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| AO Forum :: > AOCAF - The AO Regional Soccer Tournament > AOCAF 22 RP Thread |
| Posted by: Bazalonia Mar 24 2008, 07:57 PM |
| GROUPS Group 1 Pacitalia Hypocria Starblaydia Bettia 95X Scottfire Nortern Bettia An Blascoad Mor Kose and The Turkomans Group 2 Lamoni Manhattan Prime Bazalonia Delesa Demot Capitalizt SLANI Nojika Jasīʼyūn Krytenia FIXTURES MD1: 2 vs. 9 3 vs. 8 4 vs. 7 5 vs. 6 bye: 1 MD2: 1 vs. 3 9 vs. 4 8 vs. 5 7 vs. 6 bye: 2 MD3: 1 vs. 5 2 vs. 4 6 vs. 9 8 vs. 7 bye: 3 MD4: 7 vs. 1 6 vs. 2 5 vs. 3 9 vs. 8 bye: 4 MD5: 1 vs. 9 2 vs. 8 3 vs 7 4 vs. 6 bye 5 MD6: 2 vs. 1 9 vs. 3 8 vs. 4 5 vs. 7 bye: 6 MD7: 1 vs. 4 2 vs. 3 5 vs. 9 6 vs. 8 bye: 7 MD8: 6 vs. 1 5 vs. 2 4 vs. 3 9 vs. 7 bye: 8 MD9: 1 vs. 8 2 vs. 7 3 vs. 6 4 vs. 5 bye: 8 |
| Posted by: Bazalonia Mar 24 2008, 08:43 PM |
| The first MD will be in approximately 2 days from right now, however, as there are currently scorinator issues I may have to delay (Blame Veph) |
| Posted by: Bazalonia Mar 24 2008, 09:21 PM | ||
Scorinator issues have been resolved but I will instead be using NSFS 2.05 instead of NSFS 2.04 |
| Posted by: Lamoni Mar 26 2008, 02:11 AM |
| Hawks ready for group 2, have bye on first day With the passage of another four years, the 22nd version of the AOCAF is coming closer to reality. The Hawks have been placed in group 2, alongside previous AOCAF winners Manhattan Prime, the Bazalonian hosts. These three teams are also believed to be the most likely to be the top three finishers in group two; though Krytenia will give it all they've got. While the Hawks have a bye on matchday 1, they will be facing hosts Bazalonia on matchday two as their opening match. The Hawks have a good past record against the Bazalopes, and will be looking to maintain it going on to the other matches. Our Predictions: Group 1 Pacitalia - 2nd Hypocria - 1st Starblaydia - 3rd Bettia - 4th 95X - 5th Scottfire - 6th Nortern Bettia - 7th An Blascoad Mor - 8th Kose and The Turkomans - 9th Group 2 Lamoni - 1st Manhattan Prime - 2nd Bazalonia - 3rd Delesa - 5th Demot - 6th Capitalizt SLANI - 8th Nojika - 7th Jasīyūn - 9th Krytenia - 4th |
| Posted by: Starblaydia Mar 26 2008, 04:58 PM |
| "Our World Cup Qualifying" Panarii's squad getting revved up Lex Panarii, Starblaydia's most-wise and thoughtful manager, who has worked his way up to put himself first in line to be the successor to Betanii Marrones, has been given command of his biggest test yet. After having taken a young squad to Daehanjeiguk for the fourth Oriental Football Cup and come away with a superb Eight-Nil record-equalling victory as well as a creditable Two-All draw with Valanora, who inflicted a record Seven-One defeat on Starblaydia in the Quarter-Finals of World Cup 39, he has been given command of the AOCAF side. Surprisingly, this has been the demotion of Apollina Iakovakis, who has taken control of the regional team for the last two tournaments. It has been suggested that a poor Turtle Cup, which though included another creditable and goaless draw with Valanora, saw losses to Cafundeu, Sel Appa, Jeruselem and Sorthern Northland, has been her undoing. The new manager has again, as is his style, gone for inexperience wherever possible, believing that the impetuousness of youth can overcome most obstacles. Witness, for instance, twenty year-old Bazrador Drakkiborgo at left-back, with just two senior caps to his name. Goal-wonder Lubii (11 in 15) and four-goal Raphael Torino have ousted two thirty-plus players, Lii Chong-sun and Stefan Hinkonnen, for the starting spots. Five-cap Vega Matranga gets a starting shirt, along with Denny Djibroné. Nakamura is in the squad, Kaneda, Tze-Shu... the list goes on and on. Word from above, however, is that this tournament is functioning as final try-outs for the World Cup 40 side. With no qualifying games to play for Starblaydia (or their co-hosts Krytenia), the AOCAF - along with friendly internationals - will be the proving ground for Starblaydia's players. The team, who have exited in the last eight for two consecutive tournaments - seemingly proving their 8th-in-the-region ranking - still have the pressure of trying to extend the AOCAF-winning record. The last cup was nearly fifty years ago and still the fans chant "We want six". Other nations, however, have started to catch up. Starblaydia, as always, can only do their best. Then we'll see just how good Panarii and his crop of players really are. |
| Posted by: Bazalonia Mar 26 2008, 07:37 PM |
| RP CUT OFF SCORES POSTED! |
| Posted by: Starblaydia Mar 27 2008, 05:45 AM |
| 'Just like watching San Adriano' Starblaydia defeat tiny but enthusiastic nation Lex Panarii's first AOCAF campaign kicked off with a victory against An Blascaod Mor that can best be described as 'solid'. With a couple of two-all draws also occurring in Group One, Starblaydia and Hypocria top the table together with three points at this intitial stage. Top seeds in the Group, Pacitalia, took a bye on this Matchday, and their first match comes against Starblaydia in what could very well be a group-topping decider match. Such predictions are best made later in the tournament, however, when the form of each nation has begun to even out. Starblaydia's first task was accomplished via goals from Lubii and substitute Hinkonnen, their twelfth and sixteenth international goals respectively. The main priority in this match appeared to be defensive training as Panarii attempts to weld a relatively new back-four into an efficient unit. The experience of Jaw Chang-hwa and Leandro Perheira has to be melded with the youth of Vega Matranga and Bazrador Drakkiborgo, who have just nine caps between them after this game. The goalkeeper, too, only made her third appearance for her country in this match. Luckily, the midfield is packed with experience and the strike force appears to have no worries, based on their collective stats (39 goals in 118 appearances). With no World Cup Qualifying to test their steel against, this defence has to come together, and quick, or the fortieth World Cup will be three games and no further for these co-hosts. An Blascaod Mor were seemingly up for an enjoyable game against the former best team in the Region, and the World, and revelled in playing against the famous white-and-purple shirts. Starblaydi players, on the other hand, looked a little nervous that any mistakes could leave them severely embarrassed at the hands of a team that comprises almost 12% of the total population of the nation. Muris O'Sullivan came closest in the first half to breaching the net of the five-time regional champions, booting the ball in the general direction of Sandra van Agmark, which she saved quite comfortably at chest-height. The crowd, though, treated the shot on target as a victory in itself, chanting "There's only three O'Sullivans". Starblaydia's fans, ever eager for a chanting competition, responded with "There's only six Matrangas", referencing Vega Matranga as the sixth member of the Matranga family to represent Starblaydia in the last century. Can you name the other five? Answers are at the bottom of the page. Lubii made it twelve goals in sixteen games with her first-half strike, breaking away from Patty O'Shea - who had been the victim of a cruel practical joke on the stadium announcer's sheet, being introduced as Patty O'Furniture - and blasting a left-footed shot high into the net. The second goal came with around four minutes to go; as the An Blascaod Mor fans were celebrating not being thrashed, partying with the Starblaydi and neutral Bazalonian and other nation's fans at the very good performance they had seen in front of them. Stefan Hinkonnen, ever the grumpy goal machine, pushed his way through the defence and headed in a cross from the other substitute, Batou Nakamura. Stefan is obviously disappointed by the decision to keep him on the bench in this tournament, and is desperate to prove that, at thirty-two, his physical presence and team-play abilities will be needed from the beginning of every World Cup match. He's currently Starblaydia's most-experienced and highest-scoring striker and though he is aging well, his mobility - such as it was - is definitely on its way out. One last World Cup hurrah for Stefan? We can only hope so. Final Score: Starblaydia 2 - 0 An Blascaod Mor (Lubii 17, Hinkonnen 86 - None) The six Matrangas are (in order of appearance): Aiden, Nick, Itechton, Jade, Kaza and Vega. |
| Posted by: 95X-Scottfire Mar 27 2008, 02:21 PM |
