 4 29 25 4 23
6 Albrecht Turkish 15 6 4 5 23 14 9 22
7 Marquez-Onwere 15 6 4 5 30 24 6 22
8 Caires City 15 6 4 5 22 20 2 22
9 Arrigo Portuguese 15 5 6 4 14 14 0 21
10 AFC MN Smith 15 7 0 8 24 32 -8 21
11 El din Marbles 15 5 3 7 20 27 -7 18
12 Gamboa FC 15 4 5 6 21 26 -5 17
13 KT Hotspur 15 4 4 7 14 18 -4 16
14 Turks’ Club of Khatib 15 4 2 9 9 18 -9 14
15 Mayo Valley 15 3 4 8 16 24 -8 13
16 Castillo United FC 15 2 6 7 14 27 -13 12

Matchday Sixteen: “Why is it always blue, anyway?” and other questions following an extended period of navel gazing

Candelaria And Marquez is not a wealthy country, with the GDP per capita comfortably behind many comparable sporting nations and possessing a very low number of ego-driven millionaires (never mind billionaires) willing to plough their fortunes into the club game. Arrigo Portuguese has one, Castillo FC has one, KT Hotspur has one. Gamboa have several. But everyone else has had to cut their cloth accordingly over the years, until the potential of a thriving domestic league was noticed by the government. Since then, the cash available to the league has shot up, primarily in order to finance the buying of foreigners and to support their often wildly inflated wages. Somewhere approaching thirty different countries are now represented in the CMSC, with the result that live games and highlights are now watched on obscure satellite channels the worlds over. The money from the foreign television deals, coupled with the boost to tourism following the country’s greater exposure on the global scene, has successfully paid for this funding twice over in the last year. It’s proving a remarkable stroke of genius by the government, frankly, and everyone’s benefiting.

The one ickle caveat is that while some of the finest players of the country’s biggest clubs (and some relatively titchy ones as well) will be spending the summer in Starblaydia and Krytenia, C&M’s won’t be. Well alright, they will, but it’s a different tournament. It’s complicated. Anyhoo, it’s all engendered a fair old amount of soul searching in the Candelariasian press, with the focus falling firmly at the feet of the foreigners. Principally, the likes of Sargento Castelão, Ruud Horin, Espy va Drake and so forth; players that, as skilled as they undoubtedly are, are clearly miles away from making their own national teams. Does this still mean that they’re superior talents to their direct Candelariasian counterparts? Sure, but that’s hardly the point. Their presence isn’t going to win the CMSC any new fans or consumers overseas, while their involvement means that home-grown Candelariasians aren’t getting a chance in their clubs’ first-teams. Surely Lloyd Donnelly would relish having a chance to watch – in the case of the three examples given – Robbie Shannon, Alfie Felipe André and Andrew Fitzpatrick rather than three minor foreigners?

Though such claims have been roundly dismissed by most pundits and supporters, there remains a growing air of discontent that the rapid development of the C&M national team could be stopped dead in its tracks by its own domestic competition. So was their non-qualification merely a one-off, or the start of a rather lengthier malaise? Only time (and the Cup of Harmony and next Di Bradini Cup) will tell. Either way, Blues fans are going to be seeing an awful lot of Starblaydia over the next few months, and the future direction of all football in the Candelarias could be determined by events over in the Protectorate.

All this is an extremely long-winded excuse for concentrating less on the particulars of the league this weekend, because it’s just so difficult to keep up with it all right now with no-one seeming to be capable to stringing more than a couple of wins together. It’s starting to resemble one of the old harem-scarem games the pre-foreigner CMSC used to be blighted with, which were kinda fun to watch but lacked any kind of pattern. The outcome was usually entirely random and had little to do with who actually played the best. Come the end of the season that will surely also be the case as far as league positions go, with managers likely to focus on blaming referees, and such forth. With only three points currently separating second from eighth, you can certainly see the temptation. The most notable victim of this as the league’s second half began was Green Island who lost, quite bizarrely, at home to KT Hotspur. By four goals to two.

Though it can hardly be said that the GIZ are ‘failing’ this season, it’s notable just how often Hane Davies is referring to them as a ‘small club’ right now. There’s a clear attempt to play down expectations, but it’s hardly to deny that the Marlow Park outfit have a very strong, expensively assembled squad that should be challenging Albrecht FC rather closer than they are. Davies’ own performance needs to be looked at, for his kamikaze tactics are proving increasingly outmoded in the tactically more astute days of XXVIII. He deserves all the credit on offer for taking the GIZ to second in the league twice in three seasons, and the Zapata club are still punching above their weight even now. But that doesn’t mean he couldn’t do with taking a good hard long look at himself.

Elsewhere, the results were rather less batty. No Manager Syndrome appears to have helped Turks’ Club a tad, for with the inexperienced Giorgio Pezzoni at the helm they raced to a 2-0 lead against Marquez-Onwere early in the second half before the greater talent of the visitors helped pull things back to two apiece. The involvement of José Felipe Cassumba Domingos as a substitute was the naranja’s clarion call to action, and his return after suffering one of the injuries afflicting Big Blues players in recent times in expected to herald the presence of Tom Redway and Oberon Martinez back next week. Ben Head’s re-emergence may take a little longer, sadly for Green Island, while MarquezOW will have to cope with Seb Moon in goal for a while as well. As for the Turks, expect a new man in place for the trip to Gamboa. God only knows who it’ll be, though.

Radyukevich weren’t missing anyone notable, but their disappointment at missing out on a TQCC place was also evident, as they also allowed a 2-0 home lead to slip thanks to the wee bairns of Gamboa. Cathedral City and Port of Clotaire are on a high though, and took tight but comfortable wins against MN Smith and Mayo Valley.

Matthew Tortini is keeping up the honour of the Kura-Pellandi managers right now, with Arrigo Portuguese up to seventh, where they probably belong; with a 3-2 sort-of-derby victory over the El din Marbles. Perhaps tellingly, Zach Malde was the only Candelariasian scorer, and that was an own goal.

Albrecht Turkish are up into fourth with a 3-1 victory over Caires City. We’ll get a better idea as to whether their resurrection is complete when they visit MarquezOW next week.

Oh, and Albrecht FC won, 3-0 at Castillo. The game was basically a write-off for Macario Ayoví, who was plainly more interested in masterminding a result next week against PoC, while Andy Le Lan’s Scorpions are, for the record, just the fourteen points clear at the top of the table.

A.Turks v Caires City (Mon Evening) 3 – 1 (Maini 14, Taha 24 and 52; Varnali 73)
Castillo FC v Albrecht FC 0 – 3 (Corradini 25, Cunningham 63, Vanderpent 76)
Cathedral City v MN Smith 2 – 0 (Taffarel 6, Ozi-Mayer 16)
Green Island v KT Hotspur 2 – 4 (Vidakovic 44, Vélez 83; Michaels og 1, Knight 31, Milton 58, Gallagher 71)
Mayo Valley v Port of Clotaire 0 – 1 (Tensen 56)
Portuguese v El din Marbles (Sat Morning) 3 – 2 (Malde og 45+1, Cvecej 70, Belling 75; Quinn 74, Soro 90+1)
Radyukevich v Gamboa FC 2 – 2 (Rotherwell 50, Ragab 61; Ely 77, Richardson 90)
Turks’ Club v MarquezOW (Sat Evening) 2 – 2 (Bradley 46, Rosdi 57; Zois og 65, Siriwong 79)

Matchday Seventeen: Capital! Absolutely capital!

With many players returning from a laborious set of friendly internationals, and other Candelariasians still slightly bladdered from April 14th – C&M’s national day (with it also being the feast day (or whatever you call it) of Peter Gonzalez, the country’s sort-of patron sort-of saint) and the one day of the year where Candelariasians of all shapes and sizes feel it acceptable to indulge in that most un-Candelariasian of pursuits vis. getting off their tits on 60% - there were five 1-0 scorelines and a clear sense that it was probably a good idea to keep things as sedate as possible and would you please not chant so loud?

Somebody should have told that to the Albrecht clubs. Scorpions manager Andy Le Lan had gone as far as sending his squad away to a training camp on Pranschke Island, away from the roistering and such forth down Irish Street way, and my word did it work?

Er, yes. Against a Radyukevich side tottering about with a hand over one eye, Albrecht rocketed to a 3-0 lead before half-time, getting underway when Matteo Corradini took hold of the ball from former Scorpion Jackson Tanzani on the edge of the box, drove forwards, passed to Ben Edwards, got the ball back from Ben Edwards, evaded the challenge of former Scorpion Benji Fu, looked Gari Kilad firmly in the eyes and thwacked a shot into the back of the net.

Corradini was at the centre of the action for most of the rest of the game, and the C&M really does seem to be in his prime right now and emerging at surely the most creative so-called holding player in the league. Thanks to Lloyd Donnelly he now has the confidence to come forward, safe in the knowledge that Ben Head or Connor Mengucci is waiting behind him, while for his club Jack Marshall has shown a worthy ability for dropping back to support his fellow Albrecht native.

It also helps when you’ve got a half-decent defence behind you, and much to everyone’s surprise Albrecht can certainly claim that. The loss of Fu to the Jukos has proven an unexpected boon, with Loren Meyer easily slotting in, while Paolo Thorpe, at thirty-four, is having a monster of a season between the sticks. He’s let in seven goals all season, and that tells you all you need to know. But here’s a bit more anyway – Albrecht have scored thirty-one goals, a figure matched by Radyukevich. Thing is, Coleman Mustard’s side have also conceded thirty-one. Which is why they’re seventh and Albrecht are going to win the title.

Unless Joe Cunningham has anything to say about it. Late in the second half, the C&M international, for no reason whatsoever, went in hard on the Jukos right-back Hugo Krstev. One red card, three-match suspension and broken ankle later, and Kian Donnelly will have the chance to prove that he’s more than just a surname as Peter Vanderpent’s partner, while Mustard will be thanking his lucky stars that the Cup of Harmony will be starting soon, giving Krstev time to recover.

Albrecht’s really wasn’t the best performance of the weekend, oh no. That distinction belongs to Albrecht Turkish, who murdered Marquez-Onwere 3-0 at the Estadio Francisco Álvarez to go third. Perhaps the scoreline was slightly flattering, with MarquezOW well in it until Gary Maini’s second and the Millermen’s third, and the game was as open and mutually adventurous as you like, but it was the naranja who were exposed for naivety by the visitors. Turkish still don’t look the complete force, and there’s no doubt that wherever they finish there’ll be some major reconstruction work before XXIX, but they really do look to have put their early wobbles behind them. Next week they get a little break, what with it being the CMS Cup Round of Sixteen. They play Albrecht FC. So no pressure there, then.

The focus on the Albrecht giants allows us to gratefully gloss over the debut of a saviour called Derek. It’s a sure bet that Mithraism would have come to dominate in Europe had the good lord named his only son Derek, and Turks’ Club fans also appear unconvinced. As well they might. Derek Marshall’s first game at the helm since his move from MN Smith ended in a limp 1-0 defeat to Gamboa with George Jones scoring the late goal. The Smudgers meanwhile also lost to the same scoreline, at home to an appreciative Mayo Valley. Clearly they’re going to have to act quickly to get in a proper manager, but Marshall has at least given them enough points from which to mount a realistic survival effort.

Elsewhere, Green Island are quietly committing suicide, this time with a 1-0 defeat to the El din Marbles. Caires City beat Cathedral City by 1-0, while Macario Ayoví’s Castillo were unsurprisingly beaten by Port of Clotaire. By a goal to nil.

KT Hotspur beat Arrigo Portuguese 2-1. Spoilsports.

Albrecht FC v Radyukevich (Sun Evening) 4 – 0 (Corradini 6 and 58, Vanderpent 24, Cunningham 35)
Caires City v Cathedral City 1 – 0 (Morrison 72)
El din Marbles v Green Island 1 – 0 (Gardner 33)
Gamboa FC v Turks’ Club (Sat Morning) 1 – 0 (Jones 80)
KT Hotspur v Portuguese 2 – 1 (Milton 40, Ryan 45; Cvecej 49)
MarquezOW v A.Turks (Sat Evening) 0 – 3 (Kelly 32, Maini 66 and 87)
MN Smith v Mayo Valley 0 – 1 (Sekerci 1)
Port of Clotaire v Castillo FC 1 – 0 (Tensen 50)

[b]CMS Cup Last Sixteen: Some sort of pun based around ‘Turkish’, I guess

Oh god, it’s the cup again. Right, let’s try and make this as quick and painless as possible. The Last Sixteen and actually garnered rather more press attention than per usual, thanks to the presence of two derby games, albeit of rather different types. The Big One saw Albrecht FC ‘hosting’ Albrecht Turkish, with both sides knowing how potentially important this could be when deciding the direction of the league. Getting through to the Quarter-Finals in this competition was important of course, as was getting one over on their arch-rivals, but putting a spanner in the oppositions’ season seemed rather more important. For Albrecht, rising fourteen points clear at the top of the table, defeat here could have sent reverberations around their serene dressing room and given Port of Clotaire and the A.Turks a psychological chance to get back in the hunt. At the same time, defeat for Turkish could have left their remarkable reversal in fortunes in the emotional gutter, especially ahead of a league trip to Radyukevich next weekend.

But then, of course, all that’s kinda blown out of the water when you consider how much of a distraction some managers find this Cup, especially now in these days of the TQCC. Perhaps instead this was a tie that neither team wanted to win? The context of the Capital City Derby has always been difficult to gauge, with their rivalry a fairly recent concoction. Socially speaking, Albrecht FC are the more inner-city club while Turkish draw much of their support from the suburbs, but that doesn’t automatically translate to a poor/wealthy divide by any means. Certainly not these days, when both attract travelling fans from across the country, who often have little personal relationship with Albrecht the city. Not for nothing do Alber City Wasps and Independent FC battle over the title of “The Peoples’ Club”.

Any road up, it was a dull little game, apart from the goals; the first two of which were scored by Zwangzugian strikers in a typically nonchalant manner, with Turkish taking a first-half lead when Shane Wojciechowski – clearly slightly overcome by his international call-up – managed to tackle is own goalkeeper and present Gary Maini with a simple chance. Peter Vanderpent soon made up for the Scorpions’ error however, easily finishing from a one on one after Joe Cunningham – who isn’t banned in Cup games and was clearly intent on enjoying himself here – laid off a glorious pass. That a home-grown man was involved in the goal will please the purists, but not as much as when the childhood Turkish fan, substitute Can Cetin, jinked down the right and fired a low, eighty-second minute, shot past Paolo Thorpe to complete a 2-1 victory.

Andy Le Lan, to his credit, opted not to look on the bright side following the defeat and described it as a major disappointment. In reality he was probably pretty happy not to have to think about yet another tournament, though that opinion might well have changed when he saw the draw, which pitted Turkish against Clube Marquez following their 2-0 win over The New Saints. Whichever of those two progressed would have been a story, though the Clube must be disappointed to miss out on a quarter-final clash with their mamás y papás at Marquez-Onwere. Who knows though, they could yet meet in the semi-finals after the naranja took a late victory at Castillo FC.

Castillo are another club undoubtedly glad to be shot of the Cup, while MarquezOW know that their own title challenge is surely over, and with no second Champions’ Cup this is their only shot at silverware this season. In a similar position are KT Hotspur, the reigning CMS Cup holders, who were involved in the weekend’s other derby… after a fashion. For Khatib FC, days like these are difficult. As Gassett FC, they had plenty of success in their all-too short period of professionalism in the early 1950s, while under their new name the ‘Tin Hats’ were an important force in the nascent CMSC. Though Turks’ Club were the more consistent outfit, there could be few arguments over who were Khatib-Gassett’s number one.

But a title in XIII proved their undoing, for the pressure to spend and keep ahead of both Turks’ Club and the Spur led them to financial meltdown and a relegation from which they have never recovered. Today, they struggled to fill out the Khatib Together Stadium, and their dreams of getting back into the top-flight look no closer than they have ever done. It’ll come, eventually, but by then they may have surrendered more of their fanbase than they will ever be able to get back. This weekend, they surrendered meekly at the Valleys, in an atmosphere not so much pulsating as mocking.

Elsewhere, Port of Clotaire continued their fight on three fronts with a simple 3-0 win at second division Ironside-Talinger; the international talent of Serkan Turkmen and Lee Waywide putting the Harpies a cut above their opponents, with Kenan Orlovic celebrating his call-up with a rare third. Arrigo Portuguese won the other all-CMSC clash with a 2-0 win at Caires City. Good game, though. Honest.

Meanwhile… Upsets? You want upsets? Why? What’s this pathetic fascination with seeing lower league clubs prolong their misadventure in the Cup? Well alright, the one that really captured the imagination was Sloane Wanderers’ 1-0 victory over an under-strength Radyukevich side thanks to defender Mark Bell’s second-half header. It’s not that much of a surprise, for the Wanderers are walking away with Division 3 this year and will be a major force in next season’s new CMSC2, but the islanders were still celebrating this one late into the wee small hours.

Following their victory over Green Island last week, the El din Marbles’ star was back on the wane meanwhile when they lost at home to Candelaria Arsenal. Their own last victory in the Cup has really helped pick up the Yellows’ season, and they were fully deserving of becoming the third lower-league club through to the last eight.

Albrecht FC v A.Turks 1 – 2 (Vanderpent 50; Maini 37, Cetin 82)
Sloane Wanderers v Radyukevich 1 – 0 (Bell 61)
Castillo FC v MarquezOW 0 – 1 (Siriwong 80)
Caires City v Portuguese 0 – 2 (André 53, da Silva 90+2)
Clube Marquez v Southampton TNS 2 – 0 (Bruzón 8, Benali 71)
Ironside v Port of Clotaire 0 – 3 (Turkmen 3, Waywide 33, Orlovic 88)
El din Marbles v C.A.L 1 – 2 (James 75; Ely 34, Harouni 58)
KT Hotspur v Khatib FC 3 – 0 (Farquar og 7, Milton 41, Gallagher 65)

United Hetzel

10-04-2008, 22:27

OOC: Does anyone know where the International Domestic Sports Newswire topic is?

Bettia

11-04-2008, 09:15

OOC: Does anyone know where the International Domestic Sports Newswire topic is?

Hope these help...

International Domestic Soccer Newswire (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=288854)
International Domestic American Football Leagues Newswire (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=422082)
International Domestic Hockey Newswire (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=388794)
Domestic Sports Newswires (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=428528) (for other sports not covered by the above threads)

Elves Security Forces

12-04-2008, 00:36

Transferlisted
GK Venus Bridgestone age 788 - Hondo Owls (F)
LCB Edmundo Rivolli - age 27 - Rinaldi Gunners (M)
LB Antônio Machado Veiga - age 31 - Rinaldi Gunners (M)
LCB Emanual Gonzales age 801 - Baysleef Bombers (M)
DAMRLC Rikardo Michon age 418 - Hartdale Hawks (M)
MR Recasang Nastadgus - age 30 - Rinaldi Gunners (M)
ML Phootid Fihor - age 32 - Rinaldi Gunners (M)
ST Brenda Lee age 804 - Gladerial Twilight (F)
ST Kiki Kurman age 550 - Hartdale Hawks (M)
ST Homour Cythis age 801 - Hondo Owls (M)
ST Kiso Night - age 42 - Rinaldi Gunners (M)

The Pazhujeb Islands

12-04-2008, 23:17

http://www.freewebs.com/abduldukhirahiq/Eenadu%201.PNG

Translated from Pazhujebi to English by Tertius Shajarrayam

The Ivheshbum called a close to another season this Saturday. Here are the tables for the 2013-2014 season.

2013-2014 Ivheshbu A Final Table

TEAM P W D L PTS
Kuratmad 30 18 7 5 61
K’arasi 30 15 11 4 56
Rujananja Bears 30 13 13 4 52
Urajbina Rovers 30 10 13 7 43
Lammachi 30 8 13 9 37
Bengaluru 30 9 10 11 37
Zhevassi 30 7 14 9 35
Juvapanam 30 6 15 9 33
Urajbina 30 6 11 13 29
Therakham 30 6 7 17 25
Sahagaman Street 30 5 10 15 25

2013-2014 Ivheshbu B Final Table

TEAM P W D L PTS
Black Berets 26 12 10 4 46
Rujananja Chargers 26 10 15 1 45
Mahathu Hawks 26 12 9 5 45
Vuke 26 10 12 4 42
Seven Stars 26 9 15 2 42
Xhede Isl. Jaguars 26 8 16 2 40
Vaishnavottar 26 11 6 9 39
Vyavaharik 26 9 12 5 39
Yurish Falcons 26 7 17 2 38
Vana 26 8 14 4 38
Navishtajatmad 26 10 8 8 38
Parajaykarak 26 8 11 7 35
Qasa'ika 26 7 13 6 34
Baqqalni Serpents 26 9 7 10 34
NVAZ 26 5 17 4 32
Dhanish Chalal 26 6 13 7 31
Karikri 26 6 12 8 30
Vrikshmay 26 5 13 8 28
Xiphias 26 7 6 13 27
Khal Upar 26 5 11 10 26
Dhatu Vadr 26 7 5 14 26
Winasya 26 6 8 12 26
Turanjabin 26 4 12 10 24
Vikhajadukhrim 26 3 15 8 24
Winasya Demons 26 4 12 10 24
Vyutpatti 26 5 9 12 24
Karikri Mariners 26 5 8 13 23

2013-2014 Ivheshbu C Final Table

TEAM P W D L PTS
Dhatu Vadr Tigers 26 12 13 1 49
Akhekhur Island East 26 12 13 1 49
Courthouse 26 12 7 7 43
Ekraqam 26 9 16 1 43
Mahuk 26 11 10 5 43
Bayer Alligatoren 26 11 8 7 41
Bhaji 26 10 11 5 41
Pakhan 26 9 14 3 41
TQB Mahathu 26 10 9 7 39
Zanjalabmad 26 10 8 8 38
Thymum 26 11 3 12 36
Kazhatachi 26 8 10 8 34
Nazaratmad 26 9 6 11 33
Baqqalni Dolphins 26 9 6 11 33
Tyakra 26 7 11 8 32
Khem Kusal 26 8 8 10 32
Yagyopaviti 26 9 5 12 32
Anujivi 26 9 5 12 32
Thagiya 26 9 4 13 31
Raghunayak 26 8 7 11 31
Kanjarmad 26 7 9 10 30
Yurish Titans 26 6 12 8 30
Viratajmad 26 6 10 10 28
Kapavesi 26 7 6 13 27
Yajj Centralium 26 4 12 10 24
Naishadi 26 4 10 12 22
AAKZA 26 4 7 15 19

Kuratmad continued their dynasty with a fourth straight Ivheshbu A championship, cementing themselves as the crown jewel of Pazhujebi football for many years to come. As revenue continues to flow into the club, and the government relaxes its draconian limits on foreign investment, expect Kuratmad continue their 'angelic' reign again in 2014-2015 (Kuratmad's nickname is Angels, and is occasionally used to identify the club).

K'arasi, the young and inexperienced but sharp Pkethat Hevnaje group, snatched second place. Although their premiere player, Parokshara, struggled with an injury all season long, many substitutes stepped up and grabbed the attention of the entire league. Other clubs will be looking to sign said players, but K'arasi have stated that they will fight tooth and nail to keep them, as they hope to be the team that unseats Kuratmad from their champion's position.

Sahagaman Street once again fell out of the top league, still unable to put together a defense of any real value, and as several of their best players have been sold, they may not return to Ivheshbu A for some time. Replacing them will be Urajbina Black Berets, a experienced and offensive team of veterans who will surely try to make a name for themselves. This upcoming season will mark the first time in the history of the Pazhujebi top division that three clubs have been from one city (ZL Urajbina, Urajbina Rovers, and Black Berets).

The most notable story of the lower divisions is that of Akhekhur Island East, who achieved promotion for the second straight year, leaping from Ivheshu D Gruop 8 to Ivheshbu B in the course of just two seasons. The generally rather slummy urban areas of eastern Akhekhur Island rarely have a team genuinely from their neighboorhood to support in terms of upper-level football, but now their boys in silver and navy blue will try to survive in the Pazhujeb Islands' second best league.

Finally, the PIFA has announced that following the 2014-2015 season, the traditional name of the Ivheshbu will be dropped in favor of a corporate sponsored name to be named at a later date. Fans are mostly displeased, however, as corporate investment becomes more commonplace across the country, especially in the entertainment sector, they are aware there is little they can do.

http://www.freewebs.com/abduldukhirahiq/Eenadu%202.PNG

The Gupta Dynasty

12-04-2008, 23:51

LIDYT Season Recap

Triad 1 - Spring

As expected, the race right from the start seemed to be between Chelmar FC and IYC Ajer, the two teams predicted (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=13462383#post13462383) to be the challengers for the title. Both teams were looking to immediately get out of the starting blocks quickly - IYC Ajer faced a difficult game right out of the game, facing stocked IYC Uharan, another team predicted to do well in the season. Chelmar FC, meanwhile, looked to have an easier time with it, as they faced their old rivals Ajer FC, who had, since their debt had been paid off, no longer had any of their great stars or their excellent youth system. Instead. Ajer FC were looking at a long period of mediocrity, and it looked, instead, like it would be a good start to the season for Chelmar FC, as opposed to their competition from IYC Ajer.

Instead, the biggest surprise of the day was the thunderous 5-1 victory of IYC Kaharan against a very good and very skilled Ramen United team. It would be a victory that would very much set the tone for how the season would go - IYC Kaharan's surprises would become common. IYC Ajer, too, looked very good against their skilled opposition from IYC Uharan - as Jeros Dragonhand netted two goals to lead them past IYC Uharan and Phillip Sting's solo goal, 2-1. Chelmar FC, however, looked very lackluster in attack against an Ajer FC side that seemed intent on causing the predicted champions harm, while Cardarel FC just pulled through against a determined IYC Darigeris side that looked a lot livelier than they had in the past.

If anything, that would be a gong tolling for how the rest of the Triad 1 would go. IYC Ajer looked very solid in their first spell of twenty-one games, going in a six-game winning streak that was thwarted only by the courageous efforts of an IYC Kaharan side that was not interested in giving up. The others of the top teams in the league - IYC Uharan and Cardarel FC - too settled into their respective grooves, managing to hold all their opposition down as they themselves paraded in what was rather interesting fashion. Cardarel FC, from the start, looked like a team that was going to score a lot, and from the aggressive and intelligent efforts of the their two strikers, Zyante Meleherat and David Insfield, they seemed set to do damage later in the season.

The team that did not seem like it was up to standard, however, was Chelmar FC. The two-time defending champions still had that defense that had managed to hold up for the past two seasons, but their offense looked vulnerable, weak, and uninterested in scoring. On the wings, Vashil Nahanor and Evan Terwilliger were tough, but Ian Felsenfeld started off the season in very rocky fashion (looking like the Felsenfeld who Chelmar FC fans had been afraid the team had bought, instead of the Felsenfeld who Chelmar FC manager Hares Dalermo had wanted), while Vorin Dariegan's performances, too, were rather under the weather - or, at least, under the ability that he had displayed while playing for IYC Uharan.

Nonetheless, nothing looked like it could stop the marvelous Chelmar FC defensive machine. With the addition of Demot national teamer Alan Lockdale into the mix in the center of the defense, Thian Maelor was demoted to a backup, and the defense looked entirely unstoppable. Even the concerted efforts of Cardarel FC's two supremely skilled strikers was not enough to break the defensive shield that Chelmar FC had erected around their goal, and their goalkeeper, Bazalonian national team starter Josh Kanga. However, even despite Chelmar FC's offensive woes, they managed to hold onto second, while trailing a determined, and very skilled IYC Ajer side.

If anything, the award for best newcomer seemed to be already in the bag for Zwangzug national team starter Brendan Deguela, who many regarded as one of the greatest center midfielders in the world. His partnership with his captain, Steven Ruck, and Yaforite national team captain Prince Sebard made the IYC Ajer midfield easily the best in the league. Their passing and centering ability made those of other teams pale by comparison - this IYC Ajer midfield was easily world class, and they demonstrated it, as the four starters combined for an incredible thirty-two goals in the twenty-two games of Triad 1. There was no midfield that could even come close or stand up to the one at IYC Ajer, and that was the reason they ended Triad 1 with a clear lead of six points.

The team that continued its rapid ascent to the top of the pile, however, was IYC Kaharan. Lead by a very good and young defense and probably the best young goalkeeper in the LIDYT in Pahal Gafernad, their back seemed almost completely in protection. Their attack was far more flamboyant and aggressive than any other that had been seen in the LIDYT for a long time. If anything, this was clearly due to their youth, which brought with a new brand of the sport that made the older, more established teams in the LIDYT almost afraid. Their dangerous ascent led to their third place position at the end of Triad 1 of the LIDYT.

Almost encapsulating the entire happenings of Triad 1 was one game. This was not the game preseason analysts would have expected - instead of being Chelmar FC - IYC Ajer, this game was IYC Ajer against IYC Kaharan. IYC Ajer held control of the ball throughout the match, dominating in the midfield portion of the game, and holding onto control of the field of play. This, at last, climaxed in the twenty-first minute goal of Brendan Deguela. IYC Kaharan, meanwhile, came out of the halftime meetings full of energy, rallying back, and coming onto win 2-1 on a pair of goals by right defender Turkarin Varanias, on a pair of very skilled and unexpected shots from outside of the area.

Meanwhile, on the lower end of the spectrum, things looked very dire for the two weakest clubs in the LIDYT, Ibeb FC and IYC Chelmar, both of whom each only managed two wins, falling far behind IYC Caralian and Cardarel City, both of whom were in front of them. As Triad 1 ended, the teams looking at relegation were Cardarel City, IYC Chelmar, and Ibeb FC - with IYC Vanan, IYC Caralian, and Vanan FC still in the mix to possibly sent down to the division below. Nonetheless, it was IYC Vanan who, of those teams, was the happiest to see Triad 1 come to a close, as they had begun to falter as summer approached.

Triad 2 - Summer

Triad 2, as always, brought with it the height of the LIDYT season and, more importantly, the heat of a hot Yaforite summer. Many analysts commented, as they always comment, that it is a team's performance in Triad 2 that dictates how it will finish - strange results in the first twenty-one game stretch can always be ignored, and passed off as chance, but strange results in the second twenty-one game stretch are the opposite - when they occur, it is almost always very good evidence that the team in question was either predicted very far off the mark, or, instead, is not all it is cracked up to be. If anything, Triad 2 is the time for teams who want to challenge for the LIDYT title to step up and show themselves.

Such was the case for Chelmar FC. They roared from the beginning, smashing every opponent they came across. The Triad 2 fixtures are arranged so that they are the Triad 1 fixtures backwards - so Chelmar FC, who had face IYC Ajer in the second last game of Triad 1, now faced them second. After a quick demolishing of a rather weak IYC Odarian team who looked unfit and not ready to face the two-time defending champions, Chelmar FC moved into position to face IYC Ajer, and show Yafor 2 that they were once again ready to shoulder the burden that had been given to them as defending champions.

It was a hot day as Chelmar FC went away to face IYC Ajer in the Zydrakos Dome. They came out of the gate with a vengeance. The first game had been a boring draw, but this one was the exact opposite. Vorin Dariegan set the pace of the game with a goal in the sixth minute from twenty feet away. Evan Terwilliger added a second, as he passed his fellow Zwangzug national team starter Steven Ruck, and then scored from just outside the box. Mosada Juhan faced Prince Sebard, passed him, then gave it to Dariegan for the finish for Chelmar FC to score their third goal in the first half. They ended up defeated IYC Ajer 6-0, with Vorin Dariegan scoring a hattrick.

From there, Chelmar FC continued with their rapid rise. By the end of Triad 2, Chelmar FC would find themselves level on points with an IYC Ajer side that had held onto their lead purely because they were far better than any of the other teams in the LIDYT. Many of the experts, at the end of Triad 2, breathed a sigh of relief, sitting back and relaxing at the fact that, at last, the two teams that they had predicted to smash it out at the top of the league were showing their class and also setting themselves up for what would seem to most likely be one of the best chases to the finish in LIDYT history, as well as possibly setting up another one of the great rivalries of the LIDYT.

Meanwhile, mid table action left many fans in the Grand Democratic Duchy glued to their stadiums, television sets, and radios. IYC Hadaris, Ramen United, IYC Odarian and Kiera FC were locked in a battle to see who would take the sixth-eighth spots, as well as possibly go on to overtake the three teams fighting for the spots above them. These three teams, however, all looked excellent, setting up what truly would seem like a battle of epic proportions to decide who would have the name, positioning, and possibly a large chunk of money to spend on transfers, renovations, and improvement for the next season.

One of the intriguing stories of the season was IYC Hadaris, who held a roster stocked full of players from the neighboring nation of Aleos. Aleosite national team starting goalkeeper Ave looked set to claim the prize of best goalkeeper in the LIDYT (excluding Chelmar FC's Josh Kanga), as he stretched his body and blocked nearly everything around him. Simon, meanwhile, the Aleosite outside midfielder, was another star for an IYC Hadaris team that, despite finding itself a notch below the top teams in the LIDYT, clearly found itself a notch above the lower teams in the LIDYT, including the teams fighting for a relegation spot.

IYC Hadaris were facing, however, an uphill climb, as the wrestled in the rankings with newly promoted IYC Odarian, Kiera FC, and Ramen United. The latter was lead by defensive midfielders Klientar Loverado and Maird Lavan, as well as their excellent manager and skilled scouting department. They had consistently managed to finish high in the LIDYT, despite operating in a city that had almost no interest in the sport and was instead for more interested in other ways of spending time. Ramen United, though, had always invested all their earnings in their scouting department, where they had found players such as Loverado and Lavan, and they looked set to have a rather interested battle with IYC Hadaris and another two clubs of interest.

Kiera FC, meanwhile, had dropped from their rather surprising start in Triad 1, falling a little further back in Triad 2, as their two Aleosite strikers, Perri and Nero, both sustained injuries. Kiera FC, a small-market team interested in mostly bringing the sport to their small city, could not afford good replacements, and instead, began to fall. IYC Odarian, and their attacking midfielder/striker Khadric Valdaan picked up their slack. Valdaan, who had attracted scouts and interest from many of the top sides in the LIDYT, seemed to glide, as he lead Triad 2 in goals scored (with sixteen in the twenty-two games) and managed to single-handedly hold IYC Odarian in contention.

If they had fallen, they would have fallen into a mix of eleven teams trying to avoid relegation, and one who had already fallen prey to it. In the middle of Triad 2, Ibeb FC was officially eliminated, bringing shame onto their supporters, as they became one of only three teams before them who had been eliminated in Triad 2. Above them, every team from Real Alumno, who were expected to do far better than they had, to debt-ridden Ajer FC and their rivals Ajer United, to IYC Tucorin, another newly promoted team, to Cardarel City, Uharan FC, and IYC Chelmar, trying to bring a second team to their cities, and more. All the teams were within thirteen points of one-another by the end of Triad 2, and all looked interested in trying to avoid the ignominy of relegation.

The battle for spots three to five in the LIDYT was no less fierce. IYC Uharan, IYC Kaharan, and Cardarel FC were within three points of one-another, the latter due to their strikers, the former due to the formidable ability of Maharta Kiranar and their off-season pickups, and middle due to the fact that they would not give up. All these factors pointed to it being, possibly, one of the best Triad 3s that the LIDYT had seen in a long time.

Triad 3 - Autumn

This is what it all comes down to. Triad 3. The end of the line. For Chelmar FC, it was a chance to gain their third straight title. For IYC Ajer, it was a chance to finally show that they were the best team in the league. For Cardarel FC, IYC Kaharan, and IYC Uharan, it was a chance to gain a TQCC qualifier spot and gain valuable cash so that they could win next season. For Ramen United, IYC Hadaris, IYC Odarian, and Kiera FC, it was a chance to gain respect, positioning, and money. For the remainder of the teams in the LIDYT, it was simply a chance to avoid relegation, and perhaps do far better in the season to come.

While Ibeb FC had already been eliminated, there were still multiple teams left who could still be eliminated along with it. As Triad 3 began to wear on, it became clear that there were six teams fighting to avoid relegation - while two would be sent down. These were, in the order that they were in five games before the season ended, Vanan FC, IYC Caralian, IYC Vanan, Uharan FC, Cardarel City, and IYC Chelmar. For every team who had a shot at relegation, this was now the time - the time to step up, the time to avoid being sent down to a lower division where it would be far more difficult to keep good players and lure players from other teams.

Uharan FC's fall had been terrible. At the beginning of Triad 3, they had been eleventh out of twenty-one in the league. Five games before the end of the season, however, they found themselves eighteenth, and only out of a relegation spot due to goal differential. They had already fired their manager, and were now reputed to be hiring a profession poker player as their next manager. As it happened, they ended up doing so - and this poker player managed to manage Uharan FC away from relegation and back to a safer zone, and so they would be able to survive to the next season - and then, go from their.

Cardarel City were not so lucky. IYC Vanan managed to win their last five games, pushing them to fifteenth, and the top of this little pile, while Vanan FC matched them to come sixteenth. In the end, it was between Cardarel City and IYC Caralian - Cardarel City faced an excellent IYC Hadaris team in the final matchday, while IYC Caralian found themselves against debt-ridden Ajer FC. IYC Caralian managed to barely draw their game. Cardarel City, however, lost. Behind them were unlucky IYC Chelmar, who did not manage to win one of their last five games. At the end of Triad 3, the three relegated teams were Ibeb FC, IYC Chelmar, and Cardarel City.

Just above the relegation mess were Ajer FC, their rivals Ajer United, IYC Darigeris, IYC Tucorin, Real Alumno, and an unlucky Kiera FC. They had had an excellent start in Triad 1, but had faltered for much of Triad 2, and, as Triad 3 rolled around, despite the fact that their Aleosite strike force had returned from injury, Kiera FC found themselves in free-fall. Thankfully for them, they had had a good enough start that their disappointing score lines and results did not transfer over to elimination, or anything along those lines, but it did end with them ending a disappointing tenth, nowhere near what they had hoped as the season began.

Ajer FC, Ajer United, and IYC Darigeris, however, found themselves almost "joined at the hip". Separated by a grand total of eight points at the end of Triad 3, they managed to gain twelfth (Ajer United), thirteenth (IYC Darigeris) and fourteenth (Ajer FC), just above relegation, as they ended the season. IYC Tucorin managed to stay just above them, taking a welcome eleventh (for the newly promoted side), while Real Alumno managed hold triumphant in this little battle, taking a pleasurable ninth.

For the three teams fighting for spots six through eight, however, the end of the long season could not come soon enough. IYC Odarian found themselves beginning to fade near the middle of Triad 3, while IYC Hadaris kept pace with leading Ramen United. At this time, it was Ramen United defender Duariin Valanar who stepped up, taking a position as a striker while Ramen United had their strikers injured for the last part of Triad 3. That would be the order in which they would end - IYC Odarian falling short with an eighth position in the league, IYC Hadaris taking the seventh place they had wanted for the past few seasons, and Ramen United, once again holding a very respectable position with sixth.

IYC Uharan, however, found themselves falling short as the season wore on. An injury to Maharta Kiranar, along with a matching injury to Bazalonian Frank Knead, found their center midfielder no longer existent for the end of Triad 3, and they quickly faded - with the absence of their star center midfielder, it was left to their one remaining world class player, Phillip Stings, who found himself reverting the foul-happy form of the past, and a resulting large number of red cards and yellow cards. On the strength of their prior performance, and, indeed, their team, IYC Uharan took a very satisfying fifth, despite missing a TQCC qualifier spot by inches.

Cardarel FC and IYC Kaharan, however, battled incessantly over those two spots and managed to gain them. Cardarel FC, almost entirely on the experience of their team, as well as their captain and star striker Zyante Meleherat, managed to pull through on that five feet, while IYC Kaharan matched pace, but could not seal the bargain right at the end. Nonetheless, they had had a brilliant a very pleasurable season, capped by the fact that they gained a TQCC qualifier spot in finishing fourth, while Cardarel FC were very proud of their Triad 3 showing in taking third and another TQCC qualifier.

IYC Ajer and Chelmar FC continued to battle to the last matchday. It was then, when Chelmar FC just pulled a victory over IYC Odarian, when IYC Ajer fell victim of a draw from a resilient Ramen United squad, that Chelmar FC triumphed. IYC Ajer won the Yaforite Cup final over Chelmar FC, to get something back, but Chelmar FC had won their third straight title. And IYC Ajer had won their third straight Cup.

It set up for a great next season.

Demot

13-04-2008, 07:59

Pride League 1906

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Oceanic United 38 23 8 7 60 33 27 77 Champions
2 Mirria United 38 21 9 8 87 53 34 72 TQCC
3 Freestone FC 38 21 6 11 54 35 19 69 TQCC
4 Druidisian United 38 18 6 14 68 57 11 60 TQCC
5 Club Demot 38 16 11 11 63 52 11 59
6 Likewell Kirk 38 16 10 12 66 61 5 58
7 New Mirria Patriots 38 16 9 13 66 63 3 57
8 Skyhaven FC 38 16 9 13 66 68 -2 57
9 Oceanic 38 15 10 13 66 55 11 55
10 Maracruse United 38 14 11 13 62 74 -12 53
11 Santa Rosa FC 38 13 11 14 62 57 5 50
12 Druidisian FC 38 14 8 16 54 51 3 50
13 Skyhaven United 38 14 6 18 53 58 -5 48
14 Dunmodra United 38 11 13 14 51 61 -10 46
15 Ropper FC 38 11 12 15 59 69 -10 45
16 AC Paragos 38 11 9 18 57 72 -15 42
17 Vasanova United 38 11 8 19 55 67 -12 41
18 Ionnusyus FC 38 9 11 18 45 59 -14 38 Relegated
19 Saravella City 38 10 8 20 47 63 -16 38 Relegated
20 Atalantian FC 38 10 5 23 44 77 -33 35 Relegated

Championship

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Bellwater Tidal Wave 38 20 11 7 67 45 22 71 Champions
2 FC Bellwater 38 20 10 8 62 49 13 70 Promoted
3 Maracruse Typhoon 38 20 9 9 76 63 13 69 Promoted
4 RC Ririnkle 38 19 8 11 78 54 24 65
5 RC Ropper 38 18 8 12 67 53 14 62
6 Samarga FC 38 17 10 11 55 37 18 61
7 AC Santa Rosa 38 17 9 12 71 67 4 60
8 Mirria City 38 17 8 13 80 59 21 59
9 Morthinian FC 38 15 10 13 52 47 5 55
10 Faramore United 38 14 10 14 58 62 -4 52
11 Athletic Samarga 38 15 6 17 60 72 -12 51
12 Tiranyus FC 38 12 12 14 53 51 2 48
13 AS Freestone 38 13 9 16 71 70 1 48
14 Harthgate United 38 13 8 17 65 63 2 47
15 RC Rarthon 38 15 2 21 62 71 -9 47
16 Real Escan 38 13 8 17 53 64 -11 47
17 Fairland FC 38 13 6 19 55 63 -8 45
18 AS Calada 38 10 11 17 55 78 -23 41 Relegated
19 Geros City 38 11 3 24 57 95 -38 36 Relegated
20 AS Klingsa 38 8 2 28 47 81 -34 26 Relegated

League One

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Parthen United 38 22 10 6 76 43 33 76 Champions
2 Ursona FC 38 20 10 8 66 47 19 70 Promoted
3 AS Icewind Dun 38 20 9 9 70 47 23 69 Promoted
4 Halland City 38 19 11 8 80 58 22 68
5 FC Ironwind 38 17 14 7 58 36 22 65
6 AC Elacante 38 19 7 12 60 45 15 64
7 Parthen City 38 18 8 12 59 50 9 62
8 Clonsguard FC 38 16 9 13 46 45 1 57
9 Villain City 38 16 8 14 66 66 0 56
10 Druidia United 38 13 10 15 65 70 -5 49
11 Arthenian United 38 12 11 15 52 60 -8 47
12 Athletic Cortalias 38 13 7 18 58 64 -6 46
13 AC Dunmodra 38 11 12 15 47 57 -10 45
14 Parafell City 38 12 9 17 60 71 -11 45
15 Verandiom City 38 12 8 18 62 71 -9 44
16 Calada United 38 11 10 17 47 63 -16 43
17 Mordras City 38 10 8 20 57 75 -18 38
18 Dosastion United 38 10 7 21 52 72 -20 37
19 Raldvila FC 38 10 6 22 63 81 -18 36
20 Arthenian FC 38 6 12 20 55 78 -23 30

Efronmurillo

13-04-2008, 11:30

There are no statistics for the Efronmurillan Football Association Premier League this week following the death of Rhys Maisey the nation's most revered footbal player.

He died in a car crash at 06:30 Efronmurillan Standard Time after an intoxicated driver swerved in front of his car.
As the nation mourns the league has been suspended up until his funeral. May he be remembered always and may his killer face justice.

-Efronmurrillan Ministry of Sport and Leisure

Vephrall

13-04-2008, 18:35

Collegiate Sporting Alliance - 1756 Season

Conference realignments since last season:
Jishmid moves from SWC (Tier 1) to Lowland (Tier 2)

Tier One

East Coast Conference

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Southeastern 7 5 1 1 14 7 7 16 C/Q
2 Salle Southern 7 5 1 1 11 7 4 16 Q
3 North Salle 7 2 4 1 10 11 -1 10 Q
4 Solonds 7 2 3 2 6 7 -1 9
5 Salle 7 2 2 3 6 8 -2 8
6 Calamen 7 1 4 2 7 6 1 7
7 Defae 7 1 2 4 6 9 -3 5
8 Sheoron 7 0 3 4 5 10 -5 3

Isthmian Conference

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 BTI 9 5 3 1 13 7 6 18 C/Q
2 Fishbog 9 4 4 1 17 12 5 16 Q
3 Flaarickug 9 4 3 2 14 9 5 15
4 Bektys Coastal 9 4 2 3 16 12 4 14 Q
5 South Bektys 9 4 1 4 11 14 -3 13
6 Bektys State 9 3 3 3 13 13 0 12
7 Scusenany 9 3 3 3 14 16 -2 12
8 North Bektys 9 3 2 4 10 12 -2 11
9 Sirinis Ag 9 2 1 6 11 19 -8 7
10 Isthmian 9 2 0 7 11 16 -5 6

Midland Conference

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Riestre Tech 7 4 3 0 9 2 7 15 C/Q
2 Westlake 7 5 0 2 12 6 6 15 Q
3 Taeschand 7 2 4 1 4 4 0 10 Q
4 Siellal 7 3 1 3 9 10 -1 10 Q
5 Military 7 2 1 4 8 7 1 7
6 Riestre 7 1 4 2 3 8 -5 7
7 Shentarong Tech 7 1 3 3 1 4 -3 6
8 Riestre State 7 0 4 3 4 9 -5 4

Southern Crescent Conference

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Shentarong 9 5 2 2 11 9 2 17 C/Q
2 East Point 9 4 4 1 14 9 5 16 Q
3 Southwestern 9 4 3 2 16 10 6 15 Q
4 Sumbobor 9 4 2 3 12 13 -1 14 Q
5 Sumbobor State 9 3 2 4 11 11 0 11 Q
6 Shentarong Southern 9 3 2 4 6 7 -1 11
7 Shentarong State 9 2 4 3 11 11 0 10
8 Twin Cities 9 2 4 3 12 14 -2 10
9 Darnai 9 2 3 4 11 16 -5 9
10 Fekliir State 9 2 2 5 10 14 -4 8

Southwestern Conference

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Anhenir 7 3 3 1 9 4 5 12 C/Q
2 Dettune 7 3 2 2 11 8 3 11
3 Western Dettune 7 3 2 2 8 7 1 11
4 Dettune Mtn 7 2 3 2 12 12 0 9
5 Highland 7 2 3 2 7 7 0 9
6 Virdys 7 3 0 4 6 9 -3 9
7 Western Darnai 7 2 2 3 5 7 -2 8
8 Seibeng 7 1 3 3 5 9 -4 6

Tier Two

Lowland Conference

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Jishmid 8 4 2 2 13 9 4 14 C
2 Chezlot 8 4 1 3 13 14 -1 13
3 Bayside 8 3 3 2 14 12 2 12
4 Middle Bektys 8 3 2 3 16 12 4 11
5 Speilers 8 3 2 3 13 14 -1 11
6 Dettune State 8 2 4 2 9 8 1 10
7 Narrows 8 2 3 3 9 11 -2 9
8 Baseng 8 2 3 3 7 12 -5 9
9 NW Sumbobor 8 2 2 4 7 9 -2 8

Northeast Conference

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Northern Darnai 7 5 0 2 14 9 5 15 C
2 Till 7 4 2 1 12 7 5 14
3 Rascenass 7 3 2 2 10 8 2 11
4 Eastern Darnai 7 3 1 3 8 5 3 10
5 Cimnersog 7 3 1 3 9 10 -1 10
6 South Sirinis 7 2 3 2 6 8 -2 9
7 Healfat 7 2 1 4 8 11 -3 7
8 Sirinis 7 1 0 6 9 18 -9 3

CSA Football Tournament

All Tier One conferences (ECC, Isthmian, Midland, SCC, SWC) received an automatic bid for the conference champions.

At-large bids: ECC 2, Isthmian 2, Midland 3, SCC 4

No Tier Two teams made the tournament.

First Round

#1 Riestre Tech 1-0 #16 Anhenir
#8 BTI 0-2 #9 Southeastern
#5 Siellal 0-0 #12 Fishbog (0-0 AET) (#12 Fishbog wins 3-0 on penalty kicks)
#4 Westlake 1-1 #13 Southwestern (1-1 AET) (#13 Southwestern wins 3-0 on penalty kicks)
#6 Sumbobor State 1-0 #11 Salle Southern
#3 Shentarong 1-2 #14 Sumbobor
#7 Taeschand 2-2 #10 Bektys Coastal (4-3 AET)
#2 East Point 0-1 #15 North Salle

Quarterfinals

#1 Riestre Tech 2-2 #9 Southeastern (3-3 AET) (#9 Southeastern wins 4-2 on penalty kicks)
#12 Fishbog 1-0 #13 Southwestern
#6 Sumbobor State 2-0 #14 Sumbobor
#7 Taeschand 2-2 #15 North Salle (2-4 AET)

Semifinals

#9 Southeastern 0-2 #12 Fishbog
#6 Sumbobor State 2-1 #15 North Salle

Final (from Ellime e Vephrall, Meice)

#12 Fishbog 2-0 #6 Sumbobor State

Cafundeu

13-04-2008, 20:19

CAFUNDELENSE LEAGUE - FIRST HALF OF THE SEASON ENDED

Finally, the first half of this season has ended. As everyone in the whole world must know now, this part of the Cafundelense season isn't so important, being only useful to get the players fit (with the exception of the Emperor's Cup, which has some importance). The State-related competitions don't have big value. The most important one is surely the Emperor's Cup, which is viewed as an important competition, but doesn't come close of the National League, and that's why the smaller teams have more chance. The others competitions are State Championships, and the only reason why the supporters want to win this is because they have to defeat their rivals to get the trophy. And that’s the only reason that they exist too. The State Championships and the State Champions Cup have tradition, while the Emperor’s Cup has practical importance. See the names of the state champions:

JUTA STATE: Clube Imperial
LASFT STATE: SC Lasft
CENTRAL STATE: Central United
TITÃ STATE: Galáxia
DUNBOOR STATE: Dunboor FC
OLD CITIES STATE: A.F.F.
ESPINAL STATE: União Trabalhadora
COAST STATE: CR Submiria

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THE STATE CHAMPIONS CUP

All the state champions played this unimportant competition. See the results (obs: away goals rule apply):

Previous Champions:
Season 1 - Tênis Clube
Season 2 - Petardos S/A
Season 3 - A.F.F.
Season 4 - Clube Imperial
Season 5 - Petardos S/A
Season 6 - Ranca Toco
Season 7 - Petardos S/A

Quarterfinals
1st Leg
CR Submiria 4x0 SC Lasft
Galáxia 2x2 Central United
Dunboor FC 1x0 A.F.F.
Clube Imperial 3x2 União Trabalhadora

2nd Leg
SC Lasft 0x0 CR Submiria
Central United 3x3 Galáxia
A.F.F. 3x1 Dunboor FC
União Trabalhadora 0x2 Clube Imperial

Semifinals
1st Leg
CR Submiria 1x0 Clube Imperial
Galáxia 0x1 A.F.F.

2nd Leg
Clube Imperial 5x2 CR Submiria
A.F.F. 1x2 Galáxia

Final
1st Leg
Clube Imperial 3x0 Galáxia

2nd Leg
Galáxia 1x1 Clube Imperial

Champion: CLUBE IMPERIAL!

Reactions: A CUP TEAM? After Clube Imperial's victory in the State Champions Cup, football experts started to call Clube Imperial a cup team, because the team was never able to win the First Division of the league after being promoted seasons ago. On the other way, the team has been able to win three cups. Some even say that Clube Imperial is a team unable to resist pressure, and that's why was able to win these cups and not the league, as the cups have minor importance. Now, the Emperor's team must battle against this judgement.

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THE EMPEROR'S CUP

A bigger competition than the last ones, it involves 64 teams. See the results (obs: no away goals rule):

Previous Champions:
Season 1 - Petardos S/A
Season 2 - Dunboor FC
Season 3 - Petardos S/A
Season 4 - Central United
Season 5 - Clube Imperial
Season 6 - Cafundó do Juta
Season 7 - Clube Imperial

In blue, games considered huge - if in red, the game is a city/state derby (and if in red underlined italics, this game is huge and a derby).

Round of 64
1st Leg
Intensivo 1x4 Penders
Aliança 0x3 Sambarilove
Marinha 2x6 Clube Imperial
Serrano 1x1 Galáxia
Mondragon Warriors 1x2 Clube Comercial
Virgem Maria EC 0x9 Petardos S/A
Loteca 2x3 América
Dínamo de Natal 2x4 SC Lasft
Aldeia Vigiah 0x2 Cafundó do Juta
C-Electronics 1x0 União Trabalhadora
Boiadeiros 2x1 Porto Lacruz
São Jorge 3x3 Khalmar-Tijhus
Varzeano 0x4 Tabajara
Cézares 4x1 Tênis Clube
SC Carnavalesco 0x1 Ranca Toco
Auto Esporte 0x5 Dunboor FC
Amigos do Pebolim 1x3 A.F.F.
União 1x2 CR Submiria
Royal Pollvogarad 3x1 Imperatriz
Massaranduba FC 0x2 Petrol
Supersônicos 1x2 Vila Velha
Espinalense 2x4 Coqueiros
Globo Multimedia 0x3 Agreman FH
Ferroviário 0x2 Atlético Insular
Pico da Neblina 1x4 Atlético Jutense
Carandirú I 0x5 Clube dos Banqueiros
Lusitânio 1x5 EC Elville
Nacional da Cruz 2x1 Forças Armadas
Tio João 1x0 Metropolitano
Faculdade de Medicina 3x1 São José
Engenheiro Peres 1x1 Pernetas EC
Rio Bonito 0x0 Central United

2nd Leg
Penders 2x0 Intensivo
Sambarilove 2x2 Aliança
Clube Imperial 5x0 Marinha
Galáxia 2x1 Serrano
Clube Comercial 3x0 Mondragon Warriors
Petardos S/A 12x2 Virgem Maria EC
América 7x1 Loteca
SC Lasft 3x1 Dínamo de Natal
Cafundó do Juta 4x1 Aldeia Vigiah
União Trabalhadora 1x0 C-Electronics (6-5 on penalties)
Porto Lacruz 3x0 Boiadeiros
Khalmar-Tijhus 3x1 São Jorge
Tabajara 1x2 Varzeano
Tênis Clube 5x2 Cézares (3-2 on penalties)
Ranca Toco 4x2 SC Carnavalesco
Dunboor FC 5x0 Auto Esporte
A.F.F. 1x0 Amigos do Pebolim
CR Submiria 1x3 União
Imperatriz 0x0 Royal Pollvogarad
Petrol 4x0 Massaranduba FC
Vila Velha 2x3 Supersônicos (5-4 on penalties)
Coqueiros 1x1 Espinalense
Agreman FH 3x0 Globo Multimedia
Atlético Insular 4x1 Ferroviário
Atlético Jutense 0x0 Pico da Neblina
Clube dos Banqueiros 5x4 Carandirú I
EC Elville 2x0 Lusitânio
Forças Armadas 0x2 Nacional da Cruz
Metropolitano 1x0 Tio João (3-1 on penalties)
São José 2x1 Faculdade de Medicina
Pernetas EC 1x0 Engenheiro Peres
Central United 4x0 Rio Bonito

Round of 32
1st Leg
Central United 2x0 Penders
Pernetas EC 1x1 Sambarilove
Faculdade de Medicina 1x1 Clube Imperial
Metropolitano 3x2 Galáxia
Nacional da Cruz 2x3 Clube Comercial
EC Elville 0x4 Petardos S/A
Clube dos Banqueiros 1x0 América
Atlético Jutense 2x1 SC Lasft
Atlético Insular 3x3 Cafundó do Juta
Agreman FH 2x4 União Trabalhadora
Coqueiros 1x0 Porto Lacruz
Vila Velha 0x0 Khalmar-Tijhus
Petrol 2x2 Tabajara
Royal Pollvogarad 3x1 Tênis Clube
União 1x4 Ranca Toco
A.F.F. 0x2 Dunboor FC

2nd Leg
Penders 3x2 Central United
Sambarilove 2x0 Pernetas EC
Clube Imperial 2x2 Faculdade de Medicina (3-5 on penalties)
Galáxia 4x1 Metropolitano
Clube Comercial 1x2 Nacional da Cruz (5-6 on penalties)
Petardos S/A 3x0 EC Elville
América 4x2 Clube dos Banqueiros
SC Lasft 1x2 Atlético Jutense
Cafundó do Juta 3x1 Atlético Insular
União Trabalhadora 0x3 Agreman FH
Porto Lacruz 2x1 Coqueiros (4-3 on penalties)
Khalmar-Tijhus 4x0 Vila Velha
Tabajara 0x0 Petrol (3-4 on penalties)
Tênis Clube 1x1 Royal Pollvogarad
Ranca Toco 1x1 União
Dunboor FC 1x0 A.F.F.

Round of 16 (Oitavas-de-final)
1st Leg
Dunboor FC 3x0 Central United
Ranca Toco 2x2 Sambarilove
Royal Pollvogarad 1x0 Faculdade de Medicina
Petrol 2x1 Galáxia
Khalmar-Tijhus 3x1 Nacional da Cruz
Porto Lacruz 1x3 Petardos S/A
Agreman FH 1x1 América
Cafundó do Juta 2x0 Atlético Jutense

2nd Leg
Central United 1x1 Dunboor FC
Sambarilove 0x2 Ranca Toco
Faculdade de Medicina 1x0 Royal Pollvogarad (4-3 on penalties)
Galáxia 3x0 Petrol
Nacional da Cruz 0x2 Khalmar-Tijhus
Petardos S/A 4x1 Porto Lacruz
América 2x1 Agreman FH
Atlético Jutense 2x2 Cafundó do Juta

Quarterfinals
1st Leg
Cafundó do Juta 2x1 Dunboor FC
América 3x0 Ranca Toco
Petardos S/A 6x2 Faculdade de Medicina
Khalmar-Tijhus 1x0 Galáxia

2nd Leg
Dunboor FC 1x3 Cafundó do Juta
Ranca Toco 2x2 América
Faculdade de Medicina 1x3 Petardos S/A
Galáxia 0x0 Khalmar-Tijhus

Semifinals
1st Leg
Khalmar-Tijhus 1x0 Cafundó do Juta
Petardos S/A 3x2 América

2nd Leg
Cafundó do Juta 0x1 Khalmar-Tijhus
América 2x1 Petardos S/A (8-7 on penalties)

Final
1st Leg
América 0x0 Khalmar-Tijhus

THE FINAL
KHALMAR-TIJHUS 3x1 AMÉRICA

Place: Praça Maior, in Cafundó do Juta (not Jóia da Lagoa in Tijhus due to low capacity).
Attendance: 88,760 people.
Referee: José Eduardo Carrasco (Old Cities State).
Assistants: Anita Linhares and Dinei Borges (Old Cities State).
Time of the game: 21:30h (local time).
MOTM: Marossi (Khalmar-Tijhus).

KHALMAR-TIJHUS: Knudson; Elvis, Everaldo and Doriva; Gellen, Salcedo, Kries (Guga 78') and Marossi (Ananias 69'); Volkov, Kips and Tales (Gil 64').
Coach: Rivaldo Sodré.

AMÉRICA: Kardec; Nilo, Almir, Burgos and Fukui; Barbosa, Miguel Benevides (Peçanha 45'), Bacharel and Mengucci; Ikeda (Olinda 69') and Alazão (Altair 60').
Coach: Javier Sanchez.

Goals:KTJ: Marossi 32' , Volkov 41'/78'.
AME: Mengucci 57'.

Yellow Cards: Gellen and Everaldo (KTJ); Nilo, Fukui and Miguel Benevides (AME).

KHALMAR-TIJHUS WINS THE EMPEROR'S CUP!

Reactions: NOW A BIG TEAM? After winning the first big title in its history, Khalmar-Tijhus's fans became confident and think that the team can repeat the good campaign of last season. Now, football experts started to admit that Khalmar-Tijhus is much better than that team that usually was one of the favourites to get relegated. But can Khalmar-Tijhus be considered a big team, on the level of, for example, SC Lasft and Atlético Jutense? Some suggest that yes, some suggest that no... only the league can decide this.

United Hetzel

13-04-2008, 20:22

IIAFC Present AHI IslaLiga season one

By decree of King David the United Hetzel Islands have Formed the Inter Island Association Football Competition. The I2AFC as it will be know is supposed to be the premier league in the UHI It will compose of two Divisions. Division one which has sponsership from Air Hetzel International and Division Two which has sponsership from TreadQuarters.

Divison will Contain 10 teams while Division two will have 12

Divison one has the following teams

1. Metro FC
2. Maryville 514
3. King's 11
4. Blount Island FC
5. Clinton FC
6. SOMY FC
7. AC Fort Lee
8. Loudon FC
9. Rockford United
10. FC Pellisippi

And the TreadQuaters Division two

1. Alcoa FC
2. Oak Ridge United
3. Oak Ridge Maroons
4. Eagleton AFC
5. Alcoa Steel 11
6. FC Karnes
7. West Clinton AC
8. Claxton FC
9. Team 11
10. United Maryville
11. South Doyle Metropolitan
12. Seqouyah FC

Divsion one will play triple round robin on Thurday and Staurday's while Division two plays on Wednesdays and Saturday's

Dancougar

14-04-2008, 00:09

REGULAR SEASON (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13586757&postcount=1664) (link)

TOURNAMENT

The format of the tournament through the semifinals is home-and-away, the scores listed here are the aggregate results. The final is a single game at the National Stadium in Yuki City. Rick Libide chips in with his comments.

At-Large Round

(#16) Yuki State - Helmsley 2-3 (#22) University of Fujiwara
Frickstowne College 4-2 Bremley College
Foster College 2-5 (#10) Gabthley University
Stoneridge University 1-2 (#21) Marble Cliffs State College
(#24) Shiratori University 7-1 Briggs College
Helmut State University 4-3 (#23) Hazuki State University
Muddy Banks State College 2-5 (#11) Amada University
(#17) Dancougar Royal Academy 6-4 (#13) Port Royal University

Comments: A shock, the Zookies are done! Downed by Helmut State 2-0 on their own turf in the return leg to get eliminated in the first round, you know they're disappointed by that. Shiratori announcing their return with a bang, two three-goal wins over Briggs, who were overmatched from the start. Amada and Gabthley also winning big, but the best matchup of the round was definitely from the old school. Once again, we're treated to a matchup from the two oldest conferences, and it's the Royal Academy representing the Yuki Premier, and Port Royal out of the Kishin Delta. Both had fine seasons, one had to end here, and the Academy proved stronger. The first game was a wild one, 4-3 to Port Royal, but the Academy won the return leg 3-0. That's clutch, baby!

Conference Round

(#1) Chastain College 2-3 Cyert Technical Institute
(#4) Konoha Academy 5-3 Kasai Academy
(#12) Forbes College 4-2 (#21) Marble Cliffs State Col
Hale University 4-8 Dyson College
(#11) Amada University 3-2 Grandborough Tech
Vasco College 3-4 (#20) Alameda Academy
Coraopolis University 3-4 (#9) Schwartzer College
(#6) Inbit College 3-2 (#19) Shapiro State University
Frickstowne College 5-4 (#17) Dancougar Royal Academy
(#2) Leona College 0-1 (#18) Akasaka University
Rizzi College 1-4 (#14) Clay Academy
(#25) Reyes Academy 4-2 (#22) University of Fujiwara
(#8) Barynsk College 5-4 (#10) Gabthley University
(#5) Nara College 2-1 (#15) Carling College
Helmut State University 3-2 (#3) Hibiki University
Donneley College 1-3 (#24) Shiratori University

Comments: Chastain get bounced again! Returning to the tournament as #1, they go down to unheralded Cyert Tech from the Metro East, are you kidding me? Cyert fans storming the field after they won at home 2-1 to advance, that's a great moment for them. Konoha looking to sharpen its fangs this year, biting into Kasai 5-1 in the opening match, no way back for Kasai. Dyson exploding for eight goals against Hale, a very entertaining return leg between those two, a 5-3 Dyson win. Frickstowne getting the upset against the Royal Academy, but this was a close one, Royals almost able to force overtime in the return. Leona out early, perhaps they were overrated, but don't take anything away from Akasaka, they're perennial performers on the big stage. So are Rizzi, but no repeat for them, they go down hard to Clay. Barynsk and Nara moving on, average sides historically but maybe ready to assert themselves, same as Shiratori. Hibiki Uniersity downed by Helmut State, so that's the top three in the nation out in the first round!

Construction Hut Sweet Sixteen

(#24) Shiratori University 4-3 (#11) Amada University
(#18) Akasaka University 4-1 (#9) Schwartzer College
Dyson College 1-2 (#5) Nara College
(#12) Forbes College 1-2 Frickstowne College
(#20) Alameda Academy 2-3 (#6) Inbit College
Cyert Technical Institute 2-1 (#25) Reyes Academy
(#14) Clay Academy 1-2 Helmut State University
(#8) Barynsk College 6-5 (#4) Konoha Academy

Comments: Shiratori moving on after crusing 4-1 in the opener with Amada, and Akasaka brush aside Schwartzer. Frickstowne and Cyert continuing their surprising runs, taking down Forbes and Reyes, how about that? Inbit College needed overtime to get past Alameda Academy, a tense game for both sides, but great to watch. Helmut State continue to take down ranked opponents, they're into the quarters after beating Clay. Marquee matchup between Barynsk and Konoha... everything we asked for, baby! A 3-2 win for Barynsk at home, and in the return leg, Konoha raced out to a 3-1 lead. At that point, they're in, but the Igor Valley champs rally on the road and pick up two goals in the last twenty minutes to win on aggregate!

Quarterfinals

(#24) Shiratori University 2-4 (#6) Inbit College
(#18) Akasaka University 2-0 Cyert Technical Institute
(#8) Barynsk College 4-3 Helmut State University
(#5) Nara College 3-4 Frickstowne College

Comments: Cyert runs into Akasaka; they played tough defense to keep it close, but Akasaka win both. And Barynsk stops Helmut State with a 3-2 win to open that series. Nara ran out of gas in the return leg after getting held to a tie at home, so Frickstowne the only unranked team left. Inbit, perhaps, is the team to beat now after a 3-0 thumping of fan-favorites Shiratori in the return leg.

Semifinals

(#8) Barynsk College 1-4 (#6) Inbit College
Frickstowne College 0-2 (#18) Akasaka University

Comments: Barynsk was unable to contain the Inbit attack, and they lose both legs to the westerners. So it's the Big West champs, Inbit, a conference and a team that have never really made noise on the national scene. Who do they face? It's Akasaka, who come up with another pair of 1-0 wins to see of Frickstowne. Akasaka, at this point, have STILL not lost at all on the season. Nothing but wins and ties even through the tournament. Can they extend it by one more match? Can they complete an undefeated season and take the national title?

Collegiate Grand Final

(#6) Inbit College 4-1 (#18) Akasaka University

Comments: NO!! Inbit not only better, but dominant in the National Stadium! Up 2-0 at halftime, Inbit were cruising, but Akasaka made it a game after pulling one back five minutes after the break. But they were playing tired, didn't have the will to keep going. Inbit were hungry for goals and got one to make it to safety, and then one more for good measure. The trophy goes west...

Zwangzug

14-04-2008, 02:28

Matchday One: So much for that, editing updates in is fun

The first may not be last quite yet, but Spenson Suburbia reminded 12 de noviembre that the Clausura starts with new tables as they drew 1-1 in Aguazul. Trent Gerson scored off a pass from midfielder Keith Ganther in the twenty-eighth minute, and Donato Casales headed in a Joaquín Cuéllar shot in the sixty-fifth.

San Pablo actually won, poking two past Namiri Forest away. Venceslás Robledo scored in the third minute, and a shaken defense retracted even further. Ahmed Ghebregergish tied the score just before halftime, but Gabriel Vega outplayed Pallav Lakond (who for a guy with six defenders in front of him isn't really all that great) to easily put the Pumas ahead.

