SavojarSports.sj - Savojarna Sports Newswire

by **Savojarna** » Sun Sep 19, 2021 3:47 pm

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

by **Savojarna** » Sun Oct 03, 2021 8:50 am

SFS Season XIII: Lower Leagues and Awards

SFS B

SFS B Final Standings
   SFS B                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Mir Nestrovo             34   25   3   6    57   23  +34    78
 2 Savojars Vinge Virkaja   34   18   9   7    37   21  +16    63
 3 Transport Hovikkära      34   19   5  10    42   22  +20    62
 4 Elektron Harkka          34   15  10   9    44   34  +10    55
 5 Motor Johansborg         34   15   9  10    39   26  +13    54
 6 SK Cuprum Grennvik       34   13  10  11    37   26  +11    49
 7 Metsuri Virkaja          34   14   7  13    26   25   +1    49
 8 RAS St. Andrei           34   13   6  15    23   23    0    45
 9 Navigator Jaromirgrad    34   11  10  13    48   46   +2    43
10 Valdhavn IF              34   10  12  12    25   25    0    42
11 Framfarir Kjefla         34   11   9  14    42   57  −15    42
12 Kallora IF               34   11   8  15    33   44  −11    41
13 FK Chemie Frisks         34   10  10  14    32   37   −5    40
14 FK Odin Kjaershavn       34    9  13  12    30   40  −10    40
15 Norrhavn FK              34   10   9  15    30   36   −6    39
16 Agrar Jurka FK           34    9   9  16    26   38  −12    36
17 Union Roopere            34    9   6  19    34   57  −23    33
18 Zenit Jegrava         34    8   7  19    25   50  −25    31

Relegation games:

Transport Hovikkära (SFS B) 1-2 FK Sjoedrhavn (SFS A) (1-1, 0-1)
Pawlograd Marina (Nationalligaen) 2-1 Agrar Jurka FK (SFS B) (0-1, 2-0)

Mir Nestrovo and Savojars Vinge Virkaja are promoted to the SFS A.
Agrar Jurka FK, Union Roopere and Zenit Jegrava are relegated to the Nationalligaen.

Nationalligaen

Nationalligaen Final Standings
                           Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Kallora IF               30   20   3   7    45   26  +19    63
 2 Nemstvo SK               30   16   9   5    50   26  +24    57
 3 Pawlograd Marina         30   12  13   5    40   27  +13    49
 4 Tapparainen FK           30   13   6  11    41   48   −7    45
 5 Partizan Yarkovo         30   11  11   8    51   38  +13    44
 6 Polar Grundviken         30   11  11   8    34   25   +9    44
 7 Sporting Järvonen        30   10  12   8    31   25   +6    42
 8 Jaromirgrad Union        30   12   6  12    29   28   +1    42
 9 FK Perl Kruger Sandvik   30   11   6  13    20   26   −6    39
10 Bjurman Mävle            30   10   8  12    24   32   −8    38
11 Jarov Jarovsk            30    9  10  11    40   44   −4    37
12 Industrie Hovikkära      30   10   7  13    25   29   −4    37
13 Trollsheim Jarnsmän      30    7  13  10    35   47  −12    34
14 Imperial Storevik        30    8   8  14    24   33   −9    32
15 SFK Barjovo              30    5  10  15    25   38  −13    25
16 Högvald FK               30    6   5  19    13   35  −22    23

Kallora IF and Nemstvo SK are promoted to the SFS B.
Högvald FK and SFK Barjovo are relegated to the Regional Division 1B.

Regional Division 1

   Regional Division 1A          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 FK Freya Grennvik              22   14   5    27   14  +13    45
 2 Norderhaven Drakken            22   13   5    27   14  +13    43
 3 Hallsberga Vikingur            22   13   7    38   23  +15    41
 4 Aurum Kjefla                   22   12   7    36   18  +18    39
 5 Victoria Haukkala              22   12   9    32   28   +4    37
 6 Virkaja 1914 FK                22   11  10    37   28   +9    34
 7 RFK Storevik                   22    9  10    22   22    0    30
 8 SK Marjanoli                   22   10  12    21   39  −18    30
 9 SK Sjöveld                     22    6   9    26   30   −4    25
10 International Johnsberg        22    7  13    16   28  −12    23
11 Juventus Bergheim              22    5  14     9   24  −15    18
12 Frisks IF "Admiral Grön"       22    4  15    20   43  −23    15

   Regional Division 1B          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 FK Vestermalm Thorsborg        22   12   6    28   22   +6    40
 2 Ostemkin Revolution            22   12   7    16   11   +5    39
 3 Nord-Sjoedrhavn FF             22   11   6    30   23   +7    38
 4 Grigori Kartjov FK St. Pjotr   22   11   8    37   36   +1    36
 5 Thor Sejersheim                22   11  10    25   17   +8    34
 6 FF Parken Sjoedrhavn           22   10  10    19   19    0    32
 7 Birga IF                       22   10  10    18   23   −5    32
 8 Jon Palsson IF Ljörvik         22    8  10    30   27   +3    28
 9 Narod Trepkov                  22    8  11    24   34  −10    27
10 Virovsk St. Andrei             22    8  12    29   31   −2    26
11 SK Ullström                    22    6  11    20   28   −8    23
12 Union Poljansk                 22    6  12    26   31   −5    22

  Final Round                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts                                
1 Norderhaven Drakken       10    6   2    10    6   +4    20
2 Nord-Sjoedrhavn FF        10    6   3     8    4   +4    19
3 FK Freya Grennvik         10    5   3    14    8   +6    17
4 Hallsberga Vikingur       10    4   5     6    8   −2    13
5 FK Vestermalm Thorsborg   10    4   6     5    8   −3    12
6 Ostemkin Revolution       10    2   8     4   13   −9     6

Promotion playoff
FK Vestermalm Thorsborg 0-3 FK Freya Grennvik (0-2, 0-1)

Norderhaven Drakken and FK Freya Grennvik are promoted to Nationalligaen.
FK Vestermalm Thorsborg are re-allocated to Regional Division 1A to maintain parity between the groups.

SFS A Awards

Team of the Season (4-3-3)
GK: Andrea Jovanova (DNR)
DEF: Bjarne Thorvaldsson (PAR), Dino Racic (LIB/MYT), Tristana Palsdottir (LOK), Alvin Strid (FKS)
MID: Adrian Klaebo (LOK), Isabelle Christian (ESK/NPH), Arnar Jonsson (CASK)
FWD: Finn Östberg (LOK), Lars Alvesen (PAR), Traudl Mrdja (PAR)

SFS XIII Top scorers
Aleksander Teranen (DSJ, 22 goals)
Bogdan Rawic (LOK, 20)
Victor Hedenberg (TOR, 19)
Lars Alvesen (PAR, 17)
Vladimir Nichajev (ADM, 17)

SFS XIII MVP (voted by players, managers and journalists, total 500 votes)
Traudl Mrdja (NPH/PAR, 285 votes)
Adrian Klaebo (LOK, 97)
Isabelle Christian (NPH/ESK, 64)

SFS XII Best Goalkeeper (voted by managers and journalists, total 100 votes)
Andrea Jovanova (DNR, 40 votes)
Aleksandra Virulainen (PAR, 22)
Stanislav Jushchenko (RLSK, 17)

by **Savojarna** » Fri Oct 08, 2021 7:41 am

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Meet the Teams: Savojarna Hockey Series Preview

CASK Thorsborg
Location: Thorsborg, Vestrholm
Stadium: Stadion General Hardén, cap. 22’000
Colours: Dark Red, White, Blue
Coach: Johan Lundskog (45)

History and identity
One of Savojarna’s traditional state-sponsored powerhouses, it’s in CASK’s DNA to expect victory every season in the nation’s core sports of hockey and football, however, they have been traditionally more successful in the latter than in the former. Nonetheless, CASK are big and strong. While their following is numerous across the country, they are famously unpopular in the city of Thorsborg itself, especially in the Eastern parts of it; however, the surroundings are strongly in CASK’s hands, as is the Northwestern part where the team is located.
Playstyle
CASK play solid hockey, physical and direct but not without some sophistication and with iron tactical discipline. Traditionally known for good goaltending and the ability to deliver in clutch situations, CASK are always among the dark horses - or better. They are starting the season with a new coach who is known for a hands-off approach to his players, a game focused on puck possession and controlling the opponent in the neutral zone, and a high shot count in the offensive zone. Traditionally a strong powerplay team.

ESK Storevik
Location: Storevik, Ejana
Stadium: Norsk Palace, cap. 18’800
Colours: Grey, Black, Red
Coach: Eirikur Arnason (59)

History and identity
Hockey is about as popular as handball in the icy North, which means: insanely popular. However, unlike handball, where Ejana is famously fractured and not really capable of agreeing on anything beyond hating on Admiral Storevik (with the exception of its fans, of course), in hockey supporting ESK is a question of regional pride even for their usual rivals of Kjefla Vulkan, although with some reluctance. Outside of the far North of the island, however, ESK are king, and their arena is barely ever not sold out even in almost irrelevant games. Championships, or at least championship bids, are expected by fans; but unlike in other cities, even longer slumps rarely lead to a drop in attendance.
Playstyle
Perhaps somewhat surprisingly for a team of the high, rugged North, Storevik are traditionally a creative side shaped by its very own brand of ice hockey that is barely seen elsewhere, with a focus on personal skill as well as high line chemistry, often with the same lines playing together for years. They are often stocked highly with Ejanan players, considered somewhat of a regional selection. Eirikur Arnason has given this style a somewhat more defensive spin, demanding swift backchecking from his stars, and tried to get his players to play at least somewhat more directly.

Jarnstads IHF
Location: Jarnstad, Vestrholm
Stadium: Jarnstads Samfunnetsstadion, cap. 13’800
Colours: Yellow, Black, Grey
Coach: Lars Ingvildsen (49)

History and identity
As befitting a proud, formerly powerful regional centre with only one hockey club, Jarnstad are popular and their fans are proud. A working class town, sport is a central thing to the city’s identity, and Jarnstad supporters are famously loud. The city’s team is also focused on local players and a homegrown support of coaches, although there is a certain friendship with the Ejanan teams and, consequentially, ESK’s hockey school of technique and skill. However, this is Jarnstad, and they put their own spin on anything, in this case complimenting ESK’s skill-driven play with an insane speed and physical qualities that are uniquely Jarnstad.
Playstyle
Traditionally strong in offence, but complimented with solidarity and a common defensive play where required, Vestrholm’s northernmost professional side is a power to reckon with. Lars Ingvildsen is a veteran coach that has learned his craft under Thorsborg’s Lars Lörvik, and copied the latter’s brand of high-octane, north-south hockey and added more technicality to it. Stocked with fast, skillful players, JIHF are often creating multiple breakaways per game an have a strong forecheck, at the expense of defensive stability.

Jaromirgrad HK
Location: Jaromirgrad, Russia
Stadium: Stadion Oleg Varakhin, cap. 10’770
Colours: Ice blue, White, Black
Coach: Ilari Saaranen (43)

History and identity
Jaromirgrad, despite being one of the three largest Russican cities, lacked a professional team until the Banijan community in the city stepped up through the GBHL. Seeing the potential popularity of a Jaromirgrad team, a conglomerate of local politicians together with the Executive Commissioner of the Jaromirgrad Shipping Collective have put together this team from three local hockey clubs, the “old” Jaromirgrad HK from which the name was borrowed, the neighbourhood club Pizkaja HK, and the dockworker club Gavansk HK Jaromirgrad, from which the colours are derived. This new Jaromirgrad HK plays in a newly renovated arena and hopes to enthuse their new audience, although some fans reject it as a commercial project.
Playstyle
This team is a bit of a black box, not having existed as a professional team before, but we can draw some inferences from their signings. Ilari Saaranen is a Sumani coach who went through the school of PT Hovikkära, and coached one of their youth teams; he is likely to play a controlled tactical passing game. They also invested onto two experienced strong offensive D-men with Juha-Lauri Kaajanen and Sergei Siremchuk, and some big, hulking centers alongside a grindy winger in Grigori Sljobkin. Observers expect that JHK will be tactical and tight off the puck, and look for chaos and direct shots on goal on the puck.

HK Orjalahti Dragons
Location: Orjalahti, Sumanen
Stadium: Dragon Arena, cap. 7’160
Colours: Black, Orange, Silver, Green
Coach: Björn Hilde (38)

History and identity
Orjalahti are a newer addition to the Savojar hockey landscape. The local club had been playing in the third league until recently, when it was bankrolled by three local cooperatives under the leadership of former Minister for Trade Jarkko Lehtarainen, an Orjalahti native, to provide a professional sports home for the area. The collapse of the old SHS and its refounding greatly accelerated Orjalahti’s journey to top tier ice hockey, although it also brought scorn to the club that is regarded as an unnecessary international, and ultimately also fake, transplant that doesn’t earn its place between the assembled grandees of Savojar ice hockey. Among locals, however, Orjalahti are decently popular despite there being some frowning over the “Dragons” branding, and pre-Lehtarainen fan gear is commonly seen in the stands. Youth all over the country also seem to be warming up to the Dragons, not the least thanks to their controversial but slick branding.
Playstyle
On the ice, this team is very much still finding its identity, but in general, Orjalahti play a highly physical and direct hockey - yet another reason why they have a tough standing with the traditionalist and romantic Savojar crowd. Björn Hilde at the boards is a young and innovative coach, fitting this team that is so unlike its competitors; and he has given them a plan that relies on defence, quick transition game, and shooting from all angles once they make it into the opposing zone. Also equipped with a deadly powerplay thanks to brutally effective blueliners, and not afraid to use them.

Kjefla Vulkan
Location: Kjefla, Ejana
Stadium: Námumenns Stadion, cap. 6’840
Colours: Red, Black, White
Coach: Halldor Hjörvarsson (40)

History and identity
Kjefla Vulkan are an old Ejanan mining side, comprised of workers at the copper mines in the Northeast of this island. They are present in many different sports and known for not only being a sports club, but also a social institution in the often grim parts of Ejana outside Storevik. Many a miner’s child has been playing for Kjefla to escape the dreary life of a copper worker, and many a child after a mining disaster has found a new home in the club’s many academies, even if they are not ultimately talented. This has netted them an incredibly devout following, and the adoration of a whole region that makes Vulkan one of the most spectacular teams to attend home games of. Especially when playing ESK, the stadium is commonly packed and loud, although the rivalry is friendly rather than bitter.
Playstyle
In terms of hockey, this is a direct and fast side, looking to drive right to the goal and shoot sooner rather than later. It may be a stereotype that Kjefla’s fans like honest, hard work, but it’s not unfounded in reality. A defensive side, and one that isn’t scared to ruffle some feathers: There are some massive defenders and centers in this team. In offence, they are relying on good snipers on the side, and young star defender Hjalmar Hrafnason will be a joy to watch in the powerplay.

Kjellberg IF
Location: Sjoedrhavn, Vestrholm
Stadium: Gylderbergsgatan, cap. 5’890
Colours: Black, white, red
Coach: Anton Hedlund (55)

History and identity
Kjellberg are a recent addition to professional hockey, but one with a long semipro history. They have served as the representative of a middle-class, educated northwestern Sjoedrhavn neighbourhood for a while, with the Gylderbergsgatan neighbourhood rink being the first place in which many kids learned to skate, some of whom moved on to many different top clubs. They are traditionally a meeting place for their area, with a small yet devoted following; the fans expect young local players and an equally locally rooted management. The club is notable by holding biannual elections for its entire sporting leadership.
Playstyle
As befits a young development club, Kjellberg’s playstyle is traditionally fluid depending on player strengths, but often focuses on speed over strength. The current iteration is somewhat more direct than past versions, playing a highly north-south oriented game attempting to get breakaways, outskate opposition, and scoring on odd-man rushes. They are padded with a few loyal veterans particularly in defence, and some strong goalkeeping based on their legendary goalie coach Ulf Jespersen.

PT Hovikkära
Location: Hovikkära, Sumanen
Stadium: Stadion Haakon Bromstjö, cap. 18’240
Colours: Red, White
Coach: Juha-Pekka Sakkarinen (48)

History and idendity
PT Hovikkära are the traditional force of Sumanen, a local team taken into the patronage of the Sumani Communist Party in its early days, and developed into the representative of this strong hockey region. Sumani hockey is tactically astute and fast, reliant on quick passes and finding open lanes. PT embody this, and any other style would quickly draw the ire of the fans, who are fickle at best. However, the club is usually strong enough to fulfil its own high expectations and draw in crowds at the legendary stadium, recently renamed about a 1980s club legend that died in a tragic accident.
Playstyle
On the ice, PT are a well-oiled machine without many stars. Their defence looks underwhelming on paper, but relies on precise positioning and exact assignments to take away all options from the opponent without relying on large, powerful players; offensively, they are often passing the puck around looking for an opening as long as it is required. Juha-Pekka Sakkarinen is a coach that demands no less than perfection from his players, but repays the effort with loyalty and trust in their abilities, leading to a cohesive unit that can overwhelm every single opponent if needed.

RHK Savojagrad
Location: Savojagrad, Russica
Stadium: Rushmore Arena, cap. 11’300
Colours: Blue, White, Gold
Coach: Nikita Semjonov (38)

History and identity
The Russian club of Savojagrad was founded in the 1930s, as the local side Spartak Savojagrad did not accept Russian students of the local university. Having since branched out into a more widespread representant of the city, the club name was officially shortened to RHK, with the acronym no longer having an official meaning. Fans now interpret it sometimes as “Rushmore Hockey Club”, representing a multicultural outlook of Savojagrad’s team; they feature representants of the city’s Banijan and Donnaconan communities prominently in the team and are making an active effort to market themselves to the migrant groups in this modern, creative city.
Playstyle
They are playing a quick and attractive hockey, generally aiming for speed and direct passes, and rely on a good youth department. Offence is preferred in Savojagrad, but usually not to the extent of exposing their back line. On the puck, they will often seek a 1v1 in transition, not scared of bringing out a deke; when established in the zone, defencemen will often move up to bring more numbers to the goal. Off the puck, this is a team that has to compensate for a lack of weight and strength by good positioning and some clever stick usage.

Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Location: Virkaja, Sumanen
Stadium: Stadion General Ilvonen, cap. 13’600
Colours: Blue, White, Red
History and identity
The Air Force team are by far the best supported side of the Armed Forces due to the relative lack of other local teams. Having had occasional highs and lows, like most SVV teams, they have the least demanding fans of the big teams as well, meaning that trips to Virkaja are almost always bound to be loud, chaotic, and overall impressive experiences.
Playstyle
The team plays a style of very fast and direct hockey, with lots of skating, and some influence of the classic Sumani school of puck possession and passing it around. Typically developing many skilled defenders who are comfortable on the puck, it’s also a hotbed for youth development.

