THIS WEEKS FINES
DIVISION 1
DIVISION 2
DS 20k Fine. This player cannot play (inj/susp) (sub). AM
G. Boateng
SH 20k
Fine. This player cannot play (inj/susp) (sub). CB A.
Stubbs
DIVISION 3
BS 20k Fine. This player cannot play (inj/susp). W C. Farrand
TS 20k fine. Cannot find this player. WH M. Camonaresi
FA 20k Fine. This player cannot play (inj/susp). S W.
Walsh
CUT PLAYERS
TB CF E.
After, nsl 7,25 30 yo
PURCHASES FROM THE DRAFT
TRADES
PRESS REPORT
DIVISION 1
Alcohol Anonymous
A HISTORY OF SAEFL (Season 10) – THE
HEAT IS ON AS A 3RD DIVISION BECONS
Season 9 saw a new era begin in SAEFL, as JG won their first title from under the nose of LU. AA finished outside the top 2 for the first time in their history, while NW struggled with relegation for most of the season. So would season 10 bring a continuation of trophies for the new guard, or a return to success for the teams that had dominated the first 8 seasons in the league. Time to find out …
Season 10
Shocks were the name of
the game in Week 1 of the season. OK,
maybe not LU beating SH; but TH – a side that did well last year, and fancied
to do well this term, losing against EW (who emped a
whopping 142 in the process).
Or AA only managing to emp 121 as they somehow managed to take a 20-20 draw out of
last seasons title winners, JG (sad to see Simpson no longer a freak – but all
good things must come to an end). Or GU not managing to beat a NW side that
many commentators thought might struggle (perhaps we thought wrong).
Of the other matches, a
strong looking AP side just about put FI to the sword (19-16) and AS, a side
that had exceeded expectations for a couple of seasons, again starting a
campaign well – 24-19 at home to the promoted TB.
The season also started
with a bang in the top flight, as 3 individuals got their marching orders: SH’s DS Norrie, TH’s FB J. Saul, and TB’s DS T. Burke (and the last one may
well have decided the match with AS).
Into league 2, and we see
CA – a big gun in the world of SAEFL, in the 2nd tier of the
competition for the first time. They
started life in winning ways – just – beating Don’s AR 1-0. Of the other games, DL look
in good nick, beating DS well; EU also look tasty, although they only just see
off ES in a pulsating match.
Two of the former big
players met when IQ met MR. It was a bit
of a no contest, with IQ emping 128 and MR really
underperforming. Take a look at their
side, and understand the importance of a good captain:
MR LB UB Boost
GK S. Given 10 10.77 Saves
23, CB P. Puyol ^ 8.5 8.69, CB S. Hyppi
9 9.93, CB S. Wrightt * 10 11.67, FB F. Finnan 6.5 6.65, AS P. Neill ^^ 9.5 10.43, CM S. McCall ^
9.75 8.66, MF P. Hogan Booked 8 8.00, MF S. Bryce ^ 10.5 10.01, S D. Cole
Booked 7 10.90, S D. Yorkie # ^ 10.5 12.92 89.25
97.87
… and
this was a LB team facing a ONE team (so no damage done to MR’s
potential performance). The result was
35 chances to 8; 12 goals to 4.
OC are another side that
look up for the fight, and they easily see off NH, who have 2 men sent off,
costing Heath a combined 80 minutes of EMP on the pitch. PN win at home to TJ. But of the teams, it looks as though IQ, OC,
EU, DL and CA will be the teams to watch.
Time to take a look at
players who came back strong after the training break:
LU – AS
LU - DM H. Stern 11
EW - S C. Soult 10
TH - CM G. Garanhao 10
AS - CF D. Makeni 10
AA - B. Wictoria 11.75
AA - S H. Heskey 10
JG - AS H. Damaseb 10.25
JG - DM W. Jack 12.5
(particularly galling for me J)
JG - AM G. Boateng 12.5
AP - B. Peeters 10
FI - WH M. Jackson 10
FI - AM M. White 10
GU - DS S. Nevland 11.5
NW - CF M. Pasquale 10
CA - DM N. NAME 10
DL - W S. Hoot 10
EU - S J. Torres 12.5
ES - MF S. Wright 10
IQ - WH H. Robinho 10
MR – D. Yorkie 10
PN -
TJ - AS R. Kirk 10.5
TJ - AS G. Thundercats 11.5
Onto
trading. AA give a 23
5.25 CF by the name of Stansfield, as well as a young
FB, in exchange for a AS by the name of Probst. Now this
particular trade is a warning. Just
because a player does not get to great heights by the time of 23, don’t
automatically trade them away. As you
may all know, Stanners is now a powerhouse in SAEFL;
10 NSL and a very, very damaging player.
The week also sees a
monster trade:
TB sends JG
CF G. Bush, nsl 10, 26 yo
CF R. Rowbottom,
nsl 9, 22yo
W W.
