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.

Pathfinder Bootcamp

Lunae, Makara 23, 2077, m249

This week marks the wrap up of the final bootcamp for Pathfinder hopefuls.

Organizers have finally shared the numbers for applicants hoping to compete in this year's ultra-marathon, but specific racers have not been announced.  According to statements released today,  across all of the colonies and facilities, more than 450 individuals have applied for a chance to race.

Pathfinder is likely the most intense contest of physical and mental endurance in the solar system, so the vetting of racers is not taking lightly.  

"Most applicants are scratch well before the medical reviews.", said Ronnie Suleo, a marketing spokesperson for Pathfinder, "There is a significant financial requirement and technical requirement that many hopefuls just cannot meet.  These are the gates to pass to become a candidate for the physical and mental vetting."

Even after passing the preliminaries, applicants must pass the training and bootcamp program.  With the last bootcamp coming to a close, all applicants will be anxiously waiting for the official posting of the 2077 Pathfinder Marathon contenders, which is expected to before Martis, Aquarius the 3rd, in less than a week.

Washing out - Most of the applicants fail the rigorous bootcamp training program and are sent home.

Some analysts are expecting the Men's lineup will end up around 50 racers or more, which would be more than double of prior years.  Others don't think that is possible, not to mention safe.

According to Garin Papaviny, last year's Pathfinder winner, "I don't think many people realize what it takes to survive this race.  It pushes you to the edge in almost every way.  I've been born and bred in VEX Co, so I live the outdoors.  Just because so many colonists want to challenge themselves this year doesn't mean they can make the cut."

Papaviny won't be racing this year.  He is part of the Pathfinder organizers and is providing his expertise as a consultant.  He has been an integral part planning stages, including scouting and designing this year's course through Valle Marineris.

More updates coming soon as Pathfinder Marathon is just 3 weeks away!

Playoffs Coming into Focus

Jovis, Makara 26, 2077, m249

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

Martis, Makara, 24, 2077, m249

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

Lunae, Makara 23, 2077, m249

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

Tiangong - Solis, Makara 22, 2077, m249

Hope.

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

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

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

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

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

Then something which has alluded Wuji all season, happened.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wuji's Nimit Kose and Beldad. 

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

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

Ten Round KO

Marineris - Solis, Makara 22, 2007, m249

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

Amrita, Saturni, Makara 21, 2007, m249

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?

Saturni, Makara 21, 2077, m249

#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!

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.