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THE SWEDISH TEAM iLANDSLAGET, AS OF SEASON 5
The manager:
http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/922/t11s6club1.jpg
The squad:
http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/982/t11teams5hw.jpg
Trophy cabinet, as of SEASON 6:
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/3491/t11s6trophy.jpg
you have a good & young squad..
good luck!:cool:
Thank you, I moved a couple of the elders out during this season but I do think my squad looks a bit thin.
I'll be updating tomorrow as I finish the season.
Good luck to you too!
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/5335/club1x.jpg
Since I am a bit late into introducing my team I'll try and do a short round-up of my first two seasons. I started a team in the days before christmas being home from work and not having much to do. I started out as I guess many of us did, trying to come to grips with how the game handled. I was pretty slow to realize all the small tweaks and twerks that go into producing a decent enough team.
For the better part of my first two seasons I played a narrow 4-1-3-2 or 4-3-3 with some success.
A first season garnered a 2nd place having come into the game on day 4 of that particular season. Sadly I have no memory or dumps of how my record was back then, and no recollection of who did what in terms of the golden shoe etc. The most important thing was that I was promoted to level 2, having befriended a couple of like-minded players. (Few, if any, friendlies and more gifts!)
The second season started with me able to go through the pre-season preparations for the first time. I made some forays into the transfer market shoring up my midfield mainly and buying another striker. My pair for the season was Henry Tsimi and Peter Besirevic, if I remember correctly, and on the bench was my last remaining original team member Petter Broberg who usually did well both in goals and form.
My most notable disappointment from this season was my getting knocked out real early in both the Cup and the Champions League.
I had a good run-in even though I was tightly contested by Ben Vr, who I believe has gone inactive since. I ended up in first place and I'll try to dig up my numbers for this one as I think I posted them somewhere.
I have some players who were acquired during season 2, and then most likely sold on before the end of that season or in the early parts of season 3.
Bollmann, a german MC - 533,000 / Sold for 985,000
Kayal, a swedish DC - 487,000 / Sold for 918,000
Schluter, a german MC - 955,000
Mansur, an indonesian(?) DMC - 528,000 / Sold for 742,000
Crespo, a brazilian back-up AMR - 307,000 / Sold for 376,000
Skukalek, a slovakian DC and DMC - 1,160,000
Tsimi, a cameroonian striker and top scorer - 783,000 / Sold for 872,000
Philipov, a russian GK - 584,000 / Sold for ???
Besirevic, the austrian sharpshooter SA striker - 805,000
Kadar, a hungarian DC and DL - 522,000 / Sold for 757,000
Season three saw a flurry of transfers as I tried to adapt my team to what I saw as a tough grouping with the winner of the previous year's Champions League winner, Glory United (Newnewn Sniper) as well as a couple of players that were familiar to me from previous seasons. After having a go at the pictured 3-2-3-2 I started getting a few poor results and changed it into a 4-4-2 with the left-sided midfielder pushed forward since I didn't have a conventional left midfielder.
If memory serves, new players for this season were:
Cahuzac, the french MC - 650,000 / Sold for 991,000
Imshawi, an iraqi DML and DMC at 4* (28) - 520,000 / Sold for 599,000
Boussaidi, a moroccan DC and DMC - 2,040,000
Bennet, the young french GK - ???
Syx, a belgian DML and DMC - 2,410,000
Sogaard, a danish MC - 2,210,000
Clancy, an irish striker with Sharpshooter SA - 3,340,000
Hai, an israeli MC - 2,930,000
I'll have a post up by sunday with my END OF SEASON 3-stats and some tables and such. From now on I'll try and have a decent update at every end of season as well as some shorter ones as we trundle along.
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/25/club2k.jpghttp://img820.imageshack.us/img820/4516/club3.jpg
Very good team for your level :D :P good luck!
It's been a season of ups and downs for the Swedish-based iLandslaget. A decent start to the season that saw them unbeaten in the group stages of the Champions League, at the top of the league and into the last 16 in the cup ended sourly inspite of a continued run of success in the Champions League. While being one of the four favorites to take the league they fell into 2nd place towards the final third of the season, coinciding with the elimination from the Cup by the eventual winner Schaktar Moky. Losing 0-4 at home and 0-1 away saw morale dipping in the dressing room and good results in the league were harder to come by.
A few recruits were made to try and turn the tide but a Romain FC led by star player Yegor Dubovskiy proved indomitable in the end, inspite of losing a few surprising points . Glory United collapsed to a 4th place towards the final few matches in the league which led to Slovakian dark horse Op ICO Soraka finally grabbing the 3rd place.
http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/7...p11s3table.jpg
Top Goalscorers . Best Form . Most assists
In the Champions League iLandslaget proved they had a score to settle, going undefeated through the tournament with only a draw in the first match against Stephens FC. A goal difference of +41 with 46-5 in total shows a team confident in attack as well as defense.
With the Grand Finale being played late friday night there was a always a worry that the management would have to deal with unfocused players, having to play first a Champions League final and then with just 15 minutes of rest, the 25th game of the league.
No one needed to fear though as the players coped perfectly inspite of having one of the smaller squads in the league.
The season ended with a rout of bottom place Carlo FC and the squad, fans and management were left to celebrate the, at least decent season.
The Squad on day 28 of Season 3
Gregory Bennet - GK - 34* - 18 - 1,790,000
Francesco Sforzin - DL/DML - 33* - 18 - 2,430,000
Haytham Bossaidi - DC/DMC - 36* - 21 - 2,740,000
Federico Rodriguez - DC/DR - 40* - 25 - 2,690,000 - Free Kick SA
Lubomir Skukalek - DC/DMC - 32* - 23 - 1,560,000
Olivier Syx - DML/DMC - 35* - 22 - 2,230,000
Jonathan Fullerton - DMR/MR - 35* - 24 - 1,730,000
Yoni Hai - MC - 35* - 20 - 3,100,000
Joakim Sogaard - 35* - 20 - 3,190,000
Gerailton Victor de Souza Rodrigues - 38* - 21 - 3,560,000
Gary Clancy - 35* - 21 - 2,930,000 - One on One Scorer SA
Jeffrey Ros - 33* - 24 - 1,730,000 - Corner Specialist SA
Rene Schluter - 32* - 22 - 1,820,000 - Penalty Kick SA
Viorel Mesaros - 31* - 21 - 1,890,000
Peter Besirevic - 31* - 26 - 1,030,000 - Penalty Kick SA
There have been rumours about some strengthening of the squad needed to push on for next season. The team will look to retain their Champions League Champions-medal, and the fans will surely be demanding a 2nd League Title as the team look to kick on at level 4. Hopefully the team will be able to push on and do well in the Cup as well.