Smell, nsl 9,25, 21 yo
W M. Uttemanneke,
nsl 9,25, 21 yo
DS T. Burke, nsl 9,25, 26yo
600K
JG sends TB
FB S. Tyler, nsl 10, 27 yo
AS A. Fierro,
nsl 10, 29 yo
AS H. Damaseb,
nsl 10,25 24 yo
DM M. Piper, nsl 10, 28 yo
DM W. Jack, nsl 12,5, 29 yo
TH were particularly active
in trading for the best players. They
would have in their ranks for week 2: 28yo DM Jack NSL 12.5; 29yo AS A.Fierro NSL 10; 27yo AM Boateng
NSL 12.50; 26yo CF Bush NSL 10; 26yo WH van persie
NSL 10. The Heats therefore became one of
the, if not the, favourites for the title.
Week 2 sees the return of international
football. Only 8 goals are scored in the
4 games – but South Africa, England and Germany look particularly strong (how
odd to say that South Africa look strong in football ;))
Back to the league, and, with stars in place, a
fantastic game of football between two of the heavy weights – TH and LU:
Tottenford
Heats 1(2) R. Rage 0 (1) G. Garanhao 1 (1)
Pens :
0 (0)
Pens :
0 (0)
TH ZD AD Boost
GK M. Spreksel 10 10.94
Saves 0, FB W. Bouma 10 14.26, FB S. DoubleOSeven 10 13.99, FB B. Dommelsch
Booked 10 13.89, FB M. Lockwood 11 15.55, AS R. Rage 9.5 13.47, AS A. Fierro ^ 10.5 14.73, DM W. Jack ^ 13 18.50, CM G. Garanhao ^ 10.5 14.94, AM G. Boateng
* 12.5 16.48,
GK I. Okashi 10 11.17
Saves 1, FB O. McDaniel 8.75 13.34, FB H. Luz 9 13.90, FB D. Dente 9 12.21, AS
E. Marcelino 10 13.51, AS E. Shaduka
11.5 14.69, DM J. Barnes ^ 9.75 14.55, DM A. Shepperson
^ 10 14.88, DM H. Stern * 11 16.95, MF D. Murphy_1 ^ 10.5 14.37, CF P. Mantorras # Booked 8 12.08 97.5 140.48
AA play a grudge against SH,
and still cannot get any points from the game!
7-4 to the home team, and surely this game heralds another shake-up for
the Alcies. JG
get back to winning ways at home to AS – but 8,444 are locked out of the ground
(financial acumen is important, you know).
Martin continues his great start as AP boss. 3-5 win at TB makes it 10 games: 9 wins and 1
draw. Magical stuff.
Division 2 sees CA and IQ – both expected to go for
the title – battle out a 1-1 draw. PN
just about overcome OC, but few of the sides can match their week one
performance levels (MR do just – with an OFF - but only just).
Week 3 sees the return of the cup (breath easy Nath – surely AA must have a run at this competition before
long J). Oh
bugger! This is why I hate the cup. A draw away at some poxy SA side.
Not a good omen, me thinks.
Mind you, AA were not the
only side facing up to a rude awakening.
EU beat AS, PN get a draw with GU, TB and TH draw, AP lose to CA, DS get
a draw with EW, and LU and FI draw.
This means that, out of the top flight teams, only
NW (against a SA side) and JG (v SH) win. 2 out of 12. Not great …
The other big shock sees DL on the wrong end of a
2-1 scoreline to a SA side.
JG may be good, but just occasionally a side needs
to rest up. Bart did this in Week 4 v
LU, and truly paid the price. The early
bath for S Sonck merely worsened a bad situation,
and, playing only 82.5 NSL with a WH side against LU’s
CP orders, they got destroyed 136 EMP to 96, and by 23 goals to 3. Perhaps the title would not be held by the
Greats at the end of this term.
AP and NW throw out two WP sides, an incredible 102
shots (59 to the home side), and 40 goals, as the Apocs
continue their excellent start to the campaign.
At this stage of the season, they topped the league. Could it continue? Well yes, if sides like TH were to continue
missing chances, as they failed with 2 attempts that ensured a 0-0 draw with
GU.
Week 5, and more cup upsets. JG were up by 4
goals coming into the second leg of the tie with SH. But the Historicals
look a good outfit, and find the extra gear that enables a 7-3 victory, and
progression on the away goal rule.
Other shocks see EU beat AS, Sae beat NH (who lose 5-0 on the day), PN beat GU on penalties, SA4 beat ES,
SA3 beat TJ, SA1 beat MR, SA8 beat DL, DS beat EW and, in the biggest shock of
the week, SA2 get, and convert a penalty, to beat AA 1-0. The villain of the day
being W. Altercapio, who sees red after 40 minutes.
AA by this point seem to be
in free-fall, and are easily beaten 13-9 by a TH side that needed a kick in the
right direction after a couple draws. This might have left sides like LU and JG
laughing – but they lose 17-14 and 8-22 to NW and AP respectively – who really
look good, and increase their lead at the top of the table.
DL make it 4 wins from 4
with a classy 21-14 win over Terry’s IQ.
