[DataKing]

Season 3 – Relegation Match

Screamin’ Seamen vs. Jedi Mind Tricks

Date: July 13th, 2003
Venue: The Docks (Chicago, IL)
Attendance: (30,000)
Weather: Sunny

This is it, ladies and gentlemen. The moment you’ve all been waiting for, but were hoping would never come. Today we have our relegation match against the Jedi Mind Tricks. The winner earns the right to play in the Series Of The Beast [tm] next season, while the loser is stuck in Division V for at least one season.

Talent-wise, he have a definite edge over the Jedi Mind Tricks. They do have a few quality players, but also have some gaping holes in their lineup that we will hope to take advantage of. Here is a small preview of three of the key players for Jedi Mind Tricks:

Cody Brothers (Goalkeeper): Cody is a solid keeper, who has been playing quite well as of late. He has pitched shut-outs in his last two matches, but the amount of support he will receive from the back three of the Jedi Mind Tricks is suspect. (Value: $467,000, ***~ last time out).

Gilbert Skelton (Inner Midfielder): At only 19 years old, Gilbert is a fine attacking midfielder who has a knack for finding the net. He has tallied numerous scores this season, and does a good job of contributing to possession as well. (Value: $460,000, ***~ last time out).

John Hammond (Forward): Hammond is an experienced and dangerous striker, who excels at pulling away from slower defenders. He has scored an impressive 15 goals this season in league play. Unfortunately for John, it is a scorching summer day here in Chicago, so he will have to conserve his energy or have problems in the second half. (Value: $214,000, *** last time out).

Formation: 3-5-2

Starters (# start w/SSFC, *s last time out)

Keeper: #1 Cornelius “Corny” Jernigan (23rd start, **~)

Right Wingback: #5 Arlen “Headcase” Lucas (43rd start, ****~)
Central Defender: #2 Chuck Scales (44th start, ****)
Left Wingback: #22 Tyler Willard (23rd start, ****)

Right Winger: #3 Ben McMahon (41st start, **)
Inner Midfielder: #4 Pete “The Old Goat” Tomlin (41st start, **~)
Inner Midfielder: #7 Lucian Tere (33rd start, **~)
Inner Midfielder: #6 Charlie Bautista (45th, start, ***~)
Left Winger: #9 Valentin Rubio (15th start, ***)

Forward: #12 Guido Metman (9th start, **~)
Forward: #11 Johannes Henriksson (40th start, **)

Team Captain: #11 Johannes Henriksson
Set Pieces: #11 Johannes Henriksson

Substitutes
-Keeper: #13 Darryl Read (25 career starts)
-Defender: #17 Mattias Leier (3 career starts)
-Midfielder: #25 Paul Peralta (15 career starts)
-Forward: #15 Forrest “Gump” Tobias (32 career starts)
-Winger: #10 Olav Mauffret (31 career starts)

Absent from the lineup is one of our usual inner midfielder, Niklas Ivarsson. Niklas is nursing a severe ankle sprain sustained in last week’s match against the Ramblers, and will be replaced by veteran back-up Lucian Tere. We’re fortunate that Lucian has been playing extremely well as of late (excellent form), and should fill in nicely. He may have some trouble though, as we’ve got scorching weather today, which is a deficit to the big man. But “The Old Goat” Tomlin and Charlie Bautista should both more than make up for this, as they thrive on days like this (both are technical specialists).

Jedi Mind Tricks have a respectable attack, but we should have a significant edge over them on possession, so we should be able to keep the ball away from them, and especially John Hammond. Defensively, the Mind Tricks are suspect, particularly on the right side of their defense. As a result, we’re tilting the offense towards the left, with both midfielder Charlie Bautista and winger Valentin Rubio pushing the ball up the left side of the pitch at every opportunity.

One other change this week is in our substitutions. Reserve midfielder Jerry Smith would normally be our reserve midfielder in a situation like this, but he has been playing horribly as of late. As a result, super-sub Paul Peralta will be our substitute midfielder, while Finn Olav Mauffret will take Paul’s usual spot as out reserve winger for the day.

Time to head for The Docks and get ready. But first, I think I need a drink to calm my nerves…

Match Report

PRE-GAME

A scorching day at The Docks, where 29990 spectators were in place for today’s match.

Screamin' had chosen a strategic 3-5-2 formation. The following players had been chosen: Jernigan - Lucas, Scales, Willard - Mcmahon, Tere, Bautista, Tomlin, Rubio - Metman, Henriksson.

