The Show Goes On

The MAFL and Dong Ji have confirmed that they will press on with the season schedule next weekend. Hou’s funeral will take place on Jovis, 3 days before the club’s match on the afternoon of Solis. Originally planned as an away game, the Comets have agreed to play in Huacheng to allow for a pre-game memorial service to honour Hou. 

Hou’s death has been difficult to process. Had he suffered an accident on the pitch, it would have been more straight forward to assign blame and easier to accept.

“Physical risk and injury is expected in Aero Football,” says DJ captain, Ekberg, “But we don’t often talk about the head games and emotional baggage that come with competition.” 

Some argue that it goes much deeper than simply the pressure of playing professional ball, but that this is a specific byproduct of 1st generation Martians. Colonists from Earth undergo months (if not years) of pre-screening and preparation to come to Mars, but what can be done for those born here? 

Not only has the 1st generation grown up in completely different conditions than their parents, their conception and very existence is only possible as a result careful genetic manipulation. Considering each colony applies their own flavour of research and methodology to the process, procreation is truly a ongoing life sciences experiment. 

It is no secret that those born on Mars suffer unique challenges. Anecdotally, people label them as unmotivated or even ‘disgruntled’. However, there is increasing evidence that the Martian-born are prone to specific disorders. Studies in Marineris found, they are 70% more likely to be diagnosed and treated for anxiety and depression. Though there are no published statistics for Huacheng, it is not unreasonable to assume similar proportions. Hou was clearly suffering and he is not alone. 

Raedale Nash, top MAFL scorer and youngest player in the league, has had to face his demons publicly. After multiple incidents on and off the field, he’s actively in treatment. Additionally, he has opted-in to perpetual monitoring by psych-bot and club trainers, who can intervene. 

As much as sports has been a positive outlet for the new generation, it has also amplified the less positive qualities that are intrinsic to all of us. It is easy to point fingers at the MAFL or at the very science that has allowed us to exist so far from our home world, but this is, indeed how we live, and sadly how we sometimes die.  

Dong Ji’s manager, Rain Chen made this statement: “This is a very sad and difficult time, but we will play on. Martians have to be resilient." 

Indeed, it is at times like this that we, as colonists, are tested and reminded of the importance of resilience.

MAFL Chronicles - China Crisis?

Before the start of the inaugural season, MAFL Commissioner Aiger Masing gave each team the task of chronicling their experiences over the 21 week season.  Each team was given the liberty to record their stories in the format of their choice.  This series shares some of the excerpts from these chronicles.   In this edition, we look at the captains from Tiangong and Huacheng.

Season 1 of MAFL will go down as a historic event for many but for the two Chinese teams, it wasn't a very encouraging start.  For the majority of the season, both teams languished at the bottom of the standings despite strong support from respective colonies.   

The following are excerpts from independent interviews with Stanislas Hachette, Captain of Tiangong Wuji, and  Qigang Lian, Captain of Huacheng Dong Ji.  

What were the expectations at the beginning of the season?

Hachette: Expectations were much higher than they should have been in Tiangong.  Being part of a new professional sport league was the buzz, so boasting about it pre-season got out of hand.  I warned everyone to be more careful about it. Most of my teammates had little exposure to football and I can honestly tell you that our exhibition games weren't strong indicators.

Lian:  It was very high... too high especially when you look at our actual performance.  That is why I and the whole team feels like we failed Huacheng.  I personally felt we would do better.  We brought together our team quickly compared with other clubs, so we felt well prepared from our extensive training as a unit.  We were able to demonstrate that with a strong start, but in many ways, this made the rest of the season very frustrating for us.

When did things started to unravel for your team?

Hachette: In the beginning, we were not very good. We lost our first three before we finally winning a match. And then, before we could get any momentum, we went on to lose 6 in a row.  There wasn't a defining moment, it was bad from the very start.

Lian:  We were 2 and 1 in our first three matches but then our pain began as we lost our next 6 matches. Many of our losses came at the hand of overtime.  This is what is upsetting because we could hold our own during the halves, but consistently lost in the shootouts.  We lost all seven overtimes. Even our very last match of the season against United went this way. 

Were there any distractions that stood out?

Hachette: I never expected so much pressure would come from a game. For us, our inexperience and a lack of dynamic, skilled players was one thing, but dealing with it mentally was our nemesis. We scored the fewest goals in the league and things like that really get to you.