Both Bennet, the goalkeeper, and Fullerton, who is one of the team's older players, need to kick on and do a lot better as their form was lacklustre at best throughout most of the season. It looks likely that the strengthening rumoured will be made at the back of the team, as well as adding a few players for squad depth.
Roll on Season 4, I know the team is looking forward with ambition and determination to do better!
SEASON 4
The season starts today!
The disappointing Cup defeat after having drawn both games against lvl5 team Christian FC means iLandslaget will have to turn their eyes to the double with both the League and the Champions League kicking off today.
Today's feature will focus on the league table and the march ahead.
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There are a few familiar faces in the mix, starting off with Beytar FC whose manager followed iLandslaget's games on a couple of occassions last season inspite of playing in a higher league.
BEYTAR FC failed to gain promotion from LVL4 last season, and seemed to have drifted into a state of semi-activeness. At a value of 20.7m and an average rating of 28.4* they belong to the upper tier of this year's league. They have a decent enough looking squad with an average age of 24.6. Normally playing a narrow 3-2-2-1-2 they forego possession of the ball in favor of dominating the center of the pitch.
Haim Biton (38*) will command their backline and is one of two power players in Beytar FC. The other main threat is central midfielder Hamada Aslan (35*) who is a veteran with the ability to dominate the midfield. Other potential threats are defender Inostroza (32*), defensive midfielder Makhmudov (34*), young central midfielder Bakhar (33*) and feared striker Dahan (31*)
Predicted placing 5
ISRAELI TEAM followed iLandslaget from last year's LVL3. They ended up in a respectable 6th place last season and so gained promotion but failed to earn a place in the Champions League. Not one of the more active teams in the league, but has enough of a team to surprise the unwary. The team is valued at 7.85m and have a rating of 22.1*. They have a small squad with an average age of 25.5 with no real star quality among their ranks. Best player, and realistically their only threat, is Julien Ligali (33*) who commands the team from his central defense. They generally play a traditional 4-4-2.
Predicted placing 8
ROMAIN FC will remain a thorn in the side of every single one of iLandslaget's fans. They battled to take 1st place in LVL3 and have again been seeded into the same league as the Swedes. While not having strengthened their squad that much since last year, they were more than a match for most of the teams at LVL3. Rated at 26.0* and a squad value of 13.5m they don't seem the worst threat but they are a well drilled team that surprised many fans last season. With an average age of 23.8 they have a young and hungry squad, eager to do well. Stand-out performer was Yegor Dubovskiy, (34*) the striker who stole most of the plaudits last year. He is backed up by right winger Nocente (33*), central defender Bergara (32*) and expert penalty stopper Le Thanh Luong.
Romain FC play a defensively strong 5-3-2 that garnered great success last year. In the league premiere they triumphed 4-0 against yuni firhan FC.
Predicted placing 4
GLORY UNITED was one of the teams expected to do better last year in light of their Champions League triumph in LVL2. Perhaps a bit unlucky in being seeded into a league of Romain FC, iLandslaget and Op ICO Soraka we'll see how they do this year. With an average rating of 25.7* they are definitely among the league's stronger teams and with an average age of 26.9 they might have the experience to go all the way. The team is valued at 11.6m with a few standout performers.
They shifted from a 4-2-2W-2 to a 4-3-3 during last season and the players seemed to cope well enough to carry the formation into this season. Striker Karg (30*) and the right-sided midfielder Suzuki (33*) are the team's main offensive threats while the defense is shored up by Mohd Fauzi (30*) and Joswig (30*)
Predicted placing 6
TOTFOOT FC is an unfamiliar team for most fans of the iLandslaget but a trophy cabinet tells of a well-run club used to battling amongst the best. A Cup win in LVL1 as well as two straight League Championships should raise a cautionary finger to anyone foolish enough not to consider them a threat.
They are rated at 28.4*, valued at 30m and with an average age of 21.4 Totfoot is easily the youngest squad in the league with a very competetive squad starring as many as eight 4* players, among them the right-sided dribbling virtuoso Marco Ferrera (31*).
No real weaknesses and a big squad with capable subs makes Totfoot FC a dark horse for the league title.
Predicted placing 3
ALI FC is a turkish team with an ageing squad, where the average age is 30. Three consecutive 3rd places in the League and no Cup or Champions League honors would tempt to point toward another 3rd place but I fear they will find themselves struggling further down the table than that.
With a 21.5*-rated squad they might have what it takes to challenge for upper half but not much more.
The team is valued at 5.15m which is much to do with their ageing squad where left-back Harold Jimenez (33*) is the only real stand out performer.
They generally play in a 5-4-1.
Predicted placing 9
CHELSEA FC is one of two teams of the Chelsea-esque persuasion in the league, and likely the stronger of the two. Valued at 8.4m and with an average rating of 23.9* tells of the team's former glories. They won both League and Champions League in LVL2 but then stumbled to a 5th placing in LVL3.
The squad's average age of 26.6 is a nod to a good blend of experience and hunger, but doubts over the squad's quality mean that they are hard to place in the standings.
Three standout performers divided among the team's 3 lines with centreback Nieuwboer (30*) also a corner specialist, central midfielder Fernandez (31*) holding together the centre of the park and veteran striker Sury (30*) leads the line in a 3-5-2.
Predicted placing 7
ET BEARS FC is an English team seemingly erratic in their placings. They followed up a LVL1 5th place with a 2nd place in LVL2 then only just gained promotion by placing 7th in LVL3. With a squad rating of 21.3* they should find it hard to compete with the better teams in the league. An average age of 30.1 tells of an ageing squad nearly depleted after three seasons, and with a value of 3.89m most of the better performers have moved on. At the time of writing I struggled to find any real threats and no coherent formation except maybe something resembling a 5-3-2, and think we'll see ET BEARS FC struggling down in the last places of LVL4.