Who could catch the legends? Well
not AR, as Brant and Niven see red, allowing TJ an
easy win. And not MR
and NH, who both look a shadow of their former best, as their game draws a
blank. Perhaps
PN? They move into the top 3 with
a hard-won 3 points at ES. Perhaps CA,
who overcome a grudge from EU, to move 3rd.
After a tricky start to the season, NW seem to be
pulling it together, as in week 8, they net a 11-12
win at AS (who are in trouble at the foot of the table). The same cannot be said of AA, who lose at
home to FI (who go top 3) – murmurings of dis-content
are felt all around the league. JG also seem to be out of any sort of reckoning for the title, as
they tamely lose 15-7 at EW.
One of the biggest games of the season so far pitted
first placed AP against 3rd placed TH. How would it finish?:
Apocalypse 16(43) F. Cannavaro
1 (1) M. Dingsdag 0 (1) S. Schaars
1 (2) B. Breezer 1 (4) J. Milner 2 (4) M. Riga 1 (6)
B. Urnley 3 (7)
Pens :
0 (0)
Tottenford
Heats 16(48) B. Dommelsch 1 (1) J. Ramone 1 (4) A. Faber 1 (3) A. Fierro
2 (6) W. Jack 2 (8) G. Garanhao 1 (1) F. Flight 3 (6)
R. vanPersie 1 (6) G. Boateng
3 (8) G. Bush 1 (5)
Pens :
0 (0)
AP WP TR
GK B. Wijnen 10 11.59
Saves 32, CB F. Cannavaro 8.5 11.06, CB M. Dingsdag 10 11.93, CB M. Jansen1 10 12.77, MF S. Schaars 9 11.46, MF B. Breezer 9
10.88, W J. Milner 9.25 13.16, W M. Riga 9.25 12.45, S B. Urnley
Booked 8 12.93, CF E. Mbamba 10 17.06, CF B. Peeters * # Booked 10 20.03 93 133.73
TH ONE FL
GK A. Chocolate 10 11.23 Saves 27, FB B. Dommelsch 10 11.65, AS J. Ramone
* 8.5 12.85, AS A. Faber 9.25 12.52, AS A. Fierro 10
13.49, DM W. Jack 12.5 15.33, CM G. Garanhao 10
14.93, CM F. Flight 10 14.36, WH R. vanPersie 10
14.05, AM G. Boateng Booked 12.5 19.88, CF G. Bush #
10 11.69 102.75 140.75
Wijnen
very much saved the Apocs from a solid defeat, and
although Mark only took a point from the game, he must also have taken a lot of
confidence.
In div 2, DL and CA both win, and are 1st
and 2nd at this point.
AP continue their
remarkable start to the season with a slightly fortuitous win at LU. Even playing OFF,
NW are flying at this point, and another win, at
home to TB, sees them move above mid-table, while the Booeys
are struggling. TH are
also on top form, and THUMP JG 21-7 with an outstanding display of attacking
football. AA can still not manage a win,
and scratch a draw with EW. They are in
9th position at this point.
CA look a strong side in the division below, but get
a thrashing at home to a OC side that had been up and
down to this point. With a grudge, they EMP 141, to win 23-11
and really shake up the season.
DL, meanwhile, make life difficult in beating a still out of sorts
MR. They create 13 more chances than
their opponents, but score only 2 more goals.
This leaves their season played 7, won 7 (rather like this season (11),
in fact J)
The following week sees a shift in both
leagues. AP lose for the first time at
EW (could tiredness be a factor?), while DL are defeated by a
OC side now in their pomp. The home side
snatch it 1-0 by taking the only chance of the game, as both sides grudge (OC
only 2 points away from DL now). Could
this be a negative turning point for both sides? TH take advantage in division 1, emping 145 points to win 5-0 at FI and cutting the gap to
the top to 2 points.
And it’s all change a week later in the top
flight. AP, dominant early on in the
season, are surprisingly undone 8-14 by AA, who play
OFF and get rewards. This allowed TH to
take the lead in the top flight for the first time in the season, after they
hammered TB 6-0. DL and CA both win in
division 2.
In the DS EU game, might the home side be playing
their top line too hard?:
DS WH CA
GK P. Robinson 8 8.69 Saves 6, CB H. Foxe injured 31 ro
44 9.75 4.10, CB W. Turkey injured 69 ro 15 7 6.14, CB K. Packer injured
41 ro 29 8.5 4.40, AS N. Neimand
7.75 8.42, CM J. Young * 10 10.21, MF P. Okon 8 9.09,
WH E. BaggioJr 9 12.46, WH A. Schiaffino
9 10.69, AM M. Bresciano 8.5 12.98, S C. Tevez # injured 44 ro 20 10 6.57, FB C. Moore SUBON 31 10 2.23, , CF D.
Dada SUBON 44 7.5 4.30, 87.5 91.60
Lastly, what the heck are you playing at Bart:
JG 20k Fine.
Cannot find this player (sub). GK B. Lathouwer – (Peter: how the heck
do u spell your own name wrong??)
