2018 Sredets Cup (Results thread)

[Bulgar Rouge]

SREDETS FOOTBALL CUP

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The Sredets Football Cup was established in the Democratic Republic of Bulgar Rouge in 2015 as a competition of communal football teams in the country. On 28 October 2018, the Sports General Department of the People's Committee of Domestic Affairs changed the tournament's format so it can include football teams from other countries.

The winner of the 2018 tournament will receive the Sredets Cup and a monetary reward of $ 1,500,000 and automatically qualifies for the 2019 tournament. The first, second and third runners-up will receive monetary rewards of $ 500,000, $ 250,000 and $ 100,000, respectively.

Kommunar Arena (38,000)	National People's Liberation Air Force Stadium (49,000)
Partizan Stadium (63,000)	Buzludzha Stadium (51,000)

Groups (draw):

Group A	Group B	Group C	Group D
White Stars United	Sporting CD	Tralee Titans	Slagux HM
Wyinkvorth FK	Real Island CP	FC Septemvri	Arsenal de Releinthi
Tachi Stars	Gloriax A	F.C. Husseinbad	Al-Aswad
Star Noumea	Morna FC	FC New Selle	Odum United

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Group A

TEAM	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Tachi Stars	3	2	1	0	8	4	+4	7
Star Noumea	3	1	2	0	5	2	+3	5
Wyinkvorth FK	3	1	1	1	5	3	+2	4
White Stars United	3	0	0	3	4	13	-9	0

Group B

TEAM	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Gloriax A	3	2	0	1	4	2	+2	6
Sporting CD	3	1	1	1	6	3	+3	4
Real Island CP	3	1	1	1	2	5	-3	3
Morna FC	3	0	2	1	1	3	-2	1

Group C

TEAM	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
FC Septemvri	3	2	1	0	5	3	+2	7
F.C. Husseinbad	3	1	2	0	5	4	+1	5
Tralee Titans	3	1	1	1	5	4	+1	4
FC New Selle	3	0	0	3	0	4	-4	0

Group D

TEAM	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Arsenal de Releinthi	3	2	0	1	6	1	+5	6
Slagux HM	3	1	2	0	2	2	0	4
Al-Aswad	3	1	1	1	1	2	-1	4
Odum United	3	0	2	1	1	5	-4	2

Advancement beyond group stage:

• Group A leader v Group B runner-up;
• Group A runner-up v Group B winner;
• Group C leader v Group D runner-up;
• Group D leader v Group C runner-up.

[Estenia]

OOC: May I post my roster in here?

A team that had no bigger excpectations than finishing mid table, finished on the 3rd place and earned a UICA license properly, has higher excpectations this season and the pre-season tournament of Sredets Cup is the best chance for the team to prove itself before the Globe Cup Qualifiers. The players are readier than ever and ready to smash some foreigner teams. So let's see the roster.

Roster of Morna FC

Starters

GK: Andrei Astamenko
DC: Yuri Maastrov
DC: Andrei Nistelrooy
DL: Sergei Eriksov
DR: Andrei Smaksov
MC: Yuri Astapurevic
MR: Anatolya Yurimov
ML: Andrei Muriomov
CAM: Filipp Askenko
CF: Andrei Askenkev
CF: Yuri Maserov

Bench

GK: Andrei Korov
DC: Yuri Smerov
DL: Andrei Lurin
DR: Filipp Karsov
CM: Yuri Korsimov
CAM: Andrei Mariov
CF: Filipp Desianov

[Bulgar Rouge]

Matchday 1

Good evening to all those who listen to the Bulgarian People's Radio sports programme, I am Danail Vasilev and tonight we will cover the first two games of the 2018 Sredets Cup. Sixteen teams registered for the tournament and are going to throw every effort to win the cup and the sound financial rewards for those who reach the finals.

Tonight's two games are White Stars UTD v Star Noumea on Buzludzha Stadium and Wyinkvorth FK v Tachi Stars on Kommunar Stadium. The venues are in full attendance for these two clashes of the "stellar" group.

WSU 0–3  FNO
WFK 0–1  TAC

OOC: Sure.

[Bulgar Rouge]

Matchday 2

SPO 1–1  MRN
RID 2–0  GLA

Good evening again with the second matchday of the Sredets Cup football tournament. Tonight we observed the first clashes from Group B where Sporting CD of Dreamplanet faced Morna FC of Estenia on National People's Liberation Air Force Stadium in a tough match which ended with a 1-1 draw. Both teams demonstrated an aggressive style with numerous shots on goal which could have made the result much more colourful if it weren't for the quick reactions of their respective keepers.

