MAFL Chronicles - Q&A with the Champions

Pisces 6, 2078, m249

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 begin with the Champions, the Marineris Comets. The Comets documented their season with weekly post-game interviews.

The following is the last Q&A interview they made the week following their championship victory on Kumbha 17.  It features Manager Gordan J. Pryce, Captain Liddell Bradley, Stephen Liu, Samantha Park, and Zaida Agre.

Stephen Liu, Defender of the Year.

How does it feel being the MAFL Champions? 

Bradley:  It’s a phenomenal experience. The championship has given the entire colony an enormous boost of energy that you can feel everywhere you go. We were the first colony on Mars and now we’re also the first MAFL champion – that can never be taken away from us. 

PRYCE: The reality of it all still amazes me. Honest truth is if you had told me we would be champs before the start of the season, I’d tell you, your oxygen supply must be a bit low. In an unproven game with rookie clubs and no precedence, no one knew what the outcome would be.

When in the season did you start to think, we could really win the whole thing?

PRYCE: Well, you have to remember, we were a .500 team for the first third of the season. We’d win one lose one, win one, lose one, we had no momentum in the beginning. 

BRADLEY:  It was around Week 9, when we went on this fantastic run winning our next 5 games. That was the first time I let myself think, hmmm, maybe we have a shot at the whole thing. Then the Titans come into our house and beat us in Week 14 – our 2nd loss to them that season!  So long as they were around, there was doubt in our minds.

LIU: It’s easy for me to say now but those doubts started to disappear for me when we outgunned Al’amal 7-3 in the Semi-Finals. That was when I started believing we would win the whole thing, even with the Titans awaiting us in the Finals. 

The Titans were clearly your biggest opponent. How did you really feel about Ware’s infamous, “We Own them” comment? 

LIU:  I wanted to throttle her!

PARK: That type of braggadocio I expected from her teammate Readale Nash. 

AGRE: As the only Woman captain in the league, Raenia is someone I look up to. She carried herself with class all season, so it was really disappointing.  The timing couldn't have been worse considering what the league was going through.

BRADLEY:  I called her once I heard the comment. “You’re better than this”, I told her, and to her credit, she apologize. 

PRYCE: It wasn't a good display for her, but in many ways, it motivated us through the playoffs.  That little comment may have made the ultimate difference.

Were the Titans the biggest obstacle in your championship run? 

PRYCE:  I’d say we had three big obstacles. Early on, it was our lack of consistency, searching for our team identity. Mid-way, we released it was the Titans who would be the team to beat so what do we do. Later on, it was Yamen’s death that really took a tole – overcoming was probably our biggest obstacle. 

Tell me about Warren’s tragic death?

AGRE:  Devastating. He was part of our little family… it was just so surreal and so sudden… we prepared all season for all types of scenarios, but there was no way to prepare for what happened.

BRADLEY: It’s never a good time for these kind of thing to happen, but with just one match before the start of the playoffs? A number of us were still in therapy that week leading up to our final regular season match with the Titans, which we lost. Somehow were were able to channel the grief into winning and doing it in Yamen's memory made it that much more meaningful.

Any truth to the mid-season rumour you were close to bidding for Darkeem Dennis? 

LIU:  I think Gordan should answer that question. 

PRYCE: Nice defence, Stephen.  Full disclosure, we were really considering acquiring him from Dong Ji. Credit to our Chair, Elizabeth Foster, who was ready to pull the trigger, but we didn’t for a few reasons. First, even though I like Darkeem, I was concerned about his game breaking ability as he hadn’t scored in 7 matches. Second, Europa was desperate and we weren't interested enough to engage in a bidding war... because we would have won.  Ultimately,  Marysa Waaijer was a better fit.  

BRADLEY:  At the time, I thought we blew it and I let Gordan know that.

PRYCE:  You weren't shy about that.  One thing is for sure, neither Dennis or Europa got what they needed from that transaction.  And clearly, things worked out alright for us.

Going back to the very beginning, what was it like playing Football on Mars?

PARK:  If you mean the first time playing outdoors, it was weird.  The equipment made it awkward and unnatural.

AGRE:  The first time I had to face one of those boosted shots was an eye opener.

LIU:  Eventually around the 3rd week, it just felt right to me, like we were just playing football. 

What’s next for the Comets? 

AGRE: Rest.

PARK: See my loved ones. You'd be amazed with road trips and training how little time you spend with your family.

PRYCE:  Well enjoy it wile you can,  we'll start practicing next month. 

BRADLEY: Come on, Coach!

PRYCE:  A championship just doesn’t defend itself. But, I guess we can make it a month and a half.

---

Next in the series, we will look at the Titans and what might have contributed to their undoing.
 

Tragedy and Triumph.

Unbelievable! What drama! What triumph! The first season of the Mars Aero Football League was a resounding success. This tiny little idea that people would be interested in a new Martian sport created a  greater impact than anyone could have imagined.

Of course, personally, I’m still crushed.  My poor Titans. My wonderful, sweet Titans. They made it the entire way to the championship only to be defeated. And on home turf no less. Now, the Comets played a great match, so I can’t be too miffed, but the Titans were saddled with a series of injuries. Their aggressive style of play got them through the season at the top of the standings, but it came at cost, and I would love to see how a fully healthy Titans team would fare against the Comets.

The arena was packed. I’ve never attended any event like it. There is an energy that is created when you have a crowd of that size, even when we are gently packed into spectator transports. With every goal there was a thunder from the five-thousand-plus crowd. People were having a great time and they knew that they were part of history.

The population of Sans Olympus swelled by fifty percent, with sports tourists from every colony wanting to see this main event of the season. I will be interested to see if MAFL can build upon this, and be a driver for inter-colony tourism. The tourism economy is small part of overall Martian GDP, but it is growing exponentially with each passing month.

I’ve heard that Earth has also been overwhelmed with excitement about this championship match. Earth viewership of the event was more than twice as high as the next most watched game, and proves that interest in Martian sports goes far beyond our colonies on the Red planet.

So what is next for MAFL? The Commissioner has been coy, but there is no doubt that a 2nd season will occur, and with it will most likely bring some changes to rules, team rosters, and even league size. I don’t want to start any rumours, but there has been some interest from a few colonies to field an additional team. This might be smoke and wishes, but eventually we will need to talk expansion.

And what about my Titans? Even though they lost, Sans Olympus held a hero’s parade for them to show our love and support. We also got to see why these athletes are role models to so many Martians.  As I mentioned, there were a number of injuries so a group of players, including team caption Ware, needed to visit the hospital in Sans Olympus.

Medical breakthroughs have been rampant over the last century, and prevention against disease was one of the main problems Earth scientists looked at before anyone ever set foot on Mars, but sickness and injury still occur. Most of the medical work is done by robots, but human doctors are still the main force of diagnosis and treatment. The human touch is calming for the afflicted, especially when they are children.

Now, there aren’t many sick children in the Sans Olympus hospital, but when Captain Ware heard that there were some in the wing next to her, she gathered her teammates for a visit that these young fans will never forget. The look on their little faces was priceless, even for XX (insert name) who happily told them that the Comets were his favourite team. Each child got an autograph, a mini game ball toy, and a team picture. It was a fun time that was honestly needed as much for the Titans as it was for the kids.

It should serve as a reminder that MAFL isn’t just a bunch of people playing a game; it is a new part of Martian culture that has reverberated all throughout our society. I can’t wait to see what next season will bring.

