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A crucial point earned in Mattijana as the pressure starts to amp up on the Islanders
Players celebrate at the end of 90 minutes against Mattijana
MATTIJANA- The Busoga Islands, after the first half of World Cup Qualifying, found themselves in a stunning position- the unaccomplished 92nd ranked side found themselves second in their World Cup Qualification group, with the second straight cycle where they were able to earn points in Vilita against the #1 ranked side and the defending World Champions. This time, of course, they’re the two-time defending champions, aiming for greatness and a dynasty. And yet, the Busoga Islands found themselves in their weight class. Winning four of their first seven games, this national team has dramatically exceeded the expectations that were had for them by local fans and media, international fans and media, and stunningly find themselves in the conversation for a playoff spot, or even, a berth in the Finals? This would be the story of Qualifying, of course, but there are even lower ranked sides throwing their weight around among the big boys, with the Baptism of Fire champions Hapilopper, remarkably, winning 15 competitive matches in a row, winning a major WCC title on the way, and then capping the whole thing off with a stunning 3-0 win over the World Cup 80 champions, Brenecia.
Incredibly, however, there is an even more remarkable story, in Reçueçn. This is a side that has been untested for quite some time. Entering World Cup 72 and 73, they took a hiatus, and now, 10 cycles after their last appearance in WCC competition, they are back, trying to get to the Finals. And now, they find themselves right in the thick of the fight, in a 3 way tie(on points) for first place with Qasden and Kernovi & Rewgwlas, each with 13 points in their group. Of course, that group is basically a street fight- the gap between 2nd and third in our group is 5, while in that group, the gap between 1st and 5th is just four points, with Valladares having 9. That’ll be a photo finish, surely. But both, or either, even making the World Cup Qualification playoffs would be incredible. Those are probably the great underdog stories of the 83rd World Cup Qualification cycle, and the Busoga Islands, while a strong case, are not the underdog story of the cycle.
However, this story is still one worth watching. As has been chronicled here before, the Busoga Islands national team, since independence, has not accomplished much of anything. The national team has participated In a trio of regional champions, the AOCAF, and has never advanced past the group stage in any of them. This is their third World Cup Qualification campaign, and besides what has to be considered, at least up to this point, the greatest moment in national team history, their stunning 1-0 win against the defending world champions on their home turf, pretty much happened in a vacuum. The Busoga Islands didn’t matter in terms of international football, besides the occasional playing spoiler. The talent pool was too shallow, the nation too small, to do any kind of significant damage, or make a significant impact, at that level.
But then, in this World Cup Qualification cycle, something changed. What was it exactly? We’re not entirely sure. But suddenly, the Islander national team started doing some real damage, winning some actual games. Mattijana made the trip to the Busoga Islands, and were taken down by the multiverse’s 92nd ranked side, by a score of 3-1. The Busoga Islands, quite shockingly, were the better team in that one against the higher ranked opponent, and that was the kickstart to what is not only easily the national team’s best World Cup Qualification cycle to date, but the kickstart to something, at this point, is quite special and historic in terms of this country and its national team.
After that win against Mattijana, they went to Saintland and came away with a tough 1-0 win. Then, of course, in the friendly confines of Orange Field in Dukuma, they romped by a margin of 7-1 over Asida. This team was on a roll, winning their first three games. That begged the question, of course- were they just on a nice little run to start qualifying, or were they for real? They were tested first when they took that fateful trip to Jeruselem, the Pot 2 side in this group and another side that needs to do something, and fast, to catch up with the Busoga Islands. While they suffered their first (and only) loss of the campaign in Jeruselem, they were able to recover nicely, earning a 1-0 win and a clean sheet against Vartugia.
That set up the group’s two leaders, the Busoga Islands and the defending World Champions, for a massive matchup in Vilita. Of course, considering the history between these two sides, with an Islander win here in just the last World Cup Qualification cycle, and the fact that the two teams were level on points going into the match, meant that even the World Champions would have to take them seriously. That’s what this game is about, right? Earning respect? And in that one, where the Busoga Islands, considering the stakes and the opponent, could not be taken lightly, the national team rose to the challenge and performed. It didn’t matter that they were on the road. It didn’t matter that they were going up against the sport’s very definition of excellence, against the two-time defending and five time world champions Vilita. While Vilita dominated the possession, and some could say, had a better go at it on their home field, the teams split the spoils evenly, in a 2-2 draw.
What a draw that was, right? It was, at the end of the day, very well earned. Some clinical finishing in the first half from the Busoga Islands did the trick In that one, with Amitabh scoring twice, once on the counter and once from the penalty spot, as the Islanders earned a very important draw. But that’s the past, that’s in the first half of qualifying. What we’re here for, why you’re reading, is because of the point we earned in Mattijana. It was 2nd v. 3rd in this group, but there is presently a 5 point gap in the table between 2nd place Busoga Islands and 3rd place Mattijana. But a win for the hosts in this matchup would close that gap to just two, and bust this qualification group wide open.
