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AO Forum :: > AOCAF - The AO Regional Soccer Tournament > Aocaf V Rp Thread

Posted by: Legalese Nov 29 2004, 09:45 PM

AOCAF V Official RP Thread Group Draw: Group A NEWI Cefn Druids Crystilakere Pedriana Nova Britannicus Group B Legalese Turori Nojika Bekknia Group C Starbladyia Sarzonia Drudia Big Pimento Group D Vilita Aquiliana Lamoni Chacor Schedules, Stadia, and other info will be posted in the "AOCAF V Info/Scores Thread"

Posted by: Sarzonia Nov 29 2004, 11:40 PM

For Bryson Juergens, it seemed like only yesterday that he was walking onto the practice fields as an active player on the Sarzonian natinal team. Now, he is getting ready to run his first practice as the head coach of the second choice national team in the AOCAF tournament with his goal clear. "We want to get past the semifinals for the first time," Juergens said. "That is goal number one. Everything else falls by the wayside." Sarzonia started to field a second national team in the previous AOCAF tournament and Incorporated Football Federation officials were unsure if the team could show enough depth to get through the tournament's so-called Group of Death. But the Stars success displayed the country's football depth admirably. The Stars finished second in their group and defeated group heavyweights Vilita for the first time, 2-0. The team fell to host nation Starblaydia for the third time in the tournament after beating their football archrivals twice in World Cup 17 qualifying, then knocked off Aquiliana to clinch third place for the third time in four tournaments. The team is facing Starblaydia in group place again. "We're not going to play them any differently than anyone else," Juergens said. "We can't afford to do that or we could lose our concentration. Suffice to say Starblaydia is a very good team and we'll have our hands full with them, but we respect the other teams in our group." The Stars don't know much about Druida, but they are very familiar with Druida's colonial masters in NEWI Cefn Druids. "Any one with NEWI Cefn Druids blood in them is going to be dangerous," Juergens said. "Big Pimento is a dangerous team and they massacred us the first time out [a 4-0 loss in the final group stage match of the ninth Cup of Harmony]. We're not going to take anyone lightly."

Posted by: Starblaydia Nov 30 2004, 08:08 AM

Starblaydia Ready to Defend their Title Veterans are coming back for one last try for a medal The average age of the Starting Eleven may be just the wrong side of thirty, but they're all out to do just one thing. Win the Atlantian Oceania Cup of Association Football for a second time. 'We all know its going to be difficult, everyone will want to take a pop at Starblaydia.' said Captain Simeone Di Bradini, handed the armband for his first AOCAF attempt, 'As Champions, we're here to be shot at, though I think we're good enough to shoot back.' Di Bradini, strangely enough in only his first AOCAF appearance, has the armband for a second time since his Captaincy during the drive to the Group Stages of World Cup 18 in which Starblaydia failed to progress to the second round by just a single goal. 'If i'd have taken an extra chance in the Eagles Nest or the Iansisle game, we would have gone through with no problems.' Said 'SDB' earlier today. 'The one thing I'm kicking myself over to this day is the open-goal I missed against Druida in our final match. I've never missed an unguarded net before, so to do it in the World Cup was hugely disappointing.' Another thing that we all want to know is, what will the great man be doing after this pair of cups finishes, once his contract at Alan City runs out? 'I still haven't decided,' he laughs, 'Playing, Coaching, Presenting, Stripping, its all possible.' How does he feel about the chances for Starblaydia in Group C? 'Well, first off our first game is against Big Pimento, we've never played them before and we'll certainly respect them, but we expect to win that one. Then comes Druida. Now, we've beaten them in World Cup and two consecutive Under-21 Championships. We're starting to develop something of a rivalry with them, and will face them in the AOCAF and the Qualifiers, which is typical, really. Last up are Sarzonia, and we've played them more times than I want to count. It'll be us or them to top Group C, don't bet against that.' But who's his prediction for the title? 'Us, Vilita, the Druids or Sarzonia, basically. Turori and Lamoni will have a big say in the final decision , but ultimately its one of us four. Oh and don't forget the Crystils. Or Aquiliana... or Pedriana. Dammit.'

Posted by: Lamoni Nov 30 2004, 09:46 PM

The Hawks are fixin' to win With the same squad as in the last AOCAF coming back to play in this one, Lamoni faces opposition from Vilita, Aquiliana, and Chacor. Team Captain Matthew Bostock is confident that Lamoni will do well. "We've heard what the other nations are saying about us, and we think that we will do better than that. We hope to have more than a 'big say' in who wins, and we'll play like it as well. We know that Aquiliana will be a tough opponent, but we think that we can outclass them. We'll also have to see how Vilita plays this time. We tied with them twice last time, so that is going to give them incentive to improve. The only real unknown in our group is Chacor, but they didn't really do so well last time." Who's the team's prediction for the title? Bostock continued with: "We think that it will be Vilita/Lamoni, Starblaydia, NEWI Cefn Druids, or Sarzonia. It's all in how the matchups work out."

Posted by: NEWI Cefn Druids Dec 1 2004, 08:39 AM

The Daily Druid CAN WE WIN IT BACK? Björn-Trevor Frederiksson says no. There was once a time when NEWI Cenf Druids virtually owned the AOCAF trophy. But not any more. Starblaydia won last time out, and with the rest of the region catching and, sometimes, overtaking the Druids in the quality of football played, ti looks a tough ask for them to win it back. Vilita are higher in the Wrold Rankings, Starblaydia won't want to give the cup up, the list of nations who think that they can win it is long. The competition is so open that another win for the Druids would probably be down to luck than skill, especially as new Druids manager Trevor Belmore has named a Druids "B" team to represent the country this time round, echoing the tactic of most of the other nations in Atlantian Oceania who also play on the world stage. The Druids' group looks simple enough, though. Crystilakere never seem to be as good as their ranking suggests, Pedriana will be a slight threat if they can play to potential, while... Nova Britannicus... that's that little place next to Starblaydia, isn't it. Here we come into the next round, then!

Posted by: Druida Dec 1 2004, 08:49 AM

The Tribune Tribune Serving Druid Tribune and the surrounding area DRUIDA IN AOCAF GROUP OF DEATH By Trefor Blackmore There were sighs all round in Druida as the draw for AOCAF 5 was made in Legalese. Druida have been drawn against reigning champions Starblaydia, perenial AOCAF semi-finalists Sarzonia and up and coming excessively tall types Big Pimento. So it seems difficult to see what Druida have going for them at the moment. Of course, you can look at the results from World Cup 18. Druida qualified, and shot up the World Rankings, even though they are nowhere near being the best team in Atlantian Oceania yet. Last time out in the AOCAF, Druida were only knocked out in suspicious circumstances, as Vilita and Lamoni played out a draw that guarenteed that they both went through. So it isn't all as bad as it seems for Druidan fans. Of course, Druida is a bigger nation than it was last time round, so we would like to welcome all our new readers in the Bekkshore province. However, as a lot of people there were originally ethnic Flexsys Cefn Druidish anyway, I guess a lot of you have been following the rainbows' success through other sources. TO all of you, again, welcome to the Tribune Tribune's coverage.

Posted by: Legalese Dec 1 2004, 03:50 PM

Kelly: ...now, while the Senior Nationals are taking on the World in Cup Qualifying, we have another little event here, with the Atlantian Oceania Championships. Legalese, despite their new status in the region, won the hosting bid over a small field, and will commence with action tomorrow. We turn to our resident "Soccer Night in Legalese" analysts, Don Donaldson and Jim Jameson, for more on the AOCAF. Don? Don: Hello, Kelly. Jim and I are here at Legalese National, which just hosted a tough loss for the Senior Nationals, 2-1 to The Weegies. However, the big topic is the match that will be seen here tomorrow, as Vilita takes on Chacor, in part of Matchday 1 of the AOCAF. What do you think of our chances, Jim? Jim: Well Don, the Legalese side is made up of an interesting crew. A good chunk of the roster are holdovers from the u21 side that debuted for the Black and Red in the Eighth u21 Championships. Also, as the Legalese Soccer Championships have bumped the matchdays back a week to accomodate the first round of the tournament, seven players from the league have joined the national reserves. In fact, six of them will be starting tomorrow! Don: Righto, Jim. Scott Pemberton, who has a had a good start so far with Gavelton Royal, will start in the goal. He'll be joined by his defensive squadmates Mike Atkinson and Josh Buggs. Lancer FC has sent two of their scoring powers, Larry Jenson and Craig Delgado, who will work in the midfield and up front with Titan FC's Marquis Realmuto. How will the addition of these new parts affect the team? Jim: Well, we'll find that out as the cup progresses. Tomorrow's match against Bekknia should be odd, as the Bekknian side is made up of the adult amateur club known as Bekk Lake United, which made an undistingushed entry in the Confederation Cup, before the Bekkside Lawsuit. We'll see how national pride plays into the match with the Purple and Scarlet. Don: Indeed we shall. This is Don Donaldson and Jim Jameson from Francis Town. Now let's send you back to Kelly at Sports World Nightly studios in Gavelton.

