Tale of Twin Colonies

Mithuna 18, 2078, m249

Fans in Dongj have been upended with Season 2 changes, particularly losing former Captain to Wuji Sport Club.

After a dramatic season 1 with high stakes, it is no surprise that the MAFL is going through changes.  Beyond the changes to the Aero Football rules, technology upgrades, and growing licensing deals with Earth affiliates, the players remain the key ingredient.

For most fans, the experience of seeing players change positions or getting traded is a big deal on its own, but the last minute trade activity between Tiangong and Huacheng at the tail end of the off-season, brings it to a new level.  The sister colonies have always had their differences, with Huacheng often considered the “Chinese capitol” on Mars there has always been a sense of competition, however, the MAFL can take credit for stirring it into a true rivalry.

Back in Season 1, Huacheng was devistated by Darkeem Dennis' unexpected trade to Europa. Qigang Lian's move from Dongji to Wuji has been regarded by many Dongji fans as an outright betrayal of the colony.  They have also been reluctant to accept Marcus Ekberg, a non-Chinese, with the role of Captain.  With all the moaning, the benefits of Ekberg's leadership along with gaining forward Jai Cheng, and midfielder Anne-Marije Feston, the Dongji squad is actually looking better than ever.

Ekberg, a Martian-born native of Wendland colony, is not a fluent Mandarin speaker and previously showed little interest in picking up the language.  At the last press briefing, however, Ekberg responded to local media questions in Chinese.  Although he was certainly aided by a virtual translator, the gesture was well received.  In the world of sports, the language of 'wins' is the true prize, so long as Ekberg can bring in the goals, he won't likely need to fallback on his Chinese.

As for Lian, he had been openly looking to move to the sister colony after his wife had moved to Tiangong to take a role on council.  They were living apart for most of season 1.  Had Wuji owner, Koh Chen, not encouraged the Wuji shakeup, the opportunity would not have been on the table for him.

“It’s an opportunity to continue my journey as athlete and captain,” says Lian, “I'm grateful for this opportunity and I’m excited to work with my new teammates.”

The serious drama, though, is in Lian’s usurping of Hachette’s captain title. Stanislas Hachette has been widely panned in Season 1 for ineffective leadership, lack of scoring ability, and general unawareness of the flow of gameplay. Some see his demotion as a gift to the team.

“We love Hachette though,” says his teammates, “His nickname is The Hachet. Not because he’s a sharp player, but he’s got a really sharp sense of humour. We feel bad for him, but relieved he's still on the team.”

However, to those loyal to the charismatic former captain, his demotion coupled with the cutting of Wuji’s manager Bobby Chung has fans grumbling. And even in the general fanbase, not everyone is quite warmed up to the idea of having Lian as captain, despite him leading Wuji to a solid start in Season 2. Time will tell, as play continues, whether the trades will prove a wise move for the two teams.

The first highly anticipated face off between the two clubs happens on week 6, the 17th of Cancer.

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.

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."

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.. 

Wuji Upset Al'amal

Tiangong - Solis, Makara 22, 2077, m249

Hope.

The Arabic word for hope is Amal, which was the inspiration for the naming of the Al’amal colony and its respective football club.

Yet Al’amal SC will need more than hope if they are to make the playoffs as they lost their 3rd match in a row, this time to  Wuji who pulled off the 2 – 1 upset.

Al'amal Captain #4 Musaddiq Baddour adds a goal to his stats, but team fails to capture a win against Tiangong Wuji.

Things looked promising for Al’amal as Captain Musaddiq Baddour opened up scoring at the 25th minute. Baddour used great individual skill to beat two defenders before drilling a low shot into the far corner for the first goal of the match.

Wuji’s Alicia Beldad responded by curling a volley in off the bar to tie up the match at the 34th minute.

Then something which has alluded Wuji all season, happened.

A good team build-up of Wuji passing, from Beldad to Stanislas Hachette to Nimet Kose who would finish with a stunning strike in the top corner at the 42th minute.

That would stand as the game winner and complete the Wuji upset.

With the win, Wuji moves to 7 and 12 for the season and builds hope for the future. 

For Al’amal, they fall to 9 and 10 for the season, clinging onto the final playoff spot with the Dynamo.

After the match, a dejected Al’amal locker room sat in silence as Captain Musaddiq Baddour fielding questions from reporters.

“We face the Titans @ San Olympus next week and then the Immortals back home so we’ve put ourselves in a tight spot to close off the season,” said Baddour. “We have the scoring punch to power through these teams. We know we can do it, now we just have to go out and do it.”

