Matchday 30
National League
KT Moreazerua 2–1 KT Ferramendiak
1830 Cathair 2–1 Bombarralense
Cazadores Cathair 2–1 CF Daineri
Shamrock Cathair 1–0 Oljestaden IF
KT Itzalovalle 2–0 Union Cathair
AC Izotz Zubia 5–0 Tenth Star Hasiera
This is a weird kind of hell for fans of AC Izotz Zubia. Since their run of poor results against Cathair teams, they've watched their team go eight wins in eight games, scoring 35 goals in the process. Their defence has been nigh on impregnable, they've suffered no injuries or setbacks, and their attack has been purring. They finish their season with a 5-0 win and sit atop the league by seven points. And it's totally not enough. The Catharan clubs continue to win and win and don't look like letting up any time soon. Their fans will watch the final matchdays of the season play out with a sense of dread. Zozi finish with a commendable 15-4-5 record and a goal difference that is, currently, the best of anyone. Commendable. But all the signs point to it not being enough.
In Cathair on successive weekday nights, Cazadores see off the challenge of CF Daineri via goals from Adrian Toscani and Eneko Rolondu, before 1830 Cathair leave it late to snatch all three points before a relieved crowd, with Baillaire Fillar sweeping the ball home and leaping the barriers into the home fans.
Matchday 31
National League
Tenth Star Hasiera 0–1 KT Itzalovalle
Union Cathair 0–4 Shamrock Cathair
Oljestaden IF 0–2 Cazadores Cathair
CF Daineri 0–4 1830 Cathair
Bombarralense 2–4 KT Moreazerua
KT Ferramendiak 2–1 Osarese Marcadia
Strange scenes in Corvidra as Cathair net their fourth goal of a 4-0 win with ten minutes to go and the first thing that happens is Alex Sharp picks the ball out of the net and sprints to the centre circle. Cathair are here to win every single game from here on out, and for that to count for a league title, the side need to better their Goal Difference as much as possible. Cazadores, comfortably ahead against Oljestaden but failing to knock on the door for a third time, will lose ground in the title race despite the win and despite pulling in to within four points of Zozi at the top.
National League Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 AC Izotz Zubia 24 15 4 5 57 27 +30 49
2 Cazadores Cathair 22 14 3 5 38 15 +23 45
3 1830 Cathair 21 12 6 3 38 11 +27 42
4 Shamrock Cathair 23 12 5 6 36 18 +18 41
5 KT Moreazerua 21 12 4 5 31 23 +8 40
6 KT Itzalovalle 24 10 5 9 29 22 +7 35
7 KT Ferramendiak 22 8 5 9 21 32 −11 29
8 Osarese Marcadia 21 8 3 10 27 31 −4 27
9 Bombarralense 22 5 5 12 21 35 −14 20
10 CF Daineri 21 6 2 13 21 43 −22 20
11 Union Cathair 21 6 1 14 20 41 −21 19
12 Oljestaden IF 21 4 6 11 11 27 −16 18
13 Tenth Star Hasiera 21 4 3 14 17 42 −25 15
Matchday 32
National League
Osarese Marcadia 0–2 Bombarralense
KT Moreazerua 3–0 CF Daineri
1830 Cathair 4–0 Oljestaden IF
Cazadores Cathair 1–0 Union Cathair
Shamrock Cathair 5–0 Tenth Star Hasiera
Cathair's forward line are on a different planet to the rest of the league. Where Caza struggled against the Oilers, Cathair flourish. Felixe Vetiver is unplayable. Every touch a certain one, a perfect one, away from or past a defender and onto her right foot, every movement calculated to cause maximum panic and maximum uncertainty in the defence. She's the provider of three goals on a windy evening in Oljestaden, laying all three on for Thea Squarciafichi - who is herself thriving amid Vetiver's form - and netting herself early in the second half.
Cazadores, by contrast, are laboured in defeating a staunchly defensive Union team fighting for their very survival. Ross Okano lurches off the bench and bundles a scrappy goal over the line for 1-0. The win takes them to within one point of Zozi with one game yet to play. Nothing less than a win will do in their final game, but after that will come an agonising wait for Cathair to please, please stumble at the final hurdle.
