Welcome to FC Dynasty Cup XVI. The Cup XV Champion, Club de Fútbol Deportivo Cotopaxi and indiansrck27 are back to defend their title and get the honor of the pre-tournament #1 seed (always the first listed team in Group A.)

We have a full house - 32 teams. The Knockout Rounds will involve the 1st and 2nd place teams in each group and all playoff teams will play in the First Round. Because of the last minute entry, there will be two World 92 teams in Group H, something I usually try to avoid.

If you like technical stuff, the next several paragraphs will be the highlight of your day. The only change from the last Cup is that any Knockout Round series that ends in an aggregate goal tie will be decided by tiebreaker game(s) instead of the dreaded coin flip. Everything else remains the same.
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The following tournament format and rules will apply.
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TOURNAMENT FORMAT
The tournament will be split into multiple stages, a group play followed by knockout rounds. Teams will be eliminated at the end of each stage until a champion is crowned. This champion will lay claim to glory and shall have bragging rights over all teams in all worlds for a very short period of time.

Group Stage
Each team is initially assigned to a group. Group play will consist of a round robin, with each team playing home and away against the other teams within their group. Points will be based on the following - 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, 0 points for a loss.

Determination as to which teams will advance to the knockout rounds will be in the following order - stage points - goal differential - away goals - goals scored. If the teams are in an absolute tie after all tiebreakers, a coin flip using random.org's random number service will determine who advances and/or who gets what seed.

Knockout Stage
Each round will be a home/away set with the winner being based on aggregate goals. If aggregate goals are tied, the higher seed will host the lower seed in an additional game. If that game is tied, the lower seed will then host the higher seed and so on. As long as both coaches are scheduling games, the round will continue until one side wins outright. If one team fails to schedule for three consecutive days, that team will forfeit the round and the other team will advance.

The eight group winners will automatically get seeds #1-8 and the eight 2nd place finishers will be seeded #9-16.

The First Round will consist of the following:

#1 seed vs #16 seed
#2 seed vs #15 seed
#3 seed vs #14 seed
#4 seed vs #13 seed
#5 seed vs #12 seed
#6 seed vs #11 seed
#7 seed vs #10 seed
#8 seed vs #9 seed

The Quarterfinals will consist of the following:

#1/16 versus #8/9
#2/15 versus #7/10
#3/14 versus #6/11
#4/13 versus #5/12

The Semifinals will consist of the following:

The #1 seed quarterfinals bracket winner versus the #4 seed quarterfinals bracket winner
The #2 seed quarterfinals bracket winner versus the #3 seed quarterfinals bracket winner

Championship Round
The Championship Round will match the two remaining teams in a home and away series with the winner being based on aggregate goals. If an aggregate goal tie occurs, the host of the additional game will be decided by a coin flip using random.org's random number service. The Championship Round is the only round not subject to a set time frame. Scheduling is open-ended and tiebreakers are unlimited until a Champion has proven their worth on the pitch.

TOURNAMENT RULES
Each stage of the tournament, other than the Championship, will have a specific time frame in which all games must be scheduled. Failure to schedule games within the allotted time frame will result in a forfeiture. On the evening of the last day for each stage, all games that have not been scheduled will be deemed a 0-0 draw so that the stage can be completed. The team failing to issue (or accept) a challenge will be awarded no points for the drawn game. Any team with more than one forfeiture will be withdrawn from the tournament and cannot advance.

Entering the final 72 hours of each stage's time frame, any team that has not received a challenge by an opponent (or has sent a challenge that has not been accepted) should post a request to the other coach here or, if the coach does not have posting rights, via sitemail to gomiami1972, who will post the request on your behalf in this forum thread. I would prefer, if you do not have posting rights, to send any requests through me rather than sitemailing each other. That will cut down on the volume of mail being shipped about.

