Background - Before the Zentraliga season begins, two teams kick off in the Tjorlish Supercup. While it's not the most competitive cup final of the year, both sides usually don't mind winning some silverware before the start of their Zentraliga campaign. Throughout the Supercup's history, it has been played at a single stadium: the Nasjonalstadion in Kjol. Despite it being the largest stadium in the capital, SF Kjol, the capital's largest and most historic club, has not been a tenant since 1947. However, the Nasjonalstadion still serves as the stadium of the Forbundets-Pokal and Tjorlish Supercup finals.
This Season - After winning the Zentraliga last year, Czujon 022 was the first club to seal its place in the Tjorlish Supercup. A few days later, their opponent in the Supercup sealed their place: FC Volanger. While Volanger finished smack-dab in the midtable, they went on an astounding run all the way to the final of the Forbundets-Pokal final, defeating Czujon along the way. They eventually defeated Konunsfjord 3-2 in an exciting match, a great way to end their season.
FINAL @ Nasjonalstadion, Kjol, K.C.D. | Attendance: 90,260
Czujon 022 SC 2–1 FC Volanger
⚽ Breiner 58', Karjalainen 72' || Laverne 86'
The Crimson Eleven made sure to deny a repeat of a Volanger upset. The first half saw Czujon dominate early, with great passing and many chances. However, they failed to convert in every single one of their opportunities in the half. Johan Kalbfleisch's effort in the 24th minute was the closest Czujon came to a first-half opener when he struck the crossbar from 27 yards out. While the Great Reds didn't find the opener early, they were still the ones to score first. After going on the overlap, Aleksander Kremers crossed the ball to a wide-open Martin Breiner, who finished the play with style. Less than 20 minutes later, Czujon doubled their lead thanks to Erich Karjalainen, who mightily leapt to meet Fabio Sequeira's corner and head it past Alvari Koponen. With only a few minutes left before the final whistle, Stefan Laverne pulled one back after his swerving shot fooled Ralf Lewisohn. However, it still wasn't enonugh to stop Czujon from winning another Supercup. Not a terrible way to start the season for the Great Reds.
Zentraliga Season II, Matchdays 1 - 5 The fans are cheering, the players are practicing, and the match officials are preparing. Few things in the Tjorlish sporting world are as good as the Zentraliga's opening day. Which teams will start on the right foot, which players are going to show out early, and which stories will be written?
MATCHDAY 1
Czujon 022 SC 1-0 SC Ternet Creuzbrück⚽ Breiner 37'FC Asurblau Afoln 7-0 1. FC Norrehavn⚽ Eriksen 10' 47' 58', Olssen 14' 22', Schärer 78', Beringer 86'Konunsfjord 014 2-0 Vestrageid FC⚽ Paulsen 59', Vieira 74'SF Kjol 2-0 SC Dalen Drueberg⚽ Brändli 6', Geijer 85'Tjusto FSC 0-0 Tonsvanger FCKaldlakris Drazieu FC 1-1 1. FC Nord-Skarlagen⚽ Escherich 88' || Cabral 45+2'FC Mauschlag 08 1-1 Vadheim 03 FF⚽ Hanisch 36' || Skarsgard 28'Roshavn SF 1-1 FC Volanger⚽ Hansdottir 65' || Saurer 50'Ascht Amor SC 0-2 SC Sud-Saalkirch⚽ Hammer 35' 39'Team of the Week: GK - Kofod, LB - Amaral, CB - Karjalainen, CB - Kaufer, RB - Corte-Real, CDM - Eidsness, CM - Kirkegaard, CM - Schärer, CAM - Hansdottir, ST - Hammer, ST - EriksenQuite an entertaining week. While projected title contenders Czujon and Afoln grabbed all three points, they did so in differing fashion. Martin Breiner decided the match between Czujon and Creuzbrück after scoring the rebound from a parried shot. Meanwhile, Eriksen led the way for Afoln as they routed Norrehavn in what was a perfect performance. As expected, Konunsfjord and Kjol begin their Zentraliga seasons with a win. Drazieu salvaged a point at home against Nord-Skarlagen thanks to a last-gasp 24-yard curler from Veronika Escherich. The rest of the midtable match-ups ended in draws, apart from Ascht Amor versus Sud-Saalkirch. In what is an important game that can set the tone of the midtable battle, Jason Hammer's quick brace led Sud-Saalkirch to victory.