With AP only drawing in week 12, it opens up a
chance for TH to really take command in division 1, but NW show that, although
they are not the dominant force that they used to be, they can still pack a
punch - drawing 21 all with Heat in a game of high EMP and 88 goal
chances. DL, CA and OC all win in
division 2, and a real gap is opening up between them
and the rest of the clubs.
Nothing has really changed in the league (apart from
AA's manager - who goes from desperate to suicidal after yet another heavy
defeat) until we reach week 14, when AP fail to take any of their 3 chances
against GU, and drop 2 more points on TH.
EW have sneaked up from no where, mind you, and
they are level pegging with the Heats!
Losses for SH and JG cement two teams in trouble at the bottom of the
table, while AS are not fairing much better.
A big game in the same week sees CA demolish DL
4-0. At home, and grudging, they EMP a
total that most top flight managers would give their right leg for (or Bart his
good looks for ;)) - 144.31, to be precise.
The win moves CA to within 3 points of the Legends, while the result
allows OC to … in fact, not pull away any further, as they are thumped 7-1 by a
lucky, lucky, very very lucky TJ. TJ had 10 chances and took 7. OC, who have 12, take only 1!
Week 15 sees the world cup returning, and
It's a battle royale near
the foot of division 1 as the week sees AS play SH:
AS WP TR Boost
GK A. Aswan SENT OFF 64
9.5 10.31 Saves 10, CB A. Hofland ^ 9.5 10.37, CB E. Karnak 9.5 9.76, CB P. Kendel 10
12.19, MF C. Armas ^ 10 11.25, MF D. Blitta Booked injured 58 ro 23 9.75 6.45, W J. Walker Booked SENT OFF 53 9.25 6.55, W Z. Akhooi
Booked 9.5 11.26, S C. Kano ^ 10 13.26, CF R. King
SUBOFF 64 8.75 8.97, CF D. Makeni * # 10 16.77, GK D.
Wau Subon 64 10 10.81 Saves
4, MF T. Mattisson SUBON 58 8 3.47, 96.25 110.29
SH CP FL
GK P. Jones 10 10.84 Saves 11, DS G. Norrie 10 10.26, CB A. Stubbs 8.5 9.11, FB A. Hirsi-Ali 10 12.20, AS C. Palmer 10 13.13, AS R. Rosenthal
10 12.74, DM D. Man 10 12.62, DM A. Thor * injured 61 ro 19 11.5 11.26, CM B. Barrel 10 11.00, CM F. Neitzche SENT OFF 33 10.75
5.39, S O. Giba # 10 11.30, DM S. Paige SUBON 61 7.5
2.94, 100.75
111.95
AS win 10-8.
In another important game, JG beat AP 21-13 as Bart
looks to turn his youthful side around, and stay in the top flight. Martin's chances of success in his first full
league campaign are fading fast. EW
can't beat a stubborn FI, allowing TH to go 2 points clear at the top, as they
piss all over AA.
Amazingly, in a season where no one other than TH
seem to be able to win consistently, NW have the chance to move into 2nd
in the league (showing Mike's prowess), but they draw with LU, and remain 3rd
in the table, a further 2 points behind Totts.
CA and OC are in full flow in the lower league, and
both get good wins; DL, on the other hand, are in free
fall, and lose 23-11 to IQ. It looks as
though the aforementioned teams might be getting away from them in the race for
automatic promotion.
After a win against TB, AA seem to have cemented
their status in the top flight after EW pick the wrong tactic (OFF) against
AA's BC. This shows the importance of
the 'surprise element', if your team has capabilities
(AA had used WP for a good deal of the season).
This left TH with a great chance to extend their lead at the top - and
they duly take their chance - pulping JG 15-0.
NW win, to move 2nd - 4 points off the top.
Things get worse in the red mist zone when IQ and DS
match up:
DS ONE CA Boost
GK Z. Kalac 9 9.80 Saves
13, CB T. Popovic SENT OFF 23
10 2.99, CB H. Foxe 10.5 12.83, FB L. Neill ^ Booked
7.5 8.47, FB C. Moore ^^ injured 27 ro
36 11.5 3.73, CM J. Young * 9.75 12.92, WH E. BaggioJr
injured 39 ro 5 8.75
11.73, WH A. Schiaffino 8.75 10.27, AM T. Callanan Booked SENT OFF 57
9.25 8.05, AM M. Bresciano ^ 9.5 14.38, S C. Tevez # injured 2 ro 3 10 11.18, CB K. Packer SUBON 27 9 2.09, 95.5 98.64
IQ ONE MD
GK N. Gomes SENT OFF 74
8 8.48 Saves 4, CB A. Nesta_1 Booked 8.25 9.40, CB P. Contreras 9 9.08, CB F. Quiroga 9 9.53, MF B. Thornley
8.75 10.70, MF B. Biopsy 9 12.39, WH C. Ronaldo_1 9.25 12.07, WH H. Robinho 10 14.86, AM M. Hamm # 9.75 15.35, AM B. Albert *
10 15.23, CF A. Wambach SUBOFF 74 8 7.82, GK T.
