Lonngeylin Coliseum, Lonngeylin, Vilita :: It was, without question, the most important game of the World Cup 81 Qualification game for the Vilitan National Team. It may also have been the most competitive match on paper amongst all matches during World Cup 81 Qualifying. Two teams off to perfect starts - eight wins and zero losses. It is the furthest into a World Cup Qualification campaign that two nations in the same group could still have a perfectly unblemished record. Finally, in the last match before the mid-qualifying break, something would have to give. Both could not emerge from the Lonngeylin Coliseum unscathed.
As the two highest scoring teams in the multiverse over 8 games, some pundits may have wondered if the match could be the first in World Cup history where both teams scored goals in the double-digits. Of course, the realists knew it wouldn't happen but some still wondered just how high the scoreline could go.
In the end, of course, the final score wouldn't seem too out of sorts. In fact, for both teams, the final scoreline would have been seen as a bit of a slow-down in form as both sides would be playing their most competitive opposition of the campaign for the first time as they entered the match having already cleared an 8 point gap between themselves and the nearest challengers for the advancement places into the World Cup 81 finals in Banija and the Free Republics.
The ground was packed on all sides and outsides as the Vilita National Team brought their most interesting opponent of the cycle to its most energetic high capacity stadium, the Lonngeylin Coliseum in Lonngeylin - home of the famed Jungle Strike FC.
The match itself was about as tense as one might expect a World Cup Finals match to be - a fitting fact for a number of reasons. For one, while this wasn't a World Cup Finals match, it could effectively be the decider as to whether or not one of the two sides would advance directly to the World Cup 81 Finals. Only the top spot in the group would be assured automatic qualification to the Finals and given the near identical goal differential the sides entered the match with, it was a certainty that if one side won the game they would be in the cat-birds seat starting the second half of World Cup qualifying looking down at the rest of Group 13 behind them.
Secondly, the most recent meeting between the two sides was, in fact, in the World Cup Finals. Vilita and Mercedini were no strangers to each other having previously met during World Cup 77 Qualifying and then again in the World Cup 77 Finals. Ironically both sides also played the nation of Kernovi in those World CUp 77 qualifiers, just as they had during the World Cup 81 qualifiers with the successor unified state of Kernovi and Rewgwlas.
At the half-time break, no one had yet found a way to breakthrough and each times average goals-per-game which had been hovering around 5 was quickly slashed as both teams were kept off the scoresheet in the opening forty-five minutes.
The Jungle Cats made one change to start the second half with Yeaddin Owls forward Tenziki Kulakao making way to the Marine Coast United prospect Enzoril Alabonni in a surprise move likely intended to cause confusion in the Mercedini back line as the Golden Eagles were unlikely to have done heavy scouting on the Crosaibi-based youngster.
Whether it was the introduction of the youngster Alabonni or simply a higher level of quality injected over the course of the match, the Jungle Cats would eventually break the deadlock and it would be the Rammsissil forward and perennial golden boot contender in the Vilitan Stellar Division, Berali Tzufarei who would put Vilita in front.
The Golden Eagles tried to go on the counter to level the scores and keep pace in the Group 13 table but it was to no avail and Tzufarei netted their second of the match ten minutes from time looking as if they had secured the game for the Vilita National Team. The match wasn't over yet and there would be drama to come though it would not involve scoring goals in the net - instead it was all about protecting the net as Yeaddin Owls netminder Mako Canopii was felled inside the box and had to make way in a later injury substitution for Striitca Virahat, the backup goalkeeper from the Recent AOCAF championship team for Vilita & Turori who would make their World Cup qualifying debut with 6 minutes to play in the match. Despite smelling fresh blood, Mercedini were unable to get the better of Virahat who was called into action for the first time in World Cup qualifying action. Virahat held the line strong and managed to punch out an 89th minute effort from the Golden Eagles' substitute Dino Santa-Corvani who forced Virahat into a save in stoppage time.
The full time whistle would eventually blow as the Jungle Cats moved atop the overall World Cup 81 Qualification Table and found a narrow 3 point gap back behind them to second place Mercedini in Group 13.