Hammer's performance up front made him worthy of a spot in the Team of the Week. Beside him is Nikolaj Eriksen, whose hat-trick pretty much reserved him a place in the TOTW, while also giving him the perfect start in the race for the Skjöldur-Spitzenschützen. Marianne Kofod also deserves her TOTW selection, after a near-perfect performance against Drazieu. As for the team standings, nothing too crazy can be seen, especially after a number of draws.
MATCHDAY 2
1. FC Norrehavn 1-3 Czujon 022 SC⚽Skulason 34' || Sondrol 13' 19', Breiner 78'Vestrageid FC 4-1 SC Ternet Creuzbrück⚽ Vidak 44' 82', Schuerer 58' 76' || Austrason 3'SC Dalen Drueberg 0-1 FC Asurblau Afoln⚽ Eriksen 90+4'Tonsvanger FC 0-3 Konunsfjord 014⚽ Lindberg 30' 76', Paulsen 79'1. FC Nord-Skarlagen 0-2 SF Kjol⚽ Simões 50', 58'Vadheim 03 FF 0-5 Tjusto FSC⚽ Scheibel 8' 33', Moser 50', Rebrović 63', Varvik 72'FC Volanger 2-2 Kaldlakris Drazieu FC⚽ Laverne 23', Halonen 47' || Lindbergh 52', Duarte 70'SC Sud-Saalkirch 1-3 FC Mauschlag 08⚽ Jotunsdottir 87' || Koskinen 7', Engstrom 16' 39'Ascht Amor SC 2-1 Roshavn SF⚽ Lenz 59' 88' || Schnitzer 32'Team of the Week: GK - Krnić, LB - Steinssen, CB - Aarvold, CB - Karjalainen, RB - Solbakken, CDM - Thomassen, CM - Kaulitz, CM - Abildgaard, CF - Simões, ST - Lenz, ST - SchuererThe clubs who won last week won again this week, except Sud-Saalkirch. Mauschlag were the ones who handed Sud-Saalkirch their first defeat this season, thanks to their strike partnership of Michael Koskinen and Filip Engstrom. Meanwhile, Drazieu still can't find their first win after having to perform a comeback again, this time from a two-goal deficit. Ascht Amor bounced back this week thanks to Jackie Lenz, who redeemed her horrible first-half performance with two crucial second-half goals, including a volley that gave Ascht Amor a late lead. Afoln also escaped with a late winner after Nikolaj Eriksen scored a brilliant free-kick in the 94th minute, certainly heartbreaking for a Drueberg side that was looking for its first points. Czujon and Vestrageid were convincing in their victories, both dominating possession en route to three points. Lastly, Tjusto snatched the biggest win of the week after a five-goal beatdown of Vadheim, quite a surprising result considering how Vadheim can put up a fight against higher-ranked teams.
Eight players grabbed a brace, but only three of them made the TOTW. First was Mariano Simões, who fueled Kjol to a second victory. Jackie Lenz also grabbed a spot after the aforementioned comeback against Roshavn. Lastly, Joshua Schuerer, who was responsible for half of Vestrageid's goals against Creuzbrück, made the TOTW for the first time in his career. After Matchday 2, Czujon, Afoln, Kjol, and Konunsfjord continue to duke it out up top. Who's gonna trip up first?
