SFS A Season XIII - Part 4/4
Matchday 27
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 1–2 ASK Landsmark
Dynamo Novaya Russica 0–1 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
FK Sjoedrhavn 0–0 Libertas Bergheim
ESK Storevik 1–1 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
FK Metall Jarnstad 2–0 Landsmarks Industrie
Rotor Värstjö 1–3 Lokomotive Jarnstad
AFK Savojagrad 2–1 Energie Thorsborg
CASK Thorsborg 1–3 RLSK Pawlograd
Traktor St. Andrei 2–1 Admiral Storevik
The week kicks off with some controversy in Sjoedrhavn: ASK Landsmark are playing a clever, patient game and score an early goal thanks to Litmanen nodding in a cross, and they are experts at defending their lead. After Chill even scores a second goal, things look perfectly on track until a Pickton tap-in at the far post; now, Dynamo are in charge and get their equaliser in the last fifteen minutes as Khedira takes a ball past Gusev and scores to the bottom left; but referee Ivan Sokolov is denying the goal on basis of a foul by the Quebecois. Video review is taken but does not overturn the decision, and ASK take away victory. A surprise team of the season is RLSK Pawlograd, placed in 8th with some shot at international play, and they want to prove their worth travelling to CASK. Andrei Ishkurin has the game of his life and uses the stability provided by Kotsonis and Namenkova to roam everywhere in CASK’s half, getting two assists in the process as he first sets up a through ball to Litmanen and then a cross from the right side to Serge Tempest, which the Audioslavian striker converts with a spectacular volley. Ilja Serebrjakov’s goal off the bench is not enough to stem the tide as RLSK surprisingly beat CASK away with 3-1.
Finally, Traktor St. Andrei had hopes to move up the table again but got stuck down in 12th once more. Now they prove their worth in front of a loud and enthusiastic Stadion Traktorov as Andrea Vithoulkas shrugs off a charge from Dmitriev and beats Jure Filipovic with a clean shot to the right side for a shock 1-0 over Admiral. With continued pressing, Bogomir Henrycz takes a ball off Evaldsson and lets Witchstone carry it down the midfield, and the Schottian midfielder passes to Laura Polve for the 2-0 that Admiral can’t reverse; a admittedly spectacular shot by Leopold right under the crossbar is the best the Storevikers can muster in a surprising defeat.
Matchday 28
RLSK Pawlograd 1–1 AFK Savojagrad
Energie Thorsborg 0–2 Rotor Värstjö
Lokomotive Jarnstad 1–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
Landsmarks Industrie 1–2 ESK Storevik
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 2–0 FK Sjoedrhavn
Libertas Bergheim 0–0 Dynamo Novaya Russica
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 3–3 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
ASK Landsmark 1–0 Traktor St. Andrei
Admiral Storevik 4–1 CASK Thorsborg
It’s time for revenge on the weekend of the three derbies, but there isn’t much revenge happening. Lokomotive and Partisan both calmly control their respective local rivals, and a single first half goal by Bogdan Rawic is enough for Lok to cruise to a never challenged victory. Partisan have to work a bit more, thanks to Elias Hedberg and Trent Ullqvist playing a good game, and the latter neutralising Traudl Mrdja - but the Nepharan winger doesn’t allow herself to be properly neutralised, shrugs off Ullqvist in the second half, and scores the 2-0 as if to make a statement. Beforehand, Poulsen already used the space he got to launch Aarsoy, whose cross found the tap-in for Lapanen on the second post. Not a derby, but more goals occur in Pawlograd, where the hosts Torpedo take the lead three times by virtue of Hedenberg, Viera, and Tabur by penalty. Dynamo come back within ten minutes twice, but then it finally looks like they are defeated, with the seconds ticking away on the clock as Torpedo lead 3-2. That is, until joker Reksi Halanen wins a 1v1 and pulls inside to pass back to the penalty point, where his partner and friend Teemu Routsiainen rushes in to convert.
