AOCAF Cup XXXI - RP/Rosters/Scores

[Pacitalia]

Football > AOCAF Cup 31
Sunday 10th July 2011

Giurimano past 100 with second hat-trick; Foxes trot into last eight
Neighbours Scandonia put up feeble opposition while Zolà earns a clean sheet

Alberto-Vicente Marro
Catherina, Delaclava

Pacitalia's Blue Foxes stormed the Delaclav capital Saturday afternoon, putting on their most spectacular display of football yet at AOCAF Cup 31 with a resounding 5-0 win over neighbours Scandonia in the round of sixteen.

The victory, courtesy a second consecutive Ambrosino Giurimano hat trick and a perfect effort from the Pacitalian back four, sets up a rematch with the host country in the quarterfinals. In the final group stage match Thursday, Delaclava's side fought hard, but ended up on the wrong side of a 4-2 result against the Blue Foxes.

For Giurimano, the result was doubly special, as his three goals put him over 100 in his international career and cemented his status as one of the greatest Pacitalian footballers of all time. He is the first Pacitalian player to reach that plateau and becomes the first footballer in Atlantian Oceania to score 100 goals in international competition.

All three of Giurimano's goals came before the half-time whistle. Upon scoring his second of the match in the 33rd minute — the actual 100th goal — he was mobbed by his teammates near the Scandonian goal while a thundering crowd of almost 150,000 stood on its feet. The match official handed the ball to Giurimano, who gratefully accepted it. Turning to the stands, he raised his arms and shouted to the skies, accompanied by deafening cheers from fans.

Pacitalia also benefited from second-half scores courtesy Demi Santos and Diego Tomás Cruz. For the Lions, while their tournament is over, they certainly performed above expectations heading into the knockouts — their closest chance to score came in the 52nd minute on a corner from Freddie van Beijer. Scandonian forward Amos Bakker couldn't quite redirect the ball to goal, missing wide right with the header.

For Abro Zolà and the Pacitalian back four, it was a markedly better effort than matches past. The result was the Pacitalian captain's first clean sheet of the tournament and couldn't have come at a better time, just as questions started to swirl back home in Pacitalia around the defence's fitness and ability.

Pacitalia and Delaclava meet for the re-match on Monday evening here in Catherina. Sergio San Cristobál will sit out his second match of the tournament with a strained hamstring; it is expected manager Marco van Basten will start Ami Bellagente in his place. Bellagente, if selected, will earn his 20th cap for the Blue Foxes.

Copyright © 2011 Extra, the Pacitalian sport network
http://www.extra.pc/football/nr.gspx?sd=734734&ad=en

[Delaclava]

Host announcement first: Something changed in the scheduling that has caused me to change the scheduling of this Cup. Due to my mom scheduling two college visits for me on Friday, and the fact that I'll instead be leaving vacation on Thursday evening, third place playoff scorination will NOT occur on Thursday. It MAY occur late Friday night if I get back in time. Most likely, it will scorinated Saturday morning. The final will be scorinated Saturday afternoon.

With that said, RP cutoff for the quarterfinals!

[Delaclava]

QUARTERFINALS

Pacitalia 11-10 Delaclava at Golden Phoenix Field, Delaclava National Athletic Complex, Catherina (150,000)
Krytenia 2-1 Kagdazka and Pazhujebu at Adam Levy Memorial Stadium, Delaclava National Athletic Complex, Catherina (95,000)
Valanora 1-3 Cafundeu at Quiranos Memorial Stadium, Delaclava National Athletic Complex, Catherina (85,000)
Andossa se Mitrin Vega 0-2 Sarzonia at Grant Haschell Memorial Stadium, Delaclava National Athletic Complex, Catherina (95,000)[/quote]

SEMIFINALS
Pacitalia vs. Krytenia at Golden Phoenix Field, Delaclava National Athletic Complex, Catherina (150,000)
Cafundeu vs. Sarzonia at Golden Phoenix Field

[Pacitalia]

QUARTERFINALS

Pacitalia 11-10 Delaclava at Golden Phoenix Field, Delaclava National Athletic Complex, Catherina (150,000)

OOC: Seriously? This'll be fun to RP...

