MAFL Week 16 Roundup

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Al’amal Sports Club - Immortals

Simba 9 • Al’amal Stadium

Mirza has been commended for single-handedly turning the Immortals around during Season 2 of MAFL.

The Immortals continue their winning streak against Al’amal.

Andam Mirza has had a perfect record since axing Veduva and replacing him as the Immortals coach. Under his guidance, the Immortals have been performing like a completely different team. The match is close, but Al’amal clearly loses their edge after Baddour is handed his second yellow card and ejected from the match during ET.

Lanka took quick advantage of Al’amal’s shorthanded situation and finished the match with a long range aerial strike that streaked past the Al’amal defenses and blew past Pour.

GOALS

• 1ST 10’ Muhammad scores with a right-footed kick into the left corner for Al’amal.

• 1ST 18’ Lanka (Immortals) scores with an assist from Farra

• 2ND 6’ Tagore (Immortals) sneaks around Al’amal defense, Gonzalez, and fakes out Pour to tap the ball in.

• 2ND 15’ Farra (Al’amal) intercepts a pass to counterattack from the top right corner.

• ET 5’ Lanka (Immortals) smashes in the winning goal with a long range aerial.

SHOTS
24	30

POSSESSION
53%	47%

FOULS
4	3

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Wuji Sports Club - Titans

Simba 9 • Tian Gong Stadium

The Titans celebrate after their landslide victory against Wuji.

Titans crush Wuji and climb to the top three.

The Titans celebrate as they end week 16 at the top of the standings. An unbelievable performance from Titans goalkeeper, Icilio DeSisto. His efforts completely shut out the Wuji’s offensive efforts and catapulted the Titans to the top of the standings.

Liang was frustrated on every turn, despite some great set ups from Hachette and Alvi. They were unable to get through De Sisto’s guard. Terrell really shone this week as she filled in the offensive gap in Nash’s absence.

Nash was not seen on the pitch today. Sources have confirmed that Nash had voluntarily decided to sit out this match because of Hou’s death the previous week.

GOALS

• 1ST 7’ Terrell (Titans) scores with an assist from Ware.

• 1ST 18’ Ware (Titans) breaks away for a one-on-one chance with Seaton. Ware scores with a left footed smash into the top right.

• 2ND 19’ Langanah (Titans) scores a low, quick shot from the right side of the box.

• 2ND 24’ Terrell (Titans) sneaks in a last minute goal from the left corner of the box.

SHOTS
31	18

POSSESSION
55%	45%

FOULS
3	3

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Dynamos - Europa United

Simba 10 • Novyimir Stadium

United wins by a hair as they challenge the Dynamos at home.

Another devastating loss for the Dynamos this week as Ivanova smashes one past Danilovich in extra time.. Dynamos club manager is concerned with the team’s recent performance, and reasonably so, seeing as there are only 5 regular season matches remaining before the we start moving into the finals.

An unusual number of United players had to be pulled off the field due to EV suit malfunctions. United club manager, Reinmann, has requested a comprehensive diagnosis of all the equipment post-match after multiple suits displayed the same error alert.

GOALS

• 1ST 5’ Stadnyk (Dynamo) opens up scoring with a shot into the left side of the goal.

• 1ST 12’ Denis (United) scores after receiving a deep pass from Covaci at midfield.

• 1ST 21’ Moruga (United) executes a perfectly timed aerial header to score in the final minutes of the first half.

• 2ND 14’ Petrovich (Dynamos) breaks through the United defense to challenge Riva one on one.

• ET 6’ Ivanova (United) smashes through Danilovich’s guard in extra time following an assist from Barnato.

SHOTS
28	22

POSSESSION
55%	45%

FOULS
3	2

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Dongji - Comets

Simba 10 • Dongji Park

Comets and Dongji both remember their missing team members on the pitch this week.

Both teams paid homage to their fallen team members before the match started at Dongji Park. A minute of silence was observed for Hou, who was found dead of suicide in the team vehicle last week, and for Warren, who passed away last year after an accident on the pitch.

“I think we were the right team to be on the pitch with Dongji this week,” says Comets captain, Bradley, or the match today. Although the mood was sombre, Dongji played their hearts out on the field and an unusually large number of tickets were sold out as visitors attended the match to show their support.

While the Comets were victorious this match, it’s clear they have a lot of work to do if they want to make it to the finals this season.

GOALS

• 1ST 12’ Ferraz (Comets) scores with a breakneck smash from the left of the box.

• 1ST 23’ Marsh (Comets) fishes the ball out of a scramble between Dongji defense and Comet strikers to tap the ball in low and easy.