Sunday night, we get Admiral against their old rivals CASK, and the visitors from Thorsborg push hard - but the ball won’t go past Filipovic; it will, however, go past Larsen as Dmitriev nods in a corner. Still, before the break, Smolov finally converts CASK’s dominance into an equaliser - which won’t last. Nine minutes into the second half, Nichajev’s shot is blocked and cleared, but only into the feet of Arianna Berger, who scores into an empty goal and kickstarts Admiral’s resurgence. Vladcik crosses long to Leopold for the 3-1, and Brygg finds a through ball to joker Kolbeinnsson to finish off the game at 4-1.
Matchday 29
ASK Landsmark 0–0 Admiral Storevik
Traktor St. Andrei 0–6 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 0–1 Libertas Bergheim
Dynamo Novaya Russica 0–1 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
ESK Storevik 1–2 Lokomotive Jarnstad
FK Metall Jarnstad 1–1 Energie Thorsborg
Rotor Värstjö 0–3 RLSK Pawlograd
AFK Savojagrad 0–1 CASK Thorsborg
FK Sjoedrhavn 1–1 Landsmarks Industrie
Torpedo clearly aren’t too bothered by their unlucky draw against Dynamo, and travel to St. Andrei to completely tear apart Traktor, who miss Vithoulkas and Oleva due to injury and Eremenko with a suspension. Darya Macar does her best but is overwhelmed by Anselmo Viera; on the other side, Laura Nielsen has to be substituted with a muscular issue after twenty minutes. As a result, each winger feeds Hedenberg an assist in the first half; behind, Patrik Paasio adds another goal. Vladimir Orakhin, by now an undisputed starter, and Alex Sobchuk add more goals, and in the back, Ludvik Stepanek notes a highlight reel video as he slides into a powerful Borislav Yarkov shot to block it spectacularly. Fewer goals fall in Partisan’s drawn-out fight against Dynamo Novaya Russica, but Steinar Aarsoy’s cross headed back by Alvesen and converted by Machua Cronin is still important: With 15 points advantage against their last rivals Lok Jarnstad, the title-holders are just one point away from defending the SFS Championship.
On the bottom of the table, last placed Landsmarks Industrie direly need points as they travel to 16th FK Sjoedrhavn, with a nine point gap and a worse goal differential. A loss would put them at immediate risk of elimination from the SFS A in the next season, but they start well as Harri Nikanen finds Gabriel Klinger, and the club legend and captain passes sideways to Mortensson for the 1-0. However, it’s not going to be enough as Klinger misses a great header chance and Enevoldsen is caught offside before she can challenge Hedberg one on one. On the other end, FKS punish that negligence as Victoria Liljeström crosses a ball to Bjarnason, who is heading the ball on to the second post. Kristina Halvert is tapping in past a chanceless Industrie keeper; the equaliser isn’t enough to truly harm Landsmark, but enough to make everyone in the team sweat.
Matchday 30
Admiral Storevik 3–1 AFK Savojagrad
CASK Thorsborg 4–0 Rotor Värstjö
RLSK Pawlograd 1–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
Energie Thorsborg 4–0 ESK Storevik
Lokomotive Jarnstad 0–0 FK Sjoedrhavn
Landsmarks Industrie 0–0 Dynamo Novaya Russica
Libertas Bergheim 1–0 Traktor St. Andrei
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 0–2 ASK Landsmark
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 0–1 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
CASK Thorsborg went through a little slump, but are still in the running for a Champions League spot with a good final stretch; playing 15th placed Rotor Värstjö at home is supposed to provide a launch into that final stretch. And it works just as intended: Jonsson and Smolov set the score to 2-0 before the first twenty minutes are over, and just before the break Kimi Hartikainen sends a screamer to the far high corner and makes it 3-0. With Rotor broken, CASK substitute on their younger talent; and U-21 internationals Láidná Olasdottir and Ilja Serebrjakov combine for the 4-0. Lok Jarnstad are now double under pressure, partially from CASK from behind, but also because dropping a point to FKS means losing the championship - and that is exactly what happens. Rawic is denied by Hedberg; former Lok defender Trent Ullqvist denies Östberg twice; and Alvin Strid annoys Grivoshenko to the point where the latter sees a yellow for an altercation after a whistle. Frustration is visible with Lok, and Hedberg and Ullqvist together secure a scoreless draw for FK Sjoedrhavn in a game where they have almost zero chances of their own, granting Partisan the Championship.
