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The 23rd AOCAF Cup: RP Thread
Posted: Jul 5 2008, 06:12 PM
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Manhattan Prime 0-0 95X

Manhattanite manager Sir Ian Pierce has expressed his pride at the determination and team spirit of his side, as Manhattan Prime were cruelly eliminated from AOCAF 23 on goal difference, after a 0-0 draw with defending champions 95X.

The game itself was very tight and cagey for the most part, with both sides seeming very anxious not to concede first. The Manhattanite defence performed admirably, with Lucas Thompson especially on form, looking as if every attempt on his goal was a personal insult.

The match did open up considerably in the second half however. Enrique Costa, filling in for the injured Mashashi Takamura, looked comfortable in midfield, and had a hand in the Chippers closest chance in the 65th minute. Holding up the ball from midfield with great skill, Costa then turned inside crisply, loosing his marker, and threaded a ball up to Michael Donavan, only to see his Manhattan Phantoms teammate lash it against the crossbar. Despite all their effort, Manhattan Prime proved unable to wear down a resilient 95X defence, who were able to hold on for a vital point. Manhattanites heads visibly sagged as the final whistle blew, indicated that the team were well aware that a draw just wouldn't be good enough to ensure progression.

This result means whilst Bettia emerge as winners of Group D, having won all three games, 95X and Manhattan Prime finish with 4 points each. However the champions' superior goal difference (+2 to the Manhattanites +1) is enough to see them through to the next round, and eliminate the Chippers.


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Posted: Jul 6 2008, 01:45 AM
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AOCAF Match Report

Fans vouch for "match of the tournament"
Pacitalia down Starblaydia with thrilling late finish to capture group B



WEST STARBLAYDIA (PSN) -- It was the only match of note for many in the twenty-third AOCAF Cup's group B, and it indeed proved to be a stunning example of top-flight football, especially in the final half an hour. In the end, the Blue Foxes emerged victorious on a mesmerising, signature finish courtesy Pacitalian striker Ambrosino Giurimano, propelling the Foxes to an incredible 3-2 victory over the always-tough Starblaydi side.

The win handed the Blue Foxes the group despite media predictions that they would come in second behind Starblaydia, and sets up a quarterfinal matchup with West Starblaydia. Had the Blue Foxes lost their final group stage match, they would have, as runners-up in group B, faced group A winner Lamoni.

With both sides having experienced rather large changes in their rosters compared to AOCAF Cups 21 and 22 -- Pacitalia have only five returning starters and 14 returning players from the previous championship -- the match commenced with a pronounced air of uncertainty as most of the starting XI on either side had never before played their opponent. Indeed, after about twenty minutes of rather slow-tempo back-and-forth between the Foxes and the "Purple Peril", the 22 players on the pitch seemed to become more comfortable with the other's style of play and began to seek some chances.

First blood
Pacitalia struck first, to the delight of the Blue Foxes' nearly thirty thousand supporters in the stands at Avidia's New City Stadium, and the estimated million more lining the streets in the AOCAF Fan Zone in Avidia (Pacitalia fans' so-called second home during the tournament's group stage).

Diego Tomás, starting in place of Andolfabio Vunghiasso, streaked into the 22-yard box, capitalising on some confusion in the Starblaydi right-side defence. Carlito di Bradini and fellow back Vega Matranga appeared to mix up what they were supposed to be doing, allowing Diego Tomás to thread the ball between them and emerge past them unscathed. With only Starblaydi keeper Caleb Westwood between him and a goal, the 22-year-old looked right for the reliable Giurimano. Westwood, in a rare miscue, deemed a Giurimano attempt more dangerous and moved to cut the pass out, but left a big chunk of the goal undefended. Diego Tomás capitalised and wired off a simple, straight shot aimed for the heart of the netting and immediately sprinted for the corner marker, delirious with his early strike. The tally was Diego Tomás' first international goal for the Blue Foxes.

But Starblaydia are not a team easily fazed -- on any normal day, it could take as many as six goals before they would even be close to admitting defeat -- and despite their initial stunned response to being down 1-0 rather early, picked themselves up by the bootstraps and answered heartily the Foxes' challenge.

An eye for an eye
Lubii, perhaps Starblaydia's greatest female player on the starting XI, up there with the likes of Jackie Maitland and Cherry Garcia, answered the call for her country, cleaning up a poorly spun San Sebastiano pass intended for Massimo da Scupeta. She reversed direction, left, right, left, right, then deked out Semih Mansur but allowed him to give chase. He aimed a tackle at the ball but was just a half-second off cue, incidentally tripping the Starblaydi forward and earning himself a yellow card.

