Difference between revisions of "Starblaydia Under-21s"

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Starblaydia Under-21s

Nickname	Officially None (formerly The Blades, also called The Purple Peril, White-and-purples or Men In Mauve by other nation's fans)
Association	Starblaydi Football Association
Coach	Jaime Oberlander
Most caps	Nunzio Gre and Gbenga Ogunniya (23)
Top scorer	Zhorin Tumunzahar (18)
First international Starblaydia 2 - 4 Europa Brittania (TnUI, U21WC3 group stage, Matchday 1)
Largest win Starblaydia 8 - 1 Oaker (TnUI, U21WC8, Second Round) Starblaydia 7 - 0 The Belmore Family (TnUI, U21WC20 group stage, Matchday 3)
Worst defeat Hockey Canada 3 - 0 Starblaydia (TnUI, U21WC19, Quarter Final)
Under-21 World Cup
Appearances	19 (First in U21WC3)
Best result	Champions, U21WC14

With the Starblaydia Under-21s, Starblaydia have one of the top Under-21 World Cup youth systems in the World, and this has been the case for over thirty years, as well as having been placed in the top-three finishing positions of six consecutive Championships from U21WC11 to U21WC16.

World Champions in Under-21 World Cup 14 immediately followed a Second-Place in U21WC13, both under the managership of Simeone Di Bradini. World Cup 15 also saw them take second place. They have been Third-Placed in five seperate occasions in the tournament hosted perennially by Total n Utter Insanity. Under-21 World Cup 5, 7, 11, 12 and 16 have seen Starblaydia take the Bronze Medals. As of Under-21 World Cup 14, they were seeded as the best team in the World for the first time, taking the title over high-scoring complete unknowns Nedalia in the Final.

The Under-21s is the main proving ground for would-be International Players and seeing their team gives us an exciting insight into Starblaydi teams of the future.

Managers

• Guylain N'Dumbu-Nsungu: U21WC3 → U21WC12
• Simeone Di Bradini (with Nikola Lazerevski): U21WC13 & 14
• Khim Azanulbizarn: U21WC15 → U21WC21
• Jaime Oberlander: Post-U21WC21 → AO U21 Cup 1
• Apollina Iakovakis: Di Bradini Cup1 → Present

Guylain N'Dumbu-Nsungu first managed the Under-21 side, before going on to manage the senior side. While in control of the old men, he sent various assistants to allow him to manage the Under-21s 'remotely'. After leaving the full Starblaydia job by mutual consent, he also left the Under-21 Managership. Simeone Di Bradini, assisted by Nikola Lazerevski, Managed the Under-21 side to their two consecutive Final appearances, with Nikola going on to assist Rikaard Van Honjiik in managing the Starblaydi national side. Khim Azanulbizarn took over as manager for Under-21 World Cup 15 onwards. After a long stint he went on to take control of the senior side for World Cup 26 onwards while later double-World Cup Winner Jaime Oberlander took control of the team straight after his World Cup 28 win.

Captains

U21WC3: Olaf Vikerman

U21WC4: Spike Martin

U21WC5: Eomer Hall

U21WC6: Jean-Pierre Durand

U21WC7: Jerome Montefalcon

U21WC8: Geraint Evans

U21WC9: Nick Matranga

U21WC10: Zacariah Loze

U21WC11: Martin Watt

U21WC12: Gbenga Ogunniya

U21WC13: Gbenga Ogunniya

U21WC14: Nunzio Gre

U21WC15: Nunzio Gre

U21WC16: Christian Macia

U21WC17: Giovanni Lopez

U21WC18: Danzir Garahildim

U21WC19: Menecrates

U21WC20: Cherry Garcia

U21WC21: Georges Blanc

Nemyan Swiss Cheese Cup: Fillipo Zinaldi

Puntafora Football Invitational: Stephen Adams

AO Under-21 Cup 1: Darijo Cravex

Di Bradini Cup 1: Roque Bravo

Kit

Home

Simeone Di Bradini while playing for the Under-21s in U21WC3

Away

The Away Kit varies from Championship to Championship, though usually is an inverse of the Home kit with predominant Purple trimmed with White. Bronze and Black was used after Starblaydia's fourth 3rd-Place finish in U21WC12, promoting the Kit Desginer to issue Bronze-coloured away kits for the 13th Championship. After finishing second to Fmjpheonix in U21WC13, the Away kit became All-Purple with Silver Trim.