[Cafundeu]

Stories of the stadium
Diana and her new love

Mark was always trying to make Diana, his girlfriend, go out with him. They were already living together, but with the hard routine of work and college at the same time, plus the house chores, they didn't have much time to spend time together at home. And, on weekends, Diana used to go out with her friends, drinking and partying all night, while her boyfriend stayed at home. She always used the same argument to defend her nights out: by living together, they were seeing each other all the time, and she needed some time with her friends. But, for Mark, the situation wasn't like that. They shared the same room, but her friends seemed to talk and spend more leisure time with her than him. That situation was frustrating for the young man.

But then an opportunity appeared. Mark is a fan of football, and a Delaclav, living in his home country. Fan of his national team and of the club Parakeet FC, he sometimes went to the stadium to watch a game. He wasn't sure that his girlfriend also enjoyed the sport, but a precious opportunity appeared for him: Diana is from Cafundéu, travelling to Delaclava to work, where she met him. With the Monopolists participating in the AOCAF Cup close to him, he could go out with her with a different activity, at least one that they had never done before. He invited her to go to the stadium, hoping that she would finally accept his call to spend some time with him.

Diana's first thought was to reject the idea and claim that she and some friends would go out at that same day. But then she remembered all the things Mark have done for her, and his need of having her by his side. She knew that they didn't go out very often, and that this was bad for their relationship... he was feeling that she wasn't giving much attention to him, and so Diana decided to accept the invitation. But going to the stadium to watch a football match wasn't one of her first options of leisure activity. Anyway, she would do that in order to please her boyfriend. During all the trip to the stadium, Mark couldn't stop talking about how Cafundéu versus Valanora was a classic match, and he was very excited.

The match started tense, with both teams having great players and displaying an offensive football: it was a very good game to watch. Mark was happy to see Diana with him, but even happier when she begun reacting to the moves of the players. Supporting her home country, Cafundéu, she began shouting and moving her hands, showing that she was enjoying the match. When Conchis scored the first goal of the game, she jumped from her seat and kissed Mark: everything was perfect for him, who was finally having some moments with Diana and only her. Valanora equalised and for some moments she even got a bit depressed, worried that Cafundéu was going to lose.

Still in the first half, team captain Rufino scored the second goal for Cafundéu, and he seemed to be one of the few players she recognized. Yes, she didn't follow much the sport, but seemed to understand all the rules, so that Mark didn't have to explain anything. He was a bit disappointed with that fact, since he wanted to have as much interaction with his girlfriend as possible. Late in the second half, when the Monopolists were more defensive, Vinícius Oliveira scored the third goal of the game thanks to a counterattack, giving Cafundéu a place in the semifinals. With a smile on her face, Diana saw the referee announce the end of the match, and the two got back home.

At home, Mark expected that they could continue their great day together, but Diana simply went to her computer and talked to her friends through a social network. It seemed that all that day's experiences were forgotten. But, in truth, they weren't: Diana enjoyed the match, but something inside her was saying that things could be even better, that something was missing. When she looked at Mark, she finally discovered it: his company didn't excite her anymore. It wasn't that the football match wasn't that good, it was that she would like much more to do things with other people than with him. And, on the other day, she broke her relationship with Mark, thanks to something that was his idea... at least thanks to that she also learnt to enjoy football.

[Sarzonia]

Note: Home kits have a primarily navy colour scheme; away kits are primarily white; keeper kits the third set shown.

I Give My Opponent Permission To:
====================
Choose Scorers: Y
GodMod Goalscoring Events: N
Injure Players: N
GodMod Injury Events N

Red Card Players: Y (within reason; no more than two)
Yellow Card Players: Y (within reason)
GodMod Other Events: N
====================

Sarzonia Stars

Manager: Kevin Wilson (49 years old)
After losing out to Franz Braddock for the senior national team managing honours, the younger brother of now Incorporated Football Federation Chairman Brian Wilson has taken the second choice Stars national team and led the team to the AOCAF 29 title.
Assistants: Tom Kendrick (61 years old)
The now-former manager of the Woodstock Wild joined the second choice national team programme after winning just one SFC title in six seasons.
Goalkeeping Coach: Troy Perkins (65)
The first starting goalkeeper in Stars history, Perkins brings a link to the early days of Sarzonian football.

Squad Listing
(Note: Starters in BOLD. Team plays a 4-4-2 alignment with a plus-one modifier.)

No. Name Position Height Weight
1 Will Brantley GK 5'11" 165 pounds
After taking over for Cody Taylor in Woodstock, Brantley, 27, recently lost his starting job to Delaclav national Thomas Nolan, but still has the starting job for the Stars 'B' team.

