Titans lose, again!

Europa - Saturni, Makara 21, 2077, m249

Have the Titans peaked too soon?

That was the post-match question which set Titans manager Paulo Salgado off into a fiery frenzy before he stormed out of the dressing room to a stunned and speechless quorum of reporters.

No more answers. Only questions.

What adjustments did the Titans make after their stunning upset to Dong Ji last week?

How could the Titans lose again despite the return of Captain Raenia Ware who’s been out six weeks nursing an ankle injury?

How will the Titans respond to losing their second match in a row – this week to Europa United?

In a closely contested match that went to 8 rounds of overtime penalty kicks, United prevailed with a 3 – 2 PKOT win.

The scoring started with United midfielder, Edouard Rousselle providing a fantastic strike that sailed over the Titans goalkeeper Icilio De Sisto and into the top corner at the 38th minute.

At the 76th minute, Titans midfielder Ana Sofia Molina tied it up with a near-post finish on a volley following a cross from Ware.

And despite a number of chances from both sides, regulation time ended with the score tied at 1 and 1.  Straight to Penalty Kicks.

United’s Darkeem Dennis and Titans’ Readale Nash were the only to connect in the 5 rounds kick-off, sending it to sudden death shootouts.

Round 6 commenced with United’s Yvonne Barnato scoring. But before the celebration could begin, the Titans’ played Ware, who wasn't in the initial PK lineup.  Ware  retaliated with a clean shot, keeping the Titan's alive.

It wasn't to last long, however.   Round 8, United’s Robinson beat De Sisto for a goal and Sulzberger locked out Titan's Langanah  – ending the match after 16 penalty shots.

For United, they kept their playoff hopes alive, moving to 8 and 11 for the season. They finish off the season facing Wuji @ home and then Dong Ji @ Huacheng Stadium.

For the Titans, this was their 2nd loss in a row and their 3rd loss in four weeks. They face Al’amal and the Comets @ home to end their regular season.

Unthinkable Upset - Titan lose to DJ

San Olympus, Makara 15, 2077, m249

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

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

He fiddled with the zipper on his jumper. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mars March to First MAFL Playoffs

Saturday,  October 23, 2077
Earth-World Associated Press

With the UEFA Champions League barely underway, football fans will have to wait another 7 months before a conclusive championship match. During that time, where will football fans get their playoff fix?

Look no further than Mars, where the inaugural season of the Martian Aero Football League (MAFL) is generating a new buzz for football fans as they head down the playoff stretch.

A key battle in Week 18 of MAFL play - the Noviymir Dynamo vs. the Al’amal SC.

Leading up to the match, both Al’amal and the Amrita Immortals were clinging onto a final playoff spot with a red hot Dynamo right on their heels. The battle for their playoff lives has been a welcome reprieve for the Dynamo as their real lives have been turned upside down by the Chubarov outbreak.

Since being locked out, the Dynamo have been undefeated as a new goalkeeper, a new commitment to defence, and a new motivation to uplift the spirits of their colony has helped them go undefeated.

Extending their undefeated streak to 4 matches would not come easy against the high powered Al’amal offence - the leading scoring team in the league with three of their players in the top five for goals scored.

And one of those players, Captain Musaddiq Baddour, opened scoring at the 30th minute when he dribbled past two defenders before rounding the goalkeeper Boris Danilovich and slotting home.

The Dynamo’s Amaresh Yaee Etefu responded 9 minutes later with a header to the corner past goalkeeper Ahmed al-Pour.

Dynamo’s Mariah Maalouf gave the team the lead at the 49th minute by meeting a cross from Captain Ilya Petrovich with a stunning volley from outside the penalty area.

And then the Dynamo went on the defence and stymied the powerful Al’amal offence for the next 40 minutes. Just when it looked like the Dynamo would win again, Balraj Sodhi delivered a left foot volley following a cross by Arwa Farra for the tying goal – at the 89th minute!

Which led to overtime and in MAFL play that means straight to penalty kicks! Unlike Earth football, penalty kicks are welcomed by fans for their excitement, and by players due for survival purposes – they only have so much oxygen in the tank – literally!

In Penalty Kicks, Dynamo’s Petrovich struck first. A couple of misses later were then followed by Al’amal’s Genrietta Olegovna to tie things up.  Five failed shots followed before Dynamo’s former goalkeeper, Ilya Kyrylyuk, curled a shot past al-Pour for the winner in the final penalty shot of OT!

A Penalty Kick to Remember!  Kyrylyuk falls to his knees after his 5th round penalty kick goal.

PKOT 2-1 for the Dynamo. The win is now their fourth in a row and has them tied with Al’amal for the final playoff spot with three weeks to go.

“For most of the season, I have felt like I've let down the team,” said a jubilant Kyrylyuk after the match.  “I can't express how much this goal means to me on a personal level.”

On another celebratory note, Novyimir will be lifting the quarantine tomorrow, so the Dynamos will will be finally returning home to reunite with loved ones.

