Thunder, Lighting and Flood of Goals

Amrita - Aquarius 15, 2077, m249

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And when it rains, it pours.

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

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

That would be the difference maker.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Upbeat Performances in Huacheng

Huacheng - Aquarius 15, 2077, m249

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dynamos Keep Hopes Alive

Novyimir, Aquarius 15, 2077, m249

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

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

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

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

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

Dynamos dominate Wuji in Novyimir

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

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

Season Resumes

Europa - Aquarius 10, 2077, m249

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Can They Rally Through the Tragedy?

Al'amal - Aquarius 9, 2077, m249

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

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

Comets 

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

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

Al'Amal

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

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

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

Immortals

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

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

The Playoff Picture

Solis, Aquarius 8, 2077, m249

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

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

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

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

Win and they earn the 3rd seed. 

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

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

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

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

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

Now here’s where things get tricky.

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

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

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

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

Confused? The chart below may help.

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

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

Everything make sense?

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

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

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

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

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

Farewell Comet

Marineris - Saturni, Aquarius 7, 2077, m249

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tales from the Pitch - Sport as Art

Jovis, Aquarius 6, 2077, m249

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tragic Death of Yamen Warren

Marineris - Lunae, Aquarius 2, 2077, m249

Comets midfielder, Yamen Warren, died late last night.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Terrible Cost

Marineris - Solis, Aquarius 1, 2077, m249

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eliminated!

Europa - Solis, Aquarius 1, 2077, m249

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Novyimir Rises

Novyimir - Saturni, Makara 28, 2077, m249

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

Words of remorse. Words of healing. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hope for the final playoff spot.. 

Chaos in San Olympus

San Olympus - Saturni, Makara 28, 2007, m249

In Greek mythology, it is said that the Titans came out of Chaos.

And yet it was Chaos that came out of the Titans as their battle with Al’amal unleashed bedlam at San Olympus field.  

In an ugly, bittersweet 2 - 0 victory for Al’amal over the Titans, three Al’amal players went down to injuries thanks to a plethora of fouls committed by the Titans which led to three yellow cards and one red card.

As the players and managers left the field after the match, Al’amal manager Haajid Nasr confronted Titans manager Paulo Salgado that erupted into a  skirmish involving managers and players. League officials, unequipped for such a scenario, spent 15 minutes separating everyone as this match ended in a rather ignominious fashion.

The normally calm and reserved Haajid Nasr was unable to participate in post-match interviews leaving Captain Mussadiq Baddour to field questions.

“They’ve already got a playoff spot so this match means nothing for them, yet they butcher three of our players who are now out while we fight for the playoffs”, said Baddour.  “What’s wrong with the Titans?”

A lot is wrong with the Titans right now.  Having dropped their 3rd match in a row and 4th in five matches, the Titans are looking very vulnerable.  

And unapproachable, as the Titans refused post-match interviews.

The Titans did all their talking on the field, starting the conversation at the 10th minute of play, as Tia Shandu received a Yellow Card for roughing up Al’amal’s Arwa Farra as she dropped off a pass.

Farra responded a minute later with an outrageous chip over Titans goalkeeper Icilio De Sisto that dropped in off the underside of the crossbar, capturing her 7th goal of the season.

But the Titans response was to hit back.  

At the 25th minute of play, the Titans Jube Terrell ran towards a loose ball which was retrieved by Farra but Terrell’s momentum plowed her into Farra who crashed hard to the ground.

Unable to rise, Farra was carted off the field with an injury that team officials say will now   keep her out for at least the next 3 weeks. Hamad Fayad substituted in her place.

Terrell was firmly cautioned with a Yellow Card, yet the hits kept coming.

Titans 22 Avdi collides with Al'amal 8 Fayad.

At the 40th minute of play, the Titans Bajen Avdi recklessly crashed into a streaking Fayad, taking him down. A new replacement was needed for Farra’s replacement, as Fayad was escorted off the field. 

This time, a Red Card was issued to Avdi.

Yet despite this, the Titans kept hitting.

