EVSM - South Newlandia Domestic Sports (DEACTIVATED)

by **South Newlandia** » Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:38 am

ELEPHANT VALLEY SPORTS MAIL – South Newlandia Domestic Sports

IMPORTANT: THE SOUTH NEWLANDIAN SOCCER LEAGUE WILL NOT BE RPed FOR THE FORSEEABLE FUTURE; ALL PLAYERS HAVE BEEN MOVED ON

This is the Out of character post for this newswire, and it will be containing links as soon as this thread is filled with information. Please do not post here unless you are South Newlandia or a moderator performing duties.
The most important thing you should know is that my schedule isn’t tied up to any other league or the IFCF, and will be tied to the World Cup loosely at best.You can solve this ICly by saying that transfers of foreigners from or to South Newlandian teams are possible during the entire season. Otherwise, there will not be full rosters for any teams, and there might not even be mentioned goalscorer lists, but any foreign player would be mentioned at least once. If you want an IC explanation why South Newlandia is so infrequently doing transfers, you can use the generally low pay for players and coaches in South Newlandia combined with a strong desire of South Newlandians to play for their home team. Regardless, it is still possible to have players or coaches from your country play or coach in South Newlandia, and it is also possible to have South Newlandians playing and coaching in your teams (At the time of this writing, that has already happened twice). If you want to do that, you can send me a telegram or message me on discord; I might be active on the transfer list too. [Edit 25/10/20: Yeah, most of this is super inaccurate now. Leaving it here for history's sake.]

Now that we have got that out of the way, we can talk about what going to happen ICly in this thread. There will be, at the time of this writing, three sports here. Soccer will be represented by two leagues of 12 teams each and a cup tournament. Relegation will be used for these leagues. There will also be chess, with one league of eight teams. Relegation will be used here, too. The third sport is baseball, and interestingly, that league of twelve teams will be franchise-based, without relegation. There will be playoffs; how they work will be outlined later in the thread. I don’t plan to make posts here on a set schedule, but I will try to get one part up every weekend, but generally, I will make a post whenever I feel like it. While I cannot tell you when exactly something is happening, I can tell you about the order of my posts. The three sports will be mixed frequently, and there will be a big finale for every sport. Here is my planned schedule.

Special thanks to everyone who helped me and to everyone who offered me their help, making this newswire possible.

by **South Newlandia** » Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:42 am

Season One: Soccer Preseason Part One

The South Newlandian Soccer League (SNSL) is the oldest, biggest, and most important league in the country. South Newlandia is one of the many countries where soccer is the most relevant sport, and there is both an established league and an important cup tournament. In the top league, commonly simply called 1st league, twelve sides from all over the country face each other two times each, once home, and once away. The two sides finishing on the bottom are relegated to the second league, and are replaced by the two top teams from the 2nd league. The winner of the first league also faces the Cup Winner in the so called South Newlandian Supercup at the start of the new season. Should one team win both competitions, they win the Supercup by default. Now, we will take a look at the twelve teams playing in the first flight during this first season recorded here. This will be done in alphabetical order.

ELEPHANT TOWN FC

Quick Facts about Elephant Town FC
City and Region: Elephant Town, West coast
Stadium: Coast Stadium
Capacity and Capacity rank: 10200; 6th
Team colours: Black and White
Play style: Average
Head Coach: Vincent Connor, 38
Performance estimate: fighting relegation

Elephant Town is a city very close to the capital, Elephant Valley. The cities don’t have an actual visible border anymore, as they grew together over the years. The people from both parts usually get along well, with sports being the notable exception. Elephant Town FC maintains big rivalries with both teams from Elephant Valley, and the duels are often interesting duels. The team has a historically tight budget, and will have to fight an uphill duel to stay in the league. Their Stadium has only recently been upgraded, paid for by the city. The team is also one of the most aggressive teams of the league, and lead it in bookings nearly every year.

ELEPHANT VALLEY FC

Quick Facts about Elephant Valley FC
City and Region: Elephant Valley, West coast
Stadium: Elephant Dome
Capacity and Capacity rank: 21500; 1st
Team colours: Red and Black
Play style: Average
Head Coach: Todd Ingolffson, 61
Performance estimate: Title race

Most leagues feature a prominent team from the capital, and South Newlandia is no exception. Elephant Valley FC is the historically strongest team with the most titles, and that got them a reputation. They are usually hated by approximately everyone, but they only seem to thrive on that. They are among the favourites to win at least one title, as almost every year, but being expected to win can be dangerous for a team. Ingolffson has coached the team for multiple years already, and he has been very successful so far. They play in the biggest stadium, the Elephant Dome, which was always the place for the national team to represent itself in; at least until the Jecken Stadium was built.

FC RÜSSELSHEIM

Quick Facts about FC Rüsselsheim
City and Region: Rüsselsheim, Southwest
Stadium: Rüsselstadium
Capacity and Capacity rank: 8600; 9th
Team colours: Blue and Green
Play style: Average
Head Coach: Roger Whald, 48
Performance estimate: midfield

The FC Rüsselsheim is one of the more forgettable teams there is. They are usually far from the titles and from relegation, and there is nothing too special about the team. Typically, they have a younger team, often leading their own talents to greatness, and they are known for beautiful combinations and nice play. Whald was a youth coach for most of his career, eventually making his way up. Rüsselsheim always had an extremely loyal fan base, and the stadium is sold out for every match, however irrelevant it may be.

INETON CITY

Quick Facts about Ineton City
City and Region: Ineton, island off of the Southeast coast
Stadium: Ineton Stadium
Capacity and Capacity rank: 8000; 11th
Team colours: Red and White
Play style: Average
Head Coach: Jermaine Smith, 44
Performance estimate: fighting relegation

Ineton is located on a small island that is dependent mostly on tourism, and Ineton City making it up all the way to the first flight was a surprise. Their historical rival, Ineton FC, was always bigger and more successful, but the tide seems to have turned now, as the FC is stuck in 2nd flight at the moment. The small club will have the hardest time staying in the league, but Jermaine Smith is a capable coach.

JECKEN NEWPORT

Quick Facts about Jecken Newport
City and Region: Newport, East Coast
Stadium: Jecken Arena
Capacity and Capacity rank: 16250; 2nd
Team colours: Green and Yellow
Play style: Average
Head Coach: Danny Edge, 34
Performance estimate: Title race

The team sponsored by a chicken brand from Jeckland is one of the most unsual teams in South Newlandia. Sports teams are almost never sponsored here, but Jecken has taken a formally small side from the East Coast under their wing. They lead it right into greatness, and they are one of the title favourites now. They have a nice and new stadium, probably the most modern stadium in South Newlandia, and it partly replaced the Elephant Dome as the main ground of the national team. Newport always had a big team, Newport United, but as Jecken Newport got stronger, United got worse, eventually dropping into second flight. Uncommonly for teams sponsored by big companies, they aren’t really hated by other teams, with Newport United being the exception for that.

KINJESTAD SOCCER

Quick Facts about Kinjestad Soccer
City and Region: Kinjestad, island off of the Southwest coast
Stadium: Kinjestad Soccer Arena
Capacity and Capacity rank: 9000; 8th
Team colours: Purple and Blue
Play style: Average
Head Coach: Bennett Maynard, 52
Performance estimate: midfield

Kinjestad is located on the biggest island of South Newlandia, and Kinjestad is the biggest club there. They have been a historically solid team, but they were never quite near the top. They made headlines ahead of the season discussing a change of team colours, something unusual in South Newlandia. They wanted to get rid of the blue, changing it for some gold. Ultimately, the debate was postponed to the beginning of next season. Kinjestad Soccer has always had a rivalry with the Southwestern Islanders, and Kinjestad Soccer usually draws its support from the city alone. The derbies always attract a huge crowd.

RATZUPALFU RHINOS

Quick Facts about Ratzupalfu Rhinos
City and Region: Ratzupalfu, Central
Stadium: Rhinostadium
Capacity and Capacity rank: 11000; 5th
Team colours: Grey and Red
Play style: Defensive
Head Coach: Peter Tankman, 59
Performance estimate: Title race

The Rhinos have always had one of the youngest teams of the league, and they are in some aspects similar to FC Rüsselsheim. There are three important differences; the Rhinos have always been more successful, they play from a strong defense, largely relying on counters, and the location. Ratzupalfu is one of the few Central cities of South Newlandia, and that’s the case because of logistical reasons. Ratzupalfu is located in the forest spanning most of the central parts of South Newlandia, bringing logistical challenges for the city, but they have managed to thrive. This makes both the city and the team and its stadium special, and the atmosphere is one of the best there is in South Newlandia.

RUDITOWN GUARDS

Quick Facts about Ruditown Guards
City and Region: Ruditown, North
Stadium: Ruditown Sportarena
Capacity and Capacity rank: 8250; 10th
Team colours: Light Blue and Brown
Play style: Defensive
Head Coach: Rehaan Gray, 45
Performance estimate: midfield

Ruditown is probably one of the best teams that can’t be considered a title candidate. The largely defensive team always struggled to get some goals for themselves, and limited fan support is also a problem for the team. Despite the stadium being one of the smallest in the league already, it is rarely completely full. Another notable thing is the unusual colours of the team, making them stand out. Signing Rehaan Gray as a coach has been a gamble, as he never had been a professional coach before.

SOPHIE CITY ROYALS

Quick Facts about Sophie City Royals
City and Region: Sophie City, East
Stadium: Sophie City Bowl
Capacity and Capacity rank: 12000; 4th
Team colours: Pink and Light Green
Play style: Offensive
Head Coach: Annabelle O’Petla, 36
Performance estimate: fighting relegation

The Royals might be the team standing out most in the league. Starting with the colours, teams rarely play in pink, and rarely have a female coach. The Royals have both, as they recently signed Annabelle O’Petla, currently the only female coach in the SNSL. They have a surprisingly big stadium for the mediocre sporting success, and that is rooted in the biggest problem of the team, constantly expecting more than is possible. This had led to the big stadium, and also made the Royals the team most commonly firing coaches, with new ones rarely lasting more than a year. This season, they will most likely have to play against relegation, but officially, Sophie City is shooting for 3rd place. That will hardly be possible because of their big weakness, a powerless defense leading to many conceded goals.

SOUTHWESTERN ISLANDERS

Quick Facts about Southwestern Islanders
City and Region: Kinjestad, island off of the Southwest coast
Stadium: Islander Arena
Capacity and Capacity rank: 6000; 12th
Team colours: Yellow and Blue
Play style: Average
Head Coach: Jodi Allan, 67
Performance estimate: fighting relegation

Most Islander fans will hate these quick facts, because the city listed is Kinjestad, which is despised by them. We base the city on the location of the stadium, and it is barely within the city limits of Kinjestad. Truth is, the Southwestern Islanders aren’t really based on one city. They are more of a loose collection of players and players from all around the islands. The mostly play for fun, and are surprised to be found in the first flight. They will also have trouble to save themselves from falling back down.

VALLEY WANDERERS

Quick Facts about Valley Wanderers
City and Region: Elephant Valley, West coast
Stadium: Northern Stadium
Capacity and Capacity rank: 10000; 7th
Team colours: Blue and White
Play style: Average
Head Coach: Hubert Schmidt, 47
Performance estimate: midfield

There is nothing a Valley fan hates more than the Elephant Valley FC. The two teams from the capital feature the most important derby of South Newlandia, and the games always require a sizable police presence. Fortunately, in South Newlandia, what starts in a stadium stays in the stadium, so the problems between sports teams never really extended to everyday life. The Valley Wanderers are the significantly smaller team from Elephant Valley, and mostly draw their support from the north of the city. The team is usually solid, and should be able to avoid relegation without big problems.

WALSTREIM LIONS

Quick Facts about Walstreim Lions
City and Region: Walstreim, Southeast coast
Stadium: Walstreim City Stadium
Capacity and Capacity rank: 13000; 3rd
Team colours: Red and Orange
Play style: Offensive
Head Coach: David Watts, 49
Performance estimate: Title race

The Lions are among the most supported teams of South Newlandia, and with good reason, as the team often scores the most goals and plays really strong soccer in general. The team is also an aggressive one, getting bookings often. Walstreim isn’t an interesting city to start with, but the duels between the two teams of the city, the Lions and Walstreim City FC, are always very exciting. The latter is currently down in 2nd flight, but they should have solid chances to advance into the first league soon. David Watts is known to be a hothead, and his press conferences are always interesting to watch. He has been ejected from games more than once, and due to his temperament, he is both loved and hated.

Tune in next time when we discuss the second flight and watch the Cup draw, with many derbies possibly to happen.

by **South Newlandia** » Sun Jul 05, 2020 4:11 am

Season One: Baseball Preseason

While Soccer is clearly the most important sport in South Newlandia, Baseball comes in in clear second. Especially after recent Baseball success by the national team, also called the Elephants, Baseball received a massive boom all over the country. Stadiums were built bigger, and the pay for players and coaches rose. The South Newlandian Baseball League (SNBL) operates with twelve franchises. There are other Baseball teams in the country, but those aren’t really relevant, and almost every Baseball fan in the country has a favourite among the franchises. In the regular season, every team will face every other four times, twice at home and twice on the road. The matches are played in series of two, with two teams playing their encounters at the same place nearly back-to-back. This way, there are 22 match days with 44 games in total for each team. After the season, the most successful team gets crowned the regular season winner. After wins, the next tiebreaker is run differential, followed by Head to Head win record. The six best teams reach the playoffs, the most important part of the season. The 3rd placed team faces the 6th, and the 4th best team faces the 5th. The winner between the 3rd and 6th faces the 2nd placed team in the semi-final series, and the winner between 4th and 5th faces the regular season winner. The winners of the semi-final series face each other in the SNFS, the South Newlandian Final Series. The SNFS is won by the first team with three wins, while the other playoff matches require two wins to advance. For all playoff games, the team placing higher in the regular season is playing home first, in an eventual third game, and if needed in the SNFS, the fifth game. Because of the league being franchise-based, every team has exactly one designated colour. Big parts of the uniform and, perhaps more importantly, the baseball caps are in that colour. After this wall of explanations, we will now take a look at the franchises, again in alphabetical order.

ELEPHANT VALLEY HOMERS

Quick facts about Elephant Valley Homers
City and Region: Elephant Valley, West coast
Stadium: Elephant Stadium
Capacity and Capacity rank: 15000; 1st
Team colour: Green
Head Coach: Jack Kingsman, 57
Performance estimate: fighting for playoffs

The rivalry between the two teams from Elephant Valley is one of the most important aspects of the SNBL. The Homers and United developed a big hatred for each other, and no team is willing to give up any inch in the direct encounters. The Homers are the larger one of the two sides from the capital, and they generally have more experienced, older players, some of which are already past their best days. They also have by far the oldest Coach of the league, as Jack Kingsman is 15 years older than the second-oldest. The Homers also play in the biggest stadium, commonly used by the national team as well.

ELEPHANT VALLEY UNITED

Quick facts about Elephant Valley United
City and Region: Elephant Valley, West Coast
Stadium: Southern Valley Arena
Capacity and Capacity rank: 7500; 6th
Team colour: Orange
Head Coach: Matteo Maxbar, 28
Performance estimate: fighting for playoffs

Elephant Valley United is the smaller one of the two franchises from the capital city, and as said previously, they absolutely despise each other. United draws most of their support from the Southern part of Elephant Valley, but they aren’t less successful than the Homers. Coached by the Matteo Maxbar, who is also responsible for the U22-team from South Newlandia, the team typically focuses on young talents. Some of these young players fail, others become the next big stars for United and South Newlandia.

KINJESTAD PEACOCKS

Quick facts about Kinjestad Peacocks
City and Region: Kinjestad, island off of the Southwest coast
Stadium: Kinjestad Baseball Arena
Capacity and Capacity rank: 4750; 10th
Team colour: Pink
Head Coach: Moses Saunders, 32
Performance estimate: fighting for playoffs

The Kinjestad Peacocks are one of the smaller franchises, but they are mostly decent enough to compete for the playoff rounds. The team is known for strong defensive players, but for less successful pitchers. They don’t have the biggest fan base, but for the important rivalry with the Southwestern Baselanders, attention is often on them. The duel between the pink and the purple is one you might recognize from soccer, and the reasoning is very similar.

MASMOW DRAGONS

Quick facts about Masmow Dragons
City and Region: Masmow, island off of the Northeast coast
Stadium: Dragon Island Arena
Capacity and Capacity rank: 4500; 11th
Team colour: Maroon
Head Coach: Erik Potter, 34
Performance estimate: Playoffs

The Masmow Dragons from Dragon Island, a relatively small island a bit away from South Newlandia, are the most successful franchise from South Newlandia. They are going into the season as the clear favourites. Dragon Island is, different to the other South Newlandian islands, not part of the South Newlandian land mass, but a bit further out. They are liked around the country for stunning plays, and are known for very interesting, sometimes slightly weird players. The Dragon Island Arena has a very special atmosphere to it that you can’t quite describe.

NEWPORT DOLPHINS

Quick facts about Newport Dolphins
City and Region: Newport, East coast
Stadium: Dolphin Stadium
Capacity and Capacity rank: 12500; 2nd
Team colour: Light Blue
Head Coach: Daniel Nunez, 42
Performance estimate: Playoffs

Next to the big rivalries between the franchises from the capital city and the duels between Kinjestad and the Baselanders, there is a third important one in the SNBL, namely the two franchises from Newport, the Dolphins and the Owls. The Dolphins are the bigger and more successful franchise of the two, and they play in one of the biggest stadiums. They are also the franchise backed by significantly more fans, and mildly dislike the Owls. The Dolphins might be the main team challenging the Dragons for the title.

NEWPORT OWLS

Quick facts about Newport Owls
City and Region: Newport, East coast
Stadium: Newport Sportsarena
Capacity and Capacity rank: 5000; 9th
Team colour: White
Head Coach: Rick Shepherd, 29
Performance estimate: Bottom of the table

The Owls are the clearly smaller and also much less successful team between the two franchises from Newport. They absolutely hate the Dolphins, and the Owls always had less money and fewer possibilities than the Dolphins. They are playing in white, and they mostly draw their support from simple workers and the suburbs of Newport. In general, they have considerably fewer fans than the Dolphins.

RATZUPALFU RHINOS

Quick facts about Ratzupalfu Rhinos
City and Region: Ratzupalfu, Central
Stadium: Ratzupalfu Arena
Capacity and Capacity rank: 10000; 3rd
Team colour: Grey
Head Coach: Fu Webb, 37
Performance estimate: fighting for playoffs

The Ratzupalfu Rhinos Baseball franchise is tightly linked with the soccer team with the same name. Both the Baseball team and the Soccer team often benefit from this, and like the Soccer team, the Baseball team is decently successful. They are playing in a newly expanded Stadium, often called the “Jungle Arena” because of the location in the middle of the South Newlandian forests. They are known for many home-runs, and are seen as one of the coolest franchises. Fu Webb is known to be a massive hothead, and he just got done serving probation for punching someone in the face.

RUDITOWN DACHSHUNDS

Quick facts about Ruditown Dachshunds
City and Region: Ruditown, North
Stadium: Dachshund Stadium
Capacity and Capacity rank: 8750; 5th
Team colour: Yellow
Head Coach: Michael Woof, 34
Performance estimate: Playoffs

The Dachshunds are, despite their high relative success, rarely backed by fans. In fact, they are hardly cared about around the country, and they are barely relevant even in Ruditown, as people mostly care about soccer there. On the field, they are known to be very careful, which makes them too slow at times, but it is basically impossible to steal a base against the Dachshunds. Michael Woof is absolutely tired of low-effort jokes about his name, so we would advise against making any.

RÜSSELSHEIM BLUE SOX

Quick facts about Rüsselsheim Blue Sox
City and Region: Rüsselsheim, Southwest
Stadium: Blue Sox Stadium
Capacity and Capacity rank: 5200; 8th
Team colour: Blue
Head Coach: Domenick Millher, 40
Performance estimate: Bottom of the table

The Blue Sox, unsurprisingly playing in blue, are one of the oldest franchises of South Newlandia. They were never really successful, but they are seen as an important team for the SNBL anyway. They aren’t expected to make the playoffs, but thanks to there being no relegation, they try their hardest every year again.

SOPHIE CITY GIRLS

Quick facts about Sophie City Girls
City and Region: Sophie City, East
Stadium: Sophie City Base-Bowl
Capacity and Capacity rank: 9500; 4th
Team colour: Light Green
Head Coach: Alise Rocha, 32
Performance estimate: Bottom of the table

The Girls are, as the name suggests, the only all-female team in the league. Softball isn’t a thing in South Newlandia, and nearly every girl that cares about throwing or batting a ball joins the Girls at some point in their live. The other teams feature few females, as most of the good female players play in Sophie City. This image makes them a popular team, especially with women around the country. Despite all of this, they rarely make the playoffs. The franchise is also the only one currently coached by a woman.

SOUTHWESTERN BASELANDERS

Quick facts about Southwestern Baselanders
City and Region: Kinjestad, island off of the Southwest coast
Stadium: Islanders Baseballplace
Capacity and Capacity rank: 2800; 12th
Team colour: Purple
Head Coach: Bill Whitehouse, 38
Performance estimate: Bottom of the table

If you are familiar with the Southwestern Islanders in soccer, the Baselanders work basically in the same way. They aren’t actually from Kinjestad, but the stadium they are playing is located there. They are a small collection of players from all around the Southern Islands, without committing to too much structure, leading to them never having any money. They hate the Peacocks, and despite the Baselanders rarely making the playoffs, the always give their all in the four games against the Peacocks.

WALSTREIM LIONS

Quick facts about Walstreim Lions
City and Region: Walstreim, Southeast coast
Stadium: Walstreim Baseball Arena
Capacity and Capacity rank: 6000; 7th
Team colour: Red
Head Coach: Diego Lowe, 36
Performance estimate: Playoffs

The Lions work similarly to the Rhinos, with the Soccer and Baseball parts tightly linked. The Lions have similar problems as the Dachshunds, as Soccer is the main focus of people from Walstreim. The Lions seed to have good chances this year, with Diego Lowe seen as a capable coach. Despite little interest from Walstreim, they are a popular team around the country. They are known for strong, powerful batters, and are seen as the coolest team to support. Despite the stadium being relatively small, it is among the most modern ones in the country.

by **South Newlandia** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 3:42 am

Season One: Chess Preseason

Few nations can say that they have a relevant chess league, but South Newlandia is one of them. Behind Soccer and Baseball, Chess is the third-most commonly played and watched sport. Different to the other two big sports, chess isn’t watched live often, but more commonly streamed on the internet with commentary, overview and analysis provided. In the South Newlandian Chess League (SNCS), eight teams play against each other. The games between two teams are held with eight players from each team, playing on eight boards. A win on a board gains a team a point, while a draw is worth half a point. Whichever team wins more points wins the match and the two team points, while a 4-4 draw earns a team one team point. If two teams finish the season on the same amount of team points, the board points are used as a tiebreaker. Every team will play every other team twice, once at home, and once away, for a total of 14 matches. At the end of a season, the first placed team wins the league, while the team in eighth is relegated. Now, we will take a look at the teams in, you guessed it, alphabetical order.

CT Hymade
The Chess Team Hymade, playing in the west of the country, is one of the newer, smaller teams in the SNCL. The city is barely known even to South Newlandians, but they somehow made it up to the SNCL. They are probably going to fight getting instantly relegated again. Hymade often struggles to find wins, playing an overall solid, slow approach most of the time.

Elephant Valley Chess
The team from the capital city on the West Coast is one of the so-called “big three” in Chess. Along with the Rooks and the Wizards, they are one of the stronger teams that will fight for the title. Elephant Valley themselves is also among the teams with more history, but in recent times, they weren’t as strong as they were once used to.

Ineton Pawns
The Ineton Pawns are one of three teams not located on the South Newlandian mainland, as Ineton is on a small Southeast island. Ineton is also among the small, unsuccessful teams, and they will need to play their best to stay in the SNCL. They are known for extensive opening knowledge, but they rarely manage to use that to their advantage.

Kinjestad Knights
Here is the next team from an island – Kinjestad is the biggest city outside of the mainland, located off of the Southwest coast. The Knights are one of the decent teams in the league that should be able to avoid relegation, but they won’t win titles either. The team is known for finding strong, tricky moves, but sometimes, they are playing stuff just because it looks to be fun, even though it may not be the best move.

Masmow Chess Wizards
The Chess Wizards conclude our list of teams not from the mainland. The Dragon Island, on which Masmow is located, is off of the Northeast coast. In recent years, the Chess Wizards have been the dominating force in the SNCL, and they are the favourites for the title in this year as well. The team is known to feature some unusual, weird players that tend to be different to most chess players.

Newport Rooks
The third team from the “big three” is also fairly new in the league, but they managed to get to the top fairly quickly. Located on the East Coast, the Rooks receive little attention with two strong soccer (Jecken, United) and two SNBL (Dolphins, Owls) teams from the same city, but they have a few loyal chess fans. The team is known for solid play and not risking too much. The signature move for most players from the Rooks is 4. 0-0.

Sophie City Queens
The Queens from Sophie City, located in the East of the country, are the all-female team from the league. Some of the other teams also feature woman, but most of the talented girls move to Sophie City early. The team has been very decent in recent years, and should be able to avoid relegation without big problems.

Walstreim Lions
The third-biggest South Newlandian city also has a team in the SNCL. The Lions are the only big sports organization in Walstreim, and the Chess team is often overshadowed by the Soccer and Baseball teams with the same name. The team might be the most boring one of the league, as there really isn’t a lot to say about them, they will probably end up somewhere in midfield again.

by **South Newlandia** » Sun Aug 02, 2020 1:36 pm

Season One: Soccer Preseason Part Two

Season One: Second Tier Preview

Below the first South Newlandian Soccer League, there is a second tier, commonly called 2nd league, of another twelve teams. These teams are of little international relevance, but the top two finishing teams get promoted into the first league. The teams range between professional and semi-professional here, and for the most part, they probably stand no chance against the top teams in South Newlandia. The league operates under the same system as the first tier, with 22 matchdays, facing every team once home and once away. The top two teams are promoted to the first tier, while the two bottom-ranked teams get relegated into South Newlandian amateur soccer. South Newlandian teams also do not enter the IFCF Liga B Champions Trophy. We will now take a look at the teams, once again in alphabetical order.

FC Ineton

Quick facts about FC Ineton
City and Region: Ineton, island off of the Southeast coast
Team colours: Blue and Orange
Play style: Average
Performance estimate: midfield

FC Ineton used to be the bigger one of the two teams from the City, but after bad recent results, they have lost a lot of support, along with some key players. The derbies between the sides from Ineton are always exciting, but there will likely be none this year.

Jagomir City

Quick facts about Jagomir City
City and Region: Jagomir, Central
Team colours: White and Light Blue
Play style: Average
Performance estimate: midfield

Jagomir, located approximately in the centre of the country, is a small industrial town close to the forest. The city was always among the poorer ones in South Newlandia, and the team never had a lot of money either. Despite that, Jagomir has a sizeable group of loyal fans.

Kinetik Islanders

Quick facts about Kinetik Islanders
City and Region: Elephant Island, island off of the West coast
Team colours: Gold and Purple
Play style: Average
Performance estimate: fighting relegation

The Elephant Island is a small island off of the western shore, not far from the capital city. There is not much to see on this island but its landscape, making the place is a very common one for tourists, who enjoy the beautiful beaches and the warm weather, and the team was a struggling second tier side. At least that’s how it used to be, because it all changed now after the well-known energy drink brand “Kinetik” from The Grearish Union took over the team in the off-season. What was a massive surprise for most fans was also a massive shock for officials of the SNSA, as they never explicitly stated rules against such a takeover, and they had to allow it. We will see soon if money really does score goals.

Kinjestad SC

Quick facts about Kinjestad SC
City and Region: Kinjestad, island off of the Southwest coast
Team colours: Black and Grey
Play style: Defensive
Performance estimate: promotion candidates

The other team supported in Kinjestad next to Kinjestad Soccer was recently relegated by surprise, and they are looking to get back on their feet this year. They are commonly supported among the poorer areas in the centre of the city, and are known for their work ethic, especially on defense.

Lexen City Reds

Quick facts about Lexen City Reds
City and Region: Lexen City, North
Team colours: Red and Purple
Play style: Average
Performance estimate: fighting relegation

If there is ever a place pushing for leftist reforms in South Newlandia, its likely Lexen City. The city from the North in the country might be the only one where socialism is favoured, but they are rarely notable in sports. This year, relegation may be more likely as it ever was before.

Masmow FC

Quick facts about Masmow FC
City and Region: Masmow, island off of the Northeast coast
Team colours: Brown and White
Play style: Average
Performance estimate: midfield

Masmow is a rather strange city on the most distant place from the South Newlandian mainland, namely on Dragon Island. Cultural norms often work differently here, and Soccer is not seen as the most important sport there. The view there is very pleasant, and you can enjoy it without much noise on the sparsely populated island.

Newport United

Quick facts about Newport United
City and Region: Newport, East coast
Team colours: Blue and Light Blue
Play style: Offensive
Performance estimate: promotion candidates

Newport United is the top favourite to return to the top tier, but they were that last year as well. After their relegation, they struggled, but they have another good shot now. They absolutely hate Jecken Newport more than anything else in their lives. On the pitch, they were known for successful offensive soccer, now, it’s just offensive soccer.

Northvalley Club

Quick facts about Northvalley Club
City and Region: Elephant Valley, West coast
Team colours: Grey and White
Play style: Average
Performance estimate: fighting relegation

Northvalley Club is a struggling side from the northern suburbs of the capital city. They don’t really do much, as they lack resources and talents, and they will need to put up a big fight if they want to stay in the 2nd tier.

Ratzupalfu FC

Quick facts about Ratzupalfu FC
City and Region: Ratzupalfu, Central
Team colours: Yellow and Pink
Play style: Offensive
Performance estimate: midfield

Ratzupalfu FC is the polar opposite of the Ratzupalfu Rhinos. The RFC hates the slower, defensive approach of the Rhinos, preferring what commonly called “kick and rush”. This style is often leading to exciting, high scoring games. The RFC is also associated with the timber industry, or what there is of one in South Newlandia, while the Rhinos were always in favour of preservation.

Town

Quick facts about Town
City and Region: Elephant Town, West coast
Team colours: Purple and Green
Play style: Average
Performance estimate: fighting relegation

How did they even end up here? This small club from Elephant Town somehow is in the second tier, and there isn’t a good reason for that. No one cares about this team, and they will almost certainly be relegated soon enough.

Trunkst CFT

Quick facts about Trunkst CFT
City and Region: Trunkst, North coast
Team colours: Pink and Blue
Play style: Defensive
Performance estimate: promotion candidates

Trunkst is a pleasant small town on the northern coast of South Newlandia, located on a small peninsula. After some successful transfers, the Club Football Team is actually among the contenders for promotion this year with some outside chances. They are among the most solid teams in the league, sneaking a goal past them is very hard.

Walstreim City FC

Quick facts about Walstreim City FC
City and Region: Walstreim, Southeast coast
Team colours: Light Blue and Yellow
Play style: Average
Performance estimate: promotion candidates

Among with Newport United, the CFC is among the big favorites for promotion, but hardly anyone really cares about them. They are smaller, softer and in general less interesting than their big rivals, the Walstreim Lions. Despite that, the team playing in yellow and light blue gained in strength over the last few years.

Season One: Cup Preview

The South Newlandian Soccer Cup (SNSC) is, depending on who you ask, the easiest and hardest cup to win. The Cup winner needs to just win five games, as the Rounds are only one leg. All the teams from the first and second flight qualify for the SNSC, and they are joined by eight sides from the lower amateur leagues, which can also include the second teams from the top teams. Second teams are not permitted to enter the second tier of South Newlandian soccer, but they are allowed in the cup. The two teams that got relegated from the second tier in the last season are guaranteed a place in the cup as well. The draw is quite complicated for the SNSC, as the first round, all eight amateur sides play at home, while the 12 teams from the top flight are given random away games. The remaining twelve slots are given at random to the twelve teams from the second league. Here is the draw for the first round of the SNSC, with top flight teams in black, second tier sides in blue and the amateurs in red. The sides from the amateur league in this year’s cup are the following:

Ineton City II
FC Rüsselsheim II
Jecken Newport II
Walstreim Lions II
FC Bobtown
AC Rüsselsheim
EV Workerclub
AFC Newport

Among the second teams from Ineton City, FC Rüsselsheim, Jecken Newport and Walstreim Lions are the FC Bobtown, a small club that might be near promotion to the second tier soon, and small clubs from Rüsselsheim, Elephant Valley and Newport that hardly anyone cares about. Without further ado, here is the schedule for the first cup round.

Jagomir City vs. Sophie City Royals
Kinetik Islanders vs. Ineton City
Town vs. Walstreim Lions
Ineton City II vs. FC Ineton
			
AC Rüsselsheim vs. Southwestern Islanders
FC Bobtown vs. Valley Wanderers
FC Rüsselsheim II vs. Masmow FC
Jecken Newport II vs. Kinjestad Soccer
			
			
Northvalley Club vs. Elephant Valley FC
Walstreim City FC vs. Trunkst CFT
Newport United vs. Jecken Newport
AFC Newport vs. FC Rüsselsheim
			
Ratzupalfu FC vs. Kinjestad SC
Walstreim Lions II vs. Elephant Town FC
Lexen City Reds	 vs. Ruditown Guards
EV Workerclub vs. Ratzupalfu Rhinos

Let’s discuss this first round, from top to bottom. Keep in mind that this is not a seeded bracket; every new round has a new draw. The first three matches are battles between top tier teams and team from second tier, and while upsets can always happen, Jagomir City seems to be the only one to have a chance here.
The Walstreim Lions should advance to the next round without problems. Game four is the small Ineton derby, with the FC Ineton visiting Ineton City II. The amateur side should have little chance here.
There are amateur teams in all of the next four games, with three of them playing top tier sides. In all of these three, the amateurs will likely be eliminated, but Rüsselsheim II might have a small chance against Masmow FC.
Below that, we have another small derby in the capital city, with Northvalley Club hosting Elephant Valley FC. The top tier side should probably take this one. Next is one of two battles with two sides from second tier, with Walstreim City FC playing Trunkst CFT. It is hard to make a good prediction here, both teams look very close, and either one could make it. Below this one, there is the best draw of the first round. We are having the classic Newport Derby between Newport United and Jecken Newport. While Jecken is the natural favourite, Newport United can be a tough opponent, and the atmosphere in the stadium will be tense. This is a game you really shouldn’t miss. In the next match, Rüsselsheim should have no problem against the AFC Newport.
Next, we have the other matchup with two teams from the second league, this time between Ratzupalfu FC and Kinjestad SC. Like the other one, this will be another close match, and either side could take this game, but the SC seems slightly favoured. Between the last three games, the Rhinos and Elephant Town should get their tasks done without problems, but the Guards will have to visit the Reds. This is an interesting matchup, as the clubs are having a small rivalry, even after the Reds’ decline.
After the matches are played, between SNSL match days 6 and 7, we will be watching the draw for the second round, when top tier sides can face most likely.

Season One: Transfer News

For the sake of not making this overly long, we will only discuss international transfers today, with South Newlandian clubs or players and players or clubs of at least one more nation. We will look at the transfers from team to team, once again in alphabetical order. All players are from the nation their former club is also from, except for one marked exception.

Elephant Valley FC

New players moving in:
Larre Bossink (GK), 21, from Nyashawill (Ko-oren), 0.5 millions
Simon Bradden (AM), 33, from Crisisbless Athletic (Nephara), free transfer
Players moving on:
Manuel O’Neill (CB/RB), 32, to Royal Puncakpura (Eraman), 0.3 millions
Filip Barker (RB), 23, to Gloswood (Springmont), free transfer

The most successful club in the history of South Newlandia has given away two of their defenders, and got themselves a young talented goalkeeper from the second Ko-orenite league and a very experienced midfielder from a Nepharim top team, out of one of the best leagues of the multiverse. O’Neill has meanwhile been given to one of the best teams in Eraman, and Barker had just been cut in Elephant Valley. He will get a new chance in the nation of Springmont. Those changes should probably improve the team, and they are, as always, a team with great chances to win something this year.

FC Rüsselsheim

New players moving in:
Hayden Cochrane (LB), 22, from Reginorum University (Nova Anglicana), free transfer
Rodriguez Sporet (DM), 31, from Dawson Diamonds (Kohnhead), free transfer
Players moving on:
Kevin Mohamed (DM), 21, to Nagelti Rovers (Jeckland), 0.5 millions
Tommy Anderson (CB), 23, to Anchors FC (Chromatika), 0.5 millions
Zakariah Reeves (CM/OM), 20, to Marine Shipping and Travel (Kita-Hinode), free transfer

Rüsselsheim has given away a lot of their top players, including the two national team players Mohamed and Anderson they had. They will move on to develop their careers in Jeckland and Chromatika, respectively. The Rovers had narrowly missed out on IFCF completion last year, while the Anchors are a very respectable team as well. Reeves will move to a team just promoted into the best Hinodejin youth league, a great place to learn for his career. They have gotten themselves two free players, both more on the defensive side. Cochrane has just graduated university and seems to be a promising player from Nova Anglicana, while Sporet may need some shaping to improve his skills. The Diamond had only narrowly avoided relegation last year, and Sporet hadn’t looked particularly good either. Rüsselsheim hasn’t quite gotten their money’s worth, and they will need some luck to achieve similar success as last season. They might have given away too many of their good players, to be honest.

Ineton City

New players moving in: -
Players moving on:
Matthias Conrad (RM/OM), 24, to New Hind City FC (Indusse), free transfer

Ineton City has lost Conrad to a strong team from Indusse.

Jecken Newport

New players moving in:
(from Nephara) Corentin Tausig (GK), 29, from Deprí Lanar (Chromatika), 0.6 millions
Rory Canning-Meagher (M C), 34, from NGSA Ulaynof (Kelssek), 0 millions
Emir Aga (ST), 24, from Tanrispor (Timuria), 1 million
David Johnson (RM), 21, from TJUN-ia, free transfer
Rasmus Helman (CB), 33, from Partisan Sjoedrhavn (Savojarna), free transfer
Players moving on:
Tre Dixon (CB/DM), 27, to Offsdi Dalas (Poafmersia), free transfer

Jecken has produced the most fireworks of any team of the league. No fewer than five new international players, including David Johnson, a national team player from TJUN-ia, Helman from a Savojar top team, an aging player that formerly played for the national team of Kelssek, Nepharim Tausig who was playing for a club in Chromatika, and Emir Aga, the most expensive new player, coming from Timuria. Dixon has meanwhile moved on to Poafmersia. If that isn’t successful transfer market action, we don’t know what would be.

Kinetik Islanders

New players moving in:
Alexander Allman (LCB), 35, from The Grearish Union, 0 millions
Callum Frank (RB), 28, from The Grearish Union, 0 millions
Players moving on: -

The Islanders have added two defensive players from abroad to their roster, two national team players for The Grearish Union. They should be able to help secure the team’s defense.

Kinjestad Soccer

New players moving in:
Yuri Nowak (L/RW), 20, from DD Porto Nowi Jrs (Zeta Reka and Hügeltadom), free transfer
Players moving on:
Abdullah Rowley (GK), 30, to Malta FC (Indusse), 0.4 millions

Kinjestad has gotten a winger from Zeta Reka and Hügeltadom, while Rowley has moved on to one of the weaker teams in Indusse.

Newport United

New players moving in: -
Players moving on:
John Li (LB/LM), 19, to Setanggi (Kayangan), free transfer

Li is going to play in Kayangan now, and will be able to improve his skills there.

Ratzupalfu Rhinos

New players moving in:
Aaron Murphy (AMC), 20, from the Grearish Union, 0 millions
Nicolas Umkala (CB), 24, from TJUN-ia, free transfer
Players moving on:
Olly Evans (GK), 21, to FC Rockaton (Kohnhead), free transfer

The Rhinos have successfully gotten two free national team players, one from The Grearish Union and one from TJUN-ia. Evans, who hadn’t gotten much play time behind Trischuk, will now be able to play in Kohnhead for a recently promoted side.

Ruditown Guards

New players moving in: -
Players moving on:
Philip Gurero (CB), 23, to Nickelson FC (Kohnhead), free transfer

The Guards haven’t gotten any new international players, while Gurero is moving on to Kohnhead.

Valley Wanderers

New players moving in:
John Bramas (GK), 28, from Skew Euld Ren Sinners (Maccian), 0.15 millions
Players moving on: -

The Wanderers have gotten themselves a quite decent goalkeeper from Maccian, hoping to improve their defensive abilities.

