|
 |
|
|
|
"...We'll really shake 'em up, When we win the AO Cup, 'Cos Bettia are the greatest football... oh."
George's sang happaily as he marched down Pifton High Street, but his victorious song was cut short as soon as he entered the Pie & Pixie. Expecting to find a joyous atmosphere, a veritable sports café of celebration, he was instead greeted with a disconsolant picture - a café full of worried faces. He went over and sat down next to his old pal Ali with a more the confused look upon his wizened old features.
"Ali? What's with all the glumness? What the hell's up? We've won! We're through to the quarters! You lot shuold be raising the rafters!"
"We were," Ali said glumly, "But then we saw who we've got in the next round."
"Oh... and who might that be?"
"You mean you don't know?"
"Nope. Come on, spill - who is it?"
"Starblaydia."
"Starblaydia?"
"Uh huh."
George's face blanched visibly upon hearing this.
"Starblaydia... the best team in AO... oh CRAP! Still, we've beaten them before, so there's not reason we can't do it again, right?"
"Er, George? We've never beaten them."
"Never?"
"Never. Out of all the times we've played them, the best we've ever managed is a 0-0 draw."
"Hmmm... that's a bit rubbish, isn't it?"
"Just a tad."
"Ah well, maybe THIS is our time, eh? Maybe THIS is the time we finally get one over them."
"Yes George... either that or this is the time where they give us yet another tonking!" |
 |
 |
|
Bettia |
|
We don't do defence |
 |
|
|
|
Posts: 956 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
, |
 |
|
|
|
Who can take on a Hyppo?
Battle Royale, round 1. The Hyppo vs. The Eel-Cat Thing.
Naming. The Naming bout goes to a draw. The Hyppo loses obvious points for spelling inordinance. Why oh Why does the Hyppo use a y? Surely an easy victory for the Eel-Cats. Yes. But, for the Eel-Cat Things? No sir-ree. It's a draw. On to Round 2.
Battle Royale, round 2. The Hyppo vs. The Eel-Cat Thing.
Logicality. The Eel-Cat things start off at an obvious disadvantage here by combining two animals that don't even breathe the same way. One lives on land, the other under water. In the history of civilization, it is possible that the amount of times that an Eel and a Cat have been close enough to refer to them in the same sentance could be easily calculated by fingers and toes of a Human. Clearly a Hippo victory. Yes, a Hippo victory. A Hyppo, on the other hand, seems to be something of a Hippo on drugs. Logically, a Hippo wouldn't be on drugs, so the Hyppo is held to a draw in Round 2.
Battle Royale, round 3. The Hyppo vs. The Eel-Cat Thing.
The Secret Weapon. Since Round's 1 and 2 were a draw, on comes the secret Weapon. The Eel-Cat thing concedes to Aurendia's Jungle Eel, and all previous rounds are replayed. While it is clear that The Jungle Eel might have trouble in logicality, the first test is naming, and theres nothing cooler than a Jungle Animal, be it an Eel, a Cat or an Orangutan. The Jungle Eel wins by a landslide to clinch the battle royale, 1-0 after a series of draws with the Hyppo. (This is by no way a prediction of a 0-0 scoreline with a 1-0 V&T victory AET, we are not in the business of predicting our own results)
So, what of the other matches on the cards?
Starblaydia and Bettia will square off in an early final. The winner of this match will automatically be favored to lift the AOCAF 16 trophy, and for our sakes we hope it's Bettia just because we don't think we're ready to face Starblaydia at any stage of the competition should we get that far.
Pacitalia should have a clear advantage over the underdog Myrtannia, but Myrtannia's magical run may not be done yet. Look for the Dryads to push hard in a close fought match that could swing either way.
And Last an certainly least of all, hosts Lamoni square off against Oliverry in a match which should result in an easy win for the hawks.
[/color]
|
|
|
 |
|
Turori |
|
Island Emirate |
|
|
|
|
|
Posts: 54 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
, |
|
|
|
|
Taming The Lions
Stephen Murtagh reporting from Spokane Road,
We’ve reached crunch time in Lamoni. AOCAF XVI has now arrived at the business end of its proceedings, the also-rans have packed their bags and headed to the airport while those that are left are all set to the challenge for a shiny trophy and the infinitely more important regional bragging rights. All the usual suspects are still around, the hosts, the holders, the always dangerous Blaydis, the perennial challengers Pacitalia and the up and coming Myrtannia. Add to the mix a quartet of new faces and you’ve got yourself quite the second round line up.
Which is exactly why streets all across the Autocracy were all but deserted as people settled in front of televisions. Families gathered in their living rooms and friends congregated in pubs and bars to catch all the action from another Verdana derby. Hypocria against Nedalia is always a fixture the fans look forward to after some rip roaring encounters at Under-21 level. At senior level it’s been Nedalia all the way but that run has to change at some point. At least that’s what the fans were clinging to.
