[sterlingice]

Preview
One more easy Cup game this week against a computer controlled Div VI team before we start some significant cup games. I expected to win and win big today. With only 2 UberTrainees(TM) at the moment, Benito would get the third spot and a few other starters would play as well. This is another exercise in playing the trainees and getting training for them and some of that all-important experience for others.


Game Summary
Date: 7/31/2003 at 01:00
MatchID: 9362264
Arena: Boston Stadium
Crowd: 6388

6388 spectators had found their way to Boston Stadium, despite the heavy rain. Knights had chosen a strategic 4-4-2 formation. They fielded: Han-Koon - Hicks, Cardenas, Potter, Banda - Barlow, Eldridge, Bajpai, Langley - Wofford, Smart.

Hippopotami had chosen a strategic 3-5-2 formation. The following players had been chosen: Buckley - Cristiano, Miquel, Romo - Starks, Benito, Tryggvesson, Storm, Viseslav - Tizón, Houben.

Daniel Storm seemed highly inexperienced when in the 30:th minute he was loitering with the ball, allowing Vizhi-Ezhilan Bajpai to intercept and strike 1-0 for Knights. In the games 32nd minute the visitors levelled to 1 - 1 as Carlos Alberto Benito struck home on a bar rebound, following a shot from the right. In the 39:th minute the visitors broke through on the right after some poor defending and Coskum Houben put the ball away for 1 - 2. The referee showed Hippopotamis Robert Tryggvesson the yellow card after a particularly nasty challenge. The Knights player was Kuai Han-Koon who had to be helped off the pitch, unable to finish the game. In the 44:th minute Hippopotami put themselves up 1 - 3 after an attack from the right, caused by a defensive blunder. Scorer was Juan Miguel Tizón. In the games 44:th minute Hippopotami´s Daniel Storm fell dramatically just outside the penalty area. However, the referee booked Daniel Storm for taking a dive. In the 44:th minute Hippopotamis José María Miquel received a yellow card for going into a challenge studs first. 1 - 3 was the half-time score. Hippopotami held the ball, with a clear 70 percent possession rate.

Hippopotami´s Marcel Romo received a play slashing through the home side´s defense in the 48:th minute, chipping it past the keeper scoring 1 - 4. The home crowd was not pleased with that one. The structure of the game started to change as Hippopotami decided to pull back and meet their opponents in the defensive zone. Almost all the way down to the corner flag Mick Starks somhow managed to get a perfect pass into the middle, impossible to miss for Ivan Viseslav who struck for 1 - 5. In the 58:th minute Hippopotami put themselves up 1 - 6 after an attack from the right, caused by a defensive blunder. Scorer was Coskum Houben. The visitors Ivan Viseslav took advantage of an error due to a misunderstanding between the home side´s goalie and full backs in the 76:th minute. 1 - 7 for Hippopotami. Daniel Storm of Hippopotami got sent off for kicking the ball after the whistle, a completely uncalled for move, earning him his second yellow card of the game. Hippopotami held the ball, with a clear 77 percent possession rate.

Most important Knights player was Tyler Banda. Howard Goldsmith was a disappointment, however. The most dominating Hippopotami player was without a doubt Mick Starks. However, Marcel Romo made a disastrous appearance. The match ends 1 - 7.


Events and Stats
A few notes:
1. Our score will always be first, whether we are ahead or behind
2. The (C) after the names shows this is a cup game and the number scored in the cup
3. "xx" means the time of the goal was not specified
4. Most stats will only be for our team

Formations
HH: 3-5-2
BK: 4-4-2

Events Summary

1st Half
BK: 30: 0-1
HH: 32: Carlos Alberto Benito (C1): 1-1
HH: 39: Coskum Houben (C2): 2-1
HH: 44: Juan Miguel Tizon (C1): 3-1
Halftime Score: 3-1
Possession: 70%

2nd Half
HH: 48: Marcel Romo (C1): 4-1
HH: *pulling back*
HH: xx: Ivan Viseslav (C1): 5-1
HH: 58: Coskum Houben (C3): 6-1
HH: 76: Ivan Viseslav (C1): 7-1
Final Score: 7-1
Possession: 77%
Final Possession: 74%