| 95X, Scottfire, Tie Match Between Each Other Bazalonia - Although an official game to mark the beginning of AOCAF 22, the players and staffs of each team shook hands before the game, even briefly discussed the odds of facing each other at all in the tournament. Ninety minutes later, they'd shake hands again after a 2-2 tie. Although neither team played down to the other, watching the game from the stands had all the vibes of a kitten playing with yarn, versus the standard 'two beta fish in the same pond' feel. Trevor Page and Jordyn Marshall each had their hands full, literally, as each team spent quite a bit of time near their opponents' goal. "The team knows they'll have to perform even better in the other games in this tournament," commented 95X Head Coach Alecia Onesixtysecond, in her second year on the sidelines. "Very rarely do games 'feel good' during them." Scottfire's Stephani Nekekpemi scored the first goal of the game in the 24th minute. Several well-placed kicks later, Rae Day got the ball over to an open Melissa/Michelle Mitchell, who scored the first 95X goal no more than three minutes later. Scottfire's second goal came after a weak second half start by 95X only four minutes in. Scottfire spend most of that half ahead until a spectacular shot by Micah Skokomish in the 71st minute. 95X plays their next game against An Blascoad Mor, who dropped their opening match to powerhouse Starblaydia 2-0. Scottfire's next opponent, Nortern Bettia - who found themselves in a similar situation - tied Bettia 2-2. With the top four teams in Group 1 advancing to an 8-team playoff, both teams will have to play the best soccer ever if they hope to advance. 95X 2 - Scottfire 2 (Mitchell :27, Skokomish :71); (Nekekpemi :24, Null :49) |
| Posted by: An Blascoad Mor Mar 27 2008, 07:06 PM |
| An Blascoad Mor Times Islanders Impress In Defeat The An Blascoad Mor team, were today defeated as expected by Starblaydia, but only a margin of two goals. The Islanders although understandably touted to finish near the bottom of their group are a team that other nations have learnt to take seriously. 'Just like watching San Adriano' was the headline in one Starblaydi headline, a great honour for the Islanders to be compared to such a large nation. Four hundred and thirty nine residents they have! Defence is one of the things the gaffer, whoever he is has preached to the players in recent week. Keep it tight early doors he said. So it came as a huge disappointment when Lubii broke away from Patty O'Shea - who had oddly been announced as Patty O'Furniture by the stadium announcer, a Sortherner tells me a patio is something you have round the back of the house, odd people - anyway Lubii broke away from Patty and managed put the ball into the net after just 17 minutes. The goal however didn't dampen the spirit of the 130 or so strong travelling support from ABM who widely celebrated only being one goal down. Nearly ten minutes later Muris O'Sullivan sent the Islanders fans into a friendly as his rasping shot flew into the hand sof Sandra van Agmark in the Starblaydi goal. The small (well large for us but small compared to other nations) but load group raised a chant of "There's only three O'Sullivans" to which the Starblaydi counterparts responded with "There's only six Matrangas" in referencing to one of the great Starblaydi footballing families. With four minutes remaining the ABM fan's were positively shocked at what lay in front of them. A famous one nil defeat to Starblaydia, a once great powerhouse of football in both Atlantian Oceania and the world. Stefan Hinkonnen was having none of it though, and determined to prove his worth to the team, he stretched every muscle to head Batou Nakamura's cross into the net to seal the win. In the end though everyone could leave the ground happy. ABM hadn't been thrashed and had got a very respectable two nil defeat, Starblaydia had got the three points they expected and the Island's fans found the beer very satisfactory. It doesn't get any easier though with 95X up next for the Great Blasket, but another performance with the dedication, spirit and tenacity of today and we the 143 citizens of An Blascoad Mor can be proud. |
| Posted by: Manhattan Prime Mar 29 2008, 06:30 AM |
| Except from Manhattan Herald – Bergamo, Pacitalia 27th March 2008 Welcome to our first issue from our new temporary home in Pacitalia, where we can continue to report on the chaos ensuing in our country, without fear of government silencing. Matchday 1 from Bazalonia Manhattan Prime 3-1 Krytenia Katakana 27, 43mins, Dreygo 87mins 65mins Manhattan Prime started the defense of their AOCAF title in strong form today, by defeating old rivals Krytenia 3-1. As is their wont, the Chippers started strongly, though their loyal fanbase was quite understandably diminished by open fighting in three of Manhattan Prime’s provinces and by the almost complete lockdown being imposed on the capital, Manhattan. Regardless, the Chip’s midfield duo of Smith and DeSilva looked sharp and put together some slick passing to crack open the Krytenian defence early on, only for Vykk Dreygo to hit the post. The young striker had a torrid time out there, being shunned by his teammates for passes due to his father’s role in orchestrating a coup in Manhattan Prime, a move Dreygo has yet to openly condemn, protesting his father’s innocence of the plot. It is rumored that many of the Manhattanite team had to be threatened with the loss of their AOCAF places in order to take the field with him, and Dreygo’s every touch of the ball was booed by the Manhattanite fans with calls of ‘Judas’, ‘Traitor’ and less savory epithets about his family’s betrayal of democracy. The Chippers broke the deadlock in the 27th minute, through mercurial striker Katakana, who smashed a volley home from an Ethan Smith corner to put Manhattan Prime ahead. He was to add a second in the 43rd minute from open play, in a very one sided first half. Not so the 2nd half, as the Krytenian team came out strongly, and Lucas Thompson and John Clarke, both earning their 30th cap for their country today, were put under intense pressure in defense. Krytenia was rewarded for its efforts in the 65th minute, when a converted free kick made the score 2-1 to the Chippers. The goal shocked the Manhattanites into action, and they started to tighten up at the back. Dreygo still showed the occasional flash of brilliance, cutting inside two defenders to score Manhattan Prime’s third goal 3 minutes from time, but in truth the game was already won by then and he seemed a shadow of his former self for much of the game. Elsewhere in Group 2 hosts Bazalonia defeated Jasi’yun 2-1, Delesa beat Nojika 3-1, and Capitalizt SLANI lost 3-1 to Demot. Manhattan Prime Team: Clive Hilton (GK) Lucas Thompson (RB) John Clarke (CB) Karl Heinze (CB) Hitoshi Akita (LB) Ethan Smith (DMC) Michael Donavan (MC) Felix DeSilva (AML) Mashashi Takamura (AMR) Vykk Dreygo (S) Yos*ito Katakana (S) |
| Posted by: Starblaydia Mar 29 2008, 03:57 PM |
| Downpours Threaten AOCAF Bazalonian Rain Postpones Matches And the rain, rain, rain came down, down, down. All eight matches across both Championship Groups were called off, including Starblaydia's match with Pacitalia. Pitches were waterlogged, standing water was everywhere - witness the comical attempts of referees to kick footballs along the surface of the water, watching the ball hydroplane around two yards before floating to a stop. "Where the bloody hell's the roof?" Starblaydi fans chanted, swiftly followed by "We're gonna get wet!" upon hearing the latest thunderclap above their heads. Bazalonian officials simply looked at the sky and shrugged, with no amount of technology able to shift the water off the grass, though stadium roofs and those enormous tent things could have helped some, the sheer volume of water was too much to handle. It is assumed that the games will be able to go ahead in around 24-48 hours, but as to the playability of the pitches at that time, nobody knows. There may certainly be one or two upsets as the quality players in the tournament will have to struggle with mud, bogs and water just as much as the journeymen. |
| Posted by: Bazalonia Mar 30 2008, 07:07 AM |
| MD 2 SCORES POSTED |
| Posted by: Starblaydia Mar 30 2008, 09:52 AM |