MATCHDAY 3
Czujon 022 SC 4-1 Vestrageid FC⚽ Sondrol 19' 23', Kalbfleisch 55', Westermark 59' || Schuerer 49'1. FC Norrehavn 3-1 SC Dalen Drueberg⚽ Skulason 45+1', Krzanowski 60', Thalmann (OG) 84' || Steuri 72'SC Ternet Creuzbrück 1-2 Tonsvanger FC⚽ Sciborski 30' || Siminski 5', Stepinac 37'FC Asurblau Afoln 1-2 1. FC Nord-Skarlagen⚽ Stiefel 57' || Wachsmuth 12', Sobolewski 43'Konunsfjord 014 1-1 Vadheim 03 FF⚽ Wehausen 70' || Juvonen 50'SF Kjol 3-1 FC Volanger⚽ Simões 32' 56', Geijer 87' || Laverne 40'Tjusto FSC 2-3 SC Sud-Saalkirch⚽ Scheibel 43' 69' || Jotunsdottir 40', Hammer 55', Skaarup 73'Kaldlakris Drazieu FC 1-0 Ascht Amor SC⚽ Lindbergh 28'FC Mauschlag 08 0-1 Roshavn SF⚽ Haugen 67'Team of the Week: GK - Steinsson, LB - Bjerregaard, CB - de Freitas, CB - Kotilainen, RB - Janusz, CM - Kalbfleisch, CM - Sequeira, CAM - Santos, LW - Breiner, RW - Geijer, ST - SimõesIt was Afoln and Konunsfjord. Despite looking brilliant over the past two matchdays, Afoln were unable to get it going against Nord-Skarlagen, who was able to grab a two-goal lead before halftime. While Finn Stiefel did get one back with a superb solo run, the Striped Blues failed to score an equalizer. As for Konunsfjord, they too fell victim to their opponent snatching the lead before they can. Unlike Afoln however, the Yellowjackets did tie the game again with Eva Wehausen scoring a tap-in. In the other matches, Roshavn finally had their first victory of the season after supersub Robert Haugen decided their match against Mauschlag. Emil Lindbergh was the hero for Drazieu, who also got their first win. The thriller between Tjusto and Sud-Saalkirch was undoutably the best match-up of the week. While Matej Scheibel did his absolute best to power Tjusto through, all three of Sud-Saalkirch's attacking unit was enough to knock out the Scarlet Ones.
Super Simões highlights this week's TOTW. Yet another brilliant brace from the Tecoian pushes the Capital Crew into top of the league, tied with the champions. At the back, Santiago de Freitas is probably the one who deserves his spot the most. His tenacity at the back frustrated Mauschlag all game long, and the Red Racers exited the stadium with frowns on their faces. In the middle is the 19-year old maestro Johan Kalbfleisch, whose passing cut through Vestrageid like it was a hot knife through butter.
