IV.19 Season 25 Dynasty (RH Left Us!)

[Hobbes-]

A new season, a new thread... Some new faces.. some old faces washed away.. here's what the series looks like so far.

1. Nocturnal United 6 in III.11 - puts up high of 227, avg 193
2. Pythons 2 in IV.19 - puts up high of 235, avg 212
3. Fockers 3 in IV.19 - puts up high of 231, avg 207
4. Arsenal A.C. 4 in IV.19 - puts up high of 200, avg 185
5. Gryndal 5 in IV.19, puts up high of 195, avg 174
6. Dead Balls 6 in IV.19, puts up high of 195, avg 178
7. Souleaters 1 in V.166 - puts up high of 176, avg 152
8. Riddle 1 in V.56 - puts up high of 224, avg 193


Nocturnal loses to Ravenhawk in a qualifier to demote to IV.19
Bye bye Ravenhawk..
Souleaters and Riddle promote from V.

With this we also bring 2 more midfield trainers and a striker trainer. Next season looks tougher than ever as I have a feeling we'll move back up into top 5 hardest IV series in USA if not top 1 or 2.

Let the Series Posting begin!

[Hobbes-]

Oh yeah, lets try to post a TAD more than last season. PATHETIC!

[hhiipp]

Of my 3 seasons in IV.19 this one looks like it will be the one that causes me the most problems with maintaining a relegation match spot or higher. Will do predictions later, possibly over the weekend when I have time to bore myself with data.

[Hobbes-]

yeah i was just thinking about predictions.. and damn.. I have a general idea.. but honestly I dunno where I wanna put the new teams into the mix.

[Raven Hawk]

I just noticed that brx just registered here . . . :)

[hhiipp]

I know where I'd like to put them, but I don't think it will end up that way. . .

[Hobbes-]

I just noticed that brx just registered here . . . :)
Maybe it's because someone suggested that he do... no idea who though.

[Captwaz]

Hi everyone!

Just so it's not a grey area, I am a keeper trainer ;)

[Creeper]

If you don't know me, I'm the owner of Dead Balls, Hobbes suggested I post here so I'm posting. Predictions!!!!

1st: Fockers: They're just really good. A great all around team, winning over Pythons last game of the season pretty much convinced me (although I can't remember if the league championship was still a possibility for either, I'm pretty sure they were at least playing for second). Also gave me my worst beating of the season at 7-0, so nice job on that.

2nd: Pythons: Their attack is insane, but other than that they're not particularly impressive, although when he plays a winger towards middle he can at least compete with any midfield. Gave me my second worst beating of the season, at 6-1, although in a remarkable show of consistancy, they beat me 6-1 in both matches we played. Way to go.

3rd: Riddle: It is seriously totally not fair that we get them as one of our auto-promotees and I am considering lodging a complaint with the Hattrick devs about this injustice. A little bit light on the attack, but good midfield and defense. Didn't play them last season due to them, you know, not being in this division, but they would have beat me, oh, 3-1 and 4-0, lets say.

4th: Nocturnal United: It feels kind of weird predicting 4th for a former III team, but I think any of the top 3 could hang in III (maybe not Riddle, but I've never been in III so what do I know). They're definitely a good team, though, and it wouldn't shock me in the least to see them finish anywhere from third through first though. Would've beaten me 6-0 and 4-2.

5th: Gryndal: Hey, now we're getting to the teams I actually think I might have a shot at beating! But won't! Gryndal's solid all around, maybe a teeny bit lacking offensively, but not bad. Drew against them once and then he beat me 4-2 in our epic "We're Not Trying Because We Have Qualifiers Next Week" classic to end the season.

6th: Arsenal AC: I really don't get them. They honestly don't seem that good, aside from a pretty solid defense, but they beat both Fockers and Pythons last season, which is pretty impressive. Still, I can't in good conscience rank the only non-Suffering Bastards/Aiden's Aces team that I beat last season better than 6th.

7th: Dead Balls: Oh, woe is me. Woe, woe, woe unto the Dead Balls. While I'm definitely better than I was at the start of last season (new coach, new forward), my midfield is gonna take a hit as it's time to sell Byron "I'm no Jimmy Gibson" Byrne. We've had a hell of a ride together, Byron. I remember when I stupidly bought you, a 17 year old with weak pm (!!!!!) for $1000, not even covering what it cost to pull you and transfer list you. And now you're on sale for $7,000,000. Not that I'm gonna get that, but who knows, the point is that he's leaving for some large sum of money and some other players are coming in. Hopefully they'll make me a better team. Probably not. If I had played myself, I would have probably found some way to lose. Don't ask me how, but I would have found a way.

8th: Souleaters: You promoted into the wrong division, pal. Kinda sucks. Try and make a cup run or something, it'll be fun. If I had played him, I would've won 3-1 and 2-0.

[Darr]

4th: Nocturnal United: It feels kind of weird predicting 4th for a former III team, but I think any of the top 3 could hang in III (maybe not Riddle, but I've never been in III so what do I know). They're definitely a good team, though, and it wouldn't shock me in the least to see them finish anywhere from third through first though. Would've beaten me 6-0 and 4-2.


Don't feel wierd, this IV division would definetly be competitive in III... Of course I'll be disappointed in 4th, hell I'll be disappointed with anything but 1st.... :P

[Darr]

Nocturnal loses to Ravenhawk in a qualifier to demote to IV.19


And I had almost got over the pain of that loss until you reminded me...

With series members like this, should be fun... ;)

[hhiipp]

We're supposed to hate DeadBalls (Creeper) because of what he did to Lytic, but he's just too darn cute.

[finkenst]

I can see I'll have to bookmark the goold ol' iv.19 dynasty thread this season.

[Creeper]

We're supposed to hate DeadBalls (Creeper) because of what he did to Lytic, but he's just too darn cute.

No! Keep hating! My team feeds on hatred! And donuts!

[Hobbes-]

And I had almost got over the pain of that loss until you reminded me...

With series members like this, should be fun... ;)
Oh, your welcome. I'll make it a reminder to remind you various other times in the future as well. :)

[finkenst]

And I had almost got over the pain of that loss until you reminded me...

With series members like this, should be fun... ;)
then you should definitely find the season 22, 21, and 20 threads.
:)

[Raven Hawk]

And I had almost got over the pain of that loss until you reminded me...

With series members like this, should be fun... ;)
You should also know, that former series mates will feel free to chime in as well. We have quite a few of them over here, including (but not limited to) DamnMikeBrown, BlueMage, Lytic, Franklinnoble and myself. I apologize if I forgot anybody. :)

By the way, that's why I hate playing qualifiers. Because some jackass like me will dump training for a week in order to boost TS for a win. But don't feel too bad, only 3 teams promoted with legitimate wins in their qualifiers to Div III. ;) A few others promoted with walkovers wins.

I'm glad I got out of IV.19. As I told everbody before, I was trying to promote in hopes of playing some easier teams. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like I'll get that wish with III.11.

Good luck to everybody (and I can say that without any reserve now)!

[brxnivy]

Yes, I have finally registered here. I'll post some predictions in a few days, but it's very tough. Just like this past season, I think whoever wins the series will face a Qualifier to move up to Div III. We should have a top-5 Div IV, maybe even top 1 or 2.

[Hobbes-]

....Next season looks tougher than ever as I have a feeling we'll move back up into top 5 hardest IV series in USA if not top 1 or 2...
Didn't I just say that?

[Creeper]

Didn't I just say that?

Well, he said "maybe even" and you said "if not," which is a critical semantic difference.

[brxnivy]

Well, he said "maybe even" and you said "if not," which is a critical semantic difference.


Yeah, can't you read, Nate. Those statements are completely different. :D

[hhiipp]

Just how I like to play, balls to the wall, MOTS every week baby.

[Hobbes-]

Its that time of the season again when we get to post predictions. This season will be especially hard because of the caliber of the new teams entering the division.

So.. here they are.