| Stuck In The Mud Starblaydia crushed by Blue Foxes We had wondered how well the players would cope with barely-playable pitches in the wake of the rain that had soaked them through in previous days. The simple answer is: not very well at all. Stablaydia's trademark white-and-purple quickly became brown-and-darker-brown as they slipped, skidded and generally got bogged down. Pacitalia's players, however, seemed to skip across the surface like http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/flightless_hippo.html (which do, actually, fly) and sailed four goals past the helpless Sandra van Agmark in the Starblaydi net. Various Starblaydi players struggled to cope with the conditions, most notably van Agmark, defender Bazrador Drakkiborgo, midfielder Denny Djibroné and striker Lubii. The silky skills usually on display by both sides were completely absent in Starblaydia's case, leading to this inevitable defeat. The Blue Foxes are, supposedly, the second-best team in the region and, though not seeming to bother much with attendance this time, cruised to the victory over the eighth-ranked Starblaydi side, who are third seeds in this group behind Hypocria, who defeated Baptism of Fire Runners-Up Kose and The Turkomans by four goals to two on Matchday One. Bazalonian officials commented that the pitches would definitely be in full working order for the rest of the tournament, which either meant that they'll all be like this for the duration, or will all be dry by the time Starblaydia play 95X on Matchday Four, after their Bye day. There is very little else to say about the Starblaydi side, except that Lex Panarii will have to get them to pull their socks up in their rest match, with Edmundo Rivolli probably coming in for the under-performing youngster Drakkiborgo. Final Score: Pacitalia 4 - 0 Starblaydia (Four unnamed goalscorers: 36, 44, 51 & 78 - None) |
| Posted by: Demot Mar 30 2008, 02:36 PM |
| Demot Daily ~ Young Guns The DFA deciding to send an under twenty-one side to the AOCAF were first met with quite passionate protests, yet without result of changing the roster. With the main national team set in World Cup Qualifying, there was little choice for the DFA to choose from, either reserves or the U-21s, with the vote going for the youngsters. It was widely expected that this decision would result in some very poor scorelines, and likely have the Dynamo being the laughingstock of the tournament. That has not been the case as the yoongins first took out SLANI of the UCS in a comfortable three to one scoreline. Vulias Mercy proved to be the champion of the day as she netted a remarkable hattrick and was clearly a cut above everyone else on the pitch that day. If she makes any more appearances like that, clubs from all over the world will be clamoring for her signature. With the other federation, JSY, from the UCS up next, the Dynamo all of a sudden had a chance to sweep the UCS teams right to the bottom of the table. With JSY being the weaker of the two federations from the Unified States, the Demot supporters were expecting a larger margin of victory, and the Dynamo would deliverr, Taking the match with a beautiful display of attacking football, the orange, red, and black smashed past JSY four to one, with Mercy and Critdolopus both notching two to their name, and assisting on the others' goals. Herin nearly made it five at the death, but the JSY made an acrobatic save to resotre some of his lost pride. Now the side sits atop of the table and is just looking sublime in their performances. There are still hard fought games to be on, but on this form, the Dynamo look like they could shake off their AOCAF woes and finally make a run into the knockouts. With still six group fixtures to go, it's wise not to get too excited about the performances, but with the way the youngsters are playing, it is hard not to be completely thrilled by it. Article by Suzanne Dunn |
| Posted by: Bazalonia Mar 30 2008, 11:49 PM |
| RP CUT-OFF AND SCORES POSTAGE! |
| Posted by: Lamoni Mar 31 2008, 12:12 AM |
| Lamoni jumps to top of table After coming off of their bye date on the first day of the tournament, the Hawks were into full business mode. First, they defeated hosts Bazalonia by a 2-1 scoreline, then they trashed Demot 5-1. With these wins under their belt, the Hawks are first in group two, and they face Nojika next. As evidenced by past matches, Nojika is a team that is full of both positive and negative surprises. They can trip up any team in the tournament, which means that they must not be underestimated. We have not forgotten the time that they defeated then running champions Starblaydia 2-1. Or the times that they have pulled off upsets against the Hawks. People all over Lamoni are hoping that this is the tournament where the Hawks bag AOCAF cup number three, and start to eat into that Starblaydi record. While political relations between Lamoni and Starblaydia are trying to come down from the hostility that often defined them in the past, the AOCAF rivalry is alive and well. |
| Posted by: 95X-Scottfire Mar 31 2008, 02:50 AM |
| 95X Wins One, Ties another Bazalonia - Our newspaper readers today are presented with the results of two games, as a late game from the previous day didn't conclude until after press time. As much of 95X slept, its team won a late match against An Blascoad Mor 3-1. Micah Skokomish scored two early goals putting 95X up early 2-0. Veteran midfielder Claire Pomona added the teams' third goal after 71 minutes of play, putting 95X up 3-0. At that time, Alecia Onesixtysecond cleared her bench to ensure her star players were rested going into the next days' game. The ball found its way to the back of the 95X net in the 88th minute, however this was almost expected with seldom-used reserve goalkeeper Tate Hall in front of it. Later, many in 95X watched a nationally televised game against Pacitalia which resulted in a 2-2 tie. A slow 95X team did their best to keep up with a team that blanked perennial powerhouse Starblaydia the night before. Although the team was looking for a win against the team which knocked 95X out of the AOCAF 21 Round-of-16, defender Tai Doe said after the game "we'll take the tie, it's better than another loss." The 95X goal scorers were Damien Dairycreek in the 49th minute, and Micah Skokomish after 69 minutes of play. After three match days, 95X is second between Hypocria and Pacitalia - two teams which have already sat out bye dates. With two thirds of the group stage of the tournament to go, a game against Starblaydia in the wings, and a showdown with arch rivals Hypocria on Match Day 8, the real contests in this tournament are yet to come. 95X 3, An Blascoad Mor 1 (95X goals: Skokomish :14, :32; Pomona :71) 95X 2, Pacitalia 2 (95X goals: Dairycreek :49, Skokomish :69) |
| Posted by: An Blascoad Mor Mar 31 2008, 12:54 PM |
| An Blascoad Mor Times GOOLLLLLLAAAAAZZZZZZOOOOOO!!!!!! Substitute Ailín Mac Giolla Ruaidh yesterday made himself a national hero after scoring An Blascoad Mor's first goal of the 22nd AOCAF. Critics may claim the goal is a cheap one with it coming in the final few minutes of a 3-1 defeat and against an apparently not to good reserve keeper, but that has by no means dampened the celebrations of An Blascoad Mor's population. The entirety of which has travelled to Bazalonia either as player or fan. The match itself was not much of a spectacle. Indeed over in 95X much of the nation slept through it. Granted it was a late kick-off but any insomniacs only had to watch five minutes of the game to fall asleep. From the first kick it was clear who would win. The 95X players were clearly superior and were very much in control for the ninety minutes. It seemed as if the goals came when they decided and they decided to score first on fourteen minutes. Micah Skokomish who would also go on to score in the thirty-second minutes took the ball of Patty O'Shea who took too long clearing on the edge of the box, the 95X striker then calmly rounded Tomás O'Neil in the Islander's goal to open the scoring. His second was pretty much a carbon copy to take the game into half time at two nil. The second half was more an exhibition with the 95X players seemingly more interested in showing Atlantian Oceania they're skills rather than adding to their goal tally. In the end though they did add a third goal. Claire Pomona found herself in the box and surrounded by ABM's defence. A quick and brilliant piece of footwork saw her find her way through the ball and one on one with Tomás O'Neil in the goal. There was only ever going to be one winner. With the team three up the 95X coach made wholesale changes to the team. This allowed the Islanders to get a foot into the game and their effort was rewarded with just two minutes left when a clever through ball by substitute Maitiú MacGeraghty put Ailín Mac Giolla Ruaidh clean through on goal. Tate Hall looked short on confidence and made a desperate lunge for the ball, Ruaidh had the vision to foresee this and beat the keeper all ends up to leave the net gaping and to seal a memorable goal for the nation. Just like watching Brazil A hugely impressive performance from the Islanders was today rewarded with an equally impressive victory over Northern Bettia, a team our neighbours Sorthern Northland have struggled