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"The Curse of 2" by Nev Gould
Once again the number 2 has cropped up in the Bazalopes match against. Not only did we manage to sneak 2 goals past the Starblaydi Keeper a feat only matched by Mrytannia, but both of those goals where by Peter Hobble in the 2nd Half.
If I was superstitious I think the number 2 is cursed, but I'm not and the loss that was expected from the Starblaydi team was 3 points. You could say those three points where scored by Vega whom the Bazalopes failed to shut down, despite seeing him in action. So the Final Score was Starblaydia 5 - Bazalonia 2.
The first half was an all Starblaydi affair with Jackie Maitland kicking of the scoring in the eighteenth minute. Jeffery Constantine Dived but choose the wrong direction letting the ball sail through into the net without a care in the world.
And then there was Robrto Vega, pounding in three goals. One after the other, after the other. 33,35 & 42 where the minutes that Vega scored his goals. No sooner than the Bazalopes had the ball then it seemed some error or some great tackling from the Starblaydi team netted them the ball, in more ways than one.
In the second half the Stars seemed to let Peter Hobble Through scoring his two goals which where finally answered by Donii, with his first international career goal.
Now onto second round (Yes, the Bazalopes made it again)
Our next match is against ASMV, who managed to take the top of the table in group in a very close group. Despite this I think the Bazalopes have a good chance as the differences between the two sides, though this is a game that will be very close and there is still a a general feeling of connectedness over the incidents that happened in the 2nd Draggonii Invitiational. This match will be held at the Docklands Park in Porthbalfa.
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AIR 4 Presents: AOCAF XIV Knockouts Predictions
-OR-
Everybody else is doing it, so why shouldn't we?
Seeing as how other media outlets have been posting up predictions out there, AIR 4 - Myrtannia's Sports Authority, has decided to throw its hat into the prediction ring as well. Ours have been notoriously inaccurate, but that doesn't stop us from making them anyway! So here we go...
Krytenia v. Fmjphoenix
This should be an exciting match between the Jacks, who tend to do well at this stage, and the defending AOCAF champion Vikings. It should come down to the wire in one of the closest contested matches of AOCAF XIV so far. Call us crazy, but we'll take the defending champs this time.
AIR 4 Line: Fmjphoenix 2, Krytenia 1
Starblaydia v. Bettia
Could be a good match, but Starblaydia took Group 4, and has never failed to advance to the quarterfinals. We don't see them starting that now, even against the host nation Aroras.
AIR 4 Line: Starblaydia 4, Bettia 2
ASMV v. Bazalonia
Bazalonia has the experience here, having gone to Round 2 in AOCAF XIII while ASMV has been leapfrogged by other teams in their groups. Others are taking the Bazalopes, but we feel the River Dragons are hungrier for this win.
AIR 4 Line: ASMV 3, Bazalonia 1
Lamoni vs Milchama
Milchama is confident that they can pull a rabbit out of a hat on this one, but the Hawks are soaring after capturing their group title. The Warriors will be easy prey for the men in Red and Blue.
AIR 4 Line: Lamoni 5, Milchama 0
Hypocria vs Pacitalia
The Hyppos are trying to stay afloat in a sea of troubles on the international scale, while the Pacitalians are looking to advance. Should be a very tight game, but we'll take Pacitalia in a nail-biter.
AIR 4 Line: Hypocria 1, Pacitalia 1 (PAC wins 5-4 in penalties)
Sarzonia vs Nedalia
Nedalia is looking to rebound from a dissapointing round robin stage to get to the level that they were at when they reached the AOCAF XIII final. Sarzonia are looking for vindication after missing the playoffs last time, and just eight years after capturing their first AOCAF crown. We think the Stars will take this one easier than most expect.
AIR 4 Line: Sarzonia 3, Nedalia 1
Vilita vs Myrtannia
Foreign media is giving Myrtannia a chance in this one, with Milchama's exceedingly long titled newspaper picking the Dryads to win 3-0. Lamoni too has said that Myrtannia might well have a chance. We shall see. After all, nobody could've expected Fmjphoenix to have the success it had in AOCAF XIII, so maybe there's an upset brewing here.
AIR 4 Line: None
Dorian & Sonya vs Bedistan
Bedistan has been playing uninspiringly, and we think the Necromancers will boot them out of AOCAF XIV. Plain and simple.
