RBC Sports One: Siovanija & Teusland Sporting News

[Siovanija and Teusland]

Meisterschaft Cycle 19 - Preview II

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ENERGIJA CHERNOVETS

Basic Information

Colours: Green and yellow
Stadium: Energija-Arena (35,000)
Kit sponsor: PowerChernovets (local, clean energy)
Manager: Tomislav Karapic
Captain: Taras Maksimov
Nicknames: The Atoms, The Canaries
Rivals: FK Raketa Bukovets (local), Olympia Borograd (competitive)
Legends: Miroslav Dinev, Viktor Dimitrov, Apostol Manevski, Enigma Armageddon

Background

Club Honours

Historic Era
8x Siovanijan champions

Republikaliga Era
3x Republikaliga winners (S1, 10, 12)

Modern Era
None

International
2x AOCL winners (37, 38)

Energija Chernovets capitalized on the Republikaliga era to become a world-renowned club - now they must chart a new course in the modern era.

Fan Profile

Members: 63,200
Average Ticket Price: T45
Political affiliation: None
Supporter Groups: Atomska, Closed City Ultras
Away Support: Always sold out
Calimero Complex: Somewhat there, towards the Borograd clubs, but not terrible
Arrogance: Medium, they love to brag about having more international trophies than any
other club
Style: Full ultra style with capos/drums
Cult Hero: Currently Kamil Krziz, all-time Miroslav Dinev

Chernovets and its football club are linked heavily together, and its very unique history plays a key role in this. The city now called Chernovets was once a crusader outpost, and the little town on the Ljubljanica was once called ‘Karnowitz.’ The little town was practically an afterthought in the early years of the United Republics - one of a number of towns one might pass on the highway from Borograd to Stelburg. In 1947, however, this all changed.

The government of the day embarked on an ambitious plan to massively increase the country’s technological sector - that was the public reasoning, of course. Behind the scenes, the military was working on developing nuclear weapons and other secret projects they didn’t want anyone getting too close to. ‘Karnowitz’ as it was no longer existed, and the new Chernovets was born - home of a technological university, research facilities by the dozen, and in certain grey buildings that suspiciously had fencing and armed guards all over the place, military weapons development areas.

The population boomed by the mid-1950s as scientists and their families from across Siovanija & Teusland were moved into the community, as well as soldiers assigned to its defence. In 1956, a football club was founded to provide some entertainment for the residents - Chernovets remains to this day one of the most famously-boring cities in the country. This club, known in its first season as Atomska, later became known as Energija Chernovets. The team struggled to gain a following - most of the residents were not originally from the region, and the city’s demographic wasn’t the best for football fanatics. In 1958, Chernovets was declared a closed city - you needed an official government permit to get in. Away fans were no longer allowed, and Chernovets’ stadium was widely considered a library.

In the 1980s, however, the closed city label was removed - and Chernovets gained a new role as the nation’s tech hub, with the end of the century technological boom seeing a great number of new companies founded - bringing new residents to the city. These fans, this time, readily adopted Energija as their club, and suddenly the stadium was full every weekend. The tech boom meant Chernovets rapidly became the 2nd biggest city in Siovanija, behind only Borograd, and embraced its unique past. On the pitch, too, Energija became known for competing with the big Borograd clubs, and oftentimes coming ahead.

Insert Apostol Manevski and Miroslav Dinev. Manevski, the former winger for the club in the early 90s turned manager, and Dinev, the young academy protege - it was a match made in heaven, and the timing couldn’t have been better: Chernovets won the first-ever season of Republikaliga competition. Manevski brought an exciting brand of football to the pitch that made Chernovets the darling of neutrals everywhere, and Dinev kept knocking in the goals. The club remained in the top levels of the Republikaliga throughout its entire existence: by season 10, the club were champions again, and the 3rd title followed in season 12. By this time, players like Taras Maksimov, Enigma Armageddon and Emiliano Gallegas were key members of the squad - and they brought home the AOCL trophy twice in these years as well.

And then came isolation. Good-bye to their foreign heroes, and back to the drawing board for Chernovets, who were caught off guard by it. They slipped up in the final few years of the Republikaliga, and by the time Apostol Manevski retired, there was some concern the club’s glory days had passed them by. Dominating performances in the Regionalliga, however, and the rebuilding of a strong squad under Technical Director Miro Dinev, mean Chernovets are back on track again and have a future to look forward to.

Chernovets’ fans, the passionate bunch who have lifted their club to so many a win, will tell you there is a ‘curse’ on the club when it comes to the President’s Cup. It’s the one trophy in Siovanija & Teusland football the club has never won - and they have lost 7 times in the final. The only thing the fans hate more than that cursed Cup, possibly, is Olympia Borograd. The capital club call themselves the ‘pride of Siovanija,’ and Chernovets have gotten creative about reminding them how little success Olympia have had in recent years compared to Energija. It’s the typical ‘core vs periphery’ divide, and although there is something of a local rivalry with FK Raketa Bukovets, renewed in recent years thanks to the regional league system, any true Chernovets fan would rather die than support Olympia.

A golden past, a unique history, and a bright future: Energija Chernovets want to become the pride of Siovanija for themselves.

Squad

Starting XI (4-2-3-1): GK - Kamil Krziz (31), LB - Radovan Liposcek (24), CB - Taras Maksimov (34), CB - Boris Vykukal (24), RB - Stanislav Golja (31); CM - Isak Ilcic (23), CM - Vsevolod Hristov (36), LW - Marcel Mrazek (32), CAM - Dusan Lypotal (24), RW - Jarozlav Jezek (30), CF - Kazimir Karatanov (30)

Bench: GK - Bogodon Jelenko (19), DF - Emilijan Skubic (24), DF - Novak Skrinjar (34), MF - Andrej Pesek (25), MF - Marcel Skrlj (28), MF - Igor Lovrec (19), CF - Veselin Oresnik (18)

Preview

Academy

Energija’s academy, once an afterthought,
has become an excellent developer of
talent within Siovanija.
It was once difficult to attract talent
here, given the city’s status
as a closed city, but that has since
changed and with the boom
came a great amount of new residents.
As the biggest club in eastern Siovanija,
Chernovets also has a large recruitment area.
Miro Dinev, the club’s biggest legend, was
one of the first examples of a great,
home-grown player, and Vsevolod Hristov,
Jarozlav Jezek and Kazimir Karatanov, among others,
have since followed in his footsteps. The club
seems to have a knack for producing
talented forwards, with Bogdan Kubica, a
national team forward now plying his
trade for Zvezda, spending some years here
before moving to his current club. At
this time, the top prospects are considered
to be defender Dejan Mesko,
midfielder Silvestr Pavlicek and
forward David Kraj

Energija Chernovets can call on a squad mixed with some young blood as well as veteran presence as they return to the Meisterschaft.

Energija-Arena

Capacity: 35,000
Away End: 3,500
Status: Aging - no plans for new build

The Energija-Arena was built in the context
of the boom-time in Chernovets, and for a long time was
one of the most modern stadia in the country - the club
went all-in on the city’s image of innovation to create
something special. The club had long since outgrown the
previous stadium, and the new home has seen most of the glorious
moments in the club’s history. The stadium itself is locate
d downtown, in between all of those important buildings,
and has its own station linked to the stadium on the Chernovets
U-bahn. Getting off the train and into your seat takes only about
10 minutes - but if one chooses to walk from the downtown, one
can pass the headquarters of some of the most important companies
in the tech industry in the country. No, it’s not quite a walk through
the park - but it’s Chernovets, and that’s what matters for the fans. The
stadium, once the most modern, is aging rapidly as other big clubs get new
builds. There are no plans set just yet, but the board is known to prefer
renovating over a new build. The club’s fans associate the current location
with some of the most important moments in their history. Away fans have
complained their end in the south stand is too cramped and has poor sightlines.

The excellent talent in this team starts from the goal out. Kamil Krziz is the #1 for both his club and his country, and the sweeper keeper has many an acrobatic save on his resume. He’s a bit of a fan favourite, too, loving to join the ultras after the match for a song or two, and at age 31 is just coming into his best years. It helps that in front of him is an excellent group of defenders led by Taras Maksimov, one of the best defenders in the club’s history and a Goldhorns hero. Taras is partnered nowadays by Boris Vyukal, the young centre back absorbing everything he can from the legend - the two have made a pairing that makes Vyukal look as experienced as Maksimov, and Maksimov as young and fresh as Vyukal.

These days, the biggest star on the pitch for the Canaries is generally considered to be Dusan Lypotal. An excellent playmaker, Lypotal graduated from the Chernovets academy and molded his game off childhood hero Viktor Dimitrov. That includes a specialty in dead ball situations - and while Lypotal is too humble to ever admit it, many would call the young man even better than the past master. Lypotal has all the talent to be one of the top players in the country - the only thing stopping him, unfortunately, is he appears to be made of glass. Already in the Regionalliga season he missed 9 matches total, on top of missing 15 in all competitions last season. Chernovets need him on the pitch and not with the doctor, and this year have given him a special training regimen to help.

The theme of ‘old plus new’ continues on the bench, as Chernovets can count on the strength of Novak Skrinjar whenever they need to do a bit of extra defending. Skrinjar was, as a young man, one of the best defenders in the country - however, as he has gotten older, his fitness has become an issue and he’s not played a full 90 minutes in quite a while. On the other hand, you have young Igor Lovrec, the central midfielder who seems capable of running a marathon alongside the game, with some youthful energy in the team. Lovrec, a member of the Di Bradini Cup squad this offseason, is a name really pushing for a place in Tomislav Karapic’s first XI.

The Regionalliga campaign was reasonably straightforward for Chernovets, just as expected. It was an 8 point gap over second place Vrnovo Mesto, and Chernovets always looked comfortable as the huge favourites in basically every match they played. The attack seemed to click perfectly, with Jaro Jezek returning to his role as a dynamic goalscoring winger. Dusan Lypotal was the star of several matches, including the 5-1 away win over rivals FK Raketa Bukovets. Lypotal had 4 assists in the win that gave Chernovets fans even bigger heads when compared to their Bukovets neighbours.

Looking ahead to the Meisterschaft, this is a good squad that has every chance of pushing for IFCF competition. However, they need to be careful - last season, after running away with an uncompetitive regional league, the Atoms could not hit the ground running and needed a massive turnaround in the second half of the season to reach IFCF football. That just can’t happen again - Chernovets need to go in ready for every game to be a massive one and not get caught off-guard. With a strong start, Chernovets are possible title contenders, and the minimum expectation is to qualify for IFCF football. To be the best club in Siovanija, at least, they will need to watch out for the two Borograd clubs who are always tough opponents at any level.

With a strong squad that recalls the club’s glory days, and the days ahead, Chernovets are eyeing a title fight.

[Siovanija and Teusland]

Meisterschaft Cycle 19 - Preview III

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FC FELSENKIRCHEN 1879


Basic Information

Colours: Blue and white
Stadium: Molin Park (45,000)
Kit sponsor: Felsenkirchen Nordstern (national, maritime shipping)
Manager: Leonard Wagner
Captain: Jesper Porsche
Nicknames: The Blues, The Cogs
Rivals: FC Rotmunde 1932 (Northeastern derby), FC Teussen Stelburg (competitive)
Legends: Leonard Wagner, Ciriko Useternix, Johannes Mandl, Lothas Ludwig, Florian Krukenberg

Background

Club Honours

Historic Era
15x Teus champions
6x President’s Cup winners

Republikaliga Era
2x Republikaliga winners (S8, 11)
1x President’s Cup winners (S19)

Modern Era
1x Meisterschaft winners (Cycle 18)

International
None

A city and club with a proud, storied past, FC Felsenkirchen 1879 have become one of the finest clubs in the country.

Fan Profile

Members: 126,750
Average Ticket Price: T40
Political affiliation: Anti-isolation, pro-unions
Supporter Groups: Fourth Generation Felsenkirchen, Nordtribune
Away Support: Always sold out
Calimero Complex: A bit, mainly in the Teussen rivalry, but not too bad
Arrogance: High, especially regionally: they call themselves ‘Pride of the North’
Style: No ultras, incredibly loud + reactive, tifos and fireworks
Cult Hero: Currently Florian Krukenberg, all-time Lothas Ludwig

The city first developed as its own independent duchy, one of the last to be united - forcefully - with the rest of Teusland. As the Teus Empire grew and expanded across the world, Felsenkirchen became one of its most important cities: an incredibly important harbour for explorers, shipping, and global trade. Felsenkirchen’s golden period especially came in the 1800s, as the city challenged the wealth of even Stelburg.

In this climate, the original FC Felsenkirchen was formed to compete in the imperial league of the time. This club would not be long lived - in 1879, a dispute between members over what day the club should play on led to a schism and the founding of FC Felsenkirchen 1879. The new club was almost instantly a success, winning the imperial league within its first 2 seasons. The boys in navy blue became a true force in the early years of the post-war league as well, winning 7 of the first 30 Teus championships, behind only, of course, FC Teussen Stelburg.

A new character for the city was developing, which would later be adopted by its club. Without imperial gold on every building, Felsenkirchen adopted a grittier character. No longer the city of merchants and traders, now the city of dockworkers and sailors. It makes the modern city one of contrasts: in some neighbourhoods, including around the club’s stadium, one can see the beautiful old homes of the traders who lived in this city. And downtown, around the port, one has the infamous, seedy, red-light district with its bars and other entertainment spots where many a Felsenkirchen night out has ended at 6am. The city is one of the most cultured in the country, with something for everyone, but with 2 key values: fierce independence, from the time of the Duchy, and hard work.

The football club, too, has adopted these values. The less-successful years prior to the founding of the Republikaliga saw the club at least fighting in every match, and they were greatly appreciated for it by the massive fanbase, one of the biggest in the country. In the Republikaliga era itself, the influx of money saw the Cogs chart their own path. Strong investment in their youth facilities, and an ambitious recruitment policy saw incredible foreign talents such as Falcon Case, Ciriko Useternix and Lothas Ludwig join home-grown stars like Florian Krukenberg on the way to 2 league titles, a Champions’ League Quarterfinal, and a place among the world’s best.

Isolation hit the city of Felsenkirchen quite hard - the shipping and trading centre, of course, suffered greatly and unemployment here was some of the worst in the country. Due to the smart investment in local facilities, however, the Blues stayed in calm waters. Isolation was so bad in this part of the country that it could even bring the citizens of Felsenkirchen and Rotmunde together.

The two northeastern coastal cities have always had a rivalry, dating back as far as the 1200s when Felsenkirchen was its own Duchy and the peasants in Rotmunde revolted against their rule. As Felsenkirchen rose to glory, Rotmunde remained a provincial centre. Those of Felsenkirchen see Rotmunde as a city with a massive calimero-complex, and as their provincial cousins who speak with a strange accent and wouldn’t be able to handle being a global city like Felsenkirchen. Those of Rotmunde see Felsenkirchen as the rich kid who was handed his status, in this case by the Teus Empire, without ever having to work for it. This rivalry is full of insults and banter back and forth - which made it even more of a shock when the fans joined together before a derby match in protest of isolation. The show of unity was a key moment in the final stages of that period.

Felsenkirchen’s other rivalry is with FC Teussen Stelburg, dating all the way back to 1238 when an army of the Duchy resisted the King from Stelburg in the famous Battle of Monchengau. Felsenkirchen’s archers saved the day and to this day the battle is commemorated as a symbol of the city’s spirit: never laying down for anyone. In the modern day, the clubs fought fierce battles over the Republikaliga title, with several matches ending with more cards than a Euchre deck. There was symbolism here too, of course: Teussen the club with only Teus-born players, Felsenkirchen the cosmopolitan ‘Galaktiko-club.’

The post-isolation period marks a new beginning again for the club - now firmly the pride of the north, as they’ve always claimed, and ready to challenge the old foe. They’re doing it the Felsenkirchen way once again - an excellent squad of academy graduates mixed with big-money signings.

It’s time now for the Cogs to prove their status as a world club with, always, a Felsenkirchen heart.

Squad

Starting XI (4-2-3-1): GK - Per Holz (30), LB - Otto Metzger (25), CB - Paul Steinhausl (30), CB - Valtteri Tirel (SRS, 24), RB - Helmut Kadelberg (30); CM - Jesper Porsche (28), CM - Arne Repnik (MYT, 22), LW - Jochen Koegel (24), CAM - Dieter Rosberg (27), RW - Florian Krukenberg (31), CF - Isak Harju (PIS, 27)

Bench: GK - Emanuel Backhaus (23), DF - Eugen Pollmacher (25), DF - Arnold Apel (20), MF - Timo Geyer (26), MF - Niels Weigel (24), MF - Bastian Kracht (31), CF - Reiner Werkner (21)

Preview

Academy

Felsenkirchen’s academy, colloquially known as Der Park
after the Molin Park stadium, is up there with the best in the nation. The club
has invested heavily in this facility, and the Felsenkirchen academy has been a
pioneer in many regards - even the FC Teussen Stelburg academy has taken some
pointers from them. Felsenkirchen’s scouting network extends across Teusland,
with a base particularly in the north, and they are best known for picking up hidden
gems through their unique scouting methods: Jesper Porsche, rejected by almost
every other club, has become a star, while bringing Lothas Ludwig over from
Valanora was utter genius. A ‘golden generation’ of sorts won the IFCF Rising Stars
Cup in Cycle 3, and many of those players are key parts of the senior squad to this
day. Felsenkirchen seem to have a particular knack for developing midfielders with
excellent technical skill: the undersized Porsche has become a maestro on the ball,
while Dieter Rosberg has a bag full of tricks. The example of Porsche shows how the
core idea of the club, that hard work will always be rewarded, manifests from the
very beginning, Skilled defenders have also come in spades: Paul Steinhausl, Helmut
Kadelberg and Otto Metzger. Der Park ensures Felsenkirchen are set up for future
success. Currently, the highly-rated stars of the future are defender Hermann Mohr,
midfielder Klaus Senger and forward Janni Hohenstein.

Seven current Siovanija & Teusland internationals, and three of the biggest signings in the club’s history - this is arguably the greatest squad in the club’s history.

Molin Park

Capacity: 45,000
Away End: 4,500
Status: Recently redeveloped

Molin Park, the large urban park in east
Felsenkirchen, was where the Cogs were originally born
- and they’ve never since left. The Park is now home to
the club’s stadium, youth facilities, as well as the club headquarters.
The original Molin Park was very much on its last legs when
the club built the second edition, redeveloped a few years
prior to isolation after the club’s great success. For Felsenkirchen
fans, this is a temple - the blue seats, the uncovered south stand
that is home to the club’s most fanatical supporters, rain or shine,
and the steep sides that make you feel as if you’re sitting on top
of the players. This is a truly picturesque stadium, surrounded by
one of Felsenkirchen’s oldest neighbourhoods and the beautiful park.
You can arrive by U-bahn at the Molinstrasse station, but most Cogs
supporters prefer to walk through the neighbourhood, stopping in at
the pubs and shops, on their way to the match. Always full and always
loud, this is one of the best stadiums in the country. Away fans, quite
universally, agree - Molin Park is one everyone wants to tick off their list.

That is quite a bold statement to make, given the history of legendary players who have worn this shirt - World Cup winners, Galacticos, some of the finest national team players in the history of the Goldhorns. Together, however, this squad is simply incredible - and it all kicked off with the now-infamous ‘triple-signing.’

Heading into the first international transfer market since the end of isolation, with IFCF qualification and a national title in tow, Felsenkirchen wanted to be bold. A trifecta of bids for 3 incredibly interesting players, totalling out at T15 million. At first, fans of other clubs were skeptical: ‘don’t they know it’s been 7 years?’ But as they signed one by one, Repnik, Harju and Tirel, it was Felsenkirchen fans with the last laugh.

The first to be confirmed was young Mytanar midfielder Arne Repnik, formerly of Ararat Severyan. Once an U21 international for his homeland, Repnik is seen as a playmaker with a particular eye for balls in the final third. He was brought in to pair nicely with Jesper Porsche, who while also a strong playmaker does like to take the ball forward and shoot himself. Next up was Isak Harju - the physical poacher was on the outs at a club in his native land, Polar Islandstates, but Felsenkirchen’s scouts have identified his style as one ideally suited both to the physical style of play in this country but also their tactics. The last one to be confirmed is Squornshelan centre back Valterri Tirel. The young man, an international for his country and arriving at the club just after winning the ARC, is known for being an absolute warrior. The tough as nails defender is one you can already see becoming a hero at a club where a willingness to fight for the shirt is valued above all else. He’ll partner nicely with Paul Steinhausl, another brick wall of a defender.

The x-factor for the team is one Jesper Porsche. Originally rejected from many academies in the country due to his perceived lack of physical attributes, he found a home at Felsenkirchen, and became part of the ‘golden generation’ of youth players who captured the IFCF Rising Stars’ Cup and helped lead the club to 2 Republikaliga titles. Some in the media have taken to calling him a ‘Thorsten Kramer regen,’ due to the attributes they share - a willingness to drive forward and shoot, the ability to completely dictate the tempo of the game, and a quiet leadership style. Given how often Porsche - and let’s be honest, any Teus midfielder between the ages of 10-25 - speaks of how he grew up watching and later modeled his game off of Der Kaiser, it’s no surprise. Porsche is a dominating presence for this team, and the partnership he’s formed with Dieter Rosberg, who plays a bit further forward, has been fruitful for the team.

All of this and we haven’t even got to an all-time club legend yet - Florian Krukenberg, another academy graduate turned great, is still tearing up the right wing in a Blue shirt. He’s not as explosive as he was at age 22, no, but Krukenberg has added other things to his game, making him almost impossible to defend against as you never know what he will pull out of his bag of tricks. He and Dieter Rosberg have developed a great chemistry for each other’s games, and Krukenberg is a huge part of this club’s success.

Off the bench, Leonard Wagner’s men are reinforced by a strong core of young players - including Arnold Apel, who led the backline for the Goldhorns at the Di Bradini Cup, and Reiner Werkner, a young forward who is still quite raw but you can see a great future for him as a poacher. One name former Republikaliga enjoyers might remember is Bastian Kracht - once the counterpart to Krukenberg on the left wing. Injuries stopped Kracht from reaching the same pantheon at the club, but he’s still a hero to many, and a good leader in the dressing room as well.

Silly as it may seem, there were some worries for the squad going into the Regionalliga campaign - “Porsche, Rosberg and Repnik is too many cooks in the kitchen;’ ‘Harju isn’t Ludwig,’ things like that. Felsenkirchen responded to this by absolutely annihilating all competition before them. The numbers speak for themselves: 24-2-2, 115 goals for and 27 against. 4.1 goals per game. The only losses came away to Marlesee 97, 2-1 and the only true disappointment of the season: a 4-2 derby defeat to Rotmunde at home. The Blues made this up to their fans, however, by winning both games in Rotmunde, as well as the final home derby of the season.

The biggest demonstration of Felsenkirchen’s utter superiority came in a 10-0 away win over Adler Rotmunde. Harju had a hat-trick 23 minutes into the game, Krukenberg had a brace, and after half-time (with the score already 7-0) the starters were replaced where possible with the U18s. This team doesn’t just play good, they play beautiful - the trio of Porsche, Repnik and Rosberg moving the ball around is a work of art alone. For all the talk of their nuclear warhead of an attack, let’s not forget another statistic: 0.96 goals against per game. Tirel and Steinhausl formed a dominant pairing together, bullying opposing forwards into submission.

With a near-perfect regional league campaign in their back pocket, Felsenkirchen head into the Meisterschaft with only one goal in mind - becoming national champions. Anything less would be a disappointment, especially when comparing the Blues’ record in their regional competition to that of the other participating teams. Felsenkirchen’s squad is chock-full of talent, there is no doubt about that - and they seem to have that fighting spirit that makes them even more dangerous. If they can keep up this form, no-one can stop them - not even the old enemy from Stelburg.

A squad with offensive capabilities comparable to Siovanija & Teusland’s military, a fortress in defence and a hard-working mentality, Felsenkirchen are the clear favourites to be champions this year.

[Siovanija and Teusland]

Meisterschaft Cycle 19 - Preview IV

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FC TEUSSEN STELBURG

Basic Information

Colours: Black and gold
Stadium: Franz-Gorz-Stadion (70,000)
Kit sponsor: TeusBank (national, finance industry)
Manager: Kasper Knauer
Captain: Dietrich Traeger
Nicknames: Der Schwarz und Gold, (‘The Black and Gold’), Der Legendare (‘The Legendary’)
Rivals: Olympia Borograd (National derby), 1912 Stelburg (Stelburg derby), FC Felsenkirchen 1879 (competitive)
Legends: Franz Gorz, Thorsten Kramer, Kasper Knauer, Karl-Heinz Jager, Lukas Tauscher

Background

Club Honours

Historic Era
50x Teus champions
33x President’s Cup winners

Republikaliga Era
7x Republikaliga winners (S2, 6, 7, 9,
15, 16, 19)
5x President’s Cup winners (S5, 6, 8, 10,
13)

Modern Era
2x Meisterschaft winners (Cycle 16, 17)
1x President’s Cup winners (Cycle 16)

International
1x IFCF Cup Winners’ Cup winners (53)

Countless trophies to their name, a legacy of glory and an air of elegance, FC Teussen Stelburg are the greatest in the land.