And the end of the regular MAFL season is in sight as three weeks remain until the playoffs. Football fans stay tuned. There’s an exciting march to the finish happening in Mars Football.

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.

The Legend Returns

Europa, Saturni, Makara 14, 2077, m249

With their playoff chances at risk, the Immortals Captain, Uday Lanka, returned to action to help lead his team to a 1 – 0 win over United.

“I’m not 100% yet but this was a big match for us as United’s improved a lot and we have Al’amal and Dynamo breathing down our throats for a playoff spot”, said Lanka. “At this stage, every game is crucial.”

And that urgency was also felt by United as they came into the match sitting just outside of a playoff spot needing a win to stay within striking distance.

And yet despite having home field advantage, United was unable to produce, creating few offensive chances as their recent forward additions of Darkeem Dennis and Yvonne Barnato were shut down.  

Which meant an all too familiar story for United – their over reliance on their steady and stingy defence to keep them close.  A noticeably slower Lanka who ran gingerly most of the match also helped United.

And with all signs pointing towards overtime, lady luck would rear its head, much to the favour of Amrita.

Immortals #7 Lanka beats United Goalkeeper, #48 Sulzberger (oddly wearing a #4 jersey). 

An errant pass from United goalkeeper Kevin Sulzberger fell right into the path of a surprised yet willing Lanka, who responded with a powerful  volley past Sulzberger for the winning goal….at the 89th minute!

With the win, the Immortals moved to 10 – 8 for the season and sole possession of 3rd place in league standings for now, while United dropped to 7 – 11.

While United is still mathematically within playoff contention with three weeks left, the likelihood of this materializing is dependent on United winning all of their upcoming 3 matches.

They will have home field advantage again next week against the league leading Titans and then faceWuji (@ home) and Dong Ji (on the road).

“We can’t look too far ahead”, said Dennis, when asked about his return to Dong Ji, his previous team. “We need to channel the frustration from today’s loss to motivate us next week against the Titans if we are to have a shot at the playoffs”. 

Lanka commented on his team’s chances, “We have a tough schedule to finish off the season as we play all the contenders - the Titans, Comets, and Al’amal. Tonight we get rest. Tomorrow, we get ready.”

Interview: The Nash Attack

Veneris, Makara 13, 2077, m249

Readale Nash is not just the youngest member on the Titan roster, he is also the youngest player in the league overall.  There is a very small club of under 20 players in the MAFL, but among these young guns, Readale has been making his own particular mark. Having contributed to more than 1/3 of all total Titan goals, this young striker stirs fear in the opposition.

On your team, the next youngest players are 20.  How does it feel to be the youngest of the Titan pack?

The guys used to ride me about my age, but I've never felt uncomfortable or insecure about it.  I can't deny my age.  Reality is, all of us are new to this 'pro athlete' thing, so I can tell you that a lot of players feel a little wet behind the ears.

What's it like being a professional Aero Footballer?

It's really something.  You grow up in school never knowing that sports can ever be more than just play or for physical activity prerequisites.  I never would have hoped for this because there just wasn't any sport-culture like on Earth.  Even when Aiger announced the MAFL, I wouldn't have imagined that I could ever be involved.

What were your plans before the MAFL?

I was thinking of applied sciences, like most of my boys at SO Collegiate.  I had applied to the engineering program at U of SO, so probably would have ended up in urbanization or infrastructure design.  Damn, that seems like a completely different reality now.  I really can't imagine what life would be life without Aero Football.

What was your favourite sport in school?

It would be Hoops. I can get good air and I loved the precision of nailing 'bullseye baskets'. Definitely Hoops.  That's how the Titan scouts actually found me. In school, football wasn't so good in the small gymnasiums, so it was never a thing. But now, the propulsion kits in the EV Suits and playing outside, it is just such an amazing game.  I dream about Aero Football now.  I wish we played more than once a week!

You're known for being a bit of prankster among your teammates.  Can you tell us a bit about what you get up to?

It was Eduard [Rotaru], right?  For sure it was him to talk about it.  Let's just say that those road trips can get pretty long.   I like to make things a little more interesting and perhaps not everyone can appreciate a good gag.  

Out on the town - Nash enjoys exploring the party scenes across the colonies.

How's the dating scene with your travels across the colonies?  Anyone special in your life?  

[Laughter] I'm working my way up to being a ladies man.   The sport doesn't help too much as Coach has a strict no-messing-around policy, so I have to take advantage of the R&R time.  I think my favourite colony is Marineris because it has such a good scene and so many fine girls.  It doesn't always help after thrashing the Comets though, but I don't do so bad, if I say so myself.

Do you feel a rivalry with Uday Lanka, the league's top scorer?

Absolutely so.  If he wasn't on top, it would be me!

Who are your biggest influences?