SHOTS
27	13

POSSESSION
67%	33%

FOULS
2	4

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Stats & Standings

Rankings

Team	M	W	L	Goals
Titans	16	10	6	41
United	16	10	6	38
Al'Amal Sports Club	16	10	6	37
Dynamo	16	10	6	36
Comets	16	7	9	41
Wuji Sports Club	15	8	7	35
Immortals	16	7	9	30
Dongji	16	3	13	26

Top Scorers
	Uday Lanka	14
	Readale Nash	13
	Darkeem Dennis	13
	Arwa Farra	10
	Qigang Lian	9
	Jube Terrell	8
	Lennard Fuchs	7
	Ilya Petrovich	7
	Mariya Nikitovna	7
	Yvonne Barnato	7

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.

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?

Week 16 - Day 1 Roundup

Saturni, Capricornus 28, 2077, m249

Immortals @ Wuji

IMMORTALS CELEBRATING THEIR WIN OVER WUJI

Week 16 was a new beginning for many teams as a busy transfer period came to a close with a number of teams making moves for their future. 
 
For the Wuji, their future will be next season (and perhaps beyond) as they traded Defender Marysa Waaijer to the Marineris Comets for a pair of 19 year olds: Maurice O'neill, a Midfielder, and Khloe Mckay, a Defender.
 
And the absence of Waaijer forced the Wuji to play a more defensive 4-5-1 formation to adapt to the heavily favoured Immortals with a trapping focus on league leading scorer Uday Lanka. 
 
And while the strategy did neutralize Lanka for the entire match, it opened up opportunities for other Immortals players to step up.
 
Such as defender Jag Parkar who stepped into a fine left-foot shot from outside the penalty area that curled away from Wuji goalkeeper Trenton Seaton and into the top corner for the 1st goal of the match at the 19th minute. 
 
Enjoying his new found scoring touch, Parkar did his best Lanka impersonation with another goal at the 38th minute – this time stroking the ball low into the bottom corner for his 2nd goal of the match and season.
 
In the second half, Laurien Hagendoorn added another goal by sending an overhead kick into the net at the 71th minute for the 3rd and final goal of the match. 
 
Immortals 3 Wuji 0.
 
Wuji moves to 5 and 11 for the season. The Immortals move to 9-7 with a chance to move into 2nd place overall in the league standings but that would depend on the outcome of Game 2 between the Comets and United.
 

Comets @ United

Darkeem Dennis SUITED UP in United colours, GETTING READY FOR DEBUT

The Comets welcomed their newest member, Marysa Waaijer, hoping her balanced game would help halt their two game losing streak.
 
For United, this was hopefully the beginning of a new season with the acquisition of scoring talent Darkeem Dennis at forward and the move of goalkeeper Yvonne Barnato to the midfield. 
 
And the early returns looked promising as United looked rejuvenated on offense to start the match. A Dennis cross was converted by Captain Lennard Fuchs with a superb volley into the top corner for the 1st goal of the match at the 8th minute. 
 
And then something which seldom happened all season for United, happened!  Lightning striking twice - as United scored a 2nd goal in a match, this just two minutes after their 1st goal.
Kaveri Khosla intercepted the ball from a failed clearance attempt by Comets goal keeper Zaida Agre, and curled a shot into the corner to give United a two goal advantage over a stunned Comets team.
 
United’s anemic offence had finally awoken and surely their league leading defense would protect a two goal lead. Or would they? 
 
After the 2nd United goal, Comets manager Gordan J Pryce was seen visibly agitated, jumping up and down on the sidelines while communicating with his players. 
 
When asked after the match about Pryce’s tirade, Comets Captain Liddell Bradley simply said, “He told us what we needed to hear.”
 
Which sparked a Comets charge at the 28th minute with Ellis Black receiving a pass from new teammate Waijjer and curling a shot over new United goalkeeper Kevin Sulzberger. 
 
Half time allegedly brought more heated comments from Comets manager Pryce, which translated to a strong offensive beginning in the second half. 
 
The Comets pressuring attacked rattled the new United goal keeper at the 71st minute as Sulzberger’s errant pass went to Susanna Shelton who connected with a flick just into the top corner for the tying goal of the match: 2-2. 

Comets #61 Susanna Shelton SCORING TWICE TO PUSH THE COMETS TO A 4-2 VICTORY OVER EUROPA UNITED

Just 5 minutes later, Shelton received a pass from Waaijer and finished with a deft chip over Sulzberger to give the Comets a 3-2 lead. 
 
At the 82nd minute, with his back to the goal, Yamen Warren loped his foot around his marker and scored with a fantastic backheel to give the Comets a 4-2 lead which was the final score. 
 
United Coach Matthaus Reinmann commented on his team’s ironic reversal of fortune after the match, “So we finally learned how to score but somehow we’ve un-learned everything that made our defence so sound. We have to figure out the right balance soon because we don’t have much time left in the season”. 
 
United’s former goalkeeper, Yvonne Barnato quickly left the locker room after the match refusing to comment on new goalkeeper Sulzberger’s performance and the team’s loss.
 
For United, they drop to 6 and 10 for the season while the Comets snap their two game losing streak and move to 10-6, hanging on to 2nd place in overall league standings.