Comets Claim MAFL Championship!

San Olympus – Saturni, Kumbha 7, 2077, m249

Over 5,000 football fans descended on Olympus Park for the largest single gathering ever for a Mars event to witness the Marineris Comets stun the favoured San Olympus Titans with a decisive 4-1 victory to capture the first ever MAFL championship.

Residents from across the colonies congregated at San Olympus, inflating the usual 12,000 population to almost 18,000 these past days. This unforeseen population spike had officials panicking all week on whether they could keep the colony afloat.

So crews worked around the clock to transform public areas and even cargo bays into event facilities.

Surplus air, water and other supplies were ordered weeks in advance in anticipation of this potential final. However, the sheer onslaught of visitors moved the other colonies to offer their support to help San Olympus breathe more easily. 

The inter-colony audience overflowed the parkade at Olympus Park, which was bursting at the seams. Never had so many Spectator transports been packed so closely before as 5,128 fans watched and proudly displayed their favourite MAFL colours.

And no two colours shined more brightly than the Titans’ Purple and the Comets’ Blue as the two teams put on a scintillating classic that delivered drama and action throughout the match.

While San Olympus A-list socialite Sasha Bayley made her appearance with her rendition of the national anthem, her boyfriend would not.  Readale Nash, the Titans leading scorer, reinjured himself during practice and was not suited for the match. Also missing in action, MAFL goalkeeper of the year, Icilio De Sisto of the Titans who suffered a shoulder injury in the semi-final match against the Immortals.

This made for a naturally frenetic match and the Comets poured on the offense to take advantage of the Titans’ key absences.

The genesis of a chance emerged with pressure from Stephen Liu on a loose ball that ultimately opened an opportunity for team-mate Luz Obregón, who sought the far right corner with a low drive from an acute angle, but dragged the effort a bit wide of the net.

Titans’ defender Alberto Rubio went down with injury in his feverish pursuit of Obregón on the play.

One less Titan allowed for the Comets to dominate possession for the better half of the quarter-hour as in succession: Liu and Liddell Bradley had reachable targets inside the danger zone but were left bemoaning their efforts as Titan goalkeeper Usian Busara was looking sharp.

After narrowly holding off the early burst of Comets’ intensity, the Titans finally rallied back.

With 20 minutes on the clock, it looked like Jube Terrell opened scoring as she controlled a Raenia Ware delivery and quickly blasted it past Zaida Agre. But luck would desert her as the officials rightly adjudged her offside to keep the match goalless.

A minute later, Terrell collected a pass from Baja Avdi just inside the penalty box and tried to guide home the ball with a side-foot past Agre who managed to poke the ball out of harm’s way.

And just as it looked like Ware would put her team on top with a rush down the right flank, the Comets Vitor Vargas Medina played her a snug too tight causing both players to crash to the ground.

While Medina got up, Ware did not. Ware’s ankle, injured for a significant portion of the season, couldn't hold up. Ware refused to go to the locker room and demanded to remain on the sidelines to give her teammates ongoing encouragement.

But the Titans’ injuries continued to piled on.  Backup goalkeeper Usian Busara was taken out at the 27th minute, forcing Titan manager, Paulo Salgado, to insert unproven defender, Satsaroop Saprai, into an unbelievably high stake, high pressure situation.

In efforts to protect their untested goalkeeper, the Titans overcompensated which led to defender Terry Park overexerting and becoming the next victim to injury with 3 minutes remaining in the half.

With Rubio, Ware, Busara and now Park all gone (in addition to Nash and De Sisto being out), the Comets could smell blood.

Despite this, Titans’ Tarik Lema Girma fought back with a well-timed boost that propelled a stunning strike that flew into the top left corner from just inside the penalty area for the 1st goal of the match.

Titans 1 Comets 0.

Unfortunately, this momentum would not last as the Titans would display a slew of uncharacteristic mistakes.

The first came in the final minute of the half as a weak clearing attempt from Saprai was intercepted by Liu who fed a pass to Amanda Coronel who thundered a header precisely into the right post corner as a hesitant Saprai watched.

Titans 1 Comets 1.

The pace from the outset of the second half was relentless.

On the sidelines, Ware encouraged her teammates on.  Despite the Comets focus on containing Terrell, she caused some alarm by galloping along the right touchline and to the near post before finally getting crowded out by a combination of defence and goalkeeper.

With each passing minute, the match became increasingly stretched, with neither team yielding in their attacking ambitions.

Then at the 74th minute, the decisive moment arrived. Liu intercepted an errant pass from the Titans, dribbled from the halfway line past three Titans defenders and then clipped the ball to Luz Obregón. The 24-year-old used exquisite technique to cushion the ball on his chest and then watch his cool side-foot drift over Saprai and into the top right corner. 

Comets 2 Titans 1.

That goal would open the flood gates as the Comets rushed through with another goal two minutes later.  Another misplayed pass from the Titans landed onto Bradley’s foot where he sent a cross from the right, which was met by Jonathan Elliot with a sliding volley into the lower left corner.

Comets 3 Titans 1.

The Titans tried to mount an attack, but were met by a swarm of Comets.  A series of crisp pass combinations would allow Alessandro Ferraz to finish with a low shot that easily beat the hapless Saprai.

Comets 4 Titans 1.

The tired and crippled Titans valiantly fought to the end, but the final whistle marked a stunning ending to their season and redemption for the Comets.

“They said we couldn’t beat them but we did when it counted most,” said Bradley as he was showered with champagne by his jubilant teammates in the locker room. “They can have the MAFL Team of the Year Award – I’d rather be hoisting the Championship!”

“We’ve developed a team spirit which has been unbelievable based on the tumultuous season we’ve had with Warren’s death,” said Comets Manager Gordan J. Pryce, “I think it’s just fitting that the first Mars colony would also be home to the first ever MAFL championship.”  

“My players were warriors and I congratulated them afterwards because, beyond the disappointment of the result, they played their hearts out”, said a dejected but composed Titans Manager, Salgado. “When you lose key players, you know it's difficult to turn it around but it's clear they gave everything for the Titans jersey today. However, I congratulate Marineris on winning the title.”

As would Commissioner Aiger Masing during the championship trophy ceremony.

“First off I would like to thank San Olympus for a fabulous job in hosting this week of festivities. However, this could not have happened without the help of all the colonies pitching in. We started this project ten years ago and what has happened today is the result of many years' of planning and failed attempts, but we never gave up. Today was a shining example of what we can all achieve here on Mars. Join me in celebrating your first ever MAFL champions, the Marineris Comets!”

And as Masing presented the Championship trophy to Captain Bradley, the broadcast channel erupted with applause from all the combined feeds including Spectator Transports, public gatherings, and home viewers across the colonies... followed 10 minutes later on Earth.

This concludes Season 1 of the Martian Aero Football League.  Though season 2 is not slated until Mesha, 4 Martian Months away, fans will be eager to see post-season activity within the clubs and follow whether the MAFL will expand with any of the proposals from Wendland, Korolev and Osumi.

Play on, Mars!

Championship Anticipation

Kumbha 7, 2077, m249

Bradley's Comets face Ware's Titans at Olympus Park tomorrow.

Hundreds boarded transport vehicles earlier this week to make the pilgrimage to San Olympus to see who would rise to be the first ever MAFL champion.

“I’ve given my vacation notice for the week because this is going to be one party I don't want to miss.”, said one Europa fan boarding a transport, much to the roaring cheers of her fellow travel mates.