Wuji's Nimit Kose and Beldad. 

The mood in the other camp was expectedly upbeat.  Even with no chance at the playoffs, the Wuji are playing with purpose and without the pressure.

"We aren't going to make it easy for you.", said Bobby Chung, Manager of Wuji, referring to the upcoming matches against Dynamos and United,  "We won't roll over and call it a season.  You will have to earn your places in the playoffs." 

Comets @ Wuji

Would the Wuji upset the Comets and make it two wins in a row?

Would the Comets lose their 2nd game in a row and lose significant momentum down the playoff stretch?

That’s what many were thinking during the majority of the match as the Wuji struck first at the 8th minute with a low kick by Hu Liao that soared under the defenders and past Comets goalkeeper Zaida Agre.

And upon taking that lead, the Wuji quickly switched to a defensive 5-2-2-1 formation with five defenders, two defensive midfielders, two offensive midfielders and one clean striker.

This helped Wuji hold onto that 1 – 0 lead for the next 15 minutes.

30 minutes.

45 minutes.

60 minutes.

And as the clock continued to tick away, Comets Manager, Gordan J. Pryce increased his pacing, animation, and agitation towards his players.

Until finally they responded at the 87th minute. 

Comets midfielder Aba Samma stole the ball from Wuji’s Liao Hu and curled a shot into the bottom corner past Wuji goalkeeper Trenton Seaton.

And just like that, Liao Hu goes from Hero to Zero, and the Comets go from Zero to One to tie the game.

And the Comets would not leave their fate to chance in overtime penalty kicks.

Comets #67 Jon Elliot makes the deciding goal in the final minutes of the match.

Just two minutes later at the 89th minute, a clearing pass from Seaton was retrieved by United Forward Jonathan Elliot. Elliot passed over to Captain Liddell Bradley who dribbled around a defender before cutting the ball back through the area to Elliot who drove the ball past Seaton for the winning goal!

Comets win 2 – 1 over Wuji.

“They played a tough defensive game and gave us a real scare”, said Bradley after the match. “I think we need to get Coach checked by the medics as we almost gave him a bloody heart attack.”

With the win, the Comets move to 11 and 7 for the season, holding 2nd place in league standings. The Wuji move to 6 and 12 for the season, holding 2nd last place in league standings.

For the Comets, their path to the playoffs goes through Dong Ji, the Immortals, and a season finale with the league leading Titans @ San Olympus.

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 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.

Where is Ware?

Tiangong, Capricornus, 21, 2077, m249

Raenia ware misses another game due to a slow healing injury.

That’s what Titans fans were asking at the start of Week 15.

Would the Titans win again, for the 12th week in a row, against the Tiangong Wuji?

And could they without Captain Raenia Ware, who was out again, for the 3rd week in a row?

She remains in the sidelines as she recovers from a sprain. Her absence, along with forward Jube Terrell, were evident as the Titans’ offence struggled throughout their match against the lowly Wuji.

Despite the return of scoring star, Readale Nash (scratched from Week 14 play), Wuji relied on a heavily defensive 4-5-1 formation to neutralize Nash for the whole match.

With a scoreless tie, the match was decided in Penalty Kicks where an uninhibited Nash was unleashed.

“They were mugging me all match but in Penalty Kicks, it’s just me and the Goal Keeper, and I like my chances”, said Nash, “I knew I had to score first to set the tone and take some pressure off my teammates”.

And that he did as Nash scored on the 1st penalty shot in overtime with a brilliant dagger into the top far corner away from Wuji’s Trenton Seaton.

And that one penalty goal ended up being the difference maker as the Titans nervously squeaked out a 1-0 PKOT victory over the Tiangong Wuji. 

The Titans moved to 14 and 1 for the season while Wuji dropped to 5 and 10.

After the match, Ware was asked when she would return.

“Hopefully soon, but the medical staff is just being cautious,” said Ware. “Ankle sprains are very common and normally take 2 to 4 weeks to recover from.  What we want to avoid is re-aggravating it, and then missing extended time in the playoffs.”

Titans manager, Paulo Salgado wasn’t too worried about Ware missing so much time.

“I like how our team has collectively stepped up in her absence as we’ve beaten Al’amal, the Comets, and Wuji during that span,” said Salgado. “Another bright side to all of this, is it’ll give Raenia a breather so she returns re-energized just in time for the playoffs.”
 

When asked if he was ready to lead the team in Ware’s absence, Nash quickly shot that down with the same ferocity as his kicks.