1. Brx's Pythons - Although my team is favored because I won both matchups vs the Pythons last season. I think this team will come into the season with something to prove. Currently sitting on a little cash that could fund a nice late season run could win it all for this team. Winning out will most likely be the deciding factor in the series much like last season. I can see this team doing no worse than top 3 positions in the series.

2. Darr's Nocturnal Utd. - I look at this team and say "With a coach, this team is gonna be rough to beat". Now if he doesn't get a coach, I could see this team going as low as 5th in the series. With a coach, top 4. Not too much of a difference but I think this team will be pretty solid in the season to come. I could see this team winning the series with a few lucky outcomes in key matches. This teams major strength is it's midfield. One should have to wonder however, if this team gets a coach, that isn't really helping the O and D support it needs. Perhaps this will be the teams flaw this season.

3. Hobbes' Fockers - No upgrades have been made other than training from last season. Although I have a fairly well rounded team that matches up well against most teams, I tend to lose matches I should win. This could be my downfall again this season as I couldn't seem to win a match in the last few weeks if my life depended on it. If Alberto is sold mid season, watch out for my team could take a late run. His future is not yet determined however. I could see me getting anywhere in the top 3. I don't see myself getting any worse, but who knows.

4. Riddle of V - This team could also use a new coach. The more I look at the team the, the better it looks like he will be. This team put up some really good ratings last season and should do so as well this season. This team has one of the top midfields in the series. The attack however seems to be the weakness of this team. I could see this team doing as well as 3rd or as bad as 6th. Sometimes a first seasons in IV can take you by the horns. Something of note, as of week 14 last season this team had the highest overall value in the series.

5. Arsenal - I dunno how this team continues to do so well in this series. So I hafta give him this ranking because of his past success. I wasn't too sure about the transfer buys this team made recently but I'm sure they were for a good reason. I don't see this team doing any better than 4th this season and could possibly get 7th. Still hasn't fixed his training situation as he's training a soon to be 25 year old. But I suppose if it works, it works. This team has a strong O and a strong D but is severly lacking in the midfield department. If teams play against this team properly they could beat them fairly easily. I must say, I have had trouble beating this team in past season as I haven't been able to win twice in a season yet vs this team.

6. Balls - I gotta believe the balls will improve from last season and win vs a few other teams. This team is losing it's #2 midfielder, but I suppose we will all hafta wait and see where that money is thrown back into the team. Without any upgrade however, this team might as well just take 7th place right now as it won't be able to compete. I could see this team doing as well as 5th place, but no better this season. The team value on this team is the same as my team so this could potentially be a team that threatens the upper teams. This team must manage it's TS very well and make sure it chooses which matches it wanted to give a fight in or else it'll be a very long season.

7. Gryndal of Ohio - His midfield trainees are getting old and the replacements aren't ready to step in. What will this team do this season? He could bag it and revamp his training or he could make a few changes and get it going again. This team also could get as high as 5th place, but I'm not sure any higher than that. With the addition of Riddle, one team will have to bump down to 7th place. It should be a pretty good fight for every position in the series this season. It's crazy that 7 of the 8 teams in the series have a team value over 20mil. The battle to stay above the auto demotion line will be a good one as I think it will take more than just 4 wins to stay in the series.

8. Souleaters of Boston - This team got a bad break this season. Every team in the series has at least double if not tripple the team value of this team. I could see the team racking up 5 or 6 points but that's about it. Best idea would be to make sure training is effective and try to steal a win here and there to catch people off guard and get ready for next season. It's always hard to try to give a team hope when there is very little at all, but I guess thats the breaks.


As always good luck to all this season. My predictions are never personal. I hope everyone puts up some predictions as they are quite fun to read.

-Hobbes

[Captwaz]

OK, I'm gonna try some "off-the-cuff" predictions. Let's see where this takes us:

1. Fockers - I've been tossing up between Fockers and Pythons when trying to decide who might take the title. These teams are very close but I have to give the edge in this matchup to Fockers, despite the strong attack of Pythons. However, it's close enough that a simple injury to either squad could swing the series.

2. Pythons - These top two teams are clearly the class of the series, despite other teams being more than close enough to pull off an upset any given week. Pythons are well-managed and have a strong enough mid to keep the possession close and to capitalize on their scoring chances with a powerful, spread-out attack.

3. Nocturnal United - This team may be ranked a little high here by me. I'm not impressed with their ratings, considering they came from III, but perhaps they will get better as the season rolls on. I'll give a nod to coaching skill in this regard, because they managed to promote from division IV in the past. Also, I'm not one to be talking about ratings ;)

4. Dead Balls - I'm surprised I'm putting these guys up so high but this is the season I'll think they'll shine and surprise everyone. There's nothing like trial by fire to teach a few lessons in how to survive/have a modicum of success, and Balls have been getting slammed against the wall for a bit now. I look for Balls to drop some teams when it's least expected.

5. Riddle - I'm giving Riddle this rating merely on the overal strength of the team. Looks like this guy stayed in V for a while and built up strong...some people could learn from this strategy (captwaz, I'm looking your way...). However, his coaching mettle is yet unproven, in my opinion, and I think some less impressive teams, on paper, will surprise him as the season rolls on. However, he will easily obtain a qualifier spot.

6. Gryndal - Despite aging middies (22 is old?), Gryndal has a quality team and experience to boot. They will post strong games and be a deadly foe to face when your team is on the road. I'll be shocked if they finish lower than 6th.

7. Arsenal A.C. - I can't figure this team out on paper. While the coaching skill may be there, one cannot make lemonade from coconuts forever. Unless they get some seriously lucky breaks this season, the only team they'll romp against will be mine.

8. Souleaters - Last but not least. Oh yeah, I am least, I forgot ;) This looks to be another long season in a quality division in IV for Souleaters. Fans of the club may remember that we spent a season in IV.14 a couple season back, getting pasted in a quality series. This series ranks even higher in Hatstats, and we are but marginally better. I'll try to have a good cup run and take each game as it comes, but I have low expectations. My main goal is to hopefully demote into an active V series.


Again, none of these predictions is personal of course. Let's all have fun out there!

[lytic]

...

[Raven Hawk]

Alright, I did a little homework and have come up with some predictions.

1. Pythons - This is a hard call to make, but I have to go with Pythons due to them getting the benefit of the friendly schedule. Fockers has Pythons number thus far and I think that Fockers will continue to hurt the Pythons, but I also think that it's nice to play the harder games at home, come the second half of the season. Fockers and Pythons duke it out, but Pythons wins by the narrowest of margins. Pythons are the complete package.

2. Fockers - Has a great team and should benefit from the Gargoyles moving on out of the Series. With the Garg roadblock removed, the Fockers should be able to win the series, but the third place schedule is a bitch (having played it many times before, I can attest to this). It will be rough facing Nocturnal and Pythons on the road in the second half of the season.

3. Nocturnal United - Nocturnal looks to make a go at the title as well. He has the team to do it and looks to be upgrading the keeper position in the offseason. He'll face a tough finale on the road against Pythons and that will be the difference. Nocturnal finishes within 4 points of the title, but still comes in third.

4. Dead Balls - I've only seen Dead Balls play one season, but I can say that they had me scared enough to Normal them on the road with high TS last season. They're selling off a titanic middie and will upgrade at some needed positions. A good team, that will use good tactics, will finish low 20's in points, good enough for fourth.

5. Riddle - Riddle has a serious problem at coach. He has a good enough team to contend, but it sounds as though he'll be sitting back for a season to get a coaching candidate a little more xp. Openly admitting to not wanting 4th, I say that Riddle tanks a game or two at the end of the season to grab a qualifier. This team looks good, but needs a better attack.

6. Gryndal - Gryndal is also selling off a middie in the offseason and upgrading. His upgrades won't be as significant as Dead Balls, which puts him fighting AAC for the last qualifier spot. Gryndal is the master of the upset and will look to shatter some dreams in the home stretch as he fights for his own survival.

7. Arsenal AC - I absolutely hate picking Arsenal this low, because he'll probably finish fourth. The reason I do pick him this low is because he's doing a minor overhaul on his team. I personally hate overhaul's as you pretty much lose 10% of your team's skill to the agents. Arsenal is a great tactician, however, and will win quite a few games that he's expected to lose. He'll probably be able to grab 13-15 points, but it won't be enough as Gryndal snags 16.

