National cup matches

[Bootstoots]

How did everybody do in the first round of their cup, for all who were able to participate? Here are my results:

quote:
Overcast weather free of rain made for a crowd turnout of 7000 at Atlanta Dome today. Atlanta tactics involved an interesting 4-4-2 combination. The following players had been chosen: Foley - Doran, Talbert, Shipp, Cardona - Casper, Owen, Graves, Tyler - Braun, Evans.

Yellow tactics involved an interesting 3-5-2 combination. The following players had been chosen: Kalkun - Haas, Knott, Hawkins - Talley, Borgstedt, Säfsjö, Salparanta, Bengtsson - Tomlin, Burney.

Yellow saw most attack opportunites on the wings and were directing their passes that way. After the game, the most discussed event will be the penalty in the 6:th minute giving the visitors the lead with 0 - 1. Maurice Talley struck home the penalty, as cool as anything. After several obvious shirt pulling incidents, Atlanta´s Gregory Evans got himself booked. In the 24:th minute the visitors put themselves ahead 0 - 2 as Theodore Burney finished off an attack from the left with a spectacular scissors kick. Adam Foley kept the home side in the game with a magnificient save, as Maurice Talley delivered an almost perfect free kick to the far cross bar. 0 - 2 was the half-time score. Yellow held the ball, with a clear 72 percent possession rate.

Theodore Burney increased the visitors lead by putting a volley shot away on a pass from the right. 0 - 3. In the 56:th minute Yellows Billie Tomlin received a yellow card for going into a challenge studs first. Maurice Talley increased the visitors lead by putting a volley shot away on a pass from the right. 0 - 4. The structure of the game started to change as Yellow decided to pull back and meet their opponents in the defensive zone. The game had been on for 76 minutes when Billie Tomlin broke through to the right, upping the score to the home crowd´s dismay. Yellow´s were up 0 - 5. The visitors Randy Knott took advantage of an error due to a misunderstanding between the home side´s goalie and central backs in the 82nd minute. 0 - 6 for Yellow. Yellow held the ball, with a clear 85 percent possession rate.

The most dominating Atlanta player was without a doubt Omar Braun. However, Gregory Evans made a disastrous appearance. Yellow´s best player was Toomas Kalkun. Evert Salparanta was a disappointment, however. The match ends 0 - 6.

Hammered a bot team for the first round without any injuries. Now it's on to a much better division 5 team. I'm going to try for a cupset there, but the chances don't look all that great.

[Shabbaman]

I lost 2 to 4 of a 5th league team, who undoubtly listed his second team set on PIC. I PIC'ed myself, since I really didn't see how I could win.

[English_brit]

I won my 1st round game and have got a higher ranked Div 5 team at home in the next round. I think I might be able to throw an upset if I play it right though. Fingers crossed.

Good luck in your next round Boots.

[yndy]

Here’s mine. A clear victory but two good midfielders are out. That will hurt my team for a while.

quote:8997 spectators had come to Nord-Vest Zalau this cloudy day. Nord-Vest had chosen a strategic 4-5-1 formation. The following players had been chosen: Oldengarm - Spãtaru, Bokhorst, Barnes, Rigotti - Lobabait, Soler, Fagerström, Fauerby, Duncan - Novák.

Sticla had chosen a strategic 3-4-3 formation. The following players had been chosen: Abolafio Martíne - Er#337;ss, Vesterholt, Barbu - Gheorghe, Lucescu, Roland Olsen, Turcu - Bos, Mårtensson, Åhltorp.

Nord-Vest immediately set off pressing their opponents. Sticla took the lead in the games 7:th minute with 0 - 1 after some elegant plays down the middle. Andreas Mårtensson was the scorer. Nord-Vest's ability to press their opponents all over the field paid off frequently. The referee showed Nord-Vests Patrizio Rigotti the yellow card after a particularly nasty challenge. Sticla were forced to a substitution as Torben Roland Olsen couldn´t continue playing due to the rough treatment, forcing Dan Pahontu to come in from the sidelines. Nord-Vest seemed to suffer a certain amount of confusion and were down to the weak level of organisation. Halftime score was 0 - 1. Nord-Vest held the ball, with a clear 53 percent possession rate.

During the break Nord-Vest´s coach went through the teams new tactics yet again, getting them up to solid organisation. When Patrizio Rigotti made yet another studs first tackle, in the games 47th minute, the referee was obliged to book the Nord-Vest player for the second time, sending him off the pitch. Nord-Vest had difficulty finding their positions and their organisation was down to passable. After 65 minutes Eduardo Soler got through on the right and was very close to equalising for the home side, but didn´t get the shot away. Nord-Vest appeared unsure on how to play and their organisation was only inadequate. Sticla increased the lead to 0 - 2 as Olivér Er#337;ss scored from the penalty spot, putting the ball in near the top left corner. The visitors Stefan Turcu took advantage of an error due to a misunderstanding between the home side´s goalie and central backs in the 71st minute. 0 - 3 for Sticla. The structure of the game started to change as Sticla decided to pull back and meet their opponents in the defensive zone. The referee showed Sticlas Teofil Lucescu the yellow card after a particularly nasty challenge. Eduardo Soler went down after a savage challenge, but could keep on playing after some medical attention. Several players now looked tired, especially Mihai Spãtaru who quite horribly caused the 0 - 4 goal as he lost the ball to Olivér Er#337;ss of Sticla, who seemed to have some energy left. Nord-Vest had a brilliant opportunity to reply as Noah Fauerby received a high ball from the right, striking the ball still in the air. Only Rubén Abolafio Martínez´s reflexes saved him. After several obvious shirt pulling incidents, Nord-Vest´s Mihai Spãtaru got himself booked. Sticla made a substitution in the 86:th minute. Stefan Turcu limped off the field and was replaced by Cãtãlin Rãdulescu. The fortyfive minutes were dominated by Nord-Vest, with an impressive 51 percent possession of the ball.