“Whoa, I’m 17.”, said Nash. “Where’s Ware? She’s everywhere. She’s like a second coach out there. Even if she’s not playing, she makes her presence felt throughout the game.”

Europa Divided

Tiangong, Capricornus 8, 249

Tradition.

Entrenched in the roots of the Europa colony is tradition.

A tradition of integrating to achieve common goals…and putting goals into nets, as Football is one of many traditions ingrained in the essence of Europe.

Yet a losing tradition is what Europa United is trying to avoid in season one of MAFL play.

In Week 13, the lowly Tiangong Wuji beat United 2 to 1, to move out of the basement with a 5 and 8 record for the season.

For United, this was their 5th loss in a row as they continued their slide downwards to a 5 and 8 record for the season.  

The reason for their downward trend - a tradition of putting goals into nets hasn’t materialized.

In 7 of the 13 games to date, United has been held scoreless.

They are at the bottom of team scoring for the league, and of the top scorers in the league, only two come from United (the lowest of any team).

Their top goal scorer….is their GoalKeeper, Yvonne Barnato with 2 goals!

United Goalkeeper, #58 Barnato, still likes to get out of the net, But the opponents are on to her.

“I know our forwards are working hard but it’s hard to win matches when you can’t put the ball in the net,” said United defender Garfield Dickson.

The bright spot for Europa, the team’s identity has a high currency in defense which has helped the team allow the fewest goals for the season.

Will the loss to Wuji serve as a wakeup call for Europa to unlock more value in their teams’ offensive depression?

United Defenders Dickson, Claudia Moruga and Carlinhos Varela have the pace and crossing ability to be a threat going forward.

Yet concerns over Coach Matthäus Reinmann’s ability to unleash his team’s offensive prowess, continue to escalate.

 “I’m glad our defenders play an efficient style that’s created a solid protective culture,” said United Captain Lennard Fuchs, “However, we need to tweak this to enable a more open, creative culture which we lack at crucial times – the guile and cutting edge to generate offense”.  

This lack of cultural cohesion among Europa was apparent during many times of the match.  

When asked, Wuji Captain Stanislas Hachette added, “Their players seemed out of sync. Their passes were going nowhere. They don’t seem to be communicating with each other on the field, nor off the field as they have defenders and offence sitting away from each other.”

After Wuji’s Marysa Waaijer scored the 2nd goal of the match (which was the eventual winner), Fuchs appeared to be engaged in a long and spirited conversation with Coach Reinmann.

“It was simply a disagreement between us”, said Fuchs after the match. “I simply suggested we switch our formation to a more attacking style like a 4-2-4 or even a 3-5-2 but Reinmann did not agree. Oddly enough, the 3-5-2 is a style perfected by the Germans which Reinmann is, so I thought we would be in agreement on this.”

Coach Reinmann commented, “I would love to play a 3-5-2 style which is more offensive or even a 4-2-3-1 style which would help us maintain possession of the ball more. However, you need specific personnel for that, and I think our results to date confirm, that’s a challenge.”

After the match, Europa United Chairperson, Natasha Kennedy put in a vote of confidence for Reinmann.

“I think he’s done a good job with the talent he’s been given. However, we are always looking at ways to improve the club to give us the lift we need to end the season strongly and win a championship.”

Don't take a breath; Sudden Death

Al'amal – Solis, Capricornus 1, 249

76 Vygintas Repsas carries the Tiangong Wuji to an important win, breaking a month long cold streak

Just Breathe.

That’s what they tell you to do in tense, stressful situations.

But on Mars, where every breath counts, just breathing may need to be done sparingly.

Especially, when your oxygen tank of gaseous gold is running low and depleting by the second.

Because no one on your team can put a goal into the opposing team’s net.  

A goal that not only would keep your playoff hopes alive… but also keep you alive.

With 55 minutes of oxygen supply per half in their suits, minus 45 minutes of game time, minus another 3 minutes of added time, minus every minute of missed penalty shots, equals new meaning to the term…Sudden Death Overtime.

This was the case in Week 12’s Al’amal SC vs. Tiangong Wuji match which needed 16 penalty kicks in overtime to determine a victor.

“We decided to go to straight to Penalty Kicks in Overtime to improve players’ safety but clearly, our players weren’t helping themselves out there with all those missed shots”, nervously laughed MAFL Commissioner Aiger Masing.

“I’ve never seen so many missed penalty shots before”, said Wuji Captain Stanisals Hachette. “And those oxygen warning messages that kept repeating in our helmets – not helpful!”