Ferreira Subon 74 9.5 10.06 Saves 1, 91 116.44
That'll be 3 sending offs and 3 injuries. The importance of not completely knackering out the vast majority of your squad by week 17
is a point worth making. OK, run them
into the ground by week 24 … but getting serious injuries can seriously hamper
the health of a team. DS lost this
particular battle.
The biggest game of the week saw OC and CA trade
blows, in a match that could decide the destiny of the title. In the end, CA win 18-16, using a grudge to
great impact, and emping another big total
(145). Perhaps us
top division sides should have taken note at this point! OC remain top.
By week 19 (we'll gloss over week 18 and AP beating
AA - damn you, Mr Bell!) TH are massively in command
of the league. EW lose,
and, with over 16,000 spectators locked out, TH play NW, with both sides
playing attractive football. Take a look
for yourself:
Tottenford
Heats 23(51)
Pens :
0 (0)
NoShaKi
WC98 14(37) B. Berlinnin 0 (1) H. Yakin 1 (5) C. Chevalric 2 (6) F. Fernandez 2 (4) F. Kinder 1 (3) J. Aliadiere 2 (3) H. Hercules 3 (7) M. Pasquale 3 (8)
Pens :
0 (0)
TH CP FL Grudge
GK K. Veenstra 10 11.34
Saves 23, FB W. Bouma 10 14.27, FB S. DoubleOSeven 10 14.12, AS R. Rage Booked 9.75 15.31, AS A. Fierro 10 15.74, DM A. Thor 11.5 18.05, DM W. Jack 12.5
18.95, CM G. Garanhao 10 16.07, CM F. Flight Booked
10 15.51, AM G. Boateng * Booked 11 16.21, S U. Untouchable # 10
12.68 104.75 156.90
NW WP AA Grudge
GK J. Mill 9.5 10.77 Saves 28, FB T. Cornelisse 9.5 12.63, FB M. Horne Booked 9 11.55, FB B. Berlinnin 9 13.19, MF H. Yakin 9 12.00, MF C. Chevalric OOP 8.5 11.62, W F. Fernandez 9 13.00, W
F. Kinder 9.25 13.20, S J. Aliadiere 10 15.92, CF H.
Hercules * 10 19.18, CF M. Pasquale # 10 17.88 93.25 140.17
So, TH move 7 points clear, and have surely wrapped
up the title.
CA and OC keep on winning in division 2, which means
that, even when DL win, they cannot close the gap on the top 2.
Week 20, and really, it's all about the bottom of
league 1. But first, NW play TH in the
cup - but Noshaki again lose out to the champions
elect - 3-2 this time, as more grudges are deployed. 153 and 150 EMP make this game rather
special. IQ and FI battle it out in the
other tie.
Back to the league, and AS throw in a desperate
grudge against LU to try and escape the bottom 3. But they cannot penetrate the
After a poor few weeks, AA still look in the
mire. But they scrap away to get a point
against GU. In fact, this was a high
scoring EMP game.
This leaves the bottom of the table looking as
follows:
AA 20 points
TB 18 points
AS 18 points
GU 17 points
SH (all but relegated)
Out of note, 12 grudges were deployed in all the
games in week 20. 10 of them came in
only 5 games!
The big game in div 2 sees DL and OC meet off. This is one game where 2 grudges are
used. But no side can break free of the
others, and this enables CA to move above OC - 42 points to 41. PN leapfrog DL into 3rd on 39,
with the Legends on 37, and IQ a distant 5th on 34.
Week 21 sees AS throw in a grudge at JG, but they
still get annihilated 26-10. AA beat a
now officially relegated SH, and do themselves a power of good at the wrong end
of the table. AP beat TB,
and GU get a draw out of FI. So it's
now:
AA - 23 points
TB - 18 points
AS - 18 points
GU- 18 points
SH (relegated)
Goodness me, it's looking tight! The excitement continues in division 1, as DL
and CA win, but OC get a beating at the hands of PN. You can do the math for yourself (ok ok - CA
45, PN 42, OC 41, DL 40). Wow!
A really special game the following week sees TH
clinch the saefl 1st division crown for
the first time, beating AP 5-1. It's
also special because AP have 4 people injured, and end
the game with 10 men - and not because of a sending off!
GK B. Wijnen 10 11.08
Saves 19, CB M. Man_1 9 10.13, CB M. Dingsdag injured 45 ro 20 10 5.71, CB
J. Hemingway injured 60 ro
14 9 6.92, MF S. Schaars 9.5 11.61, MF A. Rankovic 10 10.58, W M. Riga injured
82 ro 15 8.5 8.17, W J. Milner 8.5 9.50, S B. Urnley injured 48 ro 16 9 6.01, CF M. Harrold
9 11.26, CF E. Mbamba * # 10 11.10, CB R. Knol SUBON 45 8.5 4.69, , W K. Sone
SUBON 82 10 0.94, , S F. Soweto SUBON 48 8 5.37, 92.5 98.98
SH might be down and out, but they battle hard to
take a point from GU - which does the latter little good. AA are finishing
strong, and another win, this time against FI, moves them mathematically safe
of the drop zone. AS have no such luck,
and are soundly beaten by NW. TB more
than sneak a point from LU however, meaning it's AS on 18, TB and GU on
19!
