[NoSkillz]

Wed. December 11, 2024

FIFA Club World Cup - Semi-Final
Heartland (Nigerian Premier League) vs. Dover
Abuja Stadium, Abuja, Nigeria

Betting Odds: Heartland: 7-1 Draw: N/A Dover: 1-3 (Favourites)
Past Meetings: 0W 0D 0L

We enter the FIFA Club World Cup competition by getting a bye into the semi-finals, where we face Nigerian Premier League club Heartland. Taking a look at their roster, they look to have the quality of a Conference Premier team, maybe League 2 at best. Their highest valued player is only worth £75,000 and the club is filled with teenagers.

This competition is much different from the Champions League in that U18 players are only eligible if I pre-register them. Therefore, I actually have to start a better roster than anticipated. Chiquinho is up front with Zoltan Bardi, the midfield sees Mads Pedersen, Neil Cairney, Andrea Rocca and Gianluca Bolis suit up and on defence we have Rafinha, Mwemere Mutesa, Saber Nasri and Emerson. Manuel Perez starts in goal. I expect a huge win here even in hostile territory and we are monster favourites.

Dover: 4-4-2 Control
GK - M. Perez
D - Rafinha, M. Mutesa, S. Nasri, Emerson
M - M. Pedersen, N. Cairney, A. Rocca, G. Bolis
S - Chiquinho, Z. Bardi
Bench - I. Wilke, Renato Gaucho, R. Hamon, B. Raab, E. Harvey, G. Allan, A. Broomes

Flat 4-4-2 for Heartland, who have Solomon Nwachi and Franck Diallo up front and Joseph Igwe in goal. I tell the team to put on a show for the fans today.

26’ - We seem to be in control and it’s Zoltan Bardi running through the middle of the field. He delivers a pass to Chiquinho and he bursts through the defence, bares down on goal and shoots low past Igwe and it’s in. DOVER GOAL 1-0

30’ - We are moving quickly down the pitch with Mads Pedersen and he crosses into the area from the left flank. Heartland defender Sunday Ibrahim is there to intercept but he doesn’t realize that Gianluca Bolis is on his backside. Ibrahim’s first touch is poor and the ball is loose and Bolis gets the ball and immediately shoots past an unprepared Igwe for the beauty goal! DOVER GOAL 2-0

HALFTIME - Heartland are doing okay with possession but they are just holding on for dear life, as we started to really pepper them with shots as the half went on. We held 55% of the ball and an outrageous 17-1 (7-1 on target) shot advantage. We’re in complete control here. I’m pleased.

47’ - We’re right back at it and this time it’s Chiquinho setting up his strike partner, as Bardi is in on goal and puts a weak shot past Igwe. The rout is on… DOVER GOAL 3-0

60’ - We make a couple of changes, taking out Chiquinho and Gianluca Bolis, both of whom were excellent. We bring in Emmerson Harvey and Graham Allan. We switch to a one striker formation due to the changes (4-2-3-1).

67’ - We have a corner kick and Andrea Rocca delivers the ball into the middle but one of our attackers is fouled. That’s a PENALTY! Up steps the reliable Neil Cairney and he is STOPPED BY THE HEARTLAND KEEPER! Oh my…disaster for Cairney, who has REALLY struggled this year.

74’ - Graham Allan wins a battle down the right flank and delivers a high cross to the far post. Pedersen is there and heads it towards goal and despite it looking like it was in slow motion, Igwe can’t get across and the ball crosses the goal line. DOVER GOAL 4-0

90’ - It’s Pedersen again with a cross and Allan’s attempted shot is blocked. The ball pops right to an oncoming Andrea Rocca and he right foots it past Igwe and IN! DOVER GOAL 5-0

Easy peazy.

Heartland 0 - 5 Dover
Goals - Chiquinho (8.3), Gianluca Bolis (8.0), Zoltan Bardi (8.2), Mads Pedersen (8.6), Andrea Rocca (8.2)
Assists - Zoltan Bardi, Chiquinho, Graham Allan (7.0)
Man of the Match - Mads Pedersen
Other Dover Notables - Manuel Perez (7.0), Emerson (7.9), Saber Nasri (8.3), Mwemere Mutesa (7.9), Rafinha (8.0)
Attendance - 48,584

They were no match for our backups, as we hold 57% of possession and a 30-2 (13-1 on target) shot advantage. The only starter on our team with a rating less than 7.0 was Cairney, who has regressed considerably this year and essentially has lost his starting job to Benedikt Raab. Tough times for the former Wonderkid, as he misses another penalty today.

-- We’ll have a much tougher test in the finals, as we face Argentinian side Lanus on the weekend. They have one of the great strikers in the world in Javier Gimenez, a player I’ve looked at buying many times but his price tag was north of £50 million!! No thanks!



Champions League Update

-- The Group Stage finishes and we’re down to the final 16 teams. Joining us and Hoffenheim in the knockout stages are OM and Man City from Group A and the surprising Club Brugge is joined by Atletico Madrid from Group B, with powerhouse FC Bayern getting knocked down to Europa League. In Group D, Juventus and Real Madrid move on while in Group E, Barcelona is joined by fourth seeded Tottenham, with HSV and Panathinaikos kicked to the curb. In Group F, Sevilla and Schalke advance while Sampdoria are sent to Europa League competition, Group G sees Man United and Porto advance and finally, in Group H, Olympique Lyonnais and Shakhtar move on.



Dover Injury Update

-- Arsene Bamba returns to full training after missing four weeks with a sprained ankle. He won’t be ready for our Club World Cup final but should be ready to play a part in our mid-week League Cup game against Sheffield Wednesday.



Next Up

-- We face Argentinian club Lanus in the final of the Club World Championship.