In the second game, Real Island CP marked a clear 2-0 victory over Gloriax A on Partizan Stadium. The squad from Gloriax found themselves mostly on the defensive with some excellent flank play and a very concentrated centre. However, this proved insufficient to stop the offensive of Dreamplanet players who were dedicated and successful in their attempts to net.

The results propel Real Island CP to the top spot of Group B, Sporting CD and Morna FC share a single point, and Gloriax A finds itself at the bottom with 0 points and a negative goal difference.

[Bulgar Rouge]

Matchdays 3 & 4

TRS 2–0  FNC
SEP 2–2  HUS
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SGX 1–1  ODU
ARS 2–0  ASD

Good evening to all those of you who listen to the sports programme of the Bulgarian People's Radio. We come up with a summary of the Sredets Cup games from Matchdays 3 & 4 of Groups C and D, respectively.

In Group C, Tralee Titans scored a 2-0 victory over FC New Selle with two late-game shots. The team from Bandwagon thus comes up first in its group after FC Septemvri and F.C. Husseinbad of Huda managed an impressive 2-2 draw. Up until 62' our team was lagging behind but a remarkable 30-metre shot by Kotev brought us back in the game. Later on, in 88', a shuffle in front of the Hudians' goal resulted in a second one in their net after a corner by Petkov and a header by Tanchev who sent it in the upper left corner.

In Group D Slagux HM managed a heroic draw against Odum United. The Abajans scored early by penalty kick, but the small Aleutian team got back into the match when a free kick ended up in the opponents' goal in '68. Odum United continued attacking and produced an incredible 14 shots on goal, but to no avail. In the last game of the group, Arsenal de Releinthi easily handled Libyan rookies Al-Aswad with a powerful 2-0 established in the second half.

[Huda]

"Hello, and Shuprobhat, Huda! This is Rahim Talal, here with a sport special, with Hudian legend Saarar Rahman!" Rahim said, on the TV. "So, Saarar, what do you have to say to modern Hudian football?" Rahim asked Saarar Rahman, who was a Hudian football legend. "Well, Rahim, I'd say that modern Hudian football has expanded from the local city leagues back in 1970, now to an explosive football league." Saarar replied. "F.C Husseinbad had played hard in a match against F.C Septemvri, in a 2-2 draw. Young Hudian forward Zaeen Ibrahim scored a blockbuster of a shot, just outside the penalty spot, and into the bottom right corner! Another fantastic shot from the left by Husseinbad's star: Hamed Iqbal, who wants to keep his reign as star against Zaeen. It might be rivalry, but both know how to cooperate. Saarar, any comment?" Rahim stated. "Well, I am impressed by Zaeen's keen energy. His style of play is light, fast and powerful. Effective." Saarar replied. Both gave a laugh, as the video faded off, with replays of the goals, and highlights of the match.

Hudian Squad

Kit Number | Position | Name | Nationality | Captain (Only for Captain, marked with bold C)
1 | GK | Rafeq Ahmed | Hudian
3 | Left Defender | Hamed Shah | Hudian
2 | Right Defender | Towfiq Alam | Hudian[i]
[i]4 | Center-Left Defender | Jafer al-Qassem | Iranian
6 | Center-Right Defender | Nur ibn Talal | Saudi Arabian
12 | Central Attacking Midfielder | Arif Yusriyah | Egyptian
31 | Left Attacking Midfielder | Rafid Karim | Bangladeshi
24 | Right Attacking Midfielder | Tashfiq Rahman | Hudian
21 | Forward | Zaeen Ibrahim | Hudian
11 | Left Winger | Hamed Iqbal | Hudian | C
10 | Right Winger | Shafin Huq | Bangladeshi

Kit was the one in above.

[Bulgar Rouge]

Matchdays 5 & 6

FNO 1–1  TAC
WSU 1–4  WFK
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MRN 1–2  GLA
SPO 5–0  RID

The sports programme of the Bulgarian People's Radio will present you the results of Matchdays 5 & 6. Groups A and B saw multi-goal clashes with the thrashing of White Stars United by Wiyinkvorth FK by 1:4 in A Group and Real Island CP by Sporting CD with 0:5. These results are sure to disturb the standings in both groups as the goal difference might as well be in Wyinkvort FK and Sporting CD's favour in the long-term.