Union Sjoedrhavn
Location: Sjoedrhavn, Vestrholm
Stadium: Sjoedrhavns Stadsstadion, cap. 26’400
Colours: Blue, Red, White
Coach: Johan Lidbäck (40)

Founded as a recent merger of SHK, run by the city government, and multiple smaller neighbourhood clubs, Union have deep roots within the capital. Back in the day, their constituent clubs used to be a vessel to give something to do to Savojarna’s abandoned youth in the capital, and then became an institution of Sjoedrhavn industrial life. Nowadays, it’s a pro club, but one with large amounts of support among the city’s working class and a distinctively scrappy, hard-hitting style of play.
Playstyle
Lidbäck has been a coach who always liked to impress his opposition through hard-hitting, aggressive play rather than technique or speed. However, Union are now one of the big names in town and have a new self-understanding; scraping by won’t do anymore, and accordingly, they have gone for more offensive power in the form of two technical, dazzling players and will probably rely a bit more on individual skill, rather than just forcing pucks over the line with sheer brute power.

HK Torpedo Pawlograd
Location: Pawlograd, Russica
Stadium: Stadion Torpedo, cap. 17’940
Colours: White, Red, Black
Coach: Igor Neparev (58)

History and identity
The Navy’s top team in ice hockey, Torpedo are well liked across the country, with a fringe following of former Admiral fans in Storevik after the team disbanded. They are also a spectacular team that often introduces new tactical innovations, and is known for daring and offensive play. This has led to an uncanny ability to get stars to play for Torpedo, knowing that they are going to play for titles in front of a full house - and that glamour has not harmed the team’s support one little bit.
Playstyle
Glamour, speed, skill - and a surprising physical presence in defence. Torpedo are fast and individualistic, relying on star wingers, and often only having a serviceable and tall, strong center to compliment their offensive stars. In defence, Torpedo’s new coach Igor Neparev has promised improvements, and signed former defensive specialist Slava Glukov as assistant coach, claiming that they want to play harder and more pragmatic in defence, giving their offensive power more of a foundation to rest on.

Thorsborgs Technik
Location: Thorsborg, Vestrholm
Stadium: Thor’s Den, cap. 13’650
Colours: Blue, Yellow, White
Coach: Lars Lörvik (62)

History and identity
Technik used to be a weaker team, struggling to make do in the shadow of CASK - until they found Lars Lörvik. The coach managed to turn around the club almost on his own, acting as both the general sports manager and the head coach. Fans of Thorsborgs Technik have wholly adopted the style and are a highly devoted bunch that tends to absolutely adore the team’s strong identity and aggressive style, often making Thor’s Den a fearsome stadium to visit. Lörvik’s vision has built a strong sense of community and identity around THT, giving this side a deep root in the city as a representative of its union, working-class roots as much as its modern educated side.
Playstyle
Building up his empire, Lörvik has formed a team that centers on offensive play and high speed, aiming directly for the net, with many skilled offensive defenders and a slew of physical, tough forwards. Looking for breakaways, speed is paramount in his play; as is precise, long passing, often bridging the entire neutral zone in one go. Defensively, THT rely on a good goalkeeper and a number of quick defencemen that can reposition as fast as possible and clog any open lanes.

Traktor St. Andrei
Location: St. Andrei, Russica
Stadium: Stadion Traktorov “Slava Nishov”, cap. 11’280
Colours: Green, White, Yellow
Coach: Alexander Iljakov (39)

History and identity
Traktor are the team of the farm workers around St. Andrei, the region known as the grain chamber of the country. Traditionally, they are heavily tied to their local regional identity and history, which was primarily lived through the duel with Dynamo St. Andrei, representant of the national institutions and the police force. Now, DSA have given up on pro hockey, leaving Traktor the sole club in town. Traktor fans place a lot of pride in their region and in good, honest hard work. This shows through the team’s management, which has always been from Northern Russica, and in its DNA of physical, fast hockey focusing on local talent.
Playstyle
Traktor play with a completely new, unknown coach entering his first professional station, but their players are a combination of tall, heavy defencemen with good shots, a duo of young promising goalkeepers, and some hulking forwards and speedy wingers. We expect a balanced play, with direct aim at the net, and some crushing checks being dished out in the back.

Predictions of the SavojarSports.sj domestic hockey team

Johan Bjarnesen (writer)

PT Hovikkära
ESK Storevik
RHK Savojagrad
HK Torpedo Pawlograd
Union Sjoedrhavn
CASK Thorsborg
Thorsborgs Technik
Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Traktor St. Andrei
Kjefla Vulkan
Kjellberg IF
Jarnstads IHF
Jaromirgrad HK
HK Orjalahti Dragons

Anders Jausvik (former player and expert)

ESK Storevik
PT Hovikkära
HK Torpedo Pawlograd
Union Sjoedrhavn
CASK Thorsborg
RHK Savojagrad
Thorsborgs Technik
Traktor St. Andrei
Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Kjellberg IF
Jarnstads IHF
Kjefla Vulkan
Jaromirgrad HK
HK Orjalahti Dragons

by **Savojarna** » Fri Oct 08, 2021 9:50 am

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Meet the Teams: Savojarna Handball League Preview

Admiral Storevik
Location: Storevik, Ejana
Stadium: Stadion Admiral, cap. 9’400
Colours: White, Black, Red

Admiral are used to being one of the major teams in any sport that the Navy Sports team touches, at least in terms of the vicious hate between them and the side of ESK or CASK, but their handball side is just kind of continuously overlooked. Although it has a considerable draw and occasionally found success, its fanbase consists largely of football fans bored throughout the winter and coming to Stadion Admiral instead. On the pitch, they are known for a relatively balanced approach and a tactical bent, as well as being always on top of their physical power.

Argentia Tannakull
Location: Tannakull, Ejana
Stadium: Tannakull Municipal Arena, cap. 4’850
Colours: Blue, White, Green

Argentia are the smallest professional side in Ejana. Hailing from the centre of the island, part of a historically somewhat forgotten region, and by far the most rural team, Argentia are a local phenomenon with a relatively small, but incredibly passionate following and a locally sourced playerbase. While there is a bit of a tendency to play physical and simple, the style of Argentia shifts every few years based on the availability of players in the small, but handball-crazy region.

BHK Kjefla
Location: Kjefla, Ejana
Stadium: BHK Arena, cap. 14’100
Colours: Yellow, Black, Blue

One of the constant fighters for the title against ESK, BHK Kjefla are a force to be reckoned with and the pride of a region that is full of gripe against the Storevik centre, as well as a team with a particularly loud following due to the lack of other top-level sports in Kjefla besides an often underachieving hockey team. BHK are stereotyped to be the physical and rough counterpart to ESK’s more playful style, but this is not nearly as deep a divide as it is claimed to be. A Northern miner’s team, BHK are proud, arrogant towards any team outside Ejana, and incredibly successful.

CASK Thorsborg Handball
Location: Thorsborg, Vestrholm
Stadium: Savojar Army Gym Main Hall, cap. 1’700
Colours: Red, White, Blue

CASK are often considered a prime example for handball in the South: Run by ambitious state institutions, CASK find some decent success, but usually do so in a gym that is neither big, nor glamorous, nor full. For playoff games, they occasionally manage to sell out the Main Hall, but by and large, Thorsborg simply doesn’t care that much for handball - which is understandable given the presence of two professional football and hockey clubs each. On the pitch, discipline reigns supreme, and there is little technical flair to be expected.

Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
Location: Sjoedrhavn, Vestrholm
Stadium: Stadsstadion Hall 1, cap. 5’600
Colours: Red, White

A foil to CASK in many ways, Dynamo SK play a team for the sheer honour of playing a top-level team to carry the banner of the Savojar Police. The difference here is that Dynamo are not a true title contender in football or hockey, and handball has become somewhat fashionable in the city of Sjoedrhavn during the 2000s. As a result, Dynamo occasionally throw cash on the table for a star, and build their team around them - and have reached a few playoff finals, only to be defeated by ESK or BHK.

ESK Storevik
Location: Storevik, Ejana
Stadium: Norsk Palace, cap. 18’800
Colours: Grey, Black, Red

The second Giant of Savojarna next to BHK, the Ejanan Sport Club claims for themselves to replace the island of Ejana on the national stage. Record champion, about as proud (or arrogant) as BHK, and widely supported in the city of Storevik, ESK are the posterchild of Savojar handball and regularly sell out the Norsk Palace, originally an ice hockey stadium, when playing BHK, EU, or Admiral. Often playful and technical, as they are commonly stocked with Savojarna’s best players.

EU Storevik
Location: Storevik, Ejana
Stadium: Stadion Professor Asgeirsson, cap. 11’200
Colours: Purple, White, Black

The team of the Ejanan University has long been considered a bit of a lower offshoot of ESK, and continues to exist in the shadow of the big brother across the river. But EU have since become a force of their own thanks to solid scouting, and are quite fervently supported on the Eastern side of town, and have a heated rivalry with ESK. Their game is somewhat more simple than ESK’s, whom they love to deride as weaklings who can’t take a good block.

Norderholmens HK Kjaershavn
Location: Kjaershavn, Norderholmen
Stadium: Northern Arena, cap. 4’900
Colours: White, Navy

NHK Kjaershavn is the only remaining top-level side in the city of Kjaershavn, and thus fiercely supported despite their often rather weak results. Handball is intensely popular in Norderholmen, but the scattered nature of the islands makes it very hard for them to build up a force - the stadium is among the smallest handball stadia in the North, but it’s also one of those that are most reliably full. Norderholmens HK are a strongly locally sourced side, and play an offensive, explosive, and physical kind of handball that delights many spectators.

PT Hovikkära Handball
Location: Hovikkära, Sumanen
Stadium: PT Hall, cap. 6’000
Colours: Red, Gold

PT Hovikkära are of course best known as the Communist Party’s ice hockey team, but their handball division is no slouch either. The only SHL A team in Sumanen, they have a fringe, but devoted following across the island except for the North, where the second-division team of Orjalahti are more popular. PT are often considered a bit of a plastic team, but their fans are quick to point out that they have a pretty successful youth division. There is always a lot of technique in PT, although the extent to which they build their strategy around it varies.

RSK Novaya Russica
Location: Novaya Russica, Russica
Stadium: Stadion Igor Lavrov, cap. 3’900
Colours: Yellow, White, Black

RSK are a medium-level side, drawing from a large amount of players as the centre of Russica is a region that is known as a sports hotbed. Despite the low popularity of handball in the region, Novaya Russica have been able to push the sport at schools and, as a result, received a decent talent influx to secure them occasional play-off appearances. The team is often playing very defensive, but this is more due to necessity than to conviction, and can change wildly over the seasons. Its fanbase is small, but passionate, and draws from all over Russica.

Respublika Savojagrad
Location: Savojagrad, Russica
Stadium: Rushmore Arena, cap. 5’800
Colours: Teal, Black, Gold

Respublika are known as “the other Russica team” on the mainland outside Savojagrad, where they are almost universally hated; in the rest of Savojarna, they are largely known as an also-ran. Founded by Ejanan migrants, they share a lot of their audience as well as their arena with Club International, the legendary Savojagrad basketball club. Following the Ejanan school of direct, physical, and team-based handball, they play offensively and with a huge workrate. The fans are a numerous, but not particularly loud or fervent.

SK Cuprum Grennvik
Location: Grennvik, Ejana
Stadium: Cuprum Arena, cap. 9’600
Colours: Maroon, White

Cuprum are the number three in Ejana and the nation, and somewhat overlooked by the wider public due to the duel of BHK and ESK that dominates the handball community of Savojarna. They are often referred to as having a massive chip on their shoulder because of that, but Cuprum fans are actually quite notably friendly and much more relaxed than the Big Two’s constantly clashing groups. They are a solid side relying on traditionally excellent goalkeeping and one or two strong homegrown talents.

Sjoedrhavn SHK
Location: Sjoedrhavn, Vestrholm
Stadium: Stadsstadion Hall 1, cap. 5’600
Colours: Blue, Red, White

SHK are Sjoedrhavn’s secondary team, founded quite long ago but only picking up recently as an influx of people from the rugged and handball-crazy North made the sport quite popular in the Savojar capital. This handball fad has made SHK a strong side that has been able to content the playoffs recently, and often draws its fans from the young and alternative community of the city. They put a lot of emphasis on the individual contributions of teammates, aiming for a powerful and creative side.

Spartakus Jarnstad
Location: Jarnstad, Vestrholm
Stadium: Jarnstad Municipal Sports Centre, cap. 2’400
Colours: Black, White, Red

While handball has been traditionally popular in the North, Jarnstad has not been well represented recently due to a corruption scandal in the handball section of Metall, which saw them collapse and not be refounded. After two attempts at re-founding Metall or another Jarnstad club, they finally have a team again with Spartakus, a side that is truly the fans’ team, and usually sells out their stadium with incredibly passionate supporters. On the pitch, they are limited, however - players have not yet found their way to Jarnstad.

by **Savojarna** » Fri Oct 08, 2021 12:48 pm

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
SHL Regular Season Summary

We’re kicking off the SHL season with a solid start for all the usual suspects, really - after five games, ESK, BHK and PT all have at most one loss to their name and lead the league already. Alongside them, in Ejana, Cuprum have so far been completely following their stereotypes, with some solid defensive play by hands of their new 23 year old locally grown goalkeeper Traustir Jonsson, but the offence is a complete dud, meaning that the third Ejanan side is actually held back in ninth place. Even worse off are CASK Thorsborg around their supposed star left backcourter Ingmar Fjällvik, who turns out lacking any kind of impact in their early games; meeting Kjefla’s Halldor Laurison, he gets completely slapped around by the two years older Kjefla backcourter who clearly defends his image as Savojarna’s best on the position. On the sixth day, finally, no more teams are on zero points as Norderholmens HK Kjaershavn use an inspired performance by pivot Sveinn Kristjansson (8 goals) to beat Grennvik and Argentia Tannakull beat a Dynamo that has been weakened by injury and rotations.

Matchday 8 finally sees thus far unbeaten leaders ESK Storevik (6 wins, 1 draw) travelling to their archrivals BHK Kjefla (5 wins, 2 losses). The main attractions of the duo stack up nicely: ESK’s top-quality wingers, the nimble left-handed RW Hrafnar Gylfison and the flamboyant, explosive left winger Ljubor Karlsson, face off against BHK’s rough, battle-hardened pivot Gudmundur Oláson and the dangerous right back-courter Laurison in a scoring duel. But against a Kjefla that decides to bring on defensive specialists on the wings and pressure the ESK tongs, and gives no space to work with to Storevik pivot Helguson, they have no hopes at out-scoring BHK. Oláson breaks through the opposition time after time in the first half, and Kjefla’s Rjurik Magnusson is putting on a masterclass in goal, leading to a 27-22 for the home team and a moral victory for BHK despite staying behind their archrivals in the standings. They have to content themselves with a lurking position as surprise team Respublika Savojagrad, thanks to a solid team effort and a surprising player in young half-Donnaconan centre-back Joël Hemskov, secure win after win and storm into third place by defeating Sjoedrhavn SHK resoundingly.

By half time, the top two have solidified. ESK Storevik have managed to string together five wins in a row after their defeat against BHK - most importantly a hard-fought 29-27 against local rivals Admiral and an absolute destruction of their other local rivals EU Storevik, defeating the university side with 30-21 away thanks to six goals by Karlsson and six more by ESK pivot Olafur Helguson. Behind them, PT Hovikkära Handball managed to break seven points clear of third-placed BHK; the Finns have just one more loss to their name than ESK after having lost the direct duel early in the season. PT’s technical, spectacular play is being showed off this season particularly when facing less strong sides, with the highlight being their MD9 32-20 away defeat of Admiral Storevik. Tuukka Rautamäki and Simon Kjaersgaard are the two key players of this side in offence, a right winger and right back-court player with an almost telepathic understanding that are complemented by the defensive specialist Tuivonen on the left backcourt position and the potential national team goalkeeper Rolf Gustafsson. Behind them, there is tight competition right around the famous Line, the playoff cut-off, with RSK Novaya Russica holding eighth spot with only two points advantage over 11th-placed Spartakus Jarnstad.

Savojar Handball League A: Standings
                                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 ESK Storevik                     13   11   1   1   369  310  +59    34
 2 PT Hovikkära Handball            13   10   1   2   361  318  +43    31
 3 BHK Kjefla                       13    8   0   5   351  313  +38    24
 4 Respublika Savojagrad            13    7   2   4   341  338   +3    23
 5 EU Storevik                      13    7   0   6   339  342   −3    21
 6 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn                13    6   2   5   342  335   +7    20
 7 CASK Thorsborg Handball          13    6   2   5   331  330   +1    20
 8 RSK Novaya Russica               13    5   2   6   340  346   −6    17
------------------------------
 9 SK Cuprum Grennvik               13    5   1   7   333  347  −14    16
10 Sjoedrhavn SHK                   13    5   0   8   337  345   −8    15
------------------------------
11 Spartakus Jarnstad               13    5   0   8   321  332  −11    15
12 Admiral Storevik                 13    4   0   9   316  359  −43    12
13 Norderholmens HK Kjaershavn      13    3   1   9   333  353  −20    10
14 Argentia Tannakull               13    3   0  10   323  369  −46     9

MD 17 sees the first real highlight of the second half of the season, as PT Hovikkära are travelling up to Storevik to take on ESK in a duel between first and second. With ESK marching on straight, only dropping one more game on the way - stunned by Dynamo Sjoedrhavn keeper Jens Hansen and right back Edvin Stromby in a 24-30 at the Norsk Palace - PT have gone through a bit of a slump, now leaving the Finns six points behind with two defeats in the first three games of the return leg of the regular season. In the direct clash, ESK are dominating from the beginning as Hrafnar Gylfison has the game of his life. Goal after goal comes from the winger, who consistently weaves through PT’s back line and scores from the edge of the circle. Even though Storevik fail to find a recipe against Kjaersgaard’s aggressive plays through their back line, they simply outscore the Finns thoroughly, winning a spectacular offensive game with 38-27. Elsewhere, BHK are finding their footing and manage to overtake Respublika again, demolishing the Russicans in their direct clash with a 33-21 away in Savojagrad.

At the back, the first teams are dropping at Matchday 21 as Argentia Tannakull travel across the sea to Norderholmens HK Kjaershavn. In the duel of the two last-placed sides, Argentia need a victory desperately, but fail to do much as goalkeeper Vilhjalmur Tristansson has a terrible day and can’t stop even relatively simple shots; the defence being unable to contain the fairly strong Kristjansson at the circle doesn’t help. Despite help from PT, who defeat eighth-placed Spartakus Jarnstad, the central Ejanans are out of playoff contention. NHK’s hopes, however, stay alive only two games longer; then, their home game against Savojagrad takes a cruel end as Hemskov scores an equaliser, Pál Sigurdsson misses an open shot at the lead, and on the counter Ivan Jakunov scores the final goal in a 23-24 that eliminates Kjaershavn. The final playoffs decision, however, has to wait until the last day: CASK need one point against an already eliminated RSK Novaya Russica to secure playoffs against Spartakus Jarnstad, who have to beat Respublika away. However, both games go the way of the Thorsborger, who get a close but never really endangered win at home to secure the eighth and final playoff spot.

