FM: P'boro Utd. - 2012 & beyond - Quad Quest!

[Butter]

We get a nice spell of time off before our big match in Germany against Bayern Munich. This should give us some time for our injured players to heal, as well as just generally rest up from what has been a hectic season so far.

Since losing the chance at the Quad, now our focus must be to win Europe.

Feb. 20, Champions League First Knockout Round First Leg (TV)
@ Bayern Munich (finished 2nd in Group F behind AC Milan w/8 pts.)
Fav: Bayern Munich, 6:4

Our first visit to glorious new (well, by now not so new) Allianz-Arena in Munich.

Lineup:
GK: Arenas
D: de la Cuesta, Marcos, Sarr, Heitinga
M: Jesus, Sneijder, Bellomo, Kranjcar
S: Mokoena, Cole

7'- Bayern with the first chance, but a long range shot is pushed aside easily by Arenas.

14'- A great long ball to Sneijder by Marcos... he knocks it down for Mokoena... Lebohang tries to round the keeper, but in the meantime the Munich defense is able to recover and poke the ball away.

22'- Cole and Sneijder play the give and go out front... the return ball from Sneijder drops in beautifully onto Cole behind the defense... he rounds the keeper and buries it into the net! 1-0, Posh!

29'- Bellomo lines up a 25 yard shot, and bends it skillfully toward the right post... but the Munich keeper is able to turn it out for a corner.

38'- Cole and Mokoena break free for a 2 on 1... Mokoena ends up with the ball, and tries to be a bit too cute with it, ending up dispossessed... the ball bobbles back to Sneijder, who tries a 25 yard chip with the keeper out near the penalty spot, but Sneijder's aim is a touch off and the shot goes inches wide.

53'- Munich with an open 15 yard shot, but their striker blazes it over the bar.

61'- Cole's speed burns Munich again... de la Cuesta with a great long ball that Cole outruns everyone to... he gets to the keeper, and pokes it with his left foot around him and into the net! 2-0, Posh!

66'- Shortly after we make a couple of subs and pull back to a 4-5-1, Munich score off a corner kick... the initial shot was headed away, but the 12 yard follow up seems to trickle through Arenas' legs and in to make it 2-1.

We stick with our tactics, and try to ride out a 2-1 decision... it works, and we have several chances to actual increase our margin, only to be stopped time and again by brilliant play from the Munich keeper, Timo Hildebrand. We really should've won 3 or 4 to 1, but we'll take any road win at this stage.

Win, 1-2, second leg on March 6th
Shots/on target: Bayern 10/3, Posh 13/7
Poss: 53-47, Bayern
MoM: Bayern GK Timo Hildebrand - 5 saves
Posh ratings: Heitinga (8), Sarr (8), de la Cuesta (8), Cole (8), Jesus (8), Kranjcar (8)
Posh subs: Kargbo (for Cole, 63'), Wallner (for Mokoena, 63')
A: 57,023

Champions League First Knockout Round First Leg results
Ajax 0:1 Real Madrid
Barcelona 1:0 AC Milan
Basel 1:3 Porto
Chelsea 2:1 Inter
Fenerbahce 0:0 Arsenal
Olympiakos 0:0 Tottenham
Werder Bremen 0:1 Roma

Arsenal and Tottenham have put themselves in tough positions, needing at least a 1 goal win at home to move on, since neither scored an away goal so can't simply play for a 0-0 draw at home.

[Butter]

Kevin Keegan has been sacked as Newcastle United manager.

Next up, our first ever League Cup final. We have never had success in this tournament until this year, when success was vital for our attempted Quad. Now that the Quad Quest is over for 2013, hell we might as well win this thing!

Feb. 24, League Cup Final (TV)
v. Bolton (22nd in Championship) @ Wembley Stadium
Series: Even, 2-2-2
Fav: Posh, 1:2

Lineup:
GK: Arenas
D: Bocanegra, Svensson, Heitinga, Zaccardo
M: Mascherano, Eriksson, Karsnak, Lampard
S: Johansen, Wallner

Rob Styles is today's match referee.

In the first 15 minutes, we have 3 players slightly injured and 2 more pick up yellow cards. Maybe I'll finish this one up 11 on 7 or something.

38'- After weathering several chances, we finally break down, as a free kick from the right of the box whips in, and is headed past Arenas from 8 yards for a 1-0 Wanderers lead.

45'- Tobias Eriksson is forced out with an injury, while Johansen and Lampard play on with theirs.

We switch to an aggressive attack after halftime.

48'- Wallner with a good centering pass from the right... Karsnak whips off a quick shot, but it hits the crossbar... the rebound falls perfectly to Sneijder, but he skies it! A glorious chance there.

We switch to an even more aggressive 3-4-3 around the 60th minute.

73'- Johansen sends one to Mokoena down the left... Mokoena waits for support, then sends a great cross into traffic... Roman Wallner rises up and heads it past Roy Carroll and in! 1-1!

I just sit back now and pray that we don't foul anyone in the box... and we don't. Predictably, this matchup is going to extra time.

99'- American defender Zak Whitbread picks up his 2nd yellow for fouling Mokoena, and we go up a man... and switch back to attacking tactics.

103'- So much for that, as Karsnak gets booked for a second time, so we go 10-v-10 now.

112'- Sneijder grazes the bar on a 25 yard free kick.

This match unsurprisingly goes to PK's....

Round 1:
Bolton: Irish striker Noel Hunt - saved by Arenas! Hit right down the middle, and he barely had to move.
Posh: Lebohang Mokoena - the South African scores it! Beautiful shot, right into the upper left corner.

Round 2:
Bolton: 21 year old striker Martin Shaw - he gets lucky, as his shot hits the left post, but bounces in.
Posh: Javier Mascherano - he follows Mokoena's lead, and buries it top shelf! 2-1, Posh.

Round 3:
Bolton: 20 year old fullback John Cousins - He blazes it over the bar!
Posh: Jim Johansen - he wrongfoots the keeper and has an easy shot into the left side of the net! 3-1, Posh!

Round 4:
Bolton: Oddly enough, it's keeper Roy Carroll who must score to keep Bolton in the match.... and he fires it in past Arenas inside the right post.
Posh: Old warhorse Frank Lampard can clinch our first ever League Cup with a conversion... he's been battling an injury since the 8th minute... but he makes no mistake here, burying it inside the left post!

The Posh win the League Cup for the first time in our history!

1-1, Posh win 4-2 on PK's
Shots/on target: Wanderers 16/7, Posh 15/6
Poss: 55-45, Wanderers
MoM: Bolton str. Noel Hunt - 11/15 headers won, 1 goal, 3 shots on goal
Posh ratings: Arenas (8), Bocanegra (8), Heitinga (8), Johansen (8), Mascherano (8), Wallner (8), Lampard (8), Sneijder (8), Karsnak (6)
Posh subs: Sneijder (for Eriksson, 45'), Mokoena (for Zaccardo, 55'), Kargbo (for Wallner, 104')
A: 89,978

None of our injuries are serious in this game, but we lose Karsnak for 2 matches, thanks to his accumulation of 5 yellow cards and also getting a red in the last match.

We pick up $1.8 million in prize money for our win of the League Cup.

[Butter]

Jesus picks up a groin injury during training, a torn groin muscle. That usually means surgery, and this time is no different... since Jesus is so young, I go ahead and bite the bullet and send him to rehab. He will likely miss the rest of the year, but his future is more important to me than this season. Plus, I have a few options at the defensive midfield spot, so his absence won't be too bad right now.

Carlos Bocanegra breaks his arm in training, and will be out through late March.