against in the past. Buoyed by a last minute goal from the 95X game the islanders not in the team along with the couple of thousand Sortherners were in high spirits in the stands supporting the Island's team. It has been stressed many a time by many a footballing figure how much of an impact the fans can have. It was a point proved once more today as Ailín Mac Giolla Ruaidh, rewarded for his goal against 95X by being given a start in this game. The striker fed of the atmosphere from the fans to trouble the Northern Bettian keeper just seconds after the kick off. Spying the keeper off his line Ruaidh, forty or so metres from the goal attempted an audacious lob. It went over by some distance, but for a second it had the Bettians worried. It was a sign of things to come at the Islander's and Ruaidh in particular played some quick, at times sublime football. On several occasions during the first half was the North Bettian goal threatened, but on every occasion, it survived. A desperate block by a defender here, a superb save by the keeper there. Somehow the North Bettians stood firm and went into half time keeping the score at nil nil. The second half started with the same amount of excitement as the first. This time though rather than a series of near missed the fans were treated to a flurry of goals. The first goal was scored by Northen Bettia. A cheap free-kick was given away midway down the left touchline by Kenny Krouger. The ball was whipped in from the free-kick and the North Bettian striker rose above the defence to head the ball into the net. The response though from An Blascoad Mor was almost instantaneous. From the kick-off Muris O'Sullivan fed the ball to Patrick O'Donovan on the right wing. The winger embarked on an epic run taking on four Bettians, all of them hacking away in Northern Bettia's now customary style. A style which would lead to the goal. Just in the edge of the box and just about to pull off a shot, O'Donovon was crudely hacked to the ground, and the ref was given no choice but to give a penalty. The North Bettian defender was shown a red card and O'Donovon had to be stretchered off to be replaced by Maitiú MacGeraghty. The penalty was then coolly slotted home by Ailín Mac Giolla Ruaidh for his second of the tournament. Perhaps still celebrating having scored twice in two games, the Islanders appeared to switch off as the Bettians went from the kick off straight down the other end to restore their advantage. That goal was a sign that more concentration would be needed to get a result and that is exactly what happened. With focus directed back onto the game, the Islanders once again controlled the game and score twice to seal a famous victory. The goals took a long time to come though, and plenty of chance to score were squandered. With every chance that went, you felt it would be the last. However in the eighty-fifth minute, Donald O'Donnell made a quick burst down the wing and crossed the ball low into the box. Muris O'Sullivan easily beat his marker to draw the game level. The next goal came five minutes later just as the game went into stoppage time. Again Donald O'Donnell burst down the left wing and crossed it low into the box. This time though a defender was first to it and sliced it out for a corner. Patrick Doyle swung the corner in and it was missed by everyone before it fell to Dougal McGuire who took one touch to control it and a second to smash it into the net for a win celebrated raucously by the Island's small but boisterous following. |
| Posted by: Bazalonia Apr 1 2008, 07:38 AM |
| RP CUTOFF AND SCORINATION! |
| Posted by: Lamoni Apr 1 2008, 09:24 PM |
| Nojika steamrolled by Hawks in AOCAF With a very convincing 5-0 win against Nojika, the Hawks are only in second place of Group 1 by one goal; after the amazing match played by Manhattan Prime, which may well be an AOCAF record. With all of the uncertainty surrounding Nojika, the Hawks just went onto the field, where it was business as usual. Being in a comparatively weaker group for the AOCAF is paying off handsomely for the Hawks, who are putting up club record results. The next match up for Lamoni is against friends Krytenia. Lamoni's historical record against the Kryties has generally been positive, and the Hawks are on a roll. This should be an exciting game, either way. |
| Posted by: Starblaydia Apr 2 2008, 05:46 AM |
| You Don't Know What You're Doing Starblaydia slip to second goalless defeat in a row Quite what Lex Panarii is doing, we have no idea. There's a problem in every area of the pitch, and he's not sorting it in time. He's persisting with a number of players who just aren't cutting it, and though they've been substituted in-game, they're still starting and the opposition are still using them as the focus of their attacks. Up front, Raphael Torino is simply not good enough for the number-nine shirt at the moment. The Jhanna United man is yet to breach the net and, at twenty eight, one would feel that he's now had his time in the international spotlight and even now at the 'peak' of his career, he's barely worthy to clean the boots of Stefan Hinkonnen, who sits kicking his heels on the bench in despair. Lubii, Torino's strike partner, is having to do all the work up front pretty much on her own and she's in no way cut out to be a lone striker. Solution parte the firste: Torino out, Hinkonnen in. The left side of Starblaydia's team is as weak as it has ever been. The inexperienced youth of Denny Djibroné combined with the relative fetus of Bazrador Drakkiborgo is leading to Starblaydia being out-flanked, if that were possible, on the left. Many attacks have been coming down the left, exploited so excellently by Pacitalia, dragging Oscar out of position and opening up Gomes and Chang-hwa, leaving their forward thrusts exposed. They both have great potential, it's true, but potential must be realised. One man who has done exactly that is the all-round midfield creative force of Batou Nakamura, who surely must start the next match against Northern Bettia. The lad has the temperament to deal with the harsh tactics the northern Bettians are sure to bring, as he has an old head on young shoulders. Solution Two, The Great Han Empire Strikes Back: Djibroné out, Nakamura in. An old head on old shoulders is required instead of Drakkiborgo, who is looking completely out of his depth. A few more games at Under-21 level is what he needs, along with time in international squads to figure out where and how to play. Nowhere better are the shoulders of the thirty-one year-old Edmundo Rivolli, who is experienced and cosmopolitan enough to play his football for the Rinaldi Gunners in Elves Security Forces. Third Solution, Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Drakkiborgo out, Rivolli in. Then, finally to the goalkeeper. If the other three positions were the only problems Starblaydia had, they would probably be in an 'okay' position. With Sandra van Agmark in goal, they're in a crap position. Admittedly a position that the B Team of the current World Champions would kill to be in, given their record, but awful for the eighth-seeded Starblaydia nonetheless. Quite simply: Paola Mendez, she ain't. Starblaydia's most famous female goalkeeper took Starblaydia to the Quarter-Finals of World Cup 31, but van Agmark looks like she barely knows where to put her defenders in the eighteen yard box. Caleb Westwood is the young up-and-coming Starblaydi keeper, and he should now be given his chance. Though Eduardo De Rooij is older, he's simply there as a squad player. Don't hold Westwood's club - Boston FC - against him, though, he seems like a nice enough chap. A little right-wing, but nothing like the usual Bostopian nonsense. Sensible Solution part four: van Agmark out, Westwood in. If only Lex Panarii would follow this simple bit of advice, he'd have a snowball's chance in hell of making it through to the Quarter-Finals. Final Score: 95X 2 - 0 Starblaydia (Skokomish 23, Mitchell 41) - (None) |
| Posted by: Bazalonia Apr 2 2008, 07:02 AM |
| RP CUT OFF AND SCORINATION! POSTED |
| Posted by: Commerce Heights Apr 2 2008, 08:50 AM |