Fan Profile

Members: 312,443
Average Ticket Price: T65
Political affiliation: Fanbase too big to fit in one; certain groups are
Teus nationalist
Supporter Groups: Sektor T, 1893 Boys, Draiside Devils
Away Support: Always sold out
Calimero Complex: None. Teussen inspire this in others.
Arrogance: Off the charts: you aren’t a real Teussen fan if you haven’t
used the club’s total # of trophies in an online argument
Style: Ultras, drums in Sektor T, tifos
Cult Hero: Currently Hans Gruber, all time Thorsten Kramer

In the year 1865, with football a sport very much on the rise within the Teus Empire, several Stelburg aristocrats got together and met the Kaiser himself to discuss the founding of a new football club. Imperial Stelburg was born, playing originally out of the Stelburg Oval cricket ground, and quickly became one of the most successful teams in the Empire. A few years later, the club moved into its own Kaiser-Wilhelm-Stadion and took the name by which they are today known: FC Teussen Stelburg. At first, the club played in white and gold kits that resemble today’s away shirt.

Teussen were the biggest club of the pre-war leagues, and had the country’s first-ever household name footballer: Franz Gorz. The club’s captain, newspaper reports of the time would have you believe Gorz single-handedly willed Teussen to victory on many occasions. Some sources list him scoring 53 goals in the 1891 campaign, in a total of 22 games. By the end of 1893, the Great War was becoming more and more desperate for both Siovanija and the Teus, and Gorz, feeling a duty for his country, gave an emotional speech after Teussen’s championship announcing he would be retiring from football and joining the Teus army. 9 months later, Gorz was killed in action at the Battle of Debelets. The loss of their captain was a shock to the club and city - black was permanently added to the club’s badge and kit in memory, and even today, the statue of Gorz is the most prominent outside the stadium that bears his name.

In the post-war years, as the city of Stelburg adapted to its new role in the new country, its premier football club continued to establish itself as the finest in the country. Teussen were unassailable in their regional competition, and despite fierce competition from other parts of the country, where the dominant force in post-war football. By 1960, the club had managed 28 Teus championships and 13 President’s Cup national titles. Where Stelburg’s pride had once been drawn from its status as the premier city of an empire that spanned 3 regions, it was now channeled through an all-conquering football club.

Through all of that success, Teussen became by far the biggest club in the national lore. Comic books and short stories made playing for the club a top dream of any Teus child. During the days when RBC Teusland could only broadcast 1 match live per weekend, 99% of the time it was a Teussen match, creating a generation of fans who lived for watching their boys in black and gold. Any sporting goods store in the nation carried that year’s home kit for sale. Stelburg, the home to much of Teusland’s cultural industry, was enamored with their club, and famous movie stars and musicians often made appearances at games. A movie about the life of Franz Gorz made the club even more of a pop culture behemoth. And, frankly, on top of all this, they were winners, and winners with a certain style - Teussen built an ethos on playing beautiful football. These contributing factors have all helped the club become by far the biggest in the country, with over double the members of any other Teus club.

So, what exactly is the ‘Teussen way’? Club manager Horst Eckeler, who won 5 Teus titles and 4 President’s Cup during his tenure as manager in the late 1970s and early 80s, once said of Teussen: “We have a duty to win, and a responsibility to entertain.” Under Eckeler, the club was the first in the country to introduce a new style of play, based on fluid, attacking football in a 4-3-3 formation, You could turn up to the stadium knowing you were in for a show. The club’s famous academy, Hochzoll, played a key role in this as well: the academy’s strict coaching regimen developed technically excellent players who could dazzle with skill on the ball, and implanted the Teussen system from the earliest possible moment. Think of the modern stereotypes of Teus players: centre backs who are strong on the ball, technically-strong midfielders, wingers who beat their man with a bag of tricks and love to cut in for a shot. Teussen and Hochzoll were the origin of every single one. Furthermore, the club introduced a policy of only signing players with Teus heritage. “Winning, our way” became the watchword, and by the end of the first Regionalliga era the club had managed a total of 50 Teus championships and 33 President’s Cups.

The Teussen way, beloved by fans, is an oft-cited example by rival fans of ‘the Teussen arrogance.’ Almost every other club in Teusland has a bitter relationship with Teussen, a natural consequence of the club having fans in every little village of the country and being the best. Rotmunde fans, for example, will tell you it was their 1973-74 squad that brought the 4-3-3 to Teus football, while there would famously be chants of ‘nothing at all in Stelburg’ whenever the club were eliminated from national title contention. 1912 Stelburg is a major rival, the Stelburg derby being an important one for the fans of both clubs, and Teussen do love to put one over on the rival they view as an annoying little brother. Felsenkirchen have been bigger rivals lately, with plenty of clashes in recent years as it seems the club from the north are a rising star in terms of prestige. But for most Teussen fans, the main rival will always be Olympia Borograd, their National derby opponents. If Teussen are the national team for Teusland, Olympia are their equals in Siovanija, and in the pre-Republikaliga era the clubs regularly wound up facing each other in hugely-important President’s Cup matches. In the Republikaliga era, many thought these two would be destined to do titanic battle over the league title: instead, however, Olympia Borograd have struggled, with only 1 title in the period. In derbies, too, Teussen have had Olympia’s number: the infamous 5-0 victory in Borograd, the 4-3 win in the President’s Cup final, and 25 total wins in 42 derby matches in the 19 seasons of the Republikaliga. Olympia, by comparison, had only 10. It’s always an occasion when these clubs face off, particularly in the isolation era as tensions grew between the two nations they represented, and while there is a mutual respect, there is also great joy in getting one over on the rivals.

Heading into the Republikaliga era, many felt that the end of Teussen’s dominance over national football would soon arrive. Surely the national signing policy wouldn’t hold up in an era where foreign players were welcomed to the league, and new global exposure meant other clubs could rise to compete with them. That’s… not quite how it went. Kasper Knauer, the club’s new manager, helped bring a Thorsten Kramer-led team to title glory in season 2, and while Teussen struggled at first to replace Kramer when he left for 1830 Cathair, they would soon become a dominant force. With players like Karl-Heinz Jager and Lukas Tauscher in the lineup, Teussen won 3 titles in 4 years, including being the first club in the Republikaliga era to do the league and Cup double. Reaching an IFCF Challengers’ Cup Final, and winning the IFCF Cup Winners’ Cup, gave the club international glory as well. The return of legendary midfielder Thorsten Kramer after his time in Audioslavia saw the great help lead his team to 3 more titles, including the final season of the Republikaliga, Kramer’s last season. Der Kaiser, as the Teussen fans call him, won the Golden Ball twice in those years.

As much as the isolation was hated in Teusland, it was beneficial for their biggest club: the Teus-only signing policy meant that the team’s position only strengthened compared to their rivals. With the international transfer market now opened once again, however, Teussen will need to consider how to move forward and how to adapt their traditions to the modern era once again. It will certainly be interesting to watch how the club moves forward from here.

FC Teussen Stelburg are the club that come to mind instantly when one thinks of football in this country, and are a sure bet to continue their heroic legacy in the new era.

Squad

Starting XI (4-2-3-1): GK - Koloman Bodeker (28), LB - Elias Schwefel (24), CB - Reinhard Listner (30), CB - Erwin Sanner (20), RB - Rolf Reichenbach (20); CM - Dietrich Traeger (29), CM - Hans Gruber (20), CM - Henrik Martin (30); LW - Bastian Boltzmann (32), RW - Gustaf Liechtenstein (30), CF - Patrik Hohenlowe (22)

Bench: GK - Josep Kranz (21), DF - Arno Amstutz (35), DF - Ralf Kaubach (20), MF - Heinrich Bahr (35), MF - Stephen Gessner (30), MF - Luca Goedde (26), CF - Felix Feicke (28)

Preview

Academy

Befitting the grand history of the club,
FC Teussen Stelburg’s academy is generally considered the
finest in the country. Known as Hochzoll, after the west
Stelburg neighbourhood the club’s training facilities are hosted
in, the number of incredible players who have come through
its ranks is countless. Mario Kogler, Lukas Tauscher, Karl-Heinz
Jager, Ewald Heuser. Most famous of all, of course, is Thorsten
Kramer, the country’s greatest player of all time and a true Teussen
legend. Hochzoll is famous for developing great players - but also
being a true test of one’s abilities, on and off the pitch. Its famously
grueling curriculum prepares players for the pressure of playing for
the biggest club in the land, but also offers them the freedom to
develop their own unique skills. Opportunities for training with the
first team are common, too, and as part of the club’s identity is about
developing youth, there are always opportunities to break through.
The top players from across the nation always seem to find their way here.
While the academy is strong particularly in developing technically skilled
players, Kramer and others like Heinrich Bahr and Dietrich Traeger proving this,
there have been incredible players of all positions coming out of Hochzoll.
Many graduates have earned the honour of representing their country internationally,
but even for those who never get to wear the black and gold at the senior level,
there are opportunities: Hochzoll has been responsible for the development of
countless lower-league and mid-table stars. Currently, the ones to watch are
defender Benedikt Tannenberger, midfielder Lutz Wolff and
forward Falko Meier.

A squad in between eras, as Teussen integrate a large amount of academy grads into a first team full of veteran stars.

Franz-Gorz-Stadion

Capacity: 70,000
Away End: 7,000
Status: New build

Teussen have come a long
way from their days of playing at a cricket
ground in Stelburg - the Franz-Gorz-Stadion is
a behemoth that totally suits the club. The black
and gold seats, the gold gates at the entrance, and
murals and statues of legendary Teussen players -
this stadium is a temple of the club. The new
stadium was built to be on par with the
Nationalstadion as the largest in the country,
and its famous steep north stand is arguably the
most atmospheric in the country. It’s truly breathtaking
to experience for the first time. Stelburg Hauptbahnhof
is only a 3 minute walk from the stadium, which is
located just on the edge of Stelburg’s imperial
downtown core next to the River Drai. U and S-bahn trains
also stop here at an underground stop named for the stadium.
It’s a popular tourist attraction in the city, particularly the
club’s museum, where after passing through several rooms full
of club artifacts and a multimedia experience telling the club story,
one enters the Hall of Trophies: modeled off of the royal armoury in
the Sanssouci Palace, it contains every trophy the club has ever won.
The area around the stadium is pleasant too, with great spots to sit
and drink before and after the game along the river. Teussen fans,
of course, will tell you this is the best stadium in the country - and
away fans agree, typically filling up the large away end and telling
great stories of their day out.

It’s a strong roster from the Stelburgers, and it will be very interesting to watch a new generation from Hochzoll coming into the first team. Hans Gruber and Erwin Sanner are the big names, both of whom wore the Goldhorns shirt at the Di Bradini Cup, and Gruber in particular has been adored by the fans. He is still not a finished product, of course, but has the exact qualities a Teussen midfielder is expected to have - a bit more on that later. The one being somewhat underrated in all of this is Rolf Reichenbach, who also suited up for the junior Goldhorns. With a great deal of pace on him, and a highlight reel of great crosses, he could be key for Teussen this season.

Instead of just one player, for an x-factor, we have to focus on the midfield as a whole. Kasper Knauer’s men will line up in Teussen’s traditional 4-3-3, and the trio of Hans Gruber, Dietrich Traeger and Henrik Martin makes up one of the most formidable midfields in the division. Gruber is the young blood, with excellent energy and clear talent for the future. Already admired by the Teussen fans since his academy days, this will be his first season as a full-time starter and the expectations are high. Probably good, then, to have 2 incredibly experienced men alongside him. Dietrich Traeger is the club captain and has added an edge to his game in recent years that makes him an exceptional anchor man in midfield, preferring to sit a little bit deeper in Knauer’s system - to great effect in recent years. A strong leader, Traeger is an important player in this squad. Henrik Martin, who spent several successful years playing in Farfadillis in his youth before joining the Stelburg outfit, is going to be key at driving the play forward and he’s not afraid to take a shot, especially from just outside the box where he has been a specialist for the club in the past. The possession-based system of the manager means these 3 will be crucial in determining the club’s success.

Speaking of the manager - it’s a landmark season for the club as Kasper Knauer has announced he will retire after this season following 24 years as the FC Teussen Stelburg boss, the second-longest run in the club’s history. With 7 Republikaliga titles, 2 Meisterschaft titles, 7 President’s Cup wins and an international trophy, Knauer goes down as another legend in the club’s pantheon. That will be a storyline for the club all season, and equally so who will replace him. It’s understood that Teussen are going to do everything to bring in Thorsten Kramer, who has successfully made the Krutenau Kickers a strong team in the Stelburg regional league and guided them to a President’s Cup win last year.

The Regionalliga campaign did not quite go to plan for the black and gold, as they were beaten to the title by their city neighbours 1912 Stelburg and had to qualify through the playoff group stage. Teussen actually performed quite well throughout the season, scoring the most goals of any club, and stayed neck and neck with the Bluebirds in the race for first place. It was only a derby defeat at the Oststelburgstadion in the final weeks of the season that pushed 1912 ahead of Teussen, and after that Teussen lost some steam. In the playoff, however, Teussen were absolutely dominant, beating Rotmunde 8-2 in their opener before securing 3-1 wins over FC St. Jakob and TSV Georg-Blocher to reach the Meisterschaft.

As a result of this, combined with a world-class squad in Felsenkirchen. Teussen head into the season as underdogs, an unfamiliar position for the club. With the quality this team possesses, they are still one of the finest in the country and should be involved in a highly competitive IFCF qualification race. But, let’s be honest here - if there’s anything FC Teussen Stelburg have taught us, in over 150 years of football: you can never, ever, count them out. Teussen will have to play nearly perfect in every single game, but if anyone can overcome that monster Felsenkirchen team, you’d have to bet on the black and gold.

A legend’s last hurrah, the beginning for many new players, and a new era seemingly on its way, this will be an important season in the history of Siovanija & Teusland’s legendary club.

[Siovanija and Teusland]

Meisterschaft Cycle 19 - Preview V

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FK METROPOLA BOROGRAD

Basic Information

Colours: Purple and white
Stadium: Stadion Razdrto ‘Vijolicni’
Kit sponsor: Ljubljanski vode (national, alcohol)
Manager: Alan Dzekov
Captain: Blahoslav Zak
Last Season: 3rd
Prediction: 2nd
Nicknames: The Violets
Rivals: Olympia Borograd (Borograd derby), SK Republika Borograd (local)
Legends: Viktor Venev, Alan Dzekov, Stanimir Ilev, Andrey Bunev

Background

Club Honours

Historic Era
21x Siovanijan champions
7x President’s Cup winners

Republikaliga Era
3x Republikaliga winners (S13, 14, 17)
1x President’s Cup winners (S17)

Modern Era
1x President’s Cup winners (Cycle 17)

International
None

FK Metropola Borograd are a club on the rise, who have managed to become the strongest club from the national capital in recent years. .

Fan Profile

Members: 107,540
Average Ticket Price: T40
Political affiliation: Somewhat leftist, anti-isolation, anti-establishment
Supporter Groups: Violet Fanatics, Curva Jug, Metro Youth
Away Support: Always sold out
Calimero Complex: Once deep-seeded towards Olympia Borograd,
has disappeared as the club achieved more success
Arrogance: Growing, specifically towards Olympia Borograd
Style: Ultras, smoke and flares, fireworks
Cult Hero: Currently Blahoslav Zak, all-time Valko Tinchev

In the years between the Siovanijan Revolution in 1808, and the outbreak of the Great War in 1888, the city of Borograd was the centre of a mini-enlightenment. New ideas, a freedom of thought and expression not found fully in the Teus Empire next door, and a growing metropolitan attitude. Borograd had for hundreds of years been second place to Vlaikograd under the Siovanijan Empire, and then for 400 years second to Stelburg in the Teus Empire. After the revolution, the city was the centre of Siovanija and began developing a new culture.

While in the cafes of Borograd politics were often debated, as the century progressed, so was the game of football. The Olympia Athletic Club, a multi-sport organization, and SK Republika Borograd were the clubs in the city at the time, but many felt they didn’t represent the city. Olympia presented themselves as the Siovanijan athletic club, while Republika was a club more for the elites. The working class of downtown Borograd were left out - and so, in 1886, FK Metropola Borograd were founded. Taking the colours of the city itself, and playing all matches downtown, the club got off to a quick start - and then the war started.

Siovanija suffered terribly during the Great War, and the working class of Borograd was no different. Many founding members of the club met their fate in the trenches, and by 1895 when peace was agreed, those who did get out were coming back to a devastated city. Borograd was the capital of the new United Republics - but while construction crews built new government offices, a few hundred metres to the east was some of the worst poverty in the country.

The people of Borograd stuck together, and the club was there for them, too. Matchday tickets served as a fund for the local youth, the club grew in membership, and was active in the community. Meanwhile, as all of this was going on, things were changing at the other city clubs as well: Olympia Borograd moved to the suburbs, something the Metropola fans have never let them forget, and Republika went basically bankrupt. That left Metropola as the club in the city itself, something their fans have always prided themselves on. When they won the first Regionalliga Siovanija title, in 1899, it was a joyful moment for every resident of the city.

While Metropola became the most successful club in the actual city limits of Borograd, the competition in Siovanija was a bit tougher than that. Olympia Borograd still were a dominant force, and the local rivalry between the two was incredibly fierce. In Vlaikograd, Crvena Zvezda were also a strong power, and it was difficult for the Violets to break through. There was a great run in the 1920s of 4 Siovanijan titles in 5 years, and another run in the mid-1950s when the club were the most dominant in the country: 4 Siovanijan and 2 national titles in a 6-year run. With Crvena Zvezda’s decline, however, the neighbours established themselves as the premier club in Siovanija, and Olympia Borograd went on to dominate the competition thereafter. Metropola won back to back titles in 1972 and 1973, and then had to wait 40 years for two more titles. There were other rising powers in Siovanijan football at the time, including Energija Chernovets and TSV Marzig, and Metropola was struggling to keep up.

When the Republikaliga era began, then, the two eternal rivals from the national capital were in very different positions. Olympia were predicted to go on to become a force, competing yearly for national championships. Many at Metropola instead worried for the club’s future, now needing to compete with clubs like FC Teussen Stelburg at the top. Indeed, the first few years of the Republikaliga were not particularly joyful for the Violets. Not much success in the table, watching excellent players move to foreign shores, and Olympia won the league in its 3rd season. The only bright spot was that Metropola could, at least, have Olympia’s number in the Borograd derby: the Violets in fact went undefeated in the first 5 derbies in the Republikaliga era.

Then came Alan Dzekov. The former Goldhorns manager was appointed Metropola boss and immediately set about turning the club around. Excellent talent from the youth academy, including Andrey Bunev, meshed well with foreign talents coming in such as Lukas Stonemoore, Andreas Sargent and Vincent Hicks to create an excellent squad. As Olympia’s star was falling, Metropola was rising, and they proved this with a league title in season 13. Metropola would go back-to-back the next year, and with the emergence of Blahoslav Zak as a goalscoring force went for a league and Cup double in season 17. In just 5 years, Metropola had managed to achieve far more in the Republikaliga than Olympia ever had - for the first time in many, many years, Metropola are now firmly the best club from the national capital.

The isolation hit Metropola more than most clubs, as they lost one of the best groups of foreign stars in the league. However, the investments put into the club’s youth system meant a preparedness to respond to the challenge - and the domestic double was achieved entirely with Siovanijan players. The systems Dzekov, who remains the club’s manager, put into place have made the club a powerhouse year in and year out, and with the re-opening of the international market, have the opportunity to truly cement themselves as the biggest club in Siovanija.

The main rivals, of course, are the neighbours who wear green, Olympia Borograd. The difference in fanbases is clear: Olympia’s fans are arrogant and see themselves as the team of Siovanija; Metropola’s fans were humble and are very much full of civic pride for their city. The Borograd derby is one of the fiercest in the country, perhaps only behind that in Pomorie/Marzig. It’s often a battle that splits apart families, friend groups and offices. Historically, the downtown core of Borograd was solidly violet, and the outer ring solidly green - but in recent years, of course, this has changed and you can find either colour in the other’s ‘territory.’ One of the biggest parts of the feud is Metropola’s claim that Olympia are not a real Borograd club. Olympia was founded as a multi-sport athletic union for all Siovanijans; Metropola was founded by real Borograders. Olympia moved away from the city and are no longer technically based in its borders; Metropola stayed with the city in its worst moments and carry its name and colours with pride. ‘Metropola is the club from Borograd’ is a common chant at derby matches, which are known for their intensity and atmospheric actions from both club’s fans. Famously, one-time Olympia man turned Metropola hero Valko Tinchev picked up and waved a purple flare at the Olympia fans after scoring a derby winner.

On the other hand, the SK Republika Borograd rivalry has never really fully heated up, although Republika fans do tend to have a distaste for both of the other clubs in the city. One interaction which has gotten plenty of attention in recent years, however, is a fan friendship between Metropola and 1912 Stelburg supporters. It makes a lot of sense: the clubs are from very similar roots, and both have a major rival in the same city who they find arrogant beyond belief. The Violet Fanatics and Ultras 1912 have often been pictured together, both clubs’ fans can from time to time be spotted in each other’s away ends to support the other, and before a Cup clash a few seasons ago a friendship tifo was displayed.

Having changed their story and asserted themselves as the best club in their city, FK Metropola Borograd look to continue their rise at home and internationally.

Squad

Starting XI (4-2-3-1): GK - Julijan Koprvic (33); LB - Sobislav Volf (27), CB - Gorka Araquistáin (TKT, 21), CB - Frantisek Polak (31), RB - Jiri Fiser (28); CM - Kazimir Mares (23), CM - Damir Prekmurje (22), LW - Veljko Vadimic (19), CAM - Rostislav Jagr (27), RW - Ladislav Nistor (26), CF - Blahoslav Zak (28)

Bench: GK - Valentin Pospisil (25), DF - Drakon Zaikov (18), DF - Simeon Bratkovic (21), MF - Andrey Bunev (34), MF - Edvard Svejgar (18), MF - Tibor Slezak (24), CF - Ivan Nemec (22)

Preview

Academy

For a club like Metropola Borograd,
the development of youth players has always been crucial
to the club’s success. Based in the biggest city in Siovanija,
they have always been able to attract a great deal of local
talent to their ranks. The list of names coming out of Vratnik,
the neighbourhood in which Metropola’s training facilities remain,
is one lined with great talents such as Andrey Bunev, Blahoslav Zak,
Stanimir Ilev and Anton Dimitrov. Legendary goalkeeper Viktor Venev,
and his successor at the club Julijan Koprvic both came from the Metropola
academy. From these names, you can see exactly what Metropola’s youth
system excels at: excellent forwards. Ilev and Dimitrov both ended up finding
success abroad, while Blahoslav Zak has been one of the best forwards in the
country in recent years. Whether it’s due to having to face down these kinds
of forwards daily, or excellent coaching (we think a bit of both), the club have
also developed some wonderful goalkeepers. Particularly under Alan Dzekov’s
watch the club have been known for a willingness to promote youth players
to the first team, and it’s helped make Vratnik one of the best academies in
the country. Currently, top talents include defender Pavel Hanak,
midfielder Bonifaz Silkov and forward Dusan Smires.

Stadion Razdrto ‘Vijolicni’

Capacity: 61,000
Away End: 6000
Status: New build

A return to their roots, the Stadion Razdrto
is one of the newest stadiums in the country and is built
at a time the club is enjoying one of their greatest eras
of success. The district of Razdrto is just to the east of the
government district, and has long been a centre of Borograd
culture. The club’s previous stadium, the Metropola Arena, was
just on the outskirts of the district, where the Vijolicni (Violet) is
at its heart. Surrounded by plenty of restaurants and pubs, it is
the perfect place to walk around and absorb the culture before
a big match. The new build is an architectural wonder, and is
coloured purple just like the club. At night, with the lights turned on,
the purple glow can be seen across the city. The Metropola fans were
very excited about the new build, with the old Arena not getting any
younger, and they have been very happy with how it has met expectations
so far. The stadium is built to encourage atmosphere, and the new section
behind the south goal, the favourite for the ultras, is a steep, free-standing
tier with plenty of standing room. The Borograd rivalry is represented even
here - the Razdrto is built to a capacity of 61,000, exactly 1000 more than
at Olympia’s Olimpski-Stadion. Opened in the year of the league and cup
double, it’s place with plenty of special memories already for Metropola fans.
Away fans have complained a bit about being shoved into the upper west corner
of the stadium, with not the best view - but few will complain about the
facilities and atmosphere on offer here.

