As has become tradition, after the league cup action I try to supply with a somewhat fictional review of the games and of course - the LC stats. Let's see what the Season 9 quarter-finals had to show.
Botev Plovdiv 3-1 Easyfit Walsall
A penalty win in the last round for Botev and a dominant display of scoring power by Easyfit in the previous round suggested a thrilling encounter in the first quarter-final match up. Hristoskov, however, had different ideas and cruised past his opponent with authority. The 13 shots on target the home team got and their 65% possession clearly show who was in control of this match up. Having taken the lead near the end of the first half, the Plovdiv side were put under a little pressure when Walther equalized for Easyfit 15 minutes after the interval. However back to back goals by Kodritz and Lysen gave the hosts a comfortable two goal advantage which sent them into the Semis.
High Plains Drifters 2-0 North London FC
Relatively new Manta manager FooQ keeps his impressive run going by eliminating the underdog sensation of this season's league cup North London FC. The away side, having started in round 1, showed resilience and took advantage of the luck of the draw to get this far, but having to play away against currently 9th placed in the Premiership was too much for them. Despite the Drifters' crushing possession, it took a penalty in the 40th minute to give them the lead, but even at that point the way the home side played made the outcome clear. Berthiaume and Crouch kept firing at Yerbury's goal and it didn't take much longer before the latter got on the score sheet. With that goal, confidence of victory took over the High Plains players and the lapse in concentration at front was probably the reason Berthiaume couldn't score more despite his constant attempts at goal. On the other end, Sumner and Mullen who both had 6 goals so far in the cup were thoroughly marked and could manage a total of 1 shot, before Mullen had to be carried away on a stretcher in the 69th minute.
Rex Mundi 2-1 Inter Milager
In contrast with what is to be expected of this competitive stage of the competition, the closest game of the four didn't even go to extra time. Rex Mundi needed a 91st minute goal to seal their place in the Semis after Inter's star striker Much tied the game in the 88th. And despite the thrilling ending, the game went under the home side's pace and Logan's 47th minute opener could've easily been enough for his team to progress. After the game Grezz probably had some harsh words towards his lone striker for wasting 10 shots which could've made the victory so much easier, but with progression a fact anything more than a quick talk would probably be excessive.
Warlords 0-3 Castle King FC
Castle King FC made club history by advancing to the Semis at the expense of Warlords. Being at home, the division 4 side probably had a slight edge, but their choice of a 5 man defense didn't stop Castle King strikers Vazuez and New from both scoring. It was Vazuez who gave his side a one goal advantage before half-time, but the second half was New's as he got a brace. Warlords central midfielder Bolder got a red card in the 79th, but at that point the game was practically finished.
S T A T S
GF = goals for Teams Team Div GF GA ET Pen H A Botev Plovdiv Prem 14 6 0 1 2 3 Castle King FC Prem 14 4 2 0 4 1 High Plains Drifters Prem 14 5 1 0 2 3 Rex Mundi Prem 14 2 0 0 2 3
GA = goals against
ET = games gone into extra time
Pen = games gone into penalties
H = games at home
A = games away
Top scorers Player Team Goals B Vazuez Castle King FC 7 M Campagne High Plains Drifters 7 B Lysen Botev Plovdiv 6 M New Castle King FC 6 E Grogan Easyfit Walsall 6 D Mullen North London FC 6 A Sumner North London FC 6
That's all for this article. See you after the Semis.
June 3, 2008
Manta League Cup Quarter Finals
May 29, 2008
Manta League Cup Round 5
Eight teams are left to battle it out for a place in the IAG history books and even more importantly - the 2 million the League Cup winner will get. And unlike in the last article, I'll take a slightly more detailed look at the fixtures that determined the quarter-finalists.
Castle King FC 3-2 Bulletboys (ET)
It took 23 whole shots and 120 minutes for Castle King's offense to bring down the resilient Bulletboys. After a late equalizer by the away side, the seemingly won match was taken into extra time at 1-1 and it took only 4 minutes - between the 100th and 103rd for both teams to exchange a further 3 goals. Castle King's ace striker in this tournament Vazuez finally capitalized on the abundant free space he was given scoring the winning goal for his side and despite Vyse scoring his second of the game for Bulletboys in the following attack, the home team held on for the win and their second ever place in the quarter-finals. Credit must also be given to the other Castle King striker New who scored the first and second goals for his team.