| It was clear from the beginning of this competition that something was fishy. From the opening kickoff against Demot, when the Capitalizt SLANI squad were still posing for a photo, to Migelo Luiso bursting out in laughter when shown a yellow card, to Çu Gwaŋ-yūŋ taking a nap in front of the goal against Manhattan Prime, this was not the Capitalizt SLANI squad that won the World Cup. The manager never bothered to make substitutions; the equipment staff never bothered to sew the correct names onto the kits (and one certainly cannot rely on the Bazalonian match program(me)s to print the names properly, either). No one bothered to watch the video feed anymore—the only Capitalizts who cared about the AOCAF were journalists, who knew they would get an award if they could be the first to figure out what was happening. Raymond Bizier, a computer science student at Paruvia Tech, did just that. He chugged a can of Kokekole, the famous carbonated beverage from Columbia, before dinner. The cafeteria, for some mysterious reason, had some barbecued bazalope meat, and he decided to try some. That night, he sat down with some friends to watch the Capitalizts host a bunch of secessionist n00bs calling themselves Kosovoe in the World Cup qualifiers. During the match, he started doing all sorts of crazy things, earning him a trip to the campus medical staff. They hadn’t a clue what was wrong, but Bizier did, once he regained what passed for “sanity” at that school. He published his findings in the only place he knew how, the Internet, but among crazy theories that Kokekole is a communist plot, that the assassination of Matthew Sparks was an inside job, and that BuyAGoal.ucs was actually run by the Han government in an attempt to discredit Capitalizts, no one would notice. |
| Posted by: Starblaydia Apr 2 2008, 03:04 PM |
| That's The Way To Do It Starblaydia get back to winning ways Well, what do you know it, Lex Panarii mad.e the changes as we suggested in our last piece and wham, bam, Starblaydia get the victory. The Raiigar had obviously fired everyone up, and it took just seven minutes for Starblaydia to breach the (Northern) Bettian net. Stefan Hinkonnen used all his experience - and towering strength - to hold off the 'challenges' of two Bettian Defenders, knocking the ball back for Batou Nakamura to hammer the ball home with style. Starblaydia and their fans were up and rocking, and amid the celebrations, Hinkonnen lamped one of the Bettians. The assault was unseen by the referee and his linesmen, but the reaction was comical. The punch - squarely on the nose - was certainly provoked by a combination of Bettian tackling, mind games, fouls and insults. It resulted in the defender in question falling to the ground like he'd been shot, whichis actually rather understandable, as this journalist certainly wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of one of his punches. What was more comical, however, was the sight of two other players doing exactly the same thing, holding their faces and waving their arms on the way down to the deck, screaming for a foul. The ref probably thought they were just unhappy to concede such an early goal. The Bettians promptly got up when the referee pointed to the centre circle, and the game continued. Much in the manner which we have come to expect from the Fire Ants 'B' Team, they dived, fouled and employed all sorts of tactics in order to try and gain an advantage. After a string of yellow cards, they eventually dived well enough in the eighteen yard box to warrant a penalty just before the hour mark. Practice makes perfect, evidently. Starblaydi fans were, of course, tearing their hair out by this point, the Bettians being the antithesis of Starblaydi football ethics of fair playing, trying hard and similar paradigms of virtue. It took until ten minutes before the end for Starblaydia to get back in the lead, again with trickery from Nakamura that unleashed Hinkonnen down the right wing. The powerful veteran centre forward turned winger and he burst down the touchline and put in an excellent, stinging cross. It was met by the head of Lubii, who bulleted down it into the net. Next up, Starblaydia face Kose and The Turkomans, the team who played their way to the Runners Up spot in the recent Starblaydi-hosted Baptism of Fire, and sit with one win and four losses from their five matches so far. Starblaydia's one consolation with their now only slightly lowly Group position is that they have sat through their bye match, meaning they have the time to catch up to one of those crucial Top Four positions to go through to the Quarter-Finals. Final Score: Starblaydia 2 - 1 Northern Bettia (Nakamura 7, Lubii 81) - (#23 59 (P)) |
| Posted by: Lamoni Apr 3 2008, 12:11 AM |
| Lamoni makes short work of Kryties The Hawks added to their win streak with a 4-1 victory over Krytenia, retaining second place in Group 2 by two goals. It will be very interesting to see if the Hawks can top their all-time AOCAF goal record this time around, it looks quite possible to date. You could tell who was in charge of the match the moment that the Hawks stepped out on to the field... the Krytenians looking stunned at the team that had been happily steamrolling others out of their path so far. This next match is of more importance to the Hawks, however. The first and second teams in Group two will be going head to head. Lamoni and Manhattan Prime. This will be seen in many eyes as a rematch for the finals match of the last AOCAF, and while both teams are friendly towards each other, nothing will be spared for this match, as the loser is garunteed to drop spots, and the winner will have first place in the group. |
| Posted by: Bazalonia Apr 3 2008, 08:52 AM |
| RP CUTOFF AND SCORINATION! |
| Posted by: Lamoni Apr 3 2008, 10:36 PM |
| Hawks and Chippers draw In a match that both began and ended with the players and coaches of both sides shaking hands. In between, both sides managed to put up two goals, which left the Group two chart pretty much the same at positions one and two. Both Lamoni and Manhattan Prime have the same number of AOCAF points, and are only separated in the rankings by two goals. The Hawks and Chippers have both done so well that they have the highest AOCAF point total of the tournament to date, which is an impressive feat in and of itself. Will these two teams face each other in the finals match? No one knows, but don't knock the possibility. Next up for Lamoni is Delesa, and this promises to be an interesting match. In the meantime, fans back in Lamoni are already voicing expectations that the Hawks will reach the finals match. In our opinion, only time will tell if this is true. |
| Posted by: Manhattan Prime Apr 4 2008, 07:58 AM |
| Except from Manhattan Herald – Bergamo, Pacitalia 4th April 2008 AOCAF 22 Summary Manhattan Prime have left themselves in a good position for qualification, having defeated Delesa 3-1 on the 31st March, with goals from Ethan Smith and a brace from Felix DeSilva being enough to clinch the three points for the Chippers. They followed this with a resounding, and record 8-1 victory over the hapless Capitalizt SLANI on 1st April. Yos*ito Katatana recorded a fantastic hattrick and appeared to be in his very finest form. Lucas Thompson (1), Felix DeSilva (2) and Vykk Dreygo (2) scored the other goals, though Dreygo still appeared to be receiving the barest minimum of support from his teammates. Finally the Chippers recorded their fourth win of the tournament on 2nd April, defeating Jasī’yūn 5-1, with goals from Michael Donavan (2), John Clarke (1) and the simply sublime Katakana (2). The result was however overshadowed by an ugly on-pitch brawl between fiery defender Lucas Thompson and his own teammate Vykk Dreygo. Thompson, who had just heard that his father and brother had been killed in fighting near Sapporo stated his intention never to play again alongside the son of the dictator that sent them to their death on a hopeless cause. It is yet unclear whether Thompson will now be dropped from the squad. |
| Posted by: Manhattan Prime Apr 4 2008, 08:12 AM |
| Matchday 5 from Bazalonia Manhattan Prime 3-1 Krytenia Jackson 32mins, Smith 78mins Manhattan Prime picked up their 14th point of the tournament in a tightly fought 2-2 draw against their rivals for the Group 2 top spot, the Hawks of Lamoni The game with mostly goodnatured, with Manhattanite fans torn between those grateful for Lamonian military assistance, and a small minority that still view the Lamonians as invaders and booed their every touch, screaming nationalist songs and chants. However the teams and managers themselves were openly very sporting and shook hands both before and after the match in a show of solidarity against the Dreygo regime. The Bazalonian stewards are also to be congratulated for their efforts in minimizing any antagonistic behavior. Chippers Manager Sir Ian Pierce dropped both Thompson and Dreygo, fearing that they might damage the cohesion of a team that has been in top form so far, replacing them with young Ben Wilde and Ross Jackson. Lamoni opened the scoring in what was to prove a very tight game, and Ross Jackson equalized for Manhattan Prime in the 32nd minute from a direct free kick, just outside the penalty area. The Hawks struck again just after halftime, and the Chippers were clearly struggling to keep pace for a short time. They continued to create chances though, and Ethan Smith pulled the scores back to 2-2 in the 78th minute to create a final score that both teams can admit was a fair result. Manhattan Prime Team: Clive Hilton (GK) Ben Wilde (RB) John Clarke (CB) Karl Heinze (CB) Hitoshi Akita (LB) Ethan Smith (DMC) Michael Donavan (MC) Felix DeSilva (AML) Mashashi Takamura (AMR) Ross Jackson (S) Yos*ito Katakana (S) |