8. Souleaters - What can I say, sorry bud. The team just isn't the same calliber as the rest of the teams in this series. Hold on tight and try to grab as much cash as you can with a long cup run. Make sure you maximize your training and get your starters some good xp. Get ready to kick some booty in 5 next season and come back to IV with a much stronger team.

Good luck to all! I'll be watching!

[hhiipp]

Well, I guess it's my turn.

1. Pythons - After finishing 2nd last season I don't think he will be stopped this season. He's an all around powerhouse and will look to continue the trend.

2. Riddle - The first auto-promotee in my 3 seasons here that looks like he could jump right in and dominate. I'd be suprised if he's not in the top 4, unless he decides to go for a relegation match.

3. Fockers - Hobbes can never seem to win important games when the going gets tough.

4. Nocturnal - Coming down from III and like others have pointed out, has a crappy coach. Just don't think he is as good as RH would have been if he hadn't promoted.

5. AAC - Always seems to win games that noone thinks he should, if that streak doesn't continue he could fall as low as 7th.

6. Dead Balls - Has a high team worth but doesn't always seem to know what to do with it. Could go up higher if AAC doesn't pull some real "wtf?" type matches.

7. Gryndal - My team sucks and is stagnant, just don't see myself being competitve this season.

8. Souleaters - Got screwed by the autopromotion and being thrown to the lions. Looks like it will be a long season for him.

Just a side prediction, I predict that the point difference between 4-7th will be under 6.

[hhiipp]

Daniel Merlo failed to sell at his requested price of 2.99 million, trying again for 2.4 million . . . I can't stand listing guys and having them not sell.

[Creeper]

Daniel Merlo failed to sell at his requested price of 2.99 million, trying again for 2.4 million . . . I can't stand listing guys and having them not sell.

After my ridiculous attempt to sell Byron Byrne at 7 million, he finally managed to get a taker at 5,150,000, he's got about two hours left so I'm hoping he gets a couple more bids (and that that I don't have to get into a bidding war over the guy I'm buying right now). It's gonna be a nice surprise for the guy I bought Byrne from when he checks his club page and finds out that garbage YP he sold a year and half ago just got half a million for him.

[Hobbes-]

<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="1"> <tbody><tr bgcolor="#ffffff"><td class="" rub1="" nowrap="nowrap">Fixtures / USA, season 25
</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#ffffff"> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap" valign="top">round 1 on 06.02.2005
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100"> <tbody><tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Nocturnal Utd : Pythons</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Fockers : Arsenal AC</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Gryndal : Dead Balls</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Souleaters : Riddle</td> </tr> </tbody></table></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#ffffff"> <td align="left" valign="top">round 2 on 13.02.2005
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100"> <tbody><tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Dead Balls : Nocturnal Utd</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Riddle : Fockers</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Pythons : Souleaters</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Arsenal AC : Gryndal</td> </tr> </tbody></table></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#ffffff"> <td align="left" valign="top">round 3 on 20.02.2005
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100"> <tbody><tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Fockers : Pythons</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Gryndal : Riddle</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Dead Balls : Arsenal AC</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Souleaters : Nocturnal Utd</td> </tr> </tbody></table></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#ffffff"> <td align="left" valign="top">round 4 on 27.02.2005
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100"> <tbody><tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Nocturnal Utd : Arsenal AC</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Riddle : Dead Balls</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Pythons : Gryndal</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Souleaters : Fockers</td> </tr> </tbody></table></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#ffffff"> <td align="left" valign="top">round 5 on 06.03.2005
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100"> <tbody><tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Fockers : Nocturnal Utd</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Gryndal : Souleaters</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Dead Balls : Pythons</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Arsenal AC : Riddle</td> </tr> </tbody></table></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#ffffff"> <td align="left" valign="top">round 6 on 13.03.2005
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100"> <tbody><tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Nocturnal Utd : Riddle</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Fockers : Gryndal</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Pythons : Arsenal AC</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Souleaters : Dead Balls</td> </tr> </tbody></table></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#ffffff"> <td align="left" valign="top">round 7 on 20.03.2005
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100"> <tbody><tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Gryndal : Nocturnal Utd</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Dead Balls : Fockers</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Riddle : Pythons</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Arsenal AC : Souleaters</td> </tr> </tbody></table></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#ffffff"> <td align="left" valign="top">round 8 on 27.03.2005
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100"> <tbody><tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Souleaters : Arsenal AC</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Pythons : Riddle</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Fockers : Dead Balls</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Nocturnal Utd : Gryndal</td> </tr> </tbody></table></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#ffffff"> <td align="left" valign="top">round 9 on 03.04.2005
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100"> <tbody><tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Dead Balls : Souleaters</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Arsenal AC : Pythons</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Gryndal : Fockers</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Riddle : Nocturnal Utd</td> </tr> </tbody></table></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#ffffff"> <td align="left" valign="top">round 10 on 10.04.2005
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100"> <tbody><tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Riddle : Arsenal AC</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Pythons : Dead Balls</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Souleaters : Gryndal</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Nocturnal Utd : Fockers</td> </tr> </tbody></table></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#ffffff"> <td align="left" valign="top">round 11 on 17.04.2005
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100"> <tbody><tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Fockers : Souleaters</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Gryndal : Pythons</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Dead Balls : Riddle</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Arsenal AC : Nocturnal Utd</td> </tr> </tbody></table></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#ffffff"> <td align="left" valign="top">round 12 on 24.04.2005
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100"> <tbody><tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Nocturnal Utd : Souleaters</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Arsenal AC : Dead Balls</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Riddle : Gryndal</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Pythons : Fockers</td> </tr> </tbody></table></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#ffffff"> <td align="left" valign="top">round 13 on 01.05.2005
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100"> <tbody><tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Gryndal : Arsenal AC</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Souleaters : Pythons</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Fockers : Riddle</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Nocturnal Utd : Dead Balls</td> </tr> </tbody></table></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#ffffff"> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap" valign="top">round 14 on 08.05.2005
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100"> <tbody><tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Riddle : Souleaters</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Dead Balls : Gryndal</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Arsenal AC : Fockers</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">Pythons : Nocturnal Utd</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody> </table>

[hhiipp]

When I look at those fixtures and try to pick out which matches I need to win to remain here I'm just at a loss. I can see a few where it looks like it would be a good spot for me to try to pull out a win but overall it's pretty intimidating.

[brxnivy]

No schedule breaks for anyone this year. Everyone is going to have a tough stretch of games at some point. Whoever can sneak in the most PIC wins and/or long cup run is going to get a big advantage.

1. Pythons - I know I have yet to beat the Fockers, but I think that having Nocturnal and Fockers at home in the last 3 weeks will be the difference. No way that I auto-promote, though. The series is just too even.

2. Fockers - Has just about that same team that I do :) Will fight the entire season for 1st, but a tough finish to the schedule will doom him. If he does sell his NT IM during the season, he could jump into 1st with the right purchases.

3. Nocturnal United - A third team with a legimate chance at the title, now that they have upgraded their coach and bought a new keeper, they will be tough. I'm not sure what it is, but I don't think they win the whole series. They should stay in the upper half of the series the entire season and finish comfortably in 3rd, and with a few breaks could be at the top.

4. Dead Balls - Sold off a Titanic IM, but bought two new wings, so he will have a slightly different look this year. It always seemed like he should post better ratings than he did. I see him easily making the jump up 2 spots to a 4th place finish.

5. Riddle - Riddle fixed his coach problem and has a scary looking team coming out of V. With his statement that he does not want 4th, I see him dropping a few and finishing the season in 5th, but with no real chance of losing a qualifier, especially if he can lock up the spot a few weeks in advance and PIC the last few weeks of the season.

6. Gryndal - Gryndal will have to pick and choose his fights to finish with enough points for a qualifier. Look for him to be very tough at home as he is capable of stealing points from anyone in the series. 7th is a possibility, but I think he can just barely finish ahead of AAC.