Some 60,000 fans created a raucous atmosphere as Tony Webber and his opposite number in the Nedalian side led their teams onto the pitch and a deafening cheer greeted the kickoff. The occasion clearly effected the players early on as the fluid play associated with the Verdana nations was noticeable by its absence. Instead the game resembled something akin to a large chess match as moves were launched and in turn countered. An atmosphere of nerves settled over the pitch as both sets of players concentrated solely on not making mistakes. Consequently no risks were taking and the goal action was minimal. Sousa wasted the best chance of the half when he turned his marker but failed to hit the target. At the other end the Nedalians managed a couple of efforts from range. The first was more a danger for the crowd than the keeper while the second was easily held by Lomaia. Unsurprisingly when the referee brought the first half’s proceedings to an end the match was scoreless.
The second half opened in spectacular fashion. Morinas was clattered into by a defender just 30 seconds into the half. Adam Bassano stepped up a curled the freekick around the wall and inside the post from 25 yards. It was 1 - 0 while many fans were still returning to their seats. The goal kicked the game into life and Lomaia had to be alert to prevent an immediate equaliser for the Lions. The momentum swung one way and then the other. The Hyppos came so close to doubling the lead on the hour mark. It was Sousa again who caused havoc in the Nedalian defence. He skipped past two defenders only to see his diagonal shot come back off a post. As the minutes ticked away the Nedalian attacks increased in tempo as the Lions threw everything at Lomaia and his defence. But the Lions just couldn’t find a way through. And deep into stoppage time Espartero hacked a clearance deep into the Nedalian half. Molinari raced after it and lobbed the ball over the advancing keeper and into the back of the net. It proved to be the last kick of the game as the whistle blew, much to the delight of the blue and white army.
Hypocria 2 - 0 Nedalia
Bassano
Molinari
It was a great win over the third best team in the region but the coach wasn’t getting carried away. “There’s no denying it’s a good result but it means nothing if we capitulate in the Quarters. We may have eliminated Nedalia but this tournament isn’t getting any easier.”
Elsewhere the second round produced some cracking encounters. The big grudge match between Starblaydia and Krytenia ended with the Men in Mauve edging through by the odd goal in five. Andossa Se Mitrin Vega held Myrtannia to a 2 - 2 draw only to concede three without reply in extra time. The hosts also needed an extra time winner to see them through a tough game with the Lowland Clans. It was not a good day for the debutants as all four of the new boys fell. Bettia, Pacitalia, Oliverry and Vilita/Turori all advancing at the expense of Demot, Neu Amerika, Aurendia and Miceland respectively.
Quarter Final Preview
Starblaydia (1) v Bettia (2)
The first and second teams in the region meet in a match that would have made a rather good final. Their fans may not appreciate the sides meeting in the Quarters but for everyone else it’s ideal as we’re guaranteed to lose one of the top two. But who will it be? Both sides dropped points to lesser nations in their groups and neither dominated in their second round matches. But while the Blaydis were edging past established opponents in Krytenia the Young’Un’s were struggling past not so mighty Demot. It will be a great match and the greater AOCAF pedigree of Starblaydia should just edge it.
Prediction: Holders heading home.
Pacitalia (9) v Myrtannia (20)
Pacitalia have been gradually building momentum over recent years and the Blue Foxes are the form team of this tournament. Their 100% record is still intact, a feat no other nation can boast. The Blue Foxes may be the form team but the Dryads are certainly this tournament’s success story. Not a lot was expected of Myrtannia prior to this competition’s kickoff but the Dryads topped their group ahead of Vilita/Turori, The Lowland Clans, Krytenia and Milchama, all ranked above them. But Pacitalia may prove a bridge too far.
Predictions: Dryads get the chop.
Lamoni (7) v Oliverry (19)
The home fans will have been looking for an improved showing on the last AOCAF and they’ve certainly got that. Only Starblaydia have beaten the Hawks in their own tournament, that’s a far cry from their dismal showing in Bazalonia. In front of their own fans and against a distinctly average side from Oliverry, Lamoni may never have a better chance of reaching the last four.
Prediction: Hawks fly high.
Vilita/Turori (10) v Hypocria (8)
It really isn’t fair. First we get the bloody Nedalians in the second round and now we’ve got not one but two nations in the quarter final. Two nations that have both previously been ranked in the top ten. Not in the region, oh no, but in the whole damn world. The two time AOCAF champions and friends are undefeated so far and are the only side to take points off the impressive Myrtannia. And the Hyppos’ past performances against the chaps from the Tropics does not really induce any optimism.
| QUOTE | Hall Of Shame
AOCAF IX (Cockbill Street)
Final
Hypocria 0 - 1 Vilita
_________________________________________________________________________________________
AOCAF X (Fmjphoenix)
Group 3
Hypocria 0 - 2 Vilita
_________________________________________________________________________________________
AOCAF XI (Bettia)
Group 3
Hypocria 0 - 0 Vilita
_________________________________________________________________________________________
AOCAF XII (Chicanada)
Quarter Final
Hypocria 1 - 2 Vilita
Ferron |
When a goalless draw is your best result and you’ve only managed a single, solitary goal in four matches the omans are not great. But on the plus side . . .
| QUOTE | AOCAF IX (Cockbill Street)
Group 1
Hypocria 2 - 1 Turori
Dospel/Shirko |
Ok, so it’s not much of a plus side.