AIR 4 Line: Dorian and Sonya 3, Bedistan 0 |
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Stars clean Warriors clocks
Three matches, three draws for the Sarzonian second choice national football team in the group stage of AOCAF XIV. The results were enough to see Sarzonia through to the next round of AOCAF play, but Coach Brett Hancock wanted his team to have at least one win during the group stage to earn a better matchup for the second round and to gain momentum heading into the knockouts.
His team got that and more as Sarzonia rolled to a 3-1 victory over Milchama, marking the third win in three tries for the Stars over the Warriors. Xander Ridge scored two of Sarzonia's three goals and midfielder Carly Jones added the third in the 83rd minute to put Milchama away.
Sarzonia scored the first two goals of the game with just 25 minutes off the clock thanks in large part to Ridge. He scored the first goal by knifing through the Warriors defence and blasting a shot past Tuck Koolerc using what Hancock described as "pure power and speed."
"Xander just showed a lot of athletic ability, speed, and power on that one run. It's amazing that he's the old man of the team," Hancock joked.
Ridge showed more of his power as he outmuscled Warrior defenders to head the ball over Koolerc for a 2-0 lead the Stars took to the half. From there, Milchama tried to rally and cut the lead to one owing to their attack-oriented footballing play, but Jones sealed the deal with seven minutes left.
Sarzonia (1-3-0, second place in Group 1) face Group 3 third place side Nedalia (1-2-1) in the second round. Sarzonia have faced Nedalia several times and have great respect for the Lions, according to forward Drew Reali.
"We keep waiting for Nedalia to burst onto the footballing scene," he said. "Regardless of whether they do that or not, they're still one of our favourites when we don't play them. We're going to know we have a hard fought match ahead of us." |
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It's all about the Navy. |
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Necromancers To Face Bedistan
The Queen was extremely pleased. Her own nation’s squad had qualified on the previous day, but the rest of a very close Group 3 was anything but settled. She had watched both games, 1 live on TV and the other as a recording. The matches seemed to be lacking in offensive firepower but really shined as far as defensive effort was concerned.
The first match saw Nojika needing a win over Nedalia to stay alive. 90 minutes of poor play from both sides found a 0-0 draw and the Nojikans packing their bags for home. We say poor play - but it could just have well be outstanding defensive play - but more likely the former. Nedalia also secured their spot in the next round by winning, but just what place would that be? For the moment, the Necromancers still clung to 1st in the group.
Up next was the Viking vs. River Dragons match. Whichever side came out on top would take the Group 3 title. If the two managed a draw, D&S would claim the group’s top spot.
Defense was key in that match. Neither side wished to give the other the advantage. But ASMV would go up by a goal and hold on to it for dear life. They escaped with the win and the Group 3 title, but the news is still good for the Necromancers - WE ARE STILL PLAYING FOOTBALL!
Now comes the all-important knockout rounds. As a #2 seed we are fortunate to draw a 3rd seed in our first match. And fortunately for us that 3rd seed is Bedistan. Even though they are ranked much higher than we are, we would still rather face these guys than Sarzonia, Krytenia, or Milchama - the other qualifiers from group 1. Bedistan finished 1-2-1 and went out with a miserable 0-1 loss to Krytenia. We will have to play at a much higher level if we want to move on into the next round. We did not lose a match during group play, but 3 of those matches ended in draws. That will not do anymore. Someone has to win now.
The press from newcomers like Myrtannia, and established AOCAF participants such as Lamoni have picked us to do well. Milchama on the other hand, declined even a single word on the match after careful predictions on every other match. No one is picking us to go down easily. Time will tell if they have chosen wisely.
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River Dragons Not Only Advance - They Take Group 3!
Is this a practical joke?
This is Hal Rosh reporting live from AOCAF XIV in Bettia.
What would the River Dragons have to do in order to assure a move into the next round? Nothing more difficult than gaining at least a point from defending Champions Fmjphoenix. A Nojika slip-up would do the trick, but no one in ASMV believed that was going to happen. History said so.
So the River Dragons took the pitch, hoping their improving defense would do the trick. And it did just that. ASMV would take the match, and the group, by a score of 1-0. The win moved ASMV past D&S in the standings by a single point. That fact will have to be enough revenge for the River Dragons 3-2 loss to the Necromancers. It is highly unlikely we will survive to face each other in the finals.
ASMV’s first trip past the group stage will see them face off against Bazalonia. The Bazalopes took our spot in AOCAF XIII. We find it rather fitting to play them again now. Bazalonia is the 4th seed out of group 4 where they faced stiff competition in the form of Starblaydia, Hypocria, and Myrtannia. Now it is time for some revenge for last time. That does not mean the match will not be friendly. After the tragedy that struck Carrington in the 2nd Draggonnii Inviyatti, we do share some common ground. But we will not let that keep us from sending them home.
