[sterlingice]

Pre-Game Analysis


Preview
I've changed up my friendlies a little. I decided that this late in the season, I not only want to be international but I also want to be going up against top teams. So, this week, we will be going to Iceland. Ok, so maybe it's not a tropical paradise but it certainly is exotic. There we will play Real Reykjavik who is in I.1 Island- the equivalent to our MLS. Realize, however, Island is only a small country and being 7th in I.1 puts him on par with my team. But he's still in a country's top series and that's just cool!

Prediction
Real has put up weak and inad midfields their last couple friendlies so this should be close. We tend to get weak on the road but maybe last week's stamina training will help that out. None of his other ratings really stand out except central defense which is pretty high. If we can get some pressure on the wings, we might win this. Real 3 Hippos 2.



Gameday Live
Date: 10/22/2003 at 15:30
MatchID: 9879358
Arena: Real Reykjavik Arena
Crowd: 2793


Weather conditions were fairly good for football, and Real Reykjavik Arena saw a crowd turnout of 2793. Reykjavik started off with a 3-5-2 lineup. They fielded: Grétarsson - Ranin, Huttunen, Rundmar - Frostendahl, Andreasson, Malecki, Guðjónsson, Angelini - Ehnlius, Adelskär.

Hippopotami had chosen a strategic 3-5-2 formation. They fielded: Sánchez - Sánchez, Meek, Miquel - Teepen, Tryggvesson, Storm, Wellens, Starks - Solomon, Tizón.

Man, what a shot by Daniel Storm! Firing from 35 yards he didn't give the enemy goalie a chance and it was 0 - 1. After several obvious shirt pulling incidents, Hippopotami´s Herschel Meek got himself booked. In the games 12th minute Reykjavik´s Anders Adelskär fell dramatically just outside the penalty area. However, the referee booked Anders Adelskär for taking a dive. After 12 minutes Niklas Ehnlius got through on the right and was very close to equalising for the home side, but didn´t get the shot away. 0 - 1 was the half-time score. The fortyfive minutes were dominated by Reykjavik, with an impressive 51 percent possession of the ball.

Juan Miguel Tizón increased the visitors lead by putting a volley shot away on a pass from the right. 0 - 2. The structure of the game started to change as Hippopotami decided to pull back and meet their opponents in the defensive zone. A marvelous Reykjavik effort to the right resulted in a 52nd minute goal by Niklas Ehnlius, putting the score up to 1 - 2. 63 minutes into the game Niklas Ehnlius had to leave the pitch due to a knee injury. In came Knut Johansen. Marian Malecki seemed highly inexperienced when in the 64:th minute he was loitering with the ball, allowing Robert Tryggvesson to intercept and strike 1-3 for Hippopotami. Some fine manouvering on the left lead to an 69:th minute Hippopotami goal, making it 1 - 4. Juan Miguel Tizón was noted down as the scorer. Reykjaviks Knut Johansen went wide in the 77:th minute, recieving a brilliant pass slicing through the visiting teams central defense line, putting the 2 - 4 goal away. This part of the game had been a standoff between the teams.

Reykjavik´s best player was Martin Andreasson. However, Pétur Björn Guðjónsson made a disastrous appearance. The most dominating Hippopotami player was without a doubt Mick Starks. Derrick Solomon on the other hand, had a terrible day. The match ends 2 - 4.



(Lies, Damn Lies, and) Statistics

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

Notes: I'm kindof disappointed that only 2700 and change showed up but I guess if I had to live in Iceland, I wouldn't want to go outside into the cold either. If you're curious- I just went over to weather.com and the high tomorrow in Reykjavik is only a chilly 33. However, they'll be back up into the low 50s by the end of the week so it's not bitterly cold there yet. The weather conditions for our game were "fairly good".


Team Ratings

Real Reykjavik
Midfield: passable (6)
Right Side Defence: inadequate (5)
Central Defence: formidable (9)
Left Side Defence: excellent (8)
Right Side Attack: inadequate (5)
Central Attack: solid (7)
Left Side Attack: inadequate (5)
DataKing/Nevstar Index: 51/57

Houston Hippopotami
Midfield: inadequate (5)
Right Side Defence: inadequate (5)
Central Defence: passable (6)
Left Side Defence: passable (6)
Right Side Attack: passable (6)
Central Attack: weak (4)
Left Side Attack: solid (7)
DataKing/Nevstar Index: 44/49

Notes: That inad midfield matched our crappy output on the PIC during this week's fixture against Chock. We lost on pretty much every front but somehow still won the game. Strange.


Player Ratings
GK Ignacio Sanchez **
DW Arcadio Sanchez **
DM Herchel Meek **~
DW Jose Maria Miguel **~
WI Koos Teepen ***
MI Pierre Wellens **~
MI Robert Tryggvesson (x) **~
MI Daniel Storm ***
WI Mick Starks (o) ***~
FO Derrick Solomon *
FO Juan Miguel Tizon **~

Total Stars: 27.0
Total player experience: poor
Team Attitude: Friendly
Tactics: None

Notes: Storm has got to be close to bumping to formidable with *** today. This may have been Derrick Solomon's last game for the Hippos- he's expected to retire at the end of the season.



The Postgame Show

Game Summary
Storm scored in the first 10 minutes of the game but there was nothing else in the first half, as we went into halftime up 1-0 but losing possession 51-49. However, early in the second half, Tizon gave us a 2-0 lead and we pulled back. I always get that sinking feeling in my gut and, once again, it was justified as they knocked one home in the 52nd minute to cut our lead in half. However the scorer, Niklas Ehnlius was injured, and had to be replaced by Knut Johansen, who scored for them later in the game. But sandwiched inbetween their goals were goals by Tryggvesson and a second for Tizon and the Hippos leave Iceland a winner.


Three Stars
The goal scorers get the stars today

Bronze: Robert Tryggvesson
Got a goal today on the midfield
Silver: Daniel Storm
A *** on the midfield for the UberTrainee(TM) and a goal as well
Gold: Juan Miguel Tizon
A pair of goals which gave us leads of 2-0 and 4-1


Press Release
10/24/2003 at 12:14 Houston Hot In Iceland!
Houston got a big win on the Friendly Hippo World Tour, beating Real Reykjavik, a very formidable opponent and a member of Island's top series. Juan Miguel Tizon scored twice while Storm and Tryggvesson added one goal each and led the B Team UberTrainee(TM) midfield to it's first ever inadequate rating. Next week, the Hippos visit another tough team as they travel to play dada team, a club in Croatia's top series. Sunday is the last fixture of Season 20, Fan Appreciation Day at the 'drome.



In Closing
I'm really liking these international friendlies. I kindof wish I could have gotten more people at the game to make a little more profit but I'd rather play Div I teams who I actually have a shot at winning against than get an extra couple grand- I guess that's just me.

SI