[Izulde]

So a couple notes:

We're tabbed to finish 5th in the Premier Division, with Young Warriors heavy 4-6 favorites to three-peat. Winning the league gets you into the Caribbean Club Championship, which is also the path you need to walk to get to the North American Champions League.

There's also no professional clubs and no foreigners in Antigua & Barbuda's top league. The latter is a function of the former - nobody wants to come play here unless on a full-time deal.

@ West Ham (ATG)
G: George Frederick
D: Kelly Robinson/Janiel Santiago/Rolston Benjamin
DM: Randolph Abraham
M: Ranjae Jahraldo-Martin/Elvis Williams/Gayson Smith
S: Brentton Matthew/Kelly Matthew/Bo Benjamin

Between injuries and suspensions, we're having to field a 3-1-3-3 DM formation we've used sporadically.

24 - Rolston Benjamin to Kelly Matthew for the box dropoff to Brentton Matthew. The shot bounces off the post (our third blown easy chance this game), but Jahraldo-Martin just manages to get the rebound in time to put it away for his first Fort Road goal on the debut! 1-0

29 - Smith runs down the wing out and makes a gorgeous cross to Jahraldo-Martin. He has to struggle a bit to control it, but pushes past the injured defender to fire in his second goal 2-0

43 - Smith centers to Kelly Matthew in the box for the tapoff to Brentton Matthew and this time he doesn't blow it in getting his debut goal! 3-0

59 - Kelly Matthew fights off a double team to pass to Bo Benjamin in the box. The shot bounces off the defender and the ball careens left. Brentton Matthew picks it up and slams it in! 4-0

66 - Williams is injured, so Kelly Matthew moves down to MC, Bo Benjamin moves to the Poacher role, Brentton Matthew slides to the Advanced Forward spot, and Kelly Nesbitt comes as the Deep-Lying Forward. On the backline, Rolston Benjamin shifts to DC and Terrence Lewis is in as the DR.

82 - Meh 4-1

87 - Okay, now that's bullshit 4-2

Shit performance by our defense after Janiel Santiago's 7.8 and Elvis Williams' 7.9 left, but we were carried by a 7.9 from Gayson Smith, 7.8 from Kelly Matthew, 8.8 from Ranjae Jahraldo-Martin, and of course the 9.1 from PotM Brentton Matthew. It's an emphatic season-opening win.

Elvis Williams is out 4 weeks with a thigh strain, though.

@ Old Road (ATG)
G: George Frederick
D: Kelly Robinson/Anderson Derrick/Rolston Benjamin
DM: Randolph Abraham
M: Luke Simon/Kelly Matthew/Jermaine George
S: Kelly Nesbitt/Brentton Matthew/Bo Benjamin

Injuries and other health issues force the 3-1-3-3 DM again with a less than ideal MC in Kelly Matthew. Guess we need to go shopping.

3 - Kelly Matthew makes a huge interception of a corner and blasts it down the pitch to Brentton Matthew for the dribble and perfect ball forward to Bo Benjamin. Free of the last defender, Bo races into the box for his first Fort Road score!!! 1-0

50 - That was absolute ass defending. 1-1

51 - Lewis and Santiago replace the shitbirds at FB

77 - Unfuckingbelievable 1-2

81 - Abraham goes off injured. Victor Matthew comes on as we switch to a 3-4-3

6-7 weeks without Randolph Abraham. Are we shocked at the injuries piling up? Fuck no.

We split a couple international friendlies that I don't manage because I hate friendlies. It drops us to 110th in the world as we get set to play Haiti in the third round of 2022 World Cup Qualifying - a one-off elimination game.