From the ensuing free kick, Starblaydi left midfielder Jaime Kuu lobbed a 30-yard attempt into the area and found Lubii, who redirected the ball past Abro Zolà with a glancing header. Raising her arms in relief and triumph at the Starblaydi reply, she left the post-goal mosh in the area and pointed gleefully at the purple-bedecked fans behind the corner marker. Fair game it was, 1-1, heading into halftime, a deserved result for both teams.

Forty-five minutes were down and still there was no certainty as to which national side would emerge victorious to capture group B. To this point, the teams had been essentially equal save a lower goal differential on the part of the Blue Foxes. Starblaydia crushed both Oceanious and Kosovoe, while Pacitalia soundly routed the Oceanians but only got by the Kosovars 3-0. Who would emerge winner of the match and the group? A draw or a Starblaydi win would hand the group to the Purple Peril; a win for Pacitalia and the media predictions would be for nought.

The teams exchanged yellow cards in the 62nd and 67th minutes, with Matranga and San Sebastiano, respectively, picking up the cautions. Jaime Kuu then picked up Starblaydia's second yellow, in an otherwise clean contest, following a poor challenge on Giordano Muntefeora with a quarter of an hour left to play.

Attempting to lock it up
The answer appeared to come eleven minutes from time, with momentum leaning the Blue Foxes' way and the 800,000 Pacitalian fans in and out of the stadium, and the billions more at home and abroad, urging on their side almost frustratedly. da Scupeta aimed a cross in for Giurimano on one of several as-yet unsuccessful attacking chances from the Blue Foxes. Instead of hitting its target it was a second or two behind the striker but, luckily, did not catch Giurimano offside. The ball glanced off Giurimano's heel straight to Michelangelo Mascagnano, who cleared himself some space to the left of a clumsy Arkady Kaneda and fired a volley that beat the fingertips of Westwood and sailed into the top corner to restore the Pacitalian lead. For a moment it appeared the Foxes' fans might jump the barricades in ecstasy at the late strike but the stewards lining the outer ring of the field kept the front row at bay.

Not so fast
All those celebrations would have been a bit premature; indeed, Starblaydia were not yet on the ropes, as no talented team ever is (or should be). And their determination to make this match a thrilling draw would succeed, at least temporarily, as Lubii crossed right, found fellow Iskara Daii striker Daymon Callind, and moved to set up Starblaydia's second equaliser. Indeed, Callind headed for the corner, attempting to draw Angelo Bordellatta out of the main play, and just barely succeeded, as, when he moved to switch direction back towards goal, was half cut out by the Pacitalian left back, who got a shoe to the ball. However, Callind's diamond-hard crossing attempt still had enough power to make it to a quickly realigned Starblaydi captain, and Batou Nakamura buried an instinctive goal only a yard from a diving Zolà to re-square the match in the 86th minute. This time it was the turn of Starblaydia's fans to jump emphatically in the stands, sure that their side had cemented a draw and kept the Blue Foxes at bay to win the group.

Back on top for good
Again, all that celebration was premature. Against all odds and all expectations, the final Pacitalian attacking attempt produced a result. The fresh legs of Manel Bernát i Lem, who was brought on in the 83rd minute to replace the diligent Massimo da Scupeta, and who would end up being Pacitalia's only substitution of the match, were instrumental in generating the speed and tempo necessary to trip up Starblaydi hopes of playing out a draw and capturing the group. With the match now into three minutes of stoppage time, Bernát i Lem charged up wide right, narrowly avoiding a solid tackle from Bazrador Drakkiborgo, and banked left, heading straight for goal. Sprinting forward, he was free of the back four for Starblaydia and found an equally swift Ambrosino Giurimano coming into the area from the middle of the pitch.

Bernát i Lem showed veteran hesitation, waiting patiently for the right moment to strike, waiting just long enough to once again commit the keeper, Westwood, to making a mistake, one that, this time, would be fatal. Just before Westwood dropped to collect the ball off the right midfielder's foot, he fired off a low, skipping pass to the striker, leaving Giurimano free to tap the ball in gently and put Pacitalia on top for good. It was a thrilling, stunning end to a brilliant match, leaving fans on both sides to vouch that it was, for now, the standard for the tournament.