The flow of traffic between Marineris and San Olympus is unprecedented with transport agencies working round the clock shuttling fans the 4500 km distance.  In addition to Marineris residents, hundreds of visitors who came from abroad for Pathfinder Marathon have stuck it out to make the stop to the mountain colony even though the likelihood of acquiring tickets is virtually impossible.

The few scalped tickets that have become available onboard an PTV have reportedly sold for as much as 20 times the original fare.

With PTVs coming in from the colonies, Olympus Park will be at true stadium capacity for the first time.  They have found a way to park an additional 25 visiting transport vehicles, making this the largest single gathering outside a colony facility with more than 5000 spectators expected.

For those who can't make the stadium event, they will be able to enjoy the Championship match through the many parties being held throughout the colonies.  San Olympus itself is being completely transformed to host the surge of visitors; the main promenade, marketplace, and even cargo facilities have been retrofit to support the event.

"We are preparing our infrastructure to handle a population increase of 20%," said Steve Ulytaria, "We will have more than enough air and water, but there is only so much we can do about space."

Interest has also spilled over to Earth as a growing Earth fan base has resulted in a spike in planned coverage with double the resources deployed to cover the event.

“Our viewership numbers have increasingly grown since we started covering MAFL”, said World Associated Press President, Jada Mattata. “We acquired the necessary resources months ago once we saw the early returns. Our fans are in for a treat when they see our superior coverage.”

And will fans be treated to a superior match between the league’s two top teams – The Titans and Comets or will it be a case of the same old, same old?

The Titans are undefeated against the Comets in regular season play, having won all 3 matches.

For the Titans to continue that streak though, they will need to lean heavily on their league leading defence and their reigning MAFL goalkeeper of the year, Icilio De Sisto as their offensive game will be challenged with leading scorer Readale Nash, still bothered by a late season leg injury.

“If Nash can go, that would be huge as he’s the offensive game breaker that can help put us over”, said Ware. “If not, our team has depth and we’ve been successful all year in pulling together to cover off injuries.”

For the Comets, if they bring the same offensive fire they unleashed on Al’amal last week, they could very well overpower the Titans’ air tight defense and goalkeeping.

To help bring that fire, Ware’s infamous words, “We Own You”, have been posted up in the Comets locker room.

“Are we using it as motivation - absolutely,” said Comets Captain Liddell Bradley. “Talk is cheap though so we have to go out there and just do it. Come this Saturni, we’ll see who owns whom”.

Comet's Sail To Finals

Solis, Kumbha 1, 2077, m249

Today' battle for the last ticket to the MAFL finals became a high powered shoot-out between the league’s top two scoring teams.  In the regular season, Al’amal scored 36 goals  vs the Comets’ 34 goals.

It took just one minute of play for the scoring to begin; a deep cross from Mussadiq Baddour from the left flank was met by Hamad Fayad who crushed a volley into the top corner past Zaida Agre. 

Al’amal 1 Comets 0.

Earlier this week, it was unclear if Agre would be fit to return for the semi-final match after sustaining injury in the final regular season match against the Titans.  But before any uncertainty could set in, Comets Kemina De Marco would respond just minutes later with the equalizer.

Al’amal 1 Comets 1.

And the goals kept coming.

Stephen Liu, MAFL Defender of the Year,  won the ball from Mahmood Rahimjust outside the penalty area and unleashed a shot into the top far corner for the go ahead goal.

Comets 2 Al’amal 1.

After such a blistering start to the match with three goals in the first six minutes, the pace slowed down, until the Comets dialled up the offence at the 15th minute mark.  After Liu intercepted a weak clearing attempt from Lana Gonzalez, he moved into the penalty area and hit an powerful low shot into the far corner for his second goal of the match.

Comets 3 Al’amal 1.

Right off the ensuing kickoff, the Comets Aba Samma met a deep cross from Liu and back-heeled it past a hapless al-Pour.

Comets 4 Al’amal 1.

With an endless barrage from the Comets, it was fortunate Al'amal was able to hold the rest of the half with just a three goal deficit.

During the halftime interval, Al’amal manager Haajid Nasr tried to motivate and reinvigorate his squad.  When play resumed, he switched strategy from a balanced attack to a more aggressive strategy, borrowing a page from Paulo Salgado’s move that lead to yesterday's Titans come-from-behind victory. 

But alas, that was yesterday.

Today, that move backfired as the Comets exploited their deficient defensive coverage. It took only 4 minutes for Luz Obregón to surge past the shallow defence and connect with a pass from Bradley, which he finished with an acrobatic bicycle kick over a leaping al-Pour.

Comets 5 Al’amal 1.

9 minutes into the 2nd half, Liu gave the Al’amal defence the runaround and beat al-Pour once more to complete his hat-trick.

Comets 6  Al’amal 1.

The Comets started to tighten their defence, nursing their lead.

Desperate to instill some life in his team, al-Pour boosted a charged kick that sailed across the field, landed just past the Comets’ penalty area where it took a freakish bounce past Agre and into the net.

Comets 6 Al’amal 2.

Just 15 minutes later, Fayad found another opportunity to close the gap.  Dragging the ball behind his planted foot with the inside of his crossing foot, he turned and accelerated away from Liu before slotting home Al’amal’s third goal of the match.

Comets 6 Al’amal 3.

With 20 minutes remaining Al’amal’s  poured on the offense with two near scoring chances – one over the Comets net, and another that went wide.

At the 84th minute, Bradley, Liu and Samma drove in the final dagger to shatter any home for an Al'amal comback.  With intricate passing around the edge of the penalty area, Bradley set up Samma, who placed a clean into the Al’amal goal.

Final: Comets 7 Al’amal 3.

“Titans said they owned us in the regular season,” said Bradley. “But the past is the past. It will only take one win next week for them to eat those words.  Based on today’s match, I like our chances."

Next week, Comet's make the Journey to San Olympus Park for the first MAFL Championship Match!

MAFL Titans vs. Immortals Semi-finals

Saturni, Aquarius 28, 2077, m249

After a festive awards celebration last week, the questions leading up to the first semi-final match began.

Who would prevail? The Best Team or the Team with the Best Player?

Would the Titans, recipients of the MAFL Best Team Award, climb another step closer to the mountain top, or would MAFL MVP Uday Lanka, lead his Immortals to a shot at Championship Immortality.

Would MVP Lanka shine as he did in their Week 3 matchup in San Olympus, with a legendary 4 goals that day?

Or would the Titans deploy their league leading team defence to neutralize the Amrita offence and hold them to a single goal like they did in Week 10 and Week 17.

Many questions which were finally answered today; The Titans responded with another 2 – 1 win.

“Sorry to spoil everyone’s expectations but the prevailing wisdom in any team sport, especially in Football, is that the best team usually prevails over the team with the best player,” said a happy Titans manager, Paulo Salgado in the post-game interview.

But Salgado wasn’t always smiling throughout the match.  In fact, Salgado wasn’t smiling for most of the match, as his team narrowly escaped defeat at the last minute.

At the 17th minute, a sliding tackle on the Immortals’ Tia Mancebo from Titans defender María Carballal, led to a Yellow Card given to Carballal and a Free Kick awarded to Mancebo.

And Mancebo delivered a fabulous free kick that whipped over the wall of Titans players, over a leaping IcilioDe Sisto, and into the far top corner to give the Immortals the 1 – 0 lead.

