ZeekLTK's PES Challenge League

[ZeekLTK]

Week 3: Team 7 vs. Team 12

Team 12 marched into this match looking to remain perfect on the season, while Team 7 were trying to recover after a blowout loss to Team 1 last week.

1. Brazil vs. Ghana

Brazil handled their weekly threat from Mozambique with gusto, pulling out a convincing 2-0 victory to retain the top spot for the third week in a row. Ghana, on the other hand, were very shaky in their crown defense against Spain, but did manage to eek out a 2-2 draw that secured their position as well.

Brazil had beaten Argentina 3-0 to kick off the season, but suffered a fairly embarrassing result last week against South Korea in the form of a 2-2 draw. Ghana were still trying to shake off their loss to Uruguay too, so it was shaping up to be an interesting match with both teams seeking redemption. As such, the match started out very fast, with both teams looking to take an early lead. This lead to plenty of chances early, many within the opening ten minutes, but no one managed an early break through.

It started to get a bit rough with both Essien and Mancini picking up yellow cards in the 13th minute. Mancini had started to become a problem for Ghana, and he caused a great deal of panic in the 27th minute when he broke through the backline, but luckily the Ghanaian keeper was able to make a difficult save to keep the game scoreless. Ghana stopped to catch their breath too early though, because Mancini promptly scored off a corner kick just two minutes after that incident to finally put Brazil in front.

Brazil extended their advantage after a nice bit of passing put Pato through, and he easily beat the keeper to double the lead in the 39th minute. The Brazilians had just taken over the game after that initial flurry at the start of the game, and had outshot Ghana 10-4 by half time.

There was more tension in the second half, which lead to more bookings. Narry and Kaka each went into the referee's book this time around, and then a bit of luck came for Ghana in the 65th minute when Pato received a straight red card! Brazil complained that it was an overly harsh decision and that the ref was just trying to send a message to "calm down" at their expense. However, it didn't seem like Ghana was going to be able to take advantage of having an extra man. They were struggling to even get throw ins right and were constantly turning the ball over. Then Owusu Abeyie went down injured shortly after just coming into the game as a sub!

It took until about the 85th minute before Ghana started to take advantage of the situation. But even then, Gyan Asamoah missed a wide open shot inside the 6 yard box. Despite the miss, Ghana kept pressing forward and finally Appiah broke through in stoppage time to give his side a sliver of hope. That sliver was quickly pulled out when Brazil marched right down the field on the ensuing kickoff and scored again before Ghana could even touch the ball again. Actually, the keeper did get a hand on Kaka's shot, but it was too powerful to stop and eventually trickled over the line.

The insanity continued when Ghana restarted quickly. Gyan Asamoah atoned for his earlier miss by firing in a great shot from the top of the box which beat the keeper to pull Ghana back to within one goal, now down 3-2! The action had all come too late, and despite the two stoppage time goals, Ghana had failed to mount a successful comeback, so Brazil held on to win.

Brazil 3 - 2 Ghana [Mancini, Pato, Kaka; Appiah, Gyan Asamoah]


2. Mozambique vs. Spain

Mozambique held off Hungary twice, by scores of 3-0 and 1-0, but were not able to threaten Brazil, falling 0-2 to retain the #2 position this week. Spain were upset to have fallen to #3 and fought back, beating Sweden 1-0 to earn another shot at taking the top spot, but just missed taking the throne in a 2-2 draw against Ghana. Another victory over Sweden secured the 2nd position for this week at least.

Now, Mozambique are a very good squad. There is a reason they are constantly playing #2 on their roster, and they feature two of the best strikers in the game (even if it is probably unfair that they have either of them on the team). But the European and Confederations Cup champions were dialed in and focused on sending a message. And even Mozambique's legendary players were no match for the big red machine coming at them. David Villa lead the charge, scoring one, two, three, yes FOUR goals. Torres and Xavi each made their mark as well and when the dust had settled Spain had posted the biggest league victory of the season, overtaking Ghana's 6-1 result against Serbia from Week 1. Now the question will be whether Spain can overtake Ghana's top position in the coming week as well.

Mozambique 0 - 6 Spain [Villa x4, Torres, Xavi]


3. Hungary vs. Sweden

Hungary were not able to overcome Mozambique this week, losing twice to the powerful contingent of legendary African players, but they did continue to be a thorn in Mexico's side as they held the Mexicans to a 1-1 draw, which was all that was required to stay ahead of their new rivals. Sweden were hoping to reclaim the throne from Ghana this week, but that dream was dashed by an early loss to Spain. The Swedes recovered the beat Paraguay, but then were not able to beat Spain in the rematch.

Drawn into the same qualification group on two separate occasions, it is a bit surprising that the historical series between these two is lead by Hungary. In World Cup III they played out two draws and both finished at the bottom of the group. In World Cup V, Hungary managed a pair of 1-0 wins against the Swedes, which propelled them into the World Cup as group runners up, leaving Sweden out, despite being just 3 points back.

Sweden 1 - 1 Hungary (World Cup III Qualifying)
Hungary 0 - 0 Sweden (World Cup III Qualifying)
Sweden 0 - 1 Hungary (World Cup V Qualifying)
Hungary 1 - 0 Sweden (World Cup V Qualifying)

It has been a long time since that tournament, and Sweden has waited patiently to extract their revenge. Rasmus Elm, Nilsson, and of course, Ibrahimovic, all broke through the Hungarian defense as Sweden defeated Hungary for the first time in five attempts.

Hungary 0 - 3 Sweden [Rasmus Elm, Ibrahimovic, Nilsson]


4. Mexico vs. Paraguay

Mexico finally got over the hump and beat Costa Rica for the first time this season to finally climb back up to the #4 position. Hungary thwarted their attempt to go any higher with a 1-1 draw, and then Mexico barely held the spot with another 1-1 draw against Costa Rica, but that was the bare minimum that they needed. Paraguay had a similar week, in that they faced a rival twice, drawing and then beating Switzerland, but also failed to move up due to a loss to Sweden.

Both sides were technically in 3-5-2 formations for this meeting, but Paraguay were really running a 3-2-3-2 formation, while Mexico decided to try out an interesting 3-1-2-2-2. The two sides were in unfamiliar formations and were up against unfamiliar formations, so they both struggled to get anything going in the first half. Mexico started to look like the better side by creating more chances, but they weren't getting the final shot off, so they weren't really threatening to score. By half time there had been just 6 shots total, 5 from Mexico and just 1 from Paraguay.

Fans waited patiently until the 81st minute for the break through. Omar Bravo was subbed into the game and used his fresh legs to beat the tired Paraguayan defense. Once reaching the box, he cut back and picked out A. Guardado to head in the late winner! Bravo almost scored a goal on his own a little later, but was denied thanks to a great save from the keeper. Nevertheless, Mexico held on to the win, an important win for both their confidence and their team, as the overall league meet now stands at 2-2.

Mexico 1 - 0 Paraguay [A. Guardado]


5. Costa Rica vs. Switzerland

When Costa Rica finally lost to Mexico, it was in spectacular fashion, a crushing 4-1 defeat. Thankfully, the Ticos were able to recover from such a drubbing and they managed to beat Burkina Faso in the following match. A rematch with Mexico produced a better result, but not quite the one that was needed, as a 1-1 draw left Mexico ahead and Costa Rica in 5th. Switzerland held firm at this position all week, drawing Paraguay, beating Peru, and then losing to Paraguay to close out the week.

Saborio gave Costa Rica an early lead, but the Swiss firepower provided by Frei and N'kufo was too much to withstand and eventually Switzerland ran out as 3-1 winners to put Team 12 back in front of this very tight league meeting.

Costa Rica 1 - 3 Switzerland [Saborio; Frei, N'kufo x2]


6. Burkina Faso vs. Confederacy

Burkina Faso held off challenges from both Austria and Oman, but were unable to defeat Costa Rica in this week's challenge matches, which meant that they held the #6 position. The Confederate States did not hold their position, but rather they improved on it. An opening draw against Latvia was followed with two straight victories, over El Salvador and then Peru to jump to the #6 position.

The newest member of the team had the biggest impact of the match, as Graham Zusi scored the Rebel's opening goal. Kabore found an equalizer for the Burkinabe and that scoreline held until the final whistle to mark the first draw of this league meet, leaving Team 12 still ahead overall.

Burkina Faso 1 - 1 Confederacy [Kabore; Zusi]


7. Oman vs. Peru

Oman earned their first victory of the season when they knocked off Austria in the mid-week match to claim the #7 position on the roster. Even a defeat against Burkina Faso could not spoil their enthusiasm as they marched on into their first league match above the 8th position. Peru were not as jubilant, having lost to both Switzerland and the Confederate States to fall into this slot.

The Peruvians were anxious about the prospect of losing to minnows Oman and used the potential humiliation as a rallying cry. The tactic worked, as De La Haza wound up being the only goal scorer of the match, giving Peru the much needed victory, and clinching the overall team win for Team 12!

Oman 0 - 1 Peru [De La Haza]


8. Austria vs. El Salvador

Austria failed to jump Burkina Faso to start the week and that proved to have disastrous consequences as the side then lost in Vienna to lowly Oman, forcing them to take up the #8 position this week. Joining them for the league meet would be El Salvador, who had drawn Peru but then lost to the Confederacy to fall into the weekly elimination game. It was there that El Salvador managed to hold off Latvia with a 1-1 draw to remain on the roster for this week.

Austria were hoping to restore some pride with a home game against the Central Americans, but Rodolfo Zelaya spoiled that with his late equalizer that canceled out an earlier goal from Arnautovic, forcing the hosts to settle for a 1-1 draw instead.

Austria 1 - 1 El Salvador [Arnautovic; R. Zelaya]





Team 4 vs. Team 12
1. Brazil 3 - 2 Ghana
2. Mozambique 0 - 6 Spain
3. Hungary 0 - 3 Sweden
4. Mexico 1 - 0 Paraguay
5. Costa Rica 1 - 3 Switzerland
6. Burkina Faso 1 - 1 Confederacy
7. Oman 0 - 1 Peru
8. Austria 1 - 1 El Salvador

Team 7 Wins: Brazil (1), Mexico (4)
Team 12 Wins: Spain (2), Sweden (3), Switzerland (5), Peru (7)

Team 12 Wins 4-2

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 3: Team 10 vs. Team 8

Two unbeaten teams squaring off in Week 3, Team 8 are on a two-game winning streak while Team 10 drew on opening week and then won last week to set up this surprising clash for a spot at the top of the league table.

1. England vs. Italy

Both England and Italy had a fairly easy week, with just one challenge match apiece. England dispatched the Turks 3-0 while Italy overcame Nigeria 2-0 to retain the top position on their respective teams. Both were coming off draws in last week's league match, as Italy were unable to subdue Morocco in a 1-1 draw, while England went to the wire with Norway, finishing at 2-2.

These sides have not met often in WEFA, with just one qualification campaign for World Cup VIII. Italy won 1-0 at home and then earned a 1-1 draw on the road to get the upper hand, though both easily qualified for the World Cup, well ahead of Bulgaria and Iceland.

Italy 1 - 0 England (World Cup VIII Qualifying)
England 1 - 1 Italy (World Cup VIII Qualifying)

Italy once again got the best of their English opposition. Di Natale opened the scoring and then Gattuso put the match out of reach, despite a late strike from Heskey to make the final minutes very tense and interesting.

England 1 - 2 Italy [Heskey; Di Natale, Gattuso]


2. Guinea vs. Nigeria

Guinea opened the week with a 3-3 draw against Turkey but then continued their climb with a pair of 1-0 victories over both Russia and Turkey to capture the #2 position. Nigeria has played as #1 and #3 in the previous weeks, but wound up at #2 this week after beating Finland, losing to Italy, and then holding the Finns to a draw to close out the week.

These teams are not unfamiliar with each other, as they have met in three World Cup qualifying campaigns, and recently met in African Cup II qualifying. Guinea shutout Nigeria twice and earned a pair of wins against them in World Cup IV qualifying, but that didn't prevent Nigeria from topping the group and qualifying. Guinea finished third and did not make it to the World Cup. In the next campaign, Guinea held Nigeria to a draw to kick off the tournament, but then lost 1-0 to Nigeria in a vital matchup that decided who would qualify. Nigeria ended up just one point ahead of Guinea in the standings, and once again qualified at their expense.

By World Cup VII, the sides were clearly heading opposite directions. Nigeria won both meetings and won the group to qualify yet again. Guinea did not fare very well, and finished last place without a victory. Little had changed by the time African Cup II qualifying rolled around. Nigeria continued to blast Guinea, winning by scores of 3-1 and 4-0 to once again qualify instead of Guinea. Nigeria went on to win the tournament too!

Guinea 2 - 0 Nigeria (World Cup IV Qualifying)
Nigeria 0 - 1 Guinea (World Cup IV Qualifying)
Guinea 1 - 1 Nigeria (World Cup V Qualifying)
Nigeria 2 - 0 Guinea (World Cup V Qualifying)
Guinea 0 - 2 Nigeria (World Cup VII Qualifying)
Nigeria 2 - 0 Guinea (World Cup VII Qualifying)
Guinea 1 - 3 Nigeria (African Cup II Qualifying)
Nigeria 4 - 0 Guinea (African Cup II Qualifying)

So the series stands at 5 wins for Nigeria, 2 wins for Guinea, and 1 draw, with Nigeria having won five in a row. Guinea was hoping to reverse that trend, but A. Keita's header hit the post and then he was booked for being too aggressive in trying to win the ball back. That sparked our side briefly, and we took advantage of some poor defending when Nigeria left K. Cisse onside and he promptly scored to give us an early lead, just fifteen minutes into the match.

The goal served as a wake up call to the Nigerians, and they played much better for the rest of the half. Constantly threatening to score an equalizer, they finally broke through in stoppage time. After the initial attack was barely cleared away, Utaka headed in the corner kick to end both that spell of possession and the first half.

Mansare had a golden chance to put Guinea back in front at the start of the second half, but he pushed his shot too far wide while trying to beat the keeper. K. Uche repaid the favor by blasting an open shot wide shortly after. Nigeria won a corner kick a few minutes later and that spelled more trouble for Guinea. This time it was an unfortunate own goal, as the ball came off Kalabane and wound up crossing the goalline. Guinea protested, claiming that Kalabane was pushed into the ball by K. Uche, but the referee hadn't seen anything and allowed the goal to stand, Nigeria were in the lead with just a half hour to go.

While Guinea were still upset about the own goal, Nigeria took advantage. Just six minutes after the last goal, Yobo dribbled right down the middle of the field and forced his way through the defense, firing in a powerful shot to double the lead. It was all falling apart for Guinea. For the rest of the match, Guinea desperately tried to get back into the game, but they were completely outclassed by Nigeria's midfield. Guinea were unable to string together passes, dribble, tackle, or generally do anything that might be required to score 2-3 goals. Nigeria wound up outshooting them 15-8 on the night, a big jump from the 7-5 half time lead, and held 56% possession as well. Guinea's manager remarked that they might be a bit out of depth playing at #2, but that they would work to figure out a way to hold the position and be competitive there.

Guinea 1 - 3 Nigeria [K. Cisse; Utaka, Kalabane OG, Yobo]


3. Turkey vs. Finland

Turkey wound up playing as #3 after a winless week in team play. A draw to Guinea was the best result of the week, as the Turks then lost to both England and Guinea to fall to the #3 position. Finland had perhaps punched above their weight to climb to #2 last week, and fell back down after losing to Nigeria. The team managed two draws to close out the week, against Belgium and Nigeria, to keep their morale up heading into the tough league match.

This is a relatively new rivalry, as Turkey and Finland had never met during the first seven World Cups, but then have been opponents in each of the last two. The sides split their games in World Cup VIII qualifying, and wound up tied for first place in the group with 12 points each. Turkey were ahead on goal difference, so they qualified directly to the World Cup. Finland had to go to the playoffs and missed out after losing on aggregate to the Netherlands. In the next qualifying cycle, Finland actually got the edge with a draw and a win over Turkey, but they struggled against the rest of the group and finished a point behind the Turks. Turkey ultimately qualified to that World Cup as well.

Turkey 3 - 0 Finland (World Cup VIII Qualifying)
Finland 1 - 0 Turkey (World Cup VIII Qualifying)
Turkey 1 - 1 Finland (World Cup IX Qualifying)
Finland 1 - 0 Turkey (World Cup IX Qualifying)

This was a golden chance for Turkey to even the series at 2 wins apiece, and they capitalized on that opportunity. Nihat, Arda Turan, and Semih all found their way through the Finnish defense, while only Pasanen could supply a score for Finland. The 3-1 victory puts Turkey level in the series against Finland, and gives Team 10 a vital win in this league match after losing the first two games.

Turkey 3 - 1 Finland [Nihat, Arda Turan, Semih; Pasanen]


4. Russia vs. Belgium

Russia beat off Zambia's challenges twice this week, but were unable to knock off Guinea, to hold the #4 position. Belgium also held firm with a win over Bosnia-Herzegovina and then a draw against Finland, and another draw against Bosnia.

This meeting will be the sixth encounter between these sides. Belgium won the first two games, in qualifying campaigns for World Cups II and VI. Since then, there have been two draws and a lone Russian win during Euro Cup I qualifying, a tournament in which neither side advanced to the finals.

Russia 0 - 3 Belgium (World Cup II Qualifying)
Russia 0 - 1 Belgium (World Cup VI Qualifying)
Belgium 1 - 1 Russia (World Cup VI Qualifying)
Russia 2 - 1 Belgium (Euro Cup I Qualifying)
Belgium 2 - 2 Russia (Euro Cup I Qualifying)

Belgium were slight favorites heading into the game, and did just enough to earn that status. The defense smothered Russia's attack and then Simons found the break through for the win to put Team 8 ahead 3-1 overall, and give Belgium a similar lead in this series.

Russia 0 - 1 Belgium [Simons]


5. Zambia vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina

Zambia lost twice to Russia, but defeated Wales to hold the #5 position. Bosnia-Herzegovina has been at #5 all season so far, and they did not move this week either, losing to Belgium but then playing out draws against Cape Verde and Belgium to keep their spot.

This match proved to be better than expected, with a flurry of goals coming from both directions. Sinkala and Bwalya each netted for Zambia, but Dzeko, Muratovic, and Misimovic all scored for Bosnia, giving the Eastern Europeans the 3-2 victory and putting Team 8 in a very favorable position to win this league meet.

Zambia 2 - 3 Bosnia-Herzegovina [Sinkala, Bwalya; Dzeko, Muratovic, Misimovic]


6. Wales vs. Belarus

Wales held off Lithuania and Iraq with a pair of draws, but were unable to defeat Zambia, which left them at #6 this week. Belarus had missed playing in the league meet last week, but they ensured that wouldn't happen again as they defeated all of Curacao, United Arab Emirates, and then Cape Verde to jump to the #6 position!

Belarus are a fairly new WEFA team, so they have very little history so far. However, they did wind up playing Wales in Euro Cup qualification. The home side dominated in that tournament, with Wales winning 3-0 in Cardiff and then Belarus winning 2-0 in Minsk.

Wales 3 - 0 Belarus (Euro Cup I Qualifying)
Belarus 2 - 0 Wales (Euro Cup I Qualifying)

That trend continued here, as Wales were the home team and wound up winning thanks to a pair of goals from Craig Bellamy. Kulchiy managed to score the first away goal for either team in three games, but it wasn't enough as Wales win their third straight league match and keep Team 10 alive, now down 4-2 overall.

Wales 2 - 1 Belarus [Bellamy x2; Kulchiy]


7. Iraq vs. Cape Verde

Iraq held off Canada with a 1-1 draw and then upset Lithuania 1-0 to stay on the league roster this week. The side nearly upset Wales to take 6th, but settled for a 2-2 draw and #7 instead. Cape Verde seemed to be on the rise after a 4-0 win over UAE kick started the week, but their momentum died off after a 1-1 draw to Bosnia and then a 0-2 loss to Belarus dropped them back into this position.

Iraq seemed to be in better form, but Cape Verde had more skill. In the end, it all evened out when Emad Mohammed and Furtado traded goals and the match ended 1-1. This was huge for Team 8, as it clinched overall victory for this league meet.

Iraq 1 - 1 Cape Verde [Emad Mohammed; Furtado]


8. Lithuania vs. United Arab Emirates

Lithuania tied Wales and then lost to Iraq to fall into the "elimination game", but they overcame Canada 1-0 to stay on the league roster. United Arab Emirates, on the other hand, were the biggest surprise of Week 2, having climbed all the way up to #6 and then they won their league match over Iran to boot. That surge didn't last, and the Emirates came crashing back down this week. A 4-0 loss to Cape Verde set the tone of the week, and that was followed with a 2-0 loss to Belarus. They still hadn't managed to score a goal in the "elimination game" against Curacao, but the defense at least held out for a 0-0 scoreline to stay at #8.

UAE's scoring struggles continued, as they were blanked for the fourth game in a row by Lithuania. Meanwhile, Skerla scored to give the Baltic nation a nice victory to add to their resume.

Lithuania 1 - 0 United Arab Emirates [Skerla]





Team 10 vs. Team 8
1. England 1 - 2 Italy
2. Guinea 1 - 3 Nigeria
3. Turkey 3 - 1 Finland
4. Russia 0 - 1 Belgium
5. Zambia 2 - 3 Bosnia-Herzegovina
6. Wales 2 - 1 Belarus
7. Iraq 1 - 1 Cape Verde
8. Lithuania 1 - 0 United Arab Emirates

Team 10 Wins: Turkey (3), Wales (6), Lithuania (8)
Team 8 Wins: Italy (1), Nigeria (2), Belgium (4), Bosnia-Herzegovina (5)

Team 8 Wins 4-3

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 3: Team 9 vs. Team 11

Two winless teams each hope to find a victory in this Week 3 matchup against each other.

1. Cote d'Ivoire vs. France

Cote d'Ivoire held the top position thanks to a 1-0 win over Ukraine this week, while France came close to being knocked off in a 1-1 draw with Slovakia.

This sets up a nice semi-rivalry match, as these sides have met twice before in WEFA World Cups. The most memorable was Cote d'Ivoire's 1-0 victory in overtime of the championship match for World Cup III. This has been the only time that an African team has won the World Cup (through the first nine editions). France got revenge two tournaments later, beating Cote d'Ivoire 3-0 in the group stage of World Cup V.

Cote d'Ivoire 1 - 0 France (World Cup III Championship)
Cote d'Ivoire 0 - 3 France (World Cup V Group Stage)

France took the lead in the series with another victory, needing goals from both Lassana Diarra and Gourcuff to overcome an early strike by Yaya Toure and give France their first league victory of the season.

Cote d'Ivoire 1 - 2 France [Toure Yaya; Lassana Diarra, Gourcuff]


2. Croatia vs. United States

Croatia took a big beating to start the week, losing 4-0 to Ukraine, but then defeated Colombia and won the rematch against Ukraine by a 4-1 scoreline to take the position back. United States also lost their spot to start the week, falling 0-1 to Slovakia, but then defeated Panama and Slovakia 1-0 to move back up to #2.

Croatia defeated the United States 3-2 in the group stage of World Cup III, an important victory because Croatia wound up finishing as group runners up, just two points ahead of the USA. Goals had come from Roza, Prso (2), Donovan, and Adu in that meeting.

United States 2 - 3 Croatia (World Cup III Group Stage)

This encounter seemed to be going the same route as that World Cup meeting. Srna and Corluka provided the first two goals for Croatia, while Bocanegra and Donovan - this was Donovan's second goal in the series against Croatia - but this time there was no winner forthcoming, for either team, and the match ended 2-2.

Croatia 2 - 2 United States [Srna, Corluka; Bocanegra, Donovan]


3. Ukraine vs. Slovakia

Ukraine's big 4-0 victory over Croatia ensured that the worst they would finish the week would be 3rd. Unfortunately, after consecutive losses to both Cote d'Ivoire and Croatia, that is precisely where they finished. Slovakia took a nearly identical route, upsetting the United States to start the week, but then failing to win against France or in the rematch to the USA to drop back to #3.

Ukraine defeated Slovakia 1-0 in a vital qualifying match for World Cup II which forced Slovakia to finish in last place and gave Ukraine access to the playoffs as the third place team. Ukraine went on to beat Mexico in the playoffs and qualified to their first World Cup.

Ukraine 1 - 0 Slovakia (World Cup II Qualifying)

Shevchenko is not the dominant player that he used to be, but he proved that he's still a force to be considered as he lead Ukraine past Slovakia once again.

Ukraine 2 - 0 Slovakia [Shevchenko x2]


4. Colombia vs. Albania

Colombia beat Japan twice this week, but lost to Croatia, so they remain as the #4 team on their roster. Albania, on the other hand, defeated both Algeria and Panama to move up into this position.

Perhaps Albania would have fared better at their previous position though. Colombia proved to be too powerful, and goals from Perea and Falcao confirmed that. Duro scored for Albania, but his lone effort was not enough to get his side a positive result.

Colombia 2 - 1 Albania [Perea, Falcao; Duro]


5. Japan vs. Panama

Japan lost to Colombia twice, but held off Uzbekistan to keep their position, while Panama fell into the #5 spot after consecutive losses to the United States and Albania.

Despite being favored in this matchup, Panama's bad form continued and it ended up costing them. They were unable to muster any kind of attack and ultimately fell when Endo broke the deadlock to make this a very even league match, lifting Team 9 ahead in the league match as well.

Japan 1 - 0 Panama [Endo]


6. Angola vs. Algeria

Angola initially lost to Uzbekistan, but then blasted Estonia 4-0 and overcame Uzbekistan in the rematch to take the #6 spot this week. Algeria defeated South Africa to move up, but Albania stopped their climb with a swift 3-1 victory in the next match. Algeria held Scotland to a 1-1 draw in order to keep their new spot.

Surprisingly, these sides have never been drawn into the same qualifying group, so they have never met before in WEFA play. Angola used that to their advantage, surprising the Algerians with a barrage of crosses intended for their big front men. Eventually one found Manucho, and his goal decided the match, giving Angola the victory and sealing the win for Team 9, their first of the season!

Angola 1 - 0 Algeria [Manucho]


7. Uzbekistan vs. Scotland

Uzbekistan initially beat Angola to start the week, but then lost to Japan and then fell again in the rematch to lose their spot to Angola. Scotland, on the other hand, had a successful week. They beat Kuwait and then South Africa to move up, and then played Algeria to a draw as well.

This boded well for the Scots, as they came into this match slight underdogs, but used their good form to pull out a hard fought draw. Miller provided the brace needed to keep up with Uzbekistan's strikes from Kapadze and Djeparov to allow Scotland to avoid defeat.

Uzbekistan 2 - 2 Scotland [Kapadze, Djeparov; Miller x2]


8. Estonia vs. South Africa

Estonia had a difficult week, drawing Thailand and then getting blown out by Angola, but they finally picked up a win when they needed it the most, defeating Thailand in the "elimination game" to stay on the roster at #8 for the third week in a row. South Africa has been a complete mess this season, and this week was more evidence of that. The team that were battling France for #1 in Week 1 found themselves in an elimination game against Kuwait after losing to both Algeria and Scotland this week. Thankfully the Bafana-bafana turned things around to beat Kuwait, but they are extremely disappointed to find themselves playing at #8 this week.

South Africa made numerous roster changes after the loss to Scotland, which seems to have turned things around. Newly called up McCarty found the net against Estonia, as did Pienaar, which helped guide South Africa to victory, despite the goal from Lindpere.

Estonia 1 - 2 South Africa [Lindpere; Pienaar, McCarthy]





Team 9 vs. Team 11
1. Cote d'Ivoire 1 - 2 France
2. Croatia 2 - 2 United States
3. Ukraine 2 - 0 Slovakia
4. Colombia 2 - 1 Albania
5. Japan 1 - 0 Panama
6. Angola 1 - 0 Algeria
7. Uzbekistan 2 - 2 Scotland
8. Estonia 1 - 2 South Africa

Team 9 Wins: Ukraine (3), Colombia (4), Japan (5), Angola (6)
Team 11 Wins: France (1), South Africa (8)

Team 9 Wins 4-2

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 3: League Standings


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{tr}
{td}Team{/td}
{td=center|50x@}Won{/td}
{td=center|50x@}Lost{/td}
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{td} {/td}
{td}Games Won{/td}
{td}Games Lost{/td}
{td}Games Drawn{/td}
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{tr}
{td}Team 1{/td}
{td=center|50x@}3{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}17{/td}
{td=center}1{/td}
{td=center}6{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 12{/td}
{td=center|50x@}3{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
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{td=center}5{/td}
{td=center}7{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 8{/td}
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{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
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{td=center}7{/td}
{td=center}7{/td}
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{tr}
{td}Team 5{/td}
{td=center|50x@}2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}1{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}10{/td}
{td=center}5{/td}
{td=center}9{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 3{/td}
{td=center|50x@}2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}1{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}9{/td}
{td=center}8{/td}
{td=center}7{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 10{/td}
{td=center|50x@}1{/td}
{td=center|50x@}1{/td}
{td=center|50x@}1{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}10{/td}
{td=center}9{/td}
{td=center}5{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 4{/td}
{td=center|50x@}1{/td}
{td=center|50x@}2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}7{/td}
{td=center}8{/td}
{td=center}9{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 9{/td}
{td=center|50x@}1{/td}
{td=center|50x@}2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}7{/td}
{td=center}11{/td}
{td=center}6{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 7{/td}
{td=center|50x@}1{/td}
{td=center|50x@}2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}6{/td}
{td=center}11{/td}
{td=center}7{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center|50x@}2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}1{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}5{/td}
{td=center}9{/td}
{td=center}10{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 6{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center|50x@}3{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}6{/td}
{td=center}16{/td}
{td=center}2{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 11{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center|50x@}3{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}4{/td}
{td=center}13{/td}
{td=center}7{/td}
{/tr}
{/tbody}
[/xtable]


Top #1: Brazil (Team 7): 2-0-1 +4 GD
Top #2: Germany (Team 4): 2-0-1 +2 GD
Top #3: Ukraine (Team 9): 2-0-1 +5 GD
Top #4: Belgium (Team 8): 3-0-0 +4 GD
Top #5: Bosnia-Herzegovina (Team 8): 2-0-1 +2 GD
Top #6: Wales (Team 10): 2-0-0 +2 GD
Top #7: Iceland (Team 4): 1-0-1 +1 GD
Top #8: Tunisia (Team 5): 1-0-2 +3 GD

 

[ZeekLTK]

Post-Week 3: Quarterly Report

Bolivia
Team 1 is 3-0, currently in 1st place
Bolivia is currently #2 on the roster with a record of 1-0-2 in league matches and 7-1-3 in challenge matches
Has played 1 game at #2 and 2 games at #5 (6 needed to clinch position)
-Currently ranked 6th overall at #2 with a record of 1-0
-Currently ranked 13th overall at #5 with a record of 0-0-2

Norway
Team 4 is 1-2, currently in 7th place
Norway is currently #1 on the roster with a record of 0-1-2 in league matches and 3-0-2 in challenge matches
Has played 3 games at #1 (6 needed to clinch position)
-Currently ranked 10th overall at #1 with a record of 0-1-2

New Zealand
Team 5 is 2-1, currently in 4th place
New Zealand is currently #2 on the roster with a record of 1-0-2 in league matches and 9-1-1 in challenge matches
Has played 1 game at #2, 1 game at #3, and 1 game at #6 (6 needed to clinch position)
-Currently ranked 16th overall at #2 with a record of 0-0-1
-Currently ranked 12th overall at #3 with a record of 0-0-1
-Currently ranked 4th overall at #6 with a record of 1-0

Mexico
Team 7 is 1-2, currently in 9th place
Mexico is currently #4 on the roster with a record of 2-0-1 in league matches and 4-5-2 in challenge matches
Has played 2 games at #4 and 1 game at #5 (6 needed to clinch position)
-Currently ranked 3rd overall at #4 with a record of 2-0
-Currently ranked 14th overall at #5 with a record of 0-0-1

Guinea
Team 10 is 1-1-1, currently in 6th place
Guinea is currently #2 on the roster with a record of 1-2 in league matches and 7-1-3 in challenge matches
Has played 1 game at #2 and 2 games at #3 (6 needed to clinch position)
-Currently ranked 24th overall at #2 with a record of 0-1
-Currently ranked 10th overall at #3 with a record of 1-1

Ghana
Team 12 is 3-0, currently in 2nd place
Ghana is currently #1 on the roster with a record of 1-2 in league matches and 6-1-2 in challenge matches
Has played 2 games at #1 and 1 game at #5 (6 needed to clinch position)
-Currently ranked 17th overall at #1 with a record of 0-2
-Currently ranked 4th overall at #5 with a record of 1-0





*Let me know if there is a team you'd like to see an update on. For example, here is USA and CSA:

United States
Team 11 is 0-3, currently in 12th place
United States is currently #2 on the roster with a record of 0-1-2 in league matches and 5-4-2 in challenge matches
Has played 3 games at #2 (6 needed to clinch position)
-Currently ranked 12th overall at #2 with a record of 0-1-2

Confederate States
Team 12 is 3-0, currently in 2nd place
Confederacy is currently #6 on the roster with a record of 1-0-2 in league matches and 6-3-2 in challenge matches
Has played 1 game at #6, 1 game at #7, and 1 game at #8 (6 needed to clinch position)
-Currently ranked 15th overall at #6 with a record of 0-0-1
-Currently ranked 21st overall at #7 with a record of 0-0-1
-Currently ranked 6th overall at #8 with a record of 1-0

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 4: Bolivia (Team 1)

Team 1 won for the third week in a row, and are now in a three-way tie for first place with Teams 8 and 12. Bolivia is flying high after moving up to the #2 position and earning their first win in league play this season. Hoping to keep it up this week, though we have a daunting task of facing the Netherlands now that we're in position to challenge for the top spot!