No mixing politics with sport?
Pacitalia appears to have, for now, ended any hopes of a politically-charged quarterfinals matchup between Starblaydia and newly bitter rivals West Starblaydia. However, if Pacitalia shocks the AOCAF watchers with an early exit and Starblaydia once again find a way to down struggling archenemies Lamoni, the semifinal will feature the group A and B runners-up.

An interesting fact of this AOCAF Cup is that the Blue Foxes, for the third time in the tournament's history, finished as the best team in the group stage. Bettia also went three for three in their group stage matches, but the Blue Foxes' goal differential (+10) certainly helped in this regard. The Aroras, by comparison, scored four more goals than they conceded. Whether this excellence on the part of the Blue Foxes will give them momentum heading through to the quarterfinals remains to be seen, but given how well Marco van Basten coached his new side through the group stage, and the resilience and determination of the Blue Foxes, their fans have to be hoping that this is the year they finally break the duck and win the tournament.

As mentioned, Andolfabio Vunghiasso did not start for the Blue Foxes at left attacking mid as Pacitalia coach Marco van Basten revealed he had a slight hamstring strain. The Dutch national said he was fully intent on "resting Vunghiasso" to allow him recovery time in preparation for the quarterfinal against West Starblaydia, and that there was "simply no sense" in risking further aggravation of the injury. Vunghiasso answered media questions post-match saying he was "feeling better", that his leg was no longer painful, and that he planned to participate in the light training session on the eve of the quarterfinal against West Starblaydia.

From AOCAF 23 in West Starblaydia:

Pacitalia 3
Group B winners: 3-0-0, 9 pts
user posted image Diego Tomás 23'; Mascagnano 79'; Giurimano 90'+1
user posted image San Sebastiano, Semih Mansur
da Scupeta (AM R)
Bernát i Lem (AM R)

Starblaydia 2
Group B runners-up: 2-0-1, 6 pts
user posted image Lubii 39'; Nakamura 86'
user posted image Kuu, Matranga

This post has been edited by Pacitalia on Jul 6 2008, 01:50 AM
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Posted: Jul 6 2008, 03:46 AM
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Hawks go into the knockouts in first place; face Starblaydia

With a 3-1 victory over the AOCAF hosts, the Hawks retained the top slot in Group A; which would ensure that they faced the loser of the Pacitalia-Starblaydia match.

The Hawks were determined to not let the Starblaydi AOCAF prediction of something less than a first place group stage finish, and after the draw against Demot, they came out onto the pitch ready and determined to do what had to be done in order to defeat the hosts. When the match was over, not only did the Hawks win, but they did so in such a was as to reduce the host's goal difference to zero.

In the meantime, the teams from Pacitalia and Starblaydia played an exciting match to determine who would get to play Lamoni in the knockouts. It was close, but the Purple Peril lost the match, and so have to face the Hawks in the knockouts. There was a time when Starblaydia came to represent a symbol of futility for Lamoni, but since the first time that we have defeated them, it has become a MUCH more even contest.

The Hawks are still on the prowl for their third AOCAF Cup win, and defeating the team of "RAWRcrush" along the way, wouldn't be a bad way to do it. Though relations between Lamoni and Starblaydia are better now than they were during the comparative "Dark Ages," there is yet to be a team to replace the Purple Peril as Lamoni's AOCAF rival. Even if a lot of the rivalry's sharp edges have been disposed of now.

Either way, expect an exciting hard fought match, and one which the best team will win.




Lamoni - 3
W. Starblaydia - 1
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Posted: Jul 6 2008, 11:40 PM
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Dead Guys Make Quarters

In a change of pace from our usual day to day life the governmental competence and want to actually focus on issues that matter (i.e. the running of Milchama) they decided that to choose a "B" team to represent us at AOCAF wasn't important so someone legislated an already picked team. Unfortunately nobody told our fine Knesset that the team was the Great Alexandria starting lineup from approximately 100 years ago, or about the time Milchama started competing internationally.

This means of course that all the players are dead and we, literally, have a team full of dead guys and the field is always strewn with corpses. What is shocking though is that this hasn't actually hindered the Milchamians progress through the group stage. With 2 wins and a draw the Warriors easily advanced through the group stage finishing second in their group (Group C) only on goal difference.