Posted by: Legalese Dec 2 2004, 09:15 AM

---Pre-Matchday 1 is over. Results will be available shortly---

Posted by: Starblaydia Dec 2 2004, 11:52 AM

[ooc: holy crap dude, those are some huge scores] Six of the Starblaydi Best! 4-Goal Di Bradini Beats Big Pimento on his Own Defending Champions Starblaydia clocked up Six Goals, the largest tally of a very high-scoring day, with Captain and Legend Simeone Di Bradini scoring four of them, the highest single tally in a match by a Starblaydia player. Ever. Just another one of the records he holds, with his goal-scoring record now standing at 39, nearly twice as much as the man behind him in the charts, Eomer Hall, on 21. Starblaydia's experience was obvious as almost direct from the Pimento kick-off they won the ball in a 50-50 tackle by Daniel Scott. A pass to Stark then a through-ball to an offside trap-beating Di Bradini gave Starblaydia one of their fastest ever goals, scoring within a minute as he took his time and dinked it neatly over the onrushing goalie. That proved to set the tone for the rest of the game as Starblaydia's Wile E. Veterans showed off all their experience, dominating the Pimentos. Julio Matis' harrying created the second as he latched on to an awful backpass from the Pimento defence, striking a quick shot against the body of the Goalie. The ball fell to Di Bradini, and he bagged his second, jinking around a sliding challenge and slotting the ball neatly in the far corner. The Pimento's couldn't keep up with the rampant Starblaydia attack and soon turned to fouls to stem the tide. This didn't help, as a beauty of a curling free-kick from Ceri Salisbury found the gap between the heads of the wall and left the 'keeper stranded. Three-nil after just over twenty minutes. 'SDB' got his hat-trick and earned the match-ball, which will be auctioned off for charity later in the week. It could well be the worst goal he ever scored, but they all count, as they say. From a corner, Starblaydia piled up the big men into the box. The ball came in, the goalie missed a punch, players dived left and right, then Vladimir Tsarev had a shot. The ball went in and Starblaydia celebrated, though it came off of Simeone Di Bradini's backside as he turned to protect his more vulernable area from the shot. Like any good striker he claimed the goal afterwards and was duly awarded it. Big Pimento went in at half-time on the wrong end of a Four-Nil thrashing. They came out like a bolt from a rifle, steaming towards Starblaydia's goal and putting in a neat string of passes, earning themselves a good chance at goal that was duly converted. Starblaydia looked around, Paul Nicholson banged some heads together, and Starblaydia got back on track. It wasn't too long before SDB scored his fourth. Picking the ball just outside the box, he took a few touches, opened his body and placed the ball the one area that no 'keeper can reach. Curling slowly into the far corner, the despairing leap of the 'keeper was to no avail. Simeone merely opened his arms and took in the acclaim of four goals in just over an hour of play. Wonderful. Though he went off for Juan Silva De Souza a few moments later, it was to a complete standing ovation from damn-near the entire crowd. Thirty-five and too old? Not a bit. As if to live up to the man he replaced, De Souza bagged the sixth with a stinging shot that the Goalie couldn't hold and ended up watching as it rolled slowly into the net for a sixth with five minutes to go. After that Starblaydia got sloppy, allowing a corner, which was met at the near-post by the head of a Big Pimento defender, slamming into the back of the net for 6-2. And a reasonable scoreline was nowhere to be seen, except in the Crystilakere-Pedriana match, though even there they still had four goals to contend with. CODE Pos Nation       P W D L F A GD Pts *1  Starblaydia  1 1 0 0 6 2 +4  3* -2  Sarzonia     1 1 0 0 5 1 +4  3 -3  Big Pimento  1 0 0 1 2 6 -4  0 -4  Druida       1 0 0 1 1 5 -4  0 Final Score from Okerson Park: Starblaydia 6 (six) - 2 Big Pimento (Di Bradini 1 & 6 & 37 & 61, Salisbury 22, De Souza 85) - (46th, 89)

Posted by: Legalese Dec 2 2004, 04:29 PM

Goal-fest at the Castle Legalese defeat former countrymen 5-3 in wild match Legalese City Tonight’s match at The Castle had most of the elements of a good match: great plays, a close scoreline, and drama to the near end. However, the match appeared to be lacking one element: Defense. The Legalese Reserves held on to defeat former countrymen Bekknia by a 5-3 result. The result was not sealed until stoppage time, when Mike Atkinson took advantage of a desperate move by the Bekknian keeper to enter the penalty area on a corner attempt. He blasted in Legalese’s fifth and final goal from 80 yards out. Prior to Atkinson’s goal, the trio of Larry Jenson, Marquis Realmuto, and Craig Delgado ran free on the offensive side. Realmuto walked away with two goals and an assist, while Jenson and Delgado each added a score of their own. Legalese’s next match will also be in The Castle, as they take on Nojika, who were on the wrong side of a 4-3 result to Turori. OOC: I'm not sure what happened. Should be interesting to see if the high scores continue, but we may have to ask Margaret for her opinion.

Posted by: Sarzonia Dec 2 2004, 05:27 PM

Stars start off with big bang, 5-1 The Sarzonian national team didn't know much about Druida entering the fifth AOCAF tournament and didn't know much about Bryson Juergens as a head coach. The Stars went a long way toward finding out about both as they easily defeated Druida 5-1 behind a hat trick from forward Bruce Badger and a goal and two assists from fellow front liner Kevin Wilson. Juergens' debut as the second choice national team's field boss got off to a flying start almost from the opening kickoff as Badger fired the first shot on goal 28 seconds in. He would connect on his first goal as the team's primary striker just four minutes into the match. From there, the Stars started an offensive onslaught that chased goalkeeper Trefor Tilling after he allowed all five goals just 28 minutes into the first half. "We wanted to set the tone for the rest of the tournament with this match," Juergens said. "It was good to start with such an impressive win." The win was the first tournament opening win for the Stars since the first AOCAF tournament when they defeated Crystilakere 3-2 in their international debut, back when Juergens played for the team. He said the team had to fight to overcome slow starts in each of the other tournaments. "One game doesn't kill you for the most part, but you don't want to feel like you're behind the eight ball after one match. We've got a tough group to play out of and every win is important." The Stars face Big Pimento in their next match and the so-called Futility Kings will be pressing for a win, midfielder Loren Butler said. He also reminded anyone who would listen of Big Pimento's 4-0 win over the Stars in the ninth Cup of Harmony, a loss that eliminated them from the tournament. "We've got to make sure we keep our intensity for those guys," Butler said. "They're a very good team no matter what their nickname is."

Posted by: Lamoni Dec 2 2004, 06:04 PM

Lamoni 2 - Aquiliana 4 Lamoni's first match in the fifth AOCAF resulted in a loss against Aquiliana. Things started out well for the Hawks with Forward Jason Pier scoring at 5 and 10 minutes to make it 2-0 Lamoni. After that, Aquiliana came back and scored four goals, and the Hawks just couldn't seem to come back. Team Captain Matthew Bostock had this to say: "We are very embarrased about the way that this game worked out. You can bet that we'll do much better in our next match. This will give us extra incentive." The Hawks face off against Chacor next, and that game is expected to see Lamoni blow Chacor away.

Posted by: Aquiliana Dec 2 2004, 11:16 PM

Falcons come out firing Aquiliana's set of as-of-yet-unnamed players, despite having no clue who each other were, were able to defeat the Lamonians 4-2. Hopefully, we will eventually learn something about this mysterious group of teammates, but for now, we only know that they're pretty darn good, despite some early mishaps.

