Port Ember Times The Tridents ends group stages with a insane draw against Dreamplanet in the Cup of Harmony
Port Ember 4 - 4 DreamplanetBy Erica Davies - Port Ember Times Sports SectionThe
Tridents have finished their last group match with a fast paced match and ended up with a 4-4 draw against Dreamplanet in yeserday's Cup of Harmony match in Eastfield Lodge. This result has the
Tridents placed on top of Group F, and places them in a perculiar situation - all their group matches has been finalized, and is placed in a qualifying position for the knockout stages - yet they can be knocked out of the tournament depending on the results of the other contestants last matches.
This exciting match was part of the Cup of Harmony 75 Group Stages, and was the fourth match for Port Ember as part of this prestigious tournament co hosted by Eastfield Lodge where the match took place.
This match was played at the East Monksville Park; Eastfield Lodge - a 45,230 capacity stadium.
The Game - SummaryThe match was a energetic and fast paced game which saw both sides swimging for the fences, with both sides throwing defence to the wind and focussing solely on launching constant and risky offences. Whilst this may not have been strategically sound for either team - the 8 total goals scored made this match a fan favourite, and has social media buzzing.
Luis Silva of Dreamplanet drew the metaphorical 'First Blood', when he placed the ball hard into the bottom corner of the net in minute 17.
Port Ember was determined to exact revenge and Steve Rogers pulled of a masterpiece cross, which Leon Moult finished in minute 24, equalising the match at 1-1.
Dreamplanet struck again in minute 32 when Aaron Hungar capitalised on a free kick-went-right, set up by Luis Silva, masterfully placing the ball - and Hungar in space, who slotted the ball into the bottom left corner of the net, pulling the score to 2-1; Dreamplanet's lead.
Another goal came for Port Ember when Peter Smith deflected a hard shot at goal, ending up at Aaron Hungar's feet - still within the box, who managed to finish yet again in the first half's overtime. Thus the first half ended with a 3-1 lead for Dreamplanet.
The second half commenced with clear indication that the match would not slow down - "Golden Boy" Danny Nicovic barging through the opposition's midfield, opening gaps, and managed to pull off a surgical pass to co striker Leon Moult, who managed to convert this oppertunity, bringing the score up to a 3-2 lead for Dreamplanet.
After a period of constant attacks being blocked hard on both sides of the field, until finally Port Ember managed to capitalise once more when Danny Nicovic managed to convert a corner kick with a surgical and deadly header in minute 66, now equalising the score at 3-3.
Dreamplanet struck back and launched surgical strikes time and again, and finally succeeded when Miguel Benedito managed to strike gold with a marvelous and masterpiece shot from range, catching goalie Peter Smith off guard in minute 75, placing Dreamplanet in the lead once more.
Tension started to clearly build on the field as both sides started feeling the pressure from the intense match amd things started getting slightly physical - leading to a free kick for Port Ember. This free kick was taken - and finished off by Leon Moult in minute 80 - giving this young talent his first ever hatrick - and equalising the score at 4-4.
Both sides attempted to push for yet another oppertunittly at goal but were shut down, ending this exciting match as a 4-4 draw.
The FansAlthough Port Emberian fans have become very (in)famous around the world for their massive passion and loyalty, always filing stadiums no matter where the matches are being played, this time it was different as only a few thousand Port Emberian fans were present, compared to their normal tens of thousands attendance. Those present however were their old selves - cheering loudly and supporting their team proudly. This poor attendance is contributed to the oppressive laws of the host nation.
Port Emberian Player ScoresGoalkeeper (GK)(#1): Peter Smith - 6/10. Although the scoreboard hints at a terrible day for Smith, its not truly the case. Only one goal of the 4 he let by could be blamed on him straight forward - but still he has been in better shape before and we have come to expect more from him.
Center Back (CB)(#2): Josh Richards - 6/10. Difficult to rate any of the defemders for this game honestly. He defended hard and made uncountable tackles, yet the scoreboard indicates that there was a defencive problem somewhere.