Chaos Shumen 2-2 Botev Plovdiv (3-5 after penalties)
In it's 17th appearance, the Bulgarian derby between Chaos Shumen and Botev Plovdiv was bound to be a close and thrilling game. In their previous 3 meetings in cup competitions, Botev had always run out winners from the clash and this time it was no different. The Plovdiv team made good use of their possession and scored an early goal, which Chaos managed to cancel out as late as the 94th minute. Scorer of the first goal for Botev Lysen gave his side the lead again in extra-time, but Chaos hitman Yates leveled the score again and the game went to penalties. At that point it was all up to chance and a single miss by the home side handed the victory to Botev.
Inter Milager 2-1 Scudders (ET)
This was bound to be a close game and indeed it took a goal 4 minutes from the end of extra-time to determine the winner. And while the Inter forward Much probably had a little word with his manager for scoring once from 6 shots, then Scudders manager Guermano must have made his squad an all-shooting training schedule, as he didn't have even one player with more than a single shot registered for the whole game. This might have been enough for striker Sukova to tie the match in normal time, but nobody else could cancel out the lead given to Inter by Much in the 116th minute.
Kif Villans 1-2 High Plains Drifters
The undisputed most impressive act of giantkilling in the cup thus far. While many were already aware of Drifters manager FooQ's qualities, this away victory to the current Premiership number 1 and most probable league cup winner, showed his brilliance to the entire Manta world. The Villans' constant possession of the ball only payed off once when Hirsch tied the game in the 73rd after Burnell had opened the scoring and given High Plains the lead 5 minutes earlier. The home fans were probably getting ready for a pre-extra time pint when Berthiaume stunned the crowd with the winning goal of the game in the 87th.
North London FC 3-1 Kingriver
Who would've thought a team which played in the 1st round of the cup would reach this far? If you're one of the few who would, then surely even you had doubts as to North London's ability to win this game against 113 ranked Kingriver. Well, against all odds the Division 1 side cruised past their 600 better ranked opposition with a brace from Sumner and a 3rd by Mullen, which took both forwards to 6 goals in the cup. With no cards received in this game, North London will be certain to have their best available for the next round and man of the match right back Clavette will be looking to supply match deciding assists in the next round which is the best North London have ever achieved.
Smirnenski United 1-3 Easyfit Walsall
While not particularly impressive throughout the game, Easyfit took a 3 goal lead and only conceded 7 minutes from full time, which was nowhere near enough to stop them from winning the game. It's totti's second quarter-final in a row and he'll be having his eye on the semi-final he couldn't reached last season. Grogan's opener also was his 6th goal of the competition equaling him to 3 other players with the same tally on 2nd.
The Trumpton Riots 0-2 Rex Mundi
A 2000+ ranked team facing a former two time League Cup winner and top 100 club. Needless to say bookies weren't putting odds in Trumpton's favor. Rex went on to comfortably win the game with a goal in each half and with Noodle FC and Kif Villans out could be considered the title main contenders alongside Botev Plovdiv.
Warlords 1-1 Northbankhighbury (4-3 after penalties)
The second team ranked outside the top 500 to progress to the quarters was Warlords from Division 4. Having taken the lead against the newly promoted Premiership side early in the game, Warlords supporters were seriously disappointed to see Mann equalize for Northbankhighbury in the 91st, but the penalties went the home side's way and ensured a new record league cup performance for Warlords.
Stats of the competition after round 5
GF = goals for Teams Team Div GF GA ET Pen H A Botev Plovdiv Prem 11 5 0 1 1 3 Castle King FC Prem 11 4 2 0 4 0 Easyfit Walsall Prem 10 3 0 0 1 3 High Plains Drifters Prem 12 5 1 0 1 3 Inter Milager Prem 9 3 2 0 4 0 North London FC Div 1 13 2 0 0 4 1 Rex Mundi Prem 12 1 0 0 1 3 Warlords Div 4 6 2 1 1 2 2
GA = goals against
ET = games gone into extra time
Pen = games gone into penalties
H = games at home
A = games away
Top scorers Player Team Goals M Campagne High Plains Drifters 7 B Vazuez Castle King FC 6 E Grogan Easyfit Walsall 6 A Sumner North London FC 6 D Mullen North London FC 6
This article will be further expanded with information about the other games in the next few days.
May 26, 2008
Manta League Cup Round 4
Anyone remember last season's articles I wrote about the League Cup? They're back again and for those of you reading who are still in contention, this one could provide you with a little info about what to expect or hope for.