Jedi had chosen a strategic 3-5-2 formation. Lineup: Brothers - Mcdonald, Marx, Brown - Everett, Garcia, Skelton, Sacristán, Barandiarán Pied - Hammond, Tolbert.

FIRST HALF

The crowd was amused as Jason Tolbert of Jedi used a few interesting tricks and dribbles to get into the penalty box. The finish wasn’t very amusing, though.

Pete Tomlin gave his Screamin' the lead with 1 - 0, as he successfully challenged both the guests central defenders, then placed the ball unreachably at the goaltenders right post.

After an industrious effort down the middle Guido Metman could have closed the game off in the 9:th minute, but his finishing shot hit the post.

1 - 0 was the half-time score. The forty-five minutes were dominated by Screamin', with an impressive 60 percent possession of the ball.

SECOND HALF

Pete Tomlin should probably have put his team up another goal in the 61st minute, but some great goaltending by Cody Brothers kept the visitors in the game.

Neal Brown of Jedi received a yellow card in the 69:th minute for unsportsmanlike behavior.

Johannes Henriksson almost managed to score another goal for Screamin', but his header was tipped to a corner by the visitors goalie.

Unsportsmanlike behavior by Neal Brown rendered him his second booking of the match, and Jedi had to finish the game with a reduced squad.

Screamin' held the ball, with a clear 70 percent possession rate.

POST-GAME

Most important Screamin' player was Arlen Lucas. However, Johannes Henriksson made a disastrous appearance.

The most dominating Jedi player was without a doubt Gilbert Skelton. Cole Everett on the other hand, had a terrible day.

Final Score: Screamin’ Seamen 1, Jedi Mind Tricks 0

Goals

Tomlin – 1(1, GWG)

Cards

None

Player Ratings

Jernigan: ***

Lucas: ****~
Scales: ****
Willard: ****

McMahon: **
Tomlin: **~
Tere: **~
Bautista: ***
Rubio: ***

Metman: **~
Henriksson: **

Team Match MVP: #5 Arlen Lucas

Team Ratings

Screamin’ Seamen
-Midfield: Passable (6)
-Right Defense: Outstanding (10)
-Central Defense: Formidable (9)
-Left Defense: Formidable (9)
-Right Attack: Solid (7)
-Central Attack: Solid (7)
-Left Attack: Formidable (9)
-Experience: Poor (3)
-NSI: 69

Jedi Mind Tricks
-Midfield: Weak (4)
-Right Defense: Inadequate (5)
-Central Defense: Passable (6)
-Left Defense: Excellent (8)
-Right Attack: Weak (4)
-Central Attack: Solid (7)
-Left Attack: Excellent (8)
-Experience: Poor (3)
-NSI: 50

Comments

Success! By the way the teams played on the pitch, the score should have been rather lop-sided, I can honestly say that I don’t give a damn. We won today, and that’s all that matters. We’ve earned the right to play in The Series Of The Beast [tm] for at least one more season, and that suits me and the rest of the team just fine.

Although Arlen Lucas was the official Team Match MVP, Pete “The Old Goat” Tomlin was the Man Of The Match as far as I am concerned. His early goal stood up as the only tally of the game, and he came very close to giving us a 2-nil lead early on in the second half. Mad props have to be given to Cody Brothers, the goalkeeper for the Jedi, however. He played a fantastic game, stopping two great scoring chances in the second half, in order to keep things close. Unfortunately for him, he got no goal support from the rest of his club, as the attackers of the Jedi just did not have an answer to Arlen Lucas, Chuck Scales, and Tyler Willard.

Elsewhere in Series IV.49

-In the other relegation match from the series, Sweden Heights absolutely demolished Izzy’s Diaper Bombers (interesting name), 8-nil. It was a completely lop-sided affair, as the Bombers appeared to make no effort to even make the match competitive. Sweden Heights remain in the series.

-In the qualification match, Croats in Miami fell to Miami Redskins S.C., 3-1, and will remain in series IV.49 as well. The match was actually proof that midfield isn’t everything. Croats had the midfield advantage (54% possession to 46%), but were out-played on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. All the possession in the world won’t do you any good if you can’t do anything with it. (NSI ratings were 85 for Miami Redskins S.C. and 78 for Croats in Miami).

So, aside from two auto-promotees (who will be summarily dismissed at the end of next season, barring a miracle), the clubs comprising The Series Of The Beast [tm] will remain the same for at least one more season.

Up Next: A friendly match with vexroid’s N.E. Oklahoma Sidekicks. Stay tuned!