And Parti celebrate in style: Knowing the result ahead of the time, the ultras douse their section of the Stadion Perl Kruger in red and yellow smoke, and in the middle of it they unfold a gigantic image of the SFS trophy. Only the second team in the SFS era to defend their title, Partisan have managed for once to make the Sjoedrhavn Derby a footnote, as Dynamo’s players have to stand and applaud for Partisan as they enter the pitch. Dynamo get their revenge on the field, against a somewhat altered Partisan side with Taito Viinanen in a starting position, Mrdja as a hanging striker and Jaerbyn on the right flank, and Antonia Nygaard on the left instead of Aarsoy. A physical and rough Dynamo manage to win, perhaps unsurprisingly, thanks to a second half goal by Phoen, but nobody cares as the hosts celebrate their successful title defence.
Matchday 31
ASK Landsmark 1–1 Libertas Bergheim
Traktor St. Andrei 1–2 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 4–3 Landsmarks Industrie
Dynamo Novaya Russica 0–1 Lokomotive Jarnstad
FK Sjoedrhavn 1–6 Energie Thorsborg
ESK Storevik 3–1 RLSK Pawlograd
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–1 CASK Thorsborg
Rotor Värstjö 1–6 AFK Savojagrad
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 1–1 Admiral Storevik
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn aim to take the momentum of their derby victory onwards into the next confrontation with a relegation-threatened Landsmarks Industrie. And they clearly succeed: Within half an hour, Vitale crosses a ball right onto the head of Teranen for the 1-0, and Alissar Phoen scores from eighteen metres after a bad clearance after a corner. But there is more fight left in Industrie than they thought, and Erling Winther and Flemming Alsebakken get goals back in the second half to equalise again. Dynamo, however, pull ahead again thanks to Pickton finding Khedira, and Rokowic unexpectedly turning up at the far post to convert a stray cross by the Euran for the 4-2. Although Industrie’s Lena Kjaergaard crosses a ball onto the head of Klinger late in the game, it is not enough to overturn the lead once more. A sheer gala is being presented by AFK Savojagrad, crossing out all hopes by Rotor Värstjö to set down some points in their quest to prevent relegation. Sabine Bar nets three assists, and left wing-back Lyn Townsend notes her first goal of the season. The goal of the match, however, is scored by Chris Hjort, who takes a long ball by Milvonen with his back against the goal, chipping it over Pala and himself, turns around the centre-back and shoots the ball volley into the upper left corner, unstoppable for Albin Lindblom.
Finally, with Lok having beaten Dynamo Novaya Russica, both FK Torpedo and Admiral Storevik direly need a win in their direct duel to keep up pressure for the Champions League spot. Torpedo, who need the points more than their opponents, are making the game at home, with left winger Sobchuk playing a crucial role, but all crosses and passes are swept out by Admiral’s defence. Filipovic secures a highlight reel shot as he punches out a free kick by Viera spectacularly; on the other side, the opposite gets noted for Sharin as he underestimates a cross by Leopold, allowing Nichajev to tap the ball in. Torpedo manage to equalise their keeper’s mistake, but not more, leaving them with an unsatisfying draw.
Matchday 32
Admiral Storevik 3–0 Rotor Värstjö
AFK Savojagrad 1–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
CASK Thorsborg 1–2 ESK Storevik
RLSK Pawlograd 4–0 FK Sjoedrhavn
Energie Thorsborg 0–1 Dynamo Novaya Russica
Landsmarks Industrie 2–0 Traktor St. Andrei
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 1–1 ASK Landsmark
Libertas Bergheim 3–1 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Lokomotive Jarnstad 4–4 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
ESK Storevik come to Thorsborg and deal a heavy blow to CASK’s chase of the Champions League: Despite Hartikainen’s early pass to Jeraväinen and resulting 1-0, the visitors keep it close and profit from a slight carelessness by Jonsson that allows Isabelle Christian to snag the ball away from the playmaker and pass through to Guweddeko immediately, and the Quebecois converts. Just shortly after, Lajunen heads in a corner by Lovik for a half-time lead. CASK push the entire second half, but without success; Smolov comes closest but is denied by a Justiina Tapio intervention as she deflects Smolov’s shot off the goal. Libertas Bergheim at least help CASK out by holding back Torpedo, abusing the offensive nature of the Pawlograd side to rotate the ball through the empty spaces and let Wen Xiaohui and Kaja Eller set the score to 2-0 by half time. Then, Tabur gets the golden ticket back into the game through a penalty, but hits the crossbar before Racic clears; in the end, it will be a 3-1 to Libertas.
