Liga Starblaydia Season 1
Contents
Liga Starblaydia - Season 1
First Half
The new format of the Starblaydi Liga kicked off in the bright sunshine of Veles, who immediately went top of the table after one day with a Three-Nil win. Marco Del Blanco scored on his debut for the Montepool Waves, while a Zhorin Tumunzahar strike earned the Widdrington Wolves a point. Matchday Two saw the arrival of the Daii and their new signing Carmine Mbidzo, however, they travelled to Montepool and lost 4-2, though Belizaire and Mbidzo scored the goals for the Iskara team.
Things got worse for Iskara Daii as they drew their next three matches and were winless after five games; sitting, god forbid, in the relegation zone along with Tournetas and the Hernsworth Cubs. Tuade Lue was obviously under pressure in the manager's position, being thirteen points beind the early leaders Internashionale. Mbidzo must have been regretting his move to the Daii at this point.
Matchday Seven saw Montepool move to the top with their 100% record of six wins in six. MArco Del Blanco bagged a hat-trick as they destroyed Inter 3-0. The Daii picked up their first win against the Pennies, Antonis Ratuva showing his leadership qualities by dragging them from a goal down at Foundation Road to win 2-1 with goals from himself and Belizaire. Aquiliana's Titus Grimann was firing Jhanna City into a win over the Hallad Reavers as Tumunzahar kept up his scoring-streak in a 3-1 win at home to the all-Britannican Hernsworth Cubs.
Young Druidan Trevor Bent was cashing in at the Vecchio Victors with goals in three consecutive games, while the solid team-work of Hecia downed the Daii 2-1. Montepool streteched to a massive nine-game winning Streak before losing their form and taking just two points in four games. The Daii were coming back into form with two consecutive 4-0 wins at Widdrington and Foxchester, leaping up the table. The players of Insane Inflation at Phraen Palace were still chalking up the points as they were mid-table, with T.I. Yen having one of the best scoring records in the division.
At the Half-way point in the season, the new Liga looked like this, with more than a few major surprises.
Liga Starblaydia - Mid-Season, Season 1 Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts 1 Montepool Waves 20 12 4 4 33 22 11 40 2 Veles 20 11 6 3 27 17 10 39 3 Hallad Reavers 20 11 5 4 37 21 16 38 4 Internashionale 20 10 6 4 29 22 7 36 5 Hecia 20 11 2 7 26 21 5 35 6 Tabeck FC 20 9 7 4 36 25 11 34 7 Iskara Daii 20 9 6 5 33 20 13 33 8 Tuncastle Rovers 20 9 4 7 32 19 13 31 9 Hersch Albion 20 8 5 7 31 31 0 29 10 Widdrington Wolves 20 8 4 8 30 29 1 28 11 Vecchio Victors 20 8 3 9 23 22 1 27 12 Phraen Palace 20 8 2 10 31 30 1 26 13 Foxchester Raiders 20 7 5 8 24 31 -7 26 14 Corinthian Spirits 20 5 7 8 17 20 -3 22 15 Beverington Hawks 20 5 7 8 23 30 -7 22 16 Basian Valley 20 5 6 9 29 34 -5 21 17 Jhanna United 20 6 3 11 23 33 -10 21 18 Jhanna City 20 6 2 12 19 35 -16 20 -- ------------------- ---------------------------------- 19 Penningworth United 20 4 7 9 16 33 -17 19 20 Hernsworth Cubs 20 5 3 12 27 34 -7 18 21 Tournetas 20 2 8 10 16 33 -17 14
Veles and Hecia were somehow well beyond their usual positions as before they would have struggled to get out of the Gamma Division. Now, suddenly, they were both top-five material. The Daii and, to a lesser extent, Tuncastle Rovers down in 7th and 8th were seriously under-performing. A Tumunzahar-inspired Widdrington scaled heights undreamed of in mid-table, while the Vilitan pair of Tulio Arizmendi and Brandon Bonilla were having a tough time of it scrapping outside the relegation zone.
Tiberius Cup
With twenty-one teams not easily translating into a Knockout cup, the bottom team of all in last season's league standings (Hersch Albion) are automatically eliminated. The remaning twenty teams vie for the Tiberius Cup.