An excellent squad with plenty of continuation from the glory years hopes to help Metropola further build on the club’s recent success. Going into the first international transfer market in years, the club had a stated goal to acquire a young centre back to serve alongside Frantisek Polak - T2 million later and young Tikariotian defender Gorka Araquistáin will pull on the violet shirt. Araquistáin is known for being quite a physical defender, a quality the Metropola management hope will help make him a success in this league. Polak was once the young star and is now the grizzled vet of 3 league title campaigns, and he hasn’t slowed down even a bit at 31 years old. He’s a commanding leader of this backline. While we’re on the subject of defence, the duo of Sobislav Volf and Jiri Fiser as fullbacks is arguably the best in the country, with Volf in particular being a famously dangerous crosser of the ball.

Metropola’s x-factor, as it so often has been for this club famed for legendary forwards, is the man up top: Blahoslav Zak. Since his earliest academy days, Zak was a controversial topic amongst Metropola fans: an explosive poacher, with great physical attributes, he could bang in ridiculous amounts of goals on his day. Off his day, however, the question was always ‘what else does he do.’ When Zak made the step up to the senior team a few years ago, however, he overcame early growing pains to become a fully rounded player. He was the Republikaliga’s top scorer in the isolation era, and a key part of the double-winning side for Metropola. With the return to international football, he’s also earned a place with the national team. Metropola can count on Zak to score when they need him most, and that is something many a club dreams about.

Another area to highlight for the Violets is the young midfield duo - Kazimir Mares and Damir Prekmurje. Prekmurje was once the highest rated prospect in the country at FK Pomorie’s academy, and had a few excellent seasons for his hometown club - bought by Metropola, an injury kept him out for all of last season, and this is his first chance to really prove himself at the top level. He is a pure midfield destroyer, with crashing tackles and a fierce side that sees him be considered one of the hardest matchups possible for opposing players. What’s underrated about Mares, who some view as a pure defensive midfielder, is his ability to make good runs and open up space for those around him. Kazimir Mares, meanwhile, is an excellent playmaker who knows how to dictate tempo, and is particularly adept at playing the ball out to his wingers on the flanks. Metropola fans are very eager to see how the duo of Mares and Prekmurje will mesh, and it could be a key point in the club’s fortunes this season.

During the Regionalliga season, Metropola went down to the wire in a fierce title battle with Olympia Borograd. The sides finished just 1 point apart, with Metropola taking the championship and Olympia requiring a playoff to get into the Meisterschaft. Everything looked like it would go wrong after matchday 5: a disastrous 5-1 defeat to Olympia had local media fearing for Metropola’s chances of even reaching the Meisterschaft this season. When the sides met again at the Stadion Razdrto, it went from bad to worse: 6-1 for the green side. After those two devastating blows, however, the squad really dug deep and found something internally. Zak began firing on all cylinders again, the Mares-Prekmurje pairing started showing signs of their promise, and Sobeslav Volf in particular was a creative force in the fullback position. Metropola sat 4 points behind Olympia with 3 matches to play, including the final derby of the season. A 3-1 win in the Razdrto over the old enemy, plus two wins in the final matches while Olympia instead drew on the final day, handed Metropola the victory. With a solid run late in the season, Metropola are hoping the foundation has been built for the Meisterschaft.

It’s an excellent squad who really showed their best qualities in the clutch moments of the season, beating their rivals once again to the big prize. However, it’s going to be very important for the Violets to pick up where they left off. There is no room for a slow start in the Meisterschaft. Everybody knows the talent this squad possesses, and while Energija Chernovets and Olympia Borograd are certainly going to be teams to keep an eye on for them, if any Siovanijan club hasa shot at winning the title this year you’d have to bet on the Violets. Can they actually beat the heavy favourites in Felsenkirchen? The Blues’ squad is perhaps the stronger between the two. But that’s why they play the games.

With a good squad ready for the future, FK Metropola Borograd charge back into another Meisterschaft campaign with hopes of claiming a league title.

[Siovanija and Teusland]

Meisterschaft Cycle 19 - Preview VI

OLYMPIA BOROGRAD

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Basic Information

Colours: Green and white
Stadium: Olimpski-Stadion
Kit sponsor: Telekom Siovanija (national, telecommunications)
Manager: Marijan Urankar
Captain: Gustaf Machacek
Last Season: DNQ (2nd in Regionalliga)
Prediction: 6th
Nicknames: Olimpski, The Greens, The Dragons
Rivals: FK Metropola Borograd (Borograd derby), FC Teussen Stelburg (national), Zvezda Vlaikograd (historic)
Legends: Ivo Romanov, Lojze Kokalj, Krasimir Kynev

Background

Club Honours

Historic Era
47x Siovanijan champions
25x President’s Cup winners

Republikaliga Era
1x Republikaliga winners (S3)
1x President’s Cup winners (S2)

Modern Era
None

International
None

Olympia Borograd, the historic giant who took a tumble from their grace in the Republikaliga era, are hoping to write a new story as the club seek to return to international football. .

Fan Profile

Members: 197,400
Average Ticket Price: T60
Political affiliation: Too big to fall in one; some groups pro-isolation and Siovanijan nationalist
Supporter Groups: Divize 89, Green-White Loyalty, Ultras GB21
Away Support: Always sold out
Calimero Complex: A bit towards FC Teussen Stelburg, but not a great deal
Arrogance: Off the charts, however, they have been humbled in recent years
Style: Ultras, tifos
Cult Hero: Currently Vladimir Vladimiric, all-time Ivo Romanov

In the years following the Siovanijan Revolution of 1808, sport and athletics were being heavily promoted by the Siovanijan republican government. “The strength of the youth of our republic,” as its first President, Lyubomir Dialikov, wrote, “will be the guarantor of its future.” As a result, various athletic clubs sprung up around Siovanija, mostly dedicated to preparing young men for the military and also regular sports. One of these clubs was the National Olympic Athletic Society, or in short just ‘Olympia.’ Founded in 1813, Olympia achieved early fame for its success in athletics and gymnastics. The amateur club remains Siovanija & Teusland’s biggest athletic union, and almost all Siovanijan Olympic athletes have been a part of it at some point.

In 1854, as football spread across Siovanijan territory, the first-ever organized game was played between members of the Olympia club and an XI from the Siovanijan army. Olympia won the match 3-1, a football division was created within the club, and the most successful club of Siovanijan history was born. In the pre-war era, led by legendary forward Ludvik Tarasov, Olympia were the most successful of any Siovanijan club, winning the 1. Division a total of 8 times before competition was suspended during the Great War.

Following the war, Borograd was the capital of the new United Republics, and the Olympia club had greatly risen in prominence. A new stadium was built on the outskirts of the city, and the club soon opened up divisions in ice hockey, water polo and basketball. Olympia had become the largest multi-sport union in the country. In the early years of the new football system, Olympia maintained their dominance - winning 10 of the first 18 Siovanijan championships. In the President’s Cup, too, Olympia found success - the team of the mid-1920s famously won 3 national titles in a row. The club found themselves competing mostly with rivals Crvena Zvezda from Vlaikograd, and occasionally also from their neighbours in Borograd, Metropola.

The 1960s, however, marked a divergence in path for the two ‘old rivals.’ Crvena Zvezda changed their name, becoming Zvezda Vlaikograd, and combined with a few other business decisions, fell out of the limelight. Meanwhile, in 1963, the football division of the Olympia Athletic Club officially became independent. NK Olympia Borograd was now its own entity, paying a small fee for use of the name, but was now able to transform into a behemoth of a club due to smart financial decisions. In 1968, 5 years after the separation, Olympia bought the land their stadium sat on and built a new 60,000 seat arena to host the club.

After some minor teething problems, Olympia in the late 1970s and 1980s truly became the club in Siovanija. 11 titles between 1978 and 1993, as well as 5 President’s Cup successes in the same period. What FC Teussen Stelburg was for the Teus nation, Olympia Borograd became for the Siovanijans. Wearing green, the national colour, and based in the national capital, it was only natural things would develop this way. Add to that a preference for fast, attacking football, Olympia captivated many generations in Siovanija and as a result have fans across the country. Entering the Republikaliga period, there was no doubt that Olympia would become a major player in the new era.

But things didn’t quite work that way, did they. There was an incredible title in season 3 - Ivo Romanov leading the club to what was at the time a record points haul in the Republikaliga. Olympia also became the first club from Siovanija & Teusland to reach the Champions’ League group stage. But the departure of many legendary players, and failure to capitalize on the early success, hurt Olympia for a long time. That league title was the last trophy Olympia has lifted. In the meantime, they have had to watch the cross-town enemies Metropola turn into a dominant force and rivals FC Teussen Stelburg become a name synonymous with football in this country for foreign audiences. Olympia were well and truly knocked off their perch.

Isolation brought them back near to the top of the league, and they managed two 2nd place finishes during this period - but in the Regionalliga era, have found themselves clearly behind their rivals.

Olympia’s most important rivalry these days is of course the Borograd derby with FK Metropola Borograd. Green vs purple is a rivalry that totally takes over the city for a week leading up to the match, with fan marches through the city common on the day of. While Metropola fans claim to be humble, against the arrogant Olympia, Olympia fans will tell you that they represent a ‘purer’ side of the game in terms of their origins and style of play, and that Metropola may claim to be the club of Borograd but Olympia dream bigger. It’s an intense derby, and probably the second most violent in the country after the famous Pomorie-Marzig derby.

FC Teussen Stelburg have also been a historic rival, with many important matches played between the sides in the pre-Republikaliga era. And of course, there is the fact that both teams are almost a national side for their respective half of the country. During the isolation, with animosity between Siovanija & Teusland, this rivalry grew more and more bitter, especially as the games became more competitive on the pitch. However, the National derby has suffered a bit in recent years as Teussen have for the most part outclassed Olympia on the pitch. Zvezda Vlaikograd were once the club’s biggest rivals, when Olympia and the old Crvena Zvezda fought over Siovanijan league titles, but today this is not as deeply felt and is more in Zvezda’s fans minds than their Borograd colleagues.

While the club’s downturn in the Republikaliga era stings, many feel that the new era is a second chance to get things right and bring the club back to where they belong.

Squad

Starting XI (4-2-3-1): GK - Nail Ageykin (PYZ/QUE, 27); LB - Patrik Mrazek (24), CB - Gustaf Machacek (30), CB - Tadeas Blinakov (26), RB - Matyas Hayek (27); CM - Klaud Zorko (21), CM - Kvetoslav Kolar (28); LW - Rolando Cutter (KSK, 20), CAM - Drahoslav Cernak (26), RW - Marjan Trstenjek (21), CF - Vladimir Vladimiric (23)

Bench: GK - Lazar Peterka (19), DF - Erik Macek (24), DF - Radoslav Pruvak (26), MF - Albert Smid (32), MF - Bozhidar Ornik (23), MF - Hugo Cech (26), FW - Milan Marek (29)

Preview

Academy

One of the most famous academies
in the country, Zeleni vrt or ‘Green Garden’ holds a
special place in the lore of Olympia Borograd. Due to the club’s
historic status and ideal location in the capital city, they have always
attracted players from across Siovanija to join their ranks, and the
list of graduates is a who’s who of top Siovanijan talent: Ivo Romanov,
Krasimir Kynev, Yanko Zhelyaskov, Lojze Kokalj and Denis Dezelac all came
through the garden. Here, players are instructed to learn and focus on skills
they are interested in - with a broad set of highly-skilled coaches, players of
all positions and roles can develop strongly here. What makes Olympia’s
academy even stronger is the club’s commitment to young players, and
the interest fans take in the young squads. The U19s are often hosted at
the Olimpski-Stadion for matches, while there is a well-trod path into
the first team from the garden - particularly the title-winning side of
season 3 was almost entirely composed of academy graduates. Olympia
academy grads are known for their great skill on the ball, and the academy
is also noted for the great wingers that have developed here. Currently,
some of the top prospects include defender Dominik Sledzl, midfielder
Tomas Kohout and forward Borek Krziz.

Olimpski-Stadion’

Capacity: 60,000
Away End: 6000
Status: Outdated - no current plans

One of the most famous stadiums
in the country, the Olimpski-Stadion has
been home to Olympia Borograd for many years,
ever since the club built it upon becoming
independent from the amateur athletic club.
The Olimpski-Stadion has played host to many
of the most famous moments in the club’s history,
and the fans are deeply attached to it. The Borograd
metro ‘Green Line,’ fittingly, ends with the ‘Stadion’
stop, and you can always see a massive parade of
Olympia fans from the station to stadium on matchday.
The stadium isn’t famous just for the exploits of its main
tenant, however. The national football team have played
many a game here, and it was even used for a famous
outdoor hockey game between HK Olympia Borograd and
Stelburger SC. It was even used as part of a Banijan football
demonstration event in the Summer Olympics. The stadium is
quite old, and while there have been talks about a new build, many
fans aren’t quite ready to part with it just yet. With two tiers, and
a rounded shape, the stadium is well-regarded for the great sightlines
from every seat. The ultras here prefer the north stand, right behind
the goal, and the away fans usually end up in the second tier on the
opposite side. A trip here is always welcome by away fans, who appreciate
the atmosphere one of the temples of the Siovanijan game bring, even if
they have complained for years about the lack of facilities.

Olympia have been able to make some interesting moves this offseason, and enter the new era with a bit of quiet confidence that things will be different for them.

First of all, the outgoings needs to be mentioned: Lojze Kokalj and Denis Dezelac both heading abroad. The loss of Kokalj is a disappointment for the fans, as he had truly become a legend at the club, while everybody knew that Dezelac was headed for the exit door as soon as the isolation ended. Two of the most important players in the club’s recent history are now gone, and while it’s a bit bittersweet, their era also coincides with one of the worst in the club’s history. Therefore, the fresh air breathed into the team is also welcome. That fresh air came in the form of 2 foreign signings: Nail Ageykin, the dual international goalkeeper, arriving for a T1 million fee and Rolando Cutter, who joins at the price of T3.5 million to his former club in Kelssek. A bit of a journeyman, Ageykin was brought in mainly for his solid distribution skills, while Cutter arrives as a top young prospect out of Kelssek. He led his team in goals last season, and is viewed as an excellent raw talent with a good bit of pace. While he can play both on the wing and at centre forward, Olympia intend to use him as a direct replacement for Lojze Kokalj, and the fans are quite excited to see how he will perform this season.

Olympia’s x-factor is expected to be Marjan Trstenjek. The young winger was great for the club last year, and following an excellent performance with the U21s at the Di Bradini Cup, and the departure of Kokalj and Dezelac, is expected to be one of the club’s most important offensive players. A powerful winger with a good shot, Trstenjek has been talked about amongst Olympia supporters for years as a potential second coming of Ivo Romanov. While those expectations are probably a bit lofty for the 21 year old, he will have a lot of responsibility this season with new players in both the LW and CF positions - if he can help the new boys adjust, form a good partnership with Rolando Cutter, and score plenty of his own, it will be viewed as an excellent season for the young winger.

Another area to watch for will be the interestingly named Vladimir Vladimiric. This is the first time since the beginning of the Republikaliga era that Olympia are going into the season with a forward not named either Krasimir Kynev or Denis Dezelac. Kynev and Dezelac, of course, were proven international stars and could be relied on. Vladimiric, at 23, is a bit of a late bloomer - he was never rated too high in the academy, but has had success coming off the bench for Dezelac in the last few seasons. A big, powerful forward, he’s quite skilled in the air, and has a massively important season in front of him. If he can perform for Olympia, perhaps their next few years are sorted in this position - if he cannot, the club will need to hit the transfer market.

The Regionalliga campaign was a bit of a mixed bag for the Greens. It started off so well - a pair of 5-1 and 6-1 wins over the eternal rivals, Metropola, had Greens fans salivating: ‘back on top,’ read the tifo displayed at the next match after the 6-1 win. Things were going well in all ways: Vladimiric was firing in goals, Trstenjek and Cutter were both unplayable on their day, and importantly, the defence led by Gustaf Machacek was rock-solid as well. As the season went on, however, the same lack of consistency that has plagued Olympia in the past arose once again. A 3-1 loss to Metropola put the Regionalliga title in danger, and then a draw with lowly Atletik Orlovets on the final day handed Metropola the regional title. Olympia qualified for the Meisterschaft only through the new playoff format, where they defeated Vrnovo Mesto, FK Pomorie and Rudar Trkev quite convincingly to reach the final competition.

Whether it was cracking under pressure, or inexperience, the last half of the Regionalliga season was not good enough. Manager Marijan Urankar will be very much hoping to avoid a repeat performance in the Meisterschaft, as the club have an excellent chance to restore some of their old prestige by fighting for IFCF qualification. They proved this season they could compete with Metropola, and as a result have to be hoping to fight for those top 4 positions.

With strong pieces for the future, Olympia Borograd are hoping to return their name to the top of Siovanijan football.

[Siovanija and Teusland]

Meisterschaft Cycle 19 - Preview VII

TSV MARZIG

Home kit

Away kit

Basic Information

Colours: Light blue, white, gold
Stadium: Vest-Marlebucht-Stadion
Kit sponsor: Marziger Volksbank (local, financial institution)
Manager: Georg Hertl
Captain: Bjorn Panzer
Last Season: 8th (Regionalliga champion)
Prediction: 8th
Nicknames: The Knights, The Gulls
Rivals: FK Pomorie (Pomorie-Marzig derby), Zvezda Vlaikograd (political)
Legends: Horst Hackl, Ludwig Reichwein, Josef Kosch-Kovarik

Background

Club Honours

Historic Era
8x Siovanijan champions
8x President’s Cup winners

Republikaliga Era
2x President’s Cup winners (S4, 11)

Modern Era
None

International
None

A club with a unique history and a proven resiliency, TSV Marzig are hoping for a new dawn in the Meisterschaft.

Fan Profile

Members: 72,500
Average Ticket Price: T25
Political affiliation: Teus nationalist, some groups right-wing
Supporter Groups: Ultras 1414, Ostkurve, Immerdar ('forever'), Crusader Boys
Away Support: Always sold out
Calimero Complex: Yes, but mostly towards the Siovanijan league system
Arrogance: Towards FK Pomorie yes, otherwise none
Style: Ultras, hooliganism, tifos, fireworks
Cult Hero: Currently Silvio Rodl, historically Frank Lundrigan

Most clubs, wherever they come from, find themselves deeply linked to the community that surrounds them. Be it a region, a city, or even just a single neighbourhood, football clubs have a way of becoming a symbol for the people of an area. No top club in Siovanija & Teusland today represents this better, perhaps, than TSV Marzig. Founded in 1866 as ‘Sportverein Marzig,’ the club and city were at the time part of the Teus Empire. SV Marzig were a competitive team in the imperial first division, even after the war broke out - winning the Teus title in 1892.

The war. Ever since history began, it seems, Marzig has been fighting for survival. In 1157, peasants from Teusland settled at the mouth of the River Drai and established a small village. Around the same time, peasants from Siovanija did the same on the opposite side of the river. Separated by very little, the twin villages got along at first. Soon, the Siovanijan village, Pomorie, had risen to become a large town, while in 1283, knights of the crusading Order of St. Gustaf, tasked with converting the Siovanijan population to Catholicism by the Teus Pope, built a castle in Marzig. Marzig, the westernmost extent of the Teus Empire in those days, became the centre of the era of Crusades. When the religious wars ended, however, that did not mean peace. When Kaiser Ferdinand’s armies invaded Siovanija intending to conquer it for the Empire, it was the Battle of Marzig in 1414 that was their most famous victory. Marzig also rose to prominence, and became one of the empire’s most important cities.

For nearly 500 years following the Battle of Marzig, the region was united under the Teus crown. Then, with the Siovanijan Revolution in 1808, Pomorie and the rest of the Korjava split away. In 1888, tensions over who should control the region resulted in the beginning of the Great War. The brutal trench warfare that defined the struggle was at its harshest in this region, and many Marzig residents died during the 8 year long war. Following the war, to the worst fears of many residents of Marzig, they were administered together with the city of Pomorie as one. Pomorie-Marzig became a city in Siovanija. To which the Marzigers replied: “we will be Teus forever.” Years of nationalist violence between the communities, including assassinations and bombings, have followed. In the rest of the country, Pomorie and Marzig are viewed as the tragic story of ‘people who can’t get over a war that happened 150 years ago,’ but in the towns themselves - both of which saw a drastic decline in fortunes post-war - identity and the struggle for survival remain important.

The football clubs represent this. Sportverein Marzig quickly adopted a new title post-war: Teussische Sportverein, or ‘TSV.’ Light gold, the colour of the Teus Empire, was added as a common sight on the club’s away kits. In the year 1900, just 4 years after the painful war, TSV Marzig captured the President’s Cup title, a victory that was seen as a symbol of hope for the new nation. Early success in the Cup competition continued, as Marzig actually won 4 President’s Cup titles in the first 30 years it was contested - the second-most of any Siovanijan-based club, behind only Olympia Borograd. They also managed to become Siovanijan champions 4 times in the same period, and established local hegemony over their rivals in Pomorie.

Things gradually, however, became more difficult for the Knights. The club were isolated in Siovanijan football. With all of the political tension happening in Pomorie-Marzig, where Siovanijan and Teus nationalists battled in the streets, no Siovanijan player wanted to join the club - they would simply be labeled a traitor. At the same time, the best Teus players did not want to leave the Teus league system. Marzig’s base for player recruitment was the small Teus-speaking community in the city and the surrounding area - so, they put all of their resources into developing the club’s youth system. The academy soon became one of the finest in the country, thanks to large investments and the recruitment of great coaches. In addition to the academy, Marzig became pioneers of sports science and brought in new ideas on strength and conditioning as well as nutrition. It was the only way the club could compete against the big Siovanijan clubs.

Marzig, as a result, came to dominate their regional league and captured several more prizes. The club ended up as President’s Cup winners 8 times in the pre-Republikaliga era. Their finest period, however, was in the late 1980s and 1990s. After a few difficult years, Marzig captured the Siovanijan championship in 1986, and then embarked on a 15-year streak of winning the Regionalliga. They were Siovanijan champions back-to-back in 1998 and 1999, and lost the 1999 President’s Cup final to one of the greatest FC Teussen Stelburg squads of all time. Marzig became known as a club that could punch above their weight, always making a deep run in the Cup and always challenging for the Siovanijan title.

By the beginning of the Republikaliga era, there was great hope for Marzig to continue their status - and perhaps open up a gap to their rivals across the river. Things couldn’t have gone better for Marzig supporters: they were never once relegated from the Republikaliga, under manager Ole Sauer became a team that regularly competed in the upper midtable, and reached 3 President’s Cup finals, winning 2 of them. The club’s youth academy continued to produce gems such as Ludwig Reichwein and Josef Kosch-Kovarik, while foreign players like Frank Lundrigan and Heikki Vantarinen became solid Republikaliga players. Most importantly, Marzig dominated the derby against Pomorie. Pomorie bounced between the first and second tiers regularly, and in 18 matches, Marzig came out as winners 11 times - including the most important derby ever played, the President’s Cup final in season 11. That win on penalties is arguably the highest point in Marzig’s history. Marzig fans took great pride from winning 6 out of 8 matches in Pomorie’s stadium, and only lost 3 times across the 18 meetings.

Isolation impacted Marzig, who lost excellent players like Lundrigan to the new rules and heroes like Horst Hackl to retirement. However, the club’s dedication to ‘the Marzig way’ and using local players meant they had an advantage on many clubs. Despite the city of Marzig suffering greatly, the football club remained financially stable as well, and became an outlet for many in the community who suffered during this time. Marzig have always been a community-focused club, but this really showed during the isolation: the club invested a great deal in the local community, hosted events and food drives, and even made tickets in certain sections of the stadium free for local residents who had gone out of work due to the isolation.

The eternal, hated rivals are FK Pomorie - need we explain any more? All of the history, all of the tension, it is all released on matchday when these two clubs face off. Sadly, this often takes a violent turn, with both clubs’ ultras being noted for their violence. Away fans were banned in several derby matches, and rioting after the President’s Cup Final derby was some of the worst the city had seen in years. The history, and the conflict between Siovanijan and Teus nationalists, is obviously a huge part of the fire in this derby. But even if you took that away, these clubs would be rivals regardless: as the only two big clubs in northeastern Siovanija, they spent the entire pre-Republikaliga period battling each other for regional supremacy. 4 matches minimum per season, and every single one key to determining who would be the champion. Marzig came out on top most of the time, but Pomorie enjoyed some dominant periods too. Marzig pulled away, however, in the Republikaliga era and Pomorie have been trying to catch up ever since.

Zvezda Vlaikograd are a more recent rival of Marzig. The clubs had barely ever played each other prior to the Republikaliga era, being in different regional leagues and being successful in different periods. However, Zvezda’s fans are famously left-wing Siovanijan nationalists, and have a deep alliance with the fans of FK Pomorie. As a result, particularly in the years when Pomorie didn’t play in the top division, the match between Marzig and Zvezda was often approached with a similar intensity to the derby.

Marzig’s fans have a bit of a reputation for violence, but are also known as some of the most passionate supporters in the country. The whole stadium bounces for 90 minutes, and when Marzig are playing well, you can barely hear yourself think. They are famous especially for their intricate tifos and banners, and Ultras 1414 in particular are known for their creativity of chants. The famous tifo created for the 625th anniversary of the Battle of Marzig depicted the battle on a canvas that surrounded the entire stadium, with blue and gold flags and fireworks creating an incredibly intimidating atmosphere.

