Hattrick: USA Cup

[GoldenEagle]

Who do you play, and how did you do? I drew a D6 team (not sure if active or not). My match:

Golden Eagles FC vs South Dakota Apaches

I am running a 3-5-2.

[FrogMan]

It's fairly easy to see if your opponent is a bot team or not (bot team = computer controlled). Go to your match page, click on the other team's link. If there's no owner written in there, it's a bot team. If there's an owner name their, it still might be an inactive one. To find out, click on "Find more details about owner", then click on "5 latest logins". This should tell you if the owner is active or not.

BTW, them Apaches are a bot team. My guess is that most human controlled team in either the USA or Canada have drawn a bot team as their first opponent in their respective cup. Reason is most human controlled team are better rated than the numerous bot teams, and there are many, many bot teams, expecially in div VI of the US.

My Pittbulls will also be playing a bot team in the first round of the Canadian Cup, called the British Columbia Diggers. Certainly hope to dig their grave :)

Good Luck!

FrogMan

[GoldenEagle]

Why dont they fill the bot teams?

[HornedFrog Purple]

They do, they just give priority to what division the bot team is in. (ie division III over IV etc) When I signed up I had to wait almost a week, now people can sign up and get a team by the next day.

[FrogMan]

Originally posted by HornedFrog Purple
They do, they just give priority to what division the bot team is in. (ie division III over IV etc) When I signed up I had to wait almost a week, now people can sign up and get a team by the next day.

USA also got 8192 new teams with the added 6th level. If the waiting list was some 100 (don't know, just guessing), that still leaves more than 8000 teams to fill... Even if you add 200 teams a day (it's probably lower than that) it will still take a few weeks to fill up the whole 6th level...

Also, keep in mind that only teams in the bottom two levels can get a new human owner. In USA's case, that would be level V and VI. If a human team in div III or IV becomes inactive, the computer will take over, but the team won't get a new owner until the team drops to div V. Not that I would know why a guy with a div III team would drop it though :)

FrogMan

[GoldenEagle]

Why is the Sweeden league so popular?

[vex]

Because that is where the game started.

[GoldenEagle]

Ah ok, there waiting list was something like 8000 people. That is amazing.

[Brillig]

First match reports are up in the U.S....gah, only 4500 spectators at the match? Stupid bot teams need more spokespersons... ;)

[mckerney]

My new V level team currently beating a IV team 2 - 0, though it is a bot team.

They only drew around 4500 as well.

[illinifan999]

I have one player who has scored 5 goals. It is now 6-1, and I'm playing on play it cool.

[GoldenEagle]

My team is up 5-0. My opponet drew 5500 people.

[illinifan999]

Sorry, now it is 8-1, with one player with 5, one with 2, and one with 1. :D

[astralhaze]

Beat em 8-0. Bot team.

[Qwikshot]

8-0 for me too, plus one player with 4 goals.

[superbama]

South Dakota Indians. Beat the bots 4-1

[QuikSand]

My Cheapshots beat a bot team 9-nil. Had possession rates of 85% and 94% - not too shabby.

[MylesKnight]

2-1 W for the First Coast Conquistadors, as they break a franchise worst, 13 Match Losing Streak...

...Bring on the KC Wizards in Round #2!!! FCC is gonna rip their a$$es up!! :D

[Easy Mac]

I beat a bot team 4-0, but it was my 2nd game using a 352. At least my defense was solid at each position.

[AccardoOutfit29]

Beat a bot team 4-0. Had 80% possesion the first half and 95% the second half. Looks like I have to play another bot team in the 2nd round as well.

[FrogMan]

Pittbulls beat yeat another bot team, 4-1. Had possession 78% in the first half and 90% in the second half. Next up is a somewhat inactive team for div V. Not a bot, but the dude has not logged in in quite some time...

FrogMan

[GoldenEagle]

I play another D6 bot team next round.

[-Panther]

Second round I play a D6 team

Owner received team on 3/15/03 and hasn't signed on
not once. Needless to say I doubt they'll be around much longer.
Atleast someone on the waiting list is that much closer to joining :)

[Vince]

I play a DV team that isn't a bot, but sucks horribly. They run a 4-3-3, with the left wing always the forward. As such, I'm thinking maybe play my left defender as my extra midfield (3-5-2), so my right defender is the C. Defender and therefore my right side can cope with their extra attacker. Does that seem like sound strategy to you more experienced folk?