In the First Round, the bottom Eight teams in the previous season's standings play off to reduce twenty teams to sixteen. A normal sixteen-team knockout, drawn randomly at the beginning of each round, resumes from there
1st Round
Penningworth United 0-4 Tournetas
Tabeck FC 2-1 Hecia
Veles 3-0 Widdrington Wolves
Phraen Palace 2-3 Hernsworth Cubs
2nd Round
Tournetas 1-1 Jhanna City (AET - FT:1-1) Jhanna City win 5-4 on Penalties
Iskara Daii 1-3 Basian Valley
Hernsworth Cubs 2-4 Hallad Reavers (AET - FT:2-2)
Vecchio Victors 2-1 Veles (AET - FT:1-1)
Montepool Waves 2-0 Tuncastle Rovers
Jhanna United 1-2 Foxchester Raiders
Corinthian Spirits 1-0 Internashionale
Tabeck FC 2-0 Beverington Hawks
Quarter-Finals
Corinthian Spirits 1-1 Foxchester Raiders (AET - FT:0-0) Foxchester Raiders in 4-3 on Penalties
Basian Valley 2-1 Vecchio Victors
Tabeck FC 1-0 Jhanna City
Montepool Waves 1-0 Hallad Reavers
Semi-Finals
Tabeck FC 1-2 Montepool Waves
Vecchio Victors 0-3 Foxchester Raiders
Final
Montepool Waves 2-0 Foxchester Raiders
Second Half
Hallad, Montepool, Veles and Inter all danced merrily up and down ,sharing the top spot from week to week while the Daii closed in on all of them, grinding out the results and winning ugly while the top teams struggled to pull away. It took untill Matchday 29 for the Daii to regain their top spot, defeating Hersch Albion 1-0 and leapfrogging Veles and Inter who both slipped up. All those 1-goal wins had boosted the Daii's goal difference to the best in the league by a long way. With ten games to go, the top-six were all still in with a chance.
Liga Starblaydia - Matchday 32, Season 1 Top 6 Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts 1 Iskara Daii 30 17 7 6 51 27 24 58 2 Montepool Waves 30 17 6 7 46 33 13 57 3 Internashionale 30 15 9 6 44 32 12 54 4 Hallad Reavers 30 15 8 7 50 33 17 53 5 Veles 30 15 8 7 40 29 11 53 6 Hecia 31 17 2 12 44 36 8 53
At the bottom, however, Tournetas were all-but relegated, with Stefanos Stantzos being the only silver lining in a dismal dark cloud of an offense. An Injury to Itechton Matranga was scuppering Jhanna City's attacking prowess while it seemed Trevor Bent was the only person at the Vics who knew where the goal was.
Liga Starblaydia - Matchday 32, Season 1 Bottom 6 Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts 16 Corinthian Spirits 30 9 9 12 31 29 2 36 17 Vecchio Victors 30 10 6 14 31 39 -8 36 18 Penningworth United 31 9 8 14 32 48 -16 35 -- ------------------- ---------------------------------- 19 Jhanna City 30 9 6 15 29 49 -20 33 20 Hernsworth Cubs 31 8 3 20 40 51 -11 27 21 Tournetas 31 3 9 19 21 56 -35 18
The four teams beneath the Daii continued to chop and change position, never quite getting level with them. Emacio was doing his best to drive the Reavers forward, Del Blanco kept banging them in at the Rovers but it was Hecia's innate teamwork that was getting them level with the Daii on points. Michalis Mitrofanis and Ilias Provatidis were provinding the perfect partnership up front for Hecia. With Under-21 Runner-Up Prokopsis in net, Koentas and Gianunzio in defence and Maxios rampaging down the left with Koentas in support, this was a tactician's dream at work.
Then, with one game to go, it happened. Basian Valley took their leap out of the relegation danger-zone with a 3-1 win. Only this time it was over Iskara Daii. Despite an Mbdizo opener, the Valley fought back against the would-be champions with an incredible three goals. Coupled with a Hecian goalless draw with the Vics, Hecia were a point clear with a single match to go.
Liga Starblaydia - Matchday 41, Season 1 Top 4 Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts 1 Hecia 39 23 4 12 58 43 15 73 - --------------- ---------------------------------- 2 Iskara Daii 39 21 9 9 67 41 26 72 3 Montepool Waves 39 20 9 10 58 44 14 69 4 Internashionale 39 19 12 8 60 47 13 69
Liga Starblaydia - Matchday 41, Season 1 Bottom 4 Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts 18 Hernsworth Cubs 40 12 4 24 55 65 -10 40 -- ------------------- ---------------------------------- 19 Penningworth United 39 10 10 19 37 58 -21 40 20 Jhanna City 39 10 8 21 38 64 -26 38 21 Tournetas 39 7 10 22 32 63 -31 31 Relegated
The nation held its breath as the two key games kicked off. Phraen Palace hosted the Daii, while Hecia hosted relegation-threatened Jhanna City. All Hecia needed was a win to claim an incredible title. Jhanna City would not even be sure of survival even with a win.