Prediction: Our lips are sealed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
, |
|
|
|
|
Dryads Army Publications Presents: "The Dryads Keep Rolling Along"
Making it's official debut in AOCAF XVI, this is the song sung by members of the Dryads Army in the stands during Myrtannia's matches.
(Sung to the tune of 'The US Army Song')
AOCAF comes along,
Myrtannia will play it strong,
And the Dryads keep rolling along!
Charge forward down the pitch,
Fool 'em with the bait and switch,
And the Dryads keep rolling along!
So it's pass, strike, goal!
Myrtannia's on a roll!
Keep up that powerful attack!
And where e're you are,
You can be quite sure
That the Dryads are rolling along!
Matchday One: opponent's strong,
In the top ten of AO's throng,
But the Dryads keep rolling along!
Both sides fight to a draw,
Defeat would stick in our craw,
But the Dryads keep rolling along!
So it's pass, strike, goal!
Myrtannia's on a roll!
Keep up that powerful attack!
And where e're you are,
You can be quite sure
That the Dryads are rolling along!
Next up comes Match Two,
Our foes are wearing blue,
But the Dryads keep rolling along!
Figary leads the way,
Dryad power's here to stay,
And the Dryads keep rolling along!
So it's pass, strike, goal!
Myrtannia's on a roll!
Keep up that powerful attack!
And where e're you are,
You can be quite sure
That the Dryads are rolling along!
Matchup Three: TLC,
Another team we hadn't beat,
But the Dryads keep rolling along!
Defense rules on the field,
No more goals would we yield,
And the Dryads keep rolling along!
So it's pass, strike, goal!
Myrtannia's on a roll!
Keep up that powerful attack!
And where e're you are,
You can be quite sure
That the Dryads are rolling along!
Matchup Four: on-field war,
Warriors sought to make us sore,
But the Dryads keep rolling along!
Dania scores, the crowd roars,
The hopes of the Army soar,
As the Dryads keep rolling along!
So it's pass, strike, goal!
Myrtannia's on a roll!
Keep up that powerful attack!
And where e're you are,
You can be quite sure
That the Dryads are rolling along!
Final match of Group D,
We're right where we want to be,
As the Dryads keep rolling along!
Three goals struck past the Sharks,
Defense never lost its marks,
As the Dryads keep rolling along!
So it's pass, strike, goal!
Myrtannia's on a roll!
Keep up that powerful attack!
And where e're you are,
You can be quite sure
That the Dryads are rolling along!
It's the Round of 16,
Final match for one team,
And the Dryads keep rolling along!
Neither side would give in,
Hat trick finally gets the win,
As the Drayds keep rolling along!
So it's pass, strike, goal!
Myrtannia's on a roll!
Keep up that powerful attack!
And where e're you are,
You can be quite sure
That the Dryads are rolling along! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
, |
|
|
|
|
Blue Foxes and Dryads fans to join up?
Rumour among Pacitalian fans suggest regardless of who wins both squads' fans will stay to cheer on the QF victor
KARAKAN, LAMONI (PSN) -- As mentioned by both AIR 4 and PSN yesterday, there exists now a rivalry between Pacitalia and Myrtannia. However, it is a good one in that the camaraderie and excellent play always displayed by the two squads has caused an unusual environment: respect for each other. And not only does, as we reported, that exist commonplace among Dryads and Blue Foxes players, but apparently, among the fans.
If Myrtannia beats Pacitalia in today's quarterfinal, Blue Fox fans are reportedly going to stay in Lamoni to cheer the Dryads into the finals. Though regardless of who wins, it appears it will be an uphill battle to the cup as perennial powerhouses Starblaydia, Bettia (the defending champs), Vilita/Turori, Hypocria and hosts Lamoni remain eligible to claim the cup.
"We don't expect Dryads fans to reciprocate our effort," said one Blue Fox fan. "It'd be nice if they did join us in cheering on the Foxes if our team won, but we're not saying they have to. This is just something we want to do - I mean, if the players respect each other that much, why don't we follow suit? I think it's a great idea."
News sources are either split or leaning Pacitalia's way on who will take the victory in the quarterfinals. Neither team will speculate, of course, and we will do the same with our lips tightly sealed. Perhaps when the match is over these fans will unite to cheer on the victor in their quest for the cup. But it's no doubt that until the final score becomes apparent, Blue Fox and Dryad aficionados will prefer to stay separate.
Current predictions on victory from other news sources
Hypocria: Pacitalia
Vilita/Turori: Split
Myrtannia: Myrtannia |
|
|
 |
|
Pacitalia |
|
The best place on earth. |
|
|
|
|
|
Posts: 505 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
, |
|
|
|
|
|
QF RP CUTOFF |
|
|
 |
|
Lamoni |
|
Democratic Maniac |
|
|
|
|
|
Posts: 1952 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
, |
|
|
|
|
OOC: This was written before the QF results came out. Although, I did end up guessing 3 of 4. Yay me!
IC:
Imo City Inquirer
“Where we believe the best allusion is the one that gets abandoned after one paragraph”
Times botches Vilita / Turori mascot; Oliverry botches Aurendian hopes for advancement
LAMONI – Looks like the Cinderella story has come to an end. The qualifying round of AOCAF XVI was a real Ball for Team Aurendia, but against Oliverry everything turned into a pumpkin. For 90 minutes the Raptors were equal to their opponents from Oliverry, but this game happened to last longer than 90 minutes and the Raptors’ fairy godmother was nowhere to be seen.