Chelsea finally win a league game, beating Brighton 2-0, and ending a 17 game league winless streak.

March 2, Match 29
17-8-3, 2nd pl., 59 pts.
v. Portsmouth (10-11-7, 10th pl., 41 pts. - Leading scorer: Yakubu, 13)
Series: Posh lead 4-2-3, @ London Road: Posh lead 3-0-1
Fav: Posh, 4:5

Lineup:
GK: Arenas
D: de la Cuesta, Kargbo, Marcos, Heitinga
M: Vanden Borre, Lazzari, Gavilan, Gerard
S: Cole, Bellomo

1'- Cole nearly scores 40 seconds in, after Bellomo sends a great long ball forward, but Pompey keeper Jose Reina makes a good stop. But, just 30 seconds later, the defense totally leaves Bellomo in the center by himself... Gerard finds him, and Bellomo finishes past Reina to make it 1-0 Posh early.

45'- John Heitinga has to leave the game with an injury.

Our back line does a great job of forcing the talented Portsmouth strike force to take long range shots, that Arenas mostly just is able to watch sail out of play.

55'- Bellomo with a great ball to Lazzari, who beats the defense... but he can't beat Reina.

64'- de la Cuesta has to go off injured... and we have to use our last sub with a half hour left.

80'- Sneijder nearly scores a brilliant goal from 20 yards, but Reina saves it... Wallner's follow up goes over the top. Reina is having a great game, but he's getting no offensive support here.

90'- Roman Wallner puts the game beyond doubt, using some fancy footwork to beat his man and score past Reina from 15 yards. 2-0, Posh.

We survive the match, despite suffering more injuries.

Win, 2-0, up to 1st place
Shots/on target: Posh 20/13, Pompey 18/6
Poss: 51-49, Pompey
MoM: Gerard - 7 key passes, 1 assist
Posh ratings: Arenas (9), Gerard (9), Lazzari (8), Bellomo (8), Wallner (8)
Posh subs: Sneijder (for Heitinga, 45'), Wallner (for Cole, 57'), Kranjcar (for de la Cuesta, 66')
A: 20,166

Man U beats Middlesbrough 2-0 on Monday night to move back into 1st place.

de la Cuesta has a broken jaw, and he'll be out the rest of the month. Heitinga should miss just a couple of days with a deep thigh bruise.

[Butter]

The board has moved back to "absolutely thrilled" with me, thanks to our League Cup triumph.

Gerard and Wallner are picked to the Team of the Week.

Champions League First Knockout Round Second Leg
AC Milan 3:3 Barcelona (Barca adv. 4-3 on aggregate)

Since Inter is also playing at home this round, AC Milan had to play their game a day early.

Our 2 main left backs, Bocanegra and de la Cuesta, are now out injured... and Lazzari is tired, which means someone will be out of position for our return match against Bayern Munich.

March 6, Champions League First Knockout Round Second Leg (TV)
v. Bayern Munich (Posh lead 2-1 on aggregate)
Fav: Posh, 6:4

Lineup:
GK: Arenas
D: Alex, Marcos, Sarr, Zaccardo
M: Kargbo, Mngomeni, Sneijder, Kranjcar
S: Cole, Mokoena

Even a 1-0 loss here would give us an aggregate win on away goals... so Bayern have to win by at least 2 clear goals, or win by 1 goal while scoring at least 3. A 2-1 Bayern Munich lead at 90 minutes would give us extra time.

24'- We put things a bit more out of reach, as Sneijder sends a great pass in to Cole... and Cole finishes with a world class 12 yard strike, right footing it inside the far post.

51'- We pretty much bury Munich, as Karsnak steals an attempted clearance, and sends a pinpoint pass along the turf to Mokoena at the penalty spot, who turns and buries it into the right side of the net for a 2-0 Posh lead.

We hunker down and take the easy home win against the German powers.

Win, 2-0, Peterborough Utd. advance 4-1 on aggregate
Shots/on target: Posh 14/5, Munich 5/3
Poss: 57-43, Posh
MoM: Carlton Cole - 23/27 passing, 4 shots on goal, 1 goal
Posh ratings: Arenas (8), Zaccardo (8), Cole (8), Sneijder (8), Mokoena (8)
Posh subs: Karsnak (for Mngomeni, 45')
A: 15,702

Champions League First Knockout Round Second Leg results
Arsenal 5:1 Fenerbahce (Gunners adv. 5-1 on agg.)
Inter 3:0 Chelsea (Inter adv. 4-2 on agg.)
Porto 0:3 Basel (Basel adv. 4-3 on agg.)
Real Madrid 0:1 Ajax (Real Madrid adv. 2-1 on PK's)
Roma 2:0 Werder Bremen (Roma adv. 3-0 on agg.)
Tottenham 3:0 Olympiakos (Spurs adv. 3-0 on agg.)

Basel with the big surprise of the tourney, advancing to the round of 8.

Champions League Quarterfinal Draw
Basel v. Arsenal
Roma v. Inter
Real Madrid v. Peterborough Utd.
Tottenham v. Barcelona

We beat Real Madrid 2 1/2 years ago 1-0 on our way to the UEFA Cup. They have upgraded a few positions since then, and are no longer an aging superpower. They have returned to glory. Should be an interesting matchup, one that'll begin at the Bernabeu on April 3rd. We'll be trying for our first Champions League semifinal berth there.

[Butter]

The FA Cup semifinals will be populated with the likes of Aston Villa, Bolton (again!), Middlesbrough, and Sheffield Wednesday. A very interesting bunch, void of the normal powerful names.

Manchester United is the only English club left in the UEFA Cup, as they take down Villarreal 3-0 to advance.

We're down to our final 9 league matches, and we still trail ManU by 2 points in the table. Between the 2 of us, we have the easier schedule, with just Liverpool among the major clubs left to bother us... while ManU still have matches with Chelsea and Arsenal to come, aside from the match against us on the final day of the season.

We get 2 weeks off after this match, then we will travel to Crystal Palace and begin our Champions League tie v. Real Madrid within 5 days of each other.

March 16, Match 30
18-8-3, 2nd pl., 62 pts.
v. Blackburn Rovers (11-11-7, 7th pl., 44 pts. - Leading scorer: Will Johnson, 9)
Series: Posh lead 5-2-4, @ London Road: Posh lead 2-2-1
Fav: Posh, 4:5

Lineup:
GK: Arenas
D: Heitinga, Alex, Marcos, Zaccardo
M: Vanden Borre, Mngomeni, Sneijder, Kranjcar
S: Mokoena, Cole

Blackburn comes in unbeaten in 7 games. We come out attacking here at home.

12'- Heitinga with a steal, and he knocks it ahead to Mokoena... Mokoena with lots of space down the left... he cuts it back to the middle for Mngomeni at the edge of the area... he has space, dribbles once, then shoots far post... and scores! 1-0, Posh on a nicely worked goal, keyed by Heitinga playing his unnatural side, the left, today.

45'- Again, Mokoena gets free on the left wing... he waits for runners into the box, then sends a cross to the far post that eludes Graham Stack, the Rovers' keeper, and Sneijder gets onto the end of it and heads it home! 2-0, Posh, 2 assists by Mokoena.

We back off to defensive, counter-attacking tactics after the break.

79'- Less than 5 minutes after entering the game, Jim Johansen scores off a header from a Sneijder corner kick. 3-0.

An easy 3-0 win over the Rovers.