And Lok Jarnstad, the current second placed team? They are throwing away the chance to keep up the distance in the front as they are entering an uncharacteristically open duel with Dynamo, due to Hoyberg scoring after a corner in the first ten minutes. From there on, the duel is captivating; Lok have to open but Dynamo set stings on the counter. A bad game by Knasmuller does the rest as he drops a cross uncharacteristically, allowing Vitale to pounce for the 3-1, although Rawic and Grivoshenko respond. The Zeta Rekan gets his second of the game at the 70 minute mark setting the score to 4-3, the first lead of the game for the home team - but it’s not enough, as Teranen converts a cross to secure a point for the Police side.
Matchday 33
Libertas Bergheim 1–2 Admiral Storevik
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 0–2 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
ASK Landsmark 1–0 Landsmarks Industrie
Traktor St. Andrei 1–1 Lokomotive Jarnstad
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 1–1 Energie Thorsborg
Dynamo Novaya Russica 1–0 RLSK Pawlograd
FK Sjoedrhavn 0–0 CASK Thorsborg
FK Metall Jarnstad 4–0 Rotor Värstjö
ESK Storevik 1–0 AFK Savojagrad
Admiral Storevik, in the hunt for the Champions League, need a victory and some hope that Lok Jarnstad will fail to win in St. Andrei in order to make sure they can still make it to the CL. And they are here to play, opting for pragmatism and choosing to go with two defensive midfielders in Birkir Evaldsson and the young Loki Mattason, a risk that pays off as the duo shuts down the passers of Libertas together with a high-pressure play by Lavrov and Skov. On the other end, Jzeovak Vladcik is absolutely unleashed in the front, scoring one goal and assisting a second one for Nichajev. The win keeps the hope alive as Lok are only drawing against Traktor, leading to a three point difference between the two. Another hope dies as Landsmarks Industrie require a victory to maintain a chance at staying in the SFS A, away at the local rival ASK Landsmark. Unfortunately for Industrie, Gusev and Vikarby have a very good defensive showing tightly shadowing Klinger and Mortensson, and the former misses the biggest chance at a hope goal in the final moments of the first half as he heads Enevoldsen’s cross narrowly past the goal. Then, in the second half, Solveig Vedmark is the one that drives a stake through the heart of their local rivals, securing a derby victory and relegation for Industrie with a dry shot from thirteen metres.
Finally, we get a tense duel by AFK Savojagrad and ESK Storevik, with the latter playing an aggressive game at home, confident and physical. AFK still manage to fight back hard, and almost take the lead as Hjort wrestles his way past Tapio but is denied by Rolfrsson. Ten minutes later, Lirov is trying to get through the defence but Arnason stops him - with a shoulder charge that has been deemed a foul, giving away a penalty to AFK. But Lirov, trying to convert himself, doesn’t get past Rolfrsson who scrapes out the ball from the bottom left side; on the other side of things, Lajunen shows his incredible value by simply breaking past Niina Saparinen and slotting the ball into the bottom right past Nordmark.
Landsmarks Industrie down seven points (six points before match), mathematically relegated
Preview on final match day
No surprises at the top: Partisan Sjoedrhavn have defended their title a while ago, 15 points clear of Lok Jarnstad. Playing Libertas Bergheim at home, they will want to celebrate their title defence with a victory; but it will be a celebration regardless. Behind, things are tight for the Champions League: Lokomotive Jarnstad lead Admiral Storevik by three, but have a worse goal difference - getting a draw at home against ASK Landsmark will be enough for the Railwaymen to secure the CL qualifying spot, whereas Admiral have to beat FK Metall at home and hope for an ASK victory. Four teams are still in the running for the final IFCF spot, currently held by FK Torpedo Pawlograd with 52 points, who will play already relegated Landsmarks Industrie. Behind them lurk RLSK Pawlograd and Libertas at 51, who play Dynamo Sjoedrhavn at home and Partisan away respectively. Finally, ESK Storevik have a minor hope at 49 points and a high goal differential, but require a lot of help as well as a win away against Rotor Värstjö. Rotor themselves need points to avoid relegation: One point behind the 16th place, they need a win and some help. Both FK Metall (away against Admiral) and FK Sjoedrhavn (away at AFK Savojagrad) need a victory to prevent direct relegation, being tied for 15th.