Latest Lineup
1. Netherlands
2. Bolivia
3. South Korea
4. Senegal
5. Ireland
6. Bulgaria
7. Rio de Janeiro
8. Congo DR
9. Qatar

The schedule works out favorably for us this week, with only one 2v3 matchup, it means that even if we aren't able to overtake the Netherlands, we have a good chance of staying at #2, needing just one draw to hold the spot for the whole week.



Challenge Match 12: #1 Netherlands (5-1) vs. #2 Bolivia (7-1-3)

It was always going to be a daunting task to face the Netherlands, but they made it a little easier on us by playing some backups. The most notable absence from the lineup was Robben, which was of great relief to us. However, it was still Netherlands vs Bolivia, so things weren't going to be easy regardless. We didn't want to get blown out, so we focused on defending first and foremost. That, combined with their lack of star power, helped us reach half time without giving up a goal.

In fact, we had played superb, only allowing two real chances in the entire half. In the 30th minute Babel's powerful header off a corner kick hit the top of the post, and then he tried again in the 41st minute from a free kick, which was saved. The defensive focus cost us offensively though, and we were outshot 7-1, with the Dutch holding 57% possession heading into the break.

We tried to catch them off guard in the second half, and partially succeeded. Botero wound up in the position we wanted him in, but he scuffed the shot and blew the chance to put us on the board. Babel then got behind our defense less than two minutes later, but a point blank save somehow kept us in the game.

The dam finally broke in the 63rd minute. Babel had been their main point of attack all game, and he finally managed to beat the keeper to give the Netherlands a nearly insurmountable lead. With nothing left to fear, Bolivia started to play less cautiously and attack. This resulted in P. Escobar hitting the post in the 72nd minute, and then Torrico blasting the ball off the bar in the 76th minute! Bolivia were so close to equalizing, but a goal just wasn't forthcoming and the Dutch held on to the top spot with a 1-0 victory.

Netherlands 1 - 0 Bolivia

Other team results:
3v4: South Korea 0 - 2 Senegal
5v6: Ireland 2 - 1 Bulgaria
7v8: Rio de Janeiro 1 - 2 Congo DR

*Senegal took out South Korea to earn another shot at us for the #2 position. Ireland successfully held off Bulgaria, but Rio de Janeiro slipped and lost 2-1 to Congo DR, a major blow to their chances of moving up this week.



Challenge Match 13: #2 Bolivia (7-2-3) vs. #3 Senegal (3-6-3)

This was our third meeting with the Senegalese, and we had the upper hand with a 2-0 victory in the most recent game after a 1-1 draw in the first meeting. All we had to do, in order to secure a top 2 position for this week's league match, was avoid defeat. That seemed easy enough, until Henri Camara headed in a corner kick to put Senegal in front just twelve minutes into the match. Senegal were more than happy to sit on that lead for the remainder of the half, and few chances were created as a result. They had a slight edge with 5-4 shots, and 55% possession, but we just needed one goal to take our spot back.

M. Moreno tried to lead the charge, getting through the defense and placing a nice shot on net, but the keeper made a difficult save to keep Senegal in front. Torrico had hit the post in the last match, against the Dutch, and this time he was more focused when taking his big chance in the 64th minute. Slotting the ball right past the keeper's outstretched arms, Bolivia were back where they wanted to be, all level with less than half an hour to play!

Time was ticking away, so Niang tried to put the team on his shoulders and dribbled through 3 Bolivian defenders in the 84th minute. No one could seem to get the ball off him as he surged into the box and unleashed a powerful shot... but it was saved! That would be Senegal's last scoring chance of the game and Bolivia were thrilled when the final whistle sounded to confirm that they had held off the challengers!

Bolivia 1 - 1 Senegal

Other team results:
4v5: South Korea 0 - 1 Ireland
6v7: Bulgaria 1 - 2 Congo DR
8v9: Rio de Janeiro 3 - 2 Qatar

*Congo DR is having a big week, they've won their second match in a row to climb up to #6, which is their highest position to date. They'll meet South Korea next, as the Koreans have lost for the second straight match to fall from #3 down to #5. Meanwhile, Rio de Janeiro nearly suffered a shocking upset against Qatar in this week's "elimination game", but managed to hang on to their spot on the roster with a 3-2 victory.



Challenge Match 14: #1 Netherlands (6-1) vs. #2 Bolivia (7-2-4)

Bolivia entered the rematch with the Netherlands a bit more confident than the first encounter after putting up such a good fight in the second half. In addition, nine of Bolivia's starters were in top form for this meeting. The Dutch weren't taking any chances this time around though, and all of their big guns were on the field as well, including both Robben and Huntelaar.

The change in tactics was apparent early when Da Rosa matched Bolivia's shot count from the previous game's first half in just the second minute, sneaking through the defense and forcing a hard save early on. The Dutch suffered a blow when Van Persie went down injured before the fifth minute, and Landzaat wound up subbing in for him around the tenth minute. Possibly due to the confusion of the early substitution, the Netherlands had trouble marking on a throw in and Bolivia wound up taking the lead after Castillo's header was saved but then Ooijer slid in to try and clear the ball but wound up knocking it into the net for an own goal!

The Dutch did not take this setback lightly, and spent the next fifteen minutes laying siege to the Bolivian goal. Finally, in the 25th minute, the pressure became too great and Huntelaar scored the equalizer. Aside from that goal though, Bolivia had been defending very well. The field players were doing all they could to get in the way and were not letting many shots even reach the keeper. This wound up producing a few counter attacks, one of which paid off when Castillo worked with J. Campos to get the ball forward. Castillo broke down the wing and then cut back, picking out Campos at the top of the box. Campos' one time shot was hit brilliantly, just high enough to get over the keeper, but just low enough to stay under the cross bar and get into the net for a stunning result heading into half time, with Bolivia leading 2-1, despite having been outshot 11-5 by the Dutch!

The Netherlands got organized during the break and came out with a purpose in the second half. Landzaat hit the post within the first few minutes of the restart and then Huntelaar scored an equalizer that was called back due to offside. It was clear that Bolivia were going to have to soak up an enormous amount of pressure if they were going to hold this lead. Unfortunately, their sponge wasn't big enough. Van Bommel headed in a corner kick in the 58th minute to restore parity and then, just for good measure, Huntelaar put the Dutch ahead with a great strike in the 66th minute. Bolivia's dreams of reaching the #1 position had lasted less than fifteen minutes, and now all of a sudden they needed two more goals to make that a reality again.

Those goals never came, the Dutch were just too good and they clamped down on that 3-2 lead until the match finally ended. The Dutch will get to play at the #1 position for the third time this season, while Bolivia get #2 for the second week in a row, not a bad consolation prize.

Netherlands 3 - 2 Bolivia

Other team results:
3v4: Senegal 0 - 2 Ireland
5v6: South Korea 0 - 0 Congo DR
7v8: Bulgaria 4 - 1 Rio de Janeiro

*Ireland claimed the #3 position with a convincing victory over Senegal, while a scoreless drawn kept South Korea ahead of Congo DR, even though the Koreans went winless this week, while the Congolese were unbeaten. Rio de Janeiro's shockingly bad week ended worse than imagined, with a 4-1 humiliation against Bulgaria!



New Lineup for League Match 4
1. Netherlands
2. Bolivia
3. Ireland
4. Senegal
5. South Korea
6. Congo DR
7. Bulgaria
8. Rio de Janeiro
9. Qatar

*Qatar will not participate in League Match 4

This is the big one, the battle of unbeatens. Team 1 will face Team 8 with both sides looking to improve to a perfect 4-0-0 record in league play. Nigeria had swatted away Guinea at the #2 position last week, but this week Belgium has overtaken them and will face Bolivia. This will be a tough test for the South Americans, as Belgium are currently 3-0 in league play with victories over Greece, Ecuador, and Russia. They have not given up a goal in any of those games either!

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 4: Norway (Team 4)

The team picked up a win, but we had another disappointing week, failing to beat Cameroon. This leaves us winless after three weeks of league play at the #1 position. Germany has strengthened their roster and have been getting even better too. With potentially two more matches against them, It seems we're in for a rough week.

Latest Lineup
1. Norway
2. Germany
3. Serbia
4. Togo
5. Jamaica
6. Venezuela
7. Iceland
8. Saudi Arabia
9. Gabon

Last week worked out in our favor, only having to play one game to defend our position, but this week we'll have to play at least two. We're getting closer though, just three more weeks at the #1 position and we'll be locked in for the rest of the season. Just gotta keep it up!



Challenge Match 12: #1 Norway (3-0-2) vs. #2 Germany (6-3-2)

Despite the Cameroon result, we decided to stick with the new formation and see which game was a fluke, Israel or Cameroon. We hit a nice spell of form, and entered the match with three midfielders, both wingbacks, and our keeper in top form, compared to Germany with just three top form players. Despite the form advantage, Germany made it clear that they were gunning for us, and they made it very difficult to get through the midfield, pressing hard early and often, making it difficult for us to possess the ball.

The Germans announced their intentions early, which was that they were going all out in this one. Klose epitomized that with a 21st minute bicycle kick to open the scoring. It was a spectacular goal, but suspect defending which left him open. Norway were not about to just give the throne away though, and they responded immediately. Skjelbred took a nice touch to round two defenders and then hit a perfect shot past the keeper to pull the game level just two minutes after Klose's remarkable goal.

With Germany on the ropes, Norway looked to press their advantage. A long shot forced a tough save, and Iversen was there to collect the loose ball and then tried to pick out the far corner with his shot, but missed wide. Shortly after, he broke through for a 1v1 with the keeper, but shot wide again! This was extremely costly, and Germany made Norway pay on the ensuing goal kick. The ball was launched down the field and misjudged by the defender. He allowed it to go right over his head and Ballack ran down the loose ball, firing in a long shot from distance before anyone could catch up with him. The shot was so powerful that it went in even though the keeper got a hand on it.

The Norwegians nearly came up with another instant response. Riise sent in a perfect cross to a wide open Iversen, but the referee saw something no one else did and blew the whistle for a (phantom) foul against Norway! The home side couldn't believe it, and argued until the end of the half, but to no avail. It was even worse seeing the stat sheet, as Norway had outshot Germany 6-2 in the half, yet they trailed 1-2 on the scoreboard!

The team cooled off at half time and got their heads straightened out. This allowed them to come out focused in the second half and fight back, scoring the equalizer in the 58th minute. The goal was similar to Germany's, a booming goal kick found the target man Winsnes, and he quickly picked out Iversen, who supplied the finish! This time it would be Germany supplying a quick reply, with Ballack rising up and winning a cross, beating the keeper with his header to lift Germany back in front!

With nearly a half hour to go, there was still plenty of time left, but that time slowly slipped away. Norway fought hard looking for a third equalizer, but just couldn't break down the German defense and finally, in their sixth attempt, Germany has knocked off Norway to take the top position. They needed a wonder goal from Klose and a beast mode performance from Ballack, which netted him an 8.5 rating with 2 goals, 1 assist, 20/23 passing, 2/2 shots, and 80m dribbling!

Norway 2 - 3 Germany

Other team results:
3v4: Serbia 0 - 1 Togo
5v6: Jamaica 2 - 1 Venezuela
7v8: Iceland 0 - 2 Saudi Arabia

*Jamaica and Serbia are the only teams who have been #3 all season, but now Togo has taken that spot just in time to be the first team other than Germany to challenge Norway! Jamaica did hold off Venezuela to keep the top 5 closed off, while Saudi Arabia secured a position on the roster for the league match by beating Iceland.



Challenge Match 13: #2 Norway (3-1-2) vs. #3 Togo (6-2-4)

Norway's first challenge match against a team other than Germany stirred up players on both sides, as Norway had six top form starters while Togo fielded nine top form players! Any hopes Togo might have had at challenging the three-time #1 squad were quickly squelched early. Just as the clock turned to the third minute, Iversen found himself in the box with an open header for an easy goal.

The quick strike gave Norway some breathing room, but Togo didn't want to let the game slip away and they tried to rally. Stromstad and Andresen stemmed the tide, picking up yellow cards along the way. In the 32nd minute, Adebayor nearly equalized, but his header was just a tad bit off target. Romao then tried a spectacular volley just before half time, but he missed the net as well.

Aside from those two chances, Togo had struggled to do much, and Norway were ahead on shots heading into the break, up 5-2 and with a surprising amount of possession, 59%! All that possession materialized onto the scoreboard in the 69th minute when Stromstad corralled a long ball forward and then played a nice pass across to Iversen to complete his brace. The expanding deficit demoralized Togo, and they failed to put up much of a fight for the remainder of the match, and actually ended up with zero shots in the entire second half. The result ensures that Norway will get another shot at Germany before the week is through.

Norway 2 - 0 Togo

Other team results:
4v5: Serbia 1 - 1 Jamaica
6v7: Venezuela 3 - 1 Saudi Arabia
8v9: Iceland 0 - 1 Gabon

*Serbia held off Jamaica with a 1-1 draw to remain in the top 4, while Venezuela also held their position after beating Saudi Arabia. However, Gabon fought their way onto the roster with a 1-0 win over Iceland.



Challenge Match 13: #1 Germany (7-3-2) vs. #2 Norway (4-1-2)

For our first away game against Germany, we decided that it was time to declare the new formation a failure and go back to the tried and true 4-3-3 that had held up so well previously. The game got off to a dream start, with another goal inside the first three minutes for the second match in a row. This time Carew was trying to find Iversen with his cross, but instead the ball went over him and landed for M. G. Pedersen, who volleyed the ball off the first bounce and blasted it past the keeper for the opening goal! A wonderful start for Norway!

Ballack and Klose had combined to win the last match against Norway, and they tried to link up again here, but Klose's header was just off target and didn't trouble the keeper. The teams both settled down after those early chances until the 39th minute when Germany got themselves into more trouble by letting a cross bounce inside the box. This time Iversen initially got on the end of the ball, but Mertesacker blocked the shot and it deflected out to Skjelbred. Lining up for a shot, the midfielder faked out all of Germany when he laid the ball off for Stromstad, who ran in and hammered his shot through traffic, past the unsuspecting keeper to double the lead!

It had been a complete reversal of the initial meeting this week. Now it was Germany who had outshot Norway in the first half, and held 56% possession too, yet they trailed by two goals! Norway had been beaten by letting Ballack roam free last time, and they made it clear that someone else was going to have to beat them this week, as they clamped down on Germany's captain throughout the match. Every time Ballack even got near the ball, he was immediately pestered by the nearest man in a red shirt.

2-0 isn't an insurmountable lead, so Norway were still looking to put the game out of reach. They found that opportunity in the 74th minute, when Stromstad threaded the needle to get the ball to Carew and start a nice attack. Carew eventually found Iversen at the top of the box, and it was Iversen who put the game away with a perfectly place strike to beat the keeper. A 3-0 lead, what a great performance to reclaim the top spot heading into the league match!

The Germans were getting frustrated and eventually subbed out Ballack and Lahm to rest up for the league match, essentially conceding defeat. They had exposed a kink in Norway's armor this week, but the Norwegians were back on the throne!

Germany 0 - 3 Norway

Other team results:
3v4: Togo 0 - 2 Serbia
5v6: Jamaica 2 - 1 Venezuela
7v8: Saudi Arabia 1 - 1 Gabon

*Togo's reign at #3 was short lived, as they've lost to Serbia to fall back down to 4th. Jamaica confirmed their position at #5 this week, while Saudi Arabia narrowly held on to keep Gabon at #8.



New Lineup for League Match 4
1. Norway
2. Germany
3. Serbia
4. Togo
5. Jamaica
6. Venezuela
7. Saudi Arabia
8. Gabon
9. Iceland

*Iceland will not participate in League Match 4

This week's league opponent is Team 11, which doesn't give us any time to relax, as we will face France, who have never wavered from the top spot on that team. The French have slowly been getting better at league play. They lost their opening match to the Czech Republic, but have since gone on to draw against Argentina and then they beat Cote d'Ivoire last week. Basically, it's not going to be easy trying to get our first win of the season...

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 4: New Zealand (Team 5)

Our team had a great week, winning 4-0 overall and we posted a positive result, with a draw against the tough Czech Republic. The team will be hoping to carry our momentum further, as we seek a third straight league victory, but for ourselves, we're just going to try to survive this week where we are sandwiched in between Argentina and Portugal.

Latest Lineup
1. Argentina
2. New Zealand
3. Portugal
4. Chile
5. Trinidad & Tobago
6. Guadeloupe
7. Slovenia
8. Tunisia
9. Indonesia

We'll get a shot at Argentina this week, but even if we can't topple them, we only have to hold off Portugal once, so we'll be focused on that match to try and keep our #2 spot for another week.



Challenge Match 12: #1 Argentina (5-2) vs. #2 New Zealand (9-1-1)

Buenos Aires was rocking, it was an amazing atmosphere for our first battle against the #1 squad on our team roster. Perhaps it was a bit too much for us though. The hosts didn't wait for us while we tried to get our barrings amidst the roaring crowd, unable to communicate over the constant chants of "AR-GEN-TINA! AR-GEN-TINA". A string of passes picked us apart before Sergio Aguero provided the finishing touch less than 90 seconds after kickoff, 1:27 into the match! We still hadn't gotten into the game when the Argentinians struck again, with Veron perfectly placing his free kick to double the lead just ten minutes in.

Argentina completely dominated the opening 30 minutes of the match, and we were probably lucky that the score didn't get further out of hand. We had finally started to find our footing in the match and put together a few late attacks, but we weren't able to score before half time. That late run gave us some confidence though, and we cashed in early in the second half. Bertos intercepted a pass and then quickly started a counter attack, picking out McGlinchey to break through. The reserve striker took advantage of his position and slotted his shot past the keeper to pull New Zealand back into the game!

The lead was nearly restored right on the hour mark, but Aguero's header hit the post. The ball was barely cleared out of the area, but once it was, New Zealand were on the attack. Fallon chested down the long ball and then pulled off a nice move to turn and fire his shot on goal. The play was magnificent and the shot was even better, bending over the unsuspecting keeper to suddenly pull New Zealand level! One more goal in the last half hour could lift New Zealand to the #1 position!!

It was a stunning turn of events, but Argentina had held the top position for three weeks in a row and they weren't going to be easy to unseat. The defense buckled down and repelled everything else New Zealand had to offer. By all rights, Messi should have supplied the winner for his side, but he just missed picking out the top corner with his shot. Nevertheless, the match finished 2-2 which was disappointing yet relieving for Argentina, as they maintain the top position, but New Zealand certainly felt like they had made them earn it.

Argentina 2 - 2 New Zealand

Other team results:
3v4: Portugal 3 - 1 Chile
5v6: Trinidad & Tobago 1 - 1 Guadeloupe
7v8: Slovenia 0 - 1 Tunisia

*Portugal defeated Chile, as expected, but Slovenia's shocking decline continues as they drop all the way to #8 after losing to Tunisia. Slovenia are the only team who have beaten New Zealand so far, although that week 1 encounter seems so long ago now. Trinidad & Tobago maintained their position at #5 with a draw against Guadeloupe too.



Challenge Match 13: #2 New Zealand (9-1-2) vs. #3 Portugal (4-4-2)

Needing only a draw to hold our position for the rest of the week, we weren't about to get caught out early like we had against Argentina. Instead, we buckled down defensively and forced the Portuguese to play out a very rough first half with very limited chances. Neither team recorded a single shot during the opening half hour of the game, but then things came to life after a big mistake in the 41st minute. Paulo Ferreira sent a long ball forward, which was contested by Nuno Gomes and Ryan Nelsen. Nelsen actually won the ball initially, but then Nuno Gomes picked his pocket to win possession back, and then he quickly scored before Nelsen could recover. Luckily the All Whites came up with an instant response, earning a corner kick in the 44th minute, which Smeltz promptly headed in for an equalizer!

New Zealand picked up the pace to start the second half, surging forward and lofting a nice ball into the box intended for Rory Fallon. Fallon wasn't able to get on the end of it though, but he was able to knock it down to Bertos. The attacking midfielder unleashed a powerful shot that the keeper wasn't able to save, putting New Zealand in the lead! The defense stepped up and held off Portugal for the rest of the half to help keep New Zealand at the #2 position. Even a late equalizer from Nani wasn't enough to overturn the result, and New Zealand held on to their roster spot thanks to the result.

New Zealand 2 - 2 Portugal

Other team results:
4v5: Chile 1 - 1 Trinidad & Tobago
6v7: Guadeloupe 1 - 2 Tunisia
8v9: Slovenia 0 - 2 Indonesia

*Slovenia continued their losing ways, falling to Indonesia in the elimination match, which means they now occupy the #9 position and will miss the league meet this week! Slovenia now own the distinction of being the first team to start the season in the top 4 and wind up down at the 9th position on their roster. Tunisia had played at #8 for three weeks in a row, but they ensured that would not be the case this week thanks to another victory, this time over Guadeloupe. Meanwhile, Chile secured another rematch against Portugal by holding Trinidad & Tobago to a draw.



Challenge Match 14: #1 Argentina (5-2-1) vs. #2 New Zealand (9-1-3)

We were determined to not let the crowd intimidate us and cause us to fall behind early like the last meeting, so we came out with much more fight this time around. That resulted in some early fouls, including Oughton being booked in just the 2nd minute, and of course Veron nearly scored off a free kick again in the 8th minute, but the tactic worked, and it was still 0-0 after fifteen minutes. It wasn't too much longer until the first goal came though. Argentina forced a difficult save that deflected off Old and nearly went in for an own goal, but the defender managed to knock the ball out for a corner before it crossed the goal line. It turned out that his effort didn't matter too much, because Diego Milito headed in the corner kick to put Argentina ahead.

New Zealand eventually won a free kick of their own, and they cashed in on it. The initial shot hit the wall, but Bertos reacted quickly to win the ball back and push it across to Fallon. Fallon was able to quickly turn and score to pull his side level at 1-1! That was still the score at half time, and New Zealand had put up a much better fight this time around. In the last meeting, an early turnover resulted in a New Zealand goal to start the second half, and that is precisely what happened again this time around. Fallon narrowly stayed onside and then scored after receiving his pass behind the defense. For the first time ever, New Zealand were leading the #1 team! But it was only the 57th minute, there was still a lot of time remaining.

The 62nd minute was a pivotal moment in the game. A cross came in and found Fallon inside the box, he connected with it, but his header hit the post! Argentina had been bailed out by the crossbar, and they knew it. The miss also allowed them to counter attack, and they did so with gusto. Flowing down the field, Argentina went right around the All White defense and Diego Milito scored his second goal of the match to pull Argentina level. What a swing in momentum! Had Fallon's header gone in, New Zealand would have had a commanding 3-1 lead, but now it was 2-2 and Argentina were back in the driver's seat!

New Zealand had one more great chance in the 87th minute. Smeltz got through and had a clean look at goal, slotted his shot under the keeper, but just missed the goal by a few inches to the left! It was a devastating miss, and a costly one, because New Zealand never produced another scoring chance for the rest of the match and had to settle for another 2-2 draw which denied them the top position yet again.

Argentina 2 - 2 New Zealand

Other team results:
3v4: Portugal 0 - 2 Chile
5v6: Trinidad & Tobago 3 - 2 Tunisia
7v8: Guadeloupe 1 - 2 Indonesia

*Chile upset Portugal to grab the #3 position and give this week's league opponent a real problem trying to match up against Portugal at the #4 spot. Tunisia's climb came to an end with a hard fought loss to Trinidad & Tobago, but Indonesia kept moving up, grabbing the #7 position after starting the week at #9.



New Lineup for League Match 4
1. Argentina
2. New Zealand
3. Chile
4. Portugal
5. Trinidad & Tobago
6. Tunisia
7. Indonesia
8. Guadeloupe
9. Slovenia

*Slovenia will not participate in League Match 4

This will be one of the toughest matches of the season, as we go up against Team 12 this week. Not only for the team in general, as Team 12 has won all of their league matches so far, but especially for New Zealand, who will have to face Spain! The Spanish have looked like one of the best teams in the last two weeks, having won consecutive games against Australia and Mozambique by scores of 4-0 and 6-0!

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 4: Mexico (Team 7)

We defeated Paraguay last week to remain unbeaten individually, but that wasn't enough for the overall team, and we suffered our second consecutive league defeat. We think that having Hungary playing in the top 3 is hurting the team, so we're going to really buckle down and focus on overtaking them this week.

Latest Lineup
1. Brazil
2. Mozambique
3. Hungary
4. Mexico
5. Costa Rica
6. Burkina Faso
7. Oman
8. Austria
9. N/A

We are smashed right in between our two biggest rivals on this team, but we feel like we've got a good chance at moving up this week with potentially two shots at Hungary, if we don't lose to Costa Rica that is.



Challenge Match 12: #3 Hungary (4-4-3) vs. #4 Mexico (4-5-2)

We didn't want to have two shots at Hungary though, we wanted to just beat them once and be done with it. This was our chance, and we were going to try to make the most of it. They seemed a bit overwhelmed by our early attacks, and we created a lot of chances, but our shots just weren't finding the back of the net. A stroke of luck came our way in the 35th minute when C. Vela essentially just ran into a defender inside the penalty box. He fell down and the referee blew the whistle to award us a penalty kick! It was a bit outrageous, since it didn't even look like a foul had occurred, but Mexico made the most of the opportunity and scored thanks to Chicharito's spot kick.

It was a very weak call, but a deserved goal after having laid siege to the Hungarian goal for the opening half hour. That alone would have been sufficient to head into the break, but Hungary couldn't get off the field fast enough and Mexico used every last bit of stoppage time to increase their advantage. A. Guardado played a wonderful ball forward to Vela, one defender fell down trying to change directions to stop the pass, to spring him 1v1 with the keeper. Vela faked a shot and then dribbled around the keeper, slotting in an easy goal to make it 2-0 heading into half time, where Mexico lead 12-3 on the shot count.

That late stoppage time goal took all the pressure off of Mexico, and the team was much more aloof in the second half. With fewer shots taken, they were perfectly content to ride this one out to its conclusion. G. Franco cemented the victory with a goal in the 66th minute and Mexico cruised to a 3-0 victory over their new rivals.

Hungary 0 - 3 Mexico

Other team results:
1v2: Brazil 1 - 1 Mozambique
5v6: Costa Rica 0 - 2 Burkina Faso
7v8: Oman 1 - 0 Austria

*Mozambique are playing better against Brazil, but still weren't able to overthrow them. Costa Rica's fall continues, and a loss to Burkina Faso sends them down into the #6 position. Oman showed that last week's shock win over Austria maybe wasn't an upset, as they've beaten the Austrians yet again!



Challenge Match 13: #2 Mozambique (8-3-1) vs. #3 Mexico (5-5-2)

After a few weeks out in the wilderness, we were finally in position to challenge for the #2 spot again, for the first time since Week 1, and we were hoping to finally get a shot at Brazil this week. Then Eusebio headed in a goal in just the second minute of the game and all of those hopes were dashed yet again.

Mexico didn't just fold over though, C. Vela and G. Dos Santos combined to unlock the Mozambique defense and score an equalizer in the 23rd minute, but parity was short lived. Mozambique won a penalty kick in the 36th minute and Eusebio easily scored again to put his side back in front.

Mozambique had been bossing the match prior to the equalizer, and they continued to do so after. Mexico had only managed 3 other shots, besides the goal, in the first half, and the struggle continued well into the second half. To their credit, the Mexican defense did extremely well to keep Matateu Lucas at bay, and even Eusebio struggled to get any more shots on target after half time, but the damage had already been done. Mexico needed two goals to win the position and those goals were just too far out of reach. The match eventually ended and Mozambique had defeated Mexico yet again.

Mozambique 2 - 1 Mexico

Other team results:
4v5: Hungary 1 - 1 Burkina Faso
6v7: Costa Rica 1 - 0 Oman

*Hungary held off Burkina Faso to earn one last shot at Mexico this week, while Costa Rica defeated Oman in the first meeting of the season between those two nations.



Challenge Match 14: #3 Mexico (5-6-2) vs. #4 Hungary (4-5-4)

With no more chances to move up this week, the only focus was on maintaining our position at #3 so that we could try to move up again next week. Hungary came calling yet again, and we did our best to show that the 3-0 thumping earlier was no fluke. Once again the Hungarian net was under siege from the men in green, but this time around there was no lucky PK, and no late stoppage time goal, so the game reached half time with the score stuck at 0-0. Had we been the challengers, this may have concerned us, but a draw was perfectly fine, so the onus was on Hungary to come up with a goal.

Hungary started to press harder, trying to find the goal they needed, but it only served to open up some space for Mexico to attack. G. Dos Santos took advantage of this space and scored a stunning goal to put Mexico in front, making the task that much more difficult for Hungary. The whole effort collapsed when C. Vela set up Chicharito for a second goal in the 68th minute. Hungary were completely outclassed now, and were lucky when Nery Castillo's late strike only hit the post rather than the back of the net. It didn't matter though, Mexico had done more than enough to win, and they were finally back to the #3 position for the first time since losing the spot in Week 1!

Mexico 2 - 0 Hungary

Other team results:
1v2: Brazil 2 - 2 Mozambique
5v6: Burkina Faso 1 - 0 Costa Rica
7v8: Oman 1 - 4 Austria

*Brazil retained the top position despite a winless week, playing to another draw against Mozambique. Burkina Faso secured the #5 position by beating Costa Rica again, while Austria regrouped and stormed back, climbing out of the bottom position with a convincing 4-1 victory over Oman.



New Lineup for League Match 4
1. Brazil
2. Mozambique
3. Mexico
4. Hungary
5. Burkina Faso
6. Costa Rica
7. Austria
8. Oman
9. N/A

Team 6 is this week's league opponent. Greece defeated South Korea at the #3 position last week, but they have surged ahead to take the #1 position and will play Brazil this week. Falling into their spot is Egypt, who will be our opponents. The Egyptians narrowly lost to the Netherlands, 1-0, in the #1 position last week, and they had beaten Sweden at the #2 spot the week before, so we expect a difficult game despite Team 6 coming into the match winless through three games. Had we remained at #4, we would have lined up across from Australia, but that will be Hungary's task instead.

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 4: Guinea (Team 10)

Last week was up and down. On the bright side, we finally beat Turkey and climbed up to the #2 position, but that put us in a tough position for our league match. Nigeria were too strong and crushed us in a match that proved to be the difference in the league result, as our team lost 4-3 overall, our first team defeat of the season. This is just like Week 1 where if we had avoided losing, the team wouldn't have lost either (except in Week 1, our loss cost our team a league victory). If we are going to play at such a high level, we need to make sure we can be competitive.

Latest Lineup
1. England
2. Guinea
3. Turkey
4. Russia
5. Zambia
6. Wales
7. Iraq
8. Lithuania
9. Canada

Despite the setback in league play, this week does present a big opportunity for us. Our position at #2 means that we get a shot at the throne this week, giving us the chance to become the third Zeek-controlled team to take the #1 spot, if we can upset England.



Challenge Match 12: #1 England (3-0-2) vs. #2 Guinea (7-1-3)

Our first foray into a challenge match for the top roster spot was a bit nervy and, as expected, difficult. England were just throwing their weight around early, sending some teasing balls into the box that were tough to deal with. Then they started to win corner kicks and promptly opened the scoring after only seven minutes, with Gerrard heading in the corner.

The game may have gone a completely different direction if Feindouno's surprise breakaway shot had just been a few centimeters over. Instead of supplying an instant equalizer, he hit the post in the 8th minute, and England breathed a sigh of relief. That attempt did help ease Guinea a bit, and A. Keita wound up producing the next big chance of the match, but an equally great save kept England ahead. Just as the match seemed to be evenly balanced, a stroke of luck pushed England further ahead. Rooney's shot appeared to be going wide, but the keeper was unsure, so he dove to get a hand on the ball and deflect it away from the net. This was a poor decision, because Emil Heskey was lurking inside the area, and he quickly pounced on the loose ball, smashing in another goal for England just before half time. If the keeper had just let the shot go past him, it is likely that Guinea reaches half time only trailing 1-0 instead of 2-0.

But 2-0 it was, despite an even half of 6 shots apiece. England may have realized that they needed to buckle down on defense or risk Guinea climbing back into the match. As such, the second half was much quieter than the first, with fewer chances on either end. This obviously benefited England, and overall they held Guinea to just 3 shots in the second half. England were winning all the loose balls, often times throwing themselves at the ball to just get a touch to poke it on to the next player, and were just generally one step ahead the entire night. It was a clear demonstration as to why they were the #1 squad on this roster, and they certainly earned their keep with the dominating victory over Guinea.