2 Jonah Matthews D 6'0" 170 pounds
Matthews, 25, brings a lot of speed and skill to the position. His experience lately has provided dividends.

6 Wes Scott D 5'11 170 pounds CAPTAIN
Scott, 30, plays either halfback or fullback for the Nicksia Knights depending on the team's needs of the day. His performance in the AOCAF 29 final against Starblaydia gave him the starting job for good, Wally Pipping Carletta Ryan.

7 Elijah Aston M 6'1 175 pounds
Aston is arguably the team's most athletic player. He's deadly for New Daurmont on the left flank and was far and away the team's leading scorer with 14 goals in 27 matches. At 25 years old, still has some unrealised potential.

9 George Maxwell D 6'5 225 pounds
Dubbed "the brick wall," Maxwell uses size to be a disruptive element as a defensive player. He's also used in an effort to score off headers and the 29-year-old picked up eight goals in 27 matches that way.

10 Nick Barrett F 6'2 220 pounds
Another strong, tall presence, the 26-year-old Barrett is a load to bring down in the box. He's not the most skilled with the ball and he'll likely be used more for the cherry-picking goals.

11 Adam Jones M 5'11 155 pounds
Used as the playmaking midfielder for the Stars second choicers, he fulfills the same role for New Daurmont. At 27 years old, he displays enough leadership potential to be considered for the armband sometime in the near future. Scored 11 goals in 32 games.

12 Darryl Norton D/M 6'1", 175 pounds
More likely to provide depth in midfield, but can play defence if needed, the 31-year-old Norton is one of the more vocal players on his team, particularly with younger players who aren't playing to their potential. With Carletta Ryan now playing for Sarzoclava, he assumes her role.

13 Dustin Roberts M 5'10 172 pounds
The 34-year-old Roberts is another experienced depth player, coming from Wilmington. He can serve as a playmaking midfielder or on the right wing if needed for his team.

14 Greg Clayton M 6'1, 200 pounds
Clayton, 36, is the defensive midfielder for these Stars. Is not as vocal as Norton is, but gets his point across by intimidating players smaller and larger.

15 Mike Lohman F 6'1, 205 pounds
This 27-year-old has been tried as a playmaking midfielder, but does better as a withdrawn forward. He's scored nine goals in 18 matches in that role after only two goals in 14 matches in midfield. Has speed and skill with the ball.

16 Andrew David M 6'0", 205 pounds
Plays the right wing for the Stars and has blinding speed and a hard shot, though this 23-year-old occasionally needs to be calmed down.

18 Lionel Webb GK 6'4", 210 pounds
Webb, 24, started the last five matches for the Saugerties Snakes, who just missed the SFC playoffs despite his 4-0-1 record and 0.92 goals against average. Used his size and an ability to read shooters to save three of four penalty kicks against.

20 Joel Jones F 5'10", 180 pounds
Speed and scoring touch ensured that this 24-year-old former No. 1 draft choice out of Saugerties University would emerge for the Snakes as their top goalscoring threat. He scored 13 goals in 18 matches after earning his way into the team's starting 11.

[Sarzonia]

Gone and seemingly forgotten, Sarzonia still has a football team to be proud of.

After the first choice national team disappointed everyone by failing to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in Franz Braddock's illustrious career as a World Cup team's manager, the team also failed to advance past the group stage of the Cup of Harmony, even with Sarzonia as one of the hosts.

Kevin Wilson has met a different fate thus far as the manager for the second choice Stars. His team has qualified for the semifinals for the second time in three AOCAF tournaments, including their championship in AOCAF 29 against hated Starblaydia.

Now, the Stars are in beloved Delaclava and are potentially two victories away from their third AOCAF trophy. They got to this point by dispatching Andossa Se Mitrin Vega 2-0, but their performance merely left the Stars on the undercard. Pacitalia and Delaclava engaged in a AOCAF match for the ages, at least for those who love offensive football. The Blue Foxes beat the Phoenixes 11-10 in a match that left many prognosticators scratching their heads.

Even the Stars were more interested in talking about that match than they were about their match against one of their other close allies.

"We played well, but man, did you see that Pacitalia-Delaclava match?" midfielder Andrew David asked. "Holy shit!"

"I don't know that I've ever seen 21 goals in a match," said manager Kevin Wilson, who only briefly touched on his team's performance but was verbose about the back-and-forth nature of the match that got everyone talking. "At least not a match where both teams were scoring left and right. That's definitely a match people are going to be talking about in the years to come."