And things got worse for the Titans. Ten minutes later, the Titans’ Tia Shandu was given a Yellow Card for a questionable push against the Immortals’ Uday Lanka. Shandu’s disdain for the call escalated into a heated discussion and nudge of a referee-bot, which led to a full on Red Card and dismissal from the match.

The Titans were unable to gain any control over the 1st half. While Titans’ leading scorer Readale Nash was suited up, he was in the sidelines nursing the injury he suffered two weeks ago.

His absence was missed as the offensive malaise continued into the 2nd half as the Immortals were able to keep the Titans off the scoreboard for the next twenty minutes.

Thirty Minutes.  

Forty Minutes.

Thankfully, the Titans defenders were able to neutralize Lanka and the Immortals offence for an equal period of time.  

With only 6 minutes remaining in the game, disaster struck in front of the Titan goal.  An accidental collision between Titan defender Tarik Girma and goalkeeper, resulted in a dislocated shoulder for De Sisto.  Usian Busara was called in to finish match.

This turned out to be the pivotal moment.  With five minutes left and their season on the line, Salgado made his move as he shifted to an offensive attack formation – 3 forwards, 4 midfielders, and 3 defenders. No risk, no reward.

Titans mounted wave after wave of pressure on a tiring Immortals team in the dying few minutes.

And it paid off as the Immortals’ Jag Parker committed a foul outside of their own penalty area which resulted in a free kick awarded to the Titans.

After a quick team consultation, Jube Terrell took the kick.

Instead of taking the more frequently used inswinger kick, Terrell delivered an outswinger kick that bent away from the goal, out of reach from the startled wall of Immortals players and from the goalkeeper who instinctively lunged after the ball.

Captain Raenia Ware, criticized for not producing goals in the regular season, gets the all-important equalizer to keep Titans alive.

Raenia Ware streaked in from the left side, leaped and connected with a deft header that sent the ball the other direction, top right corner, and away from an overly committed goalkeeper on the left side.  Goal!  And the game was tied 1 -1 at the 89th minute.

Just when it looked like regular time was over, with both teams resigned to Overtime Penalty Kicks to decide their fate, a fantastic long pass out of the Titans defence by Maria Carballal caught the Immortals players off guard, and caught the foot of a rushing Tarik Lema Girma who controlled the ball and dispatched a superb chip over the Immortals goalkeeper from the edge of the penalty area.

For the deciding goal and win! 2 – 1 Titans over Immortals.

And as the Titans players jumped all over Grima to celebrate, the Immortals players and manager rushed the referee to confirm that the game ending whistle and signal had indeed been delivered before the goal.

No whistle, no signal. Goal stands. And then the game ending whistle and signal came shortly afterwards.

“We had control for the majority of the match but we let this one slip away in the final minutes,” said a dejected Lanka afterwards. “I wasn’t the best player today and I will take full blame for our team’s loss.”

“It ain’t over till it’s over,” said a jubilant Ware in the post-match locker room celebration. “In this game, you play hard until the final end. Our team never gave up. The Best Team won today.”

Titans advance to the Finals and await results from tomorrow's Comets vs. Al'Amal Match.

MAFL Award Night

Aquarius 22, 2077, m249

Last night in Europa was Party Time for the MAFL!

For one night, all MAFL players, coaches and officials could cut loose and be free as they celebrated the season with the first ever MAFL Awards Dinner, hosted by Aiger Masing.

It was an extravagant gala held at Masing Hall, complete with red carpet and flowing champagne.

Free and uninhibited was one Readale Nash, as he adorned a flamboyant purple tuxedo with matching boots.  Nash with 8 goals of the season was up for the MVP award against Al’amal’s Musaddiq Baddour (10 goals) and the Immortals Uday Lanka who led the league in goals scored with 14.

“I feel lucky tonight,” said Nash as he arrived on the red carpet, accompanied by San Olympus A-list socialite Sasha Bayley, 21.

The nominees were submitted by peers in the organization and the winners were selected by an executive committee led by Masing.

"This is an important night to recognize our peers," opened Masing, "But before we do that, we must celebrate what we have accomplished together.  It wasn't easy to bring the MAFL to life.  We had many nay-sayers, so completing our first regular season, in itself, is an achievement we all must be proud of."

Defender of the Year

The first award presented on the evening was for Defender of the Year. Two Comets players, Stephen Liu and Samantha Park were up against the Titans’ Maria Caraball.

The award went to Stephen Liu who anchored the team’s air tight defence and led all defenders with 5 goals for the season.

“I’m thankful for this award but honestly, it easily could have gone to Samantha or Maria as well,” said Liu.

Goalkeeper of the Year

The goalkeeper nominees were Titans Icilio De Sisto, Al’amal SC’s Ahmed Pour and surprisingly United’s Yvonne Barnato who moved to a forward position after Week 15.

De Sisto and Pour both led the league with fewest goals allowed at 19. Barnato was one of the leaders at Week 15 and also led her team with goals scored at the time.  

De Sisto ultimately took the award based his league leading 9 shutouts.

“Thanks to my teammates for their solid defence all year to help me get this award”, said De Sisto.

Best Team

De Sisto returned to the stage shortly after as his team, the San Olympus Titans, ran off with the Best Team of the Year award over the Marineris Comets and Al’amal SC.

The Titans ended up with the best overall record in the league at 16 and 5, gave up the fewest goals in the league (tied with Al’amal) and at one point had a 12 game winning streak during the season.

Which then came as no surprise that Titans manager Paulo Salgado would take the Manager of the Year award over the Comets Gordan J. Pryce and Al’amal’s Haajid Nasr.

“I tip my hat to Paulo” said Nasr. “Our team scores the most goals this year (36) and let in the fewest goals (19) and we still end up with 5 less wins that the Titans. I’d love to know Paulo’s secret to success.”

Most Valuable Player

The most coveted prize of the evening came last;  individual success would be recognized as the MVP.

And the Award went to… Immortal's Captian, Uday Lanka, not only for his 14 goals which helped lift his team to a playoff spot, but also for his leadership and excellent conduct as an ambassador to the sport.

“It’s a great honour which I owe to my teammates so tonight I’ll celebrate with them but tomorrow we get ready for the Titans,” said Lanka.

Not all were in agreement with Lanka being chosen as MVP.

“No disrespect to Uday but in our last match, he got red carded which left his team on the losing side. Not sure if that’s how you’d define sportsmanship conduct,” said Nasr.  

Immortals manager Andam Mirza shrugged off Nasr’s comments afterwards, “Al’amal has Baddour, Farra and Fayad who were all in the top five for scoring. Without Uday, we would have no business being in the playoffs, so he deserves this award like no other.”

Between drinks, Nash shared his thoughts, “Personally, I think the MVP should go to the best player on the best team. Last I checked, the Titans were the best and I had the most goals on that team. That’s okay. Do you see who I’m with? I’m the one going home with the real prize tonight!”

Most Valuable Masing

There was one unofficial award that was uncontested.  Owners, players and managers all raised a glass for Aiger Masing.  

Indeed, the MAFL would not have existed without his individual efforts and financial contributions.  He fought through the red tape with colonies across Mars and built professional sports on a planet that never planned on having it.  Though the ups and downs, he's stuck with it and tonight, he was rewarded with the respect he has earned.

Then There Were Four

Aquarius 16, 2077, m249

It took the final day of the season to determine the final four teams to advance to the playoffs:

• 1st seed: Titans - 16 and 5 final season record.
• 2nd seed: Comets - 13 and 8 final season record.
• 3rd seed: Al’amal – 11 and 10 final season record.
• 4th seed: Immortals – 11 and 10 final season record.