Walstreim Lions

New players moving in:
Makino Hideo (ST), 20, from TryHard Sporting (Squidroidia), 1 million
Eloy Dawood (ST), 18, from Mount Salt Football Academy (Eastfield Lodge), free transfer
Lambros Tantalopoulos (CDM), 16, from National Team Academy (Vdara), 0.35 million
Players moving on:
Brandon Irving (ST), 22, to Barnley FC (Kohnhead), 1.1 millions
Romleb Mada (ST), 17, to Project Olimpo Jutsii (Kita-Hinode), free transfer

The Lions might have had the most interesting offseason. They have lost their national team player and most important star Irving to the recent Kohnheadian champions, and their young star to a Hinodejin youth team, where Mada can develop. They have gotten a free player from Eastfield Lodge, Squidroidian top star Hideo, and a Sporting World Cup champion with a long name from Vdara. We don’t know yet if this is good or bad, but we will see soon enough.
That concludes the international transfers of South Newlandian teams for this year. In total, about six million was moved around, and quite a few players moved.

by **South Newlandia** » Sat Aug 15, 2020 3:58 am

ELEPHANT VALLEY SPORTS MAIL

South Newlandian Baseball League Matchdays 1-11 recap

Following recent success at the World Baseball Classic, this season of the South Newlandian Baseball League would be one of the most watched in its history. Suddenly, everyone cared about Baseball. The first half of the regular season began with almost all stadiums sold out, and even though interest sank a little bit over the following games, it was still a big season for South Newlandian Baseball. And it wasn’t one without surprises, either, as a team no one thought to have a chance is suddenly all the way in second place of the table after half the matches. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, and instead start all the way at the beginning, on Matchday One.

Matchday One

Sophie City Girls 1–7 Southwestern Baselanders
Sophie City Girls 4–5 Southwestern Baselanders
Elephant Valley United 8–6 Newport Owls
Elephant Valley United 5–9 Newport Owls
Ruditown Dachshunds 1–4 Walstreim Lions
Ruditown Dachshunds 5–1 Walstreim Lions
Kinjestad Peacocks 2–4 Masmow Dragons
Kinjestad Peacocks 4–2 Masmow Dragons
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 5–3 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 3–2 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox
Newport Dolphins 2–1 Elephant Valley Homers
Newport Dolphins 5–0 Elephant Valley Homers

The first matchday already featured a few small early surprises. The Baselanders, the team some thought was the worst in the league, managed to take both games in the Sophie City Base-Bowl from the Girls, even though the second game was really close and only decided in the last inning. The Owls winning the second game away at United was also a small surprise, even though that was mostly fuelled by some terrible pitching. After this first matchday, the league is led by the Dolphins, the Baselanders and Rhinos, and apart from the Baselanders, that isn’t a big surprise so far.

Matchday Two

Southwestern Baselanders 3–1 Elephant Valley Homers
Southwestern Baselanders 7–10 Elephant Valley Homers
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 6–5 Newport Dolphins
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 3–6 Newport Dolphins
Masmow Dragons 3–2 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Masmow Dragons 4–2 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Walstreim Lions 5–2 Kinjestad Peacocks
Walstreim Lions 4–3 Kinjestad Peacocks
Newport Owls 3–6 Ruditown Dachshunds
Newport Owls 7–4 Ruditown Dachshunds
Sophie City Girls 2–4 Elephant Valley United
Sophie City Girls 8–4 Elephant Valley United

The Baselanders won their third game too, but went down in an absolutely insane game against the Homers after that. Meanwhile, the Rhinos lost two close games in the Dragon Island Arena, and the Lions took down the Peacocks to get both wins. After a third straight loss, the Girls managed to finally get back on track at least a little bit, at the expense of United. It was the second, argueably third game where Matteo Maxbar’s pitchers completely broke apart.

Matchday Three

Elephant Valley United 3–8 Southwestern Baselanders
Elephant Valley United 7–6 Southwestern Baselanders
Ruditown Dachshunds 5–2 Sophie City Girls
Ruditown Dachshunds 5–1 Sophie City Girls
Kinjestad Peacocks 1–3 Newport Owls
Kinjestad Peacocks 3–15 Newport Owls
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 5–6 Walstreim Lions
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 1–3 Walstreim Lions
Newport Dolphins 6–2 Masmow Dragons
Newport Dolphins 1–2 Masmow Dragons
Elephant Valley Homers 5–2 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox
Elephant Valley Homers 5–4 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox

The Baselanders got very, very close to going 5-1, but ultimately lost a crazy second game in the Southern Valley Arena. Maxbar’s pitchers still failed to do much of anything, but the batters saved them, pulling them out of a 3-6 hole in the 9th somehow. Meanwhile, the Owls absolutely assaulted the Peacocks on the Peacocks’ own field, putting up 15 runs. Even that was partly mercy; they lead 10-1 after just four innings. The Dolphins and the Dragons, the two teams considered the top favourites for the title, split their games, and the Dachshunds easily defeated the Girls in both games in what was a great season for them so far.

Matchday Four

Southwestern Baselanders 5–2 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox
Southwestern Baselanders 5–2 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox
Masmow Dragons 1–0 Elephant Valley Homers
Masmow Dragons 2–4 Elephant Valley Homers
Walstreim Lions 7–8 Newport Dolphins
Walstreim Lions 1–4 Newport Dolphins
Newport Owls 8–4 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Newport Owls 5–3 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Sophie City Girls 3–6 Kinjestad Peacocks
Sophie City Girls 16–3 Kinjestad Peacocks
Elephant Valley United 0–2 Ruditown Dachshunds
Elephant Valley United 5–6 Ruditown Dachshunds

The Baselanders improved to 6-2 with two identical wins against the Blue Sox, while the Dragons won a game over the Homers by the rare 1-0 scoreline. What makes this even more interesting was that the run was finally scored in inning 13. The Homers held the Dragons scoreless over twelve innings, and never managed just a single run, somehow. The Owls were still going very strong, taking both against the Rhinos in the Newport Sportsarena. That wasn’t the game of the day, though. Just days after losing to the Owls 3-15, the Peacocks got destroyed even harder. Their opponent, the Girls, had hardly ever done well this season, but their bats came very much alive, 16-3. That’s two runs per inning. The highlight was the 4th inning, which included 8 runs, putting a tied game to 10-2 all of a sudden. The Dachshunds continued doing well, putting United down. Michael Woof was very, very happy.

Matchday Five

Ruditown Dachshunds 1–5 Southwestern Baselanders
Ruditown Dachshunds 11–3 Southwestern Baselanders
Kinjestad Peacocks 2–3 Elephant Valley United
Kinjestad Peacocks 5–2 Elephant Valley United
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 4–3 Sophie City Girls
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 6–1 Sophie City Girls
Newport Dolphins 2–5 Newport Owls
Newport Dolphins 4–6 Newport Owls
Elephant Valley Homers 9–0 Walstreim Lions
Elephant Valley Homers 8–0 Walstreim Lions
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 10–6 Masmow Dragons
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 6–5 Masmow Dragons

Matchday five was the matchday of blowout wins. The Homers absolutely obliterated the Lions, winning 17-0 over two combined games, and the Dachshunds beat the Baselanders 11-3 in a single game. The Blue Sox surprisingly took down the Dragons in both games, including a 10-6 slugfest. Then, there was the Newport derby. It was the Dolphins versus the Owls, on the Dolphins’ home field. The Owls had never won both games in Dolphin Stadium for more than 10 seasons. It was finally time now, and the Owls cemented their sudden rise to the top of the rankings, a rise that no one had anticipated. Rick Shepherd was absolutely over the moon after the second, 4-6, defeat against the Dolphins.

Matchday Six

Southwestern Baselanders 2–8 Masmow Dragons
Southwestern Baselanders 1–7 Masmow Dragons
Walstreim Lions 3–6 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox
Walstreim Lions 9–3 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox
Newport Owls 3–1 Elephant Valley Homers
Newport Owls 2–6 Elephant Valley Homers
Sophie City Girls 3–2 Newport Dolphins
Sophie City Girls 1–8 Newport Dolphins
Elephant Valley United 7–4 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Elephant Valley United 1–0 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Ruditown Dachshunds 6–5 Kinjestad Peacocks
Ruditown Dachshunds 6–3 Kinjestad Peacocks

After the last matchday, it seemed like everyone would need some time to cool down, with less weird results. The Dragons absolutely obliterated the Baselanders, and United took down the Rhinos including a 1-0 scoreline, and that was about it. The Dachshunds kept at it with two wins over the Peacocks, who had been truly terrible so far. The last interesting match was Girls-Dolphins, with the Girls taking game one in the 9th, and the Dolphins subsequently exacting revenge in an 8-1 blowout.

Matchday Seven

Kinjestad Peacocks 13–6 Southwestern Baselanders
Kinjestad Peacocks 4–2 Southwestern Baselanders
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 3–5 Ruditown Dachshunds
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 7–2 Ruditown Dachshunds
Newport Dolphins 2–1 Elephant Valley United
Newport Dolphins 1–3 Elephant Valley United
Elephant Valley Homers 4–9 Sophie City Girls
Elephant Valley Homers 8–7 Sophie City Girls
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 5–14 Newport Owls
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 8–2 Newport Owls
Masmow Dragons 8–0 Walstreim Lions
Masmow Dragons 2–5 Walstreim Lions

We had enough time to cool down; it’s now time again for some weird results. We start with the derby between the Peacocks and the Baselanders. The Peacocks had homefield advantage, and finally got to win a slugfest of their own, and then a more quiet game too. The Dolphins traded quiet games with United, and the Rhinos and Dachshunds traded less quiet games, as did the Homers and the Girls. Then, there were the Blue Sox and the Owls. The Newport Owls won game one by the unbelievable scoreline of 14-5, only to lose game two 2-8, a truly unique combination. It was mostly blamed on the pitchers, but the batters of course held their part in this as well. The Owls had scored 5 homers in game one, only for the bats to go almost completely silent in the second one. The Dragons and the Lions did something very similar. After an 8-0 shutout, the Dragons proceeded to lose game two. Its unexplainable how two of the most interesting matchdays were right behind and ahead of one of the most boring ones, but that’s baseball.

Matchday Eight

Southwestern Baselanders 13–6 Walstreim Lions
Southwestern Baselanders 1–6 Walstreim Lions
Newport Owls 1–8 Masmow Dragons
Newport Owls 3–2 Masmow Dragons
Sophie City Girls 2–3 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox
Sophie City Girls 9–6 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox
Elephant Valley United 4–6 Elephant Valley Homers
Elephant Valley United 4–6 Elephant Valley Homers
Ruditown Dachshunds 3–2 Newport Dolphins
Ruditown Dachshunds 1–8 Newport Dolphins
Kinjestad Peacocks 4–5 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Kinjestad Peacocks 2–8 Ratzupalfu Rhinos

The teams seemingly decided they wanted even more ridiculous results. It was the matchday of the Elephant Valley derby, with United playing on their own home field. They lost both in nearly identical games with the same scoreline, and as United hates nothing more than losing to the Homers, this was the point of the first fans saying that Maxbar should resign. The Baselanders won the first game 13-6 against the Lions, with their bats seemingly on fire, only to be silenced in game two almost completely. The Owls had clearly lost game one against the Dragons, but struck back to win game two in the 9th from 0-2 down. The Dachshunds and the Dolphins did the exact opposite, with the Dachshunds barely getting away with game one only to be clearly defeated in the second one. And the Peacocks continued playing poorly, losing two against the Rhinos. Like Maxbar, Moses Saunders was also told he should resign. Neither of the coaches did just yet.

Matchday Nine

Ratzupalfu Rhinos 5–1 Southwestern Baselanders
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 8–3 Southwestern Baselanders
Newport Dolphins 6–5 Kinjestad Peacocks
Newport Dolphins 4–1 Kinjestad Peacocks
Elephant Valley Homers 2–3 Ruditown Dachshunds
Elephant Valley Homers 7–8 Ruditown Dachshunds
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 1–3 Elephant Valley United
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 9–5 Elephant Valley United
Masmow Dragons 5–1 Sophie City Girls
Masmow Dragons 4–1 Sophie City Girls
Walstreim Lions 13–6 Newport Owls
Walstreim Lions 5–9 Newport Owls

The Rhinos suddenly had a winning stretch, taking five games in a row at this point, at the expense of the Baselanders. Saunders almost lost his job here, following two more defeats against the Dolphins this time. And the Dachshunds, the team in yellow that no one saw really coming, proved why they are so good right now, sneaking away with two nice wins in the biggest Baseball Stadium of South Newlandia. Maxbar seemingly saved his job with a nice win at the Blue Sox, only to lose the second game after yet another pitcher breakdown. He remained in, for now. The Girls had a horrible matchday at the Dragons, going down easily, and the Lions and the Owls had the matchup of the matchday. The first matchup featured a 13-6 slugfest, a scoreline the league really seems to love, with the better end for the team in Red. The team in White rebounded to take game two in an equally exciting 9-5 scoreline. It was the wildest matchday the Walstreim Baseball Arena had seen in a long time.

Matchday Ten

Southwestern Baselanders 4–1 Newport Owls
Southwestern Baselanders 1–3 Newport Owls
Sophie City Girls 7–3 Walstreim Lions
Sophie City Girls 8–5 Walstreim Lions
Elephant Valley United 1–2 Masmow Dragons
Elephant Valley United 1–3 Masmow Dragons
Ruditown Dachshunds 1–2 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox
Ruditown Dachshunds 5–6 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox
Kinjestad Peacocks 4–5 Elephant Valley Homers
Kinjestad Peacocks 6–4 Elephant Valley Homers
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 2–5 Newport Dolphins
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 4–0 Newport Dolphins

The League needed a little bit time to cool down now. That’s not to say there weren’t interesting matchdays. The Dachshunds, who had dominated the league to this point, somehow dropped both of their home games against the Blue Sox. Despite the recent success, the Dachshund Stadium was almost completely empty. Maxbar was inches from losing his job following two more losses, and he survived only because those were against the Dragons, and the pitchers hadn’t collapsed in either of the games. The Girls, meanwhile, finally managed to get a statement win, over the Lions. They got clearly outclassed in a combined 15-8 for the Girls. Saunders was more or less saved by the second game, where the Peacocks managed to get a win over the team in green after dropping the first game late.

Matchday Eleven

Newport Dolphins 16–2 Southwestern Baselanders
Newport Dolphins 4–6 Southwestern Baselanders
Elephant Valley Homers 8–4 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Elephant Valley Homers 2–9 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 9–1 Kinjestad Peacocks
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 1–9 Kinjestad Peacocks
Masmow Dragons 2–5 Ruditown Dachshunds
Masmow Dragons 4–6 Ruditown Dachshunds
Walstreim Lions 5–2 Elephant Valley United
Walstreim Lions 7–5 Elephant Valley United
Newport Owls 8–6 Sophie City Girls
Newport Owls 1–7 Sophie City Girls

The last matchday before the regular season break is always a special one, and this one did not disappoint. The Dolphins completely demoslished the Baselanders in game one, by 16-2, the highest winning margin so far. They hit six homers in the process, and brought Bill Whitehouse to tears. And then the Baselanders got game two, somehow. They were, according to estimates, guaranteed to lose this one to, but they didn’t. The Blue Sox and the Peacocks traded blows in two 9-1 scorelines, with the second of these games once again saving Saunders’s job. The Dachshunds managed to beat the Dragons in Dragon Island Arena and stormed into the lead of the league. And Matteo Maxbar lost his job. He lost both games against the Lions, and that was it for him. An 8-14 record would not be tolerated any longer. There is no official replacement yet, but whoever it is, they have a lot of work to do.

That concludes the first half of the regular season, and it didn’t end without surprises. Here are the current standings.

P  Franchise                 Pld   W    L    RF   RA   RD Outcome
 1 Ruditown Dachshunds        22   15   7    97   82  +15 Postseason Semi-finals and regular season champion
 2 Newport Owls               22   14   8   120  106  +14 Postseason Semi-finals
 3 Newport Dolphins           22   13   9   101   65  +36 Postseason Quarterfinals
 4 Masmow Dragons             22   13   9    86   64  +22 Postseason Quarterfinals
 5 Elephant Valley Homers     22   12  10   102   89  +13 Postseason Quarterfinals
 6 Ratzupalfu Rhinos          22   11  11    94   78  +16 Postseason Quarterfinals
 7 Walstreim Lions            22   11  11    98  116  −18
 8 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox       22   10  12    99  113  −14
 9 Southwestern Baselanders   22   10  12    96  123  −27
10 Sophie City Girls          22    8  14   102  106   −4
11 Elephant Valley United     22    8  14    78  100  −22
12 Kinjestad Peacocks         22    7  15    88  119  −31

The Three D’s (Dragons, Dolphins, Dachshunds), the Homers and the Rhinos all aren’t huge surprises in the playoff picture. The Owls are for sure. We have to take a closer look here, and he start with Rick Shepherd. The newly appointed coach has done great work for the Owls, especially finding a few fantastic batters for his team. One of them is Gary Promises. The young Left Fielder has been dominating with 41 runs and 10 home runs, both figures almost unheard of. This helped propel the Owls to 120 total runs, far and away the most of the league so far. They have also just often showed up when they had to, securing 14 wins with a run differential of just +14. The Dragons and Dolphins did something different, as they relied on defense far more. Their pitchers allowed only 64 and 65 runs respectively, and the Dolphins got 101 runs of their own on top of it. Somehow, they only managed to get a 13-9 record with that, but if they continue like that, they will be postseason favourites. Defense wins championships, after all. The Dachshunds had always been a decent team, and they are even better than usual right now. A 15-7 record places them in first, yet they neither had a great offense nor a great defense, both are barely above average. Michael Woof just seemed to have been able to motivate his team in the crucial moments. If they don’t completely collapse in the second half, they should have no problem achiveving the postseason. On the other side of the table, we see three teams that are almost eliminated from the playoffs already. The Girls, United and the Peacocks are all at least three wins away, probably way too much at this point. Alise Rocha’s Girls had a very decent offense, outscoring teams like the Dolphins and finishing with the second-most runs. They didn’t have a completely terrible defense either, 106 runs allowed is less than any other team in the bottom half. Yet, they have an abysmal 8-14 record. Whether that was just bad luck, or symptom of something bigger, will probably only show later. The Girls were never a really great team, so Rocha’s job should be save for now, but that is not the case for the Peacocks and United. United has already fired Maxbar, with 78 runs nowhere near enough to keep his job. United being six wins away from their arch-rival, the Homers, really hurts the fans. Similarly, Peacocks fans hate being three away from the Baselanders, and the terrible -31 run differential and 7-15 record put Saunders very, very close to losing his job. He will need to pick some wins up really soon. Stay tuned for the second half of the season, and the postseason of course. Will the Owls and the Dachshunds keep up their fantastic seasons? Will the Girls finally record more wins? Will United’s new coach get them anywhere near competitive? Only time will tell.

by **South Newlandia** » Sat Aug 22, 2020 12:14 pm

ELEPHANT VALLEY SPORTS MAIL

South Newlandian Soccer League Matchdays 1-6 and first cup round

The second South Newlandian Soccer League (2SNSL)

The season started off with the surprising takeover of the formerly Elephant, now Kinetik Islanders. The energy brand from The Grearish Union landed a big coup there, and two Grearish national team players followed the money to join the Islanders. The age-old question of “Can money really score goals” would soon try to be answered. Would Kinetik turn a struggling side into a promotion candidate to potentially outdo some of the favourites? Only time will tell.

Matchday 1

Kinetik Islanders 0–0 Jagomir City
Town 0–1 Walstreim City FC
Newport United 7–3 FC Ineton
Masmow FC 1–1 Ratzupalfu FC
Lexen City Reds 1–0 Kinjestad SC
Northvalley Club 1–0 Trunkst CFT

One result jumps into the eye immediately, because it is responsible for two thirds of the scored goals of the match day. Newport United takes down the FC Ineton in probably one of the weirdest games of the year. United lead 3-0 early in the game, only for Ineton to somehow make a comeback and equalize just before half-time. After that, United was in firm control of the game again, scoring four more goals without big problems. The other games were way less spectacular, with the only notable results the 1-0 upsets of the Reds and Club against the KSC and Trunkst respectively. The Islanders proved to have stable defense, but lacked seriously good attacks, and the game against ended without scored goals. In the table, Ineton found themselves at the bottom despite the second-most scored goals, but also with half of all conceded goals across the league.

Matchday 2

Jagomir City 0–1 Trunkst CFT
Kinjestad SC 0–0 Northvalley Club
Ratzupalfu FC 2–1 Lexen City Reds
FC Ineton 1–2 Masmow FC
Walstreim City FC 2–0 Newport United
Kinetik Islanders 0–1 Town

This matchday lacked high results, but the results that were there were really interesting. Especially the fight between the CFC and United was much anticipated, with both teams being favourites to promote this season. The CFC shut out United to win 2-0 without any big problems. And Kinetik made complete fools out of themselves. There really is no excuse for losing to Town at home, even if the circumstances are unlucky. On the table, Walstreim is the only team with two wins, while the FC Ineton is in last without any points so far.

Matchday 3

Town 0–2 Jagomir City
Newport United 1–1 Kinetik Islanders
Masmow FC 1–0 Walstreim City FC
Lexen City Reds 0–1 FC Ineton
Northvalley Club 1–3 Ratzupalfu FC
Trunkst CFT 1–0 Kinjestad SC

Matchday three was another very interesting one. The Islanders finally seemed to play a bit better, holding United to a draw in an away game for them. Alexander Allman and Callum Frank, the two Grearish national team players, proved their worth on defense despite facing up against the so far best offense in the league. Meanwhile, Masmow FC got a surprise upset at home against the Walstreim City FC, which probably came really unexpected for both teams. That knocked the CFC away from first place, with Ratzupalfu FC now leading the league, with Masmow in second. Currently, the Islanders and the usually decent team from Kinjestad SC find themselves in the relegation spots, both of them still without a win.

Matchday 4

Jagomir City 0–0 Kinjestad SC
Ratzupalfu FC 3–0 Trunkst CFT
FC Ineton 3–0 Northvalley Club
Walstreim City FC 1–4 Lexen City Reds
Kinetik Islanders 1–0 Masmow FC
Town 2–0 Newport United

This matchday seemingly decided to make all the favourites shoot themselves in the foot. Kinjestad continued their bad run by boring everyone to a scoreless draw in Jagomir, and the CFC decided to completely fall apart. They got beaten up, at home, by the Reds, 1-4. That was an absolutely terrible game for the team, who have to really get back on their feet now after two straight losses. The Islanders decided that this was time to get a first win, beating the current second placed team Masmow and regaining dignity after the recent loss to Town on their home ground. No one had it worse than United, though. The self-proclaimed best team in the league got beaten by Town by two goals. One of the best offenses of the league failed to get a single goal. The only team in regular shape was the RFC, who beat Trunkst 3-0 on their home ground, keeping the lead. In second place is still Masmow, with only seven points in four games. They are followed by five teams with six points, with the Reds in third, Town in fourth, and the FC Ineton in fifth. To say that was strange would be an understatement. On the other side of the table, Kinjestad is still in last, while Northvalley Club is in eleventh despite getting four points, only three less than the team in second.

Matchday 5

Newport United 2–1 Jagomir City
Masmow FC 2–1 Town
Lexen City Reds 0–3 Kinetik Islanders
Northvalley Club 3–0 Walstreim City FC
Trunkst CFT 1–1 FC Ineton
Kinjestad SC 1–0 Ratzupalfu FC

We really couldn’t just get one reasonable match day, could we? The Islanders suddenly discover that scoring goals is something they can do, and promptly demolish the Reds in Lexen City. Northvalley Club somehow defeated the CFC; how now have to look at three straight defeats, truly a terrible phase for them. And the KSC, last after four matchdays, somehow defeated the former first placed team, the RFC, narrowing the league further. Right now, the RFC and Masmow are on the promotion places despite just ten points from five games. Jagomir City and the KSC are currently on the bottom two spots, despite having five points. The league is really, really close at the moment.

Matchday 6

Jagomir City 1–2 Ratzupalfu FC
FC Ineton 0–2 Kinjestad SC
Walstreim City FC 1–0 Trunkst CFT
Kinetik Islanders 2–0 Northvalley Club
Town 3–2 Lexen City Reds
Newport United 2–2 Masmow FC

Kinjestad get their second win in a row to make a decent step away from the bottom, and the CFC is back with a win as well, finally. The Islanders record their third straight win, continuing to do well, and even United gets a respectable draw against Masmow. Then, there are the Reds. They successfully blew a 2-0 lead against Town in the last 20 minutes. Maybe, we underestimated Town a little bit. They have now nine points from six, a very decent statistic.

Here is the current table of the 2SNSL, after six matches.

P  Season One Tier 2     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Ratzupalfu FC           6    4   1   1    11    5   +6    13 Promoted
 2 Kinetik Islanders       6    3   2   1     7    2   +5    11 Promoted
 3 Masmow FC               6    3   2   1     8    6   +2    11
 4 Town                    6    3   0   3     7    7    0     9
 5 Walstreim City FC       6    3   0   3     5    8   −3     9
 6 Newport United          6    2   2   2    12   11   +1     8
 7 Kinjestad SC            6    2   2   2     3    2   +1     8
 8 FC Ineton               6    2   1   3     9   12   −3     7
 9 Northvalley Club        6    2   1   3     5    8   −3     7
10 Trunkst CFT             6    2   1   3     3    6   −3     7
11 Lexen City Reds         6    2   0   4     8   10   −2     6 Relegated
12 Jagomir City            6    1   2   3     4    5   −1     5 Relegated

Ratzupalfu FC is leading the pack with a very strong start overall at 13 points. The Islanders proved to be a decent team too, and are in second right now despite their poor start. Behind them are the surprising teams from Masmow and Town, neither of which was expected in such a decent position. Walstreim and Newport didn’t quite catch a good start and are a bit stranded in the middle of the pack, certainly not what they had hoped for. Trunkst had it worse, they are looking only at the 10th place despite some hopes for promotion, and Jagomir and the Reds are in the bottom two places after just six games. With sixteen more games to play, everything still is possible, and in such a close league the tides can turn in just a few games.

The first South Newlandian Soccer League (SNSL)

Matchday 1

Kinjestad Soccer 0–3 Jecken Newport
Walstreim Lions 3–0 FC Rüsselsheim
Southwestern Islanders 2–0 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Ineton City 0–2 Ruditown Guards
Valley Wanderers 5–0 Elephant Town FC
Elephant Valley FC 3–3 Sophie City Royals

The very first match day is always one of the most important ones of each season, as every team will see if their strategies developed in the offseason work, and if the new players fit into the team well. Some teams were seemingly more successful than others. This seemingly worked well for Jecken Newport, who opened the season with a convincing 3-nothing win over Kinjestad. You could see the powerful team working together well in the Kinjestad Soccer Arena, as the team coached by Danny Edge, composed of Nepharim Tausig between the goalposts, Savojar Helman directing the defense, and the extremely successful midfield and attack, with South Newlandian national team players Green, Bishop and Cohen as well as Canning-Meagher from Kelssek, Johnson from TJUN-ia and Aga from Timuria. These “deadly six” showed in the very first game that they could play together, and goals by Aga, Bishop and Johnson easily bested the purple and blue. The Lions are another team their offseason worked well for. They have a similarly strong attack, with national team players Lancaster and McMora, the young, strong strikers from Squidroida (Hideo) and Eastfield Lodge (Dawood) as well as the Vdaran young star Tantalopoulos got off to a good start in their own arena, thanks to three quick and early goals, and Rüsselsheim never had a good answer. The Rhinos are one team things seemingly didn’t work out for yet, as they lost away at the Islanders by two. Trischuk didn’t look good between the goalposts, and neither did the TJUN-ian defender Umkala. The Guards got a relatively easy win over City, with Rigby looking good in the goal, and the Wanderers got the best start of the league with a 5-0 win over Town. Their rival, the EVFC, didn’t start as strong. At home in the Dome, they only got one point against the Royals, with the defensive side of goalkeeper Bossink from Ko-oren and the key defenders Schroeder and Meyer struggling. Nepharim Simon Bradden was the only really good player for the FC, scoring two of three goals and getting the assist for the third one. Interestingly, no team scored exactly one goal on the first day, something that hasn’t happened in about a dozen years.

Matchday 2

Jecken Newport 4–3 Sophie City Royals
Elephant Town FC 1–1 Elephant Valley FC
Ruditown Guards 1–0 Valley Wanderers
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 1–0 Ineton City
FC Rüsselsheim 0–2 Southwestern Islanders
Kinjestad Soccer 3–3 Walstreim Lions

The second match day was one of much closer games, but saw a lot of goals again. Jecken managed to overcome the Royals at home, but only by a single late goal. Tausig was a little bit unlucky in the goal, but the attackers made up for it by scoring four up front in just 20 minutes. It is about time we talk about Finnley Wallis, who scored 4 goals for the Royals up to this point, but didn’t get a reward today. The EVFC had to settle on a draw in the derby at Coast Stadium, not exactly what you want against an opponent that got rolled over on the last matchday. It was clear that the EVFC wasn’t where it could be, not yet. The Guards got away with a win against the Wanderers, with Rigby doing the bulk of the work in this one, and the Guards eventually scoring a late goal. The Rhinos finally got a win, too, but not in the way they had hoped for. Just 1-0 over City, but they took what they could get. The biggest surprise so far are the Islanders, who are coming in hot with six points from two games, thanks to another win, this time over struggling Rüsselsheim. And the Lions and Kinjestad drew in their meeting, with the defensive showing some weak spots, but the offense being as strong as ever. On this day, the 1-1 equalizer scored by Lambros Tantalopoulos put the young Vdaran into the record books as the youngest player to ever score a goal in the SNSL, too. After two matchdays, the Islanders, the Guards and Jecken are leading the pack with 2 wins, while Rüsselsheim and City are sitting on zero points and on the relegation spots.

Matchday 3

Walstreim Lions 0–1 Jecken Newport
Southwestern Islanders 2–1 Kinjestad Soccer
Ineton City 2–0 FC Rüsselsheim
Valley Wanderers 0–1 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Elephant Valley FC 2–1 Ruditown Guards
Sophie City Royals 0–1 Elephant Town FC

Matchday three featured what is commonly called “a big six” in South Newlandia: An encounter between two from Jecken, EVFC, Lions and Rhinos. This first one of these featured Newport at the Lions, and the Lions’ offense could never get past Tausig. A late goal for Aga gave Jecken their third straight win, and in an important game as well. The Islanders also got win number three, over Kinjestad this time. Maybe they were just underestimated again, but they are tied for first at the moment. In the duel of the two teams without points so far, City took all three at home against Rüsselsheim. It was clear that Roger Whald, the coach, would have to figure something out. At this rate, they would be in 2SNSL by next year, and they want to avoid that. The Rhinos got another narrow win, with their defense coming together, while the Wanderers drop to 8th despite a +3 goal differential. And the EVFC finally got their first win, at home in the Dome over the Guards. Once again, Simon Bradden had a big part in it, but the defense was finally playing better, too. The Royals lost out at home to Town, and that prompted the first calls for O’Petla to resign. After three games, the Islanders and Jecken are leading the league with nine points, while Kinjestad and Rüsselsheim are in the relegation zone.

Matchday 4

Jecken Newport 0–2 Elephant Town FC
Ruditown Guards 0–0 Sophie City Royals
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 0–0 Elephant Valley FC
FC Rüsselsheim 1–0 Valley Wanderers
Kinjestad Soccer 2–1 Ineton City
Walstreim Lions 3–0 Southwestern Islanders

Such a divided league clearly couldn’t last. When Newport thought fielding some younger players at home against Town, they clearly were wrong. Two goals of national team player McCabe and no answer in the Jecken Stadium made the frontrunners stumble. The Guards and the Royals had a scoreless tie, and the “big six” matchup between the Rhinos and the EVFC ended in a very boring scoreless draw as well. Rüsselsheim got their first points, getting a win at home against the Wanderers, who are now at three points with a +2 run differential, and Kinjestad got away from the bottom as well, thanks to a win over City at home. The Lions were at their usual strength and easily dispatched the Islanders in front of their own fans, with the star offense working some magic again. After four match days, it is still Jecken and the Islanders in the lead with nine points each, despite both teams losing the last game, and Rüsselsheim and the Royals are sitting in the relegation zone.

Matchday 5

Southwestern Islanders 1–4 Jecken Newport
Ineton City 1–2 Walstreim Lions
Valley Wanderers 0–3 Kinjestad Soccer
Elephant Valley FC 0–1 FC Rüsselsheim
Sophie City Royals 1–0 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Elephant Town FC 1–1 Ruditown Guards

The Islanders finally faced a good team, and instantly got clobbered by Newport. Not much more to say here, McCabe can’t work his magic alone against good teams, Tausig prevented that. The Lions got yet another win, even if this one wasn’t as convincing as the last ones. The defense still isn’t working perfectly, improvements may be necessary here soon. Kinjestad kept winning, and the Wanderers kept losing. The attacking duo of Kinjestad, Michael Glossman and Yuri Nowak from Zeta Reka and Hügeltadom, finally worked well together to get a nice 3-nothing win. The EVFC got only the first defeat of season, but losing at home against Rüsselsheim isn’t something they wanted to do. The EVFC wasn’t the only team to get embarrassed like that, as the Rhinos lost away at the Royals. Trischuk played a very good game, but Wallis put one in the net at the end, and the Rhinos just didn’t get much going on offense. Aaron Murphy from The Grearish Union looked lost at times, he can’t do much on his own against a good defense. The Guards and Town split the points for eight out of five for both teams; which they’ll both be happy with. After five matchdays, Jecken is holding the lead with twelve points, and the Lions are in second with 10. On the bottom sit the Wanderers and City with only three points each.

Matchday 6

Jecken Newport 0–1 Ruditown Guards
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 3–1 Elephant Town FC
FC Rüsselsheim 0–3 Sophie City Royals
Kinjestad Soccer 1–1 Elephant Valley FC
Walstreim Lions 0–1 Valley Wanderers
Southwestern Islanders 0–1 Ineton City

The last matchday before the first cup round is always important too, you shouldn’t waste your good players too much ahead of the games. Ahead of the cup derby with United, Jecken sat some of their good players out, and once again, it backfired. The Guards stood strong on defense and got a crucial goal in, jumping to 11 points after just six games. The Rhinos dispatched Town in what was finally a convincing win, with Murphy claiming a hat-trick for himself. The Royals got themselves a convincing win too, with their star being Wallis, and Rüsselsheim receiving no mercy. The EVFC stumbled yet again, this time away at Kinjestad, in their worst start to a season in fifteen years, and the Lions dropped a fantastic chance as well, somehow losing to the Wanderers. City also made a jump, giving the Islanders their third straight defeat after they had started so well with three early wins. Because of that, the standings are really close at the moment, with the top and bottom only separated by seven points. Here are the standings after six played games:

P  Season One Tier One     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Jecken Newport            6    4   0   2    12    7   +5    12 Champions League
 2 Ruditown Guards           6    3   2   1     6    3   +3    11 Challengers Cup
 3 Walstreim Lions           6    3   1   2    11    6   +5    10 Challengers Cup
 4 Ratzupalfu Rhinos         6    3   1   2     5    4   +1    10 Challengers Cup
 5 Southwestern Islanders    6    3   0   3     7    9   −2     9
 6 Sophie City Royals        6    2   2   2    10    8   +2     8
 7 Kinjestad Soccer          6    2   2   2    10   10    0     8
 8 Elephant Town FC          6    2   2   2     6   10   −4     8
 9 Elephant Valley FC        6    1   4   1     7    7    0     7
10 Valley Wanderers          6    2   0   4     6    6    0     6
11 Ineton City               6    2   0   4     5    7   −2     6 Relegated
12 FC Rüsselsheim            6    2   0   4     2   10   −8     6 Relegated

The teams at the top are no big surprise, with Jecken Newport in the lead, and the Guards, the Lions and the Rhinos in the other IFCF spots. The EVFC is notably absent, as they are sitting with only one win, the fewest in the league, in ninth place. The bottom three teams are all tied at six points, featuring the Wanderers, City and Rüsselsheim at the bottom. There are still sixteen games to play, and in such a close league, things can change very fast, nothing is set in stone here just yet. Newport had the best offense so far, which isn’t a surprise, and the Guards conceded the fewest goals, not a surprise either. On the other side, Rüsselsheim only scoring two goals was unexpected, and there are three teams tied for most conceded goals. The Islanders were the biggest surprise so far, with three wins already, sitting in 5th place.

The first round of the South Newlandian Soccer Cup

Jagomir City 0–0 Sophie City Royals (0–0 AET) (2–3 pen.)
Kinetik Islanders 1–4 Ineton City
Town 0–0 Walstreim Lions (0–1 AET)
Ineton City II 1–5 FC Ineton

AC Rüsselsheim 0–3 Southwestern Islanders
FC Bobtown 1–6 Valley Wanderers
FC Rüsselsheim II 0–6 Masmow FC
Jecken Newport II 0–3 Kinjestad Soccer


Northvalley Club 0–2 Elephant Valley FC
Walstreim City FC 1–0 Trunkst CFT
Newport United 1–1 Jecken Newport (1–2 AET)
AFC Newport 0–4 FC Rüsselsheim

Ratzupalfu FC 1–1 Kinjestad SC (2–2 AET) (2–3 pen.)
Walstreim Lions II 0–3 Elephant Town FC
Lexen City Reds 0–3 Ruditown Guards
EV Workerclub 0–2 Ratzupalfu Rhinos

Well, that was a major disappointment. 14 games between teams from different leagues, and every single one of them is taken by the team from the higher league. But if we take a closer look, there were some interesting games in there. The Royals needed penalties against Jagomir City, as not one goal was scored before that, but Finnley Wallis sunk the deciding penalty to get a 3-2 win for the Royals. The Lions struggled at Town, and couldn’t score a single goal before extra time, but Hideo eventually put one in to give the Lions a very hard-fought victory. Oh, who was the team with the biggest win? None of the big four, not even a time from the top league, it was Masmow FC at the reserves of the FC Rüsselsheim with a very convincing 6-0 clobbering. Kinetik made an early exit after a big defeat, but you could argue that they get to focus on the league now, and the duel between the RFC and the KSC went to penalties as well in a game with four goals, eventually won by the KSC, who had been in the lead twice already. Twelve teams from the top tier advanced, and four from the second league: Masmow, Kinjestad SC, the WCFC, and the FC Ineton; all of these four were guaranteed home games for Round two in an otherwise unrestricted draw. Let’s see what that draw got us:

Ineton City vs. Walstreim Lions
FC Ineton vs. Kinjestad Soccer
Ratzupalfu Rhinos vs. Sophie City Royals
Elephant Valley FC vs. Jecken Newport
			
Kinjestad SC vs. Valley Wanderers
Walstreim City FC vs. Elephant Town FC
Southwestern Islanders vs. Ruditown Guards
Masmow FC vs. FC Rüsselsheim

The four potentially easier games at the second flight teams were drawn for Kinjestad, the Wanderers, Elephant Town and Rüsselsheim, four teams we don’t always see in the Quarterfinals, and none from the big four. The Lions have to go to City, and the Rhinos get to play at home against the Royals, arguably an easy draw. The best matchup once again involves Newport, who will visit the EVFC in a big duel; only one of the two favourites will be in the last eight. The Islanders against the Guards completes the list of the eight games in round two.

The next edition will be including match days 7-11, as well as the second cup round. Stay tuned!

by **South Newlandia** » Tue Aug 25, 2020 2:25 pm

ELEPHANT VALLEY SPORTS MAIL

South Newlandian Chess League Matchdays 1-7 recap

The Chess League isn’t large when it comes to absolute followers, but for Chess, the South Newlandian League is quite heavily followed. Lots of people in South Newlandia play Chess for one of the teams, and everyone is excited to see who wins and who has to be relegated. This year, the Chess Wirards were perceived as the big favourites, while people expected the race to 7th to be between Hymade and the Pawns.

Matchday 1

Kinjestad Knights 4-4 Newport Rooks
Masmow Chess Wizards 6-2 Walstreim Lions
Elephant Valley Chess 6-2 CT Hymade
Sophie City Queens 4-4 Ineton Pawns

The first match-day featured an early set-back for the Rooks, who couldn’t beat the Knights after the player on board five found a nice trick to win his almost losing game to tie the match at four. The Queens also didn’t get what they wanted, only drawing against the Pawns, while the Wizards and EVC got the expected wins.

Matchday 2

Newport Rooks 6-2 Ineton Pawns
CT Hymade 4-4 Sophie City Queens
Walstreim Lions 2.5-5.5 Elephant Valley Chess
Kinjestad Kinghts 2.5-5.5 Masmow Chess Wizards

The Rooks bounce right back to stay in the picture, getting the highest win of the day, and the Queens struggle once again as Hymade manages to sneak away with a first point. Once again, EVC and the Wizards got basically uncontested wins.