Even Nojika's 13-0 loss to Lamoni in the third place playoff of AOCAF 25 didn't generate this much excitement.

"That was one-sided," said forward Mike Lohman. "This was whiplash-inducing."

The Stars hope they can improve upon their 6-0-1 record thus far in AOCAF play, but they know Cafundéu is not going to be an easy opponent.

"We're not expecting anyone to lose 13-0, that's for sure," goalkeeper Will Brantley said. "I hope we don't have another 11-10 match, though."

[Pacitalia]

Football > AOCAF Cup 31
Tuesday 12th July 2011

Record 21 goals scored as Pacitalia scrapes through to semifinals
Match lead changes hands five times; six goals scored on penalties

Alberto-Vicente Marro
Catherina, Delaclava

Simon De Braden had a hat-trick in a losing effort, Andolfabio Vunghiasso scored his 50th international goal, thirteen players reached the scoresheet, five players found their way onto the referee's yellow card, and both teams used all three of their substitutions — all this, as Pacitalia's Blue Foxes narrowly edged Delaclava 11-10 in a mind-boggling rematch of their original meeting in the group stage.

It'll be a match equally remembered and forgotten — remembered by those who watched, quickly blocked from mind by those who played in it. The lead in the match changed hands five times throughout the 90 minutes of play, and both teams surrendered a two-goal lead at least once. The Blue Foxes actually did so twice, but finally pulled ahead for good with just four minutes to go.

Alessandro Campeon Berrera opened the scoring in the match, putting a strike past Abro Zolà in the 14th minute to give the Phoenixes an early 1-0 lead. Simon De Braden would then double the Delaclav lead in the 17th minute on a penalty awarded courtesy a clumsy challenge from Ami Bellagente inside the box.

But the Foxes would fight back right away, on a pair of goals from Ambrosino Giurimano and Demi Santos before the 25-minute mark. Having equalised, Pacitalia then stole its first lead of the match on a goal from Michelangelo Mascagnano in the 37th minute. Ninety seconds later, De Braden would level the score at three; shortly after, the teams headed down the tunnels at the checkpoint.

Delaclava would come back from the halftime break and strike first. Four minutes into the second half, De Braden earned his hat-trick off a corner from Stanley Ichtyelkov. But Campeon Berrera himself offered a poor challenge on Diego Tomás Cruz in the 22-yard box just three minutes later, and, courtesy a converted penalty, the match was, once again, equal at four-all.

The Foxes would retake the lead in the 56th minute on Andolfabio Vunghiasso's first of the match, and then appeared to be putting the Phoenixes to bed just three minutes later on the second of Giurimano's two goals. But Delaclava wasn't done either; in the 61st minute, Geraldo Ayala put his first of the match in the twine to narrow the score to 6-5.

Bellagente's second awful tackle of the match, in the 22-yard box against a streaking De Braden, earned him a yellow card. Ruben Hester stepped up to take the penalty in favour of an injured De Braden and converted it to tie the score back up at 6-6.

Puzzlingly, instead of taking the momentum to heart and going for the lead, the Delaclav defence committed a foul of its own — Lucio Magnani dove at Nicolás Sema in the box, leading to yet another penalty award. Sema, limping to the set spot, restored the lead with a low shot past Graham Torres, and wincing, promptly left the pitch. He was replaced by Daniele Mamò in a substitution.

Pacitalia would win back a second two-goal advantage in the 67th minute, with Vunghiasso converting his second goal to make the score an already unbelievable 8-6. But again, the Phoenixes struggled back, putting three goals past a bewildered and angry Zolà in a five-minute span to retake the lead, 9-8.

Michelangelo Mascagnano would bank a sweet header off a Demi Santos corner in the 75th for yet another tie, while Bellagente's replacement, Sebastiano Berardi, converted a penalty in the 81st minute for his first international goal. The Phoenixes would tie the match one last time on a penalty awarded to Ichtyelkov, before an almost heroic end-game strike from Demi in the 86th.

"We're embarrassed and we are going to forget about this, like we did about some of our other results and play in the past," Giurimano said post-match. "That's what we do. We need to fix what is causing us these problems and focus on the good. We believe we can win."

Zolà, the Pacitalian captain, agreed.

"We haven't lost yet," he simply said.