Al’amal goes over the Immortals due to their 2-1 record over them in regular season play.

And despite having a similar record to Al’amal and the Immortals, the Dynamo will not advance to the playoffs due to a technicality: they did not score as many goals this season as Al’amal and the Immortals.

“We can hold our heads high as we went out winners”, said Dynamo captain Ilya Petrovich. “Before the outbreak, we were going nowhere. Once it started, we were able to rally and win 7 of our last 8 matches beating some of the best teams in the league. We have a strong foundation”.

Also just missing the playoffs – Europa United who ended the season on a 3 game winning streak to finish 10 and 11 for the season.

“If we had made our moves a bit earlier, i.e. getting Darkeem Dennis and moving Yvonne Barnato, maybe we could have made it,” said United manager Matthäus Reinmann.

But alas, in a highly competitive season, Dynamo and United will have to look forward to next season. For the playoff teams, they look forward to the next two weeks to prepare and heal.

Titans are 3-0 against the Comets in the regular season.

Aquarius 28th

The well balanced Comets will host the high powered offence of Al’amal. This will be the Comet’s first home match since the tragic passing of Yamen Warren.  How will the team respond? For Al’amal, will they be able to get all their injured players back for a full on attack?

Kumbha 1st

The Titans will host their bitter rivals, the Immortals. In their week 3 matchup, the Immortals Uday Lanka embarrassed the Titans scoring four goals to secure an Immortals win. In the next two matches, the Titans won and nullified Lanka’s presence in both matches.

 “We learned from our mistakes in week 3 and made adjustments and proved we can shut Lanka down when we need to”, said Titans captain Raenia Ware. “Two weeks also gives time for Nash to recover, so we’ll be ready.”

Will they? Which Titans team will show up? The one that went 14 – 1 to start the season?  Or the team that crawled their way down the stretch losing 4 of their last six matches?  Will their leading scorer, Nash be ready to play despite suffering what appeared to be a serious leg injury?

And which Immortals team will we see in two weeks? A confident, high powered offensive team with Lanka leading the charge? Or one prone to errors which resulted in a late season slide from a potential 2nd seed to the 4th seed?

Are you ready for some playoff action?

Owned

San Olympus - Aquarius 15, 2077, m249

In a battle between the league’s top two teams, the Titans defended home field advantage by beating the Comets 2 – 1.

With both teams having secured their playoff spots and rankings weeks before, this match was all about sending a statement to each other should they meet down the road in the playoffs.

“The rumours of our demise have been greatly exaggerated”, said Titans captain Raenia Ware. “I think we sent a strong message to the 2nd place Comets! We own you.”

And one could hardly blame Ware for her bravado as the Titans have beaten the Comets in all three of their regular season matchups.

Early on though, the Titans looked like they would continue their poor play of late as the Comets came out aggressively, inspired by Jayden and Mirna Warren’s pre-game speech delivered from Amrita.

In just the 2nd minute, Stephen Liu teased the Titans defenders on the left wing before sending a perfect cross to the back post, where Luz Obregón finished with a header. Comets 1 Titans 0.

And just as the Comets were building momentum, the Titans’ Pualin Cambeiro crashed into the Comets’ goalkeeper Zaida Agre at the 12th minute. Cambeiro would receive a Yellow Card for her reckless play while Agre was taken off the field with an injury that could jeopardize Agre’s future playoff participation.

And another key injury would take place, this time with the Titans at the 42th minute. The Comets’ Joel Brooks tackled a streaking Readale Nash who crashed to the ground. Nash limped off the field, arm around a trainer, with an apparent leg injury. Nash is the Titans leading scorer with 8 goals.

This awoke the Titans who were able to respond by quickly applying pressure on the Comets’ substitute goalkeeper Alessandro Clemente Ferraz who flubbed a pass to his own defenders which ended up erroneously going into his own net to give the Titans the equalizing gift. 1-1.

At the 52nd minute, the Titans would put in the decided goal as a long pass from Raenia Ware was met by Jube Terrell who drove a left-foot volley past a diving Clemente. Titans 2 Comets 1. 

And the Titans were then able to nurse that lead for the remaining 40 minutes to put the match to rest.

After the match, when relayed Ware’s comment around being, “owned by the Titans”, Comets captain chuckled, “That’s the type of arrogance and lack of respect that will kick them right in the butt come playoff time.”

Ware later issued an apology for her comment after blow-back from her own fan-base that regarded her statements as insensitive considering the circumstances with the unprecedented number of injuries.  In this regard, the Titans are also not immune as the extent of Nash's injury still unknown.

“They say I may be done for the season but they don’t know me,” said a defiant Nash in a full leg brace during the post-match interview. “I don’t care what the doctors say, I will be there for the playoffs.”

Thunder, Lighting and Flood of Goals

Amrita - Aquarius 15, 2077, m249

In honour of the fallen – Silence.  The calm before the storm.

Players pay respects in a pre-game tribute.  Yamen Warren's parents were in attendance in a private STV.

And then there was Thunder and Lightning, as a torrential downpour of goals rained onto Amrita field.

And when everything stopped, Al’amal stood tall over the Immortals in a wildly entertaining 5 – 3 victory.

In a season, where some teams were increasingly dependent on playing systems that stifled rather than promoted creative talent, Al’amal and the Immortals delivered a refreshing reminder of how football is at its best when moments of individual brilliance shine.

And it was the Captains of both teams, the Immortals Uday Lanka and Al’amal’s Musaddiq Baddour that would lead that spark.

As he’s done all season, Lanka opened up scoring at the 4th minute. Lanka exchanged passes with Akkilic Tapur who then chipped a superb ball over the defence which set Lanka free to unleash a spectacular overhead kick over the goalkeeper for the first goal of the game.

Al’amal looked to respond quickly applying pressure before the Immortals Vivek Tagore dove in with a late tackle on Baddour to break up the play. Tagore was sent off with a red card.

Tagore’s desperate foul just delayed the inevitable as Baddour delivered the equalizer at the 10th minute. A well-worked move by Mahmood Ramin to Ikram Muhammad and then to Baddour allowed him to hook the ball in with his back to the goal. 1-1.

The Immortals took the lead again at the 38th minute as Lanka scored his 2nd goal of the game.

Ran Naik aimed a long pass from his own half at Lanka. Lanka cushioned the ball with wicked ease, used the sole of his boot to trap the bouncing ball and turned inside his marker in a single move. Before Al’amal had time to grasp the accuracy of Lanka’s control, Lanka bounced the ball up a second time and struck a sweet volley past the goalkeeper.

In a game of anything you can do, I can do better, Baddour matched Lanka with his 2nd goal of the game to equalize the score at the 55th minute.

When the Immortals defence failed to clear the ball out of their box, Baddour intercepted and unleashed a pile driver of a shot from 30 yards past the Immortals goalkeeper.  2-2.

And then what transpired next hinged on a moment of madness which some say was the turning point of the match. At the 59th minute, the referee missed what looked like a trip by Baddour on Lanka and shockingly punished Lanka with a yellow card for his “theatrical dive”.

An irate Lanka pleaded his case in vain to the ref-bot as Al’amal was awarded a free kick where Rashaa Adel curled a pinpoint shot into the top corner from 35 yards to take over the lead. Al’amal 3 Immortals 2

And when it rains, it pours.