With a long and complicated history of fighting for relevance and survival, TSV Marzig are a club hoping to improve their fortunes in the new era.

Squad

Starting XI (4-2-3-1): GK - Ludwig Gottschall (30); LB - Timon Bar (25), CB - Tilmann Schorr (25), CB - Silvio Rodl (24), RB - Ralf Grabner (26); CM - Bjorn Panzer (26), CM - Paskal Kaiser (19); LW - Alex Gering (31), CAM - Tristan Littauer (24), RW - Aleksander Kosch-Kovarik (24), CF - Gunnar Hoss (27)

Bench: GK - Arno Wernz (21), DF - Leo Germar (25), DF - Ernst Marziger (22), MF - Karl Tauber (23), MF - Basti Heinecker (33), MF - Eugen Wenzel (23), CF - Martin Redler (30)

Preview

Academy

Hechingertor is the famous
academy of TSV Marzig, and is at the very heart of the club
itself. Named for the city district it is based in, Marzig are
arguably the most youth-focused club in the country.
With plenty of influence from the famous FC Teussen
Stelburg academy, and also a willingness to take risks
and innovate, Hechingertor quickly made a name
for itself. Marzig’s famous side of the late 1990s
was entirely made up of academy graduates, and
the side that captured the President’s Cup in the
Republikaliga era had the same distinction. National
team players like Ludwig Reichwein, Horst Hackl,
Kurt Witzel and Josef Kosch-Kovarik all had their starts
here, and made use of the club’s excellent facilities to
develop even further. Club managers have always been
encouraged to look to the academy, where a ‘never say die’
attitude and positive, possession-based football are taught.
Under former manager Ole Sauer in particular, plenty of young
players were brought into the first team, and the current squad
features 9 grads in the starting XI, including Paskal Kaiser who
has been viewed with great excitement in recent years. The
academy is currently home to something of a golden generation,
including defender Harald Neumark, one of the highest-rated
young midfielders in the country Mats Winter, and the son of
former club legend Horst Hackl, forward Einar Hackl.

Vest-Marlebucht-Stadion

Capacity: 32,000
Away End: 3000
Status: Outdated - new build in progress

One of the oldest stadiums in the country,
the Vest-Marlebucht-Stadion is one with a great deal
of character and charm - but groundhoppers should get
there quickly as its days are numbered. Often called ‘the box’
from how it appears from the outside, the VMS is famous for
the atmosphere that can be created inside and, endearingly,
just how out of date it is. The visitor’s dressing room is
famously not much more than a closet, and the club are
fined almost every single home game by the municipality for
not having enough fire exits. In addition to hosting TSV Marzig,
the stadium also hosted matches of the AOCAF LXIII, and was
upgraded to 32,000 seats for the tournament. A rush of new
stadiums were built during the isolation, however, the Marzig
board were a bit more cautious and decided to hold off. “How
can we spend so much on a stadium, when our fans are struggling
to get by?,” said the club’s director. The waiting game certainly
paid off: just 4 months post-isolation, the club signed a deal with
much lower interest rates and a guarantee that Marzig locals would
be employed on the build. The new Volksbankstadion, which is
expected to seat 45,000, will be ready in 2 years’ time. Away fans claim
they will miss the VMS, not for the cold concrete seating, the stairs to the
away section that don’t seem all that sturdy, or the chance of being ambushed
by the home fans - but for the vintage feel to a game in Marzig, and the
incredible atmosphere within. You can’t get that anywhere else.

Last year’s Meisterschaft campaign was quite the disappointment, with an 8th place finish - but Marzig are better than that and despite the loss of their former captain, should show that this year.

Yes, it was a sad day for all Marzig supporters when Josef Kosch-Kovarik departed the club for Mytanija. However, it was expected, and the club had long planned for the event. The T2 million fee was immediately re-invested in 3 players: winger Alex Gering, goalkeeper Ludwig Gottschall and forward Martin Redler. Each was a good bit of business for Marzig: Gering a strong, skilled winger who last turned out for FC St. Jakob, Gottschall one of the best goalkeepers in the country and actually a Marzig academy grad himself, before joining Krutenau Kickers, and Martin Redler, a decent forward to serve as a back-up for Gunnar Hoss.

Marzig’s x-factor is Aleksander Kosch-Kovarik. The younger brother of the departing captain, ‘AKK’ as the Marzig fans know him has had a bit of a ride to the top: an academy grad, he made plenty of headlines in his debut season but soon fell into a rut and was criticized by then-manager Ole Sauer for a lack of professionalism. Taken under his brother’s wing, Aleks turned things around to become a winger with incredible talent and pace. He has the ability to take over the game, and fullbacks in the regional league did not do well against him this season. He’s now been capped at the international level for the Goldhorns, too, and the sky seems to be the limit for this young man.

One thing to watch out for with Marzig will be just how much the academy influences the club’s decisions in the next few years. Hechingertor has produced something of a golden generation at the moment, with the club’s U16s winning the national title two years ago. Paskal Kaiser is the first of this generation to get his shot in the starting XI, the replacement for Josef Kosch-Kovarik, and he stared at the Di Bradini Cup. Mats Winter, currently in the academy still, could make his first team debut this year, while everyone is watching Einar Hackl. Gunnar Hoss did not inspire much confidence with a pretty awful performance in the Meisterschaft last season, and while Martin Redler has been brought in to back him up, there is a secret hope that Hackl will have a break-out moment soon. The son of club legend Horst Hackl, who was famous for his aerial presence, Einar is said to have the potential to be even better than his father - look for him to get minutes off the bench this season too.

The Regionalliga campaign went mostly as expected for Marzig. No real hiccups, and in the end they beat Pomorie to the regional title by 6 points. Marzig captured two wins in the derby, one at home and a famous 3-0 away win, while the other two matches ended in a draw and a defeat. While much was made of Pomorie possibly catching up to their rivals this season, it didn’t really come to fruition in the end and Marzig were comfortably in the lead for most of the season. Aleksander Kosch-Kovarik was the standout performer, while the duo of Hoss and Redler did well enough up front to ease the concerns of some Marzig supporters.

It will all come down, however, to the performance in the Meisterschaft. Last season was disappointing for the club, as the finished last in the division - which is still, after all, 8th best in the entire country, but not something the fans will be celebrating anytime soon. This year, there is clear grouping of 4 clubs (Marzig, VfL Reinbronn, Taifun Vorstock and Zvezda Vlaikograd) who can’t quite match the quality of the rest of the division - Marzig’s goal will be to finish as the ‘best of the rest’ among these clubs, and it should be tight between all 4 to see who will come out on top. We predict Marzig will end up 8th again, but with a better performance this time around.

A squad that is quite exciting for the future, Marzig have high hopes for the years ahead and many names that will soon be written in bright lights will be seen for the first time this season.

[Siovanija and Teusland]

Meisterschaft Cycle 19 - Preview VIII

TAIFUN VORSTOCK

Home kit

Away kit

Basic Information

Colours: Red and blue
Stadium: Sudseestadion
Kit sponsor: Marijke (national, automobile company)
Manager: Tim Horn
Captain: Mario Kretschmer
Last Season: 7th (Regionalliga champion)
Prediction: 10th
Nicknames: Der Rot und Blau (the red and blue), The Vorstockers
Rivals: Fortuna Emmerich (local)
Legends: Tim Horn

Background

Club Honours

Historic Era
None

Republikaliga Era
None

Modern Era
None

International
None

Perhaps the biggest example of the change this country underwent during isolation, Taifun Vorstock are now fighting at the very top of the national football scene.

Fan Profile

Members: 23,250
Average Ticket Price: T15
Political affiliation: None
Supporter Groups: United Generations Vorstock, Vorstocker Boys
Away Support: Mostly sold out
Calimero Complex: None, though it could develop in the future
Arrogance: None
Style: Ultras, flares
Cult Hero: Currently Sandro Lorenz

For those who followed football in Siovanija & Teusland prior to isolation, you would have to be a true sicko to have even heard of the name FC Taifun Vorstock. In the last season prior to isolation, they played in what was basically the 6th tier of national football. Several years later, incredibly, they have now reached a President’s Cup Final and are about to start their second campaign in the Meisterschaft.

Vorstock is a town about 20 minutes away from Kaiserhaven along the Sudsee, one of the most important ports along the south coast. The town’s history is typical for that of southern Teusland. Following the unification of Teusland in the early 1250s, the lands south of the Teufelsberg forest, mostly uninhabited before that time, were quickly settled and built up. Kaiserhaven became the main port in the south, and Vorstock grew to local prominence as a safe harbour and an important secondary port in the region. Vorstock’s layout is typical for towns of the south, with a large square next to the harbour featuring the town’s rathaus and church, with a neat grid pattern of residential streets compared to the most confusing layouts of Teus towns in the north.

Vorstock had some riches during the era of the Teus Empire’s naval dominance and colonialism, and the explorer Georg Blocher, born in Kaiserhaven, actually departed for his 3rd voyage to Prinz-Eugens-Land from the port of Vorstock. With the decline of the naval age, and in the aftermath of the war, Vorstock once again became a laid-back port city, somewhat in the shadow of its bigger neighbour.

Sports have always been popular in Vorstock - first cricket, owing to the naval presence in the town, and then ice hockey. Football was never really top of mind. A ‘Vorstocker SC’ competed in the lower divisions of the Teus imperial leagues, but went defunct during the war. ‘Vorstock 05’ was founded in, well, 1905, but never really got anywhere and went bust by 1940. So, FC Taifun Vorstock is actually the third attempt at pro football in the city - founded in 1953 by dockworkers. Vorstock, famous for its good positioning for ships looking to avoid storms in the Sudsee, adopted the word for typhoon and the colours of the typhoon hazard flag - red and blue - as their own.

The pages of the history of Taifun Vorstock are, frankly, quite empty. Taifun managed to reach the top level of the Regionalliga Sud for a three year period in the 1980s, but quickly dropped back, and at the start of the Republikaliga era were playing in a league whose name roughly translates as “Southeastern District League - East Group IV.” But despite their low level, the club always had the potential for more, for two main reasons.

First was a dedicated group of fans. Vorstock, as a mid-sized town in the south, had a large population who loved football, and especially in the pre-Republikaliga era attracted a great deal of fans who wanted to support their local. The club famously had some of the best support in the lower divisions, famously bringing a full away section to almost every match they played and sometimes spilling over into the home section as well. Second was a competent ownership group - 50+1 by the fans, of course, and the remainder held by the Vorstock Port Authority, which had proved willing to invest in the club in the past, covering the large majority of the construction of the Sudseestadion.

By the time of isolation, the club had reached ‘Bezirksliga Sudost,’ and after winning it in the first season were into the 2. Regionalliga Sud. From here, the story is one of taking advantage at the right time. Port cities in Teusland were hit hard by isolation - Kaiserhaven was one of the worst in the country for unemployment at its peak. Vorstock’s economy, however, had diversified, and even the port itself wasn’t hit as hard: the specialized traffic arriving in Vorstock continued. The other key part of the story is the excellent job Tim Horn has done as manager, writing himself into legendary status at the club and beloved by the club’s supporters after many successful campaigns.

Several of the clubs Vorstock faced in the Bezirksliga went bust, while many in the 2. Regionalliga had to reduce operating costs. FC Kaiserhaven, by far the biggest club on the south coast, were relegated from the Republikaliga and had to slash player salaries just to stay afloat. Vorstock, meanwhile, who had always been a sustainable operation, carried on as normal, and won the 2. Regionalliga title in their first season to get to the top of the Regionalliga pyramid in the south. When the Republikaliga went bust a few years later, Vorstock all of a sudden found themselves at the top tier of Teus football, competing with FC Kaiserhaven, TSV Georg-Blocher, 1828 Pomen and many other sides that had been playing Republikaliga football when Vorstock were playing against fishermen.

Vorstock were able to pick up plenty of competent journeymen players, as well as young talents, both that they had developed and from the other clubs in the region, to build a squad that punched far above the club’s recent history. Their second season in the regional league, the club finished 3rd and had a legendary Cup run that saw them head all the way to the final in Stelburg. While the final was lost to FK Metropola Borograd, the Vorstock supporters sold out their end of the Nationalstadion and made quite clear that they were going to be something special going forward. The next season, the club surprised everyone again and won the Regionalliga, qualifying for the Meisterschaft. It’s not quite a rags to riches story, but it’s a story of what can be possible with good stewardship and fans who truly care for the club.

Those fans have an interesting dilemma on their hands now. Two groups have emerged on the terraces in recent years: United Generations Vorstock and Vorstocker Boys. UGV had been present since the very beginning, and are the ‘old guard’ so to speak. They were there when the club was at the very bottom and are around now that it’s at the top. Vorstocker Boys, meanwhile, are a newer group of fans, who did not experience the worst of times. Vorstocker Boys want to take the club more in the direction of ultra groups in other parts of the country, while UGV want to continue in the traditional manner of support. With the club being owned 50%+1 by its fans, they have a great say in how the club is run, and there is a great debate also in the boardroom at the moment about how to preserve the club’s success for the future.

The closest thing Vorstock have to a rival is Fortuna Emmerich, with Emmerich being a suburb of Kaiserhaven about 5 minutes northeast of Vorstock. There is some historic enmity there, but the clubs simply haven’t played enough to make something big out of it. It’s possible that rivalries with TSV Georg-Blocher or FC Kaiserhaven could develop in the coming years, as the clubs continue to compete in the Regionalliga Sud, but these games aren’t tension-filled just yet.

Embarking on their second season in the Meisterschaft, Taifun Vorstock will be dreaming of more magical moments to weave into the club’s lore.

Squad

Starting XI (4-2-3-1): GK - Paul Stelburger (24); LB - Caleb Gessler (26), CB - Bruno Baumer (23), CB - Mario Kretschmer (27), RB - Horst Dietmeier (30); CM - Sandro Lorenz (22), CM - Konrad Moritz (25); LW - Ole Jager (26), CAM - August von Teufelsberg (24), RW - Per Freisler (27), CF - Louis von Stroheim (31)

Bench: GK - Johan Reeder (33); DF - Kevin Rodan (23), DF - Hannes Seelman (27), MF - Justus Korsch (23), MF - Marius Kiel (24), MF - Stefan Klinger (26), CF - Thorsten Spanner (22)

Preview

Academy

While Taifun Vorstock’s academy
doesn’t have much historic prestige, there is a major
debate currently within the club about its future. Historically,
Taifun maintained a minor academy which mostly took in
players from Vorstock itself, or perhaps some from Kaiserhaven
who really wanted to play football and couldn’t cut it in the
academies of either Georg-Blocher or FCK. The biggest product
of the club’s academy, currently in the first team squad, is
Sandro Lorenz, who grew up in Vorstock and was blessed with
immense talent in the midfield. However, typically, the best
Vorstock academy players would quickly get snapped up by
bigger clubs in the south, or go on to become journeymen
in the Bezirksligas. With the club’s renewed success, a
significant debate amongst the leadership of the club has
risen about the future. Taifun reached the top partially
thanks to smart transfers and picking up players from other
clubs. Should the club continue with such a strategy, or should
money go into developing the academy further? There are
arguments for both sides and it will be interesting to see
where the club goes next. Currently, the academy’s top
names are defender Wilhelm Seppelt, midfielder
Elmo Sessel, and forward Gabriel Lorber.

Sudseestadion

Capacity: 14,000
Away End: 1000
Status: Outdated - no current plans

The second Sudseestadion, located fittingly
right on the water in the east of Vorstock, is a rare
sight in the Meisterschaft these days: a stadium with
below 30,000 capacity. Completed when the club was
playing in the top Regionalliga in the 1980s, it originally
sat just 8,000, but a series of upgrades over the last few
years to ensure the stadium was up to STFA requirements
means it now can hold 14,000. This is a real classic ground,
only one tier of seating all the way around the pitch and it
really gives you a feel for lower-division football. The stadium
is famously cold and windy, due to its location along the coast,
and ‘a cold and wet Friday night in Vorstock’ has recently entered
S&T football dictionaries to define if a player can perform on
such a stage. The goal horn is famously a ship’s horn, much to
the chagrin of away fans, who have complained about its volume
since its installation. The ultras seem to prefer the west stand,
which can really bring a strong atmosphere, while the away
fans are relegated to the northeast corner. Away fans from the
big clubs complained about the small ticket allocations last season,
and it’s been upped to 1000 going into this season, but the complaints
about its size and facilities will most likely remain.

According to @STLTransferMarket on social media, Taifun Vorstock’s squad value is without a doubt the lowest of the 10 Meisterschaft clubs - a total value of T3.4 million, with the next lowest being VfL Reinbronn at… T15 million. It’s clear Vorstock still have a lot to prove, but the club did make arguably the biggest signing in its history this summer: one-time SW Stahlberg forward Louis von Stroheim joined the club after his contract with SV Preisfeld expired. Von Stroheim, a forward with Republikaliga experience, immediately broke shirt-sale records at the club, and has been tipped as a key possible difference maker for them in this campaign. At age 31, LvS should still have a few good years left in him and Vorstock will be hoping to maximize those years.

The club’s x-factor, without a doubt, has been August von Teufelsberg. Von Teufelsberg was a product of TSV Georg-Blocher’s academy, but joined Vorstock before their first season in the top Regionalliga. At age 22, von Teufelsberg instantly became the talisman for Vorstock’s midfield, and tallied the most assists in their successful campaign. He scored the club’s only goal in the President’s Cup Final defeat, and had 3 goals and 3 assists in the Cup run. While he wasn’t particularly highly rated at Georg-Blocher, von Teufelsberg has become an analytics darling and lead all Regionalliga Sud midfielders in chances created this season. He’s been called up to the national pool for World Cup qualifiers, the first-ever Taifun Vorstock player to get such an honour, and has the potential to be the difference maker for this side.

Another key area for Vorstock is at the back. Mario Kretschmer is the captain of this side and has been a leader in the backline ever since he joined three seasons ago from 1828 Pomen. The strong, muscular CB can be quite brutal in the tackle, but is highly valued by his teammates for his leadership presence. Next to him is Bruno Baumer, a FC Kaiserhaven academy reject who was picked up by Vorstock for free and has turned into one of the better ball-playing centre backs in the nation, although he still has some developing left to do. Key to it all, however, is defensive midfielder Sandro Lorenz. The one major product of Vorstock’s academy in recent years, Lorenz is not a complete bruiser but instead has an excellent positional and defensive IQ. He reads the game quite well and uses his great positioning to intercept plenty of through balls.

While the first Regionalliga Sud championship was a hard-fought battle, this year’s triumph was as straight-forward as possible for Taifun. TSV Georg-Blocher and FC Kaiserhaven both had down seasons, and Vorstock meanwhile just plowed through everyone. 22 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses is an incredible record for the club and it included a famous 4-1 win over Kaiserhaven at home, in which Louis von Stroheim scored a hat-trick. While some have claimed that the Regionalliga Sud is the weakest of the Teus leagues, others point to Vorstock’s excellent statistical performances as proof they are the real deal. 27 goals shipped in 28 games is an excellent record, and the Baumer-Kretschmer duo was almost unbeatable this season. Up front, Louis von Stroheim scored 31 of the club’s incredible 77 goals, as he formed an excellent understanding with August von Teufelsberg.

All of that dominance, however, will now be put to the test in the Meisterschaft. Now Vorstock will be competing with the big boys of football in this country, and while it didn’t go amazingly last year, with just 2 wins from 14 matches, the club are hoping to provide a surprise story this year. Realistically, you can’t predict Vorstock to finish anywhere other than 10th, as it’s quite clear they are lacking quality compared to other clubs in the division. However, nobody expected them to win even a single match last year, and with how good they looked at times in the Regionalliga, it would be unwise to count them out entirely.

A club currently enjoying their best moments in history, Taifun Vorstock are hoping to continue their development and continue competing on the top stage.

[Siovanija and Teusland]

Meisterschaft Cycle 19 - Preview IX

VFL REINBRONN

Home kit

Away kit

Basic Information

Colours: Green, black, gold
Stadium: Flughafenstadion
Kit sponsor: HansAir (international, airline)
Manager: Torsten Bohmer
Captain: Norbert Kessel
Last Season: DNQ (3rd in Regionalliga)
Prediction: 9th
Nicknames: The Hunters
Rivals: SV Preisfeld (Neuteussen derby), 1920 Reinbronn (Reinbronn derby)
Legends: Torsten Bohmer, Tristan Schultz, Thomas Schalle

Background

Club Honours

Historic Era
None

Republikaliga Era
1x President’s Cup winners (S14)

Modern Era
None

International
1x IFCF Liga B Champions’ Trophy winners (Cycle 8)

One of those clubs you can’t help but root for, VfL Reinbronn have made an incredible return to the Meisterschaft.

Fan Profile

Members: 52,500
Average Ticket Price: T25
Political affiliation: None, some groups anti-isolation
Supporter Groups: Reinbronn Archers, Green-Black-Gold Connection
Away Support: Always sold out
Calimero Complex: Historically towards SV Preisfeld
Arrogance: None
Style: Ultras, tifos, fireworks
Cult Hero: Currently Michael Burger, historically Josh Meckler

A walk through the Reinwald is at the top of any hiker visiting eastern Teusland’s list: the beautiful trees, the many types of flowers that grow within, and some of the most picturesque forest trails in the country. The Reinwald has been at the centre of Teus fairytales, sing-alongs, and folklore for many years, and when you exit the forest at its north end, you reach the town of Reinbronn on the River Drai.

One of those fairytales, perhaps the most famous in the country, is even based in the town: a hunter from Reinbronn is down on his luck: his girlfriend has left him for his childhood rival, his mother is sick, and he has had no luck in the field. Just before he gives up entirely, a wolf appears to him and the hunter learns he has the ability to speak to animals. Together, the hunter and the wolf defeat an evil spirit that lives within the forest, and the ensuing hunt is so successful that the hunter’s mother is immediately cured and he marries the most beautiful girl in town.

You can see a bit of the character of Reinbronn, then, in this story. Located between the dominant Teus cities of Stelburg and St. Jakob, Reinbronn first grew as a trading post along the route, and was later famed for its market. A university was established here in the 1400s, and the town largely remained unchanged during the Teus Empire. Even today, its beautiful old town centre is often found on a list of ‘hidden gems’ for tourists to discover. In the decades before the Great War, there was a football club named 1880 Reinbronn from the city, but it folded during the war.

In 1900, the athletic association VfL Reinbronn was founded. In 1900, the town was about to undergo change. The Neuteussen region to the west of the metropolis of St. Jakob features a great deal of flat land, and alongside the Drai many of that great river’s tributaries also come through this area. These factors, as well as the easy access to the port of St. Jakob, made the area a perfect target for rapid industrialization in the post-war decades. While Reinbronn did see some economic benefit from this, it was nothing compared to the neighbours in Preisfeld, a city which became the economic hub of the region.

Matching the fortunes of the town, the football club’s history is largely a similar story. Reinbronn remained an average side for most of the pre-Republikaliga era. Two great periods of success are particularly notable. In the 1950s, VfL Reinbronn earned a reputation for pioneering the 4-2-4 formation, and were able to win 4 Regionalliga St. Jakob titles in the decade. A President’s Cup Final was lost to Olympia Borograd in 1956, and that was the closest Reinbronn would get for half a century. It was 53 years later, in 2009, that Reinbronn would make a cinderella run through the Cup, including beating the hated rivals SV Preisfeld in the semifinal - but the Hunters fell just short again, losing to FC St. Jakob.

If you consider the story of the club and the story of the fairytale, you can see that by the beginning of the Republikaliga era, the club was in a similar position to the hunter who features on their badge. Their hated rivals had managed much more success historically, the club was relegated all the way down to the 4th tier at one point, and many fans would’ve been willing to give up.

Then, while in the second tier, manager Torsten Bohmer was brought in. Famous for his hard-nosed attitude, Bohmer guided Reinbronn to a 2. Republikaliga title in his first season - but there was much more success to come. Season 14 of the Republikaliga proved to be the finest in the club’s history. Despite a difficult start, they managed to remain in the top division, but more importantly won the club’s first-ever set of major trophies: finally capturing the President’s Cup, and defying all the odds to become the first (and only) club from this country to win the IFCF Liga B Champions’ Trophy. Insert your ‘Torsten Bohmer is the wolf from the story’ analogy here.

The fairytale continued for Reinbronn in the years following, as they kept hold of the legendary manager and became a midtable Republikaliga team for the rest of the division’s existence. The first season in the Regionalliga was difficult, and the club finished behind both FC St. Jakob and the rivals in Preisfeld. With some players remaining from that gilded squad, and a manager who has truly become part of the furniture at the club, however, they are always a threat and in their third try captured the Regionalliga title.