The Rovers were lucky to only lose by one goal, such was their abysmalness-for all their attack, they were second to last in the Apertura. Another Muus Jurin blast lacking in the aim department had the good fortune to go in, while Rafael Jasso and Patricio Olmos each scored for the home team. Weston Luzader wasn't all that bad goal-his charges forward would have been effective had it not been for the number of people Adalberto Molina, for instance, had to pass to.

For the first time since the first half of the Apertura (when they were playing, um, Namiri Forest), Arlington City scored twice, against the second-most-unusual suspects. That would be Trecelunas FC, who got a consolation goal through Elian Lobo with defender Kiri Yusko outplayed. But by that time, Johan Matchett and Wesley Ridder had pretty much put the game away. (Not, mind you, from the perspective of loyal Arlington fans, who don't move until the final whistle is blown.)

Matchday Two: Pumas roar past Deportivo

They're not exactly supposed to be leading the league. They don't care.

It took a Vega hat trick to send San Pablo to the top of the table, but his exploits bely a team effort: especially impressive was Remigio Puig at left-back, the most promising young player on a team known for its history. Nevertheless, the visiting side got two goals from Molina and Guiomar Oleastro.

12 de noviembre earned a solid 2-1 victory over Trecelunas by being pretty unexciting: even Quique Aiza can make setting up Casales look effortless. Which is probably a good thing, but meh. Anyhow he did that plenty often, twice being what it took to compensate for Pascual Rendón's shot past an otherwise more-than-competent Melchor Fonseca seven minutes after his halftime substitution.

Jonas Henke and Curtis Naluk each scored as the Rovers beat Namiri Forest, with Luzader's tactics far more appropriate: Rohit Sharma had nowhere to pass after his mazy attacks were denied, but eventually poked one in. Arlington City and Spenson Suburbia played to a scoreless draw.

Matchday Three: Which is bigger news?

The fact that Arlington City conceded three goals? Or that it didn't lose?

The insanity began thirteen minutes in, when Kai Masson's leaping deflection of a Vega thunderbolt was just in the right place for Robledo to send it home. The home side roared back into it, with Judd Empey helping them dominate midfield possession, and Ridder and Melissa Prine had taken the lead by halftime.

It became 2-2 in the fifty-eighth minute, when Amilcar Quintana scored off a Raúl Ventura pass. It was already Arlington's highest scoring game of the season, but the defensive-minded fans seemed to enjoy it anyhow. Not when Vega scored in the seventieth though. It would take a late Matchett strike to secure the surprising but entertaining tie.

The Rovers pounced on sloppy defense to pick up a win against 12 de noviembre: Sosimo Arriola was frankly subpar at center-back. Both of the visitors' goals came from Henke, with Natasha Keller providing setups that were horribly out of position but who cares...Oh and Aiza scored.

Deportivo Peralta blew a 2-0 lead but somehow won anyway. After Molina and Jasso scored, Sabas Melendez waited until halftime to shake up Trecelunas. It almost worked, too, as Rosendo Cabrera stayed in the game long enough to score twice, which could be a team record this year anyhow. Molina had another goal late, however, and the skies over the stadium cleared up rapidly.

And Spenson drew nil-all with Namiri Forest, though we'll have to wait for their game with Deportivo to see if they're the new Trecelunas or just too lazy not to rip off their opposition's styles. And that's...coming up next actually.

Matchday Four: Just like the Apertura

Okay then, so the Spenson Suburbia defense isn't all that. Dylan Neisius' defensive miscues sent Orion Tiangco to dig the ball out thrice, after Olmos, Molina, and Jasso pulled off one of their uncharacteristically egalitarian goalscoring feats. Gerson and Wayne Crumbliss each had a goal too.

Aiza scored for an increasingly erratic 12 de noviembre side trying to reestablish themselves, and in San Pablo if nowhere else the "we used to be good" shtick actually works. So there you have it, shutout for Fonseca and the quiet but effective defense, Evaristo Paredes the most impressive.

How do both teams manage to score when Trecelunas FC plays Namiri Forest? To hear Melendez tell it, Sharma found the back of the net before the hosts had settled into yet another formation. Vidur Chatterjee says midfielder Vasco Durante was diving, but he converted the free kick.

Midfielder Dylan Elford had an early long-range shot to put Arlington City ahead, but Jurin equalized and it was 1-1 for most of the game. Prine's second-half attempt was cut short by Luzader, but she passed backwards to a well-positioned Matchett, who gave the visitors (in a manner of speaking) the lead.

Matchday Five: The best offense?

Deportivo Peralta won. 3-2. For the third match in a row. Since losing to San Pablo. 3-2.

Right, okay, so some goals happened. A Molina hat trick, actually, with assists coming from three different people: Oleastro, Carlito Digüella, and not-that-kind-of-left-winger Sofronio Noguerra. On the flip side, Aiza and Casales both scored for 12 de noviembre, Cuéllar with both assists.

Three more goals for the Rovers, though against Trecelunas who took their first point last matchday. Naluk lit up the scoreboard twice, Henke once, and (unsurprisingly) substitute midfielder Silvestre Travieso in the eighty-first minute.

San Pablo and Spenson Suburbia drew one apiece: after a sixth-minute Vega shot it could have turned a whole lot worse for the visiting team. Yet somehow they actually came together (as much as they ever do), with Spencer Adamik setting up Crumbliss for an equalizer in the twentieth. Solid defense from Ventura, Michael Sheldon, and company kept the scoreline there. And if you hadn't guessed, Arlington City and Namiri Forest didn't score.

Matchday Six: Apertura take two, take two

So we're on page 42 now. That's cool. In its way.

Trecelunas FC won! Not the biggest news of the day, but it's their first win since the Cupcake Cup quarterfinals. And this is the kind of league where no matter how pathetic you are, you make the quarterfinals.

So then. Lobo, Rendón, Vega (still paying attention?) and Manolo Ybarra scored, with Melendez rotating his forwards through as per usual. More so than usual, actually, as the midfield and defense stayed mostly intact the whole day: only the substitution of Espiridión Losa for Tancredo Crespo altered that.

Spenson and the Rovers drew two apiece in a game far better than it might have been. Gerson and Crumbliss actually passed the ball back and forth when Luzader gave them an opening, with the latter getting credit for the thirtieth-minute goal. And he returned the favor, setting Gerson up for a fifty-seventh minute shot. The Rovers kept up their attack whenever possible, despite Diana Hughes' decent defense: Naluk and Henke kept the score tied.

Sharma scored the first goal at home, but it was 12 de noviembre's game from there: Aiza brilliantly eluded defender Fatima Nejem to tie the score, and Casales took the lead off a Blas Maurell pass in the seventy-fourth minute.

Drumroll please...Deportivo Peralta 0-1 Arlington City. Geoff Kempner headed the ball in with defender Odalis Huerta not fast enough to clear it. Rebecca Calhoun and Bennett Covy did everything right, and Justin Briant stumbled only enough to let Masson get on the highlight reel. Both sides now have twelve points in the Clausura, with the recent winners naturally holding that tiebreaker.

Matchday Seven: Wow. Okay. So.

...Spenson-Trecelunas? Yeah. Why the latter are giving up so many goals is one of those mysteries we haven't quite figured out yet, but leaving Roldán in past halftime might have helped. It was still tied then, with Ybarra and Crumbliss on the scoreboard, but Gerson scored twice before the hour mark for Spenson's, erm, first win of the Clausura. They had been plugging along, drawing every game but a 3-2 loss to Deportivo Peralta, and escaping notice. They're now tied for fifth in the Clausura, but remain in the overall cellar.

What they call history in San Pablo was probably true, but the emphasis is on the "was". Leo Butz set up Naluk for the first goal of the match, Keller passed to Jurin for the second, and Robledo's header was a nice afterthought.

Probably the best-played game was in Ciudad Peralta. Oleastro's long cross past Amash Hakim set up Olmos for a goal in the fourteenth minute. Namiri Forest, unsurprisingly, went even more defensive, but their midfield created some good opportunities. Apparently Deportivo Peralta, however, has a couple players that can actually defend: Jafet Montero in particular denied several opportunities. Sharma scored in the sixty-fifth minute for the tie. Namiri Forest hasn't won a single game of these seven, however, and people are criticizing the final format before it's been played.

That leaves Arlington, where a sellout crowd (or as close as us socialists get) hoped to see the home team take the overall lead from visiting 12 de noviembre. They were not disappointed. Defender Eloy Basurto had no chance at intercepting Geoff Kempner's forty-first minute pass to Prine, which was redirected into the net. Arlington City got another goal in the seventy-seventh, off a Pfendler pass to Matchett.

Clausura standings

W D L GF GA GD Pts
Arlington City 4 3 0 10 5 5 15
Deportivo Peralta 4 1 2 14 12 2 13
Rovers United 4 1 2 13 10 3 13
12 de noviembre 3 1 3 9 10 -1 10
Spenson Suburbia 1 5 1 9 8 1 8
San Pablo 2 2 3 11 13 -2 8
Namiri Forest 0 4 3 5 8 -3 4
Trecelunas FC 1 1 5 10 15 -5 4

Overall standings

W D L GF GA GD Pts
Arlington City 9 8 4 19 14 5 35
12 de noviembre 10 4 7 32 28 4 34
Deportivo Peralta 8 7 6 39 37 2 31
Rovers United 8 6 7 38 36 2 30
Namiri Forest 6 8 7 23 26 -3 26
San Pablo 6 4 10 34 40 -6 25
Trecelunas FC 6 6 9 29 31 -2 24
Spenson Suburbia 4 10 7 31 33 -2 22

Arlington City lead both the Clausura and the overall table. They did at the halfway point of the Apertura, though, and went on to score two goals in their next seven games. That's fewer than they scored in the San Pablo debacle, and they conceded the majority of their goals in the most recent seven that day too. Wow.

Matchday Eight: Trequartista starts final quarter

12 de noviembre pulled ahead in the overall standings with a win in Spenson, Aiza scoring both goals in the first half, off passes from midfielders Cuéllar and Cebrián Merlo. Crumbliss pulled within one in the second, but the hosts couldn't get another decent attack going.

This means that Arlington City didn't win, and as they were in Trecelunas it shouldn't be a surprise to hear that it was a scoreless draw. They stay on top of the Clausura table, though, as Deportivo Peralta and Rovers United played to yet another 2-2 draw: Molina, Jasso, Jurin, and Henke the goalscorers this time around. Midfielder Bridget Yusko provided the on-target pass for Jurin's seventy-sixth minute shot that secured the tie.

Namiri Forest lost despite a goal from Sharma in the thirtieth: Robledo and Vega scored in the second half to give the Pumas a frenzied win. San Pablo combined moments of extreme exertion with apathetic lethargy, and the lead never felt safe.

Matchday Nine: Things go a lot faster when you can just copy and paste them

Deportivo Peralta won 3-2, for instance. Olmos and Vega each scored twice, but Jasso's twelfth-minute goal had already given the hosts a lead the Pumas couldn't take.

Here's news of a sort though. Namiri Forest won! Scoring twice! Manish Patel headed in a long pass from Sonal Kaur in the thirty-seventh minute. Jurin equalized after halftime, but Sharma had the last word, scoring in the seventy-fourth minute. Lobo and Ybarra set each other up (and stayed in the whole game?!) as Trecelunas FC beat 12 de noviembre, Casales scoring the hosts' lone goal in the twenty-eighth. Arlington City, who to their credit have not adopted Namiri Forest's 1-.5-0 whining, played to yet another scoreless draw with Spenson Suburbia.

Matchday Ten: Loony lulling

How do you stop an attack like Deportivo Peralta's? Let them score first, the message seems to be, and give them a false sense of security.

That's what Melendez must have figured, anyhow, and it made him look brilliant. A ninth-minute Molina goal was all the visitors would get, as Cabrera, Ybarra, and Lobo's goals gave Trecelunas FC an impressive win.

Namiri Forest and Spenson Suburbia played to a 1-1 draw not as interesting as it might have seemed. Sharma and Gerson's goals came after long solo runs throughout the opposing defenses-Sharma's as the only visiting forward, Gerson because Crumbliss doesn't pass to him and vice versa, it's Spenson and they're always feuding about something. The rest of the time, both teams played for infinitesimal positional advantages that never materialized into anything remotely resembling an attack.

Boring tactical play? Not at all they say in Arlington, but the City team was in San Pablo. Not much could have matched the first leg, and Ridder's fifty-fifth minute goal was all the scoring there would be.

The Rovers took on 12 de noviembre for a comparative goalfest-after Jurin's booming shot took the lead, Aiza and Casales scored once each, the latter off a Moisés Sepulveda pass. But Henke tied it up for a 2-2 final.

Matchday Eleven: Big long RP with transfer news and stuff lost when Jolt logged me out

Where is Kai Masson when you need him? :( Losing 1-2 to the Rovers-one short match and Arlington are green with envy as 12 de noviembre won and we think that puts them on top.

Actual RP coming later.

Matchday Eleven: Here it goes, here it goes, here it goes again

As per above, Leo Butz's wandering around the field eventually took him where he could pass to Natasha Keller, who sent the long shot in. Matchett equalized, but Naluk scored for the winning goal.

12 de noviembre also won solidly, two goals coming from Casales and another from Cuéllar. That was actually supposed to be a cross to Aiza but who cares besides the Pumas (and whoever 12 de noviembre edges out on goal differential)? Vega scored for San Pablo in the thirty-fifth minute.

Spenson Suburbia were welcomed back to Ciudad Peralta by fans of Deportivo Peralta, fans who root against Deportivo Peralta for the heck of it, security personnel, their targets, and everybody else in the stadium. Gerson and Crumbliss each scored early, which made halftime...interesting...yeah...One could suspect that Molina and Jasso's remarkably simplistic goals were peace offerings of placation. The hosts might have won it, too, when Neisius felled midfielder Fermin Camacho, but Tiangco was solid on the set piece and the final was 2-2.

And Namiri Forest beat Trecelunas FC on a goal from Sharma. More to come where that came from. See below...

So. Ian Felsenfeld, Zwangzug national team forward, announced that he'd retire after winning the LIDYT with Chelmar FC, who find themselves in need of a replacement with backup Kimiran Yahakov aging. Namiri and Yafor 2 have some cultural similarities, so they went after Sharma. Remember, Namiri had no attack with him, they'll have less than that without. And what would they do with that many mulcs? We're baseball fans here, we're used to outright trades...

That's right. Namiri Forest bought Yahakov in the MUFN's first foreign transfer, to take effect after World Cup 40 and this season. (The policy on foreign players has been as resounding a "meh" as they come-no funds to go after them, but not enough nationalism to prevent them from coming. These things matter when you have multiple nations in the same league.)

It would be Namiri Forest too, wouldn't it?

Matchday Twelve: If Taeshan entered Worldvision

...then we might see a band comprised of Ghebregergish, Patel, and McQuoid. Until then, they'll stick to the small-but-mighty Namiri Forest midfield. The cohesive unit scored both goals (specifically, the two men) in a shutout win over Arlington City.

Deportivo Peralta drew 2-2 again, this time with 12 de noviembre. With Arlington's offensive woes, both teams knew the importance of this match and offense was high: Fonseca made an early save to deny Olmos, but he scored first, in the eighteenth minute. Casales tied it before halftime and gave the visitors the lead afterwards, but Molina's seventy-third minute goal gave the hosts the tie.

Melendez looked brilliant today, substituting Lobo in for Ybarra (who'd already scored twice) for a third goal from the substitute. The Rovers had a scare when Butz and Keller collided in midfield, but they painlessly played on well enough to set up Jurin for a late goal.

Gerson scored a hat trick at home as Spenson Suburbia beat the Pumas by the same score. Their goal came from Robledo in the thirty-ninth minute.

Matchday Thirteen: Can you get kicked out of the league for messing up the tables?

Probably not, not least because there's no place to get kicked too. Although I hear Plutoni is nice this time of year. After complicating the Apertura standings by not submitting team data results, San Pablo had to go back and recount those early matches. We think the tables are all right now, after the Spenson Suburbia problem. Their +2 goal differential in the Apertura and their -3 goal differential in the Clausura (so far) were added together to give...-10, throwing off the alignment as well as the sum. Nine ghost goals? Vidur Chatterjee has a solution: make every match end 0-0.

Lots of fans in Arlington would support that, and rightly so as the City team lost to Deportivo Peralta on Jasso's sixty-eighth minute goal, off a pass from midfielder Calixto Arce. Namiri Forest, for its part, won 2-1 in 12 de noviembre (or 1-2, I guess, it looks cool next to...never mind). Sharma and McQuoid each scored, as did Casales, with Merlo setting up that goal from the midfield and defender Parvin Rostami far out of position.

The Pumas...this is another one of those same-as-the-Apertura days, isn't it...beat Trecelunas FC 3-1, with midfielder Gil Palomo setting up Vega's pair of goals and Robledo also scoring. Ybarra scored for the visitors (and played the entire game, too).

The Rovers and Spenson Suburbia tied at two apiece: Gerson, Crumbliss, Naluk, and Jurin scored, with Mavis Whitaker setting up the last goal from the defense.

Clausura standings
W D L GF GA GD Pts
Deportivo Peralta 6 4 3 25 23 2 22
Arlington City 5 5 3 12 10 2 20
Rovers United 5 4 4 23 22 1 19
12 de noviembre 5 3 5 20 20 0 18
Namiri Forest 4 5 4 14 13 1 17
Spenson Suburbia 2 9 2 18 16 2 15
Trecelunas FC 4 2 7 19 22 -3 14
San Pablo 4 2 7 20 25 -5 14

Overall standings
W D L GF GA GD Pts
12 de noviembre 12 6 9 43 38 5 42
Deportivo Peralta 10 10 7 50 48 2 40
Arlington City 10 10 7 21 19 2 40
Rovers United 9 9 9 48 48 0 36
Namiri Forest 10 5 8 32 31 1 35
Trecelunas FC 9 7 11 38 38 0 34
San Pablo 9 3 15 43 52 -9 30
Spenson Suburbia 5 14 13 40 50 -1 28

12 de noviembre lead the league and need one point from Arlington City to clinch. Arlington and Deportivo Peralta remain in the mix, the former with a bit more of destiny in their hands, the latter with the head-to-head tiebreaker if it comes to that. (Goal difference would be used first.) Rovers United join Arlington and Deportivo in contention for the Clausura title.

The Pazhujeb Islands

14-04-2008, 03:45

Today the Pazhujeb Islands Football Association announced the creation of a new cup system to replace the now-defunct Imperial Cup. It will consist of all of the teams from Ivheshbum A through C. The new cup is to be titled the SDB Spring Football Competition (SDB being the commemorative initials of the late Starblaydi football star Simeone Di Bradini), to be held, as the name suggests, in the spring of every year.

The format of the competion will be as follows. The 65 teams in the top three leagues will be drawn, unseeded, into five groups of thirteen. These teams will then be drawn (again, unseeded) into six ties against other teams from their group, three home and three away. After these matches are played, teams will receive a grand total of points, consisting of the sum of their own points total and the average points total of all the teams they faced in the group stage. The five teams who lead their groups in this grand point total will move on to the final phase.

The final phase will be played using the McIntyre final five system, with teams ranked according to their grand point totals. To clarify specifically, this means that ranks 4 and 5 and ranks 2 and 3 will meet each other in Matches A and B, respectively. The loser of Match B will then host the winner of Match A in Match C, and the first-ranked team will host the winner of Match B in match D. A preliminary final between the loser of Match D and the winner of Match C will then be held, with the final consisting of the Match D winner hosting the preliminary final winner in the grand final.

Despite the discombobulated nature of this competition, fans in the Pazhujebs are eager to see more football, and the SDB Spring Football Competition promises to do just that.

Kereca

18-04-2008, 06:04

Kerecan Domestic Football Back Up and Running
Following Kereca's surprise entry in the World Cup, the Kereca Footballing Association postponed the second season of the Kereca City Football League due to a number of players being abroad. The independent Western Kereca League followed suit, as a result of losing several players and one coach to the World Cup squad. However, the KFA has decided to stage the third edition of the Nationwide Cup.

Previous Nationwide Cup Champions
Year 1 - Not held
Year 2 - Kereca University (Defeated Eckert Prep)
Year 3 - Western FC (Defeated Athletic)

Nationwide Cup Format
All Rounds - Teams are randomly drawn in each round up until the Final Round. Ties after ninety minutes are replayed until a team is victorious.

First Round - All five Western Kereca League teams enter in this round, as well as newly-founded Ippsburg Royal of the KCFL.
Second Round - Three winners from First Round are entered in a pot with the five remaining KCFL sides.
Semifinals - Four winners from Second Round advance.
Final - Semifinal winners play on a neutral field.

Nationwide Cup Results

First Round
Kingston Town 1-1 Cobalt City
Replay: Cobalt City 3-2 Kingston Town
West End PS 2-3 Ippsburg Royal
Basley Brewery FC 1-2 Western FC

Second Round
Ippsburg Royal 2-3 Eckert Prep
Athletic 2-3 Kereca University
Cobalt City 1-3 Gansby PS
Schechter Park 0-5 Western FC

Semifinals
Kereca University 1-0 Gansby PS
Western FC 0-0 Eckert Prep
Replay: Eckert Prep 4-2 Western FC

Final @ Schechter Park Ground
Kereca University 2-3 Eckert Prep

Eckert Prep needed a replay to defeat favorites (and defending champions) Western FC as well as rival Kereca University in an exciting final to win their first Nationwide Cup. KU shocked Athletic on their home field in a Second Round match, then defeated Gansby PS at Wise Field before falling to Eckert Prep. In an odd turn of events, the away side was victorious in every second round match. Also of note, two brand new clubs in Cobalt City and Ippsburg Royal upset Kingston Town and West End PS respectively in the First Round in each club’s inaugural Nationwide Cup.

New Manhattan

18-04-2008, 15:46

http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/logos/eliteleague/
2145 Élite League—final standings
Though Sonoma Center looked good in the opening stretch, their ultra-attacking tactics were not even enough to earn them Champions’ Cup football, as defending champions—of everything—Yuba United overtook them at the halfway point and never looked back. Jasīʼyūn teams struggled this season, with all but one of them finishing in the bottom half of the table. The top seven spots were monopolized by the number one association of club and international football, allowing them the lion’s share of Champions’ Cup slots. This lopsided season has created some concerns for the Élite League management, who have now instituted rules requiring that at least two teams from each association qualify for the TQCC under the current format, and saving teams from relegation if it would result in fewer than six teams from their association playing in the next Élite League.
Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Yuba United COM 34 21 8 5 59 28 31 71 Tournoi IRC/TQCC
2 San Solari FC COM 34 18 10 6 53 30 23 64 TQCC
3 Medoria Löwen COM 34 17 7 10 67 48 19 58 TQCC
4 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen COM 34 16 8 10 47 39 8 56 TQCC
5 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK COM 34 15 11 8 62 44 18 56 TQCC
6 San Diego Iguanas COM 34 15 8 11 49 46 3 53
7 Sonoma Center Panthers COM 34 14 11 9 73 56 17 53
8 Naquada Falls Demons JSY 34 15 7 12 45 46 -1 52
9 Black Oasis Athletic COM 34 14 8 12 47 43 4 50 TQCC
10 Qidade Savana JSY 34 13 11 10 63 47 16 50 TQCC
11 High Mountain Buffalo JSY 34 12 9 13 39 50 -11 45
12 Carter FC JSY 34 11 8 15 45 58 -13 41 TQCC
13 Heidelstadt Falken JSY 34 11 7 16 40 51 -11 40
14 South Coast United JSY 34 9 12 13 50 43 7 39
15 Lexington FC JSY 34 10 7 17 47 63 -16 37
16 Querzakhi United COM 34 7 8 19 22 45 -23 29
17 Jackson FC COM 34 7 6 21 26 55 -29 27 Relegated
18 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī JSY 34 5 6 23 34 76 -42 21 Relegated

Élite League Two
League Two North
Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 New Haverford Albion JSY 34 24 5 5 82 28 54 77 Promoted
2 Noka Mariners JSY 34 20 7 7 62 34 28 67
3 Natestadt Nationalisten COM 34 15 12 7 40 24 16 57
4 Jamaica Giants JSY 34 17 5 12 45 38 7 56
5 Dawson Springs FC COM 34 14 13 7 27 19 8 55
6 Humai Titans JSY 34 13 15 6 43 33 10 54
7 Chorion Bluffs Knights COM 34 16 5 13 46 46 0 53
8 Sokojito Dosi Dalamjwijī JSY 34 15 8 11 40 30 10 53
9 Aeropag Penguins COM 34 14 10 10 53 39 14 52
10 Keto Lodīlūnajī JSY 34 14 6 14 49 51 -2 48
11 Musketiere Twintown JSY 34 10 10 14 25 36 -11 40
12 Laniuq Explorers COM 34 10 9 15 29 41 -12 39
13 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī JSY 34 7 17 10 25 25 0 38
14 Griffin Zebras JSY 34 9 7 18 33 48 -15 34
15 Ari FC COM 34 8 9 17 48 76 -28 33
16 Forest Hill FC JSY 34 6 12 16 25 41 -16 30 Relegated
17 SV Pößneck COM 34 6 7 21 30 71 -41 25 Relegated
18 Lolestu CK COM 34 3 13 18 13 35 -22 22 Relegated

League Two South
Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Cordubovica Falcons COM 34 21 8 5 60 26 34 71 Promoted
2 Syoko Poggyūggijī COM 34 19 8 7 38 21 17 65
3 New Hampton Terrapins JSY 34 18 9 7 62 39 23 63
4 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana COM 34 18 6 10 60 48 12 60
5 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī JSY 34 17 6 11 57 40 17 57
6 Werd Beachcombers COM 34 16 8 10 40 28 12 56
7 Ἄργος ΛΠ COM 34 15 8 11 57 48 9 53
8 Seansburgh Cougars COM 34 14 9 11 41 41 0 51
9 Alexandria Porcupines JSY 34 12 13 9 25 20 5 49
10 ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī COM 34 12 11 11 46 40 6 47
11 SpVgg Tolzerio COM 34 10 11 13 28 28 0 41
12 Kitsilano Konquerors COM 34 9 11 14 22 30 -8 38
13 Eintracht Maastricht JSY 34 9 10 15 52 67 -15 37
14 Lexington Firefoxes COM 34 10 6 18 52 65 -13 36
15 RKA Warriors COM 34 9 9 16 35 47 -12 36
16 Portland Safari JSY 34 6 10 18 40 64 -24 28 Relegated
17 Midway Wolves COM 34 5 11 18 31 55 -24 26 Relegated
18 Commerce Heights T’birds COM 34 7 4 23 41 80 -39 25 Relegated

Élite League Three promotees
League 3/A: KQ Sirto (COM)
League 3/B: Cambridge Pioniere (COM)
League 3/C: Eastfield Rogues (JSY)
League 3/D: Kaiwu Mavericks (JSY)
League 3/E: Scarab Inferno (COM)
League 3/F: Tallahassee Blues (JSY)

Élite League Cup
Qidade Savana striker Rick Burton was on a roll through the early stages of the League Cup, as the team’s first three matches saw a combined thirty-two goals scored for and against the Tingitanan club. They would ignite the Stádie Aztékire crowd in another way at the semifinal stage, coming back from a goal behind to defeat San Solari. Yuba United, taking a more quiet path to the final, would go down in the all-too-familiar surroundings of Holmes Stadium, beind denied a third consecutive League Cup trophy.
Third Round
(CEL) Sonoma Center Panthers 1–3 New Haverford Albion (L2N)
(CEL) Naquada Falls Demons 2–1 Kagoshima Phoenix (3/E)
(L2S) Commerce Heights T’birds 2–2 Acklund Krokodile (3/D)
(L2N) Natestadt Nationalisten 1–1 Ἄργος ΛΠ (L2S)
(3/A) Port Lusambo Paladins 1–3 Lexington Firefoxes (L2S)
(L2S) RKA Warriors 2–4 Medoria Löwen (CEL)
(L2S) Seansburgh Cougars 1–1 Forest Hill FC (L2N)
(3/C) New Town Red Devils 4–3 Scarab Inferno (3/E)
(CEL) Lexington FC 1–1 Chorion Bluffs Knights (L2N)
(L2N) Musketiere Twintown 0–1 Querzakhi United (CEL)
(CEL) Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK 0–2 Yuba United (CEL)
(3/B) Penbulg Donʼūjī 3–2 ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī (L2S)
(CEL) South Coast United 2–1 Tallahassee Blues (3/F)
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken 3–2 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana (L2S)
(3/D) Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen 0–1 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (CEL)
(CEL) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī 4–0 KQ Krotas (3/E)
(3/C) Sonoma City Volcanoes 1–2 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (L2N)
(CEL) Black Oasis Athletic 5–0 SpVgg Königstadt (3/B)
(L2S) SpVgg Tolzerio 1–1 Alexandria Porcupines (L2S)
(CEL) Carter FC 1–3 High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)
(3/D) Südtolzerio Kreuzfahrer 5–2 1. FC Fredricksburg (3/D)
(3/F) Commerce Heights Skyhawks 2–10 Qidade Savana (CEL)
(L2N) Jamaica Giants 1–1 Navarre Town (3/C)
(L2N) Aeropag Penguins 3–0 St Lawrence FC (3/C)
(L2N) Sokojito Dosi Dalamjwijī 1–1 San Solari FC (CEL)
(3/A) Myatani Çūŋsāçijī 0–0 Jackson FC (CEL)
(L2S) Syoko Poggyūggijī 3–0 Portland Safari (L2S)
(3/C) Uktoli Gyūlhabdwen 1–5 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (L2S)
(CEL) San Diego Iguanas 4–0 Nyendoli ʼYoŋjī (3/B)
(3/D) Tigo Gyūlhabdwen 0–1 Dawson Springs FC (L2N)
(L2N) Noka Mariners 4–1 Tidus Gaŋçūl (3/A)
(3/C) Graceville Salamanders 2–0 Kaiwu Mavericks (3/D)

Third Round Replays
(3/D) Acklund Krokodile 0–2 Commerce Heights T’birds (L2S)
(L2S) Ἄργος ΛΠ 0–0 Natestadt Nationalisten (L2N)
Extra time: 1–0
(L2N) Forest Hill FC 1–0 Seansburgh Cougars (L2S)
(L2N) Chorion Bluffs Knights 1–4 Lexington FC (CEL)
(L2S) Alexandria Porcupines 1–0 SpVgg Tolzerio (L2S)
(3/C) Navarre Town 1–5 Jamaica Giants (L2N)
(CEL) San Solari FC 2–0 Sokojito Dosi Dalamjwijī (L2N)
(CEL) Jackson FC 3–2 Myatani Çūŋsāçijī (3/A)

Fourth Round
(L2N) New Haverford Albion 1–2 Naquada Falls Demons (CEL)
(L2S) Commerce Heights T’birds 1–3 Ἄργος ΛΠ (L2S)
(L2S) Lexington Firefoxes 1–3 Medoria Löwen (CEL)
(L2N) Forest Hill FC 2–0 New Town Red Devils (3/C)
(CEL) Lexington FC 1–0 Querzakhi United (CEL)
(CEL) Yuba United 5–0 Penbulg Donʼūjī (3/B)
(CEL) South Coast United 2–2 Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)
(CEL) Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen 1–0 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (CEL)
(L2N) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī 0–2 Black Oasis Athletic (CEL)
(L2S) Alexandria Porcupines 0–0 High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)
(3/D) Südtolzerio Kreuzfahrer 3–7 Qidade Savana (CEL)
(L2N) Jamaica Giants 2–2 Aeropag Penguins (L2N)
(CEL) San Solari FC 1–0 Jackson FC (CEL)
(L2S) Syoko Poggyūggijī 1–1 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (L2S)
(CEL) San Diego Iguanas 1–1 Dawson Springs FC (L2N)
(L2N) Noka Mariners 1–0 Graceville Salamanders (3/C)

Fourth Round Replays
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken 1–0 South Coast United (CEL)
(CEL) High Mountain Buffalo 1–0 Alexandria Porcupines (L2S)
(L2N) Aeropag Penguins 1–1 Jamaica Giants (L2N)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 1–4
(L2S) Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī 1–1 Syoko Poggyūggijī (L2S)
Extra time: 2–1
(L2N) Dawson Springs FC 1–2 San Diego Iguanas (CEL)

Fifth Round
(CEL) Naquada Falls Demons 1–1 Ἄργος ΛΠ (L2S)
(CEL) Medoria Löwen 4–1 Forest Hill FC (L2N)
(CEL) Lexington FC 1–2 Yuba United (CEL)
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken 2–1 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (CEL)
(CEL) Black Oasis Athletic 0–2 High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)
(CEL) Qidade Savana 9–1 Jamaica Giants (L2N)
(CEL) San Solari FC 5–0 Silto Dosi ʼYasāŋmajī (L2S)
(CEL) San Diego Iguanas 2–0 Noka Mariners (L2N)

Fifth Round Replay
(L2S) Ἄργος ΛΠ 0–6 Naquada Falls Demons (CEL)

Quarterfinals
(CEL) Naquada Falls Demons 1–1 Medoria Löwen (CEL)
(CEL) Yuba United 2–2 Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)
(CEL) High Mountain Buffalo 0–3 Qidade Savana (CEL)
(CEL) San Solari FC 2–1 San Diego Iguanas (CEL)

Quarterfinal Replays
(CEL) Medoria Löwen 6–2 Naquada Falls Demons (CEL)
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken 0–0 Yuba United (CEL)
Extra time: 0–0
Penalty kicks: 2–4

Semifinals
(CEL) Medoria Löwen 2–3 Yuba United (CEL)
(CEL) Qidade Savana 2–1 San Solari FC (CEL)

Final
(CEL) Yuba United 0–1 Qidade Savana (CEL)

TechConGroup Cup
Two-time defending champions Yuba United had the misfortune to be drawn against Black Oasis in the third round, and a penalty shootout sent them packing early. Black Oasis had a number of close calls during their cup campaign, but eventually met defending runners-up(?) Aeropag in the final, whom they confidently dispatched to take home the cup.
Third Round
(3/A) Dyaçyi ʼYumonminjī 2–0 Accola Eagles (3/A)
(3/B) SpVgg Königstadt 1–3 New Seoul Cougars (3/F)
(CEL) Querzakhi United 1–0 Jonloli Gyūlhabdwen (3/E)
(L2N) Dawson Springs FC 2–0 Tigo Gyūlhabdwen (3/D)
(3/A) Teʼyaçu Joŋlyugijī 0–1 Ari FC (L2N)
(L2N) Lolestu CK 0–1 Aeropag Penguins (L2N)
(3/E) Χίλεστ Ενωμένος 1–1 Ἄργος ΛΠ (L2S)
Extra time: 1–2
(3/E) Scarab Inferno 2–2 Kagoshima Phoenix (3/E)
Extra time: 3–3
Penalty kicks: 3–5
(L2S) ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī 1–0 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (CEL)
(L2S) Seansburgh Cougars 1–0 Πόρτο-Χε Δολοφόνοι (3/E)
(L2S) Midway Wolves 3–2 1. FC Fredricksburg (3/D)
(3/C) Sonoma City Volcanoes 2–2 Werd Beachcombers (L2S)
Extra time: 4–2
(CEL) San Solari FC 0–0 SpVgg Tolzerio (L2S)
Extra time: 0–0
Penalty kicks: 1–4
(—) Mifflinburg FC 1–3 New Lexington United (3/D)
(3/C) Navarre Town 2–1 Pine Village FC (3/C)
(3/C) Hundon FC 0–1 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK (CEL)
(L2S) RKA Warriors 4–1 Goʼyaŋ Çugkīl (3/A)
(L2N) Chorion Bluffs Knights 2–0 Natestadt Nationalisten (L2N)
(3/B) Dalit Säbel 1–4 Lexington Firefoxes (L2S)
(—) Hendersonburg Stars 0–5 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana (L2S)
(3/C) FC Glückstadt 1–1 Kainia Marauders (3/A)
Extra time: 1–2
(CEL) Jackson FC 2–1 SV Veernan (3/E)
(3/E) Esto Wanderers 1–1 SV Pößneck (L2N)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 0–3
(3/A) Keto Kanaliʼajī 0–6 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)
(3/D) Eintracht Südtolzerio 0–0 Kitsilano Konquerors (L2S)
Extra time: 0–0
Penalty kicks: 1–4
(L2S) Syoko Poggyūggijī 2–0 Laniuq Explorers (L2N)
(CEL) Yuba United 2–2 Black Oasis Athletic (CEL)
Extra time: 2–2
Penalty kicks: 2–4
(3/B) Cambridge Pioniere 0–2 Florence Opera (3/F)
(L2S) Commerce Heights T’birds 4–5 Medoria Löwen (CEL)
(3/F) Columbia Sharks 2–5 Cordubovica Falcons (L2S)
(3/A) KQ Sirto 2–2 Dennis Bears (3/F)
Extra time: 2–2
Penalty kicks: 5–6
(CEL) San Diego Iguanas 2–1 Verona FC (3/E)

Fourth Round
(3/A) Dyaçyi ʼYumonminjī 0–0 New Seoul Cougars (3/F)
Extra time: 0–0
Penalty kicks: 0–3
(CEL) Querzakhi United 0–0 Dawson Springs FC (L2N)
Extra time: 1–0
(L2N) Ari FC 0–1 Aeropag Penguins (L2N)
(L2S) Ἄργος ΛΠ 1–0 Kagoshima Phoenix (3/E)
(L2S) ʼEbestigatus Tāpuŋjī 3–3 Seansburgh Cougars (L2S)
Extra time: 4–4
Penalty kicks: 3–5
(L2S) Midway Wolves 2–2 Sonoma City Volcanoes (3/C)
Extra time: 2–2
Penalty kicks: 1–4
(L2S) SpVgg Tolzerio 1–0 New Lexington United (3/D)
(3/C) Navarre Town 1–6 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK (CEL)
(L2S) RKA Warriors 2–2 Chorion Bluffs Knights (L2N)
Extra time: 3–2
(L2S) Lexington Firefoxes 0–1 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana (L2S)
(3/A) Kainia Marauders 1–3 Jackson FC (CEL)
(L2N) SV Pößneck 2–3 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)
(L2S) Kitsilano Konquerors 1–1 Syoko Poggyūggijī (L2S)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 2–4
(CEL) Black Oasis Athletic 7–0 Florence Opera (3/F)
(CEL) Medoria Löwen 4–2 Cordubovica Falcons (L2S)
(3/F) Dennis Bears 2–1 San Diego Iguanas (CEL)

Fifth Round
(3/F) New Seoul Cougars 2–1 Querzakhi United (CEL)
(L2N) Aeropag Penguins 2–0 Ἄργος ΛΠ (L2S)
(L2S) Seansburgh Cougars 1–3 Sonoma City Volcanoes (3/C)
(L2S) SpVgg Tolzerio 1–2 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK (CEL)
(L2S) RKA Warriors 1–1 KQ Nepáïire Tingitana (L2S)
Extra time: 2–1
(CEL) Jackson FC 5–3 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)
(L2S) Syoko Poggyūggijī 0–0 Black Oasis Athletic (CEL)
Extra time: 0–0
Penalty kicks: 3–5
(CEL) Medoria Löwen 1–2 Dennis Bears (3/F)

Quarterfinals
(3/F) New Seoul Cougars 0–3 Aeropag Penguins (L2N)
(3/C) Sonoma City Volcanoes 0–2 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK (CEL)
(L2S) RKA Warriors 1–3 Jackson FC (CEL)
(CEL) Black Oasis Athletic 1–0 Dennis Bears (3/?)

Semifinals
(L2N) Aeropag Penguins 2–1 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK (CEL)
(CEL) Jackson FC 1–1 Black Oasis Athletic (CEL)
Extra time: 2–4

Final
(L2N) Aeropag Penguins 1–2 Black Oasis Athletic (CEL)

자스연 컵 (Jasīʼyūn Kūb)
Naquada Falls Demons, who seemed the best of the Jasīʼyūn teams this season, did well in their run-up to the final, but traditional power South Coast United was able to control both legs of the final, securing the 4–1 aggregate result. Eastfield Rogues performed impressively, as they and Sūŋja Pitūs became the first League Three teams to reach the sixth round.
Sixth Round
(L2N) Humai Titans 1–2 Forest Hill FC (L2N)
(L2N) Forest Hill FC (3) 1–1 (2) Humai Titans (L2N)

(L2S) New Hampton Terrapins 3–2 High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)
(CEL) High Mountain Buffalo (5) 3–3 (6) New Hampton Terrapins (L2S)

(CEL) Lexington FC 1–1 Qidade Savana (CEL)
(CEL) Qidade Savana (3) 2–0 (1) Lexington FC (CEL)

(3/D) Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen 2–2 Naquada Falls Demons (CEL)
(CEL) Naquada Falls Demons (6) 4–2 (4) Sūŋja Pitūs Gyūlhabdwen (3/D)

(L2N) New Haverford Albion 1–0 Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken (3) 3–0 (1) New Haverford Albion (L2N)

(CEL) Carter FC 0–2 South Coast United (CEL)
(CEL) South Coast United (4) 2–1 (1) Carter FC (CEL)

(L2N) Noka Mariners 2–0 Eastfield Rogues (3/C)
(3/C) Eastfield Rogues (0) 0–2 (4) Noka Mariners (L2N)

(L2N) Sokojito Dosi Dalamjwijī 4–0 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (CEL)
(CEL) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (1) 1–2 (6) Sokojito Dosi Dalamjwijī (L2N)

Quarterfinals
(L2N) Forest Hill FC 1–0 New Hampton Terrapins (L2S)
(L2S) New Hampton Terrapins (3) 3–0 (1) Forest Hill FC (L2N)

(CEL) Qidade Savana 2–2 Naquada Falls Demons (CEL)
(CEL) Naquada Falls Demons (5) 3–2 (4) Qidade Savana (CEL)

(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken 2–0 South Coast United (CEL)
(CEL) South Coast United (4) 3–1 (3) Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)

(L2N) Noka Mariners 3–1 Sokojito Dosi Dalamjwijī (L2N)
(L2N) Sokojito Dosi Dalamjwijī (2) 1–0 (3) Noka Mariners (L2N)

Semifinals
(L2S) New Hampton Terrapins 0–3 Naquada Falls Demons (CEL)
(CEL) Naquada Falls Demons (6) 3–0 (0) New Hampton Terrapins (L2S)

(CEL) South Coast United 1–1 Noka Mariners (L2N)
(L2N) Noka Mariners (1) 0–2 (3) South Coast United (CEL)

Final
(CEL) Naquada Falls Demons 1–3 South Coast United (CEL)
(CEL) South Coast United (4) 1–0 (1) Naquada Falls Demons (CEL)

Candelaria And Marquez

18-04-2008, 16:44

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Matchday Eighteen: Cats sting Scorpions

Ooh… Suddenly we have a title race on our hands! Who’d have thunk it?

Okay, ‘title race’ may be pushing it a tad. There’s still eleven points between first and second, and it’s not as though Albrecht FC are going to face a Green Island-style nightmare of a bevy of difficult games in a row after this initial slip-up, with only one more matchday left before everyone buggers off to Lake Bekk or the beach for a few weeks.

Their defeat came in the mildly unlikely arena of La Decimotercia. For all that Caires City have achieved this season, Cathedral City are surely the break-out team of XXVIII. From an initial nightmare of an XXVII to eventual comfortable safety, Charlie Cunningham’s Cats were not given much of a chance by the fans and pundits alike, but they really look like proving that their Champions’ Cup qualification was no fluke. It’s even not half bad to watch, for although Catedral are an aggressive outfit and have two absolute lumps leading the line, there’s also some real class in there, and you wouldn’t back against them making the world’s premier new club competition for a second time once the dust has settled on XXVIII.

Catching up with Albrecht is surely out of the question, but the Scorpions do have a most interesting game away at the GIZ next week. With Joe Cunningham slap bang in the middle of his three-match ban, the school disco relationship between Peter Vanderpent and Kian Donnelly up front is going to have to take a big step forward if they aren’t going to enter into a real period of wobblement.

Never mind all that though, mid-table’s where it’s at these days. And how refreshing was it to see a clash between two ‘struggling’ sides like Marquez-Onwere and Green Island played in the best of spirits and producing one of the best games of the season. Diabolical defending mind you, as the man would say, but bloody great fun. So many players here had something to prove – the likes of Careca, Jack Stafador, Roger Zetaback, José Luis Sosa, Ávindu Zulqadr and Rául Vélez as they attempted to force their way into the national XIs, the likes of José Felipe Cassumba Domingos, John Horner and Ben Young as they attempted to stay in them. And for the likes of Merlin Siriwong to show his national team boss what he was missing, for though he didn’t get on the scoresheet this was another fine game indeed from the midfielder. It was he that was the naranja’s driving force once the GIZ has raced into a 2-0 lead courtesy of Stuart Vidakovic’s penalty (Zulqadr’ll be watching the World Cup from the bench, then…) and an inspired run and shot from Espy va Drake.

The big shiny slaphead of Careca got on the end of one of Siriwong’s straight but powerful crosses to further his status as the top scorer in the league so far this term, before Siriwong beat Zetaback to a header from Seb Moon’s ball out, nipped past Seb Cerullei and fed Cassumba Domingos in perfectly to feet for the C&M international to get the equaliser.

Cerullei made good with another of those free-kicks that took Green Island into the lead and will have Lloyd Donnelly wondering just why he selected Adlai Dobson in his squad over any of the lefties on show on Monday night, but the home side weren’t done and neither was Siriwong. He got his third assist of the day by playing in Reiban Okeke, before José Luis Sosa made a powerful run down the left, overlapping the veteran Recluse Islander Niclas Kjaer, and sent a testing cross-come-shot past the fingers of Martin Petit. 4-3. Niiiice.

For the superstitious among their isolated fanbase, Green Island now have a 6-6-6 record. But they’re hardly alone. Gamboa FC, remarkably, are up there as well now with their 3-1 victory over the still-managerless MN Smith. Two sides meanwhile remain on twenty-four points following 2-1 home defeats, with Arrigo Portuguese going down to an increasingly businesslike Port of Clotaire, despite Lee Waywide seeing red for an instinctive karate chop on Avilass Gackbang, and Radyukevich beaten by Albrecht Turkish. But still… IT’S TWELVE POINTS! YOU’RE NOT GOING TO CATCH ALBRECHT UP! GET OVER IT!

Away from the top half, besides Caires City’s one each with the El din Marbles; the world’s only saviour called Derek picked up his first point of his tenure at Turks’ Club with a 2-2 draw in the other other Khatib-Gassett derby. That one point may not help them much, but it was pleasing to see Xavier Le Monde given a chance to play his natural game, something not afforded to him by Derek Marshall’s Kura-Pellandi predecessor, and Turks fans can feel justified in some modest confidence ahead of the visit of Cathedral.

And in t’other game, Mayo Valley took the lead against Castillo, Castillo equalised and then took the lead against Mayo Valley and Mayo Valley equalised and that was basically it. But Kim Zetaback scored: her fifth of the season which is one more than her brother. Go… girl, I suppose. Although what with her being Eesseffian and all…

Caires City v El din Marbles 1 – 1 (Morrison 84; Soro 45)
Cathedral City v Albrecht FC 2 – 1 (Taffarel 24, Jerez 69; Christmas og 31)
Gamboa FC v MN Smith 3 – 1 (Richardson 45+2, Castelão 72, Price 87)
KT Hotspur v Turks’ Club (Sat Morning) 2 – 2 (Milton 2 and 43; Le Monde 9, Bradley 46)
MarquezOW v Green Island (Mon Evening) 4 – 3 (Careca 28, Cassumba Domingos 35, Okeke 62, Sosa 83; Vidakovic 18, va Drake 23, Cerullei 55)
Mayo Valley v Castillo FC (Sat Evening) 2 – 2 (Zetaback 12, Thorrington 79; Kim 27, Sixtos 61)
Portuguese v Port of Clotaire 1 – 2 (Eriksson 70; Federici 15 and 65)
Radyukevich v A.Turks 1 – 2 (Rawlinson 20; Maini 32, Reizei 39)

Matchday Nineteen: And relax…

And that was that. The CMSC goes on hiatus now for a good few weeks, until C&M are finally knocked out of the Cup of Harmony; at which point the league will resume and attempt to get through as many rounds in as short a space of time as is humanly possible. So this was always going to be a leisurely week, with many players mentally already on the beach or the banks of Lake Bekk. Not to say that there weren’t a few games that could have long-lasting implication on the direction of the league, of course. XXVIII is still proudly bonkers.

We have to start with a mid-table game that will probably matter in the long run and notable only for its mildly unexpected result. And the man in the dugout.

AFC MN Smith President Alistair Parnell announced last week that he would be waiting until the post-MD19 break-up to find a new manager, following Derek Marshall’s move awp nairth to Turks’ Club. Loyal Smudgers fans awaited his decision with trepidation, for hiring the new coach was one of the few areas for which Parnell had complete control. Pretty much everything else has to go to a vote, and Smith loyalists have repeatedly voted out the bids by their hated peers on the club’s board who ‘defected’ from the All Saints FC in order to bring down MN Smith from the inside. Parnell’s stunning electoral victory early in the off-season prompted the imposition of an armed guard outside his family home in Bove, eventually prompting them to move back to the district of Southampton amongst fellow supporters of the club forced out of existence by the creation of MN Smith. But that has merely encouraged a new outbreak of violence between the two sets of fans and Parnell, despite regularly meetings with the local constabulary, has done little to turn down the heat.

After Marshall, who has long been outspoken as to his loathing of Parnell, left the club, the President had attempted to adopt a more conciliatory tone. “We’re all in this together, now that our manager has abandoned us,” he told local radio. “It’s time to put our differences aside, wish the best of luck to The New Saints, and focus on the future of AFC MN Smith.” And then he grinned horribly.

And this is why. When the Smudgers’ fans prepared to brave the ever-hostile atmosphere of their own City of Bove Stadium trudged in to watch what would surely be a defeat at the hands of Marquez-Onwere, they did so with open mouths. For there was no new manager in the dugout, nor the current caretaker Darwin Rondags. Merely, there stood Alistair Parnell; wearing a tracksuit with AP on the front. There’s no reason why not, you don’t need any badges to manage in the CMSC which is how Coleman Mustard and Carlos Panadero were able to walk into jobs, but Parnell has not to anyone’s knowledge so much as kicked a ball in anger before, never mind manage. This couldn’t possible be good.

The true MN Smith fans among the board certainly saw it that way. Within minutes of the kick-off, the club’s Vice-President Lincoln Kjellin had clearly twanged beyond breaking point, storming down from his box and into the technical area to confront Parnell. The fourth official Mike Dalley became briefly famous as he attempted to keep the pair apart, but the bulky Kjellin brushed him off, took one further look at Parnell’s grubby little grin, and I’m afraid he hit him in the mouth and he had to be carried off.

The calm, scholarly Director of Football Denis Martin stepped into the breach, and both sets of players could turn their eyes and minds back on the pitch once the still struggling Kjellin had been led away. Within moments, the young prodigy Niv Cohen had stormed into the MarquezOW half and crossed for Jamie Watson to knock home. It hardly compensated on missing out on playing in the World Cup, but there was clearly some real daemon-exorcizing in the way Watson walloped his shot through Seb Moon.

But what was truly remarkable was that the naranja never came back. Smudgers and Saints alike in the crowd suddenly opted to get behind their beleaguered team, and this buoyed the eleven on the pitch – Bove boys, other Candelariasians and Scotchpiners alike – towards an eight victory of the season cemented by a second Watson effort tucked past Moon by the MarquezOW right-back John Horner.

All the talk in the last week has surrounded this match, and the Saturday evening game was well and truly overshadowed. That’s a pity, considering its impact on the title race (yes, title race) may be massive. The result is what matters – Green Island’s 3-2 victory over Albrecht FC.

For once, it was the Scorpions’ defence that was to blame, as time and time again were the pulled apart by the GIZ attack. Shane Wojciechowski’s performance certainly doesn’t bode well for C&M’s in the CoH, though up front they barely missed Joe Cunningham after an excellent game by Kian Donnelly capped by a late consolation goal. Which probably isn’t great news for the Big Blues actually either. Arse.

Anyhoo, what it means is that Albrecht Turkish are within nine points of Albrecht after a straightforward 2-0 win over KT Hotspur. Can the Millermen possibly hope to overhaul their rivals after that appalling start to the season? All of a sudden, it’s going to be a genuinely interesting last eleven games.

But then the race for spots in the third TQCC is hotting up too. Isaac Burridge knocked in a late winner at Harper Street to give Caires City a 1-0 win over Port of Clotaire, while Cathedral City stumbled with a 4-0 thumping by Derek Marshall’s Turks’ Club. That Andrew Bradley got on the scoresheet twice should tell you all you need to know as to the changes Marshall has introduced in the wake of Felepe Curana’s sacking.

Elsewhere, Gangbang and Whorin’ had the sort of mare a shire horse would be proud of as Gamboa stuck four past Arrigo Portuguese. Oh, and Castillo won a game.

Yeah, I think we all really need a break…

A.Turks v KT Hotspur 2 – 0 (Johnson og 17, Gallagher 65)
Castillo FC v Radyukevich 1 – 0 (Kim 61)
El din Marbles v Mayo Valley 2 – 1 (Soro 28, LeCass 43; Zetaback 67)
Gamboa FC v Portuguese 4 – 0 (Richardson 17 and 90+4, Ely 72, Castelão 90+1)
Green Island v Albrecht FC (Sat Evening) 3 – 2 (Cerullei 8, Vidakovic 45+1, Zetaback 75; Vanderpent 47, Donnelly 86)
MN Smith v MarquezOW 2 – 1 (Watson 20, Horner og 87; Okeke 90+3)
Port of Clotaire v Caires City (Sat Morning) 0 – 1 (Burridge 83)
Turks’ Club v Cathedral City (Mon Evening) 4 – 0 (Jordan 16, Nxele 71, Bradley 74 and 90+2)

Matchday Twenty: And finally…

The grass was cut down from its new triffidic proportions, several Latino guerrillas who hadn’t realised that the Civil War was over were rescued, and a Romany encampment was moved on to pastures new. The dust was blow off La Decimotercia, and the CMSC XXVIII was ready to resume.

The interminably long Cup of Harmony, with Candelariasian involvement right until the very end, meant that the traditional mid-season hiatus was even longer than usual, and many fans had rather forgotten that it actually wasn’t over yet. In truth, only now are we two thirds of the way through, and the race – at every end of the table – is still on.

For Albrecht FC fans the break couldn’t have come quick enough, after back-to-back defeats left them with a mere nine point lead at the top of the table. The clash with Gamboa was looked upon with a certain amount of trepidation, for the Scorpions were missing Ryan Edwards to the Di Bradini Cup – arguably their star man so far this year – while Matteo Corradini, Shane Wojciechowski and Ben Edwards had only just arrived back from gruelling CoH campaigns. Joe Cunningham likewise, though he was serving the final game of his three-match suspension and, with Kian Donnelly also in Starblaydia, Andy Le Lan elected to leave Peter Vanderpent on his own up front, and granted a start to teenager Ryan Fattori (no relation to MN Smith’s Reuben Fattori, in case you were wondering. Though frankly I’m quite concerned about you, if you are.)

Gamboa were without Cas Richardson however, and therefore lacked any physical presence up front. They were also amusingly crap at the back however, with former Scorpion Sam Young clearly on his last legs when he failed to get in the way of a hopeful Corradini effort and hacked down Fattori on the stroke of half-time to grant Vanderpent a penalty, simply slotted past the other ex of Albrecht, Murphy Matthews. The Zwangzugian added another in the second half.

Greater cheers, at least initially, could be found on Monday night in Zapata where the Marlow Park faithful celebrated the homecoming of their own bona fide World Cup winner, Roger Zetaback. The Eesseffian was deemed slightly too jet-lagged for the visit of MN Smith, a decision that Hane Davies clearly came to regret. The Smudgers, for the record, are still managed by club President Alistair Parnell, with Lincoln Kjellin now serving a month in the slammer for assault, and stupidly, ludicrously; it actually seems to be working. The Smith picked up their first draw of the season at Green Island, but that result will be seen as a disappointment after their two-nil half-time lead. Only an impressive performance by young Andrew Fitzpatrick, surprisingly left out of Jerry Huntick’s under-21 squad, kept Davies’ men in sixth place.

They at least stayed on the pace, and indeed caught up with Caires City who fell to defeat at home to Derek Marshall’s Turks’ Club. Port of Clotaire and Cathedral City shared a point in El din to remain in the Champions’ Cup III spots.

Turks’ Club remain third from bottom, but with only one automatic relegation spot and a play-off place down there, that may not be too much of a problem. Castillo FC still look in real trouble despite the arrival of Macario Ayoví, but Mayo Valley look the most likely to miss out on an XXIX place, following their own 2-0 defeat at home to Albrecht Turkish. There’s no shame in loosing to Turkish on this form, of course, and their trip to Turks’ Club next week will be rather more decisive.

Elsewhere, Radyukevich and El din Marbles shared a draw that did neither of these two underachievers any favours; while Marquez-Onwere’s similarly mediocre, if goal crazy, season continued with a point apiece with their total opposites in Thomas Larson’s deathless KT Hotspur.

Albrecht FC v Gamboa 3 – 0 (Corradini 29, Vanderpent 45+2 and 58)
Caires City v Turks’ Club 0 – 1 (Sellami 36)
Cathedral City v Port of Clotaire (Sat Evening) 1 – 1 (Ozi-Mayer 31; Waywide 25)
Green Island v MN Smith (Mon Evening) 2 – 2 (Fitzpatrick 79, Vidakovic 90+2; Fauske 14, Johansson 33)
MarquezOW v KT Hotspur 1 – 1 (Siriwong 56; Milton 53)
Mayo Valley v A.Turks 0 – 2 (Taha 2, Maini 50)
Portuguese v Castillo FC (Sat Morning) 2 – 0 (Cvecej 17, Amah og 57)
Radyukevich v El din Marbles 2 – 2 (Rotherwell 44, Quinn og 45+1; S. Naylor 76, O’Leary 90)

Matchday Twenty-One: And suddenly…

It’s not as though it hasn’t happened before. Just look at Albrecht Turkish last year, who raced to an early lead before fouling it up and scraping to the title on goal difference. At least they won eventually though, which will give real succour to Albrecht FC fans. They remain six proud points clear at the top, but bearing in mind that that was thirteen points half a dozen games ago and you realise that Andy Le Lan is in danger of doing what pretty much every Scorpions supporter expected him to do, and make a total hash of it.

Albrecht were truly dreadful away at the El din Marbles, and no amount of moaning over the absence of Ryan Edwards could stop the away fans’ boos; not even after Matteo Corradini had pulled one back in injury time. The partnership between the Nethertopian Abdoulaye Soro and Kura-Pellandi Andy Madden is clearly not one for the long term, given Madden’s age, which is a great shame for Carlos Panadero because they’re really lifting this side out of mediocrity right now, into becoming plausible contender for a TQCC place next time around. Not that everyone from about fourteenth up isn’t a candidate, but we’ll get to that in a tick.

Anyroad, two Soro strikes set up by Madden were all the Marbles really needed against a toothless Albrecht who had plenty of possession but no imagination whatsoever – an unforgivable sin given the footballing brains they have on offer. Nicholas Percy then wandered in from the left, evaded the crumbling Naoki Tonnelier, and added the third; but the home fans would by now have been more concerned by Aubrey Mkhonza, the ‘keeper having gone off after a challenge with Joe Cunningham.

Later scans revealed torn cruciate knee ligaments, and in the long term this result could prove more damaging to the Marbles than the defeated Scorpions. But for now at least they know that Turkish are breathing down their necks. The reigning champions were made to work for it against the increasingly perverse MN Smith side, the disappointing Rueben Kennedy looking back on form with a goal and an assist. If he’s coming good at just the right time then Albrecht FC may really have something to worry about, but if Turkish can win this from the position they started in this will surely be a managerial performance that would see Healy walk into the C&M job, if he wanted it.

It isn’t entirely a two horse race, but Port of Clotaire would still have to make up ten points and the goal difference. Niko Mason’s side proved on Saturday evening that they’re clearly the best of the rest however, with a 2-1 victory over Green Island. The GIZ had Roger Zetaback, uh, back, playing wearing his World Cup winner’s medal under his shirt (yes alright, we get the idea, get over it), but the Eesseffian was comfortably marshalled by Kenan Orlovic. It was another impressive rearguard performance from the PoC, who took in a battering from the visitors at times after taking the lead through Lee Waywide’s composed finish, and the Harpies also proved themselves a neat counter-attacking force down the flanks mere moments after Étienne de Roviere had equalised from Esdy va Drake’s corner, when Doug Szczechowicz and the young Turk, Serkan Turkmen, teamed up down the left to produce a superb goal.

Even young Dean Dotson looked lively up front in the absence of Jason Federici to the Di Bradini Cup. They’ll need him again IYC Ajer, runners-ups in the Yaforite league, in the first round of the TQCC2, while Ben George – now fully fit and in for Arthur Walker – will be needed to corral their opponents strong left flank. Meanwhile, given the turmoil in their homeland, Cathedral City may well start modest favourites against ‘West Starblaydi’ outfit Caledon Simpson, but they’ll have to play rather better than against Gamboa.

Charlie Cunningham’s side managed just a point in Abiodun, leaving them just a point clear in the top four. Caires City no longer look particularly likely challengers, after they twice took the lead in Castillo only to lose 3-2. Instead, it would be worth watching Arrigo Portuguese, who are really playing football now under Matthew Tortini, even without Jamie González. The Professor could feel justly smug after leading his team to victory over Marquez-Onwere. The XXVI champions, under his fellow Kura-Pellandi manager Andy Woolworth, look in real freefall… but are, at the same time, just four points off a TQCC spot. Ooh, it’s as tight as an analogy – just ask Radyukevich, who’ve picked up two points in six games and lost again this weekend, at why-so-entertaining KT Hotspur. Which is a damning indictment, it really is.

Castillo FC v Caires City 3 – 2 (Yilmaz 70 and 84, Zelzi 89; Varnali 31, McGuire 79)
El din Marbles v Albrecht FC 3 – 1 (Soro 35 and 57, Percy 82; Corradini 90+2)
Gamboa FC v Cathedral City 1 – 1 (Jua 83; Taffarel 47)
KT Hotspur v Radyukevich (Sun Evening) 2 – 0 (Gallagher 1, Fisher 86)
MN Smith v A.Turks 1 – 2 (Watson 65; Maini 42, Kennedy 61)
Port of Clotaire v Green Island (Sat Evening) 2 – 1 (Waywide 13, Turkmen 68; de Roviere 67)
Portuguese v MarquezOW (Sat Morning) 2 – 0 (Cvecej 64, Beraza 64)
Turks’ Club v Mayo Valley 1 – 1 (Sellami 15; Thorrington 75)

TQCC2 Round-Up: Prelims & Group Stage

So here’s quite a scary thing. We’re quite good at this.

Okay, so technically Zwangzug’s Peter Vanderpent and the Eesseff’s Espy va Drake and Bloumany’s Johnathon Filmar are quite good at this, but still. They’re playing in the colours of CMSC giants. That’s got to count for something.

Only Niko Mason’s Harpies let the side down, after being thoroughly outclassed by the Yaforites of IYC Ajer – and principally Khadric Valdaan, the talented midfielder having a ridiculous amount of the play and running rings around the veteran central pair of Kenan Orlovic and Walter Tensen. After a 2-1 defeat in the Yaforite capital, Port of Clotaire had a much better time of it in north-east Candelaria, and look the lead after Nathaniel Alaoui’s low cross and Lee Waywide’s diving header. The Candelariasian-born Sortherner narrowly failed to double up soon after however, and Valdaan was able to get into the game with decisive consequences.

Cathedral City’s route to the group stage was hardly triumphant, after being outplayed in El din but still managing to snatch two goals through the giant Kura-Pellandi Teddy Ozi-Mayer and the amusingly violent Emiliano Taffarel. Back in West Starblaydia and they gave up two early goals, and were left to sweat until defender David Everton – of all people, considering the game’s location – rose from a Kurt Folgueira corner in the eightieth minute.

Charlie Cunningham was honest enough to admit that his side were fortunate to go through, but that heralded a truly remarkable group stage performance. A 1-0 win over Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen from Ozi-Mayer’s penalty was celebrated to the hilt at La Decimotercia; few expecting that the Cats could possibly hope to do better than a victory against the Capitalizt giants. Yet by the time a small number of season ticket holders huddled into the biggest stadium on the planet Catedral were merrily into the knock-out stages, with results including a 4-0 drubbing of Septentrionia’s Union d’Ourseville and a last-minute Russell Jobson free-kick for a 3-2 victory over Demotian champions Oceanic United. Fortress Decimotercia? Who would’ve thunk it.

Yet Catedral were also undefeated away from home in the group and there’s not many who can say that – apart from a very solid-looking CS Sept-Onze Ourseville, who helped dispose of IYC Ajer, and a certain group of Scorpions. Andy Le Lan’s Albrecht FC put their stuttering mid-season league form behind them to register a 4-0 opening day win over Acapais champions Highland Park – all four coming from the right boot of Vanderpent – before hitting four again against Poikimitagiin FE. Goalscoring didn’t come so easily after that, but the Scorpions’ progress was ultimately comfortable.

Green Island had a tougher time of it, but they too snuck into the knock-outs – Stuart Vidakovic’s hat-trick against Karahan stopping the last sixteen from welcoming any Yaforite representation and sending the GIZ through on their head-to-head record.

Hopes of getting at least one side through to the semi-finals again may have been lowered slightly by the new draw, but the last sixteen at least promises a sensational series between C&M’s (sort of) finest, and three sides from the dominant nation of this tournament, the Capitalist SLANI.

With the struggles of the Cafundelense giants, the UCS sides have secured the status of the teams to beat, and the CMSC will have the opportunity three times over. Albrecht have the tougher time of it, with the draw setting them up with the reigning champions, Bedistan’s Yuba United. Having snuck in ahead of Black Oasis Athletic, Cathedral City will now have the chance to finish them off. Green Island perhaps have the trickiest path, facing a San Solari side whose own route included a 5-1 win over last year’s runner-ups, Olympique Protectorat.

Matchday Twenty-Two: Spelman conjours up the winner for magical Cathedral

Consistency. The A.Turks have it, nobody else does. Losing your best players to the Di Bradini Cup and fighting on several fronts and whatnot doesn’t help, but it’s really remarkable how unwilling most sides in the league this year seem to be to string more than a couple of wins together.

It makes the race for those all-important top four places all the more entertaining however, and even Port of Clotaire aren’t safe after a 3-2 defeat to Marquez-Onwere. The difference on the day was Careca, the Cafundelense international who produced an immense performance after several flat weeks. With thirteen league goals he sits one behind Peter Vanderpent in the race for the Golden Boot, but his worth to the naranja is much more than hitting the back of the net. Tall, strong as an ox and bald as some manner of bird, he’s also MarquezOW’s cult figure right now; having well and truly settled into life in Onwere. He co-owns a little Italian restaurant with the club’s goalkeeping coach Dave Binchi, finances several local bands and is a regular patron of the university city’s innumerable festivals and events. Truth be told, the MarquezOW shouldn’t be reliant on him, given the talent they’ve got on offer, but if he keeps up this form in the final eight games they could yet find themselves back in the Champions’ Cup.

Arrigo Portuguese are also on thirty points, though their chances took a knock with a 1-0 defeat in Bove. MN Smith are themselves a doable six points of Cathedral City, which is just ridiculous, frankly. Whether Alistair Parnell is a footballing genius or whether the players are doing it for him is unclear, but C&M’s most schizophrenic of clubs now look increasingly likely to survive.

The bottom one and a half spaces look likely now to be filled by newly promoted outfits, rather worryingly, after Mayo Valley were brushed away 2-0 by KT Hotspur and Castillo FC were victims of Rául Vélez’s extended testimonial at Green Island, as the C&M international attempts to haul the club into the TQCC for a third successive year before joining his brother at Cafundó do Juta. Caires City, on the other hand, are flying and picked up another 1-0 win at Radyukevich thanks to youngster Andrew German’s first goal for the club. He’s a left winger, you know. We could do with one of them.

For the Jukos, Coleman Mustard’s messiah complex is starting to fade away just a tad now. They’re not awful, and maybe he deserves more time to develop them into genuine title challengers, but this is a good side and the fans really deserve better. A heavy defeat in the Clotaire derby next round could be the end of him.

Talking of derbies, Cathedral City continued their TQCC form with a 1-0 win over the Marbles, albeit thanks to a ninetieth-minute header from Kura-Pellandi defender Michael Spelman.

But the big one’s on Matchday Twenty-Three, when the Albrecht giants clash in what could yet prove a title decider. The gap, after all, is now just four points after the Scorpions were held to a goalless draw in Khatib-Gassett and Turkish squeezed past an increasingly pointless Gamboa outfit.

A.Turks v Gamboa FC 1 – 0 (Taha 57)
Cathedral City v El din Marbles (Sat Morning) 1 – 0 (Spelman 90)
Green Island v Castillo FC 4 – 2 (Vélez 21 and 59, Vidakovic 43, Zetaback 82; Gomez 68, Zelzi 80)
MarquezOW v Port of Clotaire (Sat Evening) 3 – 2 (Okeke 18, Siriwong 25, Careca 65; Orlovic 76, Dotson 89)
Mayo Valley v KT Hotspur (Mon Evening) 0 – 2 (Adams 34, Gallagher 83)
MN Smith v Portuguese 1 – 0 (Johansson 70)
Radyukevich v Caires City 0 – 1 (German 27)
Turks’ Club v Albrecht FC 0 – 0

Well, ho hum. The CMSC ultimately failed to get a side into the final, but some very strong performances leave us comfortably third in the coefficient rankings. We’re average, but not quite good enough for the top table. How superbly Us.