Mattijana, with the full knowledge that they’d need a win to truly boost their World Cup Qualification prospects, came out guns a blazing. And Starfire was always going to be ready for this. After the match, she told us that the plan for the Busoga Islands was to park the bus for the first half an hour or so, conserving energy and, above all, preventing Mattijana from putting the ball in the back of the net. And park the bus they did. Mattijana were throwing all kinds of crosses in there, and they kept getting cleared by the strong Islander back line. And wouldn’t you know it- the Busoga Islands were one of 8 teams in the first half of qualifying to be in the top quintile of both goals scored and goals allowed, according to statistics from Spony Luq Television. But in the last 15 minutes of the first half, the park the bus strategy ended, and they, while playing defensively, began to counter. A brilliant through ball in the 35th minute to veteran striker Babaja saw him one on one with the goalkeeper. While he tried to chip the goalkeeper, Handanovic came out bravely and made a spectacular stop, keeping the scores level between the two opponents.
The teams went into halftime with the scores tied at 0-0. And as they came out of halftime, Mattijana would continue to try and take the game to their visitors. However, the hosts had to be wary of the counter-attack, as the Busoga Islands showed that they can come back devastatingly down the field. However, Mattijana had their share of chances, and they were building up, dangerously. In the 75th minute of this 0-0 game, the Busoga Islands could not hold out any longer. A slashing diagonal run by Matthias Hoffman caught the player man marking him, Channeh Jarju, falling asleep at the wheel, and saw him get behind the defense with a perfectly timed run. He got the ball with the goalkeeper bearing down on him, but he quickly controlled it and beautifully chipped it over the head of al-Shareef and into the back of the net. With just 15 minutes remaining, the score was 1-0 to the hosts.
The crowd was going. The tide was turning against the Islanders. What were they going to do? Starfire was going to make a switch- she was going to all out to get this point. Kolley made his way off the pitch, leaving just 3 in the back. In his place, the 18 year old, Sarika Birla, would come in at the top of the formation, as they played 3 up top. Make no mistake about it- Starfire is going to do everything in her power and try to qualify for World Cup 83. But why Birla, who would be earning her first cap on this night? What a remarkable journey for her to get to this point, to even be playing in a match of this magnitude. It was her first appearance of the World Cup Qualifying campaign. But how did the 18 year old, who played in the Youth League, even get a chance here for the national team in the first place? Starfire told us that she absolutely deserved the chance. “She has had a great time training with the national team, and has put in a lot of great work. Many young players can be hot-headed, but she’s mature far beyond her years. She has tireless work ethic, and in the past few weeks, specifically, she has had quite an exceptional run of practices. She’s in form, she brings a different dynamic to the team, and at the moment, I thought bringing somebody like her on, we can adjust the style of game we play a little bit, and with somebody who our opponents don’t have much of a scouting report on.”
Tactical flexibility. But the Busoga Islands knew the importance of this match, and the pressure was on. Mattijana packed it in deep, not attempting to counter, as the Busoga Islands tried a variety of ways to beat Handanovic. Balls crossed into the box. Long shots. Diagonal runs. You name it. But it would be the youngster who would create the goal. In the 89th minute, Birla received the ball on a long ball by the corner flag. She beat the defender on the dribble, and came in down the touchline, towards goal. When she got to the 18, she delivered a scorching cross that reached the head of Lakiska SC player Ibrahim Fatah. Fatah, who was on the back post, headed the ball into the back of the net and gave the Islanders the goal to get that much needed point in Mattijana.
Of course, they celebrated their draw. And now, they are up 5 points in the group, with their next game at home against Saintland. While the Islanders should win, Saintland are more than capable of giving the Islanders all kinds of fits on their home ground. And, let’s remember, it’s not as if the Busoga Islands thoroughly outplayed Saintland on their home ground. There isn’t much to choose between these two teams, and even though the venue is on the Busoga Islands now, and it’s a much smaller and more intimate place to play, Saintland is more than capable of tripping up the Busoga Islands. But here’s what needs to be said. With only so many games left, the importance of each game is going to be amplified down the stretch. Considering the Busoga Islands have never done anything like this before, the pressure is going to rise. More fans, of course, will fill the stadia, and we’ll have more traveling fans. But the media scrutiny will increase. They’ll get more focus from their opponents. Each road trip will be that much tougher.
What can the Islanders do? Well, of course, they can continue to make their home venues a fortress. We’ve won our 3 home games so far, beating Mattijana, Asdia, and Vartugia, respectively. They have a chance to continue the excellence they’ve had at home so far, by protecting home field advantage against Saintland. And, beyond that, take it a game at a time. The other thing that must be understood, is that the two-time defending world champions are in this group. Does anyone want to go into the last game of this campaign, against the two-time defending world champions, desperately needing points to move on? That would be a massive risk, a tall order. That’s why the Islanders need to work so hard, to make sure they don’t unnecessarily drop points against everyone else. There is already talk about moving the venue of that final match to a much larger local cricket stadium, to allow more people to attend. Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, though. The next opponent? Saintland. The objective? Earn all three points, and don’t settle for less. The path to the playoffs is there for the Busoga Islands- can we survive it?