Now for our predictions:
Krytenia vs. Fmjphoenix. The Vikings had better figure out how to win again. Krytenia has it down to an art form and will eliminate the defending champs early.
Krytenia 3-1 Fmjphoenix
Starblaydia vs. Bettia. All sources say this is the toughest opening match. We agree. But all other have Starblaydia moving on with the win. We will be the first to say that home advantage will earn Bettia a huge win.
Starblaydia 1-2 Bettia
ASMV vs. Bazalonia. Milchama and Myrtannia both give us the advantage. Lamoni says we go home. We like the two on our side.
ASMV 1-0 Bazalonia
Lamoni vs. Milchama. Tough one. The Hawks are flying high, but we really feel as if their wings will get clipped by the Warriors
Lamoni 0-2 Milchama
Hypocria vs. Pacitalia. We do like those Hyppos. Hopefully a win here will make them see the wisdom of continuing their sports programs.
Hypocria 4-2 Pacitalia
Sarzonia vs. Nedalia. The Lions have played soft thus far. Sarzonia has played little better. This one will be close.
Sarzonia 1-1 Nedalia (you pick the winner after that)
Vilita vs. Myrtannia. Vilita is sliding and Myrtannia is charging. That will continue.
Vilita 1-3 Myrtannia
Dorian and Sonya vs. Bedistan. Bedistan looks rather careless in their play. The Necromancers beat us 3-1. Enough said.
Dorian and Sonya 3-0 Bedistan |
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Lamoni turns tables on Warriors
With a three to one victory, Lamoni has taken down the Milchama Warriors.
Remember the Milchaman prediction? :
| QUOTE | | Lamoni vs Milchama- It should be an inspired performance by the Warriors as they try to prove the numerous critics in Milchama wrong. We have a feeling that the Warriors finally put it all together in a stunning fashion with a 3-1 victory over the Hawks of Lamoni. |
Well, let's just say that the Lamonian prediction
| QUOTE | | Let's put it this way: Lamoni 3 - Milchama 1 |
of the tables being turned on the Warriors came true in dramatic fashion. Coach Boldman sent out the RESERVE 11 to face the Warriors, and they did not dissapoint. It is our feeling that the person who wrote the Milchaman prediction will have to eat some serious crow.
When Milchama scored it's lone goal, it didn't even faze the Hawks reserve line. Lamonian reserve forwards Julio Makuch, and Lance Zynda scored goals at 20, 23, and 30 minutes respectively. The lone Milchaman goal came at 10 minutes into the match.
Lamoni faces Krytenia in the quarterfinals, and honestly has a pretty good chance of defeating them. When Lamoni defeats Krytenia, the only team that really even comes close to worrying the Hawks is Starblaydia. And now for our preditions for the quarters:
Pacitalia vs D&S
D&S is in virgin territory, and we are sure that Pacitalia will take advantage of this fact if they can. Winner: Pacitalia
Myrtannia vs Bazalonia
Myrtannia is putting up a much improved showing than in AOCAF XIII, but Bazalonia is doing the same. We used a coin flip to predict the winner of this one (no joke). Winner: Myrtannia
Krytenia vs Lamoni
Both teams have the best group records in AOCAF XIV, but Lamoni seems to be just that much better this time. Winner: Lamoni
Nedalia vs Starblaydia
Nedalia is struggling while Starblaydia puts on it's normal good AOCAF showing. Starblaydia is going to blast Nedalia out of AOCAF XIV. Still, there is a potential for an upset. Winner: Starblaydia
Lamoni - 3 Julio Makuch (20,23) Lance Zynda (30)
Milchama - 1 (10)
This post has been edited by Lamoni on May 22 2006, 04:11 PM |
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Democratic Maniac |
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| QUOTE (Lamoni @ May 22 2006, 04:08 PM) | Coach Boldman sent out the RESERVE 11 to face the Warriors, and they did not dissapoint. It is our feeling that the person who wrote the MilchamI(added for emphasis)an prediction will have to eat some serious crow.
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So your Reserve 11 is better than our reserve 11
The Warriors fell last night in an embarrasing performance that has made many think that Alex Lans should now coach the B team and Patrice Thibault coach the U21s.