Lian: There was no shortage of reports about Darkeem Dennis by the middle of the season.  He was a good teammate and he had the ability to score, but he was not happy.  He was recruited to our team and left his family and friends in Wendland for the opportunity to play sports.  It was hard for him to transition to life in Huacheng. He was becoming very lonely and distant the more we lost.  I think Darkeem going to Europa was a best move for everyone.

What were the highlights of Season 1?

A joyous moment in an otherwise dismal season - Dong Ji upsets Titans 3-1 at Olympus Park.

Lian: Our win over the Titans in Week 18 was glorious.  It was a definitive win and it showed us that we can compete against the elite teams.

Hachette: The passion and support from the fans has been unbelievable. At first, I wasn’t sure if people would care, but they did.  And they kept caring even though we weren't a winning team. I can't tell you how much that means and how much it motivates the entire team to be better next year.

Are you looking forward to next season?

Hachette:  Absolutely.  Despite the challenging year, the game an the fans are incredible.  I wouldn't trade going back to my old job for the world.  We are going to come back with a vengeance in season 2. Our manager is reviewing all our matches, so I am expecting a lot of positive changes.

Lian: We showed much promise in the 2nd half with some of our younger players improving significantly. But we have to learn how to win close matches. After we beat the Titans, we lost the next three matches to the Comets, Dynamo and United all in overtime. If we fix that issue next season, we can be contenders.

Upbeat Performances in Huacheng

Huacheng - Aquarius 15, 2077, m249

With both team already eliminated from playoff contention, this mostly meaningless match delivered clean and exciting performances from both sides.

"We were very disappointed to be cut out of a chance at the championship,', Reinmann told reporters, "But we're over that now.  Especially in light of what the league has faced, we just wanted to come in and give the fans a good match."

The somber tone set by the opening tribute to fallen Comet, Yamen Warren was followed by energetic plays.  After flirting with Dong Ji goalkeeper, Xue Su, #22 Anasova Ivanovna got a shot in from the edge of the box to get the only goal of the 1st half.

3 minutes into the 2nd, DJ Captian Lian intercepted a pass and boosted himself in for a break away shot.  It bounced off Sulzberger, but Lian was right there to finish the job with a beautiful airborne strike.

An exchange of back-to-back goals from free kicks, respectively DJ 68 Sertac and United's 29 Claudia Moruga kep the game tied as the teams sparred into the final minutes.  It would take Overtime Penalty Kicks decide the match.

This has been the achilles heel of Dong Ji all season, but even though they put in a good fight with 55 Zhao and 84 Chan, United was able to out shoot them 3-2.

22 Anosova Ivanovna scores her 2nd goal 9 minutes into the 1st half.

When asked how she felt playing this match after what had transpired just two weeks ago, Ivanonva responded, "We all love this game.  When bad things happen, it makes all of us that much more grateful to have a chance to play.  We will keep playing and the MAFL will keep getting bigger and stronger."

As Dong Ji and United pack it up for the season, two matches remain on the day, Comets vs Titans and the much anticipated battle between Amrita and Al'amal, which will decide the final playoff seed.

Novyimir Rises

Novyimir - Saturni, Makara 28, 2077, m249

It began with a pre-match tribute. A tribute to THE lives lost during the Chubarov outbreak.

Words of remorse. Words of healing. 

In times of tragedy and turmoil, we are reminded that the only true game in life is survival.  Especially on Mars with an abundance of inhospitable conditions.

During those weeks when citizens were quarantined, when families were separated, when lives were in peril, they turned to Aero Football as temporary reprieve from the daily grind of survival.

The Dynamo gave them that and more. With each week of victory, they countered the fear and despair, until the outbreak was over and the Dynamo could finally return home.

Today, top of mind was no longer the outbreak, but playoff hopes, something that seems out of reach just weeks before.

The moment of silence before the kick-off seemed to carry over into the match as both teams were silent in both halves, with barely a handful of opportunities.  That didn’t, however, seem to matter to the Novyimir crowd who were happy to have their team back on home turf. 

With the match going into overtime, favour went to the Dynamos. All season, Dongji have struggled with overtime having lost 5 matches to penalty kicks.