I'm a big believer in being your own cheerleader, so I don't have a lot of heroes.  If I have to pick, my captain [Raenia Ware] is a pretty damn good mentor.  Even though she's not too much older than me, she is a lot like the mother to the squad.  She's tough as rocks and I respect that.  I mean, she can do with a few more goals, but aside from that, she's solid.

What are you looking forward to for the remainder of the regular season?

For it to be over!  We have cleaned up the regular season, so it is all going to come down to the championship.  They say it is a whole new game in the playoffs.  I say, bring it on!

Tales from the Pitch: Necessity

Jovis, Makara, 13, 2077, m249

Spectator Tour Vehicle by Altia Heavy Machines, Marineris, configured for media.

There was an old Earth saying that necessity is the mother of invention, but up here, Mars is the real mother of invention. Everything that we’ve built has come out of a necessity to live, eat, work, and play in the greatest scientific feat that humanity has ever known.

I was thinking about this as I watched my Titans unceremoniously fall to the Dynamo at Korolev Stadium. Not wanting to focus too much on the game I looked around at the rest of my colleagues in the Press STV, or, Spectator Tour Vehicle. You see, it would have been both too costly and a drain on resources to cover the stadiums and create an artificial atmosphere, so the MAFL stadium are all open air. But humans can’t breathe on Mars so the players have the EV suits.

This all works well for the players because there aren’t that many of them, but when you want to fill your stadium with hordes of fans you can’t really give out hundreds of EV suits. So the Spectator Tour Vehicle was invented. In general the STV is large vehicle with rotating seats, life-support systems, and elongated windows that allow the passengers to enjoy viewing a match from the comfort within.

The press STV isn’t much different than a standard STV designed for regular spectators. It's a much smaller vehicle, of course, but with space for all of us to work and file stories, but the same basic design is there. Every STV comes equipped with a state of the art onboard game diagnostic system. This populates the heads-up display (HUD) on the windows, but also allows for an individualized data feed in each seat.

The HUD provides important game information such as current score, time remaining, and players on the pitch, but it is the personalized data feed that I love. Let’s say you want to know the home town of your favourite player, or how many penalties they’ve received this season, or what’s their favourite song? It is all there at your fingertips. I can have a personalized announcer feed, or I can even add my own soundtrack. And I love watching a couple of minutes of a game to classic music. You’d be surprised how well a match syncs up with the 1812 Overture!

Of course all of this pales in comparison to STV Megabox. Patterned after the box seats of yore, these vehicles fit only a handful of spectators, but what a ride they get. Plush seats, gourmet food, referee cam feed, and all the opulent extras that make watching the game merely a secondary endeavour. I’ve never gotten a chance to life live in one of these fancy moving parties, but I heard from a guy who heard from a guy that they are worth every penny.

And one day I’ll find a way to catch a match in these golden boxes, but for now I’m happy to sit with everyone else, shoulder to shoulder, enjoying the common bond as we cheer (or boo) the teams on the pitch. Sure, we could just be at home enjoying the virtual feeds or data sets from the camera-bots, but nothing beats being right there and seeing the players in front of you. Don’t let this season pass by without seeing at least once match dear reader. You won’t regret it.

Dynamos Dynamite!

Marineris - Solis, Makara 8, 2007, m249

Dynamo #1 Karaaria was led the way to a 2-0 victory over Comets.

With the panic of the Chubarov outbreak finally starting to subside at Novyimir, the Dynamos continue playing their most inspired football of the season.

Three weeks since the colony-wide quarantine and three consecutive wins over that span.

“Our matches have been a much needed distraction for our people back home and it has driven us to play better”, said Captain Ilya Petrovich.

With their 2 – 0 upset victory over the mighty Marineris Comets @ Marineris stadium, the Dynamo have moved back into the playoff picture trailing 3rd and 4th place Al’amal SC and the Amrita Immortals (both losers this weekend) by just one win.

The Dynamo opened up scoring at the 29th minute as a Comets cross was intercepted by Petrovich who fed a streaming Rozalia Budnik who supplied the finish with a left-footed volley that slammed into the lower corner past Comets’ goalkeeper Zaida Agre.   Dynamo 1 Comets 0.
Just before the end of the first half at the 43rd minute, Avideh Karaaria exchanged passed with Budnik before thrashing a powerful curling shot past Agre for the 2nd and final goal of the match.

In the 2nd half, the Dynamo switched to an aggressive 5-2-2-1 defensive formation with five defenders, two defensive midfielders, two offensive midfielders and one clean striker.  

The switch paid off results as they were able to shut down the Comets to secure the 2 – 0 win.

In fact, this was the same defensive formation Dynamo used in Week 16 to upset the league leading Titans and to beat United in Week 15.

All of a sudden, the Dynamo, who lead the league in goals allowed with 31,  are now the new ministers of defence having allowed zero goals in their last three matches.  With two wins under  #11 Danilovich's belt as goalkeeper, the club's gamble with placing a forward between the post seems to be paying off.

