2019 FMF World Cup - official reports and broadcasts
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Re: 2019 FMF World Cup - official reports and broadcasts
*Played 3rd August*
Play-off round
Florian Republic vs. Shireroth
Passas vs. Talenore
Play-off round
Florian Republic vs. Shireroth
Senya wrote: Having suffered a final 3-0 defeat following three clean sheets to finish second in their group, the Florian Republic faced off against Shireroth in this year's first World Cup play-off round match, with the Benacians having pulled out a third placed finish in their group after having lost their opening two games of the tournament.
The Florians began the game brightly, with Ryan Clark making a dangerous run down the right wing, but his cross was overhit which ended up in goalkeeper Alejian du Nigrad's hands. The Florians were seemingly eager to bounce back from their thumping at the hands of the host nation, but Shireroth were proving to be a stern test, with both Lloyd Venson and Fjalar Stefánsson putting in strong performances in defence. The Florians knew however that despite being frustrated, they just need to take the chance when it eventually fell to them, which they did in the twenty-fifth minute, when Clark threaded a ball through to Cristiano Ramirez, who flicked the ball to the inside of the defender, before smashing his effort into the top right corner just before an onrushing du Nigrad could get to him to block the shot. The goal sent the Florian fans into raptures, as they began to completely dominate. Moments after the goal, Andrew Lycett's pot shot forced du Nigrad into a save, before Sam Butcher hit the crossbar and Ramirez headed wide.
Despite the Florians' first half dominance, they were only one-nil up, and Shireroth regrouped at half time to come out all guns blazing looking for an equaliser. Jalal Akwá almost got it within five minutes of the restart, latching on to Kurt Lamberti's through ball, but saw his shot saved by Tom Ward, who also held the rebound. But Shireroth weren't to be kept out for long, and equalised through midfielder Sori Thiation, who was able to tap home the rebound after Ward had split a close range effort from Akwá straight into the path of the Vankarha Phyyta Raikoth man. The Florians were finding themselves increasingly frustrated, which was demonstrated by both Derek Campos and Dave Wheeler going into the book for late challenges, the latter being ruled out of any potential quarter-final through yellow card accumulation as a result. Shireroth also had Talsin Llwrran cautioned for a mistimed challenge, but they almost took advantage of the Florians' frustration, but Kurt Lamberti was judged to be offside after being played in by Akwá and slotting the ball past Ward. But with the game heading to extra time, neither side could manage a winner, with the referees whistle calling to a halt a well matched 90 minutes.
In extra time, the Florians again found themselves looking most likely to score, but substitute Llewelyn Wyn-Jones could only head over after Lycett crossed in, with the former Calbion striker bending his neck to try and get on the end of it, Shireroth had a chance of their own, but Akwá's legs looked like they'd gone as he failed to reach a through ball from Jóhann Viðarsson. The second half of extra time seemed to fall victim to tiredness as well, with both sides looking relatively happy to go to penalties.
Shireroth elected to take first, and Jalal Akwá made no mistake with the first kick of the shootout, hammering it into the bottom left corner and sending Ward the wrong way. Cristiano Ramirez then equalised, executing a panenka straight down the middle of the goal. Lamberti took next, again hammering his penalty into a corner, this time the top left, giving Ward no chance once again. Wyn-Jones then fired his penalty into the bottom left, dragging it along the grass, but the keeper had guessed wrong, pulling the Florians level again. Jóhann Viðarsson then smashed his in top the top right, hitting the ball against the bar on its way in. Sam Butcher then stepped up, aiming right, but du Nigrad pulled off the save, giving Shireroth the advantage. Talsin Llwrran then stepped up to double Shireroth's advantage, and he hammed the ball into the top right corner to make it 4-2. Ryan Clark knew that he had to score, but he showed no signs of any nerves as he calmly slotted into the bottom right, again the keeper guessing incorrectly. But all that did was just ensure that if Rranr Kikksta scored his penalty, Shireroth would be through. But to the surprise of almost everyone in the ground, he blazed his penalty over, giving the Florians a major lifeline. Substitute Rhys Chase still knew that if he missed Shireroth would win, but he hit his penalty to the right, the keeper guessed wrong, and all of a sudden the Florians were level once more. Another susbtitute, this time Jonas Overstag, came up to the mark, but this time Tom Ward guessed right, touching the ball round his left post to deny the FC Apollo man and turn the shoot-out on its head. Up stepped Andrew Lycett of Ostville Wednesday, knowing that scoring meant that Floria would win the shoot-out and set up a quarter-final with Senya. Lycett stayed cool, and slammed the penalty into the bottom right, sending them through in the début World Cup campaign.