Reinbronn are truly a community side, and the fans have a great deal of influence in how the club is run. Reinbronn’s supporters are well-regarded in Teusland, and videos of the celebrations upon the team’s double win quickly went viral. Neighbours, and twenty years their junior, 1920 Reinbronn are rivals but the city derby isn’t particularly fierce as the clubs have mostly played in separate tiers. The rivalry with SV Preisfeld, however, is one of the fiercest in Teusland. The Neuteussen derby sees the market town that stayed true to its roots in Reinbronn facing off against the industrial town that adapted to new realities with great success. More than just that, the towns aren’t too far apart, and it’s also a battle of civic pride. Preisfeld are historically the more successful side, but in recent years Reinbronn have had the balance of power, making the on-pitch rivalry just as good as the atmosphere off the pitch.

A story befitting a fairytale, VfL Reinbronn are eager to continue fighting their way up the ranks of football in Siovanija & Teusland.

Squad

Starting XI (4-2-3-1): GK - Martin Hepner (37); LB - Niko Schenk (26), CB - Sven Fuchs (22), CB - Norbert Kessel (26), RB - Josef Dieterich (30); CM - Thorsten Strobel (23), CM - Paul Kurzl (26); LW - Lukas Schwendler (32), CAM - Wilhelm Nageler (31), RW - Thomas Schalle (27), CF - Michael Burger (25)

Bench: GK - Bruno Furst (20); DF - Fabio Kresinger (24), DF - Kasper Breslau (22); MF - Marko Eisner (26), MF - Dominik Hagel (28), MF - Florian Dalman (23); FW - Robin Haberlin (26)

Preview

Academy

While Reinbronn’s academy has
perhaps been undervalued by the club
in the past, new approaches and a
new philosophy are ushering in change.
Reinbronn once upon a time had
many solid players coming from the
academy: the side of the 1950s was
made of players born entirely in Reinbronn,
while players who ‘know the club’ had often
been sought after. Over the years, however,
the club saw many of the top talents moving
away to St. Jakob or Stelburg, and by the beginning
of the Republikaliga era the academy had been seriously
neglected. There was some concern from the fanbase
over this, particularly in the early days of the Torsten
Bohmer era as he brought in several young players on loan.
In recent years, however, the club have invested greatly in
the academy in order to improve the club’s sustainability,
and this can be seen with a number of solid players coming
through the ranks recently. Sven Fuchs is perhaps the best
recent example of this, while the current academy generation is
expected to be a fruitful one. This includes players like defender
Jeremias Vetter, midfielder Erik Glas and forward Ben Bing
who has played for the national U18 squad.

Flughafenstadion

Capacity: 33,000
Away End: 3000
Status: New build

It was always going to be bittersweet
for Reinbronn fans to say goodbye to the Hauser-Platz.
The old stadium, while largely falling apart, was pretty
much a church for Reinbronn fans and had played home
to generations of the club’s story. However, as it was
not owned by the club, and the town did not want to
invest in the necessary improvements, building a new
stadium was necessary. The location eventually chosen
was directly next to the Reinbronn Airport - fitting given
the club’s new sponsor HansAir. The new, modern stadium
has quickly become loved by Reinbronn fans both for its
faithfulness to the club’s traditions as well as its quirks - it’s
not every day that you can see airplanes taking off and landing
from your seat at the stadium. The Flughafenstadion is well-connected
to the town by S-bahn, and the fans have quickly resettled with
the ultras preferring the south stand. Groundhoppers will love
this stadium for how closely it resembles the feel of an old-time
stadium, despite being built within the last decade. Away fans,
meanwhile, are seated in the upper tier of the north stand and
have given the new stadium great reviews for its facilities,
sightlines and atmosphere.

Returning to the top level of football in Siovanija & Teusland, VfL Reinbronn have a solid squad with echoes of the club’s most glorious moments. There are no major signings from the transfer market to discuss this season, although the club did bring in Dominik Hagel from the cross-town rivals 1920 Reinbronn on a free transfer. Hagel will be expected to come off the bench in his first season with the Hunters.

The x-factor for Reinbronn is certainly Michael Burger. Burger had been a bit of a journeyman in the regional leagues, playing for Rot-Blau Altona and VfB Marlesee before being picked up by Reinbronn. It was a brilliant move by the club’s scouts: Burger was a star almost immediately, and became famous for his aerial prowess. Once he worked on and developed his shot, too, Burger became a true force in the regional leagues. Now in his third full season at Reinbronn, Burger has received a call-up to the national team’s World Cup qualifying squad and is expected to perform well at the Meisterschaft level this season. He has a cannon of a shot, and a great chemistry with his wingers Schwendler and Schalle to get on the end of a good cross.

Thomas Schalle is another name for fans to watch out for. Schalle first joined Reinbronn on loan from FC Teussen Stelburg, and got more than he ever expected as he played a key role in the club’s President’s Cup and IFCF double campaign. Schalle became loved by the fans in Reinbronn, who sang his name even after he returned to Teussen. Two years later, with Schalle failing to break through with Der Schwarz und Gold, he signed a contract to return to Reinbronn. Schalle instantly became the club’s best player, and is just now hitting his prime. Excellent with the ball, he is full of tricks and difficult to defend against as he is equally as likely to drill in a cross as he is to attempt to cut inside and shoot. Schalle is one of 6 players who were on Reinbronn’s roster in that famous season who remain in starting roles. Martin Hepner in goal is truly a part of the furniture at the club, while Josef Dieterich and Wilhelm Nageler were still young guns all those years ago. Lukas Schwendler and Paul Kurzl, meanwhile, came off the bench as prospects in that season and have now gone on to start for the club. The culture Torsten Bohmer built is still very much intact.

In the Regionalliga, Reinbronn exceeded all expectations to come out as winners. FC St. Jakob were certainly the favourites to take the league title, but Reinbronn defeated them 1-0 at home and fought hard for a 2-2 draw away in the first half of the season as the Hunters led the way with just 8 games remaining. While the Saints closed the gap to just 3 points with a 2-1 win over Reinbronn, that was as close as things would get: the Hunters won their final 4 matches in a row to guarantee the Regionalliga title. Michael Burger, as expected, was the difference maker as Reinbronn scored more goals than any other club. While the defence was a bit shakier, the excellent contributions of Schwendler and Schalle on the wing could not be overlooked. Even better for Reinbronn fans, they went undefeated against SV Preisfeld this season: 2 wins and 2 draws, as Preisfeld stuttered to a 4th place finish.

Reinbronn’s squad are certainly not expected to be competing for the Meisterschaft title, and realistically even the IFCF places are probably a step too far. However, if Burger can keep scoring like he has done since joining the club, Reinbronn could have the chance to surprise in every match they play. The club must be wary, however, of the struggles their defence had in the Regionalliga - of the 10 clubs qualified for the Meisterschaft (and yes, of course, the various leagues strengths do vary) Reinbronn conceded the most of anybody with 45 goals against.

A strong legacy and culture at the club, VfL Reinbronn’s squad will be hoping to bring success and joy to their fans once again.

[Siovanija and Teusland]

Meisterschaft Cycle 19 - Preview X

ZVEZDA VLAIKOGRAD

Home kit

Away kit

Basic Information

Colours: Red, white
Stadium: Stadion Ivo Balikov ‘Crvenski Grad’
Kit sponsor: ZeleznicaJezera (regional, rail company)
Manager: Ivan Batic
Captain: Kvido Jaros
Last Season: 5th (Regionalliga winners)
Prediction: 7th
Nicknames: The Reds, Komisari ('commisars,' jokingly amongst the club's supporters)
Rivals: FK Vlaikograd 1896 (Vlaikograd derby), TSV Marzig (political)
Legends: Leopold Bliznakov, Kvido Jaros, Ivo Balikov

Background

Club Honours

Historic Era
22x Siovanijan champions
5x President’s Cup winners

Republikaliga Era
1x President’s Cup winners (S9)

Modern Era
None

International
None

Zvezda Vlaikograd were once one of Siovanija’s finest clubs, and with a legacy of success the club from the Great Lakes look to rise once again.

Fan Profile

Members: 91,500
Average Ticket Price: T30
Political affiliation: Left-wing, Siovanijan nationalist, some groups communist
Supporter Groups: Red Army Vlaikograd, Curva Nord, CZ Fanatics
Away Support: Always sold out
Calimero Complex: Very much so, particularly towards the Borograd clubs
Arrogance: Yes, towards clubs with not as much history
Style: Ultras, drums, flags
Cult Hero: Currently Aleksej Jerek, historically Harald Larsson

One of the most important cities in the country, Vlaikograd’s status and history have helped shape its biggest club. Going back over a thousand years into history now, the city of Vlaikograd was once the most prominent in Siovanija. Located in one of the most beautiful regions in the country, between two of the Great Lakes, Vlaikograd was named after the pagan God of Water, Vlaiko, and became the first capital of a united Siovanija in 1124. Vlaikograd remained the capital until 1417, when it was sieged and captured by the Teus Empire as part of the Three Years’ War that saw Siovanija capitulate.

As a result, the city was the centre of both political and cultural life in old Siovanija. The largest pagan temples in the country can still be found here, and many of the great palaces of the Siovanijan kings were refurbished under the Empire and remain tourist sights today. Under the Empire, Vlaikograd saw a bit of a decline in prestige, as the city of Borograd to the south rose in population and economic importance. By the late 1700s, there was unrest in Siovanija, and many desired to be free from the Teus Empire. In the intellectual centre of Borograd, thinkers like Anton Dialikov came up with revolutionary ideas that promoted Siovanijan nationhood and many left-wing social principles. The ideas quickly spread to Vlaikograd - which ironically, given its princely past, became a hive for rebels. In 1806, in a precursor to the Siovanijan Revolution, workers from Vlaikograd rose up and formed the ‘Vlaikograd Commune’ in between barricades in the town centre, holding out 56 days before the Teus recaptured the streets. Influential thinker Vladimir Morikov, who took Dialikov’s ideas and adapted them into a sort of proto-communism, published his treatise in the city just 6 months later.

In 1808, the Siovanijan Revolution broke out as Siovanijans demanded independence from the Empire. In Borograd, rebels waved the green flag as a symbol of Siovanijan nationalism and Dialikovite thought, while in Vlaikograd it was the red flag of the Morikovite faction. While the parties formed an alliance during the fighting, when the Siovanijan Republic was established, the Dialikovites almost entirely excluded the Morikovite faction from the political structure of the new state. Borograd became the capital, the ‘hero city’ of the revolution, and Vlaikograd had to develop a new identity.

Shortly after independence, the athletic club Crvena Zvezda (‘Red Star’) was founded, by old fighters of the revolution. In the 1860s, Zvezda adopted football a few years after it had been introduced to the country, but they quickly became one of the republic’s top clubs: they were Siovanijan champions 3 times in the years of competition prior to the Great War. While the war devastated all areas of the country, following the war Vlaikograd was one of the cities that greatly benefitted from the new United Republics. As Vlaikograd’s fortunes rose, so too did its main football club.

Crvena Zvezda became one of Siovanija’s top football clubs, regularly competing for the top Siovanijan and national prizes. Their number of 18 Siovanijan titles by 1960 was second only to rivals Olympia Borograd, while their haul of 4 President’s Cup victories made them highly-respected across the country. The fierce rivalry with Olympia made for some of the best football in the country, and brought great innovation. Zvezda’s use of the W-M formation in the late 1930s saw them take 3 straight Siovanijan championships, while their excellent version of the 4-2-4 led by legendary forward Ivo Balikov in the early 50s saw them take another 3 straight and also defeat FC Teussen Stelburg 6-1 in the 1953 President’s Cup Final, a match that changed the way Teus sides approached the game. Zvezda, then, were one of the biggest clubs in the country.

However, a set of poor decisions at the club was beginning to catch up to them. Despite their reputation as a worker’s club, in the early 1950s they paid more money in salary than any other club in the country. A new stadium project was abandoned, and the club had lost all the money invested in it. By 1960, the club was truly in a crisis: many assets of the club needed to be sold off, and the association with the athletic club was ended as the club renamed itself to Zvezda Vlaikograd. This came along with a statement pledging the club would become more involved in its local community.

While the community feel did arrive, the success fell away. Zvezda would win the President’s Cup for the last time (pre-Republikaliga) in 1972, while their Siovanijan title in 1964 was the last for nearly 30 years. Zvezda was replaced at the top by FK Metropola Borograd, who became the new rivals of Olympia, and Zvezda spent some years even below their city rivals FK Vlaikograd 1896. The club did recover by the start of the Republikaliga era, but were nowhere near the heights of yore.

Zvezda’s greatest run of success since the name change would come during the Republikaliga era. After being promoted to the top division in season 5, Zvezda remained in the top division for every season afterwards, becoming challengers for the IFCF places. The club also won its first President’s Cup title in over 50 years after beating Vrnovo Mesto in the final in season 9, a great achievement for the club that also allowed them to play international football for the first time. Leopold Bliznakov became a legend at the club, while foreign players also came through the door such as Harald Larsson, the Savojar who was embraced by the club’s fans for both his play on the pitch and his politics and served as the club’s captain.

Isolation was a bit of a headache for Zvezda: while the club’s fanbase largely supported the move, with many of their fans being staunch supporters of Ruslan Karamov’s Republican Party, the club itself suffered a bit. Key foreign players like Larsson were lost, and the club was in decline as the Republikaliga ended. However, the Regionalliga was a boost to the club’s ambitions: Zvezda are by far the most dominant club of northwestern Siovanija, and they have had no trouble at all in qualifying for the Meisterschaft in recent years.

The club is famed not only for its long history but also its passionate supporters. While Vlaikograd drew from a nation-wide base of support in the pre-1960s, the fall from grace centered the base of support on the city of Vlaikograd. Vlaikograd remained a staunch left-wing city for many years, and as a result the club’s fans and ultras gained a reputation for these views. You will see plenty of red flags in the stands, and banners from the home end often protest ‘modern football.’ The club’s supporters were very much in favour of isolation, and can be broadly classified as Siovanijan nationalists. Zvezda have also become something of a hipster club in the nation - no college classroom in Siovanija could be complete without at least 1-2 Zvezda laptop stickers. Zvezda’s fans have a great say in how the club is run and the club often opposes actions by the STFA that it feel go against its values - for example, Zvezda were one of the only clubs to vote against reducing the number of clubs in the Republikaliga from 20 to 16.

Ask any Zvezda supporter who their biggest rival is, and you will get… plenty of different answers. Older fans will largely tell you that the biggest rival is and will always be Olympia Borograd. Olympia vs Crvena Zvezda in the old days was Siovanijan football at its best, and adding in the historic enmity between Borograd and Vlaikograd means this will always be a big match. For many Zvezda fans, Olympia are the biggest game on the calendar, and the history behind the red and green colours often comes out on matchday. For more modern fans, the rivals are the cross-town FK Vlaikograd 1896. Younger than Zvezda, and founded in the year the Great War ended, FKV are not as historically successful but do have a large fanbase within the city. Most importantly, they were in a much better position than Zvezda at the start of the Republikaliga era, meaning that for many young Zvezda fans beating the city rival was everything. Now, with the clubs facing off 4 times per year in the Regionalliga some of that tension has returned. For the political ultra who keeps Vladimir Morikov’s writings on his/her coffee table, the hated foe is TSV Marzig. This is a relatively new rivalry, formed only after Zvezda’s promotion to the Republikaliga. The club’s ultra group Red Army Vlaikograd have formed a relationship with similarly-aligned ultras at FK Pomorie, and the clubs have something of a fan friendship. As a result, Zvezda also began to hate Marzig. Mix in the fact that Marzig’s most hard-core ultras are right-wing Teus nationalists, the exact thing Zvezda fans hate the most, and you have a real bitter rivalry.

With plenty of history and one of the most passionate supporter groups in the country behind them, Zvezda Vlaikograd are hoping to bring back the glory years in the Meisterschaft.

Squad

Starting XI (4-2-3-1): GK - Mojmir Mach (38); LB - Ludvik Koci (26), CB - Kvido Jaros (32), CB - Evzan Zukal (24), RB - Bogomil Irsic (27); CM - Matous Krejci (25), CM - Aleksej Jerek (22); LW - Norbert Havel (32), CAM - Arpad Pavlicek (22), RW - Cestmir Adamek (28), CF - Bogdan Kubica (29)

Bench: GK - Ruslan Berkov (20), DF - Krasimir Bliznakov (19), DF - Boris Kubicek (24), MF - Svatoslav Dostal (25), MF - Dusan Korlikov (18), MF - Bozhidar Podlezl (26), FW - Krasimir Buranov (25)

Preview

Academy

Zvezda, historically, had one
of the top academies in the
country in their early years. The
club was famed for developing talented
midfielders, and also powerful forwards.
However, in the years post-1960, the
academy was one area of the club
that was neglected and eventually this
reputation fell away, as even city rivals
FK Vlaikograd 1896 began to dominate
the local talent pools. Upon becoming more
sustainable in the Republikaliga era, a priority
for the club was once again investing in the academy.
A generation of players including Leopold Bliznakov
brought the club the President’s Cup title,
and along with new coaching principles and
an excellent catchment area that covers almost
all of northwest Siovanija, Zvezda are once
again one of the better academies in Siovanija.
The fans love seeing players who have come from
the academy to the top, and in recent years many
players have made the journey to the first team, including
stars Bogdan Kubica and Arpad Pavlicek. The next big talents
coming from Smichov, named for the
street it is on, are expected to be defender Zdeno Vadicek,
midfielder Otmar Jaros and forward Gregor Andric.

Stadion Ivo Balikov ‘Crvenski Grad’

Capacity: 40,000
Away End: 4000
Status: New build

The ‘Red Castle’ as it is known,
the new Stadion Ivo Balikov remains a symbol of the club.
‘Crvenski Grad’ or ‘red castle’ was the name
of Zvezda’s original stadium when the club were
at the top of Siovanijan football, known for its
distinctive red-bricked exterior that, combined with
good results, made it feel like a fortress for the club.
The Ivo-Balikov-Arena that was built later was
not as beloved by the fanbase, so when replacement
plans were announced many fans were quite happy.
That turned into joy when the red-brick exterior was
returned, and the new Stadion Ivo Balikov, named for
the club’s greatest-ever player, was given the additional title
‘Crvenski Grad’ in honour of the original home. Red seats
and red colouring all around the ground really make the
stadium the true heart of the club. It is located in the
west of the city, in the Brevnov district the club have
always called home. The new build was accompanied by
a new metro station to serve the stadium, and fans have
praised the ease of access. 40,000 fit into the Castle,
and it is famous for the north stand where the most fanatical
supporters are located. There are always red flags and
smoke coming from this end, as well as flares, and it has
one of the best atmospheres in the country. Away fans are
stuffed away into the southeast corner, and were not too
happy about the sightlines and services on offer, but an away
day to Zvezda is viewed as a fun experience for every supporter
to view the club’s unique atmosphere.

A changing squad, Zvezda find themselves at a crossroads. The contracts of former players Pravoslav Rehak and Milos Sevcik were both allowed to expire, and while the club haven’t brought in any new transfers, they are being replaced by some players from the club’s youth academy. Krasimir Bliznakov is a cousin of former Zvezda talisman Leopold, and he played for the national team at the Di Bradini Cup, earning a bronze medal. Dusan Korlikov, meanwhile, will come off the bench this season and is viewed as one of the best young wingers in the country, having been one of the nation’s lone bright spots at the U18 World Cup. With 3 players over 30 in the starting XI, it’s the beginning of a change of the guard at the club.

Zvezda’s x-factor this season is Arpad Pavlicek. An academy grad himself, Pavlicek was often thought of as undersized and not quite having what it takes to succeed at the top level. At age 20, in the club’s first season in the Regionalliga, however, Pavlicek came off the bench and hit a real purple patch by mid-season. He became adept at both set-pieces and strong through balls, and by the end of the season was a nailed-on starter at the #10 role. While there was some worry it might be a ‘one season wonder’ situation, Pavlicek proved the doubters wrong with another great season last year and was the club’s best player in that Meisterschaft campaign. He has scored the most direct free kick goals of any player in Siovanija & Teusland over the last two seasons, and is really good at anticipating the runs of his wingers in order to put in the perfect ball for them. Pavlicek has been called up to the national squad for the World Cup qualifiers as a result, and will be hoping to use that opportunity plus the Meisterschaft campaign to continue his great run.

It would be foolish, however, to consider only Pavlicek as a threat on this team. Bogdan Kubica is another academy product turned good, and has led the line at Zvezda for many years now. He’s a big, powerful striker who is excellent in the air and a real threat off corners or free kicks. Zvezda get a good percentage of their goals in dead ball situations and the duo of Kubica and Pavlicek are a large reason why. Mojmir Mach is the goalkeeper, and while the former Metropola Borograd man is nearly 40, he is still an excellent shot-stopper and Zvezda are lucky to have his services. Aleksej Jerek, meanwhile, has a lot of raw talent in midfield, and even though he still occasionally makes mistakes or is inconsistent, is someone the club have a lot of faith in going forward.

The Regionalliga campaign was quite straightforward for Zvezda. The club suffered only 1 loss in the entire campaign - a 2-0 defeat, shockingly, to Karakanovski Fabrika, who had a surprisingly solid season. 19 wins and 8 draws elsewhere were enough for the club to dominate the Velikzahod (‘Great West’) league once again, coming on top ahead of Rudar Trkev in second place. All 4 derby matches with rivals FK Vlaikograd were victories, a season sweep for Zvezda for the first time in many years. Importantly, the club’s offence was firing on all cylinders with 83 goals in the campaign. Kubica was the top scorer, while Pavlicek knocked in 15 of his own. While the club’s defence is often underrated, the backline led by Kvido Jaros was one of the most solid in the country, and Mojmir Mach did not look at all too old. It’s a result the club can be confident about going into the Meisterschaft.

Behind the group of ‘Big 6’ clubs in the championship round this season, Zvezda probably fall into a separate tier of ‘just a bit better than the other 3 sides’ but ‘not quite as good as those above.’ We have them projected in 7th place for that reason - but after a solid performance in the Meisterschaft last season, you can’t really rule them out of a potential fight for the IFCF places either.

After an excellent Regionalliga performance, Zvezda Vlaikograd are hoping to beat all expectations in the Meisterschaft this season.

[Siovanija and Teusland]

Meisterschaft Cycle 19 - Season Part I

Matchday 1

FK Metropola Borograd 3–1 Zvezda Vlaikograd
Energija Chernovets 1–1 Taifun Vorstock
FC Teussen Stelburg 2–2 VfL Reinbronn
TSV Marzig 2–2 Olympia Borograd
1912 Stelburg 1–3 FC Felsenkirchen 1879

We are off! The first action of the weekend on Friday night saw FK Metropola Borograd host Zvezda Vlaikograd. While Zvezda managed to get out to a good start, holding plenty of possession and getting an early goal through Bogdan Kubica, it was Metropola’s evening at the Stadion Razdrto: Blahoslav Zak scored twice, and Andrey Bunev added one late off the bench to get the Violets’ campaign off to a winning start. It would be the late afternoon on Sunday before another club would join them on 3 points: Chernovets failed to flatter as they sputtered to a home draw with Taifun Vorstock, who scored a late equalizer through Ole Jager. FC Teussen Stelburg went down 2-0 early to Reinbronn, who scored from a corner and a controversial penalty, but the black and gold came back in the second half to save a point. TSV Marzig dominated Olympia Borograd, with 77% of the ball, but a late goal from Vladimir Vladimiric gave the visitors a point.

On Sunday afternoon at the Oststelburgstadion for the match of the week, there was great expectation around the fixture between Felsenkirchen and 1912. “This is our chance to prove our quality,” said 1912 captain Egon von Stein, while Felsenkirchen boss Leonard Wagner commented “They could be our toughest opponents this season, so it’s important to start off right.” Felsenkirchen did just that. It took Isak Harju only 7 minutes to open his account for the club, and Florian Krukenberg made it 2-0 before a half hour had passed. Felsenkirchen really took the game to the Bluebirds, and while Erwin Lubeck would pull one back for the home side, it was Harju’s second of the afternoon that served as the dagger. “Yeah, it’s a great feeling to get my first goals for the club, and most importantly the three points,” said Harju following the match.

Player of the Week: Isak Harju (PIS, FC Felsenkirchen 1879)

Matchday 2

Zvezda Vlaikograd 0–3 FC Felsenkirchen 1879
Olympia Borograd 0–0 1912 Stelburg
VfL Reinbronn 1–0 TSV Marzig
Taifun Vorstock 0–5 FC Teussen Stelburg
FK Metropola Borograd 1–0 Energija Chernovets

Felsenkirchen’s dominance over 1912 Stelburg in their first game was amplified even further as the club traveled to Vlaikograd for the fixture with Zvezda on Friday evening. It wasn’t all one sided, however, and the home side did have their chances - one shot in particular would’ve most certainly made it 1-1 had Valterri Tirel not made a clearance off the line. Goals from Harju, Koegel and Repnik, however, gave Felsenkirchen the 3 points. 1912 Stelburg were spoken of as title contenders to start the season, but they struggled out of the gate with the loss to Felsenkirchen and now failing to find the back of the net against Olympia Borograd despite several chances. Egon von Stein had perhaps the best look of all, hitting the crossbar in the 58th minute, while for their part the Greens will feel they were denied a crucial penalty in the second half. Reinbronn and Marzig seemed to similarly be heading for a 0-0, before Marzig’s Tilmann Schorr was sent off late and Reinbronn converted deep into stoppage time: Michael Burger firing home the winning goal. FC Teussen Stelburg had no trouble at all as they totally annihilated Taifun Vorstock. The Vorstockers came into the game with some confidence earned through last week’s hard-fought draw, but that disappeared quickly as Teussen were 3-0 up just 20 minutes in. Hans Gruber had 4 assists on the day, including setting up 2 goals for Gustaf Liechtenstein, and earned himself a 10.0 match rating.