From the beginning of the match, each squad matched the play of the other. Oliverry opened the scoring in the 26th, but Regina Dunlop equalized for the Raptors 5 minutes later. The same pattern continued in the second half, as Oliverry reclaimed the lead in the 58th, before Ashley Campbell knotted it up again in the 67th. Unfortunately for the Raptors, the goal scored by Oliverry after 15 minutes of extra time was never answered, and Oliverry moves on to face Lamoni.
The final whistle closed the book on the match as well as Aurendia’s inaugural AOCAF tournament. This team has experienced a memorable tournament, full of upset victories, black-out nights, future stars, and missing coaches. Now however, the Raptors are returning to the nest. In a month or so the players will return to their respective clubs for the beginning of the new AFL season, the fishing trawler that temporarily counts head coach Ed White among its crew will return to port, and assistant coach Danielle Schuster will have resurfaced. Of course, with the youth and talent on this squad, expect these Raptors to return to many more tournaments in the near future.
Before we leave Lamoni and end our coverage of this AOCAF, here are some predictions for the next slate of games. As always, if you gamble, please do so through your local union-approved bookie. After all, you only have two legs, and it would be a shame to have one broken.
Starblaydia vs Bettia
A clash of two heavy-weights as always strong Starblaydia faces the defending champs from Bettia. This is the match that ends Bettia’s title defense.
Pacitalia vs Myrtannia
A close one, but Pacitalia has momentum on their side. Myrtannia sent home by the Blue Foxes.
Lamoni vs Oliverry
The home fans will be happy as Lamoni beats Oliverry. Which, according to the transitive property, means that Lamoni beats us!
Vilita/Turori vs Hypocria
Vilita/Turori are pretty pissed off that we got confused as to what their mascot is. Anger is a powerful motivator, so it doesn’t look good for Hypocria.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
, |
|
|
|
|
We're in! Face... Pacitalia.
This match was not as close as the score would suggest. This was one of those "score a goal early, and then toy with the other side for the rest of the match" games. Oliverry had managed to reach the Quarterfinals with what the region agreed was an 'average' team. That in itself is something of a feat, but poor Oliverry had their heads handed to them by the superior play of the Lamonian Hawks. Lamoni dominated the entire match, and Oliverry had very few shots on goal. Lamonian reserve forward Shofner scored the only goal of the match at two minutes in; scoring on a header after a misguided block of a shot from Lamonian reserve forward Tomes by the Oliverrian goalkeeper.
From the macro perspective, Lamoni's chances of lifting the AOCAF cup on it's own soil were immeasurably increased with the sudden departure of Starblaydia. Bettia heaped a 1-0 victory over Viannor's puppet squad, and we intend to take as much advantage from that as we can. But first, we shall have to make it past the force that is Pacitalia. Pacitalia is the only team that has not had a single loss or draw so far in AOCAF 16. Like Lamoni's own squad, things are clicking for the Pacitalians; and this should be a very good match indeed.
The last time that a Lamonian AOCAF squad faced the Pacitalians, we defeated them en route to a Lamonian loss to Starblaydia in the first place match. Unfortunately, the trash talk on both sides led to a full fledged football rivalry between these two squads. Both sides will be giving this match their all, and then some; and the statisticians are getting nervous whether the team that wins this match will have the remaining moxie to take on the winner of the Vilita/Turori vs. Bettia match. Vilita/Turori will have to pray for a miracle to pull this one out, in our opinion. Assuming that Lamoni wins our upcoming match, that would pit us against the second highest ranked team in the region.
However, Lamonians are not ones to take AOCAF rankings seriously (except maybe for Starblaydia's record against us). Like Myrtannia, Lamoni has defeated several nations with higher rankings than us in our AOCAF history. Take a look at our record against Vilita, for example. Even when we made it to the AOCAF knockouts during our first attempt, we were defeating Vilita, and they were easily within the top five on the AOCAF rankings. All in all, things look good for a Lamonian win of the first place finals match.
Lamoni - 1 Shofner (2)
Oliverry - 0 |
|
|
|
|
|
Lamoni |
|
Democratic Maniac |
|
|
|
|
|
Posts: 1952 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
, |
|
|
|
|
Mumamba's strike back at Lamonian Claims
Turorian assistant coach Malaino Mumamba as struck out at Lamonian claims that Vilita & Turori will need a miracle to overcome Bettia in their AOCAF XVI Semi Final encounter.
"We've beaten them before, and we can beat them again. The fact that we are now a joint entity shouldn't matter. We're a talented group of Islands and we're a clear level better than those Gasheads, talent wise, of course. We're on a run of results at the moment and we don't have any plans on stopping that now. We don't care what the ranking next to their name says. Theres four teams left and rankings mean nothing at this point. This is the stage of the competition where new rankings are made. For the teams that win, 1 and 2. For the teams that lose, 3 and 4. Those are the rankings that matter now. And we'd like a shot at one of those first two, naturally."