Up top, PT Hovikkära recover from their slump, but find themselves now pressured by BHK Kjefla for second place. Four games before the end, it is finally time for the Finns to succumb to the pressure: An otherwise disappointing SK Cuprum rides a stellar performance by Traustir Jonsson and a seven goal night by pivot Harald Sundgren to a home victory, simultaneously clutching playoffs and allowing BHK Kjefla to overtake Hovikkära again. The following week, two things happen up top: First, ESK Storevik celebrate a seven goal win over CASK, locking the first place in regular season. Secondly, BHK manage to beat PT Hovikkära in the direct clash of the two after having been behind most of the first half, but turn it up in the second half. Oláson manages the first lead in thirty-five minutes in the second half as he falls past PTH central defender Jussi Vatanen, and shortly after that, Kjefla’s left winger Daniel Gislason is almost rugby-tackled by an out of position Ingvildsen. Captain Halldor Laurison converts the penalty and secures a lead for BHK which they don’t release until the end, winning 24-23 and taking second place for themselves.

Savojar Handball League A Standings
                                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 ESK Storevik                     26   21   1   4   745  641 +104    64
 2 BHK Kjefla                       26   19   1   6   706  614  +92    58
 3 PT Hovikkära Handball            26   17   1   8   702  661  +41    52
 4 Respublika Savojagrad            26   16   2   8   684  667  +17    50
 5 EU Storevik                      26   16   1   9   693  669  +24    49
 6 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn                26   15   2   9   702  669  +33    47
 7 SK Cuprum Grennvik               26   14   1  11   704  680  +24    43
 8 CASK Thorsborg Handball          26   11   2  13   665  669   −4    35
------------------------------
 9 Spartakus Jarnstad               26   10   0  16   648  670  −22    30
10 Sjoedrhavn SHK                   26    9   1  16   654  691  −37    28
------------------------------
11 Norderholmens HK Kjaershavn      26    7   2  17   659  693  −34    23
12 RSK Novaya Russica               26    7   2  17   673  708  −35    23
13 Admiral Storevik                 26    7   0  19   636  732  −96    21
14 Argentia Tannakull               26    5   0  21   641  748 −107    15

Playoff seeds
Home-and-Away, no away goal rule, lower seed plays first game at home

ESK Storevik (1) vs CASK Thorsborg Handball (8)
BHK Kjefla (2) vs. SK Cuprum Grennvik (7)
PT Hovikkära Handball (3) vs. Dynamo Sjoedrhavn (6)
Respublika Savojagrad (4) vs. EU Storevik (5)

by **Savojarna** » Tue Oct 12, 2021 3:46 am

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
SHL Playoffs

Quarterfinals
Home-and-Away, no away goal rule, lower seed plays first game at home

ESK Storevik 58-52 CASK Thorsborg Handball (29-28, 29-24)
BHK Kjefla 64-49 SK Cuprum Grennvik (35-24, 29-25)
PT Hovikkära Handball 56-54 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn (28-24, 24-28; 28-30 AET)
Respublika Savojagrad 48-59 EU Storevik (21-29, 27-30)

CASK have disappointed in the regular season, but they are back when it counts. Sakkari Jokelainen in the pivot position is reaching new heights and scoring his best total of the season, while ESK’s defence isn’t quite on point; however, after the first half is over, the Storevikers decide to quit playing around and press the issue. CASK manage to stem the bleeding after they open the second half by conceding three goals straight, but the lead is lost, and ESK take a small margin into their home game. On Ejanan soil, they are playing it down focusedly and controlledly, with no openings for their opposition. Hrafnar Gylfison, Olafur Helguson and keeper Sigmar Grönborg are not letting CASK back into the game, and with the Thorsborger star player Fjällvik injured in the second half, all hope is lost for the underdogs. A bit more to the East, SK Cuprum expected more than a seventh seed, and want to prove their worth in battling Kjefla for an upset; however, things couldn’t get worse as Rjurik Magnusson in goal is stopping all of their first four attacks, leading to a 3-0 lead for BHK that is quickly extended to 5-1. Cuprum are unable to really come back from the deficit, being slowly ground down by the no-nonsense Oláson and his backcourters. With SK Cuprum already down eleven goals by the time the second leg even starts, there isn’t much BHK still need to do, and they put up a show crowned by Daniel Gislason’s spectacular spinning shot past a stunned Jonsson.

More drama, so much more drama, is what we get between PT and Dynamo. The Finns start out well in Sjoedrhavn, keeping the game even for a long time and profiting off some strong defensive play by Ala Tuivonen on the left back-court position, leading to them slowly edging out a three goal lead by half-time. Dynamo can push themselves back to one goal down thanks to some splendid offensive play, but it’s never enough as PT have more stamina - or do they? Back in Hovikkära, Gustafsson makes some uncharacteristic mistakes in PT’s goal, and suddenly Dynamo are here again, up by two with ten minutes to go as Tuivonen posts a bad block, Ole Damsgaard breaks through and beats Gustafsson from the right wing after a nice swap on the sides. Then, in the final minutes, Dynamo still three up, central back-court player Morten Sundby is too late against Dynamo’s pivot Alexei Rokanov, and gives away a penalty converted by Stromby - suddenly, the aggregate is equal, and it remains so until the end. Overtime has to decide, and here it is PT that suddenly has the last laugh again, as Kjaersgaard knocks in two monster shots from the back and suddenly sets his team up to progress. Finally, EU Storevik are showing off home ground prowess as their 21 year old keeper Arni Stefan Gunnarsson saves shot after shot, aided by a strong backcourt duo of Páll Bjarnason and Halldor Asgrimsson. In the return, Respublika leverage even more offensive power, but now the fast EUS wingers are seeing counter opportunities, leading to six and five goals respectively for Einarsson and Jonsson.

Semifinals
Home-and-Away, no away goal rule, lower seed plays first game at home

ESK Storevik 53-61 EU Storevik (22-27, 31-34)
BHK Kjefla 57-51 PT Hovikkära Handball (25-26, 32-25)

EU Storevik face their local rivals ESK in a playoff semifinal that is more than certain to be sold out to the last seat; exactly this is also what happens. In their home game, EU are setting up a second screen in another hall; in front of thousands of fans, they are again relying on Arni Stefan Gunnarsson to have another game of his life - and they are successful. Asgrimsson and Bjarnason are playing a defensive game too, and on the back foot, Jonsson gets substituted by defensive specialist Sigmar Ljökelsöy, leading to even more defensive stability that utterly frustrates ESK. Gylfison is barely getting any space, and by substituting another defensive specialist in Oddbjörn Torlaksson, they are preventing ESK’s pivots from posing any danger as well. Together with captain Einarsson’s speed, and the good eye of Halldor Asgrimsson to spot clever passes, they decimate ESK. In the second game, ESK beef up the offence again, and they appear to get reversal, before EUS decide to fight fire with fire. Against the now defensively wide open ESK, they manage to get back into the game and eke out an advantage, beating the favourites and first seed again to set themselves up for a surprise playoff final.

In the second semifinal, BHK Kjefla travel to Hovikkära for a duel against the Finnish squad, with Ala Tuivonen being the man in the eye of the cameras after his on-and-off performance in the quarterfinal against Dynamo Sjoedrhavn. However, it’s not him but his offensive counterpart in the spotlight as PTH and BHK are trading blows (metaphorically), although both Gustafsson and Magnusson are playing in the form of their lives, blocking a good number of shots to keep scoring within regular bounds. PT Hovikkära are slightly pulling away in the second half as Kjaersgaard turns it up, scoring three in a row for a two-goal-lead that Sundby can extend to three, but with the Ejanans clawing themselves back, it’s just one goal separating them after the first leg. In the return game in Kjefla, there is little doubt about control: BHK, suspecting an opportunity for an easy championship after ESK’s defeat, overpower PT in the first half thanks to Gislason’s stunning technique and two penalties drawn by Oláson. In the end, it’s a surprisingly easy victory for BHK, in front of a rampant crowd, as they keep PTH at arm’s length.

Final
Single game, played on neutral ground at Sjoedrhavns Stadsstadion

BHK Kjefla 20–28 EU Storevik

“Favourites be damned, expectations be overcome, and history be written” appears to be the motto of EU Storevik as a gigantic mass of purple-clad fans from the university side pour onto the streets of Sjoedrhavn around noon, turning the capital into a party town as they travel to the Stadsstadion. About 90 minutes later, clad in BHK’s black and yellow, Kjefla’s fans arrive not with the wild excitement of EU’s followers, but the calm, expectant confidence of someone who knows exactly just how favoured they are to take the title home. On court, in front of 22’000 expectant fans, the same thing happens - but just for a few minutes, as Ljökelsöy puts up a block that proves as unrelenting as a rock for Daniel Gislason, before launching a counter converted by Einarsson for the 3-1, quickly followed by Gunnarsson stopping Oláson’s falling shot and another counter resulting in the 4-1 for EU Storevik. With the underdogs leading the game, things get hectic on the BHK bench in the second half. More and more plays go wrong, passes get intercepted, and unnecessary fouls committed; and with EUS bringing on a veteran pivot in Erland Ingmar Brönn that knows perfectly how to play to BHK’s frustration, they also manage to draw multiple penalties to keep BHK at arm’s length. Cooler heads prevail in this game, and after sixty minutes, it is down to Thorvaldur Einarsson to be presented with the trophy, a first for EUS and a major surprise as this young side upsets BHK Kjefla.

Winning team: EU Storevik
Coach: Anton Sigurdsson
Goal: Arni Stefan Gunnarsson, Finn Torstensson, Juukka Paranen
Players: Thorvaldur Einarsson ©, Halldor Asgrimsson, Kjetil Baarevik, Páll Bjarnason, Erland Ingmar Brönn, Vidmarr Elinsson, Steinn Jonsson, Sigmar Ljökelsöy, Arvid Saevarsson, Pjotr Stakhanov, Haastein Stendholm, Oddbjörn Torlaksson.

Season Top Scorer: Hrafnar Gylfison (ESK Storevik)
Season MVP: Halldor Laurison (BHK Kjefla)
Best Goalkeeper: Vilhjalmur Tristansson (SK Cuprum Grennvik)
Best Coach: Anton Sigurdsson (EU Storevik)
Ivan Grigorin Memorial Trophy (best defensive performance): Ala Tuivonen (PT Hovikkära Handball)
Playoff MVP: Arni Stefan Gunnarsson (EU Storevik)

by **Savojarna** » Wed Oct 27, 2021 7:57 am

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Savojar Hockey Serien I - Regular Season Part 1

Format

Teams play a quadruple Round Robin (total 52 games for each team)
Wins are rewarded with 2 points, losses with 0
In case of a tie after 60 minutes, 5 minutes of 3v3 sudden death overtime are played. If there is no goal during overtime, the game ends in a tie with both teams receiving 1 point.
Tiebreakers: Goal difference, H2H points, H2H goal difference, Goals scored, H2H Goals Scored, fewer penalty minutes (OOC: tiebreaker match)
Teams ranked 7-10 qualify to pre-playoffs (folded seeds), played Best of 3, higher seed has home advantage in games 1 and 3
Teams ranked 1-6 and two pre-playoff winners qualify to playoff quarterfinals (folded seeds)
All playoff series are played Best of 7, with the higher seed having home advantage in games 1, 3, 5, and 7
Teams are re-seeded after every playoff round
Teams ranked 13 and 14 play a Best of 7 series; loser is relegated
Playoff finalists and the two next highest ranked teams in the regular season qualify for HCL.

September

Five games in, PT Hovikkära sit atop the league with a spotless record, most goals scored, and fewest goals against. The favourites have to go the extra mile in the first game as Union goalkeeper Simon Andersen forces them into overtime despite a 31-25 shot advantage; however, in 3v3, the space plays for the Finns and winger Kari Jauhonen scores on a 2v1 rush to start a winning streak lasting the rest of the month. The biggest announcement of PT’s strength, however, is their severe demolition of HK Torpedo Pawlograd - with first line left winger Juri Stepanek scoring a hattrick in the Stadion Torpedo. With both ESK and Union starting out slowly, and further harming each other by splitting points in their first meeting, nothing is set in stone yet but PT look like the big favourites for the top of the table. The other much-named title contender RHK Sjoedrhavn, meanwhile, struggles with offence; despite clear superiority against Jarnstads IHF and Kjellberg IF, they can’t quite get a win against either, splitting points with Jarnstad and even losing to KIF in overtime as Victor Sörensen breaks away and scores on RHK goalie Sabrikov. But it is the same Alexei Sabrikov that is the hero in RHK’s desperate stance against PT Hovikkära on MD5, defending a storm of shots from the Finns to rescue themselves into overtime; unfortunately for the Savojagraders, a blocked shot attempt by captain Andrei Aranjev turns into a counter and a goal for PT Hovikkära.

Behind the leaders, two surprise teams are positioning themselves. Kjefla Vulkan are making headlines on the second day when they travel to Sjoedrhavn and use two powerplay goals to get up 3-1 on Union; despite a slight drop in performance at the end of the second period and an ultimate 3-3 draw that isn’t broken in overtime, it’s a positive note for a small team like Vulkan. More important, however, is what follows: Eythor Halldorsson shuts out CASK Thorsborg and stops 35 shots against HK Torpedo to lift them into second place, just one point behind the leaders. Jarnstad IHF and Thorsborgs Technik follow closely, thanks to league top scorer and first line center Mats Olsen for Jarnstad and thanks to the sheer speed of Thorsborg’s wingers for the Techniker. At the back of the table, the usual suspects are already assembled in Orjalahti - winless after five games - and Jaromirgrad HK, whose only point comes from beating the Dragons 1-0 on MD 4. Both suffer from poor offence, with only two goals scored in the first five games.

October

There’s clearly one thing to address before any kind of summary of this month: The absolute insanity that is Jarnstads IHF’s 7-7 draw against Kjellberg IF on matchday 8. It’s a game that ends up going back and forth, with league topscorer Mats Olsen of Jarnstads IHF noting a hattrick against an unfortunate Kjellberg backup goalkeeper Simon Jespersen. Unsurprisingly, he is substituted in the second period after Olsen’s 5-3; however, KIF starter Rasmus Hedestad isn’t really looking that much better as his team switches to all out attack. At least, the attack is working: Grönberg, Miljukov, and Gyldenhaag manage to eke out a 7-6 lead in a spectacular third period comeback, before Jarnstad defender Sergey Matrjenko scores in the powerplay to force OT, and eventually a tie. In another much-awaited, but eventually much less spectacular matchup, two favourites meet in the duel of PT Hovikkära and ESK Storevik. Storevik’s individually stronger players manage to cause some chaos in the PT zone, and ESK’s Ingvild Haukason briefly celebrates a 0-1 before having it waved off for a high stick. Minutes later, PT captain Aranjev shoots and sees first line center Lars Ultarainen deflect it between Gylfison’s legs to bring Hovikkära up by one. Despite Malinsson clawing a goal back in the second period, PTH win the game as their system traps ESK in the centre of the ice and a powerplay goal by Maitanen decides the game.

Behind the Finnish leaders, Union Sjoedrhavn pull themselves into third place with a solid performance in defence in particular. 13 goals conceded out of as many games is a league-wide best, with goalkeeper Kjetil Zackrisson being at the core of the success alongside his defensive minister Ulf Andersson. The duo are commanding a tight defence with almost no opening that allows a limited offence to look good; and with Johan Engerman, there is also a young, hard-hitting blueliner in the squad that scores consecutive points against Orjalahti, Jaromirgrad, and Jarnstads IHF. On the last day of November, the Unionists travel to Kjellberg for the Sjoedrhavn Derby, and manage to drag KIF onto their own turf: the underdogs are trying to grind out a win, but Union are heavier and stronger - fittingly for this game, the lone goal of the match is Union center Svedberg forcing a puck over the line off a second rebound. Thorsborgs Technik, exemplifying the polar opposite of Union, are sitting in third after assistant captain and offensive star player Nikolaj Mortensen scores on a counter against RHK Sjoedrhavn to secure a third period victory. At the other end of the table, CASK Thorsborg are the big negative surprise. Expected to be comfortably within the post-season ranks, the Army side are marred by internal issues as well as many injuries, leading to their fall to the very bottom. Only as Triparenko and Sandgren return for their match against Jaromirgrad can CASK catch their fall, and two victories in a row at the end of October at least allow them to climb to 12th.

Savojar Hockey Serien - Regular Season Standings after MD 13
                           Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 PT Hovikkära             13   11   1    44   14  +30    23
 2 Union Sjoedrhavn         13    8   2    22   13   +9    19
 3 Thorsborgs Technik       13    7   2    26   18   +8    18
 4 ESK Storevik             13    8   4    37   27  +10    17
 5 Kjellberg IF             13    7   4    32   26   +6    16
 6 RHK Sjoedrhavn           13    6   5    31   24   +7    14
---------------------------------
 7 Kjefla Vulkan            13    5   5    26   32   −6    13
 8 HK Torpedo Pawlograd     13    6   6    29   28   +1    13
 9 Jarnstads IHF            13    3   5    34   38   −4    11
10 Traktor St. Andrei       13    4   7    18   28  −10    10
---------------------------------
11 Savojars Vinge Virkaja   13    4   8    20   28   −8     9
12 CASK Thorsborg           13    3   9    18   30  −12     7
---------------------------------
13 Jaromirgrad HK           13    2   9    12   32  −20     6
14 HK Orjalahti Dragons     13    2   9    10   21  −11     6

by **Savojarna** » Mon Nov 08, 2021 10:33 am

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Savojar Hockey Serien I - Regular Season Part 2

November

PT Hovikkära continue to look like the biggest threat in the league as they stomp all the way through November without a single loss; showing they can play both offence and defence. In the initial game of the month, they beat out Union Sjoedrhavn with just a single goal as Simon Andersen frustrates the Finns, but ultimately is beaten by a breakaway of 20 year old winger Pekka Linturi, who hangs a neat wrist shot to the top corner. After a brief slump with two ties against CASK and Traktor, they come back with a vengeance as Aranjev and Stepanek recording three points each as they take down Torpedo Pawlograd 7-3. It’s not the only massive blowout in a month full of goals: PT themselves follow up with a 7-4 in Jarnstad (two more goals for Linturi, who quickly climbs the hierarchy of the team); ESK Storevik use a terrible night by Thorsborgs Technik to reach double digits as first line winger Jotan Asgrimsson scores four goals in a 10-3 victory and double up with a 9-3 over a desolate CASK; and with Kjellbergs IF goaltender Hedestad being injured and defence leader Pedersen suspended, they face a rough 1-8 defeat at home at the hands of an unleashed Traktor St. Andrei. Emerging on top of the chaos, besides PT, are ESK Storevik who jump from fourth to second, six points behind PTH, thanks to the strong showing of particularly their second line around the notoriously relentless Ingvild Haukason and his effort as a natural leader. Behind them, Union Sjoedrhavn and RHK Savojagrad remain strong, holding on to a fairly solidified top four.

