iLandslaget - Swedish team

[PeterMeter]

What many believed would be a thrilling and enticing season for fans of iLandslaget as well as fans of football everywhere seemingly ended in heartbreak when the Swedish team failed to make even one of the tournament finals for Season 6.
Pundits and experts have tried hard to pinpoint the weaknesses of this season's squad and management, and rumours abound with talk about the manager's considerable lack of interest and usual drive. Tabloid magazines have lined their pages with gossip, and the most popular talk has been regarding that of the recent birth of the manager's daughter, and what it means for his continued career.

Could it be that the illustrious team is slowly falling apart under their manager's wiltering attention. While they did manage to secure the League Title with three games remaining of the season, a spectacular failure in the Cup's preliminary rounds and a surprise defeat in the Champions League semi-finals where the manager never even showed up means that the Club's highly set expectations were far from met.
The larger betting sites have already began moving odds for a potential replacement for the Swedish manager, but experts have had a hard time predicting the Board's next move, however only time will tell what's next for the fans, the squad and the manager of iLandslaget. In the meantime all we can do is look at the season that brought us to this point.

The Season in numbers

PERFORMANCES
Most games played: Daniel Prodell, Martin Laba and Bechir Bouzgarrou 37
Most games scored: Gerailton de Souza Rodrigues 31
Most assists made: Bechir Bouzgarrou 25
Worst discipline: Daniel Prodell and P. Karademitros 3 Yellow and 1 Red
Highest earner: Bechir Bouzgarrou 390,000
Lowest earner: P. Karademitros and Viktor Hall Tennmark 160,000
Eldest player: Martin Laba 26
Youngest player: Andre Lindström, Alexandru Letos and Valentin Laskov 18

TRANSFER BUSINESS
Total expenditure: One Hundred and Eleven Million Nine Hundred and Ninety Thousand 121 Tokens
# players bought: Eleven transfers, two U21 and two free transfers 15
Total income: Eighty Eight Million Nine Hundred and Eighty Thousand 53 Tokens
# players sold: Eight listed and seven negotiations 15

Competition round-up

The League


A fantastic seeding in the League saw iLandslaget and their fans travelling to not just one or two of their sister-clubs but 10, although an unexpected and still unsolved embittering of the rivalry between iLandslaget and spanish team R.C.D.E saw a rift between the two teams mid season. As expected we saw some fantastic matches between closely matched rivals and the 4 Champions League places were tightly contested, as well as the 7 places that mean promotion to a higher league. In the end the three of Romain FC, who missed out on a Champions League spot on a 4-goal margin, Boerlong FC and TSV Bärnau, who both missed out on Promotion on a goal margin as well, will be the ones who feel hardest done by. One small surprise will have to be that Internazionale, led by Da Qiao, only managed a 4th place as they were widely tipped to grab 2nd place.

Another shock for those involved in betting sites must have been that Gerailton proved inequal to the high demands set him by fans, rivals and teammates. The team struggled for goals for periods of the season, and while Gerailton managed 21 goals in the League he did miss out on the Golden Shoe this year around.


Bechir Bouzgarrou has continued his great development into one of the team's concistent performer and the fan favorite provided the most assists in the League, even if his forwards were slow to find their form.


The Players' Association's Player of the Year Award based on Form went to Fredson Alves de Moraes Martins of blankos who managed a 8.07 average over 26 games.
Another year of distasteful voting though saw only one of the other Top 5 having played more than 1 game in total for their team, this was Noah Prussmann of Internazionale who managed a 8.00 average over 4 games.


iLandslaget and it's fans will have been widely satisfied with the team's win, going another season letting less than 10 goals while scoring more than 100. They gathered 72 points, 12 better than the 2nd placed Portuguese team Fontainhas FC and went through the whole season undefeated, winning 23 games and drawing 3.