Predicted placing 13
JUSTLEET FC have done well so far this season winning both their Cup ties as well as defeating Glory United just hours ago. No honors in the previous Cups or Champions League but they have won their Leagues at LVL1 and LVL3. They have a team rating of 29.3*, an average age of 27.7 and an estimated value of the team at 13.9m. They have all the tools to do well in this league and with a few key performers they can maybe even make a sustained challenge for the title. Their team is built upon a strong defensive unit with Won-Shik Kang (38*) in central defense and Mario Velev (39*) at rightback shoring up their preferred 4-1-2-3.
Predicted placing 2
YUNI FIRHAN FC has surely seen it's best years with a nearly depleted squad still rated at 24.6*. The average age of the squad is 32.9 and with an estimated value of 4.27m you won't see yuni firhan FC as one of the promotion challengers. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't gain more than a handful of points in this League.
No standout performers and the league's smallest stadium with a capacity of 200 will surely see the team finish in the bottom 3-4 teams in the league.
Predicted placing 12
EL CHELSEA FC is the poorer of the two Chelsea teams seeded into the league. With an estimated value of 4.78m and the team rated at 16.1* you will see el Chelsea FC battling for survival in the league's lower echelons.
They play a flat 5-3-2 but have no real standout performers so they will struggle to impose themselves on opposition teams. Having placed themselves 7th in LVL1, 5th in LVL2 and 6th in LVL3 they have rarely been involved in title fights and no one is expecting them to do so this year either.
Predicted placing 14
SAFAK FC will be a new acquaintance for the iLandslaget fans as the teams will play in the same league this season. Heiring from Turkey, Safak FC is a team that has struggled to promotion every one of the last three seasons ending at 6th, 4th and 5th place respectively. The ageing squad with the league's oldest average at 32.9 and a value of 4.3m lack any real power players or standout performers also reflected in the average rating of their team at 24.6*.
The team, playing a 4-3W-3, will have a real struggle in trying to gain promotion this year, and most pundits have them as a lower half struggler for this season.
Predicted placing 10
ABOOD FC is another of the new teams to compete for the LVL4 title. Very reminiscent of Safak FC and yuni firhan FC they have an elderly squad, with the average age at 32.9, as well as a generally low rating at 24.6*. The squad is valued at 4.3m with no real standout performers here either.
Typically they will struggle in the lower half of the table without affecting, or troubling, the teams chasing the title too much.
They've been hard to pinpoint in how they set up their team, but on the other hand none of the team's players look capable of effectively affecting the outcome of a game.
Predicted placing 11
All the best for this season league and CL :)
Thank you, hope you do well too, though with the quality of your team I'm fairly certain you won't need my well-wishing! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Girly fc
So, it's been an eventful first half of the season where most of the teams have performed according to the predictions. The Cup-exit for iLandslaget was a major blow as the team had been expected to at least make their way into the final 16. Even with the new seeding-system being a major talking point the manager has accepted full responsibility for the disappointing result, the team has more than enough quality to compete and should have done better.
The league has been an entirely different deal. iLandslaget have still gone unbeaten, the 1-1 draw with Glory United in Week 3 remains the only time the team has failed to gain the 3 pts. Narrow wins over the expected title challengers Romain FC (1-0) in Week 9, Totfoot FC (2-1) in Week 10 and JustLEET FC (2-1) in Week 12 have steered the team cleer of the hunting pack but the title is nowhere near secured.
http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/6051/tablemids4.jpg
Top scorer Gerailton Victor de Souza Rodrigues had a fantastic start to the season but the goals have since then seemingly dried up. Strikeforce partner Gary Clancy has plodded along at a more measured pace and has now totalled the same amount of goals, leading the standings at 15 goals each, they are closely followed by Jakob Buchardt (Totfoot FC) on 14 goals.
The assist league also sees Gerailton Victor de Souza Rodrigues of iLandslaget in the lead with 14 assists, followed by Jacob Buchardt (Totfoot FC) on 9 assists and Gary Clancy (iLandslaget) on 8 assists.
No real surprises as the leaders for the Best Form were revealed, though Jacob Buchardt of Totfoot FC leading at 8.38 followed by Gary Clancy (iLandslaget) on 8.3 and Gerailton Victor de Souza Rodrigues (iLandslaget) only coming in third on 8.15 will have fans thinking he might be a bit hard done by.
There's surely room for improvement in many of the teams but iLandslaget and it's fans will feel they have a more than decent chance of securing a firm grip on the first place going into the second half of the season.
The Champions League season has been what many expected, iLandslaget securing a place in the advancing two teams from the Group stages early on and losing only 2 pts, winning 5 games and drawing 1. The first knockout game saw iLandslaget drawn against Dark Demon FC, a french team of decent quality but there was little stress in the opening away tie where iLandslaget running out clear winners 7-0 with Jonathan Fullerton scoring a brace.
The team has been strengthened in most of the places the media pundits had expected and the first week saw a few sales as well, mostly to fund the new deals. The iLandslaget chairman once again proved his shrewd businessman accumen with a fair bit of wheeling and dealing.
Francesco Sforzin (4.37m), Jeffrey Ros (3.00m), Peter Besirevic (2.02) and Renee Schluter (1.67m) all left the team inside the first week. The team saw Martin Laba - DMC/DMR (3.87m), Bechir Bouzgarrou - AMC/AML (4.14m), Stanislaw Ochej - GK (1.74m), Tiago Valente - DL/DML (2.59m) and Alex Dos Santos - DC (2.95m) added in the first week to strengthen the team. The following weeks were quiet, up until today when Vaclav Kuchar, a czech MR/AMR was bought for 3.02m.
Lets hope the team can really kick on and add another two titles to the trophy cabinet.
FORZA iLANDSLAGET!
Great to see that you are doing well :)
great team, good luck on league mate
Quote:
Originally Posted by Darth Sidious
Thanks guys! Been a very good season so far apart from the early Cup-exit, the league title is secured and the Champions League final tonight will be against one of the teams from my group, beat them twice in the Group but they've improved quite a bit since then!Quote:
Originally Posted by MightyOri
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Tonight marks the end of this, the fourth, season for iLandslaget. It's been a season of mixed fortunes for the high flying team, starting with the failed Cup adventure ending with a knock-out on away goals against Italian team Cristian FC rated at 35.3*. Results 3-3 at home and 1-1 away highlighted defensive worries in the team which had to be adjusted.