Division 2, and in another huge game (there seems to
be one a week), CA play PN. And PN are
on fire! Grudges are sent out, and CA have the better EMP and more chances - but Napier are not to
be denied, and win the match 17-15. This
really puts the cat amongst the pigeons at the top of the league. DL and OC win, so, let's have a look at the
standings:
q CA
45
q PN
45
q OC
44
q DL
43
Two matches to go, and it
really is a shoot out now!
In a stunning 2nd leg game, NW and TH do
battle for the 3rd time in 5 weeks.
NW are 3-2 down, remember. But in
a massive game, with EMPs of 155 and 154, and two
more grudges deployed, NW somehow come through 2-0 on the day to take the tie
4-3 on aggregate. In the other tie, a
very close game sees FI reach the final over IQ (who do
valiant work for the 2nd division).
Week 23 sees 2 spots for relegation become 1, as AS, who, with coach Colin had done sterling work for 2
seasons, get beaten by champs TH. GU and
TB both win, meanwhile, so its:
GU (22 points)
TB (22 points)
AS (relegated)
SH (relegated) to the wire it is!!!
In div 2, it's as you are, as DL,
And finally, the week of destiny. Out of the big guns, would GU or TB be relegated. And what of CA, PN, OC and DL? On which teams would luck shine upon?
As TH rounded their glorious season with another
win, for GU, it was a case of waiting for TB’s result. For although they battled
hard, the 11 on the pitch could not match NW for class. And when Grammar had their second man sent
off after 67 minutes, the game was all but over. 3-0 to Mike’s men.
But what of TB? They played the already relegated AS; but
relegated teams can be hard teams to crack, and the Booeys
had to work their socks off in the hope of gaining a result. Tackles were flying about, leading to two
injuries for Jers men. In the end though, one of the strongest
performances by the club all season (wjth 143 EMP to
their name), TB managed to take one of their two chances to draw 1-1 and stay
up by the most narrow of margins. Colin
might have wondered what would have happened if he would have used his grudge
earlier in the campaign.
On to the issue of promotion,
with 4 teams battling it out. Could CA and PN hold off their close
rivals? DL certainly kept up the
pressure, beating DS 18-6 to 49 points.
In most seasons, this would have guaranteed promotion – but maybe not
this term.
What of OC, the team in 3rd before the
start of play? Like DL, they would not
crack, and managed a good 9-3 win against a tired NH side.
So, we have OC on 50 points and DL on 49, with CA
and PN, both on 48 points, yet to play their games.
CA, top of the pile before the week, played a CP
tactic against AR. Slightly
risky? Well no – not against AR’s ONE. Even with Pulmao pulling the strings, Catbel
walked away with the game 19-5 to seal promotion, the championship, and push DL
down into the play-offs.
Therefore, it was between OC and PN for that last
remaining spot. Napier played TJ – a
side that few sides like playing away from home. Jazz played a strong CP outfit against PN’s reliable WP.
But one of Napier’s key players was not so reliable. And the sending-off of J. Gros
after just 29 minutes might have been the point at which battle was won and
lost. For the extra EMP he might have
generated on pitch instead of in the stands would have got the side much closer
to the 9 EMP, and 8 shot difference that they had to make up. Keeper Prime tried his best; but in the end
it was not enough. TJ won 10-6, and the
Napier fans were devastated as they missed out on their glorious promotion.
One of the interesting points to the season is the
relegation of GU. For oddly, they had
the best defensive record of all the teams in SAEFL – conceding only 19 goals
all season, or 0.79 goals per game. They
just couldn’t score enough. As a
comparison, the best defensive team in the second division (NH) conceded 131
goals, or 5.46 per game – showing what an offensive division it was in season
10.
This only leaves the cup final (only?), the
world-cup, and the play-off drama.
The cup final was a tough and tight affair, FI pipping NW to yet another award with a
11-8 victory – and in a season where lesser goalies seemed to overcome 10NSL
keeps, on this day, the top rated man (C. Ryan) was the difference.
The world-cup was the highly volatile affair of
This only left the play-offs. PN players, distraught after the late denial
of a automatic promotion, played poorly (some of their
top players didn’t even start), and were beaten by IQ. ES overcame seemingly stronger opposition in
the other final (DL), 13-17. So a 5th versus 6th shoot-out between IQ and
ES, which was won by IQ 12-10 in a very narrow struggle.
Tying up the loose ends, for the first season in 4,
B. Simpson was not to be seen on the MVP trophy in SAEFL. That title went to NW’s CF H. Hercules (and
he was not even a freak!).
Midfielder of the season went to IQ’s AM A. Hamm,
and defender of the year, GU’s DS S. Nevland.
So, a magnificent season in SAEFL
for shocks and magnificent final week ecstasies and agonies.