Noviymir's Goalkeeper, Danilovich, gets beaten by Sarah Chang, but closes the door on the other Dong Ji players in PKOT to take the win. 

The Dynamo’s Dilijen Axa opened up round 1 with a penalty shot goal which would be matched by Dongji’s Sarah Chang in Round 2.  A number of misses followed before Serhij Olehovych Stadnyk scored in Round 5 to give the Dynamo a 2-1 win in PKOT.

Dongji’s dropped to 5 and 15 for the season.

For the Dynamos, they move to 10 and 10 for the season and keep their playoff chances alive.

Hope for the final playoff spot.. 

Ten Round KO

Marineris - Solis, Makara 22, 2007, m249

With each excruciating round of penalty shots, Comets Captain Liddell Bradley could be seen visibly pleading with the referee for a break.

And after each round, the referee calmly refuted Bradley’s request until finally after the 8th round of penalty shots, with no winner declared yet, both teams participated in a MAFL first – overtime break for life support recharge.

This mid-season rule amendment was implemented shortly after the 16 penalty shot overtime match between Wuji and Al’amal in Week 12 after players and team owners expressed their safety concerns to league officials around in-match suit capabilities. 

During post-match interviews, Bradley shared highlights of his exchanges with the referee.

“I kept asking him, what are you waiting for Ref? He kept replying to me – the Optimum time. I told him, don’t listen to those robots of yours. They’re not the ones gasping for breath like the rest of us” said Bradley.

And the Comets and Dongji gasped for breath for eight rounds until the recharge and then went another two more rounds until finally a winner was declared.  Ten rounds of penalty shots and a knock out for the Comets, provided by former Dong Ji Defender Marysa Waaijer. Comets 2 – 1 in PKOT over Dongji.

Bradley and the Dongji’s Markus Ekberg were the only other players to score in penalty kicks as a parade of misses marched through overtime.

“I think nerves got the better of everyone in overtime,” said Dongji manager Rain Chen. “Penalty kicks have been a problem for us all season”.

In regulation time, the Comets’ Samantha Park opened up scoring at the 17th minute. Park exchanged passes with Bradley, who chipped a superb ball over the Dongji defence back to Park who drilled it past Xue Su into the bottom left corner.

Ekberg would respond at the 45th minute tying up the match with a spectacular overhead kick from just inside the penalty area past the Comets’ goalkeeper Zaida Agre.

For Ekberg, it was his second goal in two games as he is taking advantage of the new playing opportunity given to him in the aftermath of all the Week 15 player movement. Ekberg’s rise give Dongji a glimmer of hope for the future while the Comets are focused on the short term. 

A crucial home match for the Comets against the Immortals next week could determine the No. 2 seed in the playoffs and then a season finale with the Titans @ San Olympus to send a strong message to the other.

Unthinkable Upset - Titan lose to DJ

San Olympus, Makara 15, 2077, m249

As much as he tried to conceal it, Titans manager Paulo Salgado was baffled. His top-ranked team had just lost 3-1 to league’s worst. Reporters assembled in the Titans’ locker room after the game gingerly tried to coax some kind of explanation out of the notoriously cantankerous coach. Was it a case of fatigue? Had his team’s runaway success made the team overconfident? Did they not prepare as rigorously as usual?

“Alright, just shut up,” he said, throwing his hands in the air. “You want the honest answer? I have no idea.”

He fiddled with the zipper on his jumper. 

“This is hands-down the most embarrassing defeat of my career.” 

Paulo Salgado loses his cool after being gutting at the hands of Dong Ji.

And well, it should be. The Titans matchup against the Huacheng Dongji — in San Olympus no less, the most boisterous of MAFL stadiums – was seen as a foregone conclusion. It was so severely lopsided that many fans in San Olympus didn’t even tune in. In fact, the first-half of the game posted the lowest viewership to-date from the colony – which is usually the MAFL’s most active market. And in doing so, those fans missed the most astonishing upset in the league’s young history. 

DJ had already signalled that it had given up on the season, selling off its star Darkeem Dennis to focus on a major rebuild. Before the game, they were 4-13, firmly in last place. 

“That should teach them,” Dongji manager Rain Chen said. “Teams always rule us out. And frankly, it pisses us off. It makes us play harder. Look at today: They were so arrogant. You could tell guys thought they could just come out and pad their stats. Shooting when they shouldn’t. Trying silly moves on our defenders. “

“You can’t count any one out in this league.”