National League Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 AC Izotz Zubia 24 15 4 5 57 27 +30 49
2 Cazadores Cathair 23 15 3 5 39 15 +24 48
3 1830 Cathair 22 13 6 3 42 11 +31 45
4 Shamrock Cathair 24 13 5 6 41 18 +23 44
5 KT Moreazerua 22 13 4 5 34 23 +11 43
6 KT Itzalovalle 24 10 5 9 29 22 +7 35
7 KT Ferramendiak 22 8 5 9 21 32 −11 29
8 Osarese Marcadia 22 8 3 11 27 33 −6 27
9 Bombarralense 23 6 5 12 23 35 −12 23
10 CF Daineri 22 6 2 14 21 46 −25 20
11 Union Cathair 22 6 1 15 20 42 −22 19
12 Oljestaden IF 22 4 6 12 11 31 −20 18
13 Tenth Star Hasiera 22 4 3 15 17 47 −30 15
Union Cathair The Misfits
Shepworth Racecourse Ground, (Cap: 7500). Cathair, Central
Domestic Honours - 1
COCANEFA Honours - 0
International Honours - 0
Squad
1. Collin De Wilde (35, G , AUD)
2. Alessandro Merola (24, D R, AUD)
3. Saint Legalese (33, D LC, AUD)
4. Joan Soler (35, M C, AUD)
5. Darrin Cancel (24, D RC, AUD)
6. Anargyos Zervaes (26, D C, VDR)
7. Zorion Aiza (23, M R, AUD)
8. Errapel Zalacain (34, M C, AUD)
9. Luke Rose (33, F C, AUD)
10. Stefan Laar (22, F C, AUD)
11. Gaspar Conceicao (22, M L, AUD)
12. Luis Rey (22, AM C, AUD)
14. Kirill Kozlovsky (18, F C, AUD)
15. Cooper Rees (21, D C, AUD)
16. Alan Crockett (25, D C, AUD)
19. Ford MacAll (18, M C, AUD)
20. Dick Munro-Moura (27, M C, AUD)
Mng. Salvador Monterroso (38, D C, AUD)
Expected First XI
de Wilde - Merola, Zervaes, Cancel, Legalese - Soler - Aiza, Zalacain, Conceicao - Rose, Laar
This is the team Cazadores couldn't beat by more than a goal, and the team Cazadores are relying upon.
Matchday 33
National League
Union Cathair 0–3 1830 Cathair
Tenth Star Hasiera 0–2 Cazadores Cathair
Oljestaden IF 0–3 KT Moreazerua
CF Daineri 2–1 Osarese Marcadia
Bombarralense 0–0 KT Ferramendiak
In a miserable Saturday night all round in Hasiera, visitors Cazadores all but relegate Tenth Star while also being unable to make up any of the goal difference defecit to Cathair, who had hammered Union the previous evening. Cazadores go top with one matchday to go, yet you won't find a happy Caza fan anywhere in the city.
Cazadores Cathair are relying on 1830 Cathair to slip up.
Against Tenth Star Hasiera.
National League Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Cazadores Cathair 24 16 3 5 41 15 +26 51
2 AC Izotz Zubia 24 15 4 5 57 27 +30 49
3 1830 Cathair 23 14 6 3 45 11 +34 48
4 KT Moreazerua 23 14 4 5 37 23 +14 46
5 Shamrock Cathair 24 13 5 6 41 18 +23 44
6 KT Itzalovalle 24 10 5 9 29 22 +7 35
7 KT Ferramendiak 23 8 6 9 21 32 −11 30
8 Osarese Marcadia 23 8 3 12 28 35 −7 27
9 Bombarralense 24 6 6 12 23 35 −12 24
10 CF Daineri 23 7 2 14 23 47 −24 23
11 Union Cathair 23 6 1 16 20 45 −25 19
12 Oljestaden IF 23 4 6 13 11 34 −23 18
13 Tenth Star Hasiera 23 4 3 16 17 49 −32 15
For 1830 Cathair, the task could not be simpler. Win and finish first, draw and finish second, lose and finish third at best.