Of course, as this is the first official venture into joint competition for Vilita and Turori in football/soccer competition, There is no official meetings on record for the two sides. However, Bettia, despite being the defending champions of the AOCAF tournament, have not advanced the final stage of the competitions other than their one triumph. Vilita, however, have made 5 trips to the finals and will be looking to impose that experience on both their Turorian teammates and Bettian opposition.
"Yea, I've played a few AOCAF matches in my day, but Lorenzo has done it all. Lorenzo has played on teams that went far in the AOCAF, and he's coached them as well. This may be billed as a joint coaching effort between the Mumamba brothers here, which Obviously is great for the media attention, but Lorenzo is the head coach here and I'm just thrilled to be working along side him. He's got tons of knowledge and I'm learning from him every day, making me a better manager in the process. I think he's got a lot to do with our success. We got our nerves out in the opening match against Myrtannia, who have played great all tournament and were unlucky to go out against Pacitalia. We were looking forward to the possibility of a re-match with them as they are the only team we've played this cup that we haven't come out victorious against one way or the other. But We'll have to wait till next cup to do that, and hopefully we can do that as champions."
Vilita & Turori assistant manager Malaino Mumamaba spent many seasons as a member of the Turori National Team becoming one of the most capped midfielders in Turorian history, in addition to a succesful career in the Vilitan Stellar Division. Lorenzo Mumamba, the Head coach of the Vilita & Turori regional squad, was a member of Vilita's inagural international football/soccer squads in Under 21 World Cup II and the World Cup 13 Qualifying Campaign, and was a goalscorer in Vilita World Cup 13 Cup of Tardy victory. Mumamba also played at the club level for Tivali City in the Stellar Division before moving to a succesful career in coaching. |
|
|
|
|
|
Turori |
|
Island Emirate |
|
|
|
|
|
Posts: 54 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
, |
|
|
|
|
Just like the rest of Bettia after their thrilling 1-0 win over the Starblaydis, old George was in bouyant mood as he trooped triumphantly down Pifton High Street to take his usual spot in the Pie & Pixie for the eagerly awaited AOCAF semi-final... but there was something different about George today. No, it wasn't the fact that he was arriving on time, nor the fact that he had gone a whole two days without knackering his niece's valuable possessions.
No, the different thing about George today was... his clothing. Gone were the usual dull brown corduroys and brown woolen tank top worn over an old shirt. Today, he proudly sported a full Bettia replica kit - the famous green-and-gold quarters, a pair of green shorts (which unfortunately didn't leave much to the imagination due to them being a size too small), a green and yellow scarf emblazoned with the words 'Bettia Til I Die', with a rather large Bettian flag carried in one hand and an inflatable arora in t'other.
Oh yes, George was well-prepared for today's semi against the once-mighty Vilita and Turori, but he wasn't prepared for the sight that greeted him when he entered the café, for the moment he walked through the door shouting "Come On You 'Roras!" at the top of his voice, a myriad of eyes looked up at him, all decked out in blue and white.
He stopped and stared back for a bit, before going over to his usual spot next to his oldest friend Ali. Ali looked at him and spoke.
"George... what ARE you wearing?
"Well, I thought I'd get kitted out for the big match, but... why are you all wearing blue and white?"
"Have you forgotten who we're playing?"
"Of course not, we've got Vilita & Turori."
"Right. And have you forgotten something else?"
"Like what?"
"Like the fact that we always wear our second kit whenever we play that rabble."
"What? We're playing in our second kit?"
"Yes, of course. Don't tell me you've forgotten that we..."
"...We always play in blue and white quarters whevener we play them. Oh, how could I have been so stupid?! Erm... Ali?"
"Yes?"
"Why DO we always play in blue and white quarters against the Eel-Cat Thingys?"
"Apparently, they have a thing about blue and white quartered shirts, in the same way we have a thing about plain red shirts."
They both shuddered at this thought - in Bettia, wearing a plain red shirt was considered almost as sinful as walking naked down the street whilst scoffing a bacon sandwich and washing it down with a pint of beer. George quickly composed himself.
"Right, so basically, we wear blue and white quarters just to pïss them off?"
"Exactly."
"Hmm, as good a reason as any I suppose." George said as he quickly stood up. "I'd better go home and get changed then."
"Yes, and make it quick. Oh, one more thing George old pal."
"Yes?"
"Please, for the love of all that's good and holy... DON'T wear shorts again!" |
|
|
|
|
|
Bettia |
|
We don't do defence |
|
|
|
|
|
Posts: 956 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
, |
|
|
|
|
The final four are set: Pacitalia to face hosts in semi-final
Blue Foxes intend not to repeat last SF meeting where Lamoni emerged victorious
BICKLETON, LAMONI (PSN) - The Blue Foxes arrived on charter bus in Bickleton to crowds of fans chanting slogans and singing the national anthem in response to Pacitalia's extra-time victory over Myrtannia and their second ascent to the semifinals in three tournaments.