England 2 - 0 Guinea

Other team results:
3v4: Turkey 3 - 0 Russia
5v6: Zambia 1 - 1 Wales
7v8: Iraq 0 - 2 Lithuania

*Turkey blasted Russia to earn a rematch against us, while Lithuania reclaimed their spot that had been lost to Iraq last week. Zambia held off Wales with a draw too.



Challenge Match 13: #2 Guinea (7-2-3) vs. #3 Turkey (4-5-3)

After two straight defeats against top-class competition (Nigeria and England), Guinea decided to take a look at the roster to see if there was any room for further improvement. There wasn't much, but the team attempted to shore up the defense with an additional defender at the expense of having a third keeper on the roster; SB M. Traore replaced GK Yattara. This, combined with the victory over Turkey last week, provided a lot of confidence and a feeling that we would get another shot at England before the week was through. As such, Guinea started out much stronger than usual against Turkey, taking the game to them early and nearly capitalizing on the effort through Mansare, but his shot narrowly missed wide.

Perhaps Guinea's confidence and early success caused them to let their guard down, because all of a sudden, in the 21st minute, Turkey forced a turnover and turned it into a goal. Hamit Altintop provided the fine finish, and all of a sudden it was a whole different ballgame. The hits kept coming too, as Turkey took advantage of the shell-shocked Guineans. A long ball over the top found Arda Turan, and while his shot was saved, the danger was not cleared. Guinea's defense were still trying to recover when Nihat reached the loose ball and placed it beyond the keeper's reach to double the lead in the 31st minute.

The game had gone from a great start by Guinea to suddenly being controlled by Turkey. It seemed like nothing was working anymore for the Africans, that Turkey was just winning every loose ball and taking back possession whenever they wanted. Thankfully the break came before any further damage could be done, and it was discovered that Turkey had outshot Guinea 11-2 in the half! This statistic shook the Guineans, who had felt they "dominated" the opening 20 minutes. How could they have been outshot so badly?

Guinea tried to rekindle that early style of play, and found a glimmer of hope with a goal less than five minutes after the restart. A. Keita's breakaway was closed down with surprising speed, but he was still able to get the ball over to Mansare before the defender could tackle it away from him, and Mansare hit the target this time. It was 2-1, with virtually a whole half to play, and all Guinea needed now was one more goal. Game on!

But Turkey weathered the storm, and then regained their form from the first half. The Turks focused on controlling the central midfield, and it was paying off. Guinea were overrun and it just seemed like the Turks had acres of space to work with, which meant long spells of possession to kill the clock. Guinea were faced with such frustration that they started to alter the lineup, moving Zayatte up from his position as a central defender into a defensive midfielder role to help support CMF Ca. This helped combat the Turks' midfield, but it wasn't enough to turn the game around, and eventually the final whistle sounded. Guinea had lost the #2 position just as quickly as they had gained it! Turkey had certainly earned the position back, having outshot Guinea 20-7 on the night, with 13 shots on target compared to Guinea's 2.

Guinea 1 - 2 Turkey

Other team results:
4v5: Russia 1 - 0 Zambia
6v7: Wales 2 - 0 Lithuania
8v9: Iraq 1 - 1 Canada

*The roster is starting to look much clearer. Russia has drawn a line at the #4 position and there doesn't seem to be a team capable of breaking past them into the top 4. Zambia tried, but failed. Wales also held off Lithuania again to secure the #6 position. Iraq and Canada played out a draw in the "elimination match", meaning Canada will have to sit out once again this week. It's starting to look quite clear that there are three tiers on this team: Tier 1 is the top 4 (England, Turkey, Guinea, Russia), Tier 2 is #5 and #6 (Zambia and Wales), and Tier 3 are the bottom teams fighting for 7th (Lithuania, Iraq, and Canada).



Challenge Match 14: #3 Guinea (7-3-3) vs. #4 Russia (6-5-2)

When the week began, we definitely were not expecting to be in a fight to avoid falling to #4, but here we were, needing a positive result against Russia in order to do just that. The magnitude of the match was amplified early, as both teams seemed to be looking for the "home run ball" to put the game out of reach early, and the match was played at a very high tempo with lots of pressing from both sides. However, all this did was bog the game down into a furious fight for possession in the middle of the field, and neither side was able to muster many offensive chances.

The game quickly reached half time with Guinea having a slight edge, 6-4 shots and 53% possession, but no goals had been scored by either side, and there had only been one shot on target, which didn't even make it to the keeper, it was blocked by a defender! So this game had the distinction of having both keepers combining for zero saves in an entire half!

The two teams could not keep up the pace for the whole game though, and sure enough, things started to settle down in the second half as the players got tired. Russia finally forced the first save of the game in the 52nd minute, and then it was their own keeper who cost them the match. Akinfeev was under heavy pressure and had his outlet pass intercepted by A. Keita! Keita reacted quickly and fired the shot into the open net to give Guinea an undeserved lead. What was Akinfeev thinking? No one will ever know, but we do know that this play alone was the difference in the game. The match probably should have ended 0-0, but that would have still favored Guinea, so overall a job well done to hold the #3 position against the Russians.

Guinea 1 - 0 Russia

Other team results:
1v2: England 1 - 0 Turkey
5v6: Zambia 1 - 2 Wales
7v8: Lithuania 2 - 0 Iraq

*Turkey were not able to parlay their victory into an even bigger win. They fell 1-0 to England, leaving the English atop the roster for the fourth week in a row. Wales continues to battle with Zambia for that fifth spot, and the Welsh were victorious today, giving them the edge heading into the league match. Finally, Lithuania secured the #7 position by beating Iraq 2-0.



New Lineup for League Match 4
1. England
2. Turkey
3. Guinea
4. Russia
5. Wales
6. Zambia
7. Lithuania
8. Iraq
9. Canada

*Canada will not participate in League Match 4

Our league opponent is Team 3 this week. Had this meeting been the week prior, we would have played the Czech Republic at the #2 position (they tied against New Zealand). Instead, as the #3 team, we will face Sao Paulo, who narrowly lost 1-0 to Portugal at this same roster spot. Sao Paulo has also beaten Colombia and drawn Albania in their previous league meets.

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 4: Ghana (Team 12)

Despite one of the wildest games of the week, where three goals were scored in stoppage time, we were still winless at the top position. At least our team had bailed us out and we still overcame Team 7 to remain unbeaten in league play overall.

Latest Lineup
1. Ghana
2. Spain
3. Sweden
4. Paraguay
5. Switzerland
6. Confederacy
7. Peru
8. El Salvador
9. Latvia

Like last week, this week's goal will be to maintain the top position. It will be a bit harder, having to play at least two defensive matches, but we are starting to grow in confidence and are really starting to click in this formation.



Challenge Match 12: #1 Ghana (6-1-2) vs. #2 Spain (5-3-1)

Ghana tried to jump out to an early lead, with several chances falling to Gyan Asamoah, but Casillas was up to the task and made some nice saves each time. He even got some help when he couldn't get to the long ball that had fallen into the box, Gyan Asamoah had a wide open net to place the ball into, but the star striker somehow shot wide! An unbelievable miss!

Ghana did not end up regretting that though, because Tagoe made amends quickly. Less than a minute after that miss, Ghana had regained possession and were working it down the middle quite well. Gyan initially tried to shoot, but was pushed off the ball. Muntari reacted quickly to get a touch, pushing the ball forward to Tagoe, who honed in and scored with the open look. 1-0 to Ghana!

It was a nice way to cap off a dominating half, having outshot Spain 9-3 overall, until stoppage time at least. The lead never made it into the break due to some very heavy luck falling Spain's way. Xabi Alonso took a heavy touch which, by all rights, he should have lost, but he stuck with the play and lunged forward to get a touch and push the ball ahead to Villa. Villa made the most of the opportunity and scored a stoppage time equalizer, much to Ghana's dismay.

Ghana regrouped during the break and continued to dominate in the second half. It was a major midfield battle, a clear strength of both teams, but today Ghana's squad just seemed to be getting the best of the Spaniards. Owusu Abeyie came on as a sub and threatened to score, but Casillas was denying everything. As the match wore on, the Black Stars started to play a bit more cautious, knowing that a quick Spanish goal would cost them their top position. Possession quickly dropped from 53% to 48%, but ultimately Spain never found the winning goal, and Ghana were more than happy to take the draw, even though they felt that they should have won.

Ghana 1 - 1 Spain

Other team results:
3v4: Sweden 2 - 1 Paraguay
5v6: Switzerland 2 - 1 Confederacy
7v8: Peru 1 - 2 El Salvador

*The roster is starting to level out, with teams falling into their true positions. Peru seems to be the only team still dropping, as they have lost yet again, to El Salvador. However, Sweden and Switzerland each maintained their spot with victories against Paraguay and the Confederate States, respectively.



Challenge Match 13: #1 Ghana (6-1-3) - BYE

Rather than take on a cupcake during a BYE, we decided to challenge ourselves with a rematch against Uruguay, who had beaten 3-2 us in league play back in Week 2. We played much better this time around, especially the midfielders. Dramani and Muntari hooked up to produce a goal in the 19th minute and played a big role in the dominating performance which saw us enter half time with the lead, having outshot Uruguay 7-3.

The chances kept coming, but nothing else was getting through, and the lead was fragile. Uruguay earned a free kick in the 82nd minute, and the shot forced a difficult save that was put back in for an equalizer, until someone finally noticed that the flag had come up. The rebounder had been offsides when the original free kick was taken, so the goal was disallowed. It was a huge relief for Ghana, and it cost Uruguay dearly, as they never put another ball into the back of the net. Even though it was just a friendly, and counts for nothing, it was a good confidence boost to head into the final challenge match of the week.

Ghana 1 - 0 Uruguay

Other team results:
2v3: Spain 2 - 1 Sweden
4v5: Paraguay 0 - 1 Switzerland
6v7: Confederacy 2 - 0 El Salvador
8v9: Peru 2 - 3 Latvia

*Or maybe there is still room for a shake up. Switzerland cracked the top 4 with a victory over Paraguay, while Peru finally hit rock bottom, losing to Latvia in the "elimination match" which will cause them to miss the league match this week. The Confederates held off El Salvador, and Spain defeated Sweden yet again to give themselves one more shot at Ghana before the league match.



Challenge Match 14: #1 Ghana (6-1-3) vs. #2 Spain (6-3-2)

A big break set the tone early in this one, as Quansah looked to be in an offside position, yet the flag stayed down and he took advantage to score the opening goal just 13 minutes in. Spain played much better than they had in the last meeting, but Ghana was still strong defensively, and held the 1-0 lead all the way to half time. No fluke stoppage time goals for the Spaniards this time!

Quansah took advantage of his rare opportunity to start with a big assist in the second half. He set up Gyan Asamoah to increase the lead to 2-0. As if that wasn't enough, Laryea Kingston headed in a corner kick with just under ten minutes remaining to seal the victory. The two midfielders normally don't get much playing time, but they certainly proved their worth by coming up with some big time goals to keep Ghana at the #1 position for the third week in a row. The match actually ended with Ghana only lead 12-11 on shots, and with 51% possession. It was much closer than the scoreline indicated, but Ghana just happened to score on their chances while Spain did not.

Ghana 3 - 0 Spain

Other team results:
3v4: Sweden 2 - 0 Switzerland
5v6: Paraguay 1 - 1 Confederacy
7v8: El Salvador 1 - 0 Latvia

*Sweden confirmed themselves for the #3 position yet again, downing new challengers Switzerland. Meanwhile, Paraguay hung on to their top 5 position with a draw against the Confederates and El Salvador held off Latvia to maintain their spot as well.



New Lineup for League Match 4
1. Ghana
2. Spain
3. Sweden
4. Switzerland
5. Paraguay
6. Confederacy
7. El Salvador
8. Latvia
9. Peru

*Peru will not participate in League Match 4

We're up against Team 5 this week. New Zealand were not able to overthrow Argentina, so that means we'll be facing our third straight South American opponent at the #1 position. Argentina has been getting progressively better results throughout the season too, after their opening game to Brazil they have drawn against France and beaten Romania.

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 4: League Matchups

Team 8 vs. Team 1
1. Italy - Netherlands
2. Belgium - Bolivia
3. Nigeria - Ireland
4. Finland - Senegal
5. Bosnia-Herzegovina - South Korea
6. Cape Verde - Congo DR
7. Curacao - Bulgaria
8. Belarus - Rio de Janeiro


Team 2 vs. Team 9
1. Cameroon - Croatia
2. Morocco - Cote d'Ivoire
3. Iran - Colombia
4. Mali - Ukraine
5. Ecuador - Japan
6. Poland - Angola
7. Montenegro - Uzbekistan
8. Israel - Estonia


Team 3 vs. Team 10
1. Romania - England
2. Czech Republic - Turkey
3. Sao Paulo - Guinea
4. Denmark - Russia
5. Martinique - Wales
6. Georgia - Zambia
7. Congo - Lithuania
8. Suriname - Iraq


Team 4 vs. Team 11
1. Norway - France
2. Germany - United States
3. Serbia - Albania
4. Togo - Slovakia
5. Jamaica - South Africa
6. Venezuela - Panama
7. Saudi Arabia - Scotland
8. Gabon - Algeria


Team 12 vs. Team 5
1. Ghana - Argentina
2. Spain - New Zealand
3. Sweden - Chile
4. Switzerland - Portugal
5. Paraguay - Trinidad & Tobago
6. Confederacy - Tunisia
7. El Salvador - Indonesia
8. Latvia - Guadeloupe


Team 6 vs. Team 7
1. Greece - Brazil
2. Uruguay - Mozambique
3. Egypt - Mexico
4. Australia - Hungary
5. Equatorial Guinea - Burkina Faso
6. Honduras - Costa Rica
7. Northern Ireland - Austria
8. Bahrain - Oman

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 4: Roster Changes

Here is a recap of all the roster changes that were made as teams try to improve their chances heading into the league match.


Before League Match

Syria: Drop CF Al-Agha, GK Shakosh; Add CF Malki, SB Jallo

China: Drop GK Yang Jun; Add AMF Shao Jiayi

Guinea: Drop GK Yattara; Add SB M. Traore

Tunisia: Drop CF Ali Ghariani, CMF Hammami, CB Felhi, GK Mathlouthi; Add CF Lassad, AMF Ben Achour, SB H. Trabelsi, SB Yahia

Nigeria: Drop DMF Kaita, CB Nwaneri; Add DMF Obodo, CB Onuoha

Senegal: Drop DMF Papa Malick Ba, CB Diakhate; Add CMF Edouard Cisse, CB P. Gueye

Togo: Drop SMF Amewou; Add SMF Dossevi

Morocco: Drop CF Benjelloun, SS Aboucherouane, SS El Zhar, WF Dirar, DMF Menkari, CB Ainy, GK Lamyaghri; Add CF Baha, SS Zairi, SS Boussoufa, AMF Boutahar, CMF Belhanda, DMF Hermach, CB Ouaddou

Japan: Drop DMF Konno, SS Okazaki, GK Tsuzuki; Add CF Takahara, AMF Nakata, SMF Mizuno

Mali: Drop CF C. Diabate, DMF A. Keita, GK S. Diakite; Add CF Samassa, CMF Sow, CB Sammy Traore

Colombia: Drop SS D. Quintero; Add CF Victor Montano

Ecuador: Drop SMF J. Montero, DMF F. Hidalgo; Add AMF Bolanos, AMF F. Guerrero

Paraguay: Drop GK D. Barreto; Add CB N. Cabrera, CB Cohene

England: Drop CF Heskey, CB W. Brown; Add CF Owen, CB Carragher

Uruguay: Drop CF Abreu, CF Cavani, SMF A. Fernandez, DMF Arismendi, DMF Amado, CB Scotti, GK M. Silva, GK Viera; Add CF Chevanton, CF Zalayeta, AMF Albin, CMF Bogliacino, DMF Gargano, CB Montero, CB D. Lopez, GK Munua

Suriname: Add CF Rigters

Congo DR: Add DMF N'Zonzi

Congo: Add DF Mouyokolo

North Korea: Replace GK Kim Myong-Gil with AMF Ryang Yong-Gi

United Arab Emirates: Replace GK Mutaz Abdulla with SMF Omar Abdulrahman




*Morocco and Uruguay make some huge changes to try to change their fortunes, while plenty of other teams make some small changes to hopefully give them a slight edge going forward

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 4: Team 8 vs. Team 1

Only three teams managed to win all of their first three games of the season. This week's biggest match will pit two of those sides against each other to see who's streak will come to an end, and who's will propel them into first place overall!

1. Italy vs. Netherlands

Italy held the top spot despite failing to win any games this week. A 1-1 draw was sufficient against Nigeria, and then Belgium was held to a 0-0 scoreline in their attempt to take the top position. The Netherlands were forced to spend the week battling Bolivia, and they prevailed with a pair of victories, 1-0 and 3-2.

These sides have only met once before, and it was a recent meeting too. In the most recent World Cup, both teams made it all the way to the semifinals before running into each other. That game ended 1-1 and Italy moved on, 4-3 on PKs, and ultimately went on to win the World Cup while Netherlands finished in fourth place.

Italy 1 - 1 Netherlands (World Cup IX Semifinals)

This match played out much the same way, with both sides scoring once and then being forced to settle for a draw. Huntelaar added to his tally for the Dutch while Camoranesi scored his first league goal of the season to help Italy secure the draw.

Italy 1 - 1 Netherlands [Camoranesi; Huntelaar]


2. Belgium vs. Bolivia

Belgium defeated both Finland and Nigeria to jump from fourth to second this week. They also shutout Italy in their challenge match for the top spot, but were unable to score and had to settle for the #2 position after a 0-0 draw. Bolivia started the week in second and failed to beat the Netherlands in two challenges, but the team did hold off Senegal with a 1-1 draw to keep their position.

Belgium entered the game with a record just as perfect as their overall team record, having beaten Greece, Ecuador, and Russia so far in league play. Bolivia were wondering how they'd be able to slow down Lukaku, and were pleasantly surprised to find that he'd been left out of the lineup. This decision, to rest Lukaku, seemed to be a disaster early, as Bolivia were dominating possession and forcing plenty of saves from their nice chances that they kept creating. However, Belgium's defense stood tall and kept the clean sheet in tact. Then the game turned on its head when the Europeans scored against the run of play. Sonck headed in a corner kick just five minutes before the break to loosen Bolivia's grip on the game.

The Belgium defense were caught waiting for the half time whistle and it nearly cost them, but Cabrera was unable to capitalize on a golden opportunity. That proved to be especially costly when Dembele scored very early in the second half to double Belgium's lead. With such a deficit, Bolivia were forced to take risks, and that just opened the door for more trouble. Eventually De Camargo capitalized on an impromptu counter attack to make it 3-0 Belgium. It was all falling apart for the Bolivians, who just couldn't seem to take advantage of any of their chances.

As if the scoreline wasn't harsh enough, Bolivia didn't even get to finish the match with a full squad on the field. A. Reyes was sent off three minutes before the final whistle to cap off the night. The Bolivians were especially frustrated after seeing the final stats; they had outshot Belgium 16-10, held 54% possession, had 13 free kicks to Belgium's 5, were ahead 6-1 on corner kicks, and lost 0-3! Castillo put up especially terrible numbers, tallying seven shots on the night, with a grand total of zero on target! By contrast, Belgium's three goal scorers combined for just 6 shots total.

Belgium 3 - 0 Bolivia [Sonck, Dembele, De Camargo]


3. Nigeria vs. Ireland

Nigeria failed to retake the top spot from Italy and then lost to Belgium, but the team rebounded to salvage the week and beat Finland 3-0 to end up at the #3 position this week. Ireland actually had to work to reach this spot, winning three games in a row against Bulgaria, South Korea, and Senegal to reach this spot.

Despite their contrasting performances, Nigeria proved that they were clearly the better team. Mikel opened the scoring for the Super Eagles, and then rising star Ikechukwu Uche picked up a brace to put the scoreline out of reach. Ireland's only reply came from the backline, as John O'Shea headed in a corner kick for the Irish's only goal of the contest.

Nigeria 3 - 1 Ireland [Mikel, I. Uche x2; O'Shea]


4. Finland vs. Senegal

Finland struggled in team play this week, losing to both Belgium and Nigeria, but holding a top 4 position thanks to a 1-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina. Senegal ended the week where they started, but it wasn't straight forward. They started the week by jumping up to #3 after defeating South Korea, but after they were unable to overcome Bolivia, the Senegalese lost to Ireland to fall back to the #4 position.

Home field advantage proved to be a factor in this meeting, and the men from Senegal were never able to find a rhythm in the cold climate of Helsinki. Instead, Lars Forssell put the home side ahead, and the Finns were able to turn that lead into a victory.

Finland 1 - 0 Senegal [Forssell]


5. Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. South Korea

Bosnia-Herzegovina has held the #5 position for four weeks in a row now after fending off challenges from both Belarus and Cape Verde, but failing to unseat Finland above them. South Korea dropped into this position after losing to both Senegal and Ireland, needing a 0-0 draw against Congo DR to avoid slipping any further.

Bosnia entered the game as the rated #5 team, but South Korea prevailed in this contest. Lee Keunho scored the only goal of the match to lift South Korea ahead, keeping Team 1 alive in this league meet where they'll need to win out in order to take the overall victory.

Bosnia-Herzegovina 0 - 1 South Korea [Lee Keunho]


6. Cape Verde vs. Congo DR

Cape Verde started the week off with a shaky 1-1 draw against United Arab Emirates, but quickly turned things around with a 1-0 victory over Belarus to climb to the #6 position, which they were forced to remain after losing to Bosnia-Herzegovina at the end of the week. Congo DR climbed even higher, defeating both Rio de Janeiro and Bulgaria to take the spot. A 0-0 draw against South Korea was all that prevented them from going any higher this week.

Surprisingly, these African nations have never met in any type of WEFA competition before. They have never been drawn into the same qualifying group nor have they met in the African Cup either. As such, the Cape Verde team got the drop on Congo DR with a pair of goals from Lito and M. Fernandes to give Team 8 the overall victory and hand Team 1 their first team defeat of the season.

Cape Verde 2 - 0 Congo DR [Lito, M. Fernandes]


7. Curacao vs. Bulgaria

Curacao were left off the league roster last week, occupying the #9 position heading into the weekend. The team used that time off to regroup and fought their way back onto the roster this week, jumping all the way up to #7 thanks to a pair of wins against United Arab Emirates and Belarus. Bulgaria, on the other hand, lost to both Ireland and Congo DR to drop into this position, but the team recovered in a big way to end the week with a strong performance, beating Rio de Janeiro 4-1!

Both teams were carrying positive momentum into the game, and it was Bulgaria who were able to maintain that momentum. Bojinov scored what turned out to be the only goal of the match to lift Bulgaria ahead, keeping them unbeaten in league play at 4-0 on the season despite the overall team's losing effort this week.

Curacao 0 - 1 Bulgaria [Bojinov]


8. Belarus vs. Rio de Janeiro

Belarus suffered a terrible 4-0 defeat to Bosnia-Herzegovina to start the week, and it kept getting worse after that. Losses piled up, and after losing to both Cape Verde and Curacao the Belorussians found themselves at the #8 position heading into the league match. It is somewhat shocking that Rio de Janeiro are still at this position on their team, considering their neighbors Sao Paulo have climbed up to #3 on their own team. Rio suffered a big setback to start the week, falling to Congo DR, and then just edged out Qatar 3-2 in the weekly "elimination match" to stay on the roster. The team appeared to be in shambles after a 4-1 defeat to Bulgaria, however.

So both teams were on their way down, but at least one of them had a chance to turn things around and find a positive result for their team. Adriano rose up as the star of the match, scoring a pair of goals to hopefully lift Rio out of their funk and defeat Belarus in the meantime.

Belarus 0 - 2 Rio de Janeiro [Adriano x2]





Team 8 vs. Team 1
1. Italy 1 - 1 Netherlands
2. Belgium 3 - 0 Bolivia
3. Nigeria 3 - 1 Ireland
4. Finland 1 - 0 Senegal
5. Bosnia-Herzegovina 0 - 1 South Korea
6. Cape Verde 2 - 0 Congo DR
7. Curacao 0 - 1 Bulgaria
8. Belarus 0 - 2 Rio de Janeiro

Team 8 Wins: Belgium (2), Nigeria (3), Finland (4), Cape Verde (6)
Team 1 Wins: South Korea (5), Bulgaria (7), Rio de Janeiro (8)

Team 8 Wins 4-3

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 4: Team 2 vs. Team 9

Two teams who have each lost two of their first three games will square off to see who can get back on the right track and who will fall further behind.

1. Cameroon vs. Croatia

Cameroon held off Morocco twice this week, by scorelines of 3-0 and 2-1, to maintain the top position on their team. Croatia initially drew 1-1 with Cote d'Ivoire and then had to defeat Ukraine in order to earn a rematch, but they finally unseated the Africans from the top of Team 9 with a 2-1 victory heading into the weekend.

These sides have met once before, in the group stage of World Cup VIII. Croatia dominated in group play, winning all three games to win the group, including a 3-0 thumping of Cameroon along the way. Luckily, that was Cameroon's only loss and they also advanced to the knockout round as group runners up. Cameroon were then eliminated by Germany in the Round of Sixteen while Croatia defeated Iran and advanced to the quarterfinals before being bounced by the Dutch.

Cameroon 0 - 3 Croatia (World Cup VIII Group Stage)

This meeting played out very similar to the World Cup encounter. Croatia were just one goal off from matching the previous result, running out 2-0 winners on this occasion. Eduardo and Vukojevic provided the goals to give Croatia their first win in their very first game at the #1 position.

Cameroon 0 - 2 Croatia [Eduardo, Vukojevic]


2. Morocco vs. Cote d'Ivoire

Morocco failed in two attempts to reclaim the top position against Cameroon, but at least they were able to defeat Iran 4-1 in order to remain in the #2 position for this week. Cote d'Ivoire barely fought off Croatia in the first match and then eventually fell 2-1 in the rematch to drop out of the top spot and set up a very interesting match against arch rivals Morocco.

These teams are very familiar with each other, having met 12 times previously, going all the way back to the very first WEFA World Cup in which Cote d'Ivoire handed Morocco a heavy 5-0 defeat to kick start the rivalry. That was just the start of what evolved into one of the highest scoring rivalries in the world. The sides would meet again in the next World Cup cycle, where Cote d'Ivoire won 2-0 this time around. Drawn together for World Cup III, Morocco finally broke through the Ivorian defense for the first time, producing the highest scoring games of all time, a 5-5 draw. This game is still a record for most combined goals scored in a single competitive WEFA game! Cote d'Ivoire returned to winning ways in the rematch, claiming a 5-2 victory and then eventually going on to win the World Cup!

The teams did not meet in the fourth World Cup, but they were back in action for World Cup V. The high scoring continued, as Cote d'Ivoire swept Morocco by scores of 6-1 and 6-3 this time around. Despite the heavy defeats, Morocco wound up making it to the quarterfinals of this tournament, while Cote d'Ivoire went on to win the bronze medal.

The tide finally turned in World Cup VI when Morocco finally picked up their first victory in the series with a big 3-0 win. The rematch uncharacteristically ended in a 0-0 draw, giving Morocco the qualification spot and causing Cote d'Ivoire to miss the World Cup for the first time ever. The pendulum swung further in Morocco's direction when they won 3-2 in World Cup VII qualifying and then played to another 2-2 draw to once again get the upper hand. Morocco took that momentum and made another run into the quarterfinals in this tournament.

The teams were not drawn to play in either of the next two World Cups, but they did meet in both African Cups. A 2-2 draw favored Morocco in the first ever African Cup, as it secured the top spot in the group stage. Morocco would go on to win the whole tournament, while Cote d'Ivoire were knocked off in the quarterfinals. In the next tournament, the teams met in the semifinals, and for the first time since World Cup V Cote d'Ivoire earned a victory. The 2-0 result put the Ivorians into the final, but they ultimately lost to Nigeria, while Morocco won third place against Mozambique, the team they had defeated to win the first African Cup.

Morocco 0 - 5 Cote d'Ivoire (World Cup I Qualifying)
Morocco 0 - 2 Cote d'Ivoire (World Cup II Qualifying)
Cote d'Ivoire 5 - 5 Morocco (World Cup III Qualifying)
Morocco 2 - 5 Cote d'Ivoire (World Cup III Qualifying)
Cote d'Ivoire 6 - 1 Morocco (World Cup V Qualifying)
Morocco 3 - 6 Cote d'Ivoire (World Cup V Qualifying)
Cote d'Ivoire 0 - 3 Morocco (World Cup VI Qualifying)
Morocco 0 - 0 Cote d'Ivoire (World Cup VI Qualifying)
Morocco 3 - 2 Cote d'Ivoire (World Cup VII Qualifying)
Cote d'Ivoire 2 - 2 Morocco (World Cup VII Qualifying)
Morocco 2 - 2 Cote d'Ivoire (African Cup I Group Stage)
Morocco 0 - 2 Cote d'Ivoire (African Cup II Semifinals)

The Ivorians lead the rivalry 6-2 overall, with 4 draws between the sides, and having outscored Morocco 37-21 so far. Cote d'Ivoire also leads on medals, having won 4 to Morocco's 2. Cote d'Ivoire are World Cup champions, and have won silver at the African Cup and bronze at both the World Cup and World Series. Morocco have won an African Cup championship and have taken third place at another African Cup as well.

So clearly these are two of the top teams in not only Africa, but also the world. It's always exciting when they get together, and this occasion was no different. However, the Ivorians continued their winning ways, grabbing another advantage in the series by downing Morocco 3-0 behind goals from Drogba, Yaya Toure, and defender Demel.

Morocco 0 - 3 Cote d'Ivoire [Drogba, Toure Yaya, Demel]


3. Iran vs. Colombia

Iran defeated Poland 2-1 to move up yet another spot this week. They suffered a slight setback after a heavy defeat to Morocco, but rebounded to draw 1-1 against Mali and hold their position at #3. Colombia also climbed up a spot, although they started the week with a 1-1 draw against Ukraine that forced them to play a defensive match. The Colombians defeated Angola 1-0 and then overcame Ukraine 2-0 to claim the spot though.

Colombia were heavy favorites in this match, but Iran proved that they are stronger than expected. Khalatbari put the hosts ahead early, and made things nervy for Colombia before finally Rodallega and Falcao scored to escape with the narrow 2-1 victory.

Iran 1 - 2 Colombia [Khalatbari; Rodallega, Falcao]


4. Mali vs. Ukraine

Mali held off Ecuador with a draw and then defeated Poland to move up into this position, while Ukraine lost their spot to Colombia. They have never met each other in competitive play before, so this was also a new encounter.

This game was a tight, defensive struggle, but finally the hosts pulled out a late winner thanks to some brilliance from their star striker, Frederic Kanoute.

Mali 1 - 0 Ukraine [Kanoute]


5. Ecuador vs. Japan

Ecuador went unbeaten this week, playing out a pair of 1-1 draws against Mali and Montenegro before finally defeating Poland to move up. Japan initially lost their spot, losing to Angola to start the week, but then defeated both Uzbekistan and Angola to win the spot back.

That momentum carried over into the league match, and Japan also cashed in on their new callups, putting three goals past Ecuador to win convincingly. Nakamura, Takahara, and Endo all provided goals while Ecuador could only answer through Mendez.

Ecuador 1 - 3 Japan [Mendez; Nakamura, Takahara, Endo]


6. Poland vs. Angola

Poland had the worst week out of all nations on either side of this league match. Three straight losses to Iran, Mali, and Ecuador saw the side drop from #3 all the way down to #6! Meanwhile, Angola briefly took the #5 position from Japan, but were unable to unseat Colombia and wound up losing the rematch to the Japanese to wind up right back where they had started.

The downward spiral seemed to continue for Poland when they conceded a goal to Gilberto, but Lewandowski finally got the Pollacks on the board, earning a 1-1 draw as a result.

Poland 1 - 1 Angola [Lewandowski; Gilberto]


7. Montenegro vs. Uzbekistan

Montenegro beat Israel 2-1 to jump up a spot, and while they couldn't edge out Ecuador, they were able to hold the position for the remainder of the week. Uzbekistan held steady all week, defeating Estonia twice by scores of 2-0 and 4-0, but losing to Japan too.

The big wins over Estonia didn't translate into victory over other European sides. Instead, Montenegro blew away Uzbekistan with a pair of goals from Vukecevic and then Pavicevic finished them off with a late strike to increase the lead to 3-0.

Montenegro 3 - 0 Uzbekistan [Vukcevic x2, Pavicevic]


8. Israel vs. Estonia

Israel lost their position to Uzbekistan, but they were at least able to hold off North Korea with a 1-1 draw to stay on the league roster. Estonia were firmly put in their place by Uzbekistan, but they also defeated Thailand 3-1 to protect their spot as well.

These sides proved to be evenly matched, trading goals throughout the game. A pair of Bens scored for Israel, but Lindpere and Oper responded for Estonia, and ultimately the match ended 2-2, with Team 9 gaining the overall victory.