With the embarrassing concession of 10 goals, the most ever by a Pacitalian squad, comes the inevitable changes to the squad in advance of the semifinal against Krytenia. Manager Marco van Basten remarked after the match that "all 11 players who normally start will have to fight for their jobs", and that he plans to start Ander Bera in goal in place of Zolà. Mascagnano will wear the captain's armband if he is named to start Wednesday.

van Basten said his likeliest starting XI for the semifinal involves several changes on the back line, including starting Sebastiano Berardi, who he said "performed incredibly well" in the 25 minutes he was on the field.

The manager's third substitution in the match was Aurelio Seriesta (Pacitalia's other carded player) for Tiberiu Manescu at halftime. The match was defender Hermès Adiarche's 50th international appearance.

Copyright © 2011 Extra, the Pacitalian sport network
http://www.extra.pc/football/nr.gspx?sd=734800&ad=en

[Pacitalia]

Football > AOCAF Cup 31
Wednesday 13th July 2011

Top: Pacitalia's starting XI against Krytenia; bottom: likeliest substitutes for each position

Six starters keep their jobs as Pacitalia prepares for AOCAF semis
Zolà, Vunghiasso and Semih Mansur the notable cuts while San Cristobál down to reserves

Alberto-Vicente Marro
Catherina, Delaclava

Blue Foxes manager Marco van Basten has announced the likely starting eleven for Pacitalia's upcoming semifinal match against Krytenia.

After putting the 33-man squad through a grueling "re-tryout" during practice Tuesday, van Basten announced five of the eleven normal starters had been demoted and would dress as substitutes for the match.

Van Basten was facing questions about the squad's readiness following a humiliating, almost Pyrrhic victory, narrowly scraping out an 11-10 win over a hungry Delaclav opponent to stumble into the last four.

The 21 goals scored make it the highest-scoring match in which the Blue Foxes have played, nearly doubling the last record of 11 goals in a 6-5 win over Osarius in the group stage here at AOCAF Cup 31, and an earlier 6-5 extra-time win over Bazalonia in the third-place playoff of AOCAF Cup 21.

Pacitalia will likely stick with Ambrosino Giurimano at striker and Demi Santos in the right midfield slot. The two have been the Foxes' most productive scorers to this point. Michelangelo Mascagnano will start at central midfield and don the captain's armband. Other starters to keep their jobs ahead of the Krytenia match were Diego Tomás Cruz, Aurelio Seriesta and Hermès Adiarche.

Van Basten sent Andolfabio Vunghiasso to the substitute bench along with a slightly injured Nicolás Sema, who will dress but will more than likely get no time on the pitch. Sema injured his shin in the quarterfinal against Delaclava, courtesy a mis-timed challenge from the Phoenixes' Lucio Magnani.

Joining Vunghiasso on the bench will be keeper Abro Zolà (who has conceded the most goals of any keeper in the tournament), Ami Bellagente and Semih Mansur. Sergio San Cristobál, who was originally benched in favour of Bellagente, was not returned to the starting eleven; instead, his job will be given to Sebastiano Berardi, who put in a brilliant performance in the last 25 minutes of the quarterfinal.

Cadi Herrera will take Vunghiasso's spot in left midfield, while Ambrosino Terasti will round out the back four in place of Semih Mansur. The Pacitalian manager confirmed that Ander Bera will start in goal. Romano Cristiano Santi has been shunted to the reserves for the remainder of the tournament.

The winner of this match plays Cafundéu or Sarzonia in the final Saturday. The loser heads to a third-place playoff, which will be played on Friday.

Copyright © 2011 Extra, the Pacitalian sport network
http://www.extra.pc/football/nr.gspx?sd=734810&ad=en

[Delaclava]

Semifinals RP cutoff!

[Delaclava]

SEMIFINALS
Pacitalia 6-1 Krytenia at Golden Phoenix Field, Delaclava National Athletic Complex, Catherina (150,000)
Cafundeu 1-3 Sarzonia at Golden Phoenix Field

THIRD-PLACE PLAYOFF
Krytenia vs. Cafundeu at Golden Phoenix Field, Delaclava National Athletic Complex, Catherina (150,000)

CHAMPIONSHIP
Pacitalia vs. Sarzonia at Golden Phoenix Field

[Sarzonia]

Those who enjoy a touch of irony will get a major kick out of the championship final for the 31st edition of the Atlantian Oceania Cup of Association Football.