The team responded admirably though, winning the opening tie 7-0 away. iLandslaget went undefeated for most of the season, drawing with Glory United in the fifth week of the season but otherwise claiming the 3 points in every League game. It took until the 27th week of the season until iLandslaget found themselves on the losing side of a League Game, losing 3-1 away to JustLeet FC, who ended up finishing in the 2nd place. The League title had been secured in the 24th week of the season so players were rested, and substitutes given a chance to shine. There were worries if the players' morale would drop in the build up to the Champions League final which was to be played that same night.
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On the other side stood a team that advanced from the same group that iLandslaget won, Vaegina SC. Two wins left room for the Swedish team to maybe underestimate the Indonesian team led by Nanok Blank.
iLandslaget dominated the proceedings though, and the strike partnership of Gerailton de Souza Rodrigues and Gary Clancy which has proven so successful during the season led the team again. Gerailton opened the scoring in the 24th minute, assisted by Clancy, and the Swedes had a firm hand on proceedings dominating the shots on goal and the possession. In the 52nd minute new signing Jonas Jörgensen was given a chance to shine. Gary Clancy added to the scoring in the 82nd minute, unassisted. It would be Gerailton who closed the game and the scoring though, again assisted by Clancy, burying the definitive winner in the 89th minute with iLandslaget bringing the trophy back to Stockholm for the second consecutive year!
The Champions League in stats: a goal difference of 43-11 showed a somewhat tighter competition. iLandslaget lost two games, both replays in the knockout-phases with a 0-1 defeat to Dalibor FC in the Quarter Finals and then a 3-4 defeat to Mete FC in the Semi Finals. There was also a draw in the Group Phase against Barcelona.
The team saw some changes in the latter half as well. Two players were brought in and four players left. Patrick Ponce, a U-21 graduate was deemed not worthy and was sold for 324,000 shortly after having gained promotion to the senior squad. Gregory Bennet, the french back-up keeper, who had one of the longest patches of bad form ever, was eventually sold for a fee of 1,710,000. Jonathan Fullerton, the right sided defensive midfielder, was let go as well for a fee of 2,150,000. Lubomir Skukalek, the czech defender and defensive midfielder who was one of the longest serving members of the team, was eventually let go for a fee of 1,660,000. Last but not least, on the eve of the final day of the season, young Romanian left-sided attacking midfielder Viorel Mesaros left the club for a fee of 1,940,000.
Two new additions were made in the last few days of the season; danish defensive midfielder Jonas Jorgensen was added for a fee of 3,680,000 (4T) while valued at 4,810,000 and Juan Gamarra, a young argentinian striker, was added for a fee of 4,840,000 (9T) on the 27th day of the season.
The squad on the last day of Season 4:
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/8...asendsquad.jpg
Gerailton de Souza Rodrigues picked up most of the Individual Prizes this year, winning the Golden Shoe, the Assist League as well as the PA's Player of the Year-Award.
Season 5 - Concise Cup Update
Much like last year iLandslaget were seeded into a pretty tough draw in the Cup. The small squad did wonderously inspite of a failure on the manager and board's part to get some new signings in for the start of the season. Carrying as little as 15 players into the first draw of the Cup meant there was little room for error when the team travelled to Italy for the first tie.
Without a right wingback we were forced to shuffle the formation slightly to accomodate for the changes. This meant we played a narrow back 3, with Laba sitting in front while also supporting Sogaard and new signing Amougou in central midfield. Bouzgarrou and Kuchar played out wide in an advanced position putting pressure on their back 4. Gerailton and Clancy started up front.
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It was an eventful game that saw iLandslaget take an early lead in the 29th minute through Alex dos Santos. By the 42nd minute Sogaard had received his marching orders through a 2nd yellow card. In the 66th minute Jorgensen, who had just minutes earlier replaced Laba added a 2nd goal for iLandslaget.
Then followed a chaotic 5 minutes that could have spelled disaster for the Swedish team. In the 70th minute Cordero opened the scoring for the home team in front of the maximum capacity crowd, 31,000 strong.
Just 3 minutes later Hovdevik levelled the game for the hosts, finishing a beautiful team move. Umberto FC continued piling on the pressure on the 10-man iLandslaget and it seemed they would eventually grab the winner.
Against the run of play, in the 77th minute, new striker Gamarra scored and put his team in front again. Just 5 minutes later Amougou added to the lead, to put iLandslaget 4-2 up with just 8 minutes of regular time left to go.
The Swedes then saw out the game and grabbed a deserved, and much needed, 2 goal margin for the replay.
-------
For the replay Umberto FC made some changes to their starting line-up, and a few of their star players who had been rested for the first game were re-introduced to the first eleven.
Joakim Sogaard would serve his 1-game suspension following the sending off in the previous game.
The game started off at a brisk pace, and frayed nerves saw the iLandslaget' manager running the line of the technical area for most of the first half, shouting encouragement and orders to his team.
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It was a generally slow first half that saw the teams line up in much the same way as in the first game. Two yellow cards were dealt, Iaboni and Motamedaria both from Umberto FC on the receiving end. At the start of the second half, in the 48th minute, Dähne opened the scoring for the visitors and they were quick to build on the momentum.
iLandslaget tried to break up the pressure by making a substitution in the 58th minute when Gamarra replaced Clancy.
In the 70th minute the substitution had an effect, but likely not in the way either manager had expected. A new foul by Iaboni on Gamarra meant Iaboni received his 2nd yellow card and he was duly sent off.
iLandslaget were quick to seize on their numeric advantage and in the 71st minute Laba scored the equalizer assisted by Gerailton.
Shortly after Gerailton, in the 77th, was taken off in favor of another defensive midfielder and Jorgensen was allowed to enter the pitch. In the 85th minute Amougou added to the scoring, putting iLandslaget in front with just minutes to go.
Desperation saw Umberto FC make a last substitution in the 88th minute to at least try and get an equalizer, and in the final minute of the game Eyimofe salvaged some of the Italian team's honor by levelling the game at 2-2.