In other matches, Star Noumea and Tachi Stars made an unimpressive 1-1 draw which excited only a few on Kommunar Arena. Tachi Stars were awarded an early penalty kick after a faul by the Noumean goalkeeper who then failed to save. They later redeemed themselves in the early minutes of the second half with a free kick cannon, but there was little overall dynamics in the game until the end. In Group B, Gloriax A pulled it off against Morna FC and was decisively leading by 2-0 throughout most of the game. Morna managed to return one with a spectacular long shot by Yurimov, but their efforts were insufficient to get the draw and now they will drop to the last place in the group.

OOC: Sorry for the delays and two-in-one format, had surgery.

[Bulgar Rouge]

Matchdays 7 & 8

FNC 0–1 HUS
TRS 1–2  SEP
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ODU 0-0  ASD
SGX 1–0 ARS

The Bulgarian People's Radio presents the results of Matchdays 7 & 8 of the Sredets Cup tournament. Our FC Septemvri achieved a remarkable 2-1 victory over Tralee Titans which delighted the masses on Buzludzha Stadium. The result was opened in 28' by Tanchev, who skillfully went past two defenders to find himself one on one against the goalkeeper and ultimately sending the ball past him and into the goal. However, the Titans restored the balance only six minutes later with a bombastic three-man attack which saw the ball run through four of our defenders and then into the net. The result remained unchanged with lots of tactical maneuvers in the centre, but Tanchev became the hero of the match with a nice curved shot in 89' which proved impossible for the goalkeeper to save. In the other game of Group C, F.C. Husseinbad played a difficult one against FC New Selle but eventually won by 1-0. Five of the seven Hudian shots on goal were made by rising star Zaeen Ibrahim, but it was Hamed Iqbal who netted with an amazing bicycle kick in 75'.

In Group D, Libyan champions Al-Aswad and Odum United made an unappealing zero draw. Odum United were close to an opener on several occasions, but the lack of concentration in their players or pure misfortune prevented the team from getting out something more from this game. In what is seen as a shock by sports professionals, the unpretentious Slagux HM continued its miracle-making with a 1-0 victory over grand Arsenal de Releinthi. This sends the small Aleutian team to the top of Group D with good prospects to reach the finals.

[Huda]

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Partizan Stadium
It was cold. The match was raging, as the crowd's cheer impenetrable. Zaeen grinned to Hamed. Hamed grinned back. Earlier, Hamed said that the person who gets the most goals in the tournament gets the captain's armband. If Zaeen lost, he would be a subsitute. Zaeen took the ball as much as he can. The most beautiful, he thought, was the last. He was passed the ball right at the center, as he dribbled pass the midfielders, and defenders. He chipped the ball, to his dismay, which was reached by the goalkeeper. Zaeen thought, "Number seven.". Decisively, he decided to answer the shouts of his team-mate. "PASS! PASS" the shouts of Hamed could be heard. Fine, thought Zaeen. He stopped, to the defenders surprise. He tried passing the ball, but the power of his shot transformed it to a chip. Hamed realized it: Bicycle. He shot it, and what a beauty! "YA'ALI!" shouted Hamed, pointing to the sky, as he was mobbed by his teammates. "TUI AMAR GOAL NILI!", or in English, "YOU TOOK MY GOAL!" Zaeen shouted, as they both gave a friendly laugh. One goal for me, Hamed smiled. To Zaeen's dismay, the game ended. He gave a high-five to Hamed, and completed all proceedings. Next time, maybe, Zaeed thought.

[Bulgar Rouge]

Matchdays 9 & 10

WFK 1–1 FNO
TAC 6-3  WSU
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RID 0-0  MRN
GLA 2–0 SPO

The sports programme of the Bulgarian People's Radio presents a summary of Sredets Cup tournament matchdays 9 & 10. In Group A, Wyinkvorth FK and Star Noumea made a 1-1 draw at National People's Liberation Air Force Stadium. There was little action during the first half, with both teams making a single attempt on goal. The Stars came forward in 67', but Wyinkvorth equalised late in 92' much to the disappointment of the Noumean team. In the other game, Tachi Stars carried out a lesson in football to White Stars United with a smashing 6-3. The White Stars quickly pulled forward by 2-0 with two good short-distance shots in 6' and 11'. Tachi Stars returned one in 29', but this was only a premonition of what was to come next. The White Stars conceded four goals in 39', 41', 43' and 45' after disastrous errors in their centre and defence. During the second half, a penalty kick was awarded to the Whites, but things were evidently hopeless for the demoralised team. Tachi Stars scored a sixth one in 80' and only eleven minutes later the referee put the "Whities" out of their misery, and they finish without a point in the group.

