Cup Game Preview
Remember what I said about the huge fixture this week, I might have to hold back a little talent in the cup. I want to get Kavelashvili in the game for the possible natty team (and just profitable training) implications. Gafni is still hurt so I couldn't play him even if I wanted to. But I think other than that, I'll be playing all starters. Linneberg and Delcarte are pretty much identical- Delcarte is maybe a half level better at defense but Linneberg has better secondaries and both have divine set pieces.
This means I'm going to start losing form on some of those older subs, which could really come into play with injuries and cards. But it's a chance I'm going to have to take because we're going to need every rating point we can get this week. HO is showing us with a 40% chance to win, 25% to draw, and 35% to lose so those aren't great odds even at full strength. We should still win the midfield battle and I have enough ratings on the pitch to get the win.
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Originally Posted by an aside
I have been lucky thus far this season, we haven't run into a sandbagger. In past years (not including last year's cup debacle), we have run into a lot of teams that can put up 300+ hatstats and are slumming in IV. Hell, I want to say that one year we ran into a team in V who put up a 300 on us. Even better was that if you looked at their previous season, they were undefeated and then tanked weeks 13-16 or something like that, so they could stay down.
For years, I've been an advocate to change the cup system. There are two reasons teams stay down- one is to fatten up your fan base with easy 10+ win seasons, keeping your sponsors happy without even needing to bother with spokesmen. The other is to make the deep, profitable cup runs as the lower ranked team gets home field. Take away that incentive and you will significantly discourage sandbaggers.
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As for our opponent, Old Town Tavern hails from IV.49. If that sounds familiar to you, that's because it was home to the Screamin' Seamen for many seasons. For the record, that franchise is now back in IV, but IV.29, and goes by the name Club Deportivo Ibáñez. Just a little factoid I looked up before the game. He runs a good midfield, usually high solid or excellent, and fairly strong ratings across the board, almost all in the passable to excellent range. We're a slight tick better at most of those across the board, but it will be close.
And this assumes they're as good as they've been so far this year and haven't been holding back. Hm...
Cup Game Box Score
Kits
Tavern 2 – 3 Hippopotami (219734536)
3-12-2009 01.00
77784 spectators arrived at
The Pub, where weather conditions were pretty good for football. Tavern decided to use a 3-5-2 set up. The following players took the field: Silyanovski - Smith, Haider, Burch - Schmeißer, MacElfrish, Ferrère, Conan, Tömösi - Peters, Mcmullen.
Hippopotami tactics involved an interesting 3-5-2 combination. Lineup: Özkutay - Kavelashvili, Huenul, Linneberg - Partridge, Marsh, Thacker, Quijada, Regúlez - Tetlie, Angulo.
Hippopotami took a creative approach on the field. Tavern took the lead 10 minutes into the match after a magnificent free kick by
Jeffrey Mcmullen that made the score 1 - 0.
László Tömösi almost managed to score another goal for Tavern, coming from the right, but his header was tipped to a corner by the visitors' keeper.
Charlie Partridge finished off a quick charge from the left of the field by chipping the ball just past the home side's keeper, making the score 1 - 1 12 minutes into the match. The home side put themselves ahead 2 - 1 after 13 minutes courtesy of a breakthrough from
Stéphane Ferrère, who, unaided, came in from the right wing hooking the ball over the visitors' keeper. There was concern in the stands when, at the 15 minute mark, Tavern's
Jeffrey Mcmullen hit the ground hard, but he refused the attention of the trainer and rejoined his teammates on the pitch. After 41 minutes, the visitors evened the score after
Tor Tetlie made it through the middle and struck home the 2 - 2 goal. After several obvious shirt pulling incidents, Tavern's
László Tömösi got himself booked. It was 2 - 2 at the break. The forty-five minutes were dominated by Tavern, with an impressive 54 percent possession of the ball.
After 66 minutes, Hippopotami's
Damion Marsh made his way through the middle and nonchalantly placed the ball out of the keeper's reach, putting the visitors up 2 - 3. Many in the crowd felt the referee was being too lenient when he only showed Tavern's
Walter Schmeißer a yellow card after a mistimed challenge from behind 71 minutes into the game. 81 minutes into the game,
László Tömösi came close to levelling the score with a dangerous shot from the centre of the area that went just over the bar. Hippopotami's
Tor Tetlie made it through the home team's defence on the right hand side 83 minutes into the match. After rounding the keeper, he only had to place the ball in the unguarded goal when a defender sprang up, clearing the ball on the line.
Nicholas MacElfrish made a superb strike after 84 minutes with a shot straight in front of the goal after a long ball through the middle, but one of the visitors' defenders got a foot in at the last second and warded it off for a corner. This half belonged to Tavern, who controlled the ball 55 percent of the time.
The most dominating Tavern player was without a doubt
Nicholas MacElfrish. However,
Eduard Haider made a disastrous appearance. Hippopotami's best player was
Carlos Thacker.
Zurab Kavelashvili was a disappointment, however. The match ends 2 - 3.
Rating details
| Old Town Tavern | Houston Hippopotami |
| Midfield | magnificent (low) | outstanding (high) |
| Right Defence | excellent (very high) | excellent (high) |
| Central Defence | excellent (high) | formidable (low) |
| Left Defence | inadequate (very high) | passable (low) |
| Right Attack | inadequate (very high) | weak (low) |
| Central Attack | solid (very high) | formidable (very low) |
| Left Attack | inadequate (low) | solid (very high) |
| |
| Indirect set pieces |
| Defence | inadequate (very high) | passable (low) |
| Attack | inadequate (very high) | passable (high) |
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| Team Attitude | (Hidden) | Normal |
| Tactic | Normal | Play creatively |
| Tactic skill | (no tactic) | - |
Highlights
Possession
54%
46%
55%
45%
Cup Game Recap
When I saw that halftime possession, I was definitely worried. It looks like they saved their best effort so far this season for our game. Karma was a little unkind to us Sunday but helped us out today as we were 3 for 4 on chances to his 2 for 6. Tho, to be fair, we have a good defense and we have a pretty good attack compared to his defense.
So many little notes, so little time. We hit 70 stars in this match for only the second time ever. It hasn't been updated yet, but that will get me another 5 achievement points, 30 up from the 25 for 60+ stars. That will push me over the 300 achievement point barrier as well.
Next, the undefeated streak was pushed to 11. The top 15 undefeated teams in the US stop at 12 in a row so we're just off that list. For Div III, we're tied for 6th with Crizackheads, our next cup opponent.
Speaking of which, we get our first home cup game since season 28 next week. This would normally have me all tingly and excited, particularly since Crizackheads is about the same level of team as the Hippos or maybe just a smidge better. However, as luck would have it, they're located in Houston as well... which means it's a derby. So much for home field advantage.
Also, unless I'm mistaken, if I survive next week, I actually get a week off for a friendly before the next cup game for the Masters. If that's the case, I would have no friendly after my second Bridgemen game but between the game vs the Wahoos and at T Hills FC. If that all is true and comes to fruition, that could be very fortunate and I could really take advantage of it. However, I'm not even sure that is true and victory next week is no certainty.
Onto the Bridgemen and the end of the first half in III.3!
SI