At this point, with so many teams left (and so little time at the office before going home), I'll just wrap this article up with the basic stats:
Divisions
- 11 out of the 16 remaining teams are from the Premiership
- 2 are left from the Championship
- Divisions 1, 2 and 4 each have one last representative
Finishing power
- 4 teams claim the title of most goals scored thus far: Kingriver, North London FC, High Plains Drifters and Rex Mundi have all scored 10 goals. North London, however, have played 1 more game than the others.
Venues
- Castle King FC, Inter Milager and North London FC have had the privilege of playing 3 games at home. However, North London have had one away game, as they started from Round 1.
- Kif Villans are the only team having not had a home game so far. Doesn't look like they need on though.
Teams Team Div GF GA ET Pen H A Botev Plovdiv Prem 9 3 0 0 1 2 Bulletboys Div 2 7 3 1 0 2 1 Castle King FC Prem 8 2 1 0 3 0 Chaos Shumen Prem 6 1 0 0 2 1 Warlords Div 4 5 1 1 0 1 2 Kif Villans Prem 7 1 0 0 0 3 Easyfit Walsall Prem 7 2 0 0 1 2 Inter Milager Prem 7 2 1 0 3 0 Scudders Prem 6 1 0 0 2 1 Kingriver Champ 10 3 1 0 1 2 North London FC Div 1 10 1 0 0 3 1 Northbankhighbury Prem 7 1 1 0 2 1 High Plains Drifters Prem 10 4 1 0 1 2 Smirnenski United Prem 8 2 0 1 2 1 Rex Mundi Prem 10 1 0 0 1 2 The Trumpton Riots Champ 7 3 0 1 2 2
Top scorers Player Team Goals M Campagne High Plains Drifters 7 B Vazuez Castle King FC 5 E Grogan Easyfit Walsall 5 D Mullen North London FC 5 G Dunlop Bulletboys 4 A Sumner North London FC 4 G Wilk Rex Mundi 4 J Oscroft Smirnenski United 4 Q Dudfield Botev Plovdiv 3 A Tracey Botev Plovdiv 3 J Yates Chaos Shumen 3 T Barrett Inter Milager 3 R Grey Kif Villans 3 A Hirsch Kif Villans 3 L Mike Kingriver 3 A Henckler Northbankhighbury 3 T Sukova Scudders 3 W Schwarz Scudders 3 R Nash Smirnenski United 3
April 1, 2008
The League Cup Experience
In the aftermath of the League Cup, managers are now concentrated on the League and possibly the Super Cup, but the emotions they experienced are still fresh. What better time to ask them how they feel after the tournament? Here's what four of Manta's finest had to say:
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It's only normal that we start with the winner himself - Scudders manager Guermano:
Did you expect to win the League Cup in the beginning of the season?
Guermano: No, not at all. Our goal was the quarter-finals just like last season. But as we progressed through the rounds, I started to dream of it, in particular after our win against Rex Mundi in the semi-finals.
Dream?
Guermano: Yes, I dreamt….,or let’s say, flirted with the idea of winning the League Cup. Anyway, I knew all too well that it would be utterly difficult to beat Kif Villans and I figured that we’d stand a 20% chance.
What was the key to success in winning the League Cup in general?
Guermano: First of all and most importantly, underdogs can win the League Cup! I’d say that making sure your best team is available at the right moments was one of the keys to success. If our best players hadn’t been available for selection, we might not have been able to beat previous Super Cup winner Howick United, Rex Mundi and Kif Villans. It goes without saying that underdogs need luck as well and we had our share of it this time around.
If your team is an underdog, then which teams are Manta’s finest at the moment?
Guermano: At the moment Noodle FC, Botev Plovdiv, Kif Villans, Rex Mundi and Hornets are Manta’s finest but there’re many teams challenging them. Just to name a few here; Chaos Shumen has been challenging Manta’s finest for seasons and it’s only a matter of time till they’ll win either the League Cup or the Premiership title. Easyfit Walsall and High Plains Drifters, previously Mad Dogs, are rising stars and will likely challenge Manta’s finest soon. Moreover, Liverpool City and Inter Milager appear to re-emerge at the very top again. It is my understanding that it’s getting tighter at the top in general.
You seem to be very fond of the challengers. Do you consider your team a challenger?