Matchday 3

Masmow Chess Wizards 5-3 Newport Rooks
Elephant Valley Chess 4-4 Kinjestad Knights
Sophie City Queens 6-2 Walstreim Lions
Ineton Pawns 2.5-5.5 CT Hymade

This day was a really important one. The Wizards finally found some resistance, but in the end, they defeated the Rooks thanks to a very strong performance on the top boards. Masmow really brought some heavy-hitters into the league. EVC found some unexpected resistance from the Knights, who had only one point so far, and huge fighting spirit on the bottom boards gave the team from Kinjestad their second point. At this point it looked like they should cruise to the middle of the standings over the entire season, having drawn two favourites, only falling to the Wizards. The Queens absolutely obliterated the Lions, who can basically forget about a good position now already. And the Pawns faced Hymade in a battle thought to be extremely important for the fight against relegation. It ended up with an easy win for the visiting team, with Hymade sitting on a fairly decent start now.

Matchday 4

Newport Rooks 3.5-4.5 CT Hymade
Walstreim Lions 5.5-2.5Ineton Pawns
Kinjestad Knights 2.5-5.5 Sophie City Queens
Masmow Chess Wizards 4.5-3.5 Elephant Valley Chess

Yet another important match day featured lots of close and important games. The Rooks thought to have an easy game against Hymade, but it all came differently. With the game tied at 3.5-3.5, the last remaining Rook pressed a drawn game too far, blundered, and dropped the match to give Hymade their best start in history. The Lions demolished the pawns, the Queens too out the Knights, and then there was the matchup between the two title favourites, the Wizards and EVC. Despite falling behind early, EVC held on and fought, but wins on the top three boards gave the Wizards yet another win. They were now three points ahead of the competition already, thanks to four straight wins.

Matchday 5

Elephant Valley Chess 3.5-4.5 Newport Rooks
Sophie City Queens 2.5-5.5 Masmow Chess Wizards
Ineton Pawns 4.5-3.5 Kinjestad Knights
CT Hymade 2.5-5.5 Walstreim Lions

The Rooks, after they struggled through the first matchdays, had an awesome day to take down EVC in a great upset win. Meanwhile, the Knights lost against the Pawns and suddenly found themselves on the bottom of the league. The Wizards and the Lions got their expected wins, the Wizards now almost too far gone to not win it all at the end.

Matchday 6

Newport Rooks 5.5-2.5 Walstreim Lions
Kinjestad Knights 3.5-4.5 CT Hymade
Masmow Chess Wizards 4.5-3.5 Ineton Pawns
Elephant Valley Chess 5.5-2.5 Sophie City Queens

With a few missing players due to illness, the Wizards actually ran into problems against the Pawns, but ultimately got them thanks to the lower boards, with some young talents playing their first ever games. The Knights, in desperate need for a win, also tried one to many shiny moves against Hymade, losing to the second relegation candidate as well and pushing Hymade into great position. Meanwhile, the Rooks got another in, the problems they had so far seem to be overcome. EVC was back on the road with a nice win over the Queens as well.

Matchday 7

Sophie City Queens 2-6 Newport Rooks
Ineton Pawns 1.5-6.5 Elephant Valley Chess
CT Hymade 2.5-5.5 Masmow Chess Wizards
Walstreim Lions 4-4 Kinjestad Knights

The Rooks obliterated the Queens on the last matchday, but EVC dished out the biggest defeat so far over the Pawns, who couldn’t win a single board that day. Comapred to those, the Wizards easily taking out Hymade was a close game. The real action happened between Kinjestad and Walstreim, however, as the sides traded blows with six decisive boards to ultimately tie the match, at least getting the Knights away from last place.
(Congrats, you actually read this. Or at least clicked the spoiler. You will be granted the following information: In my last chess post, I will present a few chess problems from the games in the league. Thanks for your time)

That sums up the first half of Chess in South Newlandia, and the standings contain a few surprises. Here are they.

P Team                      Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Masmow Chess Wizards     7    7   0   0    36.5   19.5  +17    14 Champions
2 Elephant Valley Chess    7    4   1   2    34.5   21.5  +13     9
3 Newport Rooks            7    4   1   2    32.5   23.5  +9      9
4 CT Hymade                7    3   1   3    25.5   30.5  −5      7
5 Sophie City Queens       7    2   2   3    26.5   29.5  −3      6
6 Walstreim Lions          7    2   1   4    24     32    −8      5
7 Kinjestad Knights        7    0   3   4    24     32    −8      3
8 Ineton Pawns             7    1   1   5    20.5   35.5  −15     3 Relegated

As you can see, the Wizards are running away with the league. After seven straight wins, they are already five points ahead of everyone else. EVC and the Rooks are the nearest compatitors, but the real surprise was Hymade. After the first half, they find themselves in 4th place, four points ahead of the last place, with an even record. It has been a very good season so far, and barring a complete collapse, they should be saved from relegation. On the very bottom, we find the winless Kinights and the Pawns, who both will have to step up their game to stay in the league.

by **South Newlandia** » Wed Aug 26, 2020 12:27 pm

ELEPHANT VALLEY SPORTS MAIL

South Newlandian Baseball League Matchdays 12-21 recap

In the regular season break, Elephant Valley United had to solve the problem following the firing of their coach. They did so by taking a major risk, acquiring the 45-year-old Raymond McFadden from Tikariot to coach for at least the rest of the season. He would be the first non-South Newlandian coach in the SNBL, and he would have a hard task ahead of himself: Fixing a broken United squad in what was an all-new environment for him. He wasn’t the only coach under pressure. The Kinjestad Peacocks had an awful start to their season, and Moses Saunders will have to try and turn things around soon.

Matchday 12

Southwestern Baselanders 2–5 Sophie City Girls
Southwestern Baselanders 2–0 Sophie City Girls
Newport Owls 9–3 Elephant Valley United
Newport Owls 2–1 Elephant Valley United
Walstreim Lions 4–2 Ruditown Dachshunds
Walstreim Lions 4–7 Ruditown Dachshunds
Masmow Dragons 9–3 Kinjestad Peacocks
Masmow Dragons 5–6 Kinjestad Peacocks
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 3–4 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 4–2 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Elephant Valley Homers 0–2 Newport Dolphins
Elephant Valley Homers 4–15 Newport Dolphins

McFadden didn’t exactly catch a good start. Two losses at the hand of the Owls isnt what he wanted to do, but at least the second game was close. The Homers had it worse, losing to the Dolphins in Elephant Stadium first by a shutout, and then by a 10-run third inning. Another interesting matchup saw the Dragons and the Peacocks split their games, as the Dragons failed to score on demand in inning nine of the second game, giving Saunders some hope.

Matchday 13

Elephant Valley Homers 5–1 Southwestern Baselanders
Elephant Valley Homers 0–2 Southwestern Baselanders
Newport Dolphins 5–6 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox
Newport Dolphins 3–4 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 7–5 Masmow Dragons
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 14–1 Masmow Dragons
Kinjestad Peacocks 0–4 Walstreim Lions
Kinjestad Peacocks 5–3 Walstreim Lions
Ruditown Dachshunds 1–3 Newport Owls
Ruditown Dachshunds 6–7 Newport Owls
Elephant Valley United 7–8 Sophie City Girls
Elephant Valley United 6–1 Sophie City Girls

The Dolphins blew their decent start from the matches at the Homers, and lost both matches at home against the Blue Sox, a loss that really hurt their good position. The Rhinos absolutely obliterated the Dragons in the second game to take them both, and both Saunders and McFadden managed to take at least one win. The Owls kept cruising thanks to two wins at the Dachshunds, turning losing games twice to get a 4-0 start to the second half.

Matchday 14

Southwestern Baselanders 0–9 Elephant Valley United
Southwestern Baselanders 0–10 Elephant Valley United
Sophie City Girls 6–2 Ruditown Dachshunds
Sophie City Girls 2–4 Ruditown Dachshunds
Newport Owls 2–1 Kinjestad Peacocks
Newport Owls 0–6 Kinjestad Peacocks
Walstreim Lions 2–4 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Walstreim Lions 6–4 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Masmow Dragons 6–10 Newport Dolphins
Masmow Dragons 3–4 Newport Dolphins
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 1–7 Elephant Valley Homers
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 1–5 Elephant Valley Homers

After starting 1-3, McFadden’s United took their frustration out on the poor Baselanders to deliver one of the biggest victories of the season. A combined scoreline of 19-0 was a crushing and very important day for United, who finally picked up another double win. McFadden was visibly happy; his trip to South Newlandia had been successful. The Owls ended their good start after a terrible 0-6 at home against the Peacocks, once again granting Saunders an extension on his job, and the Dragons continued their struggle by losing both at home to the Dolphins. The Homers are back to good results, easily putting Rüsselsheim down at the Blue Sox Stadium.

Matchday 15

Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 0–7 Southwestern Baselanders
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 5–4 Southwestern Baselanders
Elephant Valley Homers 2–8 Masmow Dragons
Elephant Valley Homers 4–3 Masmow Dragons
Newport Dolphins 1–8 Walstreim Lions
Newport Dolphins 1–2 Walstreim Lions
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 0–6 Newport Owls
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 9–3 Newport Owls
Kinjestad Peacocks 2–3 Sophie City Girls
Kinjestad Peacocks 4–2 Sophie City Girls
Ruditown Dachshunds 8–0 Elephant Valley United
Ruditown Dachshunds 5–3 Elephant Valley United

The Dolphins just can’t decide what they want to do. After winning to at the Homers, losing two to the Blue Sox, and winning both at the Dragons, they now lose both against the Lions, who have started quite well now. The Homers and Dragons and Rhinos and Owls each trade blows. The most important story of the day are United, however. McFadden lost two of his best batters and a pitcher to injuries, all between the two matches. The two batters had combined for three homers and six hits in the prior wins against the Baselanders, and proceeded to get shut out in game one at the Dachshunds, then losing game two. There is only so much a coach can do.

Matchday 16

Southwestern Baselanders 7–1 Ruditown Dachshunds
Southwestern Baselanders 8–6 Ruditown Dachshunds
Elephant Valley United 5–4 Kinjestad Peacocks
Elephant Valley United 4–7 Kinjestad Peacocks
Sophie City Girls 6–2 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Sophie City Girls 4–1 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Newport Owls 3–4 Newport Dolphins
Newport Owls 4–7 Newport Dolphins
Walstreim Lions 7–2 Elephant Valley Homers
Walstreim Lions 2–5 Elephant Valley Homers
Masmow Dragons 2–4 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox
Masmow Dragons 4–5 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox

Another day, another match day with struggling favourites. The Rhinos suddenly drop both to the Girls at Sophie City Base-Bowl, and the Dragons lose both at home against the Blue Sox. Meanwhile, the Dolphins take both in the derby at the Owls, successfully avenging the double loss from match day 5. Saunders and McFadden met in Elephant Valley, and both took a game, enough for both to keep their jobs at least. And the Dachshunds, who had such a good start to their season, drop both games to the Baselanders, continuing to spoil the great start they had.

Matchday 17

Masmow Dragons 10–2 Southwestern Baselanders
Masmow Dragons 6–7 Southwestern Baselanders
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 0–4 Walstreim Lions
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 4–5 Walstreim Lions
Elephant Valley Homers 4–1 Newport Owls
Elephant Valley Homers 8–4 Newport Owls
Newport Dolphins 2–6 Sophie City Girls
Newport Dolphins 1–2 Sophie City Girls
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 5–0 Elephant Valley United
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 5–4 Elephant Valley United
Kinjestad Peacocks 1–3 Ruditown Dachshunds
Kinjestad Peacocks 0–4 Ruditown Dachshunds

The Dolphins can’t win at home to save their lives. They are 0-6 in the last three attempts at home, but 6-0 away in the last three. That’s really strange, as the Dolphins normally rely on their fans at least a bit, but against the Girls, the team once again failed to do much, and the Dolphin Stadium is yet to see a win. The Rhinos take down the injury-weakend United down for both, and the Homers return to decent baseball by kicking the Owls out of Elephant Stadium. The Lions take two important wins, furthering their very strong second half, and following two losses at home against the Dachshunds, Moses Saunders was kicked to the curb. His assistant took over for now, but that wasn’t supposed to be a permanent solution.

Matchday 18

Southwestern Baselanders 6–3 Kinjestad Peacocks
Southwestern Baselanders 5–2 Kinjestad Peacocks
Ruditown Dachshunds 6–3 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Ruditown Dachshunds 5–1 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Elephant Valley United 3–4 Newport Dolphins
Elephant Valley United 2–3 Newport Dolphins
Sophie City Girls 6–8 Elephant Valley Homers
Sophie City Girls 2–4 Elephant Valley Homers
Newport Owls 7–5 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox
Newport Owls 4–2 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox
Walstreim Lions 8–4 Masmow Dragons
Walstreim Lions 5–4 Masmow Dragons

Firing their coach ahead of the derby with the Baselanders hasn’t gone too well for the Peacocks, as their team loses both at the Baselanders. The Dachshunds take some imßportant wins from the Rhinos, and the Homers stay up with two wins over the Girls. The Owls and the Lions also collect double-wins, while the Dragons continue to gamble away their playoff spot. The Dolphins collected the 8-0 for away games at United, even though the team of the Tikariotian coach put up a good fight. It is very rare for 6 double wins to happen all on the same day, so that was important as well.

Matchday 19

Walstreim Lions 11–0 Southwestern Baselanders
Walstreim Lions 4–1 Southwestern Baselanders
Masmow Dragons 7–2 Newport Owls
Masmow Dragons 1–3 Newport Owls
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 8–5 Sophie City Girls
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 2–3 Sophie City Girls
Elephant Valley Homers 12–0 Elephant Valley United
Elephant Valley Homers 2–7 Elephant Valley United
Newport Dolphins 4–8 Ruditown Dachshunds
Newport Dolphins 4–3 Ruditown Dachshunds
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 7–5 Kinjestad Peacocks
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 0–1 Kinjestad Peacocks

The Dolphins celebrate a home win in the second half, and it only took them eight attempts. The Lions continue being good at stuff, taking down the Baselanders in both, while the other encounters all split their games. The Dragons once again don’t get two, losing the second to the Owls, and the new Peacocks’ new coach, Matteo Maxbar (yes, the one that got fired at United) gets a first win for himself in a 1-0 scoreline against the Rhinos. The most interesting match, however, was the Elephant Valley derby. McFadden’s team, still weakened by injuries, had to visit the Elephant Stadium, and they got absolutely torched 12-0 in game one. But in game two, they managed to pull off a slightly lucky, but much deserved win. Still, they were thoroughly out of playoff contention at this point.

Matchday 20

Southwestern Baselanders 4–6 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Southwestern Baselanders 10–7 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Kinjestad Peacocks 4–2 Newport Dolphins
Kinjestad Peacocks 2–3 Newport Dolphins
Ruditown Dachshunds 2–1 Elephant Valley Homers
Ruditown Dachshunds 4–7 Elephant Valley Homers
Elephant Valley United 4–9 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox
Elephant Valley United 10–5 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox
Sophie City Girls 4–6 Masmow Dragons
Sophie City Girls 0–7 Masmow Dragons
Newport Owls 2–5 Walstreim Lions
Newport Owls 7–1 Walstreim Lions

The Dragons, who suddenly found themselves at 17-21 with just six games to go, had to make a move. And they did, taking out the Girls to inch closer to the playoffs again. The Lions and the Owls split some clear games in their top encounter, and so do Dachshunds and Homers. The Peacocks surprisingly take one away from the Dolphins, and the Baselanders and the Rhinos just harm each other, although the 10-7 slugfest was awesome.

Matchday 21

Newport Owls 5–7 Southwestern Baselanders
Newport Owls 2–4 Southwestern Baselanders
Walstreim Lions 5–1 Sophie City Girls
Walstreim Lions 6–0 Sophie City Girls
Masmow Dragons 5–4 Elephant Valley United
Masmow Dragons 4–2 Elephant Valley United
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 5–4 Ruditown Dachshunds
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 6–5 Ruditown Dachshunds
Elephant Valley Homers 5–1 Kinjestad Peacocks
Elephant Valley Homers 8–1 Kinjestad Peacocks
Newport Dolphins 3–7 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Newport Dolphins 1–3 [b]Ratzupalfu Rhinos[/b]

Just four games to go, we enter the crunch time of the season. This is the time to prove you are worthy to go to the playoffs. The Owls didn’t do that, instead dropping both games to the Baselanders in Newport Sportsarena, keeping the Baselanders in contention. The Lions definitely ended every chance the Girls could make it while securing participation for themselves. TheDragons evened out the record against a slightly scared United, still with injury problems. The Blue Sox played spoiler for the Dachshunds, and keep theretical chnaces for themselves as well, winning by coming from behind in the ninth not once, but twice. The Homers absolutely obliterated the poor Peacocks, who are close to giving Maxbar the boot too, now, and the Rhinos kept themselves in by taking down the Dolphins, who are now 1-9 at home in the second half.

That leaves only two more matchdays to come, and the situation could hardly be more exciting. Here is the current table, after 42 games.

P Franchise                  Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
 1 Walstreim Lions            42   26  16   194  170  +24 Postseason Semifinals
 2 Elephant Valley Homers     42   25  17   195  159  +36 Postseason Semifinals
 3 Ruditown Dachshunds        42   25  17   183  158  +25 Postseason Quarterfinals
 4 Newport Owls               42   24  18   196  188   +8 Postseason Quarterfinals
 5 Newport Dolphins           42   23  19   180  145  +35 Postseason Quarterfinals
 6 Ratzupalfu Rhinos          42   22  20   185  157  +28 Postseason Quarterfinals
 7 Masmow Dragons             42   21  21   186  160  +26
 8 Southwestern Baselanders   42   21  21   175  220  −45
 9 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox       42   20  22   178  207  −29
10 Sophie City Girls          42   17  25   168  187  −19
11 Elephant Valley United     42   14  28   162  198  −36
12 Kinjestad Peacocks         42   14  28   146  199  −53

The league is about as open as it could be, but four franchises have already secured their playoff spots, and these will be fighting over the two top spots and the regular season crown. Four more teams still have a chance to reach the playoffs; two of them will. The last four teams will definitely watch the offseason at home. The last group is made up of the Peacocks and United, who each had horrible seasons, and the Girls, who had a slightly less horrible season. The Blue Sox are in that part too, even though they still have theoretical chances, but it would require them to catch up a run differential of almost 60, which we can file under “unlikely”. In the second group, we find the Dolphins and the Rhinos, each still controlling their own destiny, and the Dragons and the Baselanders who have to hope for some kind of slip-up aside from winning both of their games. Then, there are the four teams that have already qualified for the postseason. Two of those will enter the postseason only for the Semi-finals. First of all, there are the Walstreim Lions, the team in Red coached by Diego Lowe, who are the favourites to take the top seed with their 26-16 season so far. The Elephant Valley Homers, the team in green coached by Jack Kingsman, and the Ruditown Dachshunds, in yellow coached by Michael Woof, each have 25-17 records, but with a lead in run differential, the Homers have slightly better chances to make it in. The fourth team is the surprise team of the year, the Owls. The team in white coached by Rick Shepard has a 24-18 record and will definitely be in the playoffs, but they will need help to catch a top two seeds; bringing us to the matchups of the last day. Here they are.

Newport Dolphins @ Southwestern Baselanders
Elephant Valley Homers @ Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Rüsselsheim Blue Sox @ Kinjestad Peacocks
Masmow Dragons @ Ruditown Dachshunds
Walstreim Lions @ Elephant Valley United
Newport Owls @ Sophie City Girls

The Dolphins and the Baselanders are two teams that kept themselves some chances. One win for the Dolphins gets them into the postseason, while the Baselanders need to win two to have a chance get in. That matchup near Kinjestad may be the most important games.
The playoff-bound Homers will visit the Rhinos, who can secure their spot with two wins, while the Homers can secure a top-two seed with two wins. This is another very important one.
The Blue Sox and the Peacocks is a duel of two teams with nothing left to play for except bragging rights.
The Dachshunds, who need two wins to have a good chance to get a top two seed, will host the Dragons, who likely need two wins themselves to reach the playoffs at all. That’s a matchup of two baseball powerhouses that will be also very important.
The Lions, who probably will a top two seed with just one win, have a relatively easy matchup at United, who are already eliminated. They should be able to get through there.
The last matchup sees the Owls, who are playoff bound already, visit the Girls, who are eliminated. After the Peacocks-Blue Sox matchup, this one is the second-least important. A top two seed seems very unlikely for the Owls because of their run differential.

by **South Newlandia** » Sat Aug 29, 2020 11:04 am

ELEPHANT VALLEY SPORTS MAIL

South Newlandian Soccer League Matchdays 7-11 and second cup round

The second South Newlandian Soccer League

Matchday 7

Masmow FC 2–1 Jagomir City
Lexen City Reds 1–5 Newport United
Northvalley Club 1–1 Town
Trunkst CFT 0–1 Kinetik Islanders
Kinjestad SC 0–1 Walstreim City FC
Ratzupalfu FC 3–5 FC Ineton

After their strong start, the RFC missed out on another three points despite an early 2-0 lead against the FCI, mostly because their defense just doesn’t get it together. The CFC managed to win away at the KSC, who really didn’t get the season they wanted, and Kinetik managed to get a nice away win over the usually strong CFT. The Reds, meanwhile, got absolutely outclassed by United, who finally start to have the decent season they wanted so much. On the top of the table, we see the Kinetik Islanders and Masmow FC tied with fourteen points each, while the Reds and City are on the bottom with six and five points respectively.

Matchday 8

Jagomir City 3–1 FC Ineton
Walstreim City FC 1–6 Ratzupalfu FC
Kinetik Islanders 1–0 Kinjestad SC
Town 1–0 Trunkst CFT
Newport United 0–0 Northvalley Club
Masmow FC 1–1 Lexen City Reds

The CFC, weakened by the injury of their goalkeeper, got absolutely torched by the RFC, while the Islanders got another win over the stuggling KSC. Town kept doing decently, with a nice upset win over the CFT, who now drop even further in the standings. In the table, the Islanders lead with 17 points ahead of the Ratzupalfu FC with sixteen, while the CFT and the Reds are tied for last with only seven points.

Matchday 9

Lexen City Reds 0–0 Jagomir City
Northvalley Club 0–1 Masmow FC
Trunkst CFT 2–1 Newport United
Kinjestad SC 1–1 Town
Ratzupalfu FC 1–5 Kinetik Islanders
FC Ineton 1–1 Walstreim City FC

The Islanders are still going strong, exploiting the weak defense of the RFC to demolish them in the top duel. Newport United is meanwhile back to losing, dropping all the points despite a late lead at the CFT. The Reds and Jagomir tie their game, which doesn’t really help either team, and Town gets an away draw at the KSC. The Islanders stay on top with twenty points, with the surprise team from Masmow following with 18. The Reds are in last with just eight points, right behind three teams with nine.

Matchday 10

Jagomir City 4–1 Walstreim City FC
Kinetik Islanders 2–1 FC Ineton
Town 2–4 Ratzupalfu FC
Newport United 1–0 Kinjestad SC
Masmow FC 1–0 Trunkst CFT
Lexen City Reds 1–1 Northvalley Club

Jagomir City also has an easy game against the reserve goalkeeper of the CFC, while the Islanders and Masmow just can’t stop winning. United picks up a win over the KSC, who currently have only four goals to their name; and in a battle of teams at the bottom, the Reds and Club split the points, helping neither side. Kinetik and Masmow stay on top, while the bottom two places are now taken by the KSC, a former favourite that just can’t seem to find the net, and the Reds.

Matchday 11

Northvalley Club 0–1 Jagomir City
Trunkst CFT 2–0 Lexen City Reds
Kinjestad SC 0–1 Masmow FC
Ratzupalfu FC 0–1 Newport United
FC Ineton 1–2 Town
Walstreim City FC 1–0 Kinetik Islanders

The last matchday before the halfway break is always an important one, and teams took it seriously. The Islanders couldn’t find a goal against the goalkeeper from the CFC, who is finally back between the posts now. In a day with four 1-0 wins, Masmow and United each got themselves one, while the KSC keeps struggling.

P   Season One Tier 2     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Masmow FC              11    7   3   1    14    8   +6    24 Promoted
 2 Kinetik Islanders      11    7   2   2    16    5  +11    23 Promoted
 3 Ratzupalfu FC          11    6   1   4    25   19   +6    19
 4 Newport United         11    5   3   3    20   14   +6    18
 5 Town                   11    5   2   4    14   14    0    17
 6 Walstreim City FC      11    5   1   5    10   19   −9    16
 7 Jagomir City           11    4   3   4    13    9   +4    15
 8 Trunkst CFT            11    4   1   6     7   10   −3    13
 9 FC Ineton              11    3   2   6    18   23   −5    11
10 Northvalley Club       11    2   4   5     7   12   −5    10
11 Kinjestad SC           11    2   3   6     4    7   −3     9 Relegated
12 Lexen City Reds        11    2   3   6    11   19   −8     9 Relegated

The Masmow FC, a team that lost just one game throughout the first half, is the surprising table leader at the break. The Kinetik Islanders are also a big surprise, sitting in second, and they can credit their excellent defense around Allman and Frank, the two Grearish national team players, for that. Both the RFC and Newport United are a few points away, but far from being out of the promotion race. On the other side, both the Reds and the Kinjestad SC, a team that scored just one point in the last five games, are playing terrible seasons, but a few other teams, including Club and the FC Ineton, have to be very careful as well. The difference in goals is also quite notable; while the games of the KSC have only seen 11 goals, the games of the RFC, known for their kick-and-rush style, have seen 44.

The first South Newlandian Soccer League

Matchday 7

Ineton City 0–2 Jecken Newport
Valley Wanderers 0–3 Southwestern Islanders
Elephant Valley FC 1–2 Walstreim Lions
Sophie City Royals 1–0 Kinjestad Soccer
Elephant Town FC 0–2 FC Rüsselsheim
Ruditown Guards 0–1 Ratzupalfu Rhinos

Jecken got the win that was expected of them, crusing to three points in Ineton thanks to two goals by Emir Aga, the Timurian star striker. More surprising was the 3-nil win of the Islanders, the Valley’s defense doesn’t play to their usual standard right now. Goalkeeper John Bramas from Maccian didn’t enjoy his best games so far. In a very tight battle, also one of the big six, the Lions took down the EVFC in the Dome thanks to goals scored by Makino Hideo from Squidroidia and Eloy Dawood from Eastfield Lodge, the offense looked as strong as ever. The Royals took three against Soccer despite having almost no chances throughout the game, and the FC Rüsselsheim finally woke up. They scored as many goals as throughout the first six games, with Rodriguez Sporet from Kohnhead scoring one and assisting for the other goal. Last but not least, the Rhinos took down the Guards in a battle between the best two defending teams, with a goal for Aaron Murphy from The Grearish Union deciding the match. Jecken Newport currently leads the table with 15 points, but the Rhinos and the Lions are close behind with 13 each. The Wanderers and Ineton find themselves on the bottom with just six points.

Matchday 8

Jecken Newport 0–1 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
FC Rüsselsheim 1–1 Ruditown Guards
Kinjestad Soccer 1–1 Elephant Town FC
Walstreim Lions 3–1 Sophie City Royals
Southwestern Islanders 0–2 Elephant Valley FC
Ineton City 0–1 Valley Wanderers

In yet another game from the “big six”, Newport took the first loss in a long time, as the Rhinos once again take a win by the tiniest of margins to knock Jecken out of the lead. Rüsselsheim ties the Guards in a tensely fought match that ultimately didn’t really help either side, and Kinjestad and Town also split the points. The Lions proved too powerful against the Royals, with the Lions offense getting three goals together, and the EVFC won what was only the second win of the year for them. Two goals were enough to overcome the Islanders, with Simon Bradden carrying the team almost on his own again. The Wanderers close out the games with a very important win in a battle of the teams on the bottom, beating Ineton City thanks to a late goal by Jarod Stuart. The Lions and the Rhinos are on top of the table now with sixteen points each, while Ineton City is all the way on the bottom with just six points.

Matchday 9

Valley Wanderers 1–2 Jecken Newport
Elephant Valley FC 1–0 Ineton City
Sophie City Royals 3–0 Southwestern Islanders
Elephant Town FC 0–1 Walstreim Lions
Ruditown Guards 1–0 Kinjestad Soccer
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 1–3 FC Rüsselsheim

The “deadly six” from Newport strike again, taking down the Wanderers, with goals of defender Rasmus Helman from Savojarna and Bjorn Cohen scoring two late goals. The EVFC takes yet another win, but they didn’t really look great throughout against the seemingly powerless Ineton City. The Royals get a big 3-0 win, with a hat-trick for Finnley Wallis deciding the game. The Lions take their third straight win, and they looked quite a bit better than the result suggests. Lambros Tantalopoulos from Vdara scored the only goal. The Guards also won by just one goal over Kinjestad to stay within reach of the international spots, thanks to a very strong Rufus Rigby between the posts. In the last game, Trischuk got three shipped past him in a day to forget for him, but an awesome day for Rodriguez Sporet from Kohnhead. This day puts the Lions on top of the league with 19 points, ahead of Jecken Newport with 18, while Ineton City is still sitting on just six points.

Matchday 10

Jecken Newport 1–1 FC Rüsselsheim
Kinjestad Soccer 0–3 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Walstreim Lions 1–0 Ruditown Guards
Southwestern Islanders 0–0 Elephant Town FC
Ineton City 1–1 Sophie City Royals
Valley Wanderers 0–3 Elephant Valley FC

The offense of Jecken Newport failed to get more than one goal against Rüsselsheim, partly thanks to defender Hayden Cochrane from Nova Anglicana having a fantastic day, and the points got split between the two teams. The Rhinos were back to cruising to wins, sweeping Kinjestad 3-0 out of Kinjestad Soccer Arena. The Lions needed just one goal to take their fourth straight win, after Makino Hideo scored early in the game. Islanders and Town didn’t score any goals, and Ineton and the Royals did also split the points. That leaves the Valley derby, with the Wanderers hosting the EVFC. It didn’t go so well for the Wanderers, as they got clobbered by the EVFC and especially Simon Bradden, the teams’ star from Nephara. The Lions extend their lead, now holding 22 points, three more than Newport and the Rhinos right behind them. Ineton City remains on the bottom with just seven points.

Matchday 11

Elephant Valley FC 1–1 Jecken Newport
Sophie City Royals 0–2 Valley Wanderers
Elephant Town FC 1–0 Ineton City
Ruditown Guards 0–0 Southwestern Islanders
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 0–1 Walstreim Lions
FC Rüsselsheim 0–1 Kinjestad Soccer

What an amazing schedule draw it was, giving us two of the big six not only on one day, but on the last one as well. In the first encounter, the EVFC and Jecken split the points, with both sides scoring just one goal. Larre Bossink, the goalkeeper from Ko-oren, had a good day holding the “deadly six” to just a single goal, despite many good chances. The Wanderers ended the first half of the games with a win, with two goals over the Royals. Simon McCabe lead Elephant Town to a very important win over Ineton City, and the Guards and the Islanders split the game without any points. In the other big six duel, the Lions won in Rhinostadium, thanks to another goal by Makino Hideo. In the last game, Kinjestad finally got another win, to make at least a little jump.

P  Season One Tier One     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Walstreim Lions          11    8   1   2    19    8  +11    25 Champions League/CEdC
 2 Jecken Newport           11    6   2   3    18   11   +7    20 Challengers Cup/CEdC
 3 Ratzupalfu Rhinos        11    6   1   4    11    8   +3    19 Challengers Cup
 4 Elephant Valley FC       11    4   5   2    15   10   +5    17 Challengers Cup
 5 Ruditown Guards          11    4   4   3     8    6   +2    16
 6 Sophie City Royals       11    4   3   4    16   14   +2    15
 7 Southwestern Islanders   11    4   2   5    10   14   −4    14
 8 FC Rüsselsheim           11    4   2   5     9   14   −5    14
 9 Elephant Town FC         11    3   4   4     8   14   −6    13
10 Kinjestad Soccer         11    3   3   5    12   16   −4    12
11 Valley Wanderers         11    4   0   7    10   14   −4    12 Relegated
12 Ineton City              11    2   1   8     6   13   −7     7 Relegated

The Lions are in a clear lead at the moment, five points ahead of anyone else after they got fifteen points from the last five games. Jecken Newport and the Rhinos are the closest competitors, at 20 and 19 points respectively, and the EVFC currently takes the last international slot. The Guards and multiple other teams can still hope for sure, the gap between 4th and 11th is very slim at the moment, just five points. While Ineton City is in clear last after getting just one point from the last five games. The league stays close, at least between 2nd and 11th, with everything still in reach for most teams. The discrepancies in the amount of goals are still visible here, but not quite as blatant as in the second league.

The second round of the South Newlandian Soccer Cup

Ineton City 0–0 Walstreim Lions (1–0 AET)
FC Ineton 0–1 Kinjestad Soccer
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 2–1 Sophie City Royals
Elephant Valley FC 0–2 Jecken Newport
Kinjestad SC 0–1 Valley Wanderers
Walstreim City FC 1–0 Elephant Town FC
Southwestern Islanders 1–0 Ruditown Guards
Masmow FC 0–1 FC Rüsselsheim

Was that better or worse than the first round? On the one hand, we finally had some upsets; on the other hand, we saw only 11 goals across eight games. The Lions, after five straight wins, ran out of gas in extra time at Ineton City, and despite the Lions having tons of chances, they just couldn’t get it in the net. Kinjestad only needed one goal to defeat Ineton FC, scored by Yuri Nowak from Zeta Reka, finally giving the team something to work with. The Rhinos actually are tied for most goals of the day, and they managed to get past the Royals, with Aaron Murphy being the star again. Then, we had a big six matchup, that we also had exactly like that in the matchday before, with Jecken getting the win this time. The “deadly six” wouldn’t be stopped twice. The Wanderers managed to get past the KSC, who continued playing terrible, and the CFC got the upset of the day. One goal against Elephant Town was enough to slip into the Quarters as the last remaining team not in the top league, and also as the last remaining team from Walstreim. The Guards also were already eliminated after one goal brought the Southwestern Islanders into the Quarters. In the last game, Rüsselsheim managed to get past against Masmow FC, the surprise team from the second league. That gives us eight teams, and without further ado, here is the draw for the Quarterfinals.

Jecken Newport vs. Valley Wanderers
FC Rüsselsheim	 vs. Ineton City
Kinjestad Soccer vs. Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Walstreim City FC vs. Southwestern Islanders

With only one second tier side remaining, the CFC was guaranteed a home game in an otherwise unrestricted draw. The CFC has gotten the Southwestern Islanders, maybe one of the easier draws, while Jecken Newport gets to play the Wanderers at home. Rüsselsheim should be the favourite at home against Ineton, which brings us to the last match, where Kinjestad Soccer will be hosting the Rhinos. The winner of the cup gains a place in the Challenger’s cup, so there is some insensitive for the teams to try to win. Soon, eight will be four.

by **South Newlandia** » Sun Aug 30, 2020 5:10 am

ELEPHANT VALLEY SPORTS MAIL

South Newlandian Chess League Matchdays 8-13 recap

With the second half beginning, the spotlight isn’t really on who gets to win the league anymore, but rather about who has to be relegated. The Knights and the Pawns look the most likely to fall down at the end, but the Lions are far from save either.

Matchday 8

Newport Rooks 6-2 Kinjestad Knights
Walstreim Lions 3-5 Masmow Chess Wizards
CT Hymade 4.5-3.5 Elephant Valley Chess
Ineton Pawns 2-6 Sophie City Queens

The first day of the second half already had a few surprises for us. Neither the Knights nor the Pawns looked like they wanted to fight to stay in the league, and lost to the Rooks and the Queens, while the Chess Wizards managed to take down the Lions, even though they fought well. The big surprise was CT Hymade taking down the EVC. One of our tactics, to be released at the end after the last matchday, comes from one of those games. On all boards, Hymade fought gloriously, to ultimately take a 4.5-3.5 win. With that, they should be completely saved from relegation.

Matchday 9

Ineton Pawns 2.5-5.5 Newport Rooks
Sophie City Queens 4-4 CT Hymade
Elephant Valley Chess 4.5-3.5 Walstreim Lions
Masmow Chess Wizards 5.5-2.5 Kinjestad Knights

The ninth day had less surprises for us. The Pawns and the Knights clearly lost their games again the Chess Wizards won, and EVC won as well, even though the Lions fought well. The Queens hosted Hymade, a team that was clearly in good form now, and the match ended tied, with both sides playing some very good games.

Matchday 10

Newport Rooks 3-5 Masmow Chess Wizards
Kinjestad Knights 3.5-4.5 Elephant Valley Chess
Walstreim Lions 4-4 Sophie City Queens
CT Hymade 4.5-3.5 Ineton Pawns

The tenth matchday saw the Chess Wizards getting their tenth straight win. At least, the Knights and the Pawns finally seemed to realise what was at stake. Both teams palyed well, but ultimately fell short, as the CT Hymade and EVC played just slightly better. The next win for the CT, again by just one point, saw them improve in the standings even further. In the last encounter, the Lions and Queens got a draw that was probably well deserved for both sides.

Matchday 11

CT Hymade 3.5-4.5 Newport Rooks
Ineton Pawns 2.5-5.5 Walstreim Lions
Sophie City Queens 5.5-2.5 Kinjestad Knights
Elephant Valley Chess 2-6 Masmow Chess Wizards

If the Pawns and Knights realized what was at stake last matchday, they promptly forgot again now. Both teams lost yet again, for the fourth time in a row, and both were still sitting on three points only. The miracle story for Hymade had to end eventually, and the Rooks managed to take them down, despite the game being a very good one again. In the last decent chance to end the streak of 14 straight win, the EVC not only blew that chance, but got schooled by the Chess Wizards, who also officially won the season of SNCL on this matchday. Congratulations.

Matchday 12

Newport Rooks 3.5-4.5 Elephant Valley Chess
Masmow Chess Wizards 6-2 Sophie City Queens
Kinjestad Knights 6-2 Ineton Pawns
Walstreim Lions 3-5 CT Hymade

It was time for the duel between the Knights and the Pawns. The Knights would be hosting, and the Pawns easily went down. Ineton didn’t win a single of the eight games, and the Knights made an absolutely massive step towards safety. Meanwhile, the Rooks just barely went down to EVC, and the Chess Wizards easily took down the Queens. In the last game, the Lions surprisingly lost against Hymade, who are playing their best season in decades.

Matchday 13

Walstreim Lions 2.5-5.5 Newport Rooks
CT Hymade 3-5 Kinjestad Knights
Ineton Pawns 2-6 Masmow Chess Wizards
Sophie City Queens 2.5-5.5 Elephant Valley Chess

The Knights had a chance to secure their stay in the SNCL, and they took it by defeating Hymade. The other highlighted tactic stems from this game. Meanwhile, the Rooks easily took down the Lions, and the Pawns are now officially relegated following the 2-6 loss against the Chess Wizards, the latter being just one game away from a perfect season now. EVC also got an important win over the Queens, who didn’t have much to play for anymore.

With just one matchday remaining, everything important is now already settled. Here is the current table:

P Team                    Pld   W   D   L   PF    PA     PD   Pts 
1 Masmow Chess Wizards    13   13   0   0   70    34    +36    26 Champions
2 Newport Rooks           13    8   1   4   60.5  43.5  +17    17
3 Elephant Valley Chess   13    8   1   4   59    45    +14    17
4 CT Hymade               13    6   2   5   50    54    −4     14
5 Sophie City Queens      13    4   4   5   50.5  53.5  −3     12
6 Walstreim Lions         13    3   2   8   45.5  58.5  −13     8
7 Kinjestad Knights       13    2   3   8   45.5  58.5  −26     7
8 Ineton Pawns            13    1   1  11   35    69    −34     3 Relegated

As expected, the Chess Wizards have won the SNCL, but no one expected just how much they would dominate everything. Just one more win, and they complete the perfect season with fourteen wins for the first time in decades. Behind them, the Rooks and the EVC are tied currently, with second place still up for grabs, and the CT Hymade actually kept up their very good season, currently still sitting in 4th place. The Queens, Lions and Knights may not have had great seasons, but at least they are all save now, while the Ineton Pawns will be relegated following six losses in a row.
Here are the pairings for the final round:

Newport Rooks vs. Sophie City Queens
Elephant Valley Chess vs. Ineton Pawns
Masmow Chess Wizards vs. CT Hymade
Kinjestad Knights vs. Walstreim Lions

The Rooks and the EVC will fight for second, each of them at home, while the Chess Wizards have a chance to complete their perfect season at home. In the last game, the Knights have a chance at home to jump into 6th if they beat the Lions.

by **South Newlandia** » Sun Aug 30, 2020 2:05 pm

ELEPHANT VALLEY SPORTS MAIL

South Newlandian Soccer League Matchdays 12-16 and Cup Quarterfinals

The second South Newlandian Soccer League

Matchday 12

Jagomir City 1–2 Kinetik Islanders
Walstreim City FC 2–3 Town
FC Ineton 1–1 Newport United
Ratzupalfu FC 1–1 Masmow FC
Kinjestad SC 1–0 Lexen City Reds
Trunkst CFT 3–3 Northvalley Club

Kinetik went right back to work after the halfway break, with a pretty nice win over Jagomir, that saw the two Grearish national team players Allman and Frank holding the defense together well. The CFC didn’t catch such a good start, as Town somehow shipped three past them, and in the top duel between the RFC and Masmow, the teams split the points. Northvalley Club looked really good in their game, getting three goals against the defensive minded CFT to take a point from the game. The Islanders led the table now, with 26 points, one point ahead of Masmow, while Club and the Reds were in the relegation spots.