7. Arsenal AC - The toughest choice to make was where to put AAC, who could finish anywhere between 4th and 7th. I think they got a couple of fortunate results last year, and with their re-tooling, there performance may drop some this year. Will steal a few wins, but I don't think it will be enough.

8. Souleaters - Sorry, but this is going to be a long year. With a NT keeper on the roster, they will be tough to score on, but they just don't have the team around the keeper to be able to compete. He is better than both of last year's promoted teams, but unfortunately for him, he is still the #8 team in the series.


Good luck to everyone, it looks to be a great season!

[Qwikshot]

Beware of Riddle...from my V.56 (the series from hell; toughest division 5 series)...very good team...very good owner.

[Vikas]

Like it or not, I've got nate's nudie shots.

[Raven Hawk]

Like it or not, I've got nate's nudie shots.
Who doesn't?;)

[Hobbes-]

That's right folks. Kick off the season with your very own "Burn the Bush!" soccer jersey. See information below for more details!

<hr>Burn the Bush! Shirts on Sale Now! Solid blue soccer shirt with the #7 on the back with "Burn the Bush!" written on the front. There is also a nice DIV.19 Patch on the sleeve.
to buy your own "Burn the Bush! t-shirt send $19.95 to:
PythonFans Co. 9999 West Hollywood Ave. Hollywood, CA 90210


Adidas has extended it's clothing line in the following colors:

Navy Blue
Light Blue and White Stripe
Red
Red and White Stripe
Purple
Blue and Purple Stripe
Classic Green and Yellow
and USA National Team Colors

[Darr]

1st - Fockers- Strong team and will benefit from the fact me and Pythons play each other the last week of the season... Even with that if results go his way he could win it outright...

2nd-3rd Nocturnal/Pythons- I think me and Pythons will probably be tied on points with GD being the deciding factor of who goes 2nd... The way I see it, one of us will be 3pts ahead going to the last match and whoever that is will lose. Even if one of us finishes first they better be playing a weak III team or a walkover because they won't be going in to a quali with a PIC...

4th - Riddle- Strongest V team I've ever seen, like Fockers could also move up if we're all bunched up during the last week...

5th - Gryndal- Curious to see how they do, could upset alot of teams and steal a spot...

6th - Arsenal A.C.- Should finish within 1-2 pts of Gryndal...

7th - Dead Balls- In a perfect world could finish as high as 5th, but that would take alot of teams getting screwed...

8th - Souleaters- Came into the wrong IV division at the wrong time... Stronger then alot of IV teams I've played with but this div is on par with my III division...

[Poli]

Welcome to the club, Darr. :)

[Darr]

Welcome to the club, Darr. :)


Away with you North County scum..


Viva la So County... :D

[Darr]

You back in the St. Loo Rodney? Or you stationed somewhere else?

[Darr]

If anyone comes across a Martz on the transfer list that with inad+ leadership let me know... Probably won't find a Mike but I'd love to have the Mad Genius's brother coaching my team.. Looks like their's alot of Martz in Schweiz so keep an eye out if your in that part of the transfer list...

[Creeper]

A truly extraordinary first team debut by Earl Dolan as he manages to get kicked out with two yellows in the first half. Lovely.

[Poli]

You back in the St. Loo Rodney? Or you stationed somewhere else?
Still in Chicago. I'll be home over the 13th thru the 21st.

[hhiipp]

A truly extraordinary first team debut by Earl Dolan as he manages to get kicked out with two yellows in the first half. Lovely.
Were you planning on playing Dolan on Sunday?

[Creeper]

Were you planning on playing Dolan on Sunday?

Uh, what answer would result in you fielding a weaker team Sunday?

[hhiipp]

You might catch some sympathy from me :angelface:

[lytic]

Series: IV.19 (636)

Historical standings

Team Played Goals Points
1. Gargoyles 98 287 - 160 196
2. The Mad Huligans 89 224 - 201 137
3. Fockers 84 200 - 175 129
4. LINX 55 192 - 82 111
5. SouthPark Cows 84 154 - 169 108
6. Arsenal A.C. 56 122 - 104 102
7. Mountaineer Soccer 45 152 - 80 82
8. zyzzerz 28 116 - 31 73
9. Ricecrackers 28 112 - 29 71
10. Fair Oaks Diamonds 14 52 - 4 42
11. Gryndal 28 67 - 69 39
12. Avengers 14 46 - 16 37
13. all day i dream abo 14 42 - 16 33
14. Pythons 14 54 - 22 31
15. Dead Balls 14 26 - 39 16
16. Kix 14 20 - 36 14
17. OLDE ENGLISH MASTI 14 20 - 46 10
18. the demolishers 6 12 - 12 9
19. greg's guys 14 30 - 58 9
20. Rocket Dive 14 14 - 38 7
21. Calvary Crusaders 14 20 - 47 6
22. aidan's aces FC 14 17 - 60 6
23. Aviators 14 14 - 42 4
24. West Ottawa Panther 14 19 - 53 4
25. Suffering Bastards 14 12 - 51 3

[Hobbes-]

Hmm I'd hafta stay for two seasons to get RH.. but do I wanna?

[hhiipp]

Sure is a long way for me to get to 9th place. I'll be back in V before I get that many more points.

[Raven Hawk]

Hmm I'd hafta stay for two seasons to get RH.. but do I wanna?
Why not just do 3 seasons and set the bar a bit higher?

[Hobbes-]

Why not just come back to IV.19 and try to keep me here?

[Raven Hawk]

Why not just come back to IV.19 and try to keep me here?
Be careful what you ask for. ;)

[Hobbes-]

WEEK 1 PREDICTIONS:


Nocturnal Uni - Pythons 3-2 <hr> I'd LOVE for this match to end in a tie. I'm not too sure what to expect from either team here. Both teams have all their starters. Noct did pick up the new coach and new keeper while Brx slightly downgraded his team and is sitting on cash. Noct is at home too. I'm gonna predict Noct barely taking this one. <hr> Fockers - Arsenal A.C. 30-0 <hr> I'm mad at this guy and taking him down. Actually it should be slightly closer than that, but we'll see. I really need to start the season off right here. I would be surprized if AAC saves TS here. <hr>Gryndal - Dead Balls 5-1 <hr> Gryndal is gonna take this one. Balls sold is #2 middie and his #4 middie has a red card. His #5 isn't too good either so he's in some kaka here. Gryndal at home and with this advantage should take it here folks. I'd be surprized it it went any other way. <hr>Souleaters - Riddle 2-4 <hr> If Riddle PIC's this match, he needs to be careful because of low TS. Soul will surprize a few teams this season or at least give a few of us a good scare. Riddles midfield advantage should help him out quite a bit. <hr> Good luck to everyone this week. Get lotsa red cards and injuries. :)

[hhiipp]

Sorry Nate, stole your formatting cause it just looked so purdy.

Nocturnal Uni - Pythons 4-1


<HR>Nocturnal has homefield advantage and will need it to win. This game should be close but I think HT will give him a few extra goals.




<HR>Fockers - Arsenal A.C. 3-2




<HR>AAC has Fockers number with an overpowering 5-1-2 record vs him and an impressive 2-1-1 record on Fockers home pitch. He will give Fockers another scare and will win if Nate gets anyone redcarded. (Refer to 8/2/04)




<HR>Gryndal - Dead Balls 4-3




<HR>We've played 2 tight games so far, both would have resulted in ties except in the 2nd match I caught a couple SP goals. Balls midfield is a little short right now, but will his new wingers be enough to keep this one tight?




<HR>Souleaters - Riddle 1-6




<HR>Riddle bends Souleaters over and really gives it to him, and doesn't even give him a reach around. Unless Soul decides to play spoilers and goes MOTS, in which case it will be 2-5.




<HR>

[Hobbes-]

Sorry Nate, stole your formatting cause it just looked so purdy.
Yeah, you stole it and made it look ugly.. got enough spaces in there?