When word of Chen’s boasts reached the San Olympus locker room, it nudged (Santiago into a full-blown tantrum. 

“Coach Chen is saying he taught you a lesson,” one Huacheng-based reporter said. 

“Bullshit,” Santiago said. “That idiot has nothing to teach me. Neither do you people.” 

He signalled to a staff member, who aggressively ushered the reporters out of the room. 

Pride and Prejudice

Dong Ji Forward #22 Zhou Geng after the emotionally charged home defeat.  Geng has been scoreless in 17 games.

National Pride or National Prejudice?

Was that the prize on the table as the Battle of the Bottom Feeders collided?

In a match devoid of much meaning in the standings, the Tiangong Wuji managed to put some distance between themselves and Huacheng Dong Ji with a 1 – 0 victory.

With the win, Wuji moved to 6 and 11 for the season while Dong Ji continued their race to the bottom with a 4 and 13 record.

Wuji’s youth movement presented a glimpse of hope for the future.

A lofted pass from 19 year Khloe Mckay bounced across the edge of the area to 19 year old Achille Botrel, who struck it in the air, hitting across it with her right foot and smashing it into the far side of the goal beyond a helpless Dong Ji Goalkeeper Su Xue, at the 77th minute for the game winner.

However, the key highlights of the match, beyond the one goal generated, was the excessive amount of rough play and general ill will displayed against each other.

Reckless sliding tackles, gratuitous contact, and several heated exchanges generated two fouls each for both teams; 3 substitutions per team including one injury for Dong Ji who had to be carried off the field, and an equipment failure for a Wuji player’s oxygen tank.

After the match, Dong Ji Captain Lian was quick to point the finger at Wuji, “They should be ashamed for instigating so much careless activity. People’s livelihoods were endangered. The league should review this match and hand out suspensions or fines to prevent them from doing this again.”

Wuji Captain Stanislas Hachette replied, “Those guys aren’t innocent by any means. Look, we’ve both had horrible seasons so I think both teams were guilty of taking out some frustration on each other. ”

Hopefully both teams got some frustration out of their system because next week will likely bring more pain as Dong Ji faces the league leading Titans while Wuji battle the 2nd place Comets.

Week 16 - Day 2 Roundup

Solis, Makara 1, 2077, m249

Titans @ Dynamo

DYNAMO #7 Mariya Nikitovna DELIGHTED AFTER VICTORY AGAINS THE LEAGUE'S TOP TEAM, TITANS

Titans Fall! Titans Fall!
 
Rare have those words been spoken this season.
 
And rare is the person who would’ve guessed it would be the inconsistent Dynamo that would knock the Titans off their mountain top. 
 
And yet, here we are. In their 2nd game at Korolev Stadium, the Dynamo won their second game in a row with the season’s biggest upset, a 1-0 win over the Titans. 
 
For the Titans, this spelled the end of their 12 game winning streak as their last loss was in Week 3 due to a phenomenal four goal effort from Uday Lanka and the Immortals. 
 
One goal in the first minute was all it took to put the Titans to rest. Mariya Nikitovna intercepted a pass from defender Renatta Blundell and drilled a rising shot into the corner over goalkeeper Usian Busara for the first and only goal of the game.
 
After that first goal, the Dynamo quickly switched to a highly defensive 5-2-2-1 formation with five defenders, two defensive midfielders, two offensive midfielders and one clean striker.  
 
This helped lull the Titans’ offence (and match spectators) to a slumber as notable forwards Readale Nash and Jube Terrell were neutralized all match. 
 
New Dynamos goalkeeper, Boris Danilovich was also able to stop the few scoring chances that the Titans were able to muster. 
 
After the match, Titans Captain Raenia Ware, who missed her 4th match in a row due to an ankle sprain, would not accept any excuses for the team’s loss.
 
“It doesn’t matter if we travelled almost 10,000 km to Korolev. Travel is part of the game and we travel well in our transport”, said Ware. “I’m also not buying the anxiety thing with the ongoing Chubarov outbreak. I know United was spooked last week but the league has assured us things are safe.”
 
Titans’ manager Paulo Salgado did not take the loss lightly.
 