Just five minutes later, still freshly fuming from his yellow card, Lanka got into another tangle resulting in a second caution, red carded.  He was sent out, but not before giving ref-bot an 'accidental' nudge with his shoulder.

A penalty shot was awarded to Ramin and he delivered putting Al’amal up 4 -2.

That would be the difference maker.

Al’amal would add another goal at the 81st minute as Birwant Rahar ran from inside his own half and curled a low shot inside the far post. Al’amal 5 Immortals 2.

The Immortals’ Alan Fox closed the deficit at the 84th minute with a well-placed chip over the goalkeeper that dropped in off the underside of the crossbar. Al’amal 5 Immortals 3.

Too little, too late for the Immortals as they went down on their own home field.

“That was ridiculous”, screamed Immortals manager Andam Mirza after the match. “Lanka’s yellow card was their missed call and the second was clearly accidental. Because the ref and his stupid ref-bots can’t tell the difference between incidental and intentional, we lose this match.”

An ecstatic Al’amal team celebrated their victory in the locker room as their victory guaranteed them a playoff spot and the 3rd seed.

““They can blame the referees all they want but if you give up 5 goals in a game, you usually lose”, said Baddour. “Our team had to step up, especially without Farra and Fayad in thelineup, we did our best - we score goals. And that’s why we won.”

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.

Dynamos Keep Hopes Alive

Novyimir, Aquarius 15, 2077, m249

It may have been easy to dismiss the Dynamos in the first half of the season, but they made a 180 and have become contenders.

In the early morning match, the Dynamos made an example of the hapless Wuji on home turf in their bid to make it to the semi-finals and a chance for the championship.

It would be Dynamos 31 Illya Kyrylyuk to draw first blood from a free-kick awarded after a Wuji foul at 24 minutes into the half.  Having adopted the midfield position after a dismal stretch as Dynamo goalkeeper, this was Kyrylyuk's first regular play goal.

13 minutes later, with ball in hand, Goalkeeper Boris Danilovich (coincidentally, Kyrylyuk's replacement) abandoned his post and with two sequential bursts joined a Dynamo rush.  A pass to captain Petrovich was quickly returned back and instead of passing and safely retreating back to his position, he fired from 20 meters.  The ball defected off defender Mangat and right by Hu Liao, who has taken goalkeeper position after Seaton's week 20 injury.

Before the 1st have would end, 22 Serhij Stadnyk would add another goal for the Dynamos.

Dynamos dominate Wuji in Novyimir

Having taken the match, the Dynamos fate is now in the hands of Al'amal SC.  Should Al'amal lose against the Amrita Immortals, they capture the last slot and make their way to the semi-finals.  If, however, Al'amal wins, even though they would be tied in the standings at 11-10, the slot goes to the team with higher standing and they will be eliminated.

"We can only wait for the match in Amrita this afternoon,", said Petrovich, "It will certainly be unbearable for us to watch and rely on the Immortals to win on our behalf."

Season Resumes

Europa - Aquarius 10, 2077, m249

The MAFL has announced dates for final 4 regular season matches.

All games are scheduled for Solis, Aquarius 15.  This marks the first time all clubs play in a single day.

When asked why, Aiger Masing responded that it was intentional,  “We actually considered further postponement, but after reaching out to Jayden and Mirna [Warren], they insisted it would not be what Yamen would have wanted.  We will be running a single day program for all four matches that will start with a tribute in his memory.”

Clubs were notified earlier in the day and travel coordination has already begun.  The Comets plan to arrive on Jovis and start practising on away-field as early as Veneris morning.

“The best way to remember Yamen is to play,” said Comets captain, Bradley, “He helped get us to the playoffs, so we aren't going to disappoint him.  It isn't a critical match, but it lets us test the Titans.”

In the Immortal's camp, Jag Parkar, confirmed he will play in the upcoming match after Yamen Warren's father reached out to him earlier in the week.

“He asked me to play,” Parkar said, “it was an emotional conversation, one that I dreaded, but it turned out completely differently than I expected.  They [Jayden and Mirna] are coming to the game to support me.   I have no words.”

The programming, based on the time zones, begins at 12:45 on this Solis in the East at Huacheng.  That will be followed by the matches in Amrita and Novyimir with the final match in the West at San Olympus Park starting at 11:00 local time.   

After week 21, there will be a two week gap before the semi-final matches on Aquarius 28th and Kumbha 1st.   That will be followed by the championship match the following week on Kumbha the 7th.

Can They Rally Through the Tragedy?

Al'amal - Aquarius 9, 2077, m249

MAFL #1 female player, Arwa Farra suffers sprain in Week 20 Game 1 match against the Titans.

After a brutal week 20 that put 11 players on the sidelines and resulted in the 1st fatality, the MAFL is yet to announce dates for the final week of regular season play.  The games will go on, that is for sure, but how the trajectory of the season plays out now is anyone's guess.

Comets 

Without a doubt, the Comets were dealt the worst of that fateful weekend. Not having 4 of their players in the playoffs is not the issue.  The Comets have a large, robust, highly versatile roster that can easily configure a top notch lineup. After all, this is what made them one of the most consistent clubs in the league.  

The loss of Warren, however, is a completely different story.  This is the kind of emotional blow that can't be compensated with adjustments and replacements.  While there has been little talk in the past week about the possible impact on the clubs championship hopes , many do wonder, 'Can the Comets keep their game?'

Al'Amal

Al'amal is in their own situation when it comes to the playoffs.  With Farra and Fayad out for the count, it doesn't bode well for the club's chances.  Number 4 and 5 top scorers, respectively, these two starts have 12 goals between them, significant firepower that will be absent in the defining match against the Immortals.

Al'amal manager, Haajid Nasr, will be down to 12 players, leaving him no choice but to shuffle the lineup.  He will likely play Vivian Badour and Rashaa Adel in forward positions or possibly move Husain Guler from defence to fill in the void.  However he plays it, it will be unfamiliar ground for the team.

Unlike the injuries suffered by the Comets, there is a chance that all 3 injured Al'amal players could recover in time for the playoffs, that is, assuming they can capture that last playoff spot.

Immortals

The Immortals are guaranteed a spot in the championship run, but no one is quite sure where they will be after their bout with the Comets.  Will Jag Parkar be playing in Week 21?  Sources report that Parkar has been in therapy since returning to Amrita, blaming himself for the collision that ultimately caused Warren's death.

The season statistics are clearly out the window at this point.  These teams look nothing like they did but a few weeks ago, so a fortune teller might be the best credible source for outcomes on this MAFL season.

The Playoff Picture

Solis, Aquarius 8, 2077, m249

From week 20's Dynamo vs. Dong Ji match - Anything can happen in the MAFL.

It’s come down to the final week of the season to determine the playoff fate for three teams: the Immortals, Al’amal, and Dynamo. Two will advance while one goes home to dream of next season.

Based on current standings, the Immortals currently hold the 3rd seed with Al’amal and Dynamo tied for 4th.  However, all that can change after the final week of play.

For the Immortals, they will clinch a playoff spot regardless of whether they win or lose but the outcome will determine their playoff seed. 

Win and they earn the 3rd seed. 

Lose to Al’amal and they will drop to the fourth seed as Al’amal will have the edge in a tiebreaker between the two, having gone 2 – 1 over the Immortals in head to head play.

If the Immortals end up tied with the Dynamo at the end of the regular season, the tiebreaker goes to the Immortals who own a 2 -1 record over the Dynamo in head to head play.

