Three games this evening brought Fianna AFC to the brink of clinching a transfer spot. Kobelco United Football Club beat Metropolitan Eagles 2-0 in a game that virtually eliminates the Eagles (as well as Bad News) and makes Fianna a tiebreaker away from getting the coveted blue highlighting. The Metro Eagles played their best game, winning the stats line but goals by Yoshino Sugawara and Sami Wächter were the difference between having more possession and shots and having more balls strike the back of the net. The win also brought Kobelco to a near-certainty of advancing as those two teams seem to be moving on from Group F.

Old Field Ospreys regained the top spot in Group B after a come from behind 3-2 road win against FC Cackalacky. Cackalacky had run out to a 2-0 lead after a pair of goals by Raphael Meyer, who scored minutes apart off a header and a wicked strike that found its way through Ospreys goalie Vladislav Sklar. The American team made some adjustments during halftime and owned the 2nd half, scoring three times in 13 minutes with the game winner coming off a set piece corner when Bronislav Hlavka headed the ball past a diving Georges Müller. This group seems to be wide open as several teams are evenly matched.

The last game of the night established the crutchanators of soccer as legitimate repeaters after they dismantled Kiki United 4-0 on the road to put a stranglehold on Group A. Four different crutchanators players scored after a scoreless first half as the defending Champs cruised to the final whistle. The Kiki players looked a little dejected at the end but there's no shame in losing to a team in its prime.

Seven more contests tomorrow and I will also do some housekeeping with unscheduled games. See you tomorrow.

A couple of very early games completed overnight and one of them resulted in our first team to qualify for the Knockout Rounds. Fianna AFC pas been painted in blue after their demolition of Kobelco United Football Club 5-0 in Group F. Kenderick Keriell scored another two goals, giving him 8 in the tournament. He leads the Golden Toe award by two over his teammate, Melvyn Ashton, who scored two goals of his own...including a goal in the 1st minute when he headed a cross off the crossbar and past Kobelco goalie Tetsunori Saotome. At 13 points, Fianna is playing for a high seed and Kobelco will most likely finish second in the group as they find themselves a tiebreaker away from getting their own blue highlighting.

Fußball-Club Köln 01/07 e. V. is on the brink of clinching their first playoff spot in a very long time as they win at home 3-2 over Not Very Athletic in Group E. Garrin Schilling scored his third goal in group play and Xabi Xabi Cintrón scored his first in the 33rd minute that proved to be the game winner. Athletic attempted to draw level after Phelps Walcott hit a strike from distance that zipped by Cologne goalie Hector Calvo to close the gap to one in the 70th but a last ditch effort by Jabari Pickens in extra time was punched clear by Calvo and the rebound shot sailed just wide.

There is one game at 7am that I'll post in the early afternoon and the rest will be this evening.

There are 11 games still outstanding. Here is the summary, copied from Page 1, as it stands this morning.

Unscheduled Games - 11

Group C -
Cotopaxi home to Not Very United (Cotopaxi sends the challenge)
Not Very United home to Trojans (United sends the challenge)

Group D - All 3 home games for Bolton Wanderers (Bolton sends challenges to North Polar, Steamroller and Merchiston

Group E - All 6 games involving FC Kingston

Kingston stated early on that they needed to sign some players and would be delayed. I sent a sitemail to Bolton since this is his first tourney and he might not be aware that the group stage plays both home and away games. The Group C matchups I'll let go for a couple more days before sending sitemail reminders.

As it stands right now, there are games scheduled all the way out through the 24th, so there's plenty of time.

One last note - sometimes the program will create two or three duplicate games after you accept a challenge. If there are multiple home or away games scheduled between two teams, the first game (earliest on the calendar) will count in the standings unless I hear from both coaches that a later game should be the one that is used. All other duplicate games after the game of record will be just for fun.

Posted by gomiami1972 on 9/16/2024 6:40:00 AM (view original):
There are 11 games still outstanding. Here is the summary, copied from Page 1, as it stands this morning.

Unscheduled Games - 11

Group C -
Cotopaxi home to Not Very United (Cotopaxi sends the challenge)
Not Very United home to Trojans (United sends the challenge)

Group D - All 3 home games for Bolton Wanderers (Bolton sends challenges to North Polar, Steamroller and Merchiston

Group E - All 6 games involving FC Kingston

Kingston stated early on that they needed to sign some players and would be delayed. I sent a sitemail to Bolton since this is his first tourney and he might not be aware that the group stage plays both home and away games. The Group C matchups I'll let go for a couple more days before sending sitemail reminders.