Record Holders

The current record for number of Under-21 Caps is shared between Gbenga "D.J." Ogunniya and Nunzio Gre, both spent time as the Captain of the side and both emerged to the senior side with 23 Under-21 Caps. Zhorin Tumunzahar (a Dwarf) on the other hand, is easily the all-time leading Under-21 goal-scorer with 18 Goals, which he netted in just 18 magical appearances.

Distinguished Players

As of Under-21 World Cup 19, the 10 most-capped players for Starblaydia Under-21s are:

Top Starblaydia goalscorers

Finishing Positions

U21WC3: 2nd Round

U21WC4: Group Stage

U21WC5: 3rd Place

U21WC6: Quarter-Final

U21WC7: 3rd Place

U21WC8: Quarter-Final

U21WC9: 2nd Round

U21WC10: 2nd Round

U21WC11: 3rd Place

U21WC12: 3rd Place

U21WC13: Runners-Up

U21WC14: Winners

U21WC15: Runners-Up

U21WC16: 3rd Place

U21WC17: 2nd Round

U21WC18: Quarter-Final

U21WC19: Quarter-Final

U21WC20: Quarter-Final

U21WC21: 2nd Round

Under-21 World Cup 14

The team

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Starblaydia's starting line-up for the tournament

This team could be world-beaters

—SCB Commentator, on the Starbladyi squad[1]

Starblaydia entered the 14th Under-21 World Cup having lost in the previous final, two years earlier, to Fmjphoenix. It was a very different prospect from the Ogunniya, Steliopolous, Prokopsis and Tumunzahar-inspired 'Silver Generation' of just two years before. In fact, Captain Nunzio Gre and midfielder Juan Santiago were the only first-team survivors from the team so narrowly beaten by Fmjphoenix in the last final. Corominas, who shot to fame as the first Starblaydi 'keeper ever to score, found himself with a move to a team in Rejistania, where he was quite often the most forward-minded player on the pitch, frequently dribbling out of his box or going up to take free kicks, penalties or be a target for corners.

Group stage

Starblaydia started their championship drive by getting off to a flyer [2], as they destroyed the team from Fimble loving peoples by five goals to one, and sat on top of Group A with a plus-four goal differential.

"I think we should end up topping this group, otherwise they'll have my head. Not literally, of course, I hope."

—Under-21 Manager Simeone Di Bradini, on his team's Group expectations.

A pair of goals from both Itechton Matranga and Florencio Zaragoza, along with a fifth from Surachai Buathiang gave them the win, the only response coming from FLP striker Aiken. Their next match was a four-one demolition of East Lithuania [3]. Two first-half goals from Christian Macia were supplemented by second-half strikes from Michalis Mitrofanis and the captain: Nunzio Gre. Mid-way through the qualifying, Simeone Di Bradini was embroiled in a minor war of words with the Hockey Canadian coach, Toe Blake, over Blake's "foolproof" defensive tactic [4]. The Canucks would later go on to win Under-21 World Cup 17, and finish second in the nineteenth and twentieth editions, but not with that tactic [5], described as a 'sweeperless Christmas-Tree formation' by SDB [6].

"I'd love to be an Under-21 striker against them, they have this massive hole at the back, right in the middle. I've never seen anything like it. Somehow they manage to have five defenders and lots of width, but no one whatsoever in the middle of the park. It's like they have an aversion to their own penalty area, its perfect tactic for Route-One football to play against. If I was playing now, I'd drop back a little and keep the midfield occupied, then break fast into the wide-open space that they have in front of their goal and have one-on-one's with the 'keeper until they did realised what a mistake they were making. Even then, I'd be dragging another player or two out of position, leaving gaps for others to exploit. It's foolproof, certainly, in the literal sense of the word, but most people at this level aren't fools. I'd also question their opinions on the qualities of the teams they're playing in Group B, but when you're the considered the best team in the World, you have a much different veiwpoint of Under-21 teams like the Atlantis of Vilita and Gaian Ascendancy."

—Under-21 Manager Simeone Di Bradini, on Hockey Canada's U21WC14 chances.

Starblaydia's final Group A match was another four-one thrashing, this time of Stumperia. With three wins from three, the first seeds had a plus-ten goal difference, with thirteen goals scored and three conceded. They faced Giant Zucchini in the Second Round, who finished second in Group C behind Jeruselem but above Starblaydia's Bekkside neighbours, Druida.

Knockout stages

Starblaydia defeated the Zucchini's 2-0 to set up a Quarter-Final with sixth-seeds Vilita, who topped Group B - above Hockey Canada - and defeated Corneliu 5-1 in their Second-Round match. Hockey Canada lost their hard-fought last-sixteen match to Fmjphoenix's last-minute goal. Starblaydia came through their Last-Eight match thanks to a timely substitution from Simeone Di Bradini, bringing on Mitrofanis, who scored the second, and winning, goal. Starblaydia had earlier scored through Itechton Matranga, cancelled out by Julian Lisbie for the Vilitans.

In the Semi-Finals, three of the top four seeds had made it through. Starblaydia (1st) were to play Jeruselem (2nd), while Sarzonia (3rd) had by far the easiest match, playing the unranked Nedalia. In the event, Starblaydia defeated Jeruselem 2-1 with goals from Zaragoza and, almost unbelievably, their goalkeeper Corominas. Sarzonia, however, lost to Nedalia, and the all-Atlantian Oceania final was to be Starblaydia vs Nedalia.

The final

• First half commentary (SCB:Sports)
• Second half commentary (Nedalian Broadcaster)

	Starblaydia squad - Under-21 World Cup 14 Champions
1 Corominas | 2 Graydon | 3 Hawke | 4 Cuevo | 5 Gre (c) | 6 Vidal | 7 Santiago | 8 I. Matranga | 9 Zaragoza | 10 Macia | 11 Buathiang | 12 Mathias | 13 Kippenberger | 14 Hernandez | 15 Fortuna | 16 Faison | 17 Aguilera | 18 Mitrofanis | 19 Maestas | 20 L. Lopez | 21 Rivera | 22 Diaz | 23 G. Lopez | Coach: S. Di Bradini

Championship Records

U21WC Results Table

This table takes into account results in Normal and Extra-Time, Matches which go to penalties are counted as draws. Results are up to the end of Under-21 World Cup 21

 Nation                 P  W  D  L  GF  GA
 -----------------------------------------
 Adrasuvare             1  1  0  0   3   0
 An archy               1  1  0  0   3   2
 Aquiliana              2  1  0  1   3   3
 Bedistan               2  0  1  1   2   3
 Bettia                 1  1  0  0   1   0
 Caprine States         1  1  0  0   5   0
 Cockbill Street        5  3  1  1  10   8
 Creedence Clearwater   1  1  0  0   2   0
 Crystilakere           4  3  1  0  11   2
 Druida                 6  4  0  2  16  10
 East Lithuania         2  1  1  0   4   1
 Europa Brittania       1  0  0  1   2   4
 Fimble Loving Peoples  1  1  0  0   5   1
 Five Civilized Nations 1  1  0  0   2   0
 Fmjphoenix             4  2  1  1   9   4
 Gaian Ascendancy       1  1  0  0   1   0
 Giant Zucchini         3  3  0  0   9   3
 Haperd                 1  1  0  0   1   0
 Hiiraan                3  3  0  0  10   3
 Hockey Canada          3  1  0  2   2   5
 Hypocria               1  1  0  0   3   2
 Jeruselem              2  2  0  0   5   3
 Jon Parkin             1  1  0  0   4   1
 Kaze Progressa         1  1  0  0   4   3
 Kirata                 1  1  0  0   4   0
 Krytenia               2  2  0  0   6   1
 Kylaai                 3  2  0  1   8   5
 Legalese               1  1  0  0   4   2
 Liverpool England      2  1  1  0   3   0
 Lovisa                 1  1  0  0   4   2
 Magnus Valerius        1  1  0  0   3   1
 Maserrat               1  1  0  0   3   0
 Milchama               1  0  0  1   2   3
 Nedalia                4  1  1  2   5   7
 Oaker                  3  2  1  0  11   3
 Oceaice                1  1  0  0   2   1
 Oddslavo               1  1  0  0   3   1
 Oglethorpia            2  1  0  1   2   2
 Oliverry               1  1  0  0   5   4
 Raptor Claw            1  1  0  0   4   3
 Rejistania             1  0  0  1   0   1
 San Verdi              1  1  0  0   4   0
 Sarzonia               3  3  0  0   8   3
 Sliponia               1  1  0  0   5   2
 Sonaron                1  1  0  0   4   2
 South Osettia          2  2  0  0   6   1
 Spruitland             4  4  0  0   9   2
 Spurland               1  1  0  0   1   0
 Stumperia              1  1  0  0   4   1
 Tanah Burung           1  0  0  1   0   1
 The Belmore Family     1  1  0  0   7   0
 The Eagles Nest        2  2  0  0   7   2
 The Islands of Qutar   1  1  0  0   4   0
 The Lowland Clans      2  2  0  0   7   2
 Tonissia               2  2  0  1   4   3
 Turori                 2  1  1  0   5   2
 Vilita                 2  1  0  1   3   4
 Vtorbetin              1  0  0  1   1   2
 Wizardman              1  0  0  1   1   3
                        ------------------
                        P  W  D  L  GF  GA
 Total                105 76  9 20 268 122

U21WC Results Total

Games Played: 105

Games Won: 76

Games Drawn: 9

Games Lost: 20

Highest Seeding: 1st (U21WC14, U21WC15, U21WC16 ^, U21WC21^^)

Highest Finishing Position: 1st (U21WC14)

^ Starblaydia were Joint-1st Seeds with Fmjphoenix for U21WC16
^^ Starblaydia were Joint-1st Seeds with Fmjphoenix and Pacitalia for U21WC21

Other Tournaments

'Other tournaments include the 'Nemyan Swiss Cheese Cup', hosted in Legalese and Casari, the Puntafora Football Invitational held in Pacitalia, the first AO Under-21 Cup, in Myrtannia and the Starblaydi-hosted Di Bradini Cup

 Nation                 P  W  D  L  GF  GA
 -----------------------------------------
 Anathematic Republics  1  0  1  0   3   3
 Becquerelia            1  0  1  0   0   0
 Bostopia               1  1  0  0   2   0
 Haraki                 1  0  1  0   1   1
 Fmjphoenix             1  0  0  1   1   2
 Kura-Pelland           1  0  0  1   2   3
 Legalese               1  1  0  0   4   1
 Minilla Island         1  1  0  0   4   1
 Pacitalia              1  0  1  0   0   0
 Quakmybush             1  1  0  0   3   1
 Third England          1  0  1  0   1   1
 The Lowland Clans      2  0  1  1   2   4
 Yafor 2                1  0  1  0   2   2
 Yishrael               1  1  0  0   2   0  
                        ------------------
                        P  W  D  L  GF  GA
 Total                 15  5  7  3  27  19

Golden Generation

The U21WC14-winning team became know as the Golden Generation of Starblaydi Football, due to their unbridled talent and the fact they actually won the Under-21 World Cup, before going on to win other tournaments.

Titles

	The Protectorate of Starblaydia
Main article: Starblaydia Provinces: Basia, Cedrus, Fraxinus, Gar-Hallad, Hecia, Jhan, Neveheim, Phraen, Pineus, Quercus, Riegas , Salicus, Tournetas, Ulneus, Urjal, Veles, Victoria Major cities: Jhanna, Tabeck, Ionia, Vecchio, Penningworth, Corinth, Tournet, Nidola Sport: Sport in Starblaydia, Starblaydia national football team, Starblaydia Under-21s, Rayzors, Golden Generation, Liga Starblaydia, Simeone Di Bradini International Organisations: AORDO, Olympic Council, Olympic Upper Council, Strategic Alliance, World Cup Committee Miscellaneous: History of Starblaydia, Armed Forces, Starblaydi Credit, Political parties, Starblaydia Triumphant, Tiberius Starblayde, White Lion, Vegan