Season 67 - Week 4

[pnr8555]

This is a very slow season for me, I'm not watching many matches, and I have to wait until Day 19 to sign a really "useful" players into the team.

Well, I may have won the league with the late signings and gaining myself some interests into the game, as well as Donkhee City shockingly throwed the league lead with a 2-0 away defeat to bottommarker JJ Guanteng FC, despite having won the first leg at home 9-0 with the same team and same formation.

I actually thought that FC Zelenit (currently 2nd) should have comfortably won the league with his fully loaded team, 4-5-1 V-style team, with four 6* players, but however, his team were left with 1 free replacement player, a DC, in the starting 11.

The Champions League is definitely not in my radar, since I discovered how my team is performing, I may have topped the group with 12 points, but the two games I lost were the 2nd placed team in my group, Patrang City. He should have topped the group instead of me, but he slipped up. He lost 1-0 home to Luncai United, who finished bottom of the group, drew and lost aganist Polonne FC, 1-1 (A) and 2-3 (H), and he got knocked out aganist Hot Shot FC, with a 5-0 aggregate.

My late boost of interest really helped me won the Champions League once again...

AEPRE FC WON 2nd CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TITLE IN 120 MINUTES

AEPRE FC have won their 2nd Champions League title of its rebirth, and 3rd title overall, after a 2-1 extra time victory over Fufe AG. Jim Chapman becomes an overnight hero after scoring the goal that wins the team this title.

Both teams have a fair amount of attacking attempts stopped by each other's defense, until the 33rd minute, Rafael Couso tried to clear the ball, but instead the ball went to Jan Matejka, who is in the attacking position. With his solo run, he gets into the penalty box and scores the 1-0 lead for AEPRE FC.

A Tan may have an attacking chance in the 51' and get through most of Fufe AG's defense, but the Turkish side's defender Adam Zakharov have made an unacceptable style of tackling on Tan at the edge of the penalty area. The referee pointed to the spot and awarded Fufe AG's 6* defender a yellow card.

Mouhcine Zahoud, AEPRE FC's goalkeeper who have just recently became the last first 11 players to score at least 1 goal in any competition yesterday, taken the penalty. But instead of increasing the lead and gives the players and manager a bit of breathing space, his shot was too weak, and the ball finds Keith Healy's save hand. One minute later, Fufe AG equalizes and increased their hope of winning the title, when Connor Franta gives the ball to the opposition, and Zakharov scored a goal of redemption, after giving away the penalty which eventually missed.

Fufe AG's MC Kevin Vogt tried to counter-attack in the 67', crossed the ball to one of his teammate who is waiting in the box, but Zahoud instead went in front of him and made a clean save without making a contact with the opposition.

Vogt fouled one of the attacker, the referee awarded him a yellow card, Zahoud taken the free-kick, hoping to win the title within 90 minutes, but his shot founds one of the defender who made up the defensive wall. Corner kick awarded, but were headed clear by Couso. Oscar tried a long-ranged shot before the regulation time whistle, but that was not powerful enough.

In the 94', the atmosphere at the Yut FCFC Stadium has completely changed, when Vogt tried to attack, but instead made a mistake by giving the ball to Tan, who is in the perfect position for attack. The Singaporean AMC took his chance quickly, before assisting Jim Chapman's winning goal. His teammate ran into him in celebration, as the mood were completely different for Fufe AG, who now have to desperately do everything to score a goal for penalty shootout, or two if they want to turn this around.

Vogt then tried desperately to get through the defense, only to find out that the ball were stopped by AEPRE FC's defense, who only needed to get the ball out of their own half and hold the scoreline.

Then the full-time whistle sounds from the referee, AEPRE FC have won the Champions League title once again, an unexpected journey in a season full of uncertainities. But all the players will really be proud of what they have achieved in the season that their performances are seemingly under their target and expectations. For the manager himself, his temper has really done it again, he never thought that the job is done before the game, after learning all the previous mistakes he have made, and he is the man who have made the fan happy, for the 2nd time in its return.

Captain Borja Bartra, is the man who lifted the trophy.

It will really be a happy ending for Shai Miari, who will hang his boots after this season, and possibly Alfie Deyes, who will now look for a new club after serving the team for four seasons.

Match Highlights



Man of the Match Zahoud (9)



Road to Final



Player of the Season Nominees

Unlike previous seasons, the nominees will now be announced on the day before the end of the season, rather than the last day of the season. The three nominees still however, comes from three different fields, defense, midfield and attack. The nominees have also already won the Season Awards for their category.

Defenders (GK, DL, DC, DR, DML, DMR) Mouhcine Zahoud (GK)
Midfielders (DMC, ML, MC, MR) Jim Chapman (MC)
Attackers (AML, AMC, AMR, ST) A Tan (AMC)

The winners will be announced tomorrow along with other Season Awards and End of Season report.