Actually that’s extremely unfair of course, because one club in particular excelled themselves in this tournament, producing a run that will live long in the memory, and their end-of-season DVD sales. Widely expected to be utterly outclassed, Cathedral City were the toast of C&M. A goalless draw at Black Oasis Athletic came via an immense rearguard performance that allowed the fans to see the best not only of young Enrique Silva de Aviz (Demario who?) and Michael Spelman, but also Alex Duxbury, returning after a rather poor showing at the Cup of Harmony. Barring the Blouman Johnathan Filmar, Duxbury is the Cat’s only international and it’d be a shame if his C&M career fizzled out so soon. His talent as an attacking force is unargued, but he seems to have learnt alot about his true calling in a very short space of time.

It was Duxbury who saved off the line from No Būm-mo to keep the score at nil-all, but in the second game Catedral produced an incredible all-round performance – albeit helped by the rickety centre of Athletic’s defence. Emiliano Taffarel and Teddy Ozi-Mayer together notched up the goals that sent the home side comfortably through to the quarter-finals. No-one expected them to go to Olympique Protectorat and do what Albrecht Turkish couldn’t manage last year – put three past the Ad’ihani outfit at home. Catedral hit them down the flanks and last year’s runner-ups had no answer, Charlie Cunningham’s side ultimately going through far easier than the 4-3 aggregate suggests.

With Green Island having been comfortably despatched by San Solari, Albrecht FC had kept the side up for C&M in the battle with the SLANI with a tight be deserved 3-1 aggregate victory over the reigning champions Yuba United. But they would go on to face a rather greater challenge in the form of Raynor City and, with no Scott Soldarian to murder them as had been the case for the A.Turks several months earlier, Albrecht were always going to be on the back foot against one of the strongest XIs in the competition.

It all looked to be going stupidly well when Shane Wojciechowski got his head to the ball on the ninetieth minute in Candelaria, but the trip to the Eesseffian capital showed up the Scorpions’ struggles away from home in HD. The Eesseffian Loren Meyer was but a spectator as the Rockers waltzed to victory.

By the time that the sons of Valanora and the Marquezian outfit met in the semi-finals, both clubs wore a swagger about themselves. And even now was Catedral’s overachievement not about to end, as they bossed the first leg in El din and considered themselves unfortunate to come away with just a draw. A point and a goal away from home was an excellent result for the Rockers, but Russell Jobson’s early strike looked set to send the Cats on their way… until the Squornshelan Marko Sykko popped up from nowhere and found the equaliser on the stroke of half-time. A classic backs-to-the-wall performance and a top display from Robinson Zapirov in goal kept the Cats in it until the very end, when the game became the only knock-out tie to go to penalties. Jobson skied his effort, Danny Bindett ensured at least some Kura-Pellandi cheer in this Cup, and the dream was over.

For the second year in a row, the defeated Candelariasian semi-finalists couldn’t even say they’d lost to the eventual champions for, despite the overall underachievement of the Cafundelense league, the quality of Petardos S/A was simply too good for this tournament throughout. But we can at least say we’ve had semi-final, and dual-quarter-final, representation for two years in a row. And for a country that doesn’t even have a single stadium large enough to host a future TQCC final, that’s pretty damn impressive…

CMS Cup Quarter-Finals: Two-Nil, or not tw… Uh, yes, two-nil, actually

It was the CMS Cup Quarter-finals this weekend. Who really cares?

No-one, ultimately, not with the national elections coming the next day or so (time dilation… who’d have it?) and the country dealing with the simple reality that with the TQCC now the dominant knock-out competition, this particular bit of pot seems rather inconsequential. Still, you’d rather win it than not; and that attests for the fact that all four clubs into the semi-finals this year are top-flight outfits.

Which rather gives away the results of three of the games, making this report somewhat superfluous. Ahem.

Lavange is as good a place as any to start, where KT Hotspur eased past Candelaria Arsenal. With promotion straight back up to next year’s CMSC1 well in their sights, the C.A.L had rather bigger fish to fry than this, but put out a full side – less the Di Bradini Cup’s Tom Ely – and were duly beaten 2-0 by the Spur.

The Rose of Sharon outfit’s transformation over recent weeks has been remarkable. Not their style of play, per se; for even without Agamemnon Knight are they still fielding four central defenders, plus the wing-backs. But it’s clear just how more fluid the team is looking now, how much more understanding there is of The Plan. Danny Ibbetson and Özkan Yalçin have finally worked out what they’re supposed to be doing, which is nice, while Allen Gallagher is starting to look like a top-flight striker after all. The return of Aaron Kortsarian helped a little, and while his absence yet again for the DBC will be felt, young Reuben Ryan has slotted back in like some sort of glove. Or hand. Inside a gl–, you know what, it doesn’t matter. They’re playing well.

Kudos to Thomas Larson, at the end of the day. A private person, it’s easy to forget that Larson lost most of extended family and friends in the nuclear attack that destroyed his home nation many years ago, the country he had so finely represented as an international striker. Now, even the future of his second adopted home in the Hopelessian states looks uncertain. Now that’s tragedy.

At least in this he shares a bond with his former and current charge Wally Milton, and Our Wally was on inspired form again; controlling the midfield as a true box-to-box man. Unfortunately for the Spur, their bid for a second straight CMS Cup could hit the buffers after being drawn against Albrecht Turkish.

The form team in the country, in any senior division, an understrength Turkish eased past Clube Marquez 2-0, thanks to young striker James Falconer. The nineteen year-old will be hoping to earn a regular spot once Samuel Taha leaves at the end of the year, but whether the league is ultimately won or loss Turkish will surely be looking to strengthen prior to XIX. Falconer’s a solid player; tall and muscular and with an eye to goal, but one feels he’s just not got quite enough in every area to justify a regular starting berth. Besides, Kris Healy expects rather better of another young forward, Russell Maidment, who is the current holder of the Next Big Thing title after scoring six goals in one half on loan at Hanlon Warbirds last week.

The visitors to the MSS put up a good fight at least, which is more than you can say for Arrigo Portuguese. Playing Marquez-Onwere you’d expect a little more fight, in a battle between Kura-Pellandi bosses and competitors for the up-for-grabs fourth TQCC3 spot, but Portuguese put out a suspiciously weak side (injuries, apparently, though nobody’s having any of it) and surrendered meekly to a 2-0 defeat.

Sloane Wanderers also lost by that scoreline but at least they really gave it a go at home to Port of Clotaire. With a largely home grown squad, the islanders could yet sneak into the CMSC1 next year and though they’d be thoroughly outclassed it’d be great fun for their tiny crowd. There’s always the possibility of future development too, for Sloane is second only to Zapata among the Outlying Islands’ cities, and a rapidly growing town at that. They can be proud of their club, but ultimately having a Sorthern Northlandish international and a Kura-Pellandi tough guy on your books is always going to be a major advantage.

A.Turks v Clube Marquez 2 – 0 (Falconer 43 and 82)
Sloane Wanderers v Port of Clotaire 0 – 2 (Waywide 76, Tensen 85)
MarquezOW v Portuguese 2 – 0 (Okeke 39, Careca 68)
C.A.L v KT Hotspur 0 – 2 (Milton 17, Gallagher 59)

Matchday Twenty-Three: Does it matter?

These days, there’s little more important to a huge swathe of the Candelariasian population than football. Club or international, professional or amateur; football has dominated the media and minds of the country for many years, and in the last decade has driven on to even greater heights.

But sometimes even the lure of the beautiful game is not enough, not when there are bigger stories to cover. In the aftermath of 12/5, football still went ahead – this is still C&M, after all – but it was under a sombre cloud. The two-minute silences were unnecessary. Few could bring themselves to chant and, perhaps worryingly, there was no atmosphere of defiance, no attempt to carry on their daily lives as normal, to remain stoically unaffected by the events of the last week. Terror has returned to Candelariasian shores, and no one can quite believe it.

The Albrecht FC v Albrecht Turkish derby – the game which may well decide the direction of the title – was cancelled soon after the extent of the horrors in the capital became clear. It has yet to be rescheduled. It at least provided a chance for a handful of other sides to keep their distant title hopes alive, with Port of Clotaire widely seen as the only club outside the capital to still maintain a remotely realistic chance when they took to the Harper Street field on Sunday morning.

Poor Radyukevich didn’t know what him them. Nor did Benji Fu, and the Albrecht-born former C&M captain had a truly woeful game that must surely represent his last chance at the highest level. It was his mistakes, largely through a total lack of any pace, that resulted in all three of PoC’s early goals; but was it really necessary for Coleman Mustard to substitute him early in the second half, in front of the jeering home fans? To be fair, Fu’s twenty year-old replacement Shaun Jenkins had a much better time of it keeping Lee Waywide and Dean Dotson at bay, but on a day like Sunday Fu hardly needed that kind of humiliation.

The Jukos fans were saying much the same thing after the game, which forced Mustard into making a public apology… before this too was criticised as a sign of weakness by several pundits. The Messiah, it seems, just can’t win – literally – and a 3-1 defeat to their local rivals has seen the knives sharpened. Radyukevich’s chances of TQCC football next season look dead and buried – and given how tight the race for the fourth spot is, coupled with the money that’s been spent and the talent on offer, Mustard is surely now living on borrowed time. He could be gone by the time Mayo Valley visit the Hilltop Stadium next week. At the very least they’ll be without Jackson Tanzani, sent off for a vicious tackle on Tom Redway.

They’re not even safe from relegation yet, not by a long chalk, even if we assume that the Valley are basically down now. Their own lack of success has surprised many, and fingers in Vo are just starting to point as manager Dave Carr-Fluck, for insisting on retaining their rough-‘n’-ready style despite the silky talents of Kim Zetaback, Jason Meakin, Pascal Thorrington and the like. No-one’s surprised that their sub-par defence (which includes a player dropped from the Kosovoe squad, lest we forget) has been as leaky as hell, but the dream partnership of Thorrington and Rick Sekerci is mimicking almost perfectly the Archer French/Luke Cole axis of Caires Sports last year. They too have been, and are again, brilliant in the second division but pointless in the CMSC, but is that simply the fault of unimaginative managers still believing that two up front is the answer? Marquez-Onwere, after all, beat the Valley 2-1 with merely Careca ploughing the lone furrow… albeit with four players shoved in right behind him.

MarquezOW are almost the forgotten team of this championship, which is a pity. With 42 goals to their name they’re the top scorers once again, and have let in 40 at the back. Perhaps we’re just so used to their style of play that it fails to excite any more, but they’re now just a point off the fourth spot after an exhausted-looking Cathedral City lost 1-0 in Castillo.

Turks’ Club are just a couple of points ahead of Macario Ayoví’s gigantes now, after they too lost by a single goal away from home, at the Estadio Arrigo Nacional. Now Arrigo Portuguese, that is a dull side; which is a genuine achievement. They’ve got Iain Belling and Cortez Carocha bombing down the wings, Djagbor Cvecej muscling his way through oppositions defences, Farris Travers and Seiichi Ganaha crossing the half-way line at every opportunity. Somehow it’s incredibly tedious to watch – they can’t even claim to be free-scoring, not by a long chalk – but at least it’s working, now.

You can’t say the same about KT Hotspur anymore. They beat Caires City 2-1 on Saturday evening, and it was almost enjoyable to watch. What’s going on there?

Green Island drew, and El din Marbles got the better of MN Smith with the odd goal in five. That leaves Carlos Panadero’s side in tenth, and just two points off their neighbours in fourth.

So basically, it’s anyone’s for the taking. Ooh. What fun. But does it really matter?

Albrecht FC v A.Turks P – P
Castillo FC v Cathedral City 1 – 0 (Sixtos 63)
El din Marbles v MN Smith 3 – 2 (Percy 9 and 73, James 53; Watson 15, Keddy 49)
Gamboa FC v Green Island (Mon Evening) 1 – 1 (Richardson 45+2; Head 48)
KT Hotspur v Caires City (Sat Evening) 2 – 1 (Ryan 27, Yalçin 58; T. Johnson og 47)
Mayo Valley v MarquezOW 1 – 2 (Zetaback 40; Careca 31, Towle og 60)
Port of Clotaire v Radyukevich (Sun Morning) 3 – 1 (Dotson 11, Waywide 17, Gnom 22; Naylor 71)
Portuguese v Turks’ Club 1 – 0 (Cvecej 62)

(Zelzi inj 1, Dodson inj 3, Primrose susp 1, Tanzani susp 3, dyer inj 6, , Mkohnonza inj 7, Ragab inj 5, Duxbury inj 4, Ganaha susp 2, Marshall inj 1)

Nethertopia

18-04-2008, 17:01

THE NETHERTOPIAN SPORTSTIMES

Season preview and way too much stats
Peregrinus City – The Nethertopian A-League (NA-L) is about to start. Here’s our opinion about the teams, transfers and complete player rosters for all six teams.

International transfers:
In
Nathaniel Russo Olympia Gladiators (New)  Ashdom City
Hikmet Koc (K&TT)  Ashdom City
Ismael Koc (K&TT)  Ashdom City
Ken Gillman Tundra Falls Mariners (New)  Fc DePardenti
Steve Secriston loan Olympia Gladiators (New)  Fc DePardenti
Gary Mills on loan El Din Marbles FC (C&M)  Fc DePardenti
Guillermo Ibarra on loan El Din Marbles FC (C&M)  Fc DePardenti
Cakir Fuat (K&TT)  The Grey Towers
Billy Cerullo Loudon Leopards (New)  The Grey Towers
Reed Bianchi Curtis Falls Blue Wings (New)  The Grey Towers
Joey Pipes Free transfer (C&M) NAPC
Kevin Haynes Pocono City Capitals (New)  NAPC
Shawn Morton Pocono City Capitals (New)  The Peregrins
Kevin Sturgeon Loudon Leopards (New)  Tenderville United
Nuri Turkoglu (K&TT)  Tenderville United
Alex Parnett Elk Grove High School (New)  Tenderville United
Out
Abdoulaye Soro <before start of NA-L>  El Din Marbles FC (C&M)
Jules Vandamme loaned out Fc DePardenti  Olympia Gladiators (New)

Ashdom City
Nickname: The Gamblers
Playing 4-3-3, style modifier +2
Coach: Har Penders (Nht)
Players:

GK Nathaniel Russo (New, int) 29 (C)
GK Edwin Tol (Nht) 18
DL Hans Hoekstra (YY) 30
DL Wesley Hoekstra (Nht) 30
DC Hikmet Koc (K&TT, int) 17
DC Ismael Koc (K&TT, int) 17
DC Marvin Leferink (YY) 20
DC Diego Westerveld (Nht) 26
DR Mike Igwe (Nht, int) 23
DR Twan Winter (SOt) 24
ML Rob de Zeeuw (Nht) 30
ML Karom van der Heijden(Nht) 27
MC Lorenzo Tweetalig (SOt) 19
MC Marnix Drost (Nht) 28
MR Obinna Agbo (Nht, int) 21
MR Giovanni Duarte (YY) 23
ST Arjen Hendriks (Nht) 31
ST Gerard Stam (Nht) 38
ST Rafael Versluis (Nht) 21
ST Tom de Jong (Nht) 19
ST Roy de Rechte (SOt) 18
ST Davy van Erp (Nht) 27

Our opinion:
Expected position at end of the season; 3
The Gamblers are one of the better teams in this competition. With a solid keeper and a strong defence they will make a threat to any team playing against them. Their great weakness is the attack. They only have average attackers

FC DePardenti
Nickname: None
Playing 4-3-3, style modifier +1
Coach: <vacant, TG if interested>
Players:

[CODE]
GK Klaas van de Broek (Nht) 26
GK Ferry van den Belt (Nht) 24
DL Maikel Axwijk (YY) 29
DL Dennis Hasselbaink (Nht) 23
DC Ken Gillman (New, int) 32 (C)
DC Steve Secrist (New, u21, on loan) 19
DC Egnin Smit (YY) 25
DC Andrew de Jong (Nht) 21
DR Ruben van Wonderen (Nht, int) 22
DR Mimoun van Ouweland (YY) 26
ML Gary Mills (C&M, on loan) 18
ML Robert Bruinier (Nht) 34
MC Boy Krohne (Nht, int) 25
MC Sven Eekman (SOt) 21
M/F Donnovan Hertog (Nht) 26
MR Daan Jaliens (Nht) 27
ST Guillermo Ibarra (C&M, on loan) 17
ST Jules Vandamme (SOt, loaned to Mariners) 20
ST Daryl Koppers (SOt) 28
ST Bob Mols (Nht) 21
ST Jan-Paul Snip (Nht) 19

Our opinion:
Expected position at end of the season; 6
Fc DePardenti is the weakest team. By far. With the hired forces and Newmanistani veteran Ken Gillman they will try not to finish last place this season. It’s lucky for them that the NB-L is still in the making.

The Gray Towers
Nickname: The Mountains
Playing 5-4-1, style modifier -3
Coach: Otto van Belhamel (Nht)
Players:

GK Cakir Fuat (K&TT, int) 32
GK Regilio Thijssen (YY) 27
GK Ahmet de Bruin (Nht) 22
DL Marnix Huisman (Nht, int) 21
DL Ronald van Haaren (Nht) 24
DC Daniel de Lange (Nht, int) 23
DC Levi van de Broek (Nht) 16
DC Rogier Zeeman (SOt) 26
DC Bilal Ros (Nht) 27
DC Wout Cairo (Nht) 31
DR Jerry Karg (Nht) 24
DR Derk Coppers (YY) 23
ML Joost Otten (Nht) 27
ML Mitchell Zonneveld (SOt) 29
MC Jordy de Bruin (Nht) 26
MC Michael de Vet (Nht) 19
MC Henk van Putten (Nht) 33
MC Wilco van Zundert (SOt) 20
MR Billy Cerullo (New, u21) 20
MR Marcel Duarte (YY) 29
SC Souleymane Diakité (Nht, int) 26 (C)
SC Reed Bianchi (New, u21) 20

Our opinion:
Expected position at end of the season; 4
With only one striker as a starter you can say this team is defencive. They are. Diakité is a player for the counter and they will use it often. With K&TT international Cakir Fuat in the goal this team will get not many goals in their net and probably will exploid the overall attacking competition with their defensive play.

NAPC
Nickname: The-Other-Club-From-Peregrinus-City (yes, they like long names)
Playing 4-4-2 Diamond, style modifier 0
Coach: John de Vries (YY)
Players:

GK Ron de Vries (Nht, int) 21
GK Jimmy Gerritsen (YY) 38
DL Tom van Loon (Nht) 30
DL Stefan Hill (SOt) 22
DC Ahmed Hammami (Nht, int) 24
DC Arjen Karg (SOt) 27
DC Dennis de Jong (YY) 26
DC Jonathan den Ouden (Nht) 15
DR Dick Hertog (Nht) 24
DR Olaf Rutten (YY) 23
ML Joey Pipes (C&M, int) 28 (C)
ML Donny Christina (Nht) 22
AMC Kevin Haynes (New, u21) 21
AMC Louis Davids (YY) 28
DMC Cor Huisman (Nht) 27
DMC Raymon Jakobs (Nht) 31
MR Mark Janssen (SOt) 27
MR Jan Koeman (SOt) 17
SC David Muños (Nht, int) 24
SC Cees Koster (Nht) 24
SC Willem Narsingh (Nht) 20
SC Jurgen verhoek (Nht) 20

Our opinion:
Expected position at end of the season; 5
Well, we’re not expecting much from this team. They are looking good, but not good enough. Getting their captain Joey Pipes on a free transfer from Candelaria and Marquez is not a good sign. We’re eager to see this team in action.

The Peregrins
Nickname: The Winners
Playing 3-4-3, style modifier +4
Coach: Sjors Opdeheuvel (Nht)
Players:

GK Wouter van Dalen (Nht, int) 20
GK Gijs Wau (Nht) 18
DL Sergio Torres (Nht, int) 23 (C)
DL Ibrahim de Boer (YY) 18
DC Dennis de Vries (YY) 27
DC Mounir de Wit (SOt) 26
DR Shawn Morton (New, int) 21
DR Theo de Zeeuwse (Nht) 20
ML Daouda Diompy (Nht, int) 26
ML Kelvin van der Linden (Nht) 27
MC Klaas Koppers (Nht, int) 24
MC Randy van der Wal (SOt) 27
MC Joey Narsingh (Nht) 26
MC Donnovan van Dalen (Nht) 22
M/S Erik Bruiniers (SOt) 33
MR Andrés García (Nht, int) 26
MR Ramon Kok (SOt) 28
SC Kingsley Kalu. (Nht, int) 20
SC Jan Kruiper (YY) 28
SC Jamal Renfurm (Nht) 26
SC Jaap Schilder (Nht) 29
SC Arnold Snip (SOt) 19
SC Henk de Jong (Nht) 20

Our opinion:
Expected position at end of the season; 1
The team to beat. First professional team in Nethertopia. They have seven internationals in their team and they will exploit it to the most. Their only blow in the pre-season was failing to sign Sinan Köse, but they compansated by promoting two young promising strikers from their youth team to this side.

Tenderville United
Nickname: The Lions
Formation: 4-2-4, style modifier +2
Coach: Rob Kietecs (Nht)
Players:

GK Jan de Vries (Nth) 28
GK Yulu George (YY) 24
GK Tarik Opperhoofd (SOt) 16
DL Bert Hamer (SOt) 35
DL Mink de Kooning (Nth) 19
DC Gert-Jan Meijer (Nht, int) 22
DC Ronnie de Haan (Nht, int) 22
DC Lennie Koud (YY) 27
DC Brenner Graaggedaan (SOt) 24
DC/R Qurien Furie (Nth) 30
DR Pietje Zestien (YY) 19
ML Cees Hendriks (Nht, int) 24
ML Alex Parnett (New, u21) 17
MC Fouad Snijders (Nht, int) 25 (C)
MC Jeremy Hofman (Nht, int) 24
MC Barry Dammer (SOt) 18
MR Klaas-Jan Rigoreus (YY) 27
MR Henk van Brederode (YY) 22
MR/C Tom Yigit (SOt) 38
SC Nuri Turkoglu (K&TT, int) 19
SC Kevin Sturgeon (New, u21) 21
SC Mark de Jong (Nth) 28
SC Hubbert van Brederode (SOt) 32
M/S Frans Oud (YY) 16

Our opinion:
Expected position at end of the season; 2
The only serious threat in the way to The Peregrin’s win. They’ve got the most fans on their hands. Biggest signing is perhaps the talent Alex Parnett. He won’t get many minutes this year, but we think he can get very important for the team in the next years. With the new attacking couple from both BoF 27 finalists they’re going to score. A lot.

Note: Nht = Nethertopia, C&M = Candelaria and Marquez, K&TT = Kose and The Turkomans, New = Newmanistan, YY = YnosYnos (puppet), SOt = South Offtopica (puppet). Starters bolded.

Matchday scheme:

Matchday One
Ashdom City - FC DePardenti
The Gray Towers - NAPC
The Peregrins - Tenderville United

Matchday Two
Ashdom City - The Peregrins
FC DePardenti - NAPC
The Grey Towers - Tenderville United

Matchday Three
Ashdom City - NAPC
FC DePardenti - Tenderville United
The Gray Towers - The Peregrins

Matchday Four
Ashdom City - The Peregrins
FC DePardenti - The Gray Towers
NAPC - Tenderville United

Matchday Five
Ashdom City - Tenderville United
FC DePardenti - NAPC
The Gray Towers - The Peregrins

Matchday Six
FC DePardenti - Ashdom City
NAPC - The Gray Towers
Tenderville United - The Peregrins

Matchday Seven
The Grey Towers - Ashdom City
The Peregrins - FC DePardenti
Tenderville United - NAPC

Matchday Eight
NAPC - Ashdom City
The Peregrins - FC DePardenti
Tenderville United - The Gray Towers

Matchday Nine
The Peregrins - Ashdom City
The Gray Towers - FC DePardenti
Tenderville United - NAPC

Matchday Ten
Tenderville United - Ashdom City
NAPC - FC DePardenti
The Peregrins - The Gray Towers

Errinundera

19-04-2008, 09:27

Errinundera Football Association

Season 2143 Ladders

Back to Back Premierships for Delegate

Premier League

P W D L GF GA GD P
Delegate 38 23 8 7 87 40 47 77 Premiership
Bonang 38 23 8 7 81 53 28 77
McKillops Bridge 38 21 7 10 87 55 32 70
Milosis 38 15 14 9 67 61 6 59
First Creek Falls 38 17 6 15 85 72 13 57
Ootopia 38 15 12 11 69 68 1 57
Deddick 38 17 4 17 80 72 8 55
Malinns 38 15 9 14 65 74 -9 54
Rodger River 38 14 10 14 55 56 -1 52
Bemm River 38 14 9 15 81 80 1 51
Bola Mine 38 14 9 15 65 67 -2 51
Mount Ellery 38 14 9 15 68 71 -3 51
Murrindal 38 15 6 17 67 76 -9 51
Ellery Camp 38 14 4 20 55 83 -28 46
Tubbut 38 11 12 15 68 66 2 45
Forest Shining 38 12 8 18 62 75 -13 44
Puggaree 38 10 10 18 65 79 -14 40
Waratah Flat 38 10 10 18 48 65 -17 40 Relegated
Bendoc 38 9 12 17 67 87 -20 39 Relegated
Jackson Crossing 38 8 11 19 58 80 -22 35 Relegated

2nd Division
P W D L GF GA GD P
Monkeytop United 38 22 7 9 80 46 34 73 Promoted
Gelantipy 38 18 14 6 65 51 14 68 Promoted
Kanooka Creek 38 18 8 12 79 59 20 62 Promoted
Murrungowar 38 18 6 14 60 58 2 60
Wulgulmerang 38 15 12 11 82 64 18 57
Amboyne Crossing 38 14 15 9 73 68 5 57
Cabanandra 38 15 11 12 54 52 2 56
Craigie 38 16 8 14 52 52 0 56
Goongerah 38 16 7 15 71 71 0 55
Dellicknora 38 15 9 14 83 80 3 54
Butchers Ridge 38 15 7 16 62 63 -1 52
Bally Hooley 38 13 11 14 75 82 -7 50
Yalmy 38 14 8 16 62 80 -18 50
Three Sisters 38 13 10 15 69 70 -1 49
Pinnak 38 12 12 14 63 58 5 48
Club Terrace 38 12 8 18 59 67 -8 44
Victoria Star 38 11 7 20 69 77 -8 40
Coast Range 38 11 7 20 63 76 -13 40 Relegated
Martin Creek 38 10 9 19 49 73 -24 39 Relegated
Combienbar 38 10 8 20 55 78 -23 38 Relegated

Provincial Leagues Knockout Competition

Ino Promoted
Glen Arte Promoted
Tonghi Promoted

Total premierships: teams
9 McKillops Bridge
6 Bonang
5 First Creek Falls
3 Ellery Camp
3 Fanny Moo / Ootopia
2 Delegate
2 Milosis
2 Monkeytop United
2 Rooty Break / Forest Shining
1 Bola Mine
1 Mount Ellery
1 Rodger River

Total premierships: provinces
11 Deddick (McKillops Bridge, Milosis)
10 Plateau (First Creek Falls, Fanny Moo, Ootopia, Rooty Break, Forest Shining)
8 Delegate (Bonang, Delegate)
4 Ellery (Ellery Camp, Mount Ellery)
3 Rodger (Monkeytop United, Rodger River)
1 Goolengook (Bola Mine)

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Kose and The Turkomans

19-04-2008, 10:34

Super Lig Season preview

Sultanli FC
Expected Rank: 2nd
Previous Rank: 1st
Description: After losing nearly 6 players to transfers and making only one incoming one in the form of Volkan Erkan from Atlar, make no mistake this team still means bussiness but they are really weakened.

Kose Buyuksehir
Expected Rank: 3rd
Previous Rank: 2nd
Description: Another team weakened by transfers out and none in once again a team that can still threaten the league title.

Muhamedbey SK
Expected Rank: 10th
Previous Rank: 3rd
Description: the flukeyist season as they shot up the rankings to third and now they will only wish to emulate their last performance.

Atlar
Expected Rank: 1st
Previous Rank: 4th
Description:Many transfers in make the Villagers the strongest team in the league.

Hakan Pasa
Expected Rank: 4st
Previous Rank: 5th

Tumirbey
Expected Rank: 5th
Previous Rank: 6th

Gelibolu
Expected Rank: 6th
Previous Rank: 7th

Sultan Mehmet
Expected Rank: 7th
Previous Rank: 8th

Gokcenk
Expected Rank: 8th
Previous Rank: 9th

Olympic al-Turk
Expected Rank: 9th
Previous Rank: 10th

Guc Ada
Expected Rank: 11th
Previous Rank: 11th

Seyhanspor
Expected Rank: 12th
Previous Rank: 12th

Kucukkoy
Expected Rank: 13th
Previous Rank: 13th

14th - 15th last season Same rank

Kazimspor
Relegation

Yasin and Caggar
Relegation

Nethertopia

19-04-2008, 13:39

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/9942/nethertopianaleaguenp1.jpg

NA-L league news:
Coach found!
Former C&M manager Ricardo Garcia has put his name in the hat for the FC DePardenti job. He will probably begin with his job as soon as he signed a contract.
The Monopoly of Cafundeu shows interest in internationals.
The Scout has contacted The Peregrins and the Grey Towers with offers for three internationals: Sergio Torres, Daniel de Lange and Daouda Diompy. Deals are currently in negotiation.

Also, one matchday has been played.

Matchday one:
Ashdom City 2 - 0 FC DePardenti
Not a spectacular match. 38 year old public favourite Gerard Stam opened the score in the fourth minute with a bicycle kick from the edge of the penalty area. The match was decided when the unfortunate Steve Secrist headed the ball in his own goal after a corner in the sixty-first minute.
It was a slow tempo match, which wasn't expected in the first place because of the attacking approaches of the two teams.

The Gray Towers 2 - 1 NAPC
The Mountains started off slowly, as a brick wall. NAPC went on an all-attack in the first fifteen minutes, resulting in a goal by attacking midfielder Kevin Haynes. He shot the ball in the far corner after an assist of Joey Pipes, who played a fabulous first half.
After the break the Gray towers switched van den Broek, a defender, for the Newmanistani attacker Reed Bianchi. They played brilliant counterfootball, resulting in two goals from Diakité. But the most threat came from the young Bianchi, who made two assists.

The Peregrins 4 - 4 Tenderville United
An astonishing match between the two top candidates resulted in a weird 4-4 result. Both teams started with their basic XI on the field. Tenderville United started off fiercely and it resulted in a goal in the twenty-fourth minute. Nuri Turkoglu found the net after a solo of almost 40 meters. He leaped the ball over Wouter van Dalen, who came too far out of his goal. The unfortunate goalie injured himself while trying to reach for the ball and had to be replaced by Gijs Wau, a young talented keeper.
The Peregrins woke up after the goal and started an offencive that lasted till the brake and continued afterwards until the sixty-fifth minute, which resulted in a hat-trick for Kinglsey Kalu. He scored with two headers out of two corners and made the third with a distance shot from 25 meters.
The second Lion goal came as a surprise. After a wrong throw-out by Wau in the sixty-eigth minute Jeremy Hofman shot the ball from 45 meters out right in the top left corner. The keeper was too far out to reach for the ball. Two minutes later the Winners thought they secured the win with a goal from central defender Dennis de Vries. They were wrong.
Cees Hendriks was switched with rising star Alex Parnett in the seventy-eigth minute. Parnett, switched after during a Tenderville corner, pointed his finger and headed the ball with his first contact in the right bottom corner. In injury time he made a solo, got into the penalty area and was torpedoed by Sergio Torres. The referee gave a penalty which Parnett took himself and converted it with a Panenka.

Stance:
Nethertopian A-League
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Ashdom City 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 3
2 The Gray Towers 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 3
3 The Peregrins 1 0 1 0 4 4 0 1
4 Tenderville United 1 0 1 0 4 4 0 1
5 NAPC 1 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0
6 FC DePardenti 1 0 0 1 0 3 -2 0

Adihan

20-04-2008, 14:51

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Season Three: Season recap

Season Three in Ad'ihani football has come and gone, and it would turn out to be an absolute thriller. Chen Myung-bo of CF Mont-Pluie made history by becoming the first-ever foreigner to start an Ad'ihani league match when, on Matchday 14, he was selected to start in Mont-Pluie's 1-1 draw against Flitton Rangers.

The title and relegation battle both in the United Islands Premier would go down to the last day of the season, with the former being decided only on goal difference after two teams tied for top spot on points. Meanwhile, in the Second Division, County Stanley and Tallyn Rovers battled it out all the way for top spot — both teams first and second, in differing order, at both the end of Phase One and overall at the end of the season. But only one would end up being automatically promoted; the other would have to face a promotion playoff.

We'll give you the tables at the mid-season break, and then run down the second half of the season.

End of First Phase, Second Division
Second Division — End of Phase One
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Tallyn Rovers 14 9 1 4 26 21 5 28 Pl
2 County Stanley 14 8 3 3 23 20 3 27
3 AFC Hatton 14 7 3 4 25 14 11 24
4 Hatton Town 14 6 3 5 28 26 2 21
5 Island Athletic 14 5 4 5 32 31 1 19
6 Southcast Town 14 5 1 8 13 15 -2 16
7 Dullham and Oldbridge 14 4 3 7 22 28 -6 15
8 Altsend 14 2 2 10 19 33 -14 8

Mid-season break, Premier
United Islands Premier
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Protectorate United 15 10 1 4 32 18 14 31
2 Oldbridge City 15 9 3 3 36 23 13 30
3 Olympique Protectorat 15 8 6 1 37 25 12 30
4 CF Mont-Pluie 15 6 7 2 27 18 9 25
5 Pilminster Rovers 15 7 3 5 13 11 2 24
6 Navon Beach 15 7 2 6 37 35 2 23
7 Kinney Road 15 5 5 5 7 7 0 20
8 Grand Arsenal 15 6 2 7 22 33 -11 20
9 South Barrier Utd 15 4 7 4 19 20 -1 19
10 Flitton City 15 5 2 8 16 21 -5 17
11 Dalinn Wanderers 15 4 4 7 28 28 0 16
12 Northtown Utd 15 3 6 6 20 25 -5 15
13 Mountbatten Junction 15 3 6 6 23 32 -9 15
14 T'chéy Park 15 1 10 4 8 11 -3 13
15 Flitton Rangers 15 2 7 6 16 20 -4 13
16 Djei Sporting Club 15 2 5 8 12 26 -14 11

Special note: Kinney Road's 7 goals scored and 7 goals conceded (0.93 goals per game) is a record low at the half-way point of the season.

Matchday Fifteen
The second half of the season started in the Second Division, where all the attention was focussed on County Stanley's push for promotion, and Tallyn Rovers' attempts to gain re-entry into the top flight. Tallyn's hopes were dealt a blow and they fell off top spot overall for the first time in 13 matches as they were soundly thumped 3-0 away at Dullham and Oldbridge.

County Stanley managed to capitalise and beat AFC Hatton 2-0, with new loan signing Francis Yang — who joined on loan from Mountbatten Junction on Matchday Thirteen — scoring his first goals for his new club.

AFF Cup First Round
The AFF Cup took centre-stage the first weekend in the second half of the season, with the new trial format coming into play in the first round in which there would be no replays as the AFF looks to make changes to avoid tiring players out.

Of the eight matches played over the two days, only one ended in a draw after 90 minutes, resulting in extra time being played. That match, between the new Second Division leaders County Stanley and United Islands Premier perennial-mid-table side Grand Arsenal, ended 1-1 even after extra time, resulting in a penalty shoot-out to decide the match. County Stanley won 3-2 on spot-kicks to book their place in the Second Round, when the top eight Premier teams from Season Two enter.

Elsewhere, there were more shocks as Premier side Mountbatten Junction fell 2-4 at home to Second Division Hatton Town; perennial basement-fodder Altsend sent Premier Division strugglers Flitton Rangers packing 2-1, and Southcast Town sent Barrier Island rivals and Premier team South barrier out of the tournament 1-0. There were also wins for T'chéy Park, Flitton City, Djei SC and Dullham and Oldbridge.

Matchday Sixteen
In mid-week, the league resumed with defending champions Protectorate United just one point clear of both Olympique Protectorat and Oldbridge City at the top of the table. However, Jayden Thomas' team were held to a 1-1 draw by South Barrier, allowing arch-rivals l'OP to snatch possession of first place with a 3-2 win over Flitton City.

Flitton City's city rivals Flitton Rangers, meanwhile, fell to a defeat at Mountbatten Junction, while their promoted counterparts T'chéy Park put three points between the two with a 2-1 win over Oldbridge. Elsewhere, Devida Cal's Dalinn Wanderers beat CF Mont-Pluie 2-1, while bottom side Djei SC snatched a point at Pilminster with a 1-1 draw.

In the Second Division, both County Stanley and Tallyn continued their push for promotion by winning their matches, against Dullham and Oldbridge and Island Athletic 1-0 away at 4-0 at home respectively.

AFF Cup Second Round
In a major shift in scheduling matches, the AFF Cup Second Round was scheduled for the second midweek of the second half of the season, with a break at the weekend between Matchday 16 and the AFF Cup Second Round for players to rest.

One league match, in the top flight, was played on the same day as both teams involved had already been knocked out in the first round. Grand Arsenal held Mountbatten Junction to a 2-2 draw at home, which moved Mountbatten Junction temporarily three points clear of T'chéy Park.

In the cup, T'chéy scored a surprise scalp as they beat league champions Protectorate Utd 2-1 at home. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the round, though, came when Second Division Hatton Town thrashed Premier side Navon Beach five without reply. Also up there was Southcast Town's 4-1 win over last season's runners-up Oldbridge City, as was Dullham and Oldbridge's 3-1 win over CF Mont-Pluie to ensure that three of the league's "top four" were eliminated.

Elsewhere, it was service as normal as Pilminster, Northtown and Olympique Protectorat dumped Altsend, Djei SC and Flitton City out of the cup. One tie, between County Stanley and Kinney Road, ended goalless, sending it to a replay.

Matchday Seventeen
T'chéy Park drew their 11th of 17 matches with a goalless result away at CF Mont-Pluie to put them four points clear of the relegation zone. Up to this point, they'd only scored ten goals — an average of one goal every two hours 33 minutes.

At the top, Olympique Protectorat beat relegation battlers Flitton Rangers 2-0 away, while second-place side Protectorate Utd kept up the pressure, and put some distance between them and third-place Oldbridge City by beating Oldbridge 6-2 away.

In the Second Division, Island Athletic proved to be a hurdle County Stanley couldn't clear as Stanley fell 2-3 at home to the long-time last-placed team, who moved into 4th overall (and 20th in the league system) with the three points. Tallyn Rovers retook the overall lead with a 3-2 win over Altsend.

AFF Cup Second Round Replay/Quarter Final 2 and 3
The AFF Cup scheduling this year split the four quarter finals into four matches over two days a week apart. T'chéy Park v. Northtown Utd and Olympique Protectorat v. Hatton Town were scheduled for the first day, with Pilminster's tie against the winner of the Second Round Replay between County Stanley and season 1 cup champions Kinney Road, as well as Dullham and Oldbridge's match against Southcast Town, three weeks later.

Kinney Road hosted County Stanley in the sole Second Round match of the day for a place to face Pilminster Rovers in the quarter finals. If County Stanley won, they would be the 4th Second Division team in the quarter-finals and leave the possibility of an all-Second Division final, something which has not happened yet. Indeed, Kinney Road, sitting comfortably in mid-table in the Premier, would be expected to easily breeze past their perhaps less illustrious opponents.

Well, it didn't go to script. County Stanley bossed the match and could afford to cheekily snatch a late goal with just four minutes left on the clock, leaving Kinney Road's fans to jeer their team off the pitch at the end of the game. County Stanley would travel to Pilminster for the quarter-final.

In the two quarter finals played over this weekend, Northtown Utd secured their pass into the semi-finals and guarantee at least one top-flight team in the final four — and in the final should Pilminster beat County Stanley in their quarter-final — with a 2-1 win away at T'chéy Park. Meanwhile, the last of the league's "top four", TakilQuip Champions' Cup runners-up Olympique Protectorat, suffered a shock 0-3 thumping at home to Hatton Town.

Matchday Eighteen
The midweek set of league fixtures saw Protectorate United thump CF Mont-Pluie 4-0 in the top flight, with the game marking the first time a foreign player has found the back of the net in Ad'ihan. Unfortunately for Chen Myung-bo of Starblaydia, he had an unlucky final touch to deflect a superlative cross into the back of his own net.

At the bottom of the table, T'chéy Park recorded their 12th draw of the season in just 18 league games to stay three points clear of Dz'ai rivals Djei Sporting Club and the drop zone with a 0-0 draw at home to Kinney Road. The league's two most defensive and least attacking teams (up to this point the teams combined for only 21 goals scored and 22 conceded in 34 matches) contrived to produce 90 minutes of "some of the worst football I've ever witnessed in my life", according to one leading pundit.

In the Second Division, both County Stanley and Tallyn Rovers won again, keeping up their promotion hopes. There was also a seven-goal thriller as Island Athletic moved up into third overall — something that would have been improbable a few seasons ago — with a 4-3 win over Dullham and Oldbridge.

AFF Cup Quarter Final 1 and 4
Three of the four teams involved in the weekend's cup action were from the Second Division, as Dullham and Oldbridge, Southcast Town and County Stanley all looked to make their marks. One of the three Second Division clubs were guaranteed to join Hatton Town in the semi-finals, meaning the Second Division would have one guaranteed finalist.

Dullham and Oldbridge, fresh — or not — off their seven-goal defeat in midweek, made four changes to their side to play Southcast Town, who beat AFC Hatton 2-0 in the league. Obviously the fresh legs didn't work, however, as the visitors managed an easy 1-0 win to secure their place in the final four.

In the other match of the day, County Stanley snatched a last-minute equaliser at Pilminster Rovers to send their second cup tie in a row to a replay as the two teams finished 1-1. The first replay date was set for mid-week, as the next weekend was reserved for league games.

AFF Cup Quarter Final First Replay
County Stanley's strong cup run would go on at least one more match, as they held on against a strong Pilminster barrage to hang on to a 1-1 draw at home, ensuring a second replay would be played out back in Pilminster.

Matchday Nineteen
The most-billed match of the weekend was with little doubt the Flitton derby between City and Rangers. With Flitton Rangers bottom of the table and struggling against relegation, few would have bet against mid-table City easily earning the three points. It's a good thing few did, too, since City dominated the match despite what the scoreline — just a 1-0 win — suggests.

Elsewhere, as the top two both dropped points — Protectorate Utd only drawing 1-1 away at Kinney Road while Olympique Protectorate were involved in an eight-goal goalfest draw at Dalinn Wanderers — the third placed team, Oldbridge City, closed the gap on the leaders to just three points with a 4-2 win away at Navon Beach.

T'chéy Park slipped closer to the drop zone with a 1-3 reverse at home to Mountbatten Junction as Djei SC beat Grand Arsenal 3-1 to cut the gap between the two teams to only goal difference.

The pick of the games in the Second Division was no doubt at Dullham and Oldbridge, who beat Altsend 5-3 in an extraordinary match which saw 12 minutes of second-half stoppage time due to a severe injury sustained by an Altsend player earlier in the half. Altsend's 12 points from 19 games was a record low at this stage of the season. At the top, both County Stanley and Tallyn were held to draws.

Matchday Twenty
Djei SC climbed out of the drop zone for the first time since Matchday Ten as they beat Dalinn Wanderers 4-3 away in Tallyn. T'chéy Park's hopes of survival suffered a further hit as they were beaten 1-0 by Olympique Protectorat, who moved top of the table as their city rivals Protectorate United were defeated 1-0 by Mountbateen Junction. Oldbridge City's 3-2 win over South Barrier moved them to level on points (behind on GD) with Protectorate United and just one point off l'OP.

With ten points between first and fourth and nine between the third and fourth placed teams, it became obvious that the title race this season would be a three-horse contest to the end, as CF Mont-Pluie had not put up as stellar a performance as they'd have liked to. At this stage, the gap between third and fourth — nine points — was equal to the gap between fourth (30 points) and the first spot out of the relegation zone, fourteenth (21 points).

Meanwhile, Dullham and Oldbridge continued their free-scoring ways with a well-worked 5-2 win over Hatton Town. Elsewhere, Altsend recorded their first win in five games with a 3-0 whitewash of Island Athletic, while both County Stanley and Tallyn Rovers were held to draws in their matches.

AFF Cup Quarter Final Second Replay
In midweek, Pilminster and County Stanley took to the field again in their AFF Cup quarter-final tie — the third time in three weeks the two teams met to settle the tie. Unfortunately, it was a dull affair and no goals were scored, sending the tie to a third replay. Perhaps this is why the AFF trialled not having replays in the First Round of the cup this season. Ultimately, though, the two teams would have to go back to Stanley for a fourth match to send a team through to the semi-finals.

Matchday Twenty-one
There was little doubt as to what was the most-anticipated match of the day, the Ad'ihan city derby between l'OP and the United. Technically a home game for Protectorate United, it didn't really matter as both teams had an equal number of fans at the Protectorate Stadium, who were treated to a seven-goal thriller.

Unfortunately for fans of the 'home' team, it was Olympique Protectorat who won out on the day, 4-3. Oldbridge City capitalised on this with a 2-0 win over Pilminster to move into second above the United. At the bottom of the table, a Dz'ai derby which ended 1-1 meant that bottom club Flitton Rangers' crucial 2-0 win over Grand Arsenal helped to close the gap between them and T'chéy Park in 15th to just three points.

A dull day in the Second Division, however, as three of the four games ended in draws. Hatton Town were the only team to get the full three points with a 3-1 win over Island Athletic. Promotion chasers County Stanley and Tallyn Rovers drew 0-0.

Matchday Twenty-two
Olympique Protectorat extended their lead at the top of the table to four points with a 4-1 thrashing of Northtown Utd away in Modna Nord as Oldbridge City dropped points in a 2-5 loss to CF Mont-Pluie. Protectorate Utd overtook Oldbridge on goal difference with a 2-0 win over struggling Djei SC.

At the bottom, T'chéy Park drew their 14th game of the season — in both previous seasons, no club has drawn more than 14 games in a 30-match season — 0-0 at home to Flitton City. Meanwhile, Flitton Rangers sneaked a 2-1 away win at Dalinn Wanderers, moving to within one point of T'chéy and three of Djei SC in safety.

Tallyn Rovers re-took the lead in the Second Division with a 3-0 win over Dullham and Oldbridge as County Stanley could only manage a 1-1 draw away at AFC Hatton. Altsend put another three points on the board with a 2-1 win over Hatton Town, although they remained bottom of the division.

AFF Cup Semi Final 2 First Leg/Quarter Final 1 Third Replay
Despite one quarter-final tie not yet resolved, the first leg of the one semi-final with both teams confirmed went ahead as scheduled in midweek. The first leg of the all-Second Division tie between Hatton Town and Southcast Town — sixth and seventh out of eight in the Second Division respectively — was played at Protectorate Stadium in front of 101,230 people.

Southcast Town took the lead 14 minutes in but were pegged back immediately from the kick-off and just two minutes later found themselves 2-1 down to a great Hatton Town move. Hatton Town would put the match beyond Southcast Town's reach with a third goal midway through the second half. 3-1 to Hatton Town at full-time, with the second leg at Bridge Road at the weekend.

After three matches failed to resolve the final quarter-final tie, Pilminster Rovers took to the field back in Stanley for a fourth encounter against their Second Division opponents to settle the matter of who would be the fourth semi-finalist. And thank goodness for everyone involved, Pilminster Rovers got the result they wanted with a 1-0 win to send them into the semis to face Northtown Utd and guarantee that there would be at least one top-flight team in the cup final.

AFF Cup Semi Final 1 First Leg/Semi Final 2 Second Leg
Protectorate Stadium played host to Pilminster and Northtown Utd in the first leg of their semi-final while Bridge Road in Oldbridge hosted Southcast Town and Hatton Town in the second leg of their tie simultaneously at the weekend. Pilminster showed no signs of wear and tear despite needing four matches to get past County Stanley as they put four past the hapless Northtown Utd defence to effectively seal their passage through to the final. Over at Bridge Road, Hatton Town scored three without reply to win their tie 6-1 on aggregate.

Matchday Twenty-three
Both Protectorate United in second and Oldbridge City in third dropped more points in 0-0 and 2-2 draws with Flitton City and Kinney Road respectively, allowing Olympique Protectorat, who beat Navon Beach 2-1, to extend their lead at the top of the table to six points. CF Mont-Pluie's 1-1 draw with Pilminster meant that they remained nine points off the leading pack and pretty much without any hope for the season.

In the second division, Tallyn Rovers' promotion bid suffered a setback as they were beaten 2-0 by Island Athletic. Meanwhile, County Stanley moved back level with Tallyn in the overall table, behind only on goals scored, with a 3-0 win over Dullham and Oldbridge.

Matchday Twenty-four
Olympique Protectorat continued their seemingly unstoppable surge towards the league title with a 3-1 win over South Barrier Utd despite their city and title rivals Protectorate Utd also winning, 3-0 over Flitton Rangers, to ensure the gap remained at six points.

At the bottom, both Djei SC and T'chéy Park lost, while South Barrier's defeat at the league leaders dragged them into the relegation mire, with the bottom four teams separated by only four points.

In the Second Division, both County Stanley and Tallyn Rovers won again, but County Stanley's two-goal win over Island Athletic, compared to Tallyn's 2-1 win at Altsend, was enough to send them top overall on goal difference. With just four matches left, County Stanley had 19 points in the second phase, while Tallyn's 20 points was enough to see them top of the phase table.

AFF Cup Semi Final 1 Second Leg
Bridge Road once again welcomed the AFF Cup semi finals as Northtown Utd looked to overturn a three-goal deficit from the first leg against Pilminster Rovers for the right to face Hatton Town in the final. However, no such thing happened as Pilminster easily walked the game to win 5-1 on aggregate, 1-0 on the day, and dump Northtown out of the cup.

Matchday Twenty-five
What a day at the bottom of the Premier! Results conspired to ensure that just four points now separated the bottom six teams, with Flitton Rangers — long at the bottom of the table — climbing out into safety in 13th on 25 points. Djei SC (24 pts) dropped to 15th to join T'chéy Park (23 pts) in the drop zone, although South Barrier in 14th (25 pts), Flitton Rangers, Northtown Utd in 12th (27 pts) and Dalinn Wanderers in 11th (27 pts) all in the mix now.

At the top of the table, there was a shocker at Bridge Road as Oldbridge City closed the gap on league leaders Olympique Protectorat to just six points with a 5-0 walloping of their title rivals. Protectorate Utd moved to within three of l'OP with a 4-2 win over Grand Arsenal.

In the Second Division, both County Stanley and Tallyn Rovers were on the end of surprising defeats, 1-2 to Altsend and 1-3 at Hatton Town respectively. Dullham and Oldbridge, meanwhile, moved to 16 points in the second phase with a goalless draw against Island Athletic.

Matchday Twenty-six
Olympique Protectorat hitting a bad patch of form clearly at the wrong time in the season, as a 2-0 loss to CF Mont-Pluie combined with a 3-0 win over Dalinn for Protectorate Utd meant that the United moved above l'OP on goal difference. Oldbridge City's 1-0 defeat of Djei SC — who fall to last in the table — moves them to within three of the leaders.

T'chéy Park drew their league record 15th match of the season with a goalless return away at Pilminster to move them off the bottom of the table, while Flitton Rangers drew 1-1 with Navon Beach. Dalinn and Northtown Utd both lost, keeping the bottom five separated by just three points.

As the season wound down in the Second Division with both County Stanley and Tallyn Rovers looking like sure-fire bets for automatic promotion, the focus turned to the team that had just no luck at all since their first-season relegation from the Premier. Altsend, one of the 16 founding teams of the United Islands League Championship, were struggling in the lower reaches of the Second Division for the second straight season. A 2-2 draw with Dullham and Oldbridge cast them eight points adrift of the rest of the division, a gap that could not mathematically be overcome in the remaining two matches.

Matchday Twenty-seven
We start in the Second Division where despite a 1-0 loss to AFC Hatton, Tallyn Rovers secured automatic promotion. As County Stanley, the only team ahead of them in both the overall and phase table, drew 1-1 with Southcast Town to put them on 23 points (50 overall), and the only other team who up till then could win the phase, Dullham and Oldbridge (18 pts), losing 1-3 to Hatton Town, Tallyn Rovers, on 21 points in the phase, could finish no worse than second in the overall table. And, as County Stanley could finish no worse than second in the phase table (meaning Tallyn won the phase), Tallyn confirmed their immediate return to the top flight of the Ad'ihani league.

County Stanley, meanwhile, also confirmed their promotion, as the worse they could finish would be second in the phase table and they could still finish top of the overall table. If they topped the overall table, they would be promoted as champions; if they finished second in the overall table, they'd have come in second in both individual phases, negating the need for any promotion playoff.

Meanwhile, in the top flight, T'chéy Park continued their fight to survive the drop with an astounding 2-0 defeat of league leaders Protectorate Utd, who fell back into second place as Olympique Protectorat eked out a 1-1 draw at Kinney Road. Oldbridge City failed to capitalise with a 1-1 draw at Flitton City. At the bottom, just one point separated the bottom four teams now:

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
13 T'chéy Park 27 4 15 8 18 21 -3 27
14 Northtown Utd 27 6 9 12 37 49 -12 27
---------------------------------------------------------------------
15 Djei Sporting Club 27 6 9 12 32 44 -12 27
16 Flitton Rangers 27 6 8 13 26 35 -9 26

Matchday Twenty-eight
County Stanley made things official with a last-day win over Tallyn Rovers to win the Second Division and win promotion as champions. They will be joined by Tallyn, making their second foray into the world of top-flight football and hoping not to go straight back down.

Second Division — Phase Two table
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 County Stanley 14 7 5 2 19 10 9 26 P
2 Dullham and Oldbridge 14 6 3 5 27 25 2 21
3 Tallyn Rovers 14 5 4 5 19 18 1 21 P
4 Hatton Town 14 5 4 5 27 25 2 19
5 Altsend 14 5 4 5 29 29 -14 19
6 Southcast Town 14 3 7 4 15 15 0 16
7 AFC Hatton 14 4 4 6 20 25 -5 16
8 Island Athletic 14 5 1 8 21 30 -9 16

Second Division — Overall table
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 County Stanley 28 15 8 5 42 30 12 53 C/P
2 Tallyn Rovers 28 14 5 9 45 39 6 47 P
3 AFC Hatton 28 11 7 10 45 39 6 40
4 Hatton Town 28 11 7 10 55 51 4 40
5 Dullham and Oldbridge 28 10 6 12 49 53 -4 36
6 Island Athletic 28 10 5 13 53 61 -8 35
7 Southcast Town 28 8 8 12 28 30 -2 32
8 Altsend 28 7 6 15 48 62 -14 27

In the top flight, Olympique Protectorat, Protectorate United and Oldbridge City all won to keep the title race going between all three teams down to the final two matchdays, with just three points separating the sides. However, Protectorate Utd's +29 GD was, at this stage, vastly superior to both l'OP's (+16) and Oldbridge's (+18), meaning that if it came down to goal difference, the United would most definitely have the upper hand.

Northtown Utd's 0-0 draw at home to T'chéy Park — T'chéy's 16th draw of the season — saw them slip into the drop zone behind their opponents on goal difference. Flitton Rangers' loss to Oldbridge meant they remained last, but still only just two points from safety.

Matchday Twenty-nine
You guessed it, all the top three teams won their matches, to ensure that they stayed within three points of each other going into the final matchday. Any of the three sides still had a real chance to win the title, but it would be Olympique Protectorat's to lose as they held their fate in their own hands.

At the bottom, T'chéy, Northtown and Flitton Rangers all lost as well, ensuring that the relegation fight, like the title race, would go to the final day of the season, with none of the bottom five teams still mathematically safe. However, South Barrier on 31 pts and Djei SC on 30 had seemingly done enough to guarantee their safety.

Matchday Thirty
This was it, the big day. The key fixtures on this day: Olympique Protectorat were to host Djei SC, Protectorate Utd hosted Navon Beach, Oldbridge City would have to travel to Dalinn, and at the bottom T'chéy Park hosted South Barrier in a match which could see the loser go down, Northtown Utd faced Pilminster Rovers, and Flitton Rangers travelled to Kinney Road.

4th minute Kinney Road 1-0 Flitton Rangers
Flitton Rangers needed a win, nothing less would suffice. An early blow to their survival hopes.
Live league table
12 South Barrier Utd 30 7 11 12 36 48 -12 32
13 Djei Sporting Club 30 7 10 13 33 45 -12 31
14 T'chéy Park 30 4 17 9 19 23 -4 29
---------------------------------------------------------------------
15 Northtown Utd 30 6 11 13 38 51 -13 29
16 Flitton Rangers 30 6 8 16 26 39 -13 26

9th minute Olympique Protectorat 0-1 Djei SC
A goal which would have ramifications at both ends of the table, as Olympique Protectorat would have to rely on other results should they lose their game. Djei SC, meanwhile, would put themselves mathematically safe with the current set of results.
Live league table
1 Protectorate United 30 18 5 7 62 32 30 59
2 Olympique Protectorat 30 17 8 5 70 53 17 59
3 Oldbridge City 30 17 6 7 67 48 19 57

13 South Barrier Utd 30 7 11 12 36 48 -12 32
14 T'chéy Park 30 4 17 9 19 23 -4 29
---------------------------------------------------------------------
15 Northtown Utd 30 6 11 13 38 51 -13 29
16 Flitton Rangers 30 6 8 16 26 39 -13 26

17th minute T'chéy Park 0-1 South Barrier Utd | Pilminster Rovers 1-0 Northtown Utd

South Barrier gave themselves some breathing space with a 1-0 lead, which put them, at least temporarily, mathematically clear of the drop. Luckily for T'chéy, Northtown Utd simultaneously went 1-0 down at Pilminster.
Live league table
14 T'chéy Park 30 4 16 10 19 24 -5 28
---------------------------------------------------------------------
15 Northtown Utd 30 6 10 14 38 52 -14 28
16 Flitton Rangers 30 6 8 16 26 39 -13 26

Half time
Olympique Protectorat 0-1 Djei SC
Protectorate Utd 0-0 Navon Beach
Dalinn 1-1 Oldbridge City
T'chéy Park 0-1 South Barrier
Pilminster Rovers 1-0 Northtown Utd
Kinney Road 1-0 Flitton Rangers
Live league table
1 Protectorate United 30 18 5 7 62 32 30 59
2 Olympique Protectorat 30 17 8 5 70 53 17 59
3 Oldbridge City 30 17 6 7 68 49 19 57

14 T'chéy Park 30 4 16 10 19 24 -5 28
---------------------------------------------------------------------
15 Northtown Utd 30 6 10 14 38 52 -14 28
16 Flitton Rangers 30 6 8 16 26 39 -13 26

75th minute Dalinn Wanderers 2-2 Oldbridge City | T'chéy Park 1-2 South Barrier Utd | Pilminster 1-1 Northtown Utd
Oldbridge having to fight back from 2-1 down to equalise away in Dalinn. They would need a win if they wanted to claim their first ever league title... Meanwhile, Protectorate Utd and Navon Beach were tied, 1-1, while Olympique Protectorat were still trailing 0-1 to Djei SC. At this rate, Protectorate Utd would take their third straight league title, but only on goal difference...

At the bottom, South Barrier Utd took the lead at T'chéy Park while Northtown Utd grabbed an equaliser at Pilminster. If the results stayed this way, the two teams just promoted would be facing an immediate return to the Second Division...
Live league table
1 Protectorate United 30 18 5 7 63 33 30 59
2 Olympique Protectorat 30 17 8 5 70 53 17 59
3 Oldbridge City 30 17 6 7 69 50 19 57

14 Northtown Utd 30 6 11 13 38 52 -14 29
---------------------------------------------------------------------
15 T'chéy Park 30 4 16 10 20 25 -5 28
16 Flitton Rangers 30 6 8 16 26 39 -13 26

And indeed, that would be how it finished. Oldbridge City missed a glorious chance to secure their first league championship after only managing a draw at Dalinn, while Olympique Protectorat's last-day slip-up against Djei allowed their arch-rivals Protectorate Utd to sneak in with a 1-1 draw and win the league on goal difference.

At the bottom, despite remarkably good defence from T'chéy Park — an average of only 0.83 goals conceded a game, or one every 108 minutes — their equally-poor attack let them down as 16 draws and 4 wins were not enough to escape the drop.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Protectorate United 30 18 5 7 63 33 30 59 C/TQCC
2 Olympique Protectorat 30 17 8 5 70 53 17 59 TQCC
3 Oldbridge City 30 17 6 7 69 50 19 57
4 CF Mont-Pluie 30 13 11 6 55 41 14 50
5 Navon Beach 30 14 5 11 72 59 13 47
6 Mountbatten Junction 30 11 9 10 48 53 -5 42
7 Kinney Road 30 10 11 9 22 18 4 41
8 Pilminster Rovers 30 10 10 10 25 28 -3 40
9 Grand Arsenal 30 12 3 15 48 68 -20 39
10 Dalinn Wanderers 30 9 7 14 53 59 -6 34
11 Flitton City 30 9 7 14 28 38 -10 34
12 South Barrier Utd 30 8 10 12 38 49 -11 34
13 Djei Sporting Club 30 8 9 13 34 45 -11 33
14 Northtown Utd 30 6 11 13 39 52 -13 29
15 T'chéy Park 30 4 16 10 20 25 -5 28 R
16 Flitton Rangers 30 6 8 16 26 39 -13 26 R

Season league awards...

Attacking power – Navon Beach, 72 GF, 2.40 GF/match (Second Division: Hatton Town, 55 GF, 1.96 GF/match)

Defensive power – Kinney Road, 18 GA, 0.60 GA/match (Second Division: County Stanley and Southcast Town, 30 GA, 1.07 GA/match)

Attack is not our thing award – T'chéy Park, 20 GF, 0.67 GF/match (Second Division: Southcast Town, 28 GF, 1.00 GF/match)

Defence? What's defence? Award – Grand Arsenal, 68 GA, 2.27 GA/match (Second Division: Altsend, 62 GA, 2.21 GA/match)

AFF Cup Final
And so, Protectorate Stadium played host to yet another cup final. For the first time, though, it featured a team from the Second Division, as Hatton Town had made it through to the final. They would face Pilminster Rovers; the winners would not only win the AFF Cup but guarantee themselves a spot in the TakilQuip Champions' Cup.

Ultimately one single goal would settle the tie. A single goal deep into first-half injury time. A single goal that sent the cup to the city of Hatton, and the goal that made Hatton Town the first non-top-flight team to win the cup. They had played through all the rounds of the cup and made it to the final, and won it.

Final
Pilminster Rovers 0-1 Hatton Town

Champions: Protectorate United
Tournoi-IRC: Protectorate United
TakilQuip Champions' Cup: Protectorate Utd, Olympique Protectorat, Hatton Town, one TBD
Relegated: T'chéy Park, Flitton Rangers
Promoted: County Stanley, Tallyn Rovers
AFF Cup winners: Hatton Town

Newmanistan

20-04-2008, 16:27

MAJOR NEWMANISTAN SOCCER ANNOUNCEMENT

Pocono City, Newmanistan- This morning, key figureheads of the Newmanistan Soccer League met in Pocono City, and the end result was a dramatic announcement by Commissioner Michael Schantz. Here are keys part of the transcript:

“It is then, my opinion, that the NSL as we know it can no longer compete with the soccer leagues of the world, as evidenced by the recent transfers out of Newmanistan, particularly the loss of Jeremy Brooker to Cafundeu and promising talent Alex Parnett to Nethertopia.........”

“The NSL’s current structure is no more. We are abandoning the four divisions of six where there is no such thing as promtion and relegation. We are abandoning the NSL draft. We are even going to abandon the NSL name as a whole.......”

“We are going to capitalize on the growth of soccer in the Empire due to the success of our national team on the worldwide scale. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the new and improved league, The Newmanistan Premier League. You may call it the NPL. Now, Newmanistan will have its own domestic league that’s as strong and as desirable as other such leagues around the world......”

“There will be four divisions. In the first year, the 24 clubs of the former NSL will make up the Newmanistan Premier League. The three lower divisions will each consist of 20 teams, and they will assigned to divisions based on several factors, including profitability, stadium, and local population. At the conclusion of the first season, the winners of the three subdivisions will be promoted directly to the Premier League. The three teams at the bottom of the Premier League will be relegated into the second league. This is just after the first year. After the second season, the customary promotion/demotion procedures that exist in the world will take place between the divisions.......”

“So the 24 teams in Premier League, effective today are: Pocono City, Loudon, Tundra Falls, Putnam Lake, Hampton, Brighton, Hastings, Daytopia, Southport, Dover City, Stroudsbourg, Thumbria Bay, Concord City, Centralia, South Tier, South Charlotte, North Charlotte, Portsmouth, Springfield, Rushville, Fairfield City, Olympia, Seminole Bay, and Riverside. The other 56 teams will be named based on who applies, naturally, but also looking at the cities that have best supported minor league sports, not just football, throughout the Empire......”

“With an economy that can only be described as frightening, and a profitable league that only stands to get better with the success of our national team worldwide, there is no doubt in my mind that NPL teams can be very active on the international transfer circuit, and have the ability to purchase talent in the same way we have seen some of our talent be purchased. Thank you!”

NPL Coverage will begin to be posted in this thread. If you would like to begin an international transfer agreement with the NPL and your domestic league, please send me a TG.

Krytenia

20-04-2008, 18:09

KLF, Season 2093-94
Elite League

Emberton stole the title on the last day of the season, beating Ellisham 1-0 whilst Ousevale could only manage a 0-0 draw away at Aylesford. Avidia defeated Emberton Patriots on the same day in a direct contest for fourth place and the final TakilQuip Cup spot.

1 Emberton Reds 46 16 6 1 46 18 8 7 8 33 34 85
2 Ousevale Boro 46 14 5 4 43 27 10 8 5 35 31 85
3 Caledon Simpson 46 17 4 2 51 26 5 10 8 29 29 80
4 Avidia United 46 12 6 5 49 29 8 8 7 30 30 74
5 Emberton Pats 46 10 9 4 43 30 9 8 6 31 29 74
6 Avidia City 46 10 8 5 41 32 10 6 7 29 32 74
7 Bromham City 46 14 5 4 50 22 6 7 10 30 35 72
8 Bradwell Saints 46 15 7 1 50 23 4 7 12 20 34 71
9 Ellisham 46 13 7 3 38 22 6 5 12 29 44 69
10 Dereapolis City 46 12 5 6 37 20 6 8 9 30 40 67
11 Leston Town 46 11 9 3 37 20 4 7 12 25 37 61
12 Aigburth Ath 46 9 8 6 40 34 6 8 9 22 31 61
13 Osteria Casuals 46 10 8 5 34 29 5 6 12 33 50 59
14 Caversham 46 7 8 8 27 31 7 8 8 31 34 58
15 Mercia Bromham 46 11 6 6 41 28 3 9 11 17 32 57
16 Secklow City 46 9 8 6 30 23 5 5 13 28 40 55
17 Aylesford 46 8 7 8 35 31 7 2 14 22 35 54
18 Notegia Rangers 46 10 6 7 28 27 5 3 15 28 45 54
19 Norton Town 46 7 9 7 22 23 6 6 11 27 48 54
20 Stratford Rov 46 6 8 9 35 37 6 7 10 32 34 51
21 Stanton City 46 10 3 10 33 29 3 8 12 19 34 50
22 Bletcham Devils 46 8 6 9 30 31 4 6 13 27 45 48
23 Penniton United 46 9 6 8 26 24 0 8 15 18 44 41
24 Westleigh Rov 46 4 11 8 20 24 2 8 13 15 39 37

Senior League

Kallia make a return to the top flight, as do Hoxton; Locomotive, however, were favourites for relegation at the start of the season, and the Railwaymen will be spending their first season in the top tier.