Everything is open behind the top four, however: With Hedestad back in shape, Kjellberg actually play one of their best seasons even if they get the occasional demolition, primarily thanks to the very talented first line of Jesper Grönberg, Oleg Miljukov and Harald Vesterman. Together with Kristjan Gyldenhaag in the second line, and captain Viktor Sljepchev at the blue line of a fearsome powerplay, KIF are scoring well in clutch situations, eking out multiple narrow OT wins. Behind them, Thorsborgs Technik bounce from disasters like against ESK to gala nights like their 6-3 win over Jarnstad, where they skate circles around their opposition; however, it seems that the league is catching on to their weakness to big physical sides and disciplined defence as the Techniker finish November on a five-game loss streak. Down at the famous Line, CASK have caught themselves a little thanks to the returns of injured key players; at the end of the month, they show their newfound strength with a clear away victory over RHK that comes at the hands of two early goals by Igor Triparenko and Petteri Holmgren that lifts them up into tenth place and the pre-playoffs. At the very bottom, Jarnstads IHF’s decent offence is not quite weighing up a terrible defence, whereas Orjalahti struggles with scoring to an extent that undoes their defensive labour. Between the two is Jaromirgrad, who flat out struggle on both ends, with a team that lacks depth in particular, as shown by their frequent third period losses.

December

Kjellberg IF re-affirm their image as a surprise team as they snap PT Hovikkära’s win streak in early December, with an early powerplay goal by Sljepchev setting them up for success as Gyldenhaag doubles up before the end of the first. PT Hovikkära get only one past Hedestad; not enough to prevent their second loss of the season. There’s a few more to follow, but not enough to drop down the table thanks to victories in crucial direct matchups; most importantly in the mid-December meeting with ESK Storevik. In Ejana, the Storevikers take a two-goal lead twice, but in the later stages of the match, PT’s depth pays off as they equalise at 3-3 and then again at 4-4, and get a third period powerplay after a contentious check by Magnusson that is ruled a check to the head. With 2+10 against one of ESK’s most experienced defenders, PTH are scoring the go-ahead goal with nine minutes to go and finish off with an empty netter. Union and RHK behind the leading duo slightly drop the pressure, still staying in third and fourth respectively but with a notable gap of eight points between third-placed Union Sjoedrhavn and second-placed ESK Storevik. Behind those, Torpedo are gathering steam as Christmas approaches, entering the last game of the year on a five game winstreak as they visit direct rivals Kjellberg IF. In an animated but ultimately controlled match, Torpedo’s goalkeeper Vetalov is delivering a surprising standout performance, stepping in for a surprisingly disappointing offence and taking home a 2-0 victory to put the Russians into fifth place.

The duel of the Thorsborg clubs heats up as CASK prolong Technik’s loss streak despite two goals of the Techniker in the final period. The game is not dominated by beautiful play, but by the ugly scenes after the horn: After sixty minutes of bickering, some dirty slashing, and multiple scuffles in front of the goal, a frustrated Lars Ekholm finishes a hit on CASK forward Olaf Nybron after time is up, and is immediately jumped by three opponents. A mass brawl erupts with multiple suspensions being doled out after the fact, most notably a six game ban for Ekholm’s late hit that could have seriously injured Nybron. However, it appears that the game did something for THT as they snap their losing streak against Traktor and show no interest to going back; at the same time, CASK are finally finding their footing and string together some points to climb to 8th in the standings. On the other end of the scale, Savojars Vinge Virkaja have a difficult December, winning just two games (one of which, surprisingly, against regional rivals PT Hovikkära) but facing a horrendous 0-6 against ESK. As a consequence, the Airmen fall all the way to 12th, just four points ahead of the bottom two Orjalahti and Jaromirgrad.

January

It is the month of two players: ESK Storevik’s homegrown winger duo Stefan Malinsson and Arngeir Haraldsson are playing circles around their opposition, steadily closing the gap to PT Hovikkära until the penultimate match of the month, where they face the Finnish side in the Stadion Haakon Bromstjö. The home side does manage to get ahead as ESK concede a stupid penalty and Semjon Vatjarenko taps in a pass through the box after a long cycling in the powerplay. But then, it’s the Malinsson-Haraldsson-show - except that they just can’t get past Juha-Mikko Pitarainen in PT’s goal. The 25 year old goaltender does eventually get beaten as he lets a puck bounce forward, and Magnusson punches it over the line. Then, Malinsson does find a great pass that Haraldsson pulls around Juutala to snipe it over Pitarainen’s blocker to set ESK ahead. It almost looks like it’s enough, but with four minutes to go PTH’s Juri Stepanek shows his scoring prowess as he beats Gylfison over the pad to equalise. However, Ejanan solidarity wins out as Kjefla Vulkan manage to stall a tired PTH on the next day, and ESK Storevik beat RHK 5-3 thanks to two unanswered third period goals by Martin Edqvist to tie up things at the top of the table.

Behind the two, Union Sjoedrhavn are still in third, but significantly distanced with a fourteen point deficit to the top two after having gone through a bit of a slump, but with crucial wins over JHK and Jarnstads IHF, they gain some confidence again for the last third of the regular season. Confidence will be needed, too, as the entire league behind the top is extremely close together. RHK Savojagrad are in fourth, with 40 points; Thorsborgs Technik with 35 are only in ninth place, making the entire middle of the pack extremely close and hard to call. At the edge of the cutoff, Savojars Vinge Virkaja suffer a terrible ending of January as the Air Force team are defeated resoundingly by Kjellberg IF, suffering a 5-0 on the final game of the month, to fall back to 11th as Kjefla get a surprising point away against PT Hovikkära. Still, they are tied on 32 points for the final spot in the post-season, and solidly ahead of relegation; Virkaja’s hopes are well and alive for the upcoming months.

Savojar Hockey Series A - Regular Season Standings
                           Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 PT Hovikkära             38   26   5   118   62  +56    59
 2 ESK Storevik             38   27   6   136   75  +61    59
 3 Union Sjoedrhavn         38   19  12    65   48  +17    45
 4 RHK Sjoedrhavn           38   19  17    89   85   +4    40
 5 Kjellberg IF             38   17  16    82   77   +5    39
 6 CASK Thorsborg           38   17  16    72   77   −5    39
--------------------------------------
 7 Traktor St. Andrei       38   16  18    83   83    0    36
 8 HK Torpedo Pawlograd     38   16  19    85   93   −8    35
 9 Thorsborgs Technik       38   14  17    75   85  −10    35
10 Kjefla Vulkan            38   12  18    58   75  −17    32
--------------------------------------
11 Savojars Vinge Virkaja   38   15  21    64   87  −23    32
12 Jarnstads IHF            38   12  21    85  113  −28    29
--------------------------------------
13 Jaromirgrad HK           38    9  21    44   81  −37    26
14 HK Orjalahti Dragons     38    9  21    43   58  −15    26

by **Savojarna** » Thu Nov 18, 2021 8:37 am

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Savojar Hockey Serien I - Regular Season Part 3

February

February is the time when the first decisions are made, and the top of the table starts to lose some importance. PT Hovikkära and ESK Storevik both clinch their spot in the playoffs proper, although they are still locked in a duel for the top. It appears that ESK can take the pole position on this particular race, but then, the Storevikers are derailed by a spectacular match against Savojars Vinge, giving up a 3-1 and 5-3 lead to lose 6-7 after SVV’s captain Ilari Santarinen scores a powerplay goal three minutes before the end. The defeat plunges them into a series of ties, including to Jaromirgrad HK and Orjalahti Dragons, allowing PT to run away with the lead; however, just at the end, PTH stumble over the Dragons as well, while ESK batter Jarnstad into submission and stay within four points. Behind the duo, Union have also locked their quarterfinal spot, but still have to fight for home ice advantage; their first challenger RHK Savojagrad also manages to secure a spot in the pre-playoffs on the last game of the month as they defeat SVV 2-0 at home.

But what we truly are interested about is the drama at the lines, where everything is close and no team is out of the running yet. CASK Thorsborg and Traktor St. Andrei meet at the end of February in a thrilling matchup. Mikhail Shostarevich appears to score the nail in the coffin eight minutes before the end with his 3-1, a snipe over CASK keeper Anders Ilkkanen’s catching glove. But then, Olaf Nybron converts a rebound, and with Ilkkanen watching from the bench, Petteri Holmgren scores the 3-3 from the hash marks. The attempt to distance an important enemy in the playoff fight fails, however, as Konstantin Alanjev scores in overtime to keep Traktor just two points off CASK on the two final quarterfinal spots. Torpedo lurk in seventh, waiting for their chance as their first game in March will be in Thorsborg against CASK. Kjellberg IF also still have light hopes, being just two points off sixth place, but they are already punching above their weight and will likely be happy with a pre-playoff spot. At 10th, things are just as tight, with Jarnstads IHF and Kjefla Vulkan being separated by just one point, and SVV and Jaromirgrad lurking in the shadows. The only team that appears to be too far off is Orjalahti, who will focus on avoiding relegation.

March

PTH are not feeling like dropping anything more, and edge out a clear lead over ESK Storevik. A narrow victory in the final clash of the titans brings the Ejanans closer again, but a whopping defeat by RHK cements their loss and puts them into second place, ahead of Union and RHK Savojagrad. In the real fights around the lines, Torpedo travel to Thorsborg and get an important victory thanks to Vetalov stopping 34 shots, and the duo of Ilari Petarinen and Simon Grilov netting two points each. But just three days later, Pawlograd look on in shock as their old enemies Traktor completely dominate the space in front of Vetalov and celebrate a quick 3-0 lead after twenty minutes. A Grilov goal pulls things together a little bit, but it’s not enough as Ugrinjev and Siparenko extend the lead to a final 5-1 victory for St. Andrei. As they fail to win again until the end of the season, Torpedo have nobody to blame but themselves; ultimately, they miss out on the playoffs by a margin and have to go through the pre-playoff route, but at least can do so with home advantage.

Behind, Kjellberg also falter as expected, remaining in eighth and facing Thorsborgs Technik, who can’t make any movement happen and sometimes appear absolutely desolate. The blue, white and yellow hit rock bottom as they are defeated by Union Sjoedrhavn in a humiliating 2-10 loss, but will attempt to climb back up as quick as possible for the playoffs. Behind them, Savojars Vinge Virkaja manage a surprising storm through the ranks off the back of the young right winger Linus Hedenby and defender Oleg Riparov. Three straight victories to close out the season, including an important win over their direct competitors Jarnstads IHF (featuring two goals by Hedenby) and an upset against PT Hovikkära on the final day, pull them through to claim tenth place; three points ahead of Jarnstad and four ahead of Kjefla Vulkan. Jaromirgrad, on the other end, fall short as they lose their final match against Traktor St. Andrei pretty clearly, landing themselves in a relegation series against HK Orjalahti Dragons.

Savojar Hockey Series A - Regular Season Final Standings
                           Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 PT Hovikkära             52   36   8   159   79  +80    80
 2 ESK Storevik             52   34  10   175  108  +67    76
 3 Union Sjoedrhavn         52   29  13    99   62  +37    68
 4 RHK Sjoedrhavn           52   28  20   132  108  +24    60
 5 Traktor St. Andrei       52   24  23   122  111  +11    53
 6 CASK Thorsborg           52   23  22   101  108   −7    53
----------------------------------------------------
 7 HK Torpedo Pawlograd     52   22  26   122  129   −7    48
 8 Kjellberg IF             52   20  26   106  121  −15    46
 9 Thorsborgs Technik       52   17  24   101  123  −22    45
10 Savojars Vinge Virkaja   52   21  29   103  129  −26    44
----------------------------------------------------
11 Jarnstads IHF            52   17  28   121  160  −39    41
12 Kjefla Vulkan            52   15  27    79  110  −31    40
----------------------------------------------------
13 Jaromirgrad HK           52   14  27    65  109  −44    39
14 HK Orjalahti Dragons     52   13  30    63   91  −28    35

Playoff seeds

Pre-Playoffs:
HK Torpedo Pawlograd (7) vs Savojars Vinge Virkaja (10)
Kjellberg IF (8) vs Thorsborgs Technik (9)

Playoffs:
PT Hovikkära (1) vs TBD (8/9/10)
ESK Storevik (2) vs TBD (7/8/9)
Union Sjoedrhavn (3) vs CASK Thorsborg (6)
RHK Savojagrad (4) vs Traktor St. Andrei (5)

by **Savojarna** » Fri Nov 26, 2021 8:35 am

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Savojar Hockey Serien I - Playoffs

Format

Teams ranked 7-10 qualify to pre-playoffs (folded seeds), played Best of 3, higher seed has home advantage in games 1 and 3
Teams ranked 1-6 and two pre-playoff winners qualify to playoff quarterfinals (folded seeds)
All playoff series are played Best of 7, with the higher seed having home advantage in games 1, 3, 5, and 7
Teams are re-seeded after every playoff round
Teams ranked 13 and 14 play a Best of 7 series; loser is relegated
Playoff finalists and the two next highest ranked teams in the regular season qualify for HCL.

Pre-Playoffs

HK Torpedo Pawlograd (7) 1-2 Savojars Vinge Virkaja (10)
HK Torpedo Pawlograd 2–2 Savojars Vinge Virkaja (3–2 OT2)
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 2–2 HK Torpedo Pawlograd (3–2 OT)
HK Torpedo Pawlograd 1–3 Savojars Vinge Virkaja

Kjellberg IF (8) 2-1 Thorsborgs Technik (9)
Kjellberg IF 3–2 Thorsborgs Technik
Thorsborgs Technik 1–1 Kjellberg IF (2–1 OT)
Kjellberg IF 1–0 Thorsborgs Technik

Quarterfinals

PT Hovikkära (1) 4-3 Savojars Vinge Virkaja (10)
PT Hovikkära 4–4 Savojars Vinge Virkaja (5–4 OT2)
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 2–2 PT Hovikkära (3–2 OT)
PT Hovikkära 1–2 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 2–5 PT Hovikkära
PT Hovikkära 4–2 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 3–2 PT Hovikkära
PT Hovikkära 4–1 Savojars Vinge Virkaja

ESK Storevik (2) 4-2 Kjellberg IF (8)
ESK Storevik 5–4 Kjellberg IF
Kjellberg IF 7–4 ESK Storevik
ESK Storevik 1–0 Kjellberg IF
Kjellberg IF 2–2 ESK Storevik (3–2 OT2)
ESK Storevik 2–1 Kjellberg IF
Kjellberg IF 4–4 ESK Storevik (4–5 OT)

Union Sjoedrhavn (3) 4-2 CASK Thorsborg (6)
Union Sjoedrhavn 1–1 CASK Thorsborg (1–2 OT)
CASK Thorsborg 1–2 Union Sjoedrhavn
Union Sjoedrhavn 3–1 CASK Thorsborg
CASK Thorsborg 2–1 Union Sjoedrhavn
Union Sjoedrhavn 2–0 CASK Thorsborg
CASK Thorsborg 0–1 Union Sjoedrhavn

RHK Savojagrad (4) 4-1 Traktor St. Andrei (5)
RHK Sjoedrhavn 4–1 Traktor St. Andrei
Traktor St. Andrei 1–1 RHK Sjoedrhavn (1–2 SO)
RHK Sjoedrhavn 4–1 Traktor St. Andrei
Traktor St. Andrei 3–1 RHK Sjoedrhavn
RHK Sjoedrhavn 2–1 Traktor St. Andrei

Semifinals

PT Hovikkära (1) 4-2 RHK Savojagrad (4)
PT Hovikkära 0–3 RHK Sjoedrhavn
RHK Sjoedrhavn 3–9 PT Hovikkära
PT Hovikkära 4–0 RHK Sjoedrhavn
RHK Sjoedrhavn 2–3 PT Hovikkära
PT Hovikkära 3–5 RHK Sjoedrhavn
RHK Sjoedrhavn 1–6 PT Hovikkära

ESK Storevik (2) 4-2 Union Sjoedrhavn (3)
ESK Storevik 1–0 Union Sjoedrhavn
Union Sjoedrhavn 0–2 ESK Storevik
ESK Storevik 2–1 Union Sjoedrhavn
Union Sjoedrhavn 3–1 ESK Storevik
ESK Storevik 1–1 Union Sjoedrhavn (1–2 OT)
Union Sjoedrhavn 2–3 ESK Storevik

Finals

PT Hovikkära (1) 4-3 ESK Storevik (2)
PT Hovikkära 1–2 ESK Storevik
ESK Storevik 1–2 PT Hovikkära
PT Hovikkära 1–2 ESK Storevik
ESK Storevik 0–2 PT Hovikkära
PT Hovikkära 2–2 ESK Storevik (3–2 OT2)
ESK Storevik 3–1 PT Hovikkära
PT Hovikkära 7–3 ESK Storevik

by **Savojarna** » Wed Dec 01, 2021 4:41 am

SFS XIV Season Preview (Part 1/2)

Savojars Vinge Virkaja (Last season: SFS B 2.)

Origin and identity: The team was founded in 1946 as the representative of the Savojar Air Force. From its beginning, it was supposed to challenge the domination of CASK and Admiral, but struggled to achieve this. SVV see themselves as representing the technical side of Savojarna, and have been associated with high technical skill and tactical sophistication. Their fans are known to be sort of fickle, but have been humbled by three seasons in the SFS B, forcing the side to reinvent itself as a more youth-focused, creative side.
Tactics: Traditionally, Virkaja play a fluid 4-3-3, which fits well with their young and energetic core. They can be expected to run and pass a lot, and have their wingers orient themselves towards the goal. Traditionally, they are highly offensive, and emphasise their defenders to join the offence; in the B, they have somewhat mellowed, but also put their strikers on extensive pressing duty to force errors. All offensive players are typically aiming to score, and frequently swap positions as the situation requires.
Key Players: Some of SVV’s old top flight core stayed together and will take leadership in this squad - most notably Savojars Vinge youth product Jari Siilonen on the right wing and the new captain Thorbjörn Vukkila up front. However, the show is going on with new talent, most notably 21 year old playmaker Ola-Mikko Virttu, who has replaced the massive shoes of Lenka Otalainen effortlessly in the B. Another notable youth pillar is Pohja Sakkarinen on the left wing, as well as left back Anna Virttamäki. For all of them, the question is how they will transition into the top level. At the back, Ingmar Lenberg remains in command between the posts, trying to keep a tight ship together with centre-back veteran Ylvi Sootala.
Hopefuls: Exciting players are found in particular on the flanks: Helga Bengtsdottir has shown promise at CASK and will expect to see regular play for the first time in her career on this loan spell; on the other side, Triinu Santtanen has successfully challenged Siilonen for minutes and will continue to do so. Furthermore, SVV planned for the future in signing Högvald graduate Johan Likdahl as well as promoting their own academy player Antoni Neparev for backup roles.

