2019 FMF World Cup - official reports and broadcasts
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Re: 2019 FMF World Cup - official reports and broadcasts
*Played 27th July*
Group D
Mercury vs. Freeland
Krasnarus vs. New Vaduz
Group standings can be found here!
Group D
Mercury vs. Freeland
Krasnarus vs. New Vaduz
Senya wrote: Krasnarus went into their game knowing that a win would secure them a place in the knock-out rounds, whilst New Vaduz knew that defeat would be fatal to their already slim chances of progressions.
New Vaduz started well defensively, but were struggling to get the ball up top, as Krasnarus seemed to be focused on keeping New Vaduz's front three quiet. Krasnarus were able to get the ball forward, but both Merku Durmel and David Gulley were struggling to make inroads through the New Vaduz defence, with both Johan Meier and Stefan Michael putting in several important challenges early on. Krasnarus did manage to make some efforts on goal too, Gulley first beat Michael before hitting a low shot that needed Tom Wise to tip round the post, before a Srbijo Radmanović cross found Durmel unmarked in the box, but the Merku Kuregred forward's header was plucked from out of the top corner expertly by Wise. New Vaduz were also unlucky not to grab a goal themselves, with Bastian Großler and Claus Vogel combining on the edge of the box, but Vogel's eventual effort on goal was tame and allowed Kung Bobing to make a simple save.
In the second half, Krasnarus stepped up their game, throwing on substitute Babek Babovič, and within ten minutes, it seemingly worked. Rislen Sumutuv played a long ball over the top which allowed Durmel to chase, and he cut back when one-on-one to Babovič, who coolly slotted home to put his side in the lead. The goal meant that New Vaduz were now 35 minutes from being eliminated, and the Keltians now had to try and attack. Vogel managed to test Bobing just after the hour mark with another header, before Florian Groffenheimer smashed a dipping volley against the post and an Imre Lichsteiner free-kick grazed the top of the crossbar, but New Vaduz couldn't keep up their momentum. With the result now seemingly safe, Krasnarus had just enough time to wrap up all three points by adding a second, with Merku Drustinuv laying off Srbijo Radmanović on the flank, whose first time cross-cum-shot from the corner of the penalty area dipped awkwardly late, outfoxing Tom Wise and ending up in the top corner, securing the victory for the Apollonians.
The result now guarantees Krasnarus' place in the knock-outs, whilst New Vaduz's journey in Birgeshir comes to an official end in their final group game as they are officially eliminated.
Spoiler!
Group standings can be found here!
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Re: 2019 FMF World Cup - official reports and broadcasts
*Played 28th July*
Group A
Florian Republic vs. Birgeshir
Talenore vs. Lamantia
Group standings can be found here!
Group A
Florian Republic vs. Birgeshir
Senya wrote: The Florian Republic and Birgeshir faced off on the final day in Group A in the deciding match, the winner of whom would win the Group and receive a bye to the quarter-finals, whilst the loser would have to contend with playing in the play-off round, having both won two and drawn one in their three games so far. A draw would also be enough for the Florians, though they had some extra incentive for beating the hosts; claiming the Unofficial Micras World Championship title.
The Florians had yet to concede a goal going into this match, but Birgeshir threatened to change that early on, with Sarapou Lahar getting in behind the Florian defence early on, but he squared the ball back to Amam Karadeniz when the shot was on, with Karadeniz putting his shot straight into the hands of Florian keeper Tom Ward. The Florians though were themselves creating good opportunities, with a notable chance falling the way Cristiano Ramirez, but the Northcliff United forward struggled keep his half-volley down as he shot from an awkward angle, passing up the opportunity to play in Llewelyn Wyn-Jones, who had half the goal to aim at. Despite neither side being able to work a real opportunity, both teams were playing enjoyable attacking football, but the goalkeepers seemed to be having good days, claiming virtually every ball whipped into the box and pulling off strings of good saved, to ensure that going into the break, the scores were level.
That all changed moments into the second half, when Andrew Lycett's cross was over hit and caught easily by Iu-Senb Ercanojk, who kicked the ball downfield quickly to launch a counter attack, with Bebi Bælhara playing in Amam Karadeniz who slotted coolly past Ward to put the host nation in front within just three minutes of the re-start, finally ending the Florian Republic's clean sheet record. The Florian fans were shocked, but luckily for them their team took this as motivation to try and get level. First, Ramirez worked himself a shooting opportunity which forced Ercanojk to tip the ball round his post, before Dave Wheeler hit an effort from 30 yards which again required intervention from the Otaq Röyal stopper to keep his side ahead, with defender Tom Wight heading just over the crossbar from the resulting corner. Despite their best efforts though, Birgeshir looked assured in defence, and started to wrestle control away from the Florians, hitting them on the counter and also occasionally slowing the ball down and playing possession football. The big moment, however, came with twelve minutes to play, when Har-Im-Hotep Aktöjk's searching punt upfield found Çengiz Tahir, who slid the ball across the six-yard box, where Sarapou Lahar slid in to double his side's advantage and almost certainly confirm the Florians' defeat. The Florians were starting to cramp up and find the energy to make one last comeback, and with Birgeshir looking at their dazzling best, a bad day for Floria got worse just before the end when Derek Campos accidently played substitute Ton-En-Amen Türgutojk onside, having misjudged the Vanya Suvan man's run, allowing Tahir's through ball to find him without difficulty, with Türgutojk rounding the goalkeeper and slotting home into an empty net to add polish to the scoreline.