In the end iLandslaget progressed to the next round, at the expense of lvl7 team Umberto FC, much to the joy of their fans.
The proper start of Season 5, Level 5 post:
There were worries for Season 5 as the European financial climate finally caught up with iLandslaget. It was made clear after the high expenditure of last year that the owners would not invest further funds into the team until such time as they could see a let up in the general economic climate. iLandslaget and their manager were left to fend for themselves, and to manage resources as best they could to get the most out of an already small squad for this year.
CUP
It's been a hard first few days of the season for the team, even if they've managed quite well on the pitch. They managed to knock italian Umberto FC, a lvl7 team, out of the Cup in the Preliminary Round and won the first tie in the Qualification Round against czech team Albanie FC (also lvl7) 3-0 at home in front of a capacity crowd of 8,500 ecstatic supporters.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
iLandslaget were seeded into Group H of the Champions League this year. In the same group are chinese team Khanh FC (26*), fc juventus 2013 from Italy (30,2*) and then an old acquaintance from last year's CL playoffs; the croatian team Dalibor FC (28,6*). The Swedes managed to see off Khanh FC in a 2-0 victory under the watchful eyes of a filled stadium, in spite of many visiting supporters. They are top of the group and play their 2nd game in the tournament later tonight, away to Dalibor FC who won their first game against fc juventus 2013 with a 1-0 margin away.
LEAGUE
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We are now two games into the fifth season of iLandslaget, and things are still looking up inspite of the lack of investment and small squad. We've had two games, one at home to Regenerados which was won 3-0 with Bouzgarrou, Gerailton and Sogaard scoring one each, and Gerailton nabbing the only assist. Nils Liljehook received a yellow card when 2-0, something that was never really going to affect the game. With the game already at 3-0, Bambara of Regenerados received his 2nd yellow of the game and was sent marching.
The second game was played yesterday, away to a thai team (thailetteringFC) and sister club to iLandslaget since last season. In front of a near enough empty stadium iLandslaget triumphed in a 4-0 victory that saw Gerailton score a brace in the 2nd half, while also managing to assist Gamarra for his goal and Kuchar for his. This put him on 3 goals and a shared 2nd place in the Golden Shoe for season 5, in 1st place for the Assist League on 3 assists and also in 1st place for the running of Players' Player of the Season Awards with an average of 9.00. An injury to Sogaard looked to upset the team for a few games, but first scans showed it to be less of bruising on his neck and back and he should be fit for the next game.
This afternoon sees the team travel to France, for their game against Adel FC who have lost their first two games and are firmly lodged in 12th place. iLandslaget does this without steadfast central defender Alex dos Santos who will be out with a calf strain after a hard exercise in training.
I'll give a further introduction of the teams in the league as we reach the halfway point when I know more about them, and can make out which one seem to still be active.
We are now into day 15 of this, the fifth, season of iLandslaget's forays into the world of football. They have shown a formidable force of will and clear ambition in making this season a memorable one for fans, players and management. We are still waiting on the full analysis of the League and it's teams but iLandslaget has kept an impressive pace throughout, leading the league on 27 pts with a 9-0-0 streak and scoring an impressive 55 goals while only letting 2 so far.
The Champions League have been a different story. While the team sit happily at the top of Group H they have drawn 2 games, both against fc juventus 2013 incidentally, while winning 3. With one game left of the group stage they have already secured first place, and with it the advancement into the knock-out rounds. iLandslaget have struggled here though, only scoring 9 and letting 3 in five games, disappointing form when compared to the League. Here's to hoping they get a manageable seed anyway.
The Cup run has been a bit of a surprise this year, as neither fans nor the team thought they would survive more than a round or two as they have been seeded into a Cup where 95% of the teams are one or two levels about the Swedish team. Tonight marks the start of the Cup's 1/8th-finals and iLandslaget are among the last 16 for the first time in years.
Their first game will be at home to Ralu FC, a romanian team of similar standing but ranked at lvl 7. They play a traditional 4-4-2 which should suit iLandslaget's more adventurous style pretty well, but world-class goalkeeper Krivushonkov and scouted players Madsen (DL), Fernandes (DC) and Georgiev (MC) are more than capable of spelling trouble for the team.
There's been some movement in the transfer market as well, following injuries to some key members of the squad as well as rivalling teams taking an interest in iLandslaget's fringe players. After hard negotiations Tiago Valente, the portuguese left sided defender/wingback was sold for 3.95m and 8T giving the team a profit of 1.11m according to his valuation (and 1.36 and 2T on what iLandslaget paid). He was shrewdly replaced with greek left-sided defender Polychronis Karademitros for 6.25m and 7T while valued at 6.5m.
With the injury to goalkeeper Ochej iLandslaget were forced to hunt for a goalkeeper and after a concerted search they came upon young brazilian keeper Jose Carlos Bertoni Monteiro Ribeiro and he was bought, finally, for 4.97m and 9T while valued at 4.39m.
Somewhere in the midst of the search for a back-up goalkeeper the management received an impressive bid for right-winger Vaclav Kuchar, and after some consideration they let him leave to fulfill his dream of first team football for 4.04m and 7T while valued at 3.04m. Kuchar was bought back in season 4 for 3.02m and 7T.
Finally, this morning, iLandslaget made another foray into the transfer market looking for another defender. And just before his contract was renewed at previous club, iLandslaget made a bid of 4.61m and 1T for talented german right-sided defender Cem von der Gathen which was accepted!
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Cem was valued at 5.7m and joins the team with a firm chance of being in contention for a starting berth in today's games.
I see somebody is doing quite well - both on the pitch and outside. :D Also it seems that everybody is having troubles in one of the tournaments they still compete in. I´m having troubles in the league, but I do well in the CL & CUP. Perhaps the engine thought that it was time for us to get a trophy in the CL&CUP as well, since we won 4 L-trophies so far :p
Anyway, good players you managed to get from the TM/negotiations . I think your 18yr old DR could be a back-bone and a future star if you decide to PT him or lear him a SA/multiple role.
Good luck in tonights CUP - game!:)
Looks like a nice team, perhaps update the first post with current team stats?