At the 57th minute, Tarik Lema Girma clipped Al’amal’s Birwant Rahar within the Titans’ penalty area as Rahar was streaking alone towards the Titans net.

Rahar crumbled to the ground.

For the Titans’ fourth crime, only a Yellow Card was given to Girma, much to the shock of Al’amal players.

A penalty shot was taken by Baddour, who delivered, putting Al’amal up 2 – 0.

And yet the Titans continued to hit until Al’amal finally hit back.

An ugly match in San Olympus results in a slew of casualties. Above , Titans 88 Ana Sofia Molina suffers a fractured. 

At the 65th minute, Al’amal’s Ikram Muhammad tackled Titans midfielder Ana Sofia Molina who dropped clinching her right leg, writhing in pain.  

While Molina was carried off, Muhammad was escorted off with a red card, both captains quickly negotiated a ceasefire for the remainder of the match to end the body count.

The post-game brawl will likely cause many sleepless nights at MAFL headquarters as they sort out all the potential fines.

During post-match interviews, it was revealed Molina’s injury would likely mean the end of her season.

A visibly shaken Muhammad commented, “Look if a bully keeps hitting you, you have to eventually hit back.  They were playing like a bunch of scared thugs, but I know that doesn't excuse my own actions.”

With the win, Al’amal moves up to 10 and 10 for the season keeping their playoff hopes alive. For the Titans, they continue to sink to new lows despite their league leading 15 and 5 record.

Playoffs Coming into Focus

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Certainty:  Titans, Comets and Immortals are IN and DongJI is out.

With only 2 weeks left in the season, the playoffs are fast approaching but how that picture will materialize is still as hazy as a typical Mars sand storm as the playoff position of six teams is still up in the air.

One certainty so far: The Titans will enter the playoffs with the top seed (See Standings below).

Another certainty: The Comets and Immortals will make the playoffs. 

The uncertainty: Which seed will each team own in the playoffs?

The Comets can clinch the 2nd seed with a win over the Immortals in Week 20. A Comets loss in Week 20 leaves both teams tied for the 2nd seed going into Week 21 where the Comets face the Titans @ San Olympus while the Immortals are @ home to face Al’amal.

If the Comets and Immortals end up tied after Week 21, the tiebreaker goes to the Comets who are 2-0 over the Immortals in regular season head to head play.

For the Immortals – just win one of two matches and they’re guaranteed the 3rd seed.

If the Immortals lose to the Comets in Week 20 and then Al’amal in Week 21, they end up with an 11 and 10 record with the potential to go into the playoffs as the 4th seed.

For that to happen, Al’amal will need to beat a suddenly shaky Titans in Week 20 and then beat the Immortals in Week 21 to secure the 3rd seed as the tiebreaker between Al’amal and the Immortals goes to Al’amal who are 2-1 vs. the Immortals head to head play.

While Al’amal’s playoff path is steep, the Dynamo face Dongji and Wuji to close out the season in what promises to be two emotionally charged matches back home @ Noviymir. If Al’amal and the Dynamo end up tied in the standings, the tiebreaker goes to the Dynamo who are 2-1 in head to head play.

A playoff berth for the Dynamo would help heal a colony torn with strife throughout the Chubarov outbreak while a playoff berth for Al’amal would reward the club for its high powered offensive style.

An underwhelming United season could still be salvaged with a playoff berth but a number of things will need to happen.  They’ll need to beat both Wuji and Dongji to end up with a 10 and 11 regular season record AND both Al’amal and the Dynamo will need to go winless in Week 20 and 21.

If United ends up tied with either Al’amal or Dynamo after the regular season, they miss the playoffs as the tiebreakers go to both Al’amal and Dynamo who each own a 2-1 regular season record over Europa.

Do you believe in Miracles?  If you do, then step right up and lay witness to Wuji.

To crawl their way up to the fourth and final playoff spot, the Wuji will need:

1. Victories over United in Week 20 and the Dynamo in Week 21 to end the season at 9 and 12.
2. Al’amal and the Dynamo to both go winless in the next two weeks to end up 9 and 12.
3. United to end up at 9 and 12 or worse.