The Cup
The less said about the Cup at this stage of the season the better. iLandslaget staggered to an early defeat and never even cleared the Qualification Rounds. The fans', and the Board's, disappointment was widely felt as the manager and his players were slated in most of the media coverage and the siege of iLandslaget's Stadium had begun.

The Champions League

While a small number of hard-core fans and initiated still felt that the season could be saved after the disappointing Cup run many would later state this disappointment as a factor in the later semi-final defeat in the Champions League. Korpikylä CF, the Finnish team, were considered underdogs but a 2-2 draw at home meant further pressure from media and fans in the replay. When the manager failed to show up his team gave a lacklustre performance, and though the 1-0 scoreline in favor of the Finns flattered them greatly, which saw iLandslaget fall by the wayside. It will be a small comfort that Korpikylä CF went on to win the final when media reported a widespread discontent among iFirman, there were even those who clamoured for the manager's sacking. Pressure is building both in the media as well as among the ranks of the organization for the Board to come out and either publicly support the manager, or if they've lost their confidence in him replace him with someone of equal drive and ambition.

It will be a busy Silly Season where we are likely to see several high profile managers linked with the position at iLandslaget but in the end we won't know until in a few hours time.
We leave you with a brief presentation of the present squad, and the discomforting thought of someone else leading them out for the coming season.

[Ljepoje]

Nice to see you back and ongratulations for winning the leage! Sad to see you got beat in the CL semi-finals by a away goal (?)... But at least you got a trophy


Will try to read your summary by tomorrow, to busy checking and following the transfer news (silly seaon) right now

[PeterMeter]

Thank you, I've been trying to keep track but it hasn't been that easy. I drew 2-2 at home and then lost 1-0 away due to not watching/doing substitutions, I can appreciate the fact he went on to beat GALATASARAY as well as he was the underdog in both games which makes a good story .

Another year, another chance at more trophys right? Got enough tokens for at least one scout and some dealings in the transfer market but not sure yet how I will go about it. Haha, eagerly awaiting the revelations tomorrow night, hoping we'll see Pereira take charge at Everton! :P

[Ljepoje]

Thank you, I've been trying to keep track but it hasn't been that easy. I drew 2-2 at home and then lost 1-0 away due to not watching/doing substitutions, I can appreciate the fact he went on to beat GALATASARAY as well as he was the underdog in both games which makes a good story .

Another year, another chance at more trophys right? Got enough tokens for at least one scout and some dealings in the transfer market but not sure yet how I will go about it. Haha, eagerly awaiting the revelations tomorrow night, hoping we'll see Pereira take charge at Everton! :P

Ah, so your non-presence costed you a final spot then? Too bad you didn't have any time to do so, who knows how it could ended. But hopefully you will have some x-time to spare this season. A CL final spot is a final spot, no matter what. Haha, yeah. I got beat by a "underdog" as well. Don't know how he manage to do so - but he did. Over-turned 0 - 1 to 3 - 1 in 10 minutes, simple as that!

Did you manage to find any good players yesterday, or any good scout? I bought 1x18yr old from the transfermarket and 3 scouts. That will do for the time, no need to reinforce. Will buy a ML + MR if I get lucky.

How did it go in the CUP (1th resp 2nd leg)? And how is your CL group/draw?

[PeterMeter]

A first scare of the season tonight as iLandslaget had to turn a 1-2 deficit at home in the Preliminary Round of the Cup vs LVL8 Brazilian team Brenno FC and hopefully qualify for the next stage of the illustrious tournament.

Specifics of Game 1


As mentioned iLandslaget travelled to Brazil for the first leg and as if jetlagged or otherwise impaired the team failed to make their quality show. They went 0-1 down in the 5th minute and were second best throughout most of the game, the team's star players failing to make a lasting impression. In the 46th minute Maistrenko came on for Bouzgarrou and Gerailton came on for Bergsman but it was Brenno FC who continued to pile on pressure and only the bravery of Prodell and Reilly kept the team in the game.
In the 77th minute Liljehöök replaced new signing Vajdi and against the run of play Gerailton scored an equaliser in the 82nd minute.
Disaster struck again for the Swedes however as, in the 86th minute, Gaucho scored a 2nd for the home team to grab them the win.