Posted by: Druida Dec 3 2004, 11:20 AM

The Tribune Tribune Serving Druid Tribune and the surrounding area RAINBOWS MAKE FANS CRY Yes, it was that bad! Trefor Blackmore on Sarzonia 5 Druida 1 I don't know why, but already I get the feeling that Druida sending their Under-22 team to the AOCAF Cup was a bad idea. They lost 5-1 to Sarzonia, a result that was enough to make a grown man cry. From the first shot in the first minute to the way the Stars ended up just being annoyingly better than them, the young rainbows side, under the guidance of not-particularly-successful former NEWI Cefn Druids manager Simon Greaves. The only ray of light for the rainbows was that Trefor Williams scored a wonderful concelation free-kick just before half-time, but as they'd already let five in at the other end by then, it was all a bit pointless. Hopefully, the youngsters will pick their game up in time for their next match against Starblaydia. They say you should start as you mean to go on - hopefully, Druida won't go on this way...

Posted by: Legalese Dec 4 2004, 09:54 PM

---End of Pre-Matchday 2 RPs. Check Scores Thread for Results---

Posted by: Vilita Dec 4 2004, 10:27 PM

Cats down Terrible Chacor :: 5-0 Vilita Goalscorers:: 1' Carmine Mbidzo 6' Carmine Mbidzo 56' Musa Nikiema 63' Lai Ncube 76' Malovar Stokks -------------------Rookie Goalkeeper Delain Falcón had a sensational debut stopping all 6 Chacorian shots on goal, while his offensive support got the job done netting 5 times in a blowout debut for many of the Vilitan youngsters. Experienced World Cup veteran Giacomo Adika has stayed in Vilita to work with the Vilitan Future squad and looked a bit of his former self late in the game to save the Jungle Cats defensive blushes after Arizmendi had turned the ball over inside the Vilitan area. Full Time Analysis: Vilita Best Player: Delain Falcón Worst Player: Michele Mariano Shots on Target: 5 Corner Kicks: 11 Opponents Vilita Jungle Cats (3-5-2) :: [GK] Delain Falcón, [D] Giacomo Adika, [D] Niccoló Mazzeo, [D] Tulio Arizmendi, [DMC] Michele Mariano, [ML] Musa Nikiema, [MC] Sublé Tonic, [MC] Tanner Nerni, [MR] Manolis Ipoua, [FC] Lai Ncube, [FC] Carmine Mbidzo, BENCH:: [FC] Hluali Mijatos, [FC] Jan Christiansen, [M] Teariki Mané, [M] Malovar Stokks, [U] Jeremie Emeka, [D] Tanner Lembi, [GK] Ilias Soma-Phiri, Vilita Substitutions:: (45) - Sublé Tonic >>> Malovar Stokks (71) - Tulio Arizmendi >>> Jeremie Emeka

Posted by: Starblaydia Dec 5 2004, 12:22 PM

One Day, Two Games, Three Conceded, Four Points, Five Goals For. Starblaydia play Druida Twice on the same Day in crazy double-header. The Starblaydi squad for the Druida match in the World Cup Qualifiers was somewhat shortened from their usual twenty-three as the five reserve players were off playing an AOCAF Match, against Druida, of all teams. This must mark something of a record in International Football as the two Atlantian Oceania sides played each other twice on the same day. Their Senior sides met within hours of each other, allowing each team to get nicely fired-up for their own matches, while watching their team-mates battling their opponents. First up, time-wise, came the match in the World Cup Qualifiers. Starblaydia travelled westward across the Bekk lake to face their friends and rivals on their own turf. Most of the match was a goal-drought, broken up by Eomer Hall's powerful drive into the box that squeezed past the fingertips of Trefor the 'Keeper. That was largely it, it would seem, until the home crowd got behind their team and urged them forward. Onward came the Druids and Starblaydia were forced back into some heavy defense. Guylain N'Dumbu-Nsungu wasn't going to be ruffled as he sent on young Stelios Doukas for Forest Hill FC's Jose Tirado as Starblaydia played a flat three in midfield to contain the Druids. It was only under heavy Druid pressure that the second goal of the game came, though it was a second for Starblaydia. As Druida pressed on, Starblaydia looked to counter, and did so perfectly. Eomer Hall used his height to clear a Druidan corner and Roberto Di Bradini raced away with the ball. He passed neatly to the centre circle as Starblaydia rushed forward in numbers. Naoki and Jakkinho both got a touch before laying it back to Geraint Evans who's right-foot shot flashed across the face of goal and went in off the far post. Two-Nil with ten minutes to go, and Starblaydia were doing their utmost to catch Squornshelous at the top of the table. Somehow, though, Starblaydia managed to snatch a draw from the very jaws of victory. Two minutes from time, Druida pulled one back with a sneakily-worked free kick that completely out-foxed the Starblaydi defence and left Markus Cragg yelling at his stunned defenders. Off came Eomer Hall for the Iskara Daii Centre-Back Jamie Majeed, as the Manager attempted to play five at the back, with three in midfield, one up and one just behind 'in the hole'. Something went wrong, however, as Starblaydia's plan to shut out the Druids for a few minutes certainly didn't work. Five across the back has never been a good tactic for Starblaydia, and as per usual it din't work this time either. All it took was a clever through-ball from one of the Garths to the other and Starblaydia had been opened up like a tin of sardines, allowing the Garth the Striker to round Markus Cragg and slot the ball home. Even at Two-Two Druida had a good chance to win the came, but Trefor the Striker's shot flew wide. This draw keeps both Druida and Starblaydia ahead of Krytenia, who lost to group-leaders Squornshelous, who have now extended their lead at the top. 19th World Cup Qualifiers: Final Score from Druida: Druida 2 - 2 Starblaydia (Daffydd 88, Vincent 90) - (Hall 22, Evans 80) The result of the AOCAF5 match, however, was much more pleasing for Starblaydi eyes. As the World Cup's Team Plane turned west for Druida, the AOCAF Team Plane vectored itself south-west for the Bekkside state of Legalese, once their landing permission had been accepted and found innocent by the Judge in Charge of Legalese Airspace. Having blasted six goals past 'Futility Kings' Big Pimento in the first match, Starblaydia were looking for a second good performance, especially from their Captain, Simeone Di Bradini, who managed four of the six at Okerson Park. SDB's Indian Summer continued as he sandwiched half-time between a brace of goals to earn Starblaydia a three-one win, slightly making up for the two-two draw in Druida earlier in the day. J.J. Stark's quick opener set the tone for a pacy, exciting match with ample oppurtunities at both ends. Druida pulled one back after half an hour but when Julio Matis went down in the box over a clumsy Druidan challenge, up stepped Simeone Di Bradini to give Starblaydia a two-one lead at half time, his cheeky penalty chipped straight down the middle of the goal as the 'keeper threw himself to the left-hand side. A sixth Di Bradini goal in two AOCAF games then prompted the Starblaydi fans to chant and ask SDB whether he was Rejistanian goalscoring hero Jenji Y in disguise, but he just smiled and declined to answer them. This barnstorming win keeps Starblaydia at the top of Group C and definitely in the running to retain their title. What odds on Simeone Di Bradini picking up the trophy at the end of the AOCAF? Not too bad, we think. 5th Atlantian Oceania Cup of Association Football: Final Score from Legalese: Druida 1 - 3 Starblaydia (Michaels 33) - (Stark 13, Di Bradini 41pen & 55)

Posted by: Sarzonia Dec 5 2004, 04:07 PM

Stars stifle 'Kings', win 3-0 The first time the Sarzonian national team and Big Pimento faced each other in football, the Stars knew Big Pimento as the darlings of World Cup football, a newcomer team that didn't roll over to much more powerful teams and became known as a tough team to play against. They throttled the Stars to prevent the team from advancing to the knockout stages of the Cup of Harmony. Fast forward to the fifth Atlantian Oceania Cup of Association Football. Big Pimento earned the moniker as the "Futility Kings" for not advancing to the World Cup and the Stars earned a reputation as a team that consistently fell short of advancing to the finals. The Stars earned a measure of revenge against the Futility Kings, earning a 3-0 shutout and moving to a 2-0 record for the first time in Stars history. "We played a good game," Coach Bryson Juergens said. "[Goalkeeper] Marco [Taglianetti] played great. We've got a tough game now against Starblaydia but let's enjoy this one." Forward Kevin Wilson scored the first Stars goal 14 minutes into the match when he raced back to take a clearing pass from midfielder Loren Butler and streaked down the right touchline. He made a move to fake a Pimento defender out and send a bending shot past the goalkeeper. "I just let instinct take over," Wilson said. "I couldn't repeat that if I tried." Forward Bruce Badger made the score 2-0 in the 38th minute with a header off a Josh Bentley cross when the Stars took advantage of a turnover near the center circle. Butler notched a third goal in the 82nd minute to put the game on ice. "This was a good game for us," Taglianetti said. "We've got a vital one against the Blades next."

