Preview
I don't want to say I'm overlooking this game as it's certainly not the case. However, I really want a return match next week against CW's Avengers. That said, I won't sabotage my training or risk injury to too many starters to do it, so there's a really good chance I lose this week. I'm hoping home field and the few starters I do allow to play let me win so I can play my starters next week against CW when I train stamina. However, if the chips don't fall that way, I'll live. I've always stated that I care much more about training than the FOFC Cup- a win would be nice and if things fall my way one year and I find myself in the Final Four or something, I may go for it. However, this is not the case here.
As for the game itself, West Henrietta has a very good run-and-shoot team and this promises to be a high scoring affair. New winger Koos Teepen will see his first ever action as a Hippo and Ivan Viseslav will likely see his last. The defense is still without Miguel so the aforementioned veteran Teepen will be the team captain. This definately was one hell of a game!
Game Summary
Date: 9/18/2003 at 01:00
MatchID: 9652838
Arena: The Hippodrome
Crowd: 1027
1027 spectators arrived at The Hippodrome, where weather conditions were pretty good for football. Hippopotami had chosen a strategic 3-5-2 formation. The following players had been chosen: Sánchez - Cristiano, Schrader, Bush - Viseslav, Tryggvesson, Storm, Little, Teepen - Tizón, Phelan.
Henrietta had chosen a strategic 3-5-2 formation. The following players had been chosen: Arenas - Mierzejewski, Portillo, Hartman - Jones, Johnsen, Gerlach, Kurida, Ibarra - Oldham, Taylor.
Henrietta saw most attack opportunites on the wings and were directing their passes that way. A badly positioned defensive formation on a free kick in the 7:th minute led to Henrietta´s Grzegorz Mierzejewski giving the visitors the lead 0 - 1. Rajko Kurida of Henrietta received a yellow card in the 17:th minute for unsportsmanlike behaviour. After 22 minutes Edwin Phelan made a dash down the middle past the away teams defenders scoring 1 - 1. Hippopotami took the lead by 2 - 1 after a penalty in the 24:th minute. Koos Teepen scored from the penalty spot. With clinical precision the cross pass from winger Ivan Viseslav found it's way to Juan Miguel Tizón's head, and a screaming header gave Hippopotami 3 - 1. In the 35:th minute Donald Oldham, after an opportunist attack from the right, scored the reducer for Henrietta making it 3 - 2. Halftime score was 3 - 2. Henrietta, bringing the final ball possession rate to 57 percent, dominated the battle.
The visiting teams Derek Hartman could score the 3 - 3 equaliser in the 52nd minute with a header, after some good work on the right. After 71 minutes Henriettas Rich Taylor made his way through the middle, putting the visitors up 3 - 4. Henriettas John Portillo got himself booked after a foul. Edwin Phelan went down after a savage challenge, but could keep on playing after some medical attention. With a shot floated in from just outside the penalty area in the 84:th minute, Elmer Bush of Hippopotami evened the score to 4 - 4. After 86 minutes Henriettas Rich Taylor made his way through the middle, putting the visitors up 4 - 5. The fortyfive minutes were dominated by Henrietta, with an impressive 71 percent possession of the ball.
The most dominating Hippopotami player was without a doubt Lorenzo Cristiano. Clement Schrader on the other hand, had a terrible day. Henrietta´s best player was Alejandro Arenas. Terry Jones on the other hand, had a terrible day. The match ends 4 - 5.
Events and Stats
A few notes:
1. Our score will always be first, whether we are ahead or behind
2. The (F#) shows the number of goals in FOFC 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
WHFC: 3-5-2
Events Summary
1st Half
WHFC: 07: 0-1
HH: 22: Edwin Phelan (F1): 1-1
HH: 24: Koos Teepen (F1): 2-1
HH: xx: Juan Miguel Tizon (F3): 3-1
WHFC: 35: 3-2
Halftime Score: 3-2
Possession: 43%
2nd Half
WHFC: 52: 3-3
WHFC: 71: 3-4
HH: 84: Elmer Bush (F1): 4-4
WHFC: 86: 4-5
Final Score: 4-5
Possession: 39%
Final Possession: 41%
Cards
None
Injuries
HH: xx: Edwin Phelan (bruised- savage challgenge, but could keep playing after some medical attention)
Stadium
Terraces: 641/20000
Basic seats: 263/8000
Seats under roof: 98/3200
VIP seats: 25/800
Total: 1027/32000
Really bad crowd for the FOFC Cup. Still, you should have heard the noise in the 84th Minute after Bush tied it up!