Specifics of Game 2


For the return leg iLandslaget were at home to host Brenno FC and every ounce of pressure was on them to avoid an even bigger Cup-disaster than last season's. With the manager tied up in a Board meeting regarding his future at the club the team were left to fend for themselves. Last season's assist king Bouzgarrou played in Prodell to open the scoring in the 18th minute. iLandslaget were off to a great start and in the 25th minute Helfer ran past the defense and then lined a perfect pass up for Lindström to score a 2nd for the Swedes.
Right up until the 43rd minute it looked as if iLandslaget had booked their place in the coming Round, but Valdez of Brenno FC was of a different mind. He skipped past defenders left and right, only to put the ball on a plate for Busquets to draw the match-up for total goals.
The game passed with the ball mostly being passed in the middle of the pitch, neither side wanting to commit to many men in the attack and thus open themselves up for a counter attack. Two yellow cards were dealt, one to Siqueira in the 56th minute, and then one for Esmer in the 97th minute.

The game had to be decided by penalties though, and in the end iLandslaget proved the stronger team even if normally cool and composed Martin Laba managed to hit his penalty over the bar.


iFirman will hope the team can gel for future rounds and scouted new signing Vajdi to raise his game. Paramount among the fans' hopes will certainly be that the manager will be ready to commit to a new contract and extend his so far very succesful stay at iLandslaget.

Tomorrow we're looking forward to the drawing of the Leagues as well as the opening of the Champions League group stage.
Check in tomorrow for team news on the upcoming 7th season of iLandslaget, but for now, good night!

[Ljepoje]

2nd leg > Drama! Good job making it through!

[PeterMeter]

2nd leg > Drama! Good job making it through!

A bit too close for comfort! Will update with League Table and Champions League groups in a couple of minutes, need to write everything up. The next Cup-tie at least looks easier, but I don't have much to edge it in terms of quality.

So far I've only signed a AMC Scout. Looked to be precisely what I needed, but he's put in 4 terrible performances now and is an awkwardly slow trainer.. so I've been holding on to my tokens and millions for dear life, waiting for a sure bet :0

[PeterMeter]

As we passed into the 3rd day of the Season we finally found out what Season 7 would bring in terms of League and Champions League seedings, and boy are we in for something special! For those who thought last season looked a nail-biter with iLandslaget seeded into a League carrying 9 of their 'sister-teams' this season will prove even sharper.
Betting sites and local bookies have been having a field day as the League competitors were announced, and it does look as if this will be iLandslaget's hardest challenge yet since the Club's founding back in 2012.

League Table - Season 7


Imagine the surprise turned shock, turned horror when the final team was drawn. We will see a league that features no less than 11 of the Swedish team's 'sister-teams' and both of the previously unknown teams (a 2nd french Romain FC and Wolf FC heiring from Spain) have an estimated Team Quality well above 40.0. This year will surely be the mother of all wasps' nests!

For the first time in years iLandslaget are not the odds-on favorite for the League Title, and the biggest question remains if an underdog-stamp will help the team kick on or if it will rob them of their usual confident displays.
Leading betting site Odds-1-Out have presented the following odds for the League title:
Romain FC (2) - 2.93, iLandslaget - 3.42, thaiteam - 3.55, Fontainhas FC - 5.28, FC.UGM, A.S.Roma and Internazionale - 10.25.

While the iLandslaget manager has remained calm and composed in the press conferences held so far a brief interview with the Chairman showed that not everyone within the iLandslaget hierarchy has the fullest confidence in the squad and it's coaches and there were several hints that a few changes to the squad might well be on the charts.