Iskara Daii scored two quick goals against Phraen early on, surely they couldn't lose it from there. As news filtered through to Hecia, their team were showing signs of nerves. So nervous, in factm, that when Paulo Bachchan (recently returned from a short prison sentence for assault) rose highest in the box from a corner, Hecia conceded the most crucial goal of their season. Hecia went on to lose the match and the Championship. The Daii, however, go marching on after an incredible roller-coaster of a season. Hernsworth, Penningworth and Tournetas, however, will be trying to fight their way out of Liga Omega next season.
Final Standings
Liga Starblaydia - Final Standings Season 1 Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts C Iskara Daii 40 22 9 9 70 41 29 75 Champions League 2 Hecia 40 23 4 13 58 44 14 73 Champions League - ------------------------------------------------------------- 3 Hallad Reavers 40 21 8 11 70 48 22 71 NSFA Cup 4 Montepool Waves 40 20 9 11 58 45 13 69 NSFA Cup - ------------------------------------------------------------- 5 Internashionale 40 19 12 9 61 50 11 69 6 Veles 40 18 12 10 57 42 15 66 7 Foxchester Raiders 40 18 9 13 62 61 1 63 8 Tabeck FC 40 15 13 12 64 57 7 58 9 Widdrington Wolves 40 16 9 15 59 57 2 57 10 Tuncastle Rovers 40 16 8 16 57 51 6 56 11 Beverington Hawks 40 14 13 13 51 49 2 55 12 Corinthian Spirits 40 14 11 15 46 41 5 53 13 Phraen Palace 40 15 7 18 64 67 -3 52 14 Jhanna United 40 14 8 18 54 62 -8 50 15 Basian Valley 40 13 10 17 53 61 -8 49 16 Hersch Albion 40 12 11 17 63 70 -7 47 17 Vecchio Victors 40 12 10 18 42 53 -11 46 18 Jhanna City 40 11 8 21 39 64 -25 41 - ------------------------------------------------------------- 19 Hernsworth Cubs 40 12 4 24 55 65 -10 40 Relegated 20 Penningworth United 40 10 10 20 38 62 -24 40 Relegated 21 Tournetas 40 7 11 22 33 64 -31 32 Relegated
Season 1 Awards
Player of the Year
Nick Matranga - Montepool Waves
Matranga beats off compeition from four top-scorers thanks to his tireless efforts in the Montepool midfield, leading the team single-handed for most of the season. Lifting the Tiberius Cup helped, too.
Other nominees: Darius Belizaire, Zhorin Tumunzahar, Carmine Mbidzo, Raphael Delgado.
Young Player of the Year
Zhorin Tumunzahar - Widdrington Wolves
Adding to his two bronze and one silver medal in the Under-21 Championships, Zhorin nearly won the golden boot on his own, a sure-fire winner for this award, but can the Wolves stave off Vilitan interest in this Dwarf?
Other nominees: Rueben Laberge, Micahlis Mitrofanis
Striker of the Year
Darius Belizaire - Iskara Daii
Twenty-six goals for Belizaire, just imagine what he could have bagged on his own, or not having to have Mbidzo have twenty-two of them? Starblaydia's Number-Ten is well worth his weight in Golden Boots.
Other nominees: Carmine Mbidzo, Zhorin Tumunzahar
Midfielder of the Year
Raphael Delgado - Hallad Reavers
In a packed five-man Reavers midfield, Delgado shone with great goals and performances throughout the season.
Other nominees: Frederic La Salle, Anotinus Ratuva
Defender of the Year
Dimitrios Steliopolous - Veles
Taking Veles higher than their wildest dreams, Dimitri was perhaps the key factor in both their attack and defense. Simply briliant.
Other nominees: Jamie Majeed, Armand Gianunzio
Goalie of the Year
How did Hecia get so high? Many would point to Prokopsis' supreme ability in goal, and Under-21 Silver Medallist, he can only improve with age.
Other nominees: Fernando De Marco, Nick Cavaletti
Goal of the Season
Carmine Mbidzo - Iskara Daii (Iskara Daii Vs Montepool Waves, Matchday 23)
A cracking right-foot 30-yarder after a great counter-attack initated by Thanh Madray.