Matchday 34
National League
KT Ferramendiak 2–0 CF Daineri
Osarese Marcadia 0–0 Oljestaden IF
KT Moreazerua 5–1 Union Cathair
1830 Cathair 1–0 Tenth Star Hasiera
"FiiiillAAAAAAAARRRRRR!" is the cry, the commentator's ecstatic moment, the headline of the next day's newspaper and the last thing thousands of Cazadores fans hear before shutting off the television in disgust. Eighty-eight minutes of increasing tensions, either hope or despair building and building depending on your allegiance, and then bang. From nowhere. A ball that you thought had been cleared. Bang. Fillar.
Grayson Fillar.
If someone told you a Fillar was going to score at the weekend, you might have bet money on Juxon over Grayson, yet the Cazadores goalkeeper was one of many for whom the goal ended what hope they had. Thirty yards, on the volley, ker-thunk. The ball neither dipped nor rose, just stayed on a slide-rule towards the top corner. Grayson couldn't have placed it better if he'd stood on the goal-line and held the ball where he wanted it, and he couldn't have hit it harder if he'd used a cannon.
After years of disappointment and some utterly shocking football, including this very season, 1830 Cathair's resurgence, had been immediate and seemingly against all logic. On matchday twelve, Cathair's record was 1-3-3. They finish on 16-6-3.
Football is stupid, Audioslavian football doubly so.
National League Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 1830 Cathair 24 15 6 3 46 11 +35 51 IFCF CL, CAFA LA
2 Cazadores Cathair 24 16 3 5 41 15 +26 51 IFCF CL
3 AC Izotz Zubia 24 15 4 5 57 27 +30 49 IFCF CL
4 KT Moreazerua 24 15 4 5 42 24 +18 49 IFCF CL
5 Shamrock Cathair 24 13 5 6 41 18 +23 44 IFCF ChC
6 KT Itzalovalle 24 10 5 9 29 22 +7 35 IFCF ChC
7 KT Ferramendiak 24 9 6 9 23 32 −9 33 IFCF ChC
8 Osarese Marcadia 24 8 4 12 28 35 −7 28
9 Bombarralense 24 6 6 12 23 35 −12 24
10 CF Daineri 24 7 2 15 23 49 −26 23
11 Oljestaden IF 24 4 7 13 11 34 −23 19
12 Union Cathair 24 6 1 17 21 50 −29 19 Relegated
13 Tenth Star Hasiera 24 4 3 17 17 50 −33 15 Relegated
Player of the Season: Felixe Vetiver
Newcomer of the Season: Felixe Vetiver
Young Player of the Season: Felixe Vetiver
Newcomer of the Season: Felixe Vetiver
Young Player of the Season: Felixe Vetiver
National Two Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Laivana JPS 34 19 8 7 60 28 +32 65 Promoted
2 CC Exiles 34 17 8 9 50 30 +20 59 Promoted
3 CdF Celtade 34 16 7 11 55 40 +15 55
4 KT Koroatuz 34 15 8 11 39 35 +4 53
5 Ceilerden Rovers 34 15 8 11 36 33 +3 53
6 Artiglieria 34 14 10 10 42 33 +9 52
7 Burdoc Ridge 34 13 10 11 38 38 0 49
8 Santa Margarida 34 14 6 14 43 35 +8 48
9 Sparta Zijweg 34 13 8 13 32 38 −6 47
10 AS Marcadia 34 10 13 11 36 36 0 43
11 Tout-Puissant Hasiera 34 10 12 12 35 33 +2 42
12 Guerrilla Cathair 34 12 6 16 33 44 −11 42
13 KT Ferratzaileak 34 11 8 15 30 40 −10 41
14 Lemmitania State FC 34 11 7 16 42 48 −6 40
15 Eletti Valligiani 34 10 10 14 33 45 −12 40
16 Silexhera FC 34 10 9 15 30 50 −20 39 Relegated
17 Crossport Mariners 34 10 8 16 28 42 −14 38 Relegated
18 Excelsior Zijweg 34 10 6 18 23 37 −14 36 Relegated
Laivana come back up at the first time of asking, while CC Exiles also make the journey back to the top flight after a short leave of absence.