P W D L F A W D L F A Pts
1 Kallia United 46 15 8 0 43 14 11 7 5 28 21 93
2 Hoxton Hawks 46 15 5 3 40 16 12 5 6 36 24 91
3 L. Wolverton 46 17 4 2 40 18 8 8 7 33 35 87
4 Linford United 46 15 5 3 54 22 8 6 9 32 27 80
5 Clube Avides 46 11 7 5 35 19 10 4 9 35 30 74
6 Northern Star 46 12 7 4 32 19 6 8 9 27 29 69
7 Walton City 46 10 7 6 33 19 8 5 10 27 40 66
8 CFO Monthuez 46 11 5 7 30 23 6 9 8 31 39 65
9 Bohemians 46 12 6 5 48 28 5 7 11 23 34 64
10 Prutton 46 10 9 4 33 21 5 10 8 24 32 64
11 Dinamo Gravea 46 10 9 4 38 24 6 6 11 21 30 63
12 Notton United 46 10 8 5 32 24 5 9 9 24 29 62
13 Hastings County 46 11 4 8 41 31 7 3 13 25 35 61
14 Diorville 46 9 6 8 28 24 7 4 12 24 32 58
15 Nenbridge 46 13 2 8 34 25 3 5 15 16 40 55
16 Shruton Town 46 11 7 5 30 23 2 8 13 13 32 54
17 Blakeland 46 10 6 7 25 27 4 6 13 20 36 54
18 Yardley Forest 46 10 6 7 29 22 3 8 12 19 42 53
19 Faversham Town 46 10 7 6 42 30 4 3 16 23 49 52
20 Walton Park 46 8 8 7 33 27 4 7 12 22 39 51
21 St Peters 46 6 9 8 30 35 6 5 12 21 35 50
22 Oldbrook 46 7 7 9 27 31 4 7 12 24 37 47
23 Sandwell Rng 46 8 6 9 29 33 2 10 11 20 40 46
24 Oustia 46 6 8 9 23 30 3 6 14 17 42 41

Junior League

Neathill are on the way back! The men from the North, former Elite league side, are out of the basement and back in the Senior League. Beckton Supermarine were the division's surprise package, and their defeat of Albion on the last day of the season sees them in the Senior for the first time.

P W D L F A W D L F A Pts
1 Neathill 46 20 3 0 50 14 8 2 13 33 34 89
2 Wylon United 46 14 4 5 41 20 8 9 6 29 27 79
3 Beckton 46 15 3 5 35 14 7 6 10 26 34 75
4 Thackworth 46 13 6 4 45 27 8 5 10 23 35 74
5 New Cefn Albion 46 14 4 5 49 21 8 3 12 28 40 73
6 Challenger 46 14 3 6 45 30 7 7 9 31 36 73
7 Mawr Town 46 12 9 2 41 19 7 5 11 22 31 71
8 Huntsford 46 15 4 4 38 20 6 4 13 23 40 71
9 Westleigh Wand 46 10 8 5 35 23 7 9 7 24 23 68
10 Bulham City 46 11 6 6 30 27 7 8 8 18 21 68
11 Old Ashtonians 46 9 9 5 42 25 8 6 9 27 29 66
12 Camberley Town 46 11 4 8 28 23 9 2 12 24 32 66
13 Foxchester Rov 46 10 5 8 29 24 6 11 6 26 29 64
14 Maidenstone 46 9 8 6 28 21 8 3 12 18 27 62
15 KRA Arsenal 46 12 2 9 33 29 3 10 10 20 37 57
16 Tuvera City 46 6 10 7 19 18 8 4 11 26 37 56
17 Ousevale Jrs 46 7 4 12 31 32 8 6 9 25 30 55
18 Kovenham Town 46 10 5 8 35 28 5 5 13 25 45 55
19 Tormalay 46 12 4 7 45 33 3 6 14 21 55 55
20 Wick Town 46 7 7 9 29 29 7 2 14 24 31 51
21 Sladehill Rov 46 8 8 7 28 28 5 4 14 23 39 51
22 Calderwood Tn 46 8 7 8 28 26 4 7 12 21 43 50
23 Whitton 46 5 9 9 31 29 7 4 12 26 36 49
24 Quinton City 46 9 3 11 26 25 2 7 14 22 50 43

Alversia

22-04-2008, 16:53

Premiership Teams

PREMIERSHIP
1. Illesia City
2. Sanagrin Rangers
3. Tandara United
4. South Passage
5. Madden F.C
6. Hilltown United
7. Blackrock
8. Summerhill FC
9. Granite City
10. Newton Abbey
11. Silverbond
12. Mowton Abbey
13. Sanderson Rovers
14. Cardon City
15. Union Bank
16. Ashbourne
17. Leoma
18. Eaststead United

Premiership Preview
Newtown Abbey are favourites to hold on to the title for the third year after aquiring the powerful striker Darren Benton from Tandara United. However, a challenge could come from Illesia City after a new manager took the reins last year. With a large budget he has revamped the mid-leaguers and now they seem set for a challenge on Newtown Abbey's title. At the bottom, newly promoted Silverbond are predicted to finish bottom while Blackrock are favourites to join them.

CUP TEAMS
1. Millburg
2. Yellowwich
3. Ferryshire
4. Parking Retreat
5. Eaststead United
6. Garhunt Rovers
7. Eaglewood
8. Deerwood Forest
9. North Passage Celtic
10. Stillhunt Ridge
11. Brunscove
12. West Bellville
13. Ashbeach
14. Bridgeburg
15. Northford Rangers
16. Elklayne United
17. Baydale Wanderers
18. Blantown and Oldbridge
19. Centerdam Rovers
20. Rivercroft City
21. Grand Central
22. Covefield Ridge
23. Milwillow
24. Hartwalk
25. Huntsford Annex
26. East Covestead
27. Hilburgh Grove
28. Bayton Rovers

Septentrionia

23-04-2008, 05:14

Tournoi IRC III

The third edition of the Tournoi IRC (as it is now known in the participating countries) has, once again, opened the Septentrionian soccer season. It now attracts many people, and the Fédération Septentrionienne de Soccer has planned a complete rebuilding of Stade 1093 during the 2012 season to modernize the installations for the national team, Club de Soccer 1093 Ourseville and high-profile matches. In the press conference leading to the game, Pier-Alexandre Noël, Sieur d'Yeule (OOC: PANSY, HAHAHA) told the press that the CF1 G project will change the way soccer is played on the island and will be the base for other stadia all around the country. More on the project as the season goes by.

Matchday 1:

Afternoon game:
Matchday 1
Sept-Onze 1-3 Protectorate United
Attendance: 40,000

Evening game:
Stestrenas OC 1-3 Sonoma Center Panthers
Attendance: 36,653

Matchday 2:

Afternoon game:
Protectorate United 5-1 Stestrenas OC
Attendance: 33,481

Evening game:
Sonoma Center Panthers 2-0 Sept-Onze
Attendance: 40,000

Matchday 3:

Afternoon game:
Sept-Onze 1-2 Stestrenas OC
Attendance: 40,000

Evening game:
Sonoma Center Panthers 2-0 Protectorate United
Attendance: 38,740

Final table:
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Sonoma Center Panthers 3 3 0 0 7 1 6 9
2 Protectorate United 3 2 0 1 8 4 4 6
3 Stestrenas OC 3 1 0 2 4 9 -5 3
4 Sept-Onze 3 0 0 3 2 7 -5 0

Despite the standings, this edition has been fairer than the two previous editions. Sure, the Septentrionian team always trail behind, but it has a chance at least, while it had no chance before. A second team from the UCS wins the Tournoi IRC.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v338/Oli55/Superligue-soccer-logo2.png
Saison 2011

It's been a very close season from the first matchday to the very last. The three head teams were in a close race for the advantage of the field for the playoffs and ASJL won the league in front of Lac-Amédée and Sept-Onze. At the bottom of the table, Baieville must be the unluckiest team of the year, as they finished tied for 12th place with St-FX, but a lack of offense brought them into relegation playoffs.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 ASJL Cap-Nord 30 16 11 3 56 31 25 59
2 CS Lac-Amédée 30 17 7 6 46 28 18 58
3 Sept-Onze 30 16 9 5 53 29 24 57
4 Union 30 14 11 5 56 45 11 53
5 US Septentrionalis 30 12 10 8 44 37 7 46
6 FC Cap-Phare 30 11 12 7 46 35 11 45
7 Dauphin 30 11 11 8 40 32 8 44
8 FC Grand-Glacier 30 10 11 9 49 36 13 41
9 Richelieu AC 30 10 9 11 39 34 5 39
10 Mont-Lambert FC 30 10 8 12 41 44 -3 38
11 Ourseville 1093 30 7 9 14 24 41 -17 30
12 St-FX 30 6 11 13 31 46 -15 29
13 Baieville 30 7 8 15 25 49 -24 29
14 Sauvageville 30 6 9 15 38 60 -22 27
15 Nordiqueville AF 30 6 8 16 34 54 -20 26
16 Baie-Verte CCFC 30 5 8 17 33 54 -21 23

Colour code:
Orange: Saison Régulière Champions and Qualified for Séries Éliminatoires
Green: Qualified for Séries Éliminatoires
Blue: Will participate in Séries de Rélégation

Deuxième Division

It was less tight here, as the goal is not to win the league, but to secure a place in the playoffs. The only real incensitive to finish in a higher position is the higher amount of money given by the FSS. But the divide between the 4th and 5th placed team was clear enough, unlike the promotion/relegation divide in the Superligue.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Athlétique 30 16 9 5 47 22 25 57
2 SC Mont-Bleu 30 16 8 6 43 30 13 56
3 AS Île-Benoît 30 13 12 5 42 28 14 51
4 AA Benoîtville 30 14 9 7 42 34 8 51
5 L'Étoile du Nord FC 30 13 9 8 47 36 11 48
6 Bourdailleux 30 12 11 7 43 28 15 47
7 Piedmont 30 11 9 10 44 39 5 42
8 Calembourg 30 10 10 10 35 31 4 40
9 Orléans 30 11 6 13 38 43 -5 39
10 Mont-Surrindère SC 30 9 10 11 39 43 -4 37
11 SC Presqu'île 30 10 7 13 40 48 -8 37
12 CH Vaudreuil 30 10 6 14 41 46 -5 36
13 Desmarais 30 6 12 12 36 47 -11 30
14 Septentrionalis HC 30 5 12 13 26 40 -14 27
15 FC Les Vals 30 8 3 19 31 58 -27 27
16 Club Latin 30 5 9 16 28 49 -21 24

Colour Code:
Orange: Deuxième Division Champions and Qualified for Séries de Rélégation
Blue: Qualified for Séries de Rélégation

Phase éliminatoire de la Superligue

The thrilling end of season the Superligue gave us this season was enough to make people anxious for the final games. Sept-Onze were still a strong team and could definitely challenge for the title once again, as defending champions this time.

Quarterfinals
ASJL Cap-Nord 3-0 FC Grand-Glacier
CS Lac-Amédée 0-1 Dauphin
Sept-Onze 2-1 FC Cap-Phare
Union 2-0 US Septentrionalis

Semifinals (The semifinalists qualify for the TakilQuip Champions Cup)
ASJL Cap-Nord 2-4 Dauphin
Sept-Onze 1-0 Union

Final
Dauphin 0-3 Sept-Onze

The great surprise here is to see the 7th seeded Dauphin in the Superligue final. But Sept-Onze won a second championship in a row.

Séries de relégation:

First Leg:
Baieville 3-2 Baie-Verte CCFC
Sauvageville 0-1 SC Mont-Bleu
AS Île-Benoît 1-2 Nordiqueville AF
Athlétique 3-0 AA Benoîtville

Second Leg:
Baie-Verte CCFC 2-2 Baieville
SC Mont-Bleu 2-1 Sauvageville
Nordiqueville AF 2-0 AS Île-Benoît
AA Benoîtville 2-1 Athlétique

Aggregate results:
Baieville 5-4 Baie-Verte CCFC
Sauvageville 1-3 SC Mont-Bleu
AS Île-Benoît 1-4 Nordiqueville AF
Athlétique 4-2 AA Benoîtville

Season awards:
Manager of the year: Jean-Luc Letendre (Sept-Onze)
MVP: William Benoît (Sept-Onze)
Goalkeeper of the year: Gilles Lemay (CS Lac-Amédée)
Defender of the year: William Benoît (Sept-Onze)
Midfielder of the year: Louis Quenneville (Union)
Striker of the year: Nicolas Maloeil (Union)

Kereca

25-04-2008, 04:13

Undefeated!

Western Kereca Football Club, aka Western FC, have proved themselves to be the best football team in Kereca. Even though the Western Kereca League doubled in size during the offseason, going from four teams to eight, Western FC had no problems running the table. Western defeated Basley Brewery FC 2-0 on the final matchday to finish off a remarkable 14-0-0 season. Although they had already clinched their second WKL championship two matches earlier, the West Enders did not hold anything back in their final match of the season. Western FC was dominant both offensively and defensively all season, posting 51 goals in just 14 games, nearly twice as many as the second highest-scoring side, Cobalt PS with 28. On the defensive end, they only allowed a mere seven goals all season on route to a second championship in the second season of the WKL. Kingston Town had an impressive sophomore season, placing second, three points clear of perennial contenders West End PS.

Western Kereca League - Year 5, Season 2
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Western FC 14 14 0 0 51 7 44 42
2 Kingston Town 14 8 3 3 27 20 7 27
3 West End PS 14 8 0 6 23 21 2 24
4 Cobalt PS 14 7 1 6 28 28 0 22
5 LaPointe Marina AFC 14 6 1 7 18 29 -11 19
6 Cobalt City 14 5 1 8 14 21 -7 16
7 Basley Brewery FC 14 3 1 10 8 22 -14 10
8 Lion's Head Pub 14 0 3 11 8 29 -21 3

Highest scoring match: Cobalt PS 3-6 Kingston Town
Largest home win: Western FC 6-0 West End PS
Largest away win: LaPointe Marina AFC 1-5 Western FC

Meanwhile, the rival Kereca City Football League was somewhat overshadowed by their Western neighbors. Season 2 of the KCFL saw the addition of a whopping five clubs, also doubling the size of the league. The new squads:

Brandonburg Academy (Brandonburg, KC)
Ippsburg Royal Football Club (Ippsburg, KC)
Northern Public School (Ippsburg, KC)
Orange Beach Football Club (Orange Beach, KC)
Tennis Club of Port Dunbar (Kereca City, KC)*

*TC Port Dunbar, better known for its amateur tennis club, fielded a football team this year.

The most impressive of the new clubs was undoubtedly Orange Beach, who were shockingly atop the table for six weeks, from matchdays six through eleven. Although they faded a bit at the end, the Orangemen from the east of Dunbar Bay were in contention for most of the season. The champions, however, were old faces of Kerecan football. Well, not literally. Eckert Preparatory School, Kereca's oldest club, took the lead with four matches to go and never looked back. Prep did face some stiff competition from the likes of their old rivals, Kereca City Athletic Club, as well as Orange Beach, Gansby Public School and Kereca University. Athletic stumbled down the stretch, losing a crucial match to mid-table Ippsburg Royal before only managing a draw against Gansby. Eckert Prep's championship is their first in the KCFL, and they now hold both the City Trophy and the prestigious Nationwide Cup.

Kereca City Football League - Year 5, Season 2
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Eckert Prep 18 11 3 4 34 14 20 36
2 Athletic 18 10 5 3 44 23 21 35
3 Orange Beach 18 9 4 5 29 22 7 31
4 Gansby PS 18 9 3 6 33 22 11 30
5 Kereca University 18 7 7 4 25 17 8 28
6 Ippsburg Royal 18 7 3 8 28 31 -3 24
7 Northern PS 18 7 2 9 21 35 -14 23
8 Brandonburg Academy 18 6 3 9 19 33 -14 21
9 TC Port Dunbar 18 4 4 10 18 29 -11 16
10 Schechter Park 18 2 2 14 13 38 -25 8

Highest scoring match: Athletic 6-2 Northern PS
Largest home win: Athletic 5-0 Orange Beach
Largest away win: Northern PS 1-5 Eckert Prep

Looking ahead

Next on the Kerecan football calendar is the fourth edition of the Nationwide Cup, the most watched sporting event in the nation. Western FC are clear cut favorites, following their unbeaten league season and a semifinal loss (in a replay) to eventual champion Eckert Prep in last year's Cup. Eckert is another team to watch out for, as the defending champs are surely ready to keep the Nationwide Cup in Kereca City. As always, Athletic and Kereca University will be tough, and who knows what teams will spoil the favorites' Cup campaigns.

A record 18 teams are entered in the 4th Annual Nationwide Cup, and the top eight and top six finishers from the KCFL and WKL, respectively, are already set to play in the second round. The first round will kick off with TC Port Dunbar (9th, KCFL) hosting Lion's Head Pub (8th, WKL), followed by Schechter Park (10th, KCFL) taking on Basley Brewery FC (7th, WKL) in Basley.

Zarbli

25-04-2008, 21:35

Kereca

25-04-2008, 21:49

(OOC)

Guys, I'm about to submit Zarblese first tournament and I was wondering if there's any sort of software or website that can calculate the fixtures. What do you guys use? Or you do the calculation yourselves?

Thanks a lot :)

There's a number of different methods out there, but NSFootySim is probably the way to go. It's easy to use (if I can use it, anyone can) and you can download it from this post (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13569534&postcount=3660).

Oh, and I'll post something here later...

Cafundeu

26-04-2008, 22:57

CAFUNDÉU LEAGUE RESULTS – (Before WC 40)

THE SAME OF EVER REVIEW OF CAFUNDÉU’S LEAGUE SYSTEM – Cafundéu’s league is composed of 5 divisions of 20 teams. All the divisions have the same style:

-1st phase: All the clubs play each other 2 times(home and away). It’s called “primeiro turno”. The winner of this phase it’s the first placed at the end of the league.

Tiebreakers: points, number of wins, goal difference, goals scored, yellow cards.

-2nd phase: The 8 best placed teams in the 1st phase play in a knockout stage. The 1st plays the 8th (Game A), the 2nd plays the 7th(Game B), the 3rd plays the 6th(Game C) and the 4th plays the 5th (Game D). They play two games(home and away). The winner continues. In case of draw, the team with better performance in the 1st phase wins. Then, the winner of the game A plays against the winner of game D, and the winner of game B plays the winner of game C(semifinals) with the same rules. Then, the winners play the final using the same rules.

-3rd phase: The winners of the 1st and 2nd phase play each other in one game in neutral ground. In case of draw, there’s extra time and penalties. The winner is the Cafundéu champion.

Promotion and Relegation: In all the leagues 4 teams get relegated. They are the 4 worst teams of the 1st phase. The promoted teams are the 3 best teams of the 1st phase and the best team of the 2nd phase(note that the champion of the 2nd phase can be already promoted in the 1st phase, so the best placed team that still wasn’t promoted will be promoted (the one which reached the final or the semifinal of the 2nd phase).

Orange: Division champions
Blue = promoted
Red = relegated
Green = 2nd phase champions(if lost the Grand Final)
Purple = 1st phase champions(if lost the Grand Final)
Phase Champions are promoted too.

1st Division Past winners (since the entrance of Cafundéu in the NS World Cup -before that, there were many champions in competitions with different formats):

Season 1 - Atlético Jutense
Season 2 - Cafundó do Juta
Season 3 - Petardos S/A
Season 4 - Petardos S/A
Season 5 - Dunboor FC
Season 6 - A.F.F.
Season 7 – Petardos S/A

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CAFUNDÉU’S FIRST DIVISION – this time, strong teams like Clube Imperial, Atlético Jutense and SC Lasft failed to make a good performance in the first phase. But strong teams like Petardos S/A, Cafundó do Juta, Ranca Toco and Dunboor FC battled for the lead until the end, but it was won by Petardos S/A:

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Petardos S/A 38 17 14 7 79 60 19 65
2 Cafundó do Juta 38 18 10 10 82 65 17 64
3 Ranca Toco 38 18 9 11 50 30 20 63
4 Dunboor FC 38 17 12 9 76 59 17 63
5 A.F.F. 38 18 8 12 85 64 21 62
6 Galáxia 38 18 8 12 73 61 12 62
7 Khalmar-Tijhus 38 17 10 11 60 40 20 61
8 SC Lasft 38 17 7 14 37 40 -3 58
9 Atlético Jutense 38 16 8 14 53 54 -1 56
10 Clube Imperial 38 16 6 16 74 71 3 54
11 Atlético Insular 38 13 11 14 60 62 -2 50
12 Penders 38 12 11 15 42 47 -5 47
13 Agreman FH 38 12 11 15 32 39 -7 47
14 América 38 11 12 15 51 56 -5 45
15 CR Submiria 38 11 10 17 56 78 -22 43
16 Sambarilove 38 10 13 15 49 60 -11 43
17 Pernetas EC 38 10 13 15 47 65 -18 43
18 São José 38 10 12 16 53 66 -13 42
19 Clube dos Banqueiros 38 9 8 21 42 72 -30 35
20 Petrol 38 8 11 19 62 74 -12 35

For the 2nd phase, the 8 teams battled for the segundo turno, and Cafundó do Juta won it defeating 1st phase winners Petardos S/A (as all the games are big ones, the ones in red are regional/city derbies):

Quarter-Finals – 1st Leg:
SC Lasft 1-1 Petardos S/A
Khalmar-Tijhus 2-0 Cafundó do Juta
Galáxia 3-1 Ranca Toco
A.F.F. 0-0 Dunboor FC

2nd Leg:
Petardos S/A 4-2 SC Lasft
Cafundó do Juta 2-0 Khalmar-Tijhus (C.Juta wins due to better campaign on 1st phase)
Ranca Toco 0-1 Galáxia
Dunboor FC 1-2 A.F.F.

Semifinals – 1st Leg:
A.F.F. 3-2 Petardos S/A
Galáxia 2-2 Cafundó do Juta

2nd Leg:
Petardos S/A 3-0 A.F.F.
Cafundó do Juta 5-1 Galáxia

Final 1st Leg:
Cafundó do Juta 2-0 Petardos S/A

Final 2nd Leg:
Petardos S/A 1-2 Cafundó do Juta

THE DECISIVE FINAL:

PETARDOS S/A 1x3 CAFUNDÓ DO JUTA
(note: complete match report to be posted as part of WC40 RPs)

Place: Arena América, in Abadia (neutral ground – adapted to hold more supporters).
Attendance: 166,593 people.
Referee: José Eduardo Carrasco (Central State).
Assistants: Mauro Henning and Tarcísio Ananiel Nussuarena (Central State).
MOTM: Hizzen Hocn (Cafundó do Juta).

PETARDOS S/A: Lauro; Coelho, Índio (Silvinho 71'), Isaacs and Eduardo Monte; Gian, Di Angelo, Hawk and Haakana (Fe-Do 63’); Fresco and Newton (Rubiano 71’).
Coach: Christophe Argentier.

CAFUNDÓ DO JUTA: Rodriguez; Bahsir, Eager and Kaneda; Carlos Vergara, Hocn, Ilmari and Carlos Magno (Raulzito 68’); Ulcviecel (Bonfá 58’), Flecha and Vélez.
Coach: Eduardo Bosschaart.

Goals:PSA: Di Angelo 76’.
CJU: Flecha 28’ , Vélez 40’ , Eager 64’.

Yellow Cards: Eduardo Monte, Gian, Silvinho and Newton (PSA); Eager and Carlos Vergara (CJU).

CAFUNDÓ DO JUTA WINS THE LEAGUE!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Other details of the first division:

Best Player:
1st – Laborious Hawk (Petardos S/A)
2nd – Flecha (Cafundó do Juta)
3rd – Silveira (A.F.F.)
4th – Ignácio Vélez (Cafundó do Juta)
5th – Moreira (Galáxia)

Top Goalscorer:
1st – Flecha (Cafundó do Juta) – 33 goals
2nd – Migelo Luiso (Dunboor FC) – 26 goals
3rd – Laborious Hawk (Petardos S/A) – 25 goals
4th – Heitor (A.F.F.) – 23 goals
5th – Brian Hool (Atlético Insular) – 20 goals

*in case of draw, the player with less games played stays in front of the others

Best Goalkeeper:
1st – Moisés (Ranca Toco)
2nd – Bartolomeu (SC Lasft)
3rd – Jarl Knudsen (Khalmar-Tijhus)
4th – Zecão (A.F.F.)
5th – Fernando Rodriguez (Cafundó do Juta)

Best Defender (full-backs and center-backs):
1st – Augusto César (A.F.F.)
2nd – Souza (Ranca Toco)
3rd – David Acevedo (Ranca Toco)
4th – Nilan Bahsir (Cafundó do Juta)
5th – Mertus Gaëif (Petrol)

Best Midfielder (defensive and offensive):
1st – Laborious Hawk (Petardos S/A)
2nd – Silveira (A.F.F.)
3rd – Moreira (Galáxia)
4th – Jorginho (Dunboor FC)
5th – Viggo Haakana (Petardos S/A)

Best Attacker:
1st – Flecha (Cafundó do Juta)
2nd – Ignácio Vélez (Cafundó do Juta)
3rd – Migelo Luiso (Dunboor FC)
4th – Brian Hool (Atlético Insular)
5th – Anti Fresco (Petardos S/A)

Best Coach:
1st – Eduardo Bosschaart (Cafundó do Juta)
2nd – Christophe Argentier (Petardos S/A)
3rd – Benjamin Oliveira (A.F.F.)
4th – Nelson Yaschter (Galáxia)
5th – Big Gay Al (Agreman FH)

Team of the Season:

First Team:
------------------------------Moisés(RCT)------------------------------
-----Bahsir(CJU)-----Souza(RCT)-----Acevedo(RCT)-----A.César(AFF)----
-------------------Silveira(AFF)-------Jorginho(DUB)--------------------
----------Moreira(GAL)------------------------------Hawk(PSA)---------
----------------------Flecha(CJU)---Vélez(CJU)-------------------------

Coach: Eduardo Bosschaart (CJU).

Second Team:
----------------------------Bartolomeu(SCL)----------------------------
-----Vasco(AJU)------Gaëif(PET)-----Zé Luiz(GAL)-----Silvinho(PSA)-----
-----------------------------Valtinho(RCT)------------------------------
-------------Barnes(DUB)----------------------Hocn(CJU)---------------
-----------------------------Haakana(PSA)-----------------------------
---------------------Luiso(DUB)-------Hool(AIN)------------------------

Coach: Christophe Argentier (PSA).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2nd Division Past Winners:

Season 1 - CR Submiria
Season 2 - Clube Comercial
Season 3 - Clube Imperial
Season 4 - Galáxia
Season 5 - Petrol
Season 6 - Pernetas EC
Season 7 – CR Submiria

CAFUNDÉU'S SECOND DIVISION - the traditional Central United won the phase title and could finally commemorate the return to the first division. EC Elville and Clube Comercial could commemorate the promotion too:

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Central United 38 20 11 7 63 39 24 71
2 EC Elville 38 19 8 11 69 55 14 65
3 Clube Comercial 38 18 10 10 48 38 10 64
4 União Trabalhadora 38 19 6 13 83 64 19 63
5 Faculdade de Medicina 38 18 9 11 60 56 4 63
6 Porto Lacruz 38 17 8 13 58 58 0 59
7 Metropolitano 38 17 7 14 50 41 9 58
8 Tabajara 38 16 8 14 68 54 14 56
9 Mondragon Warriors 38 15 9 14 57 47 10 54
10 Vila Velha 38 14 9 15 60 55 5 51
11 São Jorge 38 14 9 15 55 62 -7 51
12 Tênis Clube 38 14 6 18 74 76 -2 48
13 Royal Pollvogarad 38 14 6 18 49 64 -15 48
14 Coqueiros 38 12 12 14 41 43 -2 48
15 Globo Multimedia 38 11 13 14 45 50 -5 46
16 Imperatriz 38 12 7 19 59 68 -9 43
17 Aldeia Vigiah 38 11 10 17 47 67 -20 43
18 Ferroviário 38 10 12 16 39 45 -6 42
19 Forças Armadas 38 10 9 19 41 60 -19 39
20 Lusitânio 38 8 13 17 43 67 -24 37

2nd Phase: Metropolitano won the promotion but, once again, the title was decided without the need of a third phase (no regional/city derbies):

2nd phase – Quarterfinals first leg:
Tabajara 0-4 Central United
Metropolitano 2-1 EC Elville
Porto Lacruz 2-0 Clube Comercial
Faculdade de Medicina 3-3 União Trabalhadora

Second Leg:
Central United 2-0 Tabajara
EC Elville 2-2 Metropolitano
Clube Comercial 3-1 Porto Lacruz (C.Comercial wins due to better campaign on 1st phase)
União Trabalhadora 3-4 Faculdade de Medicina

Semifinals First Leg:
Faculdade de Medicina 1-0 Central United
Metropolitano 3-0 Clube Comercial

Second Leg:
Central United 8-2 Faculdade de Medicina
Clube Comercial 0-0 Metropolitano

Final 1st Leg:
Metropolitano 2-1 Central United

FINAL 2ND LEG:

CENTRAL UNITED 3x0 METROPOLITANO

Place: Toca do Tatu, in Central City.
Attendance: 73,550 people.
Referee: Márcio Plenário (Lasft State).
Assistants: Anita Linhares and Renato Santiago Kasten (Lasft State).
MOTM: Fabinho (Central United).

CENTRAL UNITED: Pedro; Guimarães, Natanael and Romualdo; Praiano, Fabinho, João (Tonico 65’) and Gaúcho (Shermann 80’); Baltazar and Nando (Engel 45’).
Coach: Polegar.

METROPOLITANO: André; Zanirato, Fidélix, Peroba and Zé Maria (Mello 60’); Rui Pimenta, Paulinho and Garcia (Ivan Jordão 63’); Araújo, Cunha (Suplicy 45’) and Eymael.
Coach: Andreas Gilsoweller Veiga.

Goals:CUT: Baltazar 10’/76’ , Fabinho 14’.

Yellow Cards: Natanael, Fabinho and Shermann (CUT); Zanirato, Peroba and Rui Pimenta (MET).

CENTRAL UNITED WINS THE SECOND DIVISION!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3rd Division Past Winners:

Season 1 - Tio João
Season 2 - Marinha
Season 3 - Galáxia
Season 4 - Royal Pollvogarad
Season 5 - SC Carnavalesco
Season 6 – Metropolitano
Season 7 – Porto Lacruz

THIRD DIVISION - Aliança showed a strength that the opponents didn’t thought that existed and won the first phase. The young Serrano and the traditional but small Nacional da Cruz won the promotion.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Aliança 38 21 5 12 67 56 11 68
2 Serrano 38 20 6 12 90 71 19 66
3 Nacional da Cruz 38 19 8 11 79 63 16 65
4 SC Carnavalesco 38 19 8 11 68 61 7 65
5 Tio João 38 18 9 11 68 59 9 63
6 Dínamo de Natal 38 18 7 13 78 74 4 61
7 União 38 18 5 15 91 69 22 59
8 C-Electronics 38 17 6 15 76 64 12 57
9 Varzeano 38 17 6 15 74 70 4 57
10 Carandirú 38 16 7 15 65 65 0 55
11 Supersônicos 38 17 3 18 74 74 0 54
12 Amigos do Pebolim 38 16 5 17 62 68 -6 53
13 Massaranduba FC 38 14 8 16 69 68 1 50
14 Rio Bonito 38 14 7 17 68 86 -18 49
15 Espinalense 38 13 10 15 40 47 -7 49
16 Marinha 38 13 8 17 63 69 -6 47
17 Cézares 38 12 9 17 56 66 -10 45
18 Boiadeiros 38 11 9 18 59 68 -9 42
19 Intensivo 38 10 5 23 45 73 -28 35
20 Virgem Maria EC 38 6 11 21 40 61 -21 29

2nd Phase: SC Carnavalesco won the promotion, and Nacional da Cruz won this phase.

Second Phase – Quarterfinals First Leg:
C-Electronics 1-1 Aliança
União 3-1 Serrano
Dínamo de Natal 3-3 Nacional da Cruz
Tio João 0-2 SC Carnavalesco

Second Leg:
Aliança 3-0 C-Electronics
Serrano 1-0 União
Nacional da Cruz 2-2 Dínamo de Natal (Nacional wins due to better campaign on 1st phase)
SC Carnavalesco 4-2 Tio João

Semifinals First Leg:
SC Carnavalesco 1-0 Aliança
União 2-3 Nacional da Cruz

Second Leg:
Aliança 0-0 SC Carnavalesco
Nacional da Cruz 2-0 União

Final 1st Leg:
SC Carnavalesco 2-1 Nacional da Cruz

2nd Leg:
Nacional da Cruz 5-0 SC Carnavalesco

Grand Final:

Aliança 1-1 Nacional da Cruz (1-1 AET; 4-5 on penalties)

NACIONAL DA CRUZ WINS THE THIRD DIVISION!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4th Division Past Winners:

Season 1 - Interior (ceased)
Season 2 - Galáxia
Season 3 - Sambarilove
Season 4 - Vila Velha
Season 5 - Porto Lacruz
Season 6 - São Jorge
Season 7 - Serrano

FOURTH DIVISION - competition full of unknown teams. In the 1st phase, Pico da Neblina finished in the first place.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Pico da Neblina 38 19 11 8 62 46 16 68
2 Moto Clube 38 21 4 13 77 57 20 67
3 Engenheiro Peres 38 19 7 12 95 71 24 64
4 Cosmopolita 38 16 14 8 55 41 14 62
5 Cristãos 38 16 13 9 44 39 5 61
6 Mocidade 38 17 9 12 81 64 17 60
7 Espinalense 38 16 11 11 65 51 14 59
8 U.D.E.U. 38 15 11 12 59 52 7 56
9 Esportivo Jutense 38 13 16 9 64 57 7 55
10 Peladeiros 38 14 12 12 51 53 -2 54
11 Democratas 38 16 5 17 57 64 -7 53
12 Gelid United 38 12 13 13 31 37 -6 49
13 Clube do Fusca 38 13 9 16 56 66 -10 48
14 Civil FC 38 12 11 15 54 62 -8 47
15 Colonial 38 11 8 19 69 85 -16 41
16 Fulminense 38 10 11 17 43 51 -8 41
17 Litorâneo 38 10 10 18 43 53 -10 40
18 Associação Imobiliária 38 7 18 13 26 34 -8 39
19 Snooker Team 38 6 16 16 45 63 -18 34
20 Capital 38 8 9 21 52 83 -31 33

2nd Phase: Mocidade won the promotion (derbies in red).

Second Phase – Quarterfinals First Leg:
U.D.E.U. 1-4 Pico da Neblina
Espinalense 2-2 Moto Clube
Mocidade 3-0 Engenheiro Peres
Cristãos 1-1 Cosmopolita

Second Leg:
Pico da Neblina 2-0 U.D.E.U.
Moto Clube 2-1 Espinalense
Engenheiro Peres 0-0 Mocidade
Cosmopolita 3-3 Cristãos (Cosmopolita wins due to better campaign on 1st phase)

Semifinals First Leg:
Cosmopolita 1-3 Pico da Neblina
Mocidade 2-1 Moto Clube

Second Leg:
Pico da Neblina 0-2 Cosmopolita (Pico wins due to better campaign on 1st phase)
Moto Clube 2-2 Mocidade

Final 1st Leg:
Mocidade 1-1 Pico da Neblina

2nd Leg:

Pico da Neblina 4-1 Mocidade

PICO DA NEBLINA WINS THE FOURTH DIVISION!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5th Division Past Winners:

Season 1 - Democratas
Season 2 - Braguinha
Season 3 - Nova Éden
Season 4 - Porto Lacruz
Season 5 - Cosmopolita
Season 6 - Pico da Neblina
Season 7 – Mocidade

FIFTH DIVISION - competition with even more unknown teams. Nova Éden won the first phase.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Nova Éden 38 22 9 7 81 50 31 75
2 Miragaia FC 38 20 9 9 82 56 26 69
3 Ribeirão 38 20 8 10 83 56 27 68
4 Sertão 38 19 11 8 55 37 18 68
5 Zeca Futebol 38 17 8 13 77 67 10 59
6 EC Melhorais 38 17 7 14 72 64 8 58
7 Braguinha 38 15 11 12 69 57 12 56
8 Baback FC 38 15 10 13 46 40 6 55
9 Santista 38 14 11 13 52 57 -5 53
10 Loteca 38 14 10 14 37 38 -1 52
11 Velha Guarda 38 14 10 14 53 55 -2 52
12 Locabens United 38 12 13 13 48 43 5 49
13 Binários 38 14 6 18 47 54 -7 48
14 Dunbooritano 38 13 9 16 58 58 0 48
15 Auto Esporte 38 11 9 18 56 69 -13 42
16 Refugiados 38 9 15 14 42 54 -12 42
17 Porto Novo 38 11 6 21 47 63 -16 39
18 Frigorífico Malagar 38 11 6 21 60 89 -29 39
19 Clube Ovni 38 10 9 19 63 91 -28 39
20 Sópacre 38 9 9 20 42 72 -30 36

2nd Phase: Zeca Futebol won the promotion.

Second Phase – Quarterfinals First Leg:
Baback FC 2-3 Nova Éden
Braguinha 2-3 Miragaia FC
EC Melhorais 0-4 Ribeirão
Zeca Futebol 3-1 Sertão

Second Leg:
Nova Éden 3-2 Baback FC
Miragaia FC 2-0 Braguinha
Ribeirão 2-1 EC Melhorais
Sertão 1-1 Zeca Futebol

Semifinals First Leg:
Zeca Futebol 4-2 Nova Éden
Ribeirão 3-3 Miragaia FC

Second Leg:
Nova Éden 1-1 Zeca Futebol
Miragaia FC 3-1 Ribeirão

Final 1st Leg:
Zeca Futebol 3-0 Miragaia FC

2nd Leg:
Miragaia FC 5-2 Zeca Futebol (Miragaia wins due to better campaign on 1st phase)

Grand Final:

Nova Éden 1-0 Miragaia FC

NOVA ÉDEN WINS THE FIFTH DIVISION!

Teams invited for the fifth division: Laausp, Palestra, Santa Cruz do Norte and Internacional de Penderia.

Kereca

27-04-2008, 03:30

Western FC: Champions (Again)

It took three tries, but Western FC has done it again.

Western captured their second Nationwide Cup by defeating underdog Kingston Town 2-1 in the second replay of the final. Including both league and Cup play, the West End side finished with an 18-3-0 record. Even more remarkably, Western won their fifth piece of hardware in six attempts - in only three years. Kingston Town, runners-up in the Western Kereca League, finished off an impressive season by making it to their first Nationwide Cup final. It was by no means an easy task. After upsetting KCFL champions Eckert Prep and squeaking by Ippsburg Royal, Kingston was forced to a second replay by Brandonburg Academy in the semifinals. The Academy had an impressive run themselves, reaching the semifinals in their very first season.

After three matches in the tournament ultimately went on to two more replays each, many fans and players drew ire at the length of some rounds, especially the three-legged final. It is unclear whether or not the KFA will listen to these complaints and change the format for the fifth annual Nationwide Cup.

Fourth Annual Nationwide Cup Results

First Round
TC Port Dunbar 2-0 Lion's Head Pub
Basley Brewery FC 2-1 Schechter Park

Second Round
Cobalt City 0-6 Athletic
Basley Brewery FC 1-3 TC Port Dunbar
Kingston Town 2-1 Eckert Prep
Kereca University 3-1 Cobalt PS
Brandonburg Academy 1-0 Orange Beach
Western FC 6-0 LaPointe Marina AFC
Ippsburg Royal 1-1 Northern PS
Replay: Northern PS 0-0 Ippsburg Royal
Replay: Ippsburg Royal 3-2 Northern PS
West End PS 2-1 Gansby PS

Third Round
Kingston Town 4-3 Ippsburg Royal
Western FC 4-3 Kereca University
Athletic 3-1 TC Port Dunbar
West End PS 0-0 Brandonburg Academy
Replay: Brandonburg Academy 1-0 West End PS

Semifinals
Kingston Town 1-1 Brandonburg Academy
Replay: Brandonburg Academy 0-0 Kingston Town
Replay: Kingston Town 2-1 Brandonburg Academy
Western FC 2-2 Athletic
Replay: Athletic 1-4 Western FC

Final at Keener Field, Kereca City
Kingston Town 0-0 Western FC
Replay: Western FC 1-1 Kingston Town
Replay: Kingston Town 1-2 Western FC

Nationwide Cup Champions
Year 1 - Not held
Year 2 - Kereca University
Year 3 - Western FC
Year 4 - Eckert Prep
Year 5 - Western FC

Kose and The Turkomans

27-04-2008, 18:20

Half way point (17/34)

1. Atlar P:17 W:15 D:2 L:0 PTS:47
2. Kose Buyuksehir P:17 W:14 D:2 L:1 PTS: 44
3. Kazimspor P:17 D:14 D:0 L:3 PTS:42
4. Tumirbey P:17 W:12 D:3 L:2 PTS:39
5. Kucukkoy P:17 W:8 D:6 L:3 PTS:30
6. Sultanli FC P:17 W:7 D:2 L:6 PTS:23
7. Gelibolu P:17 W:6 D:2 L:7 PTS:20
8. Sultan Mehmet P:17 W:5 D:4 L:8 PTS:19
9. Gokcenk P:17 W:5 D:3 L:9 PTS:18
10.Olympic al-Turk P:17 W:4 D:5 L:8 PTS:17
11.Seyhanspor P:17 W:4 D:4 L:9 PTS:16
12.Seyhan GenclerBirligi P:17 W:4 D:4 L:9 PTS:16
13.Guc Ada P:17 W:3 D:6 L:8 PTS: 15
14.Kucukkoy P:17 W:3 D:6 L:8 PTS: 15
15.Nihatspor P:17 W:3 D:6 L:8 PTS: 15
16.Muhamedbey P:17 W:3 D:5 L:9 PTS:14
17.Caggar P:17 W:2 D:2 L:13 PTS:8
18.Yasin P:17 W:2 D:0 L:15 PTS:6

Acapais

30-04-2008, 04:12

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/acapais.png Acapais Football League Season 1

Acapais League Cup
Final
Real Malakoff 1-1 Three Rivers (3-2 AET)

Elite League

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Edgewood United 38 27 3 8 79 38 41 84 TQCC
2 Lakeside AC 38 19 9 10 63 47 16 66
3 Kaufman Wanderers 38 19 8 11 70 50 20 65
4 Highland Park FC 38 19 7 12 65 53 12 64
5 Real Malakoff 38 18 7 13 69 53 16 61 TQCC
6 Elkheart Spartans 38 17 10 11 67 52 15 61
7 Keenshire 38 16 11 11 57 48 9 59
8 Schulenburg 38 16 11 11 60 54 6 59
9 Three Rivers 38 18 4 16 55 47 8 58
10 Holliday FC 38 14 11 13 50 44 6 53
11 Seven Points FC 38 15 7 16 61 61 0 52
12 Stinnett West 38 13 11 14 55 59 -4 50
13 Forest Hill 38 13 8 17 57 78 -21 47
14 Sweetwater Rovers 38 12 8 18 47 55 -8 44
15 Yorktown 38 10 14 14 53 62 -9 44
16 AC Newark 38 11 9 18 54 69 -15 42
17 Rendon Dynamo 38 12 6 20 49 71 -22 42
18 Lower Greenville 38 10 10 18 56 68 -12 40
19 Tontovilla 38 6 14 18 36 60 -24 32
20 Trinidad Underground 38 6 10 22 34 68 -34 28

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/acapais.png Acapais Football League Season 2

Acapais League Cup
Final
Schulenburg 1-3 Holliday FC

Elite League

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Highland Park FC 38 23 9 6 83 46 37 78 TQCC
2 Lakeside AC 38 23 5 10 71 46 25 74
3 Three Rivers 38 21 9 8 71 54 17 72
4 Edgewood United 38 21 8 9 81 59 22 71
5 Holliday FC 38 18 9 11 71 52 19 63 TQCC
6 Schulenburg 38 16 15 7 65 50 15 63
7 AC Newark 38 18 7 13 64 54 10 61
8 Kaufman Wanderers 38 17 7 14 65 62 3 58
9 Real Malakoff 38 17 5 16 76 62 14 56
10 Elkheart Spartans 38 14 14 10 70 56 14 56
11 Keenshire 38 15 10 13 58 60 -2 55
12 Yorktown 38 14 10 14 71 63 8 52
13 Stinnett West 38 13 10 15 53 53 0 49
14 Sweetwater Rovers 38 10 14 14 58 59 -1 44
15 Seven Points FC 38 11 11 16 60 73 -13 44
16 Lockney Town 38 10 10 18 46 67 -21 40
17 Rendon Dynamo 38 8 6 24 38 68 -30 30
18 Abernathy Sporting 38 8 5 25 33 83 -50 29
19 Forest Hill 38 7 6 25 45 72 -27 27
20 Cleburne-Eubanks 38 5 12 21 47 87 -40 27

Qazox

30-04-2008, 06:19

QFL 1927 REPORT

Fromburg Aston wins its first league title in 5 seasons as The Silver and Gold raced to a 12-2-0 start and easily won the title by 8 points over Defending champions Rockport AC. On the other side of Division Une, Qazox City and Pika City finished level on points and GD, but in the H2H tiebreaker, Qazox City kept its Division Une status based on a 3-1 win early in the season @ Pika City, though Pika City won the rematch 2-0 at Qazian Memorial, the away goals decided the relegatee. Bruxen AC became only the second Division Une team to finish the season without a draw.

In Division Deux, Yorkshire, Kibbutz and New Bruxen were all level at 40 points each heading into the final match of the season. Kibbutz figured to have the easiest time, as they were to face Fort Lee at home, while Yorkshire and New Bruxen were slated to face each other. But a 87th minute goal from Fort Lee's Harvey Jahns ended Kibbutz' chances, while New Bruxen cruised to a 4-1 at Yorkshire, claiming the promotion. Lake Porter City and Saint Nash were each just 3 points behind as well entering the final match, but due to the Yorkshire-New Bruxen fixture, they couldn't claim promotion. This was considered the most competitive Division Deux season in history, as 10 teams finished within 10 points of each other, and until the final week, 7 of those teams still had a chance to win the Division.

DIVISION UNE FINAL STANDINGS
QFL CHAMPION
Relegated
TEAM W-D-L PTS
Fromburg Aston 18-4-2 58
Rockport AC 16-2-6 50
FC Fromburg 13-3-8 42
Chivas Saxer 12-1-11 37
Deportivo Iguana 10-4-10 34
Vogg United 9-6-9 33
New Recife 8-6-10 33
Bruxen AC 10-0-14 30
Iguana de Mia 9-3-12 30
Real Qazox 9-3-12 30
SaxerVilla 7-6-11 27
Qazox City 7-2-15 23
Pika City 7-2-15 23
*Pika City relegated due to away goals H2H tiebreaker (2-3).

DIVISION DEUX FINAL STANDINGS
Promoted
TEAM W-D-L PTS
New Bruxen 13-4-7 43
Yorkshire 13-1-10 40
Kibbutz 12-4-8 40
Lake Porter City 11-4-9 37
Saint Nash 11-4-9 37
Lorax City 11-2-11 35
Fort Lee 11-2-11 35
San Guano 11-1-12 34
Las Vitas 10-3-11 33
Gothika 9-6-9 33
Joehio Ajax 10-1-13 31
Graverville 8-3-13 31
InterRockport 8-1-15 25

QAZOX CUP RESULTS
Vogg United win its first QAZOX CUP in 16 years defeating Las Vitas in the finals. The big suprise of this year's tourney was the fact that the lower seeds dominated the quarterfinals winning by shut-out in all four matches. Once again the league changes the format of the final, this time back to a single match. Also unusual was there was only two games of the 25 played went into extra time, down from the average of 5 per tourney. In a slightly ironic match, Pika City defeated Qazox City, just a week before the loss that eventually relegated Pika City.

(Home teams listed first, winners in BOLD)
FIRST ROUND
Fromburg Aston 1-2 FC Fromburg
San Guano 5-4 Yorkshire
Chivas Saxer 0-3 New Recife
Fort Lee 4-3 Iguana de Mia
Lorax City 0-3 Las Vitas
Kibbutz 1-5 Vogg United
Deportivo Iguana 4-4 Pika City (4-3 on penalties)
Rockport AC 3-5 Saint Nash
Lake Porter City 3-1 Gothika
Bruxen AC 4-1 Graverville

SECOND ROUND
San Guano 3-2 New Recife (A.E.T 96')
Real Qazox 1-0 Fort Lee
Joehio Ajax 4-5 Las Vitas
InterRockport 0-2 FC Fromburg
New Bruxen 2-4 Vogg United
Lake Porter City 1-3 Bruxen AC
SaxerVilla 5-4 Saint Nash
Qazox City 3-4 Pika City

QUARTERFINALS
Real Qazox 0-3 San Guano
Bruxen AC 0-1 Vogg United
SaxerVilla 0-2 Pika City
FC Fromburg 0-3 Las Vitas

SEMIFINALS
San Guano 0-1 Las Vitas
Vogg United 5-2 Pika City

CUP FINAL
Vogg United 2-1 Las Vitas

W-LEAGUE STANDINGS
(Division Winner is in Bold)

The two-leg W-League Final between Joehio Hera and Bruxen WC finished tied at 2-2, with each team winning 2-0 at home. Rather that decide the championship with a penalty shoot-out, the W-League President, Ms. Michelle DeBoer decided to name the two teams Co-Champions. But Bruxen WC's president of operations, Neil Valley has refused to accept his team's half of the title. Mr. Valley refuses on the grounds that #1, Bruxen WC had a better record than Joehio Hera (15-3-8 to 14-3-9) and #2 in the two regular season fixtures between the two teams, Bruxen AC won both matches, and therefore should be declared the champions. Mr. Valley has also stated if the team is not awarded the outright title, they will withdraw from next season's play. A full league vote as to determine this situation will occur in the summer.

EAST W-D-L PTS
Bruxen WC 15-3-8 48
SaxerVilla WC 12-6-8 42
Nash Freya 12-3-11 39
Isis Rockport 10-5-11 35
Qazox Athena 10-3-13 33
WC Yorkshire 10-2-14 32
Graverville WC 8-4-14 28

WEST W-D-L PTS
Joehio Hera 14-3-9 45
Artemis Pika 13-5-8 44
Fromburg WC 13-1-12 40
River Vitas 11-3-12 43
New Recife WC 10-5-11 35
Porter Eris 10-3-13 33
Lorax WC 9-4-13 31

CHAMPIONSHIP (Home team listed first)
Bruxen WC 2-0 Joehio Hera
Joehio Hera 2-0 Bruxen WC

Aggregate tied 2-2.

Both teams deemed CO-CHAMPIONS

After further review and settlement of Lawsuits a third match held at a neutral site was held in Fromburg, with Bruxen Wc winning the match 3-1, therefore claiming the Championship.

Adihan

01-05-2008, 12:44

AFF PRESS COMMUNIQUÉ

For immediate release

Oldbridge City confirmed as fourth AFF TQCC entrant

The Ad'ihani Football Federation (AFF) today confirmed to the organisers of the TakilQuip Champions’ Cup (TQCC) that the fourth and final Ad'ihani entry into the upcoming season of the TQCC would be Oldbridge City, who finished third in the United Islands Premier. Oldbridge City will join league champions Protectorate United, runners-up Olympique Protectorat, and AFF Cup winners Hatton Town as Ad'ihani representatives in the upcoming TQCC.

This comes after the cancellation of the championnat d'après-saison, which has not been able to attract enough supporters and sponsors for the AFF to continue running. In the future, the top two teams in the United Islands Premier will automatically qualify for any future TQCC tournament. So as to preserve the current two-or-four system, the AFF Cup champions and third-placed league team will only qualify for the TQCC if the AFF Cup champions have not already qualified through the league.

In the scenario that the third placed league team wins the AFF Cup, the AFF Cup runners-up will take the fourth entry. In the even rarer case that the runner-up has already qualified through the league, there will only be two entrants and the AFF Cup winner will miss out.

In other developments, the AFF Cup is set to undergo a change next season, in which all rounds except the final will be decided over two legs, with no replays. The final will remain a one-off event at a neutral stadium — Protectorate Stadium, unless one of the two teams who use that venue as their home ground makes it that far.

The AFF are also in the final stages of settling a deal with eight top universities in Ad'ihan to form a Third Division, from and to which there will be no promotion or relegation, or direct transfers or loans. These eight universities will field teams in both a league — playing each other twice (14 matches) — as well as a cup tournament. More details will be announced once the deal is signed.

Zwangzug

04-05-2008, 01:47

Matchday Fourteen: Who cares when the matches are actually happening, we have time-dilation!

Live updates brought to you Kura-Pellandi style.

0th minute: (?) So here we go. 12 de noviembre and Arlington City probably striving for the title in...in wherever 12 de noviembre play. Deportivo Peralta hoping to set up a rematch with Namiri Forest. Rovers United and San Pablo not really adding to their history, though there are those who'll hope for the Pumas to be pummelled. Trecelunas FC and Spenson Suburbia playing a football match, though why you'd care about that is beyond me.

6th minute: All right, I think we've established Arlington City needs to attack, and they're wasting no time. Geoff Kempner around midfielder Rodrigo Duarte, up to Wesley Ridder, who shoots, Melchor Fonseca's there, and onward we go.

17th minute: First goal of the day. Pumas defender Trinidad Elizondo wasn't marking Jonas Henke. Muus Jurin shot, it didn't go anywhere near the goal, Henke dug it out, and it's 1-0 Rovers.

24th minute: Pascual Rendón scored in Trecelunas. Like you care.

30th minute: Namiri Forest had a moral victory going at home in the culture clash. No longer! Central midfielder Carlito Digüella passed up to winger Guiomar Oleastro, who stormed past Viroopa Pasri and set up Adalberto Molina. 1-0 to Deportivo Peralta. They've done their part, but shouldn't be hoping to put two more past Namiri Forest to catch 12 de noviembre on the goal differential tiebreaker. If Arlington City can match them goal for goal...

32nd minute: They can't, is the problem. Melissa Prine hesitated too long once Tori Pfendler had given her the pass, and didn't have a shot.

44th minute: San Pablo's tied it up. Defender Faustino Bengochea (no relation to Mal, we think) played a long ball to Gabriel Vega. Weston Luzader came forward, but Vega tapped it to Venceslás Robledo, who slotted it in.

Halftime: Sabas Melendez is making all three of his substitutions now. Out are Rendón, Herminio Suero, and Vasco Durante: in are Elian Lobo, Silvestre Travieso, and Espiridión Losa.

49th minute: Namiri Forest tie it! Ahmed Ghebregergish sets up, guess who, Rohit Sharma, who motors past Fidel Nieves and shoots for goal. 1-1.

56th minute: Rovers pull ahead. Leo Butz miles out of position but who cares, he passes to Natasha Keller who relays it to Curtis Naluk. 2-1 in San Pablo.

63rd minute: Oh, so much for that. Vega scores after a pass from winger Lope Alimilla, who got it from defender Efraín Sala. That makes four goals total in San Pablo...can we trust them to count that high?

77th minute: Quique Aiza has always been more highly rated in Zwangzug than Aguazul-does that say something about how both of them value creativity? He gets the pass from Joaquín Cuéllar, loops past Bennett Covy (high-stakes games really are not that guy's thing), shoots...and Kai Masson makes the save. If 12 de noviembre couldn't convert that chance, they probably can't win at all. Still no score. Somewhere, Vidur Chatterjee is laughing.

81st minute: He's not laughing anymore. Rafael Jasso storming past Amash Hakim to put Deportivo Peralta up again. What are the odds Arlington City can score now? But Asdrubal Espinoza isn't going to make any substitutions for 12 de noviembre: they know what they have to do, they've been doing it all day, and they win through being a team-upsetting the balance now won't help.

85th minute: Trent Gerson scored over in Trecelunas. Quit interrupting, guys, there's important football being played.

Full time: 12 de noviembre 0-0 Arlington City

How many goals do Deportivo Peralta need to score against Namiri Forest? In Namiri Forest?

Full time: Trecelunas FC 2-1 Spenson Suburbia

Goodbye and good riddance.

Full time: Namiri Forest 1-2 Deportivo Peralta

And that's it! 12 de noviembre win the regular season!

Full time: San Pablo 2-2 Rovers United

Turns out the Rovers couldn't even have won the Clausura with the head-to-head tiebreakers. Deportivo Peralta take that.

Clausura standings

W D L GF GA GD Pts
Deportivo Peralta 7 4 3 27 24 3 25
Arlington City 5 6 3 12 10 2 21
Rovers United 5 5 4 25 24 1 20
12 de noviembre 5 4 5 20 20 0 19
Namiri Forest 4 5 5 15 15 0 17
Trecelunas FC 5 2 7 21 23 -2 17
Spenson Suburbia 2 9 3 19 18 1 15
San Pablo 4 3 7 22 27 -5 15

Overall standings

W D L GF GA GD Pts
12 de noviembre 12 7 9 43 38 5 43
Deportivo Peralta 11 10 7 52 49 3 43
Arlington City 10 11 7 21 19 2 41
Namiri Forest 10 9 9 33 33 0 39
Trecelunas FC 10 7 11 40 39 1 37
Rovers United 9 10 9 50 50 0 37
San Pablo 9 4 15 45 54 -9 31
Spenson Suburbia 5 14 9 41 43 -2 29

Final: Who are you and how did you just win the league?

We're ripping pretty much everything but the comprehensibility from the CMSC, let's take the presenting-the-final-through-backstory too.

Once upon a time there were some proto-Unkers. Exactly who they were or what they were doing is even farther off on a tangent than we're going. They were around. Then they left.

Then some...other people...showed up. The Namiri Forest region, outsiders are often surprised to know, is far more diverse than it seems, with different religious and ethnic groups rather peacefully coexisting now that they've got more pressing threats to deal with. Exactly when or why or what they did for the next millennium and a half is beside the point, perhaps: we've mentioned that we don't like history over here? "We" as in...well, the rest of Zwangzug. Think Arlington City.

More people showed up in the place we now call Zwangzug, and for the most part it seems were all right with the "you were here first" deal. Or just failed miserably if they tried attacking. Have we mentioned that offensive style is really, profoundly not our thing?

Myths blurred with reality-more on them soon. Then unification happened and we've spent the next several decades wondering if it was really for the best. And the self-proclaimed indigenous peoples etcetera began loudly proclaiming that they were, in fact, here first. We got the Sameep Triers (Trier? or was his name too destroyed by the rampant imperialistic invaders?) of the world and their casino ploys, the elders decrying the youth who flocked towards modern technology, and as a final blow, the Unkers finally digging up their old maps. So yeah, not the Namiri golden age.

Along came Ariddia with their world heritage blahblahblah commie propaganda and guess who leapt at the chance? That's right. Not just the old book of legends, but the entire bleeping forest (doesn't like every country have one of them?) went on the special list...it's Ariddia, they're suckers for that kind of thing. This would be entirely irrelevant too if it wasn't for the opening, around the same time, of the museum of culture and history and making you feel horribly-look, there's a reason San Pablo came seventh, all right?! (Well...there's also a reason Namiri Forest came sixth...No wait, they were fourth, we had to fix the tables so everyone played twenty-eight matches, everyone in this case being Namiri Forest and Spenson "not-minus-ten" Suburbia.)

It's just speculation, but did any Ariddians stay on-staff down there? Maybe bringing along their big-screen projector to watch the rouge-et-noirs? After all, it all happened around the time of...World Cup 36. Did the Namiri residents watch the semifinal? See the exploits of the haimadus and Lees of the world? Grow up as disproportionately numerous good footballers? Perhaps. Just perhaps.

Namiri Forest have been a study in surprise, never really doing what anyone expected. Their matches featured 26 more goals than those of Arlington City, while they drew five fewer times than Spenson Suburbia. Then they only went and made the first foreign transfer, not to mention taking the shortcut into the final by way of the Cupcake Cup, and you all know who designed that system...So a two-goal lead at halftime against 12 de noviembre? We've come this far, why not go all the way?

It was Zoe McQuoid who scored first, hardly your usual suspect, but nicely converting the pass from captain Sonal Kaur in the thirteenth minute. In the fortieth, the goal we were all waiting for came: Rohit Sharma, in his last match in the forest green, slowly wove his way forward, shooting accurately. 2-0.

The match, we forgot to mention, was in Spenson. The poor fans deserve decent football. More to the point if we're doing the not-all-that-insightful backstory shtick, we needed a neutral venue, yes? Had it been...Spenson versus Trecelunas in the final, for instance, either team might have felt gypped playing in the other's home country. They're not even from the same region. But it was Namiri versus an Aguazul team, and Spenson was almost equally foreign to both of them.

2-0 though? By Namiri standards, that's a rout. The scoreline would not last.

In the sixty-eighth minute, things changed. Aiza brilliantly outplayed Parvin Rostami, setting Donato Casales up to tie it. And Aiza himself would score in the eighty-sixth, off a pass from Toribio Garza. Tie game.

After twenty-eight matchdays of the regular season, the three games in the Cupcake Cup, and ninety minutes under a dome, the score was 2-2. Namiri Forest would have been satisfied with a tie, in some sense-think Swiss system-but after all that time, the league deserved a champion.

Extra time happened, but neither side's heart was in it. The disorganization software so rampant here didn't seem to let either score. But it was even less prepared to deal with what came next. A trip to the Cootie box (it's a board game involving dice) later, and the season came down to...what exactly?

12 de noviembre shot first. Casales faced Pallav Lakond, who'd had a light workload throughout the season behind Namiri Forest's six defenders. Casales shot to his right, but intuition or something had Lakond moving to his left. Which happened to be the same place. He grabbed at the ball as it came in and held on.

It was Sharma's turn. Destiny grim on his face, he shot almost dead ahead, the ball soaring high past Melchor Fonseca into the goal.

Aiza seemed nervous as he got ready to shoot. His creativity counted little to nothing in such a setting. Kick the ball in the goal. Easy. Too easy. His wild shot hit the post.

Ahmed Ghebregergish strode forward confidently, wasting no time at all as he blasted it in.

2-0 down, could 12 de noviembre tie it again? Joaquín Cuéllar shot to the left half of the goal-and the kick was good!

Manish Patel seemed to hesitate, deliberating where to shoot, and settled for low and towards the edge of the goal. Good enough. 3-1.

Garza approached, the pressure on. His shot looked good, but somehow Lakond guessed right again and made the save. Somehow, impossibly, from fourth out of eight...Namiri Forest won the first MUFN season.

Post-season: The burning question

Seriously, why haven't we burned the muffins yet? Prompted at a Casaran demand to compare muffin and waffle all day, the MUFN got through a full season reasonably intact, despite Deportivo Peralta fans doing their thing, Leo Butz's play when he gets hot, and the most delicious irony of them all. There were lots of goals-this is what happens when the country that gave you the ZWCOS (think WC35) and the 3-5-3 is the more defensive of the nations comprising the league. Overall though? Things went pretty well.

The disorganization software in use may need to be replaced in favor of something with ranks for season 2. On the plus side, the two teams playing the same style finished as far apart as they could. Take that, conspirators!

12 de noviembre really were the best team in the regular season, and probably won't have much offseason upgrading to do, preferring to keep the team intact. If they can get a format that rewards them, they should do well in the future. If not, they...probably can still do well actually.
Deportivo Peralta wuz robbed! And if they'd ended the regular season like that at home, then we might well have burned the muffins. Instead, it'll sound dumb, they should improve their defense. That includes defending their stadium from Tasmanian extremists, too, most likely.
Arlington City scored two goals in both the Apertura and Clausura second halves. That's four overall, and that explains how they couldn't hold onto the lead at either point. Recommending more talent up front might be too simplistic-they have people up there. More offense in the middle might help though-the national team is already going after the AIU's counterattacking spark, who graduates this spring...
Namiri Forest defy description. Except for how we just described them above. Yeah, they've already done the "improving for next year" thing. We think.
Trecelunas FC sort of are just there, you know? They have real talent, if Melendez is willing to deploy it. If not, it's the constant pseudotactical shuffle that never really seems to go anywhere. They could use anyone that comes by, for an average of about ten minutes a match. Other managers are silently thankful for the three-substitution rule
Rovers United had a defender and a midfielder on the national team. So they're gonna be defensive? Oh no. Scoring and conceding fifty goals, second-most in both cases, the latter was more influential in their overall performance. And the first sentence won't be true much longer either, with the entertaining Muus Jurin probably going to get called up. If he learns how to aim, and Tara Lenski stays healthy...
San Pablo never learned that happy is the team that has no history. (Namiri Forest aside.) Raúl Ventura couldn't anchor a defense that conceded 54 goals, and they led the league in losses too. They probably don't look into the future much, but there's not too much hope for season 2.
Spenson Suburbia probably have enough money (from somewhere) to go after new talent. Or just plain talent as there's not much to replace. Hold onto the current squad, hoping they'll mature as a unit? ...Good luck.

Manager of the Season: Asdrubal Espinoza, 12 de noviembre

Led a bunch of individually fairly unimpressive (though see below) players to become a championship team.

Forward of the Season: Adalberto Molina, Deportivo Peralta

Not only a key forward on the team with the most goals, but Molina goes beyond stereotypes of star forwards (our stereotypes, anyhow) by integrating well into a team. That won the Clausura too.

Midfielder of the Season: Joaquín Cuéllar, 12 de noviembre

So much for individually unimpressive. 12 de noviembre had the best goal differential (and they needed it too), and Cuéllar was the heart of the midfield, connecting offense and defense. Being the only one to score in that shootout didn't hurt either.

Defender of the Season: Sonal Kaur, Namiri Forest

It's hard to award an individual player in the vast Namiri defense, but the captain of the championship team is hard to bypass too. Kaur is also expected to join the national team for World Cup 41.

Goalkeeper of the Season: Kai Masson, Arlington City

Arlington City conceded the fewest goals in their amusingly defensive 1-3-4-3. He's #1.

But should we be surprised? Most of the best players from Zwangzug play on the national team, where their skills have drawn the attention of foreign clubs. Eddie Barnes never played for his native Arlington: Brendan Deguela, Gary Maini, all the rest of the World Cup 40 starting eleven-are all based abroad.

It's the players that, for whatever reason, are not on the national team that are left to excel here-and as fans in Arlington and elsewhere become drawn to the game through the league, such players will become the new heroes.

Backfire, anyone?

New Manhattan

09-05-2008, 23:57

http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/logos/tqcc/
Second TakilQuip Champions’ Cup—Preliminary/Group Draw
The draw for the first two phases of the Champions’ Cup was held today, giving the forty-eight participating clubs some idea of what to expect. Sixteen teams from the top ten associations—i.e., those associations that entered the previous edition—will enter the group stage directly; the others, including all clubs from the new participants West Starblaydia and Yafor 2, will play a two-legged preliminary round tie.
(OOC: These rounds will be scorinated tomorrow; the knockout stage on Sunday.)