Win, 3-0, up to 1st place temporarily
Shots/on target: Posh 12/6, Rovers 4/2
Poss: 55-45, Posh
MoM: Thando Mngomeni - 1 goal, 5 key passes, 33/38 passing
Posh ratings: Mngomeni (9), Arenas (8), Alex (8), Heitinga (8), Mokoena (8), Sneijder (8), Gallacher (8), Johansen (8)
Posh subs: Gallacher (for Arenas, 75'), Johansen (for Mokoena, 75')
A: 17,249

We finally get the break we need, as Man U loses on the road at Newcastle 3-2! So, we are in first place now, with 65 pts. to MU's 64, both of us having played 30 league matches. Liverpool and Arsenal are both 11 points behind us in 3rd and 4th.

[Butter]

Liverpool lose 1-0 at Arsenal, and that is followed by the sacking of their manager, David Platt.

Our game against Crystal Palace gets moved due to international call-ups, so now our next match is April 3rd against Madrid... the current date is March 19th, so I decide to give everyone nearly a week off to rest up for the stretch run.

Of course, most of our top players are out on international duty, so the training rest has very little effect as they're away with their national squads for the most part.

Sadly for us, and much like last year, we're forced to play this first leg against Madrid with our backup keeper starting, as Arenas is away playing for Colombia in South American World Cup Qualifying.

April 3, Champions League Quarterfinals First Leg (TV)
@ Real Madrid (def. Ajax 2-1 on PK's in First Knockout Round)
Fav: Galacticos, 5:4

Lineup:
GK: Gallacher
D: de la Cuesta, Marcos, Heitinga, Zaccardo
M: Lazzari, Mngomeni, Sneijder, Kranjcar
S: Wallner, Cole

2'- Carlton Cole comes out a man possessed... he takes a long run and fires a wicked 20 yard shot that rings off the post... then 30 seconds later, the gets a pass in the middle again, and shoots a bender from outside 20 yards that beats the keeper and goes in the top right corner for a 1-0 Posh lead!

6'- Wallner gets a nice pass from Sneijder, but Casillas is up to the task this time, and Raul clears the rebound.

8'- This is going to be a fun game... Carlos (one of two "Carlos"'s up front for Madrid) beats Zaccardo, gets to the byline, and crosses back post for Jose Luis, the 22 year old defensive midfielder, who heads it home past Gallacher. 1-1.

12'- Cole with another good move in the box, he seems to have beaten the keeper, but Raul Bravo with a great last ditch effort to deflect the shot away.

21'- Mngomeni with a great pass to Roman Wallner, who beats Casillas inside the left post... but the flag was up! Wallner looked a good yard onside, but the goal is waved off.

The game settles down a bit, and we head to halftime with a 1-1 scoreline.

57'- Carlos with a dangerous cross out front, but Gallacher alertly comes across to punch it out.

61'- Cole pops free, but Casillas with a good save of the 15 yard attempt.

71'- Gallacher's long free kick lands in the arc, with Cole heading back for Wallner... who returns the pass to Cole near the spot... Cole's shot looks on target, but Casillas with a great tip aside, and the ball is cleared into touch.

87'- Marcos with a good ball to Mngomeni down the left... he crosses to no one in particular, and Casillas just punches away... but right to Roman Wallner who has an open 10 yarder... WIDE!!! By inches! That was our chance to win this leg right there.

And it was... no other significant action as Madrid is keen to take the 1-1 draw and try for the 2-2 or 1-0 result at London Road.

Draw, 1-1, second leg in 1 week at London Road
Shots/on target: Galacticos 15/6, Posh 14/7
Poss: 55-45, Madrid
MoM: RM Left winger Carlos - 10 rating, 1 assist, 24 forward runs (!)
Posh ratings: Cole (8), Mngomeni (8)
Posh subs: Bellomo (for Sneijder, 65'), Kargbo (for Lazzari, 65'), Lampard (for Kranjcar, 82')
A: 64,957

Champions League Quarterfinals First Leg results
Basel 0:0 Arsenal
Roma 2:1 Inter
Tottenham 2:0 Barcelona

Liverpool hire former Porto manager Victor Fernandez to take over at New Anfield. And they're next for us.

[Butter]

With this being our toughest remaining EPL match until our final game of the season, and having Madrid in 4 days, I am stuck to decide how best to allocate the starters... I want to win this match, but I also don't want to have everyone tired for our big Champions League Second Leg.

April 6, Match 31
19-8-3, 1st pl., 65 pts.
v. Liverpool (15-12-4, 4th pl., 57 pts. - Leading scorer: Alan Smith, 8)
Series: Posh lead 4-2-3, @ London Road: Posh lead 2-1-1
Fav: Posh, 6:4

Lineup:
GK: Arenas
D: Bocanegra, Alex, Kargbo, Gavilan
M: Vanden Borre, Karsnak, Bellomo, Lampard
S: Johansen, Mokoena

1'- Things start poorly, as Rafael van der Vaart heads in a free kick in just 53 seconds. 1-0, Reds.

A very nicely paced game, plenty of chances at both ends, but not more scoring until...

43'- Karsnak passes inside to Johansen... he has the ball poked away, but Karsnak runs it down in the corner, and sends a cross in with his back to the byline... Mokoena charges at the far post and nods it in! Mokoena's 15th of the season puts us level, 1-1!

47'- Shortly after the break, Mokoena steals a pass in our half, then fires ahead to Karsnak... Karsnak nods down to Johansen, who is in the clear! Johansen charges at the keeper... he gets the ball past him, leaps over the challenge and taps it into the empty net! 2-1, Posh! Karsnak with the presence of mind to leave the ball alone after it got past the keeper, as he would've been called for offside, instead letting Johansen tap it in himself for a valid goal and a 2-1 lead.

We absolutely dominate the ball in the late going, and finally put it away...

90'- Vanden Borre with a pass down the left for Karsnak... we have a 4-on-2, and Karsnak finds the open man, Mokoena at the top of the box... he dribbles in once, and blasts a strike into the net from 15 yards for his 50th Posh goal! 3-1, we put this game on ice!

Jan Karsnak with his finest performance in Posh blue, and keying a big win today! We essentially end Liverpool's title hopes, as they drop 11 points back with 7 to play.

Win, 3-1, remain in 1st
Shots/on target: Posh 17/8, Reds 11/6
Poss: 53-47, Posh
MoM: Jan Karsnak - 5 key passes, 3 assists, 10 rating, 10/14 headers won
Posh ratings: Gavilan (8), Karsnak (10), Mokoena (9)
Posh subs: Eriksson (for Lampard (inj.), 73'), Lazzari (for Gavilan, 73')
A: 21,081

We get the win we need, and the rest we need for key players. ManU win at West Ham 2-0 to remain just 1 point behind us.

[Butter]

Karsnak and Mokoena are picked to the Team of the Week.

And so comes our biggest ever European match, a home game against Real Madrid, with only a win or a 0-0 draw being good enough to send us through without extra time. A Madrid win or a 2-2 draw or higher will earn them the semifinal place.

April 10, Champions League Quarterfinal Second Leg (TV)
v. Real Madrid
Fav: Galacticos, 6:4

Lineup:
GK: Arenas
D: de la Cuesta, Heitinga, Sarr, Zaccardo
M: Kargbo, Mngomeni, Sneijder, Kranjcar
S: Wallner, Cole

Everyone is at full strength to begin this match.

1'- Wallner steals the pass... he heads into the middle for Kargbo... pass to Cole, then to Mngomeni on the left side of the area... he crosses back post for Sneijder, but his shot is stopped by Casillas... the rebound rolls to Sneijder on the end line, he sends the ball screaming across the goalmouth, but the needed touch isn't there.

7'- A break for us, as Raul Bravo leaves the game with an injury and is subbed out.

11'- World class goalkeeping, as the free kick just off the right corner of the area falls right to an unmarked Carlos from 10 yards... he tees it up, but Arenas deflects wide, and Zaccardo hoists it away.