Best Case Scenario for Al’amal – Just Win Baby! A victory over the Immortals in Week 21 will clinch them a playoff spot. Lose and Al’amal is out.

Best Case Scenario for the Dynamo – Al’amal needs to lose to the Immortals.

Regardless of whether the Dynamo win or lose, a tie situation between Al’amal and the Dynamo results in the Dynamo winning the tiebreaker as they went 2 – 1 over Al’amal in regular head to head season play.

Now here’s where things get tricky.

If the Dynamo win and Al’amal wins, we end up with a three way tie for 3rd spot as the Immortals, Al’amal and Dynamo will all own an identical 11 – 10 record. In this three way dance, there’s a standoff.

·       The Immortals lose to Al’amal in the tiebreaker but go over the Dynamo in a tiebreaker.

·       Al’amal loses the tiebreaker to the Dynamo but goes over the Immortals in a tiebreaker.

·       The Dynamo go over Al’amal in the tiebreaker but not over the Immortals in a tiebreaker.

Confused? The chart below may help.

So to resolve this standoff, we go to Goals Scored.

In this case, Al’amal has the edge with 31 goals for the season, then the Immortals with 27 goals, and then the Dynamo with 21 goals. Al’amal goes in 3rd and the Immortals go in 4th. The Dynamos go home.

Everything make sense?

When week 21 resumes, Day 1 will open with the Dynamo hosting Wuji.

“We can’t control what Al’amal will do, but we can control what we do,” said Dynamos Captain Ilya Petrovich.”  For our final game, we want to give our fans something special, so we plan on going out as a winner”.

The 2nd match of Day 1 will see the Immortals host Al’amal who go in without 4 of its key players due to injuries.

“We know what we need to do”, said Al’amal Captain Mussadiq Baddour. “We can’t take the Immortals for granted as they won’t lie down for us just because they already have a playoff spot clinched”.

Immortals Captain Uday Lanka assured reporters they would not be complacent heading into the final game of the season, “We don’t want to drop down to the 4th seed. In the playoffs, you don’t know what will happen so having the possibility of home field advantage down the road is crucial”.

Farewell Comet

Marineris - Saturni, Aquarius 7, 2077, m249

Hundreds of friends, family, teammates attend service at Marineris Great Hall.

For the first time in 20 weeks, the stadiums across Mars were empty.

A colony and a league are in mourning after the sudden loss of Comet midfielder, Yamen Warren.  In  a freak accident in the second half of the heated match against the Amrita Immortals, a mid-air impact with Jag Parkar breached Warren's helmet and sent him crashing head-first to the turf below.

Emergency measures seemed to have adverted disaster on the field – The EV Suit immediately deployed the airbag to protect Warren from exposure to Martian atmosphere (more accurately, the lack of it) and MAFL protocols were in check, getting medical aid to his side in under 60 seconds.  Warren even regained consciousness later that afternoon at the hospital facilities at Marineris, but his condition took a sudden turn that evening and he was pronounced dead at 24:16.

Warren was laid to rest after funeral services were held at Marineris Hall.  The hall is one of the few surface structures at the colony, typically reserved for festive occasions and galas. Today, it provided the backdrop for hundreds to pay their respects for the fallen athlete.

MAFL officials, club owners and the entire Comets team and staff were in attendance.  The service was filled to capacity, so emotional fans and other players who made the journey to pay respects were left in the promenade, passage ways, and decks around the great hall.

By request of Jayden and Mirna Warren, no recording or broadcast was made of the service, however, most of the colonies observed a moment of silence to pay tribute to Warren.

The MAFL was quick to postpone the final round of matches for the regular season last week are yet to announce when play will resume.  Many club owners have offered counselling services to support their players.

It is unclear how Warren's death will affect the sport in the near-term, however, this unfortunate incident is sure to have long-lasting impact.

Tales from the Pitch - Sport as Art

Jovis, Aquarius 6, 2077, m249

The name of this piece is “Lament in Red”, and the artist is Taylor Kaur-Williams, a die hard Al’Amal fan born and raised in the settlement. This is a very personal piece, for it represents a new phase in Taylor's career and allowed her to become Mars’s first break out artist.

Working as both a painter and sculptor, Taylor had previously used traditional materials to create her pieces. Her early career was less than notable, but full of simple still life images set against discordant coloured backgrounds. Art critics were not impressed. Taylor was in an artistic funk, and on a lark decided to check out the new sport in her home settlement, MAFL.

“I was hooked from the first second of play,” she said. “Everything about it was amazing. You have action, tragedy, triumph – drama on the field was the inspiration I was hoping for.” After that first match Taylor began to think about using this new sport as a muse, but was wary of how her (admittedly) small number of fans would react.

“I wasn’t making much money, but my fans were putting food on my table,” she said. “What if they decided they hated MAFL?” She began to fiddle with a small piece of stone with the intent of carving a player image into it, all the while worrying more and more what the art world would think of her change in direction and theme.

“Lament in Red” is an expressive self portrait of an artist who found herself at a crossroads, and creates something new to overcome that fear. The atmosphere of Mars surrounds and envelopes her; red dominates the piece.

And for good reason: Martian soil  was mixed in with her paints giving everything a heavier red tone. While at first dismissed as a gimmick, this quickly set her apart from other Martian artists. Subsequent pieces dealt specifically with aspects of the game and images of players and in game action, but this first, quieter, piece is really what unleashed the floodgates of creativity.

I chose this as the topic of this week’s article not simply because I’m a fan of Taylor work, but rather to show further evidence of the importance of the Mars Aero Football League and the impact it is having on the citizens of the proud colony of ours.

Sports is often considered inspirational, but usually as a model for physical prowess or exceptional athletic skill. Sports is not as often considered an inspiration for art and culture, but, beginning with “Lament in Red”, Taylor has created a new genre.

Several piece of homage and outright copying followed, but it is the work of Taylor that is the most sought after.

Every innovation we make, every new path we forge on Mars has continuous ripple effects. MAFL didn’t set out to create a new art genre here on Mars, but that is what happened. This inaugural season has proven more popular and more important than any of us would have thought possible. As you view the playoffs with anticipation think of that, and take pride in the pioneers and explorers that are every Martian.

Tragic Death of Yamen Warren

Marineris - Lunae, Aquarius 2, 2077, m249

Comets midfielder, Yamen Warren, died late last night.

The Earth-born player, who grew up in New Baltimore Rapids prior to immigrating to Mars with his family at the age of 8, was pronounced dead at 24:16 at the hospital facility at Marineris.

News of Yamen’s death was only released late this afternoon.  His father, Jayden Warren, made a short statement to media.

“Last night, Yamen succumbed to the injuries he received in yesterday’s match.”, he said as he broke down.  After a moment to recompose himself, he continued, “He spoke to us before he fell asleep.  He told Mirna and I how much he loved it [the sport]. That he didn’t want to miss the playoffs.”

The cause of death is believe to be a result of herniation of the brain, but official results are yet to be shared with the public.

Though injuries have not been uncommon to the MAFL, this marks the first fatality.  

According to MAFL officials, analysis of the incident confirms this was an unfortunate accident and that Jag Parkar did not violate league rules.  Parkar, who received the news whilst on the transport back to Amrita, was inconsolable and unable to remark.

“This is a very sad day.”, said Andam Mirza, Immortals Manager, “We extend sincere condolences to Yamen’s family following his untimely passing.  Our thoughts and prayers are with them.”