Stadium: Patrik Suhonen Stadion (capacity: 52’000)
Manager: Aleksi Matiainen (41)
Expected formation: 4-3-3
Transfers incoming: Antti Jokiainen (CM, from Rotor Värstjö, 1.4 million NSD), Kristina Jónsdottir (MS, EU Storevik, 1), Johan Likdahl (RB, NFA Högvald Vit, 0), Helga Bengtsdottir (RF, CASK Thorsborg, loan) | outgoing: Boris Olgunov (CB, to Elektron Harkka, 0.4), Valter Kjaer (LB, retirement), Lenka Otalainen (OM, retirement)

Mir Nestrovo (Last season: SFS B Champion)

Origin and identity: Nestrovo is a small town in Russica, and dominated by agricultural communities who have had loosely organised football teams for a long time. After the third Adyatinian war, when Russian public life was more integrated into Savojarsk society, the club became a coalescence of the local teams who used to play each other or neighbouring towns before. Mir are still a small town club with a small budget and a minimum of professional structures, but a fierce team and a few old veterans and strong support from the locals.
Tactics: Coach Patrojev has been around for a long, long time and completely shaped Mir into the kind of team he wants to see, making this a very well organised side. A moderately attacking side, he likes to change quickly and catch his opposition off guard. Mir tend to play with two forwards that press aggressively, and a physical central midfield that can carry the ball. In the back, they tend to lie low and play long balls or send their wingbacks to carry the ball forward.
Key Players: Lubo Gurkovski is the mental leader of this side, and he will need to be on point against the more skilful strikers of the SFS A. He will get a lot of support by veteran Pär Lillegard in holding midfield, as well as the newly signed Traktor veteran Igor Barushin in defence. Up front, Mir rely on yet another top flight veteran with Ragnar Jorinen, alongside their best scorer of last season, 20 year old speedster Robin Norderberg. On the wing, the conscientious Nelly Heglund will be another threat, alongside the more technical and offensive duo of Nurjalainen and Kristoffersen on the right. The side is sprinkled with promising youngsters: 19 year old Jelena Jashev, 21 year old Polina Ostapenko, and 18 year old Roman Pavlenko all look for their chance to shine on the big stage.
Expectations: Low. Mir’s promotion was a massive surprise, and while the team did largely stick together, they are not exactly of SFS A quality for the most part. This is not a side that expects anything else than swift re-relegation; and while Mir will be here for the ride and try to get a few upsets, just staying in the relegation race until the last few matches might already be considered a success.

Stadium: Stadion Mir (capacity: 17’200)
Manager: Alexander Patrojev (50)
Expected formation: 4-4-2
Transfers incoming: Ragnar Jorinen (ST, Motor Johansborg, 0.75), Igor Barushin (CB, Traktor St. Andrei, 0.6), Matti Nurjalainen (RM, Elektron Harkka, 0.6) | outgoing: Alexei Mjochenko (OM, FK Metall Jarnstad, 1.2)

FK Sjoedrhavn (Last season: 16.)

Origin and identity: FKS have been established as a union of dockworker, factory worker, and student teams in 1962, although many of their constituent teams date to pre-revolutionary times. A side deeply rooted in Sjoedrhavn, somewhat relishing their difficult spot as the number 3 in the city in terms of success. Supported by Sjoedrhavn artists, punks, and syndicalist since the 1980s and thriving in fanatic support of the city.
Tactics: Mikkel Jensen retained the reliance on direct play and a creative, smart back three that likes to initiate attacks with long balls that was a sign of the FK Sjoedrhavn that played in the SFS three years ago. Often playing over the sides, FKS’s counters are usually overwhelming and very dangerous, being the main sorce of their goals. The central midfield assumes a much more defensive role, and off the ball, FKS tend to fall back deep even against evenly matched opposition. Their wingbacks fall down to form a flat back five, while the wingers drop back into a line with the central midfielders against stronger teams or press together with the centre forward if the opposition plays out of the back.
Key Players: At the back, former Lokomotive centre-back Trent Ullqvist, the by far most experienced member of the team, and veteran defender and one-club-man Adrian Boedker will have to run the ship as Elias Hedberg retired. The sides are crucial in Mikkel Jensen’s system, and with former Motor talent Victoria Liljeström on the left and home-grown right wingback Mikkel Stjerne, they have strong players on these positions. Up front, Hjalmar Bjarnason is the well established striker of FK Sjoedrhavn, with a challenge from the back from the younger Irina Mijatov; they will be flanked by the strong Kristina Halvert, a dangerous inverted winger. Eyes will be on former Rotor Värstjö talent Erik Ahlund, and the new number 1 goalkeeper, 22 year old own youth man Jostein Helmsgaard.
Expectations: FKS are forever known as the team that could not win a game for the entire first half of their first venture into the SFS A, but these times are long gone. On their last visit, they finished 19th; this time, they managed in the A for more than a season for the first time. The expectation remains to repeat this achievement, a realistic, but tough goal for the Capital’s third-best team.

Stadium: Sjoedrhavns Stadsstadion (capacity: 28’400)
Manager: Mikkel Jensen (38)
Expected formation: 3-4-3
Transfers incoming: Erik Ahlund (DM, Rotor Värstjö, 1), Simon Ronnberg (RB, NFA Högvald Bla, 0) | Outgoing: Alvin Strid (RB, Libertas Bergheim, 1.

, Elias Hedberg (GK, retirement)

FK Metall Jarnstad (15.)

Origin and identity: Miner clubs were some of the oldest clubs in Savojarna. FK Metall were a union of many different clubs after the Revolution, some of which existed since the 1870s. Formed from the miners around the city of Jarnstad, Metall enjoy a solid basis in the entire Jarnslän. They are often seen as a country team, and an honest, hard-working union team. One of the first to introduce a foreign coach, they showed no inhibition to take risks either.
Tactics: Relying on a tough to break defence, with two flat chains, FK Metall usually shut down the midfield. Once they got the ball, they usually try to get the ball to a fast striker or winger, their probably strongest individual positions. The central midfield is of crucial importance for both obtaining the ball and progressing play up the pitch once it is won.
Key Players: Metall’s strongest area is their central midfield, and the quartet of Amelaga, Johansson, Mortensson and Kanarin presumably will take turns in building this core. In the back, Henning Svarthus’ defensive, physical, no-nonsense play fits perfectly with the team, and the former U-18 national team player is finally adjusting into his role as defensive leader. Valter Birja has retired at 37 years of age, making the offence - already a troubled area for Metall - even more of a danger of falling short as it now rests on Rasmus Ekman and Morten Pedersen. At least the midfield and wings were strengthened with Alexei Mjochenko of Mir Nestrovo fame, and Astrid Fuglsang will try to take the young talent Jarmakoski under her wings.
Expectation: Last season wasn’t quite what they expected, but like in most seasons, Metall ended up just fine. They’d still like to avoid another flirt with relegation, and generally expect better from their players; while play up North will remain scrappy and unattractive, they aim to finish somewhere a bit higher in the midfield.

Stadium: MetallArena Jarnstad (capacity: 44’000)
Manager: Ognjan Vlahović (ZRH, 66)
Expected formation: 4-5-1
Transfers incoming: Alexei Mjochenko (OM, Mir Nestrovo, 1.2), Astrid Fuglsang (LM, Motor Johansborg, 1), Minna Lagerkvist (RB, Admiral Storevik, 0.9) | outgoing: Kiki Neturainen (RB, Union Roopere, 0.5), Valter Birja (ST, retirement), Kristian Boe (LM, retirement)

Traktor St. Andrei (14.)

Origin and identity: A club founded in 1902 as St. Andrei F.C., this is one of the oldest sides in Savojarna. It had counter-revolutionary ties and was disbanded in 1911, but refounded 1915 as Traktor. They have a heated rivalry with RAS. Traditionally a farmer's team of the region around St. Andrei, the team has a large following in the countryside. In the city, they are somewhat associated with Russian nationalism and counter-revolutionaries.
Tactics: Traktor are an offensive side that loves to attack and score goals wherever possible. Offensive play and no-holds-barred attacking are hallmarks of this side. We are expecting fast play through the centre and high pressure especially from the wingbacks, and midfielders that are not scared of shooting; although a lot of the ultimate goal threat will come from the centre forward.
Key Players: Slavyana Oleva is finally passing on the baton slowly, and Bogomir Henrycz will aim to take over her footsteps by confirming his strong last season. Next to them, Anna Witchstone remains the workhorse that ties a side with a ton of individual talent together and aims to feed Vithoulkas up front. Offensively, this team was always going to be fine; defence was a concern in the last season. However, finally, the central defence has been rejuvenated properly with the signing of Justiina Tapio from ESK, which should lead to more stability ahead of Finn Kopperberg. It gets interesting at the front behind Vithoulkas, as Malena Hensberg has been added to the lineup and should be Traktor’s future in the attack.
Expectations: Lars Walberg’s saving grace is that he is in a rebuild season - otherwise, the fans and media at St. Andrei would already be calling for his head after finishing a season in 14th. However, it’s not as gloomy as it looks: Traktor were well ahead of relegation, and have an improving team, implying that they might well make a run for the upper half of the table again this time.

Stadion: Stadion Traktorov (capacity: 56’000)
Manager: Lars Walberg (47)
Expected formation: 4-3-3
Transfers incoming: Justiina Tapio (CB, ESK Storevik, 1.5), Malena Hensberg (ST, SK Cuprum Grennvik, 0.75) | outgoing: Igor Barushin (CB, Mir Nestrovo, 0.6), Krister Marström (LB, retirement)

Dynamo Novaya Russica (13.)

Origin and identity: Founded as policemen's club in 1915, turned into a representative team in 1938. Used to be a development team for Dynamo Sjoedrhavn until the 70s, which led to the Dynamo Rivalry. The second police club is also particularly popular in most places, but due to a lack of other clubs in Novaya Russica, they moved from police club to representing NR. Recently gained traction among locals, but still mostly hated nationally.
Tactics: A classical defensive Savojar team: defensive, tough to break down and relying on a tight midfield to counter the opponent down. Despite a change in leadership, their stint in the B did not change their tactics whatsoever; however, there is now more emphasis on finding players that can also provide some technical ability. Often using a fast striker to bring in offence, and sometimes a hanging striker within the midfield five. In the centre, the midfield tends to lie deep, with the wingers providing the main offensive drive to bring balls into the front third.
Key Players: The core of Dynamo’s old SFS A side still is around - the part that hasn’t retired or been unable to keep up with the team’s ambitions, that is. Players like Pernille Norby, Yamaj-Blonz Jok, and Andrea Jovanova remain crucial to this side; they have been supported with a new young guard. Andrea Najmina and Hjörvar Onisson have proven to be a strong central defender duo; behind them, 18 year old Quebecois prospect Hugo Yoon will have one more season on the bench before Jovanova is likely to retire. Juri Sandrajev shall secure things up front; Zhilin and Shavopalov are likely to be sharing the playtime alongside him. In the central midfield, Daniel Olsen is going to be rejuvenating things, next to them, Pernille Norby is still the main player on the right but will be supported by academy graduate Johan Larsson.
Expectations: DNR are a team that understands themselves as an SFS A team despite only coming back to the top flight last season, and with a good crop of youngsters that developed well and some key transfers, they look set for the near future. The Novaya Russica squad still first and foremost wants to protect their spot in the A, and ideally reach a similar position as last season.

Stadion: Stadion Dynamo (capacity: 29’700)
Manager: Malte Ljungberg (40)
Expected formation: 4-4-2
Transfers incoming: Daniel Olsen (CM, Landsmarks Industrie, 0.7), Johan Larsson (RM, Akademien Dynamo, 0) | Outgoing: Natalja Levin (RM, AFK Savojagrad, 1.3), Jussi Pesonen (CM, RLSK Pawlograd, 0.5)

ASK Landsmark (12.)

Origin and identity: Founded 1942 as a farm team for CASK, they got independent in the 1970s. Despite periodical success, they have largely been a mid-table team relying on a scrappy, defensive style of football to overcome their bigger rivals. As a state team with limited success, their fan base is sort of small and considered prone to bandwagoning, or abandoning the team in rougher times. Most people within the city support Landsmarks Industrie instead, considered much more of a “city team”.
Tactics: ASKL value hard work over technical brilliance. Tough defence and fast counter-attacks over the side are their key path to success. They operate a lot with long through balls from the midfield, and seek to find one of their killers up front. Coach Mirko Johansson and his management have recently gotten under fire for being too conservative and lacking the will to make changes to his side, something that could be argued is reflected by just how straight forward ASK’s play usually is.
Key Players: ASK stand and fall with an aging central midfield, Eve Lovelace playing the role of the general and shuttler and Gavax-Nenzi Abe being the main creative element of the team - although the latter might be replaced by Erland Sandahl as a starting player. Behind them, the traditionally defensive side relies on Delaclavan Valentin Gusev, with young U21 national player Sven Vikarby likely to inherit Simon Omark’s spot. Behind this line, Johan Jacobsson is a tried and tested SFS A goalkeeper. Up front, ASK rely heavily on a duo of sly poachers and scorers, with Ilari Litmanen being a heading monster, Justus Rintanen adding a physical, box-lurker element, and 22 year old talent Solveig Vedmark is the one exception, being a fast striker that can fill in on the wings in a pinch. The question is whether ASK can reliably bring the ball to their strikers, an issue in the past - and one unlikely to be fixed, given they kept their wing lineup in place.
Expectations: 12th was a disappointment for ASK, a team used to at least contesting for the IFCF; however, they are now thoroughly established in the mediocrity of the lower midfield. The lack of pressure on Johansson proves just how much of a new normal this has become for Landsmark; with few exciting signings, it looks like this mentality has also seeped into the inside of the club.

Stadium: Axel-Nejdur-Stadion (capacity: 46’000)
Manager: Mirko Johansson (45)
Expected formation: 4-4-2 flat
Transfers incoming: Agnes Elkjaer (CB, Rotor Värstjö, 1.3), Semjon Afanasenko (ST, Motor Johansborg, 0.9), Kristian Simonsen (LB, NFA Högvald Vit, 0) | outgoing: Mika Hakeson (MS, RLSK Pawlograd, 0.9), Jussi Arpanen (LB, retirement), Simon Omark (CB, retirement)

Energie Thorsborg (11.)

Origin and identity: Having been formed in the 1890s, Energie are one of the oldest clubs in Thorsborg and were a founding member of the Savojar League. They are a notorious mid-table team, but have had a high time in the early SFS days with back-to-back cup victories. Formed out of the electricity workers of Thorsborg, this club has become a representative of the Western part of the city, and many traditional workers support them.
Tactics: Energie have always been an offensive side relying on the midfield joining into the attack. They have, however, gotten more restrained and managed to get more variety in their approached to the game. The central midfield is expected to carry the brunt of the defensive burden, with the rest of the side storming forward and trying to overwhelm the enemy team. Likely to take many shots from the midfield or the wing.
Key Players: Mah Huang and Zibo Olberg have to be on point in central defence, as the backups are two young prospects - and Energie are nothing when their back line is weak. In midfield, Jesper Gyldenstjerne has taken over as the key player in the centre, and will hold the line, and provides more of a connection up front than his predecessor Ljungberg. Up front, Energie are always shining, and this season is no exception. Despite her age, Kristina Vindjammer remains a great threat, and both Lea Mörk and Damjan Emin have shown their adequacy on the level of the SFS A. The main offensive question is how well Victoria Borgen will do as a starter; new signing Valtteri Lehto is right there to present a threat and create pressure on the young striker. Interesting to watch will be the exciting NFA Högvald winger Lauri-Pekka Tepparainen, who gained a social media following big enough to be allowed to keep his customary 17 and has already amassed reactions, making #LP17 a trending hashtag in Savojarna.
Expectation: Too good to ever be in danger of truly disappointing, but too instable to ever make a big charge for the top, Energie have potential but keep coming up short. As much as fans might complain about another spot outside the top ten, and grumble about Baldursson’s prolonged contract, everyone in Thorsborg knows that this is where Energie are expected to land - the middle of the pack is a likely outcome yet again.

Stadium: National Energiekollektivets Arena (capacity: 48’600)
Manager: Jotan Baldursson (50)
Expected formation: 4-3-3
Transfers incoming: Valtteri Lehto (ST, AFK Savojagrad, 1.1), Lauri-Pekka Tepparainen (RF, NFA Högvald Bla, 0) | outgoing: Gustav Lindgren (ST, Motor Johansborg, 0.2), Staale Lund (RF, retirement)

Dynamo Sjoedrhavn (10.)

Origin and identity: Founded 1923 to represent the police in the first national league, and gained success after a slow start. Notable for choking the cup, having only won three of eight cup finals. One of two police clubs, they share a rivalry with now relegated Dynamo Novaya Russica. They are emphasising skill and strength in their players, but are said to have mostly bandwagon fans - who haven’t had too much to celebrate recently, as the team has been falling down the ranks recently and ended up known as “the Best of the Rest”, often falling short of the IFCF right behind the Big Five, with two big exceptions two years ago.
Tactics: One of the more offensive teams, they employ heavy pressing with their wingers and forwards. The central midfield plays box to box, using vertical passes. Traditionally they emphasised getting wingers and offensive midfielders close to the goal as well, and finding much success with a hanging striker that links the wings to a pouncer up front. Rely a lot on their second striker and the wingers to create, with no traditional playmaker in the team.
Key Players: Despite last year’s transfers working, Dynamo were disappointed - but the management sees the team as intact. Northlights bench player Vidkun Nymark took over smoothly from Kjaer; in centre, Alissar Phoen managed to leave his mark on the team. Wallace Pickton will have to pick up the consistency, but has shown he can work in this Dynamo side; much like Quebecois hanging striker Mohamed Khedira will attempt to repeat his Golden Boot performance of last season. Giovanna Vitale is the never-tiring danger on the right flank, and 20 year old centre-back Vibeke Mortensen, a clever and technically gifted player also suitable to a holding midfield position, might finally come into her own. Dynamo only added a few touches here and there, most notably signing a playmaker in Dmitri Ryzhikov, who should help to link up the midfield and the offence in games where things aren’t quite working out.
Expectations: After two third places in a row, and a near-successful title challenge, Dynamo have had a terrible last season. While they still piled on goals, and weren’t even too bad in defence, resulting in a +17 goal differential in 10th place, they were just terrible in actually scoring in contentious games, rather than ending up with narrow defeats and clear victories. The fans hope that bringing in a new manager in Seneca Matthews of Nephara will result in a boost.

Stadium: Stadion Dynamo (capacity: 35’000)
Manager: Seneca Matthews (56/NPH)
Expected formation: 4-4-2 hanging
Transfers incoming: Dmitri Ryzhikov (OM, Motor Johansborg, 0.6), Lise Stromberg (ST, NFA Högvald Vit, 0) | outgoing: Reksi Halanen (LM, ESK Storevik, 3), Esa Simola (CM, RLSK Pawlograd, 1.3), Pohja Ulkanen (MS, AFK Savojagrad, 1.3), Helgi Persson (LM, retirement)

by **Savojarna** » Sat Dec 04, 2021 2:20 pm

SFS XIV Season Preview (Part 2/2)

AFK Savojagrad (9.)