How the Warriors accomplished this feat nobody is quite sure. Least of all the coach, who we do not have information of who it is and who is dead also. Assistant coach, Ben ben Ben (which is of course Hebrew for Ben son of Ben), who is alive, said "When you look at this squad you see a lot of former internationals like Billy Timmons, Spot Nielson, Yoni Pieleon, and Quentin Myler. These were quality players and they maintain this quality even if lifeless and motionless."

Some have suggested that the Warrior team becomes zombies during the game but video footage of the tournament has denied this rumor. What video footage has suggested though is that other teams seemed to be creeped out of the Warriors and leave the field allowing the assistant staff to get the ball and score. Therefore we hope that teams keep on leaving the field early after going one goal up in future games because that might be our only hope.
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Posted: Jul 7 2008, 03:44 PM
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Whatever result we got against Pacitalia, it would have been a comedown from the 9-0 record against Kosovoe. As it was we came back down to earth with a bump. Despite first Lubii and then Batou Nakamura equalising, we couldn't keep the Blue Foxes out and conceded three goals, the last of which a gutting stoppage-time winner from Ambrosino Giurimano. Lubii is just two goals away from equalling the long-standing record set by Simeone Di Bradini and equalled by Dasha Tolkacheva of nine goals in a single AOCAF tournament. Surely with seven already she is destined to finish not only as Starblaydia's top scorer but also as the tournament's highest marksman. Batou himself is doing well with his captain's burden, finding the net once per game to hit three so far. In fact he's now in the famed Rapaii 15 Club, having notched fifteen goals in his sixty-one appearances for the national side - not a bad ratio, either. And he's only 25. The mark of centurion, set by Leandro Perheira, is surely within his reach too.

Starblaydia must be getting back to where they belong, evidently. Lubii could make the Rapaii 15 club three times over already, as at the age of twenty-six she has forty-seven goals, leaping into jpoint-third place on the all-time scorers list alongside Johan Keifner. One more and it'll be the top three strikers in Starblaydi history are women - something for those of us with a Y chromosome to think about. Both Perheira and Alfonso Di Angelo have broken the all-time appearance record - 97 set by Paul Noble around the time when Starblaydia were still a name to make every team in the world quake in their boots. All-time records don't just get broken every day of the week and for this Starblaydi side, coached first by Betanii Marrones and now taken on to the next level by Lex Panarii, the pantheons of achievement now have new names to honour among their aged hallways. A new record victory - set in a few years after a new record loss - shows how cutthroat international football has become. No stealing a goal and holding on for the one-nil is good enough anymore, it has to be 100% effort 100% of the time.

In the aftermath of Under-21, Baptism of Fire, World Cup and Cups of Harmony being hosted in Starblaydia the national game has taken on a new verve and vigour, a shot in the arm that has propelled a once down-and-out nation back into the top twenty in the world and the top five in the region. After a third place at the last AOCAF and a Quarter-Final in just their second World Cup back in the international fold, Starblaydia's reputation as one of the foremost sporting nations in the world has surely gone most of the way to restoring itself. Reputations, however, are not made from breaking internal records, they are made from taking international trophies; regional and world. Starblaydia have to start here by overcoming their defeat to Pacitalia, who are probably now installed as favourites for the titles, and kick on to deafet Lamoni yet again in the knock-outs. Lamoni, then Pacitalia, then the Final itself? As always, it will be a tough road to the gold medals and silverware, but when in Starblaydi history have we had things easy? Starblaydia will play as they always do: with pace, power and commitment, along with all the other intangibles that make up their style. Fair play, passion, desire, determination and a sense of adventure and destiny that no other nation in the world seems to take hold of with quite the same enthusiasm and endless love of opportunity. These are the qualities that have gained Starblaydia more international trophies than any other nation still competing today, and these are the reasons why they will once more regain their place as foremost in the world. Starblaydi always strive to be the best, to prove the grass is greener on their side of the fence, making the world step to their beat.

It has been done before, and the Gods know that it will happen again. Is West Starblaydia the place for it to begin? Only the next match, and perhaps the two after that, will be able to tell us.
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Posted: Jul 7 2008, 05:31 PM
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RAWRCRUSH Still in Effect
Starblaydia recover from Foxes to beat Lamoni


It began ninety-one years ago in the Fourth AOCAF Championship when Starblaydia defeat Lamoni 3-1 in the Quarter-Finals, going on to overturn Sarzonia in the Semis and then denying the incredible NEWI Cefn Druids a fourth successive regional title. They had been the only team capable of stopping the legendary Druidish side in a generation and it was that first AOCAF title that set Starblaydia upon a road to four more at a regional level, two at a World level, along with numerous other trophies.