The updates and season story make entertainig reading :-)
Thanks! Yeah, hopefully it's time, you've been overdue for Cup-success! I lost the replay, but managed to score an all-important away goal to make it 2-1. I was 0-2 in the last 15 minutes so it was a bit nervy. They next match-up actually looks easier but I've no room to rest anyone. Need the money the Cup brings! ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Ljepoje
Had big hopes for von der Gathen but he doesn't seem to train as fast as I had hoped. I'm at something like 12T at the moment after burning them on Green Packs for Liljehook's and Jorgensen's SAs..
Thank you SimplySimon, will do. Am looking at writing together a Season 5 Halfway Update today as well!
great squad, great formation, and great manager.. I'l waiting your next trophy :D
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As if the football gods had been cruelly made aware of iLandslaget's hitherto perpendicular rise, a short series of matches have surely raised the ire of the swedish manager and his bosses, as it did the eyebrows of the gathered journalists and football fans. iLandslaget have not won for 3 straight games, something that has not happened to the prolific team in more than 3 seasons.
Fans and rivals alike have been quick to point fingers, question line-ups as well as speculated regarding the manager's, and the team's, passion to go on in their winning ways. This follows a week where the manager and his backers made a few forays into the Transfer Market and moving on non-performers in the squad.
Today marks the halfway point of iLandslaget's fifth season and while not winning the League would call for a collapse of legendary proportions, in spite of thai-team FC being just one point behind, doubters are beginning to feature more and more frequently in the press. The Swedes are on an unbeaten in 14-games league run carrying on from the last game of Season 4, having racked up 37 pts from the first 13 games of this season. 2nd placed thai-team FC are now just one point behind, having lost their only game to iLandslaget in one of the first games of this season and the two teams will clash again in 24 hours time.
What follows is a break down of the 13 other teams competing for the League Title in iLandslaget's division;
thai-team FC is a sister-team of iLandslaget and have done well to compete in the league, lying in 2nd place with a record of 12-0-1 raking up 36 pts.
They have an average quality of 31.9*, an average age of 29.5 years and are valued at 18.3M. They play a traditional 4-4-2 and have a few star performers in their starting eleven but the squad overall looks paper-thin. Veteran central midfielder Dirk de Jonge (44*) will have to continue his great form and carry the team through parts of the season as he has the quality and experience to compete with the best.
Kawan f.c are currently in 3rd, but it looks likely that they will drop back to 4th as they've played one more game than closest rivals PEAH. Kawan f.c have a huge squad, but their star performers are easily singled out as the quality is generally low, with an average rating of 29.3*, an average age of 27.8 years and are valued at 21.7M.
Chilean right winger and playmaker virtuoso Leonardo Espinoza is the team's standout performer with a rating of 42* and aged 28.
PEAH is a spanish team currently placed 4th but with a game in hand on Kawan f.c. They have an average rating of 27.1*, a reasonably young squad with an average age of 24.1 and are valued at 22.3M.
They play a 4-1-2-1-2 with a wide diamond midfield and have a host of quality players without any given star in the group. They have a decent sized squad but without the needed depth to likely do well in more than one competition.
Bilal fc is a team of turkish descent rated at an average of 24.7*, with an average age of 27.9 years and with an estimated value of 9.18M. They are currently placed in 5th place, having broken a 3-game losing streak.
They play a 4-3-1-2 formation with a narrow central midfield but have no real standout performers.
TGYI SPOR is another of the turkish teams that seem to make up the majority of opponents for iLandslaget this year. TGYI SPOR has an ageing squad with a squad average of 29.3 and an average rating of 28.4* with an estimated value of 9.72M. The majority of the small squad are into their 30s and they lack any real bit when compared even to other teams in the league, something that does not bode well for their continued hunt for Champions League-qualification. They play a very adventurous 3-3-2-2 without defensive midfielders to cover their narrow back 3.
Kato FC is a thai team who have failed miserably at following up their one good debut season but still managing to gain promotion every year. They have a young squad of decent size, with an average age of 23.9, an average quality rating of 24* and an estimated value of the squad at 14.7M.
They play a 3-2-2-1-2, a formation that iLandslaget use to some success a few seasons back, but the lack of quality in the squad means they will struggle to gain promotion in this, their 5th season.
U.V.I FC is a brazilian team being steered by a caretaker manager for the foreseeable future. The team might well have had some fortune in their early days but with the previous manager moving on the players have seemingly lost interest. An average quality rating of 28.9*, an average age of 23.5 years in the squad and an estimated squad value of 24.9M means the team should be doing better.
They play a 4-1-2-2-1 with two attacking wingers supporting the lone striker.
Mazio Allstars is a team heiring from Italy with a trophy gallery holding two Cup bronze medals, one Champions League title as well as one league title. They have dropped far from their illustrious history though, rated at an average quality of 27.6*, an average age in the small squad of 26.0 and with an estimated team value of 14.9M.
Mazio Allstars also line up in the popular 3-2-2-1-2 with wingbacks and an attacking midfielder supporting the two strikers, which seem to have garnered them success in earlier seasons. They have no real players of note though.
Adel FC is a french team who iLandslaget first encountered in last year's Champions League play-offs. They have an average quality rating of 28.6* and an average age of 29.5 years. The tiny squad's been valued at 9.45M and the low estimate accurately portrays the lack of prolific players.
They play an assymetric 3-2-3-2 with two wide defenders and a central defensive midfield pairing.
Regenerados is one of the portuguese teams in the league, and definitely one of the more qualitative teams inspite of their low league placing. Regenerados has an estimated value of 16M with a quality rating of 31.4*, one of the highest in the league, something that is explained by the high average age of the squad at 31.5.
The squad is quite small, but holds some degree of quality, with star players goalkeeper Clarck Boule (43*) and central midfielder utilised in left defense Nana Yaw Duncan (42*). The team line up in a 4-1-3-2 with a wide midfield.
Perspolis FC is an iranian team currently in 3rd from the bottom, and it's hard to see them getting anywhere close to the promotion places. The team has an average quality rating of 29.5* and an estimated value of 15.6M with the squad's small size and the average age of 27.1 a big factor in its low estimate.
