Group 8 Schedule
MD1: Txakhaxi v ZSeparatists, Ko-oren v Delaclava, Barunia v CR North Yorkshire, Aut-Ves-Nat v Vdara, Frestovenia v HUElavia
MD2: ZSeparatists v HUElavia, Vdara v Frestovenia, CR North Yorkshire v Aut-Ves-Nat, Delaclava v Barunia, Txakhaxi v Ko-oren
MD3: Ko-oren v ZSeparatists, Barunia v Txakhaxi, Aut-Ves-Nat v Delaclava, Frestovenia v CR North Yorkshire, HUElavia v Vdara
MD4: ZSeparatists v Vdara, CR North Yorkshire v HUElavia, Delaclava v Frestovenia, Txakhaxi v Aut-Ves-Nat, Ko-oren v Barunia
MD5: Barunia v ZSeparatists, Aut-Ves-Nat v Ko-oren, Frestovenia v Txakhaxi, HUElavia v Delaclava, Vdara v CR North Yorkshire
MD6: ZSeparatists v CR North Yorkshire, Delaclava v Vdara, Txakhaxi v HUElavia, Ko-oren v Frestovenia, Barunia v Aut-Ves-Nat
MD7: Aut-Ves-Nat v ZSeparatists, Frestovenia v Barunia, HUElavia v Ko-oren, Vdara v Txakhaxi, CR North Yorkshire v Delaclava
MD8: ZSeparatists v Delaclava, Txakhaxi v CR North Yorkshire, Ko-oren v Vdara, Barunia v HUElavia, Aut-Ves-Nat v Frestovenia
MD9: Frestovenia v ZSeparatists, HUElavia v Aut-Ves-Nat, Vdara v Barunia, CR North Yorkshire v Ko-oren, Delaclava v Txakhaxi
MD10: ZSeparatists v Txakhaxi, Delaclava v Ko-oren, CR North Yorkshire v Barunia, Vdara v Aut-Ves-Nat, HUElavia v Frestovenia
MD11: HUElavia v ZSeparatists, Frestovenia v Vdara, Aut-Ves-Nat v CR North Yorkshire, Barunia v Delaclava, Ko-oren v Txakhaxi
MD12: ZSeparatists v Ko-oren, Txakhaxi v Barunia, Delaclava v Aut-Ves-Nat, CR North Yorkshire v Frestovenia, Vdara v HUElavia
MD13: Vdara v ZSeparatists, HUElavia v CR North Yorkshire, Frestovenia v Delaclava, Aut-Ves-Nat v Txakhaxi, Barunia v Ko-oren
MD14: ZSeparatists v Barunia, Ko-oren v Aut-Ves-Nat, Txakhaxi v Frestovenia, Delaclava v HUElavia, CR North Yorkshire v Vdara
MD15: CR North Yorkshire v ZSeparatists, Vdara v Delaclava, HUElavia v Txakhaxi, Frestovenia v Ko-oren, Aut-Ves-Nat v Barunia
MD16: ZSeparatists v Aut-Ves-Nat, Barunia v Frestovenia, Ko-oren v HUElavia, Txakhaxi v Vdara, Delaclava v CR North Yorkshire
MD17: Delaclava v ZSeparatists, CR North Yorkshire v Txakhaxi, Vdara v Ko-oren, HUElavia v Barunia, Frestovenia v Aut-Ves-Nat
MD18: ZSeparatists v Frestovenia, Aut-Ves-Nat v HUElavia, Barunia v Vdara, Ko-oren v CR North Yorkshire, Txakhaxi v Delaclava
Bold: Ko-oren
Underlined: High profile matches (top 4 pots)
One look at the schedule for the group, and you know it will all come down to the last days. The games between the teams in the top four pots are largely scheduled on the final three matchdays of each half. Ko-oren versus HUElavia in round 7 and 16, followed by a round that features all of the top 4 teams with Vdara versus Ko-oren as well as HUElavia versus Barunia, and then Barunia and Vdara with their match in round 9/18. And that means that the so-called '6-point games' can turn this group upside down on the very last day. Basically, if the Dragonflies mean business, they better have this group done and dusted by the 14th or 15th game, or else it'll get a little sweaty.
As for teams outside of the top 4 that are expected to have a breakthrough cycle, the experts involved in WCQ Fantasy are quite positive about Txakhaxi. Delaclava are also tipped to have a great cycle - and we face both of them back-to-back in rounds 1/10 (for Delaclava) and round 2/11 for Txakhaxi. At least we'll have them out of the way soon enough. That said, Ko-oren are never the strongest starters to a World Cup qualification campaign, so we might just prove the Fantasy folk right by drawing or losing to them early on.
As for home games, the KFA has announced the following:
MD1: Delaclava @ Stade Amandine, Étouille
MD3: ZSeparatists @ Northern Arena, Aevanna
MD4: Barunia @ Estádio Fortaleza, Santa Teresa
MD6: Frestovenia @ Armskirk Municipal Ground, Maynard
MD8: Vdara @ Stade sur la Baie, Aminey
MD11: Txakhaxi @ Rikalathen Arena, Maethoru
MD14: Aut-Ves-Nat @ Golhampton Grounds, Greencaster
MD16: HUElavia @ Orange Bowl, Schemerdrecht
MD18: CR North Yorkshire @ Suzumebachi Stadium, Katashi