That is not the point, the point is that the Lamoni Hawks used their backup team to beat our backup team and did it in style. This is not a defeat we cannot let go quite easily. This of course means one thing for us, we must challenge Lamoni to a battle of our A teams in a two leg match one in Lamoni and one in Milchama.
The fact that our players had some food poisoning in them which caused them to weaken during the match had nothing to do with the loss we assure you. |
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Dryads Beat Somebody, Maybe?
It was a very confusing day in AOCAF XIV's knockouts, as three matches were listed differently in the schedules than in the official results. Myrtannia was scheduled to face Vilita, but is listed of having defeated Sarzonia. Whoever they faced, they actually won the playoff game, if these results are true to their word.
In a match we assume was highly defensive again, neither Myrtannia or their higher ranked opponent gained much of an upper hand. The opposing team scored first in the second half, followed by a Dryads goal by Dania Figary five minutes later. As regulation ended, the score was tied at 1-1, and extra time was needed to determine the winner.
Finally, in extra time, September Rollock found some daylight, and scored on the opposing goalie, sending the fans and team into a frenzy not soon forgotten. An enormous roar rose from the fans' throats, and the Dryads mobbed the hero of the day, Rollock. Once the dust settled, the Dryads walked away with a 2-1 upset victory over either Vilita or Sarzonia.
Now, the Dryads might be advancing to play Bazalonia, whom they tied in the round robin stage 2-2. If this is true, then a winner will have to be decided between the two teams this time. The Dryads are ready in that case.
"If we did win, and we are advancing, then we will face the Bazalopes. This time, we'll send them home packing," Filiberto Nedina told reporters, "Of course all of this is relative to the possibility that we beat either Vilita or Sarzonia today. If not, we'll have to play Vilita again or for the first time, whatever the case is. I'm just as confused as everyone else."
Of the possibility of facing Bazalonia in the Quarts, coach McNany offered this statement, "They're a great team - you have to be in order to reach the AOCAF's knockouts in each of your first two tries. We completely respect their talent, but we're very confident after today's potential victory. Myrtannia holds nothing against Bazalonia, though. In fact, the team sent Bazalonian sports writer Nev Gould a box of chocolates and a gift basket thanking him for motivating us to get this far. Now, we're going to focus on playing as hard as humanly possible, in order to beat either Bazalonia, or possibly Vilita."
Tenative Score:
Vilita or Sarzonia 1 - 2 Myrtannia
(49) (Figary 54, Rollock 92) |
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*Whistle whistle whistl*
"And the final whistle blows. ... The scores tied up at 1 all"
"In the this time before extra time gets underway, I think we'll have the minutes neessary, Let's have a look at the goals scored today in this match."
"ASMV took the lead early in the 1st half with a goal by Kabe Tribby in the 17th minute of the match."
<Re-play of the video>"A long header from number 18, Bulah Monteroza and he finds Kabe right infront of the net, Kabe scissor kicks the ball into the goal to give ASMV a one point lead."
"A Few minutes later in a Bazalope counter attack James Kantwell scored the equaliser."
<re-play of video>"And Peter Hobble has the ball in the corner of the field.he needs to take the ball into the centre of the field.. but he's having no Luck finding James Kantwell.. He's moving back up the field and Michael Irchov on the other wing is moving up with him. And Vegan players are moving away from James to Michael. Ah' it's a classic Lure, you can see the Vegan coach yelling at his players to keep on James but no... And yes, JAmes is now open, Hobble passes it to him and with out much ceremony he lands the ball in the top left corner of the net."
"The rest of the match each side tried to get one up on each other in what could only be described as friendly rivalry. No Malice but they sure did play hard. Despite no goals being made the rest of the match kept you on your feet. Time and Time again one team looked like it might break the deadlock but the other teams determination and desperation stopped it. And now let's return to the pitch as Extra time is about to get underway."
The Bazalopes have the kick-off...
"Benny Boy" Peters is taking it.. he lines up and takes... no the ball is sailing through the air towards the Vegan goal face an unexpected move by the Ex-captain and yes, it caught the Vegan goalie napping, the ball sailed through with the Goalie realising too late. The Bazalopes lead 2-1"
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"In the dying minutes of Extra time, and the Vegans have the ball. Can they get another goal and force a penalty shoot out? Moses Bessemer has the ball on the right wing who passes it onto Broderick Wallenstein, Exhaustion is really playing apart on both sides, they have worked hard all match and you can see it in their faces. The Bandit attempts to challenge broderick but falls flat on his face. Broderick now has an opening, he shots and scores... ASMV ties the game as the final whistle blows. Onto Penalty Shootout.