MATCHDAY 4
SC Dalen Drueberg 0-0 Czujon 022 SCTonsvanger FC 0-0 Vestrageid FC1. FC Nord-Skarlagen 1-0 1. FC Norrehavn⚽ Brunink 87'Vadheim 03 FF 5-0 SC Ternet Creuzbrück⚽ Skarsgard 6' 46', Juvonen 11', Schönfisch 72', Leite 84'FC Volanger 1-7 FC Asurblau Afoln⚽ Nystrand 65' || Olssen 9' 20', Eriksen 27' 59', Corte-Real 50', Persson 82', Medeiros 88'SC Sud-Saalkirch 2-1 Konunsfjord 014⚽ Guimarães 58', Brandt 84' || Siqueira 90+1'Ascht Amor SC 0-1 SF Kjol⚽ Simões 58'Roshavn SF 2-3 Tjusto FSC⚽ Hansdottir 31', de Freitas 40' || Scheibel 45+3', Moser 59' 78'FC Mauschlag 08 2-0 Kaldlakris Drazieu FC⚽ Koskinen 50', Aebersold 87'Team of the Week: GK - Tollefsruud, LB - Sieger, CB - Gregersen, CB - Kaufer, RB - Corte-Real, CM - Kjelland, CM - Persson, CAM - , LW - Jakobsen, RW - Olssen, ST - EriksenA surprising week saw the capital's team be the only team to remain flawless. Simões
again proves why he is one of the most skilled goal poachers of the Zentraliga with a long-range shot that went past the keeper in a flash. Meanwhile in Drueberg, Martin Breiner and Torstein Sondrol kept being denied by Alois Tollefsruud, who flew like an eagle to parry away almost every shot he faced. As for Tjusto, they were involved in yet another 2-3 show. Fortunately for them, they were on the right side of the scoreline thanks to a Manuel Moser brace. Konunsfjord dropped points again this week; this time they squandered all three. Every attempt of theirs were close, but not enough. A lot of them hit the uprights and the crossbar, while some barely grazed the posts. By the time Maia Siqueira's low shot went past Arnold Sorum, there was not enough time for the Yellowjackets to recover. Concurrently in the city of Volanger witnessed its worst massacre since the Tjorlish unification conquest after Afoln smashed their football team to bits with the help of national team stars Kevin Olssen and Nikolaj Eriksen.
Tollefsruud is chosen to be this TOTW's keeper due to his aforementioned great performance against the reigning champions. Many of the players in the fourth TOTW are from Asurblau Afoln, which doesn't come as a surprise to most fans. While not having the best match of his entire career, Paul Gregersen still deserves his spot in the TOTW thanks to some crucial blocking that saved Sud-Saalkirch's close win against Konunsfjord.
MATCHDAY 5
Czujon 022 SC 2-1 Tonsvanger FC⚽ Sondrol 46' 66' || Gronseth 73'SC Dalen Drueberg 0-1 1. FC Nord-Skarlagen⚽ Wachsmuth 41'Vestrageid FC 1-4 Vadheim 03 FF⚽ Vidak 7' || Skarsgard 30' 63' 69', Nordquist 85'1. FC Norrehavn 1-1 FC Volanger⚽ Skulason 55' || Dahler 58'SC Ternet Creuzbrück 3-1 SC Sud-Saalkirch⚽ Sciborski 45+4', Soares 78', Sorum (OG) 86' || Steinhauer 35'FC Asurblau Afoln 2-0 Ascht Amor SC⚽ Kaufer 67', Eriksen 75'Konunsfjord 014 1-0 Roshavn SF⚽ Nägelein 25'SF Kjol 0-1 FC Mauschlag 08⚽ Engstrom 38'Tjusto FSC 2-2 Kaldlakris Drazieu FC⚽ Holien 55', Mathesius 83' || Vinther 64', Escherich 68'Team of the Week: GK - Johanssen, LB - Amaral, CB - Riederer, CB - Cardoso, RB - Hanisch, CDM - Eidsness, CM - Schärer, CM - Soares, LW - Grämer, RW - Olssen, ST - SkarsgardAfter putting in some good games over the past few matchdays, Albert Skarsgard had his best yet this season after a perfect hat-trick against Vestrageid. Spin-move into a left-foot goal in the 30th, towering leap to head the ball in the 63rd, and an amazing right-footed free-kick in the 69th. What more to ask? As for Czujon, Torstein Sondrol converted a penalty and scored an absolute screamer to give the Great Reds their fourth win in five matches. Meanwhile in the capital, Filip Engstrom's 38th-minute volley ended Kjol's run. Creuzbrück ended their losing streak with a strong 3-1 victory over Sud-Saalkirch, which included what might be the most hilarious goal of the season so far. In 86th minute Karl Austrason saw himself open enough to get off a shot, and so he did. However, the ball struck the underside of the crossbar. When Arnold Sorum turned around to see where the ball went, it flew right into his face and rebounded into the net, making it an own goal for the poor goalkeeper, who was fine despite being struck in the nose. In Afoln's match against Ascht Amor, Nikolaj Eriksen scored his sixth to keep up with Sondrol and Skarsgard in the top scorer's race. Lastly, Nord-Skarlagen quietly rose up the rankings after another victory, this time against Drueberg, who were still trying to get out of their terrible form.