Golden Boot
Golden Boot Top 10
Player Goals Team Darius Belizaire 26 Iskara Daii Zhorin Tumunzahar 24 Widdrington Wolves Michalis Mitrofanis 23 Hecia Carmine Mbidzo 22 Iskara Daii Nikki Inostraza 21 Jhanna United Raphael Delgado 18 Hallad Reavers Akira Jones 18 Beverington Hawks Marco Del Blanco 17 Tuncastle Rovers Ilias Provatidis 17 Hecia Trevor Bent 16 Vecchio Victors
Other Players in Double-Figures
Player Goals Team Frederic La Salle 15 Iskara Daii Kurt Recinos 15 Hersch Albion Titus Grimann 14 Jhanna City Rhys Owens 14 Tuncastle Rovers John Pompey 13 Montepool Waves Royal Seaford 13 Tabeck FC T.I. Yen 13 Phraen Palace Quentin Bentley 12 Foxchester Raiders Colin Forsham 12 Veles Juan Silva de Souza 12 Corinthian Spirits John Schofield 12 Widdrington Wolves Danos Sendris 12 Tournetas Neil Swallow 12 Hallad Reavers Darryl Carpenter 11 Internashionale Darryl Lamphear 11 Beverington Hawks William Manney 11 Foxchester Raiders Julio Matis 11 Penningworth United Nick Matranga 11 Montepool Waves Jack Maxios 11 Hecia David Bond 10 Montepool Waves Paul Fortier 10 Corinthian Spirits Thanh Madray 10 Iskara Daii Itechton Matranga 10 Jhanna City Dimitri Steliopolous 10 Veles
Foreigner Report
Bedistan
One Bedistani, one Liga Winner's Medal. Young Quentin Phillips may only be a substitute for his nation, but after a poor start he found his feet and began to integrate well with those around him in Starblaydia's most cosmopolitan side.
Druida
Craig Gawain's best performances came from pushing up and feeding the ball to Inostraza at Jhanna United, though he didn't get foward often enough for the Manager's liking. The Druidans of Tuncastle Rovers did better, however, Rhys Owens just breaking in to the top-ten goalscorers for the season with 14, his partnership with Marco Del Blanco will surely develop, perhaps being as red-hot as before with former Starblaydi Striker (and now Rovers' Manager) Karl Robertson. Glynn Davies in the midfield was also impressive in fits and starts, though never really communicated enough with his back-four to be a real gem. Young Trevor Bent at the Vics had an excellent personal debut in Liga Starblaydia, being the tenth-highest scorer with 16 goals.
Insane Inflation
'Whatever happened to them?' I hear you cry. Well, the Phraen Palace quartet of Hans Eichel, Lyndon Johnson, Kwanza Nouveau and T.I. Yen are still being flogged for all they are worth, approximately the price of a cheeseburger at most Starblaydi fast food resturaunts, though that's enough Totally Inflated Yen to fill a large Stadium.
Sarzonia
Lemmy Crozen's old legs are still going for the mid-table Spirits, while Emacio keeps dragging his team from the back foot to attacking positions. Perhaps not as fast as before, but still highly effective in the 3rd-Placed team.
Turori
Nikki Inostraza was proving his worth to the Jhanna United fans as he had to work almost on his own throughout the season to get any goals for his defensive-minded side. Hong Knapko and Jarod Dreka didn't have much to be pleased about, as their Vecchio Victors side lacked the ability to hold onto wins or draws, continually snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. The Vics should be back to true form next season, or else things will certainly change at that club.
Vilita
Three Vilitans came away with Liga Winner's Medals to their names, Carmine Mbizdo picked up Goal of the Season for a cracking 30-yarder after a great counter-attack by Thanh Madray. Antonis Ratuva was edged out of Midfielder of the year while Rueben Laberge was runner-up to the irrepressable Zhorin Tumunzahar for Young Player of the Year. Tyrone Amaan progreesed in his midfield partnership with Fernando Branco for Basian Valley while Clayton Smeuk propped up the left side of the Hallad Reaver's defence with good skill. Brandon Bonilla had a tough time of it with Jhanna City, as a string of niggling injuries in key games kept him out of their relegation struggle for long periods. K'van DeAngelo was part of a truly pitiful Pennies side who's relegation will have huge repurcussions for all concerned at that once-great club.
Find the brightly-coloured Jolt-version post of this report here
| Preceded by: Starblaydi Football League |
Liga Starblaydia Season 1 |
Followed by: Liga Starblaydia Season 2 |