If these three conditions all happen, shockingly, the Wuji will advance as the tiebreakers all favour Wuji:  3 – 0 over Al’amal in head to head; 2-1 over Dynamo and United in head to head.

Don’t believe it?

Based on everything you’ve seen so far in Season 1 of MAFL play, believe anything.

Ghosts of Mars

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Dynamo Mariya Nikitovna, Comets Liddel Bradley, and  WuJi's Stanislas Hachette.

When you live on Mars, you live with multiple calendars and timezones.

Birthdays and most traditional holidays follow the Gregorian calendar; thus today is Halloween.

As festivities celebrating this day of masquerade unfold across many of the colonies, a handful of players from United, Wuji,  Comets and Dynamo  gathered in Europa for a youth program fundraiser.

“This is a special event.”, said Hachette, Captain of Wuji, fully dressed in a skeletal-clad EV suit, “This is the first time we [the players] have participated across clubs to support a cause.  I’m so happy to be involved. “

A total of 12 players supported the event.  Their morning began with a photo shoot at Europa Stadium and included some hands-on-training for VIP sponsors and students.   The afternoon was spent visiting schools prior to the main reception hosted at Europa's Town Square.

“This is great fun for us and the kids!”, said Karaasia of the Dynamos, her costume drenched in fake blood.

The intensive schedule of the MAFL has left little opportunity for players to intermingle, so this reprieve was a rare occasion for them to let down their guard and engage in social interaction.

According to Comets' Bradley, “Halloween is supposed to be scary, but if you are looking for a real fright, wait for the last two weeks of the season for some real gore and disembowelment.”

Happy Halloween!

Tales from the Pitch #5

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Earth to Mars, Mars to Earth

The other day I was reading through some old NASA reports (I know, I know, but it is the life I chose), and there was a curious line that has stuck with me, not because it was especially profound, but because it turned out to be so amazingly wrong.

It is the expectation that, due to the extreme distance between the two planets, Earth and Mars will become fully separate cultures, and will quickly forget about each other.

I will concede that yes, eventually, Mars has become its own distinct culture, but even here on Mars each settlement is its own distinct culture. That is just what happens when different people end up living together. You don’t need to be some brainy anthropologist to figure that out. The part of the above quotation that surprises me is the idea that the two planets would quickly forget about each other just because we are far apart.

First, technology makes it pretty easy to make contact with our Terran brothers and sisters. Sure, it isn’t as perfect as contacting your neighbour here on Mars, but it is hardly some slow plotting interstellar pony express.

And second, NASA scientists have grossly underestimated how super cool MAFL is and how much it interests people on Earth. A few weeks ago the Earth-World Associated Press ran a piece about how much the Earthers are loving the Mars Aero Football League.

And why wouldn’t they? In it they can see aspects of the original game of Earth football, and therefore have an immediate connection with rules and aspects of play. Sure, natural sports have been on a decline on Earth, but I’d argue that is more for environmental reasons than lack of interest.

After Earth’s World War II, immigrants from all over Europe made their way to North America. They didn’t suddenly forget about their customs or the family they left behind, but instead they built a new set of customs and a new life. That is what we are doing here on Mars, and MAFL is the perfect example of how we’ve brought something from Earth with us and made it our own.

Hearing about how their favourite MAFL team is doing isn’t just having Earthers follow some sport. It is teaching them about us and our life here on Mars. Every time they get to view a match they are learning about our settlements, our atmosphere, and how technology, hard work, and ingenuity have made our lives here possible. MAFL represents the success of the Mars mission. Implicitly we are telling everyone on Earth that we have the basics covered (air, food, shelter), and now we are able to create culture and civilization.

I can’t wait to hear more about Earth-based fandom: to find about where on Earth my beloved Titans have the most fans, to see how they react to our first series of playoff, and then to our first championship match.

MAFL isn’t just some league. I hope that people are seeing that more and more. It isn’t just changing Mars; it’s changing Earth too.

Wuji Upset Al'amal

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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." 

Ten Round KO

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Immortals Break Dynamo Streak

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The Chubarov outbreak is over; and so is the Dynamos’ winning streak.