Israel 2 - 2 Estonia [Ben Sahar, Ben Dayan; Lindpere, Oper]





Team 2 vs. Team 9
1. Cameroon 0 - 2 Croatia
2. Morocco 0 - 3 Cote d'Ivoire
3. Iran 1 - 2 Colombia
4. Mali 1 - 0 Ukraine
5. Ecuador 1 - 3 Japan
6. Poland 1 - 1 Angola
7. Montenegro 3 - 0 Uzbekistan
8. Israel 2 - 2 Estonia

Team 2 Wins: Mali (4), Montenegro (7)
Team 9 Wins: Croatia (1), Cote d'Ivoire (2), Colombia (3), Japan (5)

Team 9 Wins 4-2

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 4: Team 3 vs. Team 10

Both teams suffered their first league loss of the season last week. With Team 3 now sitting at 2-1 and Team 10 at 1-1-1, this week's match would be crucial to get both teams' campaign turned back around.

1. Romania vs. England

Romania successfully defended their top position against challengers Czech Republic this week. A 1-0 victory was followed up by a 1-1 draw to allow the Romanians to remain at the #1 spot for the second week in a row. Meanwhile, England will be playing as the top position on their team for the fourth week in a row after fending off both Guinea and Turkey this week.

These are two of the most successful teams in UEFA World Cup qualifying. Along with the top three teams who have qualified to all nine World Cups (Norway, France, and Netherlands), England and Romania round out the top five. They are the only two nations who have qualified to seven World Cups apiece, which is more than anyone else in Europe, aside from the aforementioned top three teams. England's best performance was in World Cup VII when they won the championship, while Romania earned bronze at World Cup VI.

Curiously enough, despite (or perhaps due to) their success, these sides have never met in any of those qualifying campaigns. This would be the first ever meeting and it was decisively in England's favor. The English manager took a lot of criticism for dropping Emil Heskey, who had scored four goals in the first three league games of the season, for Michael Owen. Those critics are quiet now after Owen netted a brace while Glen Johnson and Wayne Rooney each scored to lift England to an impressive 4-1 victory.

Romania 1 - 4 England [Mutu; Glen Johnson, Owen x2, Rooney]


2. Czech Republic vs. Turkey

The Czechs failed to win back the top spot from Romania, despite having two attempts to do so, but they did manage to defeat Denmark in order to hold the #2 spot this week. Turkey were out for revenge after losing their spot to Guinea last week, and the Turks rallied to smash Russia 3-0 and then oust Guinea 2-1 to reclaim their position. The Turks made a bid for the top spot as well, but lost 0-1 in their challenge against England.

The first competitive game either side ever played was against each other, which ended in a 0-0 draw for World Cup I qualifying. Czech Republic wound up winning the qualifying group, eventually going all the way to the Round of Sixteen while Turkey finished last and missed out. The Turks got revenge in World Cup III, sweeping the Czechs by scores of 2-1 and 3-2, though both teams ended up going to the World Cup. Czech Republic again reached the Round of Sixteen, but the Turks went all the way to the semifinals before losing to eventual champions Cote d'Ivoire, and wound up winning bronze.

A pair of draws left nothing between the sides in World Cup V qualifying, although Turkey had done slightly better against the rest of the group than the Czechs had. This meant that Turkey qualified while Czech Republic did not, although the Turks failed to get past the group stage this time around.

Czech Republic 0 - 0 Turkey (World Cup I Qualifying)
Turkey 2 - 1 Czech Republic (World Cup III Qualifying)
Czech Republic 2 - 3 Turkey (World Cup III Qualifying)
Turkey 0 - 0 Czech Republic (World Cup V Qualifying)
Czech Republic 1 - 1 Turkey (World Cup V Qualifying)

So overall the series has been competitive, but Turkey holds the advantage for the time being. This trend continued in this week's league match as Arda Turan netted twice to give Turkey the victory. Czech Republic have now played six games against the Turks without recording a win!

Czech Republic 0 - 2 Turkey [Arda Turan x2]


3. Sao Paulo vs. Guinea

Sao Paulo dropped after an opening loss to Denmark, but then recovered by holding Martinique to a draw and then defeating Denmark in the rematch to reclaim the #3 position. Guinea, on the other hand, started the week with the #1 position in their sights, but found themselves down to #3 after consecutive losses to both England and Turkey. The Africans were able to hold the spot by defeating Russia 1-0 to close out the week.

Sao Paulo presented a formidable challenge and it was no surprise that the defense-minded Guineans approached the match cautiously. The first half hour was slow and boring, but then the match picked up as the teams became more familiar with each other. A pair of big saves on both ends of the field were the first signs of life, but there just wasn't enough action to produce a goal in the first half.

Guinea was very focused on staying in front of the tricky Sao Paulo strikers, but it was one of their own strikers who broke the game open in the 48th minute. Is. Bangoura broke free on a counter attack and then dribbled right around Cris and scored against the keeper to put Guinea ahead, against the run of play. Sao Paulo had 58% possession at this point!

This sent the game into overdrive and Ca fell victim to Amauri's rough play as the Paulista striker was fighting to win possession in midfield. Ca had to leave the match injured, which B. Balde did not take kindly to. He took out Amauri as retribution just a few minutes later with a tackle that almost prompted a bench clearing brawl. The two players did get into it a little bit, enough so that the referee decided action needed to be taken and he produced a straight red card for Balde! Guinea would have to play a man down for the remaining 35 minutes!

Guinea adjusted their formation to plug up the gaping whole that Balde's absence had created, but the not everyone got the hang of the new formation immediately. Kalabane got caught out of position, which allowed Robinho to slip through and score an equalizer just minutes after the altercation.

Sao Paulo were on the verge of running away with the match when all of a sudden Guinea struck again. Is. Bangoura headed in a cross from A. Camara, once more against the run of play, to put Guinea back in front! Then it was up to Kemoko Camara; the goalkeeper made a fantastic save to deny Amauri's bid for a stoppage time equalizer and somehow Guinea had managed to win! Sao Paulo had outshot Guinea 12-6 on the night and had controlled 56% possession on top of having a man advantage for most of the second half. An embarrassing defeat for the proud South Americans!

Sao Paulo 1 - 2 Guinea [Robinho; Is. Bangoura x2]


4. Denmark vs. Russia

Denmark finished the week where they started, but it wasn't as straightforward as that. The Danes actually jumped up a spot after defeating Sao Paulo to kick off the week, but then lost to the Czech Republic and then to Sao Paulo in a rematch to fall back to the #4 position. Russia simply maintained their spot, losing to both Turkey and Guinea but beating Zambia to hold steady.

The historical series between these sides has been very even. Meetings in two different World Cup qualifying campaigns have produced split results. In World Cup VI, Denmark swept Russia en route to their best qualifying campaign ever, 22 out of 30 points in a tough group that also included Norway, Belgium, Czech Republic, and Wales! The Danes would go on to the Round of Sixteen before being upset by Bosnia in a penalty shootout. In the very next World Cup the Russians were able to get revenge, sweeping the Danes and qualifying as group winners, leaving the Danes at home.

Denmark 1 - 0 Russia (World Cup VI Qualifying)
Russia 3 - 5 Denmark (World Cup VI Qualifying)
Russia 2 - 1 Denmark (World Cup VII Qualifying)
Denmark 0 - 3 Russia (World Cup VII Qualifying)

Averaging almost 4 goals per game when they get together, the Northern European sides flipped the script and put on a defensive battle, the likes of which hadn't been seen since their first meeting back when Denmark won just 1-0. There wasn't even that lone winner this time around, as the teams ground out a hard fought 0-0 draw to ensure neither side took the edge in the overall series just yet.

Denmark 0 - 0 Russia


5. Martinique vs. Wales

Martinique had a successful week, and moved up one spot after defeating Georgia with a pair of 1-0 victories and were only just denied going higher by a 1-1 draw against Sao Paulo. Wales drew with Zambia to start the week, but then also found success after beating Lithuania and Zambia in back-to-back games to move up a spot as well.

Since Martinique is a fairly new team, these sides have never met before in a competitive match, but many would have given the nod to the Caribbean side as the favorites in this match. Instead, Carl Fletcher emerged as the man of the match, providing two goals to put Wales ahead early before Chad Evans finished the match off, 3-0 in favor of the Welsh!

Martinique 0 - 3 Wales [C. Fletcher x2, Chad Evans]


6. Georgia vs. Zambia

If the #5 matchup was a game between two rising sides, then the #6 matchup was a contest between two falling ones. Georgia and Zambia both slipped into this position after losing to Martinique and Wales, respectively. Georgia at least found solace in a 2-0 victory over Congo, but Zambia lost to Russia in their only other match this week.

Georgia seemed to be clear favorites, and Martsvaladze drove that point home with an early goal to put the former two-time World Cup champions ahead. However, Zambia recovered and fought back. Eventually Bwalya stepped up to lead the Zambians to a surprising 2-1 victory.

Georgia 1 - 2 Zambia [Martsvaladze; Bwalya x2]


7. Congo vs. Lithuania

Congo held off two challenges from Suriname to maintain their #7 position, but were not able to unseat Georgia either. Lithuania rebounded slightly, overcoming Iraq with a pair of 2-0 victories, but failing to overcome Wales by the same margin.

There was not much to report on from this contest. Neither side was able to produce a goal and the match ended 0-0, the second such scoreline of this week's league match.

Congo 0 - 0 Lithuania


8. Suriname vs. Iraq

Suriname drew and then lost to Congo, but they were at least able to defeat China by a score of 2-0 to win a position on the league roster this week. Iraq fell to Lithuania to start the week, but then held off Canada with a 1-1 draw in the elimination match to avoid sitting out themselves.

The South American Caribbean side had looked better this week, and they certainly played better in the league match. By all accounts, they really should have scored more goals, but the lone strike from Tiendalli that did find the back of the net was enough to hand Suriname Team 3's only victory of the week.

Suriname 1 - 0 Iraq [Tiendalli]





Team 3 vs. Team 10
1. Romania 1 - 4 England
2. Czech Republic 0 - 2 Turkey
3. Sao Paulo 1 - 2 Guinea
4. Denmark 0 - 0 Russia
5. Martinique 0 - 3 Wales
6. Georgia 1 - 2 Zambia
7. Congo 0 - 0 Lithuania
8. Suriname 1 - 0 Iraq

Team 3 Wins: Suriname (8)
Team 10 Wins: England (1), Turkey (2), Guinea (3), Wales (5), Zambia (6)

Team 10 Wins 5-1

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 4: Team 4 vs. Team 11

Team 4 finally won their first game of the season last week, which was the only thing that prevented this matchup from becoming a battle of the winless. Team 11 has yet to record a victory, while Team 4 is hoping to put together their first winning streak of the season.

1. Norway vs. France

Norway lost the top spot to Germany with a 3-2 defeat to start the week, so for the first time this season they had to face an opponent other than the Germans in a challenge match. That new team was Togo, and they did not take advantage of their opportunity. Norway defeated them 2-0 to earn a rematch with Germany and then secured the top spot for the fourth week in a row with a stunning 3-0 victory over their new rivals. France, on the other hand, had little trouble holding their #1 position for the fourth week in a row. A pair of 2-0 victories over the United States cemented their spot at the top of the roster.

Norway and France are two of the highest rated teams in the world, and since most qualification tournaments are seeded, they always avoid each other. Despite that, they have met several times in major tournaments. The first, and biggest, meeting came in World Cup II when Norway met the defending champions in the semifinal. France prevailed 1-0 to become the first team to play in back-to-back World Cup championships (they would end up playing in three in a row), while Norway went on to win their first medal, defeating Costa Rica in the third place match. Later, in World Cup IV, Norway got revenge by defeating France 1-0 in the group stage, where France also suffered an upset defeat to the United States and failed to reach the knockout round for the first time ever. Norway did not go much further though, losing to Germany in the Round of Sixteen.

The rubber match came many years later when the sides met in the Confederations Cup quarterfinals. This meeting produced many more goals than the previous two had, with Norway storming out ahead and winning 4-2 to eliminate France. Unfortunately that would be their last triumph of the tournament, as they would then lose to Georgia and then Brazil to finish fourth.

Norway 0 - 1 France (World Cup II Semifinals)
Norway 1 - 0 France (World Cup IV Group Stage)
Norway 4 - 2 France (Confederations Cup I Quarterfinals)

In this meeting, Norway were hoping to pick up their first league victory of the season by going after the French early. Some great passing set up a Winsnes volley in the opening minute of the match, but the keeper made a nice save to avoid giving up a score so quickly. Throughout the rest of the half, France actually piled up the most shots, but none were very threatening. Half time was reached with the French having outshot Norway 7-2 overall, but neither side had made a big push to take the lead yet.

Another quick strike from Norway was thwarted by the crossbar. Iversen rose up to reach the ball but his headed hit the post! Hoiland had picked up a yellow card and this caused problems around the hour mark. He was trying to make sure he didn't get sent off, so he was playing more passive than he should have been. As a result, Nasri went right around him and then set up Benzema for the opening goal. The Norwegians took the setback in stride and tried to go forward quickly again. This resulted in Mexes being cautioned and Carew equalized off the free kick! France had only held the lead for six minutes!

Henry nearly stole the show in the closing minutes of the match, catching the defense with a perfectly timed run, but his final shot let him down, going wide. Overall it was probably a fair result, but Norway were disappointed to still be winless after four league matches, with a record of 3 draws and 1 loss now.

Norway 1 - 1 France [Carew; Benzema]


2. Germany vs. United States

The Germans finally ousted Norway from the top position, but were then unable to defend their new spot and wound up back in the #2 position for the league meet. United States has still not cracked France's hold on the #1 position on their team, but they were able to hold off Albania with a 0-0 draw to keep their spot.

Despite having played a lot in recent (real world) World Cups, Germany and the USA have only met once before in WEFA competitive play. In the Group of Death during World Cup VI, Germany defeated the United States 1-0 to kick off the tournament which did not go well for either team. Senegal and Netherlands wound up advancing to the knockout round as Germany finished with just 4 points overall and USA lost all three games to finish with 0!

Germany 1 - 0 United States (World Cup VI Group Stage)

In this encounter Ballack and Podolski lifted the Germans over their American rivals. A lone goal from Utopia's favorite player, Bornstein, was the only reply the Americans could muster.

Germany 2 - 1 United States [Ballack, Podolski; Bornstein]


3. Serbia vs. Albania

Serbia had climbed into the #3 position but missed out on a chance to face Norway when they also lost their opening game of the week, falling 0-1 to Togo. A 1-1 draw against Jamaica barely kept them from falling further, and then the Serbs finally recovered with a 2-0 win against Togo to get back into the 3rd spot. Albania kept climbing in their group, defeating Slovakia to move up and then they pushed the USA as far as they could, but just couldn't find a winning goal in the 0-0 draw that followed. A 1-1 draw against Slovakia cemented Albania's position this week.

These two nations are no longer neighbors, thanks to Kosovo's independence, but there is still a lot of bad blood. That translated into a very tight and tense game, and oddly enough it was a defender, Branislav Ivanovic, whose goal decided the contest.

Serbia 1 - 0 Albania [Ivanovic]


4. Togo vs. Slovakia

Togo had a chance at making big waves on their team, ousting Serbia early in the week and then getting a crack at recently fallen Norway. However, the Togolese lost their challenge against Norway and then wound up right back where they started after losing the rematch to Serbia. Slovakia had started the week at #3 but then promptly lost to Albania to dip down. A draw against Panama kept them from sliding further, but they were not able to win their rematch and will be playing a position lower this week.

These are two unfamiliar opponents as well, and it took a bit of time for them to feel each other out. Finally a pair of goals came in, but they were split between the sides. Senaya and Hamsik each got their name on the scoreboard, but that was it, and the match ended up 1-1, with Team 4 holding a pretty nice 2-0 lead heading into the lower batch of games.

Togo 1 - 1 Slovakia [J. Senaya; Hamsik]


5. Jamaica vs. South Africa

The Reggae Boyz had a fairly successful week, even if it didn't result in any movement up the roster. A pair of 2-1 wins over Venezuela along with a 1-1 draw to Serbia meant that Jamaica finished the week unbeaten, giving them lots of confidence heading into the league match. South Africa had dropped all the way down to #8 before finally cleaning house and making some big roster changes. Those moves seemed to have paid off this week with three straight victories to see Bafana Bafana climb back up to #5 after defeating all of Scotland, Algeria, and Panama.

South Africa's momentum proved to be stronger than Jamaica's. Sinclair and Hayles made a match out of it, but McCarthy's brace cancelled out those goals so that Pienaar's goal would be the winner. South Africa are now on an incredible run, having won six games in a row (in both challenge matches and league play) after that big roster change following the loss to Scotland in the middle of Week 3.

Jamaica 2 - 3 South Africa [Sinclair, Hayles; McCarthy x2, Pienaar]


6. Venezuela vs. Panama

Venezuela had a fairly predictable week. A pair of losses to Jamaica prevented them from moving up, but they did manage to defeat OPEC rivals Saudi Arabia 3-1 in the midweek to hold the #6 spot. Panama played out a pair of 1-1 draws against Algeria and Slovakia before losing to South Africa to drop one spot this week.

Panama has never participated in any WEFA tournament besides the Gold Cup, so they have no history against their close "neighbors". Not much was written in the history books today when the sides played out a dull 0-0 draw.

Venezuela 0 - 0 Panama


7. Saudi Arabia vs. Scotland

Saudi Arabia jumped ahead of Iceland with a 2-0 victory to kick off the week. A loss to Venezuela cut short any further advancement, but the Saudis were able to hold onto #7 thanks to a 1-1 draw against Gabon. Meanwhile, Scotland had dropped out of the 7th spot after losing to South Africa, but then recovered to win it back after beating both Kuwait and Algeria.

Scotland parlayed that winning streak into league success. Kenny Miller struck twice, on each side of half time, to lift Scotland to victory and surprisingly pull the league match level at 2 wins apiece!

Saudi Arabia 0 - 2 Scotland [Miller x2]


8. Gabon vs. Algeria

So this was it, the league match came down to the #8 battle between Gabon and Algeria! Gabon had upset Iceland in the "elimination match" to climb onto the roster this week, while Algeria had lost to both South Africa and then Scotland to fall from #6 down to #8.

It seemed like Gabon was in better form, but Algeria regrouped and proved their worth. Yebda got the ball rolling with a first half goal and then Dahmane finished things off with his big strike to lift Team 11 to their first league victory of the season!

Gabon 0 - 2 Algeria [Yebda, Dahmane]





Team 4 vs. Team 11
1. Norway 1 - 1 France
2. Germany 2 - 1 United States
3. Serbia 1 - 0 Albania
4. Togo 1 - 1 Slovakia
5. Jamaica 2 - 3 South Africa
6. Venezuela 0 - 0 Panama
7. Saudi Arabia 0 - 2 Scotland
8. Gabon 0 - 2 Algeria

Team 4 Wins: Germany (2), Serbia (3)
Team 11 Wins: South Africa (5), Scotland (7), Saudi Arabia (8)

Team 11 Wins 3-2

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 4: Team 12 vs. Team 5

In one of the better matchups this week, unbeaten Team 12 puts their three game winning streak on the line against Team 5, who had lost their opening game but have won two straight since.

1. Ghana vs. Argentina

Ghana managed to hold off Spain yet again, and even defeated the Spanish with a resounding 3-0 victory to close out the week. Argentina also held off their main challenger, New Zealand, but only did so with a couple of 2-2 draws.

Somewhat surprisingly, these sides have never met in a World Cup before.

This first encounter was all set to be a shootout, with offense being the strong point of each team. It was no surprise that the first half was an open affair with plenty of shots at both ends. It was a surprise that the half came to an end with a pair of goose eggs on the scoreboard, despite a combined 14 shots between the two. The second half started with more of the same; lots of attacking, poor finishing. As the game wore on though, the defenders started to gain confidence and limit the attackers. Shots on goal fell by the wayside and each team managed just three shots apiece in the entire second half, none of which beat the keeper. It was a letdown for the fans when the final whistle sounded to bring the game to a conclusion at 0-0, but Ghana were secretly content to have avoided defeat against one of the toughest opponents in the league.

Ghana 0 - 0 Argentina


2. Spain vs. New Zealand

Spain and New Zealand both had two chances to win the top spot this week, but neither were able to do so. They were able to hold off their challengers though, with Spain defeating Sweden 2-1 and New Zealand fending off Portugal with a 2-2 draw.

New Zealand has never qualified to a World Cup (in only one attempt), so these sides have never had a chance to meet competitively before.

Leo Bertos seemed especially amped up for this big game and it showed when he produced the first chance of the game, forcing Casillas to make a tough save. Torres responded for Spain, and while his shot as met by Paston, it was too difficult for the Kiwi keeper and it trickled over the line for the opening goal of the match. Just sixteen minutes in and the route was on!

Or not. Winston Reid surged forward to join in the attack from his wingback position and wound up finding Vicelich with his cross, giving the big man a big header to pull New Zealand level just four minutes after Spain's goal! Killen then found himself with a few chances to give the All Whites a lead, but he pushed his shots wide each time. Despite parity, Spain clearly looked rattled as New Zealand continued to build confidence going forward. That effort was rewarded when Bertos took the match into his own hands and dribbled past Sergio Ramos to set up a 1v1 with Casillas. The midfielder kept his cool and calmly rounded the world class keeper to lift New Zealand into the lead just before the break, with the last kick of the half!

Even more impressive than New Zealand's performance were the first half stats. NZL had somehow outshot Spain 10-6 and had 52% possession - unbelievable! That quickly changed when it became apparent that the All Whites were perfectly content to try to defend this lead and they bunkered down in the second half. There was little action for the next half hour, but that was just how they preferred it. Bertos went down injured in the 82nd minute, but then used that to his advantage when he came back on the field and immediately forced a turnover. The ball was played forward to Killen, who then found Fallon for an open look, which he capitalized on to give New Zealand a dream scoreline, up 3-1 over Spain! The lead held and Bertos was named Man of the Match with an impressive 9.0 rating!

Spain 1 - 3 New Zealand [Torres; Vicelich, Bertos, Fallon]


3. Sweden vs. Chile

Sweden were unable to oust Spain this week, but they were successful against Paraguay and Switzerland, allowing them to hold the #3 position for another league match. Meanwhile, Chile had been swatted aside with a 3-1 loss to Portugal to open the week, and only narrowly avoided falling to Trinidad & Tobago with a 1-1 draw, but the South Americans rallied to stun Portugal 2-0 and jump into this position.

With both sides needing a victory to advance to the knockout round in World Cup II, Chile and Sweden played to a 1-1 draw that caused both teams to exit at the group stage.

Chile 1 - 1 Sweden (World Cup II Group Stage)

This time around they were hoping for a decisive result, but all these years later it was still more of the same. This match also ended 1-1 with goals coming from Per Nilsson and Mark Gonzalez.

Sweden 1 - 1 Chile [Nilsson; Mark Gonzalez]


4. Switzerland vs. Portugal

The Swiss defeated the Confederates and Paraguay to climb up into the #4 position this week. Portugal, meanwhile, lost a rematch to Chile at the most inopportune time which resulted in them falling a spot.

These two have a short, but long history. They have only met once before, but it was way back in the first ever WEFA World Cup. On the last matchday of qualifying, Switzerland needed a victory to keep their World Cup hopes alive, but Portugal managed a 1-1 draw which allowed them to win the group (ahead of Croatia and Hungary) to qualify directly to the World Cup, while Switzerland finished last and were eliminated.

Portugal 1 - 1 Switzerland (World Cup I Qualifying)

It would seem like a great time for the Swiss to get revenge, especially with them being on the rise and Portugal on the decline, but that clearly was not the case here. Instead, Portugal took out their frustration from having lost to Chile and smashed Switzerland by a count of 4-1. Alex Frei managed to score for Switzerland, but it wasn't enough to keep up with Portugal as Cristiano Ronaldo and Raul Meireles each scored a brace.

Switzerland 1 - 4 Portugal [Frei; C. Ronaldo x2, R. Meireles x2]


5. Paraguay vs. Trinidad & Tobago

Paraguay had a difficult week, losing to both Sweden and Switzerland to wind up at the #5 spot. A tough 1-1 draw against the Confederate States prevented further damage to Paraguay's roster position. The fall lined them up against Trinidad & Tobago, who maintained this position with a pair of draws against Guadeloupe and Chile before fighting off Tunisia with a 3-2 victory.

Cabanas struck early and then Paraguay's defense proved too strong for the Soca Warriors. Just like in the previous positional match, it was the team who had fallen that prevailed over the team who had struggled to hold the position. Paraguay's victory also kept Team 12 alive, now down 2-1 overall in the league match.

Paraguay 1 - 0 Trinidad & Tobago [Cabanas]


6. Confederacy vs. Tunisia

The Confederates seem to have plateaued, they weren't able to best either Switzerland or Paraguay to move up, but they did hold off El Salvador fairly easily, a 2-0 result. Tunisia seemed to have the #8 position on lockdown, having spent the first three weeks of the season there, but they finally rallied to move up. Wins over Slovenia and Guadeloupe propelled them into the #6 slot.

This time it was the team on the rise who prevailed. Korbi and Ragued broke through the CSA's backline and the Carthage Eagles pitched a shutout for their first victory at this new position.

Confederacy 0 - 2 Tunisia [Korbi, Ragued]


7. El Salvador vs. Indonesia

El Salvador climbed up a spot after knocking off Peru 2-1 to start the week. A defeat to the Confederacy forced them to defend against Latvia, but that proved to be a successful endeavor and they kept their new spot. Indonesia had actually missed the league match last week due to falling into the #9 spot, but they ensured that was just a temporary setback. The team climbed up with a pair of wins over Slovenia and Guadeloupe.

Both sides were on the rise, but neither was able to overcome the other. Arturo Alvarez canceled out Firman's set piece goal and these two unfamiliar opponents settled for the 1-1 draw that clinches victory for Team 5.

El Salvador 1 - 1 Indonesia [A. Alvarez; Firman]


8. Latvia vs. Guadeloupe

Latvia upset Peru by a 3-2 count in the elimination game to earn a spot on the roster this week. Meanwhile, Guadeloupe fell from #6 after losing to both Tunisia and Indonesia.

Guadeloupe continued Team 5's dominance in this league meet with a resounding 2-0 victory and goals from Chimbonda and Dacourt.

Latvia 0 - 2 Guadeloupe [Chimbonda, Dacourt]





Team 12 vs. Team 5
1. Ghana 0 - 0 Argentina
2. Spain 1 - 3 New Zealand
3. Sweden 1 - 1 Chile
4. Switzerland 1 - 4 Portugal
5. Paraguay 1 - 0 Trinidad & Tobago
6. Confederacy 0 - 2 Tunisia
7. El Salvador 1 - 1 Indonesia
8. Latvia 0 - 2 Guadeloupe

Team 12 Wins: Paraguay (5)
Team 5 Wins: New Zealand (2), Portugal (4), Tunisia (6), Guadeloupe (8)

Team 5 Wins 4-1

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 4: Team 6 vs. Team 7

In an interesting scheduling twist, both of these teams played the same opponents in the past two weeks. They each took turns losing to teams 1 and 12 and are both looking to recover after a tough start to the season. Team 7's opening week victory is the only thing keeping this from being a battle of the winless!

1. Greece vs. Brazil

Brazil keeps getting lucky to find their league rivals in disarray. Two weeks ago, South Korea had upset Netherlands to temporarily earn the #1 position and their reward was a match against Brazil. Then last week Spain and Sweden both sat lower on the roster as Ghana trotted out to face the Brazilians. And now Greece, rather than Uruguay, will line up against the South American giants. This came to fruition after Greece only narrowly held on to the #3 spot at the start of the week with a 0-0 draw against Honduras. They then rallied to trounce Egypt 4-0 to set up a shot at Uruguay in which they prevailed 2-1. Brazil, meanwhile, hung on to the #1 spot for the fourth week in a row thanks to a pair of draws against challengers Mozambique.

Based on history, this was not an easy draw for Brazil. They had come up against Greece previously in the quarterfinals of the third WEFA World Cup in which Papadopoulos famously scored a hattrick to lift the Greeks into the semifinals. The result was even more incredible considering that Greece had only scored 3 goals total in the previous 4 matches (three 1-0 victories and a 0-0 draw). The victory over Brazil would be the highlight of the tournament for them, as they were unable to win any further games and finished fourth overall, their best result to date. Papadopoulos had also scored the only goal in the previous match to eliminate Portugal.

Greece 3 - 1 Brazil (World Cup III Quarterfinals)

Kaka had scored the only Brazilian goal of the night back in that humiliating quarterfinal defeat to Greece, so he was out to redeem himself and did so with an even better performance this time around. His two goals led the way as Mert Nobre, Gilberto Silva, and Julio Baptista also joined in to elevate Brazil to an impressive 5-0 victory.

Greece 0 - 5 Brazil [Mert Nobre, Kaka x2, Gilberto Silva, Julio Baptista]


2. Uruguay vs. Mozambique

Uruguay seemed to have finally grabbed the #1 position back with a 3-0 thumping of holders Egypt to kick off Week 4. However, things can turn sour in an instant, and that happened when Greece upset them 2-1 to close out the week, leaving them to face Mozambique, who held the #2 position yet again thanks to a 2-1 victory over Mexico.

Uruguay were disappointed to be playing in the #2 match again, while Mozambique were not. This was reflected on the field as Uruguay just seemed lackluster and were not up to the task of trying to contain two of the most lethal strikers in the world. As such, both strikers wound up scoring. Suarez finally managed a reply, but it was too late and Uruguay had fallen 2-1. Uruguay are now 0-2 at the #2 position despite being unbeaten, 2-0, at the #1 spot. Team 6 had better hope Uruguay can regain that title, or at least get over themselves and try harder when playing as #2.

Uruguay 1 - 2 Mozambique [Suarez; Eusebio, Matateu Lucas]


3. Egypt vs. Mexico

What a tough week for Egypt. They finally climbed to the #1 position and put up a good fight against the Dutch in Week 3's league match, and then they came out in Week 4 and just got bombed in challenge matches. First Uruguay toppled them 3-0 and then Greece hit them 4-0. A 1-1 draw against Australia saved Egypt from falling further, but it didn't change the fact that Egypt has not won in their past four matches. This is in stark contrast to Mexico, who defeated Paraguay in the league match last week and then beat Hungary twice this week, winning three of four with that sole loss coming against Mozambique.

Mexico tried to hit Egypt quick, with Guardado sending in a nice cross which Chicharito dove to make contact with, but his accuracy was off and the ball went wide. Sayed Moawad almost turned the game on its head with a chance against the run of play. He got in behind the defense and beat the keeper with his shot, but (un)luckily it hit the post.

This defensive breech seemed to calm Mexico down, and they were more disciplined for the rest of the match to ensure that another breakthrough didn't occur again. As the half wound down, they started to poke forward more often, and some nice passing between Carlos Vela and Nery Castillo eventually unlocked the Egyptian defense, with Castillo supplying the finishing touch to put Mexico ahead just four minutes before half time. It seemed like Mexico was in control for the whole half, but statistics said otherwise, with Egypt somehow having outshot Mexico 5-4 and having 52% possession.

This was odd, but Mexico didn't dwell on the numbers and continued to play in the way that they felt was working. This paid further dividends when Dos Santos created a golden opportunity in the 53rd minute. His shot was saved, but the danger wasn't cleared, allowing Vela to swoop in and double the lead. The two goal lead proved to be too steep for Egypt, and the game ended as such. Egypt still wound up winning the "stat battle", 10-8 on shots and were even up to 54% possession, but dos a cero was the only stat Mexico cared about.

Egypt 0 - 2 Mexico [Nery Castillo, C. Vela]


4. Australia vs. Hungary

Australia had a challenging week, but they overcame some poor performances to climb back into the top 4 on their roster after beating Honduras 2-0 in between a pair of 1-1 draws against Equatorial Guinea and Egypt. Hungary were unable to upend their new rivals, Mexico, losing twice this week in their bids to move up. They were able to fend off Burkina Faso with a 1-1 draw though.

Hungary has won the only previous meeting between these sides. That encounter was back in the group stage of World Cup VI which helped Hungary edge Australia by a single point overall to advance to the knockout round while the Aussies went home. Hungary did not go any further though, losing to eventual runners up Senegal 4-0 in the Round of Sixteen.

Australia 0 - 1 Hungary (World Cup VI Group Stage)

This time around the Aussies took charge and they were able to even the series with goals from Cahill and Viduka to give Team 6 a vital win after the top 3 all lost their matchups.

Australia 2 - 0 Hungary [Cahill, Viduka]


5. Equatorial Guinea vs. Burkina Faso

Equatorial Guinea held steady at #5 with draws against Australia and Northern Ireland before securing their spot with a 2-1 victory over Honduras. Burkina Faso had climbed a position by defeating Costa Rica twice, but they were not able to find a winner against Hungary to go any higher.

These sides have not met in qualifying yet, so neither knew what to expect from the other. On paper Burkina Faso was probably a favorite, but home field advantage must have evened that out for Equatorial Guinea, as they were able to grind out a 0-0 draw.

Equatorial Guinea 0 - 0 Burkina Faso


6. Honduras vs. Costa Rica

Honduras had a shot at moving up to #3 at the start of the week but then found themselves all the way down at #6 after losing to both Australia and Equatorial Guinea. Costa Rica also continued to slip, dropping 2-0 to Burkina Faso and then failing to win the rematch despite having beaten Oman at the midweek match.