A tough way for Shireroth to go out, but the Benacians can be satisfied with their overall performance in this tournament, whilst the Florian Republic have now set up a quarter-final against Senya, in a mouthwatering match up.
Spoiler!
Passas vs. Talenore
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Re: 2019 FMF World Cup - official reports and broadcasts
*Played 4th August*
Play-off round
Craitland vs. Freeland
Krasnarus vs. Natopia
Play-off round
Craitland vs. Freeland
Senya wrote: Craitland and Freeland squared off against each other in the play-off round, in what was the first ever meeting between the two nations on the football pitch. With a quarter-final against the hosts the reward for winning, both sides lined-up in Koridor knowing that defeat would spell elimination from the tournament.
Craitland started off on the front foot, with Juan and Alexis Pellegrino causing havoc down each flanks early on, asking questions of the Freelandic defence. Cyryl Wieczorek had to pull off an important save early on to deny Will Zóma from close range after meeting a Juan Pellegrino cross on the volley from six yards out. Strike partner Lydveldt Jonmikeltsen was also causing problems for Freeland, hitting a shot against the post from outside the box, before working himself room to shoot just inside it, with his effort being deflected behind by Jakub Baran. Freeland though couldn't hold out all game, and Craitland took a deserved lead when Adám Perryman threaded a through-ball to Zóma, who squared the ball across the six year box for Jonmikeltsen to tap home at the back post. After taking the lead, Craitland showed no signs of slowing down, as Zóma hit the crossbar before Perryman missed a golden header to make it two-nil, but the four-time champions had to make do with just a one goal advantage at half-time.
After half-time Craitland continued to dominate, and doubled their advantage within ten minutes of the restart, with Ĵulian Ólsen playing the ball to Hänä Zensen, who had time and space to take a touch and leather home a fantastic strike from the edge of the 'D' into the top right corner to give Craitland their second goal of the game. Freeland were really struggling to keep pace, with Jonmikeltsen almost scoring his second of the day after a sweet strike from the egde of the box was cleared off the line by Andrzej Szpak. But in this game of complete domination, the Craits would find a third goal, with Alexis Pellegrino playing a one-two with Will Zóma, allowing him to cut inside, before playing his cross along the ground to Jonmikeltsen in the box, who tapped the ball into the bottom left corner ahead of the onrushing goalkeeper to make it three-nil. Freeland had been all over the place, but almost pulled back a consolation goal when Adam Brzeziński's cross had to be punched by Francis Hjansen, but Tomasz Kaźmierczak's lobbed rebound just sailed narrowly over the crossbar.
In the end, Craitland were just too much for their Apollonian opponents, who despite their loss, can be proud of their performance at this, their début World Cup, whilst Craitland keep up their record of reaching every World Cup's quarter-final phase, where they will face host nation Birgeshir.
Spoiler!
Krasnarus vs. Natopia
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Re: 2019 FMF World Cup - official reports and broadcasts
Quarter-finals
August 8th
QF1: Birgeshir v Craitland*
QF2: Kingdom of Coria v Krasnarus
August 9th
QF3: Senya v Florian Republic*
QF4: Mercury v Talenore
Asterisked matches will tentatively be broadcast in full.
August 8th
QF1: Birgeshir v Craitland*
QF2: Kingdom of Coria v Krasnarus
August 9th
QF3: Senya v Florian Republic*
QF4: Mercury v Talenore
Asterisked matches will tentatively be broadcast in full.
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Re: 2019 FMF World Cup - official reports and broadcasts
*Played 8th August*
Quarter-finals
Birgeshir vs. Craitland
Kingdom of Coria vs. Krasnarus
Quarter-finals
Birgeshir vs. Craitland
Kingdom of Coria vs. Krasnarus
Senya wrote: The Kingdom of Coria and Krasnarus faced off in an all-Krasnocorian quarter-final, with both sides perhaps having exceeded expectations by just getting to this phase alone, despite both playing in their very first World Cup. As a result, the fans of both teams were starting to dream of a potential semi-final.