But now Pacitalia faces its next tough test of this AOCAF. They have to defeat the hosts, who also happen to be the Blue Foxes' bogeymen on several occasions, and then, only then, with anxious excitement realise that they just so happen to be in the final. But for now, the focus is on the Hawks, a resurgent squad who suffered massively in AOCAF15 with what one would classify as terrible play from a team of that calibre, but that have recovered nicely in time for their hosting duties, earning thirteen points in the group stage in contrast to the two in the previous championship.
Lamoni ended the group stage at 4-1-1 and defeated The Lowland Clans and Oliverry in the round of 16 and quarterfinals respectively to get here. Their victories have been narrow but have created a foundation for their fans to regain their belief in a talented Hawks squad. Meanwhile, Pacitalia exited the group stage with a perfect 5-0-0 record, and downed Neu Amerika before sending the Dryads packing in a thrilling extra-time match that was probably the highlight of the tournament to-date.
As Lamonian media has stated, this match is probably one of the most even matches of the entire knockouts stage and neither team, despite victory, will be one-hundred percent for the final against either Vilita/Turori or Bettia because of the intense physical and psychological play that will be demanded of every player in this semifinal. Unfortunately, unlike Myrtannia, the rivalry between Lamoni and Pacitalia is based on trash-talking in previous AOCAFs.
Most media, meanwhile, are picking Bettia for the other match. We will not choose a side in this match or that match, but we are definitely even more uncertain over the outcome of the Blue Foxes-Hawks match particularly because of the close ranking of three of the four teams remaining (Lamoni 7th, Pacitalia 9th and Vilita/Turori 10th). From that perspective it probably looks like a cakewalk for Bettia (ranked #2) from here on in, but one could be quite certain, that, especially in Cerignola, Pacitalians would not mind seeing the Aroras repeat as champions.
And, now, a recap of the quarterfinals match against Myrtannia's talented Dryads.
Fans of both sides entered the stadium Saturday expecting nothing less than one-hundred percent effort from their respective teams. They got their wish and more as the match was carried into extra-time where the Blue Foxes scored two goals while Cristianu Raduvani regained form to shutout the Dryads and help his squad advance to the semifinals on a 2-2 (4-2 aet) victory.
Andreos Charisteas opened the scoring just nine minutes in, pushing his way around the outside flank of Charolette Marrington and directing a shot straight at Flo Krabel. Krabel mishandled the ball attempting to grasp it and it slid through her arms and trickled into the net: not exactly the prettiest goal, but a tally all the same, and the Blue Foxes were up early.
But, then, nine minutes after that, Ion Mihai Comanescu, who has stayed out of the spotlight so far in AOCAF16 for playing solid football and not causing controversy, slide tackled Rozalynn Gabino in the box in a poor attempt to release the ball, tripping her up and sending her flying forward, face down into the pitch. The referee whistled for a penalty and Gabino, her face streaked with green, laughing sheepishly with the other players over how the tackle had transpired, regained composure and converted past Raduvani to equalise.
The teams stayed even-steven for the rest of the first forty-five, charging back and forth down the pitch in a war of attrition that produced some exciting moments at times but was unproductive in terms of scoring. When the teams returned, the Dryads appeared with a new life that stunned the Blue Foxes into some kind of submission, for September Rollock led the forward line in multiple attacks that eventually resulted in a Myrtannian lead, off her foot, in the 49th.
Down by a goal for the first time since a 17th-minute concession to Gilbert Lamare in the match against Oliverry, the sudden disadvantage seemed to rocket the Blue Foxes back to form, considering that most of the team realised they would need all thirty-six remaining minutes to score even one goal against the Dryads' solid defence. Five minutes later, though, prayers for an equaliser were answered when Il Capitano scored his latest of the tournament to bring things back to a head at 2-2.
By this time, both teams were getting right into form, matching each other stride for stride once more but that equal effort continued the deadlock into extra time, the Blue Foxes and Dryads still sketched in at two apiece.
But now the forward lines were retreating slightly, Gabino, Rollock and Figary were becoming fatigued and the latter two had to be substituted in favour of Myong Tuman and Sabra Nang, both talented players themselves. In fact, in the 93rd Tuman almost converted what could have been the winning goal off a corner by Daisey Martignago, striking a shot that curved high to the right, past Raduvani's hands, and glanced off the corner of the upright and out of play.
Not even three minutes later, Myrtannia's fortunes were sharply reversed as a similar corner resulted in a successful conversion for Pacitalia. Andolfabio Vunghiasso's high corner reached linemate Michelangelo Mascagnano superbly, with the latter using his trusty head to redirect the ball past Krabel for a 3-2 lead in the 96th. Krabel kicked the upright in frustration after the goal, as it appeared she had her sight lines placed on the ball and was moving to save, however, her view of the ball was interrupted by Tamar Ristaino (who was moving across the net to cover Ambrosino Giurimano). Losing sight of the ball, Krabel stumbled a little bit and dropped awkwardly to one knee while the headed ball sailed past her into the net.
But the Dryads were far from giving up, as no team should really ever do in extra time. Tuman's second chance at converting came two minutes after the Pacitalian goal. Sneaking around Francesco Manzanotti and outpacing the defence she once again smacked a rocket that curved dangerously close to the goal but again ended up glancing off an upright and out. On the resulting goal kick, defender Orpha Mega brought the ball forward, where Martignago passed forward to Nang and watched as Nang's shot hugged the ground but exited the bounds about ten inches to the left of the upright. At this point, about the 101st minute, television cameras showed eight-year-old boys chewing nervously on blue-and-orange scarves, the tension almost too much to bear.