Guermano: It would take a lie to say I wasn’t. Furthermore, I consider my team to be a challenger to some extent. However, becoming one of the true challengers takes a lot of time and consistency. One League Cup win isn’t enough to establish yourself as a true challenger…….but it could be a start!
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Next we had a word with the runner-up - Kif Villans manager kifd:
Any regrets?
kifd: No regrets, none at all. My only regret is that we went out on penalties. That’s my only regret but no, no regrets. For sure, the atmosphere in the dressing room is a lot more subdued than last season, but I'm still proud of the lads - they really ran their socks into the ground, and I hope once they pick themselves up they'll realize what a good run we had in putting up a decent title defense.
So, what went wrong?
kifd: I never comment on referees and I'm not going to break the habit of a lifetime for that prat. But seriously, we were too defensive on the day and failed to take our chances as well as we had done in the previous rounds. Goals change games and this time, nobody grabbed the ball by the horns. Just goes to show, there's no easy games at this level...
Any final words?
kifd: Congratulations to Guermano's Scudders - considering their unexpected league form this season, that was a wonderful cup fairy tale now etched into the club's history and they've given their fans something to remember for a long time. And on my part, at least the chairman can stop nagging me about the bank balance again.
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Feeling there is more to the cup than just reaching the final, semi-finalist Rex Mundi's Grezz was sought to give his view on things. In a happy mood he invited us on the table he was sitting on and after clearing away the bottles so we could have space to write down things, we proceeded with the questions:
Having had a few days to think on your performance, how do you feel?
Grezz: Well, I was happy with my performance. These days I don't expect to win championships or cup finals, although I'm going to start expecting that very soon. I had an easy run to the semi-finals and the draw is all important. I was away all the way until the Q/F but against massively lesser teams.
And there you faced Hornets.
Grezz: It was no surprise I made it to the Q/F but I faced Hornets at home. Luckily, at home. Ndjuk has to be the best tactical manager in our division because he performs so well with, actually, a pretty average side. I still don't know how he does it to be honest. Anyway, Hornets at home.....of course I expect to win. If it were a league match he probably gets the draw because he's a clever sod and he manages to do that despite the fact he really should be able to. However, in the cup I know he doesn't stand a chance when a result has to be decided and, sure enough, that game went exactly how I expected. An extra time win for me.
So, the S/F draw. Funnily enough I predicted to Guermano before the Q/F games that I'd meet him in the semis. I was not pleased he got the 'home' draw. I'm a GM and I'm also a pretty savvy programmer. I can tell when stuff is working how it should be and why it might not be so not being drawn first in that semi was an immediate 'concern' . Therefore, I cursed my luck when I was drawn 'away'. However, it was Scudders and I know how to beat Scudders if I want to (yes, sometmes I have chosen not to for the longer term good of my team). Yep, tough opponent and he's really gotten better. He could be so much better in the league if he wanted to be but I know what he's up to and why. I knew what he'd do because I taught him but I also knew I could cancel his tactics out. It was all good ......right up until I played High Plains Drifters. My starting 11 were totally prepared for that semi-final. I knew Guermano would prepare well but I had my guys better prepared. I knew it. I had them better prepared to take him, propably in extra time. That was until FooQ nobbled Logan in the 2nd minute of our match. I'd prepared my starting 11 perfectly. I didn't prepare for the fact i'd have to bring in a fatigued midfielder up front.
I went into that S/F considering myself to be the underdog. I never expected to go to penalties but the the fact that I made it that far and lost made it an even bitterer pill to swallow. But, as I said to Guermano - and this is 100% true - If I want to lose to anyone in a semi-final it is him because he plays the game with such a great spirit and enthusiasm. We have a fantastic rivalry and I couldn't wait for him to slag me off after his win. He has actually disappointed me by not taking the **** out of me as much as I expected. Finally, at the end of the day, if I didn't win it there was no-one esle I would have liked to see win it than him. Fair play Guermano. He set his stall out to win the league cup and he pulled it off against the odds. I can only have respect for that.
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Finally, as we got back to write the article, our manager popped up and asked what we were doing. We'd completely forgotten he was in charge of a league cup team and a semi-finalist at that. So as not to reveal our ignorance, we thought we'd just ask about his experience while in our coffee break.
Boss, you never told us what the cup was like for you?
chaosmaster: Heh, it was quite something, although I can't understand why you'd ask me now?