Origin and identity: Founded 1903 as a student club at the University of Savojagrad, a bastion of the Russian Unionist movement as well as conservatism. Disbanded in 1910 and refounded 1917 as a much more open-minded and internationally oriented club, the side is nowadays associated with an international, young, and vibrant public - very much in tune with the general transformation of Savojagrad into a cosmopolitan, trendy tech and creativity hub. Aka is the oldest student club of the country, viewed as a team of intellectuals who will lose themselves in tactical intricacies.
Tactics: A fluid side that can move the ball fast through the centre and use their traditionally strong playmakers for distribution, or play over their wingers. After a spell of defensive football disliked by the audience, this is now a creative side, although some players haven’t fully caught up yet. Traditionally value a relatively stationary dedicated playmaker in a classical 10 position, and have created some spectacular players in that position.
Key Players: Kevin Nordmark is the face of this team, and at age 35 hopefully still has some life in him. Ahead of him, Zyukov is an instrumental stopper in the defensive midfield; and left wingback Lyn Townsend has shown her worth as well, shoring up the left flanks and providing many crosses to the dangerous strikers of AFK. With the central defence a bit pedestrian, this will be important. Vanorian prospect Sabine Bar had the pressure of AFK’s hopes on her back last season and convinced as well - enough that the team decided to make her only replacement a 17 year old academy player. In offence, things were remodelled: Veterans Lehto and Lirov are gone, and the team shelled out over three million to sign CASK striker and former U21 international Ilja Serebrjakov; together with Hjort and Kovalenko, he forms a young and dynamic offence. The trio gets supported by Pohja Ulkkanen, a veteran hanging striker that will probably rotate on and off the bench.
Expectations: A notoriously hard to predict team they remain; and it did not get easier when two veterans left and were replaced with young players bringing the team’s average age down to 25.5 years. But the Savojagraders are now established more and more as an upper midfield side, and might make the lower half of the top 10 again.

Stadion: NUSArena (capacity: 18’200)
Manager: Emil Haraldson (52)
Expected formation: 4-4-2 diamond
Transfers incoming: Ilja Serebrjakov (ST, CASK Thorsborg, 3.25), Natalja Levin (RM, Dynamo Novaya Russica, 1.3), Pohja Ulkanen (MS, Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, 1.3), Lena Kjaergaard (LB, Landsmarks Industrie, 1), Fjodor Mirakov (OM, AFK Savojagrad U-18, 0), Alena Siroljev (CM, NFA Högvald Vit, 0)| outgoing: Valtteri Lehto (ST, Energie Thorsborg, 1.1), Kev Andersson (RM, Rotor Värstjö, 0.5), Jacob Lirov (ST, Baptists/SFD, 0.4)

Libertas Bergheim (8.)

Origin and identity: After the formation of a national league, the teams of the three biggest Bergheimer unions had formed the club in 1927. Libertas is traditionally an upper-midfield team with 2 cups, but still chases that elusive first championship. They are the team of Bergheim's unions, made up of coal and silver miners as well as loggers. Bergheim's independent spirit and left-libertarian tradition shapes the club's identity and its large fan base.
Tactics: Libertas have turned away from their attempt at direct vertical play and shifted more towards exciting, fluid short passing centred around two offensive midfielders in Arkanin and Wen. In defence, the back four are stable, with little freedom to push forward; a defensive midfielder acts as a destroyer ahead of the defence. However, expect high pressing from the midfield four, and a fluid passing game on the ball with two aggressive wingers that link with a false nine that has splendid finishing capacities in Kaja Eller.
Key Players: Alexey Nurkanen? Old and washed. Rook Goodharvest? Too slow for his own good. Kaja Eller? Promising but underwhelming when she isn’t carried by her teammates. Ejnar Balle? A risk in defence and ineffective in offence. Dino Racic? Promising, but dare I say overpaid? It seems like nobody was off limits in the past season, and as a result, it’s unclear who Libertas’ key players will be. It looks like the coaching duo remains with the two playmaker experiment centred on Denis Arkanin and Wen Xiaohui, and Heidi Jordén behind the two as an engine and pivot player. Up front, the main weight still rests on the shoulders of Kaja Eller, but there are more alternatives with the flexible Sveinn Arnason, who can also fill in for one of the offensive midfielders. Trischuk is one of the few not criticised for what has happened last season, and Racic/Cottan is still quality on paper. Sequel Bathanay, presumably in her final season, will remain a looming threat on the bench, always good for sniping a late goal even at 37 years of age.
Expectations: Eighth was a disappointment for Libertas, and they all know they need to prove they can do better. They probably will. This is a roster that has the quality to reach the IFCF spots, although they might not quite reach the CL yet. However, there is an experiment ongoing at Bergheim, and this might be their downfall in this season again.

Stadium: Bergheims Samfunnetsstadion (capacity: 27’900)
Manager: Lise Asbeck (60) / Mikaela Rangren (54)
Expected formation: 4-1-4-1
Transfers incoming: Alvin Strid (RB, FK Sjoedrhavn, 1.8), Sveinn Arnason (MS, Rotor Värstjö, 1.5), Nikolaj Andersen (LM, Landsmarks Industrie, 1), Pavel Aljenko (OM, Transport Hovikkära, 0.75) | outgoing: Sölva Ylsdottir (CM, ESK Storevik, 2.3)

ESK Storevik (7.)

Origin and identity: Ejana was dominated by dockworker and neighbourhood squads. In 1940, ESK were founded to challenge the primacy of Admiral with a true Ejana team supported by the local leaders. A union of clubs representing city neighbourhoods of Storevik, it has developed into a sort of "national team" of Ejana, enjoying support all over the island. Its fans are pretty fervent, and often swing into left-wing political activism.
Tactics: Former CASK success guarantee and national coach Rune Zackrisson, who has finally returned to active coaching after turning towards scouting for a while, assembled a stable team built on a stable central midfield, fast vertical play, and a base of strong organisation. With Freyrsson’s chaotic fluidity gone, ESK turned to defensive organisation and strength, and building a flurry off this base with two fast wingers and offensive wingbacks, alongside two central strikers in the box.
Key Players: The top three of ESK’s offence remain the face and hope of this team. Eddie Guweddeko, Lipa Kuznetsov, and Tuomas Lajunen are all players that can decide a game. The traditional issue of ESK has always been the central midfield - and it suddenly turned into a beacon of stability with Isabelle Christian and new signing Sölva Ylsdottir. However, ESK still lack an offensive element in midfield, laying the brunt of playmaking duty at the hands of the wingers, most notably new signing and spectacle-guarantee Reksi Halanen. In defence, Thorgeir Arnason has grown into the leader of a solid back four that has further been expanded in its depth with new talent, with U21-eligible players available on both wingback positions. Rightback Celine Lovik, the first player from Valanora to play in the SFS, is expected to provide stability and guidance to those young prospects, while Thorkatla Holmsdottir is expected to drive play forward.
Expectations: Traditionally, ESK struggled with depth; now, that is far from an issue as their youth scouting has become a great strength of this team - bringing in Zackrisson further raised expectations, and they will try to prove their seventh place wasn’t a one-off. Expecting a return to the IFCF would be more than what is realistic, but another Top 10 is very much on the cards.

Stadion: Ejansk Stadion (capacity: 41’000)
Manager: Rune Zackrisson (62)
Expected formation: 4-4-2
Transfers incoming: Reksi Halanen (LM, Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, 3), Sölva Ylsdottir (CM, Libertas Bergheim, 2.3) | outgoing: Urho Tuomela (LM, CASK Thorsborg, 1.9), Justiina Tapio (CB, Traktor St. Andrei, 1.5)

RLSK Pawlograd (6.)

Origin and identity: Founded by students as a Russican club in 1932, and struggling to get acceptance in Pawlograd. Fierce rivalries exist with multiple other Pawlograd teams, with varied success. RLSK are a union team supposed to represent the whole town, but have their strongest base among the traditionally liberal-national Pawlograd students and often are considered a hotbed of Russian liberal nationalism.
Tactics: RLSK are a perennial scrapper of the SFS who embodies the spirit of Savojar football to its core. The back three mostly is a back five, but the fullbacks are fast and join in on fierce counters. The midfield mostly lies low, with the occasional striker falling back to link to the centre and shuttling the ball up to their colleague.
Key Players: Namenkova is gone into retirement. So are two more players, but none are as influential as the former captain and leader of this side. Nepharan Makis Kotsonis is still around and tasked with shuttling the ball forward despite his age, a task with which RLSK’s play stands and falls with, but this season he is more likely to get more support. The defence around Ahonen and Strakhova is finally established, turning Pawlograd’s attention forward again. Up front, Robert Uljakov has to shoulder the creative load at 20 years old, with no backup other than veteran Mika Hakeson, who will be more likely to play further up front. The most notable figure of last season, once more, was Kasperi Lehtonen, who has made RLSK more unpredictable by adding a winger to the mix. Up front, the big names are Tempest and Litmanen, two established players who did well last season, but are unlikely to fully repeat their brilliant form of the last season.
Expectations: 6th was a surprise that nobody expects this side to repeat. There are a few new players coming in, but the team is still slowly rebuilding, and still has a cap on its talent. Still, there is a lot of buzz in Pawlograd right now, and some touch-ups on the stadium over the summer have increased the capacity somewhat, and the excitement might be enough for another top 10 finish.

Stadium: Stadion Alexey Sakharov (capacity: 40’400)
Manager: Grigori Markov (72)
Expected formation: 3-4-1-2
Transfers incoming: Esa Simola (CM, Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, 1.3), Mika Hakeson (MS, ASK Landsmark, 0.9), Jussi Pesonen (CM, Dynamo Novaya Russica, 0.5), Alexander Samenkov (RB, NFA Högvald Vit, 0) | outgoing: Mikko Karpanen (RF, Metsuri Virkaja, 0), Alexander Mikhailov (LB, retirement), Svetlana Namenkova (DM, retirement), Andrei Ishkurin (OM, retirement)

FK Torpedo Pawlograd (5.)

Origin and identity: Established in 1944 in reaction to ASK Landsmark, Torpedo were supposed to represent the new spirit of the Navy and be the prime “communist club” in Russica. Proud of their backing and symbolic role, they traditionally value skill and elegance; however, they are also notorious for unrest off the pitch. Both their fans, which are known to get violent in games against city rivals and traditionally Russian Nationalists RLSK (although that goes both ways), and their management, which is known for little patience with coaches, can cause storms around a chronically inconsistent side.
Tactics: A fast, modern side that employs heavy pressing and plays around a fluid front four in a nominal 4-3-3. They are backed up by two defensive midfielders supposed to stop attacks and build up the game, but Nyborg has been known to give his playmakers more withdrawn roles as well, leading to a flatter 4-3-3 than what is commonly played by offensive sides.
Key Players: The big strength of Torpedo has always been their attack: Sobchuk filled in smoothly for Hartikainen, and Northlight Victor Hedenberg as well as Ko-orenite winger Anselmo Viera are major threats up front. But the issue for Torpedo has long been the defensive area. Selvala Tabur has been performing splendidly and has been handed the captain’s armband in return, and 20 year old Siovanijan Ludvik Stepanek is expected to be ready to start in this side now alongside Tuomioja. They also strengthened their connection to the front, as Vladimir Orakhin developed from a backup midfielder to a substitute Northlight, and at a young age is still likely to progress. Finally, Sergey Sharin has been instrumental last season; the Torpedo goalkeeper will have to be on point once more if they want to repeat their success.
Expectations: On one hand, the fifth place of Torpedo was not something experts had expected once more. On the other hand, they reached this place for the second time in a row, and have not changed their team substantially at all, meaning that the potential is still there. However, there’s also a risk of form instabilities, and the loss of key players could still lead to massive issues for Torpedo.

Stadium: Stadion Admiral Rjurden (capacity: 52’000)
Manager: Lew Nyborg (46)
Expected formation: 4-3-3
Transfers incoming: Solfrid Overby (DM, ASK Landsmark, 2), Harald Gröneveld (LB, NFA Högvald Bla, 0) | outgoing: Johan Däll (DM, retirement)

CASK Thorsborg (4.)

Origin and identity: Founded 1916 as an Army team, with heated rivalries with the other branches (mainly Admiral). Savojarna's army club profited for decades from conscription laws. This has changed with the formation of the SFS, but CASK's self-image of the confident record champion has not. In recent years, they have transformed themselves into a team relying heavily on good transfers. Regardless of their approach, CASK are beloved within the army, respectfully hated in other state institutions, and loathed by all union team fans.
Tactics: CASK's strength lies in switching quickly. The defensive midfield acts as an anchor, trying to quickly move the ball up to the front. The defence largely stays back. Since the arrival of McDonald, they play a two-top with a diamond in the centre, and often shift back to a flat midfield four when ahead to preserve a lead. The team places an emphasis on playing over the wings, and having a pair of dangerous finishers up front.
Key Players: The team rebuild around its identity as Savojarna’s team, transferring out some of its international stars on the way, has delivered some results; the management now continues on much the same path. Jekaterina Smolov is the face of this new development, but has received more competition with Teemu Jeraväinen. Ilja Serebrjakov, looking for more playtime, was replaced by Vilhjalmur Ruriksson of former Lok glory, another potent challenger for the two striker slots. On the wing, Kimi Hartikainen drives play and has been a persistent threat alongside Janna Sauthier on the right. The Nepharan winger survived the culling of internationals at CASK. Vikborg and Anttakari have finally grown into a defensive duo that matches expectations, and are going to have to be a rock for the young offence of this new, remodelled CASK. The question mark is 34 year old goalkeeper Thomas Larsen, but with the addition of U-21 keeper Olga Valujev, Thorsborg are promoting the new generation there as well.
Expectations: CASK are still not really expecting a championship: The team is still young, and the competition with Partisan might be a tad stronger for the time being. However, last season showed that there is more quality than some people assumed. If everything clicks, they might as well make a title challenge, but realistically, we’re looking at another Challengers Cup finish.

Stadium: Stadion General Erik Harden (capacity: 62’000)
Manager: Johnny McDonald (52/SCT)
Expected formation: 4-1-3-2
Transfers incoming: Urho Tuomela (LM, ESK Storevik, 1.9), Vilhjalmur Ruriksson (ST, Lokomotive Jarnstad, 1.25), Olga Valujev (GK, CASK Thorsborg U-21, 0) | outgoing: Ilja Serebrjakov (ST, AFK Savojagrad, 3.25), Helga Bengtsdottir (RF, Mir Nestrovo, loan)

Admiral Storevik (3.)

Origin and identity: Founded 1916 as a Navy team, immediately building a heated rivalry with CASK. Admiral were initially stronger but fell behind in the 1930s, struggling for titles since. Historically, the army club are their biggest rivals, followed by Torpedo and ESK. Although Admiral are not very popular in Storevik, quite a few people in Ejana support them as the main source of potential titles for the island.
Tactics: Admiral are a pretty balanced side, with a slight offensive bias thanks to a highly talented frontline and a tradition of strong single strikers. They rely on a calm, collected buildup from a strong defensive line and a double pivot that provides a base for the offensive four to stray forward and work creative magic. Their prime asset is often on the wings, which are tasked with creative play and opening spaces up front.
Key Players: The offensive midfield is perhaps the most stacked area with the duo of Patrik Brygg and veteran Sabine Montag, one of the first foreign superstars in the SFS, who moved into a mentor role. Next to them, Jzeovak Vladcik and Palina Leopold form a well-oiled duo that has been around for a long time, and probably is looking for a last hurrah before Vladcik is feeling his age. Behind them, Arianna Berger and Birkir Evaldsson in the double pivot, and a solid central defence with Dmitriev and Oakes in control, are supposed to keep a clean sheet. Laila Olsen and Jevgeni Kuzkin form a solid backup at age 22 for both of them, making this one of the areas where Admiral are solid for the future. The same can’t be said about rightback or right midfield, something that Hwang Joon-Ho is expected to fix - hopefully. Admiral are a side that has few standout players, but also few weaknesses.
Expectations: Admiral are often not in anyone’s focus before the season, but they do aim to get into the Champions League again. They are often not shining too much, but can make up for it due to the character of their team of one with no weaknesses, meaning they often accumulate points consistently enough to profit of drops in form.

Stadium: Marinestadion (capacity: 48’000)
Manager: Hwang Joon-Ho (48/QUE)
Expected formation: 4-2-3-1
Transfers incoming: Nicolas Dubois (LB/SVG, Villeneuve NSC/SVG, 1.25), Olafur Asgrimsson (RF, NFA Högvald Vit, 0) | outgoing: Minna Lagerkvist (RB, FK Metall Jarnstad, 0.9)

Lokomotive Jarnstad (2.)

Origin and identity: Formed in 1929, Lok is younger than Metall Jarnstad, and the two entered a heated rivalry immediately. Lok is the club of the railway workers in the Jarnslän and see themselves as the club of the city of Jarnstad. Because of the state's support for the railways, they are a strong team, and were the first union team to win the SFS, and are often derided by Metall fans as a state team in denial.
Tactics: Madison Bilboa, the first Chromatik on the sidelines of the SFS, turned Lok a bit more offensive, and it worked a charm. They still play with a low midfield of two holding players, but the way Adrian Klaebo is employed as a distributing, creative player is almost a blueprint of the Savojar national team. Up front, Bogdan Rawic is the clear focus of the side, but all four offensive players can score and look to press hard, rotate fast, and be an unpredictable dangerous side to send needles into the flesh of their opponents.
Key Players: Adrian Klaebo is the player around whom this side is built, as the 24 year old has proven to be a smart and skilled playmaker from the back. With Anna Guweddeko, sister of ESK striker Eddie Guweddeko, he has a solid support next to him to carry balls he cannot send long. Up front, the addition of Finn Östberg on the left side has added versatility and stability, although Bogdan Rawic’s threat potential in the centre remains the primary way in which Lok score. At the back, Coyner and Palsdottir play the role of defensive bulwark ahead of Gerik Knasmuller. Florian Franz is the element that keeps the whole thing together, filling the role of a utility playmaker perfectly and appearing wherever he is needed. Interesting will be the addition of midfielder Ljubov Naroski. The 17 year old is a technically strong, polyvalent player as well as the most expensive youth transfer in Savojar history, but it is unclear what Lok’s intentions for her are behind Klaebo and Guweddeko.
Expectations: Lok, having gone on a big rebuild, found success coming second. The expectation might not yet be a title challenge, since Partisan have kept their title winning team together, but they will aim to make a deep run in the IFCF and keep things close for as long as possible - and definitely return to the international stage.