[brxnivy]

Nocturnal Uni - Pythons 2-3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A close game, but I think I can squeeze by with a win. This would be a very nice start to the season, but this game really could go either way, with a draw a distinct possibility also.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fockers - Arsenal A.C. 4-1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I know AAC has had Fockers number, but I don't see that continuing. I would be surprised with anything less than a multi-goal victory for Fockers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gryndal - Dead Balls 3-1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is Gryndal's game. With a red card to one of Balls IM's, I think Gryndal controls possesion and the game. It will be interesting to see if Balls new wings can make any impact in the game.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Souleaters - Riddle 0-4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The first game in IV for both teams. Riddle should control the game from the start and be able to have enough possesion for their attack to push 3-4 past Soul's U20 keeper.

[Qwikshot]

Hey I just realized Nocturnal United bought my striker last season!

[hhiipp]

Interesting first week:

Pythons almost get blown out.
Fockers lose by 1 to AAC.
Riddle and Souleaters was way closer than anticipated.
And I beat Balls by the virtue of his carded middie.

Also there were lots of injuries this week. Several key people are out on different teams, could cost someone an early exit from cup play.

Edited to add, as a series we had an average of a 198.5 rating. Should be close to 1st in the US for div IV.

[Creeper]

Interesting first week:

Pythons almost get blown out.
Fockers lose by 1 to AAC.
Riddle and Souleaters was way closer than anticipated.
And I beat Balls by the virtue of his carded middie.

Also there were lots of injuries this week. Several key people are out on different teams, could cost someone an early exit from cup play.

Edited to add, as a series we had an average of a 198.5 rating. Should be close to 1st in the US for div IV.

This week sucked like no week has ever sucked before. My team's form was miserable to start with, and then I lose 2 midfielders in a matter of minutes???? I had my backup d-mid playing midfield alongside my backup middie and my starter, that's just ridiculous. I'm shocked I didn't lose by more.

[Darr]

Hey I just realized Nocturnal United bought my striker last season!

lol... Yeah Óscar Alvarez...


Gotta love those Head specialists'...

[Darr]

Interesting first week...

Glad I survived without major injury or mass cards...

<<- Knocks on particle board desk ->>

[Captwaz]

Sorry for dragging the series hatstats rating down...hey, it could be worse, at least I'm not a bot team :D

[hhiipp]

You need to do better, until week 14 when you can feel free to suck again. :D

[hhiipp]

Week 2 predictions, get yours in before Sunday!

Dead Balls - Nocturnal United 2-4
One of Balls' big middies is still out he won't be able to hold on vs a healthy Nocturnal team.

Riddle - Fockers 1-3
Match of the week in my opinion. Riddle hasn't shown an ability to score many goals, this game should prove if he's a contender or a pretender.

Pythons - Souleaters 4-1
Brx coming off his reelection takes out his frustrating first round loss to Nocturnal on Souleaters.

Arsenal A.C. - Gryndal 2-2
My team has gone through some major change in the past few days, this game will be a good test to see if those changes were for the good or bad. The winner of this match will be setting themselves up nicely for the end of the season standings.

[Darr]

Dead Balls - Nocturnal United 0-3
-I should win easily, but then again I could get Focker'd and get some injuries and red card or two...

Riddle - Fockers 3-2
-Homefield advantage is huge in this match... Riddle can play with anyone and he'll grab a goal advantage with homefield...

Pythons - Souleaters 4-0
-Pythons should cruise to an easy win, he probably can't afford to PIC yet though...

Arsenal A.C. - Gryndal 2-3
-I'm going to go with Gryndal on this one... Impressive first week should carry over to this week. Both these teams will probably decide the league by knocking off someone...

[Darr]

2nd weeks results...

Dead Balls - Nocturnal Uni 0 - 6
Riddle - Fockers 3 - 2
Pythons - Souleaters 3 - 0
Arsenal A.C. - Gryndal 2 - 2


League Table thru 2 weeks...

Series: IV.19 (636)

Country: USA
Level: 4 out of 6

Team Played Goals Points

1. Nocturnal United 2 11 - 2 6
2. Riddle 2 5 - 2 6
3. Gryndal 2 5 - 2 4
4. Arsenal A.C. 2 6 - 5 4
5. Pythons 2 5 - 5 3
6. Fockers 2 5 - 7 0
7. Souleaters 2 0 - 5 0
8. Dead Balls 2 0 - 9 0

[hhiipp]

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't most disappointed with only a tie in my match, but as I said in my predictions at the beginning of the season.. AAC often wins matches he shouldn't, in this case he didn't win but was able to steal 2 points from me. Oh well, can't dwell on it too much, time to get ready for cup & Riddle.

[lytic]

maybe if you predict 3-1 you would have won.

[hhiipp]

Here's a link to Hatstats showing the toughest series ratings wise in div IV after 2 weeks.

http://usa.hatstats.info/series.php?level=4&round=2&season=25
With an amazing 208 average this past weekend we vaulted to the top.

[Darr]

Woot...

[Raven Hawk]

Here's a link to Hatstats showing the toughest series ratings wise in div IV after 2 weeks.

http://usa.hatstats.info/series.php?level=4&round=2&season=25
With an amazing 208 average this past weekend we vaulted to the top.
Wow! With some room to spare even.

[brxnivy]

Even better than your current series on the overall Series Strength ratings. I guess you knew when to get out :)

[Creeper]

I am somehow finding it difficult to muster a significant amount of enthusiasm regarding the strength of our division.

[hhiipp]

Kinda late, but better late than never I suppose.

Fockers - Pythons 4-2
I think Fockers is due for a win, being home could help him find that against the Pythons.

Gryndal - Riddle 2-3
Both teams are undefeated on the season but this will likely be the end of my unbeaten streak of 11 games in a row, especially if Riddle goes all apeshit and puts up ratings like he did last week.

Dead Balls - Arsenal A.C. 1-3
AAC continues to march on in the series as Dead Balls struggles seem to just be beginning.

Souleaters - Nocturnal United 0-5
Souleaters ... what can I really say, they are a decent V team that is in one of, if not the best IV series. Nocturnal wins easy.

[Darr]

Number 1 series again for week 3...

1 IV.19 57 532,939 1160.0 48.3 4950 206.3
2 IV.27 57 475,660 1162.0 48.4 4822 200.9
3 IV.57 39 478,715 1115.0 46.5 4810 200.4
4 IV.23 30 492,623 1146.0 47.8 4746 197.8
5 IV.34 60 424,621 1124.0 46.8 4741 197.5

-Week 3 Results
Fockers - Pythons 3 - 0
Gryndal - Riddle 0 - 1
Dead Balls - Arsenal A.C. 2 - 2
Souleaters - Nocturnal Uni 0 - 1

-IV.19 Table Week 3
Team Played Goals Points
1. Nocturnal United 3 12 - 2 9
2. Riddle 3 6 - 2 9
3. Arsenal A.C. 3 8 - 7 5
4. Gryndal 3 5 - 3 4
5. Fockers 3 8 - 7 3
6. Pythons 3 5 - 8 3
7. Dead Balls 3 2 - 11 1
8. Souleaters 3 0 - 6 0

[Hobbes-]

You realize that 206 is our average over all 3 weeks right? We really had a 212 this week.

[Darr]

Didn't even realize that... :P

[Creeper]

AAC has clearly made some sort of a deal with the devil. I'm up 2-0 in the first half, then lose a defender and he scores two goals in the second half (one of which was on the side of the field where my lost wingback was) and gets a tie. In my 6 matches this season, I've yet to see one end with my entire first team still on the field.

[Hobbes-]

yeah AAC should be 0-3 .. but he hasn't lost yet.. wtf is with that. He has the 2nd worst ratings in the series.. go figure..

[BlueMage]

AAC = 5th place guaranteed

Hobbes, you overtake me yet? I wanna get back in there. IV.19 is home!

[Hobbes-]

not yet.. 5 points away. I had a rough start.

[Raven Hawk]

AAC is a wiley bastard. Everybody knows that he should lose. How come he can't figure that out? ;)

[lytic]

AAC knows the game within the game.

[Hobbes-]

and then there were 3 in the cup.. and it looks like all of us could win it just depends which match if we play to win..