Season 11 would bring a new division 3, meaning the
worry of relegation for division 2 sides and a chance for new managers, and of
course new teams, to aspire to the likes of TH, NW, JG and AA. But of course, that
season is yet to be fully written …
FROM NEXT WEEK -
The top players in SAEFL
Week 1 – the case for the defence. Who will get your vote?
q Berlinnin
q Sylfar
q Simpson
q McGoo
q Mills,
q Boutana or
q
The case for each, outlined in full …
Apocalypse
Catbel Athletic
Excelsior
F.C Inferno
InterQuartile Rangers
Well, the red card monster has returned, at least in
Div 1. After a 2 week hiatus, the number
of red cards has doubled each of the last 2 weeks. The RPG used in SAEFL is very wierd.
A win in the cup. A loss in the league game.
That's par for the course for IQ this season. I don't know if the card made a difference
but it sure didn't help. There's not
much more to say. I don't have the right
kind of luck for SAEFL so I dont expect aging to help
much.
Here are the stats:
|
EAMS |
NSL avg |
EMP avg |
EMP/NSL |
max NSL |
min NSL |
max EMP |
min EMP |
Diff NSL |
Diff EMP |
|
AA |
93.15 |
122.55 |
1.32 |
99 |
85.75 |
129.42 |
110.84 |
13.25 |
18.58 |
|
AP |
97.23 |
120.44 |
1.24 |
99 |
88.5 |
138.84 |
107.84 |
10.5 |
31 |
|
CA |
99.04 |
134.92 |
1.36 |
101.75 |
96.25 |
151.43 |
120.94 |
5.5 |
30.49 |
|
EW |
92.28 |
117.73 |
1.28 |
94 |
88 |
135.45 |
98.19 |
6 |
37.26 |
|
FI |
94.35 |
122.93 |
1.3 |
97.25 |
90 |
131.41 |
90.1 |
7.25 |
41.31 |
|
IQ |
94.5 |
123.08 |
1.3 |
97 |
91 |
128.86 |
116.24 |
6 |
12.62 |
|
JG |
95.23 |
124.84 |
1.31 |
99.5 |
87.75 |
132.58 |
104.71 |
11.75 |
27.87 |
|
LU |
92.25 |
123.23 |
1.34 |
94.75 |
88.75 |
134.11 |
104.9 |
6 |
29.21 |
|
NW |
93.28 |
124.92 |
1.34 |
97.75 |
89.5 |
134.66 |
115.77 |
8.25 |
18.89 |
|
OC |
96.68 |
127.13 |
1.32 |
99 |
92.5 |
144.26 |
116.01 |
6.5 |
28.25 |
|
TB |
96.23 |
126.99 |
1.32 |
99.5 |
84.5 |
140.14 |
109.78 |
15 |
30.36 |
|
TH |
91.83 |
121.93 |
1.33 |
100.25 |
81.75 |
133.87 |
96.03 |
18.5 |
37.84 |
|
|
94.67 |
124.22 |
1.31 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
NoShaKi WC98
The Boelewieten
The Boelewieten In Sight
This week a
different tactic, longball playing against LU, just a
try out in a hectic week, you know, on feeling, no math this time, wasted words
already!
And for the
manager its the biggest week of the year, we invested
in a lot of young promising DM's, and are they promising, will they all rise?
Think the team need
this,
because we gonna pay in all the other area's. The
four strikers I fielded this week will all drop, Strikers are hard to find and
we invested a lot in a bunch
young
ones, but they all look good in stats, their nsl wont
rise and after the age of 24-25 I left hope for them. Tactic now is to buy me
every season some oldies, so let me know when you have some ;-)
Hope y all have a great aging, TB will be trading, is in need of
trading, so see you on messenger!
The Jazz Greats
Tottenford Heats
DIVISION 2
Adirondak Renegades
Adirondak
Press (AP): Congratulations! With your cup victory, AR has moved into uncharted
territory, at least while you have been manager.
Manager
Fulmer (MF): Thanks, I think…..
AP: The
effort you have put into developing AR's defense paid off.
MF: Yes, we
have definitely improved in this area, and Neethling
was fantastic in his debut. He is the top notch defender we have needed to
really make this system work. CB Hickey also played very well.
AP: Your
line-up had very little attacking ability. In fact, they attacked like a bunch
of girls.
MF: You
obviously haven't watched PN play. An awesome attacking side,
managed by Kelly, who is the type who obviously loves to attack and takes no
prisoners.
AP: Point
well taken. Let's get back to AR's match.
MF: True, I
played a side with very little attacking ability, but our midfield and
attacking players are now very well rested and ready for the second half of the
season, which fortunately also includes more cup matches. It also gave newly
acquired MF H Ellraiser a week to train with the
squad before his debut. Hey, I got exactly what we wanted out of the cup, we
advanced and rested some key players.
AP: The
match commentator thought you may have taken a risk playing inexperienced GK Jardim instead of Hird.
MF: That's
why the commentator is commentating and I am managing :
I agree that AK has some very talented attacking players and I knew David would
come at us with everything he had. But hey, Hird was
tired and needed a rest. We had a five goal lead. As long as we held AK to 4
shots or less we advance, even if the commentator, or for that matter you, were
in goal. Even with
AP: How
does the second half of the season look?