| Posted by: Starblaydia Apr 4 2008, 09:14 AM |
| Two Wins In A Row Starblaydia climbing the table Just two points off first place after a dreadful start. That makes far better reading than 'still in fifth place, one away from the qualification zone, and only managing to beat new teams by a single goal'. There are two vastly different ways to look at Starblaydia's hopes of progressing to the Quarter-Finals, though one would fear for them if they did actually make it. The time has long since passed since Starblaydia viewed the Quarter-Finals as their benchmark. Anything less than that was a failure, and even last-eight elimination was nothing to be proud of. Now , after their footballing hiatus, Starblaydia are struggling to get back into the realm of the international arena. World Cup 39's amazing drive to the Quarter-Finals from the lowly position of fifty-seventh now looks all the more phenomenal an achievement, based on this showing. Starblaydia will simply have to hope that they are not embarrassed in their own World Cup. Last time out, eighty years ago, they were eliminated in the Second Round, though the Group Stage saw them record a smashing 5-1 victory over The Belmore Family. In their first ever match against Baptism of Fire Runners-Up, Starblaydia came out on top thanks to two first-half goals from Captain Alfonso Di Angelo and defender Leandro Perheira. Though goalscoring machine Sinan Kose scored a consolation goal in the final few seconds of the match, as is his style. Next up for Lex Panarii's side is a crunch match with Hypocria, one of Starblaydia's fiercest rivals in the competition over the years. Formerly allied with each other, Starblaydia and Hypocria embarked on a competitive run that saw many an excellent match between the two, most notably culminating in the Andossa Se Mitrin Vega-hosted Draggonnii Inviyatii tournament, where Starblaydia were on the wrong end of a record 6-5 scoreline. This time around, however, Starblaydia have only scored six times in their five matches combined. The future does not yet look white-and-purple. Final Score: Kose and The Turkomans 1 - 2 Starblaydia (Kose 90) - (Di Angelo 36, Perheira 42) |
| Posted by: Lamoni Apr 5 2008, 02:10 AM |
| Lamoni wins again Maybe 1-0 is not the most impressive scoreline ever, but i'm sure that everyone will agree that the Hawks will take an AOCAF win and the attendant three points anyday. There were times in this match when it seemed like only one squad had shown up, and it wasn't the side from Delesa. Despite calls from the stands to simply open up and drown the Delesans in goals; the Hawks did what they needed to, and then ran the ball up and down the field a lot. It was not a good day for Delesa; and that is putting it mildly. The final two matches for the Hawks are against the teams from the UCS; Capitalizt SLANI, and Jasiyun. With the performance of said two teams to date, more than one bookkeeping organization is putting high odds on an undefeated finish for the Hawks. The real betting is on whether Lamoni or Manhattan Prime will be on top when the group stages are over. Currently, Manhattan Prime is on top, with a two goal advantage. However, another high scoring game for the Hawks would be able to take care of that. |
| Posted by: Bazalonia Apr 5 2008, 07:42 AM |
| MD 8 SCORINATED! |
| Posted by: Lamoni Apr 5 2008, 11:45 PM |
| Hawks smash SLANI With the latest 5-0 Lamonian victory over Capitalizt SLANI, we are starting to be able to understand what Hypocria must have felt like when they were steamrolling other teams; or how Starblaydia must have felt when they coined the term "RAWRCRUSH." Only one match separates them from an undefeated AOCAF group stage, right alongside Manhattan Prime. One piece of good news is that the Hawks have closed Manhattan Prime's goal difference lead to one goal. Both sides also remain in the point lead of AOCAF 22, with 19 points apiece. The last group stage match for the Hawks is against the other UCS squad entered into the AOCAF, JasiYun. Though they are higher in the group table than SLANI, Lamonian bookkeepers are saying that the odds are stacked heavily against JasiYun, bias notwithstanding. Speculation now turns to who the Hawks will face in the knockouts. This is still to be determined. |
| Posted by: Manhattan Prime Apr 6 2008, 07:09 AM |
| Manhattan Herald – 5th April 2008 Matchday 6 from Bazalonia Manhattan Prime 2-1 Bazalonia Jackson 67mins, DeSilva 14mins 43mins Manhattan Prime remain in firm contention with Lamoni for Group 2’s top spot, after a skillful victory over hosts Bazalonia by 2 goals to 1. The game was again marked by some anti-Bazalonian sentiment, but less so than the previous and once again the stewards and group staff were instrumental in containing the rabid minority. Manhattan Prime scored first, through a Felix DeSilva freekick in the 14th minute, after Michael Donavan had been brought down outside the box. However Bazalonia struck back just before half time with an audacious bicycle kick to leave the teams heading for their dressing rooms with the scores even. The match was settled in the 67th minute, as an Ethan Smith breakaway found Ross Jackson in the corner for the striker to volley home. After that it was merely a case of shutting up shop for the Chippers, though Bazalonia rattled the bar several times to raise Manhattanite blood pressures. Elsewhere in Group 2, Lamoni defeated Delesa 1-0 to keep pressure on the Chippers, Demot beat Krytenia 2-1, and Jasiyun defeated Capitalizt SLANI by the same amount. Manhattan Prime Team: Clive Hilton (GK) Ben Wilde (RB) John Clarke (CB) Karl Heinze (CB) Hitoshi Akita (LB) Ethan Smith (DMC) Michael Donavan (MC) Felix DeSilva (AML) Mashashi Takamura (AMR) Ross Jackson (S) Yos*ito Katakana (S) |
| Posted by: Manhattan Prime Apr 6 2008, 07:58 AM |
| Manhattan Herald – 6th April 2008 Matchday 7 from Bazalonia Manhattan Prime 6-2 Demot Donavan 15, 28mins, Akita 32mins, Katakana 45, 50, 52mins Manhattan Prime recorded their 6th win from 7 games today, with a resounding 6-2 defeat of Demot. Within half an hour, the Chippers were cruising, with a brace from Michael Donavan, and defender Hitoshi Akita’s first goal for his country putting Manhattan Prime 3-0 up by the 32nd minute. An action-packed 1st half was to see a goal for Demot, and a high tempo passing game from the group leaders that led to Katakana’s first of the game just before half time. The Chippers emerged for the 2nd half with the score 4-1, and with the game firmly under control. The Chippers’ star striker was far from finished though, scoring twice more to seal his hattrick and heap more woe on the hapless Demot team. Elsewhere in Group 2, Lamoni thrashed Capitalizt SLANI 5-0 to stay level at the top on 19 points, Bazalonia lost 2-1 to Delesa, and Krytenia were defeated 3-1 by Nojika. Manhattan Prime lie in 1st place with 19 points, and face Nojika in their final game. Manhattan Prime Team: Clive Hilton (GK) Ben Wilde (RB) John Clarke (CB) Karl Heinze (CB) Hitoshi Akita (LB) Ethan Smith (DMC) Michael Donavan (MC) Felix DeSilva (AML) Mashashi Takamura (AMR) Ross Jackson (S) Yos*ito Katakana (S) |
| Posted by: Bazalonia Apr 6 2008, 08:04 AM |
| MP's last RP wasn't counted for MD9 Scorination. BUT SCORES AND QF FIXTURES POSTED! |
| Posted by: Starblaydia Apr 6 2008, 08:41 AM |
| Skin of Their Teeth Starblaydia make it to Quarter-Finals Third place in Group One, four points ahead of the three teams fighting it out for fourth post, Starblaydia look to be in a far better position in this year's AOCAF than they actually are. Five wins and three losses from their matches in the Group Stage - most notably being beaten by two of the three teams ranked more highly than themselves - including 0-4 to Pacitalia and 1-3 to Hypocria. With Lamoni and Manhattan Prime carving up Group Two to themselves, they're looking to be the two teams fighting it out for the title. The only thing is, one of those teams will have to go through Starblaydia first - that team is Lamoni. The Hawks, who were the first team to win two consecutive titles since Starblaydia in AOCAF7 and 8, having been conquering all but the defending champions in Group Two and now have the RAWRCRUSH in their sights for a Semi-Final place. The form book of late says that Lamoni will cast Starblaydia aside on their way to a Title decider with the Chippers. The RAWRCRUSH, however, have shown they can accomplish anything over the years. Anyone can be beaten, especially when they're playing Starblaydia. Final Score: Starblaydia 2 - 1 Scottfire (Gomes 32, Hinkonnen 59) - (Marshall 68) |