If you receive a challenge in the same slot you have sent a challenge, please accept the incoming challenge and re-issue your own. If you receive multiple challenges in the same slot, choose one ASAP to give the team you declined as much time as possible to issue a new request.

Time Frame to Schedule Group Stage Games - Feb 2nd thru Feb 18th (Challenges must be sent/accepted by 7pm on the 15th. This does not mean the games must be played by the 15th.)
Time Frame to Schedule First Round Games - Feb 24th thru Mar 5th (Challenges must be sent/accepted by 7pm on the 5th. This does not mean the games must be played by the 5th.)
Time Frame to Schedule Quarterfinal Games - Mar 10th thru Mar 20th (Challenges must be sent/accepted by 7pm on the xxx. This does not mean the games must be played by the xxx.)
Time Frame to Schedule Semifinal Games - Mar 19th thru Mar 29th (Challenges must be sent/accepted by 7pm on the xxx. This does not mean the games must be played by the xxx.)
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Best of luck to all of the participants in their quest for the ultimate prize - The FC Dynasty Cup!
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List of Participants

Group A
Club de Fútbol Deportivo Cotopaxi (World 82) - indiansrck27 (defending Champions)
Merchiston FC (World 90) - colinhtucker
Kobelco United Football Club (World 87) - nittany88
Osztrák-Magyar Monarchia Foci Klub - (World 85) - gomiami1

Group B
Fianna AFC (World 62) - EJP65
FC Stolpen Steamroller (World 71) - Dorf
Brighton AFC (World 62) - vkurk
FC Edinburgh Bullet Birds (World 90) - craigferguso

Group C
FC Trojans of SC (World 62) - spdracer
SwampDragons United (World 72) - sd59
Kiki United (World 87) - macchiato
Der Kaiserlich-Österreichische Hodensack (World 78) - usf_bulls

Group D
the crutchanators of soccer (World 79) - brandon5135
VB Hibernian (World 74) - EJP
FC Kingston (World 80) - jmjtrain
FC Gimli Vikings (World 78) - Gim

Group E
Bolton Wanderers (World 80) - mcbellows
Metropolitan Eagles (World 78) - KSBeachBums
FC Cackalacky (World 79) - clememp
Neuschwanstein Swans (World 71) - Neuschwanste

Group F
North Polar Dragons FC (World 79) - shoe3
FC Not Very Athletic (World 62) - pubmonkey
Swamp City Dragons (World 64) - sd69
Slough FC (World 87) - Levy2818

Group G
Fußball-Club Köln 01/07 e. V. (World 71) gomiami1972
Wolfsburg Dynamit (World 87) - BruKing
Rushmore FC (World 59) - bert_fischer
St. Louis City (World 73) - cosborn

Group H
Southeast Indiana Football Club (World 87) - gccoach
Not Very United (World 85) - pubmonkey2
Bad News (World 92) - douglaslee
Bordeaux Fighting Bovines (World 92) - ttnorm

Group Tables and Results
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Group tables and results will be updated every evening around 7pm during the Group Stage of the tournament. Individual game results show the home team always to the LEFT of the bracketed score. Table abbreviations key: GoalF = goals for, GoalA = goals against, GoalD = goal differential, AwayG = away goals, (F) = team has forfeited point(s) due to failure to schedule, Blue Highlighting = qualified for the next round, (#) Knockout Seed.
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GROUP A - all games complete	Wins	Loss	Ties	GoalF	GoalA	GoalD	AwayG	Stage Points
Club de Fútbol Deportivo Cotopaxi (2)................	5	1	0	23	14	+9	7	15
Merchiston FC (9)	4	2	0	18	10	+8	13	12
Kobelco United Football Club	2	4	0	14	18	-4	5	6
Osztrák-Magyar Monarchia Foci Klub	1	5	0	8	21	-13	2	3