Fast-forwarding through those ninety years provides a lot of Starblaydi footballing highlights, including this latest Quarter-Final against age-old rivals Lamoni. Though not previously having been noted for their footballing prowess, Lamoni have, over the years, become a force to be reckoned with as they have found a national symbol of success to gather around. One thing they have never consistently got the knack of, however, is defeating Starblaydia. Of course, it happens from time to time, AOCAF18 and 21 being good cases in point when Lamoni have dumped Starblaydia out of the world's premier regional footballing tournament. The figures, though, point strongly to Starblaydia over the years, most notably the Extra Time win in AOCAF14 to give Starblaydia their most 'recent title', now over half a century ago.

Four years ago Starblaydia eliminated Lamoni at the Quarter-Final stage by a goal to nil with a twenty-three year-old Lubii scoring the only goal of the match. Now, at twenty-seven, she found the back of the net again, separating the strikes by youngsters Ricky England and Diamontii Di Bradini. Lubii now has eight goals in the tournament, just one away from the joint-record of nine held by both Simeone Di Bradini and Dasha Tolkacheva, set in AOCAFs 5 and 15 respectively. Could 23 be the time for a new record? The Semi-Final and whichever match that follows it - Final or Third-Place match - will be the stage upon which any new record will be set.

Starblaydia opened the scoring with their eighteen year old right-sided midfielder Ricky England scoring his first goal for is country in just his fourth appearance. His inclusion was derided by some with calls for either Fenny Bentley or Lee Il-Ajun to take his place, but a string of solid performances in some record-breaking matches have shown that yes, it was the right decision to pick him. Certainly the right decision when, after the twenty-five minute mark passed, he lifted a shot into the top right hand corner from twenty-three yards that Kurt Bormann simply had no chance of stopping. England was quickly mobbed by his team-mates and the Starblaydi and anti-Lamonian home fans quickly took up the chant of his name, though it came out as an accent-enfused 'Ing-er-lund' moreso than 'England'. Quite where that surname comes from, we'll never know. Sounds like a made-up country or something. After the interval it was Lubii who doubled the lead by toe-poking the ball past Bormann from a low, fizzing Kuu cross across the face of goal. The veteran female Starblaydi striker - now third on the all-time goalscoring list - had nipped in front of Briski and diverted the ball into the net.

The lead was soon made unassailable as, after coming on for Callind, Diamontii i Bradini produced an audacious backheel flick to seal the game in Starblaydia's favour. After Nakamura had unlocked the Lamonian defence and released England into open space, the youngster crossed into the area and Lubii dummied the ball, leaving Di Bradini just inside the far post. Running perpendicular to the goal-line, she allowed the ball to pass behind her standing left foot and used the inside of her right to knock it into the goal. She ran away towards the travelling Starblaydi fans pumping her fists in joy having scored both her fourth international goal and Starblaydia's third, confirming beyond all hope for the Lamonians that the game - and the third championship they had come to win - were beyond them.

Starblaydia's path to the final is now blocked by their Bekkside neighbours and technical vassals, West Starblaydia. But we all know who they used to be. Only because of international leaders marriage are they not Krytenia - if Volleyball had never been invented, this would still be Cyan against Purple. This time, however it's Navy against Purple. Though the colour has changed slightly, the fire in the matches between these two nations has not. Starting out at roughly the same time on the world stage, with only minor differences in their calendar measuring systems now only a piece of water separates them from each other - even less in this tournament. Blades of grass and breaths of air will be the only thing in between the two teams come the Semi-Final in Avidia. One thing is for certain, it will be a nervy game. Starblaydia are by far the best team on paper left in the tournament and West Starblaydia the worst. That didn't stop them overcoming Pacitalia, though, who - lest we forget - put one over on the eastern Starblaydi. Expect some fireworks in Avidia.

At least ediraf will be happy, though.

Final Score from The Mound:
Lamoni 0 - 3 Starblaydia
(None) - (England 26, Lubii 61, D. Di Bradini 74)
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Posted: Jul 8 2008, 10:01 PM
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A Feat of Red for Feet of Reds

Try saying that headline 10 times fast. I bet you can't but it's a very true statement today as the Dead Man Milchama Warriors advance to the semifinals of the AOCAF tournament. Winning our other games through sheer dumb luck and good fortune was nice enough but pitching a 1-0 shutout to go through to the semifinals, as far as any Warrior team has gotten at this tournament, is no little feat.

