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2021 friendlies

Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2021 1:27 pm
by Craitman
January hasn't been the usual month for a flurry of friendlies all on the same day that it usually is this year, but plenty have been arranged over the next few months to coïncide with bye weeks in qualifying, so I'll make a handy list here to keep track and to allow for people to organise any further matches should they wish:

January
06/01 - Craitland 2-1 Zandarijn
27/01 - Alduria 0-0 Senya

February
10/02 - Senya 2-0 Mercury
10/02 - Floria 2-2 Tellia
24/02 - Sanama 1-1 Senya
24/02 - Elwynn 1-0 Craitland (TMC)

March
10/03 - Senya 1-0 Floria
24/03 - Jingdao 0-2 Senya

April
07/04 - Senya 1-1 Batavia
21/04 - Tellia 3-2 Senya
21/04 - Mercury 1-2 Floria

May
05/05 - Senya 2-0 Craitland
19/05 - Senya 3-2 Thracistan

June
02/06 - Floria 1-2 Senya
09/06 - Arboria 0-2 Elwynn (TMC)
09/06 - Etourney 0-0 Çakaristan
09/06 - New Batavia 1-4 Calbion
09/06 - Floria 2-0 Lamantia
13/06 - Calbion 3-0 Free Elwynn
16/06 - Craitland 4-0 Arboria (TMC)
16/06 - Floria 4-0 Etourney
16/06 - Mercury 4-2 Sanama

Re: 2021 friendlies

Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2021 12:58 am
by Craitman
*Played 6th January*
Craitland 2-1 Zandarijn
2' - D. Maritzburg
17' - W. Zóma
39' - Juan P.


New Craitish manager Adnan Kröƨ led his team to a comeback win in his first match since taking over the team last year after the departure of Zyx Dermäna after the Craits' Benacia Cup final defeat. A lightning quick start from the visiting Zandts put them ahead via a Dieter Maritzburg ripper, but Craitland turned the game around before half time through a Will Zóma far-post tap-in after a deadly delivery from Alexis, before the younger Pellegrino brother, Juan, broke free and slotted home coolly. Despite the second 45 being devoid of goals, Craitland controlled the flow of play throughout and head into the 2021 World Cup qualifiers off the back of a deserved win here.

Re: 2021 friendlies

Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2021 3:17 pm
by Senya
*Played 27th January*
Alduria 0-0 Senya

Alduria and Senya played out a goalless draw in a game that reflected its uncompetitive stature. Tamer Modrem had the best of the chances in the first half, hitting a pot shot from the edge of the box against the bar, whilst a Jan Maytek header needed the quick reflexes of Jean-Alain Foucault to be diverted over the crossbar. In the second half the game mellowed as both sides tried out some substitutes, though Javier de la Fuente was unlucky not to have found himself on the scoresheet, after having two goals ruled out for marginal offside calls.

Re: 2021 friendlies

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2021 11:57 pm
by Senya
*Played 10th February*
Floria 2-2 Tellia
14' Kian Wright
31' Sezer Özker
74' Luigi Donatello

78'' Bradley Russell

Floria were held by Tellia in an enthralling encounter between the hosts of the next World Cup and the 2017 champions. Kian Wright opened the scoring inside the quarter hour mark, deftly finishing off from close range after Dave Wheeler stabbed the ball onto him following some good creative work in the final third by the midfield. The Tellians managed to comeback however in stunning style, with Sezer Özker picking the ball up from 25-yards, having been awarded too much room by the Florian defender, lashed the ball into the top right corner from the edge of the box. Both sides came close to taking the lead in the closing stages of the first half, but with Armando Uggè's diving header crashing against the bottom of the post and Ainslee Farrar's close range shot being tipped round the upright by Thibault Guillermety, neither side could quite take an advantage into the break.

The second half was a more cagey affair, as the defences managed to come out on top. Floria had the pick of the chances, but substitute Ben Wilson could only find the side netting having worked his way into the box with a mazy, jinking run. However, it was eventually the Tellians who managed to take the advantage, thanks to an absolute howler at the back from the Florian defence. Stewart Florian headed the ball out to Bradley Russell, who chested the ball down, but the Stonehall Hotspur man slipped at the vital moment, allowing a closing Marko Zajc to pinch the ball, break into the box, draw the keeper and slide the ball across to Luigi Donatello, who tapped into an empty net to give his side the lead. But the embarrassment was short lived for both Floria and Russell, who made amends just four minutes later, going up for a corner which he guided home at the near post with a bullet header to restore parity. The Florians were perhaps unlucky not to win the match, but Sam Butcher dragged a golden opportunity wide after Ryan Clark had found him in space in the penalty area.