Honduras got a late start on the World Cup trail and did not manage to enter a team until the fifth World Cup. In the next edition they were drawn to play Central American rivals Costa Rica in what was thought to be the start of a nice rivalry. However, due to seeding and randomness, they have not met since then. Costa Rica claimed just about all of the spoils of that encounter though. The first match was split 0-0 in what would turn out to be the only qualifying game that Costa Rica did not win. The Ticos rectified that with a 4-0 thumping in the return leg and went on to win the group with a resounding 22 of 24 possible points while Honduras finished last with just 5 (and the USA finished 2nd with only 11!).

Honduras 0 - 0 Costa Rica (World Cup VI Qualifying)
Costa Rica 4 - 0 Honduras (World Cup VI Qualifying)

Costa Rica cemented their place above Honduras with their first road goal and road victory against the Catrachos. Centeno provided the winning goal.

Honduras 0 - 1 Costa Rica [Centeno]


7. Northern Ireland vs. Austria

Northern Ireland recorded a pair of big victories over Bahrain, 3-0 and 2-0, to secure their safety away from the dreaded elimination game by moving up to #7. The men in green almost climbed even higher, but were just narrowly held off with a 1-1 draw by Equatorial Guinea. Austria, on the other hand, faced certain humiliation with a loss to Oman at the start of the week. The Austrians did regain their composure and win 4-1 in the rematch to take back their spot though.

Despite these teams participating in every tournament together, they have yet to be drawn to play each other. And while Northern Ireland certainly looks a lot better now than they did back in the early World Cup era, they still were not quite good enough to overcome the Austrians. Scharner and Ivanschitz each scored to lift Austria, 2-0.

Northern Ireland 0 - 2 Austria [Scharner, Ivanschitz]


8. Bahrain vs. Oman

Bahrain suffered a terrible defeat to Northern Ireland to start the week, but they managed to recover and defeat Syria to at least stay on the roster, despite a follow up loss to the same Northern Irish team later in the week. Oman drew the lucky straw in this tournament, getting placed on a team with only 8 members, ensuring that they get to participate each week. They have taken advantage of this lack of pressure by continually chipping away at the sides just above them. Austria is that team now, and Oman finally pulled off an upset to claim the #7 spot momentarily, but they were not able to hold it throughout the week.

These teams have met once before, in the group stage of the first Asian Cup. That wild match ultimately ended 4-4, the same scoreline that Bahrain achieved against Australia in the championship game of that same tournament (which they won on penalties).

Oman 4 - 4 Bahrain (Asian Cup I Group Stage)

This encounter was just as thrilling, with four different players scoring, two for Bahrain and two for Oman. This means that the sides still have not managed to defeat one another, but Oman gets the slight edge here due to Team 7's resounding overall victory.

Bahrain 2 - 2 Oman [Abdulrahman, Salmeen; Mudhafar, Bashir]





Team 6 vs. Team 7
1. Greece 0 - 5 Brazil
2. Uruguay 1 - 2 Mozambique
3. Egypt 0 - 2 Mexico
4. Australia 2 - 0 Hungary
5. Equatorial Guinea 0 - 0 Burkina Faso
6. Honduras 0 - 1 Costa Rica
7. Northern Ireland 0 - 2 Austria
8. Bahrain 2 - 2 Oman

Team 6 Wins: Australia (4)
Team 7 Wins: Brazil (1), Mozambique (2), Mexico (3), Costa Rica (6), Austria (7)

Team 7 Wins 5-1

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 4: League Standings



[xtable=650x293]
{tbody}
{tr}
{td}Team{/td}
{td=center|50x@}Won{/td}
{td=center|50x@}Lost{/td}
{td=center|50x@}Drawn{/td}
{td} {/td}
{td}Games Won{/td}
{td}Games Lost{/td}
{td}Games Drawn{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 8{/td}
{td=center|50x@}4{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}14{/td}
{td=center}10{/td}
{td=center}8{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 1{/td}
{td=center|50x@}3{/td}
{td=center|50x@}1{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}20{/td}
{td=center}5{/td}
{td=center}7{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 5{/td}
{td=center|50x@}3{/td}
{td=center|50x@}1{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}14{/td}
{td=center}6{/td}
{td=center}12{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 12{/td}
{td=center|50x@}3{/td}
{td=center|50x@}1{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}13{/td}
{td=center}9{/td}
{td=center}10{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 10{/td}
{td=center|50x@}2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}1{/td}
{td=center|50x@}1{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}15{/td}
{td=center}10{/td}
{td=center}7{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 7{/td}
{td=center|50x@}2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}11{/td}
{td=center}12{/td}
{td=center}9{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 9{/td}
{td=center|50x@}2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}11{/td}
{td=center}13{/td}
{td=center}8{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 3{/td}
{td=center|50x@}2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}10{/td}
{td=center}13{/td}
{td=center}9{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 4{/td}
{td=center|50x@}1{/td}
{td=center|50x@}3{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}9{/td}
{td=center}11{/td}
{td=center}12{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 11{/td}
{td=center|50x@}1{/td}
{td=center|50x@}3{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}7{/td}
{td=center}15{/td}
{td=center}10{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center|50x@}3{/td}
{td=center|50x@}1{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}7{/td}
{td=center}13{/td}
{td=center}12{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 6{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center|50x@}4{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}7{/td}
{td=center}21{/td}
{td=center}4{/td}
{/tr}
{/tbody}
[/xtable]


Top #1: Brazil (Team 7): 3-0-1 +9 GD
Top #2: Germany (Team 4): 3-0-1 +3 GD
Top #3: Ukraine (Team 9): 2-0-1 +5 GD
Top #4: Belgium (Team 8): 3-0-0 +4 GD
Top #5: Bosnia-Herzegovina (Team 8): 2-1-1 +1 GD
Top #6: Cape Verde (Team 8): 2-0-0 +3 GD
Top #7: Bulgaria (Team 1): 2-0-0 +3 GD
Top #8: Suriname (Team 3): 2-1-1 +1 GD

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 5: Bolivia (Team 1)

Team 1 had a chance to move into outright first place last week, but lost to the team who has moved into first, Team 8. The whole side will be looking to recover, but with few challenge matches remaining, Bolivia is going to need to make a run at the Netherlands soon, if they are ever going to overtake them.

Latest Lineup
1. Netherlands
2. Bolivia
3. Ireland
4. Senegal
5. South Korea
6. Congo DR
7. Bulgaria
8. Rio de Janeiro
9. Qatar

There are only two challenge matches per week for the next two weeks. That means one shot each week at the top spot, but also one defense against a challenger as well. This will make it slightly easier to hold the position, but also harder to move up.



Challenge Match 15: #2 Bolivia (7-3-4) vs. #3 Ireland (6-6-2)

The pressure was on, with only two challenge matches this week, there was no room for error any more. A loss to Ireland would not only drop Bolivia out of the top 2, but it would force them to "waste" their other match this week in a defensive position when all they want is another crack at the Netherlands after last week's close calls. So the South Americans weren't going to sugar coat it, they were just going to go right after the Irish. They took this literally too, surging forward right from the kick off! Botero took a wonderful touch to get past his defender and go through on a breakaway. His shot was initially saved, but John O'Shea failed to clear it quickly, allowing Botero to follow his shot, get the ball back, and get it right this time. Bolivia were ahead and less than two minutes had ticked off the clock! (1:55 to be exact)

Torrico then headed in a corner kick in the 13th minute to really douse the Irish's fire. Everything was going right for the Bolivians, and they held on to that early lead for a long time. Robbie Keane finally made a game of it when he pulled one back for Ireland in the 65th minute, but they still needed two goals to jump Bolivia and there just wasn't enough time left for that. Finnan almost pulled the game level in the 82nd minute with a header off the post, but as the ball clanked off the metal, it became clear that the hole was too deep for Ireland to climb out of, and the match ultimately ended with the score still standing at 2-1.

Bolivia 2 - 1 Ireland

Other team results:
4v5: Senegal 1 - 3 South Korea
6v7: Congo DR 2 - 3 Bulgaria
8v9: Rio de Janeiro 0 - 1 Qatar

*It was a big week for challengers on this roster. Ireland didn't manage to take down Bolivia, but all other games resulted in places being traded. South Korea picked up a big win to jump back into the top 4 at Senegal's expense, while Bulgaria climbed back to #6 with a thrilling 3-2 win over Congo DR. Qatar picked a fine time for their first ever victory against Rio de Janeiro (in five attempts so far) because there is no rematch this week. Rio will have to sit out while Qatar plays in just their second league match of the season!



Challenge Match 16: #1 Netherlands (7-1) vs. #2 Bolivia (8-3-4)

Last week Bolivia had two chances to knock down the Dutch, but lost by a single goal in each attempt. There was only one chance this week, so Bolivia really had to play a perfect game if they were going to shock the world and grab the #1 position. Due to the nature of this, you can hardly blame Bolivia for coming out cautiously - the exact opposite approach from the Ireland game. Last week the Dutch had scored on some soft marking, so Bolivia were determined to make it difficult, if not impossible, for their opponents to move the ball forward. The game became bogged down in the midfield, with few chances either way; just how Bolivia liked it.

The war of attrition was about to come an end as the half time whistle loomed, and maybe the Dutch minds had already started to wander to the locker room because inexplicably out of nowhere Torrico lead an assault that ultimately lead to M. Moreno getting a clean look on goal. He took his chance well and everyone was stunned to see Bolivia march off into the break with a 1-0 lead! The stats showed just how well Bolivia had played, limiting the Netherlands to just 2 shots and 51% possession. What a great performance! You couldn't have asked them to play any better.

The question was whether or not they could keep it up in the second half. Surely the Netherlands were not about to let go of the top spot quietly. They had already faced the humiliation of losing it to South Korea earlier in the season, to lose it to Bolivia would be a huge blow! They started to work harder and come at the Bolivians faster in the second half, which finally paid off in the 70th minute. L. Ribeiro was caught in possession and lost the ball to Babel, who took advantage of the opportunity and scored the equalizer!

Bolivia didn't have time to revel in the heartbreak, there was still twenty minutes to go and the challengers worked tirelessly to try and restore their lead. With time winding down, in the 86th minute, that work paid off. P. Escobar fought extremely hard just to get past Robben to get down the flank and whip a cross in, but it was well worth it when the looping ball found Botero and was headed in to give Bolivia the lead! With just four minutes to go! The #1 position was within reach!!

The Dutch attack from the kickoff was thwarted and Bolivia just had to run the clock down. Of course, the Netherlands were not about to just let them do it, so they pressed hard and once again forced a mistake on the defensive end. The turnover was committed and a foul was committed while trying to win it back. This gave the Dutch one last chance, a free kick from just outside the box. And wouldn't you just know it, Robin Van Persie stepped up and placed the kick perfectly beyond the reach of Lampe to save the Orange. MOTHERFUCKER.

That wound up being the last kick of the match and Bolivia were devastated to have blown their golden opportunity. They had even outshot the Netherlands 9-7 overall on the night, but those two shots that came from defensive blunders cost them dearly.

Netherlands 2 - 2 Bolivia

Other team results:
3v4: Ireland 3 - 1 South Korea
5v6: Senegal 0 - 3 Bulgaria
7v8: Congo DR 3 - 0 Qatar

*Ireland held on to their spot at #3 with an impressive win against South Korea, but Senegal continued their way down, falling out of the top 5 for the first time this season. Bulgaria certainly earned their new position with the 3-0 thrashing they put on the Senegalese. Qatar weren't able to move up any further, losing 3-0 to Congo DR, but they'll still be pleased that they've made it on the roster this week.



New Lineup for League Match 5
1. Netherlands
2. Bolivia
3. Ireland
4. South Korea
5. Bulgaria
6. Senegal
7. Congo DR
8. Qatar
9. Rio de Janeiro

*Rio de Janeiro will not participate in League Match 5

Bolivia's opponent has not yet been determined as Team 5's matches are still in progress. If the lineup remains the same as last week, they may end up meeting fellow user-team New Zealand. This would be the second such meeting for Bolivia, having played Mexico already.

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 5: Norway (Team 4)

We failed to win again and our lack of success at the top spot is starting to cost the team, as we lost to Team 11 by a single game last week. Team 11 has one of the worst records, and we should not be losing to teams like that, so we'll need to step it up this week and try to get back into the hunt for the overall title.That dream is starting to slip away though, as we approach the half way point of the season and we are currently sitting in the bottom 4 of the standings.

Latest Lineup
1. Norway
2. Germany
3. Serbia
4. Togo
5. Jamaica
6. Venezuela
7. Saudi Arabia
8. Gabon
9. Iceland

We had a scare last week after losing to Germany for the first time this season, but thankfully there was time to reclaim our position. This week will not afford us that luxury, as there will only be one match and if we lose, we'll have to wait until next week for a rematch. The bright side is that all we have to do is hold out for one game in order to make it to the league match. It's Week 5 too, which means that if we can hold the spot then we'll be one week away from clinching the position and won't have to play any more challenge matches this season!



Challenge Match 15: #1 Norway (5-1-2) - BYE

I've been doing some editing lately and have found enough players to put together a new national team - Sierra Leone! Have to be honest, I never thought I'd see them in my game, but I stumbled upon a website that had the information needed to create a lot of their players, so here they are! This is basically their first ever match, so that gives me an even greater advantage because their lineup and formation have not been worked with very much, so it's probably not ideal. But this is just a friendly, the result won't affect the season at all, so let's see how they do.

Iversen picked up a knock in the 19th minute and had to be replaced by Nevland. Sierra Leone probably wished they had left Iversen alone, because Nevland announced his presence in the game with an immediate goal just seconds later. The defense must not have properly communicated with each other to determine who should mark the new player! lol

Nevland continued to embrace the spotlight with a second goal in the 31st minute, and then he tallied an assist when he set up M. G. Pedersen for a goal in the 40th minute. To make sure it wasn't completely a one sided affair, Kei Kamara scored for Sierra Leone just before half time to make it 3-1 heading into the break.

Things picked up right where they had left off in the second half. Carew scored a goal shortly after the restart, in the 48th minute! He then completed his brace with Norway's fifth goal in the 67th minute, firing a shot through traffic in the congested penalty box. Reo Coker was never capped by England, so in this universe he has opted to play for his parents' nation and he made them proud by scoring Sierra Leone's second goal in the 70th minute. The game mostly leveled out after that, but Norway did have one last trick up their sleeves, sending M. G. Pedersen forward to finish his brace as well, scoring in the 89th minute. Norway completely dominated the matchup, outshooting Sierra Leone 22-4 overall, and winning 6-2.

Norway 6 - 2 Sierra Leone

Other team results:
2v3: Germany 0 - 1 Serbia
4v5: Togo 0 - 1 Jamaica
6v7: Venezuela 0 - 0 Saudi Arabia
8v9: Gabon 0 - 2 Iceland

*There's the upset we've been looking for! Sweet relief as we don't have to play Germany this week! Looking at the stats, it seems that Borowski was sent off. That likely played a role in the upset, and Pantelic scored the winning goal for Serbia! Jamaica also defeated Togo. Just last week Togo were challenging us for the #2 position but now they have dropped to #5! Venezuela held their position with a scoreless draw against Saudi Arabia and then Iceland and Gabon continue to trade places. Last week Gabon had taken Iceland's spot, but this week Iceland are back in the lineup after winning 2-0.



Challenge Match 16: #1 Norway (5-1-2) vs. #2 Serbia (7-5-3)

Well this was certainly a pleasant surprise. We entered the week expecting a hellish match against a desperate German side, but instead we get to face Serbia, whom have lost both times that they have come up against user-controlled teams in this competition (6-1 to Ghana, 2-1 to Guinea). Serbia has improved their roster, tremendously, since those defeats, but I think anyone would prefer to face them rather than have to take on Germany for an eighth time.

Serbia obviously had their eyes set on the #1 position though, so they weren't about to go quietly just because of a few former defeats to different teams. In fact, Krasic created the first chance of the game, beating the offside trap and then beating the keeper with his shot, only to be denied by the post! It seemed like Kah should be able to clear it fairly easily, but he mis-touched the ball and accidentally knocked it in for an own goal! Serbia parlayed that momentum into another goal when Kezman burst down the flank and then picked out Lazetic for the score. This was clearly not the same side who had lost 6-1 to Ghana, as they now led Norway 2-0 after just 18 minutes!

The bright side about going behind so quickly is that you have plenty of time to mount a comeback. But that didn't seem to matter as the half hour marked passed and Norway still hadn't even managed to get a shot on goal. Serbia were dominating in all aspects of the game, so it was up to some new blood to right the ship. B. H. Riise, who rarely plays, stepped up to combine with Grindheim and the two managed to get Winsnes through for the finishing move that changed the tide of the game. Down 2-1 now, and only needing a draw to hold their spot, Norway were in a much better position now. One goal in an hour seemed feasible enough, and the confidence from the first strike allowed them to come into their own.

The change was staggering. Just like that, Serbia's dominance was wiped away and now Norway were taking over the game. An equalizer hadn't arrived by half time, but Norway had cut into Serbia's shot count, trailing just 9-7 now (after probably being down 8-1 when the first goal went in). The writing seemed to be on the wall, and sure enough, in the 62nd minute, Iversen provided the long awaited equalizer! Clinging to the draw, Norway then got a shot of luck when substitute Hauger broke on a counter attack stemming from his own penalty box. Serbia had thrown everything forward to try and get a late winner, leaving themselves vulnerable at the back. Hauger got all the way past midfield before running out of steam. Luckily for him, Carew had caught up and he was able to lay the ball off to the star striker. Carew dribbled in, dagger in hand, and thrust it straight through Serbia's heart with his late winner. 89:56 shown on the clock when Carew's shot crossed the goalline, a tough loss to swallow for Serbia, who had such high hopes after building that early lead. Norway collectively breathed a sigh of relief for having survived that scare, but in doing so they have maintained the #1 position for five weeks straight now!

Norway 3 - 2 Serbia

Other team results:
3v4: Germany 3 - 0 Jamaica
5v6: Togo 0 - 2 Venezuela
7v8: Saudi Arabia 1 - 1 Iceland

*Germany redeemed themselves slightly with a massive win against Jamaica while Togo's downward slide continues following a loss to Venezuela. Saudi Arabia and Iceland played to a draw in the other match.



New Lineup for League Match 5
1. Norway
2. Serbia
3. Germany
4. Jamaica
5. Venezuela
6. Togo
7. Saudi Arabia
8. Iceland
9. Gabon

*Gabon will not participate in League Match 5

Team 6 awaits this week in a battle of teams who sit in the bottom 4. Last week we lost to a (previously) winless squad, so we will be hoping to avoid having that happen for the second week in a row. Norway finally gets a break at the top spot, coming up against Greece, who toppled both Egypt (last week's #1) and Uruguay (the previous #1 before EGY). Greece will probably be the weakest team that we come up against this season at the top spot, so it will be vital to prove that we can get a victory at the position.

 

[ZeekLTK]

@Yankee151 must be enjoying this - gif of Van Persie vs Man City and now Greece is #1 on their roster. lol sorry

 

[Yankee151]

Fuck that country. Brazil smacked them last time through though so its cool

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 5: New Zealand (Team 5)

Team 5 had its best week yet, knocking off a very good Team 12 to pick up our third straight win of the season. We played a big part in that by upsetting Spain, which is easily our biggest win of the season so far.

Latest Lineup
1. Argentina
2. New Zealand
3. Chile
4. Portugal
5. Trinidad & Tobago
6. Tunisia
7. Indonesia
8. Guadeloupe
9. Slovenia

A big upset within our own team has seen Chile jump ahead of Portugal. If we can hold off the Chileans then we will get another shot at their neighbors, Argentina, for the top spot. If we lose, we'll have a difficult week with another matchup against (most likely) Portugal.



Challenge Match 15: #2 New Zealand (9-1-4) vs. #3 Chile (3-6-5)

We've had some "interesting" matches against Chile this season and this game didn't look to be any different after we picked up three yellow cards in the opening 18 minutes of the match. Elliott, W. Reid, and Fallon all went into the book as the Chileans did their best to frustrate us early on. Things only got worse before they got better, and in the 37th minute Oughton drew a straight red card with a horribly mistimed tackle from behind. The All Whites were down a man and it wasn't even half time yet!

But there was some good news before the break. Chile may have gotten a bit over confident after the red card and they were caught out waiting for the whsitle. Two players with yellow cards combined to score a surprising goal in stoppage time when W. Reid picked out Fallon with his cross from the flank. It was just awful marking from the Chileans, and it sent them into the half time down a goal despite having outshot New Zealand by a whopping 3-2 count. This really was shaping up to be a gritty defensive slugfest, and the stats backed that up.

Things got even weirder in the second half. T. Smith was sent off after he cut down Humberto Suazo to prevent a breakaway in the 54th minute. The "professional foul" paid off, since Chile did not score a goal on the possession, but now New Zealand were playing with just nine men and still had a good 35 minutes to go! The team switched to a 4-3-1 formation and prepared to just bunker down and try to defend the lead, with Lochhead coming on for Fallon since two defenders had now been sent off. Despite Chile's numerical advantage, it was New Zealand who were still creating the best chances. In the 70th minute, Bertos found himself with a wide open shot from the top of the box, but the shot was saved.

Chile tried to press their edge with the introduction of fresh legs in the form of Alexis Sanchez. This proved to be a positive addition, as Sanchez quickly created a breakaway, but somehow pushed his final shot wide. That occurred in the 74th minute, and that turned out to be the last great chance for Chile despite Bertos going off injured and Brown picking up another caution, bringing New Zealand's card total to 4 yellows and 2 reds overall. It was incredibly difficult game, making the final whistle that much sweeter. Some New Zealand players referenced the first meeting between these teams as they bragged about the victory - in that game Chile had a man sent off and had blamed the loss on that.

This was New Zealand's 10th challenge league victory, and they are the first team to reach that mark. Well, tied for first, as Mozambique also hit 10 wins at the same time.

New Zealand 1 - 0 Chile

Other team results:
4v5: Portugal 2 - 1 Trinidad & Tobago
6v7: Tunisia 1 - 1 Indonesia
8v9: Guadeloupe 0 - 2 Slovenia

*Portugal looked sloppy, but they managed to take care of business and narrowly defeat Trinidad & Tobago. Tunisia held off Indonesia thanks to a 1-1 draw, while Guadeloupe is heading for the bench this week after losing the elimination match to Slovenia.



Challenge Match 16: #1 Argentina (5-2-2) vs. #2 New Zealand (10-1-4)

Both matches last week had ended in 2-2 draws, which is why it's hard to be the challenger - you have to win! New Zealand embraced that idea and went for it right from the kickoff, with Bertos blowing right past a defender and then slotting a nice shot in, but unfortunately it hit the post. That opening minute scare really woke up Argentina, and they responded almost just as quickly. Diego Milito found a nice spot in the box to meet an incoming cross and hammer it into the net to put the Argentines ahead after just 4 minutes of play.

New Zealand were making a ton of mistakes and that ultimately caught up with them in the 33rd minute. Aguero doubled the lead by beating the keeper who had come too far off his line to try to cut off the angle during the breakaway. Aguero may have scored anyways on the play, but the keeper's poor positioning certainly didn't do him any favors. The Kiwis had been creating chances of their own all half, but they just couldn't get them on target, continually pushing shots wide. They were bailed out with another near stoppage time goal. In the 44th minute, Bertos played Fallon through and the big guy scored on the play. It was surprising to see that New Zealand actually lead 11-6 on shots, despite trailing 2-1.

Argentina wasn't going to allow a comeback to be that easy though. Messi finally stepped up and showed his true talent. Beating FOUR defenders, he sliced through the defense and scored a spectacular goal to lift his side to a 3-1 advantage in the 51st minute. That lead held all the way to the 86th minute when Smeltz headed in a corner kick to make things interesting. Fallon then denied Argentina a victory by scoring in stoppage time, but it was far too late for the team to produce another goal, and Argentina held the top spot with yet another draw, this time 3-3. New Zealand felt they may have won if they hadn't dug such a big hole so early. Overall they had outshot Argentina 19-11, but it just wasn't enough to dethrone Argentina.

Argentina 3 - 3 New Zealand

Other team results:
3v4: Chile 1 - 2 Portugal
5v6: Trinidad & Tobago 1 - 0 Tunisia
7v8: Indonesia 0 - 4 Slovenia

*Chile's reign as #3 didn't last, Portugal won the spot back with another 2-1 victory this week. Trinidad & Tobago did secure the #5 position by defeating Tunisia, and then Slovenia stormed back with a huge 4-0 victory to climb up to #7 at Indonesia's expense.



New Lineup for League Match 5
1. Argentina
2. New Zealand
3. Portugal
4. Chile
5. Trinidad & Tobago
6. Tunisia
7. Slovenia
8. Indonesia
9. Guadeloupe

*Guadeloupe will not participate in League Match 5

The toughest part of the schedule continues with a matchup against Team 1, who we are tied with for second place overall. Our fellow user-team Bolivia held on to the #2 spot yet again, and that means they will be our opponent this week. They are coming off of a 3-0 loss to Belgium.

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 5: Mexico (Team 7)

Our goal last week was to replace Hungary in the top 3. We accomplished that and then defeated Egypt in the league match to help our team end a two-game losing skid and claim our second victory of the season. We'll be trying to climb even higher this week and shooting for our first league winning-streak as well.

Latest Lineup
1. Brazil
2. Mozambique
3. Mexico
4. Hungary
5. Burkina Faso
6. Costa Rica
7. Austria
8. Oman
9. N/A

We're starting to run out of time, we really need to beat Mozambique this week if we're going to get our shot at Brazil. It's hard to imagine that we were expecting to play Brazil in Week 1 and here it is Week 5 and we're still out of reach! Going to try to change that this week.



Challenge Match 15: #2 Mozambique (9-3-2) vs. #3 Mexico (6-6-2)

We recognized that this is possibly the last chance to get a shot at Brazil. If we lose here and then also lose our next match, it will be mathematically impossible for us to climb back up. If we lose here but then win our next match, then we'll get one more chance next week. However, we'd prefer to just win right now and get our shot now!

Instead of fighting for that spot, we spent the whole half under siege. Mozambique clearly knew that they were getting close to clinching and they didn't want us to muck it up for them, so they threw just about everything they had at us in the first half. Eusebio, Matateu Lucas, Mario Coluna... they were coming at us! Rather than open the game up and get into a shootout, which we would surely lose, we decided to just sit tight and ride out the storm. So that's exactly what we did. There were some close calls, but the half time whistle finally sounded and we were still in the game at 0-0.

It wasn't pretty though. Mozambique had outshot us 13-0 in the half. Yes, that's right, we didn't register a single shot. They held 57% possession and had 6 corner kicks too (we had none). But it was still scoreless, so all we had to do was pick them off once or twice in the second half and see if we could steal the victory from there. Mozambique spent the break discussing ways to break us down though, and our plans were shot just minutes after the restart. Matateu and Eusebio masterfully picked apart our backline and scored after a give-and-go, with Eusebio providing the final dagger. That happened in the 48th minute. That forced us to come out of our shell a little bit, but their whole team was just playing amazing. Even guys like Armando Sa and Mexer were just kicking our ass, it was almost impossible to do anything offensively. Ultimately we managed to get off a grand total of 3 shots, none of which really threatened the keeper. The positive was that we held them to just that one goal, but with the way our offense played, that goal didn't even matter. A 0-0 result would have still kept us from jumping them.

The victory did give Mozambique their 10th challenge match win of the season. They join New Zealand as the first teams to reach that milestone here in Week 5, Match 15.

Mozambique 1 - 0 Mexico

Other team results:
4v5: Hungary 1 - 1 Burkina Faso
6v7: Costa Rica 1 - 3 Austria

*Hungary played out another 1-1 draw, which was just enough to hold off Burkina Faso for the week. Costa Rica has fallen on hard time, dropping all the way to the #7 position, a long way from the #2 spot that they held at the beginning of the season! Austria moves up to #6 with the big win over the Ticos.



Challenge Match 16: #3 Mexico (6-7-2) vs. #4 Hungary (4-6-5)

We were disappointed at our performance in the previous match against Mozambique, but we had to recover quickly lest we fall to Hungary like we did a few weeks ago. This game seemed to be a complete reversal of the last game, as we dominated every aspect and went into half time leading 9-1 on shots with 55% possession, but no goals. This was especially concerning because we had even won a penalty kick in the 23rd minute, when Chicharito was brought down inside the area, but his PK sailed over the bar.

Not to worry though, because G. Dos Santos finally set up G. Franco for the long awaited opening goal in the 57th minute. It wasn't quite as quickly as Mozambique had scored, but it was still a valuable goal near the start of the second half. Hungary weren't able to get anything going and were ultimately outshot 17-6 overall as Mexico picked up a valuable win to maintain the #3 position.

Mexico 1 - 0 Hungary

Other team results:
1v2: Brazil 2 - 2 Mozambique
5v6: Burkina Faso 1 - 0 Austria
7v8: Costa Rica 1 - 0 Oman

*Brazil battled to another 2-2 draw against the star studded Mozambique side, keeping the top spot for the fifth week in a row. Burkina Faso fended off the Austrians while Costa Rica just barely overcame Oman to avoid complete humiliation.



New Lineup for League Match 5
1. Brazil
2. Mozambique
3. Mexico
4. Hungary
5. Burkina Faso
6. Austria
7. Costa Rica
8. Oman
9. N/A

We are up against Team 11 this week, and that means we'll be lining up against sporadic South Africa, who have been bouncing around all season. They started off at #4 in Week 1, then dropped to #6, then #8 before climbing up to #5 for their most recent game last week. In that game they defeated Jamaica 3-2. Now they are up to their highest spot of the season at #3 with a much stronger roster than they had at the start of the year, so who knows what to expect when we take the field against these guys. Albania had been their #3 last week, and had lost to Serbia by a score of 1-0.

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 5: Guinea (Team 10)

Despite dropping a spot, we rebounded last week and won both individually and as a team. Our 2-1 victory over Sao Paulo helped our team to an overall league victory over Team 3.

Latest Lineup
1. England
2. Turkey
3. Guinea
4. Russia
5. Wales
6. Zambia
7. Lithuania
8. Iraq
9. Canada

This week's goal will be to retake the #2 position and maybe even get a shot at England.



Challenge Match 15: #2 Turkey (5-6-3) vs. #3 Guinea (8-3-3)

We jumped off to a great start when Feindouno fired in a shot from the top of the box to beat the keeper just ten minutes in. The lead had doubled in the 23rd minute when A. Keita forced a turnover and then scored on the opportunity he had created. The avalanche continued when A. Keita headed down a long ball for Mansare to run onto and score. A 3-0 lead in the 32nd minute seemed too steep for Turkey to come back from.

They got a decent lifeline when Erding went down inside the box and earned a penalty kick. Emre stepped up and scored to reduce the lead to 3-1 in just the 35th minute, but that wound up being all that Turkey was able to muster. The second half flew by and that wound up being the final score as Guinea reclaimed the #2 position with the 3-1 victory.

Turkey 1 - 3 Guinea

Other team results:
4v5: Russia 4 - 1 Wales
6v7: Zambia 1 - 1 Lithuania
8v9: Iraq 1 - 1 Canada

*Russia maintained the large gap between 4th and 5th with a huge 4-1 victory over Wales. The other games each ended 1-1 as Zambia and Iraq each held their positions against Lithuania and Canada, respectively.



Challenge Match 16: #1 England (5-0-2) vs. #2 Guinea (9-3-3)

Our first attempt to knock off England had not gone so well, ending in a 2-0 defeat back on matchday 12. We buckled down and played more defensively this time around and held out very well. In the 41st minute Wayne Rooney broke through. His shot hit the post, but Michael Owen was there for the follow up but he pushed the shot wide. That lucky misses kept the game scoreless heading into the break. It had been a very good defensive performance, but Guinea needed to produce more on offense after being outshot 6-2 in the half.

That offensive improvement came quickly. I. Diallo made a nice move to get down the flank and then cut back to pick out Is. Bangoura. Unfortunately the final shot sailed way over the goal. But that got the ball rolling and Guinea continued to attack. I. Camara provided a nice ball in to K. Cisse, whose header was finally on target and it gave Guinea a surprise 1-0 lead! With only fifteen minutes left in the game, it looked like Guinea had a real shot at taking the top spot. They could have practically clinched the position five minutes later when Ib. Bangoura got through on a quick counter attack, but his shot went wide!

That proved to be costly as England managed to set up a 2 on 2 attack late in stoppage time. Defoe slipped a pass across to Walcott who chipped the ball over the oncoming keeper for a heart wrenching equalizer. Guinea had been so close to winning the #1 spot, but the draw would resign them to the #2 position instead. Guinea had outshot England 5-3 in the half and had increased possession from 45% to 51% during that period, but they just couldn't hold on until the final whistle! So close!!

England 1 - 1 Guinea

Other team results:
3v4: Turkey 0 - 2 Russia
5v6: Wales 1 - 1 Zambia
7v8: Lithuania 1 - 2 Iraq

*There was some late shakeups for the league roster as Russia overcame Turkey to climb back to #3 while Iraq knocked off Lithuania to reach #7. Wales held off Zambia with a 1-1 draw as well.