Center Back (CB)(#3): Jason Lee. 7/10. 'The Prince of the Backline' was on good form, defending very hard and stealing posession on numurous occassions. He did seem to neglect his organising duties a bit due to him being too involved in defending himself.
Full Back (LB)(#4): Alex Kuhn - 7/10. He used his physical at fit stature to dominate the attackers, so much that the opposition started to avoid his flank in total.
Full Back (RB)(#5): Russel Pierce - 7/10. Displayed excellent technical skills to shut down the constant attacks and managed to steal posession on numurous ocassions.
Attacking Midfield (AM)(#10): Ray Reddington - 8/10. The match was truly a 'Midfield Match' as most action occurred here. The captain was on great form, displaying both his excellent individual skills and organising abilities.
Defensive Midfield (DM)(#6): Steven Packard - 7/10. Was instrumental in shutting down the constant attacks and setting up counter attacks, regularly linking up well with Reddington, displaying an improved chemistry between the two.
Wide Midfield (LM)(#8): Jason Chamberlain - 6/10. Performed well in the defencive role, working hard to place presure on the opposing midfield. However he failed to capitalise on numurous gaps left by the opissition - failing to set up attacks and possible goals.
Wide Midfield (RM)(#11): Steve Rogers - 7/10. Failed to effectively to shut down attacks as he normaly does, but did manage to create a few excellent counter attacks. He did display some newfound chemistry with his strikers which led to him setting up successfull conversions.
Central Forward (CF)(#7): Leon Moult - 9/10. Normally seen as the "Secondary Striker", or as the "Setup Striker", this young man displayed talent we have not seen from him before, being the star of the show as he gathered his first ever hattick, and saved the day from defeat. Well deserved Man of the Match Award.
Central Forward (CF)(#9): Danny Nicovic 7/10. The star striker looked good and worked hard during the entire match, and once again managed to bring forth his special brand of flair which he is known for. Scored a beautifull goal.
Match StatsMatch: Port Ember Vs Dreamplanet
Location: Eastfield Lodge
Result: 4 - 4 Draw
Goals - Port Ember: Leon Moult x 3; Danny Nicovic
Goals - Dreamplanet: Luis Silva; Aaron Hungar x 2; Miguel Benedito
Man of the Match - Port Ember: Leon Moult
Aftermatch word from the Coach"Obviously we wanted a win here, but a draw was the 'right result' today. Both teams are the winners today, and quite frankly, my heart is beating too fast from all the excitement to say anything else! Just a bloody large congratulations to all players from both sides!" Coach Baxter
Port Ember Times The Tridents Qualifies To Advance To The Knockout Stages In The Cup of Harmony
Sports JournalBy Erica Davies - Port Ember Times Sports SectionPort Ember's national football team - the
Tridents, has qualified to advance to the Round of 16 Knockout Stage of the Cup of Harmony Tournament.
Port Ember (World Ranking 99) started off this tournament as part of Group F for the group stages, drawn together with four other nations, namely 95X (World Ranking 33); HUElavia (World Ranking 58); Dreamplanet (World Ranking 64); and Timuria (World Ranking 85).
Port Ember played each nation once, of which they have won one match (vs 95X) and drawn all other 3 matches - making them technically undefeated in this tournament.
The team have scored 12 goals total so far, and have allowed 11 goals to be scored against them, and have ammassed a total of 6 points in the group stage.
Port Ember have finished the group stage in second place, 1 point behind their historic rivals Timuria, who have topped Group F.
Although the loyal and vocal fans have expressed their joy in the fact that Port Ember has moved on to the Round of 16, critics are not convinced that the team has the required potential to survive the round and move on to the Quarter Finals due to the teams performance in the group stages. Although Port Ember is technically undefeated, critics have mockingly dubbed the team as "Masters of the Draw" due to their inability to have won games (bar 1), and their high rate of goals allowed. The critics have argued that the other teams in the Round of 16 is looking much more convincing in their winning ability.
Critics have however congratulated the team on their overall performance, and have noted that they are indeed facing much stronger and more established teams, and is as such actually doing much better than could be expected, especially since this is only the teams second total international cup attempt.