With at least nineteen minutes left in the extra frame, the Dryad offensive continued, with Figary, Nang and Tuman (in that order) all firing off one shot each. Raduvani, whose concession of two goals during regulation snapped him back to form, was an impregnable wall in front of goal, shutting down all three offensive attempts with spectacular and, in some cases, what looked like physically impossible saves.
But the endgame appeared in the 110th minute as the Dryads, fatigued from their continued charging up-pitch and frustrated from their notorious trait of not scoring when it truly mattered, started to make some crucial mistakes. Ristaino again got in Krabel's way as she attempted to make a save: had no Dryad touched it the ball would have exited bounds and resulted in a goal kick, and had Krabel saved the ball it would be Dryads' possession. However, Ristaino's clumsy attempt to get out of the way ended up doing the opposite, as the ball flickered off the sole of her shoe and out of play for a Pacitalian corner.
Berated by Krabel, the two continued to bicker until assistant coach and former player Tocarra Khat began yelling at them to pay attention to play. They stood with irritated faces but did not regain their composure in time, for Ristaino was again supposed to be covering the spot striker but this time failed. d'Amantano took the corner and Andolfabio Vunghiasso converted, striking a shot that curved high in to the top left of the net to secure victory.
Dejected, Dryads players left the pitch unhappy with their performance, as any defeated team would be, but not before Blue Fox players made a point of shaking hands with them. It appears that this rivalry produced a great match, and because of the total effort from both sides Saturday, this one remains a benevolent rivalry, something good for the sport.
From Karakan, Lamoni:
Pacitalia 2 (4) : 2 (2) Myrtannia
PAC: Charisteas 9', d'Amantano 54', Mascagnano 96', Vunghiasso 110'
MYR: Gabino 18', Rollock 49'
NEXT UP: LAM v PAC, MYR v n/a (eliminated)
This post has been edited by Pacitalia on Sep 17 2006, 01:46 PM |
|
|
|
|
|
Pacitalia |
|
The best place on earth. |
|
|
|
|
|
Posts: 505 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
, |
|
|
|
|
V & T Unveil Special Kit, Bettians Rumored to Wear Pink
Vilita and Turori have unveiled their anticipated special kit for the AOCAF XVI Semi-Final matchup with Bettia. As is tradition for Vilitan Cove teams, Vilita & Turori will be clad in red with white trim for the encounter which will determine which of the two sides will advance to the cup final in Lamoni. The following is an artist depiction of the kit which Vilita & Turori will take the field with for the important fixture:
The new kit was unveiled to a small following of Vilita & Turori supporters at a press conference in Lamoni after it was revealed that the Jungle Eels would square off with rivals and defending AOCAF champions Bettia in the Semi-Final round of the competition. Bettia, originally expected to where the traditional alternate blue and white quartered kit, may however be on course to wear a different color despite official reports stating otherwise, as revealed during the press conference:
"Mr. Roatiaak, It is tradition that Vilitan Cove squads where the red kit against Bettia, and Bettia in turn wear their blue and white quartered kit."
"Yes, of course, your question please"
"Right, Well we got reports early this morning that Bettia's Blue and White Quartered kits were lost."
"My heart-felt sympathy to our opponents, but I fail to see the question at hand, please get to it"
"Right, well, with their Blue and White quartered kits lost, Reports are coming in that Bettia will instead be dressing in Pink for the match.
"Pink!" * loud chuckles and belly laughter emit from the entire room * "Pink! What a joke, you must be having a laugh with me"
"No sir, I've had a look at the Pink kits myself, here have a look"
Beorn Roatiaak had a look at the photo copy handed to him by the reporter. It indeed showed a pink kit with the Bettia emblem on it. He then realized, for the first time, that the Bettian emblem was Strikingly similar - in fact - nearly identical to the Vilitan emblem. He began to wonder about the possible hidden meaning behind such a fact. Then an even more troubling thought. There was a photo of a Pink kit, albeit Bettian, with an emblem on it that could be mistaken as Vilitan. What horror, he thought, as he prepared to speak.
"Well then, If they where these Gastly kits, we'll just have to be sure to beat them on the pitch to the point where they are compelled to never show up to a match in them again."
"Clearly, Beorn, but on to my question - do you think that the Pink will cause a conflict with the red kits that Vilita and Turori are preparing to wear?"
"Don't know, Don't care. You'll know which ones are Bettian, they'll be the ones running backwards, and we'll be the ones running forwards. Thank you for your questions." |
|
|
|
|
|
Turori |
|
Island Emirate |
|
|
|
|
|
Posts: 54 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
, |
|
|
|
|
|
SF RP CUTOFF |
|
|
|
|
|
Lamoni |
|
Democratic Maniac |
|
|
|
|
|
Posts: 1952 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
, |
|
|
|
|
Newspapers Stolen : Bettians Believed Responsible
It was a bright and sunny day in Cednia. Unfali Ibamoa had stayed up late watching the Vilita & Turori Eel cat things triumph over rivals Bettia to advance to the Semi-Finals in the Atlantian Oceania Cup of Assocation Football. Despite being a joint effort with Vilita, it's the first time that the nation of Turori has found themselves in the final of the AOCAF tournament. Naturally, Unfali, like many Turorians, was excited for the day ahead. And like every other day, Unfali put on a pot of coffee and then strolled outside to get the paper.