17'- Wesley Sneijder tries a piledriver from 30 yards, but Casillas is able to slap it aside.

20'- A series of about 10 passes ends when Kranjcar passes from the arc to an oncoming Carlton Cole, who gets it just inside the area and fires a quick shot at Casillas, who can't keep it out! 1-0, Posh!

26'- John Heitinga is called for tugging down a Madrid attacker just inside the 18 yard box, and the referee points at the spot. It'll be 29 year old Bulgarian midfielder Chavdar Yankov, the captain, to take it for Madrid... he hits it hard... but Arenas with the stop!!!! Mngomeni charges in and puts it behind for a corner! What a save as Arenas keeps us in front!

37'- Kranjcar passes to Wallner... the defense backs off him a bit, and doesn't take a good angle at him... this leaves him an open 18 yard shot, and he rings it in off the far post!!! Wallner's 50th goal in Posh blue puts us ahead 2-0!

Now there will be no extra time, either Madrid will lose this game and the series on aggregate, or they will draw or win and move on.

40'- Mngomeni with a steal near the center circle, he passes to Wallner... Wallner ahead to Cole, who is left in space... Cole into the arc, and he shoots low for the far post... and IN!!!! 3-0, Posh!

41'- Sneijder passes from the wing into the middle of the park for Wallner... Wallner with a dribble, then he uncorks a 30 yarder... and it goes in! Pandemonium in the terraces, as we lead Madrid 4-0!

44'- It gets embarrassing now, as Madrid are throwing everyone forward, and we get a 3-on-1 breakout... Cole with a shot, Casillas can't hold it... Mngomeni charges onto it, and his shot is deflected, but it still trickles in! 5-0, Posh IN THE FIRST HALF! What a game!

The stands roar the loudest I have ever heard them at halftime, as we go in with an impossible 5-0 lead on the Spanish powers!

48'- As if to add some tension, referee Florian Meyer gives de la Cuesta a straight red for elbowing a Madrid attacker in the face. We go down a man with an entire half to play.

75'- Alex scores an own goal to put Madrid on the board, putting a long cross past Arenas.

We pass it short around the pitch, and count down the seconds... the crowd does too, as we absolutely throttle Madrid, and make the European semifinals for the first time ever!

Win, 5-1, Peterborough Utd. advance 6-2 on aggregate
Shots/on target: Posh 23/16, Galacticos 9/4
Poss: 51-49, Madrid
MoM: Roman Wallner - 10 rating, 2 goals, 1 assist, 36/42 passing, 5/12 headers
Posh ratings: Zaccardo (8), Heitinga (6), Sarr (8), Cole (10), Mngomeni (9), Kargbo (8), Wallner (10), Kranjcar (8), Alex (6)
Posh subs: Alex (for Heitinga, 45'), Lazzari (for Cole, 48')
A: 20,392

Champions League Quarterfinal results
Arsenal 1:2 Basel (Basel adv. 2-1 on agg.)
Barcelona 0:1 Tottenham (Spurs adv. 3-0 on agg.)
Inter 2:1 Roma (Roma adv. 3-2 on PK's)

That's right, FC Basel from Basel, Switzerland are moving on to the semifinals.

I hope we can draw them, and not Roma! Spurs would be my second choice.

We pick up $3.2 million for our Quarterfinal win, and are told that our gate receipts of $1.3 million for this match is a new club record.

de la Cuesta picks up the automatic one match ban for his sending off, but it could be extended if the disciplinary panel suggests it.

[Butter]

UEFA Cup Quarterfinal results
Aggregate scores:
Villarreal 2:1 Atletico Madrid
Benfica 2:1 Paris SG
Borussia Dortmund 2:1 Parma
Man Utd. 4:1 Schalke 04

The draw is held, and we will face Tottenham Hotspur in 2 legs, beginning at White Hart Lane on April 24th, then returning to London Road on May 1st. Basel faces Roma. So, it looks like it'll be a Roma v. England European final.

Next up, a potential let down game as we travel to relegation battlers Brighton. In fact, our next 3 games before the European semis are against 3 of the bottom 4 in the table.

April 13, Match 32
20-8-3, 1st pl., 68 pts.
@ Brighton and Hove Albion (5-10-16, 18th pl., 25 pts. - Jean Beausejour, 6)
Series: Posh lead 3-0-0
Fav: Posh, 1:2

Lineup:
GK: Arenas
D: Bocanegra, Marcos, Alex, Heitinga
M: Vanden Borre, Karsnak, Bellomo, Lampard
S: Johansen, Mokoena

We look pretty lackluster here, coming out in an attacking stance. We don't create much early.

42'- Brighton's one main striker, Beausejour, is left alone from 12 yards, and slots it home past Arenas. 1-0, Seagulls.

We switch to a 3-4-3 at halftime.

58'- We get the break we need, as Bellomo intercepts a pass on a dangerous Gulls buildup... then he sends a great ball behind the defense for Cole, who runs past everyone and onto it... he charges into the box, and slots it into the left side of the goal for a 1-1 score.

We tap open the door for ManU, earning just one point on the road here... but to be fair, Brighton played very well, but we didn't look all that great in this one.

Draw, 1-1, remain in 1st place
Shots/on target: Gulls 14/4, Posh 12/7
Poss: 53-47, Gulls
MoM: John Heitinga - 8 rating, 10/11 tackles won, 7/9 headers won
Posh ratings: Heitinga (8), Marcos (8), Alex (8), Bellomo (8), Karsnak (8), Vanden Borre (8), Lampard (8)
Posh subs: Cole (for Bocanegra, 45'), Sneijder (for Karsnak, 78')
A: 13,854

Brighton climbs past Fulham into 17th place and into safety... for the moment... with the point.

[Butter]

Aston Villa sacks Frank Yallop just ahead of their FA Cup semifinal... but still beat Sheffield Wed. 1-0.

Heitinga and Alex are picked to the Team of the Week.

Anthony Vanden Borre finally declares himself settled, and happy with life at the club... he's been unhappy for a year now, so this is very good news.

Jose Julian de la Cuesta gets a further 2 match ban for his "vicious" elbow in the second leg of our Champions League match against Madrid... this will render him ineligible for the remainder of the tournament, if we can manage to make it to the finals. Not good news at all. He is our main left back right now. This will leave us with Carlos "own goal" Bocanegra and Andrea Lazzari as our main options on the left. Bocanegra, as you may remember, scored the only goal of our Quarterfinal match with Roma last year... for Roma, giving them a 1-0 win over 180 minutes.

April 17, Match 33
20-9-3, 1st pl., 69 pts.
v. Barnsley (4-7-22, 20th pl., 19 pts. - Leading scorer: Roberto Gandola, 5)
Series: Posh lead 5-1-1, @ London Road: Posh lead 2-1-0
Fav: Posh, 4:7

Lineup:
GK: Arenas
D: de la Cuesta, Svensson, Sarr, Zaccardo
M: Mascherano, Lazzari, Gavilan, Kranjcar
S: Mngomeni, Wallner

A boring first half, as neither team gets a good look at goal, despite us having our attack turned way up.

53'- Mngomeni gets the ball on the left, waves Lazzari into the middle, then sends in a great cross... but Kranjcar's finish is off target.

68'- Mngomeni with a good cross again... Mokoena is there, but his header is off the bar!

Despite slowly ratcheting up our attack even more in the second half, it is Barnsley with the best chance to score, a 10 yarder in stoppage time that Arenas barely tips aside.

Another disappointing draw, as the league title may slowly be slipping away from us.