As it stands right now, there are games scheduled all the way out through the 24th, so there's plenty of time.

One last note - sometimes the program will create two or three duplicate games after you accept a challenge. If there are multiple home or away games scheduled between two teams, the first game (earliest on the calendar) will count in the standings unless I hear from both coaches that a later game should be the one that is used. All other duplicate games after the game of record will be just for fun.

NV Utd has accepted challenge from Cotopaxi, challenge sent to Trojans.

Apologies for the delay and apologies for the team we are fielding. Dont think we will be very competitive. We got hit hard with retiring players and the free agents were terrible. Hopefully next rollover free agents will be better. Anyway challenges were accepted and sent out mine.

A 7am game saw Not Very United participate in their first Cup game, hitting the road to take on veteran Cup participant VB Hibernian in Group C play. Using an aggressive 4-3-3 formation, United scored the first two goals, both in the 1st half, to take a 2-0 lead at halftime. The scores came a minute apart, with Tate Papia netting moments after teammate Adan Sánchez had broken the scoreless game. That was the high water mark for the Canadian side as Hibs regrouped after the break and took control. Tedrick Frame scored in his 2nd straight game in the 51st when he shot a low and hard diagonal that went across the goal face and in to cut the United lead in half. Then, with about 10 minutes left in regulation, Xavier Fuertes volleyed a pass past United goalie Marlon Knowles to knot the game at 2-2, which ended up the final score.

There are four more games today and I'll grab them this evening.

Posted by jmjtrain on 9/16/2024 9:49:00 AM (view original):
Apologies for the delay and apologies for the team we are fielding. Dont think we will be very competitive. We got hit hard with retiring players and the free agents were terrible. Hopefully next rollover free agents will be better. Anyway challenges were accepted and sent out mine.

Been there. This is the third time I have rebooted Cologne and it's pretty painful to play in this tournament when your team is a little low on talent.

Before I get to tonight's games, I missed a contest on 9/14 between the crutchanators of soccer and FC Edinburgh Bullet Birds in Group A. The champs took a 1-0 halftime lead when Iago Cristiani struck it clean in the 39th minute. 20 minutes later, Heinz Hagelin made the score 2-0 with his diving header off a corner kick and Miika Moilanen extended the lead to 3-0. crutchanators would need every one of those goals to hold on for the win. Edinburgh came roaring back late with Montie Gyon scoring twice in the final 13 minutes. Daylin Plunkett nearly tied the game in extra time when crutchanators goalie Rueban Lazar made an athletic save and one of his defenders cleared the ball out of the zone to preserve the victory. With the win, the champs clinch a playoff spot and will continue their title defense.

Alright, all sorts of action to get to. First off, a third team has punched their ticket to the playoffs and did it while sitting on the couch. Kobelco United Football Club advances out of Group F thanks to the Bad News 2-1 victory over Metropolitan Eagles, which eliminated the last hurdle for Kobelco as they can finish no worse than 2nd in the group. News picks up their first win of Cup XV after coming from behind in the last 20 minutes. Down 1-0, Les Fifer and Méndez Viera scored almost back to back to give the French side the win and keep their slim 3rd Place transfer spot hopes alive. The Metro Eagles were effectively mathematically eliminated with the loss.

FC Edinburgh Bullet Birds jumped ahead of Group A rival Kiki United with a 2-1 road win. Kiki's Claudio Kaká opened the scoring in a game that would have virtually guaranteed Kiki's advancement had they won. However, Edinburgh scored two times in the final 20 minutes. After Ron Lochore tied the game, Leandro Campos banged one off the post for the game winner. Edinburgh now leads Kiki for the 2nd transfer spot based on goal differential and has a game in hand.

The night closed out with a couple of draws. Merchiston FC and FC Stolpen Steamroller tied 1-1 in a Group D game Steamroller dominated statistically but shot themselves in the foot after going a man down thanks to Spanish hothead Andrea Iglesias, who picked up two yellows and was booted. Merchiston took the lead on a goal by the awesome-named Ante Serioux in the 1st half. The German offense then bailed out Andrea's recklessness when Rollie Kohlberg's short-handed goal salvaged the tie and both teams split the points. Finally, in a score line you don't see often, SwampDragons United and Bordeaux Fighting Bovines played to a 0-0 tie out of Group G. There were plenty of scoring opportunities and time of possession was roughly the same but neither team had sufficient finishing skill. Swamp U sits at 1-1-1 and the Cattle are in desperate need of a victory if they want to have a chance of advancing.