Team Ratings
Houston Hippopotami
Midfield: weak (4)
Right Side Defence: passable (6)
Central Defence: passable (6)
Left Side Defence: passable (6)
Right Side Attack: passable (6)
Central Attack: solid (7)
Left Side Attack: excellent (8)
DataKing/Nevstar Index: 47/51
West Henrietta FC
Midfield: passable (6)
Right Side Defence: passable (6)
Central Defence: weak (4)
Left Side Defence: passable (6)
Right Side Attack: excellent (8)
Central Attack: solid (7)
Left Side Attack: formidable (9)
DataKing/Nevstar Index: 52/58
After seeing these, I'm kindof suprised the game was as close as it was. Then again, since he went attack on wings, we just kept cramming attacks up the middle against that weak center defense and that kept us in the game. Makes me wonder what would have happened if we had played "attack in middle".
Player Ratings
GK Ignacio Sanchez **~
DW Lorenzo Cristiano ***
DM Clement Schrader **
DW Elmer Bush (m) **~
WI Ivan Viseslav **
MI Daniel Storm **~
MI Robert Tryggvesson (x) **~
MI Thomas Little (o) **~
WI Koos Teepen (o) ***
FO Juan Miguel Tizon **
FO Edwin Phelan **~
Total Stars: 27.0
Total player experience: wretched
Team Attitude: Friendly
Tactics: None
Our highest friendly star total to date. However, we did play our starting defenders, Teepen and Phelan. I think this is the first time all three UberTrainees(TM) got **~ and hopefully that will improve after next week's stamina training.
Three Stars
Lots of good effort by the guys who played
Bronze: Koos Teepen
New winger scores and puts up ***
Silver: Elmer Bush
His goal caused the 'drome to erupt even if it was silenced a minute later
Gold: Juan Miguel Tizon
Another FOFC Cup, another ho-hum team lead in goals
Game Summary
This was a game of momentum. We had it at first and took the 3-1 lead but they were bound to get chances with as much possession as they got and they took that 4-3 lead. However, when Elmer Bush tied the game with 4 minutes left, that was one of the best moments in Hippos history. Ever. However, it was turned into an absolutely devistating loss a few moments later. The guys played great today and deserved a win. But the same can be said for West Henrietta and they got it.
Tho our FOFC Cup run is over in short order, Tizon got his third goal and was named the FOFC Cup MVP for the Hippos for the second year in a row. We had a good showing and wish West Henrietta the best of luck against a really tough Avengers team. This was soon posted in the Hippos guestbook
Quote:
Number 43 of 44 by bigjdotcom01, 9/18/2003 at 02:51
Excellent match, a matchup of run-and-shoot clubs is always exciting. Who needs a stinking 1-nil match when you can watch a 5-4 one?
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Couldn't have said it better myself! Good luck, bigjdotcom01, you will have your hands full with CW. I wish I were playing that game but your team wanted it more and you won a great game!
Press Release
9/22/2003 at 01:16 Hippos Beaten At Their Own Game
The Hippos offense came to play for their second round game in the FOFC Cup. However, 4 goals wasn't enough as West Henrietta FC scored a 5th in the 86th minute to win 5-4 and advance to the round of 16. Starting striker Edwin Phelan, new winger Koos Teepen, FOFC Cup stud Juan Miguel Tizon, and defender Elmer Bush all scored for the Hippos but it wasn't enough. Bush's goal tied the game at 4 in the 84th minute, however, West Henrietta's Rich Taylor scored the game winner 2 minutes later.
FOFC Cup Bracket
Round of 32
Run & Shoot Bracket
Underlined Teams Won
1) Intercourse Ball Kickers (YoSoySean)
8) Blade Bombers (Blade6119)
12) Lancre Wowhawks (Katon - he's in England)
4) Arkham Avengers (Nyarlahotep)
6) West Henrietta FC (bigjdotcom01)
3) Houston Hippopotomi (sterlingice)
10) Chesapeake Cheapshots (QuikSand)
2) Galesburg Avengers (Coffee Warlord)
I feel bad that I couldn't hold serve and was the only higher seed to lose. However, I also lost to the highest of the low seeds (if that makes any sense). For no reason in particular, I feel the need to point out that there are two "Avengers" left in our bracket. Arkham won 4-2 with a go-ahead goal in the 79th minute and they will have their hands full next week. Intercourse beat a very game Bombers team in a game that was tied 0-0 at the half while Galesburg won handily 6-1.
Looking into my crystal ball (well, it's a shiny 50c piece that is good for making decision), I see Galesburg winning this bracket and a suprise winner taking home the 4th FOFC Cup. I think PilotMan and the Midwest Ice Storm will get the big trophy!
Notes
Next week, we travel to that far off country of... Canadia, the 51st state, for a matchup with the Thoroughbreds of IV.19. In this week's fixture, we look to keep things close against Brooklyn at home.
SI