Draw, 0-0, remain in 1st
Shots/on target: Posh 15/6, Barnsley 3/1
Poss: 54-46, Posh
MoM: Barnsley GK Ben Williams - 6 saves
Posh ratings: Zaccardo (8)
Posh subs: Mokoena (for Lazzari, 55'), Bellomo (for Gavilan, 69'), Karsnak (for Kranjcar, 82')
A: 21,087

ManU win 2-1 at Chelsea, and draw level on points with us at 70... but they hold a game in hand. We hold the goal difference tiebreaker by +1 right now (our +35 to their +34)... if they were to draw level with us on GD, we hold the next tiebreaker, goals scored, by a margin of 5 (61 to 56).

We are the only Premiership team that has yet to lose at home this season.

[Butter]

Next up, we visit Craven Cottage with another road game in London 4 days hence... against the Spurs in the European semifinals. We again try to balance out our roster to have maximum rest for our top players going into White Hart Lane. But at the same time, we cannot afford any more losses.

April 20, Match 34
20-10-3, 1st pl., 70 pts.
@ Fulham (6-9-19, 17th pl., 27 pts. - Leading scorer: Arouna Kone, 14)
Series: Even, 3-3-3, @ Craven Cottage: Even, 1-2-1
Fav: Posh, 4:6

Lineup:
GK: Arenas
D: de la Cuesta, Kargbo, Marcos, Sarr
M: Vanden Borre, Karsnak, Bellomo, Lampard
S: Johansen, Cole

Hopefully, we can get Cole out at halftime. We go with standard defensive tactics here.

Fulham is pushing a lot of men forward... we get several chances early because of it, but can't finish any in the first 15 minutes.

18'- Bellomo chases down a loose ball near the corner flag... he dribbles up the end line, then centers for Cole... Cole shoots from the spot, but it's tipped aside... right into the path of Johansen, who taps it in! 1-0, Posh!

45+'- In the dying moments, Fulham with a 20 yard free kick, and Arenas mishandles it a bit, as he stops it, but it spins back in over the goal line for a 1-1 score at halftime.

61'- A great series of possession, ends with Vanden Borre passing into the arc for Mokoena... he has an open path for a shot, and takes it... and scores! 2-1, Posh!

Fulham control the ball for the final half hour, but are unable to penetrate our defenses... Sarr is particularly in good form, heading clear anything even near him. A key win in the battle for control at the top.

Win, 1-2, remain in 1st
Shots/on target: Cottagers 14/6, Posh 21/13
Poss: 53-47, Posh
MoM: Anthony Vanden Borre - 1 assist, 28/33 passing, 4/5 tackles and headers
Posh ratings: Sarr (8), de la Cuesta (8), Karsnak (8), Vanden Borre (9)
Posh subs: Mokoena (for Cole, 51'), Sneijder (for Lampard, 51'), Gavilan (for Mokoena (inj.), 73')
A: 20,096

ManU beat Birmingham at Old Trafford 2-0 to keep pace.

[Butter]

Bad news for Gills fans, as Gillingham's free fall continues, being relegated from the Premiership last year, and this year they are the first to be relegated from the Championship. Bristol Rovers win League One, and will move up to the Championship next season.

Riccardo Montolivo is fined two week's wages by Jose Mourinho, as he fails to show up for training for Chelsea. He is averaging under a 7 rating in 12 starts for the Blues since we sold him to them.

Anthony Vanden Borre is named to the Team of the Week.

April 24, Champions League Semifinal First Leg (TV)
@ Tottenham Hotspur (8th in Premiership)
Series: Posh lead 4-4-3, @ White Hart Lane: Spurs lead 3-2-1
Fav: Posh, Evens

Lineup:
GK: Arenas
D: Bocanegra, Marcos, Heitinga, Zaccardo
M: Kargbo, Mngomeni, Sneijder, Kranjcar
S: Johansen, Cole

Mokoena and Alex turn up with training injuries in the run-up to this match... so those are 2 key players who are not even on the bench for this one.

3'- Andy Reid nearly scores from a 35 yard DFK.

6'- Cole with a great through ball to Mngomeni... he is 2 yards free on Tim Howard, but the American with a nice save early.

7'- Great passing, as 4 straight one-touch passes end at the foot of Jim Johansen, who is just to the left of the spot, and fires far post past Tim Howard and in! Johansen's 10th of the season puts us ahead, 1-0!

24'- Bocanegra with a great early ball for Cole, who is behind the defense... he runs at Howard... he beats Ledley King, then Howard, and finishes inside the far post! 2-0, Posh!!!

31'- Spurs pull one back, as right winger Danny Price crosses near post for Scott Parker, and he has a free header from 8 yards, and puts it past Arenas. 2-1.

43'- Cole nearly scores on a 20 yard screamer, but Howard watches it fly wide.

55'- Cole with a long ball to Kranjcar... Kranjcar pulls Howard to the right, then squares it to Sneijder who has an open net to shoot at! Goal!!! 3-1, Posh!

58'- Cole nearly scores again on a break, but Howard tips his 10 yarder away.

68'- For the second straight match, we have a player sent off on a straight red... this time, it's Wesley Sneijder! He is carded for injuring a Spurs midfielder, and we go down to 10 men. Unbelievable!

85'- We get a bit of revenge, as a Spurs midfielder is sent off on a straight red for laying out Niko Kranjcar with a tackle from behind. 10-v-10...

And we hold the 2 goal advantage. I have to be honest, I don't see Spurs beating us 4-2 or better at London Road. I would be shocked. So, we hold the prohibitive advantage heading into leg #2.

Win, 1-3, second leg in 1 week
Shots/on target: Spurs 9/1, Posh 16/8
Poss: 50-50
MoM: Niko Kranjcar - 1 assist, 7 key passes, 25/28 passing
Posh ratings: Arenas (6), Zaccardo (8), Marcos (8), Bocanegra (8), Cole (9), Johansen (8), Kranjcar (10)
Posh subs: Bellomo (for Cole, 67')
A: 32,432

Champions League Semifinal, First Leg result
Basel 1:0 Roma

Basel continue their Cinderella run, and now can move on to the final with a draw, or a 2-1 loss or better.

Sneijder will miss our final Semifinal match against Spurs, and maybe even more.

[Butter]

UEFA Cup Semifinals, First Leg results
Benfica 2:0 Dortmund
Villarreal 0:1 Man Utd.

Man U and Arsenal will square off in what is now a crucial fight for 2nd... and even 1st. Arsenal have closed to within 3 points of us and ManU with 3 to play for them... ManU have 5 to play, and we have 4. A win by Arsenal, and it's suddenly a 3 horse race.

April 27, Match 35
21-10-3, 1st pl., 73 pts.
v. Aston Villa (11-14-10, 10th pl., 47 pts. - Leading scorer: Jeremie Aliadiere, 11)
Series: Posh lead 5-4-3, @ London Road: Posh lead 4-2-0
Fav: Posh, 5:4

Lineup:
GK: Arenas
D: de la Cuesta, Svensson, Sarr, Vanden Borre
M: Mascherano, Sneijder, Bellomo, Gerard
S: Johansen, Wallner

They're all must wins for us from here on out. A win here and a win by Arsenal over ManU would be optimal.

15'- Jagielka with a 50 yard free kick.. it drops into the arc... Sarr with a header away, but midfielder Ruud van Kasteren chests it down, then fires a volley from 20 yards right into the top left corner. 1-0, Villans.

26'- Johansen with a great switch of play to Bellomo, who is open on the right... he gets around one man, then shoots from 20 yards... and scores! Jan Lastuvka helpless to stop that one, it's 1-1.