For each of the 4 weeks of the outbreak, the Dynamos responded in parallel with one inspired win after another.

From the depths of despair to the plains of the playoffs stood the Dynamos.

In their path were the Immortals, also sporting a healthy appetite for playoff gratification.

And a fantastic feast of goals would occur with the first course served by the Dynamos.

Immortals Captain, Uday Lanka, leads his squad to victory,  ending the Dynamos 4 game streak.

Playing at Amrita stadium, Immortals fans were silenced early in just the 1st minute of play. The Dynamos’ Mariah Maalouf received a pass before dribbling into the penalty area, wrong-footed the Immortals defenders and chipped the ball past goalkeeper Chamunda Badal for the first goal of the match.

And then the Dynamos Defence mode switched on as they applied their usual defensive formation with five defenders, two defensive midfielders, two offensive midfielders and one striker.  This worked to hold off the Immortals for the next 38 minutes.  Until Uday Lanka changed the game, something he’s frequently done throughout the season.

Lanka ran from his own half, split the Dynamos midfield, then worked a give and go with teammate Ran Naik to create some separation from the defenders. This freed up a streaking Lanka who volleyed the ball past goalkeeper Boris Danilovich from inside the penalty area to tie up the score at the 39th minute.  For Lanka, that was his league leading 12th goal of the season.

The Dynamos would regain the lead at the 61st minute as Avideh Karaaria back heeled the ball over his marker before turning and heading the dropping ball over Badal.

The Immortals would tie it up at the 82th minute as Lanka provided an audacious assist to Vivek Tagore who finished on the volley with a mid-air back heeled volley past Danilovich.

And with time running low with both teams anticipating an overtime of penalty shots, the Immortals surprised the Dynamo with a fine counter-attack that saw the defenders crowd Lanka who unselfishly set up a freed up Tulaiha Azizi for the tap-in and the game winner at the 90th minute!

And the Immortals win 3-2 to go 11 and 8 for the season while the Dynamo finally lose after 4 weeks and move to 9 and 10 for the season.

The Immortals will close out the season on the road against the Comets and then at home against Al’amal.

“I’m sure the fans were entertained as they were a tough opponent,” Lanka of they Dynamos after the match. “Now we prepare for the Comets. If we win, 2nd place is within our grasp.”

The Dynamo will experience an emotional return back to home field for their final two matches against the Dong Ji and Wuji.

What's Wrong with the Titans?

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#40 Tany Ingram, Titans Forward, disappointed with his performance against United.  Ingram missed his round 2 penalty kick in overtime.

With a 15-4 record, the Titans can look down at the opposition from San Olympus, but for how long?  With the gap starting to close, their massive lead is starting to erode and, for the first time, vulnerability can be detected.

The Titans are guaranteed a playoff spot, however, who will be showing up to play those games?  Will it be the confident and disciplined team from the first half of the season, or perhaps the inconsistent, out-of-sync players we have seen of late?

There is no doubt that the Titans have a talented squad.  With  powerhouses like Nash and Terrell on the offence and De Sisto between the posts with the lowest goals against in the league, the Titans earned their top ranking.

After their first  back-to-back lose, everyone is curious what's happening with the club, but it is possible it has nothing to do with the Titans.

Here are a few of the theories making the rounds:

• Kamden Lewis, one of the billionaires behind the San Olympus Colony and the owner of the Titans, could be the centre of a morale issue.  According to sources close to club management, Lewis has become increasingly hard on coach and players.
• A strategic move; having secured their spot in the playoffs, they are deliberately riding out the season to manipulate the clubs.
• The recent injuries and loses have fuelled conflict among the players.  Jealousy and ego in the locker room is finally taking a toll on their on-field performance.
• They actually aren't that good... Looking at other players and clubs as they are evolving through the season, the Titans are failing to adapt, thus are getting increasingly out-played.

Whatever might be up with the Titans, this much is sure, despite their impressive season, no one can be confident that they will take the Championship.  

Only time will tell, but with only 2 weeks left in regular season, the wait will not be long!