Oh, just curious.
chaosmaster: Well, there's a lot to tell, but you have to get back to work in 10 minutes, so I'll keep it short. The first couple of rounds weren't anything special. There was a slight scare when we played away to Roker Park Rangers, but even after extra-time we came out deserved winners. The following three home draws against Openshaw, The Smoothies and Sabbath Albion were all challenging, but nothing we couldn't handle. By that time I was well satisfied with where we'd gotten, but you know what it's like. The further you go, the more you want to get to the final.
So you wanted to play Scudders?
chaosmaster: Of course. And not just because they were the team I had biggest chances against. Guermano and I go back a long way you know and facing each other at such a vital part of the competition was something both of us would cherish. Playing in the final would've been even better, but at that time we figured our chances against both Rex and Kif were minimal.
But he won and you didn't.
chaosmaster: *giving a scary look*
Is that jealousy boss?
chaosmaster: Hell it is! Up to that point I considered my team slightly better than Guermano's and was damn proud of it. I knew kifd would make me regret even getting to this point, but when I lost and Scudders won I didn't know if I was happy about Guermano or mad at my bunch. To make things worse he actually won in the final ... against the team that made a laughing stock of my own squad. *finishing half a cup of coffee* But I can't help being happy about him. I'd probably have felt better if the team that beat me had won it, so I could say I went out to the very best, but knowing a complete underdog can win the cup makes me feel confident in my own future.
Anything else to add?
chaosmaster: To add? You make it sound like you're interviewing me? ... Wait a sec! What was it you were doing when you came here?
Erm, sorry boss, can't tell ... *shooting off out of the building*
Hope you all enjoy. A big thanks to all the managers who contributed and sorry I couldn't add more, but it's big enough as it is.
See you soon,
chaosmaster
March 29, 2008
Manta League Cup Final
It's over! What is? One manager's waiting for a triumph, another's ambitions for a double, but most importantly - this season's Manta League Cup.
A Scudders fan gave the most descriptive summary of what his team achieved that night: "Who would've thought?". Against all odds, with the title holders eager for a double as opponents, manager Guermano's lads fought with everything they had and prevailed in a battle that seemed predetermined. Here's how the game looked through the eyes of another club's manager who was sitting as a guest of honor supporting the "ultimate underdogs" as Scudders are suitably called.
Kif Villans were as cool and determined as only a team confident in it's abilities and talent can be. Surgical passing, tactical awareness, lethal finishing and with the mental setting that the title can be won, the Villans team was all over the pitch. Scudders, whose manager was long satisfied with what his team had achieved, were playing under no pressure that a win was expected, but in the early stages of the game that provided kifd's zealously motivated players with more than an edge. Their dominance in play was finally realized when who else, but their top scorer Gray found the back of Reinhard's net and set the half time result at 0-1.
The second half was no less under the Villans' control. Midfielder Chevarie was the maestro behind his team's offensive build up and if Hirsch at the front was a little more concentrated a 2 goal lead could've easily been established. When kifd decided to sub out his scorer Gray for Milroy, critics remembered the effective substitutions the manager had made in the past two cup matches and this seemed to be the final touch in the Villans' masterpiece of a performance. But less than a minute afterwards things took an unexpected turn. A penalty for Scudders! The one thing kifd could not anticipate and so soon after the substitution and change in game plan it came as a great shock to the defending champions. With 9 goals and the title of the competition's current top scorer, Schwarz stepped up to the occasion and provided Scudders with the vital equalizer. With Kif disorganized and Scudders set to defend the result in hopes of taking the game to penalties, full time came with little to remember.
Extra-time. 30 minutes to either decide the better team or to leave things in fate's hands when the penalties came. It's the period in which teams prefer defending to attacking and this game was no different. However, it was referee Raban making the headlights before it came to spot kicks with his second penalty of the game - again for Scudders. If Schwarz was under pressure to score his previous penalty, then this time he carried the burden of the entire cup's fate on his shoulders. A quick glance at the goal, a step towards the ball, a kick ... and 2-1 for Scudders! The remaining 15 minutes were the slowest Scudders fans had experienced, while time was drifting away at an incredible pace for Kif supporters. But when the final whistle came, it was Guermano and his "underdogs" who were all over the pitch with joy. You'd think the manager would be speechless, but in less than a minute he had no voice whatsoever after screaming "We've won", "I can't believe it" and "2 Mio!!!".