40'- Arenas with a wonderful long free kick that bounces through the Villa defense, and right onto Johansen in the box... he settles, shoots, and scores! Johansen's 50th for the Posh! 2-1.

49'- Sneijder's corner kick whips in... Lastuvka comes out to punch it away, but runs over Johansen, and the penalty is given! Johansen to take it himself... and he converts! 3-1, Posh.

77'- Karsnak with a great ball onto Johansen... he splits the defense, and gets free on Lastuvka... he gets around him easily, and scores his hat-trick! 4-1, Posh!

As long as we keep winning, ManU could be 3 points ahead of us at most when we meet on the final day of the season here... and we will have a chance at the title. A good win here against a tough opponent.

Win, 4-1, remain in 1st
Shots/on target: Posh 16/7, Villans 5/2
Poss: 56-44, Posh
MoM: Jim Johansen - Hat trick, 1 assist, 20/23 passing
Posh ratings: Vanden Borre (8), Svensson (8), de la Cuesta (8), Bellomo (8), Sneijder (6), Mascherano (8), Johansen (10)
Posh subs: Gallacher (for Arenas, 69'), Karsnak (for Wallner (inj.), 69')
A: 21,087

Barnsley are officially relegated with a 3-0 road loss to Blackburn.

[Butter]

Jose Mourinho is out at Stamford Bridge... they are languishing in the bottom half of the table, and Mourinho's 9 year reign at the head of Chelsea is over.

Sadly for us, Man U beat Arsenal 2-1 at Emirates Stadium to keep level with us on 76 points. Arsenal's title hopes are dashed with the loss. Man U's remaining opponents are: Sheffield Wednesday, Man City, and Southampton all at home, then they finish with us on the final day. We cannot afford to drop any points looking at that schedule.

Johansen is picked to the Team of the Week.

Anthony Vanden Borre finishes 3rd in the Player of the Month voting for April. Jan Karsnak wins the Young Player of the Month award.

Not surprisingly, Wesley Sneijder is given a total of a 3 match ban for his red card in our last Champions League match against Tottenham. He will miss our next match, and the final, should we make it that far. A major loss.

Our next league match, oddly enough, is at Tottenham... so maybe letting them win this one 1-0 wouldn't be such a bad idea.

May 1, Champions League Semifinal Second Leg
v. Tottenham Hotspur (Posh lead 3-1 on aggregate)
Fav: Posh, Evens

Lineup:
GK: Arenas
D: Bocanegra, Alex, Marcos, Heitinga
M: Kargbo, Mngomeni, Karsnak, Kranjcar
S: Mokoena, Cole

8'- Bad start for Spurs, as Alex is pushed over in the box on a throw in, and a penalty is given... Lebohang Mokoena to take it... and he buries it!!!! 1-0, Posh, and a 3 goal aggregate lead! We're one step closer to the Final!

23'- Carlton Cole gets a pass from Kranjcar, and makes no mistake! He buries it, and in so doing, all but buries the Spurs! 2-0, Posh and now 5-1 on aggregate!

43'- Bocanegra with a great ball to Mokoena, who gets into the box unmolested... he shoots low from 12 yards, and it goes right through Howard's legs and in! 3-0, Posh!

We back way off at halftime, and go with ultra-defensive tactics and a super slow pace to try to conserve some legs for the stretch run of the Premiership season.

The final whistle goes, and the fans are absolutely delirious with joy as the Peterborough United Football Club is going to the European Final!

Win, 3-0, Peterborough Utd. advance 6-1 on aggregate
Shots/on target: Posh 10/7, Spurs 7/2
Poss: 52-48, Posh
MoM: Niko Kranjcar - 4 key passes, 1 assist, 14/16 passing
Posh ratings: Arenas (8), Bocanegra (8), Cole (8), Karsnak (8), Mokoena (8), Kranjcar (8)
Posh subs: Lampard (for Mokoena, 45'), Lazzari (for Cole, 45'), Sarr (for Heitinga, 45')
A: 17,197

Champions League Semifinal, Second Leg result
Roma 0:0 Basel

Basel advance 1-0 on aggregate! Wow! An all Cinderella final, as Peterborough United will face FC Basel of Switzerland in the European Cup final on May 22nd!

[Butter]

UEFA Cup Semifinal, Second Leg results
Dortmund 2:0 Benfica (Benfica adv. 3-2 on PK's)
Man Utd. 3:1 Villarreal (Man Utd. adv. 4-1 on agg.)

Benfica will face Manchester United in the UEFA Cup Final in mid-May.

Tough break for Man U, as they have to play 4 games in 8 days to finish up their league schedule on time... this may work out well for us.

Man U earn only a 1-1 draw on their match in hand against us against Sheffield Wed., so they move into 1st over top of us, but only by 1 point. If we win our final 3 matches, we will be league champions for a 3rd straight season.

May 4, Match 36
22-10-3, 2nd pl., 76 pts.
@ Tottenham Hotspur (13-13-9, 8th pl., 52 pts. - Leading scorer: Sanli Tuncay, 7)
Series: Posh lead 6-4-3, @ White Hart Lane: Even, 3-1-3
Fav: Posh, Evens

Lineup:
GK: Arenas
D: de la Cuesta, Sarr, Heitinga, Zaccardo
M: Vanden Borre, Sneijder, Bellomo, Kranjcar
S: Johansen, Cole

7'- Michael Owen scores off some terrifically worked midfield passing... Arenas had no shot at it. 1-0, Spurs.

24'- We finally strike on the counter attack, Kranjcar with a great long ball to Cole, and he scores his standard breakaway goal, powering it in past Howard. 1-1.

We take control of the match through halftime, but can't get any more goals past Howard through the break.

Tim Howard with a superb final 45' to keep us out of the net, and Spurs hang a crucial draw on us. We can still win out and win the title, but now our margin for error is zero.

Draw, 1-1, move up to 1st
Shots/on target: Spurs 17/7, Posh 15/7
Poss: 54-46, Spurs
MoM: Spurs GK Tim Howard - 6 saves
Posh ratings: Arenas (8), Zaccardo (8), Cole (8), Bellomo (8), Sneijder (6), Kranjcar (8)
Posh subs: Mokoena (for Johansen, 75'), Karsnak (for Vanden Borre, 75')
A: 32,632

We move up to first temporarily, while Man City visits the Theatre of Dreams on Sunday... and earn a 0-0 draw. So, ManU move back into first, but only on 78 points. We're one point behind, with both of us having played 36 games.

Swansea wins the Championship, and Norwich earn promotion by finishing #2. Watford is relegated.

Brighton climb out of the bottom 3 with a home win over Portsmouth, 1-0. They are level with Sheffield Wed. with 30 points, but hold a +2 advantage on GD. Sheff. Wed. will face Portsmouth on the final match day of the season, while Brighton face already relegated Barnsley.

Next up, the most important 2 weeks of my time at London Road... can we win the Treble? Or are we destined to fail in unlucky '13?

[Butter]

May 8, Match 37
22-11-3, 2nd pl., 77 pts.
@ Crystal Palace (11-9-16, 14th pl., 42 pts. - Leading scorer: Collins John, 18)
Series: Posh lead 6-4-2, @ Selhurst Park: Posh lead 2-2-1
Fav: Posh, 4:5

Lineup:
GK: Arenas
D: Bocanegra, Alex, Marcos, Sarr
M: Mascherano, Mngomeni, Karsnak, Lampard
S: Wallner, Mokoena

The Eagles control play early on, but 2 chances in the first 7 minutes go by the boards.

23'- Wallner with a nice ball onto Mokoena's run... the Palace keeper is way off his line, and Mokoena is able to get around him and slide it home! 1-0 Posh on Mokoena's 20th goal of the year in all competitions.