In one of three countries that make up the Queer Belt of Atlantian Oceania nations with particularly friendly laws and attitudes toward the LGBT community, two other members of that collection of nations will meet for the right to hoist a championship trophy.

For Pacitalia, their road to a potential fifth title received a massive jolt courtesy of a high flying offence that has tallied a total of 17 goals in their past two matches. In a barnburner that set a record for the most combined goals in AOCAF play during a single match, the Blue Foxes scored 11 goals against the host Phoenixes in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals against Krytenia, the Blue Foxes pounced six times against the sky blue Aces of Krytenia.

By contrast, Sarzonia has gone about their business in far quieter fashion. They scored a relatively paltry five goals in two matches, blanking Andossa Se Mitrin Vega 2-0 and besting Cafundéu 3-1 during their quarterfinal and semifinal matches, respectively. Pacitalia's torrential outpouring of goals definitely has caught the attention of manager Kevin Wilson, who becomes the second Stars manager to guide a team to a second AOCAF final.

"I don't think you can say much when a team scores 17 goals for a tournament, let alone in two matches," Wilson said. "To have scored 11 goals in a single match against an otherwise solid Delaclava side, on their home soil, you know that team is on a mission."

Sarzonia will have to hope their defence will be tough enough without a player who became infamous throughout international football for being an enforcer. Carletta Ryan left the Sarzonian national football teams, including the first choice men's team and the women's national team to join the Sarzoclava side. Her absence from the second choice Stars will be sorely missed, especially for those who miss her toughness.

"It's not the same without Carletta," said midfielder Andrew David. "You knew anyone facing her was going to dread the prospect. We don't have anyone like that now."

Even though the Stars will tell anyone until they're navy blue in the face about Pacitalia's goal scoring prowess in the last two matches, privately, some players admit the match against Delaclava caught their attention for a different reason.

"Yes, they scored a shitload of goals, but they also conceded 10 against the Phoenixes," said a source connected with the team who asked to remain anonymous because of the team's moratorium on comments that could motivate their opponents. "If Delaclava can figure out that defence and Abro Zolà, we'd like to think we can find a way."

Whether Zolà is in the starting 11 against the Stars is anyone's guess. After that 10-goal performance, Blue Foxes manager Marco van Basten sent Zolà and several other players to the substitute's bench. However, Wilson said the team didn't care whether Zolà or erstwhile reserve goalie Ander Bera started as guardian of the woodwork.

"We've been preparing for both," Wilson said. "We played them tough a couple of times in AOCAF 28," including a 5-0 Stars victory that was overturned by Bazalonian officials and replayed, along with all the Round of 16 fixtures in a controversial decision that still hasn't sat well with Sarzonian football organisers. Pacitalia won the replay 3-2.

Still, the fact that Sarzonia scored seven goals in two matches against Pacitalia means little to the team.

"Figuratively speaking, three AOCAFs ago was a lifetime ago," said forward Mike Lohman. "They could beat us 21-0 for all we know now."

If Pacitalia were to defeat the Stars, they would hoist their fifth AOCAF title, breaking a tie with NEWI Cefn Druids and Vilita for second place among AOCAF title holders behind Starblaydia's six titles. Sarzonia are gunning for their third, which would tie them with former regionmates Lamoni for fourth place.

Either way, the Stars bring a 2-2 lifetime record into the championship finals. Just as important for history buffs, the Blue Foxes and the Stars are the last two champions, having won the last three AOCAF titles between them.

"It's definitely going to be interesting," said goalkeeper Will Brantley. "There's a bit of a friendly rivalry there for sure. It'll be the first time we've put our normalised relations to the test on the grandest stage possible."

[Pacitalia]

Football > AOCAF Cup 31
Thursday 14th July 2011

Well-rounded attack on goals from front six; Foxes nip Aces
Pacitalia will face Sarzonia for first time in AOCAF Cup 31 championship final

Alberto-Vicente Marro
Catherina, Delaclava

The Blue Foxes got back on track following a scary quarterfinal against Delaclava, with goals from five of Pacitalia's front six to beat perennial contenders Krytenia, 6-1, in their semifinal meeting at AOCAF Cup 31.

Demi Santos opened the scoring in the 11th minute and the Foxes never looked back, surrendering only a single goal in the first half on their way to a championship match-up with Sarzonia.

The win sent Pacitalia to its fifth final appearance in seven AOCAF Cups. In each of the Blue Foxes' previous four appearances in the final, they have won the regional title.