Preliminary round
(left team at home in first leg)

IYC Kaharan (YAF)–Ranca Toco (CAF)
Medoria Löwen (COM)–Ousevale Borough (WSB)
Soldarian FC (ESF)–Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (COM)
Stade du Dauphin (SPT)–Freestone FC (DEM)
Boalluns FE (VPH)–Union d’Ourseville (SPT)
Real Malakoff (ACA)–Mar Sara Flames (ESF)
IYC Ajer (YAF)–Port of Clotaire (CAM)
Holliday FC (ACA)–Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK (COM)
ASJL Cap-Nord (SPT)–Black Oasis Athletic (COM)
Khalmar-Tijhus (CAF)–Oldbridge City (ADN)
Emberton Reds (WSB)–Raynor City Rockers (ESF)
Cathedral City (CAM)–Caledon Simpson (WSB)
Druidisian United (DEM)–Chelmar FC (YAF)
Avidia United (WSB)–Hatton Town (ADN)
FE Dranacess (VPH)–Cardarel FC (YAF)
Edgewood United (ACA)–Mirria United (DEM)

Group stage
(teams listed in order of draw seeding)

Group A
Emberton Reds (WSB)/Raynor City Rockers (ESF)
CS Sept-Onze Ourseville (SPT)
Khalmar-Tijhus (CAF)/Oldbridge City (ADN)
IYC Ajer (YAF)/Port of Clotaire (CAM)

Group B
Stestrenas OC (VPH)
Protectorate United (ADN)
Stade du Dauphin (SPT)/Freestone FC (DEM)
Carter FC (JSY)

Group C
Real Malakoff (ACA)/Mar Sara Flames (ESF)
Petardos S/A (CAF)
Medoria Löwen (COM)/Ousevale Borough (WSB)
Qidade Savana (JSY)

Group D
Yuba United (COM)
Edgewood United (ACA)/Mirria United (DEM)
Avidia United (WSB)/Hatton Town (ADN)
FE Dranacess (VPH)/Cardarel FC (YAF)

Group E
Boalluns FE (VPH)/Union d’Ourseville (SPT)
Oceanic United (DEM)
Soldarian FC (ESF)/Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (COM)
Cathedral City (CAM)/Caledon Simpson (WSB)

Group F
ASJL Cap-Nord (SPT)/Black Oasis Athletic (COM)
Poikimitagiin FE (VPH)
Albrecht FC (CAM)
Highland Park FC (ACA)

Group G
Olympique Protectorat (ADN)
Druidisian United (DEM)/Chelmar FC (YAF)
San Solari FC (COM)
Cafundó do Juta (CAF)

Group H
Green Island (CAM)
IYC Kaharan (YAF)/Ranca Toco (CAF)
Holliday FC (ACA)/Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK (COM)
Juavi Reds (ESF)

Kereca

10-05-2008, 00:37

Kereca City Football League
Year 6 Results

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Athletic 22 15 7 0 51 18 33 52
2 Gansby PS 22 13 7 2 37 18 19 46
3 Eckert FC 22 11 6 5 41 20 21 39
4 Orange Beach 22 10 7 5 35 28 7 37
5 Kereca University 22 10 5 7 40 30 10 35
6 SCK North Bay 22 10 4 8 29 24 5 34
7 Ippsburg Royal 22 7 6 9 30 37 -7 27
8 Edgefield PS 22 5 11 6 30 35 -5 26
9 Northern PS 22 4 12 6 27 27 0 24
10 TC Port Dunbar 22 4 3 15 19 48 -29 15
11 Brandonburg Academy 22 2 5 15 16 51 -35 11
12 Gull Lake 22 1 7 14 18 37 -19 10

Highest scoring match: Athletic 4-3 SCK North Bay
Largest home win: Athletic 6-1 Brandonburg Academy
Largest away win: TC Port Dunbar 0-7 Athletic

Western Kereca League
Year 6 Results

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Kingston Town 16 12 3 1 43 16 27 39
2 Western FC 16 10 1 5 41 13 28 31
3 Cobalt PS 16 10 1 5 30 28 2 31
4 Cobalt City 16 6 4 6 27 31 -4 22
5 West End PS 16 5 6 5 20 15 5 21
6 Basley Brewery FC 16 4 5 7 17 25 -8 17
7 LaPointe Marina AFC 16 5 2 9 13 29 -16 17
8 Claremont Village 16 5 1 10 15 28 -13 16
9 Lion's Head Pub 16 2 3 11 11 32 -21 9

Highest scoring match: Kingston Town 5-5 Cobalt City
Largest home win: Western FC 8-0 Cobalt City
Largest away win: Lion's Head Pub 0-5 Kingston Town

Fifth Annual Nationwide Cup
Year 6 Results

First Round
Port Barre PS 0-1 Everett Island

Second Round
Gull Lake 1-2 Everett Island
SCK North Bay 1-1 Edgefield PS
Replay: Edgefield PS 1-0 SCK North Bay
TC Port Dunbar 1-3 LaPointe Marina AFC
Cobalt City 2-0 Claremont Village
Lion's Head Pub 2-2 Northern PS
Replay: Northern PS 1-0 Lion's Head Pub
Basley Brewery FC 0-1 Brandonburg Academy

Third Round
Gansby PS 2-0 Kereca University
Kingston Town 2-2 Northern PS
Replay: Northern PS 0-3 Kingston Town
Eckert FC 0-4 Cobalt City
Athletic 4-1 West End PS
Ippsburg Royal 2-1 Edgefield PS
Cobalt PS 2-2 LaPointe Marina AFC
Replay: LaPointe Marina AFC 0-1 Cobalt PS
Everett Island 1-4 Western FC
Brandonburg Academy 2-4 Orange Beach

Fourth Round
Western FC 1-1 Athletic
Replay: Athletic 1-2 Western FC
Cobalt PS 4-2 Orange Beach
Gansby PS 1-2 Ippsburg Royal
Kingston Town 3-0 Cobalt City

Semifinals
Cobalt PS 2-1 Ippsburg Royal
Western FC 2-1 Kingston Town

Final
Cobalt PS 2-4 Western FC

Newmanistan

10-05-2008, 15:28

NEWMANISTAN PREMIER LEAGUE

The inaugural season of the NPL, Newmanistan Premier League, which has replaced the Newmanistan Soccer League, has been highly successful. Naturally, many of the former NSL’s clubs wanted to establish themselves in this new league and the pre-season transfer marker was fast and furious. Here’s a brief synopsis of what some of the more well known teams got up too:

Pocono City: Well known manager Brian Carson traded backup goalkeeper Corey Hennis to Springfield in exchange for defender Michael Harrison, and a couple of other lesser known players. Carson’s experience in coaching the national team definitely paid off as both Hennis and Harrison were Di Bradini players. Carson then went and made a highly controversial signing, of 14-year old Brett Carlson, a striker, to a lucrative 5 million goal coin deal. Obviously, Carson is determined to keep the Capitals at the top of the table.

Loudon: The Leopards lost a couple people with transfers, and there is some concern that this could be a down year for them. They were not able to make a whole lot of signings either to boost the team. With Eric Novak aging as well, Loudon may need to become very aggressive overseas, very, very soon.

Dover City: The Mountaineers probably have the most turnover out of everyone, but where they lost people, they turned around and got people back. Carlao, from Cafundeu, is the big name acquisition here, and Chris Merrill (Brian Carson’s assistant on the national team) did not take long to name him the captain and make the most of his expertise. He didn’t stop there, also transferring in talented Fujisawan striker Taree Taira to go along with what was already a good offense with the likes of Brian Wright and Alex Warrick.

Putnam Lake: Newmanistan’s most recognizable name from the national team, Jeremy McAllister, is the undisputed leader of the Eagles, and Chris Kusler, the backup goalkeeper on the Oxen Cup team gives them another big weapon. Putnam Lake also added speedy striker Calvin Lane to the mix, and he and J-Mac should work well together. The Eagles, however, are vulnerable in the back, in front of Kusler.

Southport: The Tigers are expected to make a rapid ascent from a tradition mid-to-low-but never really worry about relegation type team, to being a full scale contender for the NPL championship. The transfer of one of the world’s top goalkeepers, Sakura Jo from the Fujisawan Territories immediately makes them a force. They also added Izukoza Yoko from the Territories, to go along with established national team member, midfielder Julie McElroy. Jo has legitimate defenders in front of her too. Mitch Conrad and Brent Treichler each played on the Di Bradini Cup 4 team.

Tundra Falls: Every year, the Mariners seem to play better then they should, and this year will need to be no exception if they want to win a championship. Defender Tony Borsinger is the captain of the squad, and they do have quality players in some spots, such as goalkeeper Kurt Allwine and midfielder Matt Caufield. What they really need, and are searching for, is a legitimate striker.

Centralia: If they could, the Cougars would win every game 1-0. They play as defensive as you can absolutely imagine, led by national team member Mark McCafferty. Also, Davis Perotti, Ed Peterson, and Kris Clemons form a quartet of defenders that allows the team to succeed in their chosen style of play. They don’t score much. If they ever did land a good striker, watch out. Rick Harris will probably lead the team in goals, but they are looking for a true offensive dynamo.

South Tier: The Seagulls have a talented midfield, led by Brian Rafferty and Tom Cuyler. When they are able to build around them, they should be a more of a threat to win a championship. Alex Freeman is an up and coming striker.

South Charlotte: The former home of Jeremy Brooker became publicized, so we will give this lowly squad a shout-out. Their top player is midfield Shane Classen, and they are looking for players to step up and fill the hole left by Brooker. With the NPL’s expansion, they are probably safe from relegation. For now.

Other NPL teams (predicted to finish in the following order): Stroudsbourg, Olympia, North Charlotte, Thumbria Bay, Seminole Bay, Hampton, Concord City, Fairfield City, Hastings, Daytopia, Portsmouth, Rushville, Riverside, and Brighton.

So how will this season go? Stay tuned! The NPL has also announced that ticket sales have increased 27% over last year’s previous record high.

New Manhattan

10-05-2008, 22:35

http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/logos/tqcc/
Second TakilQuip Champions’ Cup—Preliminary/Group Stages

Preliminary round
First leg
(YAF) IYC Kaharan 1–0 Ranca Toco (CAF)
(COM) Medoria Löwen 1–0 Ousevale Borough (WSB)
(ESF) Soldarian FC 1–2 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (COM)
(SPT) Stade du Dauphin 6–5 Freestone FC (DEM)
(VPH) Boalluns FE 0–2 Union d’Ourseville (SPT)
(ACA) Real Malakoff 0–2 Mar Sara Flames (ESF)
(YAF) IYC Ajer 2–1 Port of Clotaire (CAM)
(ACA) Holliday FC 0–0 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK (COM)
(SPT) ASJL Cap-Nord 1–2 Black Oasis Athletic (COM)
(CAF) Khalmar-Tijhus 0–3 Oldbridge City (ADN)
(WSB) Emberton Reds 0–1 Raynor City Rockers (ESF)
(CAM) Cathedral City 2–0 Caledon Simpson (WSB)
(DEM) Druidisian United 4–2 Chelmar FC (YAF)
(WSB) Avidia United 1–3 Hatton Town (ADN)
(VPH) FE Dranacess 1–2 Cardarel FC (YAF)
(ACA) Edgewood United 1–1 Mirria United (DEM)

Second leg
(CAF) Ranca Toco (2) 2–1 (2) IYC Kaharan (YAF)
Away goals: 0–1
(WSB) Ousevale Borough (1) 1–1 (2) Medoria Löwen (COM)
(COM) Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen (4) 2–1 (2) Soldarian FC (ESF)
(SPT) Freestone FC (8) 3–2 (8) Stade du Dauphin (SPT)
Away goals: 5–2
(SPT) Union d’Ourseville (3) 1–1 (1) Boalluns FE (VPH)
(ESF) Mar Sara Flames (5) 3–0 (0) Real Malakoff (ACA)
(CAM) Port of Clotaire (3) 2–4 (6) IYC Ajer (YAF)
(COM) Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK (3) 3–2 (2) Holliday FC (ACA)
(COM) Black Oasis Athletic (4) 2–0 (1) ASJL Cap-Nord (SPT)
(ADN) Oldbridge City (3) 0–0 (0) Khalmar-Tijhus (CAF)
(ESF) Raynor City Rockers (2) 1–1 (1) Emberton Reds (WSB)
(WSB) Caledon Simpson (2) 2–1 (3) Cathedral City (CAM)
(YAF) Chelmar FC (2) 0–1 (5) Druidisian United (DEM)
(ADN) Hatton Town (4) 1–3 (4) Avidia United (WSB)
Extra time: (6) 3–3 (4)
(YAF) Cardarel FC (3) 1–1 (2) FE Dranacess (VPH)
(DEM) Mirria United (2) 1–4 (5) Edgewood United (ACA)

Group stage
Group A
Group A P W D L GF GA GD Pts S-O Ray Aje Old
1 CS Sept-Onze Ourseville SPT 6 5 1 0 15 5 +10 16 — 3–1 3–0 3–1
2 Raynor City Rockers ESF 6 3 0 3 8 9 −1 9 1–3 — 2–1 2–0
3 IYC Ajer YAF 6 2 1 3 8 10 −2 7 2–2 0–1 — 2–0
4 Oldbridge City ADN 6 1 0 5 5 12 −7 3 0–1 2–1 2–3 —

Group B
Group B P W D L GF GA GD Pts Crt PrU Ste Fre
1 Carter FC JSY 6 5 0 1 13 7 +6 15 — 3–2 3–2 2–1
2 Protectorate United ADN 6 4 1 1 10 4 +6 13 2–0 — 3–0 1–0
3 Stestrenas OC VPH 6 2 1 3 9 10 −1 7 0–1 1–1 — 4–1
4 Freestone FC DEM 6 0 0 6 3 14 −11 0 0–4 0–1 1–2 —

Group C
Group C P W D L GF GA GD Pts Sav PSA MSF Med
1 Qidade Savana JSY 6 4 1 1 10 6 +4 13 — 2–1 3–1 2–1
2 Petardos S/A CAF 6 3 1 2 6 7 −1 10 1–0 — 2–1 1–1
3 Mar Sara Flames ESF 6 3 0 3 11 8 +3 9 1–2 3–0 — 3–1
4 Medoria Löwen COM 6 0 2 4 4 10 −6 2 1–1 0–1 0–2 —

Group D
Group D P W D L GF GA GD Pts Edg Yub Crd Hat
1 Edgewood United ACA 6 4 1 1 9 7 +2 13 — 2–1 1–1 2–1
2 Yuba United COM 6 2 1 3 11 10 +1 7* 1–2 — 3–1 4–2
3 Cardarel FC YAF 6 2 1 3 6 8 −2 7* 0–2 1–0 — 3–1
4 Hatton Town ADN 6 2 1 3 10 11 −1 7* 3–0 2–2 1–0 —

* head-to-head results:
1 Yuba United COM 4 2 1 1 9 6 +3 7
2 Cardarel FC YAF 4 2 0 2 5 5 0 6
3 Hatton Town ADN 4 1 1 2 6 9 −3 4

Group E
Group E P W D L GF GA GD Pts Cth Oce Sto Uni
1 Cathedral City CAM 6 4 2 0 12 5 +7 14 — 3–2 1–0 4–0
2 Oceanic United DEM 6 2 3 1 7 6 +1 9 1–1 — 2–1 1–0
3 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen COM 6 2 2 2 8 5 +3 8 1–1 1–1 — 2–0
4 Union d’Ourseville SPT 6 0 1 5 1 12 −11 1 1–2 0–0 0–3 —

Group F
Group F P W D L GF GA GD Pts Alb BOa Poi HPk
1 Albrecht FC CAM 6 4 2 0 15 4 +11 14 — 2–0 1–1 4–0
2 Black Oasis Athletic COM 6 4 1 1 7 4 +3 13 1–1 — 1–0 2–1
3 Poikimitagiin FE VPH 6 1 1 4 6 12 −6 4 1–4 0–1 — 1–3
4 Highland Park FC ACA 6 1 0 5 7 15 −8 3 1–3 0–2 2–3 —

Group G
Group G P W D L GF GA GD Pts SSo OPr CdJ Dru
1 San Solari FC COM 6 3 2 1 13 5 +8 11 — 5–1 1–1 6–1
2 Olympique Protectorat ADN 6 3 0 3 11 10 +1 9* 0–1 — 0–1 2–0
3 Cafundó do Juta CAF 6 2 3 1 6 6 0 9* 0–0 2–4 — 1–0
4 Druidisian United DEM 6 1 1 4 5 14 −9 4 2–0 1–4 1–1 —
* Olympique Protectorat ahead on number of wins

Group H
Group H P W D L GF GA GD Pts Jua GrI Kah Swa
1 Juavi Reds ESF 6 2 3 1 9 10 −1 9 — 2–2 2–5 1–1
2 Green Island CAM 6 2 2 2 8 6 +2 8* 1–2 — 3–0 0–1
3 IYC Kaharan YAF 6 2 2 2 10 9 +1 8* 1–1 0–0 — 3–0
4 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK COM 6 2 1 3 6 8 −2 7 0–1 1–2 3–1 —
* Green Island ahead on head-to-head results

First knockout round draw
(group runners-up at home in first leg)

Green Island (CAM)–San Solari FC (COM)
Olympique Protectorat (ADN)–CS Sept-Onze Ourseville (SPT)
Petardos S/A (CAF)–Edgewood United (ACA)
Raynor City Rockers (ESF)–Carter FC (JSY)
Protectorate United (ADN)–Juavi Reds (ESF)
Yuba United (COM)–Albrecht FC (CAM)
Oceanic United (DEM)–Qidade Savana (JSY)
Black Oasis Athletic (COM)–Cathedral City (CAM)

Quarterfinal draw
Yuba United/Albrecht FC–Raynor City Rockers/Carter FC
Olympique Protectorat/CS Sept-Onze Ourseville–Black Oasis Athletic/Cathedral City
Protectorate United/Juavi Reds–Petardos S/A/Edgewood United
Oceanic United/Qidade Savana–Green Island/San Solari FC

Semifinal draw
winner quarterfinal 4–winner quarterfinal 3
winner quarterfinal 2–winner quarterfinal 1

Final draw
winner semifinal 2–winner semifinal 1

Dancougar

11-05-2008, 16:09

Short short version of the post WC-40 college season in Dancougar, with spring tournament! All is now ready for Oxen Cup VI, and it appears like it will be an all-college team based on this season's results...

REGULAR SEASON

Tournament bids are listed for each conference. In the case of multiple bids, the conference champion (automatic) is listed first.

Yuki Collegiate Premier League: (#10) University of Dancougar (8-4-2, 31/18), (#22) Dancougar Royal Academy (7-4-3, 28/17)
Kishin Delta Collegiate Premier League: Dancougar Naval Academy (9-2-5, 23/19)
Shiba Valley Conference: (#14) Grandborough University (8-3-3, 26/13)
Coastal Plains Conference: (#1) Pollock College (11-2-1, 28/13), (#12) Yuki State - Helmsley (7-5-2, 26/13), (#23) Southport City College (7-3-4, 24/14)
Hazuki Collegiate Premier League: (#3) Ouran College (10-3-3, 29/16), (#13) Hazuki State University (8-4-4, 35/23), University of Hazuki (8-4-4, 27/21)
Big Northeast Football Conference: Northeastern Masato University (6-5-3, 24/16)
Shinobu Valley Conference: (#4) Reyes Academy (10-3-1, 27/9)
Helmut Collegiate Premier League: (#6) Granger Island College (10-3-1, 25/11)
South Central Conference: University of Shikibu (7-5-4, 33/26)
Red River Conference: Raymaley College (7-4-3, 18/12)
Big West Conference: (#16) Eastern Desugaia University (9-3-4, 24/15), (#17) Mount Fujiko State College (9-3-4, 24/15)
Lunarossa Collegiate Premier League: (#8) University of Lunarossa (9-3-3, 34/19), (#11) Stanwix College (9-3-3, 30/22), (#19) Neville Island St Coll (7-7-1, 23/15)
Big North Conference: Billick College (8-5-3, 25/18), Wenger College (7-6-3, 22/13)
Metro East Football Conference: Morrison College (9-1-4, 20/15)
Igor Valley Conference: (#24) Barynsk College (7-4-3, 29/21)
Big East Conference: (#9) University of Fujiwara (10-1-3, 23/16), (#18) Masaharu College (8-3-3, 24/12), (#21) Seiei University (8-2-4, 27/17)
Shapiro Collegiate Premier League: (#7) Shapiro State University (10-2-2, 27/13), (#20) Eimoto College (8-4-2, 22/15)
Kishin Plains Conference: Buhlsborough City College (8-3-3, 24/19), Carnegie Technical Institute (6-7-1, 21/12)
Kotaru Collegiate Premier League: (#5) Akasaka University (10-2-2, 23/14), (#25) Takano University (9-2-3, 25/17)
Gilderome River Conference: (#15) Pleasanton College (9-4-3, 24/13)
Northern Plains Conference: (#2) Chastain College (10-3-3, 29/18)
Shikibu Collegiate Premier League: Stoddart-McLean College (7-4-3, 23/15)
Sullivan Collegiate Premier League: Sullivan State University (9-2-5, 24/22), University of Sullivan (8-4-4, 23/15)
Keats Island Collegiate Premier League: Fremont University (9-1-6, 21/17), Mountain View State College (6-8-2, 31/25)

TOURNAMENT

At-Large Round
(#21) Seiei University 4-0 (#18) Masaharu College
University of Sullivan 4-3 University of Hazuki
Carnegie Technical Institute 4-3 Mountain View State College
(#25) Takano University 4-6 Wenger College
(#23) Southport City College 3-4 (#19) Neville Island State College
(#17) Mount Fujiko State College 2-4 (#11) Stanwix College
(#22) Dancougar Royal Academy 2-4 (#20) Eimoto College
(#12) Yuki State - Helmsley 4-3 (#13) Hazuki State University

Conference Round
Stoddart-McLean College 3-5 (#3) Ouran College
(#12) Yuki State - Helmsley 3-3 (#14) Grandborough University
(#16) Eastern Desugaia University 3-4 Raymaley College
(#24) Barynsk College 3-1 (#5) Akasaka University
(#20) Eimoto College 1-4 (#15) Pleasanton College
Wenger College 4-4 (#8) University of Lunarossa
Sullivan State University 1-2 University of Shikibu
Dancougar Naval Academy 1-2 Carnegie Technical Institute
(#21) Seiei University 6-5 University of Sullivan
(#19) Neville Island State College 2-2 Northeastern Masato University
(#11) Stanwix College 3-2 Buhlsborough City College
(#6) Granger Island College 7-7 Billick College
(#4) Reyes Academy 2-4 (#7) Shapiro State University
(#2) Chastain College 3-1 (#10) University of Dancougar
(#1) Pollock College 0-3 Morrison College
Fremont University 1-4 (#9) University of Fujiwara

Construction Hut Sweet Sixteen
(#21) Seiei University 3-4 (#14) Grandborough University
Carnegie Technical Institute 4-3 (#8) University of Lunarossa
(#11) Stanwix College 5-2 (#15) Pleasanton College
Morrison College 4-2 University of Shikibu
(#24) Barynsk College 4-2 (#3) Ouran College
(#9) University of Fujiwara 3-2 (#7) Shapiro State University
Northeastern Masato University 5-4 (#2) Chastain College
Raymaley College 4-4 Billick College

Quarterfinals
(#11) Stanwix College 5-2 Morrison College
(#9) University of Fujiwara 4-3 (#24) Barynsk College
(#14) Grandborough University 3-1 Carnegie Technical Institute
Northeastern Masato University 4-3 Billick College

Semifinals
(#14) Grandborough University 4-4 (#11) Stanwix College
Northeastern Masato University 4-2 (#9) University of Fujiwara

Collegiate Grand Final
(#11) Stanwix College 2-2 Northeastern Masato Univ (2-2 AET)
((#11) Stanwix College wins 5-3 on penalty kicks)

New Manhattan

11-05-2008, 21:56

http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/logos/tqcc/
Second TakilQuip Champions’ Cup—Knockout Stages

First knockout round
First leg
(CAM) Green Island 1–2 San Solari FC (COM)
(ADN) Olympique Protectorat 1–0 CS Sept-Onze Ourseville (SPT)
(CAF) Petardos S/A 2–0 Edgewood United (ACA)
(ESF) Raynor City Rockers 2–1 Carter FC (JSY)
(ADN) Protectorate United 1–1 Juavi Reds (ESF)
(COM) Yuba United 1–1 Albrecht FC (CAM)
(DEM) Oceanic United 0–2 Qidade Savana (JSY)
(COM) Black Oasis Athletic 0–0 Cathedral City (CAM)

Second leg
(COM) San Solari FC (4) 2–1 (2) Green Island (CAM)
(SPT) CS Sept-Onze Ourseville (2) 2–1 (2) Olympique Protectorat (ADN)
Away goals: 0–1
(ACA) Edgewood United (2) 2–2 (4) Petardos S/A (CAF)
(JSY) Carter FC (2) 1–1 (3) Raynor City Rockers (ESF)
(ESF) Juavi Reds (2) 1–3 (4) Protectorate United (ADN)
(CAM) Albrecht FC (3) 2–0 (1) Yuba United (COM)
(JSY) Qidade Savana (2) 0–1 (1) Oceanic United (DEM)
(CAM) Cathedral City (3) 3–1 (1) Black Oasis Athletic (COM)

Quarterfinals
First leg
(CAM) Albrecht FC 2–1 Raynor City Rockers (ESF)
(ADN) Olympique Protectorat 2–3 Cathedral City (CAM)
(ADN) Protectorate United 3–1 Petardos S/A (CAF)
(JSY) Qidade Savana 2–0 San Solari FC (COM)

Second leg
(ESF) Raynor City Rockers (4) 3–0 (2) Albrecht FC (CAM)
(CAM) Cathedral City (4) 1–1 (3) Olympique Protectorat (ADN)
(CAF) Petardos S/A (8) 7–3 (6) Protectorate United (ADN)
(COM) San Solari FC (2) 2–0 (2) Qidade Savana (JSY)
Extra time: (3) 3–0 (2)

Semifinals
First leg
(COM) San Solari FC 2–1 Petardos S/A (CAF)
(CAM) Cathedral City 1–1 Raynor City Rockers (ESF)

Second leg
(CAF) Petardos S/A (5) 4–1 (3) San Solari FC (COM)
(ESF) Raynor City Rockers (2) 1–1 (2) Cathedral City (CAM)
Extra time: (2) 1–1 (2)
Penalty kicks: 4–3

Final
@ Holmes Stadium, Columbia, Unified Capitalizt States
(ESF) Raynor City Rockers 0–2 Petardos S/A (CAF)

Petardos S/A wins the second TakilQuip Champions’ Cup!

Third TakilQuip Champions’ Cup
The third Champions’ Cup will follow the same format as the second, with every association invited to send four teams (by posting your entries in this thread, or by telegramming Commerce Heights). Seedings for the tournament will be determined by the current club and league coëfficients (http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/tqcc/coefficients/2/). A combination of league coëfficient and domestic league position will be used to determine scorination ranks.

Starting with this tournament, each association is invited to nominate one venue, with a capacity of at least 60000, to host the Champions’ Cup final. The site will be chosen by the Champions’ Cup administration (OOCly, it will be chosen at random from among the entries).

Demot

11-05-2008, 22:18

Season 1907

Pride League

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Santa Rosa FC 38 21 11 6 77 55 22 74 Champions
2 Likewell Kirk 38 20 8 10 68 55 13 68 TQCC
3 Oceanic United 38 20 7 11 72 54 18 67 TQCC
4 Mirria United 38 18 10 10 84 59 25 64 TQCC
5 Druidisian United 38 18 6 14 61 57 4 60
6 Freestone FC 38 16 11 11 49 39 10 59
7 Club Demot 38 18 5 15 61 61 0 59
8 Skyhaven FC 38 16 8 14 76 66 10 56
9 Druidisian FC 38 15 9 14 65 57 8 54
10 Skyhaven United 38 14 9 15 58 58 0 51
11 AC Paragos 38 13 11 14 71 64 7 50
12 Ropper FC 38 13 10 15 65 69 -4 49
13 Oceanic 38 15 4 19 58 68 -10 49
14 New Mirria Patriots 38 14 7 17 56 70 -14 49
15 Maracruse Typhoon 38 12 11 15 59 68 -9 47
16 FC Bellwater 38 13 5 20 54 65 -11 44
17 Bellwater Tidal Wave 38 10 12 16 52 53 -1 42
18 Dunmodra United 38 11 9 18 69 83 -14 42 Relegated
19 Vasanova United 38 10 8 20 45 71 -26 38 Relegated
20 Maracruse United 38 8 9 21 59 87 -28 33 Relegated

Championship

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Mirria City 38 19 13 6 76 47 29 70 Champions
2 Samarga FC 38 21 7 10 57 36 21 70 Promoted
3 Atalantian FC 38 19 12 7 84 49 35 69 Promoted
4 Ionnusyus FC 38 16 14 8 51 39 12 62
5 RC Ririnkle 38 17 9 12 72 56 16 60
6 Ursona FC 38 17 9 12 63 52 11 60
7 AC Santa Rosa 38 17 7 14 77 64 13 58
8 AS Freestone 38 15 13 10 76 68 8 58
9 Real Escan 38 17 7 14 65 66 -1 58
10 Tiranyus FC 38 16 9 13 60 61 -1 57
11 RC Ropper 38 14 11 13 58 50 8 53
12 Saravella City 38 14 10 14 61 60 1 52
13 Fairland FC 38 13 10 15 51 57 -6 49
14 RC Rarthon 38 12 13 13 63 74 -11 49
15 Morthinian FC 38 8 16 14 44 52 -8 40
16 Harthgate United 38 11 6 21 48 76 -28 39
17 Athletic Samarga 38 9 11 18 58 76 -18 38
18 AS Icewind Dun 38 10 5 23 48 73 -25 35 Relegated
19 Parthen United 38 7 12 19 50 71 -21 33 Relegated
20 Faramore United 38 6 10 22 37 72 -35 28 Relegated

League One

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 AS Calada 38 22 7 9 79 42 37 73 Champions
2 AC Elacante 38 21 10 7 73 51 22 73 Promoted
3 Geros City 38 22 5 11 76 60 16 71 Promoted
4 Halland City 38 20 8 10 67 52 15 68
5 AS Klingsa 38 18 10 10 78 59 19 64
6 Druidia United 38 17 8 13 66 62 4 59
7 FC Ironwind 38 16 8 14 48 45 3 56
8 Parthen City 38 14 13 11 62 57 5 55
9 Arthenian United 38 14 11 13 63 61 2 53
10 Dosastion United 38 15 7 16 57 55 2 52
11 Villain City 38 13 12 13 49 56 -7 51
12 Verandiom City 38 13 10 15 57 61 -4 49
13 AC Dunmodra 38 13 8 17 53 63 -10 47
14 Athletic Cortalias 38 12 11 15 50 60 -10 47
15 Mordras City 38 11 11 16 55 63 -8 44
16 Raldvila FC 38 11 11 16 55 66 -11 44
17 Clonsguard FC 38 8 14 16 37 49 -12 38
18 Calada United 38 10 7 21 42 56 -14 37
19 Arthenian FC 38 8 8 22 57 78 -21 32
20 Parafell City 38 6 13 19 46 74 -28 31

Kose and The Turkomans

12-05-2008, 06:49

Final Standings

1. Sultanli FK P:34 W:26 D:2 L:6 PTS:59 TQCC - Champions
2. Kose Buyuksehir P:34 W:18 D:2 L:14 PTS: 56 TQCC
3. Atlar P:34 W:17 D:4 L:13 PTS:55 TQCC
4. Kazimspor P:34 W:16 D:2 L:16 PTS:50 TQCC
5. Tumirbey P:34 W:13 D:7 L:14 PTS:46
6. Gelibolu P:34 W:12 D:8 L:14 PTS:44
7. Sultan Mehmet P:34 W:10 D:10 L:14 PTS:40
9. Kucukkoy P:34 W:10 D:7 L:17 PTS:37
10. Gokcenk P:34 W:10 D:7 L:17 PTS:37
11. Seyhan GenclerBirligi P:34 W:7 D:13 L:14 PTS:34
12. Olympic al-Turk P:34 W:8 D:10 L:16 PTS:34
13. Seyhanspor P:34 W:8 D:8 L:18 PTS:32
14. Nihatspor P:34 W:6 D:12 L:16 PTS: 30
15. Kucukkoy P:34 W:5 D:13 L:16 PTS: 28
16. Muhamedbey P:34 W:6 D:10 L:18 PTS:28 R
17. Caggar P:34 W:4 D:4 L:26 PTS:16 R
18. Yasin P:34 W:4 D:0 L:30 PTS:12 R

Super Cup Final
Kuzeykoyspor 1-6 Sultanli FK

Acapais

14-05-2008, 01:41

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/acapais.png Acapais Football League Season 3

Acapais League Cup
Final
Kaufman Wanderers 4-2 AC Newark

Elite League

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Lakeside AC 38 26 2 10 70 36 34 80 TQCC
2 Kaufman Wanderers 38 21 8 9 66 46 20 71 TQCC
3 Three Rivers 38 21 7 10 75 52 23 70
4 Edgewood United 38 21 4 13 73 51 22 67
5 AC Newark 38 19 7 12 54 43 11 64
6 Highland Park FC 38 18 8 12 68 56 12 62
7 Elkheart Spartans 38 17 10 11 73 52 21 61
8 Real Malakoff 38 16 9 13 63 57 6 57
9 Keenshire 38 15 9 14 70 62 8 54
10 Yorktown 38 16 6 16 59 55 4 54
11 Schulenburg 38 15 8 15 56 53 3 53
12 Holliday FC 38 12 15 11 53 50 3 51
13 Seven Points FC 38 14 7 17 54 69 -15 49
14 Tontovilla 38 9 15 14 47 60 -13 42
15 Saint Paul United 38 11 8 19 49 69 -20 41
16 Lower Greenville 38 11 7 20 46 71 -25 40
17 Stinnett West 38 10 9 19 45 68 -23 39
18 Rendon Dynamo 38 10 7 21 55 74 -19 37
19 Sweetwater Rovers 38 8 10 20 36 60 -24 34
20 Lockney Town 38 10 4 24 42 70 -28 34

http://spaam.mrdrake.net/flags/acapais.png Acapais Football League Season 4

Acapais League Cup
Final
Keenshire 1-1 Elkheart Spartans (3-1 AET)

Elite League

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Real Malakoff 38 27 6 5 87 37 50 87 TQCC
2 Highland Park FC 38 25 9 4 81 38 43 84
3 Tontovilla 38 21 6 11 68 54 14 69
4 Elkheart Spartans 38 18 9 11 76 57 19 63
5 Holliday FC 38 16 13 9 67 56 11 61
6 Edgewood United 38 18 7 13 68 58 10 61
7 Lakeside AC 38 18 6 14 64 43 21 60
8 Keenshire 38 16 12 10 63 54 9 60 TQCC
9 Kaufman Wanderers 38 16 9 13 66 51 15 57
10 Three Rivers 38 15 11 12 70 57 13 56
11 Lower Greenville 38 13 12 13 62 73 -11 51
12 Saint Paul United 38 13 7 18 55 66 -11 46
13 Schulenburg 38 12 8 18 39 58 -19 44
14 Yorktown 38 12 6 20 52 65 -13 42
15 Stinnett West 38 12 5 21 43 70 -27 41
16 Forest Hill 38 12 4 22 56 71 -15 40
17 AC Newark 38 8 14 16 48 62 -14 38
18 Trinidad Underground 38 8 11 19 43 69 -26 35
19 Seven Points FC 38 9 8 21 47 74 -27 35
20 Ansonbrough 38 3 13 22 45 87 -42 22

Newmanistan

17-05-2008, 13:32

DOVER CITY WINS TITLE ON LAST MATCHDAY

The end of the first season of the Newmanistan Premier League couldn’t have been anymore exciting as the Dover City Mountaineers have achieved glory by winning the premiership. All the turnover was worth it, and the experience of Carlao, the transfer from Cafundeu turned out to be a blessing in disguise. He instantly was named their captain, and he was indeed an on the field general for the team. It was tough though, as they entered the final matchday trailing Pocono City by a point. However, Putnam Lake recorded a 2-1 victory over the Capitals, on a 84th minute goal by Jeremy McAllister, leading Pocono City and national team coach Brian Carson to say, “I’m going to have to punish him for that.” He was kidding of course, but it just shows how your friend one minute can be your enemy the next, then be back to being your friend, especially in the life of a professional athlete. Knowing of that score, Dover City also had a difficult opponent in their last game, but were able to pull out a 2-1 win of their own over Centralia. Chris Merrill, the Dover City head coach, and the assistant to Carson on the national team, has won his first championship as a head coach, and credited the play of his entire team, “We weren’t a team necessarily built on star power, but Brian Wright had a fantastic season for us, and so did Taree Taira. Carlao was a true leader finding new life for his career. I owe it to all of them.” Taira led the team in goals with 37, and Wright was just a few behind with 33. Keeper Kevin O’Brien, not necessarily known as one of the Empire’s better keepers did just enough behind his defense, and enjoyed one of his better seasons. We congratulate Dover City on their victory.

GP W D L P GF GA GD
Dover City 46 29 9 8 96 112 62 50 C
Pocono City 46 29 7 10 94 103 53 50
Southport 46 27 7 12 88 87 52 35
Putnam Lake 46 25 11 10 86 100 56 44
Springfield 46 25 10 11 85 82 50 32
Centralia 46 24 12 10 84 65 36 29
Loudon 46 24 10 12 82 85 59 26
Tundra Falls 46 23 11 12 80 85 62 23
South Tier 46 22 9 15 75 92 63 29
Olympia 46 20 11 15 71 77 65 12
Portsmouth 46 18 11 17 65 75 76 -1
Fairfield City 46 17 13 16 64 80 79 1
Stroudsbourg 46 15 15 16 60 71 78 -7
Hastings 46 15 14 17 59 64 66 -2
Concord City 46 15 13 18 58 77 86 -9
Daytopia 46 13 13 20 52 62 76 -14
Seminole Bay 46 12 14 20 50 56 75 -19
South Charlotte 46 13 10 23 49 49 67 -18
North Charlotte 46 12 11 23 47 57 88 -31
Riverside 46 11 11 24 44 68 93 -25
Hampton 46 10 10 26 40 54 92 -38
Rushville 46 9 9 28 36 52 95 -43 R
Thumbria Bay 46 7 12 27 33 47 99 -52 R
Brighton 46 6 9 31 27 51 123 -72 R

Pocono City has nothing to be ashamed about really, but don’t tell that to the players. Given that a lot of people worried that this could be a tough year for them, Brian Carson put together a fantastic roster with late signings and movement and had the team in it until the very end.

Third place Southport had one of the best seasons in recent memory, with Sakura Jo making the transition to playing in Newmanistan very smoothly. She was outstanding in goal. Her defenders in front of her helped her very much with the transition. Perhaps a championship is in the works for Southport. Their fans certainly believe.

Putnam Lake’s fourth place finish was the result of them closing out the season very well, which we saw in their big last day win over Pocono City. Jeremy McAllister had 44 goals on the season, a tally which led the entire NPL. Give him the golden boot! Chris Kusler was great in goal, but the Eagles just seem to need that one final piece to get them over the hump for a championship.

Fifth place Springfield loomed as a spoiler for much of the year, led by Shawn Drummond’s 39 goals. Steve Boland added 25 for the Thoroughbreds, who also got fantastic goalkeeping from Corey Hennis, who was full time starter for the first time in his career after his trade from Pocono City. They too, look like a team of the future.

Loudon’s 7th- place finish will be sure to trigger a lot of movement. This is a proud franchise, and their loyal fanbase will not tolerate many finishes like this in the standings.

Surprising Teams:
Fairfield City: Jennifer Vilardi, who was part of Di Bradini 5 roster had a much better season then was anticipated, with 32 goals.

Stroudsbourg: Nus Kusoglu, from Kose and The Turkomans fit in nicely immediately. He scored 30 goals for the year, and was named the captain of the team. With him in place, the Panthers may just have found someone they can build on to maybe make a strong run at a title.

Disappointing Teams:
Thumbria Bay: They were supposed to be good enough to not even have to worry about relegation. Instead, a complete second half collapse will send them to the “B” league, after a stunning 23rd place finish.

Hampton: Like Thumbria Bay, they weren’t supposed to have to worry about relegation, but instead it turned out to be an everyday concern. Fortunately for the Bulldogs, they stay up, finishing in the final spot that goes through.

Relegated: Rushville, Thumbria Bay and Brighton
Promoted: (all will be first time NPL teams): West Penthoria Rivermen, Rockland Jets, Lincoln Colonials

The Empress’ Cup:

1st Round
South Tier 4-1 Brighton
Olympia 1-0 Thumbria Bay
Portsmouth 1-2 Rushville
Fairfield City 5-0 Hampton
Stroudsbourg 2-0 Riverside
Hastings 3-2 North Charlotte (2-2 FT 3-2 AET)
Concord City 0-1 South Charlotte
Daytopia 2-1 Seminole Bay (1-1 FT, 1-1 AET, 4-3 on PK)

2nd Round
Dover City 4-1 Daytopia
Pocono City 3-0 South Charlotte
Southport 0-1 Hastings
Putnam Lake 1-2 Stroudsbourg
Springfield 3-0 Fairfield City
Centralia 2-0 Rushville
Loudon 1-2 Olympia (1-1 FT, 1-2 AET)
Tundra Falls 3-2 South Tier (1-1 FT, 2-2 AET, 3-1 on PK)

3rd Round
Dover City 1-2 Tundra Falls
Pocono City 4-2 Olympia
Hastings 0-1 Centralia
Stroudsbourg 1-5 Springfield

Semifinals
Tundra Falls 1-3 Springfield
Pocono City 2-1 Centralia

3rd Place:
Tundra Falls 0-1 Centralia (0-0 FT, 0-0 AET, 2-4 on PK)

Final:
Pocono City 3-1 Springfield

Zarbli

17-05-2008, 20:00

(OOC)
So, here I go, my first league, hope you guys enjoy it.
You may see each team's logo and jerseys by clicking on it's name in the "Teams" section.

And for the record, Zarblese subdivisions are called "nations", so whenever you read words like "international" it means zarblese nations instead of different countries :)

And, well, this might be a bit long, but it's just because I enjoy creating football leagues too damn much :D

(IC)

I ZARBLESE IMPERIAL LEAGUE

1. League Highlights

After more than 7 years with nothing but small national leagues being played in Zarbli, the first Imperial League has been a huge success. Fourty of the most traditional Zarblese football clubs, from the 11 nations and the Imperial Lands, played against each other in two divisions, a league that quickly became what's been called Zarblese Footy Fever.

After 9 months, Zarbli again have a Zarblese Football Champion, a title that will be deffended next year; four clubs were relegated to 2nd division and other four promoted to the 1st.

2. Teams

The 20 teams that played First Division:

Balance (www.magiasebarbaridades.com/fabio/FB/balance.jpg)
Nickname: the Zen Masters
Nation/City: Iluagrbis/Vonis Koreia
Factbook: Founded by eastern monks. Elected the most bizzarre uniform ever.

Battle (www.magiasebarbaridades.com/fabio/FB/battle.jpg)
Nickname: the Generals
Nation/City: Abilatis/Traukleis Egenlaris Rtneslais
Factbook: Founded by Traditionalist leaders after the Traditions War as a response to the foundation of the Goian Warriors. It is uncertain why they use a diagonal stripe in their Away shirt instead of a traditional vertical one.

Billiard (www.magiasebarbaridades.com/fabio/FB/billiard.jpg)
Nickname: Gamblers
Nation/City: Ibrailis/Evsag
Factbook: Created as a backgammon club, then a poker team, then bowling and then chess. Only after all this they began to play Football.

Canibals (www.magiasebarbaridades.com/fabio/FB/canibals.jpg)
Nickname: the Men-Eaters
Nation/City: Akinlabi/Mutis Birtis
Factbook: Greatest number of supporters in all the Empire.

Centurions (www.magiasebarbaridades.com/fabio/FB/centurions.jpg)
Nickname: the Romans
Nation/City: Mesdlosdadi/Vonis Roma
Factbook: The number in their jerseys are written in traditional Roman numeric system.

Classics (www.magiasebarbaridades.com/fabio/FB/classics.jpg)
Nickname: the Wise
Nation/City: Salkis/Salk'kis
Factbook: Second oldest team and second greatest number of supporters.

Cross SC (www.magiasebarbaridades.com/fabio/FB/cross.jpg)
Nickname: X-Squad
Nation/City: Imperial Lands/Nezurkidailis
Factbook: Team from the southern ice plains. Theirs are the most modern stadium in the league.

Flame (www.magiasebarbaridades.com/fabio/FB/flame.jpg)
Nickname: Firemen
Nation/City: Ipardimis/Gofaueris
Factbook: Their hometown is so hot that other teams suffer a big deal when playing in Flame's stadium.

Goian Warriors (www.magiasebarbaridades.com/fabio/FB/warriors.jpg)
Nickname: Blue Stripe
Nation/City: Hegriei/Goi
Factbook: Created by local militias after the Traditions War.

Goyoreh (www.magiasebarbaridades.com/fabio/FB/warriors.jpg)
Nickname: the Crazy Bastards
Nation/City: Salkis/Goyoreh
Factbook: Legend says the team was created by a group of mental instituons runaways.

Guillotine (www.magiasebarbaridades.com/fabio/FB/guillotine.jpg)
Nickname: the Headless
Nation/City: Hegriei/Dnargis Akiedis
Factbook: Founded by former death row prisioners from the Autumn Revolution. Their motto is "We lost our heads, that's why we play with our hearts".

Knights AC (www.magiasebarbaridades.com/fabio/FB/knights.jpg)
Nickname: Football Lords
Nation/City: Aklavi/Sakletis edi Aklavriei
Factbook: Nobility's favourite team.

Lunar (www.magiasebarbaridades.com/fabio/FB/lunar.jpg)
Nickname: Men on the Moon, the Physicists
Nation/City: Ula/Bakis edi Sesapis
Factbook: First Zarbli university football team, turned into professionals about 50 years ago.

Mountain Chain (www.magiasebarbaridades.com/fabio/FB/mountain.jpg)
Nickname: the Mountain Goats
Nation/City: Akinlabi/Osepis
Factbook: The league studies not allowing them to play in their hometown due to the city's high altitude.

Nations (www.magiasebarbaridades.com/fabio/FB/nations.jpg)
Nickname: People's Team
Nation/City: Imperial Lands/Isdadis Akiplatis
Factbook: Founded in the exact same day as its hometown.

Orient (www.magiasebarbaridades.com/fabio/FB/orient.jpg)
Nickname: Oranges
Nation/City: Iluagrbis/Oirtneis
Factbook: Founded as an all-imigrant teams, became the most popular team of Iluagrbis.

Polar Zenith (www.magiasebarbaridades.com/fabio/FB/polar.jpg)
Nickname: the Icemen
Nation/City: Loprais/Eztinis
Factbook: Team from the southern ice plains. Theirs are the most modern stadium in the league.

Pyramid AC (www.magiasebarbaridades.com/fabio/FB/pyramid.jpg)
Nickname: the Great Blues
Nation/City: Ipardimis/Vonis Kairo
Factbook: Team from the southern ice plains. Theirs are the most modern stadium in the league.

Shiny (www.magiasebarbaridades.com/fabio/FB/shiny.jpg)
Nickname: the Elite
Nation/City: Loprais/Ilirbis
Factbook: Faourite team of the wealthiest.

TFC (www.magiasebarbaridades.com/fabio/FB/TFC.jpg)
Nickname: the First
Nation/City: Imperial Lands/Isdadis Txikone
Factbook: TFC stands for The Football Club; they were the first Zarblese team and so they needed not another name by the time of their foundation.

3. Fixtures

After 38 rounds, Billiard was crowned the first Imperial Champions and will get to use the Imperial Crown in their badge for the next season. Joining the Gamblers on the TQCC are Canibals, Orient and Goian Warriors. Flame, Shiny, Mountain Chain and TFC were relegated to the 2nd division.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Billiard 38 22 7 9 65 46 19 73 TQCC
2 Canibals 38 20 8 10 64 41 23 68 TQCC
3 Orient 38 17 11 10 50 39 11 62 TQCC
4 Goian Warriors 38 19 5 14 59 50 9 62 TQCC
5 Centurions 38 16 11 11 58 45 13 59
6 Battle 38 16 10 12 59 54 5 58
7 Polar Zenith 38 17 6 15 57 46 11 57
8 Cross SC 38 14 12 12 48 44 4 54
9 Lunar 38 14 11 13 55 47 8 53
10 Knights AC 38 13 11 14 41 43 -2 50
11 Classics 38 13 10 15 46 54 -8 49
12 Nations 38 11 15 12 50 49 1 48
13 Guillotine 38 13 8 17 47 50 -3 47
14 Pyramid AC 38 12 10 16 45 54 -9 46
15 Balance 38 10 15 13 43 53 -10 45
16 Goyoreh 38 12 9 17 48 62 -14 45
17 Flame 38 9 17 12 43 49 -6 44
18 Shiny 38 9 16 13 43 53 -10 43
19 Mountain Chain 38 11 7 20 37 57 -20 40
20 TFC 38 7 11 20 36 58 -22 32

Highest scoring match: Lunar 5-3 Goyan Warriors
Largest home win: Cross SC 6-1 Mountain Chain
Largest away win: Polar Zenith 0-4 Centurions

The top 4 from Second division that will play the First next year are:

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Liquen 38 22 5 11 62 41 21 71
2 Discoverer 38 19 10 9 64 40 24 67
3 Drooler 38 19 10 9 57 43 14 67
4 Morphologics 38 18 8 12 55 44 11 62

3. Featured Match

Last Round's Polar Zenith 1-1 Canibals

The Men-Eaters needed a victory against Polar Zenith and hope for leaders Billiard to lose their away game against Battle. Canibals stroke first and kept pushing the Icemen with no success. Meanwhile, Battle scored 1, 2, 3 times against Billiard, the best world for Canibals. But even though HIH Afoib, the Prince of Akinlabi, was at Eztinis cheering for the Men-Eaters, the team heard their rivals in the other match turn the game to 3-4 in the second half. Beaten by Billiard's soon to be victory, Canibals let Zenith draw before the match's end. Bad luck for the prince, best luck for his wife, the Princess, who saw her Billiard earn the crown.

4. League's Knights

The League's Knights are the best players in each position, likely to play for the Zarblese Team in the upcoming Baptism of Fire.
Awards:
- Flag Bearer (FB): MVP
- Golden Sword (GS): top scorer
- Squad Leader (SL) best captain

GK - Kasapa (Billiard - FB/SL)
RW - Valete (Billiard)
DF - B. T. Kato (Orient)
DF - Holden (Billiard)
LW - Bola (Canibals)
DM - Zezeh (Goian Warriors)
DM - Magron (Canibals)
MF - Raxid (Orient)
MF - A. Dinus (Centurions)
FW - Norman (Canibals - GS)
FW - B. Oito (Billiard)

http://www.magiasebarbaridades.com/fabio/FB/billiard_crown_badge.jpg
Billiard
Imperial Champions

:)

Candelaria And Marquez

17-05-2008, 20:59

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w175/candelariaandmarquez/Cmscxxviii1.png

Matchday Twenty-Four: Oh alright, maybe it does matter…

The Saturday morning kick-off might have been in Onwere, but everyone’s focus was on the Millerman Sheppard Stadium, Albrecht, barely half a mile down the road from the Thompsontown Polling Day Massacre. It was an odd atmosphere as Albrecht Turkish and Castillo FC took to the pitch. A hundred and twenty dead locals’ll do that.

The MSS was far from full, and there was a clear sense throughout as fans watched each other like hawks, constantly trying to work out if there were any new faces in the crowd whose presence couldn’t initially be accounted for. But the reality was that this was a club in grief; for though the A.Turks had not suffered to the same degree as the Scorpions, there was still more than a few spaces missing in the ground that wouldn’t be filled again until the start of XXIX. For once, the chanted names of Scott Soldarian, Gary Maini, Steven Williams et al took a back seat to those of Warwick Davis, Ali Zorluer, Tim Deng and dozens more – names unknown to the bulk of viewers beforehand and soon forgotten afterwards but, for ninety minutes, this match was for them.

In truth, it was probably always going to be a procession for Turkish, whatever the occasion. They remain in title-winning form, and taking the ultimate prize now seems a distinct possibility rather than a distant long shot, despite the small number of games left. They ultimately cantered to victory; Samuel Taha continuing a swansong that could yet end in the Golden Boot with a cheeky hit through the legs of Carlos Avarelli. For Castillo, toothless with Manuel Zelzi injured and Kim Mihyeon still away with the Han at the DBC (and the Oriental Cup, for that matter), this merely represented an exercise in trying to keep their goal difference down, and they evidently failed. Ryan Westhead nodded in the fourth in second half stoppage time.

A few miles up the coast in Bove, meanwhile, Albrecht FC were having a rather trickier time of it against the MN Smith sideshow. With at least twenty regular supporters dead, the travelling fans desperately attempted to roar their side on to the victory their deceased brethren deserved, but the Scorpions’ form is simply lousy at the moment. Ryan Edwards will be back from the DBC next week, which is a blessing given that they’ll be off to face Port of Clotaire. Without him, they stumbled to a 1-1 draw – and it could have been much, much worse – that leaves them just two points clear of Turkish. With the derby match yet to be rescheduled, it could yet make all the difference.

A saving grace is that PoC are far from unbeatable. Reports of an inevitable third-place finish seem increasingly premature, though they were unfortunate to fall to a 3-2 defeat against Turks’ Club; after a tremendous ninety minutes in which the Zwangzugian defender Dana Bloomquist managed to score at both ends and Holger Pi managed to score at all, which represented a real achievement for the twice former C&M international. This is clearly going to be a long old job for Derek Marshall, who will likely as not loose his two Kura-Pelland internationals in the break (not to mention half his coaching staff) and will be left with a bunch of players that are either old, or utterly untested. He’s been happy to try the latter out – seventeen year-old Eli Cripps played most of the second half in place of Xavier Le Monde, and set up Pi for the winner – but there’s no doubt that “C&M’s Third-Biggest Club©” are going to have to spend big to avoid another season of disappointment.

After their own off-season spending spree, Radyukevich’s new man Turpin Jory – who moved a few miles north-west from the Alvery Blades in the week – got his tenure off to a satisfactory start with a 2-0 win over Mayo Valley. The Jukos are still far from safe yet, and relegation would still be a financial disaster, but Jory’s a cheap choice who’ll at least bring a slightly more restrained style of play and management than poor ol’ Coleman Mustard. His started off his reign by dropping Benji Fu from the sixteen entirely and leaving Luke Naylor on the bench, instead giving Jamie Rawlinson a rare start and introducing Christian Sattler back into the midfield. Eighteen year-old Joe White also got half an hour in place of James Burridge. He’s a left winger.

It’s just getting weird, isn’t it?

Without the headline-stealing social life of the city of Albrecht, the big football game of the weekend would have been in El din, where Cathedral City’s global Lord Mayor’s Show continued to bite them on the culo. KT Hotspur were well worthy of their 1-0 win, coming thanks to a goal featuring Allen Gallagher at the front of a 4-5-1. I know! Someone’s obviously snuck something into old Thomas Larson’s evening brew, and his new-look side had the unsuspecting Cats baffled. The best laid plans went down the swanney late on however, when Enrique Silva de Aviz caught Danny Ibbetson with a clumsy tackle and broke the Kura-Pellandi misfit’s ankle in the process.

Larson will have to go back to the drawing board for the visit of MN Smith, while Andy Woolworth over at Marquez-Onwere has had to rejig in the absence of Jack Stafador. Still, Joe Beye’s an adequate replacement, and with a side featuring Erik Kjaer in for his elder half-brother MarquezOW eased to a classy 3-1 victory over the El din Marbles.

It certainly won’t be down to just the Spur and the naranja for Champions’ Cup places, though. Arrigo Portuguese’s chances took a hit when Avilass Gackbang chopped down Stuart Vidakovic and conceded a last-minute penalty, Andy Halford saved Rául Vélez’s effort but Esdy va Drake poked home the 1-0 winner for Green Island all the same. They’re right back in it and so are Caires City, who crushed Gamboa 4-1 with an outstanding second-half display of counter-attacking football. At home. Elgin Dannat for manager of the year? Don’t count it out.

A.Turks v Castillo FC 4 – 0 (Taha 4, Maini 28, Soldarian 37, Westhead 90+2)
Caires City v Gamboa FC 4 – 1 (Cozzi 46, Dionísio 52 and 57, Knight og 90+4; Castelão 66)
Cathedral City v KT Hotspur (Mon Evening) 0 – 1 (Gallagher 17)
Green Island v Portuguese 1 – 0 (va Drake 89)
MarquezOW v El din Marbles (Sat Morning) 3 – 1 (E. Kjaer 10, Careca 14, Cassumba Domingos 87; Naylor 45)
MN Smith v Albrecht FC 1 – 1 (Walker 48; Cunningham 51)
Radyukevich v Mayo Valley (Sat Evening) 2 – 0 (Rawlinson 5, Rotherwell 25)
Turks’ Club v Port of Clotaire 3 – 2 (Le Monde 6, Bloomquist 54, Pi 83; Bloomquist og 47, Orlovic 53)

Matchday Twenty-Five: Turkish offspring give Scorpions a boost

Beforehand, some had ever been suggesting that the Albrecht clubs’ respective form was such that the fat lady was already clearing her throat despite the A.Turks still being two points from overhauling their great rivals. After this weekend, though many bookies still have the Millermen as favourites, it’s perfectly clear that the Scorpions are far from ready to let their season slip into disaster.

With no expectations and a squad dismissed as too old, too young or simply sub-par, Andy Le Lan’s Albrecht FC raced into an early lead that has never once been reduced to naught after a completed round of games. And though their recent performances have largely been poor, this Saturday they put on a show in Clotaire aimed at cheering the hearts of their fans who had felt like their hearts had been ripped out in Thompsontown and Harbour. Or something equally melodramatic.

The scoreline may only have finished 2-1, but Albrecht were superb at Harper Street. In a side featuring Ryan Edwards for the first time since the start of the DBC, they looked a club reborn, all quick passing and unpredictable movement, but with darting runs from both Edwards brothers and a suddenly rejuvenated Jack Marshall bamboozling even the toughest of CMSC defences. But for Natalie Instonenext and Tom Redway it could have been rather worse, but without the injured Walter Tensen and Oxen Cup-based Serkan Turkmen they lacked both bite and flair in the midfield. Young Evan Barton and the veteran winger Gary Collins were no replacements, while Shane Wojciechowski and the foreigners at the back ensured that Jason Federici and Lee Waywide barely got a sniff.

In truth, the match’s three goals were anything but classy, PoC ‘keeper Amis Cressey flapping one in himself from Ben Edwards’ teasing cross before the elder brother looped in a chancy header from Naoki Tonnelier’s speculative ball. Doug Szczechowicz pulled one back from Collins’ second-half corner after a rare Federici effort was tipped over by Paolo Thorpe, but the visitors never looked under real threat of giving up the three points.

Talking of sides led at the back by an amazonian Zwangzugian, Turks’ Club opted to settle for a point at the MSS. ‘Settle’, of course, is not the right word when you’re being battered by the Taha-Maini-Soldarian-Reizei-Kennedy-Westhead front, but Derek Marshall’s decision to drop the last goalscorer Holger Pi in favour of a chunkier William Williams in midfield proved well-founded. At their end of the table, any point away from home is a bonus, but for the A.Turks this is a massive opportunity lost. They now have four points to make up on Albrecht FC in six games – including that elusive derby.

After PoC’s defeat it’s entirely possible that the third and fourth TQCC spots could come down to the final day. This week it was Green Island’s turn to take what will almost certainly be a short-lived impetus, judging by this division so far. Their 1-0 win eked out against Cathedral City sends the TQCC2 semi-finalists careering back down to ninth.

Caires City’s defeat to Mayo Valley (someone has to, I suppose) makes their unlikely bid that smidge more unlikely, but their chances were helped by Marquez-Onwere and KT Hotspur both registering draws. And only just, at that, with Merlin Siriwong’s late piledriver rescuing a point for the naranja in Gamboa and the Spur taking a 1-1 draw from a home clash with those pesky Smudgers thanks only to an injury-time header from teenage stand-in left-back Iain Anderson. They had Wally Milton sent off again as well, which really won’t do their chances the power of good.

After looking in the driving seat just a few games ago, Arrigo Portuguese dropped down to tenth after a home defeat to Turpin Jory’s Radyukevich. But the most eye-catching (if, in all probability, least important) result of the weekend was at the Little Road Stadium, where an El din Marbles side missing Abdoulaye Soro stuck five past Macario Ayoví’s Castillo.

A.Turks v Turks’ Club 0 – 0
Cathedral City v Green Island (Sat Morning) 0 – 1 (Vélez 67)
El din Marbles v Castillo FC 5 – 0 (O’Leary 25 and 40, Madden 44, Torrell-Whyte 47, LeCass 56)
Gamboa FC v MarquezOW 2 – 2 (Castelão 45+1 and 80; Careca 1, Siriwong 87)
KT Hotspur v MN Smith 1 – 1 (Anderson 90+3; Watson 30)
Mayo Valley v Caires City 1 – 0 (Tucker 79)
Port of Clotaire v Albrecht FC (Sat Evening) 1 – 2 (Szczechowicz 57; Cressey og 18, B. Edwards 38)
Portuguese v Radyukevich (Mon Evening) 0 – 1 (Rawlinson 82)

Matchday Twenty-Six: Zetabacks to the wall as Eesseffian siblings keep top and bottom alive

Seemingly intent on making’s Wednesday’s capital city derby as vital as it could possibly be, Albrecht Turkish gave up a tremendous opportunity to close the gap on Albrecht FC this weekend.

The Scorpions played first, in an emotional encounter with Arrigo Portuguese at the MSS. It was the first chance for home fans to react to recent events in their city, though the ever-befuddling effects of time dilation made it difficult for the assembled thousands of football fans to work out quite how long ago the attacks had in fact taken place. They made their grief known all the same however, and it was clearly too much pressure for the Scorpions XI to handle, producing a display as limp as theirs against Port of Clotaire had been exceptional.

Another impressive display from the Portuguese back line helped, of course, with Avilass Gackbang in particular throwing himself in the way of every Peter Vanderpent and Joe Cunningham effort, while both players and the Edwardses too would come afoul of Ruud Horin’s tough but expert tackling. It was a display that summed up the best and worse of the second city club’s season, for it remains perfectly clear that Portuguese are still only a couple of steps away from being genuine challengers, despite their lowly position. The divide in quality between the foreigners and Candelariasians is still in evidence, with the major problems being Matthew Tortini’s failure to find a proper partner to bring the best out of Djabgor Cvecej and/or a creative body or two in the centre of the park to allow Jamie González greater freedom. Carroll Eriksson simply isn’t up to the job, and Tortini will regret parting with significant cash for the former Radyukevich player.

Albrecht will play better than this again this season, but their bid to retain the season-long lead was given a boost by Turkish on Monday evening; with their only challengers left now also failing to take all three. Their opposition were a resurgent Green Island, now undefeated in five – which is real form in this league right now. Having been ripped apart 5-1 in the earlier league fixture, Hane Davies sent his team out with a much more cautious outlook with Ben Head and Lloyd Carpenter both starting in an effort to stifle Scott Soldarian, and their efforts proved successful with Martin Petit having mercifully little do to until the GIZ themselves took the lead through Head.

The Millermen’s saviour was the unlikely figure of Ciaran Kelly, the left-back who provides most of a very technical A.Turks’ side’s pace down the flanks. A wise run and cross from Kelly set up Gary Maini to score the equaliser almost from the restart, and the home-grown player scored the second equaliser himself, after Roger Zetaback had won an all-Eesseffian tussle in midfield and launched a strike past Oberon Martinez. But 2-2 it stayed, and Kris Healy will be perfectly aware that his side have five games only with which to make up the four point gap.

Behind them, Port of Clotaire’s challenge finally officially ended, after a 2-1 defeat to the El din Marbles. Carlos Panadero’s team seem to be loving life without Abdoulaye Soro and Kenneth Quinn at the moment, with Nataniel O’Leary looking on the form of his life. This very suddenly very Candelariasian outfit (aside from the two Kura-Pellanders, but they hardly count) intermittently elbowed and danced PoC out of the picture, and the Marbles were well worth a win that moves them back into sixth.

Their city rivals fared less well, losing by the same scoreline to Marquez-Onwere. Andy Woolworth has also had to shake things up thanks to the Oxen Cup, with Jack Stafador away, and has instead reverted to his own particular version of route-one, effectively playing with six strikers and no midfield… It does seem to be working again, and even Seb Moon starting in goal for the suspended Harry Primrose proved little help to the visiting Cats.

But the real intrigue this week was at the bottom of the table. KT Hotspur, with a TQCC place glinting damply in their eyepeeps, contrived to lose 2-1 to Castillo, while Mayo Valley remain just a point behind them at the foot of the table, after a virtuoso display from the other Zetaback helped them to a 2-0 victory at a young Gamboa side now well and truly looking over their shoulders.

Albrecht FC v Portuguese 0 – 0
Castillo FC v KT Hotspur 2 – 1 (Amah 28, Sixtos 84; Kortsarian 65)
El din Marbles v Port of Clotaire (Sat Evening) 2 – 1 (O’Leary 12, LeCass 50; Waywide 62)
Gamboa FC v Mayo Valley 0 – 2 (Randall 33, Zetaback 63)
Green Island v A.Turks (Mon Evening) 2 – 2 (Head 42, Zetaback 55; Maini 43, Kelly 63)
MarquezOW v Cathedral City (Sat Morning) 2 – 1 (Siriwong 39, Okeke 77; Jobson 49)
MN Smith v Caires City 1 – 1 (Walker 68; McGuire 86)
Radyukevich v Turks’ Club 0 – 0

The Albrecht Derby

Albrecht FC v A.Turks 0 – 0 (Wednesday Evening)

Ooh, it weren’t ‘eck emotional, like. For once and once only, the long-standing animosity between the capital’s big two dissipated as a city united to mourn their dead. The three-hundred-plus names were read out, there were placards aplenty, and millions were watching on television – not only in C&M but in any country with an excessive numbers of sports channels to fill and an affection for the sort of mawkishness that Candelariasians aren’t supposed to be very good at. The sort of spirit that had led people to leave teddies and other stuffed creatures in the battered shell of Monument Place, in front of the big, sad eyes of Hope the giant toad (best not to ask) filled the capital’s biggest arena.

Unfortunately from a football point of view, the Millerman Sheppard Stadium wasn’t treated to a particularly great game. With so much at stake the two sides ultimately cancelled each other out. Albrecht FC, as the nominal home team, probably edged it; but at the end of the day Paolo Thorpe and Oberon Martinez pulled off the few saves necessary to keep the game goalless.

With four matches left, it was of course much the better result for the Scorpions. Their upcoming fixtures are far from easy however – they face away clashes with Caires City and MarquezOW on the final day, unpredictable units with much left still to play for, while Mayo Valley will visit the MSS still looking to stay up. Only KT Hotspur’s visit might warm their cockles.

The A.Turks, for the record, host PoC on the final day, with a trip to the Little Road Stadium and home fixtures with Catedral and Portuguese in line before then.

Matchday Twenty-Seven: They’re singing in the Valleys. Not the KT Hotspur ones, the ones in… y’know what, it doesn’t matter.

They said it couldn’t be done, that more than half-way through the season the contest was dead and buried. But they were wrong. Because Dave Carr-Fluck is made of sterner stuff.

The incredible rise from the pits of despair by Mayo Valley deserves our attention today. Early confidence that the Sky Blues could do something in this division after gaining promotion proved short-lived; and their robust, dull-as-ditchwater 4-4-2 looked destined to inhabit this year’s single automatic relegation spot, with the club occupying sixteenth early on and remaining firmly ensconced there ever since.

Until now. Relegation is still a distinct possibility: they look unlikely to escape the play-off with the fourth-placed second division side at the very least, and could still slip behind Castillo – particular given a tricky run-in in the final three games of the season – but three wins in a row after the season they’ve had so far is a very welcome, if slightly bizarre, return on the board’s faith in Carr-Fluck.

That the former Ironside Talinger manager was second choice to Kris Healy for the A.Turks job several seasons ago has haunted his career ever since, but the one-time Millermen centre half looks at home with the central Candelarian club, and deserves credit for avoiding complete humiliation with a tiny squad. He simply hasn’t been able to change his personnel around during the bad time, save the one brave choice of dropping former C&M under-21 Rick Sekerci in favour of home-grown favourite Connor Tucker. Whereas it has alas been said that Pascal Thorrington, his partner up front, has everything to be a top-line CMSC player and C&M international, Tucker is the weighty lad who’s actually pulling the Valley along by the bootstraps. He led the line at The Wall on Saturday morning, in a daunting tie with Green Island, and played a major part in helping them to their win. Their three-nil win.

The pre-match hype for this game had been all about the clash between the Zetaback siblings, the first time a brother and sister had ever met on the CMSC field of play. That the Eesseffian girl is a cult favourite among Mayo fans hardly needs to be said. Their top scorer this season with eight goals, and nailed-on to be the fans’ player of XXVIII, Kim Zetaback really has been the difference this year between being relegated already and having the chance to survive. It’s been a very different introduction to life in the Candelarias than for her brother, who arrived out of the blue at newly-promoted Green Island and led them to second – picking up the Sportswriters’ Player of the Season gong in the process – but there could be no arguing which of the four Eesseffians on show at The Wall this weekend was the star.

Without finding the net, Zetaback 2 pulled her legendary countryman Fred Michaels and poor Ben Young apart, making a mockery of the Monaven Breakers’ failure to give her regular playing time. The created the space for a side that were quicker to every ball than an oddly sluggish GIZ, who looked shadows of their recent form.

Valley were given a further boost by the defeat of Castillo FC in Khatib-Gassett, José Luis Sixtos’ opener having been cancelled out in the first half by another Dana Bloomquist goal (whut?) and Ishmael Dolphin (yay!) getting on the scoresheet. Derek Marshall’s Turks’ Club have now pulled ahead of MN Smith on goal difference and are only a point behind Radyukevich, but that trio are probably just about safe. Of more concern are Gamboa FC, who simply shouldn’t be struggling like this. They took a valuable point against the El din Marbles, but despite that freakish nil-all draw it remains their leaky defence that’s the problem. Less than a year after being C&M’s hottest young managerial property, Andrew Duffy must be heading for the sack if the maroons tumble into the bottom two.

Defeat will have been a blow to Green Island meanwhile, but those two TQCC places are still wide open to the point of ridiculousness. Marquez-Onwere and Port of Clotaire still occupy those spots but missed out on the chance to extend their leads with draws against strugglers Radyukevich and MN Smith respectively. Once again it means that Caires City are back in the picture, the Cafundelense Dionísio winning the battle of the goalscoring midfielders with Jamie González after a 2-1 win over Portuguese.

As for the top, the A.Turks and Albrecht FC both played at home and both ground out wins. Some truly woeful Candelariasian goalkeeping from David Brindley and Joel Sbaïz, and some pinpoint foreign scoring, gave them a 1-0 win over Cathedral City and 2-0 victory over KT Hotspur respectively. It’s possible worth noting at this point that only two Candelariasian-born players in the CMSC have scored into double figures in the league this year, and one of them plays for Sorthern Northland.

Thank God for Ignacio Vélez.

A.Turks v Cathedral City 1 – 0 (Taha 12)
Albrecht FC v KT Hotspur (Mon Evening) 2 – 0 (Meyer 43, Vanderpent 65)
Caires City v Portuguese 2 – 1 (Dionísio 46, San 63; González 78)
El din Marbles v Gamboa FC 0 – 0
Mayo Valley v Green Island (Sat Morning) 3 – 0 (Reddington 8, Tucker 50, Meakin 77)
Port of Clotaire v MN Smith 2 – 2 (Waywide 48, Federici 79; L. Adams 15, Szczechowicz og 45+2)
Radyukevich v MarquezOW 1 – 1 (Wolverton 16; Okeke 24)
Turks’ Club v Castillo FC (Sat Evening) 2 – 1 (Bloomquist 19, Dolphin 37; Sixtos 17)

dyer inj 2, mkhon inj 3, ragab inj 1, Ibbetson inj 5 , turkmen, stafador, kim, Tipton inj 2), Gackbang inj 1, Redway inj 10, Cerullei susp 2, Rotherwell inj3), Ozi-Mayer susp 1, byoung inj 1, Alaoui inj 1, Quirarte inj 1)

CMS Cup Semi-Finals

It’s debateable of course whether even the supporters of the four clubs involved actually care particularly about this piece of pot, not when they were all either going for TQCC spots or the title. Financially as well as emotionally, the old CMS Cup simply doesn’t carry the old cachet it once did, and the CAMAFA are struggling to think up ways of reinvigorating the event. Perhaps, in these globalised times, there simply isn’t room for another cup competition?