37'- Nice leading pass from Lampard to Mokoena... he quickly gets around his marker, and slots it home from 18 yards! 2-0, Posh on Mokoena's 2nd of the game.

47'- Just after the break, Karsnak with a very early ball in from about 45 yards out... but Mngomeni tracks it all the way, gets past his man, and places a brilliant 15 yard header just inside the right post! 3-0, Posh!

52'- Sarr steals a goal kick, then passes ahead to Wallner, who slides it through to Bellomo... Bellomo has a yard on his man, and beats the keeper low inside the near post! 4-0!

We're keeping an eye on the scoreboard now, as Man U are scoreless with Southampton at Old Trafford into the 2nd half.

83'- Karsnak comes off injured, and we have used all of our subs.

It matters little, as we hold our 4 goal advantage to pad our GD lead... and ManU, down a man, cannot muster a goal vs. the Saints, and we take the table lead!

Win, 0-4, up to 1st place
Shots/on target: Eagles 15/5, Posh 17/10
Poss: 60-40, Eagles
MoM: Alex - 10/10 headers won, 18/22 passing
Posh ratings: Arenas (8), Sarr (8), Alex (8), Bocanegra (8), Karsnak (8), Mascherano (8), Mokoena (8), Vanden Borre (6)
Posh subs: Vanden Borre (for Mokoena, 45'), Gerard (for Lampard (inj.), 45'), Bellomo (for Mngomeni, 51')
A: 23,852

And so it will come down to the last game of the season... if we win or draw, we're champions. If Man Utd. win, they're champions. It doesn't get any better than this.

[Butter]

May 11, Match 38
23-11-3, 1st pl., 80 pts.
v. Manchester United (23-10-4, 2nd pl., 79 pts. - Leading scorer: Valeri Bojinov, 11)
Series: Even, 5-3-5, @ London Road: ManU lead 3-1-2
Fav: Posh, 6:4

Lineup:
GK: Arenas
D: de la Cuesta, Alex, Marcos, Heitinga
M: Mascherano, Mngomeni, Sneijder, Kranjcar
S: Johansen, Cole

London Road is packed to the rafters for our most important domestic match ever.

4'- Mngomeni's cross finds an unmarked Kranjcar at 12 yards, but his header flies over the bar.

10'- Kranjcar and Mngomeni hook up again, this time it's the Croatian passing to the South African, but Mngomeni's curler from 15 yards curls just outside the right post.

18'- Midfielder Andrea Ilvilla with a 30 yard free kick for the Red Devils that narrowly misses the target.

25'- A long throw in into the box... and Wes Brown clatters Carlton Cole.... penalty!!! Defender Alex to take the spot shot.... IT'S IN!!!! Buried in the top right corner, 1-0 Posh! What a time for Alex's first goal of the season!

27'- Leading scorer Valeri Bojinov is forced out of the match due to injury... John O'Shea enters for him.

40'- Marcos with the long ball to Sneijder... he gets on top of Stekelenburg and slots it home!!! But the flag is up! Offside on Sneijder takes the goal off the board.

45'- Carlton Cole gets past 3 defenders with a storming 70 yard run, but Stekelenburg stops his shot, and the follow up by Sneijder screams wide.

Johansen is rating a 5 at halftime, so he comes off for Lebohang Mokoena.

61'- Man U's offense looks totally impotent, until... Silvestre attacks the left wing... his pass is stolen by Alex, who passes ahead to Cole... Cole forward to Mokoena, who has the ball knocked away to his right... Sneijder is there, and takes a shot from the right edge of the area... it curls around Stekelenburg and goes in off the left post!!! 2-0, Posh! The stands are shaking with the force of the crowd, and we are 30 minutes from our 3rd straight title!

68'- We bring on Frank Lampard for what may be his last performance ever.

76'- Cole heads down a free kick for Sneijder, and the ball sits up for him from 20 yards straight on... Stekelenburg stops his first strike, but he can't stop Sneijder from knocking home the rebound! 3-0, Posh on Sneijder's 10th of the year!

As the seconds tick away, the players are absolutely beaming, and the fans prepare to storm the pitch as we have put on as impressive a display as you can in a match for all the marbles. From Division 1 also ran to 3 time English champions in the space of 9 seasons! Peterborough United, the champions of English football!

Win, 3-0, finish in 1st place
Shots/on target: Posh 20/10, Red Devils 2/0
Poss: 52-48, ManU
MoM: Wesley Sneijder - 2 goals, 4 shots, 20/23 passing
Posh ratings: Alex (8), de la Cuesta (8), Cole (8), Sneijder (9), Mngomeni (6), Johansen (5)
Posh subs: Mokoena (for Johansen, 45'), Lampard (for Kranjcar, 68')
A: 21,104

Sheffield Wednesday draw at home 1-1 to Portsmouth, while Brighton cannot overcome an early Barnsley goal, missing a penalty with 10 minutes to go, and they'll be our final team relegated, along with Barnsley and Fulham.

Chelsea finish 14th (!), while Blackburn, Spurs, and 'Boro finish 5th-7th, as Arsenal and Liverpool had long ago clinched 3rd and 4th.

Peterborough retain Premier League
Relentless Peterborough are celebrating winning their 3rd consecutive English Premier League title.

We pick up $21 million for winning the league, and our 17 game unbeaten streak since February 20th is a new team record.

[Butter]

League 2 York City falls into receivership, and are into fire sale mode.

Our U-18 club wins the Group 5 U-18 league, beating Aston Villa's U-18's on goal difference.

As nearly everyone else heads home to rest, we have 2 more weeks of preparation for the European Final against Basel.

Players' Player of the Year
1. Junior Khanye - Blackburn R.
2. Yury Zhirkov - Man C.
3. Lee McKenzie - 'Boro

Players' Young Player of the Year
1. Jamie Campbell - C. Palace
2. Chris Martin - Fulham
3. Ian Thomas - A. Villa

Players' Team of the Year
GK: L.A. Arenas (Peterborough Utd.)
D: Kasper Bogelund (P'mouth), Matthew Taylor (P'mouth), Ledley King (Spurs), Mbulelo Mabizela (Spurs)
M: Junior Khanye (B'burn), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Man Utd.), Bobby Convey (West Ham), Arjen Robben (Chelsea)
S: Lee McKenzie ('Boro), Hatem Ben Arfa (Arsenal)

Manager of the Year
1. Butter - P'boro Utd.
2. Martin Jol - Middlesbrough
3. Sammy Lee - Blackburn Rovers

Reserve GK Ricardo Galo fails to show for training for like the 6th time this year. I offer him a mutual contract termination, and he agrees to it.

UEFA Cup Final - From Lerkendal Stadion, Trondheim
Man Utd. 2:0 Benfica
-Manchester United salvage some hardware from this season, easily beating Portuguese power Benfica with 2 goals from Stewart Downing.

Sammy Lee leaves Blackburn Rovers after guiding them to a 5th place finish this year for greener pastures at Chelsea.

May 22, UEFA Champions League Final - From Stade De Kuip, Rotterdam (TV)
v. FC Basel
Fav: Posh, 4:5

Basel has beaten Porto, Arsenal, and Roma to get to the final, after finishing 2nd in Group D behind Roma but ahead of Lyon by 1 point and 3 points clear of Lokomotiv Plovdiv of Bulgaria.

We have had a fairly easy time of it, beating Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Tottenham Hotspur in knockout play, after breezing to a group stage win over Barcelona, Dinamo Kiev, and Trabzonspor of Turkey.

Both Sneijder and de la Cuesta are suspended for the final here, big blows both.