 “I actually don’t recognize that Dynamo team we just played,” added Comets manager Gordan J. Pryce. “They’re playing inspired football with scintillating shut down defence. If they continue this path and make the playoffs, they’ll be a dangerous wild card.”

Titans Rebound

Solis, Makara 8, 2077, m249

Titans #8 Readale Nash scores his 8th of the season as San Olympus takes the match at Amrita.

In their Week 3 match, the Immortals legend, Uday Lanka was born, scoring a phenomenal 4 goals to embarrass the Titans.

In their Week 10 rematch, it was the Titans’ Readale Nash (the Cash) who provided redemption with two goals to lead the team to victory.

In Week 17, who would win the rubber match?

Any advantage to playing at Amrita’s home field would soon be nullified as dread spread throughout the colony that the Lanka Legend would be a scratch for their match. An injury suffered in last week’s match against Wuji helped explain why his presence was virtually non-existent that match.

“I tried to play through it but I just couldn’t get anything going that match”, said Lanka. “The next day, I couldn’t even get up so I knew something was up.”

And with Lanka absent, the Titans could smell blood early.

At the 19th minute, the Titan’s Readale Nash glided past defender Tanigawa Kata and lifted the ball over goalkeeper Chamunda Badal into the bottom-right corner to open up the scoring.

The Immortals responded five minutes later as midfielder Ronald Donovan passed over to teammate Tulaiha Azizi to tap in a shot past a baffled Icilio De Sisto for the equalizer.

But De Sisto would get his revenge.

At the 31st minute, as the Titans took a corner from the Immortals area, the Titans goalkeeper suddenly left his own box and raced forward!

As the Immortals and Titans players bounced the ball around, De Sisto was able to get to the loose ball, and with his back to the goal, launched himself into the air to curl a spectacular shot into the top corner over a stunned and confused Immortals team for the eventual winner!

“I’ve never seen a play like that in my life,” said Immortals manager Andam Mirza. “Hats off to them for their innovation. That took a lot of balls to pull off.”

“I was at full charge on boosts”, said De Sisto, “Raenia (Ware) and Paul (Salgado) felt we needed to try something different with our offence; the opportunity presented itself today.  I felt like I was channeling a bit of Barnato.”

“If Lanka was playing, we would have beaten the Titans just like we did in Week 3” said outspoken Immortals owner Vijya Pandey. “In yesterday’s match, I saw the Wuji mug Dong Ji players all game just like they abused Lanka last week. The league should step in and take action”.

For the Titans, this was a strong response to their loss against the Dynamos last week.  Some critics claim the Titans have peaked and will be in decline into the playoffs.

“Pandey and critics can say what they like”, said Ware. “We play one game at a time and this round, we won.”

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.

Rebirth of Cool

Saturni, Makara 7, 2077, m249

Above: United players, #8 Pernet, #75 Fuchs, and #7 Dennis revel in their overtime win against Al'amal SC.

For most of the season, Europa United has been a one note samba. Albeit it can be quite catchy at times, their strong defensive note has for the most part lacked long term range producing more lows than highs.

Yet with their win over the formidable Al’amal SC, could this be the Rebirth of Cool for United as they discovered a new range of flexibility in their play which will help them soar to new levels?

“I don’t know if we are cool”, replied United Captain Lennard Fuchs. “However, to use your analogy, if this win helps us get in sync and play more harmoniously in future, I’m on board”.

And this was a win United needed to help comfort their suffering fan base and validate their recent moves in adding Darkeem Dennis and shifting Goal Keeper Yvonne Barnato to a forward position.

United’s defensive strength continued to excel as defender Mlaska Lovric got the scoring started with a goal at the 2 minute mark.  

Lovric picked up the ball in the midfield, and played through Al’amal’s Lana Gonzalez and then rounded Birwant Rhar with ease before boosting a shot to the top corner over a leaping Ahmed al-Pour.

While tight is the United defence, even they could not fully contain the high powered Al’amal offence – tied for the league lead in Goals scored with 3 of their players in the Top 5 for Individual Goals scored.

At the 58th minute, Hamad Fayad played a volley off his chest and bicycle kicked it over United Goalkeeper Kevin Sulzberger to tie up the game. For Fayad, it was his 5th goal of the season.

While both teams had scoring chances from Darkeem Dennis and Yvonne Barnato on the United side and from Baddour, Farra, and Fayad on the Al’amal side, the game remained tied at the end of regulation time.

Penalty Kicks is where United’s new additions made a lasting impact. United captured 3 penalty shot goals from Darkeem Dennis, Yvonne Barnato and Laura Pernet.

Sulzberger, who was heavily criticized after his debut match last week against the Comets, earned his redemption this week with a brilliant performance in overtime, shutting down Al’amal’s high powered trio of Baddour, Farra, and Fayad and allowing zero penalty shot goals overall.

PKOT United 3 - 0 Al'amal

For United, the victory provided a slight degree of respite from what has been a disappointing season to date. Club Manager Matthäus Reinmann was slightly more optimistic of the victory’s impact.