Nine more games tomorrow. I'll do them in three chunks throughout the day.

Five games to record and a fourth team has clinched a playoff spot. Fußball-Club Köln 01/07 e. V. will be going to the knockout since...well, it's been literally years. Cologne improved to 4-0 in Group E play after they beat Halle Côte d'Or 4-1 on the road in Belgium. Garrin Schilling scored his fourth of the Cup and Cologne was never seriously threatened. The Golden Slope, like the other three teams, are all very much alive for a transfer spot since FC Kingston has yet to start group play...meaning a lot of stage points are still on the table.

The champs continue to rip through Group A as they crush Real TK 7-0 at home. Heinz Hagelin scored four goals, matching Amaro Blanco's performance as the most goals in a single game, and is beginning to show the form that won him the Golden Toe award in Cup XIV. crutchanators are now playing for the top seed as they are a perfect 5-0 with a +19 differential. Real TK will be watching the playoffs from their TVs.

Group B had a pair of games that upended the standings as all four teams are very much alive. Swamp City Dragons and FC Cackalacky played to a 3-3 draw, a result that really helped neither team but was better than getting no points at all. Dragons' Tre Ackworth scored in the first minute and Bertie Montabell scored with a minute left. In between, Cackalacky kept pace, thanks to a pair of goals by Adriel Rowley. Both teams are looking up in the standings at Wolfsburg Dynamit, who went from third to first off the strength of a 6-1 shellacking of Old Field Ospreys. The Ospreys drew first blood when Gerry Mannheim beat the offside trap and struck a winner. After that, it was all Wolfsburg and, specifically, Hernan Bordonaba. The Brazilian became the third player to score four goals in a game and Dynamit zoomed to the top of the standings. All four teams are separated by 2 points.

Finally, Kobelco United Fotball Club kept their Group F 1st Place hopes alive after beating Metropolitan Eagles 3-1. The Swedes were pretty punchless and only managed to avoid the shutout when Mattias Adlercreutz hit a header that beat Kobelco goalie Tetsunori Saotome midway through the 2nd half. The group winner will come down to the last games as Fianna AFC sits with 13 points and Kobelco is right behind them at 12 points.

More games this afternoon and evening.

All kinds of drama are happening in Group B this tournament. For the second time today, a team went from the bottom half to the top with the result of a single game. This time, the feat was accomplished by FC Cackalacky, who won a critical game for their playoff hopes 3-2 over Wolfsburg Dynamit. Israeli striker Sinai Kupferstoch scored twice and Pedro Delfs scored his second of the tournament to give Cackalacky a 3-0 lead. Wolfsburg then pushed the tempo late and got back within one after Read Lennon netted one in the far corner and Hernan Bordonaba, who scored four times this morning, added a fifth goal today to make the score close. A last minute corner kick by Wolfsburg amounted to nothing and Cackalacky leaps from 4th place to 1st in a game they had to win. With Swamp City Dragons having a bunch of games left, any two or three of these teams could advance.

FC Stolpen Steamroller extended their Group D points lead to three after winning on the road against North Polar Dragons FC 3-1. North Polar was playing their opening game and looked a little flat. By the time the 30 minute mark was reached, Steamroller was already up 3-0 as Greg Eardensohn headed in the third goal past Dragons goalie Aderet Schar. The home side looked better from that point forward, getting one back when Dany Rohr scored in the 33rd minute but a scoreless second half gave Steamroller all the points. Fortunately for them, North Polar has plenty of games left to right the ship.

VB Hibernian split the series with FC Trojans of SC, with each team winning on the road. After a 4-1 Trojans road win, Hibs returned the favor with a 2-1 visitor victory of their own. Veteran Rashan Berwick got the Trojans off on the right foot immediately when he redirected a crossing pass into the net but that was the sole output for the home side. The conservative 5-3-2 formation couldn't preserve the lead and Hibs ended up tying the game in the 22nd when Enriqueta Montaner beat his defensive marker and crushed a shot past goalie Jakobe Mullan. Then, Emilio Rivas clubbed a shot off the side of his foot for the game winner in the 76th as Hibs temporarily takes over the top spot in the group with a whopping 9 games left to play.