The game of the week saw two of the biggest clubs in Siovanija, both with IFCF aspirations this year, facing off as FK Metropola Borograd hosted Energija Chernovets. “It’s important to build on what we started last week,” said Metropola boss Alan Dzekov, while Chernovets had the opposite motivation: “It’s important to move on from last week and really start our season today,” said Energija man Taras Maksimov. It was a hard-fought tie, one for the defensive connoisseur, with lots of fouls and tight man-marking. A bursting run from Veljko Vadimic was converted into a brilliant shot from outside the box that beat Kamil Krziz in the 67th minute, and that goal would give Metropola their second win in as many weeks.

Player of the Week: Hans Gruber (FC Teussen Stelburg)

President’s Cup - First Round

NK Krakovo 3–0 Metropolitan CFC
Ljubljanska 0–0 Karakanovski Fabrika (0–0 AET) (4–5 pen.)
FK Skalna 3–2 Ljublanski Lihovar
TSV Horstmar 0–1 Slavija Karapelit
Lokomotive Lensbruck 2–3 1. FC Vaihingen
Lipica Konjibor 0–1 Marlesee 97
SK Pnetluky 0–1 Admiral Severno
Listany Prevnost 0–1 VfL Bamerntal
TSV Posenford 2–2 VfB Truiselwald (2–2 AET) (2–4 pen.)
FK Raketa Bukovets 2–1 Marianfelde Lions
VfL Prutseren 2–1 1888 Runsen
NK Kamenovo 1–3 FK Orlovska Bistrica
Hechingen 2–2 VfL Reinbronn (2–3 AET)
Taifun Vorstock 5–2 FC Lahnnenbruck 98
SK Sparta 2–4 1884 Felsenkirchen
TSV Tarnitz 1–1 FK Sinemorets (1–1 AET) (3–4 pen.)
Stahl Sterzing 0–0 Traktor Stavropol (1–1 AET) (5–4 pen.)
1828 Pomen 0–2 Krutenau Kickers
Atletik Orlovets 0–1 SV Charlottenberg
1807 Vettweiss 1–0 FC Kaldenkirchen 1901
Stari Trg 1–3 SV Preisfeld
1907 Kronenbruck 1–2 SV St. Kunigunde
FC St. Adelheid 1–1 VfB Launitz (1–2 AET)
FC Teussen Stelburg 3–0 Slavija Chotevice
VfB Marlesee 1–0 SVG Bainitz
1920 Reinbronn 3–3 Rot-Weiss Wilhelmsburg (3–3 AET) (5–4 pen.)
Zelena Vlaijka 1–0 FC Ternau 05
NK Prevala 2–1 FC Einheit Marnau
TSV Prattsee 3–0 NK Piran
Adler Rotmunde 4–1 1894 Tarnitz
Turbine Immengries 2–1 NK Karjaska Gora
Kreuzritter Loningen 4–5 Rulandea Karlsbrunnen
FK Dragizhevo 2–3 SK Republika Borograd
FC Blauwald 0–0 Vrnovo Mesto (0–0 AET) (0–3 pen.)
Schneemanner Eibsee 1–0 TSV Georg-Blocher
FK Vlaikograd 1896 2–0 Zvezda Vlaikograd
NK Divaca 1–0 FC Kaiserhaven
VfL Magesbach 2–3 TSV Konsford
Ladbergen 1894 7–2 SV Sogel
Rudar Trkev 2–1 FK Venkovets
Wolfstadt 98 0–1 FC Felsenkirchen 1879
FK Shivachevo 1–4 Gegenpapst Pomen
Olimpija Topolovgrad 1–1 NK Sveti Ivan (1–2 AET)
NK Vrnovo 2–2 FK Metropola Borograd (2–2 AET) (3–4 pen.)
VfB Giesenau 3–4 TSV Marzig
TSV Sankt Gustaf 0–0 Lintfort (2–0 AET)
NK Gabropol 2–3 Eintracht Aumuhle
Luttow-Vognitz 1–2 SV Shoringen
Teufelsberg 97 3–5 FK Pomorie
FC St. Jakob 7–0 Hrusevje 99
NK Kaskada 2–3 FC Giesenau
FK Cerknica 1–1 Olympia Borograd (1–3 AET)
Energija Chernovets 4–3 Jaromirgrad
Rudar Draijagrad 4–0 FC 1. Norsay
Crveno-Zeleni 0–0 FK Stavropol (0–1 AET)
VfL Reichmannsdorf 2–1 Oststahlberg 08
FC Rotmunde 1932 1–0 NK Vojnik
FK Kushovo 2–1 Sezana
FK Kostinbrod 1–3 NK Siovanska Gora
Rot-Blau Altona 3–2 Fortuna Emmerich
Trojistek Boleslav 1–2 SW Stahlberg
NK Krajgrad 3–3 Velden-Villach 07 (3–5 AET)
Arsenal Bukovets 4–0 Draija Debelets
1912 Stelburg 3–1 SK Dialikov

Meisterschaft clubs found themselves in action midweek in the first round of the President’s Cup, with the tournament moved to the second half of the season to enable clubs not competing in the final round the opportunity to continue playing football. Amongst the Meisterschaft clubs, most were able to get through the first round. VfL Reinbronn needed extra time to defeat Hechingen, while FC Teussen Stelburg had no trouble with Slavija Chotevice. Zvezda Vlaikograd lost the city derby with FK Vlaikograd 1896, a bit of revenge for the black side of Vlaikograd over their red colleagues: Zvezda had swept the city derby in the Regionalliga this year. Metropola Borograd struggled with NK Vrnovo, winning only on penalties, while TSV Marzig were back and forth with VfB Giesenau, needing a goal from debutant Einar Hackl in the late stages to get the win. Taifun Vorstock were perhaps the most dominant of the Meisterschaft sides, beating out Lahnnenbruck with a 5-2 final. FC Felsenkirchen 1879, Olympia Borograd, Energija Chernovets and 1912 Stelbug were also victorious in the first round, meaning 9 of the 10 Meisterschaft clubs have advanced to the second round. Tracking some of the big clubs elsewhere, SW Stahlberg, FC Rotmunde 1932, Vrnovo Mesto and Marlesee 97 have advanced as well.

Matchday 3

Energija Chernovets 1–0 Zvezda Vlaikograd
FC Teussen Stelburg 1–3 FK Metropola Borograd
TSV Marzig 2–1 Taifun Vorstock
1912 Stelburg 2–2 VfL Reinbronn
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 5–1 Olympia Borograd

Chernovets picked up on the good momentum from their midweek performance in the Cup in order to grab a late winning goal, from the head of forward Kazimir Karatanov, to defeat Zvezda Vlaikograd. The first win of the season for Chernovets, the Canaries will be hoping to take plenty of confidence into the next run of matches. FC Teussen Stelburg had started the league season well, but they’ve been humbled by the visitors from Borograd. Blahoslav Zak had two in the first half before Henrik Martin reeled one back in for the home side, but it was just not their day. Metropola’s wingers were too much for Teussen’s fullbacks, and Damir Prekmurje had himself quite a day in the tackle, with crunching challenges on Hans Gruber and Bastian Boltzmann particular highlights. TSV Marzig had two goals in the first 10 minutes of their match, with Aleksander Kosch-Kovarik grabbing them both, in order to defeat Taifun Vorstock. 1912 Stelburg led 2-1 after a first half flurry against Reinbronn, but it was once again Michael Burger at the death for the hunters and the sides shared the points.

Hosting Olympia Borograd at Mollin Park, Felsenkirchen were confident going into the game: “Yes, I think we have to be calm and play our own way and we know good things are going to happen,” said Jesper Porsche. But they weren’t expecting Olympia to totally capitulate. Dieter Rosberg ran the show, setting up Harju, Koegel and Repnik for goals in the first half. Rosberg would get one of his own just 46 seconds into the second half, which made it 4-0. Rolando Cutter got one back for Olympia to save complete embarrassment, but Jesper Porsche would knock in a late corner to make the final score 5-1. 5 different goalscorers for the Cogs, and this was the first time their devastating offense truly tore apart another team’s defenders in the Meisterschaft this season. It is a result that will strike fear into the hearts of the other contenders in this league.

Player of the Week: Dieter Rosberg (FC Felsenkirchen 1879)

Matchday 4

Zvezda Vlaikograd 0–0 Olympia Borograd
VfL Reinbronn 1–3 FC Felsenkirchen 1879
Taifun Vorstock 1–0 1912 Stelburg
FK Metropola Borograd 0–1 TSV Marzig
Energija Chernovets 5–3 FC Teussen Stelburg

It was a weekend full of surprising results in the Meisterschaft! Zvezda Vlaikograd supporters lit up the Red Castle with an incredible amount of red flares and smoke, delaying the start of Friday night’s contest with Olympia Borograd by 10 minutes - but in the end, that would be the most action in the game, as the sides ended up with a 0-0 draw. Olympia probably had the better of the chances, but just could not get it done. Felsenkirchen maintained their winning run with a big win over VfL Reinbronn. Travelling to the Flughafenstadion, the Cogs came out firing on all cylinders. Dieter Rosberg and Arne Repnik had goals in the first 25 minutes, but when Reinbronn got one back, the Hunters put Felsenkirchen under sustained pressure for about 15 minutes in the second half. It was really the first sign of any weakness the Cogs have shown all year… and it ended in a clinical counter-attack giving Isak Harju another goal. 3-1 the final and Felsenkirchen remain on top. The biggest shock of all, certainly, was Taifun Vorstock getting the best of 1912 Stelburg at home. It was a rainy afternoon on the south coast, and after scoring early, it was a heroic performance from Vorstock defender Mario Kretschmer to lead the backline and keep 1912 from scoring. It’s another disappointing result for the Bluebirds, who came into the season with so much expectation but have just 2 points and 3 goals from 4 matches so far. Vorstock’s upset was the largest in terms of odds, but TSV Marzig’s victory over FK Metropola Borograd may end up looked back upon as the more impressive achievement. Metropola were undefeated this season going into the match, and not many would’ve fancied Marzig to pull off the upset. However, the visitors showed resiliency and were excellent in the counter-attack, with Tristan Littauer scoring the winner after a clinical move by Aleksander Kosch-Kovarik.

The match of the week late Sunday afternoon was scheduled to be Energija Chernovets hosting FC Teussen Stelburg, an enticing clash between two of the top clubs in the country - and it more than delivered. “Obviously last week was not our best performance, and it’s up to us to pick ourselves back up, put it out of our mind and make things right,” said Teussen manager Kasper Knauer, while Chernovets boss Tomislav Karapic said “It’s always a big occasion when you face Teussen, and getting to play them at home so early is a good chance to make a big statement about what we want to achieve this season. I’m confident in our boys.” Both managers would be left shaking their heads, however, at the brutal defending on display at times in the first half. It was 3-3 at the halftime whistle, and the 6 goals included two penalties (one for each side), an own goal and a misplaced pass by Erwin Renner that practically gifted Kazimir Karatanov his second of the game. While Chernovets managed to tighten things up in the second half, Teussen would not: Jaro Jezek made it 4-3 in the 53rd minute, and late sub Andrej Pesek would add some insurance to make it 5-3. A devastating two weeks for Teussen, while Chernovets are now energized after their stuttered start to the year.

Player of the Week: Mario Kretschmer (Taifun Vorstock)

President’s Cup - Second Round

SV Shoringen 5–2 Karakanovski Fabrika
NK Sveti Ivan 0–2 VfL Prutseren
Vrnovo Mesto 2–0 SV Charlottenberg
SV Preisfeld 4–1 SW Stahlberg
VfL Reinbronn 3–1 TSV Sankt Gustaf
FK Sinemorets 2–4 VfB Truiselwald
TSV Prattsee 1–2 Ladbergen 1894
SV St. Kunigunde 2–0 Schneemanner Eibsee
SK Republika Borograd 1–1 Turbine Immengries (1–2 AET)
FK Kushovo 1–3 FK Vlaikograd 1896
Gegenpapst Pomen 2–1 FC St. Jakob
Marlesee 97 2–0 NK Krakovo
Admiral Severno 1–3 Rulandea Karlsbrunnen
1884 Felsenkirchen 3–4 Arsenal Bukovets
VfB Marlesee 1–1 Zelena Vlaijka (1–1 AET) (12–13 pen.)
TSV Marzig 3–0 FK Pomorie
NK Siovanska Gora 3–0 NK Prevala
FK Metropola Borograd 3–1 1920 Reinbronn
NK Divaca 0–2 Stahl Sterzing
VfL Bamerntal 1–2 FC Felsenkirchen 1879
Rot-Blau Altona 0–1 Taifun Vorstock
FK Orlovska Bistrica 0–0 FC Teussen Stelburg (0–0 AET) (5–6 pen.)
1807 Vettweiss 2–2 1. FC Vaihingen (3–4 AET)
Eintracht Aumuhle 4–3 Slavija Karapelit
FK Skalna 0–1 FC Giesenau
Krutenau Kickers 2–0 Olympia Borograd
Rudar Trkev 2–2 FK Raketa Bukovets (2–3 AET)
FK Stavropol 0–1 Energija Chernovets
Adler Rotmunde 4–1 VfB Launitz
Rudar Draijagrad 1–1 VfL Reichmannsdorf (2–3 AET)
1912 Stelburg 4–3 TSV Konsford
FC Rotmunde 1932 3–2 Velden-Villach 07

It was back to President’s Cup action midweek, with 9 of the Meisterschaft’s clubs in action. The second round is typically when major upsets start happening, and the story of course was last year’s winners Krutenau Kickers knocking out Olympia Borograd, 2-0 the final. With Thorsten Kramer adding another big win to his resume, it’s all but certain that Der Kaiser will take the FC Teussen Stelburg job at the end of the year. Olympia weren’t the only big club to have a scare: Teussen could not score on Orlovska Bistrica until a penalty shootout, which ended up being quite nailbiting before Teussen won to advance. 1912 Stelburg, Energija Chernovets, Taifun Vorstock and FC Felsenkirchen 1879 all were only able to win by 1 goal over their opponents, but what’s important is that they have made it through. FK Metropola Borograd relied on goals from young Ivan Nemec, his first brace for the club, to defeat 1920 Reinbronn, while VfL Reinbronn instead kicked TSV Sankt Gustaf out of the Cup with a 3-1 victory.

The biggest game of the round, of course, was another edition of the Pomorie-Marzig derby. Pomorie fans complained after their away ticket allocation was reduced by half from what it had been during the Regionalliga season, but the 1500 in attendance at the Vest-Marlebucht-Stadion will have been wishing they just stayed home. Einar Hackl got his first start for the club, and he followed his father’s footsteps of antagonizing the biggest rival: two goals for Hackl in a 3-0 win, while the stadium quite literally bounced along with chants of “who doesn’t jump is a Siovanijan.” Luckily, for once, there was very little in crowd trouble at the end of the game - the reduced away section probably helped with that, even if Marzig fans tried their best to provoke their enemies with chants of “your season is over again.”

As a result, 8 Meisterschaft clubs advance to the Round of 32. Most will face lower-level opposition, but two interesting games are on the docket with Energija Chernovets hosting FC Rotmunde 1932 and TSV Marzig needing to travel just a bit east to take on Marlesee 97.

Matchday 5

FC Teussen Stelburg 1–1 Zvezda Vlaikograd
TSV Marzig 0–0 Energija Chernovets
1912 Stelburg 6–1 FK Metropola Borograd
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 4–3 Taifun Vorstock
Olympia Borograd 1–4 VfL Reinbronn

During the era of the Crusades, when the city of Borograd was sacked twice, there was a song sung amongst the Teus crusaders that included a lyric roughly translating to “thank God I wasn’t born in Borograd.” The two sackings of Borograd may have been less harsh than what the city’s football clubs experienced this weekend. We’ll get back to them in a bit. FC Teussen Stelburg can officially be called ‘struggling’ at this point of the season, with only 1 win through 5 games after they gave away a lead late against Zvezda. Kasper Knauer’s men find themselves an unthinkable 7th in the table, and they are needing a spark to turn things around quickly. TSV Marzig have quietly been one of the best clubs in the league this season, with only one defeat all year, and a brave performance at home against Energija Chernovets which featured one of the greatest goalkeeping efforts you will ever see from Ludwig Gottschall gives them another point keeping them in touching distance of the IFCF race. Felsenkirchen’s charged-up offense had another big multi-goal game, finding the back of the net 4 times - but surprisingly, the visitors from Vorstock almost managed to keep pace with them. Nobody would’ve predicted that Taifun would be the side behind half of the goals the Cogs have conceded by this point in the season, but they managed to be super clinical on their chances and take advantage of a rare bad day from Felsenkirchen keeper Per Holz. The 3 points, however, remain on the north coast and Felsenkirchen remain in command of the league.

Next, to the destruction of the Borograd clubs. 1912 Stelburg supporters had been complaining all season so far about a lack of offensive output coming from the club’s top players. New signing Damien Gannot had yet to score entering this game, and Erwin Lubeck in particular was receiving ire from the fanbase. Manager Theo Seidl decided to shake things up, starting fans’ hero Alois Heineken in place of #10 Joseph Kranz. The move worked a charm - just 3 minutes in, Heineken set up Gannot for the Mytanar’s first of his Oststelburgstadion career. Gannot would finish the day with a hat-trick, Heineken had one of his own and Lubeck and Egon von Stein each had the others. Metropola Borograd simply collapsed - ironically against the club they are on the friendliest terms with amongst fan relations. The Prekmurje-Mares midfield which has been so good all year simply seemed disconnected today, and von Stein and Heineken took full advantage. 6-1 is a true thrashing, and Metropola Borograd now have a negative goal difference despite sitting second in the league.

Back in the capital, Olympia Borograd had hoped to take advantage of their rivals’ slip in the home match against VfL Reinbronn. Instead, however, it was almost a repeat performance of the day before: the Hunters put Borograd to the sword in the first half, with Thomas Schalle scoring two goals in the first 15 minutes of the match. While the Violets’ collapse was in the midfield, for Olympia it was at the back: fullbacks Mrazek and Hayek were quite poor, and it was a mistake by central defender Tadeas Blinakov that led to Michael Burger making it 4-0 in the second half. 10-2 on aggregate - but the clubs are in very different positions still. Metropola still sit 2nd in the league, although this loss may give them some doubts about their chances to truly give Felsenkirchen a challenge, while Olympia are in a bit more trouble, sitting in 9th place with no wins in the campaign so far - something needs to give.

Player of the Week: Damien Gannot (MYT, 1912 Stelburg)

Matchday 6

Zvezda Vlaikograd 3–1 VfL Reinbronn
Taifun Vorstock 0–5 Olympia Borograd
FK Metropola Borograd 1–1 FC Felsenkirchen 1879
Energija Chernovets 3–0 1912 Stelburg
FC Teussen Stelburg 0–3 TSV Marzig

As we reach the one-third mark of the campaign, two clubs successfully picked up their first wins of the season. Zvezda Vlaikograd were the first to break their duck, as they beat VfL Reinbronn at home by a 3-1 score. Zvezda haven’t had the best performance in the Meisterschaft so far, but in this one it was all about getting back to their basics: Arpad Pavlicek scored a direct free kick, Bogdan Kubica had one in the air and one on the ground and solid defending helped them to a 3-1 win. Against Taifun Vorstock, meanwhile, Olympia Borograd took out all their frustrations from last week’s results. Rolando Cutter had two goals as the young Kelssek winger continues to show his quality, while Klaud Zorko, Marjan Trstenjek and Vladimir Vladimiric had the other goals in what ended up being a 5-0 win. Olympia can thus take a bit of confidence into their derby match with Metropola next week.

FK Metropola Borograd and FC Felsenkirchen 1879 were billed as two of the top title challengers going into the season, and although the Blues have been far better than the Violets so far, they did enter the week as the #1 and #2 clubs in the country. “Settling down, getting back to regular football, rebuilding confidence” was Alan Dzekov’s focus for the week after the 6-1 loss last week in Stelburg, while Leonard Wagner said his team was “ready to pick up where we left off last week, just as we have throughout the year in every competition.” On the pitch, the sides were about equal. Blahoslav Zak took advantage of an early corner to put Metropola 1-0 ahead, but from that point on the Violets found it difficult to crack Felsenkirchen’s defence. The Cogs, meanwhile, couldn’t find a way past Metropola’s backline. Finally, however, something had to give and you could feel the goal coming when Jesper Porsche knocked in a rebound in the 78th minute. The draw benefits Felsenkirchen more, of course, as it is a valuable point gained on the road and ensures they are 5 points clear at the top, as Metropola drop to 4th in the division going into next week’s Borograd derby.

We covered last week’s Borograd debacle in full, so it’s only fair we do the same for the Stelburg clubs this week. Sunday afternoon was a brutal one no matter if you were from the gold or light blue sides of the city. 1912 Stelburg took a lot of confidence into their away fixture with Energija Chernovets after the 6-1 win last week, but the Bluebirds will have to go back to the drawing board after falling 3-0 in Siovanija. Energija, to use a tired cliche, simply seemed to want it more, winning plenty of second balls and just having an extra bit of gas in their legs. Meanwhile at the Franz-Gorz-Stadion, it was another defeat for FC Teussen Stelburg who have gone from bad to worse. While Felsenkirchen have without a doubt been the best team in the league this season, you could make a solid case that TSV Marzig have been the second best, and they argued that case with extreme vigor in Stelburg on Sunday evening. The talisman as usual was Aleksander Kosch-Kovarik, who has become clearly the Knights’ best player this season. He managed two goals, and also an assist as Einar Hackl came off the bench for another excellent cameo role. Many fans have been calling for Hackl to start full-time after his great performances. Teussen just can’t seem to get anything going at the moment - while the midfield was solid today, it was the defence who will take most of the blame for the loss. Elias Schwefel in particular had a torrid day, looking like a schoolboy against Kosch-Kovarik. With both Stelburg clubs sitting on 1 win, 2 draws and 3 losses after 6 games, 7th and 8th in the standings, next week’s Stelburg derby is going to play a major role in each club’s destiny this season.

Player of the Week: Aleksander Kosch-Kovarik (TSV Marzig)

With one-third of the season in the books, let’s have a look at the league table with RBC Sports Videotext!

[Siovanija and Teusland]

Meisterschaft Cycle 19 - Season Part II

Matchday 7

TSV Marzig 6–0 Zvezda Vlaikograd
1912 Stelburg 4–0 FC Teussen Stelburg
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 0–0 Energija Chernovets
Olympia Borograd 4–1 FK Metropola Borograd
VfL Reinbronn 3–3 Taifun Vorstock

What a week in the Meisterschaft! The connoisseur had matchday 7 circled on their calendar as soon as it was announced, with 3 derbies - Marzig vs Vlaikograd, the Stelburg derby and the Borograd derby - all on the same weekend, plus a highly competitive matchup of Felsenkirchen hosting Chernovets. And if you like the absolute highs and lows of derbies - the historic victories and the crushing, horrifying defeats - this was the weekend for you.

TSV Marzig are on a roll this season and the first league start for Einar Hackl was marked by the absolute obliteration of Zvezda Vlaikograd. The display of fireworks and flares pre-game from the Marzig fans was one of the most memorable you will see this season, while an unfurled banner taunted Zvezda supporters over their poor performance this season and added that ‘Marzig remains Teus.’ On the pitch, it wasn’t even close. There’s an argument to be made that Aleksander Kosch-Kovarik has been the best player in the league this season, and he showed incredible quality again with 2 goals and 3 assists. Two of those assists were to Einar Hackl, who having turned 18 just two weeks ago is already looking like a veteran with his performances. 6-0 is truly devastating for Zvezda, and their players had a long chat with the ultras following the match, the Red Army Vlaikograd demanding better performances.