Coria started the better team, with Nemanja Ahčev perhaps unlucky not to give his side the lead early on, when he found some space inside the box, but his low shot deflected off of the heel of Miralem Remoranski and onto the post, before Jen Merfil hacked it clear. Krasnarus were also threatening, with Rislen Sumutuv hitting a curling effort from outside the box just wide, before Merku Durmel couldn't quite keep the ball under control as he entered the opposition's box, spurning a good opportunity where Krasnarus had managed to get several players into the box.
By half time neither side had really managed to test the goalkeeper, but that changed in the second half, with Aleksandar Mileusnić's low shot needing Kung Bobing to tip it round the post, before Bobing had to pull off an acrobatic save to deny Martin Ćorluka from scoring. Krasnarus also had their chances, with Merku Drustinuv's header requiring Sašo Fornezi to fumble it over the bar. But the deadlock was to be broken halfway through the second period, when Niko Jeglič's through ball found Aleksandar Mileusnić, who rounded the keeper and stuck the shot coolly into the back of the net. Krasnarus were shocked into a response, but Srbijo Radmanović's dipping effort hit the crossbar, before David Gulley spurned a massive chance at the back post, stretching into to try and tap in at the unguarded back post, but he couldn't quite make enough contact on the ball to level the score. And with the game entering its dying moments, Coria rounded off the win, with Mileusnić this time turning provider, sliding the ball back across goal for Martin Ćorluka to slam home into the unguarded side of the net, to give Coria passage to the semi-finals, in what has been an extraordinary campaign.
Spoiler!
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Re: 2019 FMF World Cup - official reports and broadcasts
*Played 9th August*
Quarter-finals
Senya vs. Florian Republic
Mercury vs. Talenore
Quarter-finals
Senya vs. Florian Republic
Mercury vs. Talenore
Senya wrote: Mercury, who had comfortably run out as Group D winners, and were the only team left with a 100% record in both qualifying and the finals tournament, faced a Talenore team that they had beaten twice in qualifying, 3-1 at home and 1-0 away, who had subsequently advanced from Group A before dispatching Passas 2-1 in the play-off round.
The Mercurians came into the game as favourites and began positively, with Joe Foxon forcing Taki Tolâso into an early save, before a corner found the head of Addey Hanbury, but he couldn't quite keep his header down. Talenore though were holding firm, and even conjured up opportunities of their own, with Peder Xvarts coming closest as his low driven shot from the edge of the box skimmed the upright on its way wide. Mercury though were perhaps unlucky not to be awarded a penalty, when Foxon appeared to be caught by Petro Gjanocca, but the referee viewed that no contact had taken place, even though replays showed that it had.
Talenore had held out to the break, but started to get a foothold in the second half, playing some tidy short passes and keeping the ball well in the midfield. They had a chance to take the lead when Kali Kalani found himself free in the box, but whilst his shot beat the keeper, Chris Deacon was on hand to clear the ball of the line to keep Mercury level. Mercury were able to eventually gain a period of control in the second half, but could only really create one chance of note, with William Fresnel slipping in Stephen Rydberg, but the May Wanderers midfielder snatched at his shot and ended up being a simple save for Tolâso to deal with. But just as fans began feeling that the game would go to extra time, up stepped Mercury with the goods to send themselves to the semis. With under five minutes to go, Wilmont Fizeau-Blake found space on the edge of the box and dinked a ball through to Joe Foxon, who side footed it first time between the legs of the onrushing Tolâso to send the Mercurian fans wild. Talenore were unlucky to lose, but Mercury were able to find the moment of magic to break the deadlock and send them through to the final four.
Spoiler!
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Re: 2019 FMF World Cup - official reports and broadcasts
Semi-finals
August 13th
SF1: Birgeshir v Mercury*
August 14th
SF2: Kingdom of Coria v Senya*
Asterisked matches will tentatively be broadcast in full.
August 13th
SF1: Birgeshir v Mercury*
August 14th
SF2: Kingdom of Coria v Senya*
Asterisked matches will tentatively be broadcast in full.
Re: 2019 FMF World Cup - official reports and broadcasts
My predictions.
Senya to thrash Coria 4-1 and Mercury to win on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Senya to thrash Coria 4-1 and Mercury to win on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
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