Two very competent defenders still ply their trade in Perspolis FC though, central defender Rosli Abu Zahar (41*) and right sided defender Angel Rodriguez give the team some much needed stability at the back. They play an assymetric 3-1-2-1-3 line-up and forego possession in favor of having a loaded middle of the pitch.
Alek Family FC hail from Indonesia and are valued at 11.6M with an ageing squad, the average age being 31.0 years and yet with a quality rating of 30.1*.
The team play a 4-1-3-2 with a wide three in midfield, and the only player of note in the small squad is Thomas Pischinger, a central midfielder playing in right back.
EagLeSs is a turkish-based team but their manager have long since been sacked and they now operate under a caretaker manager. The squad is a small one, without any remarkable talent, with a quality rating of 27.3*, an average age of 26.8 and an estimated valuation of the squad at 13.3M.
The team play a 5-2-3, but rather than revolutionize the game the team has fallen further and further down the table.
For the first time in two seasons, iLandslaget are still involved in the Cup at this late stage and when looking at the competition it definitely looks winnable for the team in black and orange.
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Since a league win came before the tie with Gyeongju United the team narrowly avoided going without a win for a record 4 games. Disaster averted however, and tomorrow spells a new day for iLandslaget where they will look to kick on in both League and Champions League.
Thanks mate! :D Great to see that you're progressing as well. Like the idea that you're building your team very methodically from the back! Is there any possibility of a Cup-win this year?Quote:
Originally Posted by lucky7
Unfortunately my Cup match ends in Qualifying. :'( My team defeated from lv4 with quality average better than me 39,4. Now, the chance still league and CL ones. I hope this season EFC gets double winners.Quote:
Originally Posted by PeterMeter
Top form with your league and cup. How the CL match?
ONLY THREE DAYS REMAINING OF SEASON 5 FOR iLANDSLAGET!
With only three days remaining of the Season iLandslaget's fans will be overjoyed that their team secured the right to feature in their first Cup Final in the club's history last night. A game that had no real right being that nervy after the Swedish team had Dsc Patrick well beaten in a 6-1 thrashing at home saw a weak performance from iLandslaget in a new formation, something that surely won't be tried again in the final.
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In the end, iLandslaget ran out deserved winners in a 7-1 aggregate win and will tomorrow night face Greek team thermia (lvl6 - 45,3*) in the Cup Final.
What must be on every iLandslaget fan's mind though, is the fact that they are still very much in the running for collecting their first ever treble as well. This afternoon will see them face off against PEAH away from home in the League, a team which have already secured their participation in next year's Champions League but their battle is still very much on against Kawan f.c for 3rd place. iLandslaget have managed a 6-point lead in the League, ahead of thai-team FC, and it looks almost a done deal that the Swedes will have sealed the League Title.
Later tonight iLandslaget will play hosts in the second tie against Italian side A.S. Roma, going into the game with a 5-1 aggregate lead from their away game. The Italian side took the lead in that game in the 5th minute but their flat 4-4-2 formation had suited the Swedish team well in other match-ups and it would prove so on this night as well. Goals by Gerailton (10th min), Bouzgarrou (36th min), Sogard (42nd min), Gerailton (84th min) and Dos Santos (90th min) saw iLandslaget run out deserved winners and there can't be any real doubt as to who will advance after tonight's game.
THE OFFICIAL END OF SEASON ROUND-UP, SEASON 5!
The iLandslaget team, coaching staff and manager will have done their board and fans proud with a second consecutive League Title, expected though it may have been. A disappointing slump mid-season saw the team draw with TGYI SPOR in Round 13, ending any hopes of a perfect 26-0-0 season but team's dominance will have shone through anyway with a 25-1-0 and a 124-8 goal difference.
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Gerailton de Souza Rodrigues had another stormer of a season, picking up another Golden Shoe-award as well as the Assist League-award and only missing out on the Top Performer-award to Sadatzadeh of thaiteamFC who only played one game with a 9.0 average to Gerailton's 8.48 average over 25 games.
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The team and the management will have done something few thought possible though, as the team managed to complete their first ever Treble with a trophy haul extending to the Champions League-trophy, the Cup Trophy and the League Title all in one season.
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The team and its coaches were celebrated by the fans in their hometown of Stockholm with supporters turning up in their tens of thousands to honor the team and their accomplishments!
Thoughts of the coming season will be left for the morrow as the team will surely take a night to celebrate their unlikely success, but you have to wonder what can possibly be done to follow up a season such as this one?
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There were a few comings and goings throughout the season as the manager tried to cope with the lack of investment in the squad from Board level. Through shrewd businessmanship and patient planning in the transfer market the team was strengthened methodically and extensively.
Nils Liljehook, a Swedish central midfielder was brought in for 6.02m (3T) and got personal training from the coaching staff to develop his playmaking ability. Viktor Hall Tennmark joined shortly thereafter, a right-sided midfielder, going for 6.51m (10T) but so far he's only seen limited playing time due to the formations adapted by the team. Towards the latter part of the season Polychronis Karademitros was bought for 6.25m (7T) to shore up the defense playing down the left but developed to also function centrally.
Jose Carlos Bertoni Monteiro Ribeiro came in as a back-up keeper for Ochej, who then later left the team. JC came in for 4.97m (9T) and went on to play for the first team on a number of occassions in the League. Cem von der Gathen is a young right-sided defender who was brought in for 4.61m (1T) with bags of potential. Marcus Rudolfsson was brought up from the U20-academy but never made the cut and was subsequently sold. Yann Mawene is a young french right-sided midfielder who has seen some playing time toward the last third of the season. He was brought in for 3.77m (4T).
Toward the last few games of the season Jesus Calle, a young central defender of renown potential, was brought in as back-up for the defense for 6.82m (1T). Pablo Rojas was signed as a free agent but was later sold on. The last player to be brought in was goalkeeper Gavin McGrath who was bought for 5.01m (2T).
The players to leave the team this season were as follows;
Central midfielder Yoni Hai was sold for 2.83m while valued at 2.94m.
Left-sided wingback Tiago Valente went for 3.95m and 8T while valued at 2.84m.
Attacking right-sided midfielder Vaclav Kuchar left the team for 4.04m and 7T while valued at 3.04m.
U20-academy graduate Marcus Rudolfsson left the team for 1.38m.