Stadium: Stadion Savojarsk Jarnsvägen (capacity: 53’800)
Manager: Madison Bilboa (64, CMT)
Expected formation: 4-2-3-1
Transfers incoming: Ljubov Naroski (DM, FK Torpedo Academy, 2.7), Johan Ludvigsson (ST, Lokomotive Jarnstad U-18, 0) | outgoing: Vilhjalmur Ruriksson (ST, CASK Thorsborg, 1.25)

Partisan Sjoedrhavn (SFS XIII Champions)

Origin and identity: Founded 1936 as a union of four Sjoedrhavn teams and immediately successful, but losing out after the 50s. Short resurgence with 2 titles and a cup in the 90s, and establishing themselves as the weakest Big Four team in the SFS era. Formed as a representative vehicle by Communist elites, Partisan's fans are stereotyped to be bureaucrats from the KPS, although there are also plenty of fans who are drawn to their often spectacular play. They are popular nationally, but not in their town.
Tactics: Relying on two hard-to-break defensive lines, Partisan use a stable core to enable a splendid offence that usually relies on some trickery from the forwards and stunning plays. Uses an aggressive press of their offensive players, although backed up by a solid defensive block that is more withdrawn. Their outlook is overall very balanced, and the combination of a pouncing striker and a more hanging player that aims to link to the midfield.
Key Players: Traudl Mrdja has cast aside all doubts: No harmful attitude, no issues adapting to Savojarna, and no issues in team play have crept up, making the right winger a key piece in Partisan’s championship puzzle. Former FK Sjoedrhavn SFS B top-scorer Lars Alvesen has delivered well enough to become a Northlight at age 19, and he’ll best repeat, but even if he doesn’t there is sufficient backup in Lapanen and Viinanen. But do not be fooled by the flashy strikers: Morten Poulsen still makes this side tick, and the trio of Cronin, Pironev and Broad remains the defensive rock on whom Partisan rest. Aleksandra Virulainen remains the best goalkeeper of the SFS, and will be the rock for this side. Finally, some young and hungry players look to take more control: Alicia Kronberg will learn from Mrdja to become a strong right winger after Jaerbyn is gone to Anomalies; Tretjakov might finally start taking time off the 30 year old midfield duo; and Antonia Nygaard might finally be challenging Aarsoy for that starting left midfield spot.
Expectations: Göran Jaerbyn’s loss will not faze this side too much, and they managed to keep all the starting players together somehow (we don’t even want to think about what that might have cost). The team is stable, knows each other, and has no reason to have regressed. However, they also haven’t improved much - while they are favourites for the title, it might be a bit closer than last season.

Stadium: Stadion Perl Kruger (capacity: 42’300)
Manager: Patrik Alexandersson (46)
Expected formation: 4-4-2
Transfers incoming: David Shostakovich (CB, AFK Savojagrad U-18, 2.2), Alicia Kronberg (RM, Rotor Värstjö, 1.25) | outgoing: Göran Jaerbyn (RM, Anomalies/CMT, 6)

by **Savojarna** » Mon Dec 06, 2021 4:58 am

SFS A Season 14 - Part 1/4

Matchday 1
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 0–0 Lokomotive Jarnstad
Dynamo Novaya Russica 0–2 AFK Savojagrad
Energie Thorsborg 4–4 Traktor St. Andrei
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 1–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 0–4 CASK Thorsborg
ASK Landsmark 2–3 ESK Storevik
Admiral Storevik 2–2 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
Libertas Bergheim 1–0 Mir Nestrovo
RLSK Pawlograd 0–1 FK Sjoedrhavn

We’re kicking the season off in tradition, with champions Partisan Sjoedrhavn hosting runners-up Lok Jarnstad. And the initial game, played in ghastly conditions for late August - wind, rain, and 13°C in the Perl Kruger - shows both hope and bleakness. Hope, because the match is tight and hotly contested, promising a step away from last season’s 16 point gap at the end of the season; bleakness, because Lok’s recipe against Partisan is an almost cynically defensive setup, pulling back Franz to act as a third pivot man and even substituting him for a centre-back in the very end, with a scoreless draw as the logical result.
Eyes are also on Savojars Vinge Virkaja, the most high-profile promotee in years, playing a likely competitor against relegation in FK Metall Jarnstad; youngster Pohja Sakkarinen finds veteran Thorbjörn Vukkila for the lone goal of the game. Another interesting matchup is ESK, who have made two high-profile transfers. Isabelle Christian and Sölva Ylsdottir form a stable midfield that coaches dreams are made of, but thanks to luck and a spirited Justus Rintanen, ASK Landsmark still equalise twice - until the other new signing, Reksi Halanen, dances circles around ASK rightback Oouri and chips it perfectly onto the foot of Eddie Guweddeko for the final goal. Finally, we’re getting absolute spectacle in Thorsborg, with Energie going up twice on Traktor before Vithoulkas turns the tide with a brace to set the score to 3-4, but in the final minutes, Kristin Vindjammer - coming off the bench - saves her club by sliding into a deflected cross at the second post, leaving Kopperberg unable to do anything.

Matchday 2
Lokomotive Jarnstad 8–0 FK Sjoedrhavn
Mir Nestrovo 1–6 RLSK Pawlograd
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 0–1 Libertas Bergheim
ESK Storevik 0–3 Admiral Storevik
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–0 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Traktor St. Andrei 1–0 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
AFK Savojagrad 1–1 Energie Thorsborg
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 1–0 Dynamo Novaya Russica
CASK Thorsborg 1–0 ASK Landsmark

CASK Thorsborg come into the Army Derby off a triumphant 4-0 away win at Torpedo. ASK Landsmark are clearly more stable than a week ago against ESK Storevik, but it isn’t quite enough as the Landsmarkers are making an early mistake, with Lovelace being unable to control a poor pass from Hoegh and Sauthier swooping in from the flank to take the ball up. She immediately launches a long ball across the pitch to Hartikainen, who has a lot of space; a sideways pass sets up Smolov for an empty net that will remain the lone goal of the game as ASK’s offence is non-existent. In a day of terribly low-scoring games (five games ending with one goal or less), two stand out: Lok Jarnstad are running over a disorganised FK Sjoedrhavn that not only fails to find an answer against the duo of Grivoshenko and Östberg on the wings, but also ends up getting a red card against Ahlund in the first half, which does not exactly help their cause. In the end, Grivoshenko and Rawic score twice, Klaebo gets two assists, and 18 year old Johan Ludvigsson notes his first SFS A goal. Perhaps even more heartbreaking is Mir Nestrovo’s first ever SFS A home game, which quickly turns into disaster as RLSK are scoring three times in the first 25 minutes. Tragedy turns into calamity as Satarenko concedes a penalty, resulting in a 0-4 at half time. At least Robin Norderberg gets to announce his arrival to the top flight, holding off a charge from Ahonen and converting a low shot to the right side for Mir’s first goal in the league.

Matchday 3
Dynamo Novaya Russica 0–2 Lokomotive Jarnstad
Energie Thorsborg 1–1 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 3–4 AFK Savojagrad
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 2–2 Traktor St. Andrei
ASK Landsmark 1–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
Libertas Bergheim 0–0 ESK Storevik
RLSK Pawlograd 0–0 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
FK Sjoedrhavn 2–3 Mir Nestrovo
Admiral Storevik 2–0 CASK Thorsborg

Admiral vs. CASK is both an important fight among two unbeaten teams aiming for the top of the table, and a duel of historic rivals. Accordingly, the Marinestadion in Storevik is packed, and the play is intense from the first minute, with Nichajev heading a cross against the crossbar after just three and a half minutes. Ten minutes in, Teemu Jeraväinen silences the stadium with a powerful header, but referee Olaf Jensen is signalling no as the striker held down Dmitriev in the process. Shortly after, the goal counts on the other side as the same Dmitriev prolongs a corner to Leopold, who scores at the second post. CASK are pushing hard, but fail to score as Filipovic plays a brilliant game, and in the second half, Nichajev scores on a breakaway to seal the game for Admiral. Promotees Savojars Vinge look like they are about to celebrate their second home victory for 65 minutes, leading AFK Savojagrad in a back and forth but never giving up the lead they get after twelve minutes as Siilonen scores the first goal. But then, with the score being 3-2, Sabine Bar gets a free kick from a central position 22 metres away, and circles it perfectly into the top left corner; thirteen minutes later, Milvonen’s through pass finds Ilja Serebrjakov for the Russian’s first goal in the AFK Savojagrad dress. Finally, in a crucial matchup with likely relegation competitor FK Sjoedrhavn, Mir Nestrovo get their first ever SFS A victory as a double by Jorinen and a ranged shot from Oftedahl sets them up 3-1. FKS’s final flurry of attacks yields a goal as Halvert scores high in the near corner, but nothing more as Gurkovski saves a point blank shot by Bjarnason first and then punches out the following corner, marking the last real chance for the hosts.

Matchday 4
Lokomotive Jarnstad 1–1 Mir Nestrovo
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 5–1 FK Sjoedrhavn
ESK Storevik 0–0 RLSK Pawlograd
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–2 Admiral Storevik
Traktor St. Andrei 0–0 ASK Landsmark
AFK Savojagrad 1–1 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 3–0 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Dynamo Novaya Russica 0–2 Energie Thorsborg
CASK Thorsborg 2–4 Libertas Bergheim

CASK Thorsborg, having received a little knock down in their last matchup with their old adversaries Admiral, are receiving Libertas. The Bergheimers are finally seeming to find their footing and actually come together the way Asbeck/Rangren expected, and the first half is a flurry of short passes that methodically picks apart CASK’s defence until finally, Liam Trout plays a one-two with Wen, then finds Eller, and the striker taps it in from eight metres. Eight minutes later, Sandoval is tripped up by Prosdocimi and Arkanin sets the score to 2-0 with a direct free kick. In the end, CASK manage to come back from a temporary 0-3 to one goal, but a late counter finished by Richard Geddes ends all hope for the Army side. Elsewhere, in the Sjoedrhavn Derby, six goals are distributed less evenly as Dynamo rip apart FK Sjoedrhavn and Mohamed Khedira notes a hattrick. AFK Savojagrad and FK Torpedo Pawlograd, two rising star sides looking to confirm their new standing, are meeting in a flashy game that is dominated by a splendid Sergey Sharin and an even better Kevin Nordmark. Forty minutes in, Serebrjakov gets the better of Sharin, but AFK’s defence can’t quite hold the storm that Torpedo are brewing up. Orakhin is carrying balls up the pitch like a madman, and finally, with a switch to a two-top, Pjotr Jamarin strikes to equalise with thirteen minutes to go as he scores off a bounce from nine metres.

Matchday 5
Energie Thorsborg 1–0 Lokomotive Jarnstad
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 1–1 Dynamo Novaya Russica
ASK Landsmark 0–5 AFK Savojagrad
Admiral Storevik 1–1 Traktor St. Andrei
Libertas Bergheim 0–1 FK Metall Jarnstad
RLSK Pawlograd 0–1 CASK Thorsborg
FK Sjoedrhavn 2–0 ESK Storevik
Mir Nestrovo 1–5 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 3–1 Partisan Sjoedrhavn

Partisan, with no substantial changes to their team, were expected to put oon another strong season, but so far the Sjoedrhaveners struggle a bit so far with two very uninspired draws on the board. At least they are yet to lose a game - until today, where an inspired Anselmo Viera runs circles around Bjarne Thorvaldsson in the first half and sets up Hedenberg and Paasio for their respective goals. Things get better in the second half as Antonov can keep up with the Ko-orenite winger better, and Mrdja puts the champions onto the board; however, she can’t prevent the loss as Sobchuk finds a counter that ends Partisan’s hopes. Up top, Admiral Storevik are taking their duel with Traktor too easy after Rysti Erkalainen brings the Storevikers ahead; in the second half, their attempts to attack are almost non-existent, and Andrea Vithoulkas punishes the inaction with a sly poach from ten metres. The draw costs Admiral the lead in the table, as a spirited Ilja Serebrjakov gets two goals and draws a penalty for Pohja Ulkanen to convert en route to a spectacular 5-0 victory for AFK Savojagrad. The Academics are now tied with Admiral for the lead, but with the better goal difference; behind them, a reinvigorated Libertas Bergheim holds third place despite an controversial loss at Metall that sees a goal disallowed in the first half as Kaja Eller is shown to be a hair’s breadth off-side. Video reviews the scene, but without concrete evidence, the referee’s initial offside call remains, and the Bergheimers lose the game in the second half as Kanarin scores from range.

Matchday 6
Lokomotive Jarnstad 1–1 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
ESK Storevik 4–4 Mir Nestrovo
CASK Thorsborg 0–1 FK Sjoedrhavn
FK Metall Jarnstad 1–0 RLSK Pawlograd
Traktor St. Andrei 1–1 Libertas Bergheim
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 1–0 ASK Landsmark
Dynamo Novaya Russica 0–1 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Energie Thorsborg 1–3 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
AFK Savojagrad 1–1 Admiral Storevik

AFK Savojagrad vs. Admiral Storevik is a match that usually has a clear favourite, but now, it is also the duel of first vs. second. While they are near tied in the standings, AFK is the surprise team to Admiral’s co-favourite - but they don’t show it one bit in how they play. Sabine Bar pulls the strings with magistral precision, and eventually finds Natalja Levin to cross it in, but Dmitriev just about stops Serebrjakov from what otherwise would have looked like a safe goal. Out of nowhere, Admiral find a goal on the other side, with Vladcik’s cross being cleared initially, but Berger collects the ball and finds Brygg, who scores from the edge of the box. Things are more even in the second half, with both sides playing a tight game, and despite Admiral no longer being dominated like in the first half, joker Tatjana Kovalenko equalises for AFK for a draw that reflects relative strength of the teams. Elsewhere, Lok Jarnstad and Dynamo Sjoedrhavn likewise lock horns, leading to a close fight with numerous spectacular chances, but a strong Lok defence prevents Khedira from too dangerous shots, whereas Mookie Danube is in a good form to keep Rawic in check. His opposite Knasmuller makes a rare mistake as he can’t reach a corner, punching air and allowing Teranen to score into an empty goal for the lead. However, Lok are not going down easily, and Florian Franz shows his skill with a perfect shot from nineteen metres that takes Danube by surprise. Finally, ESK and Mir play a game that will have the coaches deeply worried, but the fans perfectly entertained as it only takes them 35 minutes to set the score to 3-2 for Mir. In a calmer second half, Kuznetsov scores one and sets up Lajunen for another one, but thanks to a penalty kick for Mir, the promotees still get to take home one point.

Matchday 7
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 1–0 Lokomotive Jarnstad
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 5–4 Energie Thorsborg
ASK Landsmark 1–1 Dynamo Novaya Russica
Libertas Bergheim 2–0 AFK Savojagrad
RLSK Pawlograd 3–1 Traktor St. Andrei
FK Sjoedrhavn 0–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
Mir Nestrovo 0–4 CASK Thorsborg
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 1–2 ESK Storevik
Admiral Storevik 2–0 Partisan Sjoedrhavn

Admiral are looking strong this season, perhaps surprisingly so given their complete lack of big signings. However, it seems that Hwang Joon-Ho found the way to make his team click - but now there is a big test with Partisan Sjoedrhavn. Hwang surprises by trusting the 19 year old Dubois to hold Traudl Mrdja in check, while Partisan have to play without Steinar Aarsoy following a muscular injury in practice. However, Antonia Nygaard fills in perfectly well, setting up Alvesen for a great chance only nine minutes in, but the national team striker shoots wide. On the other side, Mrdja does get away from Dubois for a moment, but is stopped by Oakes; the counter leads to Admiral’s first big chance as Leopold fails to get past Virulainen. On the following corner, the Nepharan swings in the ball, finds Evaldsson, and the holding midfielder beats his fellow Northlight cleanly for the 1-0 for the hosts. Partisan have to open up, and remain dangerous, but it is not meant to be as Robin Oakes puts on a Man of the Match performance. Ola Lapanen is unlucky as he hits the crossbar in the last fifteen minutes, but in the end, Admiral’s Kolbeinnsson doubles up to assert the Storevikers’ challenger for the title in style. FK Torpedo Pawlograd and Energie Thorsborg, meanwhile, lock horns in an all out offensive brawl. Hedenberg and Sobchuk are delivering a quick one-two to set up Torpedo’s lead at the 20 minute mark, but Admassu returns the favour with a free kick and Damjan Emin - so far without a goal - taps in a stray ball at the second post to equalise right before the break. Then, chaos in the second half: Hedenberg falls in the box, Huang clears the stray ball, Sienkiewicz prolongs it, Mörk scores! Video review shows: Hedenberg was brought down by Zibo Olberg. Penalty. Missed. Svensson launches a counter against a lamenting Torpedo, and Victoria Borgen puts Energie ahead. But the game isn’t over yet, and with a dramatic 86th minute shot deflected by a defender, Vladimir Orakhin decides the match for Torpedo.

Matchday 8
Lokomotive Jarnstad 0–0 ESK Storevik
CASK Thorsborg 1–1 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
FK Metall Jarnstad 1–0 Mir Nestrovo
Traktor St. Andrei 2–0 FK Sjoedrhavn
AFK Savojagrad 0–0 RLSK Pawlograd
Dynamo Novaya Russica 2–0 Admiral Storevik
Energie Thorsborg 1–0 ASK Landsmark
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 1–2 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 2–1 Libertas Bergheim

Partisan vs Libertas might have been a fight for the title a while back, and while the Bergheimers struggled recently, they are still fearsome opposition for most sides. With Dino Racic finally assuming his expected role as a strong organiser of the central defence, they close down the ranks at the back and force Partisan to take risks - but those risks pay off when Poulsen shoots from outside the box, Cottan blocks the ball, but Lapanen can convert in the ensuing chaos. Right before the break, Nygaard crosses in for Alvesen to double up, and Libertas are struggling. But the second half becomes the big Libertas show, with Wen and Arkanin playing up a flurry of quick passes - except that Kaja Eller just can’t beat Virulainen, and Broad and Pironev prove a difficult to pass central defence as well. Alvin Strid, joining the attack, finds a gap on the left to cross in flatly, and the ball bounces off the leg of Machua Cronin to beat Virulainen unluckily, but it will remain Libertas’ only goal of the day. And elsewhere? Savojars Vinge make another brief statement by almost beating FK Torpedo, but after holding on to a first half goal by Ola-Mikko Virttu for nearly the full game, with five minutes to go, Viera scores with a banger of a shot before Paasio reverts the score in injury time to snatch a last minute victory for FK Torpedo. CASK Thorsborg, once again, fail to win thanks to a brief phase of chaos where nothing goes right; Khedira converts an unlucky handball penalty for the 1-1 despite CASK clearly leading shot attempts and possession. Their consolation will be the absolute beauty of their lone goal, with Smolov beating Vidkun Nymark with a dazzling trick and leaving Danube in the dust with a smooth, soft pass sideways for Karolina Vaitanen to tap in.

by **Savojarna** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 5:35 am

SFS A Season 14 - Part 2/4

Matchday 9
ASK Landsmark 0–1 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Admiral Storevik 4–0 Energie Thorsborg
Libertas Bergheim 0–1 Dynamo Novaya Russica
RLSK Pawlograd 0–3 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
FK Sjoedrhavn 2–3 AFK Savojagrad
Mir Nestrovo 0–2 Traktor St. Andrei
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 0–1 FK Metall Jarnstad
ESK Storevik 3–2 CASK Thorsborg
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 3–0 Lokomotive Jarnstad

Co-leaders Torpedo travel to a struggling Lok, who have been set back with Östberg labouring with a muscular hip injury, Palsdottir being out until the winter break, and Guweddeko suspended for yellow cards. Torpedo, on the other hand, are nearly at full strength, with the suspended Tabur being replaced by Solfrid Overby. However, this doesn’t seem to hold them back at all as Overby and Orakhin play a superb game, while Palander struggles alongside Coyner and Gren makes a grave mistake forty minutes in, allowing Orakhin a pass wide out to Viera, who scores the 2-0. In the second half, Rawic shortens the deficit but gets his goal disallowed for off-side, a decision proven to be correct by video; in the end, Torpedo celebrate a convincing 3-0. Even more convincing is Admiral’s 4-0 at home against Energie Thorsborg, with Rysti Erkalainen - replacing Jzeovak Vladcik today - having a big role in the game with an assist and a goal. Two days later, it’s Storevik vs. Thorsborg again, but this time the guests have more luck as Smolov brings CASK ahead against ESK. It doesn’t last, however, as Reksi Halanen shows a stunning dribbling down the left side and crosses the ball to the poacher Lajunen, who converts coldly. Sölva Ylsdottir makes it 2-1 from range, and despite a penalty converted by Smolov, it’s over for CASK as Kuznetsov gets away on the right side and sets up Guweddeko perfectly. Rolfrsson and Parvin manage two brilliant clearances against the last ditch attacks by Jonsson and Ruriksson, but in the end, ESK hold strong and win 3-2.