Merchiston FC [3 : 0] Kobelco United Football Club; Merchiston FC [1 : 0] Osztrák-Magyar Monarchia Foci Klub; Osztrák-Magyar Monarchia Foci Klub [0 : 7] Merchiston FC; Kobelco United Football Club [2 : 1] Osztrák-Magyar Monarchia Foci Klub; Kobelco United Football Club [3 : 4] Merchiston FC; Osztrák-Magyar Monarchia Foci Klub [3 : 2] Kobelco United Football Club; Club de Fútbol Deportivo Cotopaxi [4 : 3] Kobelco United Football Club; Kobelco United Football Club [4 : 3] Club de Fútbol Deportivo Cotopaxi; Club de Fútbol Deportivo Cotopaxi [4 : 1] Osztrák-Magyar Monarchia Foci Klub; Osztrák-Magyar Monarchia Foci Klub [3 : 5] Club de Fútbol Deportivo Cotopaxi; Merchiston FC [1 : 4] Club de Fútbol Deportivo Cotopaxi; Club de Fútbol Deportivo Cotopaxi [3 : 2] Merchiston FC
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GROUP B - all games complete	Wins	Loss	Ties	GoalF	GoalA	GoalD	AwayG	Stage Points
FC Stolpen Steamroller (4)	4	1	1	17	12	+5	8	13
Fianna AFC (11)	4	2	0	14	9	+5	5	12
FC Edinburgh Bullet Birds....................................	3	3	0	21	18	+3	13	9
Brighton AFC	0	5	1	9	22	-13	5	1

FC Stolpen Steamroller [1 : 1] Brighton AFC; FC Edinburgh Bullet Birds [5 : 2] Brighton AFC; FC Edinburgh Bullet Birds [2 : 4] FC Stolpen Steamroller; Brighton AFC [3 : 7] FC Edinburgh Bullet Birds; Brighton AFC [1 : 2] FC Stolpen Steamroller; FC Stolpen Steamroller [6 : 4] FC Edinburgh Bullet Birds; Brighton AFC [0 : 4] Fianna AFC; FC Edinburgh Bullet Birds [1 : 0] Fianna AFC; Fianna AFC [3 : 2] FC Stolpen Steamroller; FC Stolpen Steamroller [2 : 1] Fianna AFC; Fianna AFC [3 : 2] FC Edinburgh Bullet Birds; Fianna AFC [3 : 2] Brighton AFC
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GROUP C - all games complete	Wins	Loss	Ties	GoalF	GoalA	GoalD	AwayG	Stage Points
SwampDragons United (1)	5	0	1	21	7	+14	7	16
FC Trojans of SC (10)	4	2	0	16	11	+5	8	12
Kiki United	2	4	0	13	16	-3	8	6
Der Kaiserlich-Österreichische Hodensack........	0	5	1	6	22	-16	2	1

SwampDragons United [5 : 1] Der Kaiserlich-Österreichische Hodensack; Kiki United [1 : 2] FC Trojans of SC; Kiki United [4 : 2] Der Kaiserlich-Österreichische Hodensack; FC Trojans of SC [3 : 2] Kiki United; FC Trojans of SC [3 : 0] Der Kaiserlich-Österreichische Hodensack; SwampDragons United [5 : 1] Kiki United; Kiki United [0 : 3] SwampDragons United; Der Kaiserlich-Österreichische Hodensack [1 : 4] FC Trojans of SC; SwampDragons United [4 : 2] FC Trojans of SC; Der Kaiserlich-Österreichische Hodensack [1 : 5] Kiki United; Der Kaiserlich-Österreichische Hodensack [1 : 1] SwampDragons United; FC Trojans of SC [2 : 3] SwampDragons United;
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GROUP D - all games complete	Wins	Loss	Ties	GoalF	GoalA	GoalD	AwayG	Stage Points
VB Hibernian (6)	4	1	1	12	8	+4	3	13
FC Gimli Vikings (15)	3	2	1	14	13	+1	7	10
FC Kingston	1	2	3	9	11	-2	7	6
the crutchanators of soccer.................................	0	3	3	11	14	-3	9	3