To wrap it up, Metropolitan Eagles get off the schneid by winning the final game of the tournament for both teams, a 1-0 over Bad News. Off a corner kick, Waldmunt Dohm hit a header down and away from News goalie Emiliano Bianchi. The shot was so well placed, Bianchi didn't even try to save it as it bounced by. Of the two 3rd Place teams that will be advancing, one of the spots will not be coming out of this group, increasing the odds for the other six.

10 games are scheduled for tomorrow as we are in the middle of the meat of Group Play.

Looks like the WIS scheduler has had a senior moment and scheduled Halle Cote d'Or v FC Not Very Athletic game 3 times.- if they all play, guess we'll be going with the score in the1st one?

P.S. I may get back to you depending on the score of the other 2........ ;)

Before we get to the latest standings shuffle that is Group B, Group F has completed play as the top two teams faced off to see which one would claim the top spot and which one would be relegated to the 2nd transfer spot. Fianna AFC held a 1 point lead over Kobelco United Football Club going into the game and had home field advantage. It didn't matter. Golden Toe leader Kenderick Keriell scored his 9th of the tournament but Kobelco won the day...and the group with their 2-1 win. Yoshino Sugawara broke a 1-1 tie in the 63rd minute when Greens goalie Deegan Colcroft made an athletic save but the defense couldn't clear. The ensuing scramble in the attacking third produced a beautiful cross that Sugawara hit home for the win. With 15 points, Kobelco will be a very high seed and Fianna, finishing with 13 points, will probably be 8 or 9th.

Now to the latest Group B update. Old Field Ospreys continued the tradition of going from near the bottom to the top when they beat Swamp City Dragons 2-1 in Canada. Conroy Zweig scored in the 2nd minute when his shot just eluded Dragons goalie Huenu Palomino. The score remained 1-0 until very late when Swamp City thought they were going to salvage the tie with Lyle Lensky's 81st minute strike but the Ospreys found the winner off the head of Armand Stangassinger with 5 minutes left on a shot that Palomino should have stopped but misplayed. The win completes group play for the Ospreys as they finish with 9 points and must wait to see if that's good enough. The result probably forces FC Cackalacky to score points in their final game to have a realistic chance of advancing.

In the other games this morning, Not Very United and VB Hibernian played to a 3-3 draw out of Group C. United jumped out to a 3-0 lead by the 50 minute mark and Hibs scored all of their goals in 19 minutes, capped off by a header by Gervasio Torres late that split the points. Club de Fútbol Deportivo Cotopaxi has yet to play a game so it's too early to see how these four teams are shaping up. North Polar Dargons FC recovered from their Group D opening loss to win their 2nd game, this one on the road against Merchiston FC 2-1. Knotted at 1-1, Carmelo Weinglas scored unassisted in the 83rd when he created some space and beat Merchiston goalie Rae MacCutcheon to the near side. A flurry of activity around the North Polar net in the closing minutes failed to produce the equalizer. All four teams in the group are very much alive with a half-dozen games remaining.

SwampDragons United and Brighton AFC played to a draw of their own out of Group G. Welch midfielder Devere Morris scored twice for Swamp U and Brighton scored twice within a four minute span midway through the 2nd stanza, as Houston Dainichi's goal salvaged the tie. This is another group where one team (Rushmore FC) has yet to start their tournament. Last but not least, FC Kingston, after stating their team would not be competitive, crushed FC Not Very Athletic 5-0 out of Group E. The psychological warfare worked as Kingston dominated every facet of the game. Ehud Riesmann led Kingston with a pair of goals. If this is a down year for Kingston, the rest of the Group E teams are now aware.

I'll grab the remaining games after 7pm tonight.

Posted by pubmonkey on 9/18/2024 10:44:00 AM (view original):
Looks like the WIS scheduler has had a senior moment and scheduled Halle Cote d'Or v FC Not Very Athletic game 3 times.- if they all play, guess we'll be going with the score in the1st one?

P.S. I may get back to you depending on the score of the other 2........ ;)

Yeah, that's a bug in the program. It really clogs up the exhibition schedule when it does that. Unless I hear from both coaches stating otherwise, the first game will count and the other two will be just for fun.

Considering the last update was in 2010, if the program was going to have a bug, it could be a lot worse.

A quick maintenance note, all Group Stage games have now been scheduled, so thank you very much for getting all 84 games on the docket...makes my job much easier.

The final group game is on the 26th, so the Knockout Rounds will begin on Friday the 27th.