January friendlies

[Craitman]

With this year almost up, we're back to the January rush of mass-friendlies. The following matches have been confirmed, and if you wish to put any of your national teams forward for an exhibition ahead of the qualifiers, make it known here!

2nd January
Arboria 0-2 Craitland (TMC)
Tellia 1-0 Birgeshir
Raspur 1-0 North Antarctica
Mercury 1-3 Senya
Incontinentia 0-1 Lusa
Lamantia 0-0 Nova English Korea
Shireroth 1-1 Florian Republic

16th January
Craitland 3-0 Elwynn (TMC)
Florian Republic 0-1 Mercury
Astaronia 1-0 River Warriors
Raspur 3-0 Eklesia
Senya vs. Vyktory
Lusa 3-0 Qavaqaqqaqqaniitqeqertaq
Senya 1-0 Hoenn

Teams having expressed interest
Lamantia

[Craitman]

Keeping track of who's simming what:

Craitman
2nd
Arboria vs. Craitland
Tellia vs. Birgeshir
Mercury vs. Senya
Shireroth vs. Florian Republic
16th
Craitland vs. Elwynn
Florian Republic vs. Mercury

Edwin
2nd
Incontinentia vs. Lusa
16th
Astaronia vs. River Warriors

Joe
2nd
Raspur vs. North Antarctica
16th
Lusa vs. Qavaqaqqaqqaniitqeqertaq

Barnaby
2nd
Lamantia vs. Nova English Korea
16th
Raspur vs. Eklesia
Senya vs. Hoenn

[EF2000]

Incontinentia 0-1 Lusa
A late goal in the second half for Lusa made all the difference between the two footballing minnows

[Craitman]

Tellia 1-0 Birgeshir
6' - A. Uggè

On the day of the World Cup qualifying draw, the two teams to not be involved faced-off as holders played hosts. A quick-fire strike from Armando Uggè was all that Tellia needed to overcome the Birgesh challenge, despite the visitors taking the lion's share of possession in the second half. Uggè powered the ball into the net from a Marko Zajc corner in the opening minutes, with Simone Di Maggio on hand to stop powerful shots from Tahir and Çıkthan in the final twenty minutes, as the reigning World Cup champions won their first match on 2019.

After the final whistle, a replay match was announced between the two teams, which will take place in Mutfak on the 30th.

[Craitman]

Mercury 1-3 Senya
22' - M. Minyorletsken
38' - J. Short
81' - H. Ëgermarč
90' - L. Vrandela

Senya claimed a big away victory at Mercury thanks to two late goals which crowned a strong display ahead of their qualifying campaign. Markœ Minyorletsken opened the scoring in the first half through a curving free-kick from just outside the area, though the Mercurians drew level just before the half thanks to John Short's tap-in after Joe Foxon's low shot was palmed back into danger.

Senya hit another gear after half time, with their substitutes causing greater havoc to the Mercurian defence. Defender Harë Ëgermarč restored the visitors' lead with ten minutes remaining, with his bullet header finding the net at a corner, with Lökas Vrandela adding a third at the death after replacing an uncharacteristically quiet Alesandrœ Danetskë moments earlier.

Mercury visit the Florians on the 16th next, as Senya host Hoenn, with both teams having one more exhibition remaining before their first 2019 qualifying game.

[Deniz Yürük]

Well done,Champs!

And congrats to Senya too!

[Senya]

Lamantia 0-0 Nova English Korea

Lamantia and Nova English Korea played out a dull goalless draw on a rain-swept pitch in King's Lynn. The hosts started the brighter with a Svan Ebersbacher shot hitting the bar from close range but the game got stuck into a midfield battle as neither side seemed to want it. The only strikes of lightning in this match were in the sky, as the game pittered out to a 0-0 draw with the sides between them managing just 6 shots on target in a game that will probably not live long in anyone's memory.

[Craitman]

Shireroth 1-1 Florian Republic
17' - C. Ramirez
71' - F. Stefánsson

Spoils were shared in Senya tonight as a new-look Florian side were unable to hold-on to their lead against a Shireroth team buoyed by a favourable qualifying draw. An early goal from Cristiano Ramirez was the result of a new combination with Llewelyn Wyn-Jones, with the former-Calbain forward laying the decisive pass through for Ramirez to strike home. The Florians dominated possession for the majority of the match, but were matched well by Alejian du Nigrad's reflexes to be unable to double their lead. Shireroth's breakthrough came with twenty minutes to spare, via a set piece play. A foul led to Jóhann Viðarsson delivering a cross that the defence cleared poorly, and centre-back Fjalar Stefánsson was able to create space at the edge of the area to direct the ball low and hard into the net off the base of the post. After no further obvious opportunities, the match came to a close, and both teams can now begin to plan for expectant qualifying campaigns.