And with this another exciting chapter of Manta's League Cup was closed. The Scudders hero from the final (and almost every other game) is unsurprisingly the competition's top scorer:
Top scorers Name Team Goals W Schwarz Scudders 11 R Grey Kif Villans 7 H Walther Easyfit Walsall 6 K Tilly Norwood FC 6
All eyes will now be set on the far more exciting and even more so challenging Super Cup. How far will the Manta teams go? Who will be the last one left? Will Manta have the Super Cup for a first time since Season 1? All of this will be answered within the next 40 days.
Thank you for following the League Cup through my articles and looking forward to providing you with more of them in the future.
chaosmaster
March 23, 2008
Manta League Cup Quarter-finals
Only six days from now, this season's Manta League Cup champion will be decided. Who are the contestants left to battle it out for this great award? The winners from the quarter finals of course. In this article, you'll find a small review of each game and of course the cup stats.
Chaos Shumen 2-0 Sabbath Albion
A dominating performance in midfield saw The Chaos Squad come out deserved winners in the most predetermined of this round's matches. Having beaten Sabbath at their own ground just a day before in the league, chaosmaster had decided to switch tactics and went for a 4-5-1 to counter the away side's 4-3-3. This choice seemed to pay off, as the Chaos midfield had full control and two second half strikes by DMF Huntley and CMF Lomas secured progression into the semis.
Noodle FC 2-2(pens: 3-5) Kif Villans
In the most anticipated match of the round, champions Kif Villans and ex-champions Noodle FC played a magnificent game which left the full stadium in awe, despite the home side losing in the end. Benzb had done a great job motivating his players and despite the defensive 5-3-2 line-up, it was midfielder Czeszyk who shined and subsequently earned the MotM award. 33 minutes into the game, the home side's dominance in possession finally paid off and Sonderby gave his side a deserved 1-0 lead. The goal turned out to be a big blow for Kif midfielder Wodaszak who couldn't control his nerves and was sent off just a minute later. With a 1 man advantage and the score in their favor, Noodle were looking to be certain semi-finalists and benzb subbed out their scorer 20 minutes before the end. kifd then made a match-defining decision. Having subbed out his forward Hirsch after the red card of Wodaszak, he proceeded to replace his other starting forward Milroy for Gray. And just as it seemed it was all over, Gray grabbed his fourth goal of the competition in the 92nd minute and forced the game into extra time. After a goalless first part, Czeszyk gave Noodle the lead again 5 minutes before the final whistle, but it was again Gray and again in the dieing seconds who equalized for the Villans and so the game had to be decided by penalties. Goalkeeper Shields kept his cool and with all of Kif's players scoring, Noodle were out after two misses.
Rex Mundi 3-2 Easyfit Walsall
Going into this game, The Happy Mundis were unsurprisingly favorites and the twelve thousand gathered to watch the game were pretty certain it would end in normal time. Total control of possession and a cannonade of shots by the Rex forwards confirmed those expectations, but it took almost an hour for the scoring to be opened. Logan's 57th minute goal was no surprise, but the immediate equalizer by Easyfit's Walther was a cold shower for the home team. And if that wasn't enough, Walther grabbed his second of the evening 13 minutes later. Emotions were high again for the home supporters just 2 minutes afterwards with Wheldon making it 5 goals in this season's league cup. It was only fitting for such an entertaining game to go to extra time, but unlike the Noodle FC versus Kif Villans game, this one didn't last until penalties. Craddock earned the MotM award with a goal on the brink of extra time's finish and with it Rex are now in the semis.
Smirnenski United 1-2 Scudders
While the quarter-final between benzb and kifd was bound to be a close game and stole the highlights, many had also directed their attention to this fixture as neither of the teams had an obvious advantage over the other. The game flow seemed to justify the thousand empty seats as chances were scarce and fouls were aplenty, but the home side were one ahead in the 63rd minute courtesy of an Oscroft shot. The pressure was now on Scudders and with Smirnenski having not conceded in this season's competition, things weren't looking good. However, all it took was two minutes between the 72nd and 73rd for Sukova and Atwell to turn the game around and a sound display in defense and midfield secured Scudders' progression into the semis for the first time in their history.