Peter Hobble, Michael Irchov, James Kantwell, Benjamin Peters and Anthony Creek will are the Bazalope penalty takers.
First Shot.... and Peter Hobble makes it making the ball going over the top of the outstreched keeper
2nd Shot, Michael Irchov.... goes over the top
3rd Shot, James Kantwell... Manages to totally fool the Goalie and into the back of the net
4th Shot, Benjamin, aka Benny Boy, Peters.. and he makes it the ball just scrapping the goalies fingernails into the back of the net
5th Shot... Goes straight to the Goalie
Bazalonia wins 3-2 on Penalty kicks... And the Bazalope fans go wild. The Black and Gold fans are going wild with inflatable Bazalopes and chanting "Bazalopes" over and over.
Results from other 2nd matches, and the Bazalopes will play... Mrytannia in the quarter finals... No, hang on... We are just getting reports.. yes, aparently there has been a mix-up and the wrong teams have been matched up against each other. 3 of the matches will have to be played according to the official schedule. The Bazalopes will be waiting to see who they face in the Quarters. This has been BazSports live coverage of the 14th AOCAF in Bettia. |
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Eating A Bazalope Burger |
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Once More To The Quarters, Dear Friends
Starblaydia knock hosts out, progress to meet... who?
Though there's somewhat of a dispute over who Starblaydia will be playing in the Quarter-Finals, the fact is that Starblaydia are in the last eight. It wasn't easy for them to get there, though, as a seven-goal thriller (yeah it's a cliche, but it's true! - Ed.) against Bettia proved.
Though Starblaydia's attacking intentions have always been known, it is in Bettia where the true notion of 'Takil' can be shown. Playing very much in the style of the old Nova Britannican teams, Starblaydia were ready for the Bettian onslaught. Being ready is one thing, but being able to deal with what's coming is quite another.
Obviously bouyed by their home crowd, Bettia surged at Starblaydia throughout the ninety minutes. Marshalled excellently by Alberto Belmozzi and 'Cap'n' Ahab (Maestas), Starblaydia held firm for all of three minutes. Gwrlais Devanallt, of Akini Sands, left Leo Velaise for dead and simply knocked it, one-on-one, past Maestas in the Starblaydi net. Cue much celebration and waving of yellow and green flags. Devanallt came at Starblaydia again and this time scored a second goal from a corner, completely unmarked as Bettia flooded the box.
Somewhat humiliated, but not broken, Starblaydia clawed their way back from two-nil down. Tara Niodonna, just past the half-hour mark, was the one to give Starbladia real hope again as she led a counter-attack through the middle of Bettia's stretched defence. Taking the ball through the middle deep into the Bettian half, she layed it out wide to Jade Matranga and then broke free in to the penalty area, receiving the perfect low cross to stab into the back of the net. Just before half-time Starblaydia were level for the first time since the third minute as a Velaise was obviously making up for his earlier error by surging into the box. Roberto Vega passed for a "white-shirted blur" that was flying past him, and one toe-poke later Starblaydia were level.
That didn't last too long, however, as Tariq Al-Jahani scored pretty much straight from Bettia's kick-off with the final kick of the first half. The winger out-paced Tabitha Di Bradini and fired, first time, low across the body of Maestas. Bettia Three, Starblaydia Two.
That was on hell of a first half, but the second just couldn't live up to it. Not until the last ten minutes, that is. A second half of tense, nervy play was topped off by two excellent - and timely - Starblaydi goals. Jackie Maitland got her fourth in five games - an excellent run for the 18 year old debutant - to make it 3-3 and the left-back Magdalena Ruiz struck and excellent curling left-foot shot that bewildered Safwan Sulaiman and gave Starblaydia the victory in the final minute of the game.
Bloody hell, what's next?
Final Score from Alice Street, Butetown:
Starblaydia 4 - 3 Bettia
(Niodonna 32, Velaise 45, Maitland 81, Ruiz 90) - (Devanallt 4 & 19, Al-Jahani 45+1) |
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Erased
Blue Foxes come from way behind to down the Hyppos
AKANI SANDS, BETTIA (PSN) -- Five alive.
That's what nearly 20,000 Pacitalian fans were chanting over the jeers of the Hypocrian and Bettian fans after the Blue Foxes overcame a 3-0 deficit to win 5-3 in front of a packed house at Akani Sands' wonderful Shubunkin Park complex.