The Pacitalian side, challenged and criticised for conceding a multitude of goals throughout the tournament, seemed to finally track down its "A"-game Wednesday evening in front of a nervous — and evenly mixed — crowd of 150,000. Right from the start, the Foxes dominated possession and played near-perfect football in their typical style, seemingly unfazed by their previous hurdles.

Demi's goal was matched in the 31st minute off a strike from Cadi Herrera. The Aces would get a goal back in the 39th off a sweet shot from Krytenian vice-captain Simon Carter, who managed to beat an agile Ander Bera top-shelf.

But the Foxes regained control of the ball and restored a two-goal lead with a minute before halftime. Captain Michelangelo Mascagnano, wearing the blue armband in place of the benched (and visibly disgruntled) Abro Zolà, quarterbacked the Pacitalian attack from central midfield. Rather than passing, he found a hole in the Krytenia defence and laid down a howling beast of a strike to the heart of the twine, confounding Aces keeper Robert Venus.

The momentum remained on Pacitalia's side in the second half, with a goal from striker Ambrosino Giurimano — who was noticeably quiet in this match — coming less than a quarter of an hour in. Cadi would earn his second goal of the match on a redirection of Demi's corner effort in the 70th minute, before Diego Tomás Cruz finished up the scoring in the 87th minute. Cruz's goal was a sweeping arc into the low left corner of the net, past Venus' fingers, on a lateral pass from Daniele Mamò.

There were some dirty points in the match — Cadi and Mamò were both shown yellows for poor challenges at midfield, while for the Aces, the referee rejected pleas of innocence from Keith Nestor, Leon Sartelli and Calvin Thordarsson. Sartelli's challenge on Mascagnano in the 43rd minute was particularly nasty; still, despite a gash in his right thigh from Sartelli's cleat, Masca played through (and scored his goal less than a minute later).

It will be the first time that Pacitalia and Sarzonia have met in a championship final in any football tournament. The last time the two sides faced off in an AOCAF Cup knockout match, there was considerable controversy. The Stars initially won their round of sixteen match against the Foxes, blowing out Pacitalia 5-0 at AOCAF Cup 28 in Bazalonia.

However, due to serious problems with the officials, Bazalonian organisers made all teams replay their matches, and Pacitalia won their do-over against Sarzonia, 3-2, going on to win a third AOCAF title a week and a half later.

The controversy for Pacitalia at this Cup hasn't been the officials, it's been the quality of play on the pitch. The Foxes will need to find a way to harness the outstanding play from their semifinal against Krytenia — the only time, other than a draw against Starblaydia in the group stage, that they have been seriously tested by an opponent of equal calibre, and achieved the expected result.

Sarzonia will look for its third title, while Pacitalia, as mentioned, punts for its fifth. Both teams are the previous two championship winners. Pacitalia is 4-1 in the final (its lone loss coming against Vilita & Turori at AOCAF Cup 19), while the Stars are 2-2.

Manager Marco van Basten confirmed he will likely stick with the squad that played Krytenia, saying that "this [was] the squad he'd expected to see playing in the blue and white all along".

Giurimano will become Pacitalia's most-capped player ever when he starts for the Blue Foxes in the final Saturday. He has already set a few records in this tournament — namely becoming the first Pacitalian (and first player from Atlantian Oceania) to score 100 goals in international competition.

Krytenia faces Cafundéu in the third-place playoff on Friday.

Copyright © 2011 Extra, the Pacitalian sport network
http://www.extra.pc/football/nr.gspx?sd=734850&ad=en

[Delaclava]

A very late RP cutoff, third place playoff!

(And you're lucky it came now, I should have been asleep about an hour ago. )

[Delaclava]

THIRD-PLACE PLAYOFF
Krytenia 1-0 Cafundeu at Golden Phoenix Field, Delaclava National Athletic Complex, Catherina (150,000)

Congrats to Krytenia on third place and Cafundeu on a great run!

CHAMPIONSHIP
Pacitalia vs. Sarzonia at Golden Phoenix Field

[Delaclava]

Finally, the RP cutoff to determine the AOCAF champion!

[Delaclava]

CHAMPIONSHIP
Pacitalia 4-3 Sarzonia at Golden Phoenix Field, Delaclava National Athletic Complex, Catherina (150,000)

Congratulations to Sarzonia for making such a great run, but most of all congratulations to Pacitalia for successfully defending their AOCAF Cup title!