On Saturday afternoon in Stelburg, meanwhile, something had to give for one of these two teams, and at the Oststelburgstadion, to the delight of most of the 40,000 in attendance, it was the Bluebirds who came away with a famous 4-0 victory. It was the biggest win for 1912 over Teussen in nearly 20 years, and was made possible thanks to two goals from Damien Gannot, one from Alois Heineken and one from Erwin Lubeck. Heineken was the hero of the day, celebrating his 3-0 goal by proudly showing the 1912 badge to the Teussen supporters in the away end. It was a win that showed the potential of the East Stelburg outfit this season - but for FC Teussen Stelburg, this is arguably the lowest point in the last 30 years of the club’s history. There’s not one simple answer as to what is going wrong, beyond just a general lack of chemistry on the pitch. The players seem lost at times, and confidence is forgotten all-too-quickly when they give up a goal. It’s a difficult situation and while nobody wants to criticize such a legendary manager as Kasper Knauer, the most successful in the club’s storied history, retirement at the end of the season is probably the best option for all parties. Things will not get any easier for Teussen: next week it’s Felsenkirchen at home, before travelling to Borograd for the National derby.

In Borograd, meanwhile, the fierce Borograd derby kicked off under a sea of fireworks and smoke midday on Sunday. In the Regionalliga earlier this year, 4 derby matches had already been played - and despite Metropola taking the title, it was Olympia who had humbled them twice, 5-1 and 4-1. Similarly, in the first Meisterschaft meeting this season, it was Olympia who humble their neighbours again at the Olimpski-Stadion. With a goal from Drahoslav Cermak just 2:34 into the match, Olympia fans were in full voice early on and it would soon get even better for them: Rolando Cutter made it 2-0 just before halftime. In the second half, Metropola seemed like they might mount a comeback, with Veljko Vadimic scoring in the 50th minute - but a red card for Damir Prekmurje after a cynical foul on Cutter threw the game away for the visiting Violets. Cermak for his second and late sub Bozhidar Ornik for the 4-1, and it is Olympia Borograd who take a much-needed victory over their rivals. Metropola, now 7 points back of Felsenkirchen, are slipping away from any chance at the title.

Unfortunately for Felsenkirchen, they could not take full advantage of the defeat suffered by Metropola, as a defensive battle on the north coast ended with the Cogs level with Chernovets 0-0. Valterri Tirel in particular put in quite a shift for the Cogs, while Isak Harju will be rueing the shot he knocked off the post in the 17th minute. VfL Reinbronn and Taifun Vorstock was probably the least-anticipated game of the weekend, but it still delivered plenty of excitement with 3 lead changes before the visitors finally got a tying goal late to earn a point.

Player of the Week: Alois Heineken (1912 Stelburg)

Matchday 8

Zvezda Vlaikograd 1–1 Taifun Vorstock
FK Metropola Borograd 1–0 VfL Reinbronn
Energija Chernovets 1–1 Olympia Borograd
FC Teussen Stelburg 1–3 FC Felsenkirchen 1879
TSV Marzig 1–2 1912 Stelburg

We’re settling back down again after such an exciting week last week - and it was easy to do that, frankly, with how boring Friday night’s match between Zvezda and Vorstock was. Both sides came out quite flat for this one, not creating very much at all, and the excellent goal by Cestmir Adamek for Zvezda is likely the only highlight coming out of this one. FK Metropola Borograd, after being thrashed for the third time this year against Olympia, needed to get back to basics once again at home against Reinbronn, and they did just that. The Polak-Araquistáin duo was rock-solid at the back, and Veljko Vadimic scored for the second straight week to give the Violets a desperately needed win. Olympia Borograd couldn’t quite recapture their derby form against Chernovets, but a late goal from Marjan Trstenjek salvaged a point. Olympia aren’t quite getting the results expected of such a big club this season, but it has to be said that their young players especially are playing quite well and the only way for them to go is up. TSV Marzig struggled to cope with 1912 Stelburg’s excellent forward play, and while ‘AKK’ did score again, Damien Gannot had two and Zwolf come away with another important 3 points.

It’s the worst possible time to run a gauntlet of big rivalry matches for FC Teussen Stelburg, a squad low on chemistry and confidence. After last week’s capitulation to their rivals 1912, it was feared that against the incredible offense of Felsenkirchen things could get even worse. That was not to be, however, and Teussen looked much more confident against the Cogs. However, that confidence wasn’t enough to give them a result. 1-1 in the second half after goals from Martin and Koegel, Jesper Porsche took things over in the last half hour and provided two assists to help the visitors make it 3-1. Porsche’s dominating performance was good enough for a 10.0 match rating from RBC Sports.

Player of the Week: Jesper Porsche (FC Felsenkirchen 1879)

President’s Cup - Third Round

SV Preisfeld 1–0 Gegenpapst Pomen
Stahl Sterzing 2–0 FC Giesenau
Adler Rotmunde 0–0 NK Siovanska Gora (2–1 AET)
1. FC Vaihingen 0–1 FK Metropola Borograd
VfB Truiselwald 2–6 FC Felsenkirchen 1879
VfL Reichmannsdorf 0–0 Arsenal Bukovets (1–1 AET) (4–2 pen.)
SV Shoringen 1–2 Taifun Vorstock
FK Vlaikograd 1896 5–2 Ladbergen 1894
FK Raketa Bukovets 0–2 VfL Reinbronn
Rulandea Karlsbrunnen 3–2 VfL Prutseren
FC Teussen Stelburg 1–0 Turbine Immengries
Energija Chernovets 2–0 FC Rotmunde 1932
Zelena Vlaijka 3–5 Eintracht Aumuhle
Vrnovo Mesto 1–0 1912 Stelburg
Krutenau Kickers 0–0 SV St. Kunigunde (2–0 AET)
Marlesee 97 1–1 TSV Marzig (1–1 AET) (3–1 pen.)

The 8 remaining Meisterschaft clubs in the President’s Cup were in action again midweek, this time with a more difficult set of results that sees 6 remaining as we reach the Round of 16. FK Metropola Borograd escaped Vaihingen with a hard-fought win, while Felsenkirche on the other hand tore apart VfB Truiselwald, Reiner Werkner getting a hat-trick in the 6-2 away win. Taifun Vorstock’s Sandro Lorenz scored a late winner as they defeated SV Shoringen, while VfL Reinbronn looked in control of a 2-0 win over Raketa Bukovets. FC Teussen Stelburg will be glad about their 1-0 win, even if it came over minnows Turbine Immengries, as something they can take confidence from into their next fixtures. Kazimir Karatanov had a brace as Chernovets knock Rotmunde out of the Cup, but things didn’t go quite as well for 1912 Stelburg and TSV Marzig. 1912 went behind early to Vrnovo Mesto and could never recover, this being as far as they will go in the tournament, while TSV Marzig had a disastrous penalty shootout, scoring only once as they are knocked out by Marlesee 97. As we head to the Round of 16, other stories to note include Krutenau Kickers continuing their defence of the Cup, Rulandea Karlsbrunnen making another strong underdog run, and Eintracht Aumuhle being perhaps the biggest shock of all so far.

In the Round of 16, fixtures involving Meisterschaft clubs include Metropola Borograd travelling to VfL Reichmannsdorf, FC Teussen Stelburg hosting Rulandea Karlsbrunnen and Energija Chernovets traveling to Marlesee. Felsenkirchen will take on Vorstock in an all-Meisterschaft clash, while VfL Reinbronn will travel to SV Preisfeld in a Neuteussen derby that will be hugely important for both clubs.

Matchday 9

1912 Stelburg 4–3 Zvezda Vlaikograd
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 0–0 TSV Marzig
Olympia Borograd 0–3 FC Teussen Stelburg
VfL Reinbronn 4–0 Energija Chernovets
Taifun Vorstock 1–5 FK Metropola Borograd

If there’s been one theme in this Meisterschaft season so far, it certainly has been to expect the unexpected. Would anyone really have picked Zvezda Vlaikograd to knock 3 goals past 1912 Stelburg? Or the fact that, after a run of solid wins in the top division where they have looked in good form, the Bluebirds would need to come from 0-2 down to take all three points? Egon von Stein had the winning goal as he continues to be the star in East Stelburg. Felsenkirchen’s incredible offense is held to 0 thanks to what can be described only as a perfect performance from TSV Marzig goalkeeper Ludwig Gottschall. He’s had a few great performances already this year, but today was a magnum opus: 12 saves, and a penalty from Dieter Rosberg turned aside. Marzig couldn’t get much going as expected at Mollin Park, but can take a great deal of confidence from this result and gain an important point. FK Metropola Borograd’s 5-1 win over Taifun Vorstock was not exactly unexpected, with the Violets needing to get back on track and possessing much more quality than the home side. Veljko Vadimic continued an excellent campaign with 2 goals plus an assist, while Blahoslav Zak also had a brace as he seeks to be the nation’s top scorer again. VfL Reinbronn beating Chernovets 4-0 falls into the unexpected category, meanwhile. The Hunters seem to have an aura about them that allows them to win games like this this year, with the huge result at home following a great road win in Borograd a few weeks ago. Michael Burger had two goals but it was really Thorsten Strobel who ran the show, setting the tempo and also playing two important through balls that resulted in goals. We must also praise the Reinbronn duo of Mario Kretschmer and Bruno Baumer, who let absolutely nothing through today.

As the nation’s two biggest clubs prepared for the National derby on Saturday afternoon, they entered it not as the gilded, invincible FC Teussen Stelburg and Olympia Borograd that together have combined for 172 trophies. Instead, they enter it as clubs in crisis, underperforming compared to both their city rivals and the league leaders, each side needing a positive result here to make a difference to their season. Just like many times in the last decades of this rivalry, it was the visiting FC Teussen Stelburg who took advantage. Teussen looked like their usual selves today, with Hans Gruber putting in a man of the match-worthy performance in the midfield as he set up Patrik Hohenlowe for two first half goals. Gruber’s key runs in the second half also created the opportunity for Dietrich Traeger’s 3-0 goal. Teussen’s midfield dominated their Olympia counterparts, and the Martin-Traeger-Gruber trio had without a doubt their best match together of the season, which was very important in the win. While Teussen have long forgotten any hopes of winning the national title this year, this result gives them hope that IFCF qualification is still a possibility.

Player of the Week: Ludwig Gottschall (TSV Marzig)

Matchday 10

Zvezda Vlaikograd 0–3 FK Metropola Borograd
Taifun Vorstock 1–5 Energija Chernovets
VfL Reinbronn 3–0 FC Teussen Stelburg
Olympia Borograd 3–3 TSV Marzig
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 4–1 1912 Stelburg

FK Metropola Borograd carried on right from last week’s mega win over Taifun Vorstock with another big win over Zvezda Vlaikograd. Blahoslav Zak had two goals while Frantisek Polak headed in the third of the day for the Violets from a late corner kick. Metropola remain 5 points behind Felsenkirchen at the top. Taifun Vorstock are thrashed by the same 5-1 score for the second week in a row, as this time Energija Chernovets deliver a crushing blow to the south coast club in their own home stadium. Kazimir Karatanov had a hat-trick on the day, while Veselin Oresnik scored his first Meisterschaft goal for the club after subbing on late in the win. FC Teussen Stelburg went from dominating Olympia Borograd on their own pitch last week, to getting played off the Flughafenstadion by VfL Reinbronn this week. The scoreline is perhaps harsh on Teussen, as if you look at expected goals alone, this one probably should’ve been a draw. It was former Teussen man Thomas Schalle who came back to haunt his old club, scoring twice in the win and once with a rocket of a shot from outside the box. TSV Marzig showed character at the Olimpski-Stadion. They trailed 2-0 at halftime before roaring back with an excellent second half performance to claim a point in the national capital, Alex Gering scoring the final goal that knotted things at 3 all. Are Marzig really contenders for IFCF football? They currently sit 3rd on 16 points, but thanks to career years for players such as Kosch-Kovarik and Gottschall, as well as the recent breakthrough of young forward Einar Hackl, have proven to be much more than even the most hopeful of predictions could’ve imagined. The next few games will be key for the Knights, as they host VfL Reinbronn and travel to Taifun Vorstock. Six points from these matches, certainly possible, would cement Marzig as real contenders.

On matchday 1, it was billed as a potential league-title decider, but by the time of the rematch on matchday 10, the Felsenkirchen-1912 Stelburg fixture has been viewed as just another step on the road to an incredible title win for the north coast outfit. 1912 Stelburg desperately needed a win today to keep any hopes of a title win alive, but it was just simply not to be. Felsenkirchen dominated the game from the first whistle, the duo of Porsche and Repnik completely controlling the midfield and Porsche driving forward to create several dangerous opportunities. It was just 1-0 at halftime, but as the game wore on 1912 tired out and Felsenkirchen sensed blood. Harju scored two in the second half while Bastian Kracht added one of the bench. Erwin Lubeck’s consolation goal won’t do anything for the Bluebirds, they fall 4-1 and are now 10 points behind the Cogs. Felsenkirchen remain undefeated after 10 games this season and are on track to win the title.

Player of the Week: Thomas Schalle (VfL Reinbronn)

President’s Cup - Round of 16

Stahl Sterzing 1–1 Eintracht Aumuhle (1–1 AET) (5–3 pen.)
Krutenau Kickers 0–2 FK Vlaikograd 1896
VfL Reichmannsdorf 2–4 FK Metropola Borograd
Vrnovo Mesto 2–1 Adler Rotmunde
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 1–0 Taifun Vorstock
FC Teussen Stelburg 7–3 Rulandea Karlsbrunnen
Marlesee 97 1–0 Energija Chernovets
SV Preisfeld 3–3 VfL Reinbronn (3–5 AET)

Eintracht Aumühle’s underdog story comes to an end after Uwe Seidl equalized very late on for Stahl Sterzing, and scored the winning penalty as last year’s semifinalists advance to the Quarterfinal this time around. The reigning champions are out, too, as Thorsten Kramer’s Krutenau Kickers fall 2-0 at home against FK Vlaikograd 1896. FK Metropola Borograd had to work harder than they may have expected against Reichmannsdorf, but they get the win in the end, while Vrnovo Mesto win an important game at home to qualify them for the Quarterfinal as well. The only all-Meisterschaft clash of the round saw Felsenkirchen knocking out Vorstock as Reiner Werkner scored the winner, while FC Teussen Stelburg exploded for 7 goals against Rulandea Karlsbrunnen. Felix Feicke had 4 of them on his own, while Lutz Wolff made his senior debut for the club and had an assist to set up Stephen Gessner for goal #6 of the day. Energija Chernovets couldn’t get anything going against Marlesee and lose out as 97’s campaign continues, while VfL Reinbronn prevailed in an extremely exciting Neuteussen derby. Reinbronn led 2-0 before Preisfeld made a comeback in the second half, up 3-2 when the timer hit 90:00. But Reinbronn would score at the death to send it to extra time, and then twice more in the extra half hour much to the delight of their traveling fans. Another derby win this season for the Hunters, and a trophy now in sight.

In the Quarterfinal, fixtures include FC Felsenkirchen 1879 hosting VfL Reinbronn, FK Vlaikograd 1896 hosting Marlesee 97, FK Metropola Borograd hosting Stahl Sterzing and FC Teussen Stelburg hosting Vrnovo Mesto. 4 Meisterschaft sides remain, and with 1 guaranteed to be out before the semifinal, we are certain to have some interesting fixtures coming up in this competition. Can Felsenkirchen make it a double? Or will another club have something to say about that?

Matchday 11

FC Felsenkirchen 1879 3–1 Zvezda Vlaikograd
1912 Stelburg 3–0 Olympia Borograd
TSV Marzig 0–0 VfL Reinbronn
FC Teussen Stelburg 4–4 Taifun Vorstock
Energija Chernovets 3–0 FK Metropola Borograd

Felsenkirchen’s unbeaten run to start the season extends to 11 matches, as they dominated Zvezda Vlaikograd at home on Friday evening. The home side were up 2-0 in the first half, and Dieter Rosberg scored a direct free kick in the second half to make it 3-0. Felsenkirchen continue their excellent form this season and sit 8 points clear in first place. Olympia Borograd’s derby victory over FK Metropola Borograd was meant to be a sign of changing times for the Greens, but instead it stands as the lone bright spot of their season so far. 1912 Stelburg, who also took energy from a big derby day win a few weeks ago, have instead looked quite strong since then and at the Oststelburgstadion on Saturday midday, they were the only ones who seemed to show up for the game. Alois Heineken, since moving into the starting XI, has become even more of a hero for the Bluebirds and he scored twice in the game, Damien Gannot adding in the third marker late in the game to secure what ends up as a 3-0 win. TSV Marzig were hoping to take advantage of a home game at Reinbronn to prove themselves as a real challenger for the IFCF places, but while their defence performed up to the task, it was a different story on offense. Gunnar Hoss was back in the lineup after missing a few matches in favour of Einar Hackl, but the 27 year old Hoss did nothing to show he should return to it full time: two clear-cut chances were missed and Marzig gain a solitary point. FC Teussen Stelburg seem to have figured out their midfield and attacking struggles: 4 goals today against Vorstock, 2 of them set up by Hans Gruber who has had a decent season despite the overall struggles, on top of 7 goals midweek in the cup. However, the defence remains a problem: 4 goals conceded against Taifun Vorstock, the worst team in the league this season, and Teussen only manage to pick up a point against the visitors. It’s the worst start to a season for 76 years in the top flight for FC Teussen Stelburg, who only have 2 wins from 11 matches and are likely out of the IFCF qualification race.

The biggest match of the round was a clash between Siovanijan titans in Chernovets. Energija entered the game 3 points back of FK Metropola Borograd, with the chance to overtake their rivals and assert their place in the IFCF qualification race. Metropola, meanwhile, needed a win to cling onto any faint hopes of winning the title. However, it was a day to forget for the Violets and one to remember for the green and yellow. Chernovets looked totally in control from the word go, dominating the possession statistics, however, in the first half they couldn’t find a way to break past Metropola’s backline. The opening goal came only in the 61st minute, as Jarozlav Jezek used excellent improvisation to blast in a long drive for the 1-0. After that, Metropola broke down, and goals from Karatanov and Dusan Lypotal made it 3-0. Chernovets now sit 2nd place on 19 points, and will be hoping to finish off the season on a strong note to reach IFCF football again.

Player of the Week: Jarozlav Jezek (Energija Chernovets)

Matchday 12

Zvezda Vlaikograd 4–1 Energija Chernovets
FK Metropola Borograd 0–1 FC Teussen Stelburg
Taifun Vorstock 0–1 TSV Marzig
VfL Reinbronn 0–3 1912 Stelburg
Olympia Borograd 1–3 FC Felsenkirchen 1879

Energija Chernovets go from heroic performance last week, to a complete disaster this week. It’s only the second win of the season for Zvezda Vlaikograd, and it’s come as a complete shock. The home side were simply sublime tonight, definitely their best performance of the season, and you saw a bit of the quality that saw them drop only 1 game during the Regionalliga campaign. Arpad Pavlicek was the talisman, with 3 assists for Zvezda on the night, and for Chernovets it is a big blow to their confidence as the Canaries now drop to 4th in the division. FC Teussen Stelburg get a hard-fought win on the road in Borograd, with the side’s defensive woes this season completely forgotten thanks to an excellent clean sheet. The last time these sides met, Elias Schwefel had struggled mightily with containing Veljko Vadimic. This time, however, the young left back had one of the best days of his young career so far, keeping the explosive winger completely quiet. The goal for Teussen came from Gustaf Liechtenstein, who has been relatively quiet all season, but his 73rd minute winner is a big boost to a Teussen side hoping to still salvage something from this season. TSV Marzig did just enough to overcome Taifun Vorstock and pick up the three points - three points that actually have Marzig 2nd in the league now, and firmly in that IFCF qualification race. 1912 Stelburg’s excellent run of form also continued this week, they’ve now made it 5 wins of their last 6 in the league following their Stelburg derby win. The Heineken-Gannot connection was once again the difference maker for the Bluebirds.

Even the most optimistic of Olympia Borograd fans wouldn’t have expected much from the home match with Felsenkirchen - but when the Greens went up 1-0 just 5 minutes into the match from a goal from Rolando Cutter, the Olimpski-Stadion exploded and you could sense a bit of belief. However, it was just not meant to be. Felsenkirchen can dominate both home and away, and today the midfield duo of Porsche and Repnik was in top form as they completely dictated the entire match. The equalizer came late in the first half thanks to a great through ball by Porsche met by the left leg of Harju, and just 3 minutes into the second half Felsenkirchen were ahead after a a great drive from the top of the box by Repnik himself. Paul Steinhausl flicked in the third of the day from a late corner kick, and Felsenkirchen remain unbeaten after 12 games. The Cogs are now 10 points clear, and with only 6 matches left in the season, have one hand firmly grasping the trophy. Olympia Borograd, meanwhile, sit a disappointing 8th in the table with just 2 wins so far.

Player of the Week: Arpad Pavlicek (Zvezda Vlaikograd)

With two-thirds of the season in the books, let’s take a look at the league table, presented by RBC Sports Videotext.

Felsenkirchen have proven themselves as clearly the best club in the country this year, and the only jeopardy that remains in their season is whether they can actually go on and accomplish an unthinkable unbeaten campaign in the Meisterschaft this year. Barring a historic collapse, it’s quite clear that the Cogs will be champions.

The most excitement left in the season will be determining who can reach the IFCF qualification places. You could argue that 5 teams are currently in the fight, with TSV Marzig, FK Metropola Borograd, Energija Chernovets, 1912 Stelburg and VfL Reinbronn each hoping to get in. Marzig have the most difficult remaining schedule, with Metropola, Chernovets and Teussen their next 3 fixtures before a derby with Zvezda. The Knights have been approaching the season in little pieces at a time this year, and if they can get through this next run of matches it will make or break their campaign. Elsewhere, you have to favour 1912 Stelburg, who are in good form ever since their Stelburg derby win and have finally been able to show their quality. Metropola Borograd have been in rougher form lately but should have the quality to reach the top 4, while Chernovets currently sit in place #4 and will be needing good results against their direct rivals to keep it up. Reinbronn have had a great campaign so far, but have trailed off a bit in recent weeks and likely can be ruled out.

Seeing FC Teussen Stelburg and Olympia Borograd sitting 7th and 8th in the table, both with negative goal differences, must be like a fever dream for the fans of their rivals. It’s been a difficult season for the old giants of football in this country, one they are both just hoping ends soon. Olympia have shown quality in their young team, but just lack the consistency to turn that into results. Teussen, meanwhile, have rotated between ‘defensive struggles,’ ‘chemistry issues’ and ‘attacking problems’ virtually every week, but the excellent win over Metropola gives them a bit of confidence they can perhaps turn things around in the season’s final weeks.

At the bottom, Zvezda Vlaikograd have underperformed expectations and sit 9th, a disappointment after their solid Regionalliga campaign this year, while Taifun Vorstock can take some pride in points taken on the road in Chernovets and Stelburg, as well as a good performance away in Felsenkirchen, as valuable experience for the club.

[Siovanija and Teusland]

Meisterschaft Cycle 19 - Season Part III

Matchday 13

Olympia Borograd 1–1 Zvezda Vlaikograd
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 3–0 VfL Reinbronn
1912 Stelburg 0–0 Taifun Vorstock
TSV Marzig 2–1 FK Metropola Borograd
FC Teussen Stelburg 6–1 Energija Chernovets

Olympia Borograd continued to stutter as they slip to a 1-1 draw at home with Zvezda Vlaikograd. The visiting Reds took advantage of a mistake by Kvetoslav Kolar to score the opener in the first half, but failed to hang on as Vladimir Vladimiric scored the equalizer for Borograd late in the match. Felsenkirchen extended their incredible run with a brilliant 3-0 win over VfL Reinbronn. Felsenkirchen were totally dominant in this one, the duo of Jesper Porsche and Arne Repnik have been incredible together this year and they once again completely controlled the game. Porsche had a man of the match performance with a goal and two assists, as Florian Krukenberg’s brace helped Felsenkirchen extend the lead to 3-0 in the second half. 1912 Stelburg, for all their good form lately, have struggled with Taifun Vorstock this season: Taifun’s only win came against the Stelburgers at home, and on the road they manage to hold them to a draw. Vorstock’s defenders have really done a good job this season, even if the goals against table might not say so, and it was an excellent tackle from Bruno Baumer on Erwin Lubeck that will be the highlight from this one as 1912 are disappointed at the Oststelburgstadion. FC Teussen Stelburg absolutely hammered Energija Chernovets, with the final score being 6-1 at the Franz-Gorz-Stadion. This is the Teussen we have been missing all season: clinical and dominant. Hans Gruber earned his second perfect 10.0 rating of the season as he managed 4 assists in this one, but the 6 goals came from 6 different players: Martin, Liechtenstein, Boltzmann, Reichenbach, Gessner and Hohenlowe. It was good to see the Franz-Gorz-Stadion rocking again and say it quietly but Teussen, despite all their problems this season, are 4 points off an IFCF spot and into the Cup Quarterfinals.

