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AOCAF 20—RP thread

Posted: Sep 24 2007, 12:17 PM

Team Captain Michal Kellogg shook hands with the Bazalope that had handed him the plaque.

With AO wide media attention on the SDL-SAAS war, someone came running into the bar yelling that SDL forces had just routed the Starblaydi front lines. Another cheer rent the air as both teams (and presumably some UCS citizens) celebrated the major victory on the battlefield. Things were looking up for the SDL in that war.

One of the minor Lamonian officials had found a bottle of Champagne, and popped the top off, filling the glasses of as many as he could.

Fortunately for the Lamonian players, they didn't imbibe too much; they had their next match against Pacitalia to consider, after all. That didn't stop the Bazalopes, as they were headed home soon.

For some time, the Hawks had acted as the Boogeyman when playing against the Pacitalian squad; being a major reason that the Pacitalians had yet to win an AOCAF Cup. That didn't mean that the Hawks could afford to rest on their laurels. Pacitalia was a very good AOCAF team in almost every respect. They hadn't won the AOCAF yet, but everyone was sure that it would only be a matter of time before they did. After all, even Starblaydia was shocked when the Hawks won their two AOCAF Cups. So why couldn't Pacitalia do the same someday?

The next day, the Hawks were on the practice field, watching footage of AOCAF XX Pacitalian matches, and doing the other things that a good football club would do before a match.

As for the Plaque itself, it was hung in the office of the Commissioner of the Lamonian Football Association (LFA).

Lamoni

Democratic Maniac

Posts: 1952

Posted: Sep 24 2007, 04:27 PM

‘And it’s all just a little bit of history repeated . . .’

Brian Cahill reporting from the Unified Capitalizt States.

Twice before Hyppos and Persons in Mauve had met in AOCAF quarter finals and twice before two hours of football couldn’t separate the sides. Both games finished 1 - 1 after extra time with the Autocracy advancing on penalties on each occasion. It couldn’t happen like that a third time surely? Well, yes it could.

It’s probably fair to say that the side that took to the pitch in the colours of Starblaydia was not the finest collection of players to ever pull on the mauve and white but. But the performances of some of the younger members of the side, alongside a wonderful midfield display from the captain, could mean Starblaydi football is back on the up.

The match itself was reminiscent of a boxing contest with punch and counter punch. But as the match flowed neither side could seem to gain the upper hand. That was until thirty seven minutes in when lady luck smiled on the Autocracy. Gareth Black skipped past the challenge of Ugrubolgdam on the Starblaydi left but his cross was comfortably dealt with by the impressive Roque Bravo. The clearance fell to Marica who tried a speculative effort from distance. The shot was heading well wide but took a wicked deflection of Ongondo to leave the keeper no chance.

They may have been a goal down but no one in mauve let their head drop, there was still plenty of time to go. Inspired by the captain’s probing passes the Purple Peril started to take control early in the second half. One beautifully weighted through ball sent Fullbright away but he was denied by a brave stop from Kutasi, diving at the striker’s feet. Another racking pass released Proviia down the left but the Vecchio Victors player went for goal from a tight angle with team mates in the penalty area screaming for a pass.

But the pressure finally told in the seventy second minute and again Izretar
was the architect. The captain left Kordan on the turf with an exquisite dummy and laid the ball forward for the run of substitute Stefan Hinkkonen who coolly side footed past Kutasi for a well deserved equaliser.

As so often is the case in games that involve the word ‘final’ the action petered out into almost nothing as both sets of players focused on making that crucial mistake. Fulltime came and went. As did extra time, with neither keeper put under too much bother. And so the inevitable happened. For the third time in three quarter finals between the sides, penalties would decide the outcome.

Clearly both sides had been practising their spot kicks as all ten found the back of the net. Marica, Sousa, Viera, Kajetan and Black all netted for the Autocracy while Izretar, Bravo, Fullbright, Hinkkonen and Panarii all replied.

Into sudden death and Andrey Teale drove a fierce left footed drive right down the centre to once again give Hypocria the advantage. All the pressure was now on Peytrsen. Miss and the five time champions were going home early. He too drove it down the middle but the ball crashed into Kutasi’s trailing leg and rebounded away. It was over.

Hypocria 1 - 1 Starblaydia (6 - 5 pens)
Ongondo

And so for the third consecutive tournament the Hyppos had reached the final four. Unlike the last two, this time they’ll be hoping to go all the way. And with Milchama, surprise winners over Vilita/Turori, to face in the semis they’re unlikely to ever get a better chance.

Hypocria

Experienced Senator

Posts: 287

Posted: Sep 25 2007, 02:16 AM

Hawks defeat Pacitalia AGAIN, face Hyppos for cup

It took them until extra time, but the Hawks proved themselves to AGAIN be the boogeyman for the Pacitalian Blue Foxes. However, the win places them into an AOCAF Cup Final match against Hypocria. The Men in Blue are the number 1 ranked team in the region, which makes them a challenge even for a talented team like the Hawks.