Blurry eyed, Unfali looked around but couldn't seem to pinpoint the location of the paper. 'Darn kids' he thought, as he looked to see if the paper had been tossed into a bush. But it was not there either.
Now seeing a bit more clearly, he began to notice that papers were not out anywhere on his block. Despite being scantily clad, Unfali was now concerned and walked next door to the Duramaoia residence, and inquired as to whether they had gotten their paper. They had not.
Where had all the newspapers gone? Unfali was concerned, and without skipping a beat, acquired transportation directly to the Turori National printing headquarters. But as he approached, the lights and sirens surrounding the complex became apparent. Something had happened at the Turori National. Something had happened that prevented the Newspapers from arriving at his door.
Unfali approached an officer and inquired as to the situation. The officer informed that everything had gone as planned as far as printing the papers, however somewhere between printing and delivery they had all dissapeared. The officer then handed Unfali a copy of the paper saying 'We found a couple inside - the early prints - before the AOCAF semi-final was over.
Silly Little Rabbits! the headline said, clearly this was in fact the pre-AOCAF issue but he continued to read anyway. Unfali finished the article and returned the paper to the officer, and was about to head home. Then, just down the way a reporter began screaming something unintelligible at first, but then it became clear.
It was the Bettians! It was the Bettians! It was the Bettians!
Immediately, a herd rushed to surround the man who seemed confident he knew who was responsible. It was the Bettians alright. They'd just caught one who'd passed out before completing his task of processing his allocation of the papers at a local recycling facility. Talk about wimping out on the job. Officers escorted the man out of the building, but decided not to press charges. The thought of being caught passed out on international media wearing a pink shirt was punishment enough. We don't need a paper to tell us which side is better, the standings show that much quite clearly.
Just as quickly as the fracas had started, it dispersed, and Unfali returned home to the smell of evaporated coffee and a broken pot on his kitchen floor.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
, |
|
|
|
|
Dryads Collapse, As Expected; Myrtannia Set for AOCAF XVII Host Bid
Strike the tents, pack up the Sun Bursts, and nearly get arrested for drunken anger in the streets. That was the gameplan for the dejected Dryads Army, who watched painfully as Myrtannia fell once again to Pacitalia. It took Extra Time, but Myrtannia is out, and left wondering what the hell went wrong.
Despite winning their group for the first time, Myrtannia was stuck facing the Blue Foxes, who are still unebaten against the Dryads. The matchup itself induced a knee-jerk 'WHY? WHY? WHY?!?!' reaction from fans, who knew the team was ultimately doomed. Since the match has been covered fully by the Pacitalian media, we'll briefly focus on the only thing Myrtannia has left at the moment: the future.
Tempers flared between defender Tamar Ristaino and vet goalkeepr Flo Krabel, and it likely that at least one of them will be replaced by AOCAF XVII. The lack of professionalism on both their parts is certain to cause the Dryads to look elsewhere for defense next time around. After three big shutouts in which the defense played admirably, they allowed six goals to be scored in two matches. Why must we have to play them every time we get past the Round of 16? Why?!
In the aftermath of the defeat, most of the Dryads didn't bother looking the Pacitalian side in the face as the latter shook hands in a warm gesture of sportsmanship. Dania Figary, who has now been a member of every Dryads team to be sent home early, actually broke down in tears and exhaustion after the final gun.
"Our defensive lapses were inexcusable," said coach Gabino, "We've got a lot of work to do over the next four years."
To add insult to injury, the team that Myrtannia beat out to win Group D is now in the Final. And despite the marvelous group stage peformance, the inability of the Dryads to deliver in the Quarts caused the Dryads to be welcomed home by... no one. Normally, at least the President is present to welcome them back, but the loss and faulty scheduling prevented that. The Dryads walked through Halosen International Airport without anyone there to congratulate them, then went their separate ways.
In brighter news, the Myrtannian Association of Football Clubs, in conjunction with the Myrtannian Sporting and Health Ministry, has announced a joint effort to bring AOCAF XVII to Myrtannia. More details are sure to arise later. And hopefully the performance this time around will be enough to convince the AOCAF authorities to boost Myrtannia's regional ranking a bit higher than #20. At this point, Myrtannia remains seriously underrated.
This post has been edited by Myrtannia on Sep 18 2006, 12:45 PM |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
, |
|
Track this topic
Receive email notification when a reply has been made to this topic and you are not active on the board.
Subscribe to this forum
Receive email notification when a new topic is posted in this forum and you are not active on the board.
Download / Print this Topic
Download this topic in different formats or view a printer friendly version.
[ Script Execution time: 0.0228 ] [ 14 queries used ] [ GZIP Enabled ]
|
Close Topic Options