The Comets were not available for comment, but shared this statement:  “Yamen was a talented athlete and such a popular member of our team.  This tragic news leaves us in shock.  There are no words to express how deeply this affects each and every one of us.”

With funeral proceedings scheduled for next Saturni, Aiger Masing, CEO of the MAFL has instructed his staff to push the Week 21 schedule out.  Actual dates are pending.

A Terrible Cost

Marineris - Solis, Aquarius 1, 2077, m249

The playoff stakes were high entering the final match in Week 20 of MAFL play as the Immortals entered hostile ground @ Marineris stadium. The prize: 2nd seed overall. 

With the poor play of late for the Titans, some doubt the Titans will even make it past the 1st round thus the 2nd seed could very well be a golden ticket to home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The intensified level of play was in full display as both teams came in taking more risks, playing more aggressively, playing like there was no tomorrow.

And before the end of this match, there would be no tomorrow for a number of players.

Immortals Chamunda Badal was the second goalkeeper to fall today, the other being Wuji's Trenton Seaton.  Badal was injured after a mad scramble for a loose ball in front of the goal resulted in the Comets Marysa Waaijer and Badal ultimately crashing into each other. A remorseful Waaijer immediately consoled a motionless Badal, before being sent off with a Red Card.

The referee granted a 10 minute timeout for Immortals Manager, Andam Mirza, to suit up a replacement.  #15 Defender Tia Mancebo came in to make her debut as a goalkeeper having only played the position in practise.

At the 30th minute, Comets Caleb Houghton quickly turned and blindly ran into the Immortals Uday Lanka who inadvertently collided with the Comets Susanna Shelton. The severe collision resulted in Shelton being carted off with a broken arm, ending her chances to participate in the championship run.

To add salt to the wound, Houghton was given a Yellow Card, a Free Kick was awarded to the Immortals and Akkilic Talpur curled a rocket over two defenders and over a leaping Comets goalkeeper into the far top corner for the 1st goal of the match.

The Comets responded three minutes later when Stephen Liu steered home a goal following a pass from Liddell Bradley to tie up the match.

Just before the end of the 1st half at the 43rd minute, another wild loose ball scramble saw the Immortals Hama dive for it but alas her boot connected more with Kemina De Marco’s ankle than the ball, adding De Marco to the casualty list.

At the end of the 1st half with the score tied 1 – 1 and with three injuries , the referee gave strict warning to both teams as each manager respectively pleaded innocence over ignorance of match rules.

Despite this, at the 52th minute, as Comets Yamen Warren went up for a header, a late boost leap from the Immortals Jag Parkar resulted in an errant blow to Warren’s helmet, shattering the faceplate and sending Warren crashing head-first onto the pitch.

The EV Suit automatically deployed the emergency life support airbag while referee-bots and ground crew immediately rushed in. Warren was stabilized and then quickly rushed to the Marineris Hospital facility.  Though his environmental exposure was limited thanks to the safety countermeasures, the club reported he had suffered severe head and neck trauma.

MAFL league officials will further review the play to determine if Parkar breached any of the MAFL head shot rules.

And yet the show must go on. But for the next 30 minutes, the players appeared to be cautiously going through the motions as Warren’s injury was a morbid reminder of mortality on Mars.

Until the expiration of time finally sparked life in the Comets as Liu deflected the ball in off his knee for the go ahead goal at the 82th minute.

Shortly afterwards, in a desperate attempt to protect their slim lead, Comets defender Néstor Ramirez grabbed and held the Immortals Uday Lanka who tripped into the Comets Amanda Coronel who was following too closely.   Coronel crashed into the ground and would need to be taken off the field with broken bones.

With time quickly elapsing, at the 91st minute,  the Immortals midfielder Tulaih Azizi attempted to dribble away from an attacking Alessandro Ferraz within the Immortals own penalty area.

Azizi’s back pass caught the Immortals’ substitute goalkeeper, Mancebo, by surprise, ending up in the Immortal’s own net.

Ferraz was awarded the third goal in what would be the Final 3 – 1 victory for the Comets.

The Immortals drop to 11 and 10 for the season while the Comets move to 13 and 7 and clinch the 2nd seed overall. But at what cost?

2 Red Cards, 3 Yellow Cards, 5 injuries – One Life Threatening.

“It’s a bittersweet moment for us,” said Comets Manager Gordan J. Pryce. “Both teams played their guts out today but unfortunately, we’re guilty of our own aggressive play. We accidently took out 2 of our own players and now we have to grind it out in the playoffs without 4 of our key people.”

If this match is any indication of the excitement that awaits in the playoffs, MAFL fans only need to wait one more week.  And in Week 21, the final two playoff spots will be determined.

The third and fourth playoff spots are still up for grabs where 2 of the following 3 teams will go in: The Immortals, Al’amal, and the Dynamo. Who will it be?  We’ll see you in Week 21.

Eliminated!

Europa - Solis, Aquarius 1, 2077, m249

Elimination was the playoff fate for both Wuji and United after Al’amal defeated the Titans yesterday.

So coming in to today’s match @United stadium, the focus for both teams was on building the foundation for tomorrow.

And that potential was on display in an entertaining match which saw United prevail 3 – 2 over Wuji.

United’s #58 Yvonne Barnato who moved mid-season from goalie to forward, put in a promising performance with two goals in the match.

Her first goal opened up scoring at the 16th minute as she trapped the ball on her chest before turning and shooting low into the corner from the edge of the penalty area.

Teammate June Rosenblad delivered a powerful volley into the top corner at the 35th minute for the 2nd goal of the match and then Barnato would deliver again at the 56th minute with a header past the outstretched hands of Wuji’s goalkeeper, Trenton Seaton for the 3rd goal of the game.

“I admit, I miss being the goalkeeper, but am looking forward to see what I can do with a full season as forward.”, said Barnato.

Wuji 76 Repsas and United 58 Barnato shine despite both teams eliminated from 1st MAFL playoffs.

With the score firmly in United’s favour 3 – 0, the Wuji team played without pressure and forward Vygintas Respas showed more confidence, consistency and leadership as he netted 2 goals in the 2nd half of play.

Repsas, who was not in the starting lineup, was put in play after Alicia Beldad was injured after an accidental collision with United’s Yvonne Barnato (Yellow Card) at the 68th minute.  His first goal was just 1 minute after as he rifled a shot past United goalkeeper Kevin Sulzberger from 15 yards out.  His second goal with 7 minutes remaining was a well-timed header from a #61 Jia Cheng cross.   

“I wish I had him in the lineup from the get-go,” said Wuji Manager Bobby Chung. “If he continues on this trajectory, I like our chances next year.”

Yvonne Barnato started between the posts and ends the season as a United top scorer.

The most serious injury of the day occurred at the 77th minute after United’s Mhamaed Sabbarg slipped and fell onto Wuji’s Trenton Seaton. He was replaced in goal by #58 Hu Liao, defender. Post-game, Chung confirmed the severity of Seaton's injury will required weeks of rehabilitation that could impact the next season. 

“Unlike the bloodbath at San Olympus yesterday, neither of us are trying to hurt each other on purpose,” said United manager, Matthäus Reinmann. “This late in the season, everyone’s tired, mistakes happen. Our thoughts are with Seaton and hope he has a quick recovery.”

Next week, United faces Dong Ji, while Wuji head to Novyimir for a match that is critical for the Dynamos to win..