Kirola Cup First Round
Excelsior Zijweg 0–1 2130 Calolziolungho
Laivana JPS 1–1 Viking Halehavn (2–1 AET)
Crossport Dynamo 0–1 KT Koroatuz
CC Exiles 1–0 Union Cathair
Kitherwell 2–0 Sporting Clube Marinheiros
Burdoc Ridge 2–1 Artiglieria
Ceilerden Rovers 1–0 KT Kanpoldelko
KT Laranjauzia 1–2 DDM Dunas Secas
KT Itzalovalle 3–1 Silexhera FC
CF Daineri 1–0 Isle of Kjeligsted FC
Crossport Mariners 2–0 Uniao Tortuguita
Eletti Valligiani 0–5 KT Moreazerua
Reina Del Sud 0–4 1830 Cathair
KT Ferramendiak 1–2 CdF Celtade
Cazadores Cathair 1–2 Fundición
Frecce 1–0 Sporting Clube de São Jeremías
Sparta Zijweg 2–0 Tenth Star Hasiera
Valão 1–0 Vidrieros
Iron Brewery 0–0 Corações (0–0 AET) (1–3 pen.)
Osarese Marcadia 0–0 Laranjeiras (1–0 AET)
CF Herradores 0–7 AC Izotz Zubia
Clockwork FC 1–3 Alistoun Academicals
Huiszwalluw FC 2–1 Tout-Puissant Hasiera
Necromarinai 2–0 CdFS Ilheiros
Sobrevolante 1–0 Lemmitania State FC
C.D. Portobranco 0–1 Oljestaden IF
AS Marcadia 0–0 The Oran (1–0 AET)
Guerrilla Cathair 3–1 Orquideas
KT Ferratzaileak 0–0 Shamrock Cathair (0–0 AET) (4–5 pen.)
Ceilerden Harp 4–1 Valens AV
Santa Margarida 4–1 Cerejeiras
Hibernação 1–4 Bombarralense
Kirola Cup Second Round
KT Moreazerua 4–1 Guerrilla Cathair
Burdoc Ridge 1–2 Bombarralense
KT Koroatuz 2–0 CdF Celtade
Sparta Zijweg 2–2 Oljestaden IF (3–2 AET)
DDM Dunas Secas 1–2 Necromarinai
AC Izotz Zubia 3–0 Santa Margarida
Huiszwalluw FC 0–1 Kitherwell
Osarese Marcadia 1–3 Shamrock Cathair
Crossport Mariners 7–1 Valão
KT Itzalovalle 2–0 Ceilerden Harp
1830 Cathair 1–2 Laivana JPS
Fundición 0–0 Frecce (0–0 AET) (3–4 pen.)
AS Marcadia 3–2 CF Daineri
CC Exiles 1–0 Ceilerden Rovers
Sobrevolante 3–2 2130 Calolziolungho
Alistoun Academicals 0–2 Corações
Kirola Cup Third Round
Shamrock Cathair 2–2 Necromarinai (4–2 AET)
Sobrevolante 0–5 AC Izotz Zubia
KT Itzalovalle 4–2 Sparta Zijweg
Kitherwell 2–1 Corações
Bombarralense 2–0 AS Marcadia
KT Koroatuz 1–0 CC Exiles
Frecce 0–1 Crossport Mariners
Laivana JPS 0–0 KT Moreazerua (0–2 AET)
Kirola Cup Quarter Finals
Crossport Mariners 1–1 Shamrock Cathair (1–1 AET) (2–3 pen.)
KT Itzalovalle 2–0 Kitherwell
KT Moreazerua 0–1 KT Koroatuz
AC Izotz Zubia 3–1 Bombarralense
Kirola Cup Semi Finals
AC Izotz Zubia 0–2 KT Itzalovalle
Shamrock Cathair 2–0 KT Koroatuz
Kirola Cup Final
KT Itzalovalle 0–0 Shamrock Cathair (2–0 AET)
With Cathair and Shamrock ousted early, long before the former's return to form and before the latter's season all but ended, Itzi were one of the few big teams fighting on just the one front. With Challengers Cup football already assured, they put their firepower into the Kirola Cup and, through substitutes Eurico Da Rosa and Kauso Dione, finally put a game Shamrock to the sword in extra time.
After having gone decades without any major silverware, Valladar manager Daniel Bernard grabs the side their third trophy in four seasons.