the crutchanators of soccer [0 : 1] VB Hibernian; VB Hibernian [3 : 2] FC Gimli Vikings; the crutchanators of soccer [3 : 3] FC Kingston; FC Kingston [0 : 0] the crutchanators of soccer; the crutchanators of soccer [3 : 4] FC Gimli Vikings; VB Hibernian [3 : 2] the crutchanators of soccer; FC Gimli Vikings [2 : 1] FC Kingston; FC Gimli Vikings [0 : 2] VB Hibernian; FC Gimli Vikings [3 : 3] the crutchanators of soccer; VB Hibernian [3 : 3] FC Kingston; FC Kingston [1 : 3] FC Gimli Vikings; FC Kingston [1 : 0] VB Hibernian;
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GROUP E - all games complete	Wins	Loss	Ties	GoalF	GoalA	GoalD	AwayG	Stage Points
Bolton Wanderers (8)	4	2	0	18	11	+7	9	12
Neuschwanstein Swans (16)................................	3	3	0	12	13	-1	7	9
FC Cackalacky	2	3	1	15	16	-1	6	7
Metropolitan Eagles	2	3	1	10	15	-5	7	7

Metropolitan Eagles [1 : 4] Bolton Wanderers; Metropolitan Eagles [2 : 1] FC Cackalacky; Bolton Wanderers [2 : 0] Neuschwanstein Swans; Neuschwanstein Swans [0 : 4] Bolton Wanderers; Bolton Wanderers [2 : 3] Metropolitan Eagles; FC Cackalacky [2 : 2] Metropolitan Eagles; Metropolitan Eagles [0 : 3] Neuschwanstein Swans; Bolton Wanderers [5 : 2] FC Cackalacky; Neuschwanstein Swans [3 : 2] Metropolitan Eagles; FC Cackalacky [5 : 1] Bolton Wanderers; FC Cackalacky [2 : 4] Neuschwanstein Swans; Neuschwanstein Swans [2 : 3] FC Cackalacky;
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GROUP F - all games complete	Wins	Loss	Ties	GoalF	GoalA	GoalD	AwayG	Stage Points
FC Not Very Athletic (7)	4	1	1	7	4	+3	4	13
Swamp City Dragons (13)	3	2	1	16	11	+5	6	10
North Polar Dragons FC.......................................	3	2	1	12	12	0	5	10
Slough FC	0	5	1	5	13	-8	1	1

Slough FC [1 : 3] Swamp City Dragons; North Polar Dragons FC [1 : 0] Slough FC; North Polar Dragons FC [3 : 3] Swamp City Dragons; Swamp City Dragons [6 : 2] North Polar Dragons FC; Swamp City Dragons [0 : 3] FC Not Very Athletic; North Polar Dragons FC [3 : 0] FC Not Very Athletic; FC Not Very Athletic [1 : 0] Slough FC; Swamp City Dragons [4 : 1] Slough FC; FC Not Very Athletic [1 : 0] North Polar Dragons FC; Slough FC [2 : 3] North Polar Dragons FC; Slough FC [1 : 1] FC Not Very Athletic; FC Not Very Athletic [1 : 0] Swamp City Dragons
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GROUP G - all games complete	Wins	Loss	Ties	GoalF	GoalA	GoalD	AwayG	Stage Points
Wolfsburg Dynamit (5)	4	1	1	17	12	+5	5	13
Fußball-Club Köln 01/07 e. V. (12)........................	3	1	2	18	11	+7	10	11
Rushmore FC	1	2	3	8	14	-6	6	5
St. Louis City	0	3	3	8	14	-6	2	3