All in all, a positive display for both teams, who'll have plenty to work on ahead of the World Cup.

Re: 2021 friendlies

Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2021 2:11 am
by Craitman
*Played 10th February*
Senya 2-0 Mercury
59' - K. Volinsk
80' - K. Volinsk


A second-half brace by Kiket Volinsk sealed a home win for Senya over longtime rivals Mercury at The Snakepit. An even affair, as many had expected ahead of kick-off, Mercury had the best chance of the opening 45, with captain Joe Foxon's long-range effort being tipped onto the crossbar by an acrobatic save. However, after the break, the hosts were more clinical with the few chances they were afforded. Volinsk's first came as he turned his marker for pace to meet a Danetskë ball forward and powered home around the hour mark, while his second was more fortuitous, coming after an attempted clearance hit a fellow Mecurian defender and fell straight to his foot to half-volley home from close range after a delivery from a wide free-kick. While by no means an embarrassment for Mercury, whose storied record against Senya is relatively even, the defeat brings an end to a good unbeaten run, while Senya's own run of impressive defensive showings continues.

Re: 2021 friendlies

Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2021 3:18 pm
by Senya
*Played 24th February*
Sanama 1-1 Senya
28' Jan Maytek
63' Mariolino Sonetti

Sanama and Senya shared the spoils in a highly entertaining contest in Niyi. Jan Maytek headed the visitors infront just before the half hour mark by losing his marker at the near post during a corner kick routine, before Mariolino Sonetti equalised in the second half, having jinked his way through the defense and firing a low shot past Sileman Bɏankarlënœ. Both sides had chances to win it, with the best falling to Sanama sub Jean-Pierre Picardie, who couldn't quite sort out his feet to convert at the back post after Koke Shuma squared the ball to him in the box, after Tanilo Tosha had slammed the original chance against the woodwork. Barnaby Hands and Kiket Volinsk both hit the target for Senya, but found John Hammonds to be in top form as the defences of both sides held out for a draw.

Re: 2021 friendlies

Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2021 3:28 pm
by Senya
*Played 10th March*
Senya 1-0 Floria
57' Patrick Williams (o.g.)

Senya edged out Floria in a tightly and close-fought encounter at the Snakepit thanks to an own goal from Florian captain Patrick Willaims. The visitors started brightly, with Kian Wright testing the goalkeeper early on, before Barnaby Hands rattled the crossbar with a dipping effort after having cut in from the left. Dave Wheeler held an impressive performance with some great passes that managed to unlock the Senyan defence, but the Florians just couldn't quite pick the lock in the penalty area, with a series of blocks and saves denying the Florians from taking the lead.

Senya came out of the blocks in the second half, and took the lead when Ƨinkœ Zvet's cross was flicked on by Kiket Volinsk, and with Alesandrœ Danetskë lurking at the back post, Williams had to try and get some contact on it, but could only turn the ball home himself to give the hosts the lead. Senya then passed up a brilliant chance for a second, with Danetskë and Zvet combining well, only for Zvet to hit the post with the eventual shot, though it was not to matter as the Florians were unable to find a goal back.

Re: 2021 friendlies

Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2021 12:43 am
by Craitman
*Played 24th March*
Jingdao 0-2 Senya
72' - B. Hands
79' - B. Volinsk


Senya bested Jingdao thanks to two second-half goals after the hosts had held pretty resolute for the majority of the match. A Barnaby Hands stunner from the edge of the box broke the deadlock before a Bɏëder Volinsk poked finish on the overlap secured the victory less than ten minutes later.

Re: 2021 friendlies

Posted: Sat May 01, 2021 11:05 pm
by Craitman
*Played 7th April*
Senya 1-1 Batavia
21' - J. Maytek
90' - J. Van Zoldere

Batavia stole a late equaliser against Senya during their bye round to secure a morale-boosting result against the world champions. After Jan Maytek's first-half finish to convert a Barnaby Hands cross at the far post, Jan Van Zoldere's strike from distance in injury time squeaked its way into the bottom-left corner to level the scoreline.

