Qualifiers

[Darth Pugwash]

quote:
Atletico Dynamite - Pugwash FC 5 - 3

View game: HT Live
Date: 26/11/2006 at 18.00
MatchID: 98029042
Arena: San Miguel Stadium
Crowd: 35269

Weather conditions were fairly good for football, and San Miguel Stadium saw a crowd turnout of 35269. Atleticod decided to use a 3-5-2 set up. The following players had been chosen: Castanheira - Ilkin, Tuure, Mele - Niekrasz, Labrador, Jakobsen, Falwald, Métraux - Pogan, Noceda.

Pugwash decided to use a 3-5-2 set up. Starters: Rey León - Clignet, Stotskiy, Boemeke - Bongers, Vleeschhouwer, Pop, Lavriè, Tomasson - Mårtensson, Delville.

Pugwash saw most attack opportunites on the wings. In the 2nd minute, the visitors broke through on the right after some poor defending. Per Tomasson put the ball away for 0 - 1. After 6 minutes of play, Antonio Mele equalised for Atleticod after an elegant attack from the right. In the game's 21st minute, Atleticod's José Javier Labrador fell dramatically just outside the penalty area. However, the referee booked José Javier Labrador for diving. Atleticod took the lead in the 30th minute of the game by 2 to 1, as Jonas Falwald elegantly received a pass going deep, finishing off with a half-volley shot just below the bar. In the 32nd minute, the visitors tied it up at 2 - 2 after a fantastic pass from the left was finished off by Timur Stotskiy. After 34 minutes of play, Vincent Métraux gave the home team a 3 - 2 lead after an attack coming in from the right. The teams went for the halftime break at 3 - 2. Atleticod, bringing their ball possession to 53 percent, dominated the battle.

A magnificent combination in the middle resulted in Atleticod's Robert Pogan putting the lead up to 4 - 2. Þeljko Lavriè nearly reduced 53 minutes into the game, but a splendid one-handed save by Sérgio Castanheira put a stop to the attempt coming in from the right flank. In the 67th minute, an amazing pass from the left side resulted in a goal for the visitors, as Þeljko Lavriè charged ahead and scored, reducing to 4 - 3. Things were deteriorating for the away team as Atleticod scored another to make it 5 - 3 after a left side attack resulted in a goal for Jonas Falwald after 83 minutes. Pugwash's Flavien Delville tried his best to narrow the score with a well placed free kick, but it wasn't quite good enough and Sérgio Castanheira managed to block the shot. This part of the game was a standoff between the teams.

Most important Atleticod player was Arne Jakobsen. Antonio Mele on the other hand, had a terrible day. Wienus Bongers performed admirably for Pugwash. Marc Vleeschhouwer on the other hand, had a terrible day. The match ends 5 - 3.

Well, I gave it my best shot (meli ) but I lost 5-3, so it's another season in VI.255 for me.

I know afew other CDZers had qualy games - how did they go?

[Kemal]

Starting in 1 min, playing CA with 4-3-3, chances are about 10-20% of getting a result...

[Kemal]

0-1 after 3 mins...

[Kemal]

1-2 ahead at halftime... and if my opponent tells the truth, he totally misguessed my intentions, piled everyhting on midfield and neglected attack, and it could be that I end up in the IV next season...

Wow.

[Shabbaman]

Fuck! A red card! Did I mention that you are a lucky bastard?

[Kemal]

Define lucky. How would you like playing in the 4th best div in Holland....?

[Shabbaman]

Well... you know how I like playing in the 5th... and I think we have comparable teams (?). Depending on what's promoting to your (old) 5th that might not be as fun as this season.

(witnessing overspending teams go bankrupt is very nice, I'm sort of expecting to see that in my league next season as well. Wishful thinking).

[Kemal]

Well, my current V would go from 11th best to very lowly ranked, looking at the bankruptcys en new teams coming in...

So that would be a lot easier next season there.

[Kemal]

Well... the impossible actually happened!

quote:
Fairly good weather for football had drawn a crowd of 35352 to the Olympus. Mercurius had chosen a strategic 4-5-1 formation. Starters: Duy-Bieu - Wojda³a, Remmerswaal, van Winden, Fiebich - Högfeldt, Rahman, Ansari, van Doorn, Kaleel - Andersson.

Snaken tactics involved an interesting 4-3-3 combination. The following players had been chosen: Mi³ek - Malmbeck, Suárez, van Wieringen, Rouwenhorst - Espinosa, Dias, Castro - Billand, Kronskär, Sundér.

Mercurius were relying on their ability to counter-attack. For their match strategy, Snaken had decided to use their ability to counter-attack whenever possible. The counterattack by Snaken resulted in a free kick that Agapito Suárez bent under the crossbar - 0 - 1! With a shot floated in from just outside the penalty area in the 6th minute, Omar Ansari of Mercurius evened the score to 1 - 1. There was a bit of a mixup on the field as Snaken found themselves out of position and their organization level dropped to weak. In the game's 34th minute, Mercurius's Seyed Rahman fell dramatically just outside the penalty area. However, the referee booked Seyed Rahman for diving. A badly positioned defensive formation on a free kick in the 37th minute led to Snaken's Agapito Suárez giving the visitors the lead 1 - 2. 1 - 2 was the score after the first half. This half belonged to Mercurius, who controlled the ball 81 percent of the time.

A review of the gameplan helped Snaken get back to a passable organization. Snaken had difficulty finding their positions and their organization dropped to weak. As Eus Remmerswaal had, completely unprovoked, swept the legs out from under an opponent in front of a linesman, the referee gave the Mercurius player a red card without batting an eye. Snaken was able to draw a foul with their counterattacks, but the shot from Agapito Suárez went into the arms of the keeper. Anders Högfeldt seems to have an uncanny ability to make unusual plays, unfortunately for his Mercurius his shot went just wide this time. Mercurius, bringing their ball possession to 79 percent, dominated the battle.

Mercurius's top performer was clearly Sam van Winden. Anders Högfeldt turned in a dismal performance, however. Most important Snaken player was Stanis³aw Mi³ek. Agapito Suárez was a disappointment, however. The match ends 1 - 2.

I guess Snaken will be figuring in the IV now next year... ehh, is that good or bad?

[akots]

Wow, that Mercurius team really messed up the lineup. Why making such strong midfeild (81% possession) and playing counter-attack at the same time? And completely neglecting everything else? Indeed, that was a lucky match for you.

As to advancing to Div 4, - it looks extremely tough in the Netherlands. But if you can stay there, that would be worth the effort imho.