Meanwhile, with the groups for the Champions League drawn and done we can also conclude that there will be no Title or Trophy given freely this season, and the Swedes will have a hard time bringing the Champions League back home to Stockholm.

The Champions League Groups


There are no less than 4 teams in the tournament with a higher estimated Team Quality than iLandslaget; Vietnamese sister-team Hoan FC are the odds-on favorite to take the title with a Quality Rating of 54.5, German team Fc Willich have been named 2nd favorite with their average Quality Rating at 53.6, German team Schwaben Utd was named 3rd favorite with a Quality Rating of 50.5 and last but not least another German team, Sven FC, were named 4th favorites with a Quality Rating of 50.4. Fans of iLandslaget won't find their team until all the way down in fifth place with odds of 12.50 to grab the trophy.

An exciting season lies ahead, and only time can tell whose Trophy Cabinet shall be added to!

[PeterMeter]

A brief conclusion of the catastrophic SEASON 7 in the life of iLandslaget

The talk in both the press and among the fans have centered on the club's complete refusal to discuss the manager's future, or reports of a few key players in the squad's apparent inability to prove their worth. An anonymous source from within the board had a great deal to say about the general disappointment among the organization, the team's set up and the total catastroph of a season that iLandslaget have had though. With the talent that's come and gone, and the money that has been put into the club from Board level, it seems that the census is that the manager should have done a better job.
As we go into this short recap of the Swedish team's seventh season the question that was asked after last year's Cup and Champions League debacle is more relevant than ever. Who will manage iLandslaget for the coming Season 8?

THE LEAGUE
Tough as it was, few would have expected the Swedes to choke on the challenge so early. An early loss 1-0 in the opener to Romain FC showed an inspired performance and the hope and belief that the team could battle their way back to winning ways was certainly there. Unfortunately thaiteam had a real stormer of a season and it was well into the final 3rd of the season before they lost their first game. The table show a bleak and woefully underperforming iLandslaget team, having their worst season since their birth back in late december 2012.


Just as the bookies and claimed ITK's had predicted beforehand, it was one of the favorites that took the title. And in some form too. By the halfway mark they were still on maximum points, and had a 13-point lead to the 2nd placed team.
It evened out a bit towards the end, but it was too little and too late for many of the teams.

The awards to best performing players in the league were more evenly distributed, if dominated by iLandslaget:
The Season 7 Golden Shoe Award


Alicja FC was up among the top 3 for much of the season but failed to keep their steam up. Michael Cook did well to keep his team afloat though, even as the rest of the team failed to maintain their first half of season play.

The Season 7 Assist Leader


Inspite of a late start, Bechir Bouzgarrou of iLandslaget managed to tie for first place in the Assist Leaderboard with Jose Betancourth of FC UGM. Failing strikers meant Bouzgarrou had a hard task ahead of him but he stuck to it, and in the end he would triumph.

The Season 7 Players Association's Player of the Year Award


In a team that certainly failed to live up to expectations it was the late addition of Francisco Javier Dimayuga that saved the Swedish team an even worse disgrace. That he went on to win the PA's Player of the Year is a testament to the impact he had on the team.

THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
iLandslaget did manage to upset a few odds as betting sites and local bookies had their odds sky-rocket with the Swedes' horrible start to the league. In the end they managed an at least, considering the other results, decent 3rd place losing out to the eventual winners in a closely fought semi final for the second year running.


Sven FC ran out winners ahead of favorites, and iLandslaget sister team, Hoan FC much to the surprise of pundits and fans alike.

THE SQUAD
The team as it was on the final day of Season 7 is presented below. There will certainly be a few changes ahead of Season 8, but who will stay and who will go, only the future can tell.

[Ljepoje]

I see (and read) that it didn't go as planned. Sry to hear, but then again we all have our up and downs (like myself). Perhaps it's time to take a short brake and leave the team on autopilot /or tank/ for a season, and try to get back on the horse then?