In Group B, Real Island CP and Morna FC made a goalless draw on Buzludzha Stadium, while Gloriax A toppled Sporting CD from the top spot in the group after a smooth 2-0 on Kommunar Arena.

Given these results, the first quarterfinal will see Tachi Stars facing Sporting CD, while Star Noumea will clash with Gloriax A.

[Bulgar Rouge]

Matchdays 11 & 12

SEP 1–0 FNC
HUS 2-2 TRS
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ARS 4-0  ODU
ASD 1–0 SGX

The sports programme of the Bulgarian People's Radio presents a summary of the last two matchdays of the Sredets Cup tournament group stage. The people-masses of Bulgar Rouge are rejoicing after our heroic September FC defeated FC New Selle with 1-0 at Partizan Stadium. The guests were more aggressive than ever as they were desperately seeking to win the three points despite them being already eliminated form the tournament. This created numerous difficulties for the Bulgarian offensive. Septemvri was awarded a free kick in 68', which hit the wall and after a shuffle Kotev shot a cannonball straight into the upper left corner of New Selle. The guests attempted numerous counterattacks and only luck saved our team from a draw after a grave error in defence in 85'. This victory puts our team first in the group and gives it a spot in the quarterfinals where it will play against the runner-up of Group D.

In the other Group C match, F.C. Husseinbad fought hard for a 2-2 draw against Tralee Titans. Huda's elite club was pressed hard by the Titans, which were determined to flip the board and secure a second place in the group. They dominated most of the match with aggressive and accurate passes which neutralised Husseinbad's defence on several occasions. Two consecutive shots in 49' and 53' gave the Titans a clear advantage, but they pressed forward with several attacks following the goals. Husseinbad's centre was strengthened with a double substitute in 71' which slowed the pace of the game. The Titans, anticipating a victory and a place in the quarters, evidently dropped their guard around 87' when captain Hamed Iqbal slipped past the rival defences and scored. A second one came after a similar situation on the right when Tashfiq Rahman shot a long one in the lower right corner. The Hudians were close to the three points when Zaeen Ibrahim's shot was off the upper post. Husseinbad won a single point, but it was enough for them and they continue to the quarterfinals where they will face the winner of Group D.

There, things came back to normal after Arsenal de Releinthi finally showed what it's capable of after thrashing Odum United by 4-0. This gives them the first place in the group after Slagux HM's string of successes was halted by Al-Aswad, who won by 1-0. However, that won't be enough to propel the Libyans to the second place and the Aleutian team will move forward as a runner-up owing to a better goal difference. Odum United finish the group last.

Quarterfinals will be played on Monday; all teams will have a break during the weekend.

[Bulgar Rouge]

Matchday 13

Tachi Stars 0–1 Sporting CD
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Star Noumea 1–1 Gloriax A (1–3 AET)

Good evening with the sports programme of the Bulgarian People's Radio. The first two quarterfinals of the Sredets Cup tournament were played tonight between Tachi Stars and Sporting CD on Partizan Stadium and Star Noumea and Gloriax A on Buzludzha Stadium.

After an intense tactical match, Sporting CD tricked Tachi Stars with a 1-0 in 89'. The game saw few shots on target, with most of the action happening along the left flank and the centre. In the other quarterfinal, Gloriax A defeated Star Noumea by 3-1 after extra time. The Stars were the first to score in 38', but Gloriax equalised after a brutal error of the rivals' goalkeeper in 51'. Star Noumea kept attacking, but most of their shots came off target as the defence of Gloriax A proved impenetrable. During extended time, Gloriax A scored two more goals to secure their spot on the semifinal where they will face Sporting CD.

[Bulgar Rouge]

Matchday 14

FC Septemvri 1–0 Slagux HM
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F.C. Husseinbad 1–1 Arsenal de Releinthi (2–1 AET)

Exciting night of the lower end of the table and the quarterfinals ! Our heroic FC Septemvri defeated Aleutian minnows Slagux HM to secure a spot for Bulgarian players on the semifinals. Tanchev scored right before half time in 45' and the result did not change until the end of the game. Our players felt comfortable on National People's Liberation Air Force Stadium with 65% posession and most of the game happening in the Aleutians' half.

