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League: 10-0-0. Best start we've had in a long time. Face 2nd place tomorrow. Win and we'll be 9 points clear, lose and its a race! Won 6:1 today running 4-5-1 V-style!
Champions: 12 points through 5 games, and trail on goal differential. Most likely we'll end the group stages in 2nd place.
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Olympique Rouen make return to T11 Cup last 16, Win 1st leg in style
It had been nearly 3 years since Manager David Grizzle's squad had made it this far in football's marque competition. Having won the Cup in their first 2 seasons of existence and then seeing their hopes of a historic 3 peat dashed in the qualifying round, season 4 saw them escape the qualifying round only to fall in the playoffs. This season the clubs hierarchy made it very clear that at a minimum the club must continue to advance further this season.
This is no easy feat at any level but with each season Rouen faces steeper competition. Winning cups 1 and 2 tiers above their lvl was one thing. having to go 4 tiers above is quite another. Once again this season they faced a cup draw with teams ranging from 1 to 3 lvls above their own. Out of 128 teams in this competition Olympique Rouen stood out as the one and only club representing level 5. From the start it seemed a steep climb to even advance once given that Rouen had been drawn against a lvl 8 club in the prelims.
But one by one the club from Upper Normandy knocked out their elder opponents. The lvl 8 club from Djibouti managed to score exactly once in that round while conceding 9 to Rouen. On to the qualifiers. This time it was a tough Turkish club from lvl 7. The first leg seemed to spell doom as Les Coqs Gaulois were held at home 1-1. But that match would prove the exception. The ensuing trip to Turkey quickly turned into a 4-0 route and once again Rouen was in the playoff round.
The playoff round began much the way the previous one ended. With a 3-0 road win which set them up for a possible return to the last 16. When the club returned home there was a fierce determination in them that was visible from the opening kick. Rouen led 2-0 by halftime and the will of their lvl 8 German foe was zapped. The 2nd half saw the 5-0 agg score doubled with Mikkel Sorensen's hat trick highlighting the route. The 10-0 agg victory was by far the largest of the round, serving notice that the lowest lvl team in the whole of the Cup was not going to slink away.
Facing another trip to Germany, this time to Berlin and yet another lvl 8 opponent, Olympique Rouen could have been satisfied. After all they were told that they had effectively reached their seasons goal and the club would be proud of such an achievement regardless of the result. Surviving longer than 112 teams who were all from higher tiers is a massive accomplishment in and of itself.
More than 30 minutes into the match the opener had yet to come. But hope lay in the fact that their opponent had been pinned in their own half, having not a single shot on target, while the threats were all in their favor. The Germans attempted to sit behind the ball and force Rouen to break them down while playing counter attacking football. It was during one such counter that the first big mistake happened. German ST Patrick Matuszek turned the ball over and Rouen's super star Mikkel Sorensen made them pay with a mazy run leading to a one on one chance which Sorensen rarely lets out of his grasp, drawing out the keeper before easily rounding him and burying the opener with ease.
The all important road goal turned the German's strategy on it's head. At home and in trouble plan B was in motion and Rouen had the space they needed. It was less than 4 minutes later when LW Sebastian Rocha placed a sensational strike into the far corner to double the lead. Rocha was one of 3 players subbed off just passed the hour mark as the players were showing fatigue on the back of a game a mere two days prior. The pace picked back up with the new blood but it was the old guard who took the glory as within a minute the lead had again been doubled. First it was Sorensen setting up Wilson Sanchez for the 3rd goal, 43 seconds later Sorensen completed his brace after getting on the end of a well placed through ball from RW Omar Cardenas.
The match finished 4-0 for the visitors and leaves Olympique Rouen in fantastic shape heading home for the 2nd leg. Not only do they own a 4 goal advantage but when you consider that Rouen has conceded a grand total of 6 times in 22 matches, with the 6 goals spread over 6 separate matches it would take a massive shock to keep them out of the 1/4 finals. While Rouen are far from favored to win the cup this victory, again the largest of the round so far, will further serve notice that they cannot be overlooked.
Next up it's a pivotal trip to the 2nd place team in league play with Rouen hanging on to a slender 2 point advantage. This match could go a long way in deciding the final table for what was expected to be a highly competitive league but is turning into more of a 3 team race at the top with the 4th place side already 6 points adrift after 10 rounds. 10 teams in the league finished last season in Champions league position, with only 2 having failed to promote to lvl 6 and returning for another season in lvl 5. This obviously means that 6 of the 10 Champions League teams will fail to return to the competition next season and 3 will not even promote at the end.