“Hopefully this is the start of a new direction for us with all our new pieces gelling at the right time to build momentum for the playoff run,” said Reinmann. “I’m positive, better days are ahead”.

Reinmann’s words will be put to the test as United hosts the Amrita Immortals next week.

Earth to Mars: We like it!

Southern New York -  October 15, 2077
Earth-World Associated Press

Earth and Mars Images courtesy NASA

It was an affirming communiqué for the MAFL.

It took little time for Aiger Masing to share news with the owners, media outlets and fan channels across Mars:  "They [Earth] love the MAFL!" 

It's no secret, the league is fuelled on dreams and the deep pockets of bored Martian investors.  How else can a measly Martian population, with less human traffic than the average New Manhattan skyscraper, financially support a professional league on a planet that is barely habitable?

The launch of a professional Martian sports league wasn't of particular interest here at the time... after all, aside from the retro-novelty of it, most kids have created and played in dozens of virtual pro leagues.  But somehow, beyond expectation, the Martian Aero Football League has caught the attention of a growing audience and notable brands. 

"I think the sport communities in the East Americas were the first to support their Martian counterparts," said Martin Ge-Macuire Wong of the NYE-Sport-Association, "Our clubs and members were estatic to hear about an all-natural, minimally augmented, intramural league come to life.  The effort they are making is admirable considering it would have cost them next to nothing to built it on-top of SportzUmbark or one of the other D6X (deep sensory experience) platforms."

With a group led by Empire AAA Captial Bank looking to invest in the MAFL and mega corporations like Drinqium seeking licensing rights, Masing's little experiment has suddenly become a "little-league-that-could".

Some are calling it a sport revival; and with natural sports having been in decline for many years, it isn't altogether surprising it didn't happen here on Earth.

"It's kind of a voluntary prison camp up there.", says Wayne Koretzk, curator of the Sport Archive Museum, "They live without many of the things we take for granted.  I believe that their pace of life has given them a fresh perspective on many things, including sports."

According to reports, Drinqium has been vetting no less than 6 different Martian organizations that intend to launch new professional sports.  These include games with familiar roots, like Hockey, Basketball and Rugby, but also a few that can only be played in 1/3 g – Has anyone heard of Spiro-flow?

Drinqium, in association with Marineris colony, has already announced sponsorship to this year's Pathfinder race , a little known ultra-survivor-marathon that was born out of the explorer and nomadic development companies that prospect the farthest reaches of Mars. It certainly won't be a back-water event anymore; some are already comparing it to the classic era of the Tour de France.

Pathfinder Marathon pits individual athletes against the vast terrain of Mars.  This year's race traverses Valles Marineris in a mind-boggling 5 stage, 1200 KM course.  Pathfinder Marathon runs on the Martian month of Aquarius, our Mid-November.

With growing interest here on Earth, sports on Mars isn't just a romantic fantasy anymore.  You can be sure other businesses will be looking to capitalize on this new import.  The potential revenue and sponsor dollars from Earth will only accelerate sports on the red planet, so it is certain that this landscape will evolve very quickly.  

Aiger Masing, "It's fitting that sports will reconnect a new generation to their counterparts here on Mars."

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.

Tales From the Pitch: Game Ball

Well sports-fans, have I got a treat for you this week! Today we are talking about balls. And not just any balls, but the piece of technological wizardry that makes the Mars Aero Football League the must see sporting event of the Red Planet!
 
As the game was patterned after the Earth football, the size of the ball was maintained from those standards, sitting at approximately 22cm in diameter. But that is where the comparison ends. I wanted to know more about the key piece of equipment, so I visited the designer, Amanda Jacobsen, in her Sans Olympus workspace.
 
I’m greeted with a huge smile by Amanda who immediately shows me the first prototype she ever made (it sits on her desk).  It is a sphere of skeletal wires, and looks nothing like the sleek illuminated final version that greets players on the pitch each week.
 
“I knew that we would need to have something that would work in Mars’s atmosphere,” she said. “So I wanted it to be durable, and to be able to provide tech support to the referees and the league.”
 
And durable it is. Despite only weighing in at 1500 grams, the ball can withstand the harshness of Martian conditions to ensure that the delicate computer systems housed inside can provide all the necessary data.
 
This is where the genius of Amanda truly begins to show. The problems encountered by referees in traditional Earth games were somewhat solved by having a primitive video recording of the match that could be referred to in case of dispute. However, the MAFL ball takes this concept to a whole new level.
 
The ball is connected to the game infrastructure to provide officials with immediate data such as location of ball relative to out of bounds areas, players, and the goal. This allows a referee to immediately be able to provide an accurate call on offside rules, boundaries, and scoring. This in turn speeds up gameplay.
 
“I knew that other teams were working on the EV suits, but I had wanted to ensure that players were exposed to the atmosphere for as short a time period as possible,” Amanda said. “So a lot of the tech was designed to cut out waiting times that suspend play.”
 