Team Stats
Team Div GF GA ET Pen H A Chaos Shumen Prem 10 3 1 0 3 2 Kif Villans Prem 12 4 0 1 2 3 Rex Mundi Prem 12 3 2 0 2 3 Scudders Prem 13 4 0 0 4 1
Top Scorers (players from eliminated teams in red) Name Team Goals W Schwarz Scudders 7 H Walther Easyfit Walsall 6 K Tilly Norwood FC 6 R Ianniello Hornets 5 R Grey Kif Villans 5 D Wheldon Rex Mundi 5 G Burns Sabbath Albion 5
March 19, 2008
Manta League Cup Round 5
And then there were eight. Yes folks, that's all that is left of a whole 200 teams that started the competition and in just 3 days there will be only four in contention for the big cash. Those who got eliminated this morning will have to be satisfied with 125k, while the ones to exit in the quarter-finals will receive the not-so-measly 250k. And although this isn't a small reward, the potential treasures that lay even further ahead will undoubtedly make the losers of the next round feel bad.
But let's not get too ahead of things. First things first, this round's highlights and stats!
Home importance
The first thing that makes an impression when looking at the results is that all 8 teams who played at home won their matches, with Rex Mundi the only team to have settled things in extra-time. On the opposite end we have Easyfit Walsall who smashed 4 goals in Bavaria Weegen's net - a new worst defeat for the German manager.
Premiership supremacy
Round 5 was as high as any non-Premiership team got this season. Only teams which are now competing in Manta's top flight are in the quarter-finals and this is likely to be the case in seasons to come. Enough time has passed since the creation of IAG so the league has sorted 'the best from the rest'. But who will be the 'best of the best'?
Rankings
Here's where everyone left is according to IAG's official club rankings:
1. Noodle FC (75)
2. Rex Mundi (107)
3. Kif Villans (109)
4. Chaos Shumen (211)
5. Scudders (336)
6. Smirnenski United (343)
7. Easyfit Walsall (352)
8. Sabbath Albion (796)
So everyone will be hoping to avoid the top 3 from this table and Sabbath will be the most desired opponent, right? In my own opinion - it's not the opponent that matters in the next round, it's the venue! After all, this round's stats concerning the successfulness of teams who played at home is enough evidence for me.
And now the table with the team details: Team Div GF GA ET Pen H A Chaos Shumen Prem 8 3 1 0 2 2 Easyfit Walsall Prem 12 4 0 0 2 2 Kif Villans Prem 10 2 0 0 2 2 Noodle FC Prem 11 1 0 0 4 0 Rex Mundi Prem 9 1 1 0 1 3 Sabbath Albion Prem 9 2 0 0 4 0 Scudders Prem 11 3 0 0 4 0 Smirnenski United Prem 7 0 0 0 2 2
Finally, the top scorers (players from knocked out teams in red): Name Team Goals W Schwarz Scudders 7 K Tilly Norwood FC 6 R Ianniello Hornets 5 G Burns Sabbath Albion 5 L Kodritz Botev Plovdiv 4 J Yates Chaos Shumen 4 E Grogan Easyfit Walsall 4 H Walther Easyfit Walsall 4 S Gos Howick United 4 N Holdt Liverpool City 4 D Wheldon Rex Mundi 4
See you after the quarter final :)
March 15, 2008
Manta League Cup Round 4
One more round down, one less step to the coveted final... at least for half of those who participated in round 4. It's still too much information to go into details, so you know what follows, right? If you though to yourself "Stats of course!" then you're on the right track.
Firstly, let's just take a look at the basic statistics and then you can have the pleasure of digging deep into the tables so you can have a good look at your own team's performance and then probably through those of the others.