Cards

HH: xx: Robert Tryggvesson (yellow- particularly nasty challenge)
HH: 44: Daniel Storm (yellow- taking a dive)
HH: 44: Jose Maria Miguel (yellow- going into a challenge studs first)
HH: xx: Daniel Storm (yellow- kicking ball after the whistle)


Injuries
None, fortunately


Stadium
Terraces: 0/20000
Basic seats: 0/8000
Seats under roof: 0/3200
VIP seats: 0/800
Total: 0/32000

Only 6300. At least next week, against the human opponent, I should have more.


Team Ratings

Boston Knights
Midfield: wretched (2)
Right Side Defence: poor (3)
Central Defence: weak (4)
Left Side Defence: weak (4)
Right Side Attack: poor (3)
Central Attack: weak (4)
Left Side Attack: weak (4)
DataKing/Nevstar Index: 28/30

Houston Hippopotami
Midfield: weak (4)
Right Side Defence: weak (4)
Central Defence: inadequate (5)
Left Side Defence: inadequate (5)
Right Side Attack: outstanding (10)
Central Attack: passable (6)
Left Side Attack: inadequate (5)
DataKing/Nevstar Index: 43/47

That oustanding attack is definately pretty. However, it doesn't cover up the fact that we put up a pretty miserable showing even with some starters in there. If we play like this next week, we may not win.


Player Ratings
GK Sidney Buckley **
DW Lorenzo Cristiano (o) ***
DM José María Miquel **~
DW Marcel Romo *~
WI Mick Starks (o) ***~
MI Carlos Alberto Benito (o) ***~
MI Daniel Storm (x) RED CARD
MI Robert Tryggvesson *~
WI Ivan Viseslav **
FO Coskum Houben **
FO Juan Miguel Tizon **


Total Stars: 23.5
Total player experience: wretched
Team Attitude: Play It Cool


Again, a miserable showing. Viseslav backs off to ** instead of his usual **~ but that has to do with a form slump. Same with Marcel Romo and his *~ rating. Coskum Houben only put up ** and that's very disappointing (see below). We did get a spot of good news: Cristiano and his offensive abilities pulled in a *** at wingback. That could open up some interesting possibilities.


Three Stars
A pair of 2 goal scorers get top medals this week

Bronze: Carlos Alberto Benito
Contributes to the outstanding right side attack, puts up ***~ rating, and scores a goal
Silver: Coskum Houben
May have scored twice but he has bigger things to worry about (see below)
Gold: Ivan Viseslav
A pair of goals for the winger gets him his first gold


Game Summary
So maybe I'm being a bit overcritical of a 7-1 win, but there were a lot of things that went wrong this week and those need to be fixed. Maybe it's just the pressure of Div IV already getting to me. Can't say I'm really fond of our 4 cards (I'm not sure if Storm is eligible to play next week), lackluster midfield, some form slumps, and lack of a third UberTrainee(TM) and that's just off the top of my head. Next week we face a pretty tough Div V team in Ravenwood City.


Press Release
8/5/2003 at 12:14 Hippos Carded to Death in Win
Coach Rickey Braden had to be retrained midway through the second half after Daniel Storm was kicked off the pitch with his second yellow card of the day. It was the Hippos 4th card during a match where they played it cool but the refs called a very tight game. The computer controlled Boston Knights scored to take an early 1-0 lead but Houston scored 7 unanswered goals for the easy win. Next week, the Hippos, without the services of Storm, face Ravenwood City, their first human opponent.


Notes
It takes a big man to admit his mistakes and I'm not a big man. However, I definately will admit that I made a mistake with Coskum Houben. He has really done nothing. I didn't pay $150K for him to come in and get the same **~ that Derrick Solomon gets and only raise the level of play on that side by 1 level every couple of games. He has been sent to the transfer wire for the $150K that I bought him for and I'll be looking to replace him in the next couple of weeks.

SI