The most dominating Nord-Vest player was without a doubt Ryan Barnes. However, Melker Fagerström made a disastrous appearance. The most dominating Sticla player was without a doubt Nik Bos. However, Cãtãlin Rãdulescu made a disastrous appearance. The match ends 0 - 4.

Next match is too hard for me to try to fight for victory I’ll PIC and get out of the Cup earlier than last time.

I see Meli and Scip also lost on a tight margin. Boots and English_brit go get them !

[English_brit]

Nice win. Must be well annoyed about the loss of two midfielders though.

[Bootstoots]

quote:Originally posted by English_brit

I won my 1st round game and have got a higher ranked Div 5 team at home in the next round. I think I might be able to throw an upset if I play it right though. Fingers crossed.

Good luck in your next round Boots.

Good luck to you too. From what I can tell, we'll both need it.

[English_brit]

Yep. lol

Got a must win league game and don't want to sacrifice any training through playing my first team in the Cup so it's gonna be tough. Think I'll press and PIC my cup game.

[English_brit]

I won my Cup game with my reserves. lol

Don't ask me why but he doesn't seem to have a proper keeper. Was playing someone in goal who was only worth 40k and had Quick speciality. As far as I know no keepers have any specialities. Even if he was a keeper he would have been pants.

He had a decent team other than his non existant keeper but I ended up pressing and winning 8-1 which goes to show how much it counted. lol

Got a very strong level 4 side next "Flaming Star". He's been playing 5 seasons longer than me, has a better team and has a reserve keeper worth over 1 million.

I think I might let him beat me. []

[Bootstoots]

I needed luck, and I got it!

quote:
Due to an all-day shower, 18122 paying spectators got to see a match on a pitch-turned-bog at The Yellow Boot. Yellow started off with a 4-4-2 lineup. Lineup: Kalkun - Knott, Haas, Fernández, Hawkins - Talley, Borgstedt, Säfsjö, Leu - Lara, Tomlin.

Butterflies tactics involved an interesting 3-4-3 combination. Lineup: Scott - Monahan, Pierson, Berger - Bright, Pinson, Hann-Lim, Clarke - Jones, Ma-Huan, Sheldon.

It was obvious that Yellow were using pressing as their primary tactic. Butterflies seemed to prefer attacking in the middle. Yellow tried to break through in the middle repeatedly, but kept getting stuck on the visitors defenders. Some lightning fast two feet dribbles by Lam Ma-Huans leftJonas Borgstedt way behind in the 8:th minute, but the shot was just outside. Yellow made a bid to take the lead as a ball coming in from the right hand side left Rolf Leu completely alone with keeper Richard Scott, who made a spectacular block. Butterflies had several good opportunities to take the lead, especially in the 16:th minute when Sydney Pinson came up alone against Toomas Kalkun who managed a block. Anders Säfsjö of Yellow received a yellow card in the 19:th minute for unsportsmanlike behaviour. Yellow were awarded a penalty 23 minutes into the game but Maurice Talley produced a poor shot, quite easily saved by Richard Scott. Halftime score was 0 - 0. Butterflies held the ball, with a clear 58 percent possession rate.

Gonzalo Fernández received some harsh words from his coach after he acted foolishly, probably out of lack of experience, in the 49:th minute and almost caused an opponent to score. Rubén Lara gave his Yellow the lead with 1 - 0, as he successfully challenged both the guests central defenders, then placed the ball unreachably at the goaltenders right post. In the 57:th minute Yellows Billie Tomlin received a yellow card for going into a challenge studs first. Lam Ma-Huan almost scored an equalising goal for Butterflies in the 70:th minute, but Toomas Kalkun made an excellent save, tipping the awkwardly curled shot past the post. The referee showed Butterfliess Trevor Berger the yellow card after a particularly nasty challenge. Louis Jones almost scored an equalising goal for Butterflies in the 78:th minute, but Toomas Kalkun made an excellent save, tipping the awkwardly curled shot past the post. Butterflies held the ball, with a clear 59 percent possession rate.

The most dominating Yellow player was without a doubt Toomas Kalkun. Anders Säfsjö on the other hand, had a terrible day. The most dominating Butterflies player was without a doubt Der Hann-Lim. Jerome Sheldon on the other hand, had a terrible day. The match ends 1 - 0.

Somebody sent me HT-mail advising me to press; I followed his advice and it worked! The game-winning goal was scored by a striker who usually plays on the reserve squad in friendlies but was played here because of terrible form in my other forward. No injuries, but my best forward is only one yellow card away from suspension. Next round's match is against a division III team named Ghetto Superstars. I actually may have a chance there too, as he plays a reserve squad that I can compete with. Chances of winning are still extremely low, however, so I may throw in my reserves and PIC it. I'm still deciding on the best course of action.

[English_brit]

Congrats on the result.

Who was the mystery person HT-mailing you, advising you to press?