[Joe]

Raspur 1–0 North Antarctica

Raspur managed to sneak a shock win over a dismal North Antarctica, thanks to a solitary goal late in the first half.

[Craitman]

Florian Republic 0-1 Mercury
88' - W. Fizeau-Blake

A late free-kick was the difference between visitors Mercury and the Florian Republic, as the home side had looked to be on course for a second respectable friendly tie in a fortnight ahead of the qualifiers. Mercury, having lost at home to the Senyans two weeks prior, salvaged the victory through Wilmont Fizeau-Blake, whose free-kick from just outside the area had enough pace on it to beat Patrick Marshall's leap after being threaded through a gap in the wall. The match offered little else one has not seen before, and a goalless draw could have arguably been a fitting end, with Joe Foxon's usually secure shooting wayward on the night and the Florians' new front line unable to break-down a stern defensive partnership in yellow. This time in two weeks, both teams will have opened their World Cup campaigns, with the Florian Republic hosting newcomers Norrland and Mercury welcoming their own dependent territory of New Sussex in their respective first fixtures.

[Senya]

Raspur 3-0 Eklesia
47' Sfeir Kheldumeh
61' Sfeir Kheldumeh
84' Sfeir Kheldumeh

A Sfeir Kheldumeh hat-trick sealed a record victory for the Raspurids over their near neighbours Eklesia. After a drab opening half of football, the Cherry Trees striker diverted a low cross beyond the goalkeeper from inside the six yard box as he extended his leg, before reacting quickest to a rebound following a save from club teammate Aprem Neil's shot. Sfeir then capped off his hat-trick with a late goal after latching on to the ball after a mistake in the Eklesian defence.

[Senya]

Senya 1-0 Hoenn
26' Jan Maytek

Senya grabbed a narrow victory over a tough Hoenn side thanks to a Jan Maytek header. After an even opening exchange with both sides creating chances, Jan Maytek rose highest in the box to head home from a corner after some slack Hoennese marking in the penalty area. Despite that set back, Hoenn took the game, and played some attractive attacking football as they tested the Senyan defence. Sootopolis forward Sakagami Koryusai forced a great reflex save from Sileman Bɏankarlënœ with a rebound shot, before Sato Naoki had a goal ruled out for offside, with the replays showing that Hoenn's captain was marginally off as he slid in at the back post to convert Ochi Fujio's cross. In the end, Hoenn could count themselves unlucky, but their performance here shows that they could be a very tough nut to crack for their opponents in the qualification groups.

[EF2000]

Astaronia 1-0 River Warriors
A late penalty was all the difference in a rather dull friendly match between the two international minnows.

[Joe]

Lusa 3–0 Qavaqaqqaqqaniitqeqertaq

[Craitman]

*Played 30th January*

Birgeshir 2-1 Tellia
7' - S. Özker
28' - B. Bælhara
78' - I. Tisu-Em-Abojk

Birgeshir overcame world champions Tellia in a return leg of their friendly four weeks ago thanks to a late goal from the bench. The Tellians took the lead as they did in Romero on the 2nd soon after the kick-off, with a quickfire attack ending with Sezer Özker's low long-range shot skirting through the Birgesh defence and inside the bottom-left post. Birgeshir were buoyed by home support this time around, however, and Bebi Bælhara equalised midway through the first half - the midfielder on-hand to tap home as support to Çengiz Tahir after the striker ran forward. Tellia were impressive after the break, but were met by an equally-impressive Iu-Senb Ercanojk, with the stopper expertly keeping out Özker, Marko Zajc and the pick of the bunch with a point-blank deflection from Armando Uggè. With just over ten to go, this summer's hosts found a winner. Ilkay Tisu-Em-Abojk came off the bench to replace Tëvrat Çıkthan and was in the right place as a delivery from a corner fell to him at the back post, where he flinched his left leg out to stab the ball home. Both sides' schedules are free for the foreseeable, but Birgeshir are now the team to beat as most other nations now have qualifiers to focus on.