The fact that the Hyppos have a history of steamrolling opponents doesn't help either. However, the Hawks have one advantage that Hypocria does not have. While Hypocria has won one AOCAF cup, the Hawks have won two of the titles, and would have a third if they win this match.

There is another aspect to this competition, however. As Lamoni is an SDL nation, and Hypocria is an SAAS nation, the two warring alliances will have representatives facing each other out on the pitch, instead of just on the battlefield. While the SDL is winning the war, the Hawks will be in trouble if they don't keep their minds on this "war."

Getting back to the Hawk victory over Pacitalia, the match ended 1-1 in regulation time, forcing extra time, where both teams hit their opponents net hard. Pacitalia got two goals AET, while the Hawks got three. Due to the lack of a Pacitalian roster, we can't show you the names of the Pacitalian players that scored, but we know that Lamonians Michal Kellogg, and Bryan Neely scored the goals for the men in red and blue.

Both the Hawks and the Hyppos have battled hard to get here, and now we shall see which side comes out with a nice shiny trophy.

Lamoni - 1 (3 AET) Michal Kellogg (44, AET) , Bryan Neely (AET)

Pacitalia - 1 (2 AET) (20), (AET)

Lamoni

Democratic Maniac

Posts: 1952

Posted: Sep 25 2007, 03:56 PM

Then There Were Two

Brian Cahill reporting from the Unified Capitalizt States.

As semi final draws go this one was almost perfect. One game away from the biggest night in Atlantian Oceania sport the likelihood of playing a side from down the rankings is slim at best. Indeed fans back in the Autocracy were fully expecting a tough final four encounter with the region’s number two side Vilita/Turori. But no. V/T surprisingly lost out on penalties in their quarter final, meaning that the Hyppos’ path to the final was blocked by lowly Milchama, a side not even in the top ten.

And the Horse Botherers are a side that the Autocracy’s finest enjoy getting to grips with after Milchama denied Hypocria a place in the World Cup with a playoff win in Vanguard, Fmjphoenix. Since then the Hyppos’ have had much the better of the side’s fixtures, including wins in both previous AOCAF meetings. They’re also a nation whose name is never mentioned within the corridors of FAH headquarters as their policy of fielding a horse (who knows how that quarter final shootout worked) ranks just above 95X’s conjoined twins on the list of things that annoy the Autocracy’s footballing hierarchy.

Which is why they’ve banned all media outlets from mentioning games against Milchama in anything other than the briefest of details. So the events that took place within the confines of yet another vast Capitalizt arena, this time the Drakcorp Querzakhi Olympic Stadium, will have to remain something of a mystery. But the important fact is that the men in blue and white won the game by two goals to Milchama’s one, Kordan and Ocella proving that horses are terrible at defending corners.

Hypocria 2 - 1 Milchama
Kordan
Ocella

In the other semi final the region’s third and fourth best sides went head to head with the Hawks of Lamoni eventually overcoming Pacitalia’s Blue Foxes after extra time. The game finished 1 - 1 after ninety minutes before both sides showed some unusual attacking intent for later stages of such a big game, Lamoni coming through 3 - 2 after the extra half an hour.

Next . . .

This edition of the region’s most prestigious sporting contest is now down to its final two participants, a repeat of the third place playoff last time out in Bettia. And neither nation is a stranger to the biggest occasion, having competed in a total of six previous finals collectively. And both nations have a fifty percent win ratio, Lamoni with two wins from their four finals and the Autocracy on one win from two appearances. Something’s got to give.

The Hawks haven’t had it all their own way in this tournament. They finished behind Michama in Group C after been held to draws by both Az-cz and Milchama and suffering a shock defeat to Limbrogidlia. And squeezed into the final two after narrow wins over the competition’s form side Bazalonia and the always dangerous Pacitalia. Although the Hyppos’ own path to the final hasn’t exactly been spotless. But those that like omens to cling on to can take some comfort from the fact that two of the teams that the Lamonians couldn’t handle in their group have both been dumped out of the tournament by the Autocracy’s finest.

So it’s to the Sokojito Überdome and the hope that the Autocracy will be turning up at AOCAF XXI with a trophy that backs up their status as Atlantian Oceania’s top side.

Past AOCAF Meetings
Hypocria 1 - 0 Lamoni (AOCAF IX / Cockbill Street)
Hypocria 4 - 0 Lamoni (AOCAF XV / Bazalonia)
Hypocria 2 - 4 Lamoni (AOCAF XVIII / Myrtannia)
Hypocria 2 - 0 Lamoni (AOCAF XIX / Bettia)