Various sports have had basic computer systems in balls for a while, but one of this design’s functions that sets it apart is the auto-return.

“The ball itself has propulsion and hover capabilities that can be engaged when it goes outside of a set perimeter. So any errant kick will just result in the ball being returned to the closest referee.”

Amanda had taken her inspiration from the MAFL rulebook, and had wanted to create a device that would complement the core fundamentals of the game but in a way that didn’t detract from the sport.
 
“We want people watching the players after all,” she laughed. “I didn’t want my design to be disruptive so that fans care more about the ball!”
 
Mission accomplished Amanda and on behalf of all fans I salute you. My visit was illuminating and I hope that all you readers found it as educational as I did.

Rethinking Checkpoints

Veneris, Capricornus, 27, 2077, m249

Last weekend's In-Out Checkpoint at Marineris.

Marineris needs to come up with new IO policies to make it more efficient to get outside.  They aren't alone.  Aside from United, Amrita, and to some degree, San Olympus, the current processes to leave a colony have become problems with the growing demand to attend MAFL matches.

THE PROBLEM:  Leaving the safety of a colony is regulated, as it should be, but the security and customs processes have not been updated to factor the increased volume of In-Out as a direct result of the MAFL.

The league has been lobbying for changes since well before season 1, but aside from increased security lines at the check-points, the bottleneck of processing spectators has been an increasing cause of frustration.

"Our primary objective is to keep residents safe.  We will never take a casual approach to exterior movements of our people.   This type of volume was not forecasted."

The MAFL insists there are creative ways to circumvent the problem.  Despite the fact there are many, arguably better ways to enjoy the sport, the demand to actually be at the stadiums is at an all-time high.  If there were twice the number of spectator transports available, there would likely be that much more backlog at the check-points.

According to Aigar Masing, CEO of the MAFL, "It would just take a few borers to connect the stadiums to the colonies.  Marineris Stadium already has a deployable soft dome and if the colonies could connect life support and pipe in atmosphere, what could be safer colonists?"

Though it may be feasible, it all comes down to priorities.

In a prepared statement by Colony Council, they said, "Marineris has supported the MAFL since the beginning and has expended considerable resources to help make it happen.  We couldn't be more pleased that the league has become a success and will continue our support; we just can't ignore the other responsibilities of the state. Our way of life is only possible due to calculated resource management."

Even if MAFL and the clubs had the means to privately fund this type of project, it would take time.  Oxygen production capacity would represents the biggest challenge to overcome.

"It is all possible.",  according to James Brennis, a Vallis Engineer, "All of it, including the atmosphere.  But even if they green-lit this tomorrow, there's no way it could happen this season.  All the robots are accounted for."

Until we see stadiums connected to colonies, the only solution will come with more efficient IO processes.  

Europa and Amrita's pre-checkin and personal tracking systems on spectator vehicles are proven low-cost solutions to the weekend bottlenecks.

“No one should have to wake up early on a Saturni or Solis just to queue for an hour to get on a transport.  What is this... Earth?”

— Aigar Masing

Transfers, Trades and Musical Chairs

Jovis, Capriconrus 26, 2077, m249

Today, clubs across the MAFL posted official announcements confirming trade rumours and line up changes.

As this is the first experience of this kind for many fans, particularly those who have grown up on Mars without any prior context, it was an unexpected emotional reality of the game.

Here's the rundown...

Wuji and Comets

Marysa Waaijer traded to Marineris Comets. 

Waaijer, though born on Mars, is not a native of Tiangong.  Of Dutch origins, her family were among the original pioneers of Europa in 2046.  Waaijer only moved toTiangong in Kumbha 248 after being recruited by Bobby Chung, Wuji head manager.

“She was one of my first picks outside the colony,”, said Chung, “And now she must be my first pick to leave.  She will be missed, but this is a deal we need to build the team for the future.”

Marysa Waaijer traded to Comets

Waaijer issued this statement: “The fans of Tiangong have welcomed me since day-1 and they have supported me and the team through our best and worst.   Though saddened to leave, I am excited about what the future will bring at Marineris.”

In return for Waaijer, Wuji are receiving… Maurice O’neal, a Midfielder, and Khloe Mckay, a Defender.  This expands the slim Wuji roster to 19 players.

The Comets have the largest squad in the league.  Both O

Comets Chairman, Elizabeth Foster, expressed  

Novyimir

Adam Stepanovich, Dynamo’s Head Manager has finally made the decision to change what's between the posts.  Kyrylyuk has has a dismal season with worst goals against record in the league… an unbelievable 31 goals that have slipped by.

Danilovich replaces Kyryluk between the posts.

This was a long time coming, but what did come as a surprise is that the job went to 11 Boris Danilovich.  There were other contenders among the existing team, with Defenders 43 Heriberto Couto and 39 Dijen Axa have regularly played goal in practise, Stepanovichhas opted for a role reversal with Danilovich swapping positions with Kyryluk.