Stefan Johanssen is the TOTW's keeper for the first time this season, while his teammates Mathias Schärer and Kevin Olssen both make their second appearance for the squad. Skarsgard obviously makes the team with a perfect hat-trick under his belt. Despite Norrehavn not being able to separate itself from Volanger, Rajmund Grämer still grabs a place in the TOTW. After Matchday 5, there are a lot of things to think about after looking at the rankings. Will Drueberg recover in their upcoming games, will Nord-Skarlagen continue to sneak their way up the field, and can Ascht Amor stop losing to separate themselves from the relegation zone? While Tjusto and Vadheim seem to have top-class attacking, their defense has been the main obstacle in them climbing up the Zentraliga ladder. Meanwhile, the race for the Skjöldur-Spitzenschützen continues to be tight, with three players tied with six goals in five games. Defending top scorer Kevin Olssen is currently "third" with four goals in his Zentraliga account.
Note: Most recent results in the "Last 5" column are on the rightZentraliga Standings after Matchday Five
Rank Team P W D L GF GA +/- Pts Last 5
1 Czujon 022 SC 5 4 1 0 10 3 +7 13 WWWDW IFCF Champions' League
2 FC Asurblau Afoln 5 4 0 1 18 3 +15 12 WWLWW IFCF Challenger's Cup
3 SF Kjol 5 4 0 1 8 2 +6 12 WWWWL IFCF Challenger's Cup
4 Konunsfjord 014 5 3 1 1 8 3 +5 10 WWDLW IFCF Challenger's Cup
5 FC Mauschlag 08 5 3 1 1 7 3 +4 10 DWLWW
6 1. FC Nord-Skarlagen 5 3 1 1 5 4 +1 10 DLWWW
7 SC Sud-Saalkirch 5 3 0 2 9 9 +0 9 WLWWL
8 Tjusto FSC 5 2 2 1 12 7 +5 8 DWLWD
9 Vadheim 03 FF 5 2 2 1 11 8 +3 8 DLDWW
10 Kaldlakris Drazieu FC 5 1 3 1 6 7 -1 6 DDWLD
11 Tonsvanger FC 5 1 2 2 3 6 -3 5 DLWDL
12 Roshavn SF 5 1 1 3 5 7 -2 4 DLWLL
13 Vestrageid FC 5 1 1 3 6 11 -5 4 LWLDL
14 1. FC Norrehavn 5 1 1 3 5 13 -8 4 LLWLD
15 Ascht Amor SC 5 1 0 4 2 7 -5 3 LWLLL
16 FC Volanger 5 0 3 2 6 14 -8 3 DDLLD Relegation Playoffs
17 SC Ternet Creuzbrück 5 1 0 4 5 13 -8 3 LLLLW Automatic Relegation
18 SC Dalen Drueberg 5 0 1 4 1 7 -6 1 LLLDL Automatic Relegation
RACE FOR THE SKJÖLDUR-SPITZENSCHÜTZEN
Rank Player Goal Count Team
T1 Eriksen 6 Afoln
T1 Skarsgard 6 Vadheim
T1 Sondrol 6 Czujon
T2 Simões 5 Kjol
T2 Scheibel 5 Tjusto
3 Olssen 4 Afoln
T4 Hammer 3 Sud-Saalkirch
T4 Skulason 3 Norrehavn
T4 Vidak 3 Vestrageid
T4 Schuerer 3 Vestrageid
T4 Moser 3 Tjusto
T4 Engstrom 3 Mauschlag
Up next: Zentraliga Matchdays 6 - 9 & Forbundets-Pokal Qualifying and First Round