Divisions
- 10 Premiership teams left
- 4 Championship teams left
- 1 team left from Divisions 1 and 2
Goals
- The top scoring teams are Botev Plovdiv and Hornets with 10 scored in 3 games
- Northbankhighbury have the most trouble finding the net with only 4 goals in 3 games
Venues
- 5 teams have had the pleasure of playing all 3 of their games at home
- Only Rex Mundi and Flair FC have reached this far without a single home game
Rankings
- Botev Plovdiv and Noodle FC are the top 100 representatives still in contention
- 3 teams ranked between 100 and 200 are in round 5
- 4 teams ranked between 200 and 300 are in round 5
- 4 teams ranked between 300 and 400 are in round 5
- Norwood FC (631), The Smoothies (752) and Sabbath Albion (798) are left from outside the top 500
Finally, here's the detailed tables themselves: Team Div GF GA ET Pen H A Botev Plovdiv Prem 10 4 0 1 1 2 Chaos Shumen Prem 7 3 1 0 1 2 Easyfit Walsall Prem 8 4 0 0 1 2 Hornets Prem 10 2 0 0 2 1 Kif Villans Prem 8 2 0 0 1 2 Noodle FC Prem 9 0 0 0 3 0 Rex Mundi Prem 7 0 0 0 0 3 Sabbath Albion Prem 6 1 0 0 3 0 Scudders Prem 9 2 0 0 3 0 Smirnenski United Prem 6 0 0 0 1 2 Flair FC Champ 7 1 0 0 0 3 Northbankhighbury Champ 4 0 1 0 2 1 Norwood FC Champ 7 2 1 0 3 0 The Smoothies Champ 7 2 1 0 2 1 Scottish Warriors Div 1 6 1 0 0 2 1 Bavaria Weegen AC Div 2 6 2 0 1 3 0
Top Scorers Name Team Goals K Tilly Norwood FC 6 W Schwarz Scudders 6 R Ianniello Hornets 5 J Yates Chaos Shumen 4 S Gos Howick United 4 N Holdt Liverpool City 4
Congratulations to those who have gotten this far and good luck to those still remaining.
March 13, 2008
Manta League Cup Round 3
The League Cup - an event all hope to shine in, but direct elimination rules mean only one will earn the glory of having his name in the all-time cup honors list. For the rest the only consolation is the prize money, which at this moment is ... zero! With 32 matches having been played in the previous round, going into details about all of them is a job few can handle, so instead I will present you with a few lists containing the stats so far.
But first of all, let's turn our attention to the games and events that deserve noting from the third round:
Below is a table containing all the remaining teams going into round 4, their respective divisions, goals scored and conceded thus far, number of games gone to ET or penalties and the number of the home and away games they have played:
Team Division GF GA ET Pen H A Botev Plovdiv Prem 8 2 0 0 1 1 Chaos Shumen Prem 4 2 1 0 0 2 Easyfit Walsall Prem 6 3 0 0 0 2 Hornets Prem 7 1 0 0 2 0 Inter Milager Prem 5 3 0 1 1 1 Kif Villans Prem 5 1 0 0 0 2 Liverpool City Prem 7 1 0 0 0 2 Noodle FC Prem 6 0 0 0 2 0 Rex Mundi Prem 5 0 0 0 0 2 Sabbath Albion Prem 4 1 0 0 2 0 Scudders Prem 6 1 0 0 2 0 Smirnenski United Prem 4 0 0 0 1 1 Flair FC Champ 5 0 0 0 0 2 Knodishall FC Champ 5 3 1 0 1 1 Northbankhighbury Champ 3 0 0 0 1 1 Norwood FC Champ 5 1 0 0 2 0 Openshaw United Champ 6 2 0 0 0 2 Splott United Champ 6 0 0 0 1 1 The Smoothies Champ 5 1 0 0 2 0 Waxing Gibbons Champ 4 1 0 0 2 0 Charlestown Albion Div 1 6 1 0 0 2 0 Howick United Div 1 5 0 0 0 1 1 Kingriver Div 1 5 2 0 0 2 0 Scottish Warriors Div 1 4 1 0 0 2 0 Bavaria Weegen AC Div 2 4 1 0 1 2 0 FC Afghanz Div 3 5 1 0 0 0 2 Tandridge Town Div 3 6 0 0 0 1 1 Gospodarite Div 4 6 0 0 0 3 0 Mansfieldathletic Div 4 4 2 2 0 1 1 teeside terrors Div 4 7 2 0 0 0 3 Warlords Div 4 4 3 0 1 2 0 Fallowfield Blues Div 5 3 0 0 0 2 0
And for those of you who believe they have a good offense, here are the top scorers:
Name Team Goals W Schwarz Scudders 6 R Ianniello Hornets 5 S Gos Howick United 4 N Holdt Liverpool City 4 K Tilly Norwood FC 4 R Bridges Openshaw United 4 B Ferguson Warlords 4 A Tracy Botev Plovdiv 3 G Calderwood Charlestown Albion 3 B Trollope Flair FC 3 C Hutchison Gospodarite 3 J Reid Knodishall FC 3 D Wheldon Rex Mundi 3 T Parfett Splott United 3 G Scott Tandridge Town 3 E Yorke teeside terrors 3
Hope you enjoy and be on the lookout for the future Season 8 LC stats I'm planning on posting after every round :)
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