New Lineup for League Match 5
1. England
2. Guinea
3. Russia
4. Turkey
5. Wales
6. Zambia
7. Iraq
8. Lithuania
9. Canada

*Canada will not participate in League Match 5

Team 12 awaits us this week, which means we will likely face one of Ghana, Spain, or Sweden, depending on the results of their challenge matches, which are still in progress.

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 5: Ghana (Team 12)

We are still searching for our first victory at the #1 position, although we did manage to hold Argentina to a draw last week. The whole team played poorly though, leading to our first league loss of the season.

Latest Lineup
1. Ghana
2. Spain
3. Sweden
4. Switzerland
5. Paraguay
6. Confederacy
7. El Salvador
8. Latvia
9. Peru

Just about everyone (except Paraguay) is coming off a forgettable league performance, so it will be interesting to see who can rebound during the challenge matches this week. We've got a pretty straightforward schedule with a BYE followed by one game to defend our position against either Spain or Sweden.



Challenge Match 15: #1 Ghana (7-1-3) - BYE

Last week was very challenging, so we took it easy to kick off Week 5 with a friendly match against United Arab Emirates. We had an even easier time than expected, with seldom used K. Asamoah scoring the opening goal just three minutes after the game had started. Gyan Asamoah should have doubled the lead shortly after that, but hit the post instead. That miss didn't matter much, as we had clearly set the tone of the match and mostly cruised from there. By half time we had outshot UAE 8-0, but hadn't scored any more goals.

The second half was more of the same, we took our time moving the ball as we pleased and created some decent chances. In the 85th minute Owusu Abeyie came in as a late sub and immediately picked out Tagoe in the box for the second goal to clinch the victory. UAE did manage to get one shot off in the second half to avoid a complete shutout, but we had still outshot them 17-1 overall and won a very easy match by the score of 2-0.

Ghana 2 - 0 United Arab Emirates

Other team results:
2v3: Spain 4 - 2 Sweden
4v5: Switzerland 1 - 1 Paraguay
6v7: Confederacy 1 - 2 El Salvador
8v9: Latvia 1 - 3 Peru

*Spain did not have an easy match, they faced a very aggressive Swedish side in a contest that produced six goals overall. Spain won 4-2 to earn another shot at Ghana. Switzerland held off Paraguay with a draw, but there was a shake up at the bottom of the roster. El Salvador knocked off the CSA with a 2-1 upset and then Peru reclaimed a spot on the roster for this week's league match with a big 3-1 win over Latvia.



Challenge Match 16: #1 Ghana (7-1-3) vs. #2 Spain (7-4-2)

We've fended off Spain enough this season to know that they are a good squad, but also very beatable. Perhaps we started to get a little too confident after seeing that they had lost to New Zealand in league play though, because they really took it to us in the first half of this challenge match. We nearly fell behind in the 32nd minute after some careless defending lead to a penalty kick. Owusu Abeyie poked at the ball to clear it, but wound up tripping Torres. Villa stepped up to take the kick, but saw his shot saved by Kingston! That was just the beginning of our luck, as Spain had mostly dominated the entire half, and had created many good chances, but they weren't able to score before the break.

We tried to punish them for their lack of finishing at the start of the second half. Less than a minute after kickoff Gyan Asamoah came flying into the box to head the ball goal-ward, but his shot deflected off the post! Muntari then hit the woodwork in the 52nd minute, and now we surely had Spain on edge. But they were right back in our box just moments later. Wary of drawing another penalty kick, the Ghanaian defenders gave S. Cazorla a bit too much space and he took advantage of that, scoring the opening goal in the 53rd minute.

The lead lasted until the 68th minute when Spain failed to clear the danger and turned the ball over just outside their own box. Muntari found Gyan Asamoah for the finishing touch and just like that, the game was level again. Ghana were heading towards another week at the top position until Capdevila stunned the Africans with a late strike. Iniesta's free kick had been blocked, but it fell to Capdevila and he promptly scored to give Spain a stunning lead with only eight minutes left! That wasn't enough time to find another equalizer, and Spain finally won the top spot for the first time this season.

Ghana 1 - 2 Spain

Other team results:
3v4: Sweden 4 - 2 Switzerland
5v6: Paraguay 1 - 1 El Salvador
7v8: Confederacy 1 - 2 Peru

*Sweden played through another six-goal game for the second match in a row, but this time they were on the positive end of the result, beating Switzerland 4-2. El Salvador gave Paraguay a real scare, but the Paraguayans ultimately held their position with a 1-1 draw. It didn't turn out to be a good week for the Confederates, as they dropped another position, falling 2-1 to Peru.



New Lineup for League Match 5
1. Spain
2. Ghana
3. Sweden
4. Switzerland
5. Paraguay
6. El Salvador
7. Peru
8. Confederacy
9. Latvia

*Latvia will not participate in League Match 5

Since we've fallen from the top spot, we will face Guinea rather than England in our league match against Team 10. Guinea defeated Sao Paulo last week, 2-1, while Ghana played out a 0-0 draw against Argentina.

 

[Yankee151]

Capdevila the mvp

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 5: League Matchups

Team 1 vs. Team 5
1. Netherlands - Argentina
2. Bolivia - New Zealand
3. Ireland - Portugal
4. South Korea - Chile
5. Bulgaria - Trinidad & Tobago
6. Senegal - Tunisia
7. Congo DR - Slovenia
8. Qatar - Indonesia


Team 2 vs. Team 3
1. Cameroon - Romania
2. Iran - Sao Paulo
3. Morocco - Czech Republic
4. Mali - Denmark
5. Poland - Georgia
6. Ecuador - Martinique
7. Israel - Congo
8. Montenegro - China


Team 6 vs. Team 4
1. Greece - Norway
2. Egypt - Serbia
3. Uruguay - Germany
4. Australia - Jamaica
5. Northern Ireland - Venezuela
6. Equatorial Guinea - Togo
7. Honduras - Saudi Arabia
8. Bahrain - Iceland


Team 7 vs. Team 11
1. Brazil - France
2. Mozambique - United States
3. Mexico - South Africa
4. Hungary - Albania
5. Burkina Faso - Slovakia
6. Austria - Panama
7. Costa Rica - Scotland
8. Oman - Algeria


Team 8 vs. Team 9
1. Italy - Cote d'Ivoire
2. Nigeria - Croatia
3. Belgium - Colombia
4. Finland - Japan
5. Bosnia-Herzegovina - Ukraine
6. Cape Verde - Angola
7. Belarus - Uzbekistan
8. Curacao - Estonia


Team 10 vs. Team 12
1. England - Spain
2. Guinea - Ghana
3. Russia - Sweden
4. Turkey - Switzerland
5. Wales - Paraguay
6. Zambia - El Salvador
7. Iraq - Peru
8. Lithuania - Confederacy

 

[ZeekLTK]

Capdevila the mvp

You wouldn't expect to get beaten by a left back! lol

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 5: Team 1 vs. Team 5

This is one of the biggest matchups of the week as a pair of 3-1 sides face off. Team 1 had their three game winning streak ended last week while Team 5 has recovered from their opening day loss to win three straight themselves. Who would prevail in this heavy weight battle?

1. Netherlands vs. Argentina

The pair of top seeds on these teams only narrowly held their positions this week. Netherlands came from behind to earn a late 2-2 draw against Bolivia while Argentina jumped out to an early lead but ultimately had to settle for a 3-3 draw against New Zealand.

Surprisingly these teams have never met in a WEFA competitive match before. As such, Argentina proved to be more adaptive, picking apart the Netherlands with goals from Messi, Tevez, and Aguero for a big 3-0 victory.

Netherlands 0 - 3 Argentina [Messi, Tevez, Aguero]


2. Bolivia vs. New Zealand

The #2 positions also played out a very similar week. Both sides narrowly won by one goal in their defensive matches, and then they each tied the top team in their failed bid for that spot. These sides have also never met before, mostly because they are each fairly new.

Since Zeek played as Bolivia the last time two user sides met (MEX vs BOL), he would be playing as New Zealand for this encounter. However, the Bolivians weren't completely helpless as they trotted out no fewer than 7 players in top form. New Zealand had just two in their starting line up, but they showed that form only gets you so far as they dominated the first half. That dominance never lead to a goal though, despite some great chances for the All Whites. Bertos had a great shot saved and then Fallon even dribbled through the defense and set up a 1v1 with the keeper, but he shot way too high. Bolivia did eventually catch back up on the shot count, though their chances were less threatening. By the break, Bolivia were ahead 7-6 on shots, but neither side had managed to score.

It had felt like New Zealand were the better side in the first half, and they were intent on proving that to be the case as they continued to go forward in the second half. Bertos and Smeltz hooked up to create a wonderful chance, but somehow Arias reacted at the last possible second to prevent a sure goal. It seemed like the game was destined for a 0-0 scoreline when Joselito Vaca broke through, against the run of play, but also failed to beat the keeper. With time winding down, New Zealand finally solved the puzzle. Killen unlocked the defense and found Elliott in space. The midfielder put a shot past the keeper, and New Zealand were on the board at last. Killen then had a chance to add an exclamation point in stoppage time, but Arias came up with another impossible save to keep his side within reach. The offense just couldn't match their keeper's intensity though, and Bolivia fell for the second league match in a row while New Zealand picked up an important win for Team 5.

Bolivia 0 - 1 New Zealand [Elliott]


3. Ireland vs. Portugal

Ireland narrowly lost to Bolivia but then defeated South Korea 3-1 to maintain the #3 position this week. Portugal had to deal with Trinidad & Tobago first, which they did, before finally getting a shot at Chile to try to climb back up the roster. They were successful in doing so, dropping Chile 2-1 to take the spot back.

Five meetings between these sides have surprisingly gone Ireland's way. The Irish won the first meeting 2-0 and then played out a 1-1 draw during World Cup VIII qualifying, which was barely enough as they edged both Portugal and Belgium for the qualification spot due to goal difference. Ireland got the upper hand again when the teams met in the quarterfinal stage of the first Euro Cup. The Irish won 3-1 to send Portugal home, although that was their last victory in the tournament as they went on to take fourth place. Ireland then swept Portugal in the playoff phase of World Cup IX qualifying, The pair of 2-1 wins sent Ireland to the World Cup at Portugal's expense yet again.

Ireland 2 - 0 Portugal (World Cup VIII Qualifying)
Portugal 1 - 1 Ireland (World Cup VIII Qualifying)
Ireland 3 - 1 Portugal (Euro Cup I Quarterfinals)
Portugal 1 - 2 Ireland (World Cup IX Qualifying)
Ireland 2 - 1 Portugal (World Cup IX Qualifying)

It looked like the dominance was going to continue when Robbie Keane banged in an early goal, but Portugal finally overcame their troubles against the Irish with an equalizer from Raul Meireles and then Cristiano Ronaldo supplied the long awaited for winner to give Portugal their first win ever against Ireland, and also give Team 5 an impressive 3-0 lead early in this league match. The victory also improves Portugal to a perfect 5-0 mark in league play on the season.

Ireland 1 - 2 Portugal [Robbie Keane; R. Meireles, C. Ronaldo]


4. South Korea vs. Chile

South Korea climbed into this position with a big 3-1 victory over Senegal, but weren't able to go any higher after a 3-1 loss to Ireland. Chile had a rough week, losing two very hard fought battles against rivals New Zealand and Portugal to drop down into the #4 spot.

These sides have met in two World Cups, V and VI. Chile won 2-0 in the first meeting and then the teams drew 1-1 in the second, but both resulted in Chile advancing to the next round with Korea heading home. Chile were eliminated in the Round of Sixteen in each of those tournaments though.

Chile 2 - 0 South Korea (World Cup V Group Stage)
Chile 1 - 1 South Korea (World Cup VI Group Stage)

This meeting played out very similar to the last, with both sides striking once and then settling for a 1-1 draw that ultimately benefited Chile more than South Korea. Ki Sungyueng's goal was canceled out by Beausejour's and Chile prevented Team 1 from picking up a win, leaving them in a very precarious position with just four games left.

South Korea 1 - 1 Chile [Ki Sungyueng; Beausejour]


5. Bulgaria vs. Trinidad & Tobago

Bulgaria made a big run from the #7 position up to #5 this week thanks to a pair of wins over Congo DR and then Senegal. Trinidad & Tobago held the position by defeating Tunisia after losing to Portugal.

These sides have never met, but Bulgaria were coming in with much better form and that showed as they blitzed Trinidad for three goals. The big trio of M. Petrov, Bojinov, and Berbatov supplied the scores to give Team 1 a much needed victory and it also improves Bulgaria to a perfect 5-0 in league play.

Bulgaria 3 - 0 Trinidad & Tobago [M. Petrov, Bojinov, Berbatov]


6. Senegal vs. Tunisia

Senegal had a bad time this week, losing to South Korea and then Bulgaria to drop two spots on the roster. Tunisia did not change spots, after three straight weeks at #8, they've now held #6 for two weeks in a row thanks to a draw against Indonesia.

These sides have met in four different World Cup qualifying cycles. Senegal won the initial game to qualify to World Cup I in which they went all the way to the semifinals and finished fourth overall. In the next World Cup the teams played to a 0-0 draw which benefited Tunisia. They wound up qualifying and scored a famous upset over Brazil to advance to the knockout round. Senegal again got the best of Tunisia in the next World Cup with a 2-0 win and then a 1-1 draw, however they struggled against the other teams in the group and wound up finishing last place. Tunisia finished second and qualified to the World Cup, but were unable to go beyond the group stage this time.

Finally, in World Cup V, Tunisia finally defeated Senegal for the first time as they went on to win their group and qualify yet again, only to be bounced from the group stage yet again. The 0-0 draw was one of Senegal's two points in that campaign as they finished last yet again, prompting a massive roster and coaching change that paid dividends as the team went on to finish as runners up at the next World Cup.

Senegal 1 - 0 Tunisia (World Cup I Qualifying)
Senegal 0 - 0 Tunisia (World Cup II Qualifying)
Senegal 2 - 0 Tunisia (World Cup III Qualifying)
Tunisia 1 - 1 Senegal (World Cup III Qualifying)
Senegal 1 - 2 Tunisia (World Cup V Qualifying)
Tunisia 0 - 0 Senegal (World Cup V Qualifying)

This meeting wound up being the fourth draw of the series, with Henri Camara and Darragi splitting the spoils, making it impossible for Team 1 to win this league meet now.

Senegal 1 - 1 Tunisia [Henri Camara; Darragi]


7. Congo DR vs. Slovenia

Congo DR lost a tough match, 3-2, to Bulgaria but then got back on the right track with a big 3-0 win over Qatar to close out the week. Slovenia had missed the league meet last week due to falling to #9, but they clawed their way back up with wins over Guadeloupe and Indonesia.

They weren't able to channel that form into a victory here though. Kolen's goal was canceled out by Salibur and the sides settled for a draw that clinched victory for Team 5.

Congo DR 1 - 1 Slovenia [Salibur; Kolen]


8. Qatar vs. Indonesia

Qatar surprised many by upsetting Rio de Janeiro to earn a roster spot this week, while Indonesia merely slipped into this position after a rough 4-0 loss to Slovenia.

Qatar was playing in just their second league match of the season, and the first since Week 2. Back then they had beaten Oman, so they were eager to try to earn another win for their side here, hoping that might help them get seeded into the #8 tournament at the end of the year. Fabio Cesar produced a brace to help with that goal, but Indonesia was just a bi t too strong. Irfan responded with two goals of his own and then Risamasu capped off the night with a winner for Indonesia, securing Team 5's big overall victory.

Qatar 2 - 3 Indonesia [Fabio Cesar x2; Irfan x2, Risamasu]





Team 1 vs. Team 5
1. Netherlands 0 - 3 Argentina
2. Bolivia 0 - 1 New Zealand
3. Ireland 1 - 2 Portugal
4. South Korea 1 - 1 Chile
5. Bulgaria 3 - 0 Trinidad & Tobago
6. Senegal 1 - 1 Tunisia
7. Congo DR 1 - 1 Slovenia
8. Qatar 2 - 3 Indonesia

Team 1 Wins: Bulgaria (5)
Team 5 Wins: Argentina (1), New Zealand (2), Portugal (3), Indonesia (8)

Team 5 Wins 4-1

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 5: Team 2 vs. Team 3

Team 3 are trying to put together a winning record, currently sitting at 2-2, while Team 2 are looking for their first win of the season as they enter with a 0-3-1 record.

1. Cameroon vs. Romania

Cameroon fended off a new challenger this week, narrowly keeping Iran out of the top spot with a 1-1 draw. Romania held off Sao Paulo with a 3-2 victory on their roster as well.

These teams have been meeting in the World Cup lately, having played in two of the last three tournament group stages. Romania won the first meeting, in World Cup VII, and they also won the group while Cameroon finished last. In World Cup IX, however, Cameroon turned the tables and won 1-0 as they won the group while Romania finished last. Cameroon also knocked off Romania's teammates, the Czech Republic, in the Round of Sixteen as well.

Cameroon 0 - 1 Romania (World Cup VII Group Stage)
Cameroon 1 - 0 Romania (World Cup IX Group Stage)

The pendulum remained on Cameroon's side as they won the rubber match here by a count of 2-1. Makoun and Enoh each scored for the hosts as Romania could only muster a single goal from Rat.

Cameroon 2 - 1 Romania [Makoun, Enoh; Rat]


2. Iran vs. Sao Paulo

Iran continued their improbable climb with a 1-0 victory over Morocco to land in the #2 spot. They were also a single goal away from winning the top spot after a 1-1 draw against Cameroon. Sao Paulo also climbed into this position after defeating the Czech Republic by a score of 1-0, but they lost to team leaders Romania 3-2 in their bid for the #1 position.

Iran found themselves completely outclassed by the South Americans in this one. Goals came pouring in, from Gomes Taddei, and Amauri, while all Iran could answer with was a lone strike from G. Razaei.

Iran 1 - 3 Sao Paulo [G. Razaei; R. Gomes, Taddei, Amauri]


3. Morocco vs. Czech Republic

Morocco and Czech Republic both dropped from the #2 position into the #3 spot after each losing 1-0 to their team rivals, Iran and Sao Paulo respectively. They each held off their next challengers with a draw, as Morocco played out a 1-1 draw with Mali while the Czechs went scoreless in a 0-0 draw to Denmark.

These sides met in the first ever World Cup, with Czech Republic coming out ahead with a 2-1 win. They also ended up advancing out of the group while Morocco did not.

Morocco 1 - 2 Czech Republic (World Cup I Group Stage)

This meeting was much more one sided as the Czechs doubled their previous count and put four past the Moroccans. Plasil, Fenin, Polak, and Baros each etched their names onto the scoresheet, while Zemmama was the only player who managed to score for Morocco.

Morocco 1 - 4 Czech Republic [Zemmama; Plasil, Fenin, Polak, Baros]


4. Mali vs. Denmark

Mali played out a pair of 1-1 draws this week against Ecuador and Morocco to maintain their position. Denmark dished out a huge 4-0 win over Martinique, but were unable to move up after being held scoreless by the Czechs.

Mali were once again held to just a single goal for the third straight match in a row, with Kanoute supplying it. Meanwhile Denmark managed to surpass that with strikes from Mtilga and Kahlenberg to take the 2-1 victory and put Team 3 way out in front, up 3-1 now.

Mali 1 - 2 Denmark [Kanoute; Mtiliga, Kahlenberg]


5. Poland vs. Georgia

Poland held off Montenegro with a 2-2 draw and then jumped ahead of Ecuador after beating them 1-0. Georgia put a stop to their freefall this week with a 1-1 draw against Congo, and then they climbed back up a spot after defeating Martinique.

These sides had not met until recently, playing in the latest qualifying campaign for World Cup IX. The first meeting ended in a 1-1 draw, but then Georgia pulled off a big 3-0 victory in the rematch, which allowed them to qualify to the World Cup.

Poland 1 - 1 Georgia (World Cup IX Qualifying)
Georgia 3 - 0 Poland (World Cup IX Qualifying)

This league meeting was more similar to that first game than the last. The teams split a pair of goals from Lewandowski and Martsvaladze and settled for a 1-1 draw.

Poland 1 - 1 Georgia [Lewandowski; Martsvaladze]


6. Ecuador vs. Martinique

Ecuador were not able to unseat Mali after a 1-1 draw, and that proved costly as they went on to lose to Poland and dropped a spot this week. Martinique also dropped after losing to both Denmark and Georgia this week.

The Caribbean squad recovered for the league match though. S. Marveaux put the side in front and then Remy canceled out Carlos Tenorio's equalizer to lift the islanders, and Team 3, to victory.

Ecuador 1 - 2 Martinique [Carlos Tenorio; S. Marveaux, Remy]


7. Israel vs. Congo

Israel was in danger of being kicked off the roster this week, but they saved their seat with a 1-1 draw against North Korea, and then they followed that up with a 1-0 victory over Montenegro to climb away from the elimination zone. Congo simply held their ground with a pair of draws against Georgia and China.

Israel had spent too much effort in their challenge matches this week and looked a bit sluggish against the Congolese. That turned out to be costly, as they were unable to score and then conceded the winning goal to Bassila.

Israel 0 - 1 Congo [Bassila]


8. Montenegro vs. China

Montenegro were on the verge of taking out Poland for the #6 spot, but were ultimately thwarted by a 2-2 draw. The team didn't recover fast enough and wound up losing to Israel to drop into the #8 spot. China went the opposite direction, climbing onto the team roster for the first time since Week 1 thanks to a 2-0 win over Suriname.

Neither side was able to prevail in this meeting though. Yankee's favorites Vucinic and Jovetic got on the board for Montenegro, but their efforts were canceled out thanks to goals from Zhao Xuri and Jiang Ning which forced the match to end in a 2-2 draw.

Montenegro 2 - 2 China [Vucinic, Jovetic; Zhao Xuri, Jiang Ning]





Team 2 vs. Team 3
1. Cameroon 2 - 1 Romania
2. Iran 1 - 3 Sao Paulo
3. Morocco 1 - 4 Czech Republic
4. Mali 1 - 2 Denmark
5. Poland 1 - 1 Georgia
6. Ecuador 1 - 2 Martinique
7. Israel 0 - 1 Congo
8. Montenegro 2 - 2 China

Team 2 Wins: Cameroon (1)
Team 3 Wins: Sao Paulo (2), Czech Republic (3), Denmark (4), Martinique (6), Congo (7)

Team 3 Wins 5-1

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 5: Team 6 vs. Team 4

In a battle at the bottom, winless Team 6 hosted Team 4 who came in with an unimpressive 1-3 record.

1. Greece vs. Norway

Despite being thrashed in the last league match, Greece secured their spot in the top position for the second week in a row after defeating Egypt 1-0 in the challenge match this week. Norway had a pleasant surprise, getting a week off from the typical German assault. However, they still had a tough time with challengers Serbia, but ultimately held them off with a 3-2 win.

Surprisingly, these sides have never faced off in any WEFA competition thus far. And both teams were eager to pick up their first win of the season at the #1 spot in a match that they each felt was theirs for the taking. The Greeks came out in a defensive 5-2-1-2 formation that seemed to line up nicely against Norway's standard 4-3-3. It seemed like it was going to be a daunting task to break that down, but instead a lucky break hit Norway right off the opening kickoff. Greece started the game by playing a backpass into their defense, and that proved to be a big mistake because one of the defenders, Sokratis, got caught in possession and lost the ball to M. G. Pedersen. Carew dashed into the box and Pedersen was quick enough to spot the run, picking him out for the opening goal a whole 93 seconds after kickoff!

Greece continued to bumble around and again lost possession inside their own territory, less than five minutes after conceding the goal. They had learned their lesson though, and quickly fouled to stop the attack before it could result in another goal. That worked, as Riise's freekick was off target and nonthreatening. The rest of the half was fairly straightforward. Greece were still in their defensive formation and had trouble unlocking the stiff Norwegian defense, while Norway were perfectly content to sit on the lead and take it easy, making sure they couldn't get caught out for a counter attack. As such the half ended with Norway still leading 1-0 and having outshot Greece 8-2 overall.

The Greeks started to get more desperate as the game wore on and that allowed Norway to find some more chinks in their backline. Around the hour mark a long ball over the top was able to unlock the defense for Braaten, although he wasn't able to finish his breakaway, hitting the post instead! Nevertheless, Norway remained committed to holding their shape and defending well. It paid off as the final whistle sounded, marking their first win in league play! The team was slightly disappointed that they had not won in a blow out considering how the game had started, but they were thankful for that goal in the opening moments that turned out to be the difference maker.

Greece 0 - 1 Norway [Carew]


2. Egypt vs. Serbia

Egypt surprised Uruguay with a 1-0 upset that landed the Pharaohs the #2 spot this week. Serbia also shocked their stronger opponents, Germany, with the same scoreline. This is their first week playing above the #3 position, a big climb since opening the season at #6 in Week 1.

The Serbs took advantage of their opportunity and were able to defeat Egypt to score a victory in their first game at the #2 position. Zidan netted for the home side, but his goal was canceled out by Nenad Kovacevic before Pantelic provided the winning strike.

Egypt 1 - 2 Serbia [Zidan; Nenad Kovacevic, Pantelic]


3. Uruguay vs. Germany

This matchup could just as easily have been played at the #1 position any other week. Instead, it's a #3 matchup this week because Uruguay lost to Egypt and Germany lost to Serbia. Both sides prevented themselves from falling any further with wins in their follow up matches. Uruguay defeated Australia 2-1 and Germany took out Jamaica 3-0.

These sides have met twice before, in consecutive World Cups. In World Cup IV's group of death, that also featured Cote d'Ivoire and Netherlands, Uruguay defeated Germany in the opening match of the tournament. However, the Germans wound up advancing as runners up due to superior goal difference. They actually eliminated their current rivals, Norway, in the Round of Sixteen before being bounced by eventual champions Georgia in the quarterfinals.

The two were drawn into a much easier group in the next World Cup, with Morocco and Romania. Uruguay won again, 1-0, this time in the final match of the group stage which gave them first place in the group, one point ahead of Morocco who were held to a draw by Romania. There had been many draws in the group, and Germany wound up being eliminated with just 2 points.

Germany 0 - 1 Uruguay (World Cup IV Group Stage)
Germany 0 - 1 Uruguay (World Cup V Group Stage)

Chevanton and Dario Silva had provided the winning goals in those previous encounters. This meeting proved to be no different, as Forlan netted Uruguay's obligatory goal and the team defeated Germany by a count of 1-0 for the third straight time.

Uruguay 1 - 0 Germany [Forlan]


4. Australia vs. Jamaica

Australia defeated Equatorial Guinea, but could not upset Uruguay to advance any further on the roster this week. Jamaica started a spot lower, but moved up after overcoming Togo.

These sides haven't met before, but they each reached the championship match for their respective continental tournaments, and they each played to a draw in those title games. In Asian Cup I, Australia played out a thrilling 4-4 draw against Bahrain before ultimately losing on PKs. Jamaica had better success in their tournament, winning Gold Cup I on penalties after playing out a 1-1 draw against Panama.

This encounter also ended in a draw, with goals from Cahill and Williamson canceling each other out.

Australia 1 - 1 Jamaica [Cahill; Williamson]


5. Northern Ireland vs. Venezuela

Northern Ireland climbed up 2 spots from the #7 position after a pair of shocking 3-0 wins over Honduras and Equatorial Guinea this week. Venezuela had to hold off Saudi Arabia first, which they did in a 0-0 draw, before getting a chance to move up themselves. They were able to overcome Togo 2-0 to earn the #5 spot though.

It looked like Northern Ireland's big week in challenge matches had caught up with them and they weren't able to replicate that performance for a third straight game. Instead, they were on the reverse end of a 3-0 result, giving up goals to Malonado, Moreno, and Arango as Venezuela picked up the big victory in the league match.

Northern Ireland 0 - 3 Venezuela [Malonado, Moreno, Arango]


6. Equatorial Guinea vs. Togo

These two sides had pretty bad weeks, each dropping to the #6 spot after losing a pair of games this week. Equatorial Guinea lost to Australia and Northern Ireland while Togo had lost to Jamaica and Venezuela.

These teams met in the most recent African Cup, the second edition of the tournament, in which Equatorial Guinea surprisingly swept Togo with scores of 2-1 and 2-0. This helped them qualify to their first major tournament, leaving Togo to miss out. Equatorial Guinea would actually go on to advance ahead of Ghana on goal difference to reach the quarterfinals where their run finally came to an end at the hands of eventual champions Nigeria.

Togo 1 - 2 Equatorial Guinea (African Cup II Qualifying)
Equatorial Guinea 2 - 0 Togo (African Cup II Qualifying)

Togo wasn't able to completely redeem themselves, but they did end their losing streak. Bodipo scored for the Guineans, but Adebayor equalized to earn Togo a hard fought draw.

Equatorial Guinea 1 - 1 Togo [Bodipo; Adebayor]


7. Honduras vs. Saudi Arabia

Honduras suffered an embarrassing 3-0 defeat to Northern Ireland to start the week, but then avoided falling any further by playing out a 1-1 draw against Bahrain. Saudi Arabia simply maintained their position with a pair of draws against Venezuela and Iceland.

So neither team had won a challenge match this week, but only one of them could break that streak in this league match. Pavon ensured it would be Honduras, as his strike proved to be decisive, giving Honduras the victory and giving Team 6 a chance to draw overall if they could just win the #8 matchup as well.

Honduras 1 - 0 Saudi Arabia [Pavon]


8. Bahrain vs. Iceland

Bahrain were on the verge of sitting out this week, trailing Syria late in the match before finding an equalizer to save their roster position thanks to a 1-1 draw. They also played out a 1-1 draw with Honduras which denied them a spot further up. Meanwhile, Iceland had to defeat Gabon or else they'd miss out again this week. They overcame their African foes 2-0, but were unable to go any higher after drawing 1-1 with Saudi Arabia.

If Bahrain could win, then Team 6 would end their four game losing streak, but instead a pair of Good Johnsons helped Iceland secure the league victory for Team 4. J. Gudjonsson and then the main man Eidur Gudjohnsen himself scored to lift Iceland to a 2-0 victory and secure the overall win for their team.

Bahrain 0 - 2 Iceland [J. Gudjonsson, Gudjohnsen]





Team 6 vs. Team 4
1. Greece 0 - 1 Norway
2. Egypt 1 - 2 Serbia
3. Uruguay 1 - 0 Germany
4. Australia 1 - 1 Jamaica
5. Northern Ireland 0 - 3 Venezuela
6. Equatorial Guinea 1 - 1 Togo
7. Honduras 1 - 0 Saudi Arabia
8. Bahrain 0 - 2 Iceland

Team 6 Wins: Uruguay (3), Honduras (7)
Team 4 Wins: Norway (1), Serbia (2), Venezuela (5), Iceland (8)

Team 4 Wins 4-2

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 5: Team 7 vs. Team 11

Both teams are coming off victories last week and are hoping to put together a winning streak by picking up a victory this week.

1. Brazil vs. France

Brazil held off challengers Mozambique with yet another draw this week, keeping legends Eusebio and Matateu Lucas at bay once more. France defeated the United States 3-1 to maintain their top position this week as well.

These giants have met on three occasions previously, splitting the series overall. France overcame Brazil in the very first WEFA World Cup, winning 1-0 in the quarterfinal that propelled France on to win the World Cup. The sides met again many years later in the group stage of World Cup VIII where Brazil got their revenge by handing France its worst ever defeat, a 6-1 drubbing. The rubber match occurred in the first Confederation Cup's group stage where no scores were settled after a 3-3 draw.

Brazil 0 - 1 France (World Cup I Quarterfinals)
Brazil 6 - 1 France (World Cup VIII Group Stage)
Brazil 3 - 3 France (Confederations Cup I Group Stage)

So it turned out that this match was a second attempt for either side to grab the advantage in the series, and that is just what Brazil did. A pair of goals from Gilberto Silva and Kaka overcame a lone strike from Benzema to leave France winless in the last three meetings against Brazil.

Brazil 2 - 1 France [Gilberto Silva, Kaka; Benzema]


2. Mozambique vs. United States

Mozambique prevented a CONCACAF rivalry match by fending off Mexico with a 1-0 victory this week. That rivalry match could have happened at the #3 position as the United States were nearly upset by Albania, but they held the #2 spot with a 1-1 draw.

With both team's strength being offense, it seemed like a shootout was in order. However, both sides also boast very skilled goalkeepers, and it was that duo which stole the show on this occasion. Not a single shot crept through and both sides held off the other until the final whistle ended to confirm the scoreless draw.

Mozambique 0 - 0 United States


3. Mexico vs. South Africa

Mexico missed the chance to play their neighbors after losing 1-0 to Mozambique, but they held the #3 position thanks to a 1-0 win over Hungary. South Africa never had a chance to set up a meeting with their neighbors, Mozambique, but they did climb two more positions by defeating Slovakia and then Albania, 2-1 and 3-1 respectively. They started the season at #2 and have almost regained that position despite having dropped as far as #8 just a few weeks ago!