Re: 2021 friendlies

Posted: Sun May 02, 2021 9:00 am
by Senya
*Played 21st April*
Tellia 3-2 Senya
19' Sezer Özker
36' Aleks Mëa
45' Sezer Özker
73' Sezer Özker

85' Barnaby Hands

Senya fell to their first defeat since last summer's Copa Apollonia thanks to a Sezer Özker hat-trick as the Dynamo Deacon man put on a stunning performance. Opening his account with a low strike from just inside the box after the visitors failed to clear a corner, Tellia were pegged back thanks to a wonderful move down the left which saw Hands play in full back Aleks Mëa, who worked himself some room to strike across the goalkeeper. However Tellia remained undeterred, and re-took the lead on the stroke of half-time, with Armando Uggè expertly holding up Michele Di Tommaso's long ball forward, before laying the ball off to Özker, who drilled a low strike across the keeper to the bottom right corner. Senya mounted a charge in the second half, with Kiket Volinsk twice finding the bar, but Özker put the game beyond doubt as he capitalised on a rare loose pass at the back from the Senyan defence, going one-on-one with the keeper, before sitting him down and slotting into an empty net. Barnaby Hands restored some pride late on with a well struck free-kick, but Senya left Romero disappointed as they never really looked like beating a Tellian side who put on an expert performance.

Re: 2021 friendlies

Posted: Sun May 02, 2021 9:09 am
by Senya
*played 21st April*
Mercury 1-2 Floria
16' Kian Wright
33' Dave Wheeler

81' Matt Fitzgerald

74' OFF Patrick Williams

Floria pulled off a fantastic victory in Mercury despite ending the game with 10 men. Kian Wright gave the visitors an early lead after the Mercurian defence went to sleep at a corner, with Wright being afforded way too much space to head home at the near post, before Dave Wheeler doubled the visitors advantage after Cristiano Ramirez danced his way into the box before squaring the ball back for Wheeler to finish. Mercury looked all out of shape as Floria threatened to add more to the scoreline, but were given a way back into the match when Patrick Williams cut down Stephen Rydberg in the middle of the park late on for a second yellow card. Mercury, though, could only muster a single goal in the last 15 minutes despite the man advantage, with substitute Matt Fitzgerald finishing off a flowing passing move with 10 minutes to spare, but the Mercurians could not muster anything further, with some resolute Florian defending, including a last ditch clearance off the line by Derek Campos from a Joe Foxon attempt, saw the visitors gain a very respectable victory over the World's top ranked team.

Re: 2021 friendlies

Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 1:56 pm
by Craitman
*Played 5th May*
Senya 2-0 Craitland
72' - K. Volinsk
90' - A. Danetskë (pen.)


Alesandrœ Danetskë broke his 2021 curse, scoring his first international goal of the year, in the final minute of a friendly victory over Craitland. The world champions were deserving winners in the end, but Craitland held firm to keep the game goalless until the last stages of the match. The deadlock was eventually broken through Kiket Volinsk, who beat the offside trap to meet a through ball and outpace the defence before touching the ball past the 'keeper with ease. The lead was rightfully doubled at the death through a penalty awarding, after a coïncidental handball from Ross Zen was spotted by the ref, with Danetskë calmly directing the ball into the unguarded side of the net.

A return to form for Senya, whose other friendlies this year have left a lot to be desired, while Craitland won't be worrying too much about being put off their stride in qualifying, even though this match has been their sternest test for a while.

Re: 2021 friendlies

Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 2:26 pm
by Craitman
*Played 19th May*
Senya 3-2 Thracistan
4' - B. Hands
20' - A. Danetskë

51' - B. Şimşek
57' - J. Van Kotrisbond
85' - H. Roket

Thracistan showed some impressive potential by taking the game to Senya, but ultimately came up short as the Senyans were back to their free-scoring best. After a return to winning ways against Craitland, Senya went two-up early in the game with captain Barnaby Hands' placed finish being followed by a Danetskë back-post header from a corner. Thracistan pulled one back after the break thanks to a header from an unmarked Buğra Şimşek, but Senya restored their two-goal lead minutes later through the game's third headed finish; Jær Van Kotrisbond powering home when brought up for a corner. Thracistan were threatening for the remainder of the match but were kept at bay until the last five minutes, where an overlapping Hakan Roket was able to find the back of the net from a tight angle, but a third goal to tie the fixture at full time was just beyond their grasp.

The Thracis need just a point to secure their first FMF World Cup appearance, and based on this performance could certainly cause some problems for their potential group opponents if they make it.

Re: 2021 friendlies

Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2021 6:17 pm
by Jack
Calbion pre-World Cup friendlies:

Nieuw Batavië - Calbion (June 9th)
Calbion - Free Elwynn (June 13th)

Re: 2021 friendlies

Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2021 8:35 pm
by EF2000
Floria announce RPNL Warmup series
Today the Florian Football Assocation has announced that the national team will play two friendlies before the upcoming Raspur Pact Nations League Finals held in Sanama. Floria will play the following on these dates:
9th June vs Lamantia (City of Blackoak Stadium)
16th June vs Etourney (Steinfield)