[hhiipp]

I hate this game sometimes, probably could have won if my confidence wasn't in the crapper from not scoring at all against Brx. Guess I have to take out my aggression on Captwaz and hopefully score....

[hhiipp]

Dola:

In other news Deadballs bought a new 17 year old trainee just the other day, and last night in his first match was injured for 6 weeks. So maybe my cup match wasn't so bad after all, heh.

[Creeper]

Dola:

In other news Deadballs bought a new 17 year old trainee just the other day, and last night in his first match was injured for 6 weeks. So maybe my cup match wasn't so bad after all, heh.

Frankly, I would've been kind of dissapointed if he WASN'T injured since it seems to be the theme of the season, but 6 weeks seems like overkill. A red card would have been cooler.

Also, it screwed up my plan since I wanted to see if matching midfield ratings with a CA team actually worked. When he had to come out, one of my starters came in, thus raising my MF ratings so I'm not sure how it worked. He only had one CA attempt on me, so I guess that was ok.

[lytic]

I got Rizzo's Salesmen... can you say good bye?

[Hobbes-]

I seemed to have the injury problem last season.. the one before was cards.. i think my best defender at the time was red carded 3 league matches..lol

[Hobbes-]

I'm glad Noct has 2 injured mids.. oh wait.. Riddle does too :)

[Raven Hawk]

The Gargs have left the tournament. With bad form and a PIC, I knew I was ripe for the upset. I got better ratings, but my PIC vs. his MOTS didn't bode well for me.

[hhiipp]

One legend has fallen and another is soon to follow.

Fockers have passed The Mad Hulligans to take over 2nd place in the series for most points. The teams as of now have played the same number of matches in IV.19, however Fockers has a 1 point advantage.

Another legend and my hero Lytic how is currently in 5th is about to be surpassed by Arsenal A.C.

It truely is a sad day in IV.19 as we remember these fallen series heroes.

[Hobbes-]

You mean that one legend has taken over.. and by the way things look.. it appears I will surpase RH before I get outta this series.

In other news.. we were once again 2nd in IV this week, but still remain in 1st. Balls and Pythons held our series together while the rest of us were slackers. Good Job slackers.

Seems to me, I have the best shot to keep our series alive in the cup. Lets hope I can win.

[lytic]

:(

[hhiipp]

Lots of big moves have been made this season, Riddle has sold off 2 big middies, Fockers sold off some middies and forwards.

At the halfway point there is a 3 way points tie for first with everyone else 3+ points behind so nothing has even remotely been decided this season, except that Souleaters will be heading back to V. Unfortunately the Div V he came from was rather weak and didn't help to keep him down long enough before he promoted, Aidan's Aces the team he replaced is currently undefeated.

So I guess the race has just started, every position is still up for grabs and we'll likely see some place changing every week. Second half of the season, here we come.

[Darr]

Things stay the course, last week of the season is going be fun... Hopefully a quali won't be needed...

[Darr]

Once again 1st in toughest Series for the week... And still for the season as well... Maybe Hobbes can make us some "I survived IV.19 in 25" t-shirts!

[hhiipp]

Once again 1st in toughest Series for the week... And still for the season as well... Maybe Hobbes can make us some "I survived IV.19 in 25" t-shirts!
He will, but he has to make sure he's going to survive it first :p

[Creeper]

Well, looking at the rest of the season, my prospects for nabbing 6th aren't too terrible. I think it's entirely possible that AAC won't win another game (although I've said that one before, so who the hell knows), which would mean I'd only need two wins, against Souleaters and AAC, although that could mean trouble in the final week since I won't be able to PIC against Gryndal unless he's got nothing to play for (and even then I'd be worried about risking it). Although I can PIC against Nocturnal the week before so that should help. I've got 2 sure losses against Pythons and NU, 1 "sure" win against Souleaters, and 3 maybe's of varying degrees against Riddle, Gryndal, and AAC. I think if I win the AAC one I'm in, any more than that and I'm a sure thing.

It really sucks though; last season I wouldn't have felt so bad about falling back to V because my team really wasn't good enough and lucked out against SPC in the qualifier, but I feel like my team is so much better this season and I just got some awful luck early on that put me in a hole. I'd love to get another chance next season to legitimately compete in IV.19 (not for promotion, obviously, I'm still a ways away from consistantly pulling the type of ratings that NU and Pythons can pull) without having to claw my way out of the 7-8 spots.

[hhiipp]

It is rather discouraging to know that we are still fighting to stick around even though we both improved 30~ in hatstats ratings average over last season. I do think this is the season that AAC finally stops overachieving and gets dropped down to V. He's been able to stick around way too long with no real training program and a bunch of fluke wins.

Have been measuring things up and figure I need at least 3 wins to secure a top 5 position, now the question is where those wins come from.

Edit: I was really hoping to win the second half of the Noct double header, but him having his middie back and buying that new winger pretty much shot that idea.

[Darr]

It is rather discouraging to know that we are still fighting to stick around even though we both improved 30~ in hatstats ratings average over last season. I do think this is the season that AAC finally stops overachieving and gets dropped down to V. He's been able to stick around way too long with no real training program and a bunch of fluke wins.

Have been measuring things up and figure I need at least 3 wins to secure a top 5 position, now the question is where those wins come from.

Edit: I was really hoping to win the second half of the Noct double header, but him having his middie back and buying that new winger pretty much shot that idea.

Yeah I like my new winger, but in the process of selling two players, and buying 1 winger I had 2 TS drops... So I was a little worried what my ratings would come out to....

[Darr]

Damn near dead around here... :P

[hhiipp]

*crickets*

*shrug* I don't have a lot to say, very happy with my position in the series and with 1 more win will secure a position in the top 4 even though I may not be deserving of it, but it's still a nice change of pace.

In other news, Soul has scored in 3 consecutive weeks so I'm thinking he's due to win and it just so happens he plays you Noct. :)

[Darr]

In other news, Soul has scored in 3 consecutive weeks so I'm thinking he's due to win and it just so happens he plays you Noct. :)


lol... He almost beat me last time... 0-1 was the score... Nah, I'm pulling for him to beat Pythons next week for his first win... :D

[hhiipp]

Only 1 correct prediction. Weak!

If you don't know me, I'm the owner of Dead Balls, Hobbes suggested I post here so I'm posting. Predictions!!!!

1st: Fockers: They're just really good. A great all around team, winning over Pythons last game of the season pretty much convinced me (although I can't remember if the league championship was still a possibility for either, I'm pretty sure they were at least playing for second). Also gave me my worst beating of the season at 7-0, so nice job on that.

2nd: Pythons: Their attack is insane, but other than that they're not particularly impressive, although when he plays a winger towards middle he can at least compete with any midfield. Gave me my second worst beating of the season, at 6-1, although in a remarkable show of consistancy, they beat me 6-1 in both matches we played. Way to go.

3rd: Riddle: It is seriously totally not fair that we get them as one of our auto-promotees and I am considering lodging a complaint with the Hattrick devs about this injustice. A little bit light on the attack, but good midfield and defense. Didn't play them last season due to them, you know, not being in this division, but they would have beat me, oh, 3-1 and 4-0, lets say.

4th: Nocturnal United: It feels kind of weird predicting 4th for a former III team, but I think any of the top 3 could hang in III (maybe not Riddle, but I've never been in III so what do I know). They're definitely a good team, though, and it wouldn't shock me in the least to see them finish anywhere from third through first though. Would've beaten me 6-0 and 4-2.

5th: Gryndal: Hey, now we're getting to the teams I actually think I might have a shot at beating! But won't! Gryndal's solid all around, maybe a teeny bit lacking offensively, but not bad. Drew against them once and then he beat me 4-2 in our epic "We're Not Trying Because We Have Qualifiers Next Week" classic to end the season.

6th: Arsenal AC: I really don't get them. They honestly don't seem that good, aside from a pretty solid defense, but they beat both Fockers and Pythons last season, which is pretty impressive. Still, I can't in good conscience rank the only non-Suffering Bastards/Aiden's Aces team that I beat last season better than 6th.