Rushmore FC [1 : 0] St. Louis City; St. Louis City [2 : 3] Fußball-Club Köln 01/07 e. V.; Rushmore FC [1 : 2] Wolfsburg Dynamit; St. Louis City [2 : 2] Wolfsburg Dynamit; Rushmore FC [0 : 4] Fußball-Club Köln 01/07 e. V.; Wolfsburg Dynamit [4 : 3] Fußball-Club Köln 01/07 e. V.; St. Louis City [2 : 2] Rushmore FC; Wolfsburg Dynamit [4 : 0] St. Louis City; Fußball-Club Köln 01/07 e. V. [2 : 2] Rushmore FC; Fußball-Club Köln 01/07 e. V. [4 : 1] Wolfsburg Dynamit; Wolfsburg Dynamit [4 : 2] Rushmore FC; Fußball-Club Köln 01/07 e. V. [2 : 2] St. Louis City
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GROUP H - all games complete	Wins	Loss	Ties	GoalF	GoalA	GoalD	AwayG	Stage Points
Bordeaux Fighting Bovines (3)	5	1	0	13	8	+5	5	15
Southeast Indiana Football Club (14)..................	3	2	1	12	9	+3	4	10
Bad News	2	3	1	17	16	+1	9	7
Not Very United	1	5	0	8	17	-9	4	3

Bad News [1 : 2] Southeast Indiana Football Club; Bordeaux Fighting Bovines [3 : 2] Bad News; Southeast Indiana Football Club [1 : 0] Bordeaux Fighting Bovines; Southeast Indiana Football Club [4 : 4] Bad News; Southeast Indiana Football Club [3 : 0] Not Very United; Bad News [2 : 3] Bordeaux Fighting Bovines; Bordeaux Fighting Bovines [3 : 2] Not Very United; Bordeaux Fighting Bovines [2 : 1] Southeast Indiana Football Club; Bad News [2 : 3] Not Very United; Not Very United [2 : 1] Southeast Indiana Football Club; Not Very United [0 : 2] Bordeaux Fighting Bovines; Not Very United [2 : 3] Bad News

Knockout Results

The Knockout Rounds will consist of the First Round, Quarterfinals, Semifinals and a 3rd Place game if both teams are willing to participate. Results are updated after the 7:00 pm game each night. Individual game results show the home team always to the LEFT of the bracketed score. Teams that forfeit a game due to a failure to schedule cannot advance. A full explanation as to tiebreakers can be found in the Tournament Format and Rules post above. Numbers in bold between team names represent aggregate goals. Abbreviations key if necessary: (F) = team has forfeited round due to a failure to schedule. Blue Highlighting = advanced in the knockout rounds. Thru 3/29
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Championship Results
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The Championship will be updated after 7pm each night. Individual game results show the home team always to the LEFT of the bracketed score. Numbers in bold between the team names represent aggregate goals. There are no seeds and there is no time frame for the Championship. If an aggregate tie occurs, the home side for the first tiebreaker game will be decided by a coin flip and we will continue alternating home fields until a Champion is crowned. .

Bums Bracket Results

The Bums Bracket will consist of the Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Finals. Results are updated after the 7:00 pm game each night. Individual game results show the home team always to the LEFT of the bracketed score. Teams that forfeit a game due to a failure to schedule cannot advance. Numbers in bold between team names represent aggregate goals. Abbreviations key if necessary: (F) = team has forfeited round due to a failure to schedule. Blue Highlighting = advanced in the knockout rounds.
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Championship Extra Game Coin Flip (if necessary)
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The coin flip for the first sudden death game in the Championship was done this afternoon, with Club de Fútbol Deportivo Cotopaxi being heads (the bust of Constantius II, son of Constantine The Great) and Merchiston FC being tails (Roman wreath surrounding the year of minting.) The results were as follows:
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You flipped 10 coins of type Constatius II - Silver Siliqua - Roman Empire:

Timestamp: 2025-03-25 19:29:55 UTC
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Tails won 7-3, so Merchiston will host the first sudden death game.
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Bums Bracket Finals Extra Game Coin Flip (if necessary)

3rd Place Home Game Coin Flip
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The coin flip for the 3rd Place home game was done this afternoon, with Swamp City Dragons being heads (Raphaël's drawing of Dante Alighieri) and VB Hibernian being tails (2 Euro with map of Europe.) The results were as follows:
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You flipped 10 coins of type Italian €2:

Timestamp: 2025-03-25 19:39:40 UTC
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Heads won 6-4, so the Dragons will host the 3rd Place game.