Matchday 13

Trunkst CFT 1–0 Jagomir City
Northvalley Club 0–1 Kinjestad SC
Lexen City Reds 1–1 Ratzupalfu FC
Masmow FC 1–2 FC Ineton
Newport United 0–0 Walstreim City FC
Town 0–2 Kinetik Islanders

Kinetik continued, successfully defeating Town, a team they couldn’t beat in the first half of the season, to keep their lead. Meanwhile, Masmow started falling, dropping a game at home against the FC Ineton, and the RFC didn’t win either after the Reds scored a late equalizer. The KSC started to work themselves out of the bottom thanks to yet another close win, this time over Club. The top two and bottom two remained unchanged, with the Islanders now sporting an eight point lead over third place, and both Club and the Reds already 4 respective five points away from the save zone.

Matchday 14

Jagomir City 0–0 Town
Kinetik Islanders 2–1 Newport United
Walstreim City FC 4–3 Masmow FC
FC Ineton 2–0 Lexen City Reds
Ratzupalfu FC 0–0 Northvalley Club
Kinjestad SC 0–1 Trunkst CFT

The Islanders weren’t ready to stop quite yet, successfully beating preseason favourite United at home. They had now successfully defeated all of the three teams they couldn’t get a win against in the first three games of the season to position themselves as the promotion favourite. Masmow, meanwhile, lost yet again, this time in a seven goal match at the CFC, which saw them falling just short, and neither did the RFC, who only managed a scoreless draw against Club. In the standings, the Islanders reigned on top with 32 points ahead of Masmow with 25, while Club and the Reds stay all the way down.

Matchday 15

Kinjestad SC 0–1 Jagomir City
Trunkst CFT 0–0 Ratzupalfu FC
Northvalley Club 1–1 FC Ineton
Lexen City Reds 3–0 Walstreim City FC
Masmow FC 0–1 Kinetik Islanders
Newport United 2–1 Town

It was time for the top matchup, Kinetik at Masmow. The Islanders had won this one on matchday 4, and against Masmow that only got a single point in the last three while the Islanders got nine, they did it again. Callum Frank scored the late goal to put the Islanders on top of the standings by no less than ten points. The RFC also couldn’t win their game again, after being held scoreless for the second time. They had not won any of the last four games now, all of those draws. And just as the CFC seemed to recover, they quickly lost 0-3 at the Reds, who even remained in last despite that, while Newport United stayed in fighting distance following a win at home. Surprisingly, the 25 points still net Masmow second place, while the Islanders are on top with 35. Tied at 13 points, Club and the Reds still are all the way at the bottom.

Matchday 16

Jagomir City 5–2 Newport United
Town 0–3 Masmow FC
Kinetik Islanders 1–0 Lexen City Reds
Walstreim City FC 4–2 Northvalley Club
FC Ineton 0–0 Trunkst CFT
Ratzupalfu FC 2–2 Kinjestad SC

Newport United quickly forgot how to defend and got absolutely annihilated by Jagomir, despite taking early leads twice, and Masmow finally got a win again over Town. The Islanders, although they didn’t look as sharp as they did in the games before, managed to overcome Lexen City to complete the first five games of the second half with five wins. Since the fourth matchday, Kinetik was only stopped from winning once, and it shows. The CFC struggled, but ultimately got over Club, while the RFC got the fifth draw in as many games.

With six games remaining, things are slowly becoming clearer. Here are the standings after 16 games.

P   Season One Tier 2     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Kinetik Islanders      16   12   2   2    24    7  +17    38 Promoted
 2 Masmow FC              16    8   4   4    22   16   +6    28 Promoted
 3 Ratzupalfu FC          16    6   6   4    29   23   +6    24
 4 Newport United         16    6   5   5    26   23   +3    23
 5 Walstreim City FC      16    7   2   7    20   30  −10    23
 6 Jagomir City           16    6   4   6    20   14   +6    22
 7 Trunkst CFT            16    6   4   6    12   13   −1    22
 8 Town                   16    6   3   7    18   23   −5    21
 9 FC Ineton              16    5   5   6    24   26   −2    20
10 Kinjestad SC           16    4   4   8     8   11   −3    16
11 Northvalley Club       16    2   7   7    13   21   −8    13 Relegated
12 Lexen City Reds        16    3   4   9    15   24   −9    13 Relegated

As you can see, the Kinetik Islandes are easily on top of the league now, ten points ahead of the closest competitor. In fact, they could in theory secure their promotion as soon as the next matchday. Behind them, the Masmow FC is leading the pack with 28 points, but a lot of teams could still hope for that second place with the MFC recently struggling as much. On the other side, Club and the Reds are still in trouble by a lot. The Kinjestad SC isnt save either, but every other team shouldn’t get relegated without a very bad collapse in the last six games. The Islanders of course have to thank their unparalleled defense, which has allowed just seven goals in total, for their fantastic position going into the last stretch of the season. There is still a lot to play for here, and the last few games will be exciting.

The first South Newlandian Soccer League

Matchday 12

Jecken Newport 3–0 Kinjestad Soccer
FC Rüsselsheim 2–5 Walstreim Lions
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 1–1 Southwestern Islanders
Ruditown Guards 1–0 Ineton City
Elephant Town FC 2–1 Valley Wanderers
Sophie City Royals 1–1 Elephant Valley FC

To say that the two title favourites had good starts to their second halves would be an understatement. Jecken’s “deadly six” easily took down Kinjestad, with Emir Aga from Timuria recording a hat-trick, and the Lions shipped five goals past Rüsselsheim, despite Rodriguez Sporet from Kohnhead playing a decent game. No one can stop Dawood (Eastfield Lodge), Makino Hideo (Squidroidia), with setup from McMora and Lancaster as well as Tantalopoulos from Vdara at the moment. The Rhinos didn’t start as well, only getting a draw against the Southwestern Islanders. The Guards got a 1-0 win again, and in the small Valley-Town derby, Elephant Town succesully evened up their record thanks to two goals by Simon McCabe. Last but not least, the EVFC failed to win their game at the Sophie City Bowl. The Lions still were ahead by five points, now with 28 over Newport’s 23. Ineton City is still very much in last with just seven points.

Matchday 13

Sophie City Royals 6–4 Jecken Newport
Elephant Valley FC 2–1 Elephant Town FC
Valley Wanderers 0–1 Ruditown Guards
Ineton City 0–3 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Southwestern Islanders 1–1 FC Rüsselsheim
Walstreim Lions 1–0 Kinjestad Soccer

That was not a typo, the Royals did indeed put six past Jecken. Regular goalkeeper Corentin Tausig from Nephara was ill, and his replacement, well, hadn’t had the best of days. Despite sis goals by the “deadly six”, Newport fell short. In the real Valley-Town derby, the EVFC got the win, although they trailed late into the game. Once again, Nepharim Simon Bradden was an important factor for the EVFC. The Guards got, you guessed it, a 1-0 win, and the Rhinos are right back to old strength, with Aaron Murphy from The Grearish Union playing a strong game up front. The Islanders and Rüsselsheim split the points, and the Lions needed just one goal by Makino Hideo to win against Kinjestad. The Lions lead the league by eight points now, with 31, ahead of Jecken and the Rhinos at 23 each. Ineton City is still in last with seven points.

Matchday 14

Jecken Newport 0–2 Walstreim Lions
Kinjestad Soccer 0–3 Southwestern Islanders
FC Rüsselsheim 1–1 Ineton City
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 0–1 Valley Wanderers
Ruditown Guards 0–0 Elephant Valley FC
Elephant Town FC 1–1 Sophie City Royals

It was time for the top matchup, and the Lions went to visit the Jecken Arena. The Walstreim offense made quick work, scoring two early goals, and they never looked back on their road to score three points yet again, for the eighth game straight, over their closest competitor. The Rhinos couldn’t use that, as they all didn’t manage to overcome Maccian John Bramas in the goal of the Wanderers, and Jarod Stuart overcame Trischuk to secure three much needed points. The EVFC and the Guards split the points in a scoreless tie dominated by Rufus Rigby and Ko-orenite Larre Bossink between the goal posts, and Elephant Town and the Royals also split the points. Rüsselsheim got very close to a win, but Ineton City secured a draw at the last possible second, while Kinjestad got mowed down by the Islanders. The Lions now lead the table by eleven with eight games to play, ahead of Newport, the Rhinos and the Guards, all on 23 points. Ineton is in last with eight points, with only Kinjestad and their 12 points still close.

Matchday 15

Elephant Town FC 1–5 Jecken Newport
Sophie City Royals 0–1 Ruditown Guards
Elephant Valley FC 1–0 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Valley Wanderers 1–0 FC Rüsselsheim
Ineton City 0–0 Kinjestad Soccer
Southwestern Islanders 0–0 Walstreim Lions

After eight wins, the Lion’s reign of terror had to stop. On a day that most of the stars were rested, they failed to score over the Southwestern Islanders. Jecken Newport was, however, very angry at the recent loss. The “deadly six” took out their frustration at Elephant Town, and the Guards got yet another 1-0 win. In the big duel between the EVFC and the Rhinos, one goal for Simon Bradden decided the match with Larre Bossink and Mikhail Trischuk being the other two key players in a tightly fought over match. The Wanderers got a very important second win at the expense of Rüsselsheim, with John Bramas really shining in this encounter. A boring scoreless draw between Ineton and the Islanders rounded out the day. The Lion’s lead in the standings shrunk a little bit to now nine points with seven matches remaining, with Newport and the Guards the closest at 26 points each. On the bottom stay Ineton and Kinjestad, now with nine and 13 points.

Matchday 16

Jecken Newport 5–0 Southwestern Islanders
Walstreim Lions 1–0 Ineton City
Kinjestad Soccer 0–1 Valley Wanderers
FC Rüsselsheim 1–1 Elephant Valley FC
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 2–0 Sophie City Royals
Ruditown Guards 1–0 Elephant Town FC

Jecken wasn’t done torching teams yet, and the Islanders recived a 5-0 beating in Jecken Arena. The last two games saw the “deadly six” scoring ten goals, the perfect start to a last minute pursuit, but the Lions didn’t sleep either. The team took things slower, only scoring one goal thanks to a penalty taken by Makino Hideo to win the match. The Wanderers took a third straight win, again 1-0, over Kinjestad to take a big step out of the danger zone, and Rüsselsheim fights a point off of the EVFC. The Rhinos soundly take down the Royals at home, and the Guards get yet another 1-0 victory, this time over Elephant Town.

With only six games left to play, the first decisions are happening. The Lions were the first team to secure not getting relegated, and four teams already can no longer win the league. Here are the standings after 16 matches.

P  Season One Tier One     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Walstreim Lions          16   12   2   2    28   10  +18    38 Champions League, CEdC
 2 Jecken Newport           16    9   2   5    35   20  +15    29 Challengers Cup, CEdC
 3 Ruditown Guards          16    8   5   3    12    6   +6    29 Challengers Cup
 4 Elephant Valley FC       16    6   8   2    20   13   +7    26 Challengers Cup (maybe)
 5 Ratzupalfu Rhinos        16    8   2   6    17   11   +6    26
 6 Valley Wanderers         16    7   0   9    14   17   −3    21
 7 Sophie City Royals       16    5   5   6    24   23   +1    20
 8 Southwestern Islanders   16    5   5   6    15   21   −6    20
 9 FC Rüsselsheim           16    4   5   7    14   23   −9    17
10 Elephant Town FC         16    4   5   7    13   24  −11    17
11 Kinjestad Soccer         16    3   4   9    12   24  −12    13 Relegated
12 Ineton City              16    2   3  11     7   19  −12     9 Relegated

The Lions are still front-running the competition, and they are in an absolute pole position to win the league this year. Behind them follow, in a very close chasing group, Newport and the Guards, with EVFC currently on the possible last international spot. The Rhinos are tied with them; any other clubs would need a lot of luck to still make the top four. On the bottom, Ineton is in deep trouble, already eight points away from the saving 10th place with just nine points scored so far. Kinjestad is surprisingly also in trouble, four points deep into eleventh, and Rüsselsheim and Elephant Town will need to be careful as well. If there isnt a terrible collapse, every other club should be more or less save this year. But with six matches to be played, everything is still possible, and I doubt we are out of surprises yet.

The Quarterfinals of the South Newlandian Cup

Jecken Newport 0–1 Valley Wanderers
FC Rüsselsheim 0–0 Ineton City (1–0 AET)
Kinjestad Soccer 0–0 Ratzupalfu Rhinos (0–1 AET)
Walstreim City FC 1–1 Southwestern Islanders (2–2 AET) (2–3 pen.)

After the relative disappointments of the last cup rounds, the Quarterfinals delivered. In the only game to end after 90 minutes, Jecken Newport seemed out of gas, and John Bramas from Maccian was the hero of the 1-0 victory for the smaller team from Elephant Valley. The goal actually seemed to be ever so slightly offside, but it was given, and the Wanderers are in the final four. Rüsselsheim and Ineton City needed extra time to find a winner, but ultimately, a goal scored by Rodriguez Sporet brought Rüsselsheim into the final four as well. The Rhinos also did need extra time against Kinjestad, surprisingly, but 120 good minutes for Mikhail Trischuk and a late goal made the Rhinos the last big four team to make the semi-finals, where they will be the natural favourite now. The last game was the most exciting one. The second league side from Walstreim was even with the Islanders for most of the game, with the lower tier side even taking the lead in extra time, but in the penalty shootout, the Islanders made it through, ever so slightly, and the Southwestern Islanders are the last team in the last four.
With only top tier sides remaining, the draw was completely unrestricted. Here is what that got us:

Ratzupalfu Rhinos vs. Southwestern Islanders
Valley Wanderers vs. FC Rüsselsheim

The last remaining favourite in the Rhinos will get to play at home, facing the Islanders, while the Valley Wanderers will play against the FC Rüsselsheim for the other ticket for the final. There is no way for the final to not be exciting now, and with a Challenger’s Cup Qualification on the line, all four teams will give it their all.

by **South Newlandia** » Sat Sep 05, 2020 2:09 pm

ELEPHANT VALLEY SPORTS MAIL

South Newlandian Baseball League Matchday 22

With only two games remaining, this is the time where the teams can make or break their season. Every team has to prove now that they are worthy of reaching the post-season. No team wants to miss this opportunity at the last second. While the top two seeds, and therefore starting in the semifinals, are unclear, four teams do not know yet if they will get to play in the playoffs; the Dolphins, Rhinos, Dragons and Baselanders still have everything left to play for, so especially the matchup between the Dolphins and the Baselanders will be very exciting.

Matchday 22 (1st half)

Southwestern Baselanders 3–8 Newport Dolphins
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 4–2 Elephant Valley Homers
Kinjestad Peacocks 8–10 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox
Ruditown Dachshunds 1–4 Masmow Dragons
Elephant Valley United 7–3 Walstreim Lions
Sophie City Girls 1–2 Newport Owls

The two games in Kinjestad ended with losses for both the Baselanders and the Peacocks. While the Peacocks were, just as the Blue Sox, already out of the competition, the Baselanders are eliminated after this defeat, while the Dolphins successfully book their ticket to the playoffs thanks to a convincing win, with a five.run inning in the second that the Baselanders never really recovered from. The Rhinos also get a very important win at home against the Homers, make a big step toward the playoffs, while the Homers start to lose sight of the top two seeds. It was a low-scoring game, with the Rhinos ultimately breaking the tie in the last inning. The Dachshunds lose at home and remain tied with the Homers, after the Dragons successfully stopped the Dachshunds offense throughout the game. The Dragons are now 22-21, but still a game away from the playoffs, they need to win and hope for the Rhinos to lose. Raymond McFadden proved that he can be a successful coach, winning at home over the Lions, who reamin in first place regardless while United is elimineated. The smaller franchise from Elephant Valley wasn’t going to be stopped by the fact that they weren’t playing for anything at all, and convincingly stopped the Lions from claiming the one seed early. In the last game, the Owls narrowly inched out the Girls to make it a three-way tie in second, thanks to a very late solo homer by youngster Gary Promises in the 12th.

Matchday 22 (2nd half)

Southwestern Baselanders 4–7 Newport Dolphins
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 9–4 Elephant Valley Homers
Kinjestad Peacocks 6–3 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox
Ruditown Dachshunds 3–2 Masmow Dragons
Elephant Valley United 3–8 Walstreim Lions
Sophie City Girls 1–2 Newport Owls

The Dolphins get the second win at the Baselanders as well, but it didn’t really matter a lot at this point. Still, the seven runs prove that the Dolphins shouldn’t be forgotten just yet, they could make it deep in the playoffs. The Rhinos book their ticket into the playoffs as the very last team after another convincing defeat against the Homers, even though they were tied at three for a long time. This also means the Dragons are out, surprisingly and for the first time in years, no matter what they do. A 23-21 record just doesn’t get you in this year. The Peacocks say goodbye to the season with a nice home win over the Blue Sox, a result that didn’t matter at all. The Dachshunds and the Dragons clashed in a very close game, dominated by pitchers, but a late run in the 10th for the Dachshunds pulled it though for them, also guaranteeing them at least a two seed in the process, which means they reach the semi-finals already. The Lions claim the top seed for them, as McFadden has to exit the season with yet another loss, putting United at 15-29 record and 11th place. United has announced that he will remain as their coach for the next season, hoping for some more success. In the last game, the Owls once again inch out the Girls by just a single run, but they miss the second seed by run differential anyway. Those results give us the following final table, heading into the postseason:

P Franchise                 Pld     W   L    RF   RA   RD 
 1 Walstreim Lions            44   27  17   205  180  +25 Postseason Semifinals (#1)
 2 Ruditown Dachshunds        44   26  18   187  164  +23 Postseason Semifinals (#2)
 3 Newport Owls               44   26  18   200  190  +10 Postseason Quarterfinals (#3)
 4 Newport Dolphins           44   25  19   195  152  +43 Postseason Quarterfinals (#4)
 5 Elephant Valley Homers     44   25  19   201  172  +29 Postseason Quarterfinals (#5)
 6 Ratzupalfu Rhinos          44   24  20   198  163  +35 Postseason Quarterfinals (#6)
 7 Masmow Dragons             44   22  22   192  164  +28
 8 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox       44   21  23   191  221  −30
 9 Southwestern Baselanders   44   21  23   182  235  −53
10 Sophie City Girls          44   17  27   170  191  −21
11 Elephant Valley United     44   15  29   172  209  −37
12 Kinjestad Peacocks         44   15  29   160  212  −52

A very interesting regular season ends here. Most notably, the Dragons miss the playoffs despite a +28 run differential, better than any of the top three seeds. Their 22-22 record still falls short by two wins. Meanwhile, the Owls are the big surprise in the playoffs. No one expected them here, but they still got very close to the two seed, actually. They scored exactly 200 runs, third most in the league, and even though they gave up the fourth-most runs in the league. Despite the problems with defending, the 46 runs and 20 home runs scored by power hitter and young talent Gary Promises got them through. Here are the pairings for the Quarterfinals:

#3 Newport Owls vs. #6 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
#4 Newport Dolphins vs. #5 Elephant Valley Homers

Both series will start with game one in Newport, and then shift away to Ratzupalfu and Elephant Valley. If a third game is necessary, the series will return to Newport for that. Of course, the two series could hardly be more different. Here, there are the Owls and the Rhinos, two more or less surprising teams in the playoffs, especially the Owls. The Owls enter as the higher seed with a 26-18 record, two wins better than the Rhinos and their 24-20 record. In the regular season, the Owls won three of four encounters, with the games in Ratzupalfu ending with two games by six runs each, but for different teams. The Rhinos haven’t won in the Newport Sportsarena this year, but they will have to if they want to reach the last four. This duel is also known as the battle of the non-colours, with the Owls in white against the Rhinos in grey. Whoever wins this will get to play the second seed, the Ruditown Dachshunds and their 26-18 record for a spot in the South Newlandian Final Series.
On the other hand, we have the Dolphins and the Homers, two teams that planned with the playoffs. They each have a 25-19 record, but because of the better run differential, the Dolphins have the higher seed. The teams faced on the first matchday already, and this season, the Dolphins won all four encounters in the battle between Green and Light Blue, a very important part for their performance. The 15-4 beating they gave the Homers as the fourth of those games will surely be remembered by both teams. The Homers will look for a different result this time. The winner of this series will face the top seed, the Walstreim Lions, for the other spot in the SNFS.

by **South Newlandia** » Thu Sep 10, 2020 12:27 pm

ELEPHANT VALLEY SPORTS MAIL

South Newlandian Soccer League Matchdays 17-21 and Cup Semi-finals

The second South Newlandian Soccer League

Matchday 17

Ratzupalfu FC 0–1 Jagomir City
Kinjestad SC 1–0 FC Ineton
Trunkst CFT 1–0 Walstreim City FC
Northvalley Club 2–0 Kinetik Islanders
Lexen City Reds 0–2 Town
Masmow FC 1–7 Newport United

Just after the extremely good start into the second half, the Kinetik Islanders ran into some problems. Away at the Northvalley Club, a team fighting relegation more than anything else, they barely showed up and got beaten. Meanwhile, the RFC took a decent hit to their chances, while Jagomir is now back in business, and Trunkst beat the CFC in a battle of two teams that didn’t meet their expectations so far. The Reds missed a decent opportunity to make a move, losing at home against Town. The talk of the day was of course former second-placed Masmow getting absolutely demolished at home by Newport United, who seemed to remember that they wanted to get promoted, by the unbelievable score line of 1-7. At the moment, Kinetik leads the table with 38 points, followed by Masmow with 28. On the bottom are Northvalley Club with 16 and Lexen City with 13 points; both teams need some wins soon if they want to stay alive.

Matchday 18

Jagomir City 1–0 Masmow FC
Newport United 2–1 Lexen City Reds
Town 3–4 Northvalley Club
Kinetik Islanders 0–1 Trunkst CFT
Walstreim City FC 1–1 Kinjestad SC
FC Ineton 1–2 Ratzupalfu FC

Kinetik didn’t recover on the next matchday, and lost again, this time at home against Trunkst. Fortuntely for them, so did Masmow, who lost at Jagomir to make he race for 2nd place a lot more exciting. Newport United got a very important, although highly contested win against the struggling Reds, while Northvalley Club got another important win over Town to stay alive. The Islanders are still in the lead with 38, followed by Newport United with 29 points, but there are four more teams with 27 points or more, so the second spot is still totally up for grabs. The Reds are stuck on 13 points, while Northvalley Club has now 19 and is only one point away from the saving 10th place.

Matchday 19

FC Ineton 1–3 Jagomir City
Ratzupalfu FC 1–0 Walstreim City FC
Kinjestad SC 1–0 Kinetik Islanders
Trunkst CFT 0–1 Town
Northvalley Club 1–1 Newport United
Lexen City Reds 0–2 Masmow FC

The Islanders miss their chance to achive guaranteed promotion already with a third loss in a row, this time against the KSC, another team they should be able to beat. Newport United and Northvalley Club split the points in a very close game that sees Club climb out of the relegation zone for the first time since matchday eleven, and Jagomir unexpectedly jumps into second place following their third win. The Islanders still have 38, and Jagomir now has 31, tied with Masmow. The Reds still only have 13 points, while the FC Ineton and Northvalley Club are tied with 20 points each.

Matchday 20

Jagomir City 0–1 Lexen City Reds
Masmow FC 3–1 Northvalley Club
Newport United 1–0 Trunkst CFT
Town 1–1 Kinjestad SC
Kinetik Islanders 7–1 Ratzupalfu FC
Walstreim City FC 2–1 FC Ineton

The Reds just hang on, thanks to a surprising upset in Jagomir after a very late goal, while Northvalley is stopped by Masmow. Newport United gets three very important points against Trunkst, and after three losses in a row, the Islanders book their ticket into the first flight, and the win of the second, in spectacular fashion, crushing Ratzupalfu. Kinetik is guaranteed promotion with 41 points, and Mamsow is currently in second with 34. No fewer than six teams still have mathematical chnaces for that second place at the moment. On the bottom, four teams fight to avoid the bottom two spots, with the Reds still under pressure with 16 points, while the FC Ineton and Northvalley Club have 20 each.

Matchday 21

Walstreim City FC 2–1 Jagomir City
FC Ineton 2–2 Kinetik Islanders
Ratzupalfu FC 8–0 Town
Kinjestad SC 0–2 Newport United
Trunkst CFT 1–0 Masmow FC
Northvalley Club 2–2 Lexen City Reds

With only two matchdays to go, now is the time to narrow down who gets a shot at promotion on the last matchday. After they were in the best position to do that, Masmow is now in trouble following a defeat in Trunkst, against a team that only had theoretical chances at promotion. Newport United took this opportunity, defeating the KSC to take second place. And after the RFC realised that their goal difference could use some work, they did work on it. After just 32 minutes, they already led 6-0 against Town, later adding two for good measure. On the bottom, the Reds are now officially relegated following a draw in Northvalley. Meanwhile, the FC Ineton also got a draw against the already promoted Kinetik Islanders. Here is the situation, with just one game to play:

P  Season One Tier 2     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Kinetik Islanders      21   13   3   5    33   14  +19    42 Promoted
 2 Newport United         21   10   6   5    39   26  +13    36 Promoted
 3 Masmow FC              21   10   4   7    28   26   +2    34
 4 Ratzupalfu FC          21    9   6   6    41   32   +9    33
 5 Jagomir City           21    9   4   8    26   18   +8    31
 6 Trunkst CFT            21    9   4   8    15   15    0    31
 7 Walstreim City FC      21    9   3   9    25   35  −10    30
 8 Town                   21    8   4   9    25   36  −11    28
 9 Kinjestad SC           21    6   6   9    12   15   −3    24
10 FC Ineton              21    5   6  10    29   36   −7    21
11 Northvalley Club       21    4   9   8    23   30   −7    21 Relegated
12 Lexen City Reds        21    4   5  12    19   32  −13    17 Relegated

And here is the schedule for the final matchday:

Jagomir City vs. Northvalley Club
Lexen City Reds vs. Trunkst CFT
Masmow FC vs. Kinjestad SC
Newport United vs. Ratzupalfu FC
Town vs. FC Ineton
Kinetik Islanders vs. Walstreim City FC

(relegation avoidance race; promotion race; done for the season)

With Kinetik already promoted and the Reds already relegated, only the second place is still up for grabs for three teams, while three other teams will try to avoid getting relegated. We can safely ignore Reds vs. Trunkst and Islanders vs. Walstreim City; no one has anything left to play for in these two. That leaves four interesting games. Let’s start on the bottom. While the Kinjestad SC isn’t technically save yet, they do not have a lot to fear. Only if they lose their final game in Masmow and Northvalley Club and the FC ineton both get high enough wins, they would be relegated, and while that is not impossible, it isn’t exactly likely. Meanwhile, Northvalley Club and the FC Ineton are tied on points and run differential, so things will be extra close. Northvalley Club is behind on goals scored, the next tiebreaker, so they will have to do better in Jagomir City than the FC Ineton does in Town. Of course, the FC Ineton only has to match the result of Club to be safe.
For the race to second place, we will ignore the theretical possibility that Masmow could get a double digit win. If the MFC wants to be promoted, they definitely need to beat Kinjestad at home, and hope that Newport United loses in the other game. Newport United does only need a draw, and a loss by one goal would be enough if Masmow doesn’t win their game. But they don’t play anyone, they play the Ratzupalfu FC, who could still be promoted. They will need to win in Newport by at least two goals, and hope that Masmow doesn’t win their game. Both promotion and relegation are still super close, so there is a lot to look forward to here.

The first South Newlandian Soccer League

Matchday 17

Ruditown Guards 1–0 Jecken Newport
Elephant Town FC 1–2 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Sophie City Royals 3–1 FC Rüsselsheim
Elephant Valley FC 2–0 Kinjestad Soccer
Valley Wanderers 1–3 Walstreim Lions
Ineton City 3–1 Southwestern Islanders

If we would’ve asked you, ahead of the season, who would be in second at the moment, the Ruditown Guards might not have been your pick, but it is even more surprising that they did it with just 13 goals scored so far. Most recently, they managed to silence the “deadly six” from Newport, or more accurately, Rufus Rigby did. The goalkeeper saved countless shots from Jecken, and a late goal eventually got the Guards the three points. The Rhinos managed to take down Elephant Town despite a good performance for Simon McCabe. More surprisingly, the Royals took down Rüsselsheim, with Rodriguez Sporet from Kohnhead scoring an honorary goal at the end in a game dominated largely by Finnley Wallis. The EVFC took down Kinjestad without a lot of problems, and the Lions didn’t stop winning just yet. After Eloy Dawood from Eastfield Lodge scored the equalizer at the Wanderers, the Lions were the clearly dominant team. Meanwhile, Ineton City managed to get a very important win over the Islanders, but they are still in deep trouble. The Lions continue to lead the table with 41 points, ahead of the Guards on 32 and the rest of the big four all on twenty-nine points. Ineton City is still in last, but has 12 points now, while Kinjestad Soccer has 13.

Matchday 18

Jecken Newport 3–1 Ineton City
Southwestern Islanders 0–0 Valley Wanderers
Walstreim Lions 3–3 Elephant Valley FC
Kinjestad Soccer 0–0 Sophie City Royals
FC Rüsselsheim 2–1 Elephant Town FC
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 0–0 Ruditown Guards

The deadly six were back in action, with Jecken successfully taking down Ineton thanks to goals by David Johnson from TJUN-ia and two of Emir Aga from Timuria. The Wanderes were part of one of three goalless draws, interestingly their first of the season after seven wins and ten losses. The Lions finally got stopped, and in entertaining fashion too. They lead 3-0 against the EVFC, with Makino Hideo from Squidroidia recording a hat-trick by himself, but the EVFC inched closer before half-time thanks to Simon Bradden from Nephara scoring. Later in the game, he scored the equalizer too, and the game ended in a deserved three all draw. Kinjestad Soccer and the Royals also split the points without a goal, while the FC Rüsselsheim took a win against Elephant Town thanks to a late goal for the defender Hayden Cochrane from Nova Anglicana. The last game saw the two teams with the best defenses and goalkeepers face off, and naturally, the game ended scoreless. The Lions stay on top with now 42 points, followed by the Guards with 33 and Jecken with 32. Ineton remains on the bottom with twelve points, with only Kinjestad Soccer and their 14 points within a game.

Matchday 19

Ratzupalfu Rhinos 0–0 Jecken Newport
Ruditown Guards 1–0 FC Rüsselsheim
Elephant Town FC 1–4 Kinjestad Soccer
Sophie City Royals 1–5 Walstreim Lions
Elephant Valley FC 1–0 Southwestern Islanders
Valley Wanderers 0–0 Ineton City

Mikhail Trischuk once again had an awesome game against Jecken, holding them scoreless in a tie that didn’t really help either of the two teams. The Guards once again used a single goal to their advantage, and Kinjestad Soccer was able to finally breathe a little bit. In the Coast Stadium, Michael Glossman and Yuri Nowak from Zeta Reka and Hugeltadom scored four goals together. The Lions managed five, with the powerful offense around Squidroidian superstar Makino Hideo, Lambros Tantalopoulos from Vdara in midfield with South Newlandian national team players Patrick McMora and Donald Lancaster, combined with the young Eloy Dawood from Eastfield Lodge. None of these players is older than 23, and together, they easily took down the Royals. A single goal for Simon Bradden from Nephara got the EVFC three more points, and the Wanderers couldn’t get more than a draw against Ineton City. John Bramas from Maccian was the only one to be in decent form for the Wanderers, and he secured the draw. With three games remaining, the Lions have basically secured the championship already thanks to 45, but the Guards on 36 could theoretically still catch them if they catch up a goal differential that is currently sixteen goals behind. Ineton City has 13 points and is still in last, right behind Elephant Town and Kinjestad on 17 each.

Matchday 20

Jecken Newport 1–0 Valley Wanderers
Ineton City 0–2 Elephant Valley FC
Southwestern Islanders 2–2 Sophie City Royals
Walstreim Lions 3–1 Elephant Town FC
Kinjestad Soccer 0–0 Ruditown Guards
FC Rüsselsheim 0–1 Ratzupalfu Rhinos

Jecken continues to run into some problems. This time, John Bramas delivered yet another good game for the Wanderers, but eventually, Bjorn Cohen was able to find the net and give Newport three points. Ineton City is now hanging on by a thread, following yet another home defeat, this time against Elephant Valley. The Royals and the Islanders split the points, and the Lions secure the championship with two games to spare. Yet another great game for Makino Hideo and the others, especially Lambros Tantalopoulos from Vdara, got them a 3-1 win at home, and they got to celebrate with their fans in the Walstreim City Stadium early. They didn’t even have to win to do that, because the Guards failed to win in Kinjestad, instead settling on a scoreless draw. The Rhinos won their game in Rüsselsheim thanks to a goal by Aaron Murphy from The Grearish Union. With the Lions as the early champion, the only thing left to do are the international competition spaces. Four teams are still in the running for the remaining top four slots, with the second and third team guaranteed in the Challengers Cup, at the moment. These four are the remaining three from the big four: Jecken, the Rhinos, and EVFC, as well as the Ruditown Guards. On the bottom, Ineton is now five points away from 10th place, they would require a miracle at this point. Elephant Town and Kinjestad are the most likely teams to go down right now, but Rüsselsheim, the Islanders, and even the Wanderers are not 100% save yet. The only team already guaranteed middle finish is the Sophie City Royals, who can be quite happy with how their season went so far, even though they aren’t.

Matchday 21

FC Rüsselsheim 1–2 Jecken Newport
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 1–0 Kinjestad Soccer
Ruditown Guards 1–2 Walstreim Lions
Elephant Town FC 2–0 Southwestern Islanders
Sophie City Royals 1–0 Ineton City
Elephant Valley FC 2–1 Valley Wanderers

Newport got another important win over Rüsselsheim, who find themselves in trouble again now, despite Rodriguez Sporet from Kohnhead giving a good assist early to get the lead. Emir Aga from Timuria turned that one around on his own, and the Savojar defender Rasmus Helman and Nepharim goalkeeper Corentin Tausig didn’t allow another goal. The Rhinos also got a team into trouble, namely Kinjestad, but they remain in contention themselves. The Lions achieve the rare feat of scoring twice against the Guards on the same day, with Patrick McMora and Eloy Dawood sharing the honor. Amazingly, it was the first goals against the Guards since matchday ten, when they lost 0-1 to, you guessed it, the Walstreim Lions. The Lions didn’t have to win, but they decided to anyway. Elephant Town meanwhile achieved an absolute big point, with Simon McCabe being instrumental in a home win in the Coast Stadium over the Islanders. The Royals deliver the final blow to Ineton, with a late goal for Finnley Wallis sending them down for the second league a matchday early. Last but not least, the Valley derby was won by the EVFC, but the Wanderers are now safe anyway. With just one game left to be played, here are the current standings:

P  Season One Tier One     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Walstreim Lions          21   16   3   2    44   17  +27    51 Champions!; Champions League; CEdC
 2 Jecken Newport           21   12   3   6    41   23  +18    39 Challengers Cup; CEdC
 3 Elephant Valley FC       21   10   9   2    30   17  +13    39 Challengers Cup
 4 Ratzupalfu Rhinos        21   11   4   6    21   12   +9    37 Challengers Cup (maybe)
 5 Ruditown Guards          21   10   7   4    15    8   +7    37
 6 Sophie City Royals       21    7   7   7    31   31    0    28
 7 Valley Wanderers         21    7   2  12    16   23   −7    23
 8 Southwestern Islanders   21    5   7   9    18   29  −11    22
 9 FC Rüsselsheim           21    5   5  11    18   31  −13    20
10 Elephant Town FC         21    5   5  11    19   35  −16    20
11 Kinjestad Soccer         21    4   6  11    16   28  −12    18
12 Ineton City              21    3   4  14    11   26  −15    13

And here are the pairings for the last matchday:

Jecken Newport vs. Elephant Valley FC
Valley Wanderers vs. Sophie City Royals
Ineton City vs. Elephant Town FC
Southwestern Islanders vs. Ruditown Guards
Walstreim Lions vs. Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Kinjestad Soccer vs. FC Rüsselsheim

(race for international competition; race against relegation; done for the season)

The only match that we can already ignore is the Royals at the Wanderers; all of the five other games still have something on the line. Let’s start with the fight away from 11th place. With Ineton already relegated, Elephant Town, Rüsselsheim and Kinjestad will have to fight to get to 10th at least. All three teams are still in control of their own destiny, with Elephant Town in the best position. A simple draw at the already relegated Ineton City will make sure that they’ll play in the first league again. Even if they lose their game, if Kinjestad doesn’t win, they will still be safe. Meanwhile, the situation is way simpler for Kinjestad Soccer. At home against Rüsselsheim, they will need to win. If Kinjestad wins, they are safe, if they fail to do that, they’ll be going down. Rüsselsheim can secure things for themselves with a draw. If they lose, they have to hope for Elephant Town to also lose, otherwise they are going down to the second flight.
In the race to the top, Newport and Elephant Valley are in a direct duel. A win for either side would secure second place and therefore qualification for the CEdC for them, while Jecken would also finish second with a draw. Behind them, The Rhinos and the Guards can realistically finish third at best, and even that only if Jecken and Elephant Valley don’t draw their game. The Rhinos are in a better position, but they definitely need a win away at the Walstreim Lions. They will be about to receive their trophy, in front of their own fans, so they wouldn’t like losing that day. Behind them, the Guards could secure third place and the last guaranteed slot in the Challengers Cup by winning away at the Islanders, providing the Rhinos don’t win and Jecken and EVFC don’t draw. The fourth-placed team will only go to the Challengers’ Cup if the cup winner is already qualified as one of the top three. The only team that could still do that are the Ratzupalfu Rhinos; the other four top teams have already been eliminated. Every team could in theory still drop down to fifth place and miss out on the international competitions entirely, so there will be a lot at stake on the last matchday.

The semi-finals of the South Newlandian cup

Ratzupalfu Rhinos 1–0 Southwestern Islanders
Valley Wanderers 3–6 FC Rüsselsheim

After the small results of the early rounds, we have a lot of action now. While the Rhinos dispatched the Islanders in a very quiet game that they controlled after an early goal by defender Nicolas Umkala from TJUN-ia, but things went really wild in the Northern Stadium. John Bramas, the goalkeeper of the Wanderers, had to miss the game due to a small shoulder injury, and it showed. Despite Dhruv Roy’s efforts at directing a defense, the team from Rüsselsheim crushed the Wanderers early on. They led 5-1 at the half, with Rodriguez Sporet from Kohnhead recording a hat-trick for Rüsselsheim for the first time. They went on to win the game comfortably, claiming a space in the cup final.
Different to some other leagues, the final is not held on neutral ground. Instead, a draw was held to determine who would be hosting the cup final; Rüsselsheim or Ratzupalfu. The draw revealed that the Rhinos would get to host.

Ratzupalfu Rhinos vs. FC Rüsselsheim

Of course, the Rhinos are the massive favourites, but Rüsselsheim gets an unique chance to make a disappointing season an awesome one, considering that the winner of this final also wins a ticket straight into the Challenger’s Cup. After the game in Elephant Valley, we know better than to underestimate the FC Rüsselsheim. It will be a close final.

by **South Newlandia** » Fri Sep 11, 2020 3:02 pm

ELEPHANT VALLEY SPORTS MAIL

South Newlandian Chess League Matchday 14 and tactics competition!

Considering there were no actual decisions to make, the last matchday only had a few, less interesting developments.