Having a roster made up entirely of dead men has apparently not been a hassle for this Warrior squad that has done the most when it needs too. Yesterday being a perfect case and point. The Warriors came dressed out from head to toe in red, red shoes, red socks, red shorts, red shirts, red headbands, everything. While that may not normally be a big deal, the opponents being Bettia the color red had to be in large supply.

The Bettians obviously knew the Warriors were coming out in some red and were quite ready for our normal kits but the straight red sent them into a panic. They kept on kicking the ball randomly and just seemingly trying to get out of the stadium. While this netted a total of 40 shots on both nets, only three were on target. This was all in the first half and at the end of this crazy first half the Bettians ran off the field but not before accidentally sending a ball crashing into their own net as their goal keeper ran away scared from the strikers situated at the half field line.

The second half was a much more boring affair as the Bettians refused to come out and the Milchama team just decayed all over the pitch leading to the ball going nowhere and it being rather boring to watch. With no Bettian players on the pitch though the game turned sour and defensive the Warriors moved onto the next round to face Bazalonia, a team they drew with in the first round.

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Posted: Jul 9 2008, 03:39 PM
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West Meets East. Again.

WE'VE been here before. In a different guise, in a different life, perhaps, but it seems that the rivalry between those on the West of the Bekk and those on the East of it is eternal. This particular game, however, is the most important between the two sides since the AOCAF Cup VII Final in the long-since dead nation of South Osettia.

With that in mind, let's have a look at our Top Five Picks of football's greatest rivalry.

5. "You Beat Us, We're Still Better"
Krytenia 3-0 Starblaydia, Emberton, Krytenia
World Cup XIX Qualifying Matchday Fourteen


The Starblaydi football adage seems to be "you beat us, we're still better than you" - they have a tendency of losing unimportant matches against sides, but still coming through in the end. This was the one that started it all. In this, the last game to be played at Fu-Gee-La Field, the Aces won by three goals to none, but it was Starblaydia who put their noses in the World Cup Finals.

4. "Eight Past Ibanez"
Starblaydia 8-0 Krytenia, Jhanna, Starblaydia
World Cup XXXIX Mid-Qualifying Friendly


Up until a few matches ago, this was the Starblaydi side's biggest ever win in international football; it's still the most impresssive. The crushing victory saw the end of Samuel Duffy's tenure in charge of the national team; it was also the end of goalkeeper John Ibanez' international career.

3. "Two Nil, In South Osettia"
Starblaydia 2-0 Krytenia, Ts'khinvali, South Osettia
AOCAF Cup VII Final


The final of AOCAF Cup VII saw these two teams play for it all. in the end, the Men In Mauve swept through to seal their second AOCAF Cup; it's taken sixteen tournaments for their opponents to get this far.

2. "Episode Two"
Krytenia 2-0 Starblaydia, Graham City, The Lowland Clans
World Cup XXXI Quarter-Final


Quite possibly the best Krytenian side ever. The Starblaydis, twice World Champions, were never at the races, and but for some inspired goalkeeping and wayward finishing, two was lucky. The Aces, however, failed at the next hurdle.

1. "The Casaran Job"
Krytenia 2-1 Starblaydia, Bromham, Krytenia
World Cup XXIX Quarter-Final


This game still rankles with Starblaydi fans everywhere. The problem is not the result; it's the accusations of bias from those who prefer the purple to the blue. Pedro Rujano was sent off, the Krytenian winner was offside, the Casaran ref was colluding with the co-hosts...you name it. Winger Tejai, meanwhile, carved his name in history for said winner.
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Advance, Starblaydia Fair!
Final showdown with Bazalopes


Do you remember the last time Starblaydia played in the final of this particular tournament? You do? Well you're either a liar or drawing your pension. Or living in the Holy Empire, or a Giant Zucchini, or... well you get the idea. Though a few Third-Place matches have come their way since, Starblaydia have been playing the same tune for half a century and, frankly, it's getting old. 'One more trophy to set a new record', 'Can we extend our run as the best team ever?', 'Let's bask in our own nostalgic greatness for a while and pretend we're still the best'. You know the drill, it's been going on for years.