Al’amal SC forward Arwa Farra agreed. “They were downright terrifying to be honest.”

It was Farra, the twinkle-toed forward, who opened the match’s scoring at the 27th minute. But alas in this match, Farra was one of many players who missed their shot.

After Al’amal SC was able to unlock the Wuji defence with their rapid change of pace, close control and crisp passing, a superb run and cross set up Farra’s volley into the far corner past Wuji goalkeeper, Trenton Seaton. Al’amal SC 1 – Wuji 0.

It was Farra’s 5th goal of the season, moving her up to 3rd on the season’s goal leaderboard.

“I’m here to help my team win a championship,” said Farra, “And if I need to score more goals to help achieve that, happy to do so and take over the league lead from Lanka and Nash.”

After muddling through most of the first half, unable to find a way around their opponent’s deep-lying and tenacious defence, Wuji manager Bobby Chung signalled their attacking intent by switching from their favoured 5-4-1 formation to a 4-2-3-1 system.

It paid off as Wuji was able to mount more pressure resulting in a goal at the 41st minute.  Vygintas Repsas was able to burst into the Al’amal penalty area, and deliver a backward header into the net for the equalizer.

In the 2nd half, both teams continued to run fearlessly at each other’s defence, willing to make bold decisions in a bid to generate the winner.

But to no avail. And despite three minutes of extra time added, the score remained 1 to 1.

Straight to Penalty Kicks.

Shot 1 - Al’amal Captain Musaddiq Baddour powered a superb shot past Seaton. Goal!  PKOT 1-0

Shot 2 - Wuji: From one Captain to another – Stanislas Hachette’s low drive….forced a fine fingertip save from Al’amal goalkeeper Ahmed al-Pour.  PKOT 0-1

Shot 3 - Al’amal’s Hamad Fayad choose right…as did Seaton - Save. PKOT 1-0

Oxygen Supply Warning – 5 Minutes Remaining, announced in Wuji's Chen Jai's helmet, prompting a nervous kick right into al-Pour’s welcoming hands for Shot 4. PKOT 0-1

Shot 5 - Al’amal’s Farra boosts a kick over a leaping Seaton…and over the net. PKOT 1-0

Shot 6 – Wuji’s John Ming Wong boosts a kick left and wide of the net. PKOT 0-1

Shot 7 – Al’amal’s Genrietta Olegovna sails one over the top far corner. PKOT 1-0

Oxygen Supply Warning – 4 Minutes Remaining.  

Shot 8 – Wuji’s Ozil Alvi rushes a shot right into a diving al-Pour who catches it before it can cross the line. PKOT 0-1

Shot 9 – Al’amal’s Vivian Badour goes right and Seaton guesses right too. PKOT 1-0

Shot 10 – The tour buses start up and are ready to leave as an Al’amal save ends the game…until Wuji’s Respas responds with magic again! Goes left, past a diving al-Pour – Goal! PKOT 1 – 1.  

There must be a winner announces the Referee as the teams scramble to get their players lined up for the next round of shots.

Oxygen Supply Warning – 3 Minutes Remaining.  

Shot 11 – Al’amal’s Rashaa Adel rushes up to the line and nervously boosts a kick wide right.

Shot 12 – Wuji’s Alicia Beldad goes left…as does al-Pour who makes the grab.

Al’amal’s Akaltat Mohar mutters an expletive in his helmet and angrily boosts a shot left…into a diving Seaton, who cannot stop its momentum as the ball and goalkeeper cross the line – Goal!

The crowd goes wild and the tour shuttles power-up for departure until...

Wuji’s Anne-Marije Festen follows suit with a boost shot through the hands of al-Pour – Goal!  

“The game isn’t over!”, cried the fans. 

Oxygen Supply Critical– 2 Minutes Remaining.  

Shot 15 – Al’amal’s Ikram Muhammad boosts a shot right as Seaton guesses left…into the post bouncing away from the net – No goal!

Shot 16 - Wuji’s Zeng Qigang sends a low shot to the left corner which al-Pour guessed correctly, but past his outstretched hands. His tired reflexes (and nerves) could not match his instincts. – Goal!

Game Over – PKOT 3 to 2 for Wuji!

And the crowd goes wild (again)! Everyone exhales.

After the match, with everyone equipped with copious quantities of oxygen, Commissioner Masing stated, “We will look into the necessary changes to ensure this does not happen again.”

Wuji move out of the basement with a 4 - 8 record while Al’amal drops to 6 - 6 for the season.