Posted by: Lamoni Dec 5 2004, 05:22 PM

Hawks down Vilita With goals at 20 and 106 minutes, Al Smith and Team Captain Matthew Bostock defeated Vilita in Legalese. Even a Vilitan goal by Malovar Stokks at 52 minutes couldn't stop Lamoni. Al Smith put it this way: "Vilita has recently been a team that will barely make first place in their group, but come alive in the playoffs. Aquiliana, Vilita, and we will all be battling for the top two spots in our group. However, we feel that we have an excellent chance of making second place, and if certain things go our way, maybe even first. We are bound and determined to make it into the knockouts, and we won't rest until we do." Either way, the Lamoni-Vilita matchups have (in this and the last AOCAF) resulted in a lot of draws, with some Lamoni wins. Chacor (Lamoni's next opponent) had better be worried. Lamoni - 2 Al Smith (20) Matthew Bostock (106) Vilita - 1 Malovar Stokks (52)

Posted by: Legalese Dec 5 2004, 05:50 PM

QUOTE (Lamoni @ Dec 5 2004, 05:22 PM) Hawks down Vilita With goals at 20 and 106 minutes, Al Smith and Team Captain Matthew Bostock defeated Vilita in Legalese. Even a Vilitan goal by Malovar Stokks at 52 minutes couldn't stop Lamoni. OOC: Last time I checked Lamoni, we play 45 minute halves, or 90 minutes total, in matches. You'll only see extra time in the knockout stage Now, if you happen to use a different time scale in Lamoni, I'll eat the above words.

Posted by: Pedriana Dec 5 2004, 07:25 PM

Ho-Hum AOCAF Performance So Far LEGALESE -- Now that we've finally gotten clearance from Emperor Pedro (long live the Emperor) we can give you a report on how our team is doing in the fifth Atlantian Oceania Cup of Association Football. And really it's pretty much as expected: decidedly mediocre. Sure, things started off okay with a 2-2 draw with Crystilakere. But actually now that I think about it, the second match was not bad at all. A 0-2 loss is actually pretty respectable when you're playing NEWI Cefn Druids. They put out their "B" team, the regular squad being tied up in World Cup qualifiers. Still, it was a good day for the Pedrian defense. The next match is against Nova Brittanicus, the one nation in the group that most people are confident of us defeating. Remember, though, it's the Pedrian football team. We are known for being disappointments. Don't expect that to change any time soon.

Posted by: Legalese Dec 5 2004, 07:27 PM

---Matchday 3 is over. Scores have been posted---

Posted by: Starblaydia Dec 6 2004, 07:05 AM

Stars Downed, Starblaydia March On Non-American Speakers Thrown by Use of Tables For those of you who like the more European-Centric way of doing things, here's the Group Tables as they're meant to be. CODE Pos Team              P  W  D  L  GF  GA  GD Pts  PP 1+  NEWI Cefn Druids  3  3  0  0   8   1  +7  9   18 2+  Pedriana          3  1  1  1   5   5   0  4   13 3-  Crystilakere      3  1  1  1   3   3   0  4   13 4-  Nova Britannicus  3  0  0  3   1   8  -7  0    9 CODE Pos Team              P  W  D  L  GF  GA  GD Pts  PP 1+  Turori            3  3  0  0   9   4  +5  9   18 2+  Legalese          3  2  0  1   8   8   0  6   15 3-  Bekknia           3  1  0  2   5   7  -2  3   12 4-  Nojika            3  0  0  3   5   8  -3  0    9 CODE Pos Team              P  W  D  L  GF  GA  GD Pts  PP 1+  Starblaydia       3  3  0  0  11   3  +8  9   18 2+  Sarzonia          3  2  0  1   8   3  +5  6   15 3-  Big Pimento       3  1  0  2   7  12  -5  3   12 4-  Druida            3  0  0  3   5  13  -8  0    9 CODE Pos Team              P  W  D  L  GF  GA  GD Pts  PP 1+  Vilita            3  2  0  1   7   2  +5  6   15 2+  Lamoni            3  2  0  1   5   3  +2  6   15 3-  Aquliana          3  2  0  1   6   7  +1  6   15 4-  Chacor            3  0  0  3   1   9  -8  0    9 As we can see, no team is quite Eliminated yet, though Nova Britannicus, Nojika, Druida and Chacor all need something of a Mathematical Miracle to see the Quarter-Finals. In the actual match, though, Starblaydia got the better of Sarzonia for the fifth straigh AOCAF game, stretching all the way back to AOCAF2. The Stars have never beaten Starblaydia in an AOCAF, though a double over Starblaydia in the 17th World Cup Qualifiers belies that statistic. And, Simeone Di Bradini's seventh goal in three games? This man is thirty-five for crying out loud! Final Score: Starblaydia 2 - 0 Sarzonia (Matis 57, Di Bradini 73) - (None)

Posted by: Vilita Dec 6 2004, 07:47 AM

[CENTER][/center] Cats Down Falcons :: 2-1 Vilita Goalscorers:: 38' Mauro Baraza ------------------- Delain Falcón returned to the sensational form he showed against Chacor in recording his second shutout of the competition, pressing his claim for a run out with the senior national team. The aging Giacomo Adika showed his weakness at times, but a 38th minute strike from Mauro Baraza was enough to properl the Regional Cats back atop the table. Full Time Analysis: Vilita Best Player: Delain Falcón Worst Player: Giacomo Adika Shots on Target: 2 Corner Kicks: 3 Vilita Jungle Cats (3-5-2) :: [GK] Delain Falcón, [D] Petros Alfieri, [D] Giacomo Adika, [D] Tulio Arizmendi, [DMC] Mauro Capuano, [ML] Malovar Stokks, [MC] Musa Nikiema, [MC] Sublé Tonic, [MR] Manolis Ipoua, [FC] Mauro Baraza, [FC] Lai Ncube, BENCH:: [FC] Carmine Mbidzo, [FC] Hluali Mijatos, [M] Maurizio Sala, [M] Teariki Mané, [U] Tanner Nerni, [D] Enzo Ahat, [GK] Massimo Corsi, Vilita Substitutions:: (45) - Giacomo Adika >>> Teariki Mané (45) - Malovar Stokks >>> Maurizio Sala

Posted by: Lamoni Dec 6 2004, 03:14 PM

Lamoni sinks Chacor Chacor seemingly continued on it's road to AOCAF obscurity with a 3-1 loss to the Hawks. The Hawks dominated the game so completely that the only Chacor goal was a lucky shot that just BARELY made it past the line, coming to rest JUST on the other side. Lamoni Coach Ivan Sergeyevich demanded a review, thinking that the ball had been stopped, but the goal stood. With this game seen as an almost certain win for the Hawks, Lamoni took the chance to send out it's reserves; while rotating others in just so they could get some playing time. Lamoni - 3 Jason Pier (2), Marvin Sims (50), John Anderson (89) Chacor - 1 Clyde Engelke (20)

Posted by: Sarzonia Dec 6 2004, 04:22 PM

Stars stumped by rivals, 2-0 Prior to last night's match between the Sarzonian national team and rival Starblaydia, two Stars coaches came up empty in their bids to win a AOCAF tournament match. Bryson Juergens became the third head coach still searching for a AOCAF win as the Stars lost to Starblaydia 2-0. "They've been among the class of the region and they're defending champions," Juergens said. "We knew they'd be a tough nut to crack. We're going to have to work hard to run the table from here on out." The Stars (2-0-1, six points) went into the locker room level with Starblaydia at 0-0 in large part because of goalkeeper Marco Taglianetti. He made five saves in the first half, including a sequence when he denied forward Simeone Di Bradini on both his one-time bid and a follow up. However, his and the Stars' luck would run out as the teams jogged onto the pitch to start the second half. Forward Julio Matis worked a wall pass with midfielder J.J. Stark around defenders Brian Henderson and Carlos Escandela, then Stark fired a shot that Taglianetti parried aside, but right into the path of Matis, and he tapped the ball past the prone goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead in the 57th minute. "We had to come back fighting after that, but we were spent," Escandela said. "Especially when the old man [Di Bradini] got around me to score that last goal. That never happens if I'm not tired." "We've got a lot of work to do and we're not finished by any stretch," Juergens said, almost trying to settle his team down from the press room. "We've got plenty of football left to play."