Also, I'm thinking of dipping into debt for the first time, but I'm going to do it in one of two ways and I'm not sure which I should go with. Either...

1) Expand my stadium. I'm at 7,000 right now, and it seems like I should be able to handle more than that...I've got 505 supporters, and I'm on the way up, with a couple of easy wins in a row in league play.

2) Buy some more talent. I only have one solid defender, and I could use another. At some point, I want to go to three solid defenders, but not for a while.

Currently, I have $20,000, and I'm losing about that much each week I don't have a home game. I figure both moves will put me into about $60-80,000 worth of debt, but they'll also help my team. I sold out both league games last season, and my team looks to win quite a few this season. I should definitely finish top 4, and I might challenge top 3, but I'm not good enough to vie for promotion...with a player or two, I could try for second place, I think. I won today, and should easily win my league match and the cup match next week. After that, I'm not so sure. Do you guys think I should expand my stadium, or buy a solid defender?

[cthomer5000]

I beat a D6 team running a 4-5-1.. 3-0.. I'm pleased, and I play another D6 bot team in the 2nd round. Should be another easy win.

I'm starting to get a feel for my team.

[GrantDawg]

I won 0-7, but I lost my solid scoring forward for 5 weeks. Errrrrr...

[GoldenEagle]

Originally posted by -Panther
Second round I play a D6 team

Owner received team on 3/15/03 and hasn't signed on
not once. Needless to say I doubt they'll be around much longer.
Atleast someone on the waiting list is that much closer to joining :)

I dont think so. There are two people in my league who have had teams since 11/15/02 and have never loged in, but they still have a team.

[Poli]

Hey guys! It sure is hot out here!

The North County Raiders won 11-0.

I'm glad to see that Hattrick is still gaining members! Keep it up guys!

[SplitPersonality1]

Beat the bots 3-0, but drew a human-owned division V team for second round and I get to host the match.

Hopefully I get the win. I don't want to be the first FOFCer out of the Cup!

[vex]

I ran a 4-5-1 and won 5-1 PICed. My 1.5 star middie even got a hattrick:)

Another Div. VI team next round.

[NevStar]

Won 6-0 PICed. Drew a div V human team next week, but he's new & shouldn't be a problem.

[JHandley]

Lost 1-2 to a human Div IV team. Hung with them pretty well for a team that finished in the bottom half of Div V last year.

[vex]

Div. IV team? Tough break.

[Havok]

won 5-0 vs a bot team

I should have PIC'd it but the bot team i played had some really really high valued players. I didnt wanna take a chance and lose to a bot team. You guys would never let me live that down ;)

[sterlingice]

Originally posted by Vince
1) Expand my stadium. I'm at 7,000 right now, and it seems like I should be able to handle more than that...I've got 505 supporters, and I'm on the way up, with a couple of easy wins in a row in league play.

2) Buy some more talent. I only have one solid defender, and I could use another. At some point, I want to go to three solid defenders, but not for a while.

Currently, I have $20,000, and I'm losing about that much each week I don't have a home game. I figure both moves will put me into about $60-80,000 worth of debt, but they'll also help my team. I sold out both league games last season, and my team looks to win quite a few this season. I should definitely finish top 4, and I might challenge top 3, but I'm not good enough to vie for promotion...with a player or two, I could try for second place, I think. I won today, and should easily win my league match and the cup match next week. After that, I'm not so sure. Do you guys think I should expand my stadium, or buy a solid defender?
Well, you don't have a ton of supporters currently, so I think a stadium expansion is out- I'd wait until you're in the 600's: which will be mid-season, I'm guessing. Although that will depend on how much of a roll you can get on. The reason you don't want to expand now is that you can't do it adequately and be efficient. If you just expand it to 10K, which will give you some extra cash, the cost will be about $100K, a large chunk of which will be that $30K block you have to pay no matter what. And then, next season, when you will need to expand again, you'll have to pay that $30K again. So unless your income from the new stadium minus the new upgrade costs will get you $30K, then don't do it. Wait until you can expand efficiently to 12K-15K (~600-650 supporters) and then do it all at once. This will cost around $150K-$250K, but it will be well worth it.

SI

[Vince]

Thanks SI, just the help I was looking for.

[sterlingice]

So unless your income from the new stadium minus the new upgrade costs will get you $30K, then don't do it.

Oops, I did botch that, tho, since I was in a hurry. It should be:
"Unless your income from the new stadium minus the new UPKEEP costs will get you $30K, then don't do it. Still, the advice remains the same, I just said it wrong.

SI