:: Vilita Goalscorers :: :: 58' Berali Tzufarei :: 80' Berali Tzufarei | :: Vilita Statistics :: :: Possession: 56% :: Shots on Target: 7 :: Corner Kicks: 10 | :: Mercedini Statistics :: :: Possession: 44% :: Shots on Target: 4 :: Corner Kicks: 6 |
Vilita Jungle Cats Lineup v. Mercedini ::
[GK] Mako Canopii, [D.] Rintala Sekagaya, [D.] Inbekira Ajhabekk, [D.] Monner Vileai, [D.] Mileke Drokasorna, [ML] Polaox Torerun, [MC] Karisto Monafog, [MC] Tripate Falcon, [MR] Westii Yahaya, [FC] Berali Tzufarei, [FC] Tenziki Kulakao
BENCH::
[FC] Enzoril Alabonni, [FC] Nuola Brenzil, [M] Purapal Eskiiy, [M] Jurzen Devmiko, [U ] Linvoi Warazil, [D] Kwuimekii Hentetii, [GK] Striitca Virahat
With their win over Mercedini, the Vilita National Team sit atop the Overall Standings at the mid-qualifying break as one of eight teams to have posted a perfect 9-0-0 record to start their qualification campaign. The 37 goals scored by the Jungle Cats is second only to Mercedini's 41 and Vilita are +9 Goals Differential over the nearest otherwise perfect sides, Farfadillis and Ethane.
WC81Q Goalscorers (Apps [Goals])
7 [6] - Berali Tzufarei :: Rammsissil
2 [4] - Jyuola Mtalata :: Mliona-Lpaka AFC
3 [4] - Nii'arala Milaaso :: Eastal Lunar
5 [3] - Linkat Cjinder :: Yeaddin Owls AFC
6 [3] - Cavuna Aquafek :: Turoki Tide
6 [3] - Tenziki Kulakao :: Yeaddin Owls
7 [3] - Westii Yahaya :: Yeaddin Owls
4 [2] - Sipke Tarala :: Lonngeylin Coast
2 [1] - Ikala Mravedii :: Lonngeylin Coast
2 [1] - Arocki Tadalek :: Colonial Sile
3 [1] - Nuola Brenzil :: Kionao Locals
4 [1] - Tripate Falcon :: Makosile
4 [1] - Jirijii Januaa :: Mliona-Lpaka
5 [1] - Purapal Eskiiy :: Eastal Lunar
7 [1] - Polaox Torerun :: Turoki Tide
Over the nine matches contested during the first half of qualification, the Vilita National team used five different goalkeepers including Zelkki Milake's starring shutout performance in front of the home crowd at Lunar Park in Seraai. Vilita's top international goalkeeper, Mako Canopii, shared the bulk of the starts with the resurgent veteran Cilamara Issah who has led club team Lonngeylin Coast to back-to-back Stellar Division titles while youngsters Vernasa Sanamun and Striitca Virahat have made partial appearances to get their first tastes of internationstatal action.
On the defensive front there has been a balanced approach as 7 different defenders have made between 4 and 5 appearances for the National Team though no impact has been felt more than that of Yeaddin Owls defender Linkat Cjinder who has found the back of the net 3 times over their 5 qualifying appearances thus far. It was a milestone moment for another Yeaddin Owls defender on Matchday 7 as young Rojara Tiones made their debut fort he Vilita National Team in the 3-0 home victory over Vithuland with Yeaddin Owls teammates Cjinder and goalkeeper Mako Canopii alongside contributing to the shutout.
Westii Yahaya, Polaox Torerun and Cavuna Aquafek saw the bulk of the work in the Vilitan midfield with Yahaya and Aquafek each contributing three times in the first half of qualification scoring at a rate of just under every other game they appeared. Former Colonial trainee Limu Katarakhna, now playing at Eastal Lunar, has graduated from prospect to the workhorse class appearing in five matches though not yet having found the score sheet. Mliona-Lpaka's Jyuola Mtalata has found the back of the net, four times, second most amongst all Vilitan players in the first half - despite appearing in just two games. Of course, one of those two games was the Matchday 8 fixture against Swibia, the absolute bottom side in the overall World Cup 81 table, where Mtalata netted a first career hat-trick.
Rammsissil forward Berali Tzufarei is proving to be at the peak of their game, dominating the scoreboard with the golden boot in the Vilitan Stellar Division and now charging out front of the goalscoring sheets for the Jungle Cats with six goals in seven matches to lead all players. Eastal Lunar youngster Nii'arala Milaaso has also impressed despite appearing in just three matches thus far, the former Galacticos Young Player of the Year has netted four times and certainly has made a strong case for inclusion in more matches as the Jungle Cats march towards a potential spot in the World Cup 81 Finals in Banija and the Free Republics.