It would help if the matches at this stage themselves weren’t so often ghastly, cagey affairs; but they did at least offer some genuine drama. KT Hotspur, following their defeat to Albrecht FC, clearly had ground to make up to snatch the fourth TQCC place and put a grin on the admittedly very dead face of Lawrence Adamczyk, and a second successive CMS Cup victory would be adequate reward for Thomas Larson’s first season in the hotseat. The Praying2God native sprung a surprise for the game by reverting back to his favoured 6-3-1 thing, and with Besnik Shehu in for the injured Danny Ibbetson, and Caner Karahan starting to leave no place for the veteran Bostopian Karl Matthews, only captain Wally Milton was not a Candelariasian citizen – and after the Hopelessian disaster even that statistic might not be for too much longer.

They seemed a league apart from Albrecht Turkish’s foreign legion and were duly overwhelmed in midfield early on, but Steven Williams and Evan Laurie still found Allen Gallagher an annoying little flea they couldn’t quite find a way of squashing. Playing this way, Joel Sbaïz’s goal isn’t going to be under threat too often, and the Spur just about held Turkish at play until Larson could make a little masterstroke in putting on the sizeable former Albrecht FC forward Kovac Johnson.

Johnson and Gallagher were a natural fit in helping C&M to the 4th Di Bradini Cup semi-final, but since meeting up at the Valleys they’ve had little playing time up front together. Johnson in particular proved too much for the young Turkish defence to deal with, and as ever Gallagher was in the perfect place to receive Johnson’s pass and knock a dainty one in past Oberon Martinez.

The A.Turks equalised almost instantly after, mind you, with Scott Soldarian bouncing past half a dozen players and laying in Rueben Kennedy, the left midfielder’s effort getting a juicy deflection off Agamemnon Knight to wrong foot Sbaïz. That was on the eighty-first minute, and the Kaleta Online Dome was treated to another forty-five-or-so without another goal. The presence of both Johnson and Gallagher gave the Millermen one last kick in the teeth however, with both forwards scoring their penalties in the shoot-out. Ryan Westhead skied his, and the Spur sneaked into their second straight final.

The other game was truly a dog with fleas. Port of Clotaire and Marquez-Onwere currently occupy third and fourth in the league, but there’s no doubt who the form team are. The Harpies clearly have just cause to claim that their current failings are beyond their control, with Nathanial Alaoui and Tom Redway both out injured at the moment – Redway, it seems, may miss the final three league games with a groin injury – while Serkan Turkmen remains with his countrymen at the Oxen Cup. Jason Federici has hardly hit the ground running since his return from the DBC, despite a jammy goal against MN Smith at the weekend, and for a player who’s supposed to be the answer to C&M’s future goalscoring problems, young Dean Dotson looks the better bet than the man two years his senior.

Ironically (sort of), it was another young striker who made all the difference, when eighteen year-old Brandy Dolan came on for MarquezOW for Careca’s tight hammy and promptly beat Natalie Instonenext to José Felipe Cassumba Domingos’ cross and scored the only goal of the game with his first touch.

Federici missed a sitter late on, and Andy Woolworth’s side went on through. Facing KT Hotspur, the XXVIII final will be the first in the numeral era – for those who are keeping count of such things (well, you might be…) – to feature a rematch of the previous seasons’ contest.

Let’s just hope it isn’t as bad as last year…

KT Hotspur v A.Turks 1 – 1 (Gallagher 79; Kennedy 81) 1 – 1 aet, 3 – 1 on penalties
@ Kaleta Online Dome, Caires

MarquezOW v Port of Clotaire 1 – 0 (Dolan 76)
@ Millerman Sheppard Stadium, Albrecht

Matchday Twenty-Eight: One pincer on the trophy

What a difference a fortnight makes. Back then, it seemed all but inevitable that Albrecht Turkish would overhaul their great rivals to take a second straight title as an inexperienced – or too elderly, depending on who you asked – Albrecht FC side wilted in the back half of the season. But on Saturday afternoon the El din Marbles did the Scorpions a huge favour, while young Ryan Edwards popped up in the eighty-sixth minute to put Albrecht within a point of the title.

As the winningest team in the numeral era, as the biggest club in the country, and as a side whose now surely nailed-on league victory comes without having played the prettiest of football, the club’s ninth CMSC win won’t exactly have the neutrals jumping around for joy but, after the events of the last few weeks that transcend sport, few will be prepared to begrudge Scorpions supporters their opportunity to celebrate.

It’s not absolutely certain just yet, though it was starting to look that way early on Saturday afternoon when the Marbles produced another fine performance against Turkish. The Little Road Stadium outfit are an odd bunch, who have begun to thrive only with the loss of twelve-goal Abdoulaye Soro to the Oxen Cup, while thirty-five year-old Chris Foster has been playing for Kenneth Quinn and nineteen year-old Vern Touati will be in for the rest of the season with regular ‘keeper Aubrey Mkhonza out injured. They should be following the lead of their neighbours and dribbling away to nothing; but instead have found home-grown, second division hero Nataniel O’Leary out of nowhere, dropped Joe James in favour of old Giles Harpas and, while it’s not always pleasant to watch, you can’t ignore the fact that they’ve scored as many goals as the leaders for far this season. They’ve just conceded forty-four too.

The Harpas-O’Leary axis worked to full effect on Saturday, and the pair made a mockery of Steven Williams’ and Harris Dixon’s international credentials. The visitors dominated the game possession-wise, but their play was horribly similar to that exhibited earlier in the season, and the teenager in goal had little to do until well in the second half.

Turkish’s greater attacking talent finally told through Scott Soldarian and Samuel Taha, two players that may well be moving on once the season closes. Kris Healy has also been strongly linked with the vacant C&M job, but he now looks set to miss out on going out on a high if that is to be the case. Taha narrowly missed a chance for a late second to make it 3-2, while news soon filtered through from the capital that, after eighty-six dire minutes, the younger Edwards had created for himself the perfect position from which to score past Mayo Valley ‘keeper Lewis Piccioni.

The results gave Albrecht a six-point cushion at the top with just two points left, and the trophy will be present and presented at the McNeil Bingo Arena next week if the Scorpions can snatch a draw. That won’t be easy, because Caires City have also had a season to remember and could yet bring Champions’ Cup football to the fans of the casino city’s third-largest club. Elgin Dannat’s side kept things alive on Monday night by holding third-place Marquez-Onwere to a point.

The other draw of the matchday came in Rose of Sharon, after a truly extraordinary game. KT Hotspur and Port of Clotaire have been playing much more attractive football of late, coinciding with the Spur’s rapid improvement and the Harpies’ decline, and the visitors were always expected to struggle without Turkmen and Redway. They were comfortably on the back foot for the first half hour, until Allen Gallagher missed something of a sitter and Arthur Walker gathered to launch a huge crossfield ball down the pitch to Gary Collins. The veteran midfielder scotched past Anslem Fisher and Agamemnon Knight and scored the opener, setting up half an hour of utter PoC control. The Spur were three-nil down when the half-time whistle blew.

And then Port of Clotaire self-destructed in a quite remarkable manner. Gallagher’s goal was fortunate, and Aaron Kortsarian’s hit caught off the boot of Natalie Instonenext in a way nobody could account for; but pity poor Andrew Jordan, in for the injured Tom Redway, who turned past his own ‘keeper when under the barest of pressure from Jack Weis.

It wasn’t the only unlikely result of the weekend by any means. Cathedral City’s bid for a second TQCC semi-final ended down in Arrigo with a 1-0 defeat to Portuguese. And then it started to get odd, with Turks’ Club rising to safety with a 2-1 win over Green Island and Gamboa FC similarly making themselves safe with a gutting 3-1 triumph in Castillo. Macario Ayoví will now visit his former club MarquezOW, before a last day clash with nothing-left-to-play for MN Smith. Only Radyukevich can now be caught by Mayo Valley meanwhile, though that would take heavy defeats to MarquezOW and Green Island at home. Which isn’t out of the question on current form. God knows what’s been going on in that dressing room.

Albrecht FC v Mayo Valley 1 – 0 (R. Edwards 86)
Castillo FC v Gamboa FC (Sat Evening) 1 – 3 (Sixtos 66; Richardson 28, Jones 56, Castelão 61)
El din Marbles v A.Turks 2 – 2 (Harpas 14, O’Leary 55; Soldarian 62, Taha 69)
KT Hotspur v Port of Clotaire 3 – 3 (Gallagher 63, Kortsarian 72, Jordan og 83; Collins 30, Federici 39, Tensen 44)
Green Island v Turks’ Club 1 – 2 (Zetaback 13; Parr 31 and 50)
MarquezOW v Caires City (Mon Evening) 1 – 1 (Siriwong 38; Avdeev 67)
MN Smith v Radyukevich 1 – 0 (Jones 85)
Portuguese v Cathedral City (Sat Morning) 1 – 0 (Travers 4)

Matchday Twenty-Nine: Tops ‘n’ bottoms

Four-and-a-bit-goals a game later, and two of XXVIII’s contests are over. And one is more confusing that a pop culture reference to the latest convoluted televisual import from the New World, but we’ll get to that later.

We must start on Saturday morning, where Albrecht FC held their fate in their own hands. Having survived their recent stumbles, albeit thanks in part to Albrecht Turkish suddenly getting the yips, the Scorpions required only a point at the McNeil Bingo Arena, though that was set to be no easy task. Even with Xan Tipton, the experienced centre-back, and winger Eddie Dyer out injured, the Errant Knights still rather ludicrously had realistic hopes of taking a Champions’ Cup spot. As in the previous fixture between the two, Elgin Dannat sent his side out with a spoiling game, with Rodrigo Cozzi and Wayne Becchio in the centre attempting to block off the visitors’ narrow midfield.

Albrecht are a more fluid outfit than that however, and despite being a man down in midfield they dominated possession in the style of worthy champions. On the twenty-third minute, national team captain Matteo Corradini scored a rare header; running on between Shane Avdeev and Boston Mårtensson and pouncing on Jack Marshall’s sweeping cross before Peter Vanderpent notched up his sixteenth in the league, bundling in on the rebound after former Albrecht man Felix Currey palmed out Joe Cunningham’s snap shot.

The engraver was already getting to work, but Caires City were far from willing to let their chance to make an impact on the global game slip away; and as Albrecht showboated so the Errant Knights warmed to their task. They were well aware that victories later in the day by Port of Clotaire or El din Marbles would end their hopes. They got a lucky break on sixty-nine, with Vallender Harvey failing to scold Pep McGuire for a foul on old Naoki Tonnelier in the Albrecht box, with the Kura-Pellandi giant instead laying off for Murat Varnali to finish. But from then on City had the impetus, and were finally rewarded on the eight-ninth minute when fine work by Varnali ended in a shot which Shane Wojciechowski could only deflect into his own net.

Two-two was a satisfactory result for both sides, but clearly it was most important for Albrecht. A season of transition and struggles ended with an emotional league title. They’ll have to wait to parade it before the bulk of the home fans – a scheduling cock-up means that they’re away at Marquez-Onwere on the final day – but their supporters will be happy enough to wait to touch the trophy once more. An open-top bus ride looks unlikely in the current climate, but that already hasn’t stopped thousands of fans taking to the streets across the capital and beyond. The city of Albrecht pretty much ground to a halt on Saturday… and for once, that was a Good Thing. Now they just have to work out a way of stopping their board members killing each other, and it’s all rosy on the blood red half of the MSS.

The A.Turks’ game was left rather redundant, though you’d never have known it. They played out a glorious dead rubber with Arrigo Portuguese, with Djabgor Cvecej scoring twice but the Millermen emerging three-two victors.

Attention instead was turned to the bottom of the table. With Radyukevich not playing until the evening, Mayo Valley had the opportunity against a Cathedral City side with, suddenly, nothing left to play for, to weigh-in with enough goals to put the Jukos under last-day pressure, while a victory for the away side at The Wall would give Castillo FC hope of survival.

If they got three points at MarquezOW. Their fellow Marquez side were after a second tilt at the TQCC however, and we shouldn’t forget that for all their troubles this season they’ve made a habit of finishing in the top four. There may well be some major jiggery-pockery in Onwere in the off-season, with Andy Woolworth accepting that they just can’t hope to win back the title he took in his first season whilst conceding nigh-on fifty goals in a season. They can certainly score though, and after Erik Kjaer got things underway on the second minute, they hit five of the buggers. Woolworth couldn’t help but give his young countryman Carlos Avarelli, the gigantes ‘keeper, a little hug after the game. That’s sixty-one he’s conceded this season, for the record.

And so, Macario Ayoví took his second side down in two seasons – on the day, incidentally, when his most recent former charges at Caires Sports had their promotion under Matt Sampson assured. Mayo kept up their end of the bargain with a 3-1 comeback win over Catedral, but they will be facing a play-off to survive for the expanded XXIX, against either Candelaria-Allemali or Albrecht Independent.

Their fifteenth-place finish was confirmed by a Jukos point, but heavens Turpin Jory left it late to secure the Clotaire club’s top-flight status. With Green Island two goals to the good and looking favourites for the fourth TQCC spot, the Albrecht FC product Jackson Tanzani hit a stunning shot with his left from thirty yards out. Jory hauled off the poor James Burridge after that, and ignored the bid of another former Scorpion, the expensively-signed Beck Ragab, to throw on teenager Joe White. The young left winger nodded in two minutes into injury time.

Earlier, Port of Clotaire’s efforts to have a second tilt at the TQCC themselves went well and truly awry. Missing Nathanial Alaoui through a reoccurrence of his hamstring complaint, as well as Tom Redway, Niko Mason had turned to drastic measures in Abiodun. Dean Dotson was recalled up front with Jason Federici benched, and it proved a great move with the teenager scoring on the half hour. It was an athletic performance that will have Federici concerned for his future at the club, despite rumours that Albrecht Turkish are ready to leap for the youngster, but even Dotson couldn’t save a dispirited outfit from collapsing to Gamboa, and Natalie Instonenext simply couldn’t rally her troops sufficiently. Who’d have a female captain, eh? Apart from Albrecht, obviously…

Anyhoo, the beautiful big lanky streak of wotzit Cas Richardson walked the home side’s third in, and Port of Clotaire’s hopes were left in the hands of the El din Marbles.

Come Monday evening, the Marbles knew that victory in Rose of Sharon would leave them well-placed for a fourth place that would well and truly prove Carlos Panadero’s credentials. Perhaps he made a mistake in sticking Abdoulaye Soro back in for Natanial O’Leary, perhaps not – fans certainly weren’t overly chuffed – but when the Nethertopian earned a penalty early in the second half and put it away himself, all seemed right with the world. But KT Hotspur’s chances weren’t dead either, and despite being outclassed throughout, Thomas Larson’s side finally equalised through their talisman and captain Wally Milton.

All that leaves PoC, the Marbles and Caires City on forty-one points. The Harpies have the best goal difference, at +4, but face a trip to Albrecht Turkish. Caires City, on a +2 differential host Green Island, who have forty points and could go through with a win if PoC or the El din Marbles fail to equal that feat. The Marbles, for the record, are away at Turks’ Club, who could finish on forty-one points themselves after their 3-1 win over MN Smith, but cannot qualify with Caires City and Green Island playing each other.

KT Hotspur are on thirty-nine, and need a victory in Gamboa by more than two goals, defeats for PoC and the Marbles, and for Caires City and Green Island to share a draw.

Possibly.

A.Turks v Portuguese 3 – 2 (Horin og 18, Carmona 32, Taha 55; Cvecej 34 and 68)
Caires City v Albrecht FC (Sat Morning) 2 – 2 (Varnali 69, Wojciechowski og 89; Corradini 23, Vanderpent 55)
Gamboa FC v Port of Clotaire 3 – 1 (George og 31, Knight 39, Richardson 66; Dotson 29)
KT Hotspur v El din Marbles (Mon Evening) 1 – 1 (Milton 87; Soro 47)
MarquezOW v Castillo FC 5 – 1 (E. Kjaer 2, Careca 27 and 83 Siriwong 49, Dolan 62; Kim 37)
Mayo Valley v Cathedral City 3 – 1 (Tucker 26, Sekerci 58, Hunter 70; Harrison og 19)
Radyukevich v Green Island (Sat Evening) 2 – 2 (Tanzani 79, White 90+2; va Drake 40, Zetaback 60)
Turks’ Club v MN Smith 3 – 1 (Parr 42, Dolphin 44, Sellami 51; Martín 77)

Elves Security Forces

19-05-2008, 21:31

EPL Preview
Season 20,007

After a very unexpected domination of the topflight from Juavi last season, and Raynor saving face with the Silver Cup victory, it's hard to gauge who's who this season. As Rinaldi have had a huge turnover with a whole new coaching staff in place, and a few key additions here and there to contenders, it should be another hotly contested season. With FC Wexax using the full sum of it's promotion money to bring in top talent from within the league and abroad, they could be quite dangerous in thier first season in the top flight. Travesian had to forfeit their promotion due to the VSC finding evidence of them fixing the reuslts of their final match. As a result of that, Turmondale United are promoted in their place and Travesian is docked 10 points for the start of the new season. Also newsworthy is that the first players from Kose and the Turkomans and Septentrionia are in the Premiership. This marks ten different nations outside the Commonwealth who are represented in the Premiership, with a total of 46 players.

Transfers
Foriegn
Recasang Nastadgus (Vephrall) RW -> Char Sara Inferno
Phootid Fihor (Vephrall) LW –> FC Wexax
Edmundo Rivolli (Starblaydia) LCB -> Soldarian FC
Antônio Machado Veiga Toninho (Cafundeu) CB -> Hondo Owls
Herman Joss Montanha (Cafundeu) CB -> Raynor City
Nicolas Leduc (Septentrionia) CB -> FC Wexax
Uzulmez Yilmaz (Turkomans) CB -> FC Wexax
Volkan Erkan (Turkomans) FC -> FC Wexax
Simon Labrie (Ad’ihan) MC -> Rinaldi Gunners

Domestic
Kiso Night ST -> Juavi Reds
Zenith Rapa LCB -> Chelmar FC (Yafor 2)
Rick Manuso CB -> Ranca Toco (Cafundeu)

Retiring
Ashley Riot - ST
Dominic Saint-Émilion - ST
Isabella Funteyn - LRW
Helen Smyth - MC
Agatha Denys - AMC

Listed below are the line ups of the top division teams with foriegners listed in italics and the best 3 players bolded, along with stadium information and team characteristics.

Raynor City: Dart; Swift , Lopez, Montanha; Morose, Jannian, Wahn, Cirebon, Bindett; Sykko, va Glaze
Coach: Fabio Mannasuch
President: Zeratul Raynor
Team Style: Offensive
Strongest Point: Wingers and Strikers
Weakest Point: Keepers
Nickname(s) Rockers
Stadium used The Battleground (59,000)
Other facts: The rich get richer. Another piece of silver for the trophy case, albiet the Silver Cup, and a promising young Cafundeu lad into the fold, which only cost them a small fee and the young Manuso. However, with the competition around them getting stronger, the Rockers are going to need to play much better this season if they are going to continue their run in the TQCC. Speaking of the TQCC, thanks to their deep run, the squad will be able to afford upgrades to the stadium, which should take it to a 70,000 all seater and an open room. However in doing so, it will no longer be able to function as a gridiron, hockey rink, or baseball field when needed.
Good Bench Players Poarus Demtre (Center Midfileder), Kael Underwind (Striker), Mario Gors (Center midfielder), Casio Walker (Centerback)

Hondo: Rowell; Calli, Dubois, Hardsworth, Toninho; Tkermec, Nikki, Carmichael, Whitehurse; Yin, Defecta
Coach: Daft Massimo
President: Clin Massai
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Attack
Weakest Point: None
Nickname(s) Owls
Stadium used Raynor Memorial (40,000)
Other facts Hondo looks to make its way back into the TQCC, and maybe even sneak into a title race. The addition of Toninho has the backline now studded with the some of the best defenders money could buy. Yet the Owls need to be cautious, as Yin, Defecta, and Tkermec are not exactly young strapping lads who still have a decade of prime playing ahead of them. They have come to be this strong through good personel decisions, and that needs to stay if they are to stay strong.
Good Bench Players Daphne Caldwell (Striker), Rosario Evans (Defender), Xian Gillan (Midfielder)

AC Valanari: Allah; Milla, Vance, Martyr, Skull; Kries, Jun, Guerrero, Cavies; Castle, Rhys
Coach: Duran Gill
President: Rosy Marlin
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Consistancy, Youth System
Weakest Point: Leadership
Nickname(s) Young Guns
Stadium used Duran Palace (50,000)
Other facts The torch has finally been passes to Rhys, as Sven takes the bench in favor of the young Bettian. While I'm not sure that this move will improve their performances that much, it is significant in that the nineteen year old is the second youngest striker to star a match, with Kiso Night being the youngest at 18 years and 19 days.
Good Bench Players Miguel Cassel (Striker), Adam Durgot (Striker), Sav Sven (Striker)

FC Capri: St. Louis; Makashi, Florez, Harper, Titenburg Jr; Hardsworth, Fortenbres, Vorsco; Kurka, Santapa, Snape
Coach: Maria Morris
President: Tranin Briton
Team Style: Very Offensive
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: None
Nickname(s) Typhoon
Stadium used Hatire Memorial (60,000)
Other facts Capri sees another young striker take the torch from a mentor, this time it is the young Rose Diamond Santapa who takes it from Bragollach. A promising young half-elf who shows alot of upside coming on for a solid Turruth Gordurian who only knew who how to win and score goals. The future is bright for Capri, and the young lass will have to work as hard as her mentor if they wish to get back to playing TQCC football.
Good Bench Players Dagor Bragollach (Striker), Trenton Oz (Midfielder), Davido Rollich (Defender)

Wexax United: Augustine; Qui, Sars, Armas, Grace; Claw, Kucinich, Gar, Gomes; Hampstead, Claire
Coach: Emily Degas
President: Dan Mieals
Team Style: Defensive
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Attack
Nickname(s) Devils
Stadium used Castle de Mot (49,000)
Other facts For once, Wexax have sat on their hands and have done nothing in the offseason transfer window. Be it because they believe their slip in form was because Hampstead was out with injury, or because the club doesn't have the money to spend every window, it's not sure. Regardless, the squad is going to have to pull some miracles if they are to get back into the top 5 of the table.
Good Bench Players Cass Woo (Midfielder), Nancy Silver (Defender) Zulu Smite (Defender)

FC Longview: Keller; Damx, Longman, Carter, Smithston; King, Marl, Masc, Sikal; Hernandez, Norm
Coach: Reta Bane
President: Danny Morriow
Team Style: Counter-attacking
Strongest Point: Wingers
Weakest Point: Attack
Nickname(s) Foxes
Stadium used Angelotic Temple (71,000)
Other facts A small step back for the Foxes, but it was expected after such a remarkable season the year before. With the VSC considering the Temple as its' nonmination for the TQCC final, they will be looking to the Foxes to put up a good showing to deem them worthy enough for the prize. If Bane can repeat some of the magic of the 20,005 season, the folks in Longview might be in for a treat.
Good Bench Players Yars Abu (Attacking midfielder), Markak Lars (Striker), Naresl Cjin (Striker

Mar Sara: Norris; Cao, Zap, Shock, Dimitre; Zizzn, Alidare, Ikles; Quinn, Losstarrot, Sinclair
Coach: Andres Crucitti
President: Rosemary Angelotic
Team Style: Offensive
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: None
Nickname(s) Flames
Stadium used Donna Cathedral (50,000)
Other facts Like Valanari and Capri, Mar Sara is showing signs of change. Aracio Cao comes on for Mars, while the great Gaulung is replaced by the young Lamoni striker of Sinclair. Making it into the TQCC last tournament is a boost the Flames, and they should use the reward money in the next window to upgrade a decent backline or the keeper position. For now, just making it back to the TQCC will suffice for the fans and the board, and a deep Cup run would also help matters.
Good Bench Players Quint Farstio (Striker), Lauren Kels (Center midfielder), Draco Gaurlung (Striker)

Rinaldi: Yoshida; Boling, Sterling, Kries; Nava, Leyva, Labrie Mercado, Caldwell; Singollo, Ibarra
Coach: Fëanor Nénharma
President: Exan Forris
Team Style: Possessive
Strongest Point: Defenders
Weakest Point: Expierence
Nickname(s) Gunners
Stadium used The Beachfront (43,000)
Other facts Well it happened and I still don't believe it. After three straight poor seasons, Forris sacked Webber and offloaded all of the major contracts of the squad. This means all but one of their internationals gone, and the great Kiso Night as well. Nénharma brings a whole new style of play to the Beachfront, and I expect this to be a rocky season. However, a late minute deal to bring in the Ad'ihan midfielder of Labrie could keep the ship above water. The midtable beckons the Gunners this season, but if they stay with Nénharma, good things could be back to the Beachfront faithful sooner rather than later.
Good Bench Players Tamuríl Amandil (Centerback), Lúthien Ciryatan (Winger), Siras Miles (Striker)

Baysleef: Reas; Manars, Legoan, Pilot, Centron; Osarius, Love, Warsaw, Olas ; Basis, Manuka
Coach: Kiki Red
President: Wolly Manark
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: Reserves
Nickname(s) Bombers
Stadium used The Runway (30,000)
Other facts Much is the same at the Runway, and that might not be enough to keep things going. The fans are becoming concerned about the lack of effort that the board is putting forth in improving the squad on a year to year basis. Another relegation fight could be enough to send them over the edge. It also might be time for Centron to hang up his boots and let the younger players see what they are made of.
Good Bench Players Ricko St. John (Keeper), Christinia Osarius (Winger)

Hartdale: van Posey; Mar, Metria, Narohan; Müllenkamp; Mendez, Dorias, Solivasas, Pardal; English, Rikard
Coach Havin Roza
President Jennifer Sar
Team Style Defensive
Strongest Point Midfielders and Defence
Weakest Point Attacking consistancy
Nickname(s) Hawks
Stadium used Sky Fall (39,000)
Other facts It was an up and down season for Hartdale and it easily could of gone either way for the Hawks. A few bounces here or there, and they could of been title contenders or relegation fighters. Rikard was a great striker, but his best days are behind him and the squad needs some fresh blood in the attack. If Sar is smart, she'll try to add some talent before the window closes, and give this stagnating club a boost to get it on its way.
Good Bench Players Morgan Banz (Holding midfielder), Rikardo Michion (Versatile midfielder)

Juavi: Carte; Pinteps, Sorano, Torres; Schilling; Zuke, Ira, Zensan, Keya; Mandalin, Night
Coach: Marco Defoe
President: Jade Flow
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Youth System
Weakest Point: Expierence
Nickname(s) Reds
Stadium used Old Hartfast (47,000)
Other facts What do you do to improve on a title? Well, you go out and buy the most talented striker that the ESF has ever seen that's what! After an amazing performance last year to take their first ever title, or piece of silverware for that matter, the Reds signed the one of the best strikers in the world from Rinaldi for a mere 16,000 silver coin fee. A huge upgrade to the rather squirmish Toja, Night makes Juavi the instant favorites to repeat as champions.
Good Bench Players Franchesco Carlos (Striker), Simon Crass (Winger), San Fernad (Versatile Midfielder), Que (Centerback)

Char Sara: Rosell; Perrin, Kamtaker, Mahaska, Florez; Stoneburner, Hiat, Nastadgus; Yocum, Carl, Neesa
Coach: Jamie Kiki
President: Michael Rover
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Defence
Weakest Point: Midfield
Nickname(s) Inferno
Stadium used The Tar Pit (39,000)
Other facts After Funteyn retired, she left a gaping hole out on the wing. Yet that hole was quickly filled with a more than adequete upgrade as Nastadgus was snagged off of Rinaldi for a minimal fee. While not the most skilled or deepest teams, the Inferno have alot of quality in them. If I'm any of the contenders, I would be wary of Char Sara, as they just have a good feel about them. I would not be surprised to see them finish in the fourth and final TQCC spot or win the Silver Cup.
Good Bench Players Darcello Cortes (striker), Rodney Murray (defender)

FC Wexax: Theros; Yilmaz, Leduc, Love; Insweri, Fihor, Tsu, Marsi, Menifee; Rojas, Erkan
Coach: Fëanáro Arcamenel
President: Neesa Elendil
Team Style: Counter-attacking
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Leadership
Nickname(s) Knights
Stadium used The Warriors Den (44,000)
Other facts Much like Therathor, they rose rapidly through the leagues to find their way here. Despite being in the lower leagues, they were able to get the services of the talented Rojas and Demotian keeper Theros to push them into the topflight last season. Spending almost all of their promotion money to bring Leduc and Fihor in the squad, as well as getting the Turkomans Yilmaz and Erkan on frees, the side looks quite formidable. If they don't stay up, there really is no justice in the world.
Good Bench Players Daeron Narmolanya (Winger), Silmarwen Vardamir (Attacking midfielder), Ecthelion Vardamir (Striker)

Turmondale United: Dallaran; Lissësúl, Tulmar, del'Tariss, Hiromi; Runnaras, Gonzales, Darkuc, Naylen; Faelivrin, Haven
Coach: Lars Masuke
President: Riana Callums
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Defenders
Nickname(s) Rapids
Stadium used Theros Park (37,000)
Other facts Despite having the Dancougarian Naylen to direct the midfield, I don't think that United stand much of a chance to stay up this season. There's not enough expierence or skill to compete with the rest of the teams in the division, and that is going to cost them. This could be a good oppurtunity however for Naylen to audition to a move to a bigger club.
Good Bench Players Sasuke Nakumura (Striker) , Aegnor Arteta (Winger)

AS Sharala: Tri; Sold, Grace, Do'Urden; Underdark, Kilranny, Ice, Swent, Glars; Kill, Donald
Coach: Rosario Martell
President: Mihgan Rose
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Strikers
Weakest Point: Defence
Nickname(s) Crusaders
Stadium used Altar of Champions (38,000)
Other facts If the Crusaders are to remain in the midtable, I think Martell needs to give Quintel her chance. Sold is getting up there in age, and with a three man backline, Quintel's speed could be a huge boost to the system. Swent is becoming one of the better young maestro's in the midfield, and should lead this side in their offensive output. Fans are hoping for a fifteenth or better finish, and it is certainly within their capabilities.
Good Bench Players Flora Quintel (Defender), Cleo Dia (Striker)

Straightdale FC: Rezzana; Cooper, Del, Ten; Calk, Xi, Xi, Matai, Grazi; Trini, Kang
Coach: Allopo Drogba
President: Novato Mas
Team Style: Possesive
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Defence
Nickname(s) Crusaders
Stadium used Red Fence (39,000)
Other facts Straightdale continues to improve, and was a bounce away from playing TQCC football. Yet they had to finish for sixth place. All things considered, these Crusaders have the making of a champion. A good starting eleven, quality on their bench, and a manager with decent tactics. If the past three seasons are worth anything, beware Top 5, you are likely to get usurped.
Good Bench Players Wolfgar Den (Midfielder), Savanna Elias (Defender)

Soldarian FC: Vine; Perheira, Mias, Rivolli, Suares; Durai, Florin, Ni, Quint; Soler, Sorrah
Coach: Omani Rios
President: Placebo Soldar
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Defenders
Weakest Point: None
Nickname(s) Soldars
Stadium used Hellgate (54,000)
Other facts After an amazing turn of events lead to the Soldars playing in the TQCC, they went out and brought in the the highly touted Rivolli and put the amazing Soler in to the starting eleven. While it is a tight fight for those TQCC spots, I think the Soldars have the inside track here, having played in the competition last year. With veteran leadership from Sorrah, this squad's time is now to take home a few trophies.
Good Bench Players Trian Kiev (Midfielder), Sherrie Murdock (MIdfielder), Qui Foster (Defender)

FC Travesian: Sala; Johnson, de Rinaldi, Centron, Darcello; Huarde, More, Carr, Arroyo, Mathias; Angelotic
Coach: Henry Twagiramungu
President: Donna Rosario
Team Style: Defensive
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Skill
Nickname(s) Vandels
Stadium used Bandit’s Cove (41,000)
Other facts I bet you 100 silver coins that the Vandels regained some of their fans with that amazing fight against relegation last season. Despite only having Angelotic in attack, their upfield movements were precise and dangerous. Yet this season will not be kind to the Vandels, as they are more than likely headed down. With the difference between results being the smallest of margins, this side just doesn't have a strong enough desire to stay in the top flight when compared to the sides that they will be fighting against.
Good Bench Players Stefan Deadleaf (Striker), Rasd Ekes (Wingback)

FC Therathor: Scrivener; Naguma, Shang, Artemis; Love, Narsis, Solaris, Mesah, Wildwind; Golden, Milas
Coach: Rokki Preok
President: Falla Naiana
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Midfield
Weakest Point: Attack
Nickname(s) Rangers
Stadium used The Liar (29,000)
Other facts I was dead on about Therathor, as they were safe from relegation with three matches to go, and escaped by eight point. Now comes the second season, and there is a tendacy for the so called "sophmore slump" to happen. Wildwind needs to be more dominant in her part of the pitch if the results are to be better, and Golden needs to be more focused in front of the net. The makings are all there, now it's up to the players to decide if they want it bad enough.
Good Bench Players Zethai Fora (Winger), Sinead Likewell (Centerback)

Monaven: Rilan; Callan, Fortenbras, Oklan, Zapata; Kaphridie, Brooks, Clan, Jarrel; Ironsmith, Riftin
Coach: Deke Xavier
President: Trevor Jan
Team Style: Balanced
Strongest Point: Keepers
Weakest Point: Attack
Nickname(s) Breakers
Stadium used Orange Gate Falls (39,000)
Other facts After spending just a single season in the Star League, the Breakers rode their Vephrese keeper to the title and promotion. It's going to be another tough season for the supporters, but after already being in the lower leagues for a season, I expect that the players don't want to have to go through that again. That motivation will see them to safety, as will the sharp keeping ability of Rilan.
Good Bench Players Kevin Nelmes (Keeper), Rollan Kin (Center midfielder)

Favorites
Juavi - 33%
Raynor City - 30%
Char Sara - 19%
Soldarian - 11%
Hondo - 5%
Straightdale - 2%

Worst Teams
Turmondale United - 40%
FC Travesian - 30%
FC Therathor - 15%
Monaven - 10%
AS Sharala - 5%

Star League Favorites: Travesian, Everlin, Manavawi, AS Zul'Daratar

Green League Favorites: AC Cartmot, Rinaldi, Vaharia FC, AC Ispan

Blue League Favorites: FC Silvershire, AC Stormguard, AS Rosenthal, RC Liogan

Rose League Favorites: Zul'Daratar FC, AS Zul'Atun, AC Durmosa, Suax United

Article by Ron Santapa

Elves Security Forces

20-05-2008, 20:44

Season 20,007

Well, if you thought last seasons run by Juavi was impressive, then this season exciting performance by Raynor City must of left you breathless. Leading from matchday one and on, the Rockers put it to their oppenents on every matchday. Of their 13 losses, the average score was 2.3-1, and they had three streches of four losses in a row. What made the season even more exciting was that going into the final matchday, Raynor City hosted Juavi and Valanari hosted Soldarian, which would detirmine who won the league and decide the TQCC spots. With Mar Sara having a home fixture with already relegated Turmondale, meaning Valanari needed the win in order to gurantee their spot in the TQCC. Yet Raynor City would win the title with their 4-2 victory of the Reds, and Soldarian jumped to second with a 2-1 victory over Valanari, and Mar Sara stole the last TQCC spot with a 3-0 victory.

OCC: Host of 2nd leg - aggregate score (1st leg score) Host of 1st leg

Premiership

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Raynor City Rockers 38 22 3 13 81 50 31 69 Champions
2 Soldarian FC 38 20 7 11 85 65 20 67 TQCC
3 Juavi Reds 38 20 6 12 67 50 17 66 TQCC
4 Mar Sara Flames 38 18 9 11 87 72 15 63 TQCC
5 AC Valanari 38 18 8 12 61 57 4 62
6 Char Sara Inferno 38 17 9 12 68 51 17 60
7 Hondo Owls 38 18 5 15 62 54 8 59
8 FC Longview 38 16 10 12 62 55 7 58
9 FC Therathor 38 16 8 14 71 65 6 56
10 FC Capri 38 15 11 12 65 59 6 56
11 FC Wexax 38 15 7 16 72 70 2 52
12 Wexax United 38 12 15 11 71 70 1 51
13 Straightdale FC 38 15 6 17 70 71 -1 51
14 Hartdale Hawks 38 12 12 14 58 72 -14 48
15 AS Shalara 38 12 11 15 55 69 -14 47
16 Rinaldi Gunners 38 12 8 18 43 56 -13 44
17 FC Travesian 38 11 9 18 50 76 -26 42
18 Monaven Breakers 38 9 11 18 45 63 -18 38 Relegated
19 Baysleef Bombers 38 8 9 21 56 79 -23 33 Relegated
20 Turmondale United 38 9 6 23 56 81 -25 33 Relegated

Star League

Playoff: Everlin Snipers 3-1 (1-1) Travesian Generals

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Kareen FC 38 21 9 8 106 64 42 72 Champions
2 Manavawi Athletic 38 22 6 10 69 45 24 72 Promoted
3 Everlin Snipers 38 21 8 9 80 57 23 71 Playoff
4 Travesian Generals 38 16 12 10 64 57 7 60 Playoff
5 Raynor City Rockets 38 17 8 13 64 61 3 59
6 Sharala AC 38 16 8 14 60 47 13 56
7 Mar Sara Extreme 38 16 8 14 72 66 6 56
8 Gladerial Twilight 38 16 8 14 54 53 1 56
9 Oliviena United 38 15 11 12 42 41 1 56
10 Turmondale FC 38 16 7 15 67 57 10 55
11 Char Sara Strike 38 16 6 16 57 63 -6 54
12 AC Zul'Atun 38 14 11 13 62 62 0 53
13 FC Vernad 38 14 7 17 47 43 4 49
14 SC Ianisle 38 12 11 15 58 73 -15 47
15 AS Zul'Daratar 38 13 7 18 55 62 -7 46
16 Rolalas FC 38 12 9 17 50 69 -19 45
17 FC Quel'Mathar 38 12 5 21 63 79 -16 41
18 Quel'Tir United 38 10 11 17 46 64 -18 41 Relegated
19 RC Rikana 38 6 15 17 36 55 -19 33 Relegated
20 Athletic Rolalas 38 7 9 22 43 77 -34 30 Relegated

Green League

Playoff: AS Everlin 7-2 (1-2) FC Vamas

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Quel'Thalas FC 38 29 5 4 104 52 52 92 Champions
2 Vaharia FC 38 26 8 4 103 54 49 86 Promoted
3 AS Everlin 38 20 8 10 71 44 27 68 Playoff
4 FC Vamas 38 18 8 12 60 49 11 62 Playoff
5 AC Cartmot 38 18 7 13 76 62 14 61
6 Char Sara Volcano 38 18 6 14 74 59 15 60
7 Aras United 38 17 8 13 59 59 0 59
8 SC Longview 38 16 8 14 63 74 -11 56
9 AS Soldar 38 14 12 12 77 66 11 54
10 Arouw United 38 15 9 14 60 60 0 54
11 Capri Marksmen 38 12 12 14 59 72 -13 48
12 AC Ispan 38 12 11 15 62 71 -9 47
13 AC Goldsan 38 11 11 16 53 59 -6 44
14 Cartmot Pride 38 12 7 19 61 66 -5 43
15 Gladerial Divine 38 13 4 21 59 79 -20 43
16 RC Durmosa 38 10 12 16 50 66 -16 42
17 Rinaldi Ravens 38 11 8 19 76 84 -8 41
18 SC Quintal 38 11 6 21 48 74 -26 39 Relegated
19 RC Elunita 38 8 8 22 57 89 -32 32 Relegated
20 FC Suax 38 3 14 21 42 75 -33 23 Relegated

Blue League

Playoff: AC Stormguard 2-2 (1-1) [2-2 AET, 5-4 PKs] RC Vahama

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 DC Aulian 38 20 8 10 68 47 21 68 Champions
2 Turbani Tornadoes 38 21 5 12 74 61 13 68 Promoted
3 AC Stormguard 38 18 13 7 71 50 21 67 Playoff
4 RC Vahama 38 18 10 10 67 58 9 64 Playoff
5 FC Silvershire 38 17 9 12 71 56 15 60
6 Zanabia City 38 16 11 11 69 61 8 59
7 RC Liogan 38 17 8 13 56 54 2 59
8 SC Soldar 38 15 11 12 75 65 10 56
9 AC Rosenthal 38 17 5 16 69 68 1 56
10 AC Therathor 38 14 12 12 62 66 -4 54
11 FC San Diromia 38 14 11 13 58 54 4 53
12 RC Jumangas 38 14 7 17 72 82 -10 49
13 Bree FC 38 13 9 16 63 70 -7 48
14 Ironwind United 38 13 8 17 77 78 -1 47
15 AS Zul'Atun 38 12 10 16 56 68 -12 46
16 AC Port Swell 38 10 13 15 60 65 -5 43
17 Zul'Daratar FC 38 11 8 19 62 76 -14 41
18 FC Kilai 38 8 14 16 44 55 -11 38 Relegated
19 Erran FC 38 8 10 20 59 84 -25 34 Relegated
20 Gladerial Fortune Dweller 38 5 16 17 53 68 -15 31 Relegated

Rose League

Playoff: AS Vahara 2-3 (1-1) Arouw FC

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Suax United 38 21 8 9 74 54 20 71 Champions
2 Yolan FC 38 21 7 10 72 43 29 70 Promoted
3 AS Vaharia 38 19 7 12 71 59 12 64 Playoff
4 Arouw FC 38 20 4 14 69 61 8 64 Playoff
5 AS Solqual 38 16 8 14 59 50 9 56
6 FC Melikkiaz 38 16 8 14 59 54 5 56
7 Erran United 38 16 8 14 67 64 3 56
8 FC Ispan 38 16 7 15 57 57 0 55
9 FC Rosenthal 38 13 14 11 59 53 6 53
10 AC Durmosa 38 14 11 13 52 52 0 53
11 RC Quel'Mathar 38 15 8 15 66 69 -3 53
12 FC Solqual 38 15 7 16 60 61 -1 52
13 DC Quel'Tir 38 13 13 12 54 56 -2 52
14 AC Jumangas 38 13 9 16 45 46 -1 48
15 AS Rikana 38 11 12 15 60 66 -6 45
16 DC Liogan 38 12 9 17 45 59 -14 45
17 DC Melikkiaz 38 10 11 17 53 68 -15 41
18 DC Bree 38 10 10 18 58 71 -13 40
19 DC Kilai 38 8 14 16 31 46 -15 38
20 AS Aras 38 8 11 19 51 73 -22 35

End of Season Awards

Foriegner of the Year
Phootid Fihor (11 goals, 14 assists) - FC Wexax

Manager of the Year
Falla Naiana - FC Therathor

Striker of the Year
Calla Soler (21 goals, 8 assists) - Soldarian FC

Midfielder of the Year
Ali Alidare (26 goals, 8 assists) - Mar Sara

Winger of the Year
Recasang Nastadgus (6 goals, 17 assists) - Char Sara

Defender of the Year
Zieta Swift (1 goal, 8 assists) - Raynor City

Goalkeeper of the Year
Alfonso Carte (5 clean sheets) - Juavi

Sportsman
Edmundo Rivolli - Soldarian FC

Idiot (most bookings)
Glenn Olas - Baysleef

Best X11
GK: Alfonso Carte - Juavi
CB: Manuel Lopez - Raynor City
CB: Leandro Perheira - Soldarian FC
CB: Zieta Swift - Raynor City
LRW: Jere Jannian - Raynor City
MC: Roger Zensan - Juavi
AMC: Ali Alidare - Mar Sara
RW: Recasang Nastadgus - Char Sara
ST: Calla Soler - Soldarian FC
ST: Kiso Night - Juavi
ST: Maria Golden - FC Therathor

Acapais

21-05-2008, 03:34

Acapais submits a bid to host the TQCC final at:

S'jet Stadium
Location: Hearn, Keenshire
Capacity: 84,541

Adihan

21-05-2008, 14:40

AFF PRESS COMMUNIQUÉ
For immediate release

The Ad’ihani Football Federation is happy to announce that it is putting the storied Protectorate Stadium (capacity recently increased to 184,500) in the capital city of Ad’ihan forward as a prospective venue for the final for the upcoming TakilQuip Champions’ Cup. The AFF believes that with its storied history, as well as Ad’ihani teams' strong performances at past TQCCs, that Ad’ihan and the Protectorate Stadium is a highly suitable venue for such a major TQCC occassion.

Elves Security Forces

23-05-2008, 09:56

20,007 Silver Cup
Holders ~ Raynor City Rockers

The Rockers complete a majestic season by retaining the Silver Cup and doing the domestic double. They look forward to their first possible treble in the upcoming TQCC and look good to do just better than their second place finish of the last edition. With many of the Premier and Star League sides playing their reserves, their was ton of open play, leading to several lopsided scorelines.

The VSC would also like to announce it's nomination of the Angelotic Temple in Longview to host the TQCC Final. It's a 71,000 all-seater, located in the heart of beautiful Longview, it is an ideal location for top-level football competitions. Given the success of Raynor City in the first two editions, the VSC believe that they have the earned the right to have thier nomination considered.

First Round
AC Rosenthal 1-2 Athletic Rolalas
AS Vaharia 0-4 AC Stormguard
AC Cartmot 1-1 (2-2 AET, 2-4 PKs) Mar Sara Extreme
SC Ianisle 10-0 DC Bree
AC Goldsan 6-1 AC Durmosa
SC Quintal 1-0 RC Rikana
AC Therathor 1-4 Sharala AC
FC Melikkiaz 2-3 Rinaldi Ravens
Turbani Tornadoes 5-2 RC Quel'Mathar
DC Aulian 1-2 AS Soldar
FC San Diromia 0-3 Capri Marksmen
SC Soldar 4-1 Erran FC
Suax United 0-8 Everlin Snipers
Travesian Generals 3-1 Arouw United
FC Silvershire 1-4 Gladerial Fortune Dwellers
FC Solqual 1-5 Gladerial Twilight
AS Zul'Daratar 1-2 Kareen FC
Char Sara Strike 6-0 RC Vahama
Vaharia FC 5-2 AC Jumangas
AS Aras 2-4 Arouw FC
Bree FC 2-1 AS Zul'Atun
FC Suax 2-4 DC Melikkiaz
DC Quel'Tir 0-5 Cartmot Pride
AS Rikana 1-3 RC Durmosa
FC Rosenthal 2-0 DC Kilai
AC Ispan 0-2 FC Quel'Mathar
Ironwind United 2-1 AC Port Swell
Yolan FC 4-1 Quel'Tir United
DC Liogan 3-3 (3-3 AET, 6-7 PKs) Erran United
SC Longview 3-1 Zanabia City
Raynor City Rockets 3-0 Gladerial Divine
Quel'Thalas FC 6-1 Zul'Daratar FC
Oliviena United 2-1 Manavawi Athletic
FC Kilai 0-2 RC Elunita
RC Jumangas 2-1 FC Vamas
FC Vernad 4-1 FC Ispan
Aras United 0-1 AS Everlin
RC Liogan 2-3 Rolalas FC

Second Round
Mar Sara Flames 12-1 Erran United
SC Soldar 2-4 Gladerial Twilight
Bree FC 2-3 Rinaldi Ravens
DC Melikkiaz 0-8 Baysleef Bombers
Raynor City Rockers 4-2 Travesian Generals
Hondo Owls 5-0 Char Sara Strike
Hartdale Hawks 4-1 Mar Sara Extreme
Juavi Reds 3-0 FC Wexax
AC Goldsan 2-1 FC Capri
AS Soldar 5-7 FC Longview
SC Ianisle 0-3 Kareen FC
Sharala AC 2-4 Everlin Snipers
SC Longview 7-1 AS Solqual
RC Durmosa 3-1 RC Jumangas
Capri Marksmen 2-2 (4-4 AET, 3-5 PKs) FC Travesian
Monaven Breakers 3-2 Athletic Rolalas
AS Shalara 7-1 Vaharia FC
Turbani Tornadoes 1-5 Straightdale FC
AS Everlin 2-2 (2-2 AET, 4-5 PKs) Oliviena United
Soldarian FC 10-0 Cartmot Pride
Rinaldi Gunners 8-0 FC Rosenthal
AC Stormguard 0-1 Raynor City Rockets
Char Sara Volcano 0-4 FC Therathor
Turmondale FC 2-0 SC Quintal
Gladerial Fortune Dwellers 0-4 FC Quel'Mathar
Char Sara Inferno 4-2 Wexax United
Quel'Thalas FC 0-6 Rolalas FC
Ironwind United 1-2 Yolan FC
AC Zul'Atun 1-0 RC Elunita
Turmondale United 3-4 AC Valanari
FC Vernad 8-2 Arouw FC

Third Round
AC Goldsan 2-3 Rinaldi Gunners
Everlin Snipers 3-1 Rinaldi Ravens
FC Travesian 3-3 (3-3 AET, 2-4 PKs) Mar Sara Flames
Yolan FC 0-6 Straightdale FC
FC Longview 0-2 AS Shalara
Juavi Reds 4-2 Baysleef Bombers
Raynor City Rockets 1-4 Kareen FC
SC Longview 2-3 Gladerial Twilight
Soldarian FC 2-1 FC Therathor
AC Valanari 3-2 Char Sara Inferno
FC Quel'Mathar 1-2 Oliviena United
Hartdale Hawks 3-1 Turmondale FC
Rolalas FC 3-2 Hondo Owls
RC Durmosa 0-0 (1-1 AET, 1-4 PKs) Monaven Breakers
AC Zul'Atun 1-6 Raynor City Rockers

Fourth Round
AS Shalara 3-3 (4-4 AET, 3-5 PKs) Mar Sara Flames
Soldarian FC 3-0 Oliviena United
Monaven Breakers 3-2 Kareen FC
Hartdale Hawks 4-1 FC Vernad
Straightdale FC 2-3 Rolalas FC
Rinaldi Gunners 0-2 Juavi Reds
Everlin Snipers 0-2 Raynor City Rockers
Gladerial Twilight 2-3 AC Valanari

Quarterfinals
Rolalas FC 2-6 AC Valanari
Soldarian FC 1-0 Hartdale Hawks
Raynor City Rockers 4-3 Monaven Breakers
Juavi Reds 4-2 Mar Sara Flames

Semifinals
Soldarian FC 1-2 Raynor City Rockers
Juavi Reds 3-3(3-3 AET, 5-6 PKs) AC Valanari

3PpO
@ The Angelotic Temple, Longview
Soldarian FC 3-1 Juavi Reds

Final
@ The Hatire Memorial, Capri
Raynor City Rockers 4-3 AC Valanari

Golden Boot
Markku Sykko (8 goals) - Raynor City

MVP
Cristi Kries (3 goals, 7 assists) - AC Valanari

Bext XI
GK: Jodie Vine - Soldarian FC
CB: Leandro Perheira - Soldarian FC
CB: Que - Juavi
CB: Areitis Narohan - Hartdale
LW: Jaime Kuu - Raynor City
LRW: Cristi Kries - AC Valanari
MC: Huor Anárion - Rolalas FC
MC: Jericho Leyton - Everlin
AMC: Ali Alidare - Mar Sara
ST: Calla Soler - Soldarian FC
ST: Markku Sykko - Raynor City

Candelaria And Marquez

24-05-2008, 18:59

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w175/candelariaandmarquez/Cmscxxviii1.png

Matchday Thirty

“…t’s, um, just about gone half past two and a minute, and you’re watching TTO Sport. We’ve got delayed coverage of Bin versus Johansson from the World Series event in Zwischen coming up at six, but first it’s time to join Rich Stevens and the panel for the CMSC Ex-Ex-Vee-Eye-Eye-E… Really? Why can’t they just say that, then? For CMSC 28’s final day, it’s Rich Ste–”

“Yes. Hello, and welcome to the final day of the league season, we’ve got EV-ery game live for you… um, as watched by our panelofexperts; the legend. That is Tom McIndoe.”

“Er, t’um, ar.”

“Star of the Inter-Rushmori Cup back in, um, the early seventies now, I suppose… And recently deposed Radyukevich manager Coleman Mustard.”

“Yea, thanks for that, bruv.”

“And National Reporter sportswriter Iain Miller.”

“It’s good to be here, Rich. Mind you, with my agen–”

“Yes, excellent. And we’re also delighted to be joined by former C&M international Speed Wang.”

“Mornin’.”

“Well, of course, the title has already. Been done and dusted, with Albrecht FC parading the trophy in front of a full MSS in the week, and I don’t think anyone here is going to begrudge them that chance after the last few weeks in the capital. Relegation-wise, we know that Castillo are going down, and Mayo Valley face a two-legged play-off against the Shining Sons, the latter hoping to join C.A.L, Caires Sports and McDonald Sports in the expanded CMSC1 next season but. There’s still one race on, so thank gawd for the Champions’ Cup. Four clubs are all in with a shout of joining the Albrecht giants and MarquezOW. In the globe’s premier club competition. Speed, we can start with you; you’re watching your former club Albrecht Turkish against Port of Clotaire… What’re you expecting? Today.”

“Wer, Rich, we’ve rearry got nothing reft to pray for, bu–”

“Sorry…?”

“Oh right, my microphone’s not on properly, is it? Right, I was just saying that we’ve got nothing left to play for really, apart from pride, we’ve eleven points clear of MarquezOW in third so we’re certainly heading to the group stages of the Champions’ Cup, which, when you think about the start we had to this season, is a tremendous tribute to Kris and the boys, I don’t want to comment on any of these rumours linking him with the national job, but as far as I’m concerned he’d totally deserve it, I mean I’d certainly be happy to be part of his coaching set-up, if I was approached, I definitely think that we, the national team I mean, needs some real stability now after everything that happened in Krytenia, an–”

“West Starblaydia. Um, what abo–”

“West Starblaydia, o’course, yeah, but, what I’m saying is, this side plays great football, I mean it was just a couple of draws that cost us in the end, I reckon next year, yeah, new striker, obviously, someone new on the right, maybe someone to replace Evan Laurie, all respect to him, o’course, bu–”

“Of course, Speed, what matters today are their opponents, Port of Clotaire. One of the three teams on forty-one points, they’ve got a goal difference of +4. Now, they need at least a point, don’t they, given the other match-ups, so what are their chances, do you suppose?”

“What, Port of Clotaire? Oh, no chance. They’re crap at the moment.”

“Alright… Well, if the Harpies aren’t going to get another chance, who are? Iain, you’re going to be keeping us in touch with Turks’ Club versus the El din Marbles, yes?”

“Yes, that’s right, Rich. A few weeks ago no-one would have had the Marbles for the top four, but this is just such an unpredictable contest at the moment. They look like they’re setting up with a pretty basic 4-4-2, Soro’s maintained up front instead of O’Leary, Giles Harpas is in there as well behind the front two. Vern Touati continues in goal, the battle between him and the Turks’ Club striker Hague Parr might well prove crucial here. The Turks, we must remember, having nothing to play for now, but the Marbles don’t have the best of records away from the Little Road Stadium, and those fans of theirs, so this should be a pretty tight contest.”

“Alright, thanks. Iain.”

“Yes?”

“No, I… Anyway, Tom, you’re watching for us what could prove the key game, aren’t you?”

“Ye, ass a lute, Lee. Caires seedy a grin I lan, Tussauds ex puck Ted tough in I shat o’ posin’ Enza t’teeble. An’ either a hume kin stilt qualify!”

“Yes, so Caires City and Green Island face off, most saw them as having very different challenges this season, but now either of them could still make it into the Champions’ Cup qualifiers. The Errant Knights could go through with just a draw if results go their way, Green Island need to win and see PoC and the Marbles each pick up no more than a point. Right, we’ll be back to Tom later. Coleman? You’ve got the wildcard.”

“Yeah, bruv, KT Hotspur are playin’ at Gamboa. They need to win, they need the Harpies and Marbles to lose, and they need them other two to draw. Gamboa are, I should remind you, totally safe.”

***

“Well, it’s uh… Coming up to eight minutes into our eight games now, still no scoring… we can go round the grounds now, I suppose, probably start with Lizzy Capper in Arrigo… Lizzy?”

“…, ….. …., ..’. ……. …. .. ….., … ..’.. … . …. …. .. … ….., ..–”

“Okay… Obviously we’ve having a little trGOAL IN ABIODUN! Uh… yes. Coleman, do we, uh?”

“Yeah, thanks, bruv. The Spur are really gonna have to do it the hard way, they’re one-nil down, and it’s that man, Cas Richardson again. Adlai Dobson goes down the left, no challenge there from the former Abiodun North man Jack Weis, crosses deep to the back post… God knows what Anslem Fisher’s doing marking Richardson, y’know? Obviously it should be the big fella, Agamemnon Knight, but that’s the crazy thing about a former striker like Thomas Larson trying to organise a defensive side like this… One-nil to Gamboa, anyway. Lots of work to do for the Spur.”

“Mm. And?”

“Uh… Gee, homies?”

“Excellent. We can cros–”

“Oooh!”

“As Turks’ Club go mightily close there, Iain?”

“Parr just shaves the bar, Rich. Still nil-nil.”

“Okay, we’ll hear more on that in a second… Simon Strong’s watching MarquezOW versus Albrecht for us, Simon?”

“Yes, and the champions are a goal to the good and it’s Peter Vanderpent again. He needs a hat-trick to beat Careca’s tally and take the Golden Boot and this was a fine way to start. Solo goal really, some slack marking from Mars Douyadari letting the Zwangzugian in… Nothing but pride to play for here of course, neither side can give up their places in the league nor rise any higher. It’s Mar–”

“We’ll leave it there if you don’t mind, Simon, because… Coleman?”

“Yep, bruv, it’s two-nil to Gamboa now, they’re all over them! One eye on the Cup, I’m guessing. Richardson again, this time George Jones found some space in that empty-looking midfield of theirs, crossed low for Richardson… Actually uses his feet this time, the boy, gets just beyond Knight, two-nil… I reckon this one’s just about over. Um. Dawg.”

“Alright, well it’s still nil-nil everyone else where it counts… Tom, how’s it looking in Caires?”

“Zit enter ends tough, Rich. Grin, I lander have injur stab outer beastie vit, Stjeet V. dakka vicious it fill ix-curry spar, butter sit Eh? de-fences joust a butthole din!”

“Right, and it’s end-to-end stuff, isn’t it, Tom? Green Island are having just about the best of it, Stuart Vidakovic just hit Felix Currey’s bar, but the City defence is just about holding?”

“Arr.”

“OOOH!! STICK IT IN MY SON!”

“Unfortunate absence of commas, there…”

“Alright, I think we’ve got another goal in Abiodun; Coleman?”

“Hm? Nah, I’m bored with that game. Emiliano Taffarel just hit a beauty for Cathedral City at Radyukevich… Jari Virta and Hansson Kemp just completely got in each others’ way… awful.”

“No sour grapes at all there, Coleman? How’re you feeling now, after the Jukos gave you the sack an–”

“AND IT’S A BLOODY ‘NOTHER ONE! Oh, straight from the kick-off, Taffarel to Teddy Ozi-Mayer, out to Terry Shelton coming down the right, little ball into Johnathon Filmar, Jacin Raellis left stranded, Filmar finishes… That’s Bloumany One, Taeshan Nil; that’s two-nil to Cathedral!”

“And?”

“Um… Ho?”

***

“…ust about gave Caleb Christmas the slip and laid in David Wolverton, and the Kry… uh… West Starblaydi? Possibly, shot past Robinson Zaripov. Two-one to Cathedral now. I’ll have a word with your mother.”

“Coleman, you are supposed to be watching Gamboa versus the Spur… GOAL IN KHATIB-GA… Um, I mean; Iain? I think there’s been some action in your game?”

“Yup, this one looks like it’s all over too, Rich. Turk’s Club nil, El din Marbles two, and unlike the opening own goal on the half hour, this one was completely deserved. Abdoulaye Soro’s been quiet this game, but he drew a smart save out of Stephen Hill, who conceded the penalty. Rockdale LeCass delivered, Karl McDonald and Walter Jordan both made a hash of their clearances, and LeCass was there to follow up, just catching off Dana Bloomquist’s heel.”

“She’s a piece of ass, though, in’t she?”

“Has there been a goal in either of your two games, Coleman? Or even so much as an incident worth reporting in the last minute?”

“No, Rich.”

“And…?”

“No diggedy, no doubt, Rich.”

“Right. I just think it’s important in these dark times to never forget who we are, you know? We’re Candelariasian. We like our fish mediocre, our beer warm and barely alcoholic, and our blacks urban. Right, now let’s g–”

“GIRL AT CARESS!”

“I think that mean’s there’s been a goal in Caires; Tom?”

“Ye, swoon nell tag re: Nigh land, mummints arrow Esd–”

“Esdy va Drake missed a free-kick, but he’s made up for it with a powerful shot that gave Felix Currey no chance at all?

“Arr, Reech.”

“Well, that doesn’t change anything for the El din Marbles. They’re still in pole position on forty-four points, Green Island are on forty-three, PoC forty-two, Caires City forty-one, the Spur are totally out of it on thirty-nin–”

“YES!”

“Although it could be all change in Albrecht; Speed?”

“ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL, RICH! Starts right with the goalkeeper, along the floor – and this stadium looks an absolute carpet, by the way, Kelly has it, passes into Reizei in midfield, the Fujisawan pivots, takes Kenan Orlovic out of play, runs into the area, plays in Scott Soldarian, passes out to the left, little dummy by Rueben Kennedy, Gary Maini scores. Just gorgeous, one-nil.”

“So, that’s Port of Clotaire a goal down?”

“Hm? Yeah, I guess. Ooh, that’s another sweet shot, just wide.”

“So, that’s just even better news for the Marbles. Any sign of a Turks’ Club comeback in your game, Iain?”

“Nope.”

“Right… Um, we can go to Bove now, where the comeback’s complete, Fernando…?”

***

“Ah neef yed joust leek testy wimme…”

“And if we just stay with Tom here…”

“Yeah, sea skivin’ ‘appen atty! Eaten de rove ear’s fallon Dion Easy, oh!”

“The referee has given a penalty for Magnus Valerius international Étienne de Roviere’s foul on the young Cafundelense playmaker Dionísio?”

“Arr. Pimp My Queer’s sup tut ache it…”

“The big Kura-Pellandi forward Pep McGuire’s ready to take the shot, with Martin Petit between the Green Island sticks…”

“Annie poo sit saw A!”

“And he puts it away! So, sixty-sixty on the clock, it’s Caires City one, Green Island one! Which is still pretty good news for the Marbles, of course. Any sign of Turks’ Club giving them a run for their money, Iain?”

“Nup.”

“Right.”

***

“…ovely finish from Kim, that’s the Han’s second of the game, and the comeback is well and truly complete. Seventy-five on the clock, it’s MN Smith two, Castillo FC three.”

“Exciting last day stuff there in Bove… Iain, any si–”

“No. Ooh!”

“Ooh!?”

“Ooh…ooh…”

“OOH!”

“OOOOH!”

“I think we’ve got a goal in Khatib-Gassett then; Iain?”

“Yep, it’s Turks’ Club nil, El din Marbles three, the veteran Kura-Pellandi forward Andy Madden providing the finish after some excellent work by Nic Percy in the area… Seventy-seven gone, this one’s all over, Rich. The Marbles are in the Champions’ Cup, incredible…”

“Well, let’s not count any chickens… Speed, what’s happening over in Albrecht?”

“Oh, that’s Ryan Westhead all over, I’m afraid. Played in perfectly by Gary Maini, what a player this striker is, by the way, and Westhead just blazes it over the bar. Y’know, he’s a good player, he is, but he’s not Turkish class, I’m sorry. Never has been.”

“Yes, but what about Port of Clotaire? Can they hope to get two back and get past the Marbles?”

“Not a hope, Rich… Ooh, look at that bit of skill from Scott Soldarian. Hasn’t really had the goals this season, but what a buy that was from Healy…”

“Right.”

***

“Any chance…?”

“No.”

“Nah. Sorry.”

“Grin Ill End arrrr bossy net, Reich.”

“Right. So, ten minutes to go, and the El din Marbles are sailing through to the Champions’ Cup qualifiers… Um.”

***

“I’m having potatoes for tea, I think.”

“We’re just getting a takeaway tonight.”

“Have you tried that little Han place just down the road from here, bruv? I tell you what, the waitresses, my word, right down here but like, ‘till Tuesday, man! I’m tellin’ you, what I wouldn’t gi–”

“GOAL IN ALBR… Goal in Albrecht, I think, Speed? Are Port of Clotaire ba–”

“Nope, but just more brilliant play from Gary Maini, he just rounds Natalie Instonenext like she isn’t there, has the option of Samuel Taha but ignores the Bettian for once, scored with one hell of a plomb! Eighty-five gone, it’s two-nil Albrecht Turkish.”

“So, it’s all on Caires, then… If they can just squeeze one past Martin Petit… Or squeeze two, actually, on goals scored, given that they’re on forty-one and the Marbles have forty-eight. Any sign of a goal in Caires, Tom?”

“Wheel, Bin Heed hah! Zit andy ijjo the airy, ah –”

“Oh, whatever.”

“OH! Reuben Kennedy’s just scored a beautiful goal, it’s three-nil to Turki–”

“So, the El din Marbles are going to qualify, aren’t they?”

“Yeah.”

“Arr.”

“Is that a bad thing, Rich?”

“I just… I just wanted an exciting final half hour, like they had in Kura-Pelland last year, y’know? I just thought…”

“There, there…”

“Iz haul reet, laddie… Yiv dinner god jib…”

“I just wanted to make a name for myself, I wanted it to go right down to the wire, and I’d be the one telling the country… I DON’T CARE IF THERE’S A BLOODY GOAL IN ONWERE, SHUT UP! I never asked to be stuck out here on TTO Sport, with the bloody baseball and newt fencing and their bloody little monkey… Why would you have a monkey as a mascot, anyway? It’s like the world’s mocking me, guys… I just don’t understand my role anymore…”

***

A.Turks v Port of Clotaire 3 – 0 (Maini 54 and 85, Kennedy 90)
Caires City v Green Island 1 – 1 (McGuire 66; va Drake 52)
Gamboa FC v KT Hotspur 2 – 0 (Richardson 11 and 14)
MarquezOW v Albrecht FC 2 – 2 (Dolan 41, Siriwong 70; Vanderpent 12 and 90+2)
MN Smith v Castillo FC 2 – 3 (Watson 29, Jones 42; Sánchez 45+2, Kim 55 and 75)
Portuguese v Mayo Valley 0 – 1 (Reddington 39)
Radyukevich v Cathedral City 1 – 2 (Wolverton 49; Taffarel 16, Filmar 17)
Turks’ Club v El din Marbles 0 – 3 (Zois og 29, LeCass 50, Madden 77)

CMSC XXVIII Division One – Final Standings
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Albrecht FC 30 18 7 5 48 21 27 61 CHAMPIONS
2 Albrecht Turkish 30 17 8 5 53 23 30 59 TQCC
3 Marquez-Onwere 30 12 10 8 58 49 9 46 TQCC
4 El din Marbles 30 12 8 10 48 45 3 44 TQCC
5 Caires City 30 11 9 10 41 39 2 42
6 Port of Clotaire 30 12 5 13 41 40 1 41
7 Green Island 30 10 11 9 46 46 0 41
8 Gamboa FC 30 10 10 10 44 45 -1 40
9 KT Hotspur 30 10 9 11 36 38 -2 39
10 Turks’ Club of Khatib 30 10 8 12 29 33 -4 38
11 Cathedral City 30 11 4 15 32 33 -1 37
12 Arrigo Portuguese 30 10 7 13 28 33 -5 37
13 AFC MN Smith 30 10 5 15 42 57 -15 35
14 Radyukevich CSC 30 8 10 11 42 48 -8 34
----------------------------------------------------------------
15 Mayo Valley 30 9 6 15 32 40 -8 33 P-O
----------------------------------------------------------------
16 Castillo FC 30 7 7 16 31 63 -32 28 REL

Players of the Season:

Golden Boot:

=1st Careca, Marquez-Onwere, 18 goals
=1st Peter Vanderpent, Albrecht FC, 18 goals
3rd Samuel Taha, Albrecht Turkish, 16 goals

Players’ Player of the Season:

1st Matteo Corradini, Albrecht FC
For the first time since Steven Fritz after XXIV, a Candelariasian has snaffled the most prestigious of the end-of-season player awards. You certainly can’t argue he doesn’t deserve it; for Corradini was the steadfast, unflashy rock upon which the title-winning side was built. Without him, neither Vanderpent nor Joe Cunningham, nor the Edwards brothers or Jack Marshall, could have been allowed the freedom they were, both to score and create, while he also protected the elderly backline and weighed in with six league goals. He’s also C&M’s international captain. This fact may be pertinent to his gaining of the award.