MF: Good
question. Maybe you should ask the match commentator. He knows everything :
MF: I'm
just kidding, of course, but I want him to realize I am aware of his comments.
Now I have a comment. My side is still in the cup. How about his?
African Selection
I hope you
all had a happy Easter.
Len, sorry that we had to beat you. I need the points, even though we are both
having a horrible season.
Colin
Dead Scientists
Druss Legends
Englehart Storm
Grammar United
Melchester Rovers
Well we got another tie again last week (which is
getting kind of weird by the way because this is a lot of ties for one season,
especially for a WP team, but oh well, still better than losing).
This week we play NH, who are
just above us in the standings, so it should be a pretty good/close game. So I hope we win and go into aging with a
smile.
Stannington Historical
"The aging process is just about upon and I must
say I haven't ever been this glad to see aging come since I have been in the
SAEFL," said SH manager Len Lear. "We have been getting our royal
behinds thoroughly thrashed by everyone because our Kiddies Corp just doesn't
have the experience to compete in the SAEL. However, I am expecting good things
with aging due to the vast array of young talent we have currently on our
roster. SH will definitely be a different and extremely competitive team during
the 2nd half of the schedule."
It will be
an interesting match this week as SH takes on ES. I have noticed that ES has
played some of their top players for several matches in a row so will Peter
be resting his top players against us due to the weak nature of our side right
now.
His top players must be down in SP so I think that SH
can steal a point from this match. We definitely would be happy with a result
such as a draw.
The Jazz
The Toons play the 2nd place Grammer
United at Toon towns,
TT losted over the
two legs in the cup in two close games against NW who are again in the cup last
eight. TT last league game was against PN in a hard fought game and high
scoring game this was a 18 -18 draw. the week before was another draw 7-7 against NH.
DIVISION 3
Mid Season
Aging
As we
approach mid season and players skills get recognised it is of no wonder that
all seems quiet on the transfer front. AM Mats Swansson, the star of the
team appears to be staying here at the kickers at least for one more week. However, this week sees the loss of CB Espen Kristianssen and some cash
out of the club's coffers in a deal for two players.
Hears to a good game this week at home to Blue Storm and a good aging
during next week.
Aros VSK
The
draw last week was not good for our run for promotion. Now we have to face DT
twice and need a few points from those clashes.
Blue Storm FC
Well This week we find Wayne United up against the Adelaide
Kickers which looks to be a match that could go either way.
Coach Banfield is hopeful that his team will be up to the
challenge. S. Guerrero is back at the helm this week as captain of the team. He
was away of the Easter weekend. Our reporters tell us
that he was sitting in a Jacuzzi with an old friend of his.
We area all hoping that his time away has allowed him to be focus on the
game this week.
See you in
the stands.
Defrosted TunaFish
Press : Fantastic Win Last week - you and your players Must
be happy with your performance
DT : Very much so, we knew it was going to be a
tough game – especially with out one of our key players Saul, but Days played a
great game –well done to both teams
Press : I also believe u have released a
new product? Tell us about it
DT : Its safety paper,
Cleans first time and u can use it anywhere u want…. Bathroom, kitchen…
tombstones…
Press : Wow – very
handy product – I assume its on sale now?
DT : Yup - anyone can
buy the product – first 100 are for free – and it’s a Fish friendly Product, so
its safe for everyone
Deo Volente
Falcons
Va seem to rely on the WP tactic so this week we are going to counter that with the OFF tactic as well as play a grudge card in a game we want to win before the mid season aging. We've selected possibly our strongest line up for this particular tactic and I'm pretty anxious to see if the tactic pays off. Hopefully the aging is going to be kind to my youngsters so that we can hold on to our mid table position.
Fanatics United
Everyone is
going to be reading this spot to see what Brian has to say about his lost
game???
Yes you
just fell for it too; you are reading this as well.
To be
absolutely honest, I am glad that I lost. Someone else can have the pressure of
being number one and getting all the grudge cards, just for being there. The
grudge card that DV played was fair and he does have a grudge on me, I just
don’t have enough grudge cards on my side. I started this league to do one
thing, which was to beat TS, done.
P.S. I hope
aging is better to me than the rest of you and let’s have a good game SG.
Fantastic eleven
So Brain
got what was coming to him in week 12 & 13. First a draw and then a loss
and we thought he could not be beaten. With aging coming up it makes for an interesting
second half. Claudio is a good manager and I am sure we will see Otto making
his move in the second half. Otto must still be on a high after he won the
DESL. Wonder what Claudio did with Brian’s tombstone.
Smoking Guns
Speedsters
Trav Spoodle
Hi
Bart! I'd like to just point out the fact that I think I need to go have a poo/crap/dump… I apologize for being so brash about it, but
I think we're all big now and close enough as friends… Some closer than others
though huh BART… J
Oh, and Brian, what you think of your tombstone pops...?? Nice eh?
Vitesse Arnhem