Matchday 14

Newport Rooks 3.5-4.5 Sophie City Queens
Elephant Valley Chess 5-3 Ineton Pawns
Masmow Chess Wizards 5.5-2.5 CT Hymade
Kinjestad Knights 5-3 Walstreim Lions

The Chess Wizards did indeed complete the historic achievement of winning all fourteen games in a season, thanks to a comfortable win over Hymade. Meanwhile, the already relegated Pawns were defeated by EVC, completing another historic achievement: They didn’t get a single point in the second half. Meanwhile, the Queens got a nice win over the Rooks thanks to the lower boards; the bottom three scored 2.5 of the points for the Queens. The win secures a very solid fourth place for them. The Rooks, meanwhile, were leapfrogged by EVC, and finish in a still very respectable fourth place. In the last remaining game, the Knights scored a pretty win over the Lions, gaining them a finish in sixth place, not bad considering they were tied for last without any wins at the half. Here are the final standings:

P Team                    Pld   W   D   L   PF    PA    PD   Pts 
1 Masmow Chess Wizards    14   14   0   0   75.5  36.5  +39   28 Champions
2 Elephant Valley Chess   14    9   1   4   64    48    +16   19
3 Newport Rooks           14    8   1   5   64    48    +16   17
4 Sophie City Queens      14    5   4   5   55    57    −2    14
5 CT Hymade               14    6   2   6   52.5  59.5  −7    14
6 Kinjestad Knights       14    3   3   8   50.5  61.5  −11    9
7 Walstreim Lions         14    3   2   9   48.5  63.5  −15    8
8 Ineton Pawns            14    1   1  12   38    74    −36    3 Relegated

We congratulate the Masmow Chess Wizards on their title, and commiserations to the Ineton Pawns, who will be relegated. The new team in the first South Newlandian Chess League will be the St. Riecarn Monks; they will join the seven remaining teams in the next year.

The tactics competition!:

Yeah, this part is OOC. I have selected two of the best findings of the season, and you, the reader, will be able to try to solve them. The rules are as follows: Find the correct continuations on the boards, and send a telegram containing the correct results for both (or just one) of the tactics to my puppet, A random Place. You can also send it to me, but I have limited telegram space and stuff. You have time for precisely a week after this is posted. If you respond in time and get at least one tactic removed, you will be mentioned on the first chess post of the second season. Of course, it is possible to cheat here, but why would you do that? You will only be cheating yourself. Here are the two selected tactics. Both of them are spoilered because they are very big, and I didn’t manage to figure out how to make them smaller.

1) CT Hymade – Kinjestad Knights, Matchday 13, board two. Black to move.

In this tactic, the player for the Knights had sacrificed a lot of material to reach this beautiful attacking position. The first move here is quite obvious, but the second move to gain a winning advantage was missed by the player for Hymade.

2) CT Hymade – Elephant Valley Chess, Matchday 8, board one. White to move.

White is slightly better in this position already, but the top player for Hymade found a devastating threat that gains a winning advantage, a move seemingly completely under the radar for everyone else.

by **South Newlandia** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 1:24 pm

ELEPHANT VALLEY SPORTS MAIL

South Newlandian Baseball League Postseason

Quarterfinals

#3 Newport Owls vs. #6 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
#4 Newport Dolphins vs. #5 Elephant Valley Homers

Ratzupalfu Rhinos        0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0  3
Newport Owls             0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
Rhinos lead the series 1-0

The Owls started very well at home, but they struggled later in the game and suffered a bullpen collapse, while the Rhinos got stronger and stronger, taking a lead as the series moves to Ratzupalfu.

Elephant Valley Homers   1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0  4
Newport Dolphins         2 2 1 0 0 0 2 4 X 11
Dolphins lead series 1-0

Meanwhile, the Dolphins easily dispatched the Homers in the Dolphin Stadium, leading 5-2 early and cruising to a double digit win to take the series lead.

Newport Owls             0 3 0 1 0 1 0 2 0  7
Ratzupalfu Rhinos        0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1
Series tied 1-1

The Owls bounced back in Ratzupalfu thanks to a very strong performance for Gary Promises, equalizing the series and forcing a deciding third game in Newport.

Newport Dolphins         0 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 0  4
Elephant Valley Homers   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1  2
Dolphins win series 2-0

The Homers were down by four early, and despite a relatively decent end, they are the first team to get eliminated. The Dolphins get a convincing 2-0 win, and move on to tackle the top-seeded Walstreim Lions.

Ratzupalfu Rhinos        0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2  3
Newport Owls             0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Rhinos win series 2-1

The deciding game in the Newport Sportsarena was tied 1-1 throughout most of the game, but the Rhinos prevailed in the last inning, putting the 6th seed into the semis, thanks to a nice 2-1 series win. Gary Promises made headlines for starting a small brawl after the end of the game, he was clearly unhappy. The Rhinos move on to play the Dachshunds.

Semifinals

#1 Walstreim Lions vs. #4 Newport Dolphins
#2 Ruditown Dachshunds vs. #6 Ratzupalfu Rhinos

Newport Dolphins       0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Walstreim Lions        0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 X  2
Lions lead series 1-0

The top-seeded Lions, with three additional rest-days, struggle more than expected against the very resilient Dolphins in a low-scoring first game, but they ultimately managed to pull through thanks to a fantastic bull-pen performance, taking the series lead.

Ratzupalfu Rhinos      0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0  3
Ruditown Dachshunds    0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0  2
Rhinos lead series 1-0

In a shocking first round upset, the Dachshunds lost their first game in the Dachshund Stadium to the Rhinos in a very close, low scoring game that really could’ve gone either way. The 6th seed is now just one win away from the SNFS, while the Dachshunds could crash their solid season any second.

Walstreim Lions        1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1  3
Newport Dolphins       0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1
Lions win series 2-0

The Lions aren’t exactly dominating again, but they get the job done, successfully sweeping the Dolphins out, and reaching the South Newlandian Final Series as the first team, once again thanks to a strong pitching performance.

Ruditown Dachshunds    2 1 2 0 3 0 0 0 0  8
Ratzupalfu Rhinos      0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0  4
Series tied 1-1

In the Ratzupalfu Arena, the Dachshunds find out how to play Baseball again, crushing the Rhinos. An early 5-0 and a later 8-1 lead see the Dachshunds easily equalizing the series, bringing us to the deciding game in Ruditown.

Ratzupalfu Rhinos      0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Ruditown Dachshunds    0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Rhinos win series 2-1

Both Fu Webb, the Rhino’s coach, and Michael Woof for the Dachshunds saved their best pitchers for last, and it showed. The pitchers dominated the game, but the Rhinos scored the only run of the match to barely come away with another 2-1 series win. They would now play the top-seeded Lions in the South Newlandian Final Series, the overwhelming favourites.

The South Newlandian Final Series

#1 Walstreim Lions vs. #6 Ratzupalfu Rhinos

Ratzupalfu Rhinos      0 0 1 3 2 0 5 0 0 11
Walstreim Lions        1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0  3
Rhinos lead series 1-0

Where did that come from? In the final of the two franchises that share their names with football teams, the Rhinos absolutely nuke the Lions, in the Walstreim Baseball Arena no less. An absolutely shocking upset that saw the Rhinos take a surprising lead against the Lions, with the five run inning in the 7th only sealing the deal.

Walstreim Lions        3 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 0  7
Ratzupalfu Rhinos      0 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0  6
Series tied 1-1

Moving back to Ratzupalfu, the Rhinos take their third consecutive home playoff defeat in a surprisingly close game. After leading 4-3, they were only down 4-7 when they got a two-run homer, but the tying run was stranded on second base in the 9th.

Ratzupalfu Rhinos      0 3 1 1 2 1 1 0 0  9
Walstreim Lions        0 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 0  4
Rhinos lead series 2-1

Back in Walstreim, the Rhinos scored in six consecutive innings, somehow, which saw the Lions burning through three pitchers. The Lions lose in yet another away win that puts the Rhinos one win away from the championship.

Walstreim Lions        0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 1  5
Ratzupalfu Rhinos      0 3 0 2 2 1 0 0 X  8
Rhinos win series and championship 3-1

When this game started, the Rhinos hadn’t won any games at home in the playoffs. With a chance to win the SNFS in front of their home crowd, in the Ratzupalfu Arena, in front of 10.000 fans, they were determent to change that. After five innings, the game was basically over. The Rhinos had played convincingly, taking a seven to nothing lead and they never looked back. It was the first time a sixth seed won the Final Series. The Rhinos had done it, completing a strong post-season with a 3-1 series win over helpless Lions. The Ratzupalfu Rhinos, and Fu Webb, are the champions of South Newlandian Baseball.

by **South Newlandia** » Tue Sep 22, 2020 3:01 pm

ELEPHANT VALLEY SPORTS MAIL

South Newlandian Soccer League Matchday 22 and Cup Final

The second South Newlandian Soccer League

Matchday 22

Two of the matches mattered for literally nothing, so let us look at those first:

Lexen City Reds 1–1 Trunkst CFT
Kinetik Islanders 2–1 Walstreim City FC

The Reds get an honorary point on their way into amateur football, while the Islanders celebrate their already certain win of the second tier with a home win over Walstreim City. Both Trunkst and Walstreim CFC end disappointing seasons without any wins.

The relegation race is next. As a reminder, Kinjestad is only relegated with a loss and two high wins for both Northvalley Club and the FC Ineton. Meanwhile, Ineton needs to match the result for Northvalley Club, while Northvalley needs to do better than Ineton to avoid relegation. Masmow, playing Kinjestad, also still has chances to get promoted.

Masmow FC 0–0 Kinjestad SC

The KSC holds Masmow to a draw, securing their place in the second tier, while Masmow cannot be promoted now.

Jagomir City 1–0 Northvalley Club
Town 1–0 FC Ineton

It actually happened; both teams achieve the exact same result. Both teams played reasonably good games, but still ended up short, each by one goal only. This means that the teams stay tied on points and goal differential, and the goals scored have to decide: Ineton has scored 29, while Club has only 23. Because of that, Northvalley Club is the second team to get relegated, while Ineton is narrowly saved.

With Masmow failing to win, two teams remain in contention to promote, and they are playing each other. Newport United is playing at home, and they just need to avoid a loss by two goals or more against Ratzupalfu FC. A win, draw, or loss by one goal would send Newport back to the first tier.

Newport United 1–0 Ratzupalfu FC

And with that, Newport United joins the first tier, thanks to a late goal over Ratzupalfu FC, who remains in fourth. Here is the final table of the second tier.

P  Season One Tier 2     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Kinetik Islanders      22   14   3   5    35   15  +20    45 Promoted
 2 Newport United         22   11   6   5    40   26  +14    39 Promoted
 3 Masmow FC              22   10   5   7    28   26   +2    35
 4 Jagomir City           22   10   4   8    27   18   +9    34
 5 Ratzupalfu FC          22    9   6   7    41   33   +8    33
 6 Trunkst CFT            22    9   5   8    16   16    0    32
 7 Town                   22    9   4   9    26   36  −10    31
 8 Walstreim City FC      22    9   3  10    26   37  −11    30
 9 Kinjestad SC           22    6   7   9    12   15   −3    25
10 FC Ineton              22    5   6  11    29   37   −8    21
11 Northvalley Club       22    4   9   9    23   31   −8    21 Relegated
12 Lexen City Reds        22    4   6  12    20   33  −13    18 Relegated

The first South Newlandian Soccer League

Matchday 22

There is one match, and a few more teams, that have nothing left to play for. The Wanderers will play Sophie City in a match with nothing on the line, the other teams can at least be the spoiler for other teams.
Three teams are still in the relegation race. Elephant Town is save with just a draw against Ineton City, the team that was first o be relegated, while in the direct duel between Kinjestad and Rüsselsheim, the former need to win and the latter need to avoid that.
That leaves us with the four teams fighting for the international spots in three games. Jecken Newport and Elephant Valley FC, each on 39 points, play against each other, while the Rhinos on 37 points have to visit the Lions who are already champions. The Ruditown Guards, also with 37 points, have the easiest game at the Southwestern Islanders. Let us review the highlights.

1st minute: Here we go; it is the kickoff for the six games on matchday 22. Today, the season will be decided. Here we go.
5th minute: Early push here for Jecken, over the left side with Corban Green. Nice pass to the front, there’s Bjorn Cohen, a shot, but it’s very well saved by Larre Bossink, the goalkeeper from Ko-oren.
8th minute: Here we are with Ineton City making a move against Elephant Town; they certainly don’t want to go down with another loss here. Good play here, a pass into the middle, and Ineton is in the lead!
Ineton City 1-0 Elephant Town FC
11th minute: That’s a good chance for the Guards here, Raphael Moreno is up front, going right past Marcos Pit, a ball into the middle, but the striker just can’t reach it.
15th minute: Newport with some more pressure, they only need a draw today, but a goal would help them either way. David Johnson, the national team player from TJUN-ia, here with the ball, a very good pass for Emir Aga, and a shot! Larre Bossink without a chance and Jecken Newport are up by one goal!
Jecken Newport 1-0 Elephant Valley FC
18th minute: Ineton is looking for another goal here, but they lose the ball in midfield, quick pass to Simon McCabe, and that’s a lob over the goalkeeper! Elephant Town has equalized, and right now, they are save again!
Ineton City 1-1 Elephant Town FC
23nd minute: The Lions are clearly out of gas after a long season, and with nothing to play for, they aren’t playing as strong as they can. Maybe now, with Eloy Dawood in possession, but he is blocked by the defender, Nicolas Umkala, from TJUN-ia.
25th minute: That’s Jecken Newport again, clearly in the driver’s seat today, with Emir Aga here, but the shot is well defended by Jack Schroeder. The Elephant Valley defense clearly has a lot of work today.
32st minute: Kinjestad is still fighting for their lives, they need a goal. They are making a push here, but the defense coordinated by Kohnheadian Rodriguez Sporet is looking strong, the game remains tied, just enough for Rüsselsheim.
34th minute: Elephant Valley still hasn’t quite recovered from the early goal, and Jecken is calling the shots. They want to seal the deal here with another goal; its Abdurahman Bishop here with a shot, but that one is saved by Bossink.
35th minute: Sophie City is putting some pressure on Dhruv Roy here, and the ball is gone! Finnley Wallis is moving all alone towards John Bramas, the goalkeeper from Maccian for the Wanderers, and it’s a goal! Wallis there with a beautiful shot, and the Royals lead!
Valley Wanderers 0-1 Sophie City Royals
41st minute: The Islanders are playing well today, and the Guards just aren’t getting anything going. As a reminder, they need to win today, preferably by a few goals, but it isn’t looking likely today. Here comes a flank from the Islanders, Pit tries to clear it away, but he stuns Rigby instead! The ball goes over the line, and somehow, the Southwestern Islanders are in the lead! That isn’t going like the Guards wanted it to, at all!
Southwestern Islands 1-0 Ruditown Guards
45th minute: Ineton with some good play here again in front of their own fans, they don’t want to get relegated without a good last impression. A good drive over left side, Elephant Town not looking to great on defense, and neither is the goalie! And that is a nice and easy goal for Ineton!
Ineton City 2-1 Elephant Town FC
Halftime:

Valley Wanderers 0-1 Sophie City Royals
Ineton City 2-1 Elephant Town FC
Kinjestad Soccer 0-0 FC Rüsselsheim
Southwestern Islanders 1-0 Ruditown Guards
Jecken Newport 1-0 Elephant Valley FC
Walstreim Lions 0-0 Ratzupalfu Rhinos

The big surprise here is of course the Guards being behind against the Islanders, but there are still 45 minutes left. Right now, Newport would finish in 2nd, ahead of Elephant Valley in 3rd and the Rhinos in 4th, and Kinjestad would end up relegated. Surely, the second half will stay interesting.
47th minute: Kinjestad is making a move, good dribbling here, the very strong Yuri Nowak from Zeta Reka and Hugeltadom with the ball again, a pass into the middle to Michael Glossman, and a goal! Kinjestad is in the lead, and their fans are going nuts! They might actually save themselves here! Right now, Elephant Town would end up relegated, but that can change fast if they find an equalizer in Ineton.
Kinjestad Soccer 1-0 FC Rüsselsheim
49th minute: We haven’t heard anything from the Guards recently, but they will need to put up a fight if they want any chance at anything here, they need to claw themselves back into the game against the Islanders. Raphael Moreno over the right side here for the Guards, but the Islanders Pit with great defense again.
54th minute: That’s the Wanderers with ball, but they lose it to the Royals! Wallis in possession, sees Bramas a little too far from the goal, and a big shot for Wallis! Bramas hurries back, but he can’t reach it, the ball is too precise! The Royals with a second goal!
Valley Wanderers 0-2 Sophie City Royals
60th minute: An hour has been played, still no goals between Rhinos and Lions. That’s Tantalopoulos, the Vdaran, with a very good fast pass to Eloy Dawood of Eastfield Lodge. He has some space, and takes a shot, but Trischuk makes a fantastic save to keep the Rhinos in it!
63rd minute: That is Simon McCabe with the ball again, taking a dribbling against Ineton. Too fast Wright, and he is in the box, and that is a beautiful goal! Elephant Town has tied it up, and at the moment, that would send Rüsselsheim down into the second tier!
Ineton City 2-2 Elephant Town FC
65th minute: That’s the Rhinos in action for once; the game has been dominated well by the Lions, but that’s a chance for Ratzupalfu. Aaron Murphy, the man from the Grearish Union, with the ball, takes a spin, and that shot surprises the goalie! Almost out of nothing, the Rhinos score to lead, and they jump into the international spots, ahead of EVFC!
Walstreim Lions 0-1 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
72nd minute: Elephant Valley now has to do something, and they will try for sure. Nepharim Simon Bradden in possession, here against the Savojar defender Rasmus Helman, and the latter with a fantastic tackle inside the penalty box! The Jecken defender took some risks there, and got rewarded; Corentin Tausig, also from Nephara, scoops up the ball.
77th minute: Rüsselsheim has been very quiet throughout the game, and right now, that would see them relegated; they need a goal! That is Yuri Nowak, and Rüsselsheim is busy defending again! If they concede here a second time, that’s it. Nowak well defended by Cochrane, and the ball is moving into the other direction! Kohnheadian Sporet with a shot from a distance, and a goal! The goalie not looking great on this one and the game is all tied up! And this means that Kinjestad would be down at the moment, and the fans react accordingly; with silence.
Kinjestad Soccer 1-1 FC Rüsselsheim
85th minute: Elephant Valley still pressing, they need a goal to get into the international competition. Jack Schroeder, the defender, far up the field, and he loses the ball to Canning-Meagher, the man from Kelssek! It’s a good pass to Aga from Timuria, and a dangerous shot, just directed around the post by Bossink, the Ko-orenite in the goal for EVFC.
89th minute: The Guards haven’t gotten a lot together, they aren’t exactly known for scoring, but they need to get two, and for the Lions to score as well. A corner, everyone up front, including the goalie Rigby; they’ve got nothing to lose, after all. Ball coming in, Rigby has it, it bounces to Moreno, and it somehow ends up in the goal! The Guards are back in it, this isn’t over!
Southwestern Islanders 1-1 Ruditown Guards
90th minute: The ref is ending the game that doesn’t matter just on time. Reasonably good seasons for both teams, the Royals add three points more today. Neither team is too noteworthy this season.
GAME END: Valley Wanderers 0-2 Sophie City Royals
90th minute: And Elephant Town is save! The game is over between them and Ineton, ending in a fair draw, and that means the relegated team is in Kinjestad right now; but we don’t know which of the two yet.
GAME END: Ineton City 2-2 Elephant Town FC
90+1st minute: Elephant Valley is still fighting on, but they are relatively guaranteed in 4th if the Guards don’t turn the tide. Still, a goal would send them straight to the Challengers, and Bradden is in possession. Good pass to the front, but there’s Helman again. Jecken clearly wants to win today, to get a chance at seeing the EVFC out.
90+1st minute: It’s over between the Lions and the Rhinos, and Ratzupalfu does pick up a win against the champs to, at the moment, jump into 3rd and the international competition. We see two celebrating teams here; the Lions clearly won’t get their party ruined! Here comes the trophy!
GAME END: Walstreim Lions 0-1 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
90+2nd minute: The Guards won’t get another chance at the goal here, they have to settle with the draw, which means they miss out on the international competition this year. The Islanders surprised everyone with a solid season that saw them saved ahead of the say, and they end it by taking off points of the team now confirmed to be 5th.
GAME END: Southwestern Islanders 1-1 Ruditown Guards
90+2nd minute: Two games are still going, but the time is almost up for Elephant Valley. They need a goal right now, or they have to hope for Rhinos’ help in the cup final to get in. Jecken is in possession, the EVFC looks tired, and that’s the game! Jecken wins and finishes second, while the EVFC drops into 4th.
GAME END: Jecken Newport 1-0 Elephant Valley FC
90+3rd minute: Only one game is still going, but that one has a lot on the line! Kinjestad is pressing against Rüsselsheim, who are one goal away from relegation. With seconds left on the clock, Kinjestad has a corner kick from the right side, and everyone is in the box! All twenty-two players are in front of the Rüsselsheim goal, and here it comes! Glossman bringing it in, Nowak with a header, the goalie is in the wrong spot, it’s going in! No! Cochrane on the line, and he blocks it away, it’s out of the penalty box, and the ref ends the game! Rüsselsheim is through, holding Kinjestad to a draw to knock them out of the league! Kinjestad has been defeated in front of the own fans, and the players sink to the ground, while Rüsselsheim is celebrating with their team; they got it!
GAME END: Kinjestad Soccer 1-1 FC Rüsselsheim
That gives us the following final table:

P  Season One Tier One     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Walstreim Lions          22   16   3   3    44   18  +26    51 Champions League; CEdC; Champions!
 2 Jecken Newport           22   13   3   6    42   23  +19    42 Challengers Cup; CEdC
 3 Ratzupalfu Rhinos        22   12   4   6    22   12  +10    40 Challengers Cup
 4 Elephant Valley FC       22   10   9   3    30   18  +12    39 CC if Rhinos win the cup
 5 Ruditown Guards          22   10   8   4    16    9   +7    38
 6 Sophie City Royals       22    8   7   7    33   31   +2    31
 7 Valley Wanderers         22    7   2  13    16   25   −9    23
 8 Southwestern Islanders   22    5   8   9    19   30  −11    23
 9 FC Rüsselsheim           22    5   6  11    19   32  −13    21 CC if Rüsselsheim win the cup
10 Elephant Town FC         22    5   6  11    21   37  −16    21
11 Kinjestad Soccer         22    4   7  11    17   29  −12    19 Relegated
12 Ineton City              22    3   5  14    13   28  −15    14 Relegated

The Cup Final:

The only thing left is the cup final. The Ratzupalfu Rhinos, already guaranteed to be in the Challenger’s Cup, host the FC Rüsselsheim, a team that has a chance to make the mediocre season where they narrowly avoided relegation a great one by winning a trophy and qualifying for the Challenger’s Cup. If the Rhinos win, the EVFC qualifies as the 4th placed team, which would get all of the big four into the international competition. It’s time to take a look at the highlights.

1st minute: And here we go, Rhinos versus Rüsselsheim here in the Rhinostadium. Here are the Rhinos, from left to right, in grey and red, and Rüsselsheim on the other side in blue and green.
12th minute: We see two defensively minded teams here, especially with the Rhinos being a basically impenetrable wall, but Rüsselsheim is also standing well defensively.
21st minute: The Rhinos over the left side with Nicolas Umkala in position, good pass up front, and there is a big opening! A shot, but it bounces out from the post; The Rhinos very close to taking a lead here.
37th minute: The Rhinos stay in the driver’s seat, with more than 60% possession, but they aren’t really making a lot of it. Maybe now, with Aaron Murphy in possession here, but Cochrane is there and takes the ball away from him. The game is really lacking good chances at the moment; both teams seem to be focused on defending.
45th minute: And it’s half-time in Ratzupalfu, no goals just yet and few chances. Let us hope that the second half can give us some more of those. Both teams will need to score eventually.
56th minute: The second half is in full swing, and we are seeing more of the same. Both teams are lining up carefully, with neither one risking too much. Rüsselsheim with an attack now, over on the left side with Cochrane in the Rhino’s half, good pass to the striker, a spin, a shot, and it misses by quite a bit.
69th minute: The Rhinos here with a nice possession, no one from Rüsselsheim has touched the ball in a few minutes. Murphy on the ball, passing it to Umkala who is surprisingly far upfield, and that’s a shot from a distance! The goalie is paying attention though, and saves the ball.
85th minute: We are well on the way to extra time here, with just five minutes left on the clock. If either team makes a move now, they could win the cup right now, otherwise, we get 30 more minutes to decide a winner. Once more Ratzupalfu, with a corner from the left side, coming in, and there’s a header, but the defender is in the way, and the ball cleared out of the penalty box.
91st minute: We are now in the first half of extra time. No goals were scored in the first ninety minutes, so we will try for 30 more. With the players getting more and more tired, maybe some chances will open up eventually.
105th minute: The first half of extra time came and went without serious chances for either team, leaving us with fifteen minutes to go. Maybe there is an opening now, the Rhinos attacking again, there is Murphy with a nice shot from a distance, but a great reaction for the goalkeeper keeps the game tied.
117th minute: The tiredness seemingly only affected the offense, we are now seeing even less chances than we saw in the first ninety minutes. Maybe now with a corner for Rüsselsheim, the ball is coming in, Cochrane with a chance, but he’s shoved away by a defender! The ref is pointing on the spot; Rüsselsheim will receive a penalty and a massive chance to decide the game right now!
118th minute: Rodriguez Sporet will be shooting against Mikhail Trischuk, arguably the best goalkeeper in South Newlandia. He isn’t too strong with penalties, but Sporet isn’t too experienced with them either. Here comes the shot, Trischuk is diving to the wrong corner, and Sporet puts it in! Rüsselsheim leads and the Rhinos now have just two minutes to find an equalizer to go into the penalty shootout!
120+2nd minute: And the game is over! Rüsselsheim are the cup champions, unbelievable! Just a few days ago, they were almost relegated, and now they are in the Challenger’s Cup! I cant belive it, but the defense hasn’t allowed any more big chnaces, and they pulled through! Here comes the trophy, what an achievement for the team!
FINAL SCORE: Ratzupalfu Rhinos 0–0 FC Rüsselsheim (0–1 AET)

SNSL Awards:

Like every year, there are six awards handed out by the SNFA, each in golden, silver, and bronze edition. Goals and Assists are purely based on numbers, while the other four categories are voted on by one hundred experts, journalists, coaches and other important football characters.

Most goals scored:
#1 Emir Aga: 17 (Timuria) (Jecken Newport)
#1 Makino Hideo: 17 (Squidroidia) (Walstreim Lions)
#3 Simon Bradden: 15 (Nephara) (Elephant Valley FC)
The stars from Timuria and Squidroidia share the award this year, with each of them putting up an impressive eighteen goals in 22 games. Four teams didn’t even manage to score that many together. Bradden also has to be mentioned, scoring precisely half of all goals scored by the EVFC in the year.

Most assists:
#1 David Johnson: 13 (TJUN-ia) (Jecken Newport)
#2 Corban Green: 11 (South Newlandia) (Jecken Newport)
#3 Patrick McMora: 10 (South Newlandia) (Walstreim Lions)
Johnson surprised some as the assists leader, but the duo on the wings for Jecken was very efficient in feeding Aga and Cohen this year. McMora was the best in this category for the champions, but there were a lot of players with nine assists, including players like the sixteen year old Tantalopoulos, Bishop, Murphy, and even Nowak from the relegated Kinjestad, making the assist for more than half of their goals.

Most voted player:
#1 Makino Hideo (Squidroidia) (Walstreim Lions) 52 votes
#2 Simon Bradden (Nephara) (Elephant Valley FC) 19 votes
#3 Patrick McMora (South Newlandia) (Walstreim Lions) 14 votes
Two Lions find themselves in the top three, with Hideo winning a close majority of the votes. He and McMora have been shouldering a lot of the offense that made that team the champions, and Hideo is a very well deserved MVP. Between the two Lions, we see Simon Bradden, who carried the EVFC almost on his own, even if he got nothing to show for it.

Best player under 20 (best teenager):
#1 Lambros Tantalopoulos (Vdara) (Walstreim Lions) 56 votes
#2 Eloy Dawood (Eastfield Lodge) (Walstreim Lions) 43 votes
#3 Jak Marcusson (South Newlandia) (Ineton City) 1 vote
Clearly, there were only two teenagers that proved to be absolute stars, and both wore a Lions’ jersey. Dawood and Tantalopoulos were part of the team that went on to be the champions, and they were playing very well together with their slightly more experienced teammates. A great future lies ahead of them.

Best goalkeeper:
#1 Rufus Rigby (South Newlandia) (Ruditown Guards) 61 votes
#2 Mikhail Trischuk (South Newlandia) (Ratzupalfu Rhinos) 19 votes
#3 Corentin Tausig (Nephara) (Jecken Newport) 10 votes
#3 Larre Bossink (Ko-oren) (Elephant Valley FC) 10 votes
This was the only category that South Newlandians dominated, with the two national team goalkeepers winning the vote and placing second. Rigby had an almost magical season, conceding just nine goals, something never done before in South Newlandia that likely will never be repeated. Both Tausig and Bossink also had very good seasons, but Rigby is the deserved winner of this category.

Best defender:
#1 Nicolas Umkala (TJUN-ia) (Ratzupalfu Rhinos) 27 votes
#2 Rodriguez Sporet (Kohnhead) (FC Rüsselsheim) 24 votes
#3 Rasmus Helman (Savojarna) (Jecken Newport) 20 votes
This vote was by far the closest of any. Tantalopoulos, not in the top three, mostly provided strong support to the offense, while Helman was playing well as an individual. Sporet might not be the best player by skill, but he showed a lot of fighting spirit and the ability to score clutch goals, and was instrumental in winning the cup final. In the end, Umkala was best at uniting all of those skills in one player, making him a deserved award winner too.

Other things to note:
The two teams promoted into the second tier are the Sun City Atoms and the Miladridad FC.
The team formerly known as “Town” has renamed to “Elephant Town Warriors”.
The SNFA has postponed a possible league expansion for now, but is keeping options open for the season after the next one.
The Kinetik Islanders have been entered into the IFCF Series B Competition in a surprising move, contrary to the expectations. Officials have said this will be a one-off exception.
OOC: If you want your players to move or do literally everything else, or you want them to stay with their team, it would really help me if you could tell me about your wishes :)

by **South Newlandia** » Sun Oct 25, 2020 5:03 am

A NEW SEASON STARTS AT THIS POINT.

Season Two: Chess Preseason

The South Newlandian Chess League (SNCL) is back! The top tier of South Newlandian chess features eight teams, playing a double round-robin. Without further ado, here are the teams, ordered by their performance last season from the bottom to the top.

St. Riecarn Monks

City and Region: St. Riecarn, East
Performance last season: not in the top tier
Expectations: Fighting against relegation

The Monks are the new team, joining the league after winning promotion last season. St. Riecarn, a small city of about 24.000, is about the last place in South Newlandia with some religious influence. The games are played in an old monastery, and talking is strictly banned during the games. While the players aren’t actually monks (at least most of them), they are known for slow, precise moves. Games involving the Monks typically take a lot of time, but are often interesting to watch, involving a lot of theory.

Walstreim Lions

City and Region: Walstreim, Southeast
Performance last season: 7th/8
Expectations: Fighting against relegation

The third-biggest South Newlandian city also has a team in the SNCL. The Lions are the only big sports organization in Walstreim, and the Chess team is often overshadowed by the Soccer and Baseball teams with the same name. The team might be the most boring one of the league, as there really isn’t a lot to say about them, they will probably end up somewhere in midfield again. A very bad second half of their season left them close to relegation, and the upcoming season is expected to be a tough one again.

Kinjestad Knights

City and Region: Kinjestad, Southwestern Islands
Performance last season: 6th/8
Expectations: Middle of the table

Kinjestad is the biggest city outside of the mainland, located off of the Southwest coast. The Knights are one of the decent teams in the league that should be able to avoid relegation, but they won’t win titles either. The team is known for finding strong, tricky moves, but sometimes, they are playing stuff just because it looks to be fun, even though it may not be the best move. This cost them points in the first half of the last season, but a strong finish secured their place in the top league.

CT Hymade

City and Region: Hymade, Northeast
Performance last season: 5th/8
Expectations: Fighting against relegation

The Chess Team Hymade, playing in the west of the country, is one of the newer, smaller teams in the SNCL. The city is barely known even to South Newlandians, but they somehow made it up to the SNCL. Hymade often struggles to find wins, playing an overall solid, slow approach most of the time. They placed their best ever season last year; finishing 5th, but this season will probably be harder.

Sophie City Queens

City and Region: Sophie City, East
Performance last season: 4th/8
Expectations: Middle of the table

The Queens from Sophie City, located in the East of the country, are the all-female team from the league. Some of the other teams also feature woman, but most of the talented girls move to Sophie City early. The team has been very decent in recent years, finishing in 4th last season, and they seem to only improve in the last years. Even a top-three finish might be possible for them. They are also the youngest team, on average.

Newport Rooks

City and Region: Newport, Northeast
Performance last season: 3rd/8
Expectations: Fighting for the top spots

The first team from the “big three” is fairly new in the league, but they managed to get to the top fairly quickly. Located on the East Coast, the Rooks receive little attention with two strong soccer (Jecken, United) and two SNBL (Dolphins, Owls) teams from the same city, but they have a few loyal chess fans. The team is known for solid play and not risking too much. The signature move for most players from the Rooks is 4. 0-0. They got close to EVC last year, and have a chance to overtake them this time.

Elephant Valley Chess

City and Region: Elephant Valley, Elephant Valley
Performance last season: 2rd/8
Expectations: Fighting for the top spots

The team from the capital city on the West Coast is the second team of the “big three” in Chess. Along with the Rooks and the Wizards, they are one of the stronger teams that will fight for the title. Elephant Valley themselves is also among the teams with more history, but in recent times, they weren’t as strong as they were once used to. The fans are demanding success this season, but they were far off of the title in recent years.

Masmow Chess Wizards

City and Region: Masmow, Far North
Performance last season: 1st/8
Expectations: Winning

The Chess Wizards are the current champions and clear favourites. The Dragon Island, on which Masmow is located, is off of the Northeast coast. In recent years, the Chess Wizards have been the dominating force in the SNCL, and they are the favourites for the title in this year as well. The team is known to feature some unusual, weird players that tend to be different to most chess players, but after some retirements, this season may not see the Wizards repeat their historic achievement of winning all the games of the season.

The Tactics competition: Results

For the first game, the critical continuation is 1… Qxf2, then after 2. Kh1 (forced), the move 2… Bg4! wins the Queen. Because she has to protect the mate on g1, she doesn’t have any squares to retreat to, and will fall. The best defence would be 3… Be3, but the game is definitely lost at this point.
Congratulations to Audio and Llama, who got it right, and to Chrom, who found the correct first move (and sent a TG, like I wanted yall to ;) )

In the second game, the move 1. Qa4! wins on the spot, because of the threat Qxc6, and then promoting the pawn to be a rook up. Because the Rook is pinned to the Queen, there is no defence.
Congratulations to Llama, who solved this tactic.

(It is entirely possible I forgot someone here (probably bc you didn’t sent me a TG,). If I did forget you, drop me a quick message somewhere, and I will fix this)

by **South Newlandia** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 8:34 am

Season Two: Soccer Preseason, ahead of the games

Part 1) League expansion

When Sandra Elephantson announced the changes for the South Newlandian Soccer Pyramid, she made fans around the country happy. Basically, the changes promised bigger top leagues, finally creating a more official third tier, and an extra cup round; in a nutshell, more games to watch. To really understand the changes, we will have to take a slightly deeper dive.
First of all, what is planned starting from the season after the next one?
In the future, the South Newlandian Soccer League (SNSL) and the second South Newlandian Soccer League (2SNSL) will be operating with fourteen teams each, two more compared to the twelve teams at the moment. The league will keep operating in a double-round robin, with four games added on in total for each team. Just as it works currently, two teams will be relegated from the first tier into the second and two teams will be promoted from the second tier into the first. Below the second tier, a third tier will be officially established. This third tier will be split between a Southern and a Northern half. Each of these two divisions will be operating with ten teams. The top team in each will be promoted to the 2nd tier, and the two 2nd placed teams will play a playoff match at a neutral venue for promotion. Three teams will be relegated from the 2nd tier, and two teams will be relegated from each division. The Cup will be starting with 64 teams now, with 16 additional teams from below the three tiers. Those 16 teams will be guaranteed home games in the first round, while the 28 teams from the two top tiers will have away games first. From there, the procedure remains the same as usual.
What does that mean for the very next season?
Only one team will be relegated from the top tier, and three teams will gain promotion from the second tier, getting us to 14 teams. Two teams will be relegated from the second tier, and a whopping six teams will join the second tier from below. That is about it.

Part 2) The South Newlandian Super Cup

The Super Cup was, as always, contested between the champions of the South Newlandian Soccer League, the Lions in this case, and the champions of the South Newlandian Cup, the FC Rüsselsheim. The game was held at the Elephant Dome.
Rüsselsheim held even with the Lions, for about the first twenty-five minutes. Zeman, Tantalopoulos, Yu Wei and Pavel Shipulin had scored the goals up to that point, but after that, the Lions were clearly the stronger team. Additional goals by Kesteren and two more for Zeman sealed the deal, getting the Lions their first title in a game Klaus Olfinger probably wants to forget as soon as possible. The Supercup isn’t exactly the most important thing in the world for South Newlandia (this is a mild way to phrase that no one cares), but it still is a nice way at taking an early title. The Lions’ start to their season couldn’t possibly have been better.

Walstreim Lions 5–2 FC Rüsselsheim

Part 3) IFCF adventures

The Challenger’s Cup didn’t actually go too well for the South Newlandian teams. Jecken Newport took a painful loss against Ostholden Town from Ancherion despite winning the first leg 1-0 away. A very bad game in Newport, ending 1-3, ended the Jeckish journey before it began. Similarly, the Ratzupalfu Rhinos lost their first preliminary round as well. Against Olympique de Fontvielle from Valladares, they lost the first leg away 0-2. Despite a good second game in Ratzupalfu, they only won by 4-2 and this sent them out on away goals. The only team that managed to win in the first round of the CC was the FC Rüsselsheim. Malavan Romainbourg from Omerica was clearly no real obstacle, and after winning the first game at home 2-0, they obliterated them in Omerica five to nothing. Yu Wei, the new player from Yuezhou, proved to be a very good striker, contributing four of the seven goals. However, they stood no chance in the second round against Burnaby SC from Kelssek, losing despite a strong effort away. A 1-3 home loss saw the last remaining South Newlandian team in the Challenger’s Cup out. The Kinetik Islanders enjoyed a fairly god time in the LBCT. They started in the third preliminary round against the Vilitan team Tival City, and managed to reach the playoff round thanks to a 2-0 win at home after they had gotten a 1-1 draw on the road. The Nepharim goalkeeper, Holger Varney, had two strong games against the favoured Vilitan team. In the playoff round, Kinetik faced Erribe United from Astograth. This matchup saw the Islanders almost exactly repeating the storyline of the game before, getting a 1-1 draw away and winning at home, this time by 1-0, once again with two strong showings for Varney. In the group stage, they didn’t quite make it, scoring only five points in a tough group with teams from Eastfield Lodge, Turori, and Valladares. Highlight of the group stage, at least for the Islanders, was a nice 3-1 win at Monksville United from Eastfield Lodge, but overall, they remained quite a bit away from the next round.

Part 4) The Lions perform 14 miracles (and then some)

The first team to ever represent South Newlandia in the Champions League would be the Walstreim Lions. They came off of a winning season, as all their opponents, but they also got themselves a few good new players. Selling Makino Hideo, their Squidroidian star, to Villa in Murphtannia, had allowed them to pick up the Nepharim star Bernard Zeman from Starling for 4.25 million. He would prove to be a good investment, along with some other solid players they picked up. The first round saw them facing the champions from Ancherion, Chrilsia FC. Two close games, each ending with 1-0 wins for the Lions, got them into the second preliminary. Rinus Wever, the Audioslavian goalkeeper they had picked up on a free during the off-season, proved to be a great fit for the team, keeping them in the game on multiple occasions. The second round saw them facing Dalton Town FC, the champions from the Commonwealth of Baker Park. After a 2-0 win in Walstreim, the Lions also won 3-1 in Baker Park, advancing without too many troubles.
Why? Because, by this point, this team wasn’t just a collection of eleven individually maybe half-decent players. They were a team. They were fighting for each other. They were running for every ball, never gave anything up. The defense stood solid, because they worked together. Clearly, the fifty-year old David Watts had done a fantastic job creating an unit. Montreal Koreana, the champion from Quebec, was the next victim. They got absolutely crushed 5-2 in Walstreim, with the game already decided after the first half, when the Lions already led by four. This got the Lions into the playoff round, as the only unranked team. They would be massive underdogs in any case, but however it would end, they had already secured a place in the Challenger’s Cup group stage, even with a loss.
Their opponent in the playoff round would be Letson Town, champions of Ethane. The first game, in Walstreim, ended in a 1-1 draw, as it had happened so often to that point. The second game in Ethane featured another tough fight, with both teams showing their best. Zeman had brought the Lions the lead, but Letson Town had found an equalizer late in the first half. Late into the game, the score remained tied, and everything looked like the game would go to extra time. At least, that was until the 84th minute. Zeman had gotten a great pass from McMora, and was pushing the ball down the left side. He motioned to go into the box, but saw Tantalopoulos wide open in the middle. A pass later, the Vdaran talent took a shot, without a defender in sight, scoring the deciding 2-1. Even one more goal wouldn’t have helped Letson Town at this point, because of the away goal rule, and that meant that the Walstreim Lions had done the impossible. They had qualified for the group stage of the Champions League, despite being unranked. To get a rough idea for just how impossible that is, the Lions are not only the only unranked side in the Champions League; there wasn’t even another unranked side in the Challenger’s Cup. The Lions were the only team to qualify for the Champions League after starting in the first preliminary of the Champion’s road. Doing what the Lions did is basically impossible. And yet, the Lions did it. During the celebrations, they were also informed that this would gain them a place in something called the “Rising Stars Cup”. We’re going to get back to that later on; let us focus on the Champion’s League group stage first.
The Lions were not spared a hard draw – their opponents were Freeport United, the team that had placed 4th in the United League and was the best team from Freeport; Tropicorp FC from Turori, and, hardest of all, Brinemouth. The team from arguably the best league in the world. The team that finished second in the Nepharim Premiership. That Brinemouth. The first game would see Walstreim playing against exactly that team, at home. Brinemouth, the established, well-known team that clearly is one of the best in the world against a team hardly anyone had ever heard of before. Obviously, Brinemouth would rip Walstreim’s spine out. Except; the Lions won. Rinus Wever became a hero in front of a sold-out crowd, and the Lions got stronger with every minute they held the scoreless draw. Wever had twenty-six shots on goal that day, and he stopped every single one of them. Brinemouth just could not get the goal, whatever they tried, it just wouldn’t work. To add insult to injury, the Lions even scored a goal for themselves in the 73rd minute, a co-production of the two Nepharim players playing for the Lions. Zeman got the ball to Kesteren, and the goalie didn’t quite manage to save it. Both Zeman and Kesteren had been playing for Starling before, and they clearly knew Brinemouth well.
Next, Walstreim had to travel to Tropicorp. This game ended in a 1-1 draw; Walstreim had gotten a lucky penalty after a small shove, which Zeman easily converted into an early lead, and the team from Turori would only get past Wever once. Game three was at home against Freeport, and once again, Wever proved to be invincible in front of the Lions’ fans. Patrick McMora scored the only goal of the day in the 18th minute, and Freeport never managed to find an equalizer. With that, the Lions had picked up seven points in three games against some of the best teams in the multi-verse. Even if they collapsed now, they would probably get third place and a spot in the Challenger’s Cup Round of 32. Of course, that was only one of the possible outcomes, but no one dared to talk about what could possibly happen. They would have to travel to Brinemouth next, for a much anticipated rematch. Brinemouth had only scored a single point up to this point, at home against Freeport. They would not let the Lions get away a second time. Or so they thought. After the first half, Brinemouth was leading 3-1, and only a single goal by Dawood for the equalizer had given the Lions some hope. The second half went much better for the Lions, as Zeman carried them back into the game. He scored three goals, and the game was tied at four on either side after 80 minutes. Suddenly, the game was wide open again, for both teams. In the end, it was the Right Back, Carl Blew, who scored the winning goal after a corner in the 87th minute. The Lions had beaten Brinemouth a second time, and were now at ten points.
Still, the coach, Watts, didn’t want to talk about the Round of 16. They would first play game five, against Tropicorp, in the Walstreim City Stadium. That game ended in a scoreless draw, where Rinus Wever once again proved that he is an underrated goalkeeper. It sounds unbelievable, but the Lions picked him up for free ahead of the season. He, and Zeman, dragged the Lions to success. At this point, they were sitting at eleven points. Freeport had seven, and Brinemouth still had only one. The Lions had qualified for the Round of 16 of the Champion’s League, and they had done so with a game to spare. Do you remember how we said that getting into the groups is basically impossible as an unranked team? The Lions did not care what other people thought was possible. They just went to Freeport, and also beat them again. 1-4. In Freeport. This was insane. The Lions didn’t even have to. They just did anyway. McMora, Zeman, Tantalopoulos and Pearson, the new TJUN-ian defender they also picked up for free during the off-season, each scored. Freeport had no chance. The Lions had qualified for the Round of 16 of the Champion’s League, unranked, undefeated (they had not lost a single match leg either, in 14 games, against the multi-verses best!), and as the group winners. This team had done the impossible.
They would have the biggest challenge yet in the Round of 16. They would have to play Directus, champions of the Euraleague and defending winners of the Champion’s League. Directus might be the best team out there. The Lions would travel to Eura first – could they perform even more magic? No. No, they could not. Directus crushed Walstreim 6-2, and it could’ve been more if they’d have felt like it. Dawood and McMora scored the two late goals for the Lions, but things were clearly over at this point. Back in Walstreim, Directus won the second half as well, 2-0. They deserved the win, by a lot. The team from Eura would even go on to win the Champion’s League for a second time in a row. Unfortunately, our story about the Lions has to end here. They had made history, reaching the Round of 16 of the Champion’s League unranked, but Directus bested them.

But wait, there’s more.

Remember when we mentioned the Rising Stars Cup?
It turns out, when you qualify for the Champion’s League Group Stage, you get the opportunity to send a team for an U20-competition (usually referenced to as U-19, but in South Newlandia, under means under; and that’s a lot of words to say that the players have to be 19 or under). In any case, the Lions do have a football academy. The Walstreim Football Academy, as it is redundantly called, is the best academy in the nation, no doubt about it, and they were having a pretty good season specifically. Of course, they had not expected to play in this competition, as South Newlandia doesn’t even have a youth league. They would, however, take the opportunity. Specifically, the following eleven players would get to play for most of the games:

The big strength of the team was that they have no real weakness. Ozcan is a powerful goalkeeper that could become even better in the future, talented enough to start for the Elephants one day. The defense around Legs and Crush can certainly take the ball from everyone, all while staying fair and rarely getting carded. Chin and O’Conn can both help out on defense, or help the midfield start plays. Alcantara and Suiper are among the fastest players out there, and while Suiper typically is oriented towards helping the defense, Alcantara is a fantastic dribbler that needs to be covered well. Upladca and Flame are both great wingers, who can do about everything from getting passes in over free kicks to just scoring themselves. LeFant and Gold are really strong strikers as well, although they often play a little bit too offensively. However, if the ball drops into their feet, they will probably have a goal really soon. And, most important of all, they played together as a team. They knew what they could do, and they knew what they could achieve. They would not waste this opportunity.
First, they had to play in the Group Stage, against the same teams the “real” Lions faced in the Champion’s League group stage. This meant that they had to face Brinemouth as well, and the teams from Freeport and Tropicorp. The Lions won the Group, collecting 13 points in the progress and only losing once, at home against Freeport. They did manage to avenge this loss, beating Freeport 4-3 on the last daym thanks to Alcantara having his best day of the groups and contributing a hat-trick. On top of that, the highlight of the group stage was a 5-1 win in Tropicorp, and winning 3-0 in Brinemouth. In total, the Lions were almost unstoppable away from home, and didn’t quite perform as well at home, “only” collecting four points there. Most likely, the thought of their own fans watching them live in the stadium put some pressure on the team. In any case, winning the group sent the team right to the Round of 16.
There, they would have to visit the Dury Juniors in Poafmersia for a single playoff game, the youth champions of Poafmersia. This game was one of the best for Manuel Ozcan, who managed to stop everything the Dury Juniors threw at him, and the game was ultimately decided by a late goal for Matthew LeFant, putting it right into the bottom left corner with no chance for the goalie. In the Quarterfinals, they would have to take on Maethoru SC in Ko-oren. They also qualified via the Champion’s League, just as the Lions had, and it proved to be an equal match-up. After the Ko-orenite team had led early, the Lions got the game into extra time thanks to a wonderful dribbling by Alcantara, ending with a goal in the 76th minute. Extra time came and went, and the game went to penalties. It ended up as a battle of the goalies, and after both teams scored the first attempt, with Gold scoring for the Lions, LeFant missed the second penalty. Fortunately for the Lions, the Ko-orenite player only hitting the crossbar on his attempt, keeping the game tied at 1. Upladca scored easily, and the next Ko-orenite player didn’t quite hit the ball like he wanted to. A weak shot, a little to the left, was easily saved by Ozcan. 2-1 Lions. Alcantara scored to make it 3-1, and the next Ko-orenite already had to score his penalty now. The ball went to the bottom right, but Ozcan had a beautiful read on the striker. He managed to direct the ball around the post, giving the Lions the win.
This meant that they would travel to Kelssek for the final four. The other three teams there were the youth team of 1830 Cathair FC, the well-known Audioslavian team, the youth of Capetown Crocs of Taeshan, and the Fountain of Youth International from Northwest Kalactin. The Lions would play the Crocs in the semi-final in Bowreach. Walstreim took the initiative early on, and tried to cause trouble for the Crocs. They did manage to score a goal to get ahead, after Upladca got a nice pass into the middle for Nicolas Flame. He converted this chance in the 23rd minute to take an early lead for the Lions. The game went to half-time with the 1-0 lead for the Lions, but soon after the start of the second half, the Crocs found an equalizer. Ozcan, who had performed admirably throughout the game, was beaten in the 56th minute on a perfect shot that he stood no chance at, and the game was tied again. The Lions kept the upper hand, and eventually got the lead back in the 71st minute. It was LeFant, who managed to get the ball after a corner by Upladca, and scored from short distance. The Crocs threw everything into the offense toward the end, and that cost them. A counter attck in the 90th minute secured the win for the Lions, when Upladca, the man of the match, had only the goalie to beat. Somehow, the Lions had reached the final of the Rising Stars Cup. They would be taking on the youth of 1830 Cathair FC for all the marbles.
Of course, Cathair went into the game as the favourite. 1830 has been a well-established team since about forever, which the Lions certainly aren’t. Regardless, the game was fairly even at the start, with both teams having a few early chances, but neither team could take the lead. In the 40th minute, it was the Lions that took the lead. They had gotten a penalty, even though it looked like the defender played the ball hit LeFant’s knee only after that. Thomas Gold took the opportunity, and the Lions went into half-time ahead. After the break, the Lions improved their situation even further. On another counter attack, Upladca had some open space, and eventually found Nicholas Flame, who scored with a brilliant shot to make it 2-0 after an hour. 1830 Cathair would never give up, and Ozcan became the big focus of the game more and more as time went on. He managed to make a bunch of brilliant saves, keeping the Lions ahead, while the offense pretty much stopped doing anything at all. Cathair eventually did find a goal in the 83rd minute, but it was too late. The Lions managed to hold on long enough to win 2-1. The Walstreim Lions had won the Rising Stars Cup, in the first cycle South Newlandia even entered. In fact, the Lions won a competition they didn’t even really enter, unranked. No one expected this or thought this was possible, but the Lions didn’t mind.

by **South Newlandia** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 8:36 am

Second Tier Preview

The second league is going to feature 12 teams again, with three of them able to get promoted to the first South Newlandian league. Let us take a look at the teams, ordered by their results last season, from the bottom to the top.

Sun City Atoms

Quick facts
City and Region: Sun City, Southwest
Performance last season: not in the top two tiers
Team colours: Yellow and Orange
Play style: Offensive
Performance expectation: fighting relegation

Sun City is the first of the two cities that gained a new team into the top two tiers, and it was about time. Sun City, located near the South Newlandian desert, was the biggest city without a representative team there. The city of about 51,000 is one of the hottest in the country, and it barely ever rains there. That’s why playing football can be difficult, but the Atoms make it work. Playing in the colours of the Sun, they are known to play to the goal fast; but problems on defense might make things hard for them, and they are among the teams at risk to go right back down.

Malidridad FC

Quick facts
City and Region: Malidridad, Southwestern Islands
Performance last season: not in the top two tiers
Team colours: Blue and White
Play style: Balanced
Performance expectation: fighting relegation

Malidridad, a city of about 36,000 on the Southwestern Islands, is gaining a representative in the top two tiers for the first time. Naturally, they have a certain rivalry with both teams from Kinjestad, but they aren’t expected to be a big factor this season. The team originated from sailors that starting to play soccer, and that still shows in the jerseys today. Otherwise, the team isn’t particularly notable, except for their oddly shaped stadium – it looks a little bit like a ship.

FC Ineton

Quick facts
City and Region: Ineton, Southeast
Performance last season: 10th/12 in 2SNSL
Team colours: Blue and Orange
Play style: Offensive
Performance expectation: fighting relegation

The FC Ineton has traditionally always been the bigger one of the two teams from Ineton, ahead of Ineton City. Because City has been relegated, the IFC is looking forward to the city derby, to finally take revenge. The typically very offensively minded team has been struggling in recent years, and they came very close to getting relegated last year. That’s probably where they will be this year as well, it’s looking like it is going to be another tough season.

Kinjestad SC

Quick facts
City and Region: Kinjestad, Southwestern Islands
Performance last season: 9th/12 in 2SNSL
Team colours: Black and Grey
Play style: Balanced
Performance expectation: fighting relegation

The smaller team supported in Kinjestad next to Kinjestad Soccer was relegated a few years ago and never managed to get back on their feet. They are commonly supported among the poorer areas in the centre of the city, and are known for their work ethic, especially on defense, but it all didn’t help them last season, when they had a disappointing run into 9th. This year, they are probably going to be in a little bit of trouble again, but at least they have the derby against Kinjestad Soccer to look forward too.

Walstreim City FC

Quick facts
City and Region: Walstreim, Southeast
Performance last season: 8th/12 in 2SNSL
Team colours: Light Blue and Yellow
Play style: Balanced
Performance expectation: fighting for promotion

The CFC, the smaller team from Walstreim, was among the big favorites for promotion last season, but failed to meet expectations and finished only in 8th. They are smaller, softer and in general less interesting than their big rivals, the Walstreim Lions. Despite that, the team playing in yellow and light blue gained in strength over the off-season, and with a new coach, they can try to aim high, and maybe even reach the top tier. The way there will be hard, but the team specialised on counter attacks certainly has a chance.

Elephant Town Warriors

Quick facts
City and Region: Elephant Town, Elephant Area
Performance last season: 7th/12 in 2SNSL
Team colours: Purple and Green
Play style: Offensive
Performance expectation: Middle of the table

The small team from Elephant Town ended up here by surprise, and was thought to have no chance. Thanks to their strong strikers, they managed to easily stay in the league at 7th, and after a successful rebrand to Elephant Town Warriors, they even managed to attract some supporters. Playing in the very interesting colour combination of Purple and Green, they are expected to hold the league once again. Interestingly enough, they are the only team from the greater Area of Elephant Valley in the second tier, following Northvalley’s relegation and Kinetik’s promotion.

Trunkst CFT

Quick facts
City and Region: Trunkst, Far North
Performance last season: 6th/12 in 2SNSL
Team colours: Pink and Blue
Play style: Balanced
Performance expectation: Middle of the table

Trunkst is a pleasant small town on the northern coast of South Newlandia, located on a small peninsula. After some successful transfers, the Club Football Team managed to improve their chances. They are among the most solid teams in the league, sneaking a goal past them is very hard. Teams from the Far North, currently the only region without a team in the SNSL, are known to sometimes be surprisingly good. Last season, they managed to reach the upper third, but small mistakes cost them in the long run.

Ratzupalfu FC

Quick facts
City and Region: Ratzupalfu, Southern Central
Performance last season: 5th/12 in 2SNSL
Team colours: Yellow and Pink
Play style: Offensive
Performance expectation: fighting for promotion

Ratzupalfu FC is the polar opposite of the Ratzupalfu Rhinos. The RFC hates the slower, defensive approach of the Rhinos, preferring what commonly called “kick and rush”. This style is often leading to exciting, high scoring games. The RFC is also associated with the timber industry, or what there is of one in South Newlandia, while the Rhinos were always in favour of preservation. All of that worked to their advantage last season, when they came close to promotion, and they are expected to be among the contenders this year as well.

Jagomir City

Quick facts
City and Region: Jagomir, Northern Central
Performance last season: 4th/12 in 2SNSL
Team colours: White and Light Blue
Play style: Offensive
Performance expectation: Middle of the table

Jagomir, located approximately in the centre of the country, is a small industrial town close to the forest. The city was always among the poorer ones in South Newlandia, and the team never had a lot of money either. Despite that, Jagomir has a sizeable group of loyal fans. They had an extremely good season, finishing very close to promotion, but it looks like it is going to be a harder year, the defense just does not seem strong enough to reach the top three.

Masmow FC

Quick facts
City and Region: Masmow, Far North
Performance last season: 3rd/12 in 2SNSL
Team colours: Brown and White
Play style: Balanced
Performance expectation: fighting for promotion

Masmow is a rather strange city on the most distant place from the South Newlandian mainland, namely on Dragon Island. Cultural norms often work differently here, and Soccer is not seen as the most important sport there. The view there is very pleasant, and you can enjoy it without much noise on the sparsely populated island. The MFC had one of the best seasons in recent memory, finishing in 3rd and just a little bit away from promotion. If they finish third again, they are in the SNSL, and they surely do have a chance.

Ineton City

Quick facts
City and Region: Ineton, Southeast
Performance last season: 12th/12 in SNSL
Team colours: Red and White
Play style: Offensive
Performance expectation: fighting for promotion

Ineton is located on a small island that is dependent mostly on tourism, and Ineton City making it up all the way to the first flight was a surprise. Their historical rival, Ineton FC, was always bigger and more successful, but the tide seems to have turned now. The small club didn’t quite manage to stay up last year, but they are certainly among those teams with a good chance to get back up. City is also playing very aggressively, and coupled with the red jerseys, they are probably among the cooler teams in the league.

Kinjestad Soccer

Quick facts
City and Region: Kinjestad, Southwestern Islands
Performance last season: 11th/12 in SNSL
Team colours: Purple and Blue
Play style: Balanced
Performance expectation: fighting for promotion

Kinjestad is located on the biggest island of South Newlandia, and Kinjestad is the biggest club there. They have been a historically solid team, but they were never quite near the top. Kinjestad Soccer has always had a rivalry with the other teams from the Southwestern Islands, and Kinjestad Soccer usually draws its support from the city alone. The derbies always attract a huge crowd. Last season, they got relegated, coming as a shock for the entire team. With a new coach and half a new squad, they are the favourite for promotion, but it still came as a big disappointment for the team.

South Newlandian Soccer League Preview

The top tier of South Newlandian football is entering another season, the last one with twelve teams for now. The biggest and most important league of South Newlandia will certainly be interesting again. Here are the twelve teams, ordered by their performance last season, from the bottom to the top.

Newport United

Quick facts
City and Region: Newport, Northeast
Performance last season: 2nd/12 in 2SNSL
Stadium and Stadium rank: Newport Park (10,500) 7th
Team colours: Blue and Light Blue
Play style: Balanced
Performance expectation: fighting relegation
Head Coach: Just Sjorderson, 43

Notable transfers:

Kevin Bryse (21, XAN) from Angelo University (XAN) (0.75 million)
Brian Wood (24, NWK) from Ballina Red Devils (NWK) (0.3 million)
Leyton Underwood (37, ETN) from South Saints (ETN) (0.22 million)
Niron Andalay (24, TKT) from Ysgrann Bay Eagles FC (TKT) (free)

Clint Wiley (29, SNL) to Birmingham United FC (MUR) (free)
Louie Sanderson (22, SNL) to Nottingham County United (MUR) (free)
Ricky Buck (30, SNL) to ISC Catalan City (XAN) (free)

Roster:

GK: Niron Andalay, 24, Tikariot
LB: Maximillian Brown, 31
CB: Brian Wood, 24, Northwest Kalactin
CB: Leroy Yoder, 24
RB: Waseem Price, 32
LM: Olli Leigh, 23
CM: Leyton Underwood, 37, Ethane
RM: Kane Dudley, 27
OM: Kevin Bryse, 21, Xanneria
OM: Kyle Whiteley, 24
ST: Martin Stone, 27

Newport United used to be one of the top teams in South Newlandia, until Jecken came around. Now, they are much more average than they were, and they had to fight hard to even get back into the first tier. They hate Jecken Newport more than everything in their lives, and the city derbies occasionally feature some street fights. They used to be well-renowned for their successful offensive soccer; today, it’s just offensive soccer. They did spent quite a bit of money during the off-season, picking up the young talent Bryse from Xanneria to be a good motor for their offense, and added Wood and Underwood from Northwest Kalactin and Ethane respectively. Of course, Underwood is already 37, but he should still be an important factor to strengthen the midfield. On top of that, they have gotten themselves a goalie from Tikariot for free. Other than that, the team has quite a few players in their prime, but no one really stands out, and players like Price or Brown probably aren’t at the level they were anymore. The team is playing the 4-3-2-1 rather offensively, often more like a 4-3-3, but they had some success with it. The team will have a difficult season ahead, and will likely be fighting against relegation, but considering only one team has to go down, the team playing in blue might have a good chance.

Kinetik Islanders

Quick facts
City and Region: Elephant Island, Elephant Area
Performance last season: 1st/12 in 2SNSL
Stadium and Stadium rank: Kinetik Stadium (13,500) 5th
Team colours: Gold and Purple
Play style: Balanced
Performance expectation: Middle of the table
Head Coach: Alexander Allman, 36, The Grearish Union, player manager

Notable transfers:

Brandon Avea (28, TKT) from Xanark City FC (TKT) (1.75 million)
Kabuto Tadataka (24, SQR) from Midnight Soccer Club (SQR) (0.7 million)
Alex Saunders (18, MUR) from Nottingham County United (MUR) (0.55 million)
Holger Varney (27, NPH) from North Laithland (NPH) (free)

Ryker Franco (30, SNL) to Folte (GRF) (free)

Roster:

GK: Holger Varney, 27, Nephara
LB: Zach Smith, 24
CB: Alexander Allman, 36, The Grearish Union
CB: Allan Doyle, 26
RB: Callum Frank, 29, The Grearish Union
DM: Kabuto Tadataka, 24, Squidroidia
LM: Franc Gonzalez, 34
RM: Arnold Bois-Miller, 23
OM: Jack Craft, 32
ST: Alex Saunders, 18, Murphtannia
ST: Brandon Avea, 28, Tikariot

The Elephant Island is a small island off of the western shore, not far from the capital city. There is not much to see on this island but its landscape, making the place is a very common one for tourists, who enjoy the beautiful beaches and the warm weather, and the team was a struggling second tier side. At least that’s how it used to be, because it all changed after the well-known energy drink brand “Kinetik” from The Grearish Union took over the team and led it into the top tier with a great season. Playing in gold and purple, they proved to be able to do well defensively. They are the only team with a player manager, as Alexander Allman from The Grearish Union has taken over as Head Coach of the team. The two Grearish defenders Frank and Allman, coupled with the newly acquired Tadataka from Squidroidia, should be able to secure the defense to a decent level, and the goalkeeper Varney, picked up for free in Nephara, should be helping as well. On the offense, Brandon Avea was the big new player, picked up from Tikariot for almost two million. On top of that, they have gotten Murphtannian talent Saunders might also be an important player. The problem of the team will probably be the midfield. Except for Bois-Miller, who isn’t exactly the best player either, there might not be enough support for Avea and Saunders. Nevertheless, the team should be able to avoid relegation, but there probably isn’t much more possible this year. They are running the same 4-4-2 diamond that the Lions and the national team typically use, and just as those two, they have been successful with that system.

Elephant Town FC

Quick facts
City and Region: Elephant Town, Elephant Area
Performance last season: 10th/12 in SNSL
Stadium and Stadium rank: Coast Stadium (10,200) 8th
Team colours: Black and White
Play style: Offensive
Performance expectation: fighting relegation
Head Coach: Vincent Connor, 39

Notable transfers:

Liam Cunningham (27, SYL) from Betham FC (SYL) (0.5 million)
Nikita Crowe (32, BRE) from Raven River (NPH) (free)

Simon McCabe (31, SNL) to Folte (GRF) (2 million)
Theo Dodson (33, SNL) to Birmingham United FC (MUR) (free)

Roster:

GK: Perry Gates, 27
CB: Jet McBride, 21
CB: Musab Cart, 26
CB: Noel Blessing, 26
DM: Bob O’Brie, 34
LM: Tayyib Garner, 27
RM: Tillman Kaiser, 32
OM: Justin Lee, 30
OM: Nikita Crowe, 32, Brenecia
ST: Liam Cunningham, 27, Sylestone
ST: Max Wit, 23

Elephant Town is a city very close to the capital, Elephant Valley. The cities don’t have an actual visible border anymore, as they grew together over the years. The people from both parts usually get along well, with sports being the notable exception. Elephant Town FC maintains big rivalries with both teams from Elephant Valley, and those games are often interesting duels. The team has a historically tight budget, and will have to fight an uphill duel to stay in the league. Their Stadium has only recently been upgraded, paid for by the city. The team is also one of the most aggressive teams of the league, and lead it in bookings nearly every year. After a very mediocre last season that almost saw them relegated, they only managed to pick up two new players. The Brenecian Nikita Crowe was signed for free for the midfield, and Cunningham was signed for the offense for half a million from Sylestone, to hopefully replace Simon McCabe. The former star of the team was sold for two million to Folte in Graintfjall, and he will certainly be missing from the team, as Elephant Town has failed to spend that money too well. Most of the rest of the team isn’t exactly at the top level either, with only McBride considered a big talent at the moment. The team playing in black and white is running something resembling a 3-3-2-2, looking a bit like a 3-5-2, but with three players a little bit more defensively. This might look a little bit weird, but the team has had quite a bit of success with it. Still, Elephant Town will probably be in some trouble this year, and they might be very close to relegation again.

FC Rüsselsheim

Quick facts
City and Region: Rüsselsheim, Southwest
Performance last season: 9th/12 in SNSL
Stadium and Stadium rank: Rüsselstadium (8,600) 10th
Team colours: Blue and Green
Play style: Balanced
Performance expectation: fighting for the IFCF spots
Head Coach: Roger Whald, 49

Notable transfers:

Kayden Wilkinson (31, TKT) from Anhedron Wanderers FC (TKT) (1.4 million)
Klaus Olfinger (26, XAN) from East End FC (XAN) (0.7 million)
Yu Wei (32, YZH) from SC Jiangdong (YZH) (0.6 million)
Pavel Shipulin (27, SVJ) from Partisan Sjoedrhavn (SVJ) (0.5 million)

Randy McCray (32, SNL) to The Wolves Club (MUR) (free)
Bradley Walir (34, SNL) to The Wolves Club (MUR) (free)

Roster:

GK: Klaus Olfinger, 26, Xanneria
LB: Hayden Cochrane, 23, Nova Anglicana
CB: Kayden Wilkinson, 31, Tikariot
CB: Michael Irvin, 24
RB: Ed Qi, 32
DM: Rodriguez Sporet, 32, Kohnhead
LM: Christopher Raynelds, 34
CM: Pavel Shipulin, 27, Savojarna
CM: Wil Marshal, 22
RM: Vladimir Batos, 23
ST: Yu Wei, 32, Yuezhou

The FC Rüsselsheim is usually far from the titles and from relegation, or at least, that’s how it used to be. Last year, the won the South Newlandian Soccer Cup, but also almost got relegated. They used to have a younger team, often leading their own talents to greatness, and they are known for beautiful combinations and nice play. Now, only the latter part is true. Whald was a youth coach for most of his career, eventually making his way up. Rüsselsheim always had an extremely loyal fan base, and the stadium is sold out for every match, however irrelevant it may be. Despite playing in one of the smallest stadiums, the team has had a little bit of money for the off-season, and they used it to pick up a few good new players, although that cost them some of their young talents. Specifically, they picked up experienced players from Tikariot, to lead the defense, and from Yuezhou, to score some goals. On top of that, they got an goalkeeper from Xanneria in his best years, and a Savojar midfielder that can hopefully cause some trouble. The team managed to hold both Sporet, their Kohnheadian midfielder that was probably their best player last year, and their Nova Anglican defender Cochrane. Rüsselsheim is running a 4-1-4-1, with Sporet being the link between the midfield and the defense. All four midfielders can appear in the front as well and score some goals, but Yu Wei is expected to do the bulk of goal-scoring. Rüsselsheim is expected to have a much better season now, but they did have to go in a bit of debt to get all of the players they wanted to. Reaching the IFCF spots might be possible, but will not be easy by any means.

Southwestern Islanders

Quick facts
City and Region: Kinjestad, Southwestern Islands
Performance last season: 8th/12 in SNSL
Stadium and Stadium rank: Islander Arena (6,000) 12th
Team colours: Yellow and Blue
Play style: Offensive
Performance expectation: fighting relegation
Head Coach: Nick Durffssen, 51

Notable transfers:

Malcolm Preston (27, SNL) to AFC Sheffield U (MUR) (free)

Roster:

GK: Li Braveheart, 25
LB: Marcos Pit, 26
CB: Clive Rivers, 30
CB: Onur Kay, 30
RB: Jeffrey Olaffson, 26
CM: Alan Peel, 34
CM: Jesus Pittman, 31
CM: Murat Winters, 27
ST: Keiran Skinner, 31
ST: Wilhelm Glass, 18
ST: Otto Marsden, 20

Most Islander fans will hate these quick facts, because the city listed is Kinjestad, which is despised by them. We base the city on the location of the stadium, and it is barely within the city limits of Kinjestad. Truth is, the Southwestern Islanders aren’t really based on one city. They are more of a loose collection of players and players from all around the islands. The mostly play for fun, and are surprised to be found in the first flight. Last season, they performed really well, easily avoiding relegation and finishing eighth. However, they failed to improve their squad at all, and remain the only team in the league without a foreign player. Losing Preston to Murphtannia will additionally hurt a team without real strengths. Except for the attack, with especially Glass and Marsden being really talented, they lack any actually exciting players. The days of Pit have passed, and the team will likely have to hope for Braveheart in the goal to carry them to most victories. The Islanders run a 4-3-3, and usually throw about everything into the offense, with little regard to actually defending. In total, the team is not exactly likely to succeed this season, and they will have to be very careful not to accidentally go down.

Valley Wanderers

Quick facts
City and Region: Elephant Valley, Elephant Valley
Performance last season: 7th/12 in SNSL
Stadium and Stadium rank: Northern Stadium (10,000) 9th
Team colours: Blue and White
Play style: Balanced
Performance expectation: Middle of the table
Head Coach: Martin Thord, 49, Zeta Reka and Hugeltadom

Notable transfers:

Stefan Blake (33, BRE) from Foretham Coven (HVY) (free)
Ji Weibo (17, YZH) from Taishan Suns (YZH) (free)

Dhruv Roy (26, SNL) to Urrheddiao (CMT) (1.5 million)
Jayden Snider (20, SNL) to Leicester Village (MUR) (free)

Roster:

GK: John Bramas, 29, Maccian
LB: Mick Hodson, 30
CB: Seb Schaefer, 23
CB: Arwen Serrano, 32
RB: Richard Nose, 21
DM: Connor Hawkins, 31
DM: Brian Lowe, 24
LM: Stefan Blake, 33, Brenecia
OM: Garett Chung, 24
RM: Jarod Stuart, 27
ST: Ji Weibo, 17, Yuezhou

There is nothing a Valley fan hates more than the Elephant Valley FC. The two teams from the capital feature the most important derby of South Newlandia, and the games always require a sizable police presence. Fortunately, in South Newlandia, what starts in a stadium usually stays in the stadium, so the problems between sports teams rarely extended to everyday life. The Valley Wanderers are the significantly smaller team from Elephant Valley, and mostly draw their support from the north of the city. After last season, where things actually went decently and the Wanderers finished in 7th, they decided to sign Martin Thord as their new head coach, from Zeta Reka and Hugeltadom. However, the team also lost their big star in the off-season, as Roy decided to go to Chromatika instead. At least the Wanderers got quite a bit of money for him, but they didn’t quite manage to invest it into any new stars. In fact, they also lost Jayden Snider, thought to be a big talent, to Murphtannia, and only managed to pick up two players not exactly in their prime. Ji Weibo from Yuezhou is just 17 years old, and will probably the deciding factor of the team. If he doesn’t manage to create offensive threats for the team, they will have to rely on their offensive midfield, featuring Chung and Stuart, two players that disappointed recently, and 33 year old Brenecian Blake, picked up from Foretham Coven in Havynwilde. The defense isn’t much better, actually, and except for Lowe, no one really stands out in this team as a potential leader for the defense. John Bramas, their goalkeeper from Maccian, will likely have to do a lot of the work himself again. The Wanderers are running a 4-2-3-1, usually interpreted more as a 4-4-1-1 with Blake and Stuart further back. The Wanderers will likely not have a good season, but they should be able to avoid coming last without too many problems.

Sophie City Royals

Quick facts
City and Region: Sophie City, East
Performance last season: 6th/12 in SNSL
Stadium and Stadium rank: Sophie City Bowl (12,000) 6th
Team colours: Pink and Light Green
Play style: Offensive
Performance expectation: Middle of the table
Head Coach: Annabelle O’Petla, 37

Notable transfers:

Fred Marr (31, TKT) from Bul Khungur Miners FC (TKT) (1.4 million)
Lucian Carragher (32, TKT) from Miruan City FC (TKT) (1 million)
Leon Solari (24, SVG) from San Ludovico (SVG) (0.5 million)
Wei Zhiqiang (26, YZH) from Yincheng Guodui (YZH) (free)

Finnley Wallis (26, SNL) to Taeshan City Miners (TAE) (5 million)
Osama Major (24, SNL) to Evertonian Club (MUR) (free)
Francesco Sims (27, SNL) to Castelo e Calvente CS (KOR) (free)
Kaan Petty (26, SNL) to Evertonian Club (MUR) (free)

Roster:

GK: Isaac Sjarsen, 25
LB: Yusuf Kaye, 21
CB: Darcy Driscoll, 27
RB: Elliot McCullough, 21
LM: Lorenzo Oreales, 16
CM: Wei Zhiqiang, 26, Yuezhou
CM: Leon Solari, 24, Savigliane
RM: Fred Marr, 31, Tikariot
ST: Jacob Mora, 33
ST: Lucian Carragher, 32, Tikariot
ST: Lucas Fountain, 27

The Royals might be the team standing out most in the league. Starting with the colours, teams rarely play in pink, and rarely have a female coach. The Royals have both, as they recently signed Annabelle O’Petla, currently the only female coach in the SNSL. They have a surprisingly big stadium for the mediocre sporting success, and that is rooted in the biggest problem of the team, constantly expecting more than is possible. This had led to the big stadium, and also made the Royals the team most commonly firing coaches, with new ones rarely lasting more than a year. Of course, the big news of the transfer window was Finnley Wallis’ departure to Taeshan. Few thought Wallis would ever change teams, but the offer of the Taeshan City Miners must’ve been really good. On top of that, the Royals lost three decent starters, each of them on frees; goalkeeper Major and striker Petty to Murphtannia, while Sims headed to Ko-oren. In return, the Royals picked up four new players from abroad, each of them important. For the offense, they got Carragher, a star from Tikariot, for one million. They did spend even more money on the midfield, trying to replace Wallis with foreign talent. Fred Marr from Tikariot is going to be the star of the team now, and Leon Solari from Savigliane and Wei Zhiqiang from Yuezhou are also strong players. The last of the four midfielders is Oreales, a sixteen year old talent the Royals managed to hold. With the midfield and the offense stacked, the team will have to hope that the defense holds, at least occasionally. Kaye, Driscoll and McCullough are going to have a lot of work on their hands, and so will Sjarsen in the goal. Whether these four can manage to defend the goal will likely decide the fate of the Royals this season. While they will likely not reach the IFCF spots this season, they should have no trouble not coming in last.

Ruditown Guards

Quick facts
City and Region: Ruditown, Northern Central
Performance last season: 5th/12 in SNSL
Stadium and Stadium rank: Ruditown Sportarena (8,250) 11th
Team colours: Light Blue and Brown
Play style: Defensive
Performance expectation: Middle of the table
Head Coach: Rehaan Gray, 46

Notable transfers:

Ruben Gibson (23, TJU) from – (TJU) (free)

Tom Burton (19, SNL) to Folte (GRF) (free)
Jakob Walter (25, SNL) to Birmingham United FC (MUR) (free)
Jason Ortega (22, SNL) to ISC Catalan City (XAN) (free)

Roster:

GK: Rufus Rigby, 22
LB: Igor Fernandez, 21
CB: Jay-Jay Driscoll, 19
CB: Wesley Medrano, 18
CB: Adam Welsh, 32
RB: Raphael Moreno, 32
DM: Matthew Steel, 21
LM: Taylor Stein, 27
RM: Ruben Gibson, 23, TJUN-ia
OM: Abe Lannsson, 21
ST: Bob Hwang, 25

The Ruditown Guards are a largely defensive team that always struggled to get some goals for themselves, and limited fan support is also a problem for the team. Despite the stadium being one of the smallest in the league already, it is rarely completely full. Another notable thing is the unusual colours of the team, making them stand out. Signing Rehaan Gray as a coach has been a gamble, as he never had been a professional coach before. It worked out well, with the Guards coming in 5th last season. However, they didn’t quite manage to convert that success into new players. While they lost multiple decent talents all over the place, including Ortega and Burton, both big hopes for the future, and Walter, already a decent player, they only managed to get one player in return. At least that player is really good, a TJUN-ian star in Gibson. The team will have the problem of a very mismatched squad, with many young talents, such as Driscoll, Medrano or Steel as well as Lannsson, coupled with older players such as Welsh, Moreno and, to an extent, Stein. Whether those players can lead the team to some success remains unsure, but they do have some tricks up their sleeve. We have already mentioned Gibson, but Bob Hwang, their only striker, is going to be a big factor as well. He is well in his prime, and is going to be a strong weapon. On top of that, the Guards have likely the best goalkeeper in the league in Rufus Rigby. He performed extremely well last season, and if we can keep it up, the Guards can stay competitive. The Guards run a 5-4-1 with a diamond in midfield, a formation especially the Rhinos have been able to put to good use. However, the lack of offensive strength will likely be a problem, and the Guards will likely fall short of the IFCF spots again.

Elephant Valley FC

Quick facts
City and Region: Elephant Valley, Elephant Valley
Performance last season: 4th/12 in SNSL
Stadium and Stadium rank: Elephant Dome (21,500) 1st
Team colours: Red and Black
Play style: Offensive
Performance expectation: fighting for the IFCF spots
Head Coach: John Blade, 34

Notable transfers:

Paskal Toussaint (22, CMT) from University of Myana (CMT) (0 million)
Garrick Pearce (33, NPH) from Stahlburg City (NPH) (free)

Amir Shea (23, SNL) to Birmigham United FC (MUR) (free)
Jerry MacFin (30, SNL) to AFC Sheffield U (MUR) (free)

Roster:

GK: Larre Bossink, 22, Ko-oren
CB: Marc Westond, 17
CB: Jack Schroeder, 29
CB: Karl Meyer, 25
DM: Tyrone Riggs, 26
DM: Garrick Pearce, 33, Nephara
OM: Dean Holcomb, 18
OM: Simon Bradden, 34, Nephara
OM: Bentley Levy, 19
ST: Paskal Toussaint, 22, Chromatika
ST: Humphrey Strickland, 29

Most leagues feature a prominent team from the capital, and South Newlandia is no exception. Elephant Valley FC is the historically strongest team with the most titles, and that got them a reputation. They are usually hated by approximately everyone, but they only seem to thrive on that. They play in the biggest stadium, the Elephant Dome, which was always the place for the national team to represent itself in; at least until the Jecken Arena was built. Ingolffson has coached the team for multiple years already, and he has been very successful so far. Except for last season, when they fell short of the IFCF spots by a single point, in addition to not winning a title. Ingolffson was sacked and replaced by John Blade, a 34-year-old that had been responsible for youth development before. On the transfer market, they managed to keep most of the key players, but they did lose Shea and MacFin to Murphtannia. Neither of them had been a great talent, but the loss still hurt. In return, they picked up the aging Garrick Pearce on that position from Nephara, and got the young Chromatik Toussaint for the offense. They also managed to keep Bossink and Bradden, the two foreign stars they had and that had helped them to get at least a little bit last season. On the other hand, the four foreigners are about all the EVFC has. Strickland and Riggs are certainly not the kind of player you can do great things with. It will likely depend on the young players to step up; Westond, Holcomb and Levy are all good players that could make the next step. The EVFC usually runs a 3-2-3-2, looking like a 3-5-2, with two defensive midfielders and a line of three behind the strikers. This very aggressive layout was pioneered by Ingolffson, and Blade will try for some success with this system as well. It will be difficult for Blade to go far with this team, but you can never count Elephant Valley out.

Ratzupalfu Rhinos

Quick facts
City and Region: Ratzupalfu, Southern Central
Performance last season: 3rd/12 in SNSL
Stadium and Stadium rank: Ratzupalfu Colosseum (16,000) 3rd
Team colours: Grey and Red
Play style: Defensive
Performance expectation: fighting for the IFCF spots
Head Coach: Peter Tankman, 60

Notable transfers:

Henry Garza (30, NWK) from Murwelldobah FC (NWK) (0.25 million)
Jonah Marsh (29, TKT) from Avanaroch White Wings FC (TKT) (free)
Cristiano Cortez (20, TKT) from Ysgrann Bay Eagles FC (TKT) (free)
Wladmir Krammnik (23, ZRH) from Ankveen (NQU) (free)

Mikhail Trischuk (28, SNL) to Libertas Bergheim (SVJ) (4 million)
Bryce Jones (25, SNL) to Hinteram (GRF) (free)

Roster:

GK: Henry Garza, 30, Northwest Kalactin
LB: Cristiano Cortez, 20, Tikariot
CB: Nicolas Umkala, 25, TJUN-ia
CB: Wladmir Krammnik, 23, Zeta Reka and Hugeltadom
CB: Andre Hall, 20
RB: Jonah Marsh, 29, Tikariot
DM: Hugh McKay, 18
LM: Falak Park, 32
RM: Kaylem Knight, 23
OM: Aaron Murphy, 21, The Grearish Union
ST: Eli Tshabala, 21

The Rhinos have always had one of the youngest teams of the league, and they are in some aspects similar to FC Rüsselsheim. There are three important differences; the Rhinos have always been more successful, they play from a strong defense, largely relying on counters, and the location. Ratzupalfu is one of the few Central cities of South Newlandia, and that’s the case because of logistical reasons. Ratzupalfu is located in the forest spanning most of the central parts of South Newlandia, bringing logistical challenges for the city, but they have managed to thrive. This makes both the city and the team and its stadium special, and the atmosphere is one of the best there is in South Newlandia. Last season, they finished in third, and reached the Challenger’s Cup. Despite that success, they couldn’t quite hold the captain and goalkeeper of the national team, Mikhail Trischuk. He decided to go to the Savojar team Libertas Bergheim, for four million. The Rhinos used most of that, and some government support, to build themselves a new stadium. The Ratzupalfu Colosseum seats 16,000, and is the third-biggest stadium in the nation now. They tried to patch the holes in the team with cheap or free players, picking up Henry Garza from Northwest Kalactin to replace Trischuk in goal, and added two Tikariotian players picked up for free to reinforce the defense. Cortez and Marsh should hopefully also add some power to the midfield, while they’re at it. On top of that, the Rhinos got Wladmir Krammnik from Zeta Reka and Hugeltadom, to create probably the strongest defense in the nation, together with Umkala from TJUN-ia. The offense will be the problem. Aaron Murphy from The Graerish Union has gotten no real support during the off-season, and Eli Tshabala is not ready to shoulder an entire offense of an IFCF team either. The Rhinos, running a 5-4-1 formation with a diamond in the midfield, will likely stay in contention for the IFCF spots, but without a real offense to score goals, they will not be winning things this year.

Jecken Newport

Quick facts
City and Region: Newport, Northeast
Performance last season: 2nd/12 in SNSL
Stadium and Stadium rank: Jecken Arena (16,250) 2nd
Team colours: Green and Yellow
Play style: Balanced
Performance expectation: fighting for the IFCF spots
Head Coach: Danny Edge, 35

Notable transfers:

Joseph Anderson (30, NWK) from Harbor City (NWK) (0.75 million)

Mo Dawe (21, SNL) to Portsmouth City (MUR) (free)
Lyle Gale (32, SNL) to The Wolves Club (MUR) (free)

Roster:

GK: Corentin Tausig, 30, Nephara
LB: Lucien O’Grond, 27
CB: Rasmus Helman, 34, Savojarna
CB: Joseph Anderson, 30, Northwest Kalactin
RB: Terrence Kearney, 22
LM: Corban Green, 21
CM: Rory Canning-Meagher, 35, Kelssek
RM: David Johnson, 22, TJUN-ia
OM: Abdurahman Bishop, 23
ST: Bjorn Cohen, 21
ST: Emir Aga, 26, Timuria

The team sponsored by a chicken brand from Jeckland is one of the most unsual teams in South Newlandia. Sports teams are almost never sponsored here, but Jecken has taken a formally small side from the East Coast under their wing. They lead it right into greatness, and they are one of the title favourites now. They have a nice and new stadium, probably the most modern stadium in South Newlandia, and it partly replaced the Elephant Dome as the main ground of the national team. Uncommonly for teams sponsored by big companies, they aren’t really hated by other teams, with Newport United being the exception for that. Last season, they finished in second place, only behind the Lions, and they managed to keep most of their stars around. Of course, they also lost the obligatory free players to Murphtannia, but only Mo Dawe was really good anyway. They did pick up Anderson, a defender from Northwest Kalactin, but all in all, it was a rather quiet transfer window for Newport. The team is running a 4-3-1-2, and they are the team most likely to challenge the Lions for the title. All the parts of the team are filled with good players, with Tausig being a capable goalkeeper, the defense strengthened by the experience of Helman and Anderson, and the midfield as one of the best in the league, with Green, Bishop and Johnson all national team players. Johnson, the TJUN-ian player they picked up for free a season ago, has been developing very well. Canning-Meagher from Kelssek will be helping as well. On offense, Bjorn Cohen and the Timurian Emir Aga are both dangerous, and Jecken has been surprising us often lately. If there is one team that can beat the Lions this year, it is Jecken.

Walstreim Lions

Quick facts
City and Region: Walstreim, Southeast
Performance last season: 1st/12 in SNSL
Stadium and Stadium rank: Walstreim City Stadium (15,000) 4th
Team colours: Red and Orange
Play style: Balanced
Performance expectation: Winning
Head Coach: David Watts, 50

Notable transfers:

Bernard Zeman (24, NPH) from Starling (NPH) (4.25 million)
Carl Blew (30, TKT) from Dhun Lagarr FC (TKT) (1.25 million)
Franz Kesteren (33, NPH) from Starling (NPH) (1.2 million)
Rinus Wever (29, AUD) from Stahlburg Rovers (NPH) (free)
Axel Pearson (23, TJU) from – (TJU) (free)

Makino Hideo (21, SQR) to Villa (MUR) (4.5 million)
Tylor Carr (28, SNL) to Korsbach (GRF) (free)

Roster:

GK: Rinus Wever, 29, Audioslavia
LB: Rico Samules, 35
CB: Axel Pearson, 23, TJUN-ia
CB: Vincent Little, 28
RB: Carl Blew, 30, Tikariot
DM: Lambros Tantalopoulos, 17, Vdara
LM: Donald Lancaster, 22
RM: Patrick McMora, 24
OM: Franz Kesteren, 33, Nephara
ST: Bernard Zeman, 24, Nephara
ST: Eloy Dawood, 19, Eastfield Lodge

The Lions are among the most supported teams of South Newlandia, and with good reason, as the team often scores the most goals and plays really strong soccer in general. The team is also an aggressive one, getting bookings often. David Watts is known to be a hothead, and his press conferences are always interesting to watch. He has been ejected from games more than once, and due to his temperament, he is both loved and hated. Currently, the Lions are the best team of the league, the defending champions of South Newlandia that have also reached the Round of 16 of the Champion’s League. Anything but a successful title defense would be a massive surprise. They had one of the wildest transfer windows as well. Their big star of last year, Makino Hideo, has decided to take an offer in Murphtannia with Villa. In return, the Lions got 4.5 million to work with, as well as a ton of price money. They did use that to upgrade their stadium, from 13,000 to 15,000, and of course, they got new players to join as well; five, in total. The Lions are running a 4-4-2 diamond, just as the national team, and Watts has been extremely successful with it. For this season, they were clearly scouting in Nephara. For the goal, the picked up Audioslavian Rinus Wever from the Stahlburg Rovers, who proved to be a capable goalkeeper that fits into the system already ahead of the season. On defense, they signed Axel Pearson from TJUN-ia, and spent 1.25 million in Tikariot to acquire Carl Blew, a 30-year-old Right Back, that will surely help them to get the defense reinforced. On the defensive midfield, they kept now-17 year old Vdaran youngster Lambros Tantalopoulos, and they also managed to keep their two South Newlandian national team players, Lancaster and McMora. They signed Franz Kesteren, for the Offensive Midfield, and Bernard Zeman, as a striker, from Starling, for a total of 5.45 million. Zeman, whom they paid 4.25 million for, will be the motor of the offense, demonstrating his abilities with many goals ahead of the season. Eloy Dawood, a nineteen year old from Eastfield Lodge that the Lions picked up for free the season before, has also developed fantastically with the Lions. Walstreim is the overwhelming favourite for the next season, and will almost certainly win the title. The Lions are just too strong.

by **South Newlandia** » Sun Dec 20, 2020 3:55 pm

Season Two: Baseball Preview

The South Newlandian Baseball League has received its biggest update in history.

Following to the rapid expansion of baseball in South Newlandia and the relative success of the first season, the organizers are willing to take everything to the next level. The most important change will be the increase of the regular season – from a 44-game season to 72 games in the regular season. Four new franchise tickets have been given out to Chekar, Lexen City, Sun City and St. Riecarn, and the now 16 franchises have been grouped into four regional divisions in two conferences, South and North. From each one, four teams advance to the postseason. The best team of each conference will receive the top seed, the other division winner takes the two-seed and the next two best teams in each conference by record take seeds #3 and #4. In the divisional round, the #1 and #4 seeds and the #2 and #3 seeds play a best-of-five series, the winners of those advance to the best-of-seven conference final, and the two winners of each conference take on each other in the South Newlandian Baseball Trophy, to be played best over nine games. In the regular season, the teams will play each other in doubleheaders of two games each, called a series. Every team will play a series home and away against every single league opponent, so four games total for 60 games, and every team will play two additional series, one home and one away, against each division opponent for 12 additional games. It is time to take a look at the teams, we will do this division by division in order of the teams’ record last season.

NORTH: Northeast

NEWPORT DOLPHINS

Quick facts:
City and Region: Newport, Northeast
Stadium: Dolphin Stadium
Capacity and Capacity rank: 12500; 2nd
Team colour: Light Blue
Head Coach: Daniel Nunez, 43
Performance last season: Semi-finals, 4th in the regular season
Performance estimate: Playoffs

Most notable players:

SP Ben Gonzalo, 19, R
RP Montaro Wakajoshi, 22, R (Ko-oren)
C Brad Moore, 21, R
SS David Drum, 22, R
CF Kendra Annovar, 23, L (Chromatika)
RF Mike Larsen, 21, S

The Newport Dolphins have always been one of the more serious title challengers, playing in one of the biggest stadiums, and having a lot of fans. The team is currently coached by Daniel Nunez, who led them to the semi-finals last season. The team playing in Light Blue is expected to do well this season as well with a fairly talented roster, with the young South Newlandian talent Gonzalo as their main starter and Ko-orenite talent Wakajoshi spearheading the bullpen. In the field, young talents with the two South Newlandian WBC starters in Drum and Larsen will join Annovar, a member Chromatik national team. The young talented Moore is also a serious threat. The Dolphins will have two of their biggest rivals, the Owls and the Dragons, in their division. The Northeast is considered to be the toughest division in South Newlandia at the moment, but no one really doubts that the Dolphins will make the playoffs.

NEWPORT OWLS

Quick facts:
City and Region: Newport, Northeast
Stadium: Newport Sportsarena
Capacity and Capacity rank: 5000; 11th
Team colour: White
Head Coach: Rick Shepherd, 30
Performance last season: Quarterfinals, 3rd in regular season
Performance estimate: Playoff contender

Most notable players:

SP Miles Savey, 25, R (Chromatika)
RP Ian Capan, 22, R
1B Wota Radinka, 22, R
RF Gary Promises, 17, S

The Owls are like a smaller brother to the Dolphins, backed by fewer fans, in a smaller stadium, and with less historical success. Last season, the team coached by the young Rick Shepherd had a fantastic season, finishing third in the regular season before falling to the eventual champions in the Quarterfinals. The team playing in white would really love to get into the postseason again, but might lack the individual talent to really pull that off. They acquired Miles Savey, a strong pitcher from Chromtika, on top of the young talents they have in Capan and the young star Gary Promises. Promises had been known to cause trouble away from the field as well as be a phenomenal slugger; we will see what he is able to do for the Owls this year. In an extremely competitive division, the playoffs will not be coming easily, but the Owls will certainly have a fighting chance.

MASMOW DRAGONS

Quick facts: 
City and Region: Masmow, Far North
Stadium: Dragon Island Arena
Capacity and Capacity rank: 4500; 13th
Team colour: Maroon
Head Coach: Sofia Rasmussen, 46 (Super-Llamaland)
Performance last season: 7th, missed playoffs
Performance estimate: Playoffs

Most notable players:

SP Jay Kramer, 21, R
RP Barnaby Butt, 24, L
1B Gabriel Acosta, 25, L (Super-Llamaland)
2B Len Pijpenbroek, 23, R (Ko-oren)
SS Jason Valbuena, 24, R (Super-Llamaland)
LF Daryl Dunlop, 25, R
CF Marcia McMahon, 25 (Super-Llamaland)
RF Denis Caamano, 24, L (Ko-oren)

The Masmow Dragons missing out on the postseason was the biggest shock of last year. A talented team failed to reach the last spot narrowly, and had to watch the playoffs from home. Now, the Dragons are looking to turn this around. They hired one of the best coaches of the multiverse, a former hall of Fame catcher for Super-Llamaland with coaching experience for the the New Llama Wizards and the Llamanean national team. Sofia Rasmussen emphasizes novel defensive schemes, a variety of unorthodox baserunning strategies, experimentation with relievers’ roles, and will be elevating the role of analytics in the clubhouse. She should be the perfect fit to turn this team around and bring them back to the postseason, if not further. Masmow, located on the Dragon Island quite a bit offshore from the South Newlandian mainland, is one of the most remote places in the country, and will be the franchise bookmakers favour this year; not only because of Rasmussen, but also because the Maroon features one of the best teams in the league. With Jay Kramer as a starter, Barnaby Butt in the bullpen, and Dunlop in Left Field, the team has three experienced South Newlandian national team players. On top of that, Rasmussen brought Gabriel Acosta, currently playing for the Llamanean national team, and two more Llamanean talents in Valbuena and McMahon. With this extremely highly regarded team, the Dragons should be able to out-do the Dolphins this year and cruise to the playoffs.

LEXEN CITY REBELS

Quick facts:
City and Region: Lexen City, Northern Central
Stadium: Rebel Diamond
Capacity and Capacity rank: 3700, 14th
Team colour: Dark Green
Head Coach: Mitchell Garoo, 40
Performance last season: N/A
Performance estimate: missing the playoffs

Most notable players:

SP Jack Beard, 19, R
C Bradley Jenkins, 24, R (Drawkland)
LF Oliver Landry, 20, R
RF Yousuf Conway, 21, R

Lexen City is one of the new franchises of the league. The city from the Northeast hasn’t had a top-level sports time yet, despite being among the 10 biggest South Newlandian cities, so it is high time for a team to come there. Mitchell Garoo will be coaching the team to play in Dark Green in its first year. In an extremely competitive division, the team playing at Rebel Diamond will likely be struggling because of a lack of talented players. Bradley Jenkins, a talent from Drawkland, seems to be the best they can do next to some former IBS players for South Newlandia. Reaching the playoffs would be a shocking upset, but in the meantime, the team will likely focus on building a competitive team for the coming years.

NORTH: Northwest

RUDITOWN DACHSHUNDS

Quick facts:
City and Region: Ruditown, Northern Central
Stadium: Dachshund Stadium
Capacity and Capacity rank: 8750; 5th
Team colour: Yellow
Head Coach: Michael Woof, 35
Performance last season: Semi-finals, 2nd in regular season
Performance estimate: Playoff contender

Most notable players:

SP Blake Robbins, 27, R
RP Gostaf Sjabard, 22, L
2B Micael Ogas, 24, R (Ko-oren)
DH George Webber, 29, R

The Dachshunds are, despite their high relative success, rarely backed by fans. In fact, they are hardly cared about around the country, and they are barely relevant even in Ruditown, as people mostly care about soccer there. On the field, they are known to be very careful, which makes them too slow at times, but it is basically impossible to steal a base against the Dachshunds. Last season, they jumped to 2nd place and a spot in the semi-finals, where they lost to the eventual champions from Ratzupalfu. The team playing in yellow will likely have a harder time this season as some key parts of the team are aging. Blake Robbins, South Newlandian starter for the national team, is the face of the franchise, but the Dachshunds don’t have a lot else to show despite an aging Webber and their newest player, Ko-orenite Ogas at 2nd base. Head coach Michael Woof is absolutely tired of low-effort jokes about his name, so we would advise against making any, even when he will likely face trouble trying to take the Dachshunds back to the postseason this year in a competitive division, but you never can rule out Ruditown.

ELEPHANT VALLEY HOMERS

Quick facts:
City and Region: Elephant Valley, Elephant Valley
Stadium: Elephant Stadium
Capacity and Capacity rank: 15000; 1st
Team colour: Green
Head Coach: Jack Kingsman, 58
Performance last season: Quarterfinals, 5th in regular season
Performance estimate: Playoffs

Most notable players:

SP Darien Rodriguez, 27, R (Drawkland)
RP Herbert Hoosier, 20, S
1B Adam King, 24, R
SS Alisen Moyamoto, 24, L (Chromatika)
3B Mitch Sneider, 21, R
RF Fabio Ventura, 26, L

The rivalry between the two teams from Elephant Valley is one of the most important aspects of the SNBL. The Homers and United developed a big hatred for each other, and no team is willing to give up any inch in the direct encounters. The Homers are the larger one of the two sides from the capital, and they generally have more experienced, older players, some of which are already past their best days. They also have by far the oldest Coach of the league in Jack Kingsman, who led them to the Quarterfinals last season. The Homers also play in the biggest stadium, commonly used by the national team as well. Kingsman’s team, playing in green as always, will be among the title challengers this year thanks to a strong roster featuring a starting pitcher from the national team of Drawkland in Darien Rodriguez, one of the great South Newlandian reliever talents in the ambidextrous Hoosier, as well as a ton of hitting power with the South Newlandian stars King and Ventura. At shortstop, the team also has a Chromtik national team player in Moyamoto. Missing the playoffs would be a massive surprise for the team, even in a division that will not be easy.

ELEPHANT VALLEY UNITED

Quick facts:
City and Region: Elephant Valley, Elephant Valley
Stadium: Southern Valley Arena
Capacity and Capacity rank: 7500; 6th
Team colour: Orange
Head Coach: Raymond McFadden, 46 (Tikariot)
Performance last season: 11th, missed the playoffs
Performance estimate: Playoff contender

Most notable players:

SP Hillary Angelou, 25, R (Chromatika)
RP Marcel Adams, 27, R
1B Bronson Ghirardello, 24, R (Tikariot)
2B Igor White, 28, R
SS Carlton Baines, 25, L (Tikariot)

Elephant Valley United is the smaller one of the two franchises from the capital city, and as said previously, they absolutely despise each other. United draws most of their support from the Southern part of Elephant Valley, but they aren’t less successful than the Homers. That really showed last year when United fell to an extremely diasappionting 11th place and fired their former coach Matteo Maxbar in the middle of the season. Raymond McFadden from Tikariot took the team over, and even though he couldn’t save their season, he is going to be back for this season. The team playing in orange will be relying on their powerful infield with two Tikariotian national team starters in Ghirardello and Baines, as well as the South Newlandian national team player White, in combination with the talented Chromtik national team player Hillary Angelou. Getting back into the postseason will be tough this year, but McFadden has enough talent on the field to pull it off.

CHEKAR TIGERS

Quick facts:
City and Region: Chekar, Elephant Area
Stadium: Chekar Arena
Capacity and Capacity rank: 3000; 15th
Team colour: Brown
Head Coach: Isaiah Brayden, 49
Performance last season: N/A
Performance estimate: missing the playoffs

Most notable players:

RP Dennis Miles, 27, R
C Gregor Garner, 26, L
2B Korban Pitts, 25, R

The Tigers are one of the new franchises introduced this year. Coming from just outside of Elephant Valley, Chekar has always been a relatively poor city and will now get their first team in professional South Newlandian sports. The team will be playing in brown, and their coach Brayden will have a lot of work to do with a comparatively weak roster. Aside from an aging Gergor Garner, a solid but not too impressive catcher for the South Newlandian national team, the team lacks serious talent, especially in the long term. Brayden will have to instead focus on building a team basically from scratch, as the Tigers are not expected to become really competitive before a few seasons pass.

SOUTH: Southeast

RATZUPALFU RHINOS

Quick facts:
City and Region: Ratzupalfu, Southern Central
Stadium: Ratzupalfu Arena
Capacity and Capacity rank: 10000; 3rd
Team colour: Grey
Head Coach: Fu Webb, 38
Performance last season: Champions, 6th in regular season
Performance estimate: Playoffs

Most notable players:

SP Ryan Hunter, 23, L
RP Sukemichi Kamiizumi, 22, R (Ko-oren)
C Hugh Marquez, 21, R
CF Nalivalu Amakusa, 25, R (Ko-oren)

The Ratzupalfu Rhinos Baseball franchise is tightly linked with the soccer team with the same name. Both the Baseball team and the Soccer team often benefit from this, and like the Soccer team, the Baseball team is decently successful. They are playing in a newly expanded Stadium, often called the “Jungle Arena” because of the location in the middle of the South Newlandian forests. They are known for many home-runs, and are seen as one of the coolest franchises. Fu Webb is known to be a massive hothead, and he once served probation for punching someone in the face. Regardless, he led the team to the championship last season despite only an 6th-place finish in the regular season after a strong finish. The Rhinos failed to pick up a lot of great international talents last season, although they did pick up two Ko-orenite talents in Kamiizumi and Amakusa. Ryan Hunter, their ace pitcher known from the South Newlandian national team, will once again be the important factor for the team in grey. They are expected to be back to the postseason, but a repeat championship seems unlikely.

WALSTREIM LIONS

Quick facts:
City and Region: Walstreim, Southeast
Stadium: Walstreim Baseball Arena
Capacity and Capacity rank: 6000; 9th
Team colour: Red
Head Coach: Diego Lowe, 37
Performance last season: Final, 1st in regular season
Performance estimate: Playoffs

Most notable players:

RP Hine Salle, 24, R (Chromatika)
1B Mattieu Gammond, 25, R (Chromatika)
LF Chan Ford, 28, L (Drawkland)

The Lions work similarly to the Rhinos, with the Soccer and Baseball parts tightly linked. Despite little interest from Walstreim, they are a popular team around the country. They are known for strong, powerful batters, and are seen as the coolest team to support. Their coach Lowe led them to the regular season title and the final of the championship last season, where the Red narrowly fell to the Rhinos. Different to them, they actually managed to gain a lot of talent in the offseason, although their (and South Newlandias) ace pitcher departed for Ko-oren. Now, they will try for a new deep playoff run with some new players. They picked up two Chromtik internationals in Salle and Gammond, a talented first baseman, but the new star of the line-up will be Chan Ford, the Drawkian star Left Fielder. Whether these players are enough to give the Lions a long-term edge over their competition is questionable, but Lowe will be able to get this team back into the playoffs most likely.

SOPHIE CITY GIRLS

Quick facts:
City and Region: Sophie City, East
Stadium: Sophie City Base-Bowl
Capacity and Capacity rank: 9500; 4th
Team colour: Light Green
Head Coach: Alise Rocha, 33
Performance last season: 10th, missed the playoffs
Performance estimate: missing the playoffs

Most notable players:

SP Emily Innis, 30, R (Super-Llamaland)
SP Maike Bookmer, 21, R
1B Sophia Smiths, 24, L
SS Malika Bains, 20, R
RF Sophie Lawrence, 27, R

The Girls are, as the name suggests, the only all-female team in the league. Softball isn’t a thing in South Newlandia, and nearly every girl that cares about throwing or batting a ball joins the Girls at some point in their live. The other teams feature few females, as most of the good female players play in Sophie City. This image makes them a popular team, especially with women around the country. Despite all of this, they rarely make the playoffs. The franchise is also one of only two currently coached by a woman. Last season was quite disappointing for the fans as the Girls limped into 10th, but this year, everything might get better. With Llamanean Innis and South Newlandian talent Bookmer, the pitching should be in good hands, and the three biggest South Newlandian female talents in Smiths, Bains and Lawrence should be able to help the score. Despite this, reaching the playoffs will be difficult at least in a challenging division, but by no means impossible.

ST. RIECARN SAINTS

Quick facts:
City and Region: St. Riecarn, East
Stadium: Saints Stadium
Capacity and Capacity rank: 7000, 7th
Team colour: Gold
Head Coach: Mo Darrell, 31
Performance last season: N/A
Performance estimate: missing the playoffs

Most notable players:

SP Ienaga Vineno, 23, R (Ko-oren)
RP Stef Svojarnsson, 20, R
C Elias Nilssen, 23 (Super-Llamaland)
2B Stuart Hernandez, 23, R (Tikariot)
CF Shawn Zimmerman, 20, S

The Saints are yet another expansion team. From the east of the country, St. Riecarn used to be a really quiet city, but in recent years, competitive sports arrived here. The team will be in a above-average environment from the get-go in Saints Arena, and Mo Darrell will be coaching the team in gold. They did attract quite a few good players for their opening season, with Vineno and Nilssen as young talents from Ko-oren and Super-Llamaland respectively, as well as landing Center Fielder Shawn Zimmerman, known from the South Newlandian national team. Stuart Hernandez on second base will be the face of the team, and the national team player from Tikariot is expected to be the strongest force for this team. Despite everything, Darrell will likely have a tough time reaching the postseason in an extremely strong division, but for the future, the Saints look like a team to watch.

SOUTH: Southwest

RÜSSELSHEIM BLUE SOX

Quick facts:
City and Region: Rüsselsheim, Southwest
Stadium: Blue Sox Stadium
Capacity and Capacity rank: 5200; 10th
Team colour: Blue
Head Coach: Domenick Millher, 41
Performance last season: 8th, missed the playoffs
Performance estimate: Playoff contender

Most notable players:

SP Larry Cain, 26, R
3B Placido Taboada, 26, R (Ko-oren)
CF Lucca Hahn, 24, R (Kohnhead)

The Blue Sox, unsurprisingly playing in blue, are one of the oldest franchises of South Newlandia. They were never really successful, but they are seen as an important team for the SNBL anyway. They aren’t expected to make the playoffs, but thanks to there being no relegation, they try their hardest every year again. They did miss the playoffs last year in 8th, as expected, but in the easiest division out there, the Blue Sox coached by Millher might actually have a chance. With Cain, one of South Newlandias best starting pitchers, and Taboada from Ko-oren the team has some decent talents, but Kohnheadian Lucca Hahn will be the face of the team. One of the stars of the national team of Kohnhead has signed with the Blue Sox, and that might actually give them a shot at postseason baseball, but the team and Millher have a long road ahead of them.

SOUTHWESTERN BASELANDERS

Quick facts:
City and Region: Kinjestad, Southwestern Islands
Stadium: Islanders Baseballplace
Capacity and Capacity rank: 2800; 16th
Team colour: Purple
Head Coach: Bill Whitehouse, 39
Performance last season: 9th, missed the playoffs
Performance estimate: missing the playoffs

Most notable players:

SP Michael Michaelson, 20, L
RP Patrik Bryant, 21, R

If you are familiar with the Southwestern Islanders in soccer, the Baselanders work basically in the same way. They aren’t actually from Kinjestad, but the stadium they are playing is located there. They are a small collection of players from all around the Southern Islands, without committing to too much structure, leading to them never having any money. They hate the Peacocks, and despite the Baselanders rarely making the playoffs, the always give their all in the four, now eight games against the Peacocks. The team in Purple, coached by Bill Whitehouse, missed the playoffs last year and aren’t expected to make it this time around either. Michael Michaelson may be the most familiar name in a roster full of no-names, and reaching the postseason would be a significant upset even in the relatively easy Southwest.

KINJESTAD PEACOCKS

Quick facts:
City and Region: Kinjestad, Southwestern Islands
Stadium: Kinjestad Baseball Arena
Capacity and Capacity rank: 4750; 12th
Team colour: Pink
Head Coach: Erick Iglesias, 47 (Super-Llamaland)
Performance last season: 12th, missed the playoffs
Performance estimate: Playoff contender

Most notable players:

RP Kyle Fang, 26, L (Super-Llamaland)
2B Zarah Yu, 21, R
LF Mason Bennett, 26, L (Ko-oren)
CF Harper Yumizuka, 21 (Diarcesia)
RF Kieran Fletcher, 19, L (Tikariot)

The Kinjestad Peacocks are one of the smaller franchises, but they are mostly decent enough to compete for the playoff rounds. The team is known for strong defensive players, but for less successful pitchers. They don’t have the biggest fan base, but for the important rivalry with the Southwestern Baselanders, attention is often on them. The duel between the pink and the purple is one you might recognize from soccer, and the reasoning is very similar. The team had one of its worst seasons in recent memory, coming in last while burning through two coaches. They are looking for a complete rebuild this year, and they surely have a roster talented enough to pull that off. Erick Iglesias from Super-Llamaland will be coaching the Pink this year, and he brought reliever Kyle Fang with him. On top of that, the Peacocks sport one of the best outfields in the league, with Ko-orenite Bennett left, Diarcesian talent and Olympian Yumizuka center and Tikariotian national team jewel Fletcher right. Especially the 19-year-old may become the face of the franchise for seasons to come, but Iglesias has work to do to shape them into a real playoff contender.

SUN CITY FLAMES

Quick facts:
City and Region: Sun City, Southwest
Stadium: Sun City Arena
Capacity and Capacity rank: 6250; 8th
Team colour: Black
Head Coach: Al Krauss, 53 (Drawkland)
Performance last season: N/A
Performance estimate: Playoff contender

Most notable players:

SP Jairon Suarez, 23, R
RP Grady Reuters, 24, R (Drawkland)
C Laure Valle, 24, R/L (Chromatika)
1B Nicolas Perez, 18, R
SS Jeremy Moss, 19. L
RF Nelson Avila, 19, R

The Flames are the fourth expansion team as Sun City expands its scope on South Newlandian sports following the Atoms and the Speedway. They got a nice and big arena for themselves and hired a talented coach from overseas in Al Krauss, a well-known Drawkian, to lead them to success. On the roster, they have Drawkian reliever Reuters as well as Chromtik national team star Valle on top of four different young South Newlandian talents in Suarez, the best slugger of his age Nicolas Perez, Moss and Avila. Whether Krauss can shape the Black into a playoff team this year already is unclear, but with this amount of talent on the roster, success can’t be too far away.

by **South Newlandia** » Tue Dec 29, 2020 11:27 am

South Newlandian Soccer League Part 1: Matchdays 1-6

Matchday 1

Walstreim Lions 1–0 Newport United
Elephant Valley FC 0–0 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Southwestern Islanders 0–1 Elephant Town FC
Kinetik Islanders 2–6 Sophie City Royals
Valley Wanderers 2–2 FC Rüsselsheim
Ruditown Guards 0–0 Jecken Newport

The Lions opened their season with a victory, beating newly promoted United in a surprisingly close game. Tikariotian Niron Andalay had a fantastic day in the goal for Newport, only letting the Lions score once very late in the match. Meanwhile, the EVFC clashed with the Ratzupalfu Rhinos for a scoreless draw. The Rhinos’ new Kalactin goalkeeper Henry Garza was able to prove that he was able to replace the great Mikhail Trischuk, and the EVFC’s offense around Simon Bradden just couldn’t get through. On the other side of the field, Ko-orenite Larre Bossink did his best to stop the Rhinos from scoring as well. Meanwhile, Justin Lee bagged the win for Town in a battle with the Southwestern Islanders after a beautiful pass from Liam Cunningham. However, the story of the day was Kinetik hosting the Royals. With their goalkeeper, Nepharan Holger Varney, and Alexander Allman, their Grearish player-manager missing due to a cold and some knee problems, the defense completely fell apart. The Royals’ offense around Tikariotian top stars Fred Marr and Lucian Carragher lit up the scoreboard in a 6-2 pounding to put the Royals on top after matchday one. The Wanderers and Rüsselsheim battled it out in a game that saw Valley up 2 by half thanks to Ji Weibo, but Rüsselsheim stuck back in the second half to hold the tie thanks to a late score by Kayden Wilkinson after a corner. In the last game, Rufus Rigby kept the Guards alive against Jecken, and Ruben Gibson even had a chance to win it for the Guards late; but Corentin Tausig in the goal held the tie with a phenomenal save.

Matchday 2

Newport United 0–0 Jecken Newport
FC Rüsselsheim 2–0 Ruditown Guards
Sophie City Royals 1–3 Valley Wanderers
Elephant Town FC 1–3 Kinetik Islanders
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 4–0 Southwestern Islanders
Walstreim Lions 2–4 Elephant Valley FC

In an interesting turn of events, none of the winners from matchday one managed to make it two in a row. In the first game, it was once again Andalay with another great game, and the Jecken offense just couldn’t get a goal throughout the game. Rüsselsheim managed to win over the Guards after a great performance for Yu Wei, and the Royals lost their lead after a weak game against the Wanderers. John Bramas was able to efficiently stop the Royals, only allowing one goal scored by Mora, and Ji Weibo proved to be powerful for the Wanderers. The Rhinos absolutely crushed the Islanders, mostly thanks to an excellent day for Aaron Murphy with three goals for him. Henry Garza had a relatively easy day in the goal, with the defense able to keep most of everything away from him. The Lions, struggling under the added pressure of the Champions’ League, had a miserable day on defense as Paskal Toussaint and Bentley Levy just walked all over them. Larre Bossink was able to stop enough shots to give the EVFC a nice win over their favourite foes.

Matchday 3

Elephant Valley FC 1–3 Newport United
Southwestern Islanders 3–3 Walstreim Lions
Kinetik Islanders 0–0 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Valley Wanderers 5–3 Elephant Town FC
Ruditown Guards 3–1 Sophie City Royals
Jecken Newport 2–2 FC Rüsselsheim

Matchday 3 saw the EVFC getting upset badly at home in the Dome against newcomers United. It was a great day for their stars especially, as Kevin Bryse and once more Andalay had excellent games, and the EVFC just couldn’t get going on defense. Meanwhile, the Lions failed to get the win they thought save against the Islanders. Holding a 3-1 lead with half an hour to go, a red card to the young Lambros Tantalopoulos saw the Lions with a player less on the team. Ultimately, Otto Marsden got the equalizer late in the game against a tired Lions squad. Henry Garza proved that he is more than able to replace Trischuk for the Rhinos, holding on to not allow a score for the third time in a row as Kinetik just couldn’t get past him. On the other side, the great Kinetik defense around Allman and Frank also held the Rhinos to no goals. The Wanderers had a completely different game meanwhile, as they beat up Town in a shootout. Ji Weibo was the matchwinner for the Wanderers in the end, with two goals and two assists on the way to a nice win for Valley. The Royals once again couldn’t live up to their great game against Kinetik on day one, as they fell to the Guards in Ruditown. Bob Hwang finally came alive for the Guards, and another good game for Rigby paved the road for the first win on the season for Ruditown. Last, but certainly not least, Jecken and Rüsselsheim tied in an intense game with two goals on either side after Jecken lost their top star on defense, Rasmus Helman, to injury early in the match.

Matchday 4

Newport United 1–2 FC Rüsselsheim
Sophie City Royals 0–2 Jecken Newport
Elephant Town FC 0–0 Ruditown Guards
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 2–3 Valley Wanderers
Walstreim Lions 3–4 Kinetik Islanders
Elephant Valley FC 1–1 Southwestern Islanders

Rüsselsheim was able to remain undefeated in Newport despite falling behind early after a penalty scored by Kyle Whiteley, but they bounced back thanks to Yu Wei and Vladimir Batos to win. Meanwhile, the Royals lost for the third time in a row, this time at home against Jecken. Emir Aga, the man who scored the most goals of the league last season, was able to bag this one with two late goals. The Guards once again failed to score at all and could only thank Rigby in the goal for getting at least a single point. Liam Cunningham missed the best chance for Town in the 63rd minute, but a fantastic reaction by Rigby stopped him. For the Rhinos, Henry Garza conceded his first goals of the season and made it three total. Despite a good effort by the Rhinos with two goals scored for Eli Tshabala, the defense failed them for the first time this year. Meanwhile, Lambros Tantalopoulos missing proved to be a problem for the Lions, who lacked a good replacement. After Eloy Dawood went out with an injury, the Islanders got into the game. Bernard Zeman scored two goals on Holger Varney, his fellow countryman, and Carl Blew added one as well, but Kinetik had the last laugh. Alex Saunders, Brandon Avea, Kabuto Tadataka and Arnold Bois-Miller all scored a goal to give the Lions their second defeat on the season, stranding the title favourites in 9th for now. The EVFC also failed to beat the winless Islanders after Murat Winters scored late in the match.

Matchday 5

Southwestern Islanders 1–1 Newport United
Kinetik Islanders 1–0 Elephant Valley FC
Valley Wanderers 2–3 Walstreim Lions
Ruditown Guards 2–0 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Jecken Newport 6–2 Elephant Town FC
FC Rüsselsheim 0–1 Sophie City Royals

United failed to bring in the win despite a strong game at the Islanders. Newport recorded 17 shots in that game, but Leyton Underwood scored the only goal for the team that day, while Murat Winters caught Niron Andalay off-guard to equalize the game. Kinetik managed to put up yet another upset against EVFC, capping off a stretch off seven points against three top teams, thanks mostly to a fantastic game for Holger Varney and the pair of Grearish defenders keeping the goal clear. Paskal Toussaint missed a penalty kick late in the game breaking all the remaining hopes for Elephant Valley. This win gets Kinetik up to ten points, tied for first after the Wanderers drop their game at home to the Lions. Walstreim finally bounced back after two losses, with Dawood and Lambros Tantalopoulos back in the starting lineup. Thanks to the pair of Nepharans up front, they led 3-0 early, but the Wanderers didn’t give up without a fight. The Guards took a very important win over the Rhinos, only their second of the year, thanks to Rigby once again not conceding and Ruben Gibson scoring twice. Jecken obliterated Town and is now the only undefeated team of the league. Emir Aga was left without a score, but the rest of the team went for half a dozen goals. Lastly, the Royals bounced back for their second win thanks to a late goal that left Klaus Olfinger without a chance.

Matchday 6

Newport United 1–3 Sophie City Royals
Elephant Town FC 4–3 FC Rüsselsheim
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 0–1 Jecken Newport
Walstreim Lions 3–0 Ruditown Guards
Elephant Valley FC 5–3 Valley Wanderers
Southwestern Islanders 0–2 Kinetik Islanders

The Royals made it two straight in a poor game for the goalie of United. Niron Andalay had looked so strong until that point, but his fellow countrymen Carragher and Marr were able to get past him three times. Town took a huge upset over Rüsselsheim, who fall into 6th place after Olfinger gave up four. Liam Cunningham was the matchwinner for Town with three goals. The Rhinos meanwhile fell short a third time in a row, falling into tenth after David Johnson shocked them late in the game. The Lions are looking to rebound strong with an easy win over the Guards, and the EVFC took a very important win in the city derby against the Wanderers in a great shootout. Simon Bradden scored the 4-3 that ultimately decided the match in the 81st. Last, but certainly not least, Kinetik defeated their fellow Islanders, once again from a strong defense that didn’t give up a goal again. This win sees them in a surprising first place after six matchdays, while the Islanders remain without a win.

P   SNSL                    Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Kinetik Islanders         6    4   1   1    12   10   +2    13 Champions, CL, "CEdC"
 2 Jecken Newport            6    3   3   0    11    4   +7    12 CC, "CEdC"
 3 Valley Wanderers          6    3   1   2    18   16   +2    10 CC
 4 Walstreim Lions           6    3   1   2    15   13   +2    10 CC
 5 Sophie City Royals        6    3   0   3    12   11   +1     9
 6 Elephant Valley FC        6    2   2   2    11   10   +1     8
   FC Rüsselsheim            6    2   2   2    11   10   +1     8
 8 Ruditown Guards           6    2   2   2     5    6   −1     8
 9 Elephant Town FC          6    2   1   3    11   17   −6     7
10 Ratzupalfu Rhinos         6    1   2   3     6    6    0     5
11 Newport United            6    1   2   3     6    8   −2     5
12 Southwestern Islanders    6    0   3   3     5   12   −7     3 Relegated

The Islanders are certainly the most surprising team of the first quarter of the season with 13 points against solid opposition, but finding the Rhinos all the way down in 10th is just as big of a surprise. Of course, with 16 games remaining, everything can change rapidly. One of the bigger, yet often overlooked surprises are the Jecken defense. They only allowed four goals and haven’t lost a single match. Joseph Anderson and Rasmus Helman are a solid duo, and Corentin Tausig looks as strong as ever.

Second League

MD1

Sun City Atoms 1–0 Ratzupalfu FC
Kinjestad SC 0–1 Malidridad FC
Masmow FC 6–3 Walstreim City FC
Kinjestad Soccer 1–0 Jagomir City
FC Ineton 3–3 Trunkst CFT
Ineton City 1–3 Elephant Town Warriors

MD2

Ratzupalfu FC 2–0 Elephant Town Warriors
Trunkst CFT 0–1 Ineton City
Jagomir City 3–3 FC Ineton
Walstreim City FC 0–2 Kinjestad Soccer
Malidridad FC 1–3 Masmow FC
Sun City Atoms 1–1 Kinjestad SC

MD3

Kinjestad SC 2–4 Ratzupalfu FC
Masmow FC 2–1 Sun City Atoms
Kinjestad Soccer 2–3 Malidridad FC
FC Ineton 3–1 Walstreim City FC
Ineton City 2–1 Jagomir City
Elephant Town Warriors 1–3 Trunkst CFT

MD4

Ratzupalfu FC 2–3 Trunkst CFT
Jagomir City 4–1 Elephant Town Warriors
Walstreim City FC 1–2 Ineton City
Malidridad FC 4–3 FC Ineton
Sun City Atoms 2–2 Kinjestad Soccer
Kinjestad SC 1–3 Masmow FC

MD5

Masmow FC 6–3 Ratzupalfu FC
Kinjestad Soccer 1–1 Kinjestad SC
FC Ineton 3–2 Sun City Atoms
Ineton City 1–3 Malidridad FC
Elephant Town Warriors 1–2 Walstreim City FC
Trunkst CFT 0–0 Jagomir City

MD6

Ratzupalfu FC 1–3 Jagomir City
Walstreim City FC 0–0 Trunkst CFT
Malidridad FC 2–2 Elephant Town Warriors
Sun City Atoms 0–1 Ineton City
Kinjestad SC 2–2 FC Ineton
Masmow FC 2–2 Kinjestad Soccer

P   2SNSL                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Masmow FC                 6    5   1   0    22   11  +11    16 Promoted
 2 Malidridad FC             6    4   1   1    14   11   +3    13 Promoted
 3 Ineton City               6    4   0   2     8    8    0    12 Promoted
 4 FC Ineton                 6    2   3   1    17   15   +2     9
 5 Kinjestad Soccer          6    2   3   1    10    8   +2     9
 6 Trunkst CFT               6    2   3   1     9    7   +2     9
 7 Jagomir City              6    2   2   2    11    8   +3     8
 8 Ratzupalfu FC             6    2   0   4    12   15   −3     6
 9 Sun City Atoms            6    1   2   3     7    9   −2     5
10 Elephant Town Warriors    6    1   1   4     8   14   −6     4
11 Walstreim City FC         6    1   1   4     7   14   −7     4 Relegated
12 Kinjestad SC              6    0   3   3     7   12   −5     3 Relegated

After an extremely strong start, Masmow finds themselves at the top with 16 points, already 7 points out from 4th place. Behind them, newly promoted Malidridad joins second place, and the recently relegated Ineton City is in third. Behind them, a lot of teams are really close, including the high favourites from Kinjestad Soccer. Right now, Kinjestad SC and the Walstreim CFC are the two teams in the relegation spots, but everything can still happen, that’s for sure.

First cup round

Kinjestad Soccer 0–2 Valley Wanderers
Ineton City 1–4 Elephant Valley FC
North Oldsea 0–1 Elephant Town FC
Ostreka FC 2–2 Southwestern Islanders (2–2 AET) (3–4 pen.)

Ratzupalfu FC 5–2 Kinjestad SC
Masmow FC 1–0 Trunkst CFT
Northvalley Club 4–5 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Walstreim Lions II 2–2 Malidridad FC (2–4 AET)

Jagomir City 1–0 Jecken Newport
Walstreim City FC 1–0 Ruditown Guards
Sun City Atoms 1–4 Walstreim Lions
FC Bobtown 2–2 Kinetik Islanders (2–2 AET) (5–6 pen.)

Ratzupalfu Rhinos II 1–2 Newport United
FC Ineton 1–3 Sophie City Royals
Lexen City Reds 0–1 FC Rüsselsheim
Sophie City Girls 0–1 Elephant Town Warriors

Few surprises there. The two top-tier teams from the capital dispatched the two teams relegated into the second tier last season, and Town and the Islanders were able to beat two amateur teams, even though the Islanders needed penalties. The RFC was able to step over the KSC at home, and Masmow kept their run going with a win over Trunkst. Henry Garza had a slightly embarrassing showing against another amateur team, but the offense bailed him out with five goals, three of them scored by Aaron Murphy. The amateurs of the Lions held even with Malidridad for a while, but ultimately fell short. Of course, there were some surprises. No one expected Jagomir City to defeat Jecken Newport, but they just couldn’t get it in the goal. The Guards weren’t able to score against the Walstreim CFC. Both of them will be eliminated. The Lions were able to beat the Atoms easily, and Kinetik pulled through against an amateur team in penalties. United, the Royals, Rüsselsheim and the Warriors also managed to get a win against weaker opposition.
For the next round, the six teams from tier two will be guaranteed a home game. Here are the fixtures for Round Two:

Malidridad FC vs. Valley Wanderers
Walstreim Lions vs. Elephant Valley FC
Elephant Town Warriors vs. Elephant Town FC
Kinetik Islanders vs. Ratzupalfu Rhinos
			
Masmow FC vs. Southwestern Islanders
Walstreim City FC vs. FC Rüsselsheim
Ratzupalfu FC vs. Newport United
Jagomir City vs. Sophie City Royals

The biggest matchup will of course be the Lions at home against EVFC. Kinetik will also get a home game against the struggling Rhinos, and Masmow will have a chance to prove themselves against the Islanders. On top of that, the Warriors will be playing Town FC in an all-Elephant Town derby.

by **South Newlandia** » Wed Dec 30, 2020 2:49 pm

South Newlandian Soccer League Part 1: Matchdays 7-11

Matchday 7

Kinetik Islanders 0–0 Newport United
Valley Wanderers 2–1 Southwestern Islanders
Ruditown Guards 0–0 Elephant Valley FC
Jecken Newport 1–2 Walstreim Lions
FC Rüsselsheim 4–0 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Sophie City Royals 0–1 Elephant Town FC

Holger Varney and Niron Andalay each had busy days in the duel between the two newly promoted teams, but both of them managed to keep the clean sheet. This allowed Kinetik to hold on to the lead, for now, even though Brandon Avea missed a good chance at the end to take three for Kinetik. The Wanderers are back to winning, while the Islanders remain without a win, and Rufus Rigby and his defense managed to hold on to keep the game against EVFC tied at least. Paskal Toussaint hit both the post and the crossbar in this game, but couldn’t get past Rigby. The Lions win narrowly over Jecken thanks to a late goal scored by Bernard Zeman; they can count on their Nepharim top star so far. Henry Garza starts to struggle a little bit in the Rhinos goal, conceding four against Rüsselsheim. Yu Wei was the deciding factor in an important win. The Royals lost to Town as the latter climb into 6th. Lucian Carragher had to leave the match injured early, and hopes to make a quick recovery.

Matchday 8

Newport United 0–1 Elephant Town FC
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 0–1 Sophie City Royals
Walstreim Lions 6–2 FC Rüsselsheim
Elephant Valley FC 4–4 Jecken Newport
Southwestern Islanders 1–1 Ruditown Guards
Kinetik Islanders 4–4 Valley Wanderers

Town manages to sneak past United with just a single goal, climbing into 5th. Meanwhile, the Rhinos lose another game, but at least Garza is looking more solid, only allowing a single goal by Leon Solari; unfortunately for him, that’s all the Royals needed. The Lions blast Rüsselsheim away and momentarily take the lead in the standings with a 6-2 win; three of them scored by Zeman. Klaus Olfinger probably wants to forget this experience as soon as he can. EVFC and Jecken engaged in an eight-goal shootout, but neither one of them could take all three points. The Guards fail to go all the way against the Islanders, and Kinetik comes back from a late 2-4 deficit after a mediocre performance for Varney thanks to two goals by their young star Alex Saunders.

Matchday 9

Valley Wanderers 2–2 Newport United
Ruditown Guards 2–1 Kinetik Islanders
Jecken Newport 5–1 Southwestern Islanders
FC Rüsselsheim 1–0 Elephant Valley FC
Sophie City Royals 2–5 Walstreim Lions
Elephant Town FC 0–1 Ratzupalfu Rhinos

United is not able to go all the way against the Wanderers despite a good game, as John Bramas saved the late penalty shot Martin Stone took, and the Guards managed to defeat the Islanders, while Kabuto Tadataka scored for the first time in quite a while. Jecken easily takes down the hap- and winless Islanders with Emir Aga scoring three, and Rüsselsheim takes a close game against EVFC by one goal, scored early by Rodriguez Sporet. The Royals remain without a chance against the Lions, with Zeman again in great shape and with three goals. Last, but not least, Garza makes it two without conceded goals against Town as the Rhinos climb back into 10th. While that is still way below expectations, Kaylem Knight at least got them these three points.

Matchday 10

Newport United 1–2 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Walstreim Lions 1–2 Elephant Town FC
Elephant Valley FC 1–1 Sophie City Royals
Southwestern Islanders 1–3 FC Rüsselsheim
Kinetik Islanders 3–2 Jecken Newport
Valley Wanderers 1–0 Ruditown Guards

The Rhinos pulled out another important win that also ended up being a disappointing loss for United. With the 1-2 defeat, United hasn’t won any of the last eight games, and that despite one of the best defenses in the league. The Lions also took a bitter loss at home against Town after leading 1-0 early. EVFC drew the Royals in a game where the Royals really could’ve had more than they ultimately got, and Rüsselsheim took a third win in four games over the Islanders. Kinetik took a great win over Jecken thanks to rallying from a 1-2 deficit, with Alexander Allman, the 36-year-old player manager heading in the winning goal. The Wanderers barely won over the Guards, as Rigby conceded only his 9th goal on the season. This matchday also made one specific fan really happy; he had bet ahead of the season that after both EVFC and the Rhinos would not be in the top eight after ten games.

Matchday 11

Ruditown Guards 0–1 Newport United
Jecken Newport 4–2 Valley Wanderers
FC Rüsselsheim 0–1 Kinetik Islanders
Sophie City Royals 4–1 Southwestern Islanders
Elephant Town FC 1–2 Elephant Valley FC
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 0–0 Walstreim Lions

United finally got their first win since Matchday Two over the Guards after another good performance by Niron Andalay, and Jecken managed to defeat the Wanderers thanks to a brilliant game for Corban Green with two goals and one assist. Kinetik narrowly got another win that puts them into first place after half the season over Rüsselsheim, who drop to 5th, and the Royals are the 11th team this season the Islanders cannot beat. Lucian Carragher scored three on route to the Royals jumping into 6th place. In the Elephant derby between Town and EVFC, the team from the capital prevailed, although barely. A late score by Nikita Crowe got Town really close, but the EVFC took the win in the end. Last, Garza had a brilliant day as he successfully defended 18 shots the Lions brought. On the other side, Rinus Wever had a much quieter day, but the game ended tied nonetheless, costing the Lions the lead.

P   SNSL                    Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Kinetik Islanders        11    6   3   2    21   18   +3    21 Champions, CL, "CedC"
 2 Walstreim Lions          11    6   2   3    29   20   +9    20 CC, "CEdC"
 3 Jecken Newport           11    5   4   2    27   16  +11    19 CC
 4 Valley Wanderers         11    5   3   3    29   27   +2    18 CC
 5 FC Rüsselsheim           11    5   2   4    21   18   +3    17
 6 Sophie City Royals       11    5   1   5    20   19   +1    16
 7 Elephant Town FC         11    5   1   5    16   21   −5    16
 8 Elephant Valley FC       11    3   5   3    18   17   +1    14
 9 Ruditown Guards          11    3   4   4     8   10   −2    13
10 Ratzupalfu Rhinos        11    3   3   5     9   12   −3    12
11 Newport United           11    2   4   5    10   13   −3    10
12 Southwestern Islanders   11    0   4   7    10   27  −17     4 Relegated

Kinetik is still at the top to everyones surprise. Alexander Allman was able to lead the team on a great path, and they have good chances to at least finish in the top four. The Lions and Jecken are following right behind, and the Wanderers have been a surprise this season. Martin Thord led them to a convincing fourth place so far. On the end of the table, the Islanders remain without a win and are now already six points away from everyone else, with United and surprisingly, the Rhinos the closest teams.

Second League

MD7

Kinjestad Soccer 4–1 Ratzupalfu FC
FC Ineton 0–2 Masmow FC
Ineton City 4–2 Kinjestad SC
Elephant Town Warriors 2–1 Sun City Atoms
Trunkst CFT 3–2 Malidridad FC
Jagomir City 1–0 Walstreim City FC

MD8

Ratzupalfu FC 3–3 Walstreim City FC
Malidridad FC 3–1 Jagomir City
Sun City Atoms 2–3 Trunkst CFT
Kinjestad SC 3–3 Elephant Town Warriors
Masmow FC 2–0 Ineton City
Kinjestad Soccer 2–1 FC Ineton

MD9

FC Ineton 2–2 Ratzupalfu FC
Ineton City 2–2 Kinjestad Soccer
Elephant Town Warriors 1–0 Masmow FC
Trunkst CFT 4–3 Kinjestad SC
Jagomir City 3–3 Sun City Atoms
Walstreim City FC 0–0 Malidridad FC

MD10

Ratzupalfu FC 2–1 Malidridad FC
Sun City Atoms 1–0 Walstreim City FC
Kinjestad SC 1–3 Jagomir City
Masmow FC 2–2 Trunkst CFT
Kinjestad Soccer 5–3 Elephant Town Warriors
FC Ineton 0–2 Ineton City

MD11

Ineton City 5–1 Ratzupalfu FC
Elephant Town Warriors 2–2 FC Ineton
Trunkst CFT 0–2 Kinjestad Soccer
Jagomir City 2–2 Masmow FC
Walstreim City FC 2–2 Kinjestad SC
Malidridad FC 1–3 Sun City Atoms

P   2SNSL                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Masmow FC                11    7   3   1    30   16  +14    24 Promoted
 2 Kinjestad Soccer         11    6   4   1    25   15  +10    22 Promoted
 3 Ineton City              11    7   1   3    21   15   +6    22 Promoted
 4 Trunkst CFT              11    5   4   2    21   18   +3    19
 5 Malidridad FC            11    5   2   4    21   20   +1    17
 6 Jagomir City             11    4   4   3    21   17   +4    16
 7 Sun City Atoms           11    3   3   5    17   18   −1    12
 8 Elephant Town Warriors   11    3   3   5    19   25   −6    12
 9 FC Ineton                11    2   5   4    22   25   −3    11
10 Ratzupalfu FC            11    3   2   6    21   30   −9    11
11 Walstreim City FC        11    1   4   6    12   21   −9     7 Relegated
12 Kinjestad SC             11    0   5   6    18   28  −10     5 Relegated

Mamsow kept their lead, although they lost a bit of ground, while Kinjestad Soccer has been looking strong, jumping into second. Ineton City, the other relegated team, is close behind, and Trunkst and Malidridad are the next closest teams. On the bottom, Walstreim CFC and Kinjestad SC are already quite a bit away from safety; they’ll need to step up their game.

Second cup round

Malidridad FC 0–0 Valley Wanderers (0–2 AET)
Walstreim Lions 1–0 Elephant Valley FC
Elephant Town Warriors 0–0 Elephant Town FC (0–0 AET) (4–3 pen.)
Kinetik Islanders 3–3 Ratzupalfu Rhinos (3–3 AET) (6–7 pen.)

Masmow FC 2–0 Southwestern Islanders
Walstreim City FC 1–1 FC Rüsselsheim (1–2 AET)
Ratzupalfu FC 3–1 Newport United
Jagomir City 2–2 Sophie City Royals (2–2 AET) (3–4 pen.)

The teams from the second tier are looking strong this year, three of them have reached the Quarterfinals. Three more fell short, Malidridad lost in extra time to the Wanderers, so did Walstreim CFC against Rüsselsheim and the Royals even needed penalties to eliminate Jagomir. The Warriors managed to take down Town FC in the derby on penalties, and Masmow dispatched the Islanders, who still haven’t won a game this season; and Ratzupalfu FC surprisingly defeated United. In the top encounter between the Lions and EVFC, Zeman scored the winner for the home team, and Kinetik against the Rhinos was a special spectacle. After three goals each in regular time, the game took 16 penalty shots to decide. Franc Gonzalez missed the last one, and Kinetik was out.
For the next round, the three teams from the second tier are again guaranteed home field.

Elephant Town Warriors vs. FC Rüsselsheim
Valley Wanderers vs. Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Masmow FC vs. Sophie City Royals
Ratzupalfu FC vs. Walstreim Lions

The Warriors will match up with Rüsselsheim, Masmow will tackle the Lions and Ratzupalfu FC has caught the biggest fish in the Lions. The Wanderers will receive home field in the last game against the Rhinos. Only four teams can advance from here, and only one will be guaranteed a place in the Challenger’s Cup in the end.

by **South Newlandia** » Wed Dec 30, 2020 6:48 pm

South Newlandian Soccer League Part 1: Matchdays 12-16

Matchday 12

Newport United 2–2 Walstreim Lions
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 3–2 Elephant Valley FC
Elephant Town FC 3–4 Southwestern Islanders
Sophie City Royals 2–3 Kinetik Islanders
FC Rüsselsheim 1–1 Valley Wanderers
Jecken Newport 2–0 Ruditown Guards

United keeps showing up strong, this time taking a point off of the Lions. The Lions are clearly under a lot of pressure by this point between the league and the IFCF competitions, and it shows especially on defense; Carl Blew has been out for this game and it showed. He is expected to return around MD17. For now, the Lions have to try to hold on defense. The Rhinos continue their climb with a hard-fought victory over EVFC, mostly thanks to Aaron Murphy, who has been a real gamechanger recently. It took 12 matchdays, but the Islanders finally record their first win of the season, a 4-3 shootout in Elephant Town. Otto Marsden headed in the winner, and the Islanders hopes of avoiding relegation remain alive; for now. Lucian Carragher finally made his return for the Royals, and he thanked them with two goals at home; yet Kinetik scored three to take a three-point lead in the table. Neither the Wanderers nor Rüsselsheim were able to get a potentially big win, and Jecken stayed in the title fight with a win over the Guards.

Matchday 13

Jecken Newport 1–2 Newport United
Ruditown Guards 1–1 FC Rüsselsheim
Valley Wanderers 2–2 Sophie City Royals
Kinetik Islanders 1–0 Elephant Town FC
Southwestern Islanders 0–0 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Elephant Valley FC 4–4 Walstreim Lions

It was time for the Newport derby again, and United tore down Jecken in their own stadium. Niron Andalay delivered another strong day, and Kevin Bryse was there to score up front. The Guards and Rüsselsheim end up tied, and so do the Wanderers and the Royals; none of them were able to really make a big step needed in this situation. Kinetik only needed one goal, scored by Brandon Avea, to defeat Town, and the Rhinos were unable to score against the Islanders; at least Garza had a good day. The Lions were visiting the EVFC, and they needed to win to stay on Kinetik’s heels. The defense was once again in big trouble, a familiar weakness for the Lions, and despite Zeman scoring three, the Lions couldn’t win. A 4-4 tie meant that they are now 5 points behind Kinetik.

Matchday 14

Newport United 0–2 Elephant Valley FC
Walstreim Lions 3–1 Southwestern Islanders
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 3–1 Kinetik Islanders
Elephant Town FC 3–3 Valley Wanderers
Sophie City Royals 5–5 Ruditown Guards
FC Rüsselsheim 2–0 Jecken Newport

EVFC got a very needed win over United, at least climbing into 7th¸ and the Lions defeated the Islanders without real problems. The Rhinos beating Kinetik at the same time means that the deficit has been cut to two points, with the Rhinos defense finally having a really good day they hadn’t really had all season. Trischuk leaving has impacted the team more than they might want to admit, but at least they climbed back into 6th now. Town and the Wanderers had a good shootout, ending at three games each, but the game between the Royals and the Guards was especially noteworthy. Both Rigby and Sjarsen were injured ahead of the game, and the teams had a field day against the replacements. Ultimately, Bob Hwang scored four goals and Lucian Carragher three, and the game ended in a fair 5-5 tie. Rüsselsheim was able to collect another helpful win over Jecken and jump into 4th in the standings.

Matchday 15

FC Rüsselsheim 1–3 Newport United
Jecken Newport 1–2 Sophie City Royals
Ruditown Guards 2–3 Elephant Town FC
Valley Wanderers 1–2 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Kinetik Islanders 4–3 Walstreim Lions
Southwestern Islanders 0–3 Elephant Valley FC

United was able to gain some breathing room with a nice win in Rüsselsheim; Andalay was an important figure yet again. The Royals narrowly got way with an upset at Jecken thanks to a late own goal by Lucien O'Grond, and Town was able to defeat the struggling Guards who now drop into 11th. The Rhinos beat the Wanderers to continue the climb, and Kinetik was going to host the Lions for an epic showdown. The Lions had all the chances, and put up three goals, but defensive mistakes cost them again and again. Arnold Bois-Miller was especially good in this game with three assists and a goal, and the win for Kinetik put them back to a five-point lead on the Lions. Lastly, the Islanders had no chance against the EVFC, and find themselves already down by 7 points from the save zone.

Matchday 16

Newport United 4–1 Southwestern Islanders
Elephant Valley FC 3–4 Kinetik Islanders
Walstreim Lions 4–3 Valley Wanderers
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 0–1 Ruditown Guards
Elephant Town FC 4–5 Jecken Newport
Sophie City Royals 1–1 FC Rüsselsheim

United kept a strong streak going with a win over the Islanders that came much easier than expected, and Kinetik kept playing extremely good football, taking down the EVFC this time by the same score the Lions defeated the Wanderers. Both teams still have problems on defense that they are looking to fix as soon as possible. With Rigby back in the goal, the Guards went back to winning while the Rhinos just couldn’t get in the goal. Jecken managed to defeat Town with nine players in a wild game that ended 5-4 after Jecken was already up 4-1, and the Royals drew Rüsselsheim, which doesn’t really help either team a whole lot.

P   SNSL                    Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Kinetik Islanders        16   10   3   3    34   29   +5    33 Champions, CL, "CEdC"
 2 Walstreim Lions          16    8   4   4    45   34  +11    28 CC, "CEdC"
 3 Jecken Newport           16    7   4   5    36   26  +10    25 CC
 4 FC Rüsselsheim           16    6   5   5    27   24   +3    23 CC
 5 Sophie City Royals       16    6   4   6    32   31   +1    22
 6 Ratzupalfu Rhinos        16    6   4   6    17   17    0    22
 7 Elephant Valley FC       16    5   6   5    32   28   +4    21
 8 Valley Wanderers         16    5   6   5    39   39    0    21
 9 Newport United           16    5   5   6    21   20   +1    20
10 Elephant Town FC         16    6   2   8    29   36   −7    20
11 Ruditown Guards          16    4   6   6    17   21   −4    18
12 Southwestern Islanders   16    1   5  10    16   40  −24     8 Relegated

Kinetik still leading with five points is the biggest surprise the SNSL has to offer at the moment. The Lions are still very much in this, and so are Jecken, but behind them, everything becomes really messy. The Islanders aren’t looking like they will survive; already 10 points behind, they need a real miracle.

Second League

MD12

Ratzupalfu FC 2–2 Sun City Atoms
Malidridad FC 4–2 Kinjestad SC
Walstreim City FC 4–2 Masmow FC
Jagomir City 2–4 Kinjestad Soccer
Trunkst CFT 2–1 FC Ineton
Elephant Town Warriors 2–3 Ineton City

MD13

Elephant Town Warriors 3–2 Ratzupalfu FC
Ineton City 2–3 Trunkst CFT
FC Ineton 2–0 Jagomir City
Kinjestad Soccer 5–4 Walstreim City FC
Masmow FC 1–1 Malidridad FC
Kinjestad SC 2–2 Sun City Atoms

MD14

Ratzupalfu FC 2–3 Kinjestad SC
Sun City Atoms 1–1 Masmow FC
Malidridad FC 3–3 Kinjestad Soccer
Walstreim City FC 3–2 FC Ineton
Jagomir City 2–0 Ineton City
Trunkst CFT 0–0 Elephant Town Warriors

MD15

Trunkst CFT 0–0 Ratzupalfu FC
Elephant Town Warriors 2–0 Jagomir City
Ineton City 3–2 Walstreim City FC
FC Ineton 2–0 Malidridad FC
Kinjestad Soccer 2–3 Sun City Atoms
Masmow FC 3–2 Kinjestad SC

MD16

Ratzupalfu FC 2–2 Masmow FC
Kinjestad SC 1–2 Kinjestad Soccer
Sun City Atoms 2–0 FC Ineton
Malidridad FC 1–0 Ineton City
Walstreim City FC 1–0 Elephant Town Warriors
Jagomir City 2–4 Trunkst CFT

P   2SNSL                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Kinjestad Soccer         16    9   5   2    41   28  +13    32 Promoted
 2 Masmow FC                16    8   6   2    39   26  +13    30 Promoted
 3 Trunkst CFT              16    8   6   2    30   23   +7    30 Promoted
 4 Ineton City              16    9   1   6    29   25   +4    28
 5 Malidridad FC            16    7   4   5    30   28   +2    25
 6 Sun City Atoms           16    5   6   5    27   25   +2    21
 7 Jagomir City             16    5   4   7    27   29   −2    19
 8 Elephant Town Warriors   16    5   4   7    26   31   −5    19
 9 FC Ineton                16    4   5   7    29   32   −3    17
10 Walstreim City FC        16    4   4   8    26   33   −7    16
11 Ratzupalfu FC            16    3   5   8    29   40  −11    14 Relegated
12 Kinjestad SC             16    1   6   9    28   41  −13     9 Relegated

With six matchdays to go, Kinjestad Soccer is leading the table, followed by Masmow and Trunkst. Ineton City and Malidridad are the two other other teams with real chances to get promoted, while Kinjestad SC and Ratzupalfu FC are in trouble; but hardly anyone is safe yet.

Cup Quarterfinals

Elephant Town Warriors 0–1 FC Rüsselsheim
Valley Wanderers 0–0 Ratzupalfu Rhinos (0–0 AET) (5–4 pen.)
Masmow FC 1–1 Sophie City Royals (1–1 AET) (5–4 pen.)
Ratzupalfu FC 2–1 Walstreim Lions

What a huge day for the cup. Rüsselsheim manages to escape trouble with a narrow win over the Warriors, and the Wanderers take down the Rhinos on penalties, with Brian Lowe scoring the deciding one. Masmow also managed to take the Royals to penalties, with the worse end for the top tier team, as Lorenzo Oreales ended up as the only player not scoring his penalty. The Lions were attempting to sit big parts of the first team out to get them some rest, but Ratzupalfu FC proved that to be a fatal mistake. They pulled off a miraculous win and go to the Semifinals. As always, the two teams from the second tier are guaranteed home games.

Ratzupalfu FC vs. FC Rüsselsheim
Masmow FC vs. Valley Wanderers

All of the “big four” are out, and Rüsselsheim, the team defending their title from last year, seem to be the favourites now. But this cup has proved that everyone can beat everyone, and there surely are three exciting matches left to watch.

by **South Newlandia** » Thu Dec 31, 2020 1:25 pm

South Newlandian Soccer League Part 1: Matchdays 17-21

Matchday 17

Sophie City Royals 4–1 Newport United
FC Rüsselsheim 5–2 Elephant Town FC
Jecken Newport 0–1 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
Ruditown Guards 2–2 Walstreim Lions
Valley Wanderers 1–2 Elephant Valley FC
Kinetik Islanders 1–0 Southwestern Islanders

The Royals easily cruise past United as Lucian Carragher embarrasses his fellow countryman Andalay with three goals. Rüsselsheim light up the scoreboard against Town with a convincing 5-2 win, Sporet shining with four assists. The Rhinos’ defense manages to hold a tough Jecken offense scoreless, and Murphy scores to put the Rhinos into 3rd place. The Guards exploit the Lions’ defensive weaknesses while Rigby gives up only two goals, and the Lions miss out on two more points despite Zeman looking strong again. In the Elephant Valley derby, the EVFC narrowly defeats the Wanderers to jump into a much better position. Kinetik needs just one goal to defeat the Islanders, scored by Saunders, to increase the lead on the Lions to seven points. Meanwhile, the Islanders are 11 points away from safety.

Matchday 18

Newport United 3–1 Kinetik Islanders
Southwestern Islanders 2–3 Valley Wanderers
Elephant Valley FC 0–0 Ruditown Guards
Walstreim Lions 4–2 Jecken Newport
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 0–0 FC Rüsselsheim
Elephant Town FC 3–2 Sophie City Royals

The Islanders lose for the first time since Matchday 14 in the battle against the other newly promoted team. Andalay was rock solid in the goal, and Kevin Bryse scored twice, making United officially save from relegation, a big early success for the team. The Wanderers take down the Islanders with few problems, and Rigby held on against the EVFC, increasing the Guards’ lead on the Islanders to twelve. With four matchdays to go, the Southwestern Islanders need a real miracle to save themselves. The Lions defeat Jecken to cut the deficit to four points, thanks mostly to yet another dashing Zeman performance. Rhinos and Rüsselsheim split the points with two strong performances from the goalies, and Town takes down a crumbling Royals defence. The Royals fall down to seventh in a tightly contested IFCF race.

Matchday 19

Elephant Town FC 1–0 Newport United
Sophie City Royals 2–2 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
FC Rüsselsheim 2–5 Walstreim Lions
Jecken Newport 4–3 Elephant Valley FC
Ruditown Guards 3–1 Southwestern Islanders
Valley Wanderers 3–2 Kinetik Islanders

Town takes down United with a single score by Cunningham, jumping into 8th and right back into the IFCF conversation. The Royals and the Rhinos split the points after a tough fight, as both teams miss out on the jump into third place. The Lions claim a big win over the FC Rüsselsheim with Lambros Tantalopoulos scoring for the first time in a while, along with Zeman, Kesteren, McMora and Pearson. Jecken defeats EVFC despite falling behind 0-2 early, and the Guards send the Islanders to the second tier with a win in Ruditown, also ensuring that they will stick around in the first league. Kinetik puts up a big fight after a 0-3 halftime lead, but can’t quite get there in the end. As the Wanderers climb into 5th, the lead on the Lions has shrunk from seven to just a single point in two games.

Matchday 20

Newport United 0–1 Valley Wanderers
Kinetik Islanders 0–0 Ruditown Guards
Southwestern Islanders 0–1 Jecken Newport
Elephant Valley FC 2–1 FC Rüsselsheim
Walstreim Lions 2–2 Sophie City Royals
Ratzupalfu Rhinos 2–0 Elephant Town FC

The Wanderers stay in the fight with the third win in a row thanks to Ji Weibo scoring the late goal on Andalay while Kinetik failed to win for the third time running. Rigby was able to shut everything down, but once again, we received little to no support from the rest of his team. Jecken took a small win over the relegated Islanders, and EVFC jumped back into 6th with a win in the Dome over Rüsselsheim, who are dropping their season a little bit. The Lions’ defense failed them again. They are conceding way too many goals these last few games, and Leon Solari was able to do whatever he wanted. Two Zeman-goals got the Lions at least one point, as the Lions stay just one point behind Kinetik. The Rhinos continue their climb after a bad first half as they join the top four again for only the second time since Matchday 3.

Matchday 21

Ratzupalfu Rhinos 0–0 Newport United
Elephant Town FC 2–3 Walstreim Lions
Sophie City Royals 2–5 Elephant Valley FC
FC Rüsselsheim 2–2 Southwestern Islanders
Jecken Newport 2–5 Kinetik Islanders
Ruditown Guards 4–5 Valley Wanderers

With only two matchdays to be played, things are heating up. The Rhinos missed a chance to get three points, but both Garza and Andalay were not planning to concede any goals, and the Lions narrowly managed to win over Town in an extremely close game that keeps the Lions alive. EVFC slapped the Royals out of the IFCF contention, and Rüsselsheim whiffed against the Islanders. Kinetik, still with the chance to win the league without any help, obliterated Jecken Newport thanks to a crushing performance for Kabuto Tadataka; it became clear he really wants this league win. Corentin Tausig had a day he likely will want to forget. In the last game, Rigby had a bad knee ahead of the game, but insisted on playing anyway. That proved to be a costly mistake, and Ji Weibo capitalized. Three goals scored by Ruben Gibson could not save the Guards.

Second League

MD17

Jagomir City 4–1 Ratzupalfu FC
Trunkst CFT 0–1 Walstreim City FC
Elephant Town Warriors 1–1 Malidridad FC
Ineton City 5–3 Sun City Atoms
FC Ineton 0–0 Kinjestad SC
Kinjestad Soccer 1–2 Masmow FC

MD18

Ratzupalfu FC 4–5 Kinjestad Soccer
Masmow FC 2–1 FC Ineton
Kinjestad SC 0–0 Ineton City
Sun City Atoms 2–3 Elephant Town Warriors
Malidridad FC 1–1 Trunkst CFT
Walstreim City FC 2–3 Jagomir City

MD19

Walstreim City FC 1–1 Ratzupalfu FC
Jagomir City 3–3 Malidridad FC
Trunkst CFT 0–0 Sun City Atoms
Elephant Town Warriors 3–2 Kinjestad SC
Ineton City 0–0 Masmow FC
FC Ineton 3–8 Kinjestad Soccer

MD20

Ratzupalfu FC 4–3 FC Ineton
Kinjestad Soccer 1–0 Ineton City
Masmow FC 0–3 Elephant Town Warriors
Kinjestad SC 3–0 Trunkst CFT
Sun City Atoms 1–0 Jagomir City
Malidridad FC 1–3 Walstreim City FC

MD21

Malidridad FC 1–0 Ratzupalfu FC
Walstreim City FC 1–1 Sun City Atoms
Jagomir City 4–4 Kinjestad SC
Trunkst CFT 1–1 Masmow FC
Elephant Town Warriors 1–2 Kinjestad Soccer
Ineton City 3–2 FC Ineton

P   2SNSL                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Kinjestad Soccer         21   13   5   3    58   38  +20    44 Promoted to the SNSL
 2 Masmow FC                21   10   8   3    44   32  +12    38 Promoted to the SNSL
 3 Ineton City              21   11   3   7    37   31   +6    36 Promoted
 4 Trunkst CFT              21    8   9   4    32   29   +3    33
 5 Malidridad FC            21    8   7   6    37   36   +1    31
 6 Elephant Town Warriors   21    8   5   8    37   38   −1    29
 7 Jagomir City             21    7   6   8    41   40   +1    27
 8 Sun City Atoms           21    6   8   7    34   34    0    26
 9 Walstreim City FC        21    6   6   9    34   39   −5    24
10 FC Ineton                21    4   6  11    38   49  −11    18
11 Ratzupalfu FC            21    4   6  11    39   54  −15    18 Relegated
12 Kinjestad SC             21    2   9  10    37   48  −11    15 Relegated

Kinjestad Soccer and Masmow FC have officially been promoted to the South Newlandian Soccer League. Behind them, Trunkst CFT still has a slim chance to overtake Ineton City, anyone else is out of luck. Trunkst needs to win on the last matchday over Kinjestad, and hope that Ineton City loses to Ratzupalfu FC, while also gaining four goal difference on them along the way. On the bottom, things are slightly more complicated. FC Ineton and Ratzupalfu FC have relatively good starting points, while Kinjestad SC is in deep trouble. They need to win against Walstreim City FC and hope that FC Ineton loses to Elephant Town Warriors and Ratzupalfu FC also loses to Ineton City. Ratzupalfu can save themselves by at least matching their result against Ineton City against the result of FC Ineton against the Warriors, while Ineton needs to do better then the RFC to save themselves.

Ratzupalfu FC vs. Ineton City
FC Ineton vs.  Elephant Town Warriors
Kinjestad Soccer vs. Trunkst CFT
Masmow FC vs. Jagomir City
Kinjestad SC vs. Walstreim City FC
Sun City Atoms vs.  Malidridad FC
teams fighting relegation
teams fighting for promotion

Only two games are already completely irrelevant; four games are actually important.

Cup Semifinals

Ratzupalfu FC 0–0 FC Rüsselsheim (0–0 AET) (6–7 pen.)
Masmow FC 3–1 Valley Wanderers

Rüsselsheim needed a lot of effort against Ratzupalfu FC, taking them all the way to penalties without any goals being scored. There, it took nine shots on either side until Klaus Olfinger saved the deciding one to get Rüsselsheim into the final for the second time. The defending champions will play against the Masmow FC, who managed to overcome the Valley Wanderers. Masmow will be hosting Rüsselsheim in the final as the team from the second tier.

Masmow FC vs. FC Rüsselsheim

If Masmow wins the cup, they have won every single game on home field, and, except for the first round, defeated a top tier team every time. Playing on home field has certainly helped them a lot there, with the cold and rough climate at Dragon Island. Meanwhile, Rüsselsheim has a chance to defend their title without battling a single top tier team. Whoever wins this matchup locks up a place in the Challengers’ Cup, and as neither team will get there by the league table, this match is extremely important for both teams.

Scenarios ahead of MD22

P   SNSL                    Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Kinetik Islanders        21   12   4   5    43   37   +6    40 Champions, CL, "CEdC"
 2 Walstreim Lions          21   11   6   4    61   44  +17    39 CC, "CEdC"
 3 Valley Wanderers         21    9   6   6    52   49   +3    33 CC
 4 Elephant Valley FC       21    8   7   6    44   36   +8    31
 5 Jecken Newport           21    9   4   8    45   39   +6    31
 6 Ratzupalfu Rhinos        21    8   7   6    22   19   +3    31
 7 FC Rüsselsheim           21    7   7   7    37   35   +2    28
 8 Sophie City Royals       21    7   6   8    44   44    0    27
 9 Elephant Town FC         21    8   2  11    37   48  −11    26
10 Newport United           21    6   6   9    25   27   −2    24
11 Ruditown Guards          21    5   9   7    26   29   −3    24
12 Southwestern Islanders   21    1   6  14    21   50  −29     9 Relegated

Ahead of the last matchday, Kinetik has the chance to win the title on home field on their own. All they need to do is defeat the FC Rüsselsheim, who are not playing for anything but honor. The Lions are also playing on home field against the Ratzupalfu Rhinos, who are still in the IFCF race. They will need to pick up more points than Kinetik does to lift the trophy again. Whoever misses out on the title will finish second, and win a spot in the Challengers’ Cup and the CEdC. No fewer than four teams are still fighting for that last IFCF spot. The Valley Wanderers have the best start, a draw at home against Jecken Newport might be enough, but a win would definitely seal it. Jecken will get the spot with a win in Elephant Valley. Should the game between Jecken and the Wanderers end in a draw, Elephant Valley FC can clinch the 3rd spot with a win at home against Elephant Town FC, and if they do not manage to do it, the Rhinos might sneak in after all with a win in Walstreim.

Newport United vs. Ruditown Guards
Valley Wanderers vs. Jecken Newport
Kinetik Islanders vs. FC Rüsselsheim
Southwestern Islanders vs. Sophie City Royals
Elephant Valley FC vs. Elephant Town FC
Walstreim Lions vs. Ratzupalfu Rhinos
teams fighting for the title
teams fighting for the IFCF spots

Just like in the second tier, four games will be played with something on the line, while the Guards, United, Islanders and Royals can’t even play spoiler anymore.
Who will be the next South Newlandian champion?

EVSM - South Newlandia Domestic Sports (DEACTIVATED)

EVSM - South Newlandia Domestic Sports (DEACTIVATED)

Who is online