| Posted by: Lamoni Apr 7 2008, 01:27 AM |
| Hawks do it again With a 4-1 victory over Jasiyun, the Hawks have tied Manhattan Prime for a completely undefeated group stage, and 22 AOCAF group points. Lamoni finishes the group stages in second place, giving them a Quarter Finals match up against the originators of RAWRCRUSH, Starblaydia. Some have named them the Purple Peril, since the historic first Lamonian victory over the Blaydi's, both teams have had more or less equal footing as regards the other. For the longest time, there existed a black hole in Lamonian morale when the Hawks had to face the Purple Peril, because they had not been able to defeat them before. That is why the first Lamonian victory over this team was so sweet. Well, that and the fact that we were still political and military rivals at the time. Not to mention the leaders of the SDL and SAAS respectively (despite the fact that there is no official leader of the SDL). Time has brought changes, however. The SAAS fell during the AOWar, and with it fell the Starblaydi oligarchy. Starblaydia is a democracy now, and relations between the two nations have risen to the point of President Stinson actually coming on board the same Starblaydi party ship where Tiberius Starblayde was supposed to have been killed on. Fate had other ideas for Tiberius Starblayde, however; and he is now back to ruling Starblaydia, despite the challenge by the mad woman Viannor. The search for the war criminal Viannor is still underway, but has not turned up much of anything to date. Either way, the Starblaydi media has made the following quote about the match: "The form book of late says that Lamoni will cast Starblaydia aside on their way to a Title decider with the Chippers." Given how many predictions have been made about Starblaydia brushing the Hawks aside in the past, it is gratifying to see that the tables have turned. |
| Posted by: Bazalonia Apr 7 2008, 07:49 AM |
| RP CUT OFF SCORES SOON |
| Posted by: Starblaydia Apr 7 2008, 08:30 AM |
| RAWRCRUSH'd? Starblaydia defeat Lamoni 1-0 So maybe it is a little bit early to be saying that the RAWRCRUSH is back in working order, but Starblaydia defeated their rivals and one of the title favourites, Lamoni, in a crucial Quarter-Final encounter in Bazalonia today. The only goal of the match separated the sides after ninety minutes and that was enough to send the recent two-time champions crashing out and the five-time champions sailing through to meet former winner Hypocria. Starblaydia's latest young girly goal machine, Lubii, scored the goal that sent Starblaydi fans into raptures on fifty-two minutes, and then into hysterics after ninety minutes when the 1-0 victory was confirmed by the final whistle. Stefan Hinkonnen had used his brute force to out-muscle Dewayne Kooser in the centre of the pitch, and the loose ball was picked up by Alfonso Di Angleo, who played it out wide to Nakamura. The young Han was in acres of space, even more so when his outstanding pace took him past Ernie Howard and into theopen space to the right hand side of the Hawks' penalty area. Nakamura's cross was inch-perfect, allowing Lubii to acrobatically volley the ball into the top left corner beyond the rooted Kent Thorley. Stewart Close was high and wide with many of his efforts, ironically not so close to scoring after all, though Monty Catleay was far more effective at forcing Caleb Westwood into a string of saves. Wilber Rader too, when he came on, had Westwood at full stretch to stop a scorching drive towards the right-hand post that went out for a corner. The match was full of incidents, both in terms of goals and fouls, as the first - as far as we can remember without looking at the data - match since the two nations shed each other's blood around a decade ago. Only in football can these sorts of issues be overcome between nations so quickly, but there was still a lot of needle in this match. Starblaydia move on to face a team who have proved to be a surprising banana skin for them over the years: Hypocria. The former allies have a peculiar knack of being able to beat Starblaydia in the AOCAF, one of the few teams to do it regularly. The form book, however, is easily overturned in a small tournament such as this, as Starblaydia's most recent match can prove. What is predictable is that one team certainly wants it more than the other. Starblaydia always have the pressure of winning five tournaments under their belt. A phenomenal history, yes, but also a phenomenal burden at the same time. Can they make it six? After defeating Lamoni and making it to the Semi-Finals for the first time since AOCAF17, the fans certainly think so. The players, hopefully, now have the self-belief to go all the way. Final Score: Starblaydia 1 - 0 Lamoni (Lubii 52) - (None) |
| Posted by: Pacitalia Apr 7 2008, 03:06 PM |
| (OOC: Apologies for the late entry into RPing, I've been tied up with exams and papers.) 'Disappointing' round-robin refocuses 'Foxes Pacitalia start off knockouts with solid effort against Demot FAUXHAN, BAZALONIA (PSN) -- Pacitalia's lacklustre round-robin efforts had many-a-fan shaking their heads as the Blue Foxes essentially backed into the knockouts to face Demot. Considered by some a lopsided draw, it was obvious from the outset the Pacitalians were not ready to take this lightly. "Some people have suggested we were just taking it easy, doing only the minimum to get into the top four," Pacitalia boss Sergei Saganyarov noted prior to the match against Demot. "The truth is, we really struggled this time. We're adjusting to life without [former captain Veranace] d'Amantano. [That] was a difficult round-robin for us." d'Amantano retired at the end of AOCAF21, after an illustrious career which spanned 128 international matches and captaincy of both the national squad and his powerhouse Pacitalian club team, NG Sapuntoli. His presence on the field is most definitely sorely missed. After a bye in the opening match round, Pacitalia started off on a promising foot, knocking in a 4-0 thrashing of Starblaydia. But calls that the result were a fluke were only heightened when the Foxes could only manage a two-all draw with 95X. They promptly put the rumours to rest with a 5-0 win over Northern Bettia and a 2-0 win over newcomers Kose and the Turkomans. However, they couldn't hold onto that momentum, losing 3-2 to Hypocria on matchday six, and 1-0 to Scottfire on the final day of the round-robin. A 3-0 win over Bettia notwithstanding, this was not the Blue Foxes' best effort, as they finished out Group A in second place with a 5-1-2 record. Needless to say, it was thus extremely important for the Blue Foxes to take what they could get and not just accept that they had made it to the knockouts. Historically, Pacitalia has done very well in the knockouts of AOCAF (but have still not won the trophy). The Blue Foxes' best finish so far is a loss in the final to Lamoni in AOCAF19. Today's quarterfinals matchup was, thus, generally considered to be open slather, as Demot had entered the knockouts on a solid run through the round-robin and the traditionally strong Blue Foxes had struggled. It was up to the Blue Foxes to prove they deserve to be here, and while the scoreline does not represent the effort put into today's match by the Pacitalians, the result is exactly what was desired. New Pacitalian captain and longtime striker Ambrosino Giurimano put away the lone goal of the match shortly after the hour mark, tucking away a low, curving shot to the right past Demot keeper Leslie Triete. The bouncing, slow shot was all the Blue Foxes needed to advance to the semifinals – where they shockingly find themselves the top seed remaining out of the eight that advanced from the round-robin. While Hypocria (winners over Delesa, 4-2) face the always lethal Starblaydi squad in the other semi-final match, Pacitalia has drawn 95X. 95X, again, is the team that drew the Blue Foxes, 2-2, on match day three and promptly threw the footballing world into a tailspin by knocking out defending champs Manhattan Prime in a penalty shootout. Whatever the ramifications are in Manhattan Prime, the Blue Foxes surely know their next opponent isn't exactly a pushover. From Fauxhan, Bazalonia: Demot 0 : 1 Pacitalia DMT: None PAC: Giurimano 62' Next up: DMT v n/a (eliminated), 95X v PAC |