7th: Dead Balls: Oh, woe is me. Woe, woe, woe unto the Dead Balls. While I'm definitely better than I was at the start of last season (new coach, new forward), my midfield is gonna take a hit as it's time to sell Byron "I'm no Jimmy Gibson" Byrne. We've had a hell of a ride together, Byron. I remember when I stupidly bought you, a 17 year old with weak pm (!!!!!) for $1000, not even covering what it cost to pull you and transfer list you. And now you're on sale for $7,000,000. Not that I'm gonna get that, but who knows, the point is that he's leaving for some large sum of money and some other players are coming in. Hopefully they'll make me a better team. Probably not. If I had played myself, I would have probably found some way to lose. Don't ask me how, but I would have found a way.

8th: Souleaters: You promoted into the wrong division, pal. Kinda sucks. Try and make a cup run or something, it'll be fun. If I had played him, I would've won 3-1 and 2-0.

[hhiipp]

5 correct, pretty darn impressive considering it was kind of a crap shoot. Correct predictions were Pythons, Nocturnal, Riddle, Dead Balls and Souleaters.

Its that time of the season again when we get to post predictions. This season will be especially hard because of the caliber of the new teams entering the division.

So.. here they are.

1. Brx's Pythons - Although my team is favored because I won both matchups vs the Pythons last season. I think this team will come into the season with something to prove. Currently sitting on a little cash that could fund a nice late season run could win it all for this team. Winning out will most likely be the deciding factor in the series much like last season. I can see this team doing no worse than top 3 positions in the series.

2. Darr's Nocturnal Utd. - I look at this team and say "With a coach, this team is gonna be rough to beat". Now if he doesn't get a coach, I could see this team going as low as 5th in the series. With a coach, top 4. Not too much of a difference but I think this team will be pretty solid in the season to come. I could see this team winning the series with a few lucky outcomes in key matches. This teams major strength is it's midfield. One should have to wonder however, if this team gets a coach, that isn't really helping the O and D support it needs. Perhaps this will be the teams flaw this season.

3. Hobbes' Fockers - No upgrades have been made other than training from last season. Although I have a fairly well rounded team that matches up well against most teams, I tend to lose matches I should win. This could be my downfall again this season as I couldn't seem to win a match in the last few weeks if my life depended on it. If Alberto is sold mid season, watch out for my team could take a late run. His future is not yet determined however. I could see me getting anywhere in the top 3. I don't see myself getting any worse, but who knows.

4. Riddle of V - This team could also use a new coach. The more I look at the team the, the better it looks like he will be. This team put up some really good ratings last season and should do so as well this season. This team has one of the top midfields in the series. The attack however seems to be the weakness of this team. I could see this team doing as well as 3rd or as bad as 6th. Sometimes a first seasons in IV can take you by the horns. Something of note, as of week 14 last season this team had the highest overall value in the series.

5. Arsenal - I dunno how this team continues to do so well in this series. So I hafta give him this ranking because of his past success. I wasn't too sure about the transfer buys this team made recently but I'm sure they were for a good reason. I don't see this team doing any better than 4th this season and could possibly get 7th. Still hasn't fixed his training situation as he's training a soon to be 25 year old. But I suppose if it works, it works. This team has a strong O and a strong D but is severly lacking in the midfield department. If teams play against this team properly they could beat them fairly easily. I must say, I have had trouble beating this team in past season as I haven't been able to win twice in a season yet vs this team.

6. Balls - I gotta believe the balls will improve from last season and win vs a few other teams. This team is losing it's #2 midfielder, but I suppose we will all hafta wait and see where that money is thrown back into the team. Without any upgrade however, this team might as well just take 7th place right now as it won't be able to compete. I could see this team doing as well as 5th place, but no better this season. The team value on this team is the same as my team so this could potentially be a team that threatens the upper teams. This team must manage it's TS very well and make sure it chooses which matches it wanted to give a fight in or else it'll be a very long season.

7. Gryndal of Ohio - His midfield trainees are getting old and the replacements aren't ready to step in. What will this team do this season? He could bag it and revamp his training or he could make a few changes and get it going again. This team also could get as high as 5th place, but I'm not sure any higher than that. With the addition of Riddle, one team will have to bump down to 7th place. It should be a pretty good fight for every position in the series this season. It's crazy that 7 of the 8 teams in the series have a team value over 20mil. The battle to stay above the auto demotion line will be a good one as I think it will take more than just 4 wins to stay in the series.

8. Souleaters of Boston - This team got a bad break this season. Every team in the series has at least double if not tripple the team value of this team. I could see the team racking up 5 or 6 points but that's about it. Best idea would be to make sure training is effective and try to steal a win here and there to catch people off guard and get ready for next season. It's always hard to try to give a team hope when there is very little at all, but I guess thats the breaks.


As always good luck to all this season. My predictions are never personal. I hope everyone puts up some predictions as they are quite fun to read.

-Hobbes

[hhiipp]

Captwaz knows how to pick bottom dwellers! 2 correct predictions, AAC and himself.

OK, I'm gonna try some "off-the-cuff" predictions. Let's see where this takes us:

1. Fockers - I've been tossing up between Fockers and Pythons when trying to decide who might take the title. These teams are very close but I have to give the edge in this matchup to Fockers, despite the strong attack of Pythons. However, it's close enough that a simple injury to either squad could swing the series.

2. Pythons - These top two teams are clearly the class of the series, despite other teams being more than close enough to pull off an upset any given week. Pythons are well-managed and have a strong enough mid to keep the possession close and to capitalize on their scoring chances with a powerful, spread-out attack.

3. Nocturnal United - This team may be ranked a little high here by me. I'm not impressed with their ratings, considering they came from III, but perhaps they will get better as the season rolls on. I'll give a nod to coaching skill in this regard, because they managed to promote from division IV in the past. Also, I'm not one to be talking about ratings ;)

4. Dead Balls - I'm surprised I'm putting these guys up so high but this is the season I'll think they'll shine and surprise everyone. There's nothing like trial by fire to teach a few lessons in how to survive/have a modicum of success, and Balls have been getting slammed against the wall for a bit now. I look for Balls to drop some teams when it's least expected.

5. Riddle - I'm giving Riddle this rating merely on the overal strength of the team. Looks like this guy stayed in V for a while and built up strong...some people could learn from this strategy (captwaz, I'm looking your way...). However, his coaching mettle is yet unproven, in my opinion, and I think some less impressive teams, on paper, will surprise him as the season rolls on. However, he will easily obtain a qualifier spot.

6. Gryndal - Despite aging middies (22 is old?), Gryndal has a quality team and experience to boot. They will post strong games and be a deadly foe to face when your team is on the road. I'll be shocked if they finish lower than 6th.

7. Arsenal A.C. - I can't figure this team out on paper. While the coaching skill may be there, one cannot make lemonade from coconuts forever. Unless they get some seriously lucky breaks this season, the only team they'll romp against will be mine.

8. Souleaters - Last but not least. Oh yeah, I am least, I forgot ;) This looks to be another long season in a quality division in IV for Souleaters. Fans of the club may remember that we spent a season in IV.14 a couple season back, getting pasted in a quality series. This series ranks even higher in Hatstats, and we are but marginally better. I'll try to have a good cup run and take each game as it comes, but I have low expectations. My main goal is to hopefully demote into an active V series.


Again, none of these predictions is personal of course. Let's all have fun out there!

[hhiipp]

Raven Hawk throws out a decent 3 predictions, Pythons, AAC, and Souleaters. Not too bad for someone who was on his way out and didn't care about us anymore. :P

Alright, I did a little homework and have come up with some predictions.

1. Pythons - This is a hard call to make, but I have to go with Pythons due to them getting the benefit of the friendly schedule. Fockers has Pythons number thus far and I think that Fockers will continue to hurt the Pythons, but I also think that it's nice to play the harder games at home, come the second half of the season. Fockers and Pythons duke it out, but Pythons wins by the narrowest of margins. Pythons are the complete package.