Haytham Boussaidi, the stalward central defender and defensive midfielder left for 2.93m and 2T while valued at 2.73m.
Polish goalkeeper and penalty specialist Stanislaw Ochej was sold for 2.2m while valued at 2.47m.
Pablo Rojas, the young free agent, was sold after failing to impress for 2.72m while valued at 2.64m.
THE OFFICIAL START OF SEASON 6 UPDATE
iLandslaget were seeded into a real hornet's nest of a League this year around, sharing their trophy-hunting grounds with several familiar faces of very varying quality.
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Longtime fans of the team will recognize many of the opponents as sister-clubs to the Swedish team and the league promises to be a lot more interesting this year around. Internazionale will be a familiar sight as the teams met in last year's Champions League play-offs and they will surely be eager to get one back on iLandslaget. Romain FC, while weakened since then, pipped iLandslaget to the League Title in Season 3 and finished in 3rd behind iLandslaget and JustLEET FC in Season 4.
The others are acquaintances made along the way during a few seasons of Champions League, but there have been no documented games between the teams and it'll surely be interesting viewing for the neutral observers.
NOW WITH UPDATED TEAM NEWS!
Although the elaborate plan from the board to invest funds through WilliamHill fell through, it would seem the board managed to lose further funds instead of gaining investment, the manager has worked hard to ensure he has a stronger and more versatile squad to choose from as this season promises to be one of the most competetive ones yet.
There were reasonable funds available from the start of the season, iLandslaget's manager starting with an estimated cache of somewhere in the region of 29m. Added to this were the funds from transfers of striker sharpshooter Gary Clancy, sold for 4.61m while valued at 3.27m, as well as ageing once-scouted defender Federico Rodriguez who was sold for 2.73m after seeing his value plummeting to 2.58m as he turned 28 this year.
Earlier today the greatly hyped wonderkid Cem von der Gathen was sold as well, after failing to live up to the extreme expectations his young age and hefty fee had created when he was bought last season for 5.70m (1T). After tough negotiations he was let go for a fee of 7.14m (6T) which at least meant the manager managed to make a profit on his sale.
4 players have been brought in so far, hopefully all of them to feature in the squad as soon as possible. It's been a busy day and so far 3 of the new acquisitions have made their debuts in front of the team's fanatic fans, iFirman.
The players will be presented in the order they were brought in:
Aaron Reilly - bought for 10.04m / 6T, valued at 9.9m
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Bernhard Helfer - bought for 9.05m / 10T, valued at 8m
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Hugo Roda - bought for 10.14m / 6T, valued at 9.9m
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Valentin Laskov - bought for 9.27m / 6T, valued at 8.7m
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There have been several contacts from other clubs regarding iLandslaget players so only time will tell how the squad will take shape through the season. A change of scenery for back-up goalkeeper JC has been on the cards but so far none of the offers have matched the manager's valuation of the talented youngster.
iLandslaget saw off carbonero in the opening game of the League season with a routine 6-0 victory at home. This was followed up with a 4-1 win in the first game of the Champions League group stage.
The first day of the League saw a surprise defeat for Internazionale, seeing them dropped to the 2nd to last place in the table. It'll definitely be interesting to see how the League takes shape as there are several teams with enough quality to cause problems for each other, and too many teams with enough quality to see them expect Champions League-football next season.
Nice! Seems that you and me are experiencing the same in the league competition. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by PeterMeter
It's more or like Balkan Boyz, FC Kula and Iztik that are the "main" candidates for the league title this season. Iztik lost his 1th opening game against a weaker team, and we managed to beat FC Kula away this morning. This gives us more or less a +3point a head start just after 2 rounds. The rest are low quality teams that we need to "hump, hump all night long". ;)
Good Luck!
And so we've finally reached day 16 of this season, and the 13th round of the League season, meaning we've reached the halfway point of yet another thrilling iLandslaget-season. Although the team has seen minimal investment, the manager wonder-worker has managed to turn the squad around a bit. Some deadweights have been moved on, and a few of the loyal have had to be released for the team to be able to kick on.
The exit from the Cup was a major setback in the team's plans for this season, with all of the teams still remaining in it definitely looking beatable for the Swedes. This has meant that the manager and his coaching staff have been able to work hard on the development on the players.
The squad on this day looks as follows (with the exception of Joakim Sogaard having been sold for 4.21m and 1T):
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The League has been a great joy for fans allover the world to follow. iLandslaget ended up in the same league as no less than 10 of their sister-teams and we've been treated to some great games so far this season with hard battles being fought to gain one of the elusive Champions League-places. Only 6 pts separate 8th placed TSV Bärnau, who managed to draw their game against iLandslaget, and 2nd placed Fontainhas FC so none of the teams can really even be sure of advancing to the next tier at the end of the season.
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The strikeforce has been added to, with scouted Austrian Bernhard Helfer to put some pressure on Gerailton de Souza Rodrigues. The 21-year old has been getting a few chances to impress so far and has done it well. The team has lacked the prolific goalscorer this season though, meaning we find Gerailton down in 4th place in the Golden Shoe competition.
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Bechir Bouzgarrou has been iLandslaget's most frequent supplier of assists so far, but he is joint 2nd with 7 assists and trailing the leader by 1.
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Some lacklustre performances saw the form of the entire team drop for a bit, so the Form Leaderboard is without iLandslaget interference so far, something that has not happened in all of the manager's previous seasons.
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The Swedish team is still in it to win the Champions League trophy, but last year's League contenders JustLeet FC proved a harder nut to crack than some had expected with the first tie ending in an away draw 1-1.
The competition still does look very winnable though, if the team can get their heads down and put in a hard shift.
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As an aside the team played their 14th game of the season earlier today, and ended it in high-scoring fashion, managing to beat the old record for highest scoring game with some margin. Uruguayan team carbonero was embarassed at iLandslaget's home ground 13-0.
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See you are doing well in the League, but how about in the Champions league? Did you manage to over-turn that 1-1 draw ? :)
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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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 ;)
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 :D .
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? :rolleyes: 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! :pQuote:
Originally Posted by PeterMeter
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? :)
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
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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.
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Specifics of Game 2
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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.
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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!
2nd leg > Drama! :D 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.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ljepoje
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
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
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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
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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!
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.
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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? :confused: