U21 Lions World Cup 16

The Group Stage

Nedalia came into the tournament with high expectations and team that looked ready to do some damage. For the insiders in the know, they had quietly named the Lions one of the top teams in the tournament and definitely one of the teams to watch. However, this was not a general sentiment that was felt by everyone, as this was only the Lions 3rd U21 World Cup. Their group featured Oaker, Bedistan, and East Lithuania, a relatively easy advancement for the Lions to the 2nd round. They did not disappoint, defeating all three opponents, with the climax being the match against the northern neighbors of Bedistan.

Just one seed behind the Lions was Chicanada (seeded 7th), whose group featured Paul Sconthrope Fans, Crystilakere, and Gaian Ascendancy. Much was expected from the Gaian Ascendancy, but alas they failed to make it out of the group stages. There was very little trouble for Chicanada in qualifying, winning two of their matches and drawing their last one against AO nation Crystilakere.

The first round also brought in some shockers, more than usual considering the tournament is known for its set “powerhouses”. Spruitland was one of the first to make its mark, defeating Vilita 1-0, and then demolishing Jeresulem 3-0, sending shockwaves through the footballing world. Finalist Starblaydia were given a scare by Hypocria before finally defeating them 3-2. Nonetheless, the Hypocrians, in this match, proved to the universe they were not to be fooled and that they had to be considered as one of the top teams in the tournament. In a highly built up match between the two allies of Pacitalia and Sarzonia, the Pacitalians won 3-2 in what many consider one of the best matches in U21 World Cup 16. What it definitely did was put the Pacitalians back on the football radar, and through Sarzonia into an absolute free fall, resulting in the resignation of manager Valentin Kienzl.

The 2nd Round

The Lions were rewarded with a match against a very strong Jeresulem team for winning all 3 of their group stage matches in convincing fashion. This match would prove to be the biggest test Nedalia had in the tournament, with the match going all the way to penalties. They were finally able to overcome and defeat Jeresulem and avenge their loss to them in the World Cup prior to this one. As for Chicanada, they were drawn up against the 15th seeded Cockbill Street. They overcame them 2-1, setting up their match-up with unranked Kassyyk, who had defeated Oglethorpia 6-4 in a immensely exciting 2nd round match. Other notable 2nd round match-ups included Spruitland vs. Oaker, which the Bunnies won 2-1, earning a draw with Starblaydia in the Quarter-Finals. In a clash of “Nations with a Country’s Name”, Hockey Canada, who have been ranked the number 1 seed for the upcoming World Cup, defeated Liverpool England 1-0, drawing defending champions and pre-tournament favorites Fmjphoenix, who advanced after defeating Crystilakere in convincing fashion, 2-0. Despite being favored by Nedalian experts to make it to the Quarter-Finals atleast, Pacitalia’s dreams where ended short, falling to a motivated Hypocrian side 3-2, which set up Nedalia’s Quarter-Final matchup.

Quarter-Finals

The Hypocria vs. Nedalia match has been brewing for years, and the tension could’ve been felt a thousand miles away. After a few jabs through the media, it was time to decide who would advance to the semi-finals. After a 2-2 draw at the end of regular time, Nedalia pulled off one of the most spectacular performances witnessed in U21 history, scoring 3 goals in extra time to advance to the Semi-Finals, defeating their opponents 5-2.

The winner of the Starblaydia vs. Spruitland match would face the Lions in the Semi-Finals, and this one was possibly one of the most anticipated matches in the entire tournament. The highly talented newcomer versus the timeless, dominant giant. Unfortunately for Spruitland, it was the Starblaydian squad, through their sheer talent and experience, that won the match and advanced to the Semi-Finals. Spruitland felt what Nedalia had to go through these past two worldcups, that is going on an impressive run only to be brought back down to earth by Starblaydia.

The new number one seed, Hockey Canada, would battle with the defending champions, Fmjphoenix, for the rights to advance to that prestigious final four. And indeed, they were able to pull off one of the bigger upsets in the tournament, defeating the defending champions 2-0 in quite impressive fashion. They would face Chicanada, who were able to put away Kassyyk, another gifted unranked team, in just as impressive fashion, 3-1.

Semi-Finals

For Nedalians everywhere, there could be no bigger match than the one against Starblaydia. Having knocked them out of the two previous World Cups (not to mention defeating them in the Finals of World Cup 14), there was a certain feeling of revenge seething through the Nedalian players. Many of them were on the team that made it to the Finals, and they were ready to dish out some punishment of their own. When the final whistle rang throughout the stadium with Nedalia up 2-1, the fans could not contain their excitement. They rushed the field and celebrated their victory in high fashion, their first victory against Starblaydia and the one that would send them to the Finals.

In the other Semi-Final matchup, Chicanada, who had quietly advanced to this far without making too much noise, faced Hockey Canada, a team which many favored to win this match and advance to the Finals. It was not to be, however, as the Hockey Canadians came up short, losing the match 2-0. The loss against Chicanada could just as much be attributed to their tiredness than to the Chicanadian football skills. Regardless, it was Chicanada who proved to be the better team, advancing to the Finals for the first time ever.

The Final Match

The Chicanadans will be upset with a call or two that didn’t go their way, but all in all, the match was pretty much of any controversy, with Nedalia coming out deserved winners. The match itself wasn’t as tactical as the one played against Jeresulem, or as high paced as the one against Hypocria, but was entertaining in its own right. With the right mix of defense and offense being played, it kept fans on their seats, especially the last few minutes.

After scoring the first goal through Lumiere in the 34th minute, the Lions believed they had a nice one goal cushion going into the 2nd half. Chicanada, however, had other plans. Merely minutes into the 2nd half, they scored a wonderful goal to put the game back into equal territory. The match would go back and forth until the final minutes of the game, and as they have done so many times this tournament, the Lions refused to die and turned up the effort. In the 87th minute, in typical Nedalian fashion, they were rewarded for their efforts as, appropriately enough, Constantine scored a marvelous goal after dribbling by 3 defenders.

Man of the Tournament

Constantine: The player led the team through thick and thin, scoring winning goals and setting up magnificent plays. His performance in this U21 World Cup was his coming of age, and immediately earned himself a call up to the first team.