After nuking the Aroras with a 4-0 victory in the group stage, Bettian fans were not too happy with the Blue Foxes, who continue to be their perennial bogey side - in senior and under-21 football, and recently in ice hockey as well. Their contempt for the Blue Foxes showed through Monday afternoon; many Bettian fans arrived wearing blue and white and chanting anti-Pacitalian slogans, anxious to see the Blue Foxes knocked out by a strong Hypocrian side.
This was not the result they were looking for.
After a back-and-forth first twenty minutes, Nuno Morales kickstarted the scoring in the match in the 22nd with an outstanding curler to the top right that beat Cristianu Raduvani by literally millimetres. However, the goal shook the Blue Foxes' confidence just enough that the goal, combined with the majority of the crowd being against them, started the Blue Foxes on a bad slide. By the 40th minute, Morales had scored once more followed by an excellent setup of Matt Dorigo for the Hyppos' third tally, to give the Hypocrian side a commanding 3-0 lead on the Pacitalians.
Halftime was no less noisy, as the Bettian and Hypocrian fans continued to jeer at an empty field, showing their absolute pleasure at the standing scoreline. Many of them were on their feet, singing the Bettian and Hypocrian anthems, arm in arm, dancing to absolutely no music, except that of a 3-0 advantage. But that, combined with an apparently brilliant and inspiring team talk from manager Lindifeu Zentrescu, and the Blue Foxes were more than prepared to get back into the match. Four goals in forty-five minutes was a mountain, but the team emerged from the showers stony-faced and looking confident.
What ensued can be considered as one of the greatest comebacks in AOCAF history.
Just thirty-nine seconds into the second half, Veranace d'Amantano found an opening between Lucas Vyntra and Marc Bava, streaked through and slammed a shot home to bring the score to 3-1. Then six minutes later, he fed Ambrosino Giurimano, who also streaked through a weak spot between Vyntra and Bava, and beat Andy Meyde low: already 3-2 in the 52nd. Both Vyntra and Bava were substituted after that, with the replacements moving to the outside while starters Steve Jenkins and Craig Luciano were shuffled to the centre to try and plug the hole. It worked for twelve minutes.
Giurimano feinted as though he was going to streak forward, drawing Jenkins and Luciano to him but he quickly heeled the ball back to a charging Cristoferi Zomanali, who exploited the gap that had been created by Luciano's inward start, entering the box and sending the ball high to the left past Meyde to equalise, 3-3 just inside the 65th. The Bettian jeers were still there, but the Hypocrian fans were silenced and the hysteria from the Blue Fox supporters began to set in over the full house in Akani Sands.
The Blue Foxes received another scare when Dorigo broke past Francesco Manzanotti in the 71st and appeared to be well on his way to putting the Hyppos back up on top, but he nailed the ball too low and it sailed almost one hundred feet over the crossbar to the dismay of an increasingly noisy Hypocrian crowd. That lost opportunity sent the Hyppos into a spiral which would then cost them the match.
The Blue Foxes controlled play down the stretch and an increasingly frustrated Hypocrian side let the Pacitalians know. Jenkins tripped Giurimano in the 76th just outside the 22-yard box and was yellow-carded for his efforts. Pacitalia received its third free kick of the match, and the third time was a charm, as Giurimano nailed the ball perfectly, watching as it curved high and right, then fell beautifully into the top right corner of the net, past Meyde for the Blue Foxes' first lead. Pacitalian fans were on their feet at this point, cheering and screaming for more.
The Blue Foxes had done it; they had come all the way back - now they just needed to hold on and/or score again to solidify victory. And they did both, as Charisteas got in on the action on a penalty kick in the 84th (friendly Steve Jenkins tripped him and was sent off). He sent the ball low to the right for a 5-3 lead and the win, capping off a perfect comeback and an excellent second-half effort by the Blue Foxes.
As the match ended, some outraged Hyppo fans threw bottles and chairs down on the pitch in the direction of the celebrating Blue Fox players. There is no word on whether the Football Association of Bettia will fine the Hypocrian Football Association for this poor display but it was largely ignored by the team and the fans, some of which, despite the fact that this was nowhere near the Cup final, ran onto the pitch to celebrate the massive come-from-behind victory.
Pacitalia now moves onto play the Bedistani side in the quarterfinals. The Blue Foxes are hoping to better their finish in AOCAF13, where they held Krytenia to a scoreless draw before succumbing to the Jacks in penalties. Bedistan is coming off a narrow defeat of Dorian and Sonya and will also be looking for a strong showing in the quarters. There's no doubt it should be an excellent match.