2. Fockers - Has a great team and should benefit from the Gargoyles moving on out of the Series. With the Garg roadblock removed, the Fockers should be able to win the series, but the third place schedule is a bitch (having played it many times before, I can attest to this). It will be rough facing Nocturnal and Pythons on the road in the second half of the season.

3. Nocturnal United - Nocturnal looks to make a go at the title as well. He has the team to do it and looks to be upgrading the keeper position in the offseason. He'll face a tough finale on the road against Pythons and that will be the difference. Nocturnal finishes within 4 points of the title, but still comes in third.

4. Dead Balls - I've only seen Dead Balls play one season, but I can say that they had me scared enough to Normal them on the road with high TS last season. They're selling off a titanic middie and will upgrade at some needed positions. A good team, that will use good tactics, will finish low 20's in points, good enough for fourth.

5. Riddle - Riddle has a serious problem at coach. He has a good enough team to contend, but it sounds as though he'll be sitting back for a season to get a coaching candidate a little more xp. Openly admitting to not wanting 4th, I say that Riddle tanks a game or two at the end of the season to grab a qualifier. This team looks good, but needs a better attack.

6. Gryndal - Gryndal is also selling off a middie in the offseason and upgrading. His upgrades won't be as significant as Dead Balls, which puts him fighting AAC for the last qualifier spot. Gryndal is the master of the upset and will look to shatter some dreams in the home stretch as he fights for his own survival.

7. Arsenal AC - I absolutely hate picking Arsenal this low, because he'll probably finish fourth. The reason I do pick him this low is because he's doing a minor overhaul on his team. I personally hate overhaul's as you pretty much lose 10% of your team's skill to the agents. Arsenal is a great tactician, however, and will win quite a few games that he's expected to lose. He'll probably be able to grab 13-15 points, but it won't be enough as Gryndal snags 16.

8. Souleaters - What can I say, sorry bud. The team just isn't the same calliber as the rest of the teams in this series. Hold on tight and try to grab as much cash as you can with a long cup run. Make sure you maximize your training and get your starters some good xp. Get ready to kick some booty in 5 next season and come back to IV with a much stronger team.

Good luck to all! I'll be watching!

[hhiipp]

Pretty poor showing by me, 3 correct predictions and even my side predicition at the end was way off. Pythons, Balls, Soul were my correct ones.

Well, I guess it's my turn.

1. Pythons - After finishing 2nd last season I don't think he will be stopped this season. He's an all around powerhouse and will look to continue the trend.

2. Riddle - The first auto-promotee in my 3 seasons here that looks like he could jump right in and dominate. I'd be suprised if he's not in the top 4, unless he decides to go for a relegation match.

3. Fockers - Hobbes can never seem to win important games when the going gets tough.

4. Nocturnal - Coming down from III and like others have pointed out, has a crappy coach. Just don't think he is as good as RH would have been if he hadn't promoted.

5. AAC - Always seems to win games that noone thinks he should, if that streak doesn't continue he could fall as low as 7th.

6. Dead Balls - Has a high team worth but doesn't always seem to know what to do with it. Could go up higher if AAC doesn't pull some real "wtf?" type matches.

7. Gryndal - My team sucks and is stagnant, just don't see myself being competitve this season.

8. Souleaters - Got screwed by the autopromotion and being thrown to the lions. Looks like it will be a long season for him.

Just a side prediction, I predict that the point difference between 4-7th will be under 6.

[hhiipp]

Brx comes in with 3 correct ones as well, himself, AAC and Soul. Seems AAC finishing in 7th wasn't really a suprise to most of us.

No schedule breaks for anyone this year. Everyone is going to have a tough stretch of games at some point. Whoever can sneak in the most PIC wins and/or long cup run is going to get a big advantage.

1. Pythons - I know I have yet to beat the Fockers, but I think that having Nocturnal and Fockers at home in the last 3 weeks will be the difference. No way that I auto-promote, though. The series is just too even.

2. Fockers - Has just about that same team that I do :) Will fight the entire season for 1st, but a tough finish to the schedule will doom him. If he does sell his NT IM during the season, he could jump into 1st with the right purchases.

3. Nocturnal United - A third team with a legimate chance at the title, now that they have upgraded their coach and bought a new keeper, they will be tough. I'm not sure what it is, but I don't think they win the whole series. They should stay in the upper half of the series the entire season and finish comfortably in 3rd, and with a few breaks could be at the top.

4. Dead Balls - Sold off a Titanic IM, but bought two new wings, so he will have a slightly different look this year. It always seemed like he should post better ratings than he did. I see him easily making the jump up 2 spots to a 4th place finish.

5. Riddle - Riddle fixed his coach problem and has a scary looking team coming out of V. With his statement that he does not want 4th, I see him dropping a few and finishing the season in 5th, but with no real chance of losing a qualifier, especially if he can lock up the spot a few weeks in advance and PIC the last few weeks of the season.

6. Gryndal - Gryndal will have to pick and choose his fights to finish with enough points for a qualifier. Look for him to be very tough at home as he is capable of stealing points from anyone in the series. 7th is a possibility, but I think he can just barely finish ahead of AAC.

7. Arsenal AC - The toughest choice to make was where to put AAC, who could finish anywhere between 4th and 7th. I think they got a couple of fortunate results last year, and with their re-tooling, there performance may drop some this year. Will steal a few wins, but I don't think it will be enough.

8. Souleaters - Sorry, but this is going to be a long year. With a NT keeper on the roster, they will be tough to score on, but they just don't have the team around the keeper to be able to compete. He is better than both of last year's promoted teams, but unfortunately for him, he is still the #8 team in the series.


Good luck to everyone, it looks to be a great season!

[hhiipp]

Darr gets 2 1/2 for his 2nd/3rd place guess, should get extra credit for predicting I might upset some teams and steal a spot. Riddle and Soul were the correct guesses.


1st - Fockers- Strong team and will benefit from the fact me and Pythons play each other the last week of the season... Even with that if results go his way he could win it outright...

2nd-3rd Nocturnal/Pythons- I think me and Pythons will probably be tied on points with GD being the deciding factor of who goes 2nd... The way I see it, one of us will be 3pts ahead going to the last match and whoever that is will lose. Even if one of us finishes first they better be playing a weak III team or a walkover because they won't be going in to a quali with a PIC...

4th - Riddle- Strongest V team I've ever seen, like Fockers could also move up if we're all bunched up during the last week...

5th - Gryndal- Curious to see how they do, could upset alot of teams and steal a spot...

6th - Arsenal A.C.- Should finish within 1-2 pts of Gryndal...

7th - Dead Balls- In a perfect world could finish as high as 5th, but that would take alot of teams getting screwed...

8th - Souleaters- Came into the wrong IV division at the wrong time... Stronger then alot of IV teams I've played with but this div is on par with my III division...

[Raven Hawk]

Raven Hawk throws out a decent 3 predictions, Pythons, AAC, and Souleaters. Not too bad for someone who was on his way out and didn't care about us anymore. :P
Who says that I don't care. :) In my mind, I'll always be in IV.19. Congrats to the Pythons on a great season!

[Creeper]

Only 1 correct prediction. Weak!

My early season difficulties prevented me from expertly manipulating the series to finish in a way that would vindicate my predictions. I solemnly pledge next season to be the puppet master, working behind the scenes to influence the future of IV.19.

[brxnivy]

Anyone know what happened tonight? I didn't get a chance to log in until now.

[Creeper]

Anyone know what happened tonight? I didn't get a chance to log in until now.

Seriously?!?! You lost on penalty kicks, had two guys injured and another bruised but playing while the other guy had two guys sent off and you couldn't score off him. It was pretty wacky; it's a shame, you're team was much better but all those injuries and stuff were too much to overcome, I guess.

In other news, Fockers and I both won, Fockers in slightly more convincing fashion.

[brxnivy]

Yeah, that game sucked :( Without the injuries I think I would have held enough possesion to win the game. Now 3 of my top 4 IM's have at least a +3 injury, hopefully they can heal quickly in the off-season before I play Noct in week 1 :)

Good luck to everyone next season. It looks like it will be another battle.