2nd Samuel Taha, Albrecht Turkish
You can’t argue with sixteen league goals in this competition, but perhaps this is more of a sympathy vote than anything else. The veteran Bettian will be returning to his homeland now, and perhaps he’ll have the decency to hand this medal over to Gary Maini before he goes. The Zwangzugian did only get one fewer goal, and unselfishly set up half his strike-partner’s, but still; Taha has clearly been an excellent servant to Candelariasian football over the years.

3rd Careca, Marquez-Onwere
One wonders where MarquezOW would have been without the talismanic Cafundelense forward. Poor seasons from the Kjaer brothers, Reiban Okeke and José Felipe Thingamy Wotzit could have severely damaged their chances, but instead they got themselves a place in Champions’ Cup qualifying. Careca is young enough to suggest that he can lead their line on his own for many a year yet to come, and will continue to give his national team’s selectors something to ponder on.

Sportswriters’ Player of the Season:

1st Careca, Marquez-Onwere
2nd Peter Vanderpent, Albrecht FC
3rd Merlin Siriwong, Marquez-Onwere

Goals win games, I suppose, and though there’s a few Eesseffians who might be wondering why they’re not represented here, as well as the likes of Rockdale LeCass and Murat Varnali, Careca clearly deserves his gong, while Peter Vanderpent continues as one of the CMSC’s true international stars. Siriwong meanwhile finishes third for the second season in a row and, despite Alessio Montano’s form, the twenty-five year-old’s twelve goals and umpteen assists can no longer be ignored by the next C&M international boss.

Young Player of the Season:

1st Casper Richardson, Gamboa FC
2nd Ryan Edwards, Albrecht FC
3rd Serkan Turkmen, Port of Clotaire

They’ve got for goals here too, but Casper Richardson’s fifteen is an outstanding tally for a young Candelariasian playing in the Di Bradini Cup for a sizeable chunk of the season. Good feet for a big man, as they say, Richardson is an ungainly player who may well terrorise international defences for the next decade. The younger Edwards was a given for this list too, with Albrecht’s downturn in form coinciding with the playmaker’s absence. Turkmen is a slightly surprising choice, with only two league goals to his name, but his crosses were leapt upon by Lee Waywide et al, and his performances show that foreign youngsters can make it in the CMSC at well. Niv Cohen’s failure to make the list is clearly down to vicious anti-Semitism. Probably.

Manager of the Season:

1st Andy Le Lan, Albrecht FC
2nd Carlos Panadero, El din Marbles
3rd Elgin Dannat, Caires City

Most people had Le Lan down to be sacked by matchday fifteen, but after taking C&M to the semi-finals of the Di Bradini Cup, the former Abiodun North boss returned to his old mate Martin Hole-Simpkins’ beleaguered club, and promptly pulled together an awkward squad to deliver the people of the capital a title when they needed it the most. Panadero and Dannat’s performances in making albeit slightly mangy silk purses out of sows’ ears, deserve recognition in these awards.

Foreigner of the Season:

1st Careca, Marquez-Onwere [Cafundéu]
2nd Samuel Taha, Albrecht Turkish [Bettia]
3rd Dionísio, Caires City [Cafundéu]

The most pointless award there is, given how dominant non-nationals usually are; but it’s great to see Dionísio rewarded. A makeweight in the poor, benighted O’Sullivan Caras’ move from City to Central United, the ridiculously talented midfielder was the Errant Knights’ class player, lifting into TQCC contention with ten goals and his exuberant play. Holding on to him will be the real challenge now.

Keeper of the Season:

1st Stephen Hill, Turks’ Club
2nd Paolo Thorpe, Albrecht FC
3rd Oberon Martinez, Albrecht Turkish

That’s a damning indictment of Turks’ Club’s season if there ever was one, but there’s no doubt that without him the Khatib-Gassett side would have been in even bigger trouble. The sacking of his beloved Felipo Curana earlier in the season may well encourage a Kura-Pellandi club to take him back home, but new boss Derek Marshall could do worse than look instead at Paolo Thorpe. After being ousted by Joel Sbaïz in the KT Hotspur line-up, the veteran was signed as a stop-gap measure by the Scorpions, and played a major part in their success.

Defender of the Season:

1st Naoki Tonnelier, Albrecht FC
2nd Enrique Silva de Aviz, Cathedral City
3rd Shane Avdeev, Caires City

A thoroughly odd list, this one, but it’s nice to reward the less obvious candidates. Silva de Aviz was a monster during the Cats’ run to the semi-finals of the second TQCC, and gets recognition largely on the strength of that, while his fellow former youth international Avdeev shrugged off last year’s tram crash to rally the youthful City defence. As for Tonnelier, she was in truth probably the weakest of Albrecht’s back four; but the grande dame of Candelariasian football well deserves this send-off. Having been in the capital since a teenager, Mrs. T. will now likely be offered a coaching job with the champions.

Midfielder of the Season:

1st Merlin Siriwong, Marquez-Onwere
2nd Dionísio, Caires City
3rd Matteo Corradini, Albrecht FC

Again, there’s a slightly surprising backlash against the Eesseffian contingent; but these three have all had superb seasons.

Forward of the Season:

1st Careca, Marquez-Onwere
2nd Peter Vanderpent, Albrecht FC
3rd Abdoulaye Soro, El din Marbles

Same-old, same-old; besides the Nethertopian Soro whose thirteen goals played a major part in the Marbles’ successful campaign. Whether Madden gets another season or not, the inanely pacey striker will hopefully put the fear up innumerable Champions’ Cup defences as the Marbles look to equal their rivals’ run to the semis.

Dancougar

25-05-2008, 02:59

REGULAR SEASON

Tournament bids are listed for each conference, with an automatic bid going to each regular season champion (listed first), and then sixteen additional bids are given at large.

Yuki Collegiate Premier League: (#2) Dancougar Royal Academy (10-3-1, 34/15)
Kishin Delta Collegiate Premier League: (#1) Port Royal University (11-3-2, 41/19)
Shiba Valley Conference: (#19) Ochoa City College (6-8-0, 24/17), Lansing College (7-3-4, 21/14)
Coastal Plains Conference: (#14) Southport City College (8-4-2, 23/13)
Hazuki Collegiate Premier League: (#6) Chester Academy (10-5-1, 29/16), Mugen Bend State College (8-4-4, 30/22),
Big Northeast Football Conference: Northeastern Masato University (10-1-3, 27/19)
Shinobu Valley Conference: Callihan College (5-8-1, 19/12), Akiba College (6-5-3, 23/18),
Helmut Collegiate Premier League: (#10) Jena College (8-3-3, 34/15), Granger Island College (7-3-4, 18/12)
South Central Conference: Leona College (7-7-2, 20/15), University of Shiba at Grandborough (8-3-5, 23/14)
Red River Conference: Rizzi College (7-4-3, 25/26), (#25) Raymaley College (7-3-4, 30/16)
Big West Conference: (#21) University of Desugaia (8-5-3, 26/18), (#23) Eastern Desugaia University (7-8-1, 22/14), Pine Bluffs State College (7-5-4, 23/18)
Lunarossa Collegiate Premier League: (#4) University of Lunarossa (10-3-2, 33/17), (#20) Neville Island State College (8-3-4, 29/19), (#22) Aiken College (8-3-4, 26/17)
Big North Conference: (#5) University of Masato (11-3-2, 33/20)
Metro East Football Conference: (#24) Morrison College (9-2-3, 22/17)
Igor Valley Conference: (#9) Barynsk College (10-0-4, 34/21), (#12) Darrough University (8-4-2, 30/11)
Big East Conference: (#7) Amada University (10-2-2, 30/15), (#18) Konoha Academy (8-3-3, 27/18), University of Fujiwara (7-5-2, 16/7)
Shapiro Collegiate Premier League: (#13) Bremley College (8-4-2, 24/12)
Kishin Plains Conference: Carnegie Technical Inst (6-5-3, 22/14)
Kotaru Collegiate Premier League: (#11) Takano University (9-3-2, 36/21)
Gilderome River Conference: University of Gilderome (8-5-3, 20/13)
Northern Plains Conference: (#8) Big Mountain State College (10-4-2, 32/11), (#15) Chastain College (9-4-3, 30/17)
Shikibu Collegiate Premier League: Port Gintoki University (6-5-3, 29/23)
Sullivan Collegiate Premier League: (#17) Kensington University (8-4-4, 30/18)
Keats Island Collegiate Premier League: (#3) Keats Island University (12-2-2, 41/18), (#16) Richmond College (9-3-4, 31/23)

TOURNAMENT

Scores listed are aggregate; in the case of a tie, the winner won the penalty shootout at the end of the second leg. All eyes are on the prize - the final at the National Stadium in Yuki City.

At-Large Round
Pine Bluffs State College 3-2 (#15) Chastain College
(#25) Raymaley College 2-3 Lansing College
(#18) Konoha Academy 5-8 Shapiro State University
Akiba College 6-1 (#16) Richmond College
(#23) Eastern Desugaia University 1-1 (#12) Darrough University
University of Fujiwara 4-1 Mugen Bend State College
University of Shiba at Grandborough 3-0 (#22) Aiken College
Granger Island College 6-5 (#20) Neville Island St Coll

Conference Round
Akiba College 5-2 Rizzi College
(#7) Amada University 1-2 (#2) Dancougar Royal Academy
(#8) Big Mountain State College 4-2 Lansing College
(#23) Eastern Desugaia University 3-2 (#14) Southport City College
Shapiro State University 0-3 (#4) University of Lunarossa
Leona College 0-3 (#5) University of Masato
(#9) Barynsk College 2-4 Pine Bluffs State College
(#3) Keats Island University 7-1 (#6) Chester Academy
(#19) Ochoa City College 2-5 Northeastern Masato University
University of Gilderome 4-3 (#10) Jena College
Port Gintoki University 2-3 (#17) Kensington University
University of Fujiwara 2-2 Granger Island College
Carnegie Technical Institute 4-0 Callihan College
University of Shiba at Grandborough 2-2 (#1) Port Royal University
(#21) University of Desugaia 1-2 (#13) Bremley College
(#11) Takano University 3-1 (#24) Morrison College

Construction Hut Sweet Sixteen
University of Fujiwara 2-4 (#13) Bremley College
(#2) Dancougar Royal Academy 6-3 Pine Bluffs State College
(#3) Keats Island University 2-1 Carnegie Technical Institute
Akiba College 5-3 (#23) Eastern Desugaia Univ
University of Shiba at Grandborough 2-3 Northeastern Masato University
(#11) Takano University 5-2 (#8) Big Mountain State Col
University of Gilderome 3-2 (#17) Kensington University
(#4) University of Lunarossa 4-2 (#5) University of Masato

Quarterfinals
University of Gilderome 0-0 (#2) Dancougar Royal Academy
Northeastern Masato University 4-3 (#11) Takano University
(#13) Bremley College 3-6 (#3) Keats Island University
(#4) University of Lunarossa 6-2 Akiba College

Semifinals
Northeastern Masato University 2-4 (#3) Keats Island University
University of Gilderome 3-0 (#4) University of Lunarossa

Collegiate Grand Final
(#3) Keats Island University 1-0 University of Gilderome

Taeshan

25-05-2008, 04:44

whens the Next TalkilQuip Champions Cup going to take place i would like to enter with my top teams if possible.

Season 2

Taeshan Soccer Federation

East Division final Standings*
Atlantea Hurricanes
X Island Marauders
Yaton FC
Capetown Crocs
Blacklake Blues

North Division
New Capetown Niffers
Gieron FC
Tintown Terps
Laketown Rangers
Los Riosa

West Division
Fadron Flight
Ojian Orangemen
Ying Jing Yankees
Machrobat Monkeys
Pariot Panthers

South Division
Wiechester FC
Bayern Phoenix
Docktown Deathdogs
Taeshan City Miners
Wolfin Wolves

Playoffs
Top 4 teams from each group advance to a knockout bracket
#1vs16 Atlantea 1-0 Taeshan City
#8vs9 Bayern 2-1 Ying Jing
#5vs12 Gieron 6-3 Tintown
#4vs13 New Capetown 1-4 Laketown
#6vs11 X Island 1-0 Docktown
#3vs14 Fadron Flight 4-2 Capetown
#7vs10 Ojian 2-1 Yaton
#2vs15 Wiechester 6-1 Machrobat

Round 2
#1vs8 Atlantea 2-1 Bayern
#5vs13 Gieron 1-0 Laketown
#3vs6 Fadron 2-1 X Island
#2vs7 Wiechester 11-4 Ojian

Round 3
#1vs5 Atlantea 2-3 Gieron
#2vs3 Wiechester 3-1 Fadron

3rd Place match
Atlantea 17-9 Fadron

Championship
Wiechester 6-3 Gieron

After a hundred straight playoff games that they had won the Atlantea Hurricanes finally lost the Taeshan Soccer Championship wether it be the new Federation cup or the leagues of old after that huge Gieron win the Atlantean team was taken off there high horse. And finally someone else could take the throne. The Wiechester Fc team finally won there first championship game with a huge victory over Geiron lead by team captain Jayly Riae of the Taeshan National League.

* in decending order

New Manhattan

25-05-2008, 04:56

whens the Next TalkilQuip Champions Cup going to take place i would like to enter with my top teams if possible.
During WC41 qualifying; the wiki page (http://www.thirdgeek.com/tqcc/2148_TakilQuip_Champions’_Cup) will be updated when a definite date is set.

Liverpool England

25-05-2008, 05:05

#2vs7 Wiechester 11-4 Ojian
...
3rd Place match
Atlantea 17-9 Fadron

9-, 15- and 26-goal games? Riiight.

Dancougar

25-05-2008, 05:55

After sticking stubbornly with its massive system of college football, the Kingdom of Dancougar has taken the next step in its development: the creation of the eighteen-team D-League, which gives promising college players a shot at future development outside of getting noticed by a foreign scout.

In order to control the league's finances, the government has imposed salary cap restrictions on each team, although each is allowed up to sign two "exempt" players.

And so, the first season kicks off, concluding just a few weeks after the college final, and a few weeks before WC41 qualifiers:

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Port Royal FC 34 19 6 9 50 42 8 63
2 Shuukyuu Kishin 34 16 9 9 53 40 13 57
3 Port Vigilence FC 34 16 7 11 40 35 5 55
4 Raymaley Athletic 34 15 10 9 45 41 4 55
5 Aiken City United 34 14 12 8 45 29 16 54
6 Stoneridge United 34 13 12 9 50 42 8 51
7 CF America Chuuoushi 34 13 9 12 35 32 3 48
8 Dynamo Kalinsk 34 12 11 11 38 36 2 47
9 Sporting Lakeport 34 13 8 13 35 41 -6 47
10 Mizuno no Juuichi 34 13 7 14 40 41 -1 46
11 King's Eleven Yuki City 34 13 7 14 42 44 -2 46
12 FC Takano 1983 34 11 10 13 41 44 -3 43
13 Super Dimension Ogasawara 34 11 7 16 38 46 -8 40
14 Grandborough FC 34 9 12 13 33 36 -3 39
15 Eastport United 34 10 9 15 32 36 -4 39
16 Yuki City Athletic 34 10 7 17 33 44 -11 37
17 Coraopolis FC 34 10 6 18 32 45 -13 36
18 Sporting Kildare 34 5 17 12 33 41 -8 32

Adihan

25-05-2008, 07:31

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b68/NSLE/NationStates/adihanleague.png
Preseason News Snippets

AFF Club rankings announced
The third set of club rankings issued by the Ad'ihan Football Federation (AFF) has been released. It takes into account a team's league and cup performances over the past three seasons, and for the first time it includes a full set of data from the first three seasons of Ad'ihani football.

For the first time ever, Protectorate Utd have lost their status as the best club in the country, after being knocked out in the second round of the cup last season. While they retain the top spot in the league rankings, their rivals Olympique Protectorat have climbed above them by 0.08 ranking points to take top spot overall for themselves.

AFF Club rankings – overall

Pos Team

1 Olympique Protectorat
2 Protectorate United
3 Oldbridge City
4 Pilminster Rovers
5 Hatton Town FC
6 County Stanley FC
7 CF Mont Pluie
8 T'chéy Park FC
9 Flitton City
10 Kinney Road FC
11 Southcast Town
12 Navon Beach FC
13 Northtown United
14 Tallyn Rovers FC
15 Dalinn Wanderers
16 Djei Sporting Club
17 Dullham and Oldbridge FC
18 South Barrier United
19 Island Athletic FC
20 Mountbatten Junction FC
21 AFC Hatton
22 Grand Arsenal FC
23 Altsend FC
24 Flitton Rangers

AFF club rankings – League points

Pos Team

1 Protectorate United
2 Olympique Protectorat
3 Oldbridge City
4 CF Mont Pluie
5 Navon Beach FC
6 County Stanley FC
7 Kinney Road FC
8 Mountbatten Junction FC
9 Pilminster Rovers
10 Tallyn Rovers FC
11 AFC Hatton
12 Grand Arsenal FC
13 T'chéy Park FC
14 Flitton City
15 Dalinn Wanderers
16 Northtown United
17 South Barrier United
18 Hatton Town FC
19 Djei Sporting Club
20 Dullham and Oldbridge FC
21 Island Athletic FC
22 Flitton Rangers
23 Southcast Town
24 Altsend FC

Third Division announced
The AFF have confirmed the formation of an amateur Third Division, made up of 16 teams from eight universities, with each school providing two teams. The 16 teams will be split into two groups, and will play each team in its own group twice (14 games). The top two teams from each group will move on to the playoffs (inasmuch as that only one team can represent a school in the playoffs).

The eight schools will also play in a cup tournament, consisting of one round-robin group of eight before the top four teams move on to the semi finals.

The eight universities involved are University Grand Island, Stanley College, Dullham Technological University, City of Ad’ihan University, Hatton College of Medicine, Technological Institute at Hatton, Technological Institute at Dalinn and Flitton University. L'Uni Dz'ai withdrew from the plan at late notice.

Corivia

25-05-2008, 09:16

Final results of the Corivian Premier League

1. Harrington FC P:34 W:26 D:2 L:6 PTS:59 - Champions TQCC
2. Inter Corivia P:34 W:18 D:2 L:14 PTS: 56 TQCC
3. Seren Union P:34 W:17 D:4 L:13 PTS:55 TQCC
4. Redfern P:34 W:16 D:2 L:16 PTS:50 TQCC
5. Tamber Lake FC P:34 W:13 D:7 L:14 PTS:46
6. Trinne P:34 W:12 D:8 L:14 PTS:44
7. Edithvale P:34 W:10 D:10 L:14 PTS:40
9. Greenock FC P:34 W:10 D:7 L:17 PTS:37
10. Aston Star P:34 W:10 D:7 L:17 PTS:37
11. Carris Red Bull P:34 W:7 D:13 L:14 PTS:34
12. Bushrell P:34 W:8 D:10 L:16 PTS:34
13. Legtar FC P:34 W:8 D:8 L:18 PTS:32
14. Mayland Pikes P:34 W:6 D:12 L:16 PTS: 30
15. Hawch P:34 W:5 D:13 L:16 PTS: 28
16. Lindenberry FC P:34 W:6 D:10 L:18 PTS:28 R
17. Seren City FC P:34 W:4 D:4 L:26 PTS:16 R
18. North Edithvale P:34 W:4 D:0 L:30 PTS:12 R

3 teams promoted to CPL from Corivian Championship League

Inner Hawch FC, Frome City FC and Shomeburg City

Attendences up 23%, Ticket prices to remain stable, 7% decrease in crowd violence

Newmanistan

25-05-2008, 09:54

In accordance to the final NPL standings in post 1714, we would like to send these teams to the TQCC

-- Dover City Mountaineers
-- Pocono City Capitals
-- Southport Tigers
-- Putnam Lake Eagles

If we are permitted a number less then four, then the above list is in order of priority in which to choose from.

Corivia

25-05-2008, 10:52

The Corivian Premier League would like to send to the TQCC the following four teams:

1. Harrington FC - League Champions
2. Inter Corivia
3. Seren Union
4. Redfern

If we are permitted a number less then four, then the above list is in order of priority in which to choose from.

Alversia

25-05-2008, 13:40

OOC: How does one enter the TQCC Cup?

New Manhattan

25-05-2008, 13:55

OOC: How does one enter the TQCC Cup?
By listing the (up to) four clubs that you want to enter (preferably as part of a league report, as there is an RP bonus for this, but it isn’t required).

Alversia

25-05-2008, 14:32

Thanks, in that case, can I enter my top four clubs from last year, (I haven't had time in a while to produce a League report,
1. Newtown Abbey
2. Illesia City
3. Leoma
4. Madden FC

Thanks

Dancougar

25-05-2008, 15:49

The D-League enters the top two teams from its inaugural season in the TQCC: Port Royal FC and Shuukyuu Kishin.

Cafundeu

26-05-2008, 19:47

As the next TQCC will probably happen before the end of the next Cafundelense league, the CCFM chose 4 teams to participate in the next TQCC. If the league ends before the start of the TQCC, the list will be changed. This is the list (composed of the league champions, phase winners or runner-ups and cup runner-ups):

- Cafundó do Juta (as league champions)
- Petardos S/A (as 2nd phase runner-ups)
- Dunboor FC (representing the 1st phase of the league [winner of this phase was Petardos S/A and runner-ups Cafundó do Juta)
- América (cup runner-ups)

If Petardos S/A wins an automatic spot due to being the defending champion team, A.F.F. will enter in the competition too.

Cafundéu also puts stadiums to compete to host the TQCC final (note that all these stadiums represent Cafundéu. So, when you're going to make the stadium draw, one of the competitors would be "Cafundéu", representing all the stadiums. If Cafundéu is chosen in the draw, then you could make another draw to decide which of the stadiums would be selected - I'm not sure if I explained well, but that's it). The stadiums are:

- Obelisco Monumental, in Lasft (cap. 220,000)
- Arena América, in Abadia (cap. 120,000)
- Estádio Rei Albieri Van Tocco, in Cafundó do Juta (cap. 165,000)
- Maracatuzão, in Dunboor (cap. 135,000)

Taeshan

26-05-2008, 19:48

The Taeshan Soccer Federations Entrances into the third TQCC

The Champions-Wiechester FC
Runners Up-Geiron FC
3rd Place-Atlantea Hurricanes
4th Place-Fadron Flight

Lovisa

26-05-2008, 23:46

Lovisan representant for TQCC

1. Lovos-Renault Atma (champion)
2. Visby Quarcoo (2nd place)
3. SD Borland Leve (3rd place)
4. Edda EB Ulfborg (4th place)

Daehanjeiguk

27-05-2008, 03:16

If it's not too late, the IFA of Daehanjeiguk would like to submit for entrance into the TQCC:

1. Shilla FC (winner of the Emperor's Cup)
Team stats:
142.03/280.46
[_][_]

2. Hangyeong FC (Season 6 League winner)
Team stats:
155.00/280.46
[_][_]

I don't think that I could send more teams than 2 (if we're operating by UEFA standards).

New Manhattan

27-05-2008, 11:15

(OOC: abridged due to lack of time…)

http://www.thirdgeek.com/ns/logos/eliteleague/

2146 Capitalizt Élite League—final standings
Yuba United proved to be in a class of their own, dominating the league from start to finish and ending up twenty-one points clear of their nearest competitor. This year’s success marked the fourth time that the Silver–Blues won the league thrice on the trot (BFA 2030–32, BPL 2053–55, 2062–64)—the only team in Bedistani history to accomplish it even once—and the third time that they swept all domestic competitions (2062 Bedistani double, 2144 CEL treble). The usual teams were also-rans to the Yuba club, with the exception of a poor performance by San Solari, whose manager was saved only by a Champions’ Cup semifinal appearance (losing to eventual champions Petardos S/A on aggregate after a home win). Perennial relegation battlers Lexington FC finally found themselves on the wrong side of the drop line, and will be joined in League Two by Querzakhi United.
Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Yuba United COM 34 26 2 6 58 26 32 80 Tournoi IRC/TQCC
2 South Coast United JSY 34 18 5 11 50 41 9 59 TQCC
3 San Diego Iguanas COM 34 16 9 9 56 46 10 57 TQCC
4 Qidade Savana JSY 34 16 8 10 73 63 10 56 TQCC
5 Sonoma Center Panthers COM 34 16 7 11 64 51 13 55
6 Black Oasis Athletic COM 34 16 7 11 47 41 6 55
7 Sokojito Dosi Gyūlhabdwen COM 34 14 9 11 42 40 2 51
8 Carter FC JSY 34 14 8 12 46 42 4 50
9 Medoria Löwen COM 34 13 6 15 51 44 7 45
10 High Mountain Buffalo JSY 34 11 12 11 36 39 -3 45
11 Naquada Falls Demons JSY 34 12 7 15 47 51 -4 43
12 San Solari FC COM 34 12 6 16 48 53 -5 42
13 New Haverford Albion JSY 34 10 10 14 39 44 -5 40
14 Sokojiʼwa Dosi CK COM 34 10 9 15 47 56 -9 39
15 Cordubovica Falcons COM 34 11 5 18 41 56 -15 38
16 Heidelstadt Falken JSY 34 10 7 17 40 59 -19 37
17 Lexington FC JSY 34 8 8 18 52 62 -10 32 Relegated
18 Querzakhi United COM 34 7 7 20 27 50 -23 28 Relegated

Élite League Two promotees
League 2 North: Aeropag Penguins (COM)
League 2 South: Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (JSY)

Élite League Two relegatees
League 2 North: Ari FC (COM), Eastfield Rogues (JSY), Cambridge Pioniere (COM)
League 2 South: SpVgg Tolzerio (COM), Scarab Inferno (COM), Kaiwu Mavericks (JSY)

Élite League Three promotees
League 3/A: Accola Eagles (COM)
League 3/B: Penbulg Donʼujī (JSY)
League 3/C: Navarre Town (COM)
League 3/D: Eintracht Südtolzerio (COM)
League 3/E: Jonloli Gyūlhabdwen (COM)
League 3/F: St Raphael Battling Bishops (JSY)

Élite League Cup
The two most storied clubs in the States, Sonoma Center Panthers and Yuba United, met at Holmes Stadium for the League Cup final. Goals flowed freely in the match, with the Takilan approach of Sonoma Center dictating play. Still, Yuba’s more measured tactic proved successful, as they scored on the break in extra time to pick up their first trophy of the season.
Quarterfinals
(CEL) Yuba United 3–1 New Haverford Albion (CEL)
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken 0–1 Noka Mariners (L2N)
(CEL) South Coast United 2–1 Teʼyaçu Joŋlyugijī (3/A)
(L2N) Humai Titans 3–3 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)

Quarterfinal Replay
(CEL) Sonoma Center Panthers 3–0 Humai Titans (L2N)

Semifinals
(CEL) Yuba United 0–0 Noka Mariners (L2N)
(CEL) South Coast United 1–2 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)

Semifinal Replay
(CEL) Noka Mariners 1–2 Yuba United (CEL)

Final
(CEL) Yuba United 3–3 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)
Extra time: 4–3

TechConGroup Cup
In the semifinals of the Cup, San Diego easily defeated their League Two opponent to book a spot in the final. Yuba had a more difficult task, facing Sonoma Center for the fourth time this season in the wake of a three-goal league defeat at the Anaphase Alchemy, but nonetheless came out 4–2 victors. The two finalists simply could not be separated on the balance of play after one hundred twenty minutes; Iguanas captain Han Çūl-li slipped on the wet pitch during the shootout to help clinch the treble for the Silver–Blues.
Quarterfinals
(L2S) Ἄργος ΛΠ 2–0 Natestadt Nationalisten (L2N)
(CEL) Querzakhi United 0–4 San Diego Iguanas (CEL)
(CEL) Medoria Löwen 0–4 Yuba United (CEL)
(L2N) Aeropag Penguins 1–2 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)

Semifinals
(L2S) Ἄργος ΛΠ 0–3 San Diego Iguanas (CEL)
(CEL) Yuba United 4–2 Sonoma Center Panthers (CEL)

Final
(CEL) San Diego Iguanas 1–1 Yuba United (CEL)
Extra time: 1–1
Penalty kicks: 2–3

자스연 컵 (Jasīʼyūn Kūb)
Newly-promoted New Haverford had no lack of confidence in the cup, successfully navigating their way to the final. In the second leg of the final, they opened the floodgates, and many of Heidelstadt’s home fans left long before the final whistle as they found themselves on the wrong end of a 6–0 aggregate result.
Quarterfinals
(CEL) New Haverford Albion 2–1 Sokojito Dosi Dalamjwijī (L2N)
(L2N) Sokojito Dosi Dalamjwijī (2) 1–1 (3) New Haverford Albion (CEL)

(CEL) Lexington FC 3–2 Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (L2S)
(L2S) Dusanto Mojaʼikījī (2) 0–0 (3) Lexington FC (CEL)

(CEL) High Mountain Buffalo 0–0 Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (L2N)
(L2N) Lisda Lokado Goji Salamjī (1) 1–1 (1) High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)
Away goals: 0–1

(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken 1–1 Jamaica Giants (L2N)
(L2N) Jamaica Giants (1) 0–2 (3) Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)

Semifinals
(CEL) New Haverford Albion 1–0 Lexington FC (CEL)
(CEL) Lexington FC (0) 0–0 (1) New Haverford Albion (CEL)

(CEL) High Mountain Buffalo 0–1 Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken (3) 2–2 (2) High Mountain Buffalo (CEL)

Final
(CEL) New Haverford Albion 2–0 Heidelstadt Falken (CEL)
(CEL) Heidelstadt Falken (0) 0–4 (6) New Haverford Albion (CEL)

Starblaydia

27-05-2008, 20:41

http://www.starblaydestudios.co.uk/Images/SFA-Logo.gif
Liga Starblaydia Season 2078*
The all-new look for Liga Starblaydia begins!

Liga Starblaydia was once one of the three greatest leagues in the world, culminating when Iskara Daii won the Seventh Nationstates Champions League. Since the hiatus (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/starblaydia_s_international_football_hiatus.html), however, the domestic game has crumbled. Steadily but surely, it has been rebuilt and remade afresh in order to claim back the place it once had. Now, in the year 2078, a full 106 years after the first Starblaydi Alpha Division was formed, the Starblaydi Football Association presents: Liga Starblaydia!

The Liga is made up of forty-eight teams divided into three sixteen-team Divisions, who play each other Home and Away to determine the finishing league positions.

Promotion/Relegation: The top team and bottom team are automatically promoted and relegated, respectively. Four other teams, two from the above division and two from the below, play-off against each other to decide who goes up and who comes down.

Example:

Division One, Bottom
13 ...
14 Third Bottom Team (1) 30 <-- Plays off against Third Place Team (2)
15 Second Bottom Team (1) 30 <-- Plays off against Second Place Team (2)
16 Bottom Team (1) 30 <-- Automatically Relegated

Division Two, Top
1 Championship Team (2) 30 <-- Automatically Promoted
2 Second Place Team (2) 30 <-- Plays off against Second Bottom Team (1)
3 Third Place Team (2) 30 <-- Plays off against Third Bottom Team (2)
4 ...

Table Code:
C: Champions
CP: Champions (Promoted)
PP: Promoted (Via Play-off)
RP: Relegated (Via Play-off)
R: Relegated

Liga Starblaydia Alpha Division, Season 2078
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
C Hallad Reavers 30 17 7 6 43 24 19 58 - TQCC
2 Iskara Daii 30 15 6 9 47 40 7 51 - TQCC
3 FC Farça 30 15 5 10 57 52 5 50 - TQCC
4 Tabeck FC 30 14 7 9 49 41 8 49 - TQCC
5 Jhanna City 30 14 5 11 49 38 11 47
6 Tournetas 30 12 4 14 38 40 -2 40
7 Hecia 30 10 9 11 32 29 3 39
8 Veles 30 11 6 13 41 50 -9 39
9 Corinthian Spirits 30 10 8 12 44 45 -1 38
10 Jhanna United 30 10 8 12 33 40 -7 38
11 Karak Ungor Chiefs 30 9 10 11 31 30 1 37
12 Vecchio Victors 30 9 10 11 32 35 -3 37
13 Penningworth United 30 9 9 12 32 43 -11 36
14 Montepool Waves 30 9 6 15 54 53 1 33
RP Tuncastle Rovers 30 6 15 9 27 34 -7 33
R Internashionale 30 8 9 13 31 46 -15 33

Hallad Reavers, inspired by young captain Batou Nakamura, storm to the title, winning it for the first time with a Matchday to spare. Iskara Daii crept into the second place spot that FC Farça threw away with two losses in the last two games, while Tabeck FC sneak into the TakilQuip Champions Cup on the last Matchday, edging out Jhanna City. Internashionale and Tuncastle are relegated, but Montepool Waves save themselves with a fortunate Play-off victory over the defensive stylings of Malta Lines. Inter's inspiration captain Jae Chang-hwa was injured for much of the season, leaving their defence in dire straights, though when she did return, her efforts could not pull them back from the brink.

Starblaydia's TakilQuip Champions' Cup entries:
Hallad Reavers (Champions), Iskara Daii, FC Farça, Tabeck FC

Liga Starblaydia Player Awards:
Player of the Year: Batou Nakamura
Stiker of the Year: Lubii
Midfielder of the Year: Batou Nakamura
Defender of the Year: Vega Matranga
Goalkeeper of the Year: Kyli Seji

Liga Starblaydia Beta Division, Season 2078
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
CP Hernsworth Cubs 30 16 10 4 43 24 19 58
PP Paricone Athletic FC 30 17 6 7 52 34 18 57
3 Malta Lines 30 11 11 8 24 19 5 44
4 Foxchester Raiders 30 12 8 10 50 54 -4 44
5 Port Cythera 30 10 13 7 37 35 2 43
6 Basian Valley 30 11 9 10 24 25 -1 42
7 Nemya Hotspurs 30 11 8 11 42 39 3 41
8 Cedrus Soundgardia 30 10 11 9 47 48 -1 41
9 Jhanna Praetoran Uni 30 11 8 11 47 52 -5 41
10 Tribe Urjali 30 11 7 12 45 46 -1 40
11 Hersch Albion 30 11 7 12 36 38 -2 40
12 Athletico Sciuntis 30 11 6 13 50 51 -1 39
13 Beverington Hawks 30 10 8 12 49 42 7 38
14 Hippion Heartland 30 10 7 13 35 39 -4 37
RP Widdrington Wolves 30 5 12 13 18 29 -11 27
R Real Nidola 30 4 7 19 25 49 -24 19

Hernsworth Cubs win the title with a game to spare, but it is the story of Real Nidola's 19 points that sees them drop straight into the Gamma Division. Widdrington Wolves follow them with a loss to Cedrus Islanders, while Hippion Heartland stay up over the Navy team of Torpedo Bisarely.

Liga Starblaydia Gamma Division, Season 2078
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
CP Lavingrad Wanderers 30 16 8 6 59 43 16 56
PP Cedrus Islanders 30 13 11 6 44 32 12 50
3 Torpedo Bisarley 30 14 8 8 54 44 10 50
4 Sciuntis Stars 30 13 10 7 45 33 12 49
5 Sporting Salicus 30 14 5 11 55 51 4 47
6 Tournet Nicks 30 12 6 12 45 56 -11 42
7 Viculus Miners 30 9 14 7 36 32 4 41
8 Sciapos Spruits 30 11 7 12 42 43 -1 40
9 Penningworth Rorçn 30 9 10 11 50 51 -1 37
10 Archaeos Judiciary FC 30 10 7 13 48 50 -2 37
11 Athletico Ducentis 30 9 9 12 37 48 -11 36
12 Samosisos Blues 30 8 11 11 28 35 -7 35
13 Nidola United 30 8 9 13 41 52 -11 33
14 Fraxinus Codexus 30 5 15 10 31 35 -4 30
15 Tabeck Cefn Druids 30 6 12 12 26 34 -8 30
16 Hallad City 30 5 14 11 28 30 -2 29

The team from the Abattoiran ex-patriot community earned the Gamma Division title at a canter, though it wasn't secure until a 2-0 victory over Hallad City on the last day sealed the trophy and allowed the Monks and the Druids to keep themselves off the bottom position of forty-eight teams.

* OOC: For those who care, Starblaydia was founded on Nationstates 'in' 1972. Taking the next RL World Cup as being Starblaydia's entry for World Cup 15 - 1974 - we now fast forward 104 years from then 'til World Cup 41 in 2078. Hence, this is the Liga Starblaydia edition that preceeds WC41. Ideally I'll score four leagues per WC (of course), but only post any sort of real detail in the Pre-Cup ones. In other news, though Starblaydia has a timeline!

Septentrionia

27-05-2008, 21:55

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v338/Oli55/Superligue-soccer-logo2.png
Saison 2012

This season has witnessed a dominance never seen before in the Septentronian Superligue with CS Sept-Onze Ourseville dominating from the first to the last game of the season. Another highlight point was the departure of Nicolas Leduc from FC Cap-Phare to the Valanoran club FC Wexax for SFC (Septentrionian Franc de Crystal) 76,882,400. That didn't seem to affect them so much as they finished 6th. One surprising news was the fact that CS Ourseville 1093 are back in the top 8, despite being predicted a relegation battle. The factor here was the rejuvenation of their club, and it seems to be working. CS Lac-Amédée will be trying the same starting next year, as they just announced that Carlito Di Bradini, a Starblaydian international, will be joining them for SFC 77,000,000.

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 CS Sept-Onze Ourseville 30 18 7 5 60 27 33 61
2 FC Grand-Glacier 30 15 7 8 46 34 12 52
3 CS Lac-Amédée 30 15 7 8 43 31 12 52
4 Union d'Ourseville 30 15 6 9 55 44 11 51
5 ASJL Cap-Nord 30 12 10 8 46 38 8 46
6 FC Cap-Phare 30 13 5 12 43 38 5 44
7 CS Ourseville 1093 30 12 8 10 45 43 2 44
8 US Septentrionalis 30 11 8 11 33 29 4 41
-------------------------------------------------------------------
9 Richelieu AC 30 11 7 12 40 39 1 40
10 Stade du Dauphin 30 10 8 12 38 39 -1 38
11 Club de Hockey St-FX 30 11 5 14 35 43 -8 38
12 Mont-Lambert FC 30 10 4 16 33 50 -17 34
-------------------------------------------------------------------
13 SC Mont-Bleu 30 8 8 14 29 41 -12 32
14 Nordiqueville AF 30 8 7 15 31 44 -13 31
15 Club Athlétique Ourseville 30 6 12 12 38 54 -16 30
16 Club Olympique Baieville 30 7 7 16 33 54 -21 28

Top 8 advance to the playoffs, bottom 4 play in promotion playoffs

Deuxième Division

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Sauvageville 30 16 8 6 45 25 20 56
2 Mont-Surrindère SC 30 14 9 7 38 32 6 51
3 CH Vaudreuil 30 15 6 9 38 34 4 51
4 Baie-Verte CCFC 30 14 6 10 47 32 15 48
-------------------------------------------------------------------
5 Bourdailleux 30 13 8 9 45 38 7 47
6 AA Benoîtville 30 11 10 9 38 35 3 43
7 SC Presqu'île 30 12 7 11 25 30 -5 43
8 Desmarais 30 11 9 10 40 34 6 42
9 L'Étoile du Nord FC 30 10 10 10 36 32 4 40
10 AS Île-Benoît 30 9 11 10 41 39 2 38
11 Orléans 30 9 10 11 35 37 -2 37
12 CH Piedmont 30 10 5 15 36 43 -7 35
13 FC Les Vals 30 8 10 12 35 43 -8 34
14 Septentrionalis HC 30 8 9 13 34 46 -12 33
15 Club Latin 30 9 4 17 33 48 -15 31
16 Calembourg 30 6 8 16 26 44 -18 26

Top 4 play in promotion playoffs

Phase éliminatoire de la Superligue

The shock here might be that Sept-Onze are not even champions of Septentrionia despite dominating all season long. CS Lac-Amédée were good enough to eliminate them in the final, by a 1-0 score.

Quarterfinals
CS Sept-Onze Ourseville 1-1 US Septentrionalis (1-1 AET) (CS Sept-Onze Ourseville wins 3-0 on penalty kicks)
FC Grand-Glacier 1-0 CS Ourseville 1093
CS Lac-Amédée 2-1 FC Cap-Phare
Union d'Ourseville 2-1 ASJL Cap-Nord

Semifinals (Semi-finalists qualify for TQCC)
CS Sept-Onze Ourseville 3-1 FC Grand-Glacier
CS Lac-Amédée 1-0 Union d'Ourseville

Final
CS Sept-Onze Ourseville 0-1 CS Lac-Amédée

Promotion playoffs

As usual, the 8 participating teams are drawn at random. The winners of the playoffs promote to the Superligue, the losing teams go to Deuxième Division.

First leg:
Club Athlétique Ourseville 2-2 Mont-Surrindère SC
SC Mont-Bleu 2-3 Baie-Verte CCFC
Club Olympique Baieville 2-0 CH Vaudreuil
Nordiqueville AF 1-0 Sauvageville

Second leg:
Mont-Surrindère SC 2-0 Club Athlétique Ourseville
Baie-Verte CCFC 2-5 SC Mont-Bleu
CH Vaudreuil 0-2 Club Olympique Baieville
Sauvageville 1-2 Nordiqueville AF

Aggregate results:
Club Athlétique Ourseville 2-4 Mont-Surrindère SC
SC Mont-Bleu 7-5 Baie-Verte CCFC
Club Olympique Baieville 4-0 CH Vaudreuil
Nordiqueville AF 3-1 Sauvageville

Congratulations to Mont-Surrindère SC, SC Mont-Bleu, Club Olympique Baieville and Nordiqueville AF for winning their respective series.

Vephrall

28-05-2008, 03:24

Play to proceed through time warp, says VFR

After a rather inexplicable occurrence that scientists say caused a year and a half to simply disappear from the view of the rest of the world, the Vephraller Foutbiller Restritris has confirmed that the 1756 league season will pick up right where it left off, and is scheduled to be finished in about six weeks.

To the average person outside Vephrall's borders, this just means you need to update your Vephrese calendars - what you thought was March 1758 is actually still September of '56.

[OOC: Due to my prolonged absence this month, I lost a lot of ground even with my new slower timeline. So I'm just going to extract five RL weeks and pretend they weren't there so that I can get back on track.]

Septentrionia

28-05-2008, 03:50

OOC: Sorry for this second post in only some hours, but I didn't feel like editing my previous post...

IC: La Fédération de Soccer de la Septentrionie, in collaboration with Coupe du Monde Septentrionie Inc., would be interested to host an event such as important as the TakilQuip Champion's Cup final in their country, Septentrionia. For this, they have allied with Le Club Sportif Sept-Onze d'Ourseville, Section Soccer enr. to bring it to the nation. The stadium proposed to host the final has been freshly created, and as soon as built, it has been renovated to add some seats: a second tier in one of the sides, seats in one of the corners and a proper platform to host a camera to televise games. Stade du Rivage has been nominated by the FSS to host the final should Septentrionia get to host it.

Here's some stats about the stadium:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v338/Oli55/StadeduRivage-4.png
Location: Ourseville, Capitale, Septentrionie
Home to: CS Sept-Onze Ourseville, Superligue
Capacity: 66,400

Candelaria And Marquez

28-05-2008, 17:27

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w175/candelariaandmarquez/Cmscxxviii1.png

CMS Cup Final

The same sides, the same location and basically the same game – C&M’s blue-ribbon sporting event of the year (ha!) saw Marquez-Onwere pound KT Hotspur for ninety minutes while Thomas Larson’s team took it like good boys. The only thing different was the outcome, with Merlin Siriwong’s strike on sixty-six from Careca’s knock-down enough to give the naranja a 1-0 victory; their first CMS Cup since XIII and first bit of pot since the XXVI league win.

Who really gives a fig, though?

KT Hotspur v Marquez-Onwere 0 – 1 (Siriwong 66)
@ Estadio Arrigo Nacional, Arrigo

The Relegation/Promotion Play-off: Mayo Valley v Candelaria-Allemali

Ooh, now this was far more entertaining, since something more than a pointless cup was up for grabs – money. The chance to star in the eighteen-team CMSC1 XXIX was a major dangly carrot for these two clubs and Mayo Valley, as the current top-flight side started as favourites. They also had the advantage of playing the first leg away from home and, frankly, a rather better set of players.

Having sacked their coach half-way through the season and brought in Paulson Gates, the former Abiodun North boss, Candelaria-Allemali scraped into fourth with a late equaliser away at Abiodun themselves. A few veterans from their last top-flight campaign were present, but overall this was a fairly unfamiliar side playing a desperately uninspiring 4-4-2 against Mayo’s… rather dull 4-4-4…

Remind me, what was the point of this whole eighteen team nonsense?

Anyhoo, the fresher and more rested Sky Blues showed no sign of being on a downer after finishing in the bottom two and raced into the lead at the Sausages Arena through Kim Zetaback, the Eesseffian who looked a cut above just about everyone out there on the day. On the strength of the early play, Mayo looked capable of walking all over the Shining Sons but the home side got a lucky break on the half hour, when the languid young defender Jack Johnson launched a long ball and striker Michael Sisson forced Lewis Piccioni into a rare save. Fabian Marks delivered the corner, from which the former Endmile right-back Thjis Tullier rose highest.

For pretty much the first time this season, the heads of the Sky Blues dropped. Their cause wasn’t helped by an injury to James Meakin, the talented young left-winger (duh), but CandelariaAM became increasingly dominant as the first half closed, and went out like a train come the second forty-five. They were rewarded on the sixty-sixth minute, when the young forward Henry Hamley – stuck out on the left for this game and showing a versatility unusual among Candelariasian kids – touched the ball past Leon Towle and delivered a cross which Piccioni could only deflect onto the powerful skull of midfielder Nathan Bornemann.

Gates to his credit declined to settle for a 2-1 home victory, with away goals very much in play in this tie, and instead reshuffled his attack with teenager Presbury Ellis replacing Andrew Abbott and slotting in behind Sisson. Gates had been unwilling the risk the talented second striker too far in the big games – as much out of a fear of seeing him picked for the last Di Bradini squad and subsequently stolen by a top-flight club – but Ellis rewarded his newfound faith with a barnstorming run up the centre before unselfishly passing to Bornemann who finished majestically.

The second leg started much as the first, with Mayo needing at least two goals, but the Shining Sons had a joker in the form of ‘keeper Prince Mapleson; the former C&M under-21 proving an equal to the efforts of both Rick Sekerci and Connor Tucker. Mayo only narrowly avoided going 1-0 down themselves on fifteen minutes, with Ellis’ lofted effort having beaten Piccioni. The Kosovoen Tenicia Martinez was present and accounted for to clear off the line, however.

But CandelariaAM’s defence held strong, despite the relative youth of the centre-back pairing and crumbly limbs of the full-backs; and Mayo eventually ground themselves into the dirt. Piccioni was the saviour on several occasions, but the 3-1 score of the first leg proved the killer, and Mayo were quickly condemned to life in the second division. CandelariaAM meanwhile completed a record of three from three, with all the relegated sides last year bouncing back up into the new CMSC.

Candelaria-Allemali v Mayo Valley 3 – 1 (Tullier 29, Bornemann 66 and 85; Zetaback 9)

Mayo Valley v Candelaria-Allemali 0 – 0

CMSC XXVIII Team Reviews

The League: The goals-per-game ratio went up a smidge to 2.7. Who really cares about that sort of stuff, though? More important is just how dominant the Albrecht duo were, far ahead of an endless mid-table that provided an exciting TQCC qualifying run-in, but little in the way of a genuine title challenge. Both the capital clubs will have money to spend, safe in the knowledge that at least a group stage in the global competition is coming up, with the television money and gate receipts that brings. The CMSC better watch itself that these two don’t pull ahead next time out.

That Mayo Valley and Castillo finished in the bottom two will be a slight worry, given that there will be at least three news clubs in the expanded, eighteen-team CMSC1 XXIX, but this might as well be a statistical quirk as much as anything else. Two points more and Valley would have been saved, while Caires City only narrowly missed out on the all-important top four.

On the Prowl: With gap between matchday thirty and matchday one expected to be even shorter than usual, and the four-foreigner cap still in place, there are likely to be relatively few imports this season – while the new national government looks, by early indications, to be less keen on bankrolling the country’s premier sporting competition. For that matter, how many foreign players are going to be keen on coming to a country still reeling from a devastating terror attack from still undetermined quarters, when offers from safer lands may be on the table?

There are other reasons at play too however, for Candelariasian clubs now compete in a much more crowded marketplace. The days of being the poor man’s Cafundéu are long gone – today we are in the midst of a boom time of domestic football, making new foreign signings increasingly expensive. Equally, countries from which the players are brought can no longer be relied upon to automatically show live games involving that player, or pick up the highlights package – many TV companies are now concerned over buying into a league which could well be something of a busted flush now.

Albrecht FC: A miserable season of on-pitch disappointment and off-field argy-bargy? Hardly. Instead, the unheralded Andy Le Lan galvanised this team into a force that, while seldom beautiful to watch, was still head and shoulders above the rest until the wobble-up of the second half of the season, caused by Ryan Edwards’ absence and the pressures of TQCC football. With a couple of additions, and with a quiet break in the boardroom with attempted takeover bid, Le Lan must be confident of guiding the Scorpions to another title.

On the Prowl: Seemingly intent to keep the current 4-1-3-2, Le Lan needs to make few changes. The end of Naoki Tonnelier’s playing days frees up a foreigner spot, and with Paolo Thorpe looking for a final pay-day elsewhere Le Lan may decide that Stefan Santamaria just isn’t up to taking the ‘keeper’s jersey. Shane Wojciechowski is thirty-one, and a younger centre-back will be needed for back-up, but the more pressing concern is replacing Tonnelier – Nic Noble is an able player, but offers little in the way of width and attacking prowess in this narrow side.

Albrecht Turkish: A curious season for Turkish, who started their title defence abysmally, went on an incredible run, before fizzling out late on. Technically the best XI in the league; their few Achilles’ heels proved their downfall with slowcoach midfielder Ryan Westhead and defender Evan Laurie largely to blame (that’ll be the dull surnames, it never helps), while Kris Healy took too long to find a way of helping Scott Soldarian and Hirokazu Reizei play together successfully. Iron out those flaws and they’ll start XXIX as favourites – but the big issues of the break is whether Healy really is the CAMAFA’s number one target for C&M boss.

On the Prowl: Be it Healy, Donovan Alexander or anyone else making the signings, the Millermen may see a fairly busy summer. Raynor City Rockers’ EPL title victory is a boon, and may keep Scott Soldarian at the club for another season, but Samuel Taha has left for a last hurrah back in Bettia. Finding a replacement is of the utmost importance, but there are plausible Candelariasian options and they may instead look to strengthen the right of midfield or centre of defence with a foreign import. Perhaps their biggest concern however will be keeping Sylvain Carmona, Can Cetin, Joel Mercado, Ben Rasmussen, James Falconer and other home-grown players sweet; all of whom are desperate for first-team football.

Marquez-Onwere: The most shamelessly gung-ho side in the league – only Castillo and MN Smith conceded more goals – continued to lead the ranks of the also-rans with a second consecutive top-four finish. In some ways, that their season was portrayed as a disappointment is a credit to Andy Woolworth, with the naranja having now firmly re-established themselves as one of the perennial expected contenders. The Kura-Pellandi was hamstrung by the intermittent form of his squad, with Careca, Siriwong and Stafador playing out of their skin whilst some of his higher-valued Candelariasians flattered to deceive; but Woolworth himself must take his share of the blame, having put out a side in which the Pazhujebi defender Ávindu Zulqadr’s introduction for Peter Kimber was the only change to the regular starting XI. As good as the one to eleven may be, the cannier managers and players in the CMSC simply know what to look for now.

On the Prowl: Unlikely to be any foreigner moves in or out, but Woolworth surely has to shake things up a bit to avoid this side becoming stale. Shock of shocks, he may even give Jack Stafador a midfield partner and only play three in the hole… Reiban Okeke may well be the fall guy, while Seb Moon will be going on strike at this rate, if the goalkeeper isn’t granted first-team football elsewhere. Otherwise, Woolworth may rely on his wide selection of promising teenagers.

El din Marbles: From a season in which they excelled themselves under new expectations at all to one in which they frequently disappointed amid predictions of being genuine contenders, the Marbles had an odd XXVIII. When one looks at their squad in all honesty, it’s hard to work out why they were quite so talked up – but those that did so are certainly grinning smugly now. Abdoulaye Soro make have been the fans’ player of the season, but his absence to the Oxen Cup alongside Kenneth Quinn and the injury to ‘keeper Aubrey Mkhonza seemed to galvanise the narrow squad Carlos Panadero had left, and in the final reckoning a side with no top-flight history prior to these last three seasons snuck into the TQCC places. Panadero will stay for now, but if this carries on he – and the Marbles – would be able to name their price.

On the Prowl: Suddenly they have a Champions’ Cup run to think about, and the pre-agreed bosman signing of pacey midfielder David Archer from Ironside-Talinger looks just slightly underwhelming. A creative runner for Crawford Panama in the centre of the park is still required, while the future of Andy Madden up front is still undecided. If he does leave then Panadero has a foreigner slot to play with and could use it to find Soro a partner, though a balanced centre-half, powerful right-back and better goalkeeper are all positions that could do with filling.

Caires City: Every bit as impressive as Panadero’s results were Elgin Dannat’s. Formerly the Errant Knights’ youth team boss, whose previous single claim to fame had been to spot a young Alessio Montano playing out in the Marquezian sticks and arranging his move to north-east Candelaria, Dannat not only orchestrated a second division title win but guided what was supposed to be the first side in the CMSC into fifth position. A seldom pretty but perfectly balanced outfit, he moulded home-grown talent and pricier newcomers together marvellously, and never permitted them to accept the fate of the other two promoted sides. If Dionísio’s presence was a stroke of dumb luck, then Dannat also did superbly in spotting the potential of Rod Cozzi, Alex San and the young Blouman Henry Morrison. Missing out on TQCC football on the last day was probably his final masterstroke of the season – another distraction really wasn’t what they needed for XXIX.

On the Prowl: Hard to say. There’s little money available, and Dannat may be concerned about breaking up a winning side. There are few areas which couldn’t do with improvement – they can do better than Wayne Becchio in the heart of the midfield, Xan Tipton can be upgraded in the centre of defence, and San isn’t the most robust of right wing-backs, but the major moves may be the likes of Eddie Dyer and Isaac Burridge leaving after falling out of favour. Equally, holding on to Dionísio may prove beyond their bank balance.

Port of Clotaire: It’s hard to know quite what to make of the Harpies. Niko Mason’s cheerleaders (not that we do cheerleaders in C&M of course, it’s just a figure of speech) will present this as a successfully outing, and there’s no denying that the PoC were the only side to realistically challenge the capital duo. Their awful late dip was due largely to injuries and cup-based absences than any mistakes on Mason’s part, but when all’s said and done it was a terrible capitulation. That Jason Federici and Lee Waywide failed to hit it off swimmingly didn’t help their cause in the long term, though for a team built from the back they were surprisingly leaky as well. The elderly Doug Szczechowicz and young Arthur Walker shouldered most of the blame on that account, but an off-form Tom Redway must also received a few poked fingers.

On the Prowl: Walter Tensen proved a good buy, but Mason may cut in losses in order to add some extra spark to the midfield and free up a foreigner spot for a new left-back. The big rumour however is that Mason may chose to cash in on Jason Federici, and partner Lee Waywide with teenager Dean Dotson instead.

Green Island Zapata: Another title challenge never materialised, and in truth never came close to doing so, and the GIZ ultimately finished a disappointing twenty points behind the champions. They sacrificed little of their attacking instinct, but Stuart Vidakovic and Rául Vélez both had seasons befitting the odd-numbered status of this championship while the defence took far too long to gel. Hane Davies too suffered from troubles beyond his control, starting with Esdy va Drake’s extended period out through injury and continuing with Ben Head’s omission from C&M’s Cup of Harmony squad, which did nothing for the captain’s temperament, Vélez’s agreed move to Cafundéu, Roger Zetaback’s disinclination to sign a new contract and, finally, the death of veteran (very veteran) centre-half Fred Michaels. A season of development, ultimately.

On the Prowl: Davies looks set to be an extremely busy bee. Michaels’ demise and Zetaback’s decision to leave has rocked the club, and replacing not only them but Vélez may prove too great a challenge – especially when Seb Cerullei looks set to join hometown club C.A.L and Davies still wants an upgrade on ‘keeper Martin Petit. The GIZ may be barely recognisable come the start of XXIX.

Abiodun’s Gamboan Club: Certainly not the easiest of seasons for C&M’s should-be-but-actually-aren’t richest club, with only a late run pulling them up into mid-table and a thoroughly average 10-10-10 record. It was always going to be tough for Duffy’s youngsters however, and they were truly never less than entertaining along the way. The difference between relegation and eighth place proved their front pair, with Cas Richardson and Sargento Castelão joining the A.Turks duo as the only partnership in which both players broke into the teens, so to speak; ably helped by the passing, awareness and complete lack of finishing ability of the likes of Jua Huwang, Kevin Ely and George Jones in behind them.

On the Prowl: Asides from Clayton Knight, the defence may well be pulled apart and started afresh with the frankly awful East Antairees left-back Andrew Ryan likely to be the first slung out on his ear. That part of their support base that remains stupidly wealthy will of course fund all this, though Duffy will likely also let the likes of attacking midfielder Austin Lewis and striker Robbie Shannon leave after being pushed out by the kids.

KT Hotspur: The much-of-a-muchness-ness of the league this year allowed several managers to keep their jobs when all had seemed lost, and Thomas Larson was certainly one of those. After more than a decade with Jerry Huntick at the helm the supporters didn’t particularly expect to be watching thrilling, inspirational football; but six at the back tested even their resolve. The simply fact was that it just didn’t work, and by the mid-way point of the season Larson was increasingly pushing Danny Ibbetson and Özkan Yalçin back into the midfield where they belong. Allen Gallagher up front did what was required of him, while Wally Milton put fears over family and friends back in Hopeless SC to display a real captain’s innings, despite his occasionally red cards. By the end, Larson was even toying with using a three-man defence, which is progress in the extreme.

On the Prowl: Larson will continue to want to put his own impression on the club, and with the Bostopian Karl Matthews moving into the coaching staff he has two foreigner spots left to fill. It’s hard to know quite what he’ll go for, but rumours suggest that a large, muscular partner for the elegant Agamemnon Knight and technically solid Anslem Fisher will be on the cards and he could also opt for some midfield steel to work alongside the frillier Aaron Kortsarian et al.

Turks’ Club of Khatib: While their neighbours listed just above and the likes of Albrecht FC and MN Smith attracted most of the attention of those interested in warring boardrooms, the Turks’ Club administration was quietly and regimentally getting on with taking one of C&M’s great clubs absolutely nowhere. Felipo Curana brought a great reputation for team building from Kura-Pelland and on his early showing he was set to be a great success, but the board – elected by the supporters, lest we forget – declined to finance Curana accordingly, save the wages of Dana Bloomquist, and by the half-way stage the Turks were only a point outside the drop zone and struggling bitterly to find the back of the net. Curana offered his resignation, and life certainly improved after Derek Marshall was enticed from MN Smith, but the fear remains that they may have missed out on their best manager for years.

On the Prowl: Their spending in the break rests on the futures of ‘keeper Stephen Hill and midfield dynamo Xavier Le Monde, with the experienced Kura-Pellandi pair understandably wanting out. Whether they’ll actually go or not is up in the air, but in either case Marshall will probably be looking at a new centre-half, a new right-winger, a new forward or two… come to that, a new squad would probably come in handy.

Cathedral City: This really is an odd one. Widely predicted to struggle, the Cats put their upstart neighbours to shame in the first half of the season by qualifying for the Champions’ Cup. The key involved resisting the ever-present temptation to lump it up to Teddy Ozi-Mayer and Emiliano Taffarel, instead allowing Terry Shelton and Alex Duxbury to form part of a back five or midfield five as required, and gifting Johnathan Filmar and the like the freedom to show off their skills. That, and having monsters like Enrique Silva de Aviz at the back. Despite all this, it’s hard to argue that their run to the TQCC semi-finals wasn’t the stuff of future legends given the talent their opposition had on offer, and it was pretty inevitable that it would take too much out of them. In the end, they crawled over the finish line whilst the Marbles picked up the prize money for their league finish and ensured Champions’ Cup football remained in El din.

On the Prowl: Being about thirty-nine million reformed pounds better off for their troubles, you wouldn’t blame Catedral for wanting to splash the cash in the hope of getting back into the TQCC. Charlie Cunningham is cannier than that, and may limit his acquisitions to a new goalkeeper and right wing-back, and possibly not even that – and with only one foreigner spot left even those buys may prove tricky enough. There just aren’t that many decent Candelariasians to go around, when all’s said and done…

Arrigo Portuguese: I know Matthew Tortini said they’d be taking things a tad more cautiously than Jay Zabojnik’s gung-ho outfit, but seriously; what was that? Once again the second city club promised much and didn’t come anywhere near close to delivering, with even a bid for fourth fizzling out badly. Tortini bought have a dozen new players before XXVIII, with an extremely mixed record of success. The defence worked, you can’t argue with that, though given his age Avilass Gackbang was hardly buying for the future. But how the so-called Professor couldn’t squeeze anything exciting out of Jamie González, Iain Belling et al is beyond most fans. They’re demanding, there’s a lot of them, and this just wasn’t good enough. Djabgor Cvecej’s ten league goals ultimately saved Tortini’s arse.

On the Prowl: Tortini will clearly be looking to give some of the players in their early twenties time to develop, though Carroll Eriksson already looks ready to be shipped out. A pacey Candelariasian partner for Cvecej is a must, though God only knows where they think they’re going to find one from.

AFC MN Smith: Welcome to the nut house. The pre-season democratic coup by fans of Bove’s long-lost All Saints FC into the boardroom looked set to put the mockers on the potentially great experiment that was the Smudgers, but the pundits couldn’t legislate for Derek Marshall proving a better coach than any Derek has a right to be. Though they were always destined to be strugglers; the presence of Marshall and the form of the much-loved Scotchpine striker Jamie Watson and youngster Niv Cohen allowed the Smith to pull out some incredible scorelines against top-class opposition, and made Marshall a hot property. With their manager snapped up by Turks’ Club at the half-way stage, MN Smith’s chairman Alistair Parnell achieved the unthinkable in making the club even more of a laughing stock by appointing himself as head coach – and survived the fallout of a very public scuffle with his predecessor in the boardroom Lincoln Kjellin to lead the club to safety.

On the Prowl: Having seen sense, after a fashion, Parnell has confirmed that he has begun the search for a new boss – but who on earth would want to take up this particular poisoned chalice is anyone’s guess. As far as the playing staff goes, MN Smith have no spare cash and the new man will likely have to accept what he’s given – perhaps barring the aforementioned Watson and Cohen who must surely be targets for wealthier sides.

Radyukevich CSC: No side in the CMSC spent more before XXVIII, and none failed so miserably. The arrival of club legend Coleman Mustard as manager, in place of the risible Vincent Peluso, was supposed to herald their rebirth, and to be fair his reign certainly wasn’t all bad. With so many newcomers, the Jukos were never going to challenge right at the top, and were still in with a chance of TQCC football until quite late on; but their late collapse in form, quality and results was just on the wrong side of spectacular. Mustard’s sacking was still a major surprise, and hardly reflects well on chairman Patrick Whelehan, but Mustard’s increasing chopping and changing of personnel got the fans’ backs up to the point where even many of those who had shed tears of joy for his arrival were happy to see him go. In the end, they were to finish outside the bottom two by just a point – enough to go down in any other year.

On the Prowl: They can’t afford to spend big this time, and shouldn’t really need to. Julius Rotherwell and Luke Naylor can be a top-line partnership if they keep themselves fit, and new boss Turpin Joly looks set to show faith in lefty teenager Joe White. No foreigner spaces are open, and the moves in and out will most likely involve squad players only.

Mayo Valley: The miracle just didn’t quite come off. That the Sky Blues would finish bottom was a dead cert just a few weeks ago, with an admittedly sub-par squad not disguising the fact that highly though-of manager Dave Carr-Fluck had failed to get the best out of his more technical players and continued to insist on a failing, physical style. Late on, Kim Zetaback and forward Connor Tucker led by example and the pair almost pulled Mayo out of danger by themselves, but Radyukevich just found the right results at the eleventh hour. They’ll be genuinely missed but should be major contenders in the inaugural CMSC2 season; with at least two of their three talented forwards, Tucker, Pascal Thorrington and Rick Sekerci likely to stay. Zetaback will be snapped up however, while young winger James Meakin and experienced midfielder Matt Reddington will surely be picked up before too long.

Castillo United FC: Left five points adrift of Mayo Valley, the gigantes had a pretty dire season, in all honesty. Luís Gerardo Movilla’s apparent disinterest in the club he all but built from scratch was clear, and what signings Dan Días was able to make weren’t able to lift them on their own. He was sacked eventually, of course, but Macario Ayoví had little to work with to avoid his own second straight relegation, after taking Caires Sports down last season. Ultimately, the club’s policy of focusing on Hispanic talent was never going to work, with Gomez, Sánchez, Sixtos and Quirarte good second tier players but no more than that. In these days when Portuguese and the Marbles have joined Catedral and MarquezOW among the Marquezian contingent, Castillo simply can’t rely on picking up the best talent among the 49% of Marquezians brought up with Spanish as their first tongue, and if they aren’t to struggle in the CMSC2, big changes at board level must be enacted.

Candelaria Arsenal Lavange: Failing miserably until a 3-0 CMS Cup win over MN Smith gave them a much-needed moral boost; Trev George’s side found the confidence to keep it on the floor and ended up leapfrogging everybody and achieving promotion with the best part of a month to spare. The monopoly that a certain few clubs have on bouncing straight back up after relegation is a concern, but the Yellows certainly deserve their place among next season’s eighteen.

On the Prowl: Bringing in a new left side is the first concern, but they still need plenty of new additions if they aren’t to simper their way prettily back to the second tier. Gregorio Morales can’t go on forever up front, and Chris Ytterland desperately needs some physical support at the back.

Caires Sports Club: The worst hit of the three relegated sides by the decimation* of their playing squad, Ayoví relied on loans from the CMSC and the front pair of Luke Cole and Archer French to stay in contention before moving on to Castillo. Defender Matt Sampson was appointed caretaker manager and remains in the role, but he’ll have to use the funds of Stan Kaleta and his massive Dome wisely because this is a terribly thin-looking squad, now once again shorn of most of its stars.

On the Prowl: Hugo Kiefer and Grey Mendoza are decent full-backs, centre-back Harris Matthews is promising and Archer French remain an unfulfilled talent. And apart from that? Sampson’ll be picking up scraps, from both home and abroad, but there are some pretty good scraps out there, if he’s bright enough.

McDonald Sports Club: The self-proclaimed biggest club of north Candelaria® have been in the top-flight before, but not for a good decade. The Saurin outfit have progressed slowly but steadily under manager Mike Alvintzi in recent years, mixing home-grown youth with the unwanted dregs of the CMSC and the odd youngster on loan. The emergence of two competent young players – playmaker Richard Arnold in the hole and box-to-box midfielder Diamond Juracka – helped raise them out of mid-table obscurity, and they finished third just ahead of CandelariaAM to confirm their first visit to the CMSC1.

On the Prowl: Anybody. Except that they’ve got no money to speak of and can’t afford to go for broke knowing that relegation is practically nailed-on. Expect to see an awful lot of the Wasilew brothers, and for the Dons to not even have a single foreigner on their books. Imagine that!

Candelaria-Allemali: One of the more recently-formed clubs in the CMSC next year but one of the modern competition’s best-known names; two-times league champions and five-times runners-up CandelariaAM returned through the one-off play-off with Mayo Valley to complete the eighteen teams of the next season. With Paulson Gates having only been in the job a short time, it’s hard to know what to make of them; besides them being a workmanlike unit who will offer little to the top-flight. They possess some decent young players though, and could potentially prove the best-placed of the new arrivals to survive.

On the Prowl: Also struggling cash-wise, their spending will also no doubt be limited – not least because this is another club with a poor relationship between the board and the supporters. If they can find a decent right midfielder, regular goalscoring forward and holding player better than what they’ve already got they’ll go for them, however.

Vephrall

30-05-2008, 22:04

Vephraller Tririsec e Foutbill - 1756 season

Cintrin A

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Poikimitagiin FE 38 23 8 7 68 30 38 77 TQCC/1
2 Stithis FE 38 23 6 9 60 36 24 75 TQCC/3
3 Stestrenas OC 38 20 9 9 53 36 17 69 TQCC/4
4 Huellim FE 38 19 9 10 57 44 13 66
5 FE Dranacess 38 17 11 10 54 32 22 62 TQCC/2
6 Boalluns FE 38 18 8 12 58 43 15 62
7 Mylfe CE 38 17 10 11 62 40 22 61
8 Oillid CE 38 15 15 8 46 35 11 60
9 Sichisers OB 38 11 14 13 50 49 1 47
10 Merpisms CE 38 12 11 15 40 43 -3 47
11 Bumpoogra FE 38 12 10 16 46 50 -4 46
12 Daazyiles OC 38 13 7 18 35 46 -11 46
13 Terabits CE 38 11 11 16 40 49 -9 44
14 Ammites FE 38 10 13 15 41 53 -12 43
15 Penuler OC 38 10 12 16 38 56 -18 42
16 Knoleier FE 38 11 8 19 36 48 -12 41
17 Custler FE 38 10 10 18 42 63 -21 40
18 Spoantects CE 38 9 11 18 43 64 -21 38 R
19 DFE Anhenir 38 8 13 17 34 49 -15 37 R
20 Ucktingang OB 38 7 12 19 30 67 -37 33 R

As league champions, Poiki are guaranteed a berth in the next running of the TakilQuip Champions' Cup. The clubs filling the other three slots will depend on how many more league seasons occur before the next TQCC. Currently, Dranacess, as VKF winners, are second in line, followed by second- and third-place league finishers Stithis and Stestrenas.