To sum the situation up in a nutshell: Starblaydia used to be phenomenal and aren't any more, but no-one since has been good enough to match them for titles. Some have come close and some are in danger of coming close, but record-wise, they're still the best. Now, to re-gain some sort of football-based national pride, they're trying to repeat the feats and make new chapters in the legacy.

But, enough of that and back to the real news, Starblaydia's penalty win over West Starblaydia. After two hours of hard-fought football, nothing could separate the two teams, which is a remarkable testament to the support this West Starblaydi crowd have given their boys in navy blue. The ranking difference should have, on paper, given this as a win to Starblaydia almost automatically, as even Kose and The Turkomans would have been given better odds on getting this far. As white lined up against navy, Starblaydia knew what they were in for and it wasn't going to be easy. Though without being overly hostile, the crowd defeinitely knew which team they wanted to win. Despite the usual large cadre of purple-clad support that seemingly pops up everywhere when Starblaydia play away from home, they were completely outnumbered by the navy- (and some cyan-) clad home fans. The noise level was generally too high for the Starblaydi supporters to overcome, but even so at certain points in the match all you could hear were voices from the East of the Bekk.

Usually it is insults are traded between these sides more freely than a USC Simoleon, but this game saw shots on target as the stable currency. Either nobody told the defenders the match had started, or each team was trying their best not to give away any early free kicks in case of causing some sort of ruckus. Katoru and Kinkel went close for the Westerners, while East saw Kuu, Lubii and Stafador denied by either the goal frame or the attentions of Peter Mickelsen in the West Starblaydi net. There was nothing to choose between the two sides for the first fifteen minutes, but then West hit East with a swift counter-attack, getting men forward and turning up the pressure on Starblaydia. Yambeki laid the ball off to Kohler, who burst into the penalty area. Instead of trying a shot at the near post he cut it back for Katoru, who slid in ahead of Arkady Kaneda to knock the ball spinning into the Starblaydi goal. Starblaydia composed themselves and pulled one back just after the half hour mark from their Right Back, Carlito Di Bradini. As Starblaydia charged up the field, both Kuu and Nakamura came inside to overload a direct attack to the penalty area. With the Western defenders concentrating in the middle, Carlito stole up the right-hand side and received the ball in the six yard area - though looked possibly offside - before jinking around the dive of Mickelsen and tapping the ball into the net. One-One, game on. Half time arrived, though much to the disappointment of the crowd who had been enjoying a great game up until then.

Just after the resumption, West Starblaydia took the lead for a second time, the central midfielder Yambeki again charging down the middle of the park. Stafador couldn't cover two players at once and Matranga was too slow in coming out to close the Westerner down, so he sidestepped the challenge of the Jhanna City defender and blasted the ball low into the bottom right-hand corner past the diving hand of Caleb Westwood. Twenty-five minutes later it was all level again, however, as Starblaydia's top scorer Lubii equalled the all-time record for Starblaydi goals in an AOCAF, netting her ninth of the tournament. Kuu did his magic down the left, knocked it in to Nakamura, who played a one-two with Callind to get through the defence. Starblaydia's captain fired a stinging shot against Mickelsen which rebounded off the 'keeper. Lubii was directly in the path of the rebound and bundled the ball in off her thigh.

Katoru again went close later on but was denied by a fingertip save from Westwood. The resulting corner was headed off the top of the bar by Jonathan Tharenz and West Starblaydia were despairing at the high number of chances they were spurning. Starblaydia's defence rocked, but held firm over the next quarter of an hour as the two teams naturally looked towards Extra Time to settle things. Evidently neither side wanted penalties as they both pressed on for a winning goal. The first goal came Starblaydia's way right at the end of the first period of Extra Time as Starblaydi substitute Diamontii Di Bradini's acrobatic volley saw the ball thundering into the net from Ricky England's high, hanging cross. East Starblaydia were finally ahead for the first time in over one hundred minutes of football, and in fifteen more minutes they would be in the Final for the first time in fifty years. The men in Navy had other ideas however. Though it took them fifteen minutes, just seconds before the final whistle, they managed to bring it back from the brink via substitute striker Robbie Percival. As the two hours of football came to an end, there was only one end in sight: That of the Bazalonian TV commentator in front who had been standing up all bloody game. The match, however, went to penalties.