The 15th sees only one match, a basically meaningless group stage tie with Rouen having already won group E and their opponent already eliminated from competition. It may be a time to see some of the reserves get a trot out to see if they can impress their manager and vie for more playing time or at least secure their future at the club.
The next meaningful action comes the following week as Rouen faces 3 matches. The 2nd leg of the T11 Cup at home sandwiched between two league matches against teams outside of the promotion zone.
Current stats for all competitions:
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Mini update my end.
Rhondda Rovers were up against ID in the first leg of the Cup at home and yet again, another 90th minute goal was scored. Thankfully this time round, it was for me to win 2-1 to leave the tie still wide open. A positive from the match was our possession was good against them, giving us good hope for the away game.
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In the League, the reserves came up against Cawa at home and romped to a 7-0 victory. However, it was soured a little thanks to an injury to Thomsen, who was out for three days (why does Nordeus love 3 day injuries?) but now back tomorrow.
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Tomorrow will be very interesting as we have our last Champions League match against Big FC followed by our League match against the closest rival Robert Szyman. A big concern is that I am in work when both games are played and may not get a chance to change the team in time. :(
Buffs Update
The Buffs league woes continue. First up came the Buffs first defeat of the Season that pushed them 11 points behind the leaders, in 5th, and struggling to get near a CL spot. Next came the opportunity to close the gap on 4th but again Mr Draw came to visit after taking the lead twice. 6 Draws from 10 league matches just isn't good enough.
Individual performances remain reasonable, apart from the supposedly star MC that has thrown up 3 x 5s in key games and will be dropped for 2 days as one last attempt to get back on track or he can flash his Q in front of a new Club. Main Striker Jack Harper has even managed a decent return in the league with 12 goals (26 all comps) and 6 MoM (10 all comps) but we can't buy a win. :(
So it looks like we'll just need to try to focus on getting a CL spot and avoid mistakes that might come by trying too hard to catch the leaders. ;)
Steady the Buffs! (just not 'draw' steady ;) )
United update!
I did my work today. Won and finished first, but sometimes that just isn't enough Attachment 45064
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But in the other group, things didn't go well, for me, and now I am facing Castle which is a level higher and 10 skills better :(
damn I guess I got played :( (matches played same time)
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Rocket Hotspur made it 11 wins from 11 this morning with a 0-3 win away to Islam United. No CL commitments and going out of the Cup early, albeit unlucky in the last minute of extra time, has been good for our league performances, after a disappointing 8th finish last season.
0-0 just before HT, we made a change bringing on AMC Kuong Seng for MC Donnelly. In the second half Kuong Seng chipped in with a goal and assist to make the game comfortable in the end.
For the first time in the league this season, AMR Gozalbo didn't find the net. He still has 19 goals in 15 appearances this season and since he signed late last season, 23 in 22 games. He is top scored in the league (18), top rated with 8.66 and 3rd in the assists chart with 5.
DMC and Capltain Omar Awad gained to 4 stars in this game as well. He has formed a great partnership in DMC with Dudiev and their form along with our back 3 has allowed us to concede only 3 goals in 11 games.
Tomorrow we play against 2nd place, hoping to protect our undefeated record in the league.
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We did it! We got a 0-0 draw against the first in CL group, first time he doesn't win, and the other 2 teams got a draw as well, leaving for us the 2nd place. Going to face another team that didn't lose (yet:rolleyes:).
No surprises in the league as we won today's match. GK Patejuk got injured during the match though, so I had to spend some (most(all T_T)) of my tokens to buy some treatments to make him ready for CL match.
You've just got to feel sorry for the opponent when the engine gives them such major butt-hurt. :(
Jack Harper scored 2 with 1 assist and rated 7 - and quite rightly so after ballooning 2 over from the spot. :o
http://i59.tinypic.com/22xobr.jpg
Harper was in everything good and bad :) Normally I would say two goals and an assist should get 8, but 50% on penalties that is bad:eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by Buffs Mad
I agree. In the dressing room I rated him 6.:p 23 shots, 12 OT for the team - his assist was from a CK so he did nothing much from open play.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gert Funck
My DC/DR who scored the 3rd was MoM and deserved it ;)
4 PKs, 4 bookings and an injury is a whole heap of pain. :(