Posted by: Legalese Dec 6 2004, 09:34 PM

Breaking News: Power Outages in Legalese force delays in matches Francis Town, Legalese- Widespread power outages in Legalese have forced the LAFC to delay the start of Matchday 4 of the AOCAF. At 7:59 PM, the outages struck, minutes before kickoff of matches. Teams and fans are currently being held in the stadium, where auxiliary power is keeping enough light to maintain order. "We apologize for the inconvenience," said Miguel Caranlejo, Executive Director of the LAFC, "But in order to ensure the safety of everyone involved, the lockdown was necessary. We are expecting kickoff to occur at 11:00 PM, and will delay all matches if problems are not resolved by then. The cause of the power outage is unknown at this time. Stay tuned to LSPN.com for more updates. (OOC/RL Explanation: I'm still on-campus, and haven't been able to access the scorinator, which is on my home computer. I will run the matches/post the results ASAP, but consider this some extra RP time for y'all Sorry for the inconvenience)

Posted by: Legalese Dec 7 2004, 02:06 AM

Power Restored in Legalese; Matchday 4 Underway After a long delay, LSPN.com is reporting that matchday 4 of the AOCAF, delayed by outages in Legalese, is now underway. Results will be posted as they appear. ---End of MD4, Results in Scores Thread---

Posted by: Starblaydia Dec 7 2004, 06:32 AM

Electrickery Out, Starblaydia In Crack Team of Dwarven Engineers Spark Starblaydia to Qualify A short self-powered train ride for the crack team of Dwarven Engineers of the Electrickery Guild was all that was needed for Starblaydia's match against Big Pimento to get underway, as they sorted the problem without any major problems. With the Dwarves sitting in the stands and the game tied at 1-1 with not long to go, the Manager thought he might as well give the Dwarves a show, bringing on striker De Souza and Dwarf midfielder Hurin Menegroth for his first AOCAF appearance, One Game, One Goal is how Hurin son of Dwalin's record standins in the AOCAF as the two subsititutes combined perfectly to give Starblaydia the lead and a win. Though it seemed like he was getting a nosebleed from being so high up the pitch, the stout midfielder kept his head and prodded the ball past the futile dive of the Futility Kings' 'keeper. Final Score from Legalese: Big Pimento 1 - 3 Starblaydia (21) - (Hill 34, Menegroth 76)

Posted by: Druida Dec 7 2004, 07:36 AM

The Tribune Tribune Serving Druid Tribune and the surrounding area TEAM SENT HOME IN DISGRACE Trefor Blackmore on Sarzonia 2 Druida 0 Another defeat for the Druida under-22 side representing them at the AOCAF championships in Legalese, this time against Sarzonia, has led to manager Simon Greaves sending the entire squad home in disgrace. The young rainbows side haven't won a game to date, and are a disgrace to the rainbows' reputation. Of course, we should have expected this - the same team failed to qualify from the group stages of the last World Under-21 Cup, so why we expected any more of them here, I am still uncertain. Anyway, a team will still represent Druida for their final two games, against Starblaydia and Big Pimento, but it will not be from the squad selectd pre-tournament, but using a squad of Druida fans picked out of the crowd before the Starblaydia game.

Posted by: Sarzonia Dec 7 2004, 09:51 AM

Stars boot Druids from AOCAF, 2-0 It's not very often that the Sarzonian national team can send a team home from the tournament literally, but that's what happened when the Stars defeated Druida 2-0 in the fourth match of the AOCAF tournament behind five saves by goalkeeper Marco Taglianetti and goals by Kevin Wilson and Josh Bentley. Druids manager Simon Greaves sent the team home after Sarzonia's 2-0 win, saying the team was a disgrace. "It was important for us to bounce back from the loss to Starblaydia," Coach Bryson Juergens said. "We needed to come out and play well and we did that." The Stars (3-0-1, nine points) made their impact shortly before and after first half injury time ended. Bentley, serving as playmaking midfielder on this Stars team, took a wall pass from fellow midfielder and team captain Loren Butler and sent a dangerous cross in on Rainbows' goalkeeper Trefor Tilling. He mistimed his leap for the cross, but Wilson, the team's young forward, did not. He cooly smacked a header into the back of the net 43 minutes in for the 1-0 lead the team took into the half. "That was a bad goal," Tilling said just before he boarded the team bus on the way back to Druida. "I should have done better with that ball." Bentley struck for the Stars shortly after the second half kickoff after Butler stole the ball from forward Trefor Cwm and dribbled into the offensive end of the pitch. Bentley deked his way into position and slammed home Butler's cross for a 2-0 lead 49 minutes in. Sarzonia dominated possession afterwards and Taglianetti was up to the few Druids challenges he faced. The magic number for advancing to the knockout stages for the fifth consecutive AOCAF is now one point, so a Stars win or draw or a Big Pimento loss in any of the two remaining matches would send the Stars through. Juergens is cautioning his team to expect "an all out assault" from the Futility Kings. "Big Pimento is always going to be a dangerous team," Juergens said. "And they'll be especially dangerous with a chance at the knockout stage in the balance."

Posted by: Lamoni Dec 7 2004, 05:41 PM

Lamoni 0 - Aquiliana 0 In a remarkable defensive game of soccer, the Hawks ended up in a scoreless tie with Aquiliana. Coach Sergeyevich had something to say: "Our boys did a much better job against Aquiliana this time around. In our last match, we didn't really look knockout capable. This time, we came prepared for a hard fought game, and it helped us considerably. We hope to have wins against Vilita and Chacor, and make it to the knockouts." The tie brings interesting results as far as the knockout stages are concerned. Both Lamoni and Aquiliana can advance in the following manners: 1. One side wins their next two games 2. One side wins or ties one game with the other losing both games 3. One side ties both games, and the other side loses both, or ties once 4. In the event that both teams finish with identical records without Lamoni surpassing the Aquiliana lead in GD, Aquiliana advances As you can see, both teams have every reason to want to advance to the knockouts. It's just a matter of which team wants it more. We would hope that that team would be the Hawks. Lamoni - 0 Aquiliana - 0

Posted by: Legalese Dec 7 2004, 08:49 PM

---End of Matchday 5. Results available shortly---

Posted by: Aquiliana Dec 7 2004, 10:59 PM

Group comes down to final day Well, it's all over for the Falcons. Sure, the mathematicians amy say we're still in it, but do you really think we have a chance to beat Vilita? And please, don't tell me Lamoni's going to lose to a team that hasn't won a game yet. Might as well send the team home now - it's not like anyone here has heard of or cares about them. But I guess we'll go for that one lucky, miraculous goal and hope for the best. Phreeeeeeowww.

Posted by: Sarzonia Dec 8 2004, 09:29 AM

Stars go belly up in loss, 3-1 Sarzonia went into its match against Big Pimento needing only a win or a draw to book their spot in the knockout stages of the AOCAF tournament for the fifth consecutive time, but the underdog Futility Kings had other ideas. The team from the little country that could beat the Stars for the second time in three meetings, taking this second leg of the AOCAF V group stage 3-1. "This was about as poor a game as this group has played," Coach Bryson Juergens said. "Way worse than the loss to Starblaydia. There was no excuse for how bad we played." Big Pimento did its best to end the suspense early, firing seven shots in the first 33 minutes at goalkeeper Marco Taglianetti, who saved six of them but couldn't get to a searing bid from the Futility Kings' leading goalgetter. His 28th minute drive put Big Pimento on top 1-0 and put the Stars on their heels. Ten minutes later, he made the margin 2-0 with a nifty move around defender Brian Henderson and chipped over a charging Taglianetti. "We were being carved up like a roast," Henderson said of the Stars defense. "I wouldn't blame Marco if he didn't think we could stop 'em. I'd feel the same way." Sarzonia tried to make a game of it when it cut the Big Pimento lead in half, 2-1, in the 58th minute on a John de La Rocca free kick from 32 yards out, but Big Pimento wasn't done. Their young substitute midfielder used his fresh legs just seconds after his 64th minute appearance in the match to win the ball from defender Loren Butler and break in on Taglianetti. He made a "veteran" fake and scored between Taglianetti's legs. "We've made things hard for ourselves," Taglianetti said. "Now we need to beat Starblaydia or hope we can tie them. I don't want to have to go through on goal differential."

Posted by: Lamoni Dec 8 2004, 07:19 PM

Hawks dominate Vilita The Group D standings came somewhat closer to resolution today with a Lamoni 2-1 victory over Vilita. Vilita scored first with Julei Adjei getting the ball past the goalkeeper at 20 minutes. Things looked bad for the Hawks until Team Captain Matthew Bostock scored at 50 minutes, and again at 55 minutes. After the match, we caught up with him: "After Vilita scored their goal, it didn't really bother us that much. We knew that we've been regularly drawing or winning against Vilita for the last two AOCAF's group stages, so we knew that if we kept our heads in the game that we would have a good chance of winning. As for my two goals, that was both skill and luck. So much the better that it ended up letting us win, and set us up for a pretty much claimed knockout position. If things go the way that we think that they will, we'll even go to the knockouts as the number one team in our group. Depending on who we face, that could well help us get into the second round, which will make the other nations that are represented here take even more notice of us. It would also make us serious contenders for the AOCAF cup, or failing that; the third place match. We'd be happy either way. As for Aquiliana, I have heard that they are pessimistic about their chances against Vilita, even though they are two AOCAF rankings ahead of us. Well, we've been defeating Vilita, so there is no reason that they can't as well." Lamoni - 2 Matthew Bostock (50, 55) Vilita - 1 Julei Adjei (20)

Posted by: Legalese Dec 8 2004, 07:52 PM

---Matchday 6 is over. Scores will be up momentarily, as well as the knockout stage fixtures---

Posted by: Sarzonia Dec 9 2004, 09:13 AM

Stars tied into knockouts again In seven previous matches of the growing rivalry between the Sarzonian national team and Starblaydia's selections, one side or the other has walked off the pitch with a win under its belt. In five AOCAF tournament matches, that winner has always been Starblaydia, but in last night's final match of the qualifying stage, neither team was able to earn three final points and ended up in a 0-0 draw. Goalkeeper Marco Taglianetti stood out for the Stars (3-1-2, 10 points), making seven saves under relentless Starblaydi pressure. Starblaydia outshot the Stars 23-9, with only three of Sarzonia's shots on goal. "We just were dominated up and down the pitch," Coach Bryson Juergens said. "We were extremely lucky to escape with the draw, but we're in the knockout round and that's what counts." For the first time in AOCAF tournament history, the quarterfinals will take place in a two leg matchup, and Sarzonia will face Group D winners Aquiliana, who won their group on goal differential. Oddsmakers in Sarzonia are making the Stars a 3-1 underdog in the series, but the Stars say they aren't deterred. "We're going to play determined football," defender Loren Butler said. "We want to prove we belong at this stage and we want to get to the final." The Stars have never advanced past the semifinal stage in any AOCAF tournament, falling one win short of the championship match in each of the first tour tournaments, but the Stars also are cautioning against taking it for granted that they would advance. "Didn't Starblaydia beat Vilita a couple of cups ago," Taglianetti asked. The Jungle Cats lost the AOCAF second round match to Starblaydia 6-1 in the third AOCAF tournament. "I'm sure everyone and their brother thought Vilita would make the finals outright then. We can't fall into that same trap."

Posted by: Lamoni Dec 9 2004, 03:02 PM

Lamoni draws with Chacor, face NEWI Cefn Druids in the knockouts In what seemed a low priority game for the Hawks, they actually let Chacor score first, confident that they would be able to overcome the goal. They did so at 40 minutes with Al Smith making a goal by shooting the ball right between the legs of the Chacor goalkeeper. Lamoni could easily have scored more goals; having control of the ball for much of the rest of the match, but they thought that they would make the knockouts, so that is what mattered. What the Hawks didn't count on was Aquiliana's 1-1 draw with Vilita, putting Aquiliana as the group champs on goal differential. While Aquiliana faces Sarzonia, the Hawks take on NEWI Cefn Druids. Team Captain Matthew Bostock had this to say: "We know that NEWI always brings a very good team, and that defeating them will be a hard thing. However, we have done so in the past, so we know that we can do it if we really want to. Believe me, we REALLY want to make it past the first round of the knockouts. We'll be watching tapes of NEWI's matches in this AOCAF trying to see if we can spot any weaknesses that we can exploit. When we find them, we WILL exploit them. Make no question about it, we aim to win. I think that this will be a good match to watch." When the team was told that the odds dramtically favored NEWI Cefn Druids, they just said that it was more fuel for their competitive fire. Lamoni - 1 Al Smith (40) Chacor - 1 Clyde Engelke (20)

Posted by: Legalese Dec 9 2004, 08:07 PM

Across the night sky throughout the AO, all was peaceful. It was a calm, clear night in the chain of large and small islands. Well, nearly peaceful. In four nations, there could be seen a glow, heard a roar of the crowd, as the first leg of the AOCAF V Quarterfinals kicked off. In Lamoni, Turori, Crystilakere, and Sarzonia, the Crazies in the stands voiced their approval and displeasure at the turn of a whistle. In Legalese, Aquiliana, Starbladyia, and NEWI Cefn Druids, a different scene emerged, as the streets were empty. Why? Everyone was home, watching the results pending from the glowing masses around the region. They would have their chance to join the glow in a short time, upon the return leg. ---End of Matchday 7, QF Leg 1. Results will be posted shortly---

Posted by: Aquiliana Dec 9 2004, 08:48 PM

Do-or-die for Aquilianae Headline writers resort to Latin grammar to rhyme words Well, this is it. Aquiliana's gone farther than ever before in the AOCAF, actually winning their group. However, they now find themselves down 2-1 to Sarzonia in the quarterfinals. That means they need to win by at least 1 goal tomorrow night at Belua Memorial to have a chance at the next round. It's been a great run - let's hope we get the chance to see it continue. Who knows, maybe by the end of the tournament, the team will be able to afford names on the back of their jerseys.

Posted by: Sarzonia Dec 9 2004, 09:35 PM

Stars move one step closer to semis, 2-1 Woodstock (ASP) -- Despite an ongoing civil war in other parts of the nation's capital city, the first leg of the quarterfinal series between the Sarzonian national team and Aquiliana kicked off at Hendrix Stadium as planned. The Stars got goals from forwards Kevin Wilson and Bruce Badger and defeated Aquiliana 2-1. A win or a draw for Sarzonia would send the team to the semifinals for the fifth consecutive time, a nearly unprecedented run in the AOCAF tournament. "We couldn't think about the political situation going on around us," Coach Bryson Juergens said. "The fans are looking to their football teams to give them a distraction from the seriousness of life. We wanted to go out there and win one for our country." Sarzonia certainly started out like it meant business, swarming the Falcons net with abandon and firing seven shots in the first 25 minutes of the match. The pressure finally resulted in Wilson's goal, a bouncer that just skipped under the Falcons goalkeeper's diving attempt for a 1-0 lead 24 minutes in. "It wasn't pretty, but pretty doesn't mean much on the scoreboard," Wilson said. "I'll take a win over 'pretty' any day of the week." Sarzonia made it 2-0 just 15 minutes later on a sequence that one team official described as "breathtaking." Wilson and Badger worked wall passes to perfection, with the last pass by Wilson setting Badger up for an easy tap in that left the Falcons defense flatfooted and saw the Stars celebrate. Aquiliana got one goal back just before halftime when defender Loren Butler slipped on the wet turf and Aquiliana's leading goalscorer added to his totals with a laser shot that left Stars goalkeeper Marco Taglianetti no chance to stop it. The Stars are getting ready to board their private jet for the short flight to Aquiliana and hope to win the second leg outright. "I'd rather not be forced to win on aggregate, but we've got to make sure that doesn't happen," Juergens said. "It's up to us to make sure we go back to the semifinals and win them this time."

Posted by: Lamoni Dec 10 2004, 07:42 PM

Time for the Hawks to step it up after 4-1 loss to NEWI Cefn Druids The Hawks failed to win in front of the home crowd, losing to NEWI Cefn Druids 4-1. Try as they might, NEWI seemed to laugh at the strategies of the Lamoni squad, except for the one that got them their only goal of the match. For a perspective from the team themselves we turn to Team Captain Matthew Bostock: "We were really unprepared for the ferocity of NEWI's attack this time. It's my guess that some team members didn't think that NEWI would be able to hit us so hard since we beat them the second to last time that we faced each other. One of the weird things about the Druid squad is that they don't seem to have names, or at least an official roster. Anyway, we'll have to score four or more goals in the next part of the leg, or we're back at square one again, not to mention knocked out of the AOCAF. Now that we remember how hard that the Druids can strike, we *MIGHT* have a chance in the next match. We are going to really work on it, though. With our entry into WC 20, we feel that we will be even better prepared for the next AOCAF, but that is not going to help us in this one. We'll have to hope that we can climb this particular slippery slope by ourselves." Indeed, the Hawks have a history of making it to the first round of the knockouts, and then losing. Let's hope that this time will be different. Lamoni - 1 Matthew Bostock (20) NEWI Cefn Druids - 4 (21), (25), (50), (55)

Posted by: Legalese Dec 11 2004, 12:22 PM

--- End of Matchday 8 (OF Leg 2), results posted---

Posted by: Sarzonia Dec 12 2004, 01:29 AM

Stars draw Legal challenge after clipping Falcons Coach Bryson Juergens doesn't like his team playing draws. He would rather have his team win matches outright. But he'll settle for a draw when it's all his team needs to advance, which was the case in the AOCAF quarterfinal series against Aquiliana. The Stars earned a 1-1 draw against the Falcons, but advanced to the semifinals with a 3-2 aggregate. Forward Bruce Badger scored the team's only goal in the 66th minute with a Kevin Wilson assist after Wilson fired a point-blank shot that the Aquiliana goalkeeper deflected right to Badger. The Stars will face Legalese in Game 1 of the semi final series at Hendrix Stadium in Woodstock. "We were glad to go through to the next stage," Juergens said. "We'd rather win outright but we'll take what we can get." The Stars (4-2-2) will play the fifth and sixth match in the past four years against Legalese, with the Stars winning three of the previous four matches. The Black and Red won the first-ever meeting between the two sides in a World Cup 18 qualifying match 5-2. That result has been motivation for Sarzonia ever since, with many Stars players citing that loss as the reason the teams missed out on World Cup qualifying. "We don't like them and I bet you they don't like us," Juergens said. "We'll ask [Sarzonian Attorney General Jonathan] Cochrane to show up to the game to make sure they don't send their torrent of lawyers after us." "They haven't had that problem since the Rejistania match," goalkeeper Marco Taglianetti said. "But they've definitely been a thorn in our sides since the World Cup."

Posted by: Legalese Dec 12 2004, 07:19 PM

---End of MD 9, Results up shortly---

Posted by: Sarzonia Dec 12 2004, 09:15 PM

Stars take first step toward final, 3-0 Woodstock (ASP) -- Sarzonia has played in all five AOCAF tournament semifinals, a distinction shared by only NEWI Cefn Druids in tournament history, but the Stars have never advanced to the championship match. The Stars defeated Legalese 3-0 at Hendrix Stadium in Woodstock to move within one match of advancing to the final for the first time. "We've got one game left before we can say we've gotten the job done," goalkeeper Marco Taglianetti (five saves) said. "We still have to get the job done." Sarzonia got a two goal game from forward Kevin Wilson and one goal from the other front runner, Bruce Badger. Coach Bryson Juergens said the team would look to play aggressively in Legalese's national stadium after the team lost 5-2 to Legalese in the first-ever meeting during World Cup 18 qualifying. "Any time we think a match is going to be in the bag, we go back to that game," Juergens said. "We've developed quite a history between our teams and it's only going to get more intense." Sarzonia can advance to their first AOCAF final with a loss by no more than two goals, but Juergens said the team will play as if it's trailing in aggregate. "You can't play hoping not to lose by a certain number of goals," Juergens said. "You've got to play to win whether you need to win or not."

Posted by: Legalese Dec 13 2004, 12:53 PM

--- Matchday 10 over. Results, as well as the Final teams, have been posted---

Posted by: Sarzonia Dec 13 2004, 01:42 PM

Stars strike down semis hex First trip to finals for perennial also-rans It took five tries, but the Sarzonian national team finally advanced past the semifinals of the AOCAF tournament, defeating Legalese 3-1 away in the second leg of their semifinal series to take the series with a 6-1 aggregate. Sarzonia will face NEWI Cefn Druids, the only other team to advance to the semifinals in every prior AOCAF tourament. Sarzonia did more than win a playoff series against new-found rivals Legalese. In beating the Atlantian Oceania newcomers and host nation, they exorcised two of their demons: Their inability to win a semifinal match in the AOCAF tournament and the team's loss in its only previous meeting with Legalese at their national stadium. "I told the lads to forget about the past," Coach Bryson Juergens said. "Right now, it's about the future, and our future is a date in the AOCAF championship match with NEWI Cefn Druids." For Sarzonia to win the championship, they will have to defeat a team that has played in the championship final in each of the previous four AOCAF tournaments. They will also have to defeat the Druids for the first time ever, since the team has an 0-1-4 lifetime record against NEWI Cefn Druids with the only bright spot being a goalless draw during the Eagle Cup. Juergens said the Stars are undeterred. "There's got to be a first time for everything," Juergens said. "Sooner or later, we'll beat them in a meaningful football game. We beat Vilita at the last AOCAF tournament for the first time ever. Anything is possible." Sarzonia got goals from midfielders Josh Bentley and Darrell Bennett five minutes apart as the Stars stormed out of the gates in the second half after a scoreless first 45 minutes. Despite the fact that the team could have advanced with a two goal loss, Sarzonia didn't want to leave it to aggregate score. "We wanted to put them down in a hole and make it impossible for them to climb out of it," forward Kevin Wilson said. "We had lots of chances in the first half, but [Scott] Pemberton was tough tonight." Wilson scored in the waning minutes of injury time to put the series on ice and the team exchanged hugs after the final whistle sounded. "We've still got unfinished business," Bentley said. "Just getting to the final's not good enough. We want to bring the trophy home." SCORING Sarzonia Bentley 47; Bennett 52; Wilson 90+3 Legalese Jenson 78

Posted by: NEWI Cefn Druids Dec 14 2004, 08:56 AM

The Daily Druid WE MADE THE FINAL AGAIN!?!?! Björn-Trevor Frederiksson wonders "how"? Another AOCAF, andother final with a team from NEWI Cefn Druids lining up. We've got to ask ourselves how we got here. Of course, playing some games at The Hole helped. This AOCAF has been held all around Atlantian Oceania, and the home games against Lamoni and Turori attracted full houses as usual. But support across NEWI Cefn Druids hasn't been what it has for previous cups, and had it not been for the two home games, I'm sure many Druidish people wouldn't have noticed the competition going on at all. But anyway, the Druids have made it to their fifth final in five competitions, and their opponents this time are perennial semi-finalists Sarzonia. The norm for this tournament is that Sarzonia usually come third with the Druids winning, but as the Stars are guaranteed at least second place, does that mean that the Druids won't be finishing first again for the fourth time? One thing's for sure, it'll be a full strength 4-3-3 starting line up, as manager Trevor Belmore has already announced. They'll line up like this for the final: CODE                               1. Lee Bell 3. Joe Matthews   5. Roland McDonald   18. Trevor McDonald    2. Clinton Nutting 7. Bill Posters          21.Maurice "Mo" Leicester            11. Dan Northfleet           9.Alan Belmore    12. Rhys Owens     23.Trevor Law The Druids record against the Stars is pretty damn impressive to say the least, but what isn't is the recent history of playing Druids first elevens in AOCAF matches, after only drawing wit hPedriana before losing to Starblaydia in the final. Will the right attitude be there? We can only wait and see, but one thing's pretty much for sure - we're going to be in for a good one!

Posted by: Sarzonia Dec 14 2004, 07:54 PM

Stars look to steal hardware With all the talk about the Sarzonian second choice national team's failures against the NEWI Cefn Druids, its winless mark in four previous AOCAF semifinals, and its continued troubles against rivals Starblaydia in AOCAF matches, one win will silence all of it. If the Stars can notch their first-ever win over the NEWI Cefn Druids in tonight's final at The Castle in Legalese City, it will mark their first-ever AOCAF tournament championship after four trips to the third place match. The Stars would become only the third different team to hoist the championship trophy in five tournaments. It would finally demonstrate the depth the Incorporated Football Federation believes it has developed after years of planning. "We can make our statement tonight," Coach Bryson Juergens said. Juergens, a player on the first Sarzonian football team to compete internationally, has seen his national side evolve from a group derided by many as a "ragtag bunch of weekend footballers" to the world's 32nd ranked team and a team that many higher ranked teams respect and fear. He has seen the team go from having one national team to having three teams that have enjoyed some success. The Stars managed some milestones over the course of the previous four AOCAFs. Their first-ever international match in AOCAF I resulted in a 3-2 win over Crystilakere; their first-ever third place match resulted in a 3-1 win over Krytenia that started a seven match winning streak that culminated in a Baptism of Fire Cup title; their first-ever win over Vilita came in AOCAF IV in Sarzonia's first cup playing with a second choice national side, but the biggest milestone can come tonight. "Any time you play a tournament, your goal should be to win the big one," goalkeeper Marco Taglianetti said. After serving as the backup to John Bartlett in AOCAF IV, he has shined en route to a 6-2-2 record that has Sarzonia in the finals. NEWI Cefn Druids is 9-0-1, with their only loss by 1-0 to Crystilakere in the final match of the group stage. "We can't worry about their record in this tournament or against us or against everyone else," Juergens said. "We just have to focus on what we have to do to win this match." Juergens said the team would combat NEWI Cefn Druids' 4-3-3 by having forward Kevin Wilson play more of a withdrawn midfielder role, effectively in a 4-5-1. "He'll still have plenty of opportunities to shoot the ball, but he's a good enough defensive player that we can use a 4-5-1," Juergens said. "Our game will be based on possession and we'll be looking to emphasize the short passing game. Having him play back a few yards may help us take advantage of some counters we think we can get."

Posted by: Legalese Dec 15 2004, 02:55 AM

The daytime sun shone in Francis Town, as two teams prepared to kick off for third-place glory. Interestingly enough, these two teams have had some familiarity, coming out of Group B, and therefore playing each other twice. A 4-1 victory for the favored Turorians occurred the first trip to The Castle, but a 1-1 draw in the second match ensured the top spot in Group B for Legalese. Will the move to Legalese National help the hosts take third in their own cup? Or will the more-established Turorians take home the honors? Later that night, the scene shifts back to Legalese City, where The Castle is the stage upon which the two finalists take the field. NEWI Cefn Druids, historically the strongest team in the AOCAF, looks to take the cup home once again. On the other side sits a newcomer to the finals, but no stranger to the AOCAF. Sarzonia finally broke the semifinal jinx, eliminating the hosts (and their newfound rivals) in the process. Who will it be taking home the AOCAF? Check the scores thread for results!

Posted by: NEWI Cefn Druids Dec 15 2004, 07:30 AM

The Daily Druid STARS "MO"-WN DOWN "LEICESTER" CHEER ABOUT FOR STARS Björn-Trevor Frederiksson on NEWI Cefn Druids 2 Sarzonia 0 The script had already been written. Sarzonia's second string had played their hearts out all the way through the tournament. On the other hand, they were playing the three-times winners in the final, but many would argue that they had had a much easier draw (though not an arguement anyone from Lamoni or Turori would put forward.) The Stars were the team of the tournament, even with their second string. As they looked every bit champions, all their rivals just seemed to not want it. Vilita didn't even escape from their group, Druida sent their team home early, Lamoni capitulated in The Hole, while Starblaydia just seemed to lose it against Turori. Indeed, the only teams in the tournament that seemed much of a chalenge, the Stars had knocked out. And so they lined up for the final. The Druids, who had made the final through winning an easy group, being lucky enough to watch Lamoni seemingly give up in front of them and coming up against Turori, who they've played about three bazillion times and only lost about one, had decided to throw their stars into the fray. If a chance comes for a Druids team to win something, they'll always throw their best in. But many questioned the committment of the Druids' first team, especially after Starblaydia four years ago. Indeed, in the opening half hour of this one, the same could probably be said again, with the Stars team running rings around the shadow-chasing Druids. Kevin Wilson, playing deeper than usual, had confused the Druids defence. ~Indeed, only the instinctive saves of 'keeper Lee Bell were keeping the Druids in this one. Well, that and the steel of Maurice Leicester in the Druids' midfield. In his typical "never say die" attitude, Mo seemed to single-handedly stir up passion in the Druids players that simply wasn't there before. It was his disposession of Wilson and charge forward that led to the opening goal. Only a desperate lunge by Carlos Escandela could stop Leicester and, from the resulting free-kick, Bill Posters made no mistake, curling a beauty over the wall into the top corner of the net. They didn't deserve the lead, but somehow, the Druids had it. This only stirred the Stars up even more, as the Druids faced an absolute onslaught either side of half time. Indeed, during the interval, striker Alan Belmore was taken off, replaced by Midfielder Trevor Walker. It madce the Druids look a lot more solid, without actually making them any better. Then another Druids breakaway somehow ended up with them getting their first corner of the match. And they only go and score from it! a poor headed clearance from Harry Epstein, and BANG! Man-of-the-Match Mo Leicester whacks it into the net. No-one would have saved it, not even Lee Bell in the form of his life at the other end. Without Bell and Leicester, the Druids would have been like lambs to the slaughter. But somehow they pulled it round, and they won their fourth AOCAF in five attempts. Whoever engraves the name into the trophy could probably do it with his eyes shut nowadays. Will he be putting the name "NEWI Cefn Druids" into it again after AOCAF 6? Well, if such a nation exists by then, then why not? Final score: NEWI Cefn Druids 52 [Posters 32, Leicester 68] Sarzonia 0

Posted by: Sarzonia Dec 15 2004, 11:48 AM

Stars fall short of trophy, 2-0 At least this time, the script was a little different. The Sarzonian national team once again saw its run toward a championship in the AOCAF tournament end in disappointment, but instead of being consigned to the third place match, it came in the finals to NEWI Cefn Druids by the score of 2-0. Coach Bryson Juergens' decision to play forward Kevin Wilson in midfield and shift to a more defensive-minded 4-5-1 formation nearly resulted in an offensive payout but Druidish goalkeeper Lee Bell saved his startled teammates from doom and prevented Stars shots from beating him for the first 30 minutes. "Lee was a stone wall out there," Juergens said. "He showed you why he's one of the best goalkeepers in the world." However, Wilson's new role caught up with him before long. Midfielder Maurice Leicester stole an attempt to control possession in midfield and charged into the Stars end. Defender Carlos Escalera prevented a shot attempt with a diving tackle that got too much of Leicester just ten yards away from the Stars 18 yard area and midfielder Bill Posters made Sarzonia pay when his bending free kick eluded goalkeeper Marco Taglianetti 38 minutes in. "We were caught flat-footed," Taglianetti said. "There's not much more to say about it than that." The Stars then applied pressure almost immediately after the Posters tally and after the second half kickoff, but Lee was again equal to the task. When forward Alan Belmore came off for midfielder Trevor Walker, the Druids shifted to a more defensive-oriented 4-4-2, but the Stars didn't adjust to the change in tactics. It didn't seem to matter because it was the Stars defense that failed them. Defender Harry Epstein's failed clearance met Leicester's chest and he slammed the ball past Taglianetti in the 68th minute to give the Druids breathing room. Sarzonia substituted a forward for Epstein in a desperate attempt to get back into the match, but the adjustment came too little, too late. "We're disappointed, obviously," Wilson said. "But we've accomplished a lot in this tournament and we've got more work to do."

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