Hopefully, Kyryluk is able to translate his ability to allow the ball into the net in the reversedirection.

Titans, Al’amal, and Amrita

These clubs were steadfast, confirming today that no changes will be made to their rosters.

The Titans have an unbelievable 14-1 record, but have recently be mired by injuries that have noticeably affected their otherwise flawless performance.  With a roster of 21 players, they have a lot of strong secondary players to rely on.

Both Al’amal and Amrita are neck-and-neck with identical records this season with 8 wins and 7 losses.  Neither are ready to mix things up at this point in the season as they fight for top position.

Dong Ji

Huacheng was the first to go public with their intentions of selling Dennis to United in what they called ‘an offer they could not refuse’.

With 2 new untested players called up from the juniors, #47 Chen Xie and #96 Lim Hou, it is uncertain if this will re-energize the club.  It has, however, fuelled suspicion of racism in Huacheng, to which the club flatly denies. 

Dennis did not seem disappointed by the opportunity to leave Huacheng.

United

In addition to theirplay with Dennis, Reinmann officially announced his plan with goalkeeping and bolstering his offensive line.  58 Barnato and 31 Parnet will become a forwards, 48 Sulzberger will take goal, and Barlas will be moving to a midfield position.

“This is all I have for now,” said Reinmann, “This will not be a magic fix, but we will start here and make subsequent adjustments accordingly.  What I want to focus on now is on our match this Saturni.”

Sources close to Barnato suggest that she is not entirely pleased with the club’s decision.  Though she was a successful striker in her youth, she has always stated that playing goal was her passion.  She was not available for comment.

With the Transfer Window now closed, clubs will not be able to trade, but can continue to make internal adjustments at their own discretion.

This Saturni and Solis will put these new configurations to the test.

Week 15 Roundup

Solis, Capricornus 22, 2077, m249

Saturni's match at Huacheng -  Manager Andam Mirza rallies the Immortals at half-time.

Immortals @ Dong Ji

It was a tale of two Martian cities in Week 15.

He’s back!

At least that’s what Immortals’ fans are hoping as Uday Lanka (Legend) scored his league leading 10th goal at the 64th minute to lead the Immortals to a 1-0 victory over Dong Ji.

For Lanka, it was his first in 3 weeks and like many he’s delivered this year, it was a glorious goal.

Lanka intercepted a pass from Dong Ji’s Olga Lobo da Costa, and passed over to teammate, Akkilic Talpur. Lanka broke like a gazelle and charged up for a diving header past a leaping goal keeper Xue Su for the winning goal!

With the win, the Immortals moved to 8 and 7 for the season and third place in the standings while Dong Ji sunk to the league basement with a 4 and 11 record.

He’s gone!

Dong Ji’s chances of winning may have been better had star Darkeem Dennis not been a last minute scratch due to his pending transfer to United - the season’s first blockbuster player move. Either way, Dong Ji's prospects for the remainder of the season are dim.

As teams gear up for the playoff stretch, the question remains, who’s on the move next?

Wuji @ Titans

Not moving at all would be Captain Raenia Ware as she was a scratch for the third week in a row. 

Her absence along with forward Jube Terrell resulted in many nervous moments for Titans fans as the league leaders struggled against the league laggards with no goals during regular time play.

Frustrated with Wuji defenders draped over him all match, Titans leading scorer, Readale Nash channeled his frustration into a furious kick into the top far corner away from goal keeper Trenton Seaton in overtime.  Nash’s goal was the only one in overtime as the Titans defeated Wuji 1-0 in PKOT.

The Titans rise to 14 and 1 while Wuji sink to 5 and 10 for the season.

Will we see Ware return in Week 16 against the Novymir Dynamo @ Novymir or @ Korolev Field.

United @ Dynamo

Dynamo #66 Sergey Samrend takes the win against United. With strong performances in the last two games, Samrend has not pocketed 4 goals in the season.

As the ongoing quarantine continued due to the Chubarov outbreak, a tense United team travelled at to the newly constructed Korolev Field to take on the Dynamo.  They arrived only minutes before the check-in deadline.

According to anonymous sources, a strong quorum of United players approached Coach Matthäus Reinmann and Chairperson Natasha Kennedy earlier in the week, asking to boycott the Week 15 match due to safety concerns.

Kennedy quickly scuttled the uprising to avoid raising the ire of MAFL officials and potentially threatening the Darkeem Dennis transfer. 

Korolev is 1200 KM south of Novyimir and no cases have been reported outside of that settlement.  Furthermore, players are not required to enter a hosting colony, so any exposure can be avoided.  Despite this reassurance, United players linked arms in a visual sign of protest during opening ceremonies.

Alas, the United players were not able to stay linked during the match, as they were unable to successfully protest the atrocious offence they continued to demonstrate. 

A goal from Dynamo #66 Sergey Samrend was the difference as the Dynamo won 1-0 to move to 6 and 9 for the season while United dropped to a similar record.

After the match, United Captain Lennard Fuchs was asked about all the drama surrounding the team.