From Akani Sands, Bettia:
Hypocria 3 - 5 Pacitalia
HYP: Morales 22', 34' / Dorigo 40'
PAC: d'Amantano 46' / Giurimano 52', 76' / Zomanali 65' / Charisteas 84' (pen.) |
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Pacitalia |
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The best place on earth. |
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We're in WHAT round?
While of course the upcoming World Cup semifinal against Hockey Canada is at the front of the minds of the Bedistani football faithful, it turns out that we're also doing unusually well in another competition. Believe it or not, Bedistan's B-team has actually managed to reach the quarterfinals of the AOCAF. Yes, that's right, the quarterfinals.
Bedistan's AOCAF history is so unimpressive that most expected the team to not even have the slightest chance against Dorian and Sonya - nothing against the Necromancers, but come on, people, this ain't our first rodeo. The match was by no means a cakewalk, but it was still a comfortable win for Bedistan, who now go on to face Pacitalia in the quarterfinals. This match could be troublesome - as a nation that does not participate in the World Cup, Pacitalia's strongest players are all free for the AOCAF, and the Blue Foxes aren't expected to pull any punches. It would probably take a miracle for Bedistan's AOCAF team [which, for the record, has no official nickname, though it could probably use one] to progress to the semis. |
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Lions feast on Stars 2-1
With a very young roster that was two players short of being an Under 21 national team, the Sarzonian national football selection that lost to Nedalia 2-1 in the second round of AOCAF XIV was viewed by some in the Incorporated Football Federation as having overachieved to get to a second place finish in its group. However, Coach Brett Hancock disagreed.
"I think we underachieved to be perfectly honest," Hancock said. "We had our chances to finish first in the group and we just didn't take advantage. I don't know if that's a reflection on having a young team or on me as a head coach."
The Stars finished 1-3-0 in the group stage, earning six points in four matches, but the team's inexperienced backline cost the team two goals.
"We just didn't mark the players we were supposed to mark," said assistant coach Brian Wilson. "That's going to be something we'll address and deal with next time out for this bunch."
While Hancock may have been negative about his coaching job for the team, the IFF wasn't.
"Brett said his team underachieved," one official who asked not to be identified asked. "Are you kidding? That team played extremely well for a team as inexperienced as it was. If anything, Brett enhanced his chances of getting the full-time gig with that performance. If we win the Dragon Invitational again, he's got it in the bag." |
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Sarzonia |
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It's all about the Navy. |
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Dryads Slam Door on Jungle Cats, Advance to Quarts!
SUKATRA, Bettia - In their very first playoff matchup (disregard the relativist story posted up earlier), the Myrtannia Dryads had looked to be severe underdogs against traditionallly good Vilita. Most publications in Atlantian Oceania had Myrtannia pegged for the upset of the Jungle Cats, however, but time would tell who was in the right. As it turned out, Myrtannia fulfilled the prophecies of the foreign sports writers.
Vilita may have been the Goliath on paper, but their apparent apathy doomed them from the very beginning of the match. During just the national anthems presentation, the Vilitan contingent present were half sitting, the other half akwardly silent, mulling about in place. The fans in orange and blue from Myrtannia, in contrast, were all at dutiful attention, singing or shouting out the words to 'Stand Strong, Beloved Isles' as the Sun Burst was raised at the stadium. On the field, too, the Dryads seemed far more motivated than their Vilitan counterparts.
As put in the ASMV predictions, Vilita was suffering a slide of late, while the Dryads were surging. Myrtannia came in third place from Group 4, but unbeaten with one win and three draws. That one win came against AOCAF powerhouse Starblaydia, and it has been the Starblaydis' only loss so far in the tournament. But, back to the action on the field.
Normally in AOCAF XIV, the Dryads were scored on first before coming back to tie, or in the Starblaydia match, to win. This time, however, Myrtannia's defense, the bane of the Dryads' existance in AOCAF XIII, held firm against the Jungle Cats' attacks. Orpha Mega and Filiberto Nedina helped to check all invasions of Myrtannian territory. The defense set a new team record, allowing only 10 shots on the goal the entire match. All of those shots were off target or stopped by the inspired play of goal keeper Flo Krabel.
"They tried, but we just refused to let them get any headway on us," Krabel said, "We were determined to get this win, however we had to do it. Because if we don't win, we go home, and we've come too far already to be sent home in the first round."
