[DataKing]

Season 2 – Cup Match #1

Kingpin F.C. vs. Screamin’ Seamen

Date: December 11, 2002
Venue: Kingpin FC Arena (Dallas, TX)
Attendance: 4989 (7000)
Weather: Overcast

Our team didn’t receive an invitation to the U.S.A. Cup in our first season, so the players were understandably nervous about this match. Kingpin F.C. was a relatively new team, and we expected no real trouble from them. Normally, we would have played our second team in this situation, but after the off-season, we wanted to get our starters onto the pitch in order to get them ready for the start of league play. We made three changes to our normal starters. William Brown, one of our defensive trainees, would start in place of veteran wingback Ben McMahon, who has done little to impress in the off-season. Otis Johnson would also start, replacing Olav Mauffret on the wing. Olav, in turn, would play midfield, as we chose to rest the old-timer, Pete Tomlin.

Formation: 3-5-2
Starters

Keeper: #1 Darryl Read

Right Wingback: #23 William Brown
Central Defender: #2 Chuck Scales
Left Wingback: #5 Arlen Lucas

Right Winger: #16 Otis Johnson
Inner Midfielder: #7 Lucian Tere
Inner Midfielder: #6 Charlie Bautista
Inner Midfielder: #10 Olav Mauffret
Left Winger: #8 Max Dodge

Forward: #15 Forrest Tobias
Forward: #11 Johannes Henriksson

Match Report

Screamin' had a good opportunity to score the lead goal but the home team goaltender Shawn Carver saved Chuck Scales´s shot headed for the top corner. After 37 minutes Screamin's Forrest Tobias made his way through the middle, putting the visitors up 0 - 1. Screamin's William Brown got himself booked after a foul. The Kingpin player was Honorio Contreras who had to be helped off the pitch, unable to finish the game. Lucian Tere came close to extending the visitors lead as he, completely unmarked in front of the goal, lifted a ball over Shawn Carver, hitting the bar. The teams went for a half-time break at 0 - 1. Screamin', bringing the final ball possession rate to 65 percent, dominated the battle.

It was one fine day for Max Dodge at his wing, especially delicate was his cross pass serving to Otis Johnson after 49 minutes of play, but the keeper saved. Screamin'´s Johannes Henriksson received a play slashing through the home side´s defense in the 77:th minute, chipping it past the keeper scoring 0 - 2. The home crowd was not pleased with that one. The away team´s Forrest Tobias took advantage of a mistake to the home side´s right in the 77:th minute increasing Screamin'´s lead to 0 - 3. By now Screamin' were drawing the troops back in order to defend their lead. Some fine manouvering on the left lead to an 80:th minute Screamin' goal, making it 0 - 4. Chuck Scales was noted down as the scorer. After 86 minutes of game time Charlie Bautista received an excellent opportunity to add to the visitors lead, clipping a volley hooked in from the right, but Shawn Carver was in the right place, tipping the ball to a corner. Screamin' held the ball, with a clear 90 percent possession rate.

Final Score: Screamin’ Seamen 4, Kingpin F.C. 0

Goals
Tobias – 2 (1,2)
Henriksson – 1 (1)
Scales – 1 (1)

Cards
Brown (yellow)

Comments

Things were a little dicey early in the match, as we had only a one goal lead and Shawn Carver played very well in Kingpin’s net. We finally rattled him in the 77th minute, however, as Henriksson and Tobias scored in rapid succession. Three minutes later, Chuck Scales added a gravy goal, and the match was decided.

Player Ratings

Hattrick rates individual performances in star ratings. Here are the number of stars that each of our players earned in this match:

Read: **1/2

Brown: **
Scales: ***
Lucas: **1/2

Johnson: **
Tere: **
Bautista: ***
Mauffret: **
Dodge: *1/2

Tobias: **1/2
Henriksson: **1/2

Team Match MVP: #6 Charlie Bautista

Team Ratings

Hattrick rates team performances with the same rating system that is used for rating player skills. Here are the performance ratings for both teams.

Screamin’ Seamen
-Midfield: Weak (4)
-Right Defense: Excellent (8)
-Central Defense: Excellent (8)
-Left Defense: Solid (7)
-Right Attack: Inadequate (5)
-Central Attack: Inadequate (5)
-Left Attack: Inadequate (5)

Kingpin F.C.
-Midfield: Wretched (2)
-Right Defense: Inadequate (5)
-Central Defense: Inadequate (5)
-Left Defense: Weak (4)
-Right Attack: Wretched (2)
-Central Defense: Poor (3)
-Left Attack: Wretched (2)

It’s easy to see why this was such a mismatch.

Up Next: We open up league play by hosting another recently promoted team, Croats In Miami. Stay tuned!