“Ecstatic that Darkeem will be joining us soon because we need a game changer, so can’t wait for that. Also can’t wait to get the hell out of here. This stadium doesn’t feel right and being so close to the outbreak is scaring the shit out of us.”

Al'amal @ Comets

Fragile was the Comets’ defence in Week 15 as Al’amal SC unleashed an offensive outbreak, scoring twice in the first two minutes of the match.

Just 46 minutes in, Al’amal’s Naaila el-Amer stole the ball from Comets midfielder Amanda Coronel, charged up and boosted a shot that sailed over Comets’ defenders and goal keeper Zaida Agre for goal number one.

Barely a minute later at the 1 minute and 25 second mark, Coronel again lost the ball to Al’amal from the edge of the area.  This time it was Husain el-Guler who shot with the outside of her right foot, curling it inside the far post for goal number two.

Quickly substituting Coronel out of the match may have stopped the bleeding temporarily but the wounded Comets failed to muster any visible signs of life as they floundered around the field for most of the 1st half until Al’amal star Arwa Farra delivered the final dagger.

#18 Arwa Farra delights the home crowd with her 6th goal of the season.

At the 30 minute mark, Farra chested the ball to Captain Musaddiq Baddour, received the return pass and cut inside the Comets defenders before curling a right-foot shot into the far corner for goal number three and her sixth of the season.

The Comets finally responded with a goal at the 76th minute from Samantha Park but too little, too late.

Al’amal’s 3-1 win moved them to a third place tie with an 8 and 7 record.  The Comets dropped their 2nd in a row and slipped to 9 and 6 for the season.

The Comets’ hold on 2nd place in the league is vulnerable heading into next week.

Liddel Bradley, Comets Captain, can't hide his disappointment.

Al’amal will face Dong Ji while the Immortals face Wuji. The Comets? They take on a rapidly evolving United team with Darkeem Dennis potentially making the line up and former goal keeper, Yvonne Barnato moving to a new position.  What will happen?

Look forward to seeing you in Week 16.

Getting Between Here and There

Capricornus 21, 2077, m249

Members of United squad pose in front of their club transport, Bob.

Mars is vast. 

The nearest two MAFL colonies are 2100 KM apart.  

The farthest-most is more than 7000 KM, which translate to a gruelling 4-day round trip... another kind of endurance test for MAFL players.

"It's the only way to travel.", says Ferando Anthony, equipment manager of Europa United, "We have a lot of players and a lot of gear to transport, even if it is from the Colony to the local stadium, so it is the most practical means to get around."

Anthony can't say enough about 'Bob', the name of their robot driver.  United have a C-Class tractor, originally designed to tow borers and other heavy machinery.  On a full charge, Bob can make 800 km before needing to recharge.  This is why road trips are scheduled to disembark either in the late evening or early AM before daylight if a substation isn't en route.

modified C-Class industrial Tractors manufactured by BINMonk Motors are used by 4 of the 8 MAFl Clubs.  Tractor tow trains of up to 4 trailers.

It is a necessity of the sport, something club owners, players and staff are well aware of prior to signing on. 

"The long trips can be tedious, but it is also one of the great perks.", says Carlinhos Varela, United defender, "We get to visit almost all of the major settlements...  That isn't something the average Martian can say."

If you've ever visited VEX or any of the other nomadic explorer settlements, club transports take it to the next level.  They are the best-of-the-best when it comes to mobile habitations. These extraordinary vehicles are the heart of a team and are effectively a full facility on wheels..  Not only do they help get a team from point A to point B, they are the locker room, control centre, sleeping quarters, galley, medical bay, and tech shop.  

"In an Express Tunnel, Bob can safety achieve 240 kph,", says Anthony, "It will be nice when construction on the Cross Martian Corridor is completed.  It will shave off a lot time.  We get nailed on surface routes especially when terrain gets rough or weather  slows us down."

The triangle section of the Corridor between Marineris, Europa and Al'amal is expected to be open by end of summer, but connections East to Tiangong and West to San Olympus is another matter.  The Huacheng Silk Channel Project has 8 robot borers running continuously in an effort to launch the first colony-to-colony hyperloop this mYear.  Once open, this will promises a 4 hour direct journey from city-centre terminals, completely avoiding any exterior-hab-activity.

Cross Martian Corridor - Exposed tunnel segment by valles Marineris toward europa.

Until then, teams will continue to be shepherded by their robot drivers and traverse Mars in their club transports.  Today, according to Bob, the remaining leg to Korolev (about 700 km) will get them in by 21:45, that is,  assuming Reinmann's drills don't take longer than the 4 hour recharge cycle.

“Training in the middle of nowhere while Bob is juicing up is something I look forward to. We all get outside; players, managers and staff, like me.  This is the great outdoors, Martian-style!”

— Ferando Anthony, United Equipment Manager

United face the Dynamos in Korolev's temporary stadium tomorrow afternoon. 

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.”