A remarkable scoreline sees hosts Birgeshir head into the quarter-finals, whilst a poor second half consigns Floria to the play-off round, where they'll face Shireroth. The Apollonian side will need to recover from their record defeat if they wish to progress in this tournament, whilst Birgeshir will feel that they may be able to make the semi-finals of a World Cup for the first time in their history.
Spoiler!
Talenore vs. Lamantia
Group standings can be found here!
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Re: 2019 FMF World Cup - official reports and broadcasts
*Played 29th July*
Group B
Tellia vs. Passas
North Antarctica vs. Kingdom of Coria
Group standings can be found here!
Group B
Tellia vs. Passas
Senya wrote: With Shireroth already confirmed as the group's third placed team, and with Coria on course to win the group, Tellia and Passas faced off for the final knock-out spot in the group, which would set up a play-off round tie against Talenore. Passas would be through with a win or a draw, but the Tellians knew that if they could bounce back from their thrashing at the hands of Shireroth, they would make it to the knock-out phase for the 7th straight World Cup.
However, when the game kicked off, it still looked as if the Tellians had not gotten over their 6-2 defeat to Shireroth. Despite the absence of Tom Arans through suspension, his replacement in midfield, Jesse Lee, seemed more than up to the task of handling the Benacians. Passas had the first real chance of the game, with Sa Pazi finding Danijel Đorđević, who spun past Pasquale di Montezemolo to play in Łukasz Dąbrowski, but the Eĵars Town striker, put his shot wide. Moments later Dąbrowski was in again one-on-one, but this time Thibault Guillermety thwarted his effort on goal. It had taken the Tellians a while to get going in the match, but eventually they found their mojo. Armando Uggè forced Adam Shawnessy into a great save from a head that came from a Marko Zajc cross, before Zajc himself cut inside and beat Ron Michelson, but again found Shawnessy in great from to deny him.
In the second half, Tellia really began to apply the pressure, but they found Shwanessy to be in inspired form, tipping over from a long distance Gianluca Salmoiraghi effort, but pulling off an acrobatic save to deny Uggè again. This time it was Passas's turn to grow into the half, but they were looking solid defensively. They eventually mustered up a chance of their own, with Alex Danelon scooping the ball over a defender before squaring to Sa Pazi, but the Dragonmoor midfielder put his guilt edge chance the wrong side of the post from 10 yards out. But with time running out and Tellia looking frustrated, Passas were just able to see the game out calmly. Tellia's long balls into the box were being cleared away by the defence every time, much to the frustration of the Tellian fans.
Eventually the full time whilst blew and called time on Tellia's World Cup title defence, as they bow out in the group stage. Meanwhile, the draw ensures Passas will march on to the next round, where they will face Talenore.
Spoiler!
North Antarctica vs. Kingdom of Coria
Group standings can be found here!
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Re: 2019 FMF World Cup - official reports and broadcasts
*Played 30th July*
Group C
Jingdao vs. Craitland
Nova England vs. Senya
Group standings can be found here!
Group C
Jingdao vs. Craitland
Nova England vs. Senya
Senya wrote: Both Nova England and Senya came into their final group game of this World Cup both needing a result. For Senya, a win would confirm them as group champions, seeing them finish ahead of Craitland and book a spot in the quarter-finals, whilst Nova England would need a draw to finish ahead of Natopia, whilst needing to equal Jingdao's result to advance to the play-off round in third place.
Nova England started rather defencively, seemingly going in with the game plan of trying to keep the Senyans at bay, with centre-back pair John Mattel and Jackson Richards seemingly tasked with trying to keep Senyan strikers Kiket Volinsk and Alesandrœ Danetskë from finding space to work a shot. Employing a stringent defensive line, they camped outside their box, but the Senyans also seemed content with just working the ball around, trying to pick spaces in the Nova English defence. The negative tactics were working, but Senyan wingers Barnaby Hands and Ƨinkœ Zvet were still finding space to put in crosses, but Nova England seemingly early on were able to deal with them. Just before the half-hour mark, Hands won a corner, which Minyorletsken delivered, the ball pin-balling around the box before being stabbed home by Alesandrœ Danetskë, for what the crowd thought was only his second goal of the tournament, until they saw the flag was raised by the linesman, signalling offside. Despite it not counting, Nova England realised that they had to come out of their shell, but could only muster one real noteworthy chance before half time, when Graham Savoy gambled on a loose ball, but did enough to put Savoy off, dragging his shot wide of the upright.