Anhenir going down was somewhat of a surprise; while they were certainly far from being the class of the league, most believed they were still strong enough to stay up. The newly-promoted team that gets to stay for another season is Custler.

Cintrin B

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Pondrit FE 38 24 7 7 67 38 29 79 P
2 Gontarther FE 38 22 9 7 64 35 29 75 P
3 Fekler FE 38 21 11 6 60 30 30 74 P
4 Strapply FE 38 23 4 11 63 40 23 73
5 Netler FE 38 20 11 7 63 39 24 71
6 DFE Donseplock 38 17 11 10 52 37 15 62
7 Cunceer CE 38 16 8 14 58 50 8 56
8 Cirbeod CE 38 13 14 11 53 48 5 53
9 Sontirae CE 38 15 8 15 49 50 -1 53
10 Burtneeg FE 38 15 5 18 44 54 -10 50
11 Pomperae FE 38 13 9 16 54 63 -9 48
12 Shing OC 38 12 10 16 43 49 -6 46
13 Sante OB 38 10 15 13 48 47 1 45
14 Brimpeng FE 38 12 9 17 48 58 -10 45
15 Trillet FE 38 12 8 18 39 59 -20 44
16 Tehtisms CE 38 12 4 22 41 65 -24 40
17 Tigajana OC 38 9 12 17 49 60 -11 39
18 Grasset FE 38 8 15 15 37 51 -14 39 R
19 Sondar FE 38 7 7 24 29 61 -32 28 R
20 Firoum OB 38 6 9 23 40 67 -27 27 R

Few people seriously expected Pondrit to win the division after last year's 8th-place finish. Of the three teams relegated from Cintrin A, only Gontarther goes back up, though both Netler and Strapply still managed top-five finishes.

Cintrin C

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Sesotnig FE 38 22 9 7 60 35 25 75 P
2 Engset FE 38 20 11 7 61 35 26 71 P
3 Mendid CE 38 19 13 6 53 36 17 70 P
4 DFE Unee 38 20 8 10 57 39 18 68
5 Contrer FE 38 18 11 9 63 45 18 65
6 Fishbogger FE 38 18 10 10 56 39 17 64
7 CE e Flaarickug 38 17 11 10 54 37 17 62
8 Ceresstrer FE 38 17 6 15 52 45 7 57
9 DFE Clyddly 38 16 8 14 48 47 1 56
10 Feay FE 38 17 4 17 58 49 9 55
11 Berkemara FE 38 13 14 11 58 45 13 53
12 Dilkis FE 38 16 4 18 50 50 0 52
13 Zikeseng OC 38 14 8 16 40 46 -6 50
14 Festany CE 38 9 15 14 43 54 -11 42
15 DFE Hyllesme 38 10 10 18 43 57 -14 40
16 Girag FE 38 9 11 18 35 50 -15 38
17 Spakisteis FE 38 11 5 22 37 60 -23 38 R to D1/A
18 Troorliil FE 38 8 11 19 38 68 -30 35 R to D1/B
19 Triice CE 38 7 7 24 30 61 -31 28 R to D1/B
20 Hings FE 38 6 10 22 30 68 -38 28 R to D1/A

Mersira, Nenirmiopoti, Grendless, and Spostratter join the fully-professional leagues after being promoted from Cintrin D1.

Vephraller Kustriin e Foutbill (later rounds)

Third Round
Fenster OC 0-0 Burtneeg FE (replay: 1-1 AET, 2-4 pens)
Grasset FE 1-0 Pomperae FE
Troorliil FE 0-1 Tigajana OC
DFE Clyddly 1-2 Sesotnig FE
Festany CE 0-1 Gontarther FE
Shing OC 1-1 Sante OB (replay: 0-2)
Pondrit FE 0-1 Netler FE
Sontirae CE 3-0 Swextrer FE
Sondar FE 5-0 Snuxpond OC
Strapply FE 3-0 DFE Donseplock
Tehtisms CE 5-1 Pestrisms FE
Engset FE 1-1 Cirbeod CE (replay: 1-2)

Fourth Round
Custler FE 0-2 Penuler OC
Ammites FE 1-1 Ucktingang OB (replay: 1-1 AET, 6-7 pens)
Gontarther FE 1-2 Terabits CE
Sichisers OB 1-0 Knoleier FE
Tigajana OC 2-2 Daazyiles OC (replay: 0-1)
Mylfe CE 0-3 Stestrenas OC
Poikimitagiin FE 1-1 Stithis FE (replay: 2-1)
Bumpoogra FE 2-0 DFE Anhenir
Netler FE 2-1 Oillid CE
Strapply FE 1-1 Huellim FE (replay: 0-5)
Boalluns FE 3-0 Tehtisms CE
Grasset FE 1-0 Sesotnig FE
Sante OB 2-0 Sondar FE
Spoantects CE 1-1 Merpisms CE (replay: 0-3)
Sontirae CE 0-4 FE Dranacess
Cirbeod CE 3-4 Burtneeg FE

Fifth Round
Merpisms CE 2-1 Netler FE
Daazyiles OC 1-1 Penuler OC (replay: 1-0)
Huellim FE 1-1 Ucktingang OB (replay: 0-1 AET)
Boalluns FE 3-1 Sichisers OB
Terabits CE 4-1 Grasset FE
Sante OB 0-1 Bumpoogra FE
Stestrenas OC 4-1 Burtneeg FE
Poikimitagiin FE 0-3 FE Dranacess

Quarterfinals

Stestrenas OC 2-0 Ucktingang OB
Ucktingang OB 1-3 Stestrenas OC (1-5 agg)

FE Dranacess 3-0 Bumpoogra FE
Bumpoogra FE 0-1 FE Dranacess (0-4 agg)

Terabits CE 0-0 Boalluns FE
Boalluns FE 2-0 Terabits CE (2-0 agg)

Merpisms CE 0-1 Daazyiles OC
Daazyiles OC 2-0 Merpisms CE (3-0 agg)

Semifinals

Stestrenas OC 0-1 FE Dranacess
FE Dranacess 3-1 Stestrenas OC (4-1 agg)

Boalluns FE 1-0 Daazyiles OC
Daazyiles OC 1-2 Boalluns FE (1-3 agg)

Final

FE Dranacess 1-0 Boalluns FE

Arroza

30-05-2008, 23:05

The following players will be receiving parole and will be available to non-Arrozan soccer teams at the conclusion of the current World Cup run.

S: Martin Lancaster - 19
S: Alfredo Valente - 23
F: Macoumba Kandji - 20
A/M: Blake Camp - 26
M/R: Chris Mahaffey - 19
M/L: Tate Parrish - 24
M/L: Ryan McIntosh - 19
D/C: Rodrigo Rios - 20
D/L: Nathan Knox - 22
GK: Felipe Quintero - 25
GK: Justin Moore - 17

-- Effective this day, August 18, Year 38.
-- Xavier Jefferson, Arrozan Minister of Prisons.

Rennidan

31-05-2008, 00:31

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The Rennidan Domestic League
A Brief Overview

The Rennidan Domestic League is a bit of an odd thing. From a nation that was kept in isolation for one hundred years behind large, looming walls, they had to find a way to keep themselves entertained. Enter the nation’s favourite hobby: football.

Not one for being strict when it came to a sport that every had a laid back approach to, the simplest way the Rennidanians could come up with so that anyone who wanted to play could, was to just heap all the teams entered into a big ol' group.

Enter the modern day Rennidan Domestic League.

One league, one division, sixty-four teams and eight thousand and sixty-four football matches a season.

These sixty for teams are pretty much anyone who could get a team together to play. You have professionals and amateurs together on the pitch, and even the odd drunken hobo.

Does it sound sensible?

Hell no.

But it's how they play.

And it's not going to change anytime soon.

The Big Eight

The Big Eight is a reference to the eight richest (and generally best) teams in the Domestic League. That's not really saying much, as football teams in Rennidan don't get as much cash as their international counterparts, but they're still substantially richer than some of the other teams.

Here, we provide a brief overview of the Big Eight, so you know what to expect in the season to come.

Southern Hawks – A good, solid, defensive team. Hailing from the southern most point of Rennidan that’s still inside the walls, we can expect the Hawks to make the top ten, and probably have the least goals against them with Jo Malkoa, the national goalkeeper, standing in the net.

Beamers United – Whereas the Hawks rely on their goalkeeper, Beamers Utd. rely heavily on their backs. However, with rumours of foreign clubs looking to take Samual ‘The Wall’ Fortal, the centre back who is probably Beamers best weapon, they may have a bad start this season.

Wessex F.C – Another defensively-reliant team, Wessex F.C makes a heavy use of Daniel Samman and Daniel Malakol. The duo is famed for their skilful chemistry on the pitch, which is probably why they’re national picks as well.

Firtos United – The underdogs of the ‘Big Eight’, Firtos have little claim to fame other than being one of the first football teams to play an officially sanctioned season in the nation.

Littletown F.C – A steady team who, whilst being nothing spectacular, manage to keep the crowds happy with their reliability on the pitch.

Hampton – A team who seems to be nothing but good luck. Whilst they lack in skill and ability, the team itself seems to be blessed with some of the weirdest events happening to aid them. Once, lightning struck a pigeon, which fell from the sky as Robert Golos took a penalty. Both objects collided, but the bird managed to inch the ball just past the keeper’s fingertips.

Ulii – A team who only has one thing on their mind: scoring. Offensively outstanding, Ulii hail from one of the centremost points of Rennidan, and have collected as many young players as possible for their starting line up. The mixture of raw skill and arrogance means they rarely go a match without sinking the ball into the back of the net.

Yanton Golds – A wonderful team whose main asset is an ex-monk. Mo Siv is a tiny player who has an outstanding amount of speed and heading ability packed into his body. Yanton started as a small village at the base of Mount Rennida, but with their success in football, the village has now grown into a prosperous city.

And the other 56 teams are...

We can't very well provide a brief overview of the RDL without at least giving the names of the other fifty six teams who'll be playing this season. These teams, whilst not as rich as the Big Eight, all have the same amount of fan support.

So, here they bloody well are.

Lakeside

Iipsi

Hesmot FC

Lifton Uppers

Klesbard

Ompwa United

Sklitik

Dwellsdon FC

Hemmursmith

Dwindanu Central

South Torfa FC

MeUlse

Jefftry Town

Upperclass Sportsmen

Feorfa

Sellabun

Meja

Northern Wasps

Nessex United

The Golden Crowner

Hillagrub

Central University Team

Largetown United

Forswith

Iorpa South

Iorpa North

The Union of Workers of the Rennidanian Industrial Zone

Feesmeth

Jutton

Tillsworth

Swepdin

Moylseworth High

Fe United

Swippi Wamma South

Tochston Libeth

The Parliamentary Players

Dillsbub

Eastern Dresty Town

Yulaos

Hyu Central United

Billswurth

Klemmont Vipers

Seasiders

Eemso

Homeless People United

Selpworth

Wurthin FC

Teckswu

Juepton FC

Rennidan Army FC

Poulsborough United

Lyten

Joij Central

Boroughsborough United

Sleupton

Whippersnappers

We're sure we're in for one hell of a season.

Zwangzug

31-05-2008, 02:48

Matchday One: One won, others drew

12 de noviembre beat Spenson Suburbia in the most predictable match on paper. The creative Quique Aiza scored twice against dull Spenson-for the only two teams playing the same style, there's a world of difference between-before Trent Gerson tied it up in the fifty-seventh minute. Donato Casales converted a Joaquín Cuéllar pass for an insurance goal (?) in the seventy-first.

Kimiran Yahakov began his career in Zwangzug by scoring a goal. Unfortunately, it was the tying goal: Namiri Forest shouldn't defend (and that's exactly what they do) their title if they put on the kind of performance they did. A draw with San Pablo was not the plan, but for a while it looked worse than that after Goyo Macías took the lead in Namiri.

The same scoreline occurred in Arlington. After Apolinar Vargas set Elian Lobo up, he was replaced by Araceli Sert, the first female to represent Aguazul on the pitch. Chip Noonan left it till late to set up Melissa Prine for the tying goal.

Over in Ciudad Peralta, Jonas Henke dug out two Muus Jurin shots for two first-half goals, but the home team attacked back. Adalberto Molina and Cayetano Pinzón scored to make it 2-2.

Matchday Two: Back in my day, style modifiers went up to +5

Today was not the Pumas' day.

Amilcar Quintana did score first, a torrential blast from the midfield, in the fifth minute of play. But Patricio Olmos tied it up in the nineteenth off a pass from Carlito Digüella. Quintana left the game after a collision with Fidel Nieves, and the wings were open enough for Guiomar Oleastro to set up Adalberto Molina and Deportivo Peralta to take the lead. San Pablo tied it back up after halftime, when Macías tapped it over to Gabriel Vega, who sent it in. Patricio Olmos converted a Sofronio Noguerra cross in the sixty-first minute, and Molina scored again in the seventy-ninth: the first time a MUFN team had scored four goals. Macías got a goal of his own in the eighty-fifth, in a final flourish of attacking craziness.

We may or may not have remembered to incorporate home-field advantage into the nice new scorinator on the first matchday, but we did today. Didn't help Rovers United. Yahakov scored in the forty-fourth minute, and Ahmed Ghebregergish did so in the fifty-sixth. Recording the shutout was Miranda Chen-yeah, that Miranda Chen. With Pallav Lakond's retirement, she was transferred over from Spenson Suburbia, who prefer Orion Tiangco's skill off set pieces. Between her, Yahakov, and Zoe McQuoid, Namiri Forest simply can no longer (accurately) be accused of xenophobia: they want to defend their title, and know what they have to do to get it.

As for Tiangco, he let in both goals over in Spenson: one from Wesley Ridder and one from Miles Wishon.

Trecelunas FC held 12 de noviembre to a draw, largely through the skillfull defense of Eleuterio Roldán. Aiza managed to break through the 4.5-man defense (halftime substitution) to set up Casales, while Pascual Rendón scored in minute twenty-one.

Matchday Three: San Pablo really can't defend, can they?

No, really, they can't. Another inexplicable goalfest of sorts in Arlington, whose midfielders really are putting it together 'cause their attackers sure can't, y'know, attack.

After a not-all-that-poorly-placed-really Vega shot, Kai Masson relayed the ball upfield to Chip Noonan, who showed that counterattacking skill that led the Sparks to the last championship of someplace or another, setting up Wishon for the first goal. Later in the first half, Geoff Kempner relayed the ball up to Ridder for another, and Prine would score in the second half.

Another shutout was recorded in Namiri Forest, with Manish Patel and Yahakov scoring (the latter is already setting up to be a recurring theme, it would seem). Deportivo United were held to a draw by Trecelunas FC, who like a pattern when they see it. 1-1, yawn, Lobo and Molina scoring.

Over in Ciudagua (nah, we'd never gotten around to naming it), the Rovers eked out a victory over 12 de noviembre, with new midfielder Mitchell Kernkraft setting up Jonas Henke's goal. Casales tied it before Jurin pulled ahead. Espinoza estaba ocupado leyendo el papel...o algo...

Matchday Four: They can attack, though

On a day when the rest of the league was content with a goal apiece, the Pumas scored thrice.

If you hadn't caught onto the fact that these "match reports" are essentially highly-glorified goalscoring tables, they are. So, the goalscorers for the other seven teams: Wishon, Naluk, Casales, Crumbliss (have we mentioned him this season yet? Wayne Crumbliss is a forward for Spenson Suburbia and is therefore more likely than not overrated, unable to pass, and in possession of an attitude problem. Moving on), Molina, Lobo, and drum roll please...Yahakov.

Vidur Chatterjee and several myriad Arlington City fans would like to take this opportunity to remind you that there is far more to the game than scoring goals.

There is far more to the game than scoring goals.

Right then. Two goals from Vega, one from winger Lope Alimilla. 12 de noviembre are left with fewer points than Rovers United. Wonder how Espinoza's taking that...

Matchday Five: If you don't have any clues...

...you shouldn't be able to succeed in football. And yet...

Leo Butz has roved on, but the Rovers United have found a more-than-competent replacement in Robin Hormel. The defensive midfielder outmaneuvered Sabas Melendez's substitutive...strategery, winning the ball from Silvestre Travieso to pass to Natasha Keller, who set up Jonas Henke for the first goal. Curtis Naluk redirected Muus Jurin's typical errant blast in for number two. Out was Rainerio Porras, in was Ruy de la Red (born to be a goalkeeper?) who kept the scoreline there.

The big game though was over in Ciudagua, where Deportivo Peralta set out to prove who the real champions were. A quick Molina strike gave them a lead they held until late, when Aiza poked the ball in for the tie.

Gerson scored in San Pablo, the only goal there, but there was thrice the offence in...Arlington City? Hosting Namiri Forest?

Yahakov (no, really?) scored first, but the hosts rallied back, with Wishon and Ridder eventually scoring.

Matchday Six: Note to disorganizers: see if we can handle extra time now

The rematch of last season's final was another draw, this one just 1-1 though. 12 de noviembre broke through first during the added time of the first half, with Aiza breaking through after Parvin Rostami slipped up. Finding Casales stymied by Sonal Kaur, he took the shot himself for the first goal. Namiri Forest tied it in the second half, though, with the goalscorer of record...da da da dah...McQuoid.

Had you going there though, didn't I?

The Rovers beat Spenson Suburbia handily, with Jurin scoring in the eighteenth minute. The second goal was particularly impressive, preceded as it was by a Crumbliss shot that Tara Lenski, rather than diving ridiculously at, accurately handled and relayed through Keller for Henke to finish off. Gerson scored later on, but meh.

San Pablo won by the same scoreline, also away from home, with the goals in reverse order: Vargas scored first, but then so did Macías and Vega.

As the Pumas could tell you, Arlington City isn't really as defensive as last season's statistics would indicate. When they're playing Deportivo Peralta, for instance, that's all out the window. And we saw why.

Deportivo were utterly dominant in the first half, racing to a 3-0 halftime lead. Pinzón's header past Justin Briant, Molina's wrong-footed blast, and Olmos' outplaying of Bennett Covy for the third goal were only the culmination of the team's all-around excellence.

And then the seams were unstitched, and Prine got the visitors on the scoreboard if nothing more-but after Epifanio Patia's own goal, the comeback seemed predestined. Too good to be true-and of course, it was. 3-2 final.

Matchday Seven: We'll take that streak back, thanks

After a short detour through Ciudagua, the run of 1-1s came back to Trecelunas FC. They were in Spenson today, though, and Gerson scored first in the first half before Manolo Ybarra did in the second half. 12 de noviembre, for their part, recorded their first win since the first matchday over in Arlington City. Casales scored in minute twenty-four: Aiza did after a critical gaffe from Bennett Covy-his second in as many matches...and he's now in the national starting eleven?

Yahakov's goal was the only one in the tactical showdown, but there were goals aplenty in the previously-irrelevant municipality of Frischberg. After a drum and bugle corps bureaucratic mixup, the city decided it wanted to host some sort of competition or another. Hence the Rovers "hosting", inasmuch as they ever can, San Pablo there. All of the forwards scored-despite being less extreme on paper, carefree flamboyance and Zwangzug's pervasive ignorance of anything about how this formation business actually works meant the Rovers had more.

W D L GF GA GD Pts
Rovers United 4 2 1 12 9 3 14
Namiri Forest 3 3 1 9 5 4 12
Arlington City 3 2 2 11 8 3 11
Deportivo Peralta 2 4 1 12 11 1 10
12 de noviembre 2 3 2 10 9 1 9
San Pablo 2 1 4 11 14 -3 7
Trecelunas FC 0 5 2 6 9 -3 5
Spenson Suburbia 1 2 4 5 11 -6 5
And they are, unbelievably, on top of the table. Behind them, Namiri Forest look set to prove they can take the long way to the final, and considering how well Arlington City have held onto leads third place might be all right for now.

Matchday Eight: That's upsetting

Just when 12 de noviembre had remembered how to win, they forgot. In Spenson, mind you, which isn't good. Quite how the Suburbians pulled it off is uncertain-Crumbliss scored in the sixth minute off a Dirk Grosa pass, sure, but then all eleven of them had to work as a team to keep the scoreline there. Defender Devon Goeltz nicely parried a Casales chance in the fifty-fifth, but other than that, the real excitement was seeing Spenson Suburbia actually pull it off. Back to the normal feuding postgame of course but what do you do?

Between Wishon and Lobo Trecelunas FC almost had their 1-1 draw before Ridder had to go and ruin it in injury time. On the flip side, the Rovers and Deportivo scored all three of their goals in the first half until the defense woke up. That's two for Naluk, then, and one for Pinzón. Yet another 2-1 (or 1-2, do you think we know? or care?) had goals more sensibly spaced out, coming from Patel, Vega, and Yahakov.

Matchday Nine: Um...the format, too?

And so began the Roque Mingo era at 12 de noviembre.

A 1-1 draw, fittingly enough, with one of the most jarring contrasts to the Ciudagua system. Melendez's penchant for essentially rotating all twenty-three players in some vast incomprehensibility (only he claims to know what he's doing) on one hand, and on the other, a preference to mold a team identity with individual concerns second, if on the charts at all. No new players this season for 12 de noviembre have really made an impact yet, but today, Ildefonso (it means "battle ready", apparently) Félix shone alongside Evaristo Paredes at the back. Until Rendón's goal, anyhow, then it was up to Aiza to score.

The other 1-1 featured the leaders, or at least they were yesterday, we think? Anyhow, Henke scored in the twenty-third minute and Yahakov did so in the sixty-seventh.

San Pablo beat Deportivo Peralta, who are admittedly on a bit of a downswing. Fermin Camacho managed to set up Olmos after Macías' goal, but Vega scored the winner in minute fifty-three.

Each of Arlington's "attackers" scored in a 3-1 victory. (As did Gerson. But who cares about him? Outside the Spenson Star sports office, that is.) Credit goes to the midfield for this one, though, as Kempner and Noonan are proving more than worthy of their spots on the national team.

Matchday Ten: If each half was a game...

...then somebody's 1-1 streak would have started with two in a row. But since they're not, a 2-2 draw in Trecelunas. Each half a simple enough affair, Ybarra and Molina scoring in each. Fortunately, it wasn't a doubleheader, so Melendez couldn't introduce eleven more players. Ybarra scored again in the second half, then, and Noguerra converted a pass from defender Bokil Sanchez.

Spenson Suburbia bounced back to beat Namiri Forest, with each of their forwards scoring, and the still-surging Rovers beat 12 de noviembre by the same scoreline. After last season, the Rovers' success seemed to depend on Jurin's capacity to aim and Lenski's ability to not get wiped out. Both were evident in the victory: Jurin scored twice, and Lenski anchored the all-female defense. Not that that demographic business really matters.

Arlington City put three past San Pablo. Again. If their previous victory belonged to the midfield, this one was the defense's. Both of them, mind, as Raúl Ventura is clearly frustrated with his teammates' performance. Vega's goal aside, Rebecca Calhoun and Covy held strong and even Briant got a nice diving deflection. Not Lenski-style mind. And again, all of the people-in-front-of-the-midfielders scored. They do like their egalitarianness up there, I suppose.

Matchday Eleven: Tie at the top?

Quite possibly. Not in the standings but like an actual draw and stuff. Only we wait to calculate the tables until it takes us several times through and...stuff...Anyhow, Arlington-Rovers wasn't supposed to be the crucial game. And yet.

Revenge of the streak, then. Wishon scored seven minutes in, Naluk seven after the half. Same scoreline as last time around, so it'll fall to goal differential if those two wind up tied.

San Pablo beat a floundering 12 de noviembre despite Aiza's early goal, as Macías took the lead almost as soon as Vega tied it up. Yahakov was the sole goalscorer in Namiri-Trecelunas would you believe, while Deportivo Peralta beat Spenson Suburbia handily. The hosts' only goal was a Whitney Osden free kick, while each of the Deportivo forwards scored.

Matchday Twelve: Take it back, we don't want it

Okay, honestly. Is the most exciting part of the season the fact that plenty of games have been 1-1 draws?

By the definition of "exciting" Chatterjee and the Arlington lot do not like to use, no, and in Ciudad Peralta we found out why. After Pinzón's goal, Casales and Digüella pulled the visitors ahead. But Olmos would score after the half, and then Oleastro for an exhilirating win.

As for Chatterjee and the Arlington lot, just the one goal in Namiri Forest. For this victory, at last, Arlington's forwards can get credit: they needed all their teamwork to consistently evade the defense until Ridder finally scored.

San Pablo beat Spenson Suburbia. Alimilla scored, Crumbliss tied it, other winger Quintana scored. We're obliged to report the news, you don't have to read it...

Oh. The streak. Rovers United would really Trecelunas FC kept it at this point, as they'd sort of like to be winning. And for a while they were after Henke's goal, but then Ybarra scored. So there you go then.

Matchday Thirteen: That's a bit more like it

Vega and Lobo scored. There. To the relevant then. Which, amazingly enough, 12 de noviembre-Namiri Forest might not have been (compared to expectations anyhow), but nobody scored so we can skim through that.

Not Rovers-Spenson though, oh no, not on a day like this. Gerson scored first, Crumbliss last, but in between was a Jurin hat-trick. Yeah, hat-trick. When did he get, you know, decent?

Meanwhile, Arlington City were losing, a sound 2-0 (no, we don't care, shut up) to Deportivo Peralta as Pinzón and Olmos scored. The upshot of everything, we think, is that San Pablo are going to be involved in perhaps the biggest game of the Apertura's final day? Maybe? No, nobody has a clue.

But you already knew that...

Matchday Fourteen: There's no place unlike home

The culture clash wasn't even relevant, but Namiri Forest won. 2-1, which would be a popular enough scoreline on the day. Oh, and Yahakov didn't score, so there's news. Patel and McQuoid did, though. And Molina.

So, the two teams that could have won the thing finished as far apart as possible. And with Jurin and Casales' goals coming within the first twenty minutes, no drama there either. Honestly, both games mirrored each other pretty closely, with Naluk's just before halftime the parallel to Casales' second immediately afterwards. And then Macías and Prine scored, too little, too late.

Ooh, here's an anticlimax for you. Trecelunas FC and Spenson Suburbia played a football match. Spenson actually won, Crumbliss scoring twice. But who cares?

W D L GF GA GD Pts
Rovers United 8 5 1 24 16 8 29
Arlington City 7 3 4 22 16 6 24
Namiri Forest 6 5 3 15 11 4 23
Deportivo Peralta 5 5 4 25 22 3 20
San Pablo 5 2 7 21 25 -4 17
12 de noviembre 3 5 6 16 19 -3 14
Spenson Suburbia 4 2 8 15 22 -7 14
Trecelunas FC 0 9 5 12 19 -7 9

So...the (1-)4-4-2 teams are tied?

More to the point, Rovers United? Won the Apertura? How exactly?

Well, conceding as few goals as Arlington City never hurts. This is mostly thanks to Lenski's maturity-while quiet quality won't always get your name on the scoreboard, the latter is hardly worth it when it's for going on the DL. Or whatever footballers go on. Outscoring everyone but Deportivo Peralta is also going to be useful, not to mention farther up the Rovers' alley, and the trio of fellows up front got the job done.

They're hard to root against: they're nobody's possession and everyone's pride. Outside of the places that have their own teams obviously. But when San Pablo went "nah nah boo boo we used to win stuff", the Rovers refrained from retelling what went wrong with FTC FC's 1-1-2-3-2-1-1 all those years ago, didn't bother to correct those who thought Weegham Town upset them 1-0 (the Weegham scoreboard couldn't handle double digits), and didn't write themselves off for dead after finishing second-to-last in the previous Apertura. Instead, names like Hormel have emerged as part of a new generation of champions.

Cupcake Cup Matchday One: Yawn

You know things are getting boring when the most surprising result is Trecelunas FC drawing 1-1.

Was it really, though? Rendón and Pinzón both scored in the second half to enliven what had been a moral victory for Melendez and company. Surely the Apertura champions going down is the real shock? Except they were playing 12 de noviembre, who let's not forget were toppled at this point last time around. Naluk tied it after Casales' goal, but Aiza poked home the winner when Casales was distracting Weston Luzader.

Rematch number one was exactly the same as last time out as far as goalscorers are concerned, and it's not like we know enough about football to concern ourselves with anything more, so Vega, McQuoid, and Ghebregergish then. Rematch number two was a well-deserved victory for Arlington City, who quickly equalized through Wishon after Gerson's goal, and held the scoreline there for too long before Wishon finally pulled them ahead.

Cupcake Cup Matchday Two: Nah, we don't have a clue

About this scheduling business. But we fake our way through well enough. I think.

Anyhow, high seeds Deportivo Peralta were bumped into essentially the winners' bracket, and were drawn against Arlington City. And then promptly lost, despite Oleastro's goal, as Kempner and Wishon scored.

More problematically for scheduling purposes, 12 de noviembre and Namiri Forest drew...is there an echo in here? Care to guess the scoreline? Casales scored, as did Yahakov.

Trecelunas and San Pablo played to a result, thankfully, though who's counting? Lobo scored twice. Sometimes wonderful things can happen when you leave the same guy in all match, or even not, as Porras and de la Red were swapped at halftime for the shutout.

Spenson Suburbia, which at this rate may wind up failing to completely suck, held the Rovers to a draw, though they had to work at it after Henke and Jurin scored: Gerson and Grosa then did in quick succession.

So. Arlington City with two points (Casaran system. Don't ask.) gets drawn against Namiri Forest, the higher-seeded of the teams on 1.5, while 12 de noviembre take on Deportivo Peralta. Low seeds of the half-point crowd Trecelunas FC just got done playing San Pablo, nobody wants to sit through that again, so the Pumas get Spenson Suburbia instead and Trecelunas take on the Rovers.

We think.

Cupcake Cup Matchday 2.5: No, really, this time it is all our fault

Basically Arlington City and 12 de noviembre wound up with 2.5 points each. We looked around for a tiebreaker, shot down some suggestions on IRC, tried to RP our confusion, realized Trecelunas FC also had 2.5 points, realized they were in the wrong bracket. Let's just redraw it. Except without drawing anything...High seeds Namiri play Arlington, 12 de noviembre play Trecelunas, high seeded Rovers already played Spenson, so Deportivo Peralta does that, and the Rovers get San Pablo.

We think.

We should, incidentally, really come up with some tiebreakers...

Cupcake Cup Matchday Three: Gonfalon glory

Rovers-Pumas not only to heighten the suspense, but also because they played an interesting game. Fascinating, really, for a 2-0 lead at the half. And possibly foreshadow events to come elsewhere...Anyhow, Alejo Iñíguez blasted in a pass from Remigio Puig, the young left-back who is really coming into his own, to open the scoreline, and Ventura set up Quintana for the second. Another midfielder would score for the Rovers, however-substitute Anita Elsehow has been inspired to get footballing experience before her adventures in the wider world, or something like that. Stay tuned.

And then and/or meanwhile, and/or previously Spenson Suburbia won. Hmm. 2-1 also, anyhow: Molina scored twenty minutes before Gerson, and nineteen after Crumbliss. Not including halftime though. That just messes things up.

So to the matches that matter, then, and one of them involved Trecelunas FC. Now that's not foreshadowing or anything. Sert nimbly set up Ybarra for the first goal, and Trecelunas retreated into a brutal defense. It took all of Aiza's brilliance to intuitively breach the defense and tie it up.

But with those two holding each other to only the half point, it was Arlington-Namiri that would matter. Winner take all...

The goal came just before halftime. Yahakov had shot harmlessly, and Calhoun was in possession, but not for long as Noonan took over. Evading Patel, he passed to Kempner, who outflanked Rostami. Wishon streaked up front to meet the pass and shoot for goal. Chen dove. Not far enough. One-nil.

One-nil, and Arlington held on. Covy was jittery, of course, but Masson was sublime. Last season, he was dominant in Zwangzug; now, with Kellers and Grosas and of course Covys on the national team, it and the MUFN have veered a little more parallel. But for one match, he was again the brightest star on the field.

And all too soon it was over. Defensive yet not dreary, ignorant or perhaps egalitarian...Arlington City, they say, is what we (if there is a we) truly are. Or should have remained. Or...

But there will be no regrets, not today. After collapse after collapse, the dream is real, and they are the champions.

Adihan

31-05-2008, 03:58

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b68/NSLE/NationStates/adihanleague.png
Season Four: Season recap

The first major change for this season was announced right before the start of the campaign, with the Second Division scrapping its two halves and automatically promoting its top two teams.

For the first time ever, both newly-promoted teams survived the drop — Pilminster Rovers, formerly a big-time club, finished last with just 23 points from 30 matches. Northtown Utd, which had flirted with the drop for the past few seasons, finally fell foul and were relegated in 15th.

At the top, Protectorate United failed to defend their title, and for the first time ever in four seasons the United Islands Premier crowned a new champion in the form of Olympique Protectorat, who won the league with just 60 points.

In the second division, AFC Hatton and Island Athletic — yes, perennial bottom-fodder Island Athletic — finished 1-2 to win promotion to the top flight.

In the AFF Cup, Oldbridge City finally got their hands on some silverware, barely brushing past Altsend in the Second Round 5-4 on aggregate and in the quarter finals 4-3 past South Barrier Utd, but dumped former league champions Protectorate Utd out 3-1 in the semifinals before thumping Olympique Protectorat 5-1 in the final to deny them a domestic double.

The new Third Division, between eight Ad’ihani universities, also got underway, with and the Third Division semi finals to be between Dullham Tech A, Stanley College B, Hatton College of Medicine A and University Grand Island B. The university cup will start in season 4.

United Islands Premier

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Olympique Protectorat 30 17 9 4 69 34 35 60 C/TQCC-1
2 Protectorate United 30 17 6 7 65 38 27 57 TQCC-2
3 CF Mont-Pluie 30 16 8 6 58 38 20 56 TQCC-4
4 Oldbridge City 30 14 6 10 61 54 7 48 TQCC-3 (Cup)
5 Grand Arsenal 30 13 7 10 60 58 2 46
6 Mountbatten Junction 30 13 5 12 54 50 4 44
7 Dalinn Wanderers 30 13 5 12 45 53 -8 44
8 Flitton City 30 11 9 10 28 29 -1 42
9 Navon Beach 30 11 6 13 46 54 -8 39
10 Kinney Road 30 9 11 10 34 36 -2 38
11 Djei Sporting Club 30 11 4 15 40 46 -6 37
12 County Stanley 30 7 13 10 27 34 -7 34
13 Tallyn Rovers 30 8 8 14 42 59 -17 32
14 South Barrier Utd 30 8 7 15 39 48 -9 31
15 Northtown Utd 30 5 12 13 46 61 -15 27 R
16 Pilminster Rovers 30 5 8 17 21 43 -22 23 R

Second Division
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 AFC Hatton 28 17 6 5 58 39 19 57 C/P
2 Island Athletic 28 12 9 7 60 51 9 45 P
3 Dullham and Oldbridge 28 12 6 10 48 45 3 42
4 Hatton Town 28 10 7 11 52 57 -5 37
5 T'chéy Park 28 8 11 9 34 31 3 35
6 Altsend 28 8 8 12 49 60 -11 32
7 Flitton Rangers 28 5 13 10 20 30 -10 28
8 Southcast Town 28 5 10 13 22 30 -8 25

University Third Division

Group A
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Dullham Tech. Uni. A 14 6 5 3 15 14 1 23 Pl
2 Stanley College A 14 5 6 3 17 17 0 21
3 Hatton College of Med. A 14 4 8 2 19 16 3 20 Pl
4 City of Ad'ihan Univ. A 14 4 7 3 16 11 5 19
5 Tech. Inst. at Hatton A 14 5 3 6 15 16 -1 18
6 Tech. Inst. at Dalinn A 14 4 5 5 17 14 3 17
7 Flitton University A 14 3 8 3 14 15 -1 17
8 University Grand Island A 14 3 2 9 15 25 -10 11

Group B
Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Stanley College B 14 10 3 1 23 10 13 33 Pl
2 University Grand Island B 14 6 4 4 20 15 5 22 Pl
3 Dullham Tech. Uni. B 14 5 6 3 16 13 3 21
4 City of Ad'ihan Univ. B 14 6 3 5 14 13 1 21
5 Flitton University B 14 5 4 5 14 13 1 19
6 Hatton College of Med. B 14 4 6 4 16 18 -2 18
7 Tech. Inst. at Dalinn B 14 3 2 9 11 20 -9 11
8 Tech. Inst. at Hatton B 14 2 2 10 12 24 -12 8

AFF Cup

Round One
Dullham and Oldbridge 3-2 Dalinn Wanderers
Dalinn Wanderers 0-2 Dullham and Oldbridge
Aggregate: Dullham and Oldbridge 5-2 Dalinn Wanderers

Southcast Town 3-1 Island Athletic
Island Athletic 1-0 Southcast Town
Aggregate: Southcast Town 3-2 Island Athletic

Tallyn Rovers 0-1 South Barrier Utd
South Barrier Utd 2-2 Tallyn Rovers
Aggregate: Tallyn Rovers 2-3 South Barrier Utd

Hatton Town 1-1 Djei Sporting Club
Djei Sporting Club 2-1 Hatton Town
Aggregate: Hatton Town 2-3 Djei Sporting Club

T'chéy Park 0-1 Altsend
Altsend 3-3 T'chéy Park
Aggregate: T'chéy Park 3-4 Altsend

County Stanley 1-1 AFC Hatton
AFC Hatton 1-1 County Stanley (2-1 AET)
Aggregate: County Stanley 2-3 AFC Hatton

Flitton City 1-0 Flitton Rangers
Flitton Rangers 0-1 Flitton City
Aggregate: Flitton City 2-0 Flitton Rangers

Grand Arsenal 2-0 Northtown United
Northtown United 8-1 Grand Arsenal
Aggregate: Grand Arsenal 3-8 Northtown United

Round Two
Olympique Protectorat 3-0 Northtown United
Northtown United 1-2 Olympique Protectorat
Aggregate: Olympique Protectorat 5-1 Northtown United

Southcast Town 0-1 CF Mont-Pluie
CF Mont-Pluie 1-1 Southcast Town
Aggregate: Southcast Town 1-2 CF Mont-Pluie

Djei Sporting Club 1-0 AFC Hatton
AFC Hatton 2-1 Djei Sporting Club (2-2 AET)
Aggregate: Djei Sporting Club 3-2 AFC Hatton

Mountbatten Junction 0-1 Flitton City
Flitton City 1-1 Mountbatten Junction
Aggregate: Mountbatten Junction 1-2 Flitton City

Navon Beach 1-3 South Barrier Utd
South Barrier Utd 1-0 Navon Beach
Aggregate: Navon Beach 1-4 South Barrier Utd

Oldbridge City 3-1 Altsend
Altsend 3-1 Oldbridge City (3-2 AET)
Aggregate: Oldbridge City 5-4 Altsend

Dullham and Oldbridge 1-0 Pilminster Rovers
Pilminster Rovers 1-3 Dullham and Oldbridge
Aggregate: Dullham and Oldbridge 4-1 Pilminster Rovers

Kinney Road 1-1 Protectorate United
Protectorate United 1-0 Kinney Road
Aggregate: Kinney Road 1-2 Protectorate United

Quarterfinals
Olympique Protectorat 2-1 CF Mont-Pluie
CF Mont-Pluie 0-3 Olympique Protectorat
Aggregate: Olympique Protectorat 5-1 CF Mont-Pluie

Djei Sporting Club 0-1 Flitton City
Flitton City 1-1 Djei Sporting Club
Aggregate: Djei Sporting Club 1-2 Flitton City

South Barrier Utd 1-2 Oldbridge City
Oldbridge City 2-2 South Barrier Utd
Aggregate: South Barrier Utd 3-4 Oldbridge City

Dullham and Oldbridge 1-3 Protectorate United
Protectorate United 0-1 Dullham and Oldbridge
Aggregate: Dullham and Oldbridge 2-3 Protectorate United

Semifinals
Olympique Protectorat 1-1 Flitton City
Flitton City 0-1 Olympique Protectorat
Aggregate: Olympique Protectorat 2-1 Flitton City

Oldbridge City 3-1 Protectorate United
Protectorate United 0-0 Oldbridge City
Aggregate: Oldbridge City 3-1 Protectorate United

Final
Olympique Protectorat 1-5 Oldbridge City

Cafundeu

01-06-2008, 02:32

CAFUNDÉU - PREVIEW OF THE NEW SEASON

Introduction done in the last 2 seasons: “The same introduction as ever: the most international league of the world returns to activity, and the teams are ready to fight for trophies again. A good time for domestic football, as many countries are improving their domestic teams, something that only benefits football as a whole. Now, in a world with many active leagues, the Cafundelense teams had to go after reinforcements again, and got many. Maybe soon the world can see a big competition between clubs from around the world.”

See some transfers:

Foreign Players – Coming from abroad to play in Cafundéu:

Jose Castro (Acapais) ----------> to Agreman FH
Al Vick Osman (Acapais) ----------> to Cafundó do Juta (on loan to CR Submiria)
Brett Jusczyk (Candelaria And Marquez) ----------> to SC Lasft
Raúl Vélez (Candelaria And Marquez) ----------> to Cafundó do Juta
Alfredo Alegro (Capitalizt SLANI) ----------> to Ranca Toco
Shiro Furuya (Dancougar) ----------> to Central United
Shishio Jinguuji (Dancougar) ----------> to Central United
Yuji Watanabe (Dancougar) ----------> to Clube Imperial (on loan to Clube Comercial)
Musashi Yamada (Dancougar) ----------> to Central United
Sinan Kose (Kose and the Turkomans) ----------> to A.F.F.
Norberto Fiero (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to SC Lasft
Michael Modexa (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to Penders
Tommy Yuram-Wilson (Kura-Pelland) ----------> to Dunboor FC
Daniel de Lange (Nethertopia) ----------> to Sambarilove
Daouda Diompy (Nethertopia) ----------> to Agreman FH
Sergio Torres (Nethertopia) ----------> to Sambarilove
Jeremy Broker (Newmanistan) ----------> to Dunboor FC
Chris Peterson (Newmanistan) ----------> to Clube Imperial
Brett Prescott (Newmanistan) ----------> to A.F.F.
Sonny Yamane (Northern Bettia) ----------> to Petardos S/A
Eetu Riihijarvi (Squornshelous) ----------> to Dunboor FC
Anatoliy Titov (Squornshelous) ----------> to Petardos S/A
Chaya Vuhumara (The Pazhujeb Islands) ----------> to Atlético Insular
Rick Manuso (Valanora) ----------> to Ranca Toco
Dotos Ponten (Vephrall) ----------> to Clube Imperial
Soscren Pranasik (Vephrall) ----------> to Clube Imperial
Jim Austin (West Starblaydia) ----------> to CR Submiria
Keith Severiano (West Starblaydia) ----------> to Atlético Insular
Maird Lavan (Yafor 2) ----------> to Dunboor FC
Klientar Loverado (Yafor 2) ----------> to Ranca Toco

Cafundelense Players - leaving Cafundéu:

Everton (Atlético Insular) ----------> to Yafor 2
Marcelo Rocha (Atlético Insular) ----------> to Yafor 2
Carlos Magno (Cafundó do Juta) ----------> to Krytenia/West Starblaydia
Túlio Vergara (Cafundó do Juta) ----------> to Kura-Pelland
Carlão (Clube Imperial) ----------> to Newmanistan
Magal (Dunboor FC) ----------> to Kura-Pelland
Júnior (Nacional da Cruz) ----------> to Candelaria And Marquez
Montanha (Ranca Toco) ----------> to Valanora
Dário (SC Lasft) ----------> left as a free agent
Wilson Magrão (SC Lasft) ----------> to Kura-Pelland

Foreign Players - between Cafundelense teams, retiring or other changes:

Jeremy Isaacs (Ariddia) ----------> retired, returns to Ariddia
Si Ewe (Ariddia) ----------> retired, now works with Ke Sho in the team
Jos Cornelisse (Candelaria And Marquez) ----------> returns to play in C&M
Marcel “Duncan” Souloy (Candelaria And Marquez) ----------> from São José to SC Lasft
Peter Danialson (Casari) ----------> from Ranca Toco to Clube Comercial
Brandon Barclay (Dancougar) ----------> from Pernetas EC to Metropolitano
Adam Tuff (Jeruselem) ----------> from Petardos S/A to Atlético Insular
Ian Sinclair (Kelssek) ----------> from São José to Atlético Insular
Jose Cazarez (Kura-Pelland) ----------> from Penders to Central United
Catch Esrimdo (Milchama) ----------> retired, no one knows where he is now
Kaile Jauz (Qazox) ----------> from Pernetas EC to Sambarilove
Jon Serra (Qazox) ----------> from Sambarilove to Metropolitano
Wesley Tripp (Qazox) ----------> from Atlético Jutense to Sambarilove
Caj Ilmari (Squornshelous) ----------> from Cafundó do Juta to Metropolitano
Viggo Haakana (Squornshelous) ----------> retired, now is assistant manager of Petardos S/A
Juan Oscar (Starblaydia) ----------> from Pernetas EC to Atlético Jutense
Vekaj Amutarrad (The Pazhujeb Islands) ----------> from Petrol to Atlético Insular
Wendelors Clituleng (Vephrall) ----------> retired, returns to Vephrall
Nick Starkey (Wentland) ----------> retired, now is a physio
Imon Juile (Yafor 2) ----------> from Penders to Clube Imperial
Iktam Velastros (Yafor 2) ----------> from Petrol to Khalmar-Tijhus
Mal Faustino (Zwangzug) ----------> retired, now owns a supermarket in Abadia
Claude Seu (Zwangzug) ----------> retired, returns to Zwangzug

Foreign Coaches:

Christophe Argentier (Ariddia) ----------> coach of Petardos S/A
Ke Sho (Ariddia) ----------> coach of Atlético Jutense
Javier Sanchez (Candelaria And Marquez) ----------> coach of América
Big Gay Al (Jeruselem) ----------> coach of Agreman FH
Jason Fowler (Jeruselem) ----------> coach of Clube Comercial
Marcel Giordane (Septentrionia) ----------> coach of Pernetas EC (2nd Div)
Patrik Hermanni (Squornshelous) ----------> coach of Globo Multimedia (2nd Div)
Ensio Varg (Squornshelous) ----------> coach of Atlético Insular
Paulo Sastape (Starblaydia) ----------> coach of São José (2nd Div)
Paul Ime (Zwangzug) ----------> coach of Petrol (2nd Div)

The line-ups of the 20 best teams of the country(First Division Teams) will probably be the following (foreigners in italics, best 3 players in bold) – still with a lot of info - (Experts’ Ratings details - the three journalists give the team a rating, from 1 to 5 stars [* - practically relegated; ** - intermediate team, battling against relegation; *** - intermediate team, battling for a top 8 place; **** - top 8 team, battling for a phase title; ***** - battling for the main title]):

PETARDOS S/A: Lauro; Vital, Renildo, Titov and Gaëif; Yamane, Hawk and Di Angelo; Fresco, Rubiano and Newton.
Coach: Christophe Argentier.
President: Nerso Lapela.
Team Style: Offensive, uses the wings, passing style.
Strongest Point: explosive attack and midfield, even the bench players are very good.
Weakest Point: none, strong team in all sectors.
Nickname: Bilionários (Billionaires).
Stadium Used: Obelisco Monumental, in Lasft (cap. 220,000).
State: Lasft.
Team Sponsor: Globo Multimedia.
Home Kit: blue shirt and white shorts.
Away Kit: white shirt and purple shorts.
Other facts: this time, Petardos S/A isn’t the defending champion of the National League, after losing last season’s final against Cafundó do Juta. But the team continues being a strong one, good in all areas, ready to take the title back. Also, Petardos S/A is the current champion of the TQCC, the international competition, so it is currently the “best team in the world”.
Good Bench Players: Silvinho (midfielder), Fe-Do (attacker), Misterson (midfielder), Fábio (defender), Júlio (goalkeeper).
The Fans Expect: the League title.
Experts’ ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*****), Jorge Lang (*****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (*****).

CAFUNDÓ DO JUTA: Rodriguez; Bahsir, Eager and Kaneda; C.Vergara, Hocn, R.Vélez and Ulcviecel; Fabrício, Flecha and I.Vélez.
Coach: Eduardo Bosschaart.
President: Armando Marques Nogueira.
Team Style: offensive, with a mixed passing style.
Strongest Point: good offensive power.
Weakest Point: none, good team in all areas.
Nickname: Esquadrão de Prata (Silver Squadron).
Stadium Used: Praça Maior, in Cafundó do Juta (cap. 180,000).
State: Juta.
Team Sponsor: Nature Cosmetics.
Home Kit: grey (silver) shirt with white vertical stripes and grey shorts.
Away Kit: white shirt and grey (silver) shorts.
Other facts: the team that has the most number of supporters in the country. Current title holder, has the strength to continue with the title. Continues spending a lot in signings, and is ready to win another trophy this season. Can be considered even stronger than Petardos S/A in amount of good players. Also, this team has a very high number of foreigners.
Good Bench Players: Bonfá (midfielder), Cícero (full-back), Aligon (defender), Raulzito (midfielder), Bastião (midfielder).
The Fans Expect: the League title.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*****), Jorge Lang (*****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (*****).

A.F.F.: Zecão; Léo Mattos, Augusto César, Whitecroft and Eduardo Monte; Pasarap, Silveira, Prescott and Neto; Heitor and Kose.
Coach: Benjamin Oliveira.
President: Sir Antônio Barbugli.
Team Style: Offensive, uses the wings, long passes style.
Strongest Point: wings, with Léo Mattos and Augusto César.
Weakest Point: not many options in the bench.
Nickname: Os Monges (The Monks).
Stadium Used: Arena América V, in Abadia (cap. 100,000).
State: Old Cities.
Team Sponsor: Bovacaf Stock Market.
Home Kit: red shirt with black vertical stripes and black shorts.
Away Kit: black shirt and black shorts.
Other facts: this team is controlled by a powerful family, and has a lot of money. This time, the directors have decided to spend more, signing some very promising players, that will substitute soon Heitor and Neto, who will retire in one or two seasons. Due to this combination of experience and youth, the team seems promising this season.
Good Bench Players: Aldo (defender), Beattis (attacker), Fausto (attacker), Petras (midfielder), Abreu (midfielder).
The Fans Expect: a phase title.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*****), Jorge Lang (****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (****).

DUNBOOR FC: Riihijarvi; Broker, Yuram-Wilson and Lobato; Lavan, Jorginho, Barnes, Songsteel and Jongguk; Luiso and Razov.
Coach: Caio Meback.
President: Pedro Marluf.
Team Style: Balanced, uses the centre, passing style.
Strongest Point: midfield and attack.
Weakest Point: none known.
Nickname: Leões do Norte (Northern Lions).
Stadium Used: Maracatuzão, in Dunboor (cap. 135,000).
State: Dunboor.
Team Sponsor: Banco Econômico.
Home Kit: dark blue shirt with dark blue shorts.
Away Kit: white shirt with light blue shorts.
Other facts: team that likes to use foreigners, takes advantage of the cold climate of the city in its home games. The team has an idol: the defensive midfielder Eddie Barnes. Wants the title, but many of its players usually play in the wrong positions. After Hartenholm retired, the directors bought two excellent attackers in his place: Luiso and Razov. Now, the team bought good reinforcements, and a lot of them.
Good Bench Players: Guga (midfielder), Dentinho (midfielder), Alves (attacker), Aldo (defender), Moscatto (goalkeeper).
The Fans Expect: the title, nothing less.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*****), Jorge Lang (*****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (*****).

CLUBE IMPERIAL: Juile; Alex, Williams and Tushambanda; Valtinho, Da Silva, Ponten, Caras and Peterson; Saulo and D’Abbo.
Coach: Júlio Vargas.
President: Emperor Hector Van Tocco.
Team Style: Extremely offensive, uses the centre and with a fast passes style.
Strongest Point: midfield.
Weakest Point: team too offensive.
Nickname: Time Real (Royal Team).
Stadium Used: Estádio Rei Albieri Van Tocco, in Cafundó do Juta (cap. 160,000).
State: Juta.
Team Sponsor: Velog Automobiles.
Home Kit: dark blue with green vertical stripes and green shorts.
Away Kit: light green shirt with dark blue shorts.
Other Facts: Clube Imperial became one of the strongest team of the country after some good signings. Last season, Clube Imperial faced the problems that came after the team didn’t spend much in signings. Now, the Emperor changed things, buying many players and building a strong team.
Good Bench Players: Ebrane (midfielder), Grilo (defender), Underdark (midfielder), Pranasik (midfielder), Aristóteles (attacker).
The Fans Expect: the title.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*****), Jorge Lang (*****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (*****).

RANCA TOCO: Moisés; Alegro, Russo, Souza, Acevedo and Luizão; Loverado, Serginho and Ghur; Aatunen and Gepardo.
Coach: David Nefasto.
President: Fernandinho “38” do Interior.
Team Style: Extremely defensive, focuses on counterattacks and long balls.
Strongest Point: defence, best of the country.
Weakest Point: offensive midfield.
Nickname: Sarrafeiros.
Stadium Used: Presídio, in Carandirú City (cap. 75,000).
State: Central.
Team Sponsor: Cacete Security.
Home Kit: purple shirt with yellow vertical stripes and purple shorts.
Away Kit: yellow shirt and purple shorts.
Other Facts: team famous for its violence, which is incentivated by the directors of the club. Gives high value to pride and home games. Its supporters are very violent too. After some bad seasons, the team is slowly recovering its old form. The team’s defence is now considered the best of the country.
Good Bench Players: Dinei (attacker), Amaral (defender), Manuso (defender), Muralha (midfielder), Furacão (attacker).
The Fans Expect: top 4 position, maybe even a phase title.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (****), Jorge Lang (****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (****).

ATLÉTICO JUTENSE: Tu Wesh; Vasco, Leandro Cavalo, Vidaca and Conceição; Zé Sho, Oscar, Leisten and Byeongji; Ricardão and Shrifflu.
Coach: Ke Sho.
President: Gilberto da Rocha Sampaio.
Team Style: Very balanced, uses more the centre, passing style.
Strongest Point: good midfield.
Weakest Point: the attack.
Nickname: Galo.
Stadium Used: Cerradão, in Cafundó do Juta (cap. 60,000).
State: Juta.
Team Sponsor: Penalty Kick Sport Equipments.
Home Kit: yellow shirt and red shorts.
Away Kit: red shirt and red shorts.
Other Facts: when the team finally was able to build a team to try to get the title back, it failed to do so. Now the team got worse, and will have to fight for lesser things, although there are many good NT players. The defence isn’t the same from the times of Cueto and Ke Sho (who now is the coach), but the midfield continues strong. The son of Ke, José (called Zé), has chance as a starter.
Good Bench Players: Franco (midfielder), Sorato (attacker), Perdigão (defender).
The Fans Expect: top 4 position.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (***), Jorge Lang (****), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (***).

SC LASFT: Bartolomeu; Bino, Chroysalá, Ronaldão and João Carlos; Anormal, Gwent and Mason; Souloy, Fiero and Panithaj.
Coach: Renário.
President: Nilceu McKeen.
Team Style: A bit defensive, very tactical.
Strongest Point: good midfield.
Weakest Point: lack of good options in the defence.
Nickname: Golden Team.
Stadium Used: Estádio Padre Anchieta, in Lasft (cap. 70,000).
State: Lasft.
Team Sponsor: Medicare Healthcare.
Home Kit: black shirt with details in gold and black shorts.
Away Kit: golden shirt and black shorts.
Other Facts: in the last 2/3 seasons, SC Lasft faced many problems, having only average teams and being unable to fight for titles. This season, things have changed. With many signings, very good ones, the team finally could build a strong squad, ready to fight for the top positions.
Good Bench Players: Luiz Flávio (midfielder), Jusczyk (midfielder), Jatobá (attacker).
The Fans Expect: a phase title.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (****), Jorge Lang (***), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (***).

KHALMAR-TIJHUS: Knudsen; Elvis, Everaldo and Japa; Gellen, Velastros Salcedo, Kries and Marossi; Volkov and Kips.
Coach: Nelson Yaschter.
President: Juvenal Corá Vaersk.
Team Style: Balanced, but very cautious when attacking.
Strongest Point: good attack.
Weakest Point: a balanced team.
Nickname: Tricolor.
Stadium Used: Jóia da Lagoa, in Tijhus (cap. 45,000).
State: Juta.
Team Sponsor: Canabrava Cachaça.
Home Kit: orange shirt and black shorts.
Away Kit: grey shirt with a orange diagonal stripe and orange shorts.
Other Facts: the team that everyone expected to be relegated seasons ago, but wasn’t. Now, the team probably won’t have any difficulties in staying in the First Division. After some good signings, this team is now a strong one, and ready to finish in a good position in the table.
Good Bench Players: Senna (attacker), Moreno (defender), Gil (midfielder).
The Fans Expect: top 4 position.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (****), Jorge Lang (***), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (****).

ATLÉTICO INSULAR: Amutarrad; Severiano, Moraes, Tuff and Vega; Edsanderson, Lionel and Sytrobes; Vuhumara, Tales and Hool.
Coach: Ensio Varg.
President: Gustavo Bamerindus “Gugu da Lança”.
Team Style: Very offensive, uses the wings, passing style.
Strongest Point: good attacking trio.
Weakest Point: poor offensive midfield.
Nickname: Leões do Litoral (Coast Lions).
Stadium Used: Cúpula Tropical, in Ilha Eremita (cap. 50,000).
State: Coast.
Team Sponsor: Duramais Batteries.
Home Kit: half-blue-half-yellow shirt and light blue shorts.
Away Kit: white shirt and half-blue-half-yellow shorts.
Other Facts: the island team was never a good team. But with its fast improvement in the last years, is now much more respected. After selling key players, the team was able to bring key players too. Will this change be beneficial for the team as a whole?
Good Bench Players: Burner (goalkeeper), Sinclair (attacker), Mário (attacker).
The Fans Expect: top 8 position.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (***), Jorge Lang (***), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (***).

GALÁXIA: Júlio Sampa; Paulo Santos, Jerônimo Laguna, William and Richard; Wágner Paulista, Moreira, Lucas Moura and Marcelinho; Juninho and Danilo Sampa.
Coach: Marcus Gouveia Sólimão.
President: Herbert Confiança.
Team Style: Extremely offensive, uses many individual plays.
Strongest Point: equal strength in all areas.
Weakest Point: equal strength in all areas.
Nickname: Academia Estelar.
Stadium Used: Gigantão, in Santo Galvão (cap. 80,000).
State: Titã.
Team Sponsor: Agora Saúde.
Home Kit: black shirt with narrow light blue horizontal stripes and light blue shorts.
Away Kit: light blue shirt and white shorts.
Other Facts: Galáxia became famous as the first team of many stars of Cafundéu’s football, with an excellent youth academy. The main players of the team started in Galáxia, and the team doesn’t like to use foreigners. Notice that the team usually doesn’t change its line-up.
Good Bench Players: Michel (midfielder), Rogério (full-back), Lacerda (attacker).
The Fans Expect: top 8 position.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (***), Jorge Lang (***), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (***).

PENDERS: Vinil; Gilberto, J.Intior, Toledo and H.Intior; Batista, Herbert, Rossi, Modexa and Oberdan; Uölfa.
Coach: Lúcio Nizi Darcellos.
President: Fernando Braga Rocha.
Team Style: A bit offensive, uses the centre, good in home games.
Strongest Point: offense in general.
Weakest Point: the defensive midfield.
Nickname: Sombra (Shadow).
Stadium Used: Campo de Batalha, in Penderia (cap. 50,000).
State: Old Cities.
Team Sponsor: Circular Transports.
Home Kit: white shirt and black shorts.
Away Kit: brown shirt and black shorts.
Other Facts: this team is just a mid-table team, that probably will stay in the intermediate positions during all the competition. Has some good players, but not in all areas. Is a traditional team with loyal supporters. As the number of strong team in the division increases, Penders can face relegation danger.
Good Bench Players: Aluízio (defender), Didi (attacker), Teco (midfielder).
The Fans Expect: mid-table position.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (***), Jorge Lang (**), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (*).

AMÉRICA: Kardec; Nilo, Almir, Burgos and Fukui; Gian, Túlio, Bacharel and Mengucci; Ikeda and Cubano.
Coach: Javier Sanchez.
President: Beto Faíska.
Team Style: bit offensive, turns defensive when playing away.
Strongest Point: the midfield is good.
Weakest Point: the attack is far from good.
Nickname: Diabos de Lasft (Lasft Devils).
Stadium Used: Estádio Marte, in Lasft (cap. 40,000).
State: Lasft.
Team Sponsor: Farah Construtora.
Home Kit: red shirt and white shorts.
Away Kit: white shirt and red shorts.
Other Facts: this team isn’t old, and is a big surprise. Founded by fanatic football supporters, it grew fast and now is the third biggest team of Lasft. It uses young players, together with some known players from foreign NTs, and can escape relegation without difficulties.
Good Bench Players: Alazão (attacker), Valdir (midfielder), Altair (attacker).
The Fans Expect: a mid-table position.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (**), Jorge Lang (***), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (***).

CR SUBMIRIA: Pitkanen; Coelho, Léo and Marcos Moreno; Del Valle, Holdings, Austin, Osman and Arsenault; Caubi and Hubert.
Coach: João Canabrava.
President: Valéria Nogueira Suárez.
Team Style: just a bit offensive, likes to use long ranged passes.
Strongest Point: offensive midfield.
Weakest Point: defence in general, excluding the goalkeeper.
Nickname: Golfinhos (Dolphins).
Stadium Used: Aquário Nacional, in Submiria (cap. 60,000)
State: Coast.
Team Sponsor: VC Travel Agency.
Home Kit: blue shirt with a diagonal white stripe and white shorts.
Away Kit: orange shirt and blue shorts.
Other Facts: had some good campaigns in the past, but now the team is completely changed. It isn’t a bad one, but probably won’t do more than escape the relegation. Not a traditional team, but a known one.
Good Bench Players: Kléber Nunes (full-back), Ravache (midfielder), Geraldão (goalkeeper).
The Fans Expect: escape relegation without problems.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (**), Jorge Lang (**), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (***).

AGREMAN FH: Salathiël; Fábian, Gigi, Vinny and Rafael Lopes; Eneus, Romergleydson, Vanderney and Fágner; Robinson and Castro.
Coach: Big Gay Al.
President: Jean Willys.
Team Style: offensive, but probably will be more balanced.
Strongest Point: defensive midfield.
Weakest Point: entire defence.
Nickname: Pó-de-Arroz.
Stadium Used: Sauna do Ney, in Central City (cap. 40,000).
State: Central.
Team Sponsor: Oficina do Amor Sex Shop.
Home Kit: pink shirt and pink shorts.
Away Kit: white shirt with narrow pink vertical stripes and light pink shorts.
Other Facts: a team that in the past was even able to win some titles, but now is nothing more than a Second Division team. Will battle against relegation, and its loyal supporters can help the team to reach this goal.
Good Bench Players: Targa (attacker), Dinho (midfielder), Alan (defender).
The Fans Expect: to escape relegation.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (**), Jorge Lang (*), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (*).

SAMBARILOVE: Peru; Nivaldo, Nasser, Fountoura and de Lange; Jules, Diompy, Schneider and Black; Urmanov, Tripp and Jauz.
Coach: João Augusto Figueiredo.
President: Renato Muquirana “Bilú-Bilú”.
Team Style: defensive one, very tactical.
Strongest Point: the attack.
Weakest Point: defensive midfield.
Nickname: Boêmios.
Stadium Used: Várzea do Bar do Zé, in Guará (cap. 30,000).
State: Lasft.
Team Sponsor: Bar do Zé.
Home Kit: blue shirt with big red stripes and blue shorts.
Away Kit: red shirt and blue shorts.
Other Facts: recently promoted, this team was just an amateur club years ago. Got some success and became sponsored by a small bar, which helped this team to reach the first division. Has determined players, but it’ll be difficult for them to escape relegation.
Good Bench Players: Januário (midfielder), Duque (midfielder), Vart (attacker).
The Fans Expect: to escape relegation.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (**), Jorge Lang (**), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (**).

CENTRAL UNITED: Pedro; Guimarães, Bruno Valeta, Yamada and Romualdo; Praiano, Fabinho and Gaúcho; Baltazar, Jinguuji and Cazarez.
Coach: Polegar.
President: Renan Pedrosa.
Team Style: offensive one, using the centre of the field and long ranged shots.
Strongest Point: attack.
Weakest Point: the wings.
Nickname: Alvinegro.
Stadium Used: Toca do Tatu “Bola”, in Central City (cap. 116,000)
State: Central.
Team Sponsor: Tio João - food in general.
Home Kit: white shirt and black shorts.
Away Kit: black shirt and black shorts.
Other Facts: and now they return. After facing the disaster of playing the second division, now Central United is back. But the team doesn’t seem ready to battle for trophies yet. Some supporters even believe that the team will fight against relegation, but the team has quality to avoid this. Now has a very different style from the past.
Good Bench Players: Tonico (midfielder), Nando (attacker), Furuya (attacker).
The Fans Expect: mid-table position.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (**), Jorge Lang (***), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (**).

METROPOLITANO: Serra; Zanirato, Platão, Barclay and Zé Maria; Rui Pimenta, Epasso, Ilmari and Meback; Araújo and Eymael.
Coach: Andreas Gilsoweller Veiga.
President: Ana Beatriz Conde.
Team Style: slightly offensive.
Strongest Point: the midfield.
Weakest Point: attack.
Nickname: Urbanos.
Stadium Used: Arena Multiuso, in Astari (cap. 80,000).
State: Titã.
Team Sponsor: Ignição Fuel.
Home Kit: purple shirt with silver diagonal stripe, silver shorts.
Away Kit: gold shirt with purple hoops, purple shorts.
Other Facts: promoted last season, this team was able to make some interesting signings, but it doesn’t seem enough to keep them in this division. Most of the players are from last season, and their key player is the old Caj Ilmari.
Good Bench Players: Fidélix (midfielder), Peroba (defender), Paulinho (midfielder).
The Fans Expect: to escape relegation.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*), Jorge Lang (*), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (**).

EC ELVILLE: Olavo; Chiquinho, Brooksfield, Robertinho and Mauro; Giranu, Wladmir, Gabriel and Itaú; Hermano and Cabeção.
Coach: Edson Nenê.
President: Amanda Flores.
Team Style: very defensive, likes to use speed.
Strongest Point: the midfield.
Weakest Point: the entire defence.
Nickname: Gorila.
Stadium Used: Parque do Sol, in Elville (cap. 60,000).
State: Juta.
Team Sponsor: Terra Nostra Adubos.
Home Kit: green shirt and green shorts.
Away Kit: white shirt and white shorts.
Other Facts: got the promotion from the second division with a reasonable second place, but will have many difficulties in keeping itself in the top division. With an extremely weak team, can finish in the last position.
Good Bench Players: Kim (midfielder), Del Mar (defender), Sorrano (defender).
The Fans Expect: to escape relegation.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (*), Jorge Lang (*), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (*).

CLUBE COMERCIAL: Assolan; Claro, Cotuba, Miojo and Leco; Barba, Liquigás and Bizness; Danialson, Casagrande and Mercado.
Coach: Júlio Mercegues.
President: Saulo Galak.
Team Style: balanced, but attacks with pressure.
Strongest Point: the attack.
Weakest Point: the entire defence.
Nickname: Econômico (Economic).
Stadium Used: Olímpico Imperial, in Lux (cap. 80,000).
State: Central.
Team Sponsor: Bacharel Bank.
Home Kit: black shirt with small white details and black shorts.
Away Kit: grey shirt and white shorts.
Other Facts: team already experienced in playing in the first division, Clube Comercial aims to fight for something more than against the relegation. The team is far from bad, and the supporters can be hopeful.
Good Bench Players: Schmidt (defender), Yoki (full-back), Rondon (attacker).
The Fans Expect: mid-table position.
Experts’ Ratings: Sílvio Ruiz (**), Jorge Lang (**), Carlos Alberto Gujabre (**).

FAVOURITES: survey’s results:

26% - Petardos S/A
22% - Cafundó do Juta
18% - Clube Imperial
13% - Dunboor FC
10% - A.F.F.
6% - Ranca Toco
2% - Atlético Jutense and SC Lasft
0,5% - Central United and Atlético Insular

WORST TEAM: Another survey asked the supporters which team they thought that would finish the league in the last place, going to the Second Division(the last 4 are relegated):

59% - EC Elville
21% - Agreman FH
11% - Sambarilove
6% - Metropolitano
2% - Clube Comercial
1% - Penders

Stay tuned also for the Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth divisions, which teams that can surprise in the future and some famous teams living bad times!

NationStates Jolt Archive

International Domestic Soccer NewsWires - Page 7