“This is the wakeup call our team needs because upon further reflection, we’ve been lucky during Ware’s absence. We’ve only scored one goal in four weeks yet have won 3 out of 4 matches,” said Salgado. “All this success is making us soft - we have to pick up our offense or I don’t care how many games we’ve won this season – we’ll be vulnerable in the playoffs.”
 

Dong Ji @ Al’amal

AL'AMAL #42 Adel and #4 Baddour CELEBRATING THEIR GOALS PROPELLING THE TEAM TO A WIN

In the aftermath of the Darkeem Dennis departure, Dong Ji spent all last week unsuccessfully deflecting discrimination charges fired from the media and fans.
 
And that carried onto the field as Dong Ji were unsuccessful in deflecting shots fired from Al’amal in a 2-0 loss to close out Week 16.  
 
Al’amal opened up the scoring at the 8th minute with a right-footed curling finish from 20 yards over goal keeper Xue Su for a 1-0 lead. 
 
That would be the difference maker but late in the match, at the 90th minute, Mussaddiq Baddour
 
Late in the match at the 90th minute, Al’amal Captain Musaddiq Baddour headed a volley just left of Xue Su for the 2nd goal of the match and his 5th of the season. 
 
Al’amal climbs to a 9 and 6 record for the season with Dong Ji dropping to a 4 and 12 record – sole tenants in the MAFL basement. 

Looking forward to Week 17: 
 
The Titans look to rebound against league rival the Immortals @ Amrita stadium. Both teams are tied 1-1 in their season series. Will Ware return? Will Lanka put on another scoring showcase?

• The Dynamo will travel to Marineris and look to extend their winning streak to 3 games.
• Al’amal will be @ home to play the new but not yet improved United. 
• The Battle for the Basement @ Huacheng sees Dong Ji and Wuji meet. Will anyone score?

Lanka's 10

Capricornus 21, 2077, m249

#7 Uday Lanka becomes the first player to hit 10 goals.

It was on Solis, Vrishika the 21st, Week 3, fresh in the MAFL season, and being great apparently wasn’t enough that day for Amrita Immortals’ Captain, Uday Lanka.

He had to be Phenomenal.

After already delivered a hat-trick in the first-half, giving the Immortals a comfortable 3 to 0 lead, Lanka had the to do something extraordinary.

With subtle coordinations, Immortals teammate Laurien Hagendoorn boost jumped her throw-in to a streaking Lanka who boosted a bicycle kick into the goal.  4 goals in a single match! 

This was the match that made Lanka a Legend.

Not only had he set a new bar for scoring, but he had single-handedly conquered the Titans; to-date, their only defeat.

Since his last PK goal in Week 11, however, Lanka's guns have fallen silent.  

Was it beginner's luck?  A matter of immature clubs yet to find their feet?  The effectiveness of deliberate counter-measures to stifle the league's top striker?  Or was it (as some have claimed) a slump?

Whatever the case, Lanka broke the silence with a stunning goal against Xue Su this afternoon to become the first MAFL player to break 10!

“It’s an incredible feeling. It’s been like being out of sync with the ball, but it has made today that much sweeter!”

— Uday Lanka, Immortals Captain

No doubt, Immortals owner Vijya Pandey hopes this re-ignites his star player.  With only 6 games left in the regular season, the Immortals are in a 3 way battle with Al'amal and the Comets to take down the Titans.

Today's match brings Immortals to 8 - 7 at the expense of Dong Ji who were clearly still stunned with this morning's announcement of #7 Dennis's impending transfer to Europa.

Dennis Goes West

Capricornus 21, 2077 - m249

Dennis will not be in the lineup of against the Immortals this afternoon as DJ announces a deal is underway to transfer him to Europa.  According to league Regulations, the registration window closes by the end of Week 15.

Huacheng Dongji will sell its star striker, Darkeem Dennis, to Europa United for 550,000 M-Credits in an unprecedented deal that has rocked the MAFL. 

League insiders viewed the move as Dongji acknowledging its season was lost, preferring to work on developing its prospects rather than make a futile push for the playoffs with a volatile star rumoured to be a toxic presence in the locker room. 

The deal will also provide a cash infusion to the struggling club, that has faced dismal attendance and fan engagement with a league-low 4-10 record more than halfway through the season. Dongji announced it will call up two junior forwards, Xie Chen and Lim Hou, from its affiliate club to fill Dennis’s role. 