Club de Fútbol Deportivo Cotopaxi and indiansrck27, your title defense and bid to be not only a repeat Champion but the Cup's first three-time Champion starts now!

Everyone can schedule at your convenience. You'll play a home and away against each opponent, so you'll be sending and receiving a challenge with each team in your group for a total of six games.. The time frame for Group Stage games is February 2nd thru February 15th. Remember, games must be scheduled by the 15th, not necessarily played by the 15th.

Spread your outgoing challenges out. Slot 10 is as good as Slot 1. If everybody uses the first three slots, there will be a traffic jam. So, here's the rule of thumb I suggest - If you receive an incoming challenge in the same slot you have sent an outgoing challenge, please accept the incoming challenge and re-issue your own challenge that was in that slot. If you receive multiple incoming challenges in the same slot, choose one ASAP. Choosing one quickly gives the team you did not select as much time as possible to issue a new challenge to you.

I have verified that each User ID and team name is spelled correctly. You can copy/paste the user ID or team name from the participating teams list. While a lot of teams have similar names (there are a lot of dragons,) every ID is unique. Sometimes the program adds an extra space to the beginning or end of a user ID or team name. Remove the extra space for your search to work.

OK, everyone. It's time to lace up your cleats and enter the arena. Best of luck and show no mercy - goal differential is a tiebreaker. 16 survive the round-robin to continue the fight in their bid for the Ultimate Prize.

The mass mailer announcing that the tournament is underway was just sent. It's time to lace up those cleats and get down to business.

Just like that all games scheduled for FC Cackalacky! Thanks again for hosting this tournament!

Just did the initial sweep of scheduled games and there are 41 out of the 96 on the docket to this point. There are always delays since some worlds are ending and others are beginning. So, if we need to extend the Group Stage by a day or two to accomodate, no big deal.

However, as far as actual game action is concerned, the opening contest for Cup XVI is tonight out of Group H, when Bad News hosts Southeast Indiana Football Club, followed on the 5th with Metropolitan Eagles and Bolton Wanderers locking horns out of Group E.

Keep sending out those challenges and I'll post tonight's game summary just past 7pm Central.

All of the speculation about whether you were given a good or bad draw can now take a back seat as we are underway in FC Dynasty Cup XVI. Group H and Bad News hosted the opening game of the tournament this evening as 31,458 French soccer fans hoping to see Kylian Mbappé, who was in attendance, came away disappointed with what the night had in store as the team from the Hoosier State had other plans. Dominating the game from the opening whistle, Southeast Indiana Football Club pushed the French team around the pitch and only a solid defensive line and excellent goaltending kept the game close.

Indiana, after seeing several shots with promise denied by goalie Braxton Magee, finally drew first blood as Fabian Waldgrave dropped a perfect corner cross onto the head of Meldrick Ballett, who powered the ball through the hands of Magee and into the goal to make the score 1-0 Indiana at halftime. After the break, Waldgrave wowed the crowed after he lined up a free kick in the 59th minute and sent in another beauty...but this time he ran underneath his own crossing pass to score off of his own assist...making Mbappé shake his head when the camera did a close-up afterward. It proved to be the game winner as Bad News erased the goose egg in the 72nd minute on a nice piece of individual skill after Moncef Dieuze beat his mark at the edge of the penalty box and ripped a winner past Indiana goalie Patrick Borgman. The 2-1 margin would hold to the end as the road team grabbed all three points and the French fans grabbed an order of fried snails to go.

One game tomorrow and then we start getting into some busy Group Stage days.