Candelaria And Marquez national football team

Candelaria And Marquez National Football Team

Nickname	Big Blues
Association	C&M Association Football Association
Coach	Mark Baker
Asst Coaches	Ricardo Garcia Steve Loovens Elroy Ergin
Captain	Peter Waddington
Most caps	Millerman Sheppard (38)
Most caps (Modern era)	Reuben Uwakwe, Benji Fu (24)
Top scorer (Modern era)	Steven Fritz (12)
Home Stadium	Millerman Sheppard Stadium, Albrecht
First international The Candelarias 0 - 13 Northern Ireland (Albrecht, Candelaria; 30 November, 1907)
First competitive international C&M 2 - 0 Vephrall (Limassol Memorial, The Lowland Clans, BoF QFs)
Largest competitive win C&M 4 - 0 Sorthern Northland (MSS, Albrecht, WC 36 Qualifying)
Worst competitive defeat C&M 0 - 4 Az-cz (MSS, Albrecht, WC 36 Qualifying)
KPB Ranking 56
World Cup
Appearances	World Cup 36 (Qualifying)

Overview

Despite the enduring popularity of the sport in the islands, C&M has never been able to claim a national football team to rave about. The unstable nature of the domestic league made maintaining a competitive national side extremely difficult. Over the years, many of the country's better players chose to make their livings on far-off shores, and though such names as Rastus Lord, Bill Peters and Tom McIndoe are fondly remembered, they played few matches of consequence for their country. The national side's chances were also damaged by the relative lack of public support, with many potential fans preferring to shout for nations representing their ancestral homelands.

After the re-vitalisation of the domestic league as the CMSC, and in an effort to avoid talented C&M-born players attracting the interest of foreign clubs, the national team was scrapped. This status was only revoked in January 2006, following which the Minister for Sport, Tatulya Samed, underlined the government's support for the national team, it's entry into larger tournaments and attempts to secure more high-profile friendly games. The country duly entered World Cup 36, the preceeding Baptism of Fire, and following Cup of Harmony.

For reasons unknown, but probably involving Quantum, C&M players age two years between World Cups.

Playing history

Baptism of Fire (World Cup 36)

The pre- World Cup 36 'BoF' had an unusual format, involving seven 'challenges' in its group stage rather than full games. C&M 'won' all of these, leaving them second in their Group behind Daehanjeiguk, who also had a 100% record but a superior 'points difference'.

C&M played their first ever competitive game in the competition's Quarter-Finals.

QF: C&M 2 - 0 Vephrall [1]
SF: C&M 3 - 3 Daehanjeiguk [2]
(3 - 3 after extra time, Daehanjeiguk won 1 - 2 on penalties)

MD1: C&M 1 - 0 Billopesha [21]
MD2: Rastafariburg 0 - 3 C&M [22]
MD3: Qazox 1 - 1 C&M [23]
MD4: Kelssek 1 - 2 C&M [24]
MD5: C&M 0 - 1 Miamoria [25]
MD6: C&M 0 - 0 Jeruselem [26]
MD7: Yafor 2 0 - 0 C&M [27]
FRN: C&M 3 - 1 Kura-Pelland [28]

Coach

Mark Baker resigned from Albrecht Turks to take the role full-time half way through C&M's World Cup 36 qualifying campaign.

Players

Current squad

All stats refer to games at the Baptism of Fire, World Cup Qualifying, Cups of Harmony, and WCC-sanctioned friendlies.

Former Players (Modern Era)

Noted Past Players

Millerman Sheppard is by some distance the country's most famous historical player, as a striker for Albrecht FC and Arrigo Portuguese FC and later as manager of Albrecht Turkish. After him though, you're struggling frankly.

Youth Teams

I expect there are some.

Women's National Team

There's definitely one of those. But seriously, girls playing football? Come on.

External Links

Current squad