There were plenty of players in top form for Mexico to choose from this week, and they wound up with 7 in the starting lineup. That paid off with an instant goal, as Blanco was one of those players and he opened the scoring very early. He was trying to be unselfish and pass the ball, but that attempt was blocked so he regained possession and then went it alone. He dribbled right past the defense and slotted in a goal with just 2:25 showing on the clock! The hits kept coming for the South Africans. Nery Castillo dribbled all the way down the field and then floated in a shot that surprised the keeper, going right over his head and dipping into the net to double the lead around the half hour mark. Then Pienaar had to exit the match just before half time due to an injury; things were not looking good for Bafana Bafana.

Mexico had outshot the South Africans 9-2 and controlled 53% possession in the first half. They increased that count to 18-8 by the end of the game, keeping a similar margin of possession to hold on to the 2-0 win to remain unbeaten in league play with their third win in a row.

Mexico 2 - 0 South Africa [Blanco, Nery Castillo]


4. Hungary vs. Albania

Hungary played out a 1-1 draw to keep Burkina Faso at bay this week, but they were unable to bring down Mexico, falling 1-0. Albania started the week identically, with a 1-1 draw against the United States that could have seen them rise to #2 on the roster. Instead, that forced them to defend against South Africa, where they lost 3-1 to fall down to #4.

Even though Albania are a fairly new team, they do have a history against Hungary already. The sides met in the qualifying campaign for the most recent World Cup where Hungary won the initial game and then the teams tied 1-1 in the rematch. Despite Hungary's win, Albania actually wound up finishing 2 points higher than the Hungarians, though they did not qualify to the World Cup after losing to Turkey in the playoffs.

Albania 0 - 1 Hungary (World Cup IX Qualifying)
Hungary 1 - 1 Albania (World Cup IX Qualifying)

This game expanded upon the last, with both sides doubling their goal tally, but failing to pull away. The 2-2 draw was a result of goals from Hajnal and Dzsudzsak from Hungary with Tare and Bogdani netting for Albania.

Hungary 2 - 2 Albania [Hajnal, Dzsudzsak; Tare, Bogdani]


5. Burkina Faso vs. Slovakia

Burkina Faso drew 1-1 against Hungary and then defeated Austria 1-0 to hold the #5 position for another week. Slovakia, meanwhile, lost a spot after falling 2-1 to South Africa. They avoided dropping further thanks to a 1-1 draw against Panama.

Momentum slightly favored Burkina Faso, and the Stallions took advantage of that. Issouf Ouattara struck twice to give Burkina Faso the 2-1 after Slovakia could only muster a single goal from Karhan.

Burkina Faso 2 - 1 Slovakia [I. Ouattara x2; Karhan]


6. Austria vs. Panama

Austria jumped up one spot after defeating Costa Rica 3-1 to start the week. They were unable to go any further due to a loss against Burkina Faso though. Panama maintained their position through a pair of 1-1 draws against Scotland and Slovakia.

In a closely contested matchup, Austria confirmed Team 7's overall victory after Ivanschitz hammered in the winning goal to lift his side to a 1-0 win.

Austria 1 - 0 Panama [Ivanschitz]


7. Costa Rica vs. Scotland

The Ticos were the only team to drop on Team 7's roster this week, losing 3-1 to Austria, but the drop stopped there thanks to a 1-0 win against Oman. Scotland, meanwhile, had held on to the position through a couple of 1-1 draws against Panama and Algeria.

Surprisingly, these teams do have a history. They met in the group stage of World Cup IV where Scotland stunned Costa Rica to win 2-0, a victory that ultimately propelled them into the knockout round ahead of Paraguay due to tiebreakers. They would go on to upset Poland before finally losing to Colombia in the quarterfinals - their best WEFA World Cup performance to date!

Costa Rica 0 - 2 Scotland (World Cup IV Group Stage)

It was a chance for Costa Rica to avenge that loss, but the Scots had other ideas. Miller scored the only goal of the match and Scotland stunned the Ticos yet again.

Costa Rica 0 - 1 Scotland [Miller]


8. Oman vs. Algeria

Lucky Oman has no teams below them, so they can never fall off the roster. However, they continue to hold that bottom position after losing yet again this week. This time a 1-0 defeat to Costa Rica has cemented their spot at #8. Algeria, on the other hand, had to play in an elimination game to keep their spot. They defeated Kuwait 2-0, and then were oh-so-close to moving up, but they were unable to defeat Scotland in a 1-1 draw.

On paper, you would expect Algeria to be heavy favorites here (and on their own roster against teams like Scotland, who are above them), but things just aren't going well for the Desert Foxes this season. That trend continued in this shocking loss to Oman where goals from Hadid and Al Hosni downed the North Africans. Dahmane scored again for Algeria, but his lone strikes just aren't enough, they need someone else to step up.

Oman 2 - 1 Algeria [Hadid, Al Hosni; Dahmane]





Team 7 vs. Team 11
1. Brazil 2 - 1 France
2. Mozambique 0 - 0 United States
3. Mexico 2 - 0 South Africa
4. Hungary 2 - 2 Albania
5. Burkina Faso 2 - 1 Slovakia
6. Austria 1 - 0 Panama
7. Costa Rica 0 - 1 Scotland
8. Oman 2 - 1 Algeria

Team 7 Wins: Brazil (1), Mexico (3), Burkina Faso (5), Austria (6), Oman (8)
Team 11 Wins: Scotland (7)

Team 7 Wins 5-1

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 5: Team 8 vs. Team 9

Team 8 is riding high with an unbeaten season and a four game winning streak on the line this week against Team 9, who started off slow but have won their last two league matches.

1. Italy vs. Cote d'Ivoire

Italy defeated Nigeria 3-1 to maintain their top position this week. Cote d'Ivoire had been dethroned last week, but they fought back to regain their spot with a 1-0 victory over Colombia and then a 3-1 win over Croatia.

These sides have never met before, and unfortunately it appeared that the extra challenge match took a toll on Cote d'Ivoire this week. They were not able to keep up with the Italians and wound up conceding three goals to all of Pirlo, Di Natale, and Toni. Eboue netted for the Ivorians, but they needed a lot more than that to get back into this game.

Italy 3 - 1 Cote d'Ivoire [Pirlo, Di Natale, Toni; Eboue]


2. Nigeria vs. Croatia

Nigeria climbed up from #3 by defeating Belgium 2-0, but they didn't have enough juice to keep going and they lost to Italy 3-1. Croatia had just one challenge match this week, but they fell 3-1 to Cote d'Ivoire to topple out of the #1 position.

So it was a pair of teams who had lost their last match 3-1 meeting up for this contest. That indicated that they were probably pretty evenly matched, and it turned out to be true. Neither side could best the other, and actually neither side could score against the other. The match ended with neither team coming out ahead in a 0-0 draw.

Nigeria 0 - 0 Croatia


3. Belgium vs. Colombia

Belgium lost 2-0 to Nigeria to fall a spot this week, but they were able to hold off Finland with a 1-1 draw at least. Colombia failed in their bid to knock off Cote d'Ivoire, but they were successful in holding off Japan, winning 2-1.

The Colombians could not carry that momentum over into the league match though. Belgium proved to be much tougher than Japan, although Colombia's defense were solid as well. This match also ended 0-0 with neither side able to grab the advantage.

Belgium 0 - 0 Colombia


4. Finland vs. Japan

Finland defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-0 and then played out a 1-1 draw against Belgium, but didn't gain any ground and wound up playing as #4 again this week. Japan did move up, beating Ukraine 2-1 before losing to Colombia by the same scoreline to wind up in this position.

These sides have actually met twice before in competitive play, both times in the group stage of a World Cup. Finland got the best of Japan in World Cup II, winning 1-0, but that wasn't quite good enough as both teams failed to advance to the next round. Finland missed out by virtue of goal difference while Japan finished in last place. The sides met again later on in World Cup VII. This time Japan managed to win 1-0, a result which saw both sides get eliminated once again. This time it was Japan losing out on a tiebreaker.

Finland 1 - 0 Japan (World Cup II Group Stage)
Finland 0 - 1 Japan (World Cup VII Group Stage)

The pendulum continues to swing, as Finland grabbed the advantage with a victory here. Hyypia got forward to get a rare goal while Johansson also added to Finland's tally. Takahara scored for Japan, but his effort wasn't enough and Finland went on to win 2-1, giving Team 8 a nice 2-0 lead at the half way point for this league match.

Finland 2 - 1 Japan [Hyypia, Johansson; Takahara]


5. Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Ukraine

Bosnia-Herzegovina are having a noteworthy season if for no other reason than the fact that they have been stuck at #5 since Week 1. It's not unusual to see a team get stuck at the top or the bottom of the roster, but to be wedged right in the middle and never waiver, that is pretty extraordinary. And they kept it up for the fifth week running with a loss to Finland and then a victory over Cape Verde. If they manage to hold the position next week, they will clinch a post-season berth! Their opponents, Ukraine, have been fighting to try to stay above the #5 spot, but were unable to do so this week after a loss to Japan. They did manage to hold off Angola to hit the breaks for now.

However, for the third game during this particular meetup, neither side was able to score and the match ended in 0-0 just like the #2 and #3 positions did. This gives Team 8 a huge advantage, up 2 games with just 3 left to play.

Bosnia-Herzegovina 0 - 0 Ukraine


6. Cape Verde vs. Angola

Cape Verde defeated Curacao 1-0 but were unable to break through the Bosnian barrier and lost 4-2 to stay in the #6 position. Angola, meanwhile, have been holding off Uzbekistan all season, and they did so again with a 3-1 win, but they just have not been able to go any higher, regardless of which team is in the #5 spot. This week it was Ukraine, who defeated them 2-0 to force them to hold the 6-spot for the third week in a row.

These teams met during the first ever WEFA African Cup, where Cape Verde overcame Angola 2-1 in the group stage. This victory helped them advance to the knockout round where they upset Cote d'Ivoire and finished fourth overall.

Cape Verde Islands 2 - 1 Angola (African Cup I Group Stage)

This time around it was Angola's turn as Manucho conjured up the only goal of the match to lead Angola to a 1-0 victory and keep Team 9 alive, down 2-1 now in this league meet.

Cape Verde 0 - 1 Angola [Manucho]


7. Belarus vs. Uzbekistan

Belarus saved themselves from being knocked off the roster by defeating United Arab Emirates 2-0 in the elimination match, but they did one better by overcoming Curacao 3-1 in the follow up game to climb to the #7 position. Uzbekistan, meanwhile, went through what is becoming a similar routine. They lost 3-1 to Angola and then defeated Estonia 1-0 to hold the #7 spot.

In this showdown against a fellow formerly occupied Soviet state, Farhod Tojiyev exploded for two goals, one more than Kornilenko could provide for Belarus. This gave the Uzbeks a vital 2-1 win that ties the league match at 2-2 leaving it all up to the #8s to decide if Team 9's unbeaten run continues or not.

Belarus 1 - 2 Uzbekistan [Kornilenko; Farhod Tojiyev x2]


8. Curacao vs. Estonia

Curacao had a rough week, losing to Cape Verde and then Belarus to drop into the #8 position. They'll have to face the elimination match next week, but they started high enough to ensure they'd participate in the league match this week despite the two losses. Estonia, on the other hand, will be playing as #8 on their team for the fifth week in a row after once again defeating Thailand but failing to overcome Uzbekistan.

All the pressure was on Curacao to keep Team 9's unbeaten run in tact. While that's not fair because five other teams above them could have come up with a better result to have already clinched a victory by this point, but that was the situation. The islanders weren't up to to the task though, and they buckled under the weight of Estonia's attack. Andres Oper finally broke through to give Estonia a big win for their positional seeding, and Team 8 an even bigger win to knock off the only remaining undefeated team!

Curacao 0 - 1 Estonia [Oper]





Team 8 vs. Team 9
1. Italy 3 - 1 Cote d'Ivoire
2. Nigeria 0 - 0 Croatia
3. Belgium 0 - 0 Colombia
4. Finland 2 - 1 Japan
5. Bosnia-Herzegovina 0 - 0 Ukraine
6. Cape Verde 0 - 1 Angola
7. Belarus 1 - 2 Uzbekistan
8. Curacao 0 - 1 Estonia

Team 8 Wins: Italy (1), Finland (4)
Team 9 Wins: Angola (6), Uzbekistan (7), Estonia (8)

Team 9 Wins 3-2

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 5: Team 10 vs. Team 12

Two of the more successful team would meet up in this week's league match. Both teams enter the week with records that put them in the top 5 of the league, who would be able to keep that position?

1. England vs. Spain

England has not faltered from the top position this season, holding tight for the fifth week in a row with a 1-1 draw against challengers Guinea. Spain has had a completely different experience, in a dog fight for the top position against Ghana and Sweden all season, they managed to defeat both teams this week to finally claim the #1 spot for the first time.

These sides have a long history against each other. They have met in three different World Cup qualifying campaigns and one Euro Cup as well. In the first meeting, for World Cup II, England defeated Spain 1-0 which helped them win the group and qualify while leaving Spain out as the last placed team (behind Norway and Croatia as well). The teams split a pair of draws during World Cup IV qualifying, results which favored England, who finished one point higher than Spain to take second place in the group, behind surprise winners Poland.

England managed to overcome the Spanish again in the very next World Cup, on the field at least. England won 1-0 and then tied 0-0 against the Spanish, but their other results were not as good and they actually finished 4th in the 5 team group. Spain had more success against the other teams and finished 2nd, qualifying to the World Cup instead of England this time.

After a long break, the teams finally crossed paths again in the qualifying campaign for the first Euro Cup, which was held after World Cup VIII. Again the English came out ahead with a pair of victories by scores of 3-2 and 2-0. However, these two giants found themselves in a dogfight against Hungary and Iceland during the qualification campaign and wound up in a three-way tie for first with each other and Hungary. Luckily for them, they had superior goal difference to the Hungarians, so they both wound up qualifying, with England edging Spain by a single goal in the goal difference tiebreaker.

The two were drawn into the same group at the Euro Cup, marking their first meeting in a major tournament. That match ended in a 2-2 draw, and Spain ultimately progressed to the knockout round after tying England for second place. This time the roles were reversed and Spain had edged England by a single goal for goal difference. Spain ultimately went on to win the tournament too.

England 1 - 0 Spain (World Cup II Qualifying)
England 0 - 0 Spain (World Cup IV Qualifying)
Spain 1 - 1 England (World Cup IV Qualifying)
England 1 - 0 Spain (World Cup V Qualifying)
Spain 0 - 0 England (World Cup V Qualifying)
Spain 0 - 2 England (Euro Cup I Qualifying)
England 3 - 2 Spain (Euro Cup I Qualifying)
England 2 - 2 Spain (Euro Cup I Group Stage)

So in four tournaments, Spain has never beaten England, but the two have split success, with England going further in World Cups II and IV and Spain going further in World Cup V and Euro Cup I. England's 8-game unbeaten run against Spain finally came to an end here with big time goals from Villa, Torres, and the rising star Capdevila! Wayne Rooney netted for the English, but his effort was far from sufficient to keep pace with Spain.

England 1 - 3 Spain [Rooney; Villa, Capdevila, Torres]


2. Guinea vs. Ghana

Guinea made a big push this week, grabbing the #2 spot after defeating Turkey 3-1, and then they came close to reaching the top of the roster but were unable to overcome England in a 1-1 draw. Ghana had held the #1 position since Week 2, but finally lost their grip on the spot this week with a 2-1 defeat against Spain.

There has never been a winner In four previous meetings between these sides. The teams split a pair of 0-0 and 1-1 draws in both qualifying campaigns for World Cup VI and World Cup IX. Neither team qualified to World Cup VI, as Ghana finished with 13 points and Guinea with 12 to wind up 4th and 5th respectively in the 6-team group.

In World Cup IX, the tables were turned, and Guinea finished a point ahead of Ghana, to grab the 3rd spot in the group of 5. That allowed them to continue playing in the CAF playoffs. They lost to Cote d'Ivoire in the aggregate that could have sent them to the World Cup, but then managed to defeat Egypt to reach the international playoffs. In that stage they overcame Greece 1-0 on aggregate to qualify to their first ever World Cup!

Ghana 0 - 0 Guinea (World Cup VI Qualifying)
Guinea 1 - 1 Ghana (World Cup VI Qualifying)
Ghana 1 - 1 Guinea (World Cup IX Qualifying)
Guinea 0 - 0 Ghana (World Cup IX Qualifying)

I decided to play as Guinea for this game, as I figured them to be the underdogs. That didn't seem to be the case after a fast start which saw Feindouno head in the opening goal 14 minutes into the match! The ball came in perfectly, floating just over the keeper, out of his reach, to find the midfielder at the back post. Muntari nearly equalized for Ghana off the ensuing kickoff, but his open shot sailed a little too far left and missed the target.

Is. Bangoura kept supplying nice crosses into the box and found A. Keita in the 18th minute. Ghana were lucky when his header hit the post though. That would be Bangoura's last contribution to the match, because just moments later he mistimed a tackle and took down Muntari from behind, earning him a straight red card for the blunder! It seemed harsh to be a red card, many thought it should have just been a yellow.

That shifted the game into a more physical affair, as Ghana tried to press their advantage while Guinea fought to defend their lead. Guinea picked up 2 yellow cards, but their tactics seemed to be working. They even got some breathing room when K. Cisse pressured Mensah and caused a turnover, which quickly escalated into a goal for Guinea to make it 2-0! Mensah was not pleased with that play, claiming that Cisse had fouled him to win the ball. The referee ignored his pleas, so he took matters into his own hands, hitting Cisse with a hard tackle just 2 minutes later. The ref was not going to put up with that at all, and showed him the door with a straight red of his own. It was now 10 on 10 and it wasn't even half time yet!

The expulsion seemed to reinvigorate the Ghanaians. They had lost their numerical edge, but they were making up for that with great movement on offense. Muntari and Dramani each unleashed powerful shots in stoppage time, but both were saved by Kemoko Camara. The offensive continued in the second half, where Gyan Asamoah finally broke through and scored to pull Ghana back in the 58th minute.

All that momentum was lost just three minutes later when Mansare slipped through the heart of Ghana's defense and scored to restore the 2-goal lead. Ibrahima Bangoura headed in another goal to put the game out of reach in the 82nd minute, but the action didn't end there. Mansare soon picked up his second yellow card of the match and was sent off just moments later, reducing Guinea to 9 men now! Despite the man advantage, Ghana did not have enough time to mount a comeback so Guinea wound up winning 4-1 despite being outshot 17-13 and finishing the game with just 9 men against Ghana's 10. Guinea had accumulated a total of 6 yellow cards while Ghana had also picked up 2 of their own in addition to the straight red cards that each team received. "It never meant to get out of hand, but we just wanted to show that we could not only compete, but win" explained Guinea's manager afterwards.

Guinea 4 - 1 Ghana [Feindouno, K. Cisse, Mansare, Ib. Bangoura; Gyan Asamoah]


3. Russia vs. Sweden

Russia found their way up to the #3 spot for the first time this season, after spending the last four weeks playing as #4. They accomplished this by defeating Wales 4-1 and then knocking off Turkey with a 2-0 result. Sweden had failed to overtake Spain yet again, but held onto their position with a 4-2 win over Switzerland.

These sides met in the first and most recent World Cups. The first meeting ended 0-0, which worked out for Russia as it allowed them to advance to the World Cup as the second place team in the group. Had Sweden won, they would have advanced instead. Many years later, the sides met again for World Cup IX qualifying. This encounter went the same as the last, ending in a 0-0 draw. The next match was on pace to finish scoreless again until finally Russia broke the 3-game deadlock and scored the winning goal. Unfortunately for them, it was too late and Sweden had already clinched first place in the group. Germany had taken second, so Russia were headed home as third place.

Russia 0 - 0 Sweden (World Cup I Qualifying)
Sweden 0 - 0 Russia (World Cup IX Qualifying)
Russia 1 - 0 Sweden (World Cup IX Qualifying)

Semshov broke this game's deadlock to give Russia just their second goal against Sweden in four games, but Wilhelmsson finally responded for Sweden to break their scoreless streak against Russia and secure the draw in this league match.

Russia 1 - 1 Sweden [Semshov; Wilhelmsson]


4. Turkey vs. Switzerland

Turkey suffered a pair of losses against Guinea and Russia to drop out of the #2 spot and wind up as the #4 team this week. Switzerland simply held their ground at this position, drawing against Paraguay but losing to Sweden.

These sides met in World Cup V during the qualifying phase. Switzerland won the initial meeting 1-0 but Turkey recovered to win 3-0 in the next game. The Turks ultimately finished second in the group and qualified to the World Cup while Switzerland finished fourth and did not advance.

Switzerland 1 - 0 Turkey (World Cup V Qualifying)
Turkey 3 - 0 Switzerland (World Cup V Qualifying)

The Swiss regained the edge in this series by defeating Turkey in the league match. N'kufo supplied the goal to lift Switzerland to victory, giving Team 12 a lead.

Turkey 0 - 1 Switzerland [N'kufo]


5. Wales vs. Paraguay

Wales suffered a heavy defeat against Russia, losing 4-1 to start the week, but eventually they recovered to draw against Zambia and maintain their position on the team roster. Paraguay also held steady, playing out a pair of 1-1 draws against Switzerland and El Salvador.

Wales' golden generation has been keeping them afloat this season, and they certainly pushed Paraguay with Bellamy leading the charge. However, the South Americans proved to be too tough and they responded with goals from Haedo Valdez and Santa Cruz to turn the tide and pick up the win.

Wales 1 - 2 Paraguay [Bellamy; Haedo Valdez, Santa Cruz]


6. Zambia vs. El Salvador

Zambia stayed at #6 after playing out two 1-1 draws this week, against Lithuania and Wales. El Salvador jumped up a spot by defeating the Confederate States 2-1, and then pushed Paraguay in a 1-1 draw.

They maintained that momentum in the league meet, overcoming Zambia thanks to a pair of goals from Arturo Alvarez to clinch Team 12's victory for this week.

Zambia 0 - 2 El Salvador [A. Alvarez x2]


7. Iraq vs. Peru

Iraq narrowly fended off Canada in the elimination match this week, staying up with a 1-1 draw, and then upset Lithuania 2-1 to climb higher on the team's roster. Peru had suffered humiliation last week when they dropped to #9, but they made sure to get back on the roster by defeating Latvia 3-1. They followed that up with a 2-1 win over the Confederates to avoid next week's elimination match too.

Pizzaro then scored in the league match to keep Peru's winning streak going with a 1-0 win over Iraq.

Iraq 0 - 1 Peru [Pizarro]


8. Lithuania vs. Confederacy

Lithuania were so close to grabbing the #6 position in their 1-1 draw with Zambia, but since they didn't move up, they had to defend their current position. They were not able to do that, losing 2-1 to Iraq to fall into the #8 position for this week's league match. The Confederates were #6 on their team coming into this week, but they lost both games, first to El Salvador and then to Peru, to drop into this position.

So who would be able to recover during the league meet? The south would rise again, banging in three goals to down Lithuania 3-1. Clint Mathis lead the way with a brace while Zusi also scored. Lithuania's lone goal came from Galkevicius.

Lithuania 1 - 3 Confederacy [Galkevicius; Mathis x2, Zusi]





Team 10 vs. Team 12
1. England 1 - 3 Spain
2. Guinea 4 - 1 Ghana
3. Russia 1 - 1 Sweden
4. Turkey 0 - 1 Switzerland
5. Wales 1 - 2 Paraguay
6. Zambia 0 - 2 El Salvador
7. Iraq 0 - 1 Peru
8. Lithuania 1 - 3 Confederacy

Team 10 Wins: Guinea (2)
Team 12 Wins: Spain (1), Switzerland (4), Paraguay (5), El Salvador (6), Peru (7), Confederacy (8)

Team 12 Wins 6-1

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 5: League Standings


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{td}Team 12{/td}
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{td}Team 7{/td}
{td=center|50x@}3{/td}
{td=center|50x@}2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}16{/td}
{td=center}13{/td}
{td=center}11{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 3{/td}
{td=center|50x@}3{/td}
{td=center|50x@}2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}15{/td}
{td=center}14{/td}
{td=center}11{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 9{/td}
{td=center|50x@}3{/td}
{td=center|50x@}2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}14{/td}
{td=center}15{/td}
{td=center}11{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 10{/td}
{td=center|50x@}2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}1{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}16{/td}
{td=center}16{/td}
{td=center}8{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 4{/td}
{td=center|50x@}2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}3{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}13{/td}
{td=center}13{/td}
{td=center}14{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 11{/td}
{td=center|50x@}1{/td}
{td=center|50x@}4{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}8{/td}
{td=center}18{/td}
{td=center}14{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 2{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center|50x@}4{/td}
{td=center|50x@}1{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}8{/td}
{td=center}18{/td}
{td=center}14{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}Team 6{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center|50x@}5{/td}
{td=center|50x@}O{/td}
{td=center} {/td}
{td=center}9{/td}
{td=center}25{/td}
{td=center}6{/td}
{/tr}
{/tbody}
[/xtable]


Top #1: Brazil (Team 7): 4-0-1 +10 GD
Top #2: Germany (Team 4): 3-0-1 +3 GD
Top #3: Ukraine (Team 9): 2-0-1 +5 GD
Top #4: Belgium (Team 8): 3-0-0 +4 GD
Top #5: Bosnia-Herzegovina (Team 8): 2-1-2 +1 GD
Top #6: Angola (Team 9): 2-1-1 +1 GD
Top #7: Scotland (Team 11): 2-0-1 +3 GD
Top #8: Estonia (Team 9): 2-1-2 +1 GD

 

[ZeekLTK]

I was hoping to be further ahead in my reports, but since March Madness has arrived, here is a teaser for one of the post-season tournaments (seedings hidden to not spoil too much). This dynasty was a blast and it just got better as the season progressed.

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 6: Bolivia (Team 1)

Another overall league defeat has dropped us out of the top three and into fourth place. We didn't help much, losing to New Zealand, although we weren't the only ones to struggle, as Bulgaria were the only side to win for us. Our team as a whole needs to get it together if we want to have any chance of winning the league this year.

Latest Lineup
1. Netherlands
2. Bolivia
3. Ireland
4. South Korea
5. Bulgaria
6. Senegal
7. Congo DR
8. Qatar
9. Rio de Janeiro

It probably didn't help that Qatar played instead of Rio. There is nothing we can do about that except hope that the former-Brazilians get their shit together and get back on the roster. As for ourselves, this is our last chance to beat the Netherlands. If we don't take #1 this week, we won't be able to take it for the rest of the season since there are only six games remaining and you have to play a minimum of six games at a position in order to qualify for the post-season. We should have had them last week, so hopefully this week will be our big breakthrough! But first we've got to defend against Ireland to earn that rematch with the Dutch.



Challenge Match 17: #2 Bolivia (8-3-5) vs. #3 Ireland (7-7-2)

While we are running out of time to grab #1, other teams are running out of time to grab our current position. Ireland has never played a league match at #2, so if they can't knock us off this week, then they have no shot of taking the position for the rest of the season. In fact, the only other teams who would be eligible for #2 after this week would be the Netherlands (Week 2) and Senegal (Week 1). So while we are eagerly awaiting a rematch with the Dutch, we've got to focus and make sure we get this right. A win here will keep Ireland out of the top 2 for good.

It helped that we got off to a dream start. Verduguez whipped in an early cross to Castillo who headed in the opening goal just 1:47 into the match! That quick strike may have caused us to drop our guard though, because suddenly Ireland were at our gates. A defensive lapse allowed Kevin Doyle to slip through, and he had a golden scoring opportunity, but shot wide! Two minutes later the referee took offense to a slight nudge inside the box, awarding Ireland a penalty kick for practically nothing! Robbie Keane's shot hit the post though, possibly some karma since they never should have had a PK in the first place.

If it seemed like luck was on our side, then we were reminded that the Irish had their own as well. Kevin Doyle got through with another breakaway in the 15th minute and this time he got it right and scored. How does he keep getting through? Who the hell was supposed to be guarding this guy? It was determined that Raldes was, so the manager made sure to let him know that he needed to do a better job, in no uncertain terms. But Bolivia didn't get down. We just needed a draw, so we were still in the drivers seat. And then J. Campos really got us going when he dribbled down and scored in the 20th minute, just five minutes after Doyle's goal. Things went from bad to worse for the Irish when Finnan forked the ball over inside his own box, leading to a Castillo goal. It was 3-1 in the 25th minute and Bolivia were cruising now!

But then the game turned sideways again. Just two minutes after the last goal, Bolivia coughed the ball up inside their own area, allowing Ireland to score. Stephen Ireland that is, although his goal counted for the Republic of Ireland as well. Bolivia hit the post with a free kick in stoppage time, reaching the break with a very fragile 3-2 lead, having outshot Ireland 9-6, but the real story was shots on target. Bolivia had outshot Ireland 4-2, and the score was 3-2... all but one shot on goal had gone in so far. What were the keepers doing in this game?!?

The offensive barrage continued in the second half, but both teams were failing to cash in on their chances. The score could have easily been 6-5 or something by the 80th minute, but instead it was still 3-2. Ireland were getting desperate and throwing more attackers onto the field. It paid off when McGeady got behind his defender, received a nice pass and then slotted in the equalizer. It was now 3-3 with just under ten minutes remaining! Bolivia were starting to sweat; one more Irish goal would end their dreams of grabbing the #1 spot this season. With the pressure on, Bolivia buckled down and focused on keeping that next goal off the scoreboard. Ireland did manage to earn a few free kicks in the closing moments, but they were unable to convert any of them into a goal, so Bolivia held on to the 3-3 draw! Final shot count ended up being 14-10 in favor of Bolivia, and Ireland are now officially eliminated from both the #2 and #1 positions this season. Bolivia will have one last shot against the Netherlands before being eliminated from #1 contention themselves.

Bolivia 3 - 3 Ireland

Other team results:
4v5: South Korea 0 - 0 Bulgaria
6v7: Senegal 1 - 0 Congo DR
8v9: Qatar 0 - 3 Rio de Janeiro

*South Korea guaranteed themselves another week in the top 4 by holding Bulgaria to a scoreless draw. Senegal avoided falling any further and defeated fellow Africans Congo DR, while Rio de Janeiro did in fact get it together to blast Qatar with a 3-0 win and get a spot back on the roster after missing out last week.



Challenge Match 18: #1 Netherlands (7-1-1) vs. #2 Bolivia (8-3-6)

Last chance saloon for Bolivia! If we beat the Netherlands, then we've still got a lot of work to do to fully take the top spot, but we'll at least be in contention to do so. If we don't win, that's it. It will not be mathematically possible to play as the #1 position on this team for the rest of the season. The Dutch knew this too, and they didn't want to have to go through a gauntlet of challenge matches for the next several weeks, so they were especially motivated to end this right now.

We almost got off to a dream start like we had against Ireland. Just seven minutes in and Castillo found an opening, but he hit the post! That proved costly because the Dutch did not miss their opportunity that came in the 20th minute. Van Bommel headed in a corner kick and Bolivia had one foot out the door. The men in green didn't give up though, and they forced the Netherlands into some tricky situations, causing them to pick up two yellow cards by the half hour mark. If they could get a player sent off, it would greatly improve their chances.

The cards paid off quicker than expected. The Dutch were trying to play a bit more cautiously to avoid having anyone sent off, and in doing do they gave just enough leeway for Castillo to come crashing in and hammer in an equalizer! The goal came just four minutes before half time, so at the break Bolivia had a chance to regroup and go out to seek one last goal that they wanted so badly. Netherlands had more shots in the first half, 6-4, but Bolivia had more free kicks, 8-7. Yes, there had been more fouls than shots in the half. The stakes were high, so of course this was going to be a tense and chippy match!

Bolivia fought on throughout the second half, but ultimately corner kicks, their Achilles heel earlier in the season that had temporarily gone away the past few weeks, came back to bite them. Van Persie delivered a huge blow when he headed in the second of the match for the Netherlands. And then Huntelaar supplied the fatal strike when he headed in a late cross to completely drop Bolivia for good. They would never have to face Bolivia in a challenge match for the rest of the season, and now #1 was completely out of reach - an untenable dream for the landlocked South Americans. They'd come so close, but just weren't good enough.

Netherlands 3 - 1 Bolivia

Other team results:
3v4: Ireland 1 - 0 South Korea
5v6: Bulgaria 1 - 1 Senegal
7v8: Congo DR 1 - 1 Rio de Janeiro

*It was the last chance for a lot of teams this week, and that was reflected in how close each game was. Bulgaria and Congo DR just barely managed to hold off Senegal and Rio de Janeiro by a single goal in their 1-1 draws. Ireland used their home field advantage to fend off South Korea as well, winning 1-0 to secure the #3 position for the week.



New Lineup for League Match 6
1. Netherlands
2. Bolivia
3. Ireland
4. South Korea
5. Bulgaria
6. Senegal
7. Congo DR
8. Rio de Janeiro
9. Qatar

*Qatar will not participate in League Match 6

Our team faces another user team this week, Team 10. Both of these teams lost to other user teams last week, so it will be a tough matchup with both sides out for redemption. Guinea has held the #2 spot on their roster for the last few weeks, but their challenge matches are still in progress, so we won't know who our opponent is until they sort it out.