Matchday 10
Lokomotive Jarnstad 1–1 CASK Thorsborg
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–0 ESK Storevik
Traktor St. Andrei 1–3 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
AFK Savojagrad 2–0 Mir Nestrovo
Dynamo Novaya Russica 1–1 RLSK Pawlograd
Energie Thorsborg 1–1 Libertas Bergheim
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 1–8 Admiral Storevik
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 1–1 ASK Landsmark
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 5–1 FK Sjoedrhavn

A rare primetime appearance is on the books for FK Sjoedrhavn as the capital side gets to travel across town to the Stadion Perl Kruger to play local rivals Partisan. Unfortunately for the underdog, the game takes the worst possible turn early on: Nine minutes in, Traudl Mrdja shows all her class before dodging Ullqvist’s challenge with a pass back onto Lapanen for the 1-0. Six minutes later, Alvesen wins a heading duel against Boedker, scores the second goal, and helps off his opponent as Adrian Boedker gets injured in the landing. Even though Victoria Liljeström, mostly outmatched with covering Mrdja, gets some offensive sparkle in late in the match as she circles a perfect cross onto Kristina Halvert, who converts at the second post to a temporary 4-1, Partisan win overwhelmingly. However, it could have gone worse for them: Savojars Vinge Virkaja not only also concede two early goals, but also lose goalkeeper Ingmar Lenberg as he tries to snatch the ball from Nichajev’s foot and hits the opponent instead. Unfortunately for SVV, newly promoted teenager Antoni Neparev isn’t quite up to facing one of the SFS A’s top teams yet, and within a few minutes, Brygg converts the penalty and Leopold beats him from an angle. It doesn’t get better after the break, as Berger quickly scores the 0-5; the next goal is even worse as Neparev misestimates a corner and Lavrov can tap in from short range. In the end, Virkaja even finish with nine players as Sakkarinen suffers a late injury after three substitutions have already been made. In the top match of the week in terms of paper strength, Lokomotive and CASK push each other in a spectacular match that goes back and forth, with both sides having chances but two strong goalkeepers keeping their sheets clean. A strong push in favour of the defensively strong Lok comes after an hour as Östberg, ready for part-time play again, manages to get past Loeseth and finds Florian Franz for the 1-0. However, CASK’s offence shows why they are highly rated and finds a gap, with Hartikainen finishing the job to the final result of 1-1.

Matchday 11
ASK Landsmark 0–1 Lokomotive Jarnstad
Libertas Bergheim 2–1 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
RLSK Pawlograd 4–3 Energie Thorsborg
FK Sjoedrhavn 1–0 Dynamo Novaya Russica
Mir Nestrovo 0–2 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 1–1 AFK Savojagrad
ESK Storevik 0–0 Traktor St. Andrei
CASK Thorsborg 2–1 FK Metall Jarnstad
Admiral Storevik 2–1 FK Torpedo Pawlograd

It’s derby time in the Navy, with Admiral hosting a Torpedo that looks even stronger than in past years, with Vladimir Orakhin and Selvala Tabur providing a previously unknown stability. Today, as well, they are guiding play, but just can’t find a gap in Admiral’s stable defence; and with Orakhin being caught slightly out of position once by Evaldsson, things immediately turn around and the cold-blooded Leopold scores on a counter. The setback doesn’t hold Torpedo up for long, however, and before the break Tabur finds a perfect through ball to Paasio between the lines, and the playmaker sets up Sobchuk for the equaliser. Despite spirited play, both sides slowly start settling in to the draw that is rising on the horizon - were it not for a brief lapse in judgment by Stepanek, letting him be a tad late on a tackle, and the veteran brilliance of Sabine Montag, who circles the resulting free kick perfectly into the top left corner. Another spirited back and forth occurs in Pawlograd between RLSK and Energie, where the Thorsborgers are exploiting RLSK’s high wingbacks to use Mörk and Emin to great success and a 2-0 lead. At half time, however, Markov takes off Lehtonen for Ylvenoinen and a 5-3-2 setup that stifles Energie, and some quick attacks later, Tempest, Litmanen and Simola have the score reversed. Kotsonis scores after a corner as well, and in the end, Energie chase down a 4-3 against a tight central line that proves impenetrable, giving RLSK an important win. Finally, AFK Savojagrad have been on a roll with three unbeaten games in a row, climbing up towards the IFCF spots - but they almost hit a roadblock as Teranen and Khedira seemingly bring Dynamo up 2-0, but the referee immediately waves off the latter’s header goal as an offensive foul. Still, the Sjoedrhaveners dominate the game deep into the second half, but can’t get past AFK’s defence - until Ilari Milvonen starts a solo run down the left side, leaves Lingaard in the dust, and passes inwards to Serebrjakov for the 1-1.

Matchday 12
Lokomotive Jarnstad 1–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
Traktor St. Andrei 4–0 CASK Thorsborg
AFK Savojagrad 2–1 ESK Storevik
Dynamo Novaya Russica 0–0 Mir Nestrovo
Energie Thorsborg 1–0 FK Sjoedrhavn
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 2–1 RLSK Pawlograd
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 0–1 Libertas Bergheim
ASK Landsmark 1–0 Admiral Storevik
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 0–5 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn

Two derbies on one weekend are sure to make Savojarna go stand still, and the prime event is of course Sjoedrhavn’s Partisan vs. Dynamo affair - even if Partisan lack their talisman and superstar Traudl Mrdja after the latter picked up an unnecessary yellow card in a debate with the ref in Nestrovo. They also still have to do without Lozen Pironev, who is out with a nose injury after a collision with RLSK’s Strakhova; still, they are favoured for this game. That is, until Giovanna Vitale tunnels Thorvaldsson and stuns Virulainen with a shot into the farside top corner, and just four minutes later, a shell-shocked Partisan watch as Cronin plays a rare failed pass, Phoen intercepts it, and sets up Khedira for the second Dynamo goal. On the right side, Alicia Kronberg is doing her best but can’t provide the threat of Mrdja; on the left, Thorvaldsson has an atrocious game and is rightfully substituted for Antonov after losing the ball yet another time and giving up the 3-0. Against a blindly attacking Partisan that has to catch up three goals, Dynamo get space, and they use it to defeat their rivals 5-0. And up North? Lok are doing the bare minimum against an almost violently scrappy Metall, sitting back after Grivoshenko’s 17th minute goal, and it’s sufficient as Metall can’t crack a solid, defensive Lok. It also doesn’t excite anyone, even inviting whistling from Metall’s fans, and a reserved applause by their own fans at the end of the game. A surprisingly entertaining game for a 1-0, however, is Libertas’ win in Pawlograd: Both sides seek to attack, except that their strikers seem to have terrible aim today. Hedenberg misses the goal alone in front of Trischuk not once, but twice; on the other end, Eller can’t control a cross and Arkanin shoots a good metre over the net. It takes until the second half until a beautiful combo of Eller, Arkanin, and Wen leaves the latter alone in front of the goal - where she has the presence of mind to see a free Liam Trout to her left, and leaves it to the winger from Tikariot to score the lone goal of the game.

Matchday 13
Libertas Bergheim 2–3 ASK Landsmark
RLSK Pawlograd 1–2 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
FK Sjoedrhavn 1–4 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Mir Nestrovo 3–6 Energie Thorsborg
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 1–0 Dynamo Novaya Russica
ESK Storevik 0–2 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
CASK Thorsborg 2–0 AFK Savojagrad
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–1 Traktor St. Andrei
Admiral Storevik 1–0 Lokomotive Jarnstad

Lok, having struggled a bit in this season with Palsdottir’s injury troubles and a terrible form for Grivoshenko, have to travel to leaders Admiral. It’s not an easy matchup, and one with history from past championships to boot, but it’s a close one from the beginning as Palander fills in well for Palsdottir, and Knasmuller saves twice spectacularly, first against Brygg and then against Nichajev. On the other side, Trikhichev gets the nod over the captain Grivoshenko in a bid by Bilboa to shake things up; the winger makes multiple deep runs but can’t get past Dubois reliably enough to do consistent damage. He still almost picks up an assist as Filipovic underestimates a cross, but Östberg doesn’t quite get his foot onto it. Ten minutes later, a long Klaebo pass reaches Rawic, who is denied by Jure Filipovic for a scoreless half time. In the second half, Admiral mount more pressure; Erkalainen eventually finds a pass to the late arriving Arianna Berger for the winning goal. More goals occur in Nestrovo, where Energie are relentlessly battering down an overmatched Mir. The promotees are visibly struggling to contain Victoria Borgen, who nabs two goals; Abigail Admassu is crowned player of the game for her two assists and spectacular shot from range for the temporary 1-4. At least Mir score some themselves late in the game when Energie let up, leading to an entertaining but chaotic game and plenty of action. Finally, in the Dynamo Derby, Dynamo Sjoedrhavn show why they are not higher in the standings as they follow up a spectacular showing against Partisan with a sloppy performance that is only not punished because Sandrajev seems to lack all killer instinct today. In offence, there is no threat whatsoever, were it not for the brilliance of Wallace Pickton, who goes on a solo run to beat Jovanova late in the second half.

Matchday 14
Lokomotive Jarnstad 5–0 Traktor St. Andrei
AFK Savojagrad 0–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
Dynamo Novaya Russica 1–0 ESK Storevik
Energie Thorsborg 1–0 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 2–0 Mir Nestrovo
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 0–0 FK Sjoedrhavn
ASK Landsmark 0–0 RLSK Pawlograd
Admiral Storevik 0–0 Libertas Bergheim
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 1–1 CASK Thorsborg

Two of the SFS A’s most successful teams meet on Sunday night in Sjoedrhavn as CASK travel to Partisan. The Thorsborgers are starting out strong, with Smolov being denied only by a splendid dive by Virulainen into the bottom left corner; shortly after, Hartikainen has the 0-1 on his foot but shoots high and misses. Eventually, however, their constant pressure is rewarded and the ball lands behind the Northlights number two as Sauthier finds a gap in Partisan’s defence, and Jekaterina Smolov stays cool this time, beating Virulainen in a 1v1 situation. But they have to face Traudl Mrdja, and eventually, that goes wrong - the Nepharan winger finds a gap, sets up Ola Lapanen, and the striker hangs the ball into the top right corner for the draw. Lok Jarnstad, known for stability and defence, flip it all on its head as they demolish an overly aggressive Traktor St. Andrei in a clinical display, with Rawic noting two goals and Trikhichev scoring a goal and an assist. Finally, in an important game for the relegation, Savojars Vinge Virkaja - still behind Mir Nestrovo last season - take their revenge against the Russians, beating them 2-0 thanks to two assists by Virttu, setting up Sakkarinen for a nice shot from the left wing first and then letting Helga Bengtsdottir score after a swing inside and left Satarenko in the dust before beating Ljubomir Gurkovski in a 1v1.

Matchday 15
RLSK Pawlograd 0–2 Admiral Storevik
FK Sjoedrhavn 0–1 ASK Landsmark
Mir Nestrovo 2–2 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 4–1 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
ESK Storevik 0–2 Energie Thorsborg
CASK Thorsborg 2–0 Dynamo Novaya Russica
FK Metall Jarnstad 1–0 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
Traktor St. Andrei 2–2 AFK Savojagrad
Libertas Bergheim 0–1 Lokomotive Jarnstad

Lok vs. Libertas used to be so much more than it is now, but it’s still a fascinating clash between a stumbling but still on paper strong team that may finally have resurfaced, and a vice champion that went under some serious trouble for this season. Recently, it’s also been a duel between spectacular, fluid, offensive play and a defensively minded stable counter-attacking side. The clash is delivering on what it promises - Wen Xiaohui and Denis Arkanin are shredding through their opposition, but in defence, Coyner and Sobchuk hold a strong line that isolates the dangerous Kaja Eller. On the other end, Lok are not using many chances, and their third attempt leads to the 1-0 as Bogdan Rawic beats Trischuk with a massive shot after a long through ball by Franz, the only one of the game to result in a win for Lok. On the top of the table, the close race between Admiral and Partisan is separated in favour of the former. Admiral Storevik are facing down a RLSK side that isn’t truly a threat except through strong defensive hunkering down, but with Rysti Erkalainen having a splendid game and Arianna Berger being unstoppable in the centre, it looks like a question of time from the very beginning until the Pawlograders break - and after sixty minutes, they do break, with Nichajev and Leopold scoring the decisive goals. Partisan Sjoedrhavn’s visit to Metall looks the same way for a long time, but for them, the break never comes - instead, it’s Astrid Fuglsang breaking through, finding Kanarin, and the midfielder scores from 18 metres, exploiting an obscured view for Virulainen to score a goal.

Matchday 16
Lokomotive Jarnstad 1–0 AFK Savojagrad
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 2–1 Traktor St. Andrei
Dynamo Novaya Russica 1–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
Energie Thorsborg 1–2 CASK Thorsborg
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 0–2 ESK Storevik
ASK Landsmark 3–0 Mir Nestrovo
Admiral Storevik 3–1 FK Sjoedrhavn
Libertas Bergheim 0–0 RLSK Pawlograd
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 0–1 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn

Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, as many issues as the team is having this year once more with putting on a consistent performance, can still put down an incredible performance if required. Unfortunately, their incredible performance only lasts 55 minutes, in which Khedira pushes a cross from Pickton over the line with a spectacular half-diving header. Then, Dynamo do fall apart, letting Torpedo push them back again. Hedenberg comes to an almost entirely free shot from ten metres, but sees it stopped by Danube; a dangerous shot from range by Paasio crosses over the bar. After a good 25 minutes of desperate defence, Dynamo do manage to keep their lead and win the game. Admiral Storevik play another solid performance in Sjoedrhavn, beating FKS 3-0 at half time with their offensive unit playing incredibly in sync. The second half, with some daring replacement - most notably Loki Mattason for Evaldsson - sees some gaps in the back that allow a goal for FKS, but the unthreatened 3-1 win still means that Admiral are winning the game and securing the lead at the end of the first half of the season. Finally, in Thorsborg, the derby is a tense and deadlocked affair: Energie get an early goal off a mistake by Heikki Aho, but Arnar Jonsson sets up Hartikainen to nab the goal back, instigating an hour of back and forth. Then, with ten minutes to go, Loeseth starts an overlap to send Sauthier deep into enemy territory, and the Nepharan winger finds Vilhjalmur Ruriksson, who leverages his height and power into a strong header into the goal. The stadium falls silent as CASK win an away derby to claim third place in the table.

Matchday 17
RLSK Pawlograd 0–0 Lokomotive Jarnstad
FK Sjoedrhavn 2–2 Libertas Bergheim
Mir Nestrovo 1–5 Admiral Storevik
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 4–0 ASK Landsmark
ESK Storevik 1–1 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
CASK Thorsborg 1–3 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–0 Energie Thorsborg
Traktor St. Andrei 1–1 Dynamo Novaya Russica
AFK Savojagrad 0–1 Partisan Sjoedrhavn

Partisan travel to Savojagrad to pose a real test to the young AFK side, and manage to do just that. The Russian team is playing along aggressively and confidently, but can’t manage to break through Partisan’s experienced, stable defence. Natalja Levin is the biggest threat, utilising some mistakes by Antonov to find dangerous passes, but Pironev and Broad sweep out everything, with Virulainen catching the rare stragglers. Serebrjakov comes closest to a lead as the striker gets a shot from twelve metres, but sends it a bit wide, a mistake he will come to regret bitterly in the second half. Ten minutes after the break, Poulsen sends Steinar Aarsoy on a long run that the veteran finishes with a laser-accurate cross that Lars Alvesen nods over the line, a win that keeps Partisan in touch with the leaders Admiral. Said leaders calmly and clinically fulfil expectations as they destroy Mir Nestrovo 5-1 away, with Kolbeinnsson putting in a bid to supplant Nichajev as the starting striker, scoring two goals in their victory. A big surprise comes about in Thorsborg. CASK want to establish themselves as the pursuitors of the top two and seem to end the game on a simple victory over SVV, leading the game at half time comfortably. But then, Jari Siilonen manages a breakaway that ends with the equaliser a good fifty minutes into the match, and ten minutes later, Virttu finds Vukkila for the 2-1. Now suddenly faced with defeat, CASK can’t find the next gear, and on a corner, tall Juri Pavelnikov heads a ball towards the goal that rebounds off Loeseth, but is pushed over the line by Stenberg. A 3-1 away win for SVV against a top team was unexpected, but the Finns will take three welcome points in their fight to establish themselves in the A again.

Savojar Football Serien A  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Admiral Storevik            17   11   4   2    38   11  +27    37
 2 Partisan Sjoedrhavn         17   10   3   4    25   16   +9    33
 3 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn           17    8   5   4    34   14  +20    29
 4 Lokomotive Jarnstad         17    7   6   4    22    9  +13    27
 5 CASK Thorsborg              17    8   3   6    26   22   +4    27
 6 Energie Thorsborg           17    7   5   5    30   28   +2    26
 7 AFK Savojagrad              17    6   7   4    24   18   +6    25
 8 FK Torpedo Pawlograd        17    6   7   4    24   22   +2    25
 9 Savojars Vinge Virkaja      17    8   1   8    25   31   −6    25
10 Libertas Bergheim           17    6   6   5    18   15   +3    24
11 Traktor St. Andrei          17    5   8   4    24   24    0    23
12 FK Metall Jarnstad          17    5   5   7     6    9   −3    20
13 ESK Storevik                17    4   7   6    16   22   −6    19
14 ASK Landsmark               17    5   4   8    13   21   −8    19
15 Dynamo Novaya Russica       17    4   5   8     9   16   −7    17
16 RLSK Pawlograd              17    3   7   7    16   18   −2    16
17 FK Sjoedrhavn               17    4   3  10    15   37  −22    15
18 Mir Nestrovo                17    1   4  12    16   48  −32     7

by **Savojarna** » Sat Dec 25, 2021 5:21 pm

SFS A Season 14 - Part 3/4

Matchday 18
Lokomotive Jarnstad 1–0 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
AFK Savojagrad 0–1 Dynamo Novaya Russica
Traktor St. Andrei 1–1 Energie Thorsborg
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–3 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
CASK