Final Score from New City Stadium:
Starblaydia 2 - 2 West Starblaydia (FT)
Starblaydia 3 - 3 West Starblaydia (AET)
(C. Di Bradini 32, Lubii 75, D. Di Bradini 104) - (Katoru 17, Yambeki 51, Percival 119)

West Starblaydia won the toss and elected to take their penalties first, to strike while the iron was hot. Harrison quickly stepped up and blasted the ball to the right of Westwood, who half-dived the wrong way. One-nil. Starblaydia's top scorer took to the penalty area and barely even looked at the goalkeeper as she placed the ball perfectly in the top left corner, though Mickelsen's dive was too low to have a chance of saving the excellent equalising penalty. Winger Kinkel shaped his body to kick the ball left, fooling Westwood, but sent the ball straight down the middle for Two-One. Starblaydia's captain was next. Nominally right footed, his run up was curved and he stabbed at the ball with the toe of his left foot. Not knowing what to expect from Nakamura's left-footed penalty, Mickelsen conceded the Two-Two goal.

Up stepped the opening Western goalscorer Katou. Westwood read his strike all the way into his palm and it remained at Two-Two, the first miss of the shoot-out. Starblaydi substitute striker Diamontii Di Bradini, on for Daymon Callind, slotted home a low shot into the corner and Starblaydia had the lead at three-two. Lada came next, but with a roar from the Eastern crowd his shot flew high, high over the bar. Young Starblaydi winger Ricky England follow, but a great debut tournament up until now quickly went downhill as his weak shot was pushed away by Mickelsen, still Three-Two to Starblaydia, with West Starblaydia to take their fifth penalty first - Gilardino had to score, and duly did so with a calm ease.

Starblaydia's fifth penalty. Three-Three in the shoot-out. Score and Starblaydia win, miss and West Starblaydia were back in it at sudden death. Jaime Kuu, star winger of perhaps the whole tournament, stepped up, placing the ball deliberatly. Stepping back, he stood for a few moments as the referee made sure Mickelsen stayed vaguely on his line. The whistle blew and Kuu jogged forward. An absolute screamer of a shot later and Starblaydia were through to the Final, their first for half a century. Their opponents: Bazalonia.

West Starblaydia: Harrison, Kinkel, Katoru, Lada, Gilardino
Starblaydia: Lubii, Nakamura, D. Di Bradini, England, Kuu

Starblaydia Win 4-3 on Penalty Kicks

This post has been edited by Starblaydia on Jul 10 2008, 10:23 AM
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Posted: Jul 13 2008, 03:05 PM
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Six Pack!
Starblaydi Victory in AOCAF 23


Tomorrow morning, the countdown to World Cup 41 will begin. Tonight, however, the celebrations will go on long into the early hours of that morning as Starblaydia celebrate winning the world's premier regional tournament for the sixth time, extending their record of championship wins. Finally, finally, they have done it and the rest of the football-going public in the region will stop having to put their collective fingers in their ears for the nth time when Starblaydia talk about extending their title.

Barring the Pacitalia loss and the West Starblaydia penalties marathon, Starblaydia have cruised through this tournament with hatfuls of goals and important victories. A new record victory with nine goals over Kosovoe, seven over Oceaniaus and a lovely three over Lamoni - perhaps the sweetest of the bunch. The penalties win over West Starblaydia gave them the Final they knew they could win.

Within five seconds, direct from the kick-off, Daymon Callind had signalled Starblaydia's intent by dropping a shot from the half-way line onto the crossbar, gathered by the Bazalonian goalie at the second attempt. The young, brash Iskara Daii striker would later open the scoring in the middle of the first half with a great left-foot drive that sailed into the net. Starblaydia's title would only be confirmed towards the end of the second half as, with fifteen minutes to go, Lubii raced away from the defence, latched on to a through ball from Nakamura and used the outside of her right foot to delicately chip the ball past the onrushing Bazalonian goalie. She raced away with her arms out, having just broken an individual record for the most number of goals scored by a Starblaydi player in an AOCAF. The new record stands at ten, achieved in just six games.

To round things off and confirm that Starblaydia were once again the driving force in the greatest sport in the greatest sporting region in the world. Diamontii Di Bradini netted with four minutes to go and Starblaydia went mad, the Regional title was theirs, the perfect preparation for World Cup 41.

And the first person to mention 'Magnificent Seven' for AOCAF24 will be shot in the back of the head, twice, with no questions asked.

Final Score from Isserson Stadium:
Starblaydia 3 - 0 Bazalonia
(Callind 26, Lubii 74, D. Di Bradini 86) - (None)

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