The match of the week without a doubt was TSV Marzig taking on FK Metropola Borograd. It was a real test for the Marzigers with not so many matches left, and a hard schedule ahead: can they extend their excellent form from the start of the season and actually qualify for IFCF football? Metropola, meanwhile, with the loss of points for Chernovets and 1912 Stelburg, had an opportunity to gain big ground in the fight for 2nd place. The Vest-Marlebucht-Stadion was an incredible place to be tonight, with singing and chanting long before the game started and long after it as well. Marzig opened the scoring through Einar Hackl in the 40th minute, but FK Metropola Borograd fought back immediately and in first half stoppage time had an equalizer through Blahoslav Zak. Either team really could’ve deserved the win, such was the quality on display, but things worked out in the end for the home side. Zak missed a huge chance due to an incredible save by Ludwig Gottschall, and in the ensuing Marzig possession, the ball fell to an open Aleksander Kosch-Kovarik. Goal, 2-1, and 3 points for a TSV Marzig side who proved that they must be taken seriously by every club in the country.

Player of the Week: Hans Gruber (FC Teussen Stelburg)

Matchday 14

Zvezda Vlaikograd 0–3 FC Teussen Stelburg
Energija Chernovets 0–4 TSV Marzig
FK Metropola Borograd 5–2 1912 Stelburg
Taifun Vorstock 0–5 FC Felsenkirchen 1879
VfL Reinbronn 0–0 Olympia Borograd

We’ll say it: FC Teussen Stelburg are back. Whether the catalyst was the National derby win over Olympia, the 7 goals scored in the Cup or a rumoured players-only meeting, they look like their old selves right now and a hat-trick from Patrik Hohenlowe on Friday night against Zvezda Vlaikograd gave them a great victory to move up to 6th in the league just 3 points behind rivals 1912 Stelburg for an IFCF place. Teussen are back in the fight, and they are not a side you can ever count out. What is happening at Energija Chernovets? When they defeated Metropola Borograd, many felt it would then be quite straightforward to go on and secure a top 4 place. The 4-1 loss to Zvezda caused concern, the 6-1 to Teussen was a shock to the core and today’s 4-0 defeat on their own home pitch to TSV Marzig has the club in full-on meltdown. We hate to say it about such legendary players, but with several mistakes in the past few games, it may be the end for Taras Maksimov and Vsevolod Hristov this season, at least as starters. Don’t let Chernovets collapse fool you, however: Marzig played an excellent game, enough to win even without the Canaries’ current struggles. Going into this season, Aleks Kosch-Kovarik was rated as a ‘good winger for the future’ in this country and now is ranked as one of the best right wingers in the land, adding 2 goals and an assist to his season tally on the day. Marzig are now firmly in 2nd place, 4 points clear of FK Metropola Borograd, and their fans are already singing about looking forward to international matches next season. Not much to write about in Felsenkirchen’s victory over Vorstock: Felsenkirchen were the dangerous side they have been all year, and put their inferior opposition to the sword with 2 goals from Harju, 2 from Krukenberg, and the final piece coming from late sub Niels Weigel. 10 points ahead and 4 matches to go, the Cogs can win the title next week at home against FK Metropola Borograd. VfL Reinbronn held out well at home to resist what was a good performance from Olympia Borograd, and picked up a valuable point that ends a series of defeats and keeps the Hunters with a slim chance at IFCF football next year.

The match of the round saw FK Metropola Borograd hosting 1912 Stelburg, with both sides hoping to take advantage of Energija Chernovets’ recent collapse and firm up their positions in the top four - especially now that not only spot 1 but spot 2 also look quite secure, with TSV Marzig 4 points ahead. 1912 handed Metropola a brutal defeat earlier in this year, and this time it was the Violets who returned the favour. 1912 actually led by 1-0 and 2-1 in the first half, thanks to goals from Gannot and Heineken, but a 39th minute red card Lars Dohl for a last-man foul turned the game on its head. Blahoslav Zak converted the ensuing penalty to make it 2-2, before Veljko Vadimic tore the Bluebirds apart in the second half with 2 goals and an assist. 5-2 the final, but even the harsh defeats they’ve inflicted on each other this season could not stop the fan friendship between these teams. Before the game, Ultras 1912 and the Violet Fanatics presented a joint tifo reading “The ‘Second’ Clubs Are Rising,” a reference to each club’s status in their local derbies. Metropola now sit 3rd, 4 points off Marzig and 14 points away from Felsenkirchen - mathematically out of the title race. All Metropola can potentially do is stop the Cogs from lifting the trophy as early as next week, when the sides meet at Mollin Park.

Player of the Week: Veljko Vadimic (FK Metropola Borograd)

President’s Cup Quarterfinal

FC Felsenkirchen 1879 3–1 VfL Reinbronn
FK Vlaikograd 1896 0–2 Marlesee 97
FK Metropola Borograd 0–1 Stahl Sterzing
FC Teussen Stelburg 1–0 Vrnovo Mesto

4 Meisterschaft clubs remained in the Cup as we reached the Quarterfinal stage, and now only 2 remain. Felsenkirchen hosted Reinbronn in the only all-Meisterschaft tie of the round, and Felsenkirchen remained strong. Reiner Werkner had two goals and Jochen Koegel added the third as the Cogs advanced to the semifinal - their fans will be dreaming of the double, which has happened only twice since the founding of the Republikaliga. Marlesee 97 continued an excellent Cup run with a 2-0 victory on the road against FK Vlaikograd, sending themselves to the semifinal, while the upset of the round was Stahl Sterzing making a great Cup run yet again this season - and knocking out FK Metropola Borograd. Uwe Seidl, who has been so excellent for his club and country this season, scored the winning goal - and you have to think Seidl will be on the move soon, either to a Meisterschaft club or abroad. FC Teussen Stelburg beat an incredibly disciplined Vrnovo side 1-0 at the Franz-Gorz-Stadion to also advance to the final.

The semifinals will see Marlesee taking on Teussen and Stahl Sterzing getting the ‘honour’ of facing Felsenkirchen. Both matches will be played at the Nationalstadion in Stelburg, and with 4 Teus clubs left in the competition, we are definitely in for an exciting conclusion.

Matchday 15

VfL Reinbronn 0–5 Zvezda Vlaikograd
Olympia Borograd 2–1 Taifun Vorstock
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 6–1 FK Metropola Borograd
1912 Stelburg 2–0 Energija Chernovets
TSV Marzig 0–1 FC Teussen Stelburg

Zvezda Vlaikograd’s third win of the campaign was without a doubt the best of them all. VfL Reinbronn got off to a great start to the season but have mostly dropped off since, as many expected, but the match against Zvezda at home was meant to be a great opportunity for the side to finish off the year well. Instead, Zvezda tore them apart. Bogdan Kubica had a hat-trick, with 2 of the goals coming off of corner kicks, while Cestmir Adamek, the former Olympia man who has been quite quiet this season, scored two of his own in the 5-0 win. Olympia Borograd also picked up a win, with Marjan Trstenjek’s double helping them to defeat Taifun Vorstock. Energija Chernovets lost for the 4th match in a row, but at least it was only by 2 goals this time. Alois Heineken had both of them for 1912 Stelburg, an excellent performance in their home stadium that keeps them in 3rd place in the table. The Bluebirds have IFCF qualification in their sights, 3 points ahead of city rivals FC Teussen Stelburg - but next week, of course, is the Stelburg derby. Two of the most in-form sides of the league faced off in Marzig, meanwhile, where TSV Marzig hosted FC Teussen Stelburg. For the first time in a very long time, Marzig were actually the bookies’ favourites to beat Teussen - perhaps that was the curse, as a very tense game was settled only by Henrik Martin’s drive in the 53rd minute. Teussen will be keen to avenge their 4-0 defeat at the hands of 1912 Stelburg in next week’s Stelburg derby, and they certainly have the form to do it.

It seemed inevitable from about matchday 5 of this season, but now it’s official - FC Felsenkirchen 1879 are national champions! Mollin Park was ready for a celebration, with plenty of blue smoke and flares greeting the team before Saturday afternoon’s clash. The fans were singing ‘stand up for the champions’ before the ball was even kicked, and the players themselves were also ready to celebrate: 3 goals in the first 20 minutes of the match had things sorted. Metropola would get one back via Blahoslav Zak before halftime, but a red card for Sobeslav Volf in the first minutes of the second half doomed the Violets: Isak Harju completed his hat-trick, while Arne Repnik and Jesper Porsche chipped in with one each in the final minutes to make the final score 6-1. It’s a dominant performance befitting this Felsenkirchen side, who have conquered the Meisterschaft this season with an explosive attack, dominant midfield and rock-solid defending. Paul Steinhausl lifted the trophy high into the air as Felsenkirchen fans celebrated across the city, the party lasting long into the night. The celebration the next day at the Hafenplatz was also a joyous occasion. The work isn’t fully done yet, however: Felsenkirchen could still capture the double, as well as the one word everyone in Felsenkirchen has been trying to avoid: invincible.

Player of the Week: Isak Harju (PIS, FC Felsenkirchen 1879)

Matchday 16

Zvezda Vlaikograd 1–4 TSV Marzig
FC Teussen Stelburg 1–1 1912 Stelburg
Energija Chernovets 0–5 FC Felsenkirchen 1879
FK Metropola Borograd 3–1 Olympia Borograd
Taifun Vorstock 0–2 VfL Reinbronn

A weekend of fierce derbies kicked off with Zvezda Vlaikograd hosting TSV Marzig. Before the season, if you’d been told one of these clubs really kicked on and pushed for IFCF football, Zvezda would’ve been the likely candidate. However, Marzig have been incredible all year - and they showed it off again on the road. Einar Hackl had his first-ever hat-trick for the Marzig, and this young man has quickly become a star and asserted himself as the club’s #9 going forward. AKK was on form too, with 2 assists, while Bjorn Panzer and Paskal Kaiser are finally starting to receive recognition for being one of the country’s best midfield pairings - Kaiser himself had a goal in tonight’s win. Energija Chernovets have gone from meltdown to even worse meltdown, as they lose 5 in a row by a 5-0 final score. You can tell that this team, with 7 players over the age of 30, is just simply worn out - the new Regionalliga + Meisterschaft calendar is relentless and it’s catching out a tired Canaries side. Felsenkirchen, meanwhile, don’t seem worn out at all: they pump 5 past Chernovets, including a brace from unlikely goalscorer Valterri Tirel, who had an excellent header plus a great shot from the top of the box late in the game. VfL Reinbronn recovered from last week’s defeat to beat Taifun Vorstock and have now unthinkably passed even Energija Chernovets - Reinbronn sit 6th in the league.

The match with the most hype of all was certainly the Stelburg derby, with two sides who were in good form and are in completely different places than when they had met 10 weeks ago at the Oststelburgstadion. This time at the Franz-Gorz-Stadion, both sides were raring to go and it showed as the sides went end-to-end with some of the best football we’ve seen all season on display in the first half. It was only a herculean effort by Teussen goalkeeper Koloman Bodeker who kept it 0-0 at the half, stopping a dead-on chance for Erwin Lubeck. The second half started with controversy, as Damien Gannot went down in the box and the referee gave a penalty, much to the anger of the 63,000 home supporters and the joy of the away end. Gannot would convert to make it 1-0, but it wouldn’t last very long: off of quite literally the very next kick-off, Teussen would come right back and score as Bastian Boltzmann equalized. There were some tense moments to close out the game, but in the end, a draw is probably deserved here. 1912 remain in 3rd position, while Teussen are just 3 points back of them in 5th and really feel they have a shot at IFCF football this year.

In Borograd, the game didn’t have quite as high stakes when Metropola took on Olympia, but both sides had something to motivate them a bit extra. For Metropola, it was the chance to keep up in the IFCF qualification race as well as avenge their earlier 4-1 loss at the Olimpski-Stadion, while for Olympia it was the chance to cap off what’s been not the happiest campaign with a derby win. Beyond that, of course, it’s a Borograd derby - the intensity is a given. There was controversy already when Damir Prekmurje brought down Rolando Cutter outside the box, as the away section demanded a red card - the referee felt yellow was more appropriate on this occasion. Prekmurje would score himself just moments later, making it 1-0 for Metropola. Veljko Vadimic had the other two goals for Metropola, which came on either end of the halftime whistle, while Gustaf Machacek knocked one in for Olympia too late to make any difference. 3-1 the final, a valuable 3 points picked up by Metropola and the last laugh on their rivals this season.

Player of the Week: Veljko Vadimic (FK Metropola Borograd)

President’s Cup - Semifinal

Marlesee 97 0–3 FC Teussen Stelburg
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 2–1 Stahl Sterzing

And so, we have the Cup Final that many were hoping for - a renewal of the great Teus rivalry, FC Teussen Stelburg vs FC Felsenkirchen 1879. With the Meisterschaft taking a weekend off to allow full focus on the Cup, Teussen and Marlesee took to the pitch on Saturday. While it was a great Cup run by Marlesee, it comes to an end here, as Teussen were simply clearly the better side. Patrik Hohenlowe had 2 goals in the game, and the black and gold still have a shot at a trophy this season. Felsenkirchen, meanwhile, came from 1-0 down to win 2-1 on Sunday afternoon, with goals from Repnik and Koegel sending them through to the final.

The Teussen-Felsenkirchen clash for the Cup has enough storylines already with all the history between these two teams - the title battles in the Republikaliga era, the fights in the tunnels, the President’s Cup Final won by Teussen. Then just add in the fact that Teussen are seeking redemption after a tough season, seeking their 100th trophy of the club’s history and seeking a big win in the final match of Kasper Knauer’s storied career as manager. All this, alongside the fact that Felsenkirchen will be searching for the first double in the club’s history after a season without any blemishes so far, and you have a Cup Final for the ages.

Matchday 17

Taifun Vorstock 0–2 Zvezda Vlaikograd
VfL Reinbronn 0–3 FK Metropola Borograd
Olympia Borograd 1–1 Energija Chernovets
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 4–4 FC Teussen Stelburg
1912 Stelburg 3–5 TSV Marzig

Zvezda Vlaikograd may not have started the season well, but it’s an impressive run of results for them at the end of the season and they get goals from Arpad Pavlicek and Cestmir Adamek to make it 2-0 over Taifun Vorstock, as the Vorstockers head into the final match of the season with just 1 win from this campaign. VfL Reinbronn is a bit of the opposite case: an impressive start, but a disappointing ending. Disappointing is relative, of course, as they would’ve snatched at 6th place before the season began - but the final home match of the season ending as a 3-0 loss to FK Metropola Borograd is a bitter pill to swallow for the Hunters. Metropola’s win, thanks to goals from Vadimic (x2) and Zak, sees them secure qualification for IFCF football next year. Olympia Borograd and Energija Chernovets met in a battle of two struggling teams, and Chernovets managed to pick up a point for the first time in 5 matches thanks to a Kazimir Karatanov goal in the second half. Olympia’s Klaud Zorko had the opener. An incredibly exciting match at the Oststelburgstadion saw 1912 Stelburg and TSV Marzig go back and forth all match long. The Bluebirds had a 2-1 lead after 15 minutes after an early flood of action, but Marzig would go into the half ahead. Goals from Hackl and Tristan Littauer had put them 3-2 up. Aleksander Kosch-Kovarik made it 4-2, before Damien Gannot brought things back to 4-3. 1912 Stelburg were cruelly denied in the final moments, as Gannot missed a penalty before Marzig brought the ball the other way and Eugen Wenzel made it 5-3 to finish things off.

The biggest match of the round was the Cup Final preview as Felsenkirchen faced FC Teussen Stelburg. Not just bragging rights and an early chance for the sides to feel each other out before the final were on the line: Felsenkirchen’s league unbeaten streak was, too. Teussen would love nothing more than to deny Felsenkirchen the chance to be invincible, and they showed that in the early minutes of the game: Patrik Hohenlowe got things started for the visitors just 7 minutes into this one. But Felsenkirchen’s high-powered offense would not be silent for very long, with Isak Harju scoring soon after to even things out. From there it was a see-saw battle between the clubs. Felsenkirchen led 2-1, then Teussen made it 3-2 just minutes into the second half. Felsenkirchen’s equalizer and go-ahead goal to make it 4-3 were scored in just under 3:45, both of them coming from Florian Krukenberg who was no stranger to the history of this rivalry. Teussen showed how far they have come from the start of the season, however, as they dug deep to find an equalizer in minute 90+5, Henrik Martin with the blast from the left side of the penalty area. It wasn’t enough, however, to stop the unbeaten run, and neither enough for Teussen to climb above their neighbours into the IFCF places. The Pride of Teusland will be cursing their poor start to the year, as they remain 2 points back of international football with just one match remaining. Felsenkirchen’s quest for invincible status will go onto the final day, as they travel away to TSV Marzig. With such a great match between these two rivals, we are certain to have just as good a Cup Final.

Player of the Week: Florian Krukenberg (FC Felsenkirchen 1879)

Matchday 18

Zvezda Vlaikograd 0–2 1912 Stelburg
TSV Marzig 3–1 FC Felsenkirchen 1879
FC Teussen Stelburg 1–0 Olympia Borograd
Energija Chernovets 0–0 VfL Reinbronn
FK Metropola Borograd 2–0 Taifun Vorstock

Plenty of action on the final day of the Meisterschaft season! Every match kicked off at noon on Sunday, with every team knowing what was required of them. For Felsenkirchen, Marzig and Metropola, they were safe and secure knowing they had qualified for IFCF football next season. Metropola, however, did want a win to stay in 3rd position for the prize money that comes along with it. Then, it was the battle for 4th place and the last international spot: 1912 Stelburg and FC Teussen Stelburg the only clubs who could qualify, with 1912 needing a win to confirm their place.

1912 Stelburg would get the job done, a quick goal from Erwin Lubeck easing any tensions they may have been feeling at the Stadion Ivo Balikov. Alois Heineken added one more in the second half to give the Bluebirds some insurance as they reach international qualification once again, another proud moment in the club’s recent history and a good platform to build up the squad to really challenge Felsenkirchen next season. Energija Chernovets and VfL Reinbronn, meanwhile, played out a mostly boring 0-0 draw in which you could tell both sides were ready for the summer holidays. Chernovets clearly need a serious squad overhaul in the summer if they are to compete for the top prize, while Reinbronn can be proud of 6th place in the division and only 7 points away from an IFCF spot. FK Metropola Borograd, meanwhile, secured 3rd place with goals from Rostislav Jagr and Blahoslav Zak. Metropola didn’t quite have the season they would’ve hoped for, and will also be needing improvements to challenge the Cogs next season.

It became quite clear early on, as 1912 Stelburg dominated in Vlaikograd, that FC Teussen Stelburg’s faint hopes of an IFCF berth were fading. That did not stop them, however, from giving everything against forever rivals Olympia Borograd. The National derby ended in a 3-0 win for Teussen earlier this season in Borograd, and they end the season with 0 goals conceded to their rivals. It was a cagey affair, with both teams having few chances thanks to solid defensive work from the men in green and gold alike. Teussen’s breakthrough came in the 77th minute, with Hans Gruber knocking in a powerful shot into the bottom left corner. While IFCF football was not achieved, Teussen can take pride that they sent off manager Kasper Knauer with a National derby win.

Elsewhere, it was #1 visiting #2 in the league as TSV Marzig hosted Felsenkirchen. There was no real jeopardy in this one, other than Felsenkirchen’s shot at an unbeaten league record. Marzig, however, seemed determined to deny them that crown, and for once this season the Cogs just couldn’t do anything about it. Kosch-Kovarik made it 2-0 in the first half - the first time Felsenkirchen had trailed by more than 1 goal through the entirety of the Regionalliga, Meisterschaft and Cup this season. Whether it was tiredness, too much forward-looking at next week’s Cup Final, or simply the quality of Marzig, Felsenkirchen were finally beaten. Jesper Porsche had one back for the visitors, but Einar Hackl knocked in the 3-1 goal that had Marzig fans jumping for joy. With excellent young players, as well as a golden generation coming through in the academy, Marzig fans are optimistic that they can take full advantage of this IFCF qualification to truly benefit the club’s future. For Felsenkirchen, the loss is a disappointment, but in the context of the overall season, you can’t help but feel amazing about this season as a supporter of the Blues. They looked a class above everyone else in the country, with dominant performances a common theme, and with a Cup Final awaiting them next week have the chance to make even more history by completing the double.

Let’s take a look at the official final table before we conclude this season:

#  Meisterschaft             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 FC Felsenkirchen 1879      18   13   4   1    56   19  +37    43     Champions
 2 TSV Marzig                 18   10   5   3    37   16  +21    35     IFCF
 3 FK Metropola Borograd      18   10   1   7    34   30   +4    31
 4 1912 Stelburg              18    8   4   6    36   29   +7    28
 5 FC Teussen Stelburg        18    7   5   6    37   34   +3    26
 6 VfL Reinbronn              18    5   6   7    23   29   −6    21
 7 Energija Chernovets        18    5   6   7    22   33  −11    21
 8 Olympia Borograd           18    3   8   7    23   32   −9    17
 9 Zvezda Vlaikograd          18    4   4  10    23   37  −14    16
10 Taifun Vorstock            18    1   5  12    17   49  −32     8

Season Awards

Golden Ball - Jesper Porsche (FC Felsenkirchen 1879)
Golden Boot - Isak Harju (PIS, FC Felsenkirchen 1879) (26 goals)
Golden Glove - Ludwig Gottschall (TSV Marzig)
Manager of the Year - Leonard Wagner (FC Felsenkirchen 1879)
Young Player of the Year - Veljko Vadimic (FK Metropola Borograd)
Best XI: Gottschall (MRZ); Metzger (FEL), Tirel (FEL), Steinhausl (FEL), Fiser (MET); Porsche (FEL), Gruber (TEU); Vadimic (MET), Rosberg (FEL), Kosch-Kovarik (MRZ), Harju (FEL)
Substitutes: Holz (FEL); Rodl (MRZ), Polak (MET); Repnik (FEL), Heineken (STE), Trstenjek (OLY); Zak (MET)

Team Awards

Each club’s fans voted for a Player of the Season, based on criteria such as overall performance and also connection with their fanbase. The results were as follows:

1912 Stelburg - Alois Heineken
Energija Chernovets - Kazimir Karatanov
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 - Jesper Porsche
FC Teussen Stelburg - Hans Gruber
FK Metropola Borograd - Veljko Vadimic
Olympia Borograd - Marjan Trstenjek
TSV Marzig - Aleksander Kosch-Kovarik
Taifun Vorstock - Mario Kretschmer
VfL Reinbronn - Thomas Schalle
Zvezda Vlaikograd - Arpad Pavlicek

President’s Cup Final

FC FELSENKIRCHEN 1879 vs FC TEUSSEN STELBURG

Nationalstadion, Stelburg, Teusland

Felsenkirchen XI: Holz; Metzger, Steinhausl (Apel 86’), Tirel, Kadelberg (Werkner 119’); Porsche, Repnik (Geyer 105’); Koegel (Weigel 65’), Rosberg, Krukenberg; Harju

Teussen XI: Bodeker; Schwefel, Listener, Sanner (Amstutz 60’), Reichenbach; Traeger (Bahr 84’), Gruber, Martin; Boltzmann (Gessner 84’), Liechtenstein, Hohenlowe (Feicke 100’)

FC Felsenkirchen 1879 3-3 FC Teussen Stelburg (3-3 AET, 4-2 pen.)

Felsenkirchen complete the double! A back and forth affair that had shades of the sides’ league meeting a few weeks ago, the Cogs managed to keep their nerve in stoppage time and also the penalty shootout in order to take home the Cup. It caps off a famous year for the Pride of the North, whose fans celebrated with joy in the Nationalstadion as Paul Steinhausl lifted the trophy. The triumph is Felsenkirchen’s 2nd Cup win in the modern era, and their 8th overall. Felsenkirchen looked set to win it in regular time, with 2 second half goals giving them a 3-2 lead, before Hans Gruber pulled it back for Teussen very late on to send things to an extra period. Nobody could score during the additional 30 minutes, and we headed to a penalty shootout. Felsenkirchen converted all 4 of their tries, while Teussen suffered two misses, handing the trophy to the Blues. It’s the first time Felsenkirchen has ever defeated Teussen in the Cup Final, while it’s Teussen’s second penalties loss in the Final. Felsenkirchen qualify for the Cup Winners’ Cup, while Felsenkirchen’s double means TSV Marzig qualify for the Hui La.

SCORING
1-0 FEL 15’ (Harju)
1-1 TEU 27’ (Martin)
1-2 TEU 33’ (Liechtenstein)
2-2 FEL 50’ (Rosberg)
3-2 FEL 77’ (Weigel)
3-3 TEU 88’ (Gruber)

PENALTY SHOOTOUT
FEL scores (1-0, Harju)
TEU scores (1-1, Feicke)
FEL scores (2-1, Rosberg)
TEU miss (2-1, Gessner)
FEL scores (3-1, Krukenberg)
TEU scores (3-2, Gruber)
FEL scores (4-2, Porsche)
TEU miss (4-2, Martin)

For one final time this season, then, let’s take a look at the RBC Sports Videotext!

Siovanija & Teusland (STL) qualifiers

IFCF Champions League: FC Felsenkirchen 1879
IFCF Challengers Cup: TSV Marzig, FK Metropola Borograd, 1912 Stelburg
IFCF Cup Winners’ Cup: FC Felsenkirchen 1879

Arrosia Hui La/Sun League: FC Felsenkirchen 1879, TSV Marzig