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 6: Norway (Team 4)

We finally got our big breakthrough last week. It may have "only" been Greece but, at last, we won a league match at the #1 spot! The whole team also won overall, so things are looking up as we head into the midway point of the season.

Latest Lineup
1. Norway
2. Serbia
3. Germany
4. Jamaica
5. Venezuela
6. Togo
7. Saudi Arabia
8. Iceland
9. Gabon

This is it! We have held the top spot for five consecutive weeks. That means that if we play one more league match as the #1 team, we will have clinched the position for the remainder of the season. One challenge match to go! We might not even have to face the Germans if Serbia can muster at least a draw against them. That would be a nice break from the relentless struggle we faced in the first four weeks of the season.



Challenge Match 17: #1 Norway (6-1-2) - BYE

We decided to play a more competent opponent for our warm up match this week, taking on our southern neighbors Denmark. The Danes were much stronger than previous opponents like Sierra Leone, but we still almost managed to catch them out early on. Carew broke through in the 25th minute and beat the keeper with his shot, but he was denied by the post! Denmark hit us back while we were still searching for the opening goal. Tomasson won possession in the midfield and found an open lane which he took all the way into the box. He calmly finished his shot, putting the Danes ahead in the 35th minute. That goal must have woken the Norwegians up, because M. G. Pedersen responded just two minutes later. He dribbled right through the previously stingy Danish defense, unleashing a powerful blast that found the back of the net for a quick equalizer.

Denmark felt hard done by the goal, as they had really dominated most of the half. They had outshot Norway 9-3, but hadn't been able to convert that into a lead. The second half went the complete opposite way, Norway wound up outshooting the Danes 7-2 in the half. Winsnes came close to winning the match in the 50th minute, he found some space to get a wide open look, but couldn't capitalize. That wound up being the story of the half, as no one was able to finish their chances and the match ultimately ended 1-1.

Norway 1 - 1 Denmark

Other team results:
2v3: Serbia 0 - 3 Germany
4v5: Jamaica 1 - 0 Venezuela
6v7: Togo 2 - 2 Saudi Arabia
8v9: Iceland 1 - 2 Gabon

*Serbia's reign at #2 was short lived. The Germans were determined to get at least one more shot at Norway, and they certainly earned it with a 3-0 thumping of the Serbs. Jamaica defeated Venezuela to hold the #4 position, while Togo narrowly avoided dropping to #7 after a nail biting 2-2 draw with Saudi Arabia. Upheaval at the bottom continued, as Gabon won their way back onto the roster with a 2-1 result against Iceland.



Challenge Match 18: #1 Norway (6-1-2) vs. #2 Germany (9-5-2)

All we needed was one last victory - heck, not even a victory, a draw would do just fine! - and we'd be done playing Germany for the season! To this point we'd compiled a very respectable record of 4 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss against the Germans thus far, outscoring them 14-9 overall. However, almost every game has been decided by 1 goal or less, so we knew it wasn't going to be easy.

Week 1: 3-2 v Germany | 1-1 v Germany
Week 2: 1-1 v Germany | 1-0 v Germany
Week 3: 3-2 v Germany
Week 4: 2-3 v Germany | 3-0 v Germany

It looked like we were on our way early. The defense was playing "stellar", just shutting down everything that was thrown at them... in the first ten minutes. Things took a turn for the worst when Klose managed to score on a corner kick, giving Germany an early lead after just 12 minutes! It was a huge letdown after some of the nice defending that had been done just moments earlier.

The backline shook off the goal and then dug back in, playing very well and making the Germans really fight to move anything forward. Set pieces seemed like the only way to break through, which is what Michael Ballack tried, but his well-placed free kick was just narrowly saved by E. Johnsen to keep the game within reach. However, Norway needed to score, and they did not look up to the task at all. The defense was playing great, but the offense was complete rubbish. The team couldn't put together even a modicum of an attack and went into half time down a goal after being outshot 11-2 in the half!

The second half was, unfortunately, more of the same. The Norwegians were completely out of ideas going forward and were unable to even threaten the German goal. Meanwhile, Germany kept pressing and testing the defense. Norway's backline held exceptionally well, but they were slowly getting worn down by endless siege. With time running out, Norway were praying for a stoppage time goal. They must not have specified at which end. Instead of delivering a season-defining stunner to secure their position, they succumbed to an attack where Ozil at last broke through the central defense and forced a difficult save from the keeper. Klose followed up with the rebound, scoring his second goal of the game and giving the Germans a tremendous victory to finally take the #1 position!

There was no doubt that the Germans had earned the throne with their flawless performance. They had outshot Norway 20-5 on the night and had held 55% of the possession. Norway will get another shot at the Germans next week, but they will be severely disappointed to not have wrapped the season up right now when they had the chance.

Norway 0 - 2 Germany

Other team results:
3v4: Serbia 1 - 0 Jamaica
5v6: Venezuela 1 - 2 Togo
7v8: Saudi Arabia 1 - 1 Gabon

*Serbia confirmed their place in the top 3 with a win over Jamaica. Venezuela lost again, falling 2-1 to Togo to drop into the #6 position. Finally, Gabon were not able to move up any further and Saudi Arabia held their position with a 1-1 draw.



New Lineup for League Match 6
1. Germany
2. Norway
3. Serbia
4. Jamaica
5. Togo
6. Venezuela
7. Saudi Arabia
8. Gabon
9. Iceland

*Iceland will not participate in League Match 6

Team 7 will be this week's opponent, and their challenge matches are still in progress. If Mexico finally overcomes Mozambique, they could be Norway's next league opponent. Conversely, if Mozambique finally knocks off Brazil, we could see Norway vs. Brazil at the #2 position this week. Mozambique might just hold the position themselves to set up an interesting match between the legends Eusebio and Matateu against this tough Norwegian defense.

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 6: New Zealand (Team 5)

The team is clicking as well as you could imagine, winning our fourth straight league match last week to put us at the top of the table after Team 8 was knocked off. That sets up a huge game this week, since we'll be playing against Team 8 for a shot at outright first place!

Latest Lineup
1. Argentina
2. New Zealand
3. Portugal
4. Chile
5. Trinidad & Tobago
6. Tunisia
7. Slovenia
8. Indonesia
9. Guadeloupe

Portugal finally overcame Chile last week to get back to within our range. We've had success fending them off previously, so we'll hope to do that again and then try to finally knock off Argentina in our last chance to take the #1 spot.



Challenge Match 17: #2 New Zealand (10-1-5) vs. #3 Portugal (6-5-3)

This will be our fourth match against Portugal and we have beaten them once and drawn twice in the previous meetings back in Weeks 3 and 4. All we need to do is earn another draw to secure a minimum position of #2 on the roster yet again, but they are obviously starting to get desperate and will be gunning to reclaim their position for sure. We tried to jump out to an early lead through Bertos, and he did create a couple of nice chances early on, but their keeper made a great save each time to keep us off the board. Then a bit of fortune smiled on Portugal, Bosingwa tried to send in a cross but had it blocked. Luckily for him, the ball came right back to him and he reacted too quickly for his defender, blowing right by him with the dribble. He took the ball into the box and then fed it across to Cristiano Ronaldo, who used his body to shield off another defender before finally turning and placing the ball perfectly into the goal.

Just five minutes after the opening goal, New Zealand caught Ricardo Carvalho in a compromising position. Fallon managed to force a turnover and then spring Smeltz on a breakaway, but Portugal's keeper came up huge again, stopping the breakaway for the third time already in just the 21st minute! These missed opportunities were starting to weigh on New Zealand and it showed in their lackluster defending. A corner kick into the box was met by Nuno Gomez, whose shot met W. Reid at the post. The ball deflected off him, but fell to Deco, who came in unmarked to tap in the rebound and double Portugal's lead. As if that wasn't bad enough, Rory Fallon failed on yet another break through; the Portuguese keeper was just demoralizing the Kiwis with his heroic saves.

Portugal was just too good today, adding to the lead with another strike by C. Ronaldo. New Zealand had matched Portugal shot for shot, ending the game all square at 12 apiece, but the difference was the goaltending. Portugal never conceded a single goal and won the game with a huge 3-0 scoreline, the same margin that New Zealand had won by back in Week 3!

New Zealand 0 - 3 Portugal

Other team results:
4v5: Chile 1 - 1 Trinidad & Tobago
6v7: Tunisia 0 - 0 Slovenia
8v9: Indonesia 0 - 0 Guadeloupe

*The rest of the team played out draws in their challenge matches, which meant no other shakeups occurred. Chile and Trinidad & Tobago at least scored in their encounter, while the bottom four teams each settled for a 0-0 draw.



Challenge Match 18: #3 New Zealand (10-2-5) vs. #4 Chile (3-8-6)

We had completely lost our chance to win the #1 spot for the rest of the season and were now tasked with facing our new rivals Chile, rather than our target of Argentina. The Chileans are always up for a game against us it seems, and this was no different with them sporting an entire backline of players who were in top form. There have been red cards shown in several of the previous meetings between these teams, and that played a big factor in this one as Bertos mistimed his tackle and took out an opposing player very hard, but the ball actually went right to another Chile player who continued the attack, so advantage was played and the game continued. New Zealand were worried about this though, because they didn't know if Bertos was going to be booked or even sent off when the ball eventually went out of play. This distraction cost them dearly, as Chile wound up scoring on the possession, with M. Fernandez supplying the finish. No card was produced after the goal, but maybe the referee thought that the goal was enough of a punishment for the team?

That had happened in the 13th minute, but before you knew it, half time had already approached. Chile had a slight lead on shots, 5-4, and possession, 52%, but New Zealand had to feel that they were still in the game. Afterall, they only needed a draw to hold the position, so one goal would be sufficient to see of the Chilean challengers. But what is a New Zealand-Chile game without a red card? And sure enough, one eventually surfaced. In the 83rd minute I. Fuentes brought down Smeltz to stop a breakaway and got to take an early shower for his efforts. That may have saved the game for his side though, because New Zealand failed to score on the set piece and then never managed to put together a better attack. The match eventually ended with 10-man Chile hanging on to the 1-0 victory to stun New Zealand by dropping them to the #4 position for this week's league match!

New Zealand 0 - 1 Chile

Other team results:
1v2: Argentina 1 - 1 Portugal
5v6: Trinidad & Tobago 1 - 0 Tunisia
7v8: Slovenia 1 - 2 Indonesia

*Portugal faced Argentina for the first time since Week 2 in their last chance to contend for the #1 position. They put up a hell of a fight, but just couldn't manage to overthrow the kings, settling for a 1-1 draw that earns Argentina the top spot for the rest of the season. Trinidad & Tobago also moved closer to clinching the #5 position after holding off Tunisia yet again with another 1-0 scoreline. Further down, Indonesia and Slovenia swapped spots again. Last week Slovenia had defeated Indonesia to move up to #7, but that was short lived as Indonesia wins 2-1 this week to retake the position.



New Lineup for League Match 6
1. Argentina
2. Portugal
3. Chile
4. New Zealand
5. Trinidad & Tobago
6. Tunisia
7. Indonesia
8. Slovenia
9. Guadeloupe

*Guadeloupe will not participate in League Match 6

New Zealand is in a funk after losing two consecutive matches, but they will need to pick themselves up quickly as the big matchup against Team 8 for first place looms this weekend. Team 8's roster did not change this week, so New Zealand will be up against Finland, who have held the #4 position for the past two weeks, having beaten both Senegal and Japan in their league matches.

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 6: Mexico (Team 7)

The team won for the second week in a row, improving to 3-2 on the season and grabbing a spot inside the top 5 (based on tiebreakers, but still top 5!). The aim is to keep that momentum going overall, and hopefully we can do that by knocking some of the better teams down a notch and take their place.

Latest Lineup
1. Brazil
2. Mozambique
3. Mexico
4. Hungary
5. Burkina Faso
6. Austria
7. Costa Rica
8. Oman
9. N/A

We have to make our move now, because this is the last chance. We have never held the #2 position, so if we fail to take it this week, then we will not be eligible to play there for the rest of the season. Our big goal at the beginning of the season was to challenge Brazil for the #1 spot. Right now, our goal is to simply lineup against Brazil on the field, since we have still never gotten a chance to play them!



Challenge Match 17: #2 Mozambique (10-3-3) vs. #3 Mexico (7-7-2)

We have lost our three previous challenge matches against Mozambique by a combined margin of 7-1, although most of their goals came in the very first encounter where they won 4-0. Since that Week 1 beatdown, we have managed to play them tight, losing by just a single goal in the other games. That's not good enough though, we need to pull out a victory or else we are going to be stuck at #3 or lower for the rest of the season! The scouting report turned up some bad news, Matateu Lucas appeared to be in top form heading into this match. Luckily for us, Chicharito was also in top form. We were hoping that if this turned into a shootout, maybe that would give us a chance to win.

The match started out predictably enough, with Mozambique bossing the match, but Mexico were holding firm on the defensive end. The focus was all on Matateu, as Mexico seemed to be double teaming him any time the ball was even remotely in his vicinity. The tactic was paying off, as he was unable to get any decent looks at goal in the opening portion of the match. This translated into a few turnovers, which turned into breakaways. One of those turned out to be huge for Mexico, as G. Dos Santos played the ball forward to a wide open Chicharito, who turned and slashed towards the goal, beating the keeper to give Mexico a glorious lead in the 27th minute!

The pressure continued and just nine minutes later Mexico were on the verge of blowing the game wide open. Chicharito's shot was caught by the keeper who stumbled back over the goalline while still holding the ball! Mexico appealed for the goal to be counted, but the referee had a different view and awarded a corner kick instead! As odd as this sounds, the replay actually was inconclusive, as it was hard to see whether the ball had gone into the goal or had actually gone on the other side of the post. Mexico then failed to score on the corner, but they didn't let go of the momentum and kept pressing forward. Just two minutes before half time a counter attack found its way to a wide open C. Vela inside the box, but he shot it over the bar!!! An unbelievable miss! Vela had previously gotten a few rebounds but had shot them right at the keeper. This time, with an open look, he shoots off target!

That miss was tough to swallow for Mexico and it nearly cost them dearly. Mario Coluna snuck through to create one last chance before the break, but thankfully he was also off target with his shot. This meant Mexico went into half time with a 1-0 lead over Mozambique, having outshot them 9-7 so far, although Mozambique had held 57% possession! The Africans regrouped during the break and must have come up with other ways to get Matateu involved, because he suddenly became much more difficult to mark in the second half.

By the 62nd minute he had become too difficult to contain, and he finally broke through, beating his defender off the dribble and then scoring the equalizer. He showed his skill again in the 73rd minute when a long ball forward found his feet and, before anyone could react, he had quickly set himself up to shoot, and scored on the play. This was the beginning of the end, as Mexico were too rattled now. They wound up botching a corner kick in the 81st minute as Ochoa fumbled the ball into his own net for Mozambique's third goal. From 1-0 up to 1-3 down in about twenty minutes. Ugh!

Chicharito added one more goal, late in stoppage time. It was a spectacular effort, holding the ball with his back to goal, he made a touch to set himself up to swivel and fire the shot into the goal. The effort was far too late though, and Mozambique held on to win 3-2 and destroy Mexico's chances of ever playing at the #1 or #2 position this season, making them the only user team who failed to reach at least #2 on their roster.

Mozambique 3 - 2 Mexico

Other team results:
4v5: Hungary 0 - 1 Burkina Faso
6v7: Austria 0 - 1 Costa Rica

*Hungary were unable to fend off Burkina Faso this week, and they fall into the #5 position after losing 1-0 to the Stallions. Austria also dropped their match to Costa Rica by the same scoreline as the Ticos improve to #6.



Challenge Match 18: #3 Mexico (7-8-2) vs. #4 Burkina Faso (9-4-4)

Now Mexico needed a win just to maintain the #3 position. Rather than Hungary, the opponent was Burkina Faso, who Mexico had dispatched twice during Week 2, but had not seen since. Eager to just put the match away early, Chicharito continued his impressive form by scoring a goal in the opening two minutes of the match. He headed in a cross from A. Guardado and it looked like Mexico was going to take out their frustrations here in a route.

That all changed when Burkina Faso surprisingly equalized just moments later. Or at least they thought they had. The shot came in and deflected off a player to beat the keeper, but the flag had come up to signal that he was offsides and the goal should be disallowed. The chance reinvigorated the Stallions though, and they actually did score in the 10th minute when Bamogo blasted through the defense and put his shot into the back of the net. This rattled Mexico, and suddenly they were struggling to link up in the midfield. Burkina Faso took advantage of this by creating a turnover and then scoring off it. Bamogo netted this one as well, taking just sixteen minutes to record his brace.

Everything just went downhill from there. Burkina Faso controlled possession for the rest of the half and outshot Mexico 12-6, but were unable to score any further. Mexico learned that they had actually held more possession, with 53%, so they were encouraged to just take their time and put together some quality passes to set up more shots. Afterall, they just needed one goal to "win" this game (with a draw). Burkina Faso had other ideas though, and they altered the game further by coming out and scoring a quick goal of their own. Less than two minutes had passed since the restart when Ochoa misjudged a cross and let it float just out of his reach, landing for Dagano to score at the far post.

It was a disaster on both ends after Blanco missed a wide open chance from inside the six yard box. An unbelievable miss to be honest. The hits kept coming when Mexican defenders were unable to clear the ball out of their own box and Bance managed to poke in another goal because of it. It was 1-0 to Mexico after two minutes and now, fifty minutes later it was 4-1 to Burkina Faso!!

Mexico were in complete meltdown mode when F. Rodriguez decided that he was going to be a complete failure at life and just let Bamogo waltz right past him into the box. Bamogo completed his hattrick on the play and completely put the game out of reach, if it wasn't already. This was shaping up for Burkina Faso to make a run at their record of having beaten Tunisia 8-0 in an African Cup qualifying match, with over twenty minutes still remaining. However, Mexico were able to avoid any further humiliation and made it to the final whistle without giving up more goals. What an awful result though, and now Mexico will drop to #4 for this week's league match.

Mexico 1 - 5 Burkina Faso

Other team results:
1v2: Brazil 1 - 1 Mozambique
5v6: Hungary 1 - 1 Costa Rica
7v8: Austria 1 - 1 Oman

*Everyone else on the roster scored a single goal as well, with each match ending 1-1. Brazil did just enough to hold off Mozambique yet again. And that was great for them, as they have now locked up the #1 position for the rest of the season. Hungary and Austria narrowly held out against Costa Rica and Oman as well.



New Lineup for League Match 6
1. Brazil
2. Mozambique
3. Burkina Faso
4. Mexico
5. Hungary
6. Costa Rica
7. Austria
8. Oman
9. N/A

Team 4 is our opponent this week. We had a shot at possibly playing Norway if we had upset Mozambique, but our utter failure has ensured that will not happen. We won't even get to play Serbia, a familiar foe who has played against both Guinea and Ghana in previous league matches. Instead, we will face fellow CONCACAF rivals Jamaica who currently occupy the #4 position. At that same position they had played Australia to a 1-1 draw which helped their team pickup the overall victory last week.

As for Noway, they will get a shot at Mozambique to see if they can do something we have not been able to all season - try to beat them!

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 6: Guinea (Team 10)

Our big win over Ghana in league play wasn't enough since the rest of the team got throttled in the 6-1 league defeat. Everyone is a bit on edge this week as we head into the the closing stages of challenge matches. It seems like we've done enough to cement our spot at #2, but we're hoping we can spring one last upset and stun everyone by taking the #1 position!

Latest Lineup
1. England
2. Guinea
3. Russia
4. Turkey
5. Wales
6. Zambia
7. Iraq
8. Lithuania
9. Canada

This will be our last chance to take the top spot. If we fail to overtake England, they will clinch the #1 spot for the rest of the season. But first we'll have to make sure we hold off Russia in order to earn the right to challenge England.



Challenge Match 17: #2 Guinea (9-3-4) vs. #3 Russia (8-6-2)

This was the sixth challenge match between these sides this season, with Guinea having won four. The other match was a 0-0 draw. It's hard for any team to completely dominate another equally skilled opponent, but that trend continued in the first half as Guinea slowly wore the Russians down and then finally capitalized, scoring in the 43rd minute to take a 1-0 lead into half time. Is. Bangoura provided the breakthrough, beating his defender and then picking out Mansare at the top of the box for an open shot. That attempt was saved, but A. Keita was on hand to tap in the rebound for Guinea's opening goal.

Russia held 56% at the break due to Guinea being content to sit back and soak up pressure. The idea was to continue this in the second half, especially with a lead now, but Russia were in all out panic mode and they were determined to find a way through. That finally came in the 57th minute when Boyarintsev perfectly placed his shot just out of the keeper's reach for a surprise equalizer. That should have just been a one-off incident, but somehow it rallied the Russians and suddenly the floodgates broke.

Arshavin scored a wonderful free kick in the 61st minute to put Russia ahead and then Pavlyuchenko headed in a cross just two minutes later to double the lead. Russia were just running rampant now, having scored three goals in six minutes! Guinea's frustration boiled over when Zayatte took out Pavlyuchenko with a monster tackle that left the star striker injured and earned Zayatte a yellow card. The incident did little to spark Guinea though, and they failed to find another goal for the rest of the match. Even worse, Pavlyuchenko's replacement, Kerzhakov provided the finishing touch - heading in a corner kick in stoppage time.

It was a huge blow because Guinea's bid for the #1 position has now been ended. Russia are the only team left who can challenge England for that spot now. Arshavin took MOTM honors with a 9.0 rating, 1 goal, and 3 assists.

Guinea 1 - 4 Russia

Other team results:
4v5: Turkey 2 - 2 Wales
6v7: Zambia 0 - 1 Iraq
8v9: Lithuania 1 - 0 Canada

*The rest of the matches were much closer. Turkey were nearly knocked off by Wales, but managed to save their spot in the top 4 with a 2-2 draw. Zambia couldn't manage to hold off Iraq, falling 1-0 as the Iraqis surprisingly jump into the #6 position, a long way up from being #9 way back on Week 1. Canada were not able to shake their current #9 standing though, falling 0-1 to Lithuania. Canada are now set to miss the league match for the fifth week in a row.



Challenge Match 18: #3 Guinea (9-4-4) vs. #4 Turkey (5-8-4)

After the disappointing loss to Russia, Guinea needed to get back on track or else they risked following the same path as Mexico and dropping even further down the roster. Up next would be another familiar foe, Turkey for the seventh time. This series was much more even, with both sides having won two challenge matches, and drawing the other two encounters. Guinea was not about to let the Turks take the lead, and their position, and quickly jumped into action.

Is. Bangoura and K. Cisse combined to work the ball down the middle of the field, with Bangoura hammering in the final touch to give Guinea an early lead, just six minutes into the match. What a relief for the defenders! This match was much more open, since Guinea had failed to bunker in the last game, they weren't going to try it again in this one. Both teams hit the post and then Tuncay thought he had equalized for Turkey, but his goal was disallowed for being offside.

It was 1-0 at the break, but Guinea was still trying to attack and extend their lead. Instead, Basturk produced the long awaited equalizer, dribbling into the box with a defender on his shoulder, but still managing to catch the inside of the post with his shot. It was all tied up right on the hour mark. Everything was taking the same path as the Russia game until Guinea finally snapped out of their funk and regained the lead. Is. Bangoura and K. Cisse were again at the heart of the action, with Bangoura supplying the finishing touch once again for his second goal of the night! Turkey's lead had lasted just four minutes!

Hamit Altintop nearly equalized with a nice shot in the 69th minute, but just missed the target. Guinea would hold their spot with a draw though, but just for good measure, Mansare headed in a stoppage time corner kick, eerily similar to Kerzhakov's from the last match, to leave no doubt that Guinea were marching into the weekend as the #3 side on this roster!

Guinea 3 - 1 Turkey

Other team results:
1v2: England 1 - 1 Russia
5v6: Wales 1 - 0 Iraq
7v8: Zambia 1 - 0 Lithuania

*England has clinched the #1 position by avoiding defeat against Russia. Wales also maintained their top 5 position by beating Iraq for the first time this season. Zambia avoided falling any further by winning 1-0 against Lithuania as well.



New Lineup for League Match 6
1. England
2. Russia
3. Guinea
4. Turkey
5. Wales
6. Iraq
7. Zambia
8. Lithuania
9. Canada

*Canada will not participate in League Match 6

The loss to Russia has at least spared us from playing yet another user team. We would have faced Bolivia if we had held the position, but instead we will now take on Ireland at the #3 spot. The Irish have lost their last two league matches at this position, falling 3-1 to Nigeria in Week 4 and then 2-1 to Portugal last week.

Bolivia will face Russia this week. Both teams have been struggling in league play; Bolivia have lost their last two games while Russia have not won since defeating Jamaica in Week 2.

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 6: Ghana (Team 12)

Ghana took it easy last week, and it showed in a 4-1 defeat against Guinea. The match was not very important though, because Team 12 still wound up winning 6-1 overall and Ghana were just playing at #2, so they weren't too concerned about their ranking at that position. However, they will be concerned if they get stuck there since this is shaping up to be a very tough week; Sweden and potentially Spain await.

Latest Lineup
1. Spain
2. Ghana
3. Sweden
4. Switzerland
5. Paraguay
6. El Salvador
7. Peru
8. Confederacy
9. Latvia

Unlike some of the other user teams, Ghana is not in any danger this week. They have held the #1 position long enough to warrant more chances should they fail to win it back this week. However, the quicker they take it back, the easier it will be to hold, so it will be vital to overcome both Sweden and Spain in order to reclaim the throne.



Challenge Match 17: #2 Ghana (7-2-3) vs. #3 Sweden (8-6)

All of the other user teams have been struggling this week, but Ghana were deeply focused on their goal of reclaiming the top position and they were on point from the opening whistle. The Ghanaians laid siege to the Swedish goal in the first half, but just weren't able to break through. The other focus was to keep Ibrahimovic from exploding and that was a smashing success. At the half Zlatan had been held to just 5 passes, 9m dribbling (a very low count!) and just a single shot!

A draw would be fine, but Ghana didn't want to risk being in position for Ibrahimovic to head in a stoppage time winner or anything like that, so they continued their assault in the second half. Sweden's defense was starting to break down and the attacking paid off when Amoah blasted in a goal from the top of the box, through two defenders, which made it hard for the keeper to see.

Sure enough, Ibrahimovic did make his mark on the match. He headed in an equalizer about seven minutes later, but Amoah wanted to grab the headlines for himself, so he quickly played a give and go with Muntari to set himself up for another goal, thrusting Ghana back in front.

Hysen went for a powerful equalizer, but the keeper managed to make a wonderful save to keep the shot out. On the other end, Muntari surged forward and then assisted with Owusu Abeyie's goal to double Ghana's lead. The assault continued as Ghana forced some nice saves from Isaksson before Amoah finally completed his hattrick to leave no doubt that Ghana were going to win this game.

The match finished with Ghana having outshot Sweden 20-10, up from 8-4 at half time. All five goals were scored in the second half!

Ghana 4 - 1 Sweden

Other team results:
4v5: Switzerland 0 - 1 Paraguay
6v7: El Salvador 1 - 0 Peru
8v9: Confederacy 2 - 0 Latvia

*Paraguay continues to jostle with Switzerland for the #4 spot and they have reclaimed it this week with a 1-0 win. El Salvador held off Peru by the same score, and the Confederates maintained their spot on the roster by keeping Latvia off thanks to a 2-0 victory.

**In completely unrelated news, Panama became the first team to earn 10 draws in challenge matches this season after battling to a 2-2 draw with Scotland during Team 11's 6v7 game. Panama's overall record is now 2-5-10.



Challenge Match 18: #1 Spain (8-4-2) vs. #2 Ghana (8-2-3)

With one obstacle out of the way, all that stood between Ghana and the top position were the current holders, Spain. With overall fatigue playing a factor in roster choices at this point in the season, Ghana were forced to take a slightly different approach and move Muntari over from AMF to SMF in order to slot rarely used K. Asamoah in at his strongest position, AMF. The change was noticeable in play, but did not seem to have a distinct impact as neither team seemed to gain an advantage from the mix up.

It seemed like only a matter of time before a break through, since both teams were creating plenty of chances, but the half time whistle eventually sounded to bring an end to the scoreless period. Or at least it had felt like there were plenty of chances. The half time stats showed just 5 shots apiece at the break, with Spain only controlling 51% possession.

The tension rose in the second half. As time passed, it seemed more and more likely that a single goal could decide this contest. In the 66th minute David Villa rose higher than expected to get on the end of a cross, but his header agonizingly deflected off the post. What an effort by the short(er) striker though, it looked like he shouldn't have even been able to reach the ball from that position and he nearly scored a potential game winner!

The match entered stoppage time and was still wide open for anyone to win. Ghana were pushing so hard for a goal since Spain would hold the position with a draw, but they just couldn't find an opening. K. Asamoah was struggling, he tried to play a through ball forward to Laryea Kingston, but it was intercepted by Luis Enrique. He was immediately closed down, so he tried to make an easy pass back to Casillas. Tagoe read the play and quickly pressured the keeper, who, rather than take the safe way out and concede a corner, tried to find C. Marchena and pass the responsibility on to him. Gyan Asamoah was able to read the play and position himself to intercept the pass inside the box and then SCORE before Casillas could recover! IN STOPPAGE TIME!

What an incredible ending to such a hard fought game! The final whistle sounded immediately, so Spain never had a chance to equalize. Ghana had just won back the #1 position with an incredible display of pressure despite being outshot 6-2 in the second half, one of which was the game winner in the closing seconds of the match!

Spain 0 - 1 Ghana

Other team results:
3v4: Sweden 3 - 0 Paraguay
5v6: Switzerland 1 - 1 El Salvador
7v8: Peru 1 - 1 Confederacy

*Sweden has been a stone wall, keeping everyone below them (except Ghana) at bay this season. This week was no different, with Paraguay running into the Swedish buzzsaw to the tune of 3-0. The other two matches ended 1-1, resulting in no movement on the roster. Good for Switzerland and Peru, not so great for El Savlador and the Confederacy.



New Lineup for League Match 6
1. Ghana
2. Spain
3. Sweden
4. Paraguay
5. Switzerland
6. El Salvador
7. Peru
8. Confederacy
9. Latvia

*Latvia will not participate in League Match 6

Our team will be up against Team 3 this week, and that means a shot at the Czech Repbulic, who have been battling Romania for the top spot all season. The Czechs defeated France and Cote d'Ivoire in the first two league matches of the season and they looked to be a serious contender to earn a seed in the post-season tournament. However, Romania emerged as a major contender and overthrew the Czechs to grab the position for themselves the past three weeks, although they have yet to win a league match at the top position. Well, this week the Czechs are back and that means they'll be our opponents!

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 6: Roster Changes

Here is a recap of all the roster changes that were made as teams try to improve their chances heading into the league match.


Before League Match

Scotland: Drop CF Iwelumo, WF McCormack, AMF Brown, CMF K. Thomson, CB McManus, CB Barr, CB C. Berra; Add CF Boyd, SS Maloney, SMF Naismith, DMF B. Ferguson, CB Steve Caldwell, CB Matteo, CB Anderson

Canada: Drop SS Josh Simpson, SB Hastings, CB Jakovic; Add SMF Hutchinson, SB Klukowski, SB Edgar

Slovenia: Drop DMF Zlogar, GK Seliga, GK Handanovic; CF Miran Burgic, AMF Stevanovic, GK Belec

Senegal: Drop CF Leye; Add CF Fall

 

[ZeekLTK]

Week 6: League Matchups

Team 10 vs. Team 1
1. England - Netherlands
2. Russia - Bolivia
3. Guinea - Ireland
4. Turkey - South Korea
5. Wales - Bulgaria
6. Iraq - Senegal
7. Zambia - Congo DR
8. Lithuania - Rio de Janeiro


Team 11 vs. Team 2
1. France - Cameroon
2. South Africa - Morocco
3. United States - Poland
4. Albania - Iran
5. Panama - Mali
6. Slovakia - Israel
7. Algeria - Ecuador
8. Scotland - Montenegro


Team 12 vs. Team 3
1. Ghana - Czech Republic
2. Spain - Romania
3. Sweden - Sao Paulo
4. Paraguay - Denmark
5. Switzerland - Congo
6. El Salvador - Georgia
7. Peru - Martinique
8. Confederacy - Suriname


Team 4 vs. Team 7
1. Germany - Brazil
2. Norway - Mozambique
3. Serbia - Burkina Faso
4. Jamaica - Mexico
5. Togo - Hungary
6. Venezuela - Costa Rica
7. Saudi Arabia - Austria
8. Gabon - Oman


Team 5 vs. Team 8
1. Argentina - Italy
2. Portugal - Nigeria
3. Chile - Belgium
4. New Zealand - Finland
5. Trinidad & Tobago - Bosnia-Herzegovina
6. Tunisia - Cape Verde
7. Indonesia - Belarus
8. Slovenia - United Arab Emirates


Team 9 vs. Team 6
1. Cote d'Ivoire - Greece
2. Colombia - Uruguay
3. Japan - Australia
4. Croatia - Egypt
5. Ukraine - Northern Ireland
6. Angola - Honduras
7. Uzbekistan - Equatorial Guinea
8. Estonia - Bahrain