Season 77 - Week 4

[ponzu]

Win streak is now at 21. Strikers' scoring streak got snapped at 20.

Win 20: Away CL game, 3:0. Playing an underpowered CL opponent, whom we had beaten 4:0 at home, we did not sweat it too much. Monasterski scored early to avoid last minute heroics and keep the scoring streak alive. He later assisted on a goal by defenseman Van der Plas, who got bored in his own half and decided to have at it, earning MOM in the process. Kara continued to struggle and the wingers went dry for once.

Win 21: Away Cup game, 2:1. Having obliterated our 1/16F opponent 5:0 and 3:0, we were optimistic about being paired in 1/8F with a team who had barely (1:2 and 1:0) squeaked by their last opponent, who happens to dwell in the basement of our league. In hindsight, it may not have been a good idea to switch from one of our standard formations featuring two wingers to an unfamiliar 3N-4-1-2 and passing through the middle. Playing attacking football with attacking bonus boosted to 15%, we conceded a goal early in the second half. Attacking hard and having been promoted from ML to AML, Angel "Old Man" Orue scored an all important equalizer, which would later prove to be enough for MOM honors. I was prepared to live with a 1:1 away draw, when at the 81 minute mark the crew ran a complex combination, which included a pass back from the opposing half to the GK and confused everyone, including me and the opposition and culminated with a goal by the DC Akwaffo. Despite earning respectable ratings, the two strikers went empty handed, snapping the 20-game scoring streak.

The real test comes next when I play the 4, 3 and 2 place teams in succession. While there is plenty of daylight between us and the 3rd and 4th places, the 2nd place team is hot on our heels.