Lineup:
GK: Arenas
D: Bocanegra, Alex, Marcos, Heitinga
M: Kargbo, Mngomeni, Bellomo, Kranjcar
S: Mokoena, Cole

The whistle goes, and the European final is underway! The surface is a little wet, but in good shape.

8'- Basel with a dangerous cross that Arenas punches clear... Mokoena, Cole, and Mngomeni work it downfield, but the sequence ends when Mngomeni's cross is headed out for a corner kick. Basel counter attack off the poor corner from Kranjcar, but Bocanegra with a good play to stop the threat and clear the ball away to the other end.

14'- Mokoena gets clear on the left... he gets to within 12 yards, and tries a powerful shot that the Basel keeper tips... it gets through his hands, but rolls slowly and just goes off the post and out for a corner.

19'- Mokoena with a good header from 12 yards off a corner kick, but it just misses the target.

23'- Basel with a great corner kick inside the 6... a head gets to it, but Arenas with a flying tip save pushes it over the bar! World class goalkeeping by Libis Andres Arenas!

30'- Bocanegra's throw in is headed on by Kranjcar, to Alex who has a good 12 yard shot... but the Basel keeper with a good stop, and the rebound is cleared.

37'- Alex's free kick falls to Kranjcar in the arc... he turns and shoots quickly, but the Basel keeper pushes it aside.

40'- Another nice set piece from Basel, as a 30 yard free kick is passed short.. the 15 yard shot is parried by Arenas, and Alex clears.

Basel is a mirror image of us 3 years ago... we lived on defense and scored on the counter-attack. That is what they're trying to do, but our back 4 are shutting down any potential counter attempts. A tight, well played, scoreless first half.

As we head into the locker room, I consider a shift to attacking tactics. But I can't bear the thought of losing 1-0 to such a tough defensive team, so we hold true. If it comes down to a shootout, I am confident in our chances having the superior scorers.

49'- We beat back another Basel counter-attack... Mngomeni plays it down the line for Mokoena... he plays it past his man, and gets to the end line... he sends in a low cross to the near post... Kranjcar with a touch close in at the near post, and it squeaks in past the Basel keeper for a goal! GOOOOAAAAALLLLLL!!!!!! Niko Kranjcar has put us ahead in the European final! Great play by Mokoena, as his speed created that goal!

Now we hold our lines and start playing slow, methodical football, passing it around our midfield, and keeping Basel out of the danger zone.

81'- Alex with a 25 yard free kick that skims the top of the bar and goes out of play. Basel switch to a 4-2-4.

82'- Glorious chance, as an attacker is left free to dribble at Arenas... he shoots from 12 yards, trying to pick out the top left corner, but sends it into the crowd instead.

85'- Basel is trying to go over the top now, but Alex and Marcos are doing well to head balls away... Marcos controls one errant pass and sends it over the top to Cole... Basel's defense reacts well, and covers him, so he passes short to Bellomo. Bellomo with a hopeful shot from 30 yards... it's curling toward the left post... and it goes in! It's in! It's in! We're going to win Europe! An amazing strike by young Ethiopian M.O. Bellomo has put us up 2-0 in the European Final! What a goal and what a time for a display of terrific skill, and we're ahead by 2.

We switch to a 4-5-1 with 2 defensive midfielders for the final 5-plus minutes... as we try to control our nerves and keep the lead.

90'- A 23 yard free kick... Arenas with an acrobatic save, but the ball remains loose... Basel gets there first, but Arenas has recovered and parries that shot away as well! Arenas will not concede a goal tonight! And 3 minutes go up on the board for stoppage time.

That was Basel's last gasp, as the final whistle is blown, and we have won Europe! An unbelievable feat, and a totally worthy team, as we mow through the European competition to flatten Cinderella story Basel and take home the hardware!

Win, 2-0, Peterborough Utd. win UEFA Champions League
Shots/on target: Posh 15/7, Basel 17/9
Poss: 52-48, Posh
MoM: L.A. Arenas - 9 saves
Posh ratings: Arenas (9), Heitinga (8), Bellomo (8), Mokoena (8), Kranjcar (8)
Posh subs: Lampard (for Kranjcar, 86'), Gavilan (for Cole, 86'), Wallner (for Mokoena, 86')
A: 51,150

We win $8 million for winning the Champions League. We also pick up $24 million from TV revenue, which brings our balance sheet to over $141 million in the black.

Peterborough hit by Champions League fever
The fans of Peterborough will not be sleeping tonight as their boss Butter and his team returned triumphant with the UEFA Champions League trophy.

A spokesperson for the official supporters' club commented that Butter had done himself, the team and the fans proud.

Peterborough board members were spotted celebrating amongst the fans after winnning the competition.

Victorious Posh celebrate famous Treble!!!
Peterborough are celebrating a magnificent treble after beating Basel 2-0 in the UEFA Champions League Final at De Kuip.

Anthony Vanden Borre picks up a shock broken leg in a freak accident during the celebration. He will miss 7 months of action, which will likely carry through December of next season.

UEFA Champions League Best Player
1. Carlton Cole - Peterborough Utd.
2. Cristian Chive - Roma
3. Carlos - Real Madrid

UEFA Champions League Golden Boot
1. Carlton Cole - Peterborough Utd., 9 goals
2. Ciprian Marica - Fenerbahce, 8 goals
3. Roman Wallner - Peterborough Utd., 6 goals

Cole acknowledges his manager's contribution
Peterborough's Carlton Cole has indicated in a local newspaper that his manager was a key reason for the consistent form that recently won him the UEFA Champions League Golden Boot award.

UEFA Champions League Dream Team
GK: Iker Casillas (R. Madrid)
D: Mark van den Boogaart (Ajax), Cristian Chivu (Roma), Mbulelo Mabizela (Spurs), Philippe Mexes (Roma)
M: Daniel de Ridder (Ajax), Carlos (R. Madrid), Aslan Kemal (Fenerbahce), Sanli Tuncay (Spurs)
S: Carlton Cole (P'boro Utd.), Jose Antonio Reyes (Arsenal)
Bench: Francisco Guillermo Ochoa (GK - Inter), Ledley King (D - Spurs), Scott Parker (M - Spurs), Thando Mngomeni (M- P'boro Utd.), Adriano (S - Inter)

FA Cup Final
Middlesbrough 0:1 Aston Villa
- Neil Janczyk scores in the 36th minute to give Villa their 2nd FA Cup win in 4 seasons.

2013/14 European Qualifiers from England
Champions League: Arsenal, Man Utd., Liverpool, Peterborough Utd.
UEFA Cup: Tottenham, Blackburn, Aston Villa
UEFA Vase: Newcastle, Middlesbrough

The season comes to an end, and we fall just one leg short of the Quadruple! This year was so difficult, I don't know if we can do it again. We put it all together in the last 3 months, but it was a struggle prior to that. I didn't think we'd win any hardware right around mid-January.

[Butter]

I want to thank everyone for reading this thread (though judging by the view counts, there weren't many of you).

I'm going to end the dynasty here, now that we've won the Treble, and since there is a new version of the game due out shortly. By the end, we had won damn near every competition we had entered at least once: The League Cup, the FA Cup, the UEFA Cup, the Champions League... and the First Division and Championship, along with the EPL title 3 times. All in all, a successful 9 year stint as manager of a tiny, overlooked club that currently flounders in real life in League 2.

I may well hook onto this team again in FM 2006, but haven't decided yet... it would be even more of a struggle to bring them up 3 levels to the Top Flight.

Again, thanks for reading, hope I've provided someone... anyone.... with some enjoyment with this ultimately successful career.