“Look, we’ve had a rough start. That’s undeniable,” Dongji manager Rain Chen said. “But I think what we’re saying today is we’re focused on our future.”

Acquiring Dennis is the centrepiece of an overhaul inside the middling United, where management has decided its current squad is outmatched and in need for more talent to contend with the league-leading San Olympus Titans. 

For weeks, United has reportedly been shopping trades for several players, including defender Denica Jasienski. The team is also expected to shuffle goaltender Yvonne Barnato into a midfield role.

 But United could be making a spectacular mistake. While Dennis skyrocketed to the top of the leaderboard with four goals early in the season, his production has since stalled – prompting some scouts to suggest that he was merely quick to adapt to the game in its early days, rather than a bonafide star player. Sources inside Dongji say Dennis, a 27-year-old American who grew up in Wendland, never truly settled into life in Huacheng. 

“He can’t handle adversity,” one former teammate said. “Every loss, it was another outburst with him. Blaming people. Throwing shit. It was enough.”

Dennis shrugged at suggestions that he had been at odds with his Dongji teammates.

“Listen man, I’m just grateful for everything,” he said.  

Take it when you get it

Huacheng - Capricornus 7, 249

It's quite possible this win came as much to the surprise of DJ as everyone else, but when you are in the gutter, take it when you can get it... and ENJOY IT!

Dong Ji celebrate a 2-1 win over Dynamo.

The beleaguered Dong Ji club has not been able to cut a break, that is, until now.  By no means does this turn the ship around.  With Novyimir allowing a whopping 30 goals so far in the season, one could argue it is harder not to score on the Russian team. Though it may not be much consolation to be sharing the basement with the Dynamos, it is a whole lot better than being dead last on your own.

Unlike other clubs, DJ can get the ball into the net.  On paper they aren't the worst club in the league and have multiple players contributing goals. Today's match is an example of what the team is capable of with #60 Saqqat and #68 Sertac each scoring their 2nd goals of the season.

There is enough runway left in the season for Dong Ji to get back on track and fight for a playoff spot. 

 Dong Ji and Dynamo are both 4-9.

The Contrast between Comets and DJ

Huacheng – Solis, Capricornus 1, 249

#87 Caleb Houghton takes Dong Ji to school.

That makes 4 wins in a row for Marineris.  

They were the clear favourite for the match as they faced one of the league's worst.

Winning has just seemed to elude Dong Ji.  Even with a respectable number of goals (14 on the season, which just puts them behind Immortals and Al’amal), DJ has consistently run out of steam by the end of every match.  Aside from their opening game victory against the Immortals to an elated home-crowd, DJ has been unable to beat any other team aside from their sister colony’s Wuji club, who has also been struggling.

Today’s loss places Dong Ji at the very bottom of the pack.

It wasn't always easy for the Comets, though, who have been middle-of-the-pack for the first quarter season, but, now, they are confident and disciplined.

“It feels good. We feel like a team and we are playing that way.”

— Bradley, Comet's Captain

The wins have, indeed, been a team effort.  Goals have been made by 19 members of the 25 man squad.  And it isn’t just the forwards.  Their top scorer is #2 Stephen Liu, a defender.

There has been a lot of talk on social channels about consistency around the league. Without precedence for professional sports on Mars, the MAFL’s first season is proving to be somewhat of a living experiment.  

According to Dr. Vijay Lee of the newly founded sports medicine department at Huacheng Institute this is expected:  “We have people who originally came to Mars to be genetic engineers or physicists and now they are suddenly thrust into competitive sport.  As our educational programs, infrastructure and our culture evolve to nurture athletes, we will see greater consistency and better contests.”

Others disagree.  

"It doesn't matter.", says Comets Manager, Gordan Pryce, "There will be always winners and losers, regardless of the quality of talent pool. That’s the magic of sports.  We are witnessing a golden age of opportunity here.  It’s lit that Nestor (#15 Ramirez, Comets defender) came to Mars on a work visa to be a machine-psychologist."

Both goals in this match came in the 2nd half.  #87 Caleb Houghton captured his first goal at 49 minutes.  That was enough to unravel Dong Ji.   #2 Liu scored his 3rd of the season at the 57 mark, finishing the deal.

Comets are now 8-4 and Dong Ji is 3-9.