| Posted by: Starblaydia Apr 9 2008, 04:46 AM |
| Contenders: Ready! Starblaydia focusing on football as Di Bradini concern grows Lex Panarii made plans to get his squad's minds back on their Semi-Final with Hypocria and away from the ill health of Starblaydi legend Simeone Di Bradini. The former international striker and manager, who turns one hundred and twenty this year, has been taking in to hospital suffering from undisclosed health problems. For a man who has been ever-present in Starblaydi football for the last century, he has rarely ever been out of peak condition and now both he and the entirety of Starblaydi football are reminded of their own mortality. Panarii, who counts Di Bradini among his personal friends, sees it from both sides of the coin. "Of course our thoughts are with him and the entire Di Bradini family," he said last night, "and we wish him every success in recovering to full strength, but we do have a game to focus on and I'm sure he wouldn't want to disrupt our preparations for Hypocria." The crucial match, which could send Starblaydia into the AOCAF final for a record-equaling eighth time (Vilita/V&T being the current record holders), is being billed as their most important regional fixture since AOCAF14's Final, where they took their record-breaking fifth championship. Back then the all-conquering RAWRCRUSH was taking titles at both Regional and World level, proving that Starblaydia were, in fact, the best team in the entire world. Right now they have a long way to go until they can be called anything even close to that. There was a time when not making the AOCAF Semi-Finals was seen as something of a disappointment by Starblaydi fans, but this time around they're as happy as ever, knowing that luck has played its part in getting them this far. "We'll be doing it for Simeone Di Bradini," captain Alfonso Di Angelo said, "if there's anything that'll make him leap out of his bed early, it'll be Starblaydia taking the AOCAF for a sixth time. We think we can do it., otherwise we wouldn't be here." |
| Posted by: Bazalonia Apr 9 2008, 06:56 AM |
| RP CUTOFF AND SCORES! |
| Posted by: Manhattan Prime Apr 9 2008, 09:26 PM |
| Manhattan Herald – 6th April 2008 Matchday 8 from Bazalonia Manhattan Prime 5-0 Nojika Smith 29mins, Donavan 37, 43mins, Katakana 65, 69mins Manhattan Prime sealed their place in the quarter finals of AOCAF 22 as winners of Group 2, after a 5-0 victory over Nojika. In a thrilling game, midfielder Ethan Smith opened the scoring on the 30 minute mark, and selflessly fed his partner Michael Donavan to the latter’s two goals, giving the Chippers a 3-0 lead at halftime. With Takamura putting in his usual quietly efficient performance, and DeSilva tearing up the left wing, more goals were promised for Manhattan Prime in the second half. Katakana duly obliged, netting with a header in the 65th minute and from a corner four minutes later to kill the game. Elsewhere in Group 2, Lamoni beat Jasi’yun 4-1 to clinch 2nd place, whilst Bazalonia drew 1-1 with Capitalizt SLANI and Demot beat Delesa 6-2. Manhattan Prime face 95X in the Quarter Finals tomorrow, with Hypocria playing Delesa, Starblaydia facing Lamoni and Demot playing Pacitalia. Manhattan Prime Team: Clive Hilton (GK) Ben Wilde (RB) John Clarke (CB) Karl Heinze (CB) Hitoshi Akita (LB) Ethan Smith (DMC) Michael Donavan (MC) Felix DeSilva (AML) Mashashi Takamura (AMR) Ross Jackson (S) Yos*ito Katakana (S) OOC: For completeness! |
| Posted by: Manhattan Prime Apr 9 2008, 09:44 PM |
| Manhattan Herald – 7th April 2008 Quarter Finals from Bazalonia Manhattan Prime 5-5 95X (95X win on penalties) Jackson, DeSilva (x2), Katakana, Heinze The plucky Chippers of Manhattan Prime were send packing today out of AOCAF 22 today, losing a heartbreaking Quarter Final on penalties. Although out of the tournament, the defending champions will be remaining in Bazalonia for the time being, due to the bloody civil war occurring in Manhattan Prime. The first 90 minutes were a superb showcase for both teams and a delight for the supporters as goals flowed like water and both sides ouzed skill and composure on the ball. Ross Jackson scored first for Manhattan Prime, followed by a Felix DeSilva brace, and goals from Katakana and defender Karl Heinze, but 95X kept pace with the holders throughout as the game ended 5-5. With extra time failing the break the deadlock, the supporters were treated to a tense penalty shoot-out to settle the tie. Yoshi*o Katakana, Ross Jackson, John Clarke, Ethan Smith and Mashashi Takamura all converted their penalties, but with their opponents again keeping pace, the 6th penalty fell to playmaker Michael Donavan. Clearly affected by the pressure, the young midfielder from Manhattan State saw his effort saved by the 95X goalkeeper, and could only watch with his head in his hands as 95X scored their 6th penalty to send Manhattan Prime spiraling out. The Chippers may have lost their crown, but the supporters did not appear too downcast, after being treated to some confident displays in the Group Stages. The majority of the traveling fans that made it to Bazalonia will be remaining to watch the rest of the AOCAF, due partly to the extreme difficulty of finding flights to war torn Manhattan Prime. In the other Quarter Finals Hypocria knocked out Delesa 4-2, Lamoni were defeated 1-0 by Starblaydia and Pacitalia beat Demot 1-0. 95X go on to face Pacitalia in the Semi Finals, whilst Hypocria face Starblaydia. Manhattan Prime Team: Clive Hilton (GK) Ben Wilde (RB) John Clarke (CB) Karl Heinze (CB) Hitoshi Akita (LB) Ethan Smith (DMC) Michael Donavan (MC) Felix DeSilva (AML) Mashashi Takamura (AMR) Ross Jackson (S) Yos*ito Katakana (S) |
| Posted by: Bazalonia Apr 10 2008, 10:05 AM |
| FINAL POSTED! |
| Posted by: Bazalonia Apr 10 2008, 10:13 AM |
| News Stake - Your quickest Source for Bazalonian News With the crisis in Manhattan Prime worsening, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in conjunction with the Department of Naturalisation and Immigration have announced that they be activating provisions in the Immigration Act of 2000 to enable citizens of Manhattan Prime to seek Temporary Protection Visas to enable them to stay in the country untill the unrest in their home nation is under control. Usually visas need to be sought out of country but the Temporary Protection Visa, is not subject to such restrictions. After the Temporary Protection Visa ends, they wither have 2 months to return home or 2 months to apply for a bridging Visa which will allow those that wish to do so permanent residents of Bazalonia. "We shall not close our hearts to this nation, but we shall welcome them with open arms as we help them through this situation." The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a media release. |
| Posted by: Starblaydia Apr 11 2008, 03:55 AM |
| Honour and Glory, but also Tragedy Starblaydi victory in 3rd-Place match overshadowed At senior competiton level, Starblaydia have never lost a third-place play-off match. Whether in the World Cup or AOCAF, a Starblaydi loss in the Semis has always equalled a win in their next match. So it proved yesterday as Starblaydia defeated one of the pre-tournament favourites, Pacitalia, by two goals to one, overturning the four-nil loss Starblaydia suffered in the Group Stage. A much worse loss that will be felt across the nation also took place yesterday evening, as Starblaydi legend Simeone Di Bradini passed away. A full obituary will be published in the Jhanna Chronicle's World Cup Special later today but, sufficed to say, one of the few true legends of the international football scene has passed away. "We couldn't make the Final," Manager Lex Panarii said, "but in our hearts we were always trying for Simeone. He was a great man, a great player, great inspiration and a great friend. We will miss him dearly." Lubii, the striker picked by most fans to wear the number 10 - made so famous by Di Bradini himself - in the upcoming World Cup, scored the winning goal against Pacitalia, having been involved in the equaliser by Juan Oscar. Earlier Pacitalia's Manovecchia scored their only goal, which took the lead in the match and pushed Starblaydia into searching for a goal. Lubii has scored over twenty goals in her short career, being just twenty-three years of age, and is not phased too much by the task that may face her. "Obviously my inspiration as a child was the likes of Dasha Tolkacheva and Jacqueline Maitland," she said, "but when you look back and find out who inspired them, and you go all the way back to one man: Simeone Di Bradini. It's an incredible legacy to be a part of, and I'm really hoping to get the nod as the Number Ten for World Cup 40." |