With the defense playing the best it's ever played, the offense was free to attack, attack, and attack again. A veritable blitzkreig of an offense kept the Jungle Cats on their heels, and it wasn't long before something had to give. That came when Myrtannia's team captain and goal leader, Deeann Massetti, charged ahead and scored the Dryads' first goal in the fifteenth minute of action. The fans launched to their feet at that, their cheers on an equal level of noise of the Vilitans' jeers and sighs of indifference.
"Once we got that one in, we figured, 'eh, let's try and get another, see what happens'," forward Dania Figary told the press.
The rest of the half was quiet as the teams dueled for position, and Vilita's goalie struggled to keep the ball away from the goal. At the half, Myrtannia had a 1-0 lead, the first time they've ever led at the break in all of AOCAF XIV.
Already up by a goal, the Dryads continued to attack in the second half, pushing the Jungle Cats back at every opportunity. Finally, Massetti found her way into the Vilitan defense again, and got the ball into the net again. Now the Dryads were up by two, the all-time highest margin any Myrtannian football team has ever led anyone by (3-1 W v. Dorian and Sonya in AOCAF XIII). But Myrtannia's offense show wasn't over yet.
Nearing the end of the match, the Vilitans simply seemed determined to save face, but Nedina took the ball away as they finally started pressing the attack again. A pass to Figary downfield set up a beautiful pass to September Rollock, who hammered the ball past the Jungle Cats' goalie for the score. When the final gun sounded, Myrtannia's fans roared louder than at any other time in their AOCAF XIV experience, the win against Starblaydia included. Sun Bursts waving, the team dogpiling on the field, you would've thought Myrtannia had just won the whole thing, rather than just one playoff match.
It was the first time Myrtannia have won a match by more than two goals, the first playoff appearance AND victory, their first shut out win, and the first time the Dryads have one more than one match in a single AOCAF. Their record now stands at 2-3-0.
"We're happy just to make it this far, but to win so decisively against a long-standing AOCAF team like Vilita is truly vindicating. Now, I feel, we've proved to the region at large just how much improved we are over last time," coach McNany said at a press conference after the match, "We celebrated on the field, but now we're going to focus with a steely resolve on Bazalonia."
Indeed, Myrtannia's next matchup is against Bazalonia, who were 3-2 winners on penalty kicks against a defensive-minded ASMV side. Last time these teams played, they ended up with a 2-2 tie. While the Bazalopes are riding high after pulling out a tough win, Myrtannia is soaring and very confident after eliminating Vilita in convincing fashion. Despite earlier antimosity between the Dryads and Bazalopes, the Myrtannians seem to have made their peace with the previous situation.
"In fact, we as a team sent Bazalonian sportswriter Nev Gould a gift basket and chocolates, thanking him for motivating us to get this far. His words may have been callous, but we've turned out all the better for it. Now, we hope he won't mind terribly if we knock out the Bazalopes," Orpha Mega announced at the press conference, a slightly sarcastic smile on her face.
The Myrtannia Dryads have made it farther than anyone could have ever expected, but the show's not over yet. They have an excellent chance to do better than the last match against Bazalonia, and show all signs of being able to do just that. It should be an exciting game between two talented sides, but Myrtannia has the momentum to carry them forward. Bazalonia had to go to extra time and penalties to advance, though admittedly their first round opponent was more involved both from a media and a fan perspective.
So, once again, the final score(!) from Sukatra, Bettia:
Myrtannia 3 - 0 Vilita
(Massetti 15 & 55, Rollock 89)
This post has been edited by Myrtannia on May 23 2006, 06:43 PM |
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"Mrytannia Confirmed" by Nev Gould
And in an interesting turn of events Mrytannia has been once again been confirmed as Bazalopes rivals in the Quarter finals. This is both nations first appearance in the AOCAF Quarter Finals but we managed the second round in our first while they didn't.
Expect another tight match with the Dryads as they certainly showed that you can't judge a team by their rankings, but have showed determination, desperation and the skills needed to beat Vilita by 3-0.
Bazalonia and Mrytannia are the up and coming nations of the AOCAF and many of the comments about this upcoming match have shown exactly why. Both teams are expecting great performances on the field but it will be who ever is better on the day. I wish all the best to our Mrytannian friends, and thank them for the chocolates they sent. But I will predict a narrow Bazalonia win, whether that be in penalty kicks or or Extra time, it doesn't matter, but it will be close. |
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Bazalonia |
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Eating A Bazalope Burger |
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