Tamgu 1–1 FlavovespiaPaletar Soros 66' - 44' Dano Teilar (og)
Flavovespia play out another draw in their Cup of Harmony, giving them a 0-3-0 record so far. The result doesn’t particularly help the chances of Flavovespia qualifying, especially with games against the current Top 2 of the group coming up, but it does mean they still have a chance of qualification to the Round of 16.
Tamgu lined up in their orange home kits with a green stripe down the middle. This necessitated the need for Flavovespia to line up in their all black away kits, their first outing of this tournament. There were a few to the line-up. Ian Johnson was shuffled to centre back, and Stephen Shepherd replaced Mark James in the line-up. In midfield, David Michael returned in place of Jonathan Feld on the left hand side and Jordaan Wolfson for Alan Holt in the middle. Other than that, the same players remained as before.
A cagey start to the game for both sides, as neither were able to create any decent chances. Even with a slightly more attacking line up, Flavovespia couldn’t get good balls into the dangerous areas. Tamgu meanwhile were struggling to play the long balls and through balls needed, and the Flavovespian defence was holding up strong. A game that didn’t seem to be exciting the neutrals, and many hoped for action.
Tamgu went close in the 34th minute. Sayken Ilko sent a great pass over the top towards Ante Nekir. Nekir got there just ahead of Johnson, and absolutely put his faces through the ball. It beat Meehan for pace, but the shot flew just over the bar and out for a goal kick. Tamgu were disappointed to blow their first clear cut chance.
It looked like it would be 0-0 at half-time, but a goal came from nothing it seemed. David Michael was pushing down the left flank, and whipped in a low cross. It looked like it was well covered, but Dano Teilar was caught out by the pace of the ball. He scuffed his clearance, and sent it looping past Sami Felter. 0-1 to Flavovespia, in a somewhat fortuitous fashion in the forty-fourth minute.
The second half started out much livelier than the first. Tamgu knew they now had to score, Flavovespia knew they had to try and not concede, something they hadn’t exactly excelled at recently. Both teams had shots deflected away in the early part of the second half, and Tony Gardner was unlucky to have his header from a corner palmed away.
It was Tamgu however who would get the second goal of the game in the 66th minute. Aleida Leima played a good ball towards Ante Nekir. Nekir was forced out wide by Gardner, but turned and hit a cross back into the box. Paletar Soros rose highest to head it down hard, and beyond Meehan. 1-1 now in a closely fought game.
Both teams for the final parts of the game had a cautious optimism in their play, they were looking to attack but not in numbers. For Flavovespia, Humphries replaced Wolfson and Mason replaced Daley up front. Mason had a good shot in the 80th minute well caught by Felter. Nevertheless, Tamgu were also looking close to scoring, and Johnson was subbed off for Wright, bringing a centre back by trade into the defence.
Despite pressure from both teams towards the end, neither could carve out a good goalscoring opportunity, and there were no wonder goals or blunders. The match would finish 1-1, a fair result on the balance of the game, although one neither side would particularly have wanted. Flavovespia and Tamgu both remain with 3 draws from 3 so far.
For Flavovespia, their last 2 games are against top side in Group D Balqia and second side Mattijana. The next game will almost certainly be a major decider in whether or not Flavovespia can make it into the Round of 16. A win against Balqia would by no means guarantee them qualification, but give them a very high chance of being in contention before the final Matchday. A draw makes the task a lot harder, and a loss almost certainly means Flavovespia will go out of the Cup of Harmony. Although the tournament so far has been decent enough for Flavovespia, the dream to get that first Cup of Harmony victory, and with it a high chance of a Top 100 KPB ranking remains unfulfilled as of yet.
A History of Football in Flavovespia
Part 229BU saw Westwood Garden City of the GWNFA Challenge League, and Apsbrooke of the United and Eastern Alliance Premier Division (the first and only season it was technically independent of the GWNFA) play in the first promotion playoff. The 2-legged series was won 4-3 on aggregate by Westwood Garden City, but Apsbrooke only needed one more goal in the second leg to have taken it on away goals. Viewing figures were high for the match, and the follow up playoff series, where Carston Green emphatically beat Apsbrooke 7-0 on aggregate to hold on to their GWNFA Super League status. That year also saw the GWNFA effectively abandon it’s non-CCGW exclusion policy, as Hopford were allowed to take their place won via promotion in the GWNFA United and Eastern Alliance Premier Division for 8BU.
8BU saw Hadford Hill won their 3rd consecutive GWNFA Super League title. Sporting Towerhaite were relegated to the GWNFA Challenge League, replaced by Binclestead Wood, and Carston Green won a playoff against Captonbridge Rangers to avoid relegation. Meanwhile, the GWNFA United and Eastern Alliance Division 2, was dissolved into 2 regional level divisions. The teams at that level didn’t support the fact there was one fourth tier division, citing costs of running that, and there was a push to return that tier to a regional level .Although there were structural grumbles about the parallel systems in the second tier, alongside some differences in the rules applied to sides in the two systems, it seemed as if the pyramid was finally working out for the sides.
There was trouble brewing under the surface however. The two separate leagues, although joined under the GWNFA barrier, still had differences regarding commercial rights and financing. Despite the apparent better results of the GWNFA Challenge League sides, there was consternation about the running of the league, and the lack of opportunities in the media that league seemed to have compared to the GWNFA United and Eastern Alliance Premier Division. There was a sense that the GWNFA did little more than co-opt the brand name, whilst still doing nothing to change.
This kind of indecision and unease with the system would see Langmere Green Rovers, relegated in 10BU to the GWNFA Challenge League, and Rumlington Rovers, the only one of the old Eastern Alliance sides to join the inaugural GWNFA Challenge League, to move across to the GWNFA United and Eastern Alliance. There wasn’t a huge amount of support amongst the GWNFA board for this, but fearing that the GWNFA United and Eastern Alliance, plus the two sides in question could go it alone if they disagreed, this was agreed. The GWNFA Challenge League would by 6BU, simply continue with only 10 teams, unable to agree a solution to bring up the numbers back to 12, and somewhat aware of the drama with Marthorpe City.
6BU saw the GWNFA United and Eastern Alliance finally break the top tier ceiling. Havermilly were surprise winners of the GWNFA Challenge League, and faced off against Croxlich. Although Havermilly won the first leg at home 2-1, in the reversal, Croxlich scored in the 81st minute to make it 1-0, and for the final minutes held on to take an away goals victory. Havermilly weren’t to be denied promotion, and won their playoff against Stanmorn.
This lead to yet more trouble for the GWNFA. They thought it was only fair that each relegated side goes into one division. However rivals Stanmorn and Sporting Towerhaite were relegated together. Many thought that as much as possible, those types of matchups should be preserved. However, the decision was taken to move Stanmorn into the GWNFA United and Eastern Alliance Premier Division. Stanmorn themselves had briefly played in the United Football League a few decades ago, but there were many who still felt their spiritual home was in the GWNFA Challenge League.