The second half though just brought a resumption to the Senyan dominance, and it took the Apollonians just ten minutes to finally find the opening goal. Barnaby Hands delivered a low cross towards the back post, which Mattel cleared only as far as Markœ Minyorletsken, who shimmied past one defender into the box before smashing his effort low into the bottom right corner to give Senya the lead. Again, Nova England had to rally together, and once again tried to make something up front, but Aleks Mëa was seemingly continuing his great game against Craitland by shutting everything down once again, with Harë Ëgermarč also helping things by getting on the ends of most crosses into the Senyan box. Nova England still hadn't really created a clear cut threat on goal by the time that Alesandrœ Danetskë collected the ball 30-yards from goal, played a one-two with substitute Jack Smith to get into the box, where he calmly slotted beyond Nicholas Harfield to double Senya's lead. Nova England were beaten, and Senya were perhaps unlucky not to add a third, when Smith headed just over the bar after finding himself with a free header from 10 yards out.
But in the end, it didn't matter, as the result saw Senya through to the quarter-finals, whilst the defeat eliminated Nova England. Senya will now play the winner of the play-off round tie between the Florian Republic and Shireroth for a place in the semi-finals.
Spoiler!
Group standings can be found here!
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Re: 2019 FMF World Cup - official reports and broadcasts
*Played 31st July*
Group D
New Vaduz vs. Freeland
Zandarijn vs. Mercury
Group standings can be found here!
Group D
New Vaduz vs. Freeland
Zandarijn vs. Mercury
Senya wrote: Mercury went into their final match having already secured first place in their group, whilst Zandarijn needed both a win and results elsewhere to go their way.
Mercury though started brighter, and almost got off to the perfect start, with Addey Hanbury racing in behind the Zandt defence, but Robert Demel did enough to turn his shot behind. The resulting corner saw Samson Yatesby rise highest, but he couldn't keep his header down. Despite Mercury's fast start, it all seemed to slow down a bit, perhaps the Mercurians not really needing the win, which allowed Zandarijn to grow into the game. The first warning shot came from talisman Dieter Maritzburg, when his shot from the edge of the box forced into a sprawling save. Jón Dannehl headed over from the resulting corner, but it was clear that Mercury were rocked, and having not learned their lessons, a harmless throw in midway inside the Mercurian pass began a move which ended in Bastiaan van Meijner crossing in, with the ball going just ahead of a number of bodies in the box before being poked home at the back post by Tom de Zyla. Mercury couldn't seem to get a foothold of the ball, as Zandarijn looked in no rush to double their lead.
At half time though, Mercury came out a different team. Looking like their coach had said his bit at the break, Mercury were level within two minutes of the restart, with Wilmont Fizeau-Blake threading the ball through for Addey Hanbury to slot between the keeper's legs and draw the game level. Mercury were now in the ascendancy, but Zandarijn were now throwing bodies back to try and keep them out. However, that didn't stop both Joe Foxon and Fizeau-Blake thumping shots against the post and Stephen Rydberg from smashing an effort against the crossbar as Mercury continued to take shots on the Zandarijn goal. And with their 100% record to hold on to, with fifteen minutes to go they found the winner, with Fizeau-Blake turning from provider to finisher as Joe Foxon squared the ball back to him in the box to put his side in the lead. And within ten minutes, they'd doubled their advantage, with Zandarijn being hit on the counter with substitute Matt Fitzgerald finishing off a fast paced attack at the back post after Joe Foxon again squared back, this time after rounding the goalkeeper only to find himself on the goalline wide of the upright.
In the end, Mercury romped their way to a fourth consecutive win, whilst Zandarijn are out, exiting the competition with only one win to their name.
Spoiler!
Group standings can be found here!
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Re: 2019 FMF World Cup - official reports and broadcasts
Following the completion of the group stage, the following teams have advanced to the knock-out stages and will play the following fixtures over the next two rounds:
Play-off round
August 3rd
PO1: Florian Republic v Shireroth
PO2: Passas v Talenore*
August 4th
PO3: Craitland v Freeland
PO4: Krasnarus v Natopia*
Quarter-finals
August 8th
QF1: Birgeshir v Winner Play-off 3*
QF2: Kingdom of Coria v Winner Play-off 4
August 9th
QF3: Senya v Winner Play-off 1*
QF4: Mercury v Winner Play-off 2
Asterisked matches will tentatively be broadcast in full.
Play-off round
August 3rd
PO1: Florian Republic v Shireroth
PO2: Passas v Talenore*
August 4th
PO3: Craitland v Freeland
PO4: Krasnarus v Natopia*
Quarter-finals
August 8th
QF1: Birgeshir v Winner Play-off 3*
QF2: Kingdom of Coria v Winner Play-off 4
August 9th
QF3: Senya v Winner Play-off 1*
QF4: Mercury v Winner Play-off 2
Asterisked matches will tentatively be broadcast in full.
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Re: 2019 FMF World Cup - official reports and broadcasts
I'd love to watch Birgeshir v Craitland! I think the craits have a good chance to beat Freeland.
Deniz Yürük, Tsaloj of Birgeshir
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Re: 2019 FMF World Cup - official reports and broadcasts
I honestly don't think we could have a World Cup where we don't play each other now. This would be four in a row
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Re: 2019 FMF World Cup - official reports and broadcasts
Yes indeed lol but it's always exciting!
Deniz Yürük, Tsaloj of Birgeshir