Fans of the team have bombarded social media sites with messages of congratulations and wishes of luck for their upcoming match against Drawkland.
Here is the complete list and schedule of the Round of 16:
P Ranking Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Seed
1 Main Nation Ministry 4 4 0 0 11 2 +9 12 (1)*
1 Saltstead 4 4 0 0 11 2 +9 12 (2)*
1 Drawkland 4 3 1 0 13 5 +8 10 (3)
1 Abanhfleft 4 3 1 0 12 5 +7 10 (4)
1 Squornshelan Remnant States 4 3 1 0 11 5 +6 10 (5)
1 Damukuni 4 3 0 1 6 4 +2 9 (6)
1 Timuria 4 2 1 1 8 8 0 7 (7)
2 Xanneria 4 3 0 1 12 9 +3 9 (8)
2 Eastfield Lodge 4 3 0 1 9 6 +3 9 (9)
2 Brusseldorf 4 3 0 1 8 5 +3 9 (10)
2 Terre Septentrionale 4 3 0 1 7 6 +1 9 (11)
2 Darmen 4 2 1 1 15 8 +7 7 (12)
2 Omerica 4 2 0 2 8 6 +2 6 (13)
2 Port Ember 4 1 3 0 12 11 +1 6 (14)
3 Siovanija and Teusland 4 2 0 2 9 10 −1 6 (15)**
3 Tamgu 4 2 0 2 9 10 −1 6 (16)**
The DrawR1: Main Nation Ministry (1) vs Tamgu (16)
R2: Xanneria (8) vs Eastfield Lodge (9)
R3: Abanhfleft (4) vs Omerica (13)
R4: Squornshelan Remnant States (5) vs Darmen (12)
R5: Drawkland (3) vs Port Ember (14)
R6: Damukuni (6) vs Terre Septentrionale (11)
R7: Saltstead (2) vs Siovanija and Teusland (15)
R8: Timuria (7) vs Brusseldorf (10)
Port Ember Times The Tridents prepares to face off against Drawkland in the Cup of Harmony Round of 16
Pre Match Analysis & InterviewBy Erica Davies - Port Ember Times Sports SectionPort Ember will face off against Drawkland in their fith match of the Cup of Harmony, to be played at one of the designated cup stadiums of Damukuni.
This match marks the first time that these two teams will meet on the football field, and once again Port Ember is tagged as the underdogs.
Team Stats AnalysisDrawkland:This team is ranked as the 35th best team in the world currently and has proven to be a formiddable and historic team on the international field. Like Port Ember, they partook in the last World Cup Qualifier Run, where they failed to qualify, yet performed well enough to be invited to this years Cup of Harmony. They are entering this match as the match favourites, ranking 64 spots higher on the international rankings, and ranked as #3 seed on the Round of 16 Table.
Port Ember:This team is ranked as the 99th best team in the world currently and has proven to be a formiddable and adaptable new team on the international field. Like their opponents, they partook in the last World Cup Qualifier Run, where they failed to qualify, yet performed well enough to be invited to this years Cup of Harmony. They are ranked as #14 seed on the Round of 16 table.
From a pure statistics point of view, Drawkland is entering this match as the strong favourites. However both sides feels as if they have something to prove and will thus go out swinging for the fences.
Team Analysis - Port EmberOffense: The technical offensive skills of the team is on suberb form. The chemistry between their starting striker duo and their midfield creates amazing attacking oppertunities. Also their signature 'Bait Ambush' tactic is still a highly effective tactic, proven to be effective at this level of football.
Midfield: Traditionally the strongest component of this team, under command of the amazing Reddington. The midfield has so far always been a dangerous element to its oponents, acting as an attacking defence and sets up the front line well with attacking oppertunities.
Defence: The backline has struggled in the last few matches, but has displayed excellent form in the last match, shutting down a barrage of well planned attacks.
Goalkeeping: Analysts have nothing but praise for Peter Smith the starting goalie. The young man is a legend in the making.
Substitutes: The team has a impressive line-up of substitutes, whom have received field time recently, adding possible depth to the team when needed. The extra attention they have received from the assistant coach is sure to play a important role as well.
Team Morale & Cohesion: The 4 year youth program is paying off dividends, as the team has excellent cohesion and on-the-field chemistry.
Current Form: The
Tridents The team is on good form, yet analysts feels that they are stagnating and have mockingly called them "Masters of the Draw" due to them drawing 3 out of their last 4 matches.
Typical Gameplan: Their typical system of tiring out and frustrating their opponents in an attempt to pull their 'Bait Ambush' is a risky play which can easily go wrong and concede a goal. However when it works, it is highly effective, and so far this is still effective on this level so far.
Team Analysis - DrawklandOffense: This side is known to favour a highly offensive game, much alike the high octane type of offense of Port Ember, yet even more so! They have a experienced and technical lineup in their strikers.
Midfield: This team has a impressive, skilled and multi layered midfield, serving as a dangerous defence/counter attack tool for the team. Analysts have nothing but praise for their technical midfield.
Defence: Arguably the weakest component of this team, as they place heavy focus on their offence.
Goalkeeping: Once again, a component with talented and experienced players.
Substitutes: The team has a impressive line-up of substitutes, filled with some of the best and freshest talent hailing from Drawkland, adding possible depth to the team when needed.
Team Morale & Cohesion: The team has displayed that they are highly motivated and more than prepared to put the work in to finish the job. They also have the look of a unified, well oiled team.
Current Form: Their current form excellent and they are favourites not only for the next match, but for possibly reaching the finals. They have scored 3 wins and one draw in this cup so far, and have scored an impressive total of 13 goals.
Typical Gameplan: Unknown at this time.
General RemarksPort Ember will finally face a team who is even more offence orientated, posessing much of the same strengths and weaknesses. Port Ember lacks the technical skills of their opponents, but posseses superior fitness levels. This is boding to be a entertaining yet tough match. If Port Ember wants to do something here, they will have to rely on applying constant pressure, whilst attempting to maintain a stronger than normal defence.
Starting Line-UpsPort EmberGoalkeeper (GK)(#1): Peter Smith.
Center Back (CB)(#2): Josh Richards.
Center Back (CB)(#3): Jason Lee.
Full Back (LB)(#4): Alex Kuhn.
Full Back (RB)(#5): Russel Pierce.
Attacking Midfield (AM)(#18): Ray Reddington.
Defensive Midfield (DM)(#6): Steven Packard.
Wide Midfield (LM)(#8): Jason Chamberlain
Wide Midfield (RM)(#11): Steve Rogers.
Central Forward (CF)(#7): Leon Moult.
Central Forward (CF)(#22): Danny Nicovic.
Team KitPort Ember have announced that they will play with their primary kit in their upcoming match.
Pre Match Interview with Port Emberian Coach - Stuart BaxterErica Davies: Morning Coach. So your last match was insane - a 4-4 draw against Dreamplanet!
Stuart Baxter: Morning Erica. Thank you! It certainly was an insane game. I still so not habe any meaningfull comment on that game, neither side actually cared about our carefully laid out plans. Both of us just went batshit crazy and wanted to demolish each other. And thats basically what happened!
Erica Davies: So coach, you are going into the next match as the 'Underdogs'. How does this make you feel?
Coach Baxter: Well Erica, no different than every match we have ever played. We have ALWAYS been the underdogs.
Erica Davies: Are you worried about the next game?
Stuart Baxter: I wont say that I am worried no. Look Drawkland is a hell of a team - they have years of experience over us - and ranked 64 spots above us. But that makes me excited., it gives us a chance to prove ourselves against the greatest teams in the world, and just makes us a better team at the end of the day.
Erica Davies: So for the next game, any changes in your gameplan, based on your opponents play?
Stuart Baxter: Indeed actually. It is not a large change, rather a few improvements to our play. And we will also hammer on a few weaknesses we have noticed from the opposition.
Erica Davies: Good answer! Lastly, prediction for the upcoming match?
Stuart Baxter: I know our opponents are an excellent team, so we will be going out with guns blazing. Even if things needs to get physical, we are bringing our A Game!