In the other match, F.C. Husseinbad continued its streak of dramatic matches after winning over Arsenal de Releinthi at Kommunar Arena. Arsenal began with a strong first 20 minutes, attacking relentlessly. Rafeq Ahmed's brilliant performance tonight demotivated the opponents and the tempo dropped. The last significant offensive by Arsenal was followed by a counter which saw captain Hamed Iqbal scoring in 38' after the ball was reflected off the post and into the net. However, only two minutes later the result was equalised. Tension continued building up throughout the second half, but none of the attacks by either teams yielded results. The air on Buzludzha Stadium was heavy with the smell of penalty kicks, but superstar Zaeen Ibrahim nailed it in 118' with a bombastic curved shot from near one of the corners. Arsenal collapsed and only the final referee signal saved them from a larger difference.

FC Septemvri and F.C. Husseinbad will face each other in the semifinal on 4 December.

[Bulgar Rouge]

OOC: Sorry for the delay, again. University shit.

Matchday 15

Sporting CD 1–1 Gloriax A (1–2 AET)
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FC Septemvri 1–1 F.C. Husseinbad (2–1 AET)

Incredible news from the semifinals of the Sredets Cup tournament ! Bulgarian champions FC Septemvri miraculously defeat Hudian powerhouse F.C. Husseinbad and are onto the final ! The match had an intensive beginning before a huge crowd at Partizan Stadium with both teams striking the post in the first 8 minutes. The result was opened after Hudian defender Hamed Shah and goalkeeper Rafeq Ahmed had a misunderstanding during a Bulgarian attack and Shah accidentally landed the ball in his own net in 40'. The battle continued into the second half with both teams running constant attacks intense one-on-one clashes along the flanks. The result was leveled in 86' when Zaeen Ibrahim sent a gentle header right past Septemvri goalkeeper Karatanchev. This ran shockwaves of euphoria among the handful of Hudian fans on the stadium, but it only lasted a few minutes - Tanchev equalised with one of his classic bombastic long-distance shots. Everything was at stake for our team which concentrated entirely on the centre and defence. The Hudians were desperate to return the goal and gradually asserted themselves in Septemvri's half, to the point where even goalkeeper Ahmed came to assist the attack, but to no avail.

A similar drama developed on NPLAF Stadium where Sporting CD had a comfortable 1-0 lead throughout most of the match. However, they pulled back into their own area after scoring which only meant that Gloriax A would sooner or later give it back. This happened rather late in 75', causing Sporting to move out of its comfort zone and attempt several toothless attacks, most of them with shots off target. Gloriax A used the opportunity to grind down their physically exhausted opponents and demonstrated perfect physical fitness. After 110, several offensives against Sporting came close to putting an end to the game, but it wasn't until 117' when the tide turned and Gloriax A came ahead. After winning the game, they will face FC Septemvri, while Sporting CD will fight F.C. Husseinbad for the 3rd place on 7 December.

[Bulgar Rouge]

Matchday 16 - FINALS

FC Septemvri 1–1 Gloriax A (1–1 AET) (3–4 pen.)

An extremely dramatic final to the Sredets Cup tournament ! Our people's club, FC Septemvri, lost to Gloriax A who became champions of the first ever edition of the tournament. The first half was entirely tactical, with both teams cautiously testing the defences and centre of the opponent. As the second half progressed, attacks against both goals intensified. Gloriax A were first to score in 69' after nearly 10 minutes of intensive attacks. The offensive stretched their flanks, however, and Kotev bypassed their defence in a counterattack that equalised the result in 71'. No changes occurred in extra time and the match was decided with a penalty shootout. Gloriax' goalkeeper proved more efficient with three remarkable saves, while their players missed two, which formed the final result of 3-4 for Gloriax A, who are the first Sredets Cup champions.

Sporting CD 1–0 F.C. Husseinbad

The smaller final saw similar tactics applied by both teams. Husseinbad began strongly with three shots on goal, one by Iqbal and two by Zaeen Ibrahim, but Sporting then launched a series of furious counterattacks which did not result in goals only by miracle. One of Sporting's goals was a questionable offside and caused vocal protests of the team's coach and players. The second half began with less intensity, with Husseinbad marking better possession but failing to repeat the push of the first half. A free kick in 83' opened the result for Sporting CD. Hudians desperately tried to bring the match to extra time but failed, and they will have to settle with 4th place.

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GLORIAX A

Runner-up: FC Septemvri
2nd runner-up: Sporting CD
3rd runner-up: F.C. Husseinbad