Matchday 34
Admiral Storevik 1–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
Rotor Värstjö 1–3 ESK Storevik
AFK Savojagrad 3–0 FK Sjoedrhavn
CASK Thorsborg 1–0 Dynamo Novaya Russica
RLSK Pawlograd 1–0 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
Energie Thorsborg 0–0 Traktor St. Andrei
Lokomotive Jarnstad 1–0 ASK Landsmark
Landsmarks Industrie 1–3 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 2–1 Libertas Bergheim
TV cameras are set up in Sjoedrhavn for the ceremonial part of the season, with Partisan captain Morten Poulsen returning the trophy to SFS Chairman Lars Källström - even if only for a bit over ninety minutes, with the defending champions already having locked in the championship. As soon as the game begins, however, cameras switch to Jarnstad, where Lok need a point against ASK Landsmark to lock in Champions League participation. After twenty minutes, Franz gets a good shot at a free kick from the side, and Klaebo curls it in from twenty-eight metres for Anna Guweddeko to push it over the line and cruise to a relatively unchallenged win against an uninspired and unmotivated ASK. Admiral, sensing they might not get a good shot at the Champions League, likewise kick back as they get the news and focus on containing their 1-0 lead following a Leopold goal. CASK Thorsborg, not really challenged from the front or the back, take until the second half to break down the tough Dynamo Novaya Russica, but eventually get the job done as Jonsson converts a free kick. The relegation fight, on the other hand, has a potential to get really tense as Rotor Värstjö take an early lead against ESK Storevik courtesy of Karamasov’s ten metre shot. But it doesn’t last: Christian and Lajunen reverse score quickly, and after the break there is a quick extra by Kuznetsov, the fate of the purple and gold is sealed.
Drama, however, does ensue at the IFCF part of the fight. Torpedo seem to have the Challengers Cup spot almost on lock, since they hold the fifth place before playing last-placed and already relegated Landsmarks Industrie. There is, however, an upset: Klinger takes a straggling ball, lays it up for Mortensson, and the soon-to-be SFS B team is ahead. That gives an option for RLSK, who have taken an early lead; for the longest time, it looks like they might win after Tempest scores the 1-0 and controls the game. In the second half, however, hope returns to Pawlograd as Hedenberg scores a goal; then, Viera’s 1-2 is called off for off-side. Still, in the 85th minute, Zhirkov manages to get the go-ahead goal; enough to secure the Challengers Cup for Torpedo, especially as Sobchuk manages a 3-1 in injury time.
SFS A: Final Standings
Savojar Football Serien A Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Partisan Sjoedrhavn 34 25 5 4 68 35 +33 80
2 Lokomotive Jarnstad 34 18 10 6 48 28 +20 64
3 Admiral Storevik 34 17 10 7 48 27 +21 61
4 CASK Thorsborg 34 18 6 10 53 41 +12 60
5 FK Torpedo Pawlograd 34 15 10 9 67 44 +23 55
6 RLSK Pawlograd 34 15 9 10 47 38 +9 54
7 ESK Storevik 34 16 4 14 47 52 −5 52
8 Libertas Bergheim 34 14 9 11 47 41 +6 51
9 AFK Savojagrad 34 15 5 14 51 48 +3 50
10 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 34 13 9 12 66 49 +17 48
11 Energie Thorsborg 34 12 9 13 56 47 +9 45
12 ASK Landsmark 34 11 8 15 35 44 −9 41
13 Dynamo Novaya Russica 34 9 11 14 18 27 −9 38
14 Traktor St. Andrei 34 9 10 15 35 51 −16 37
15 FK Metall Jarnstad 34 8 6 20 20 34 −14 30
16 FK Sjoedrhavn 34 7 9 18 26 61 −35 30
17 Rotor Värstjö 34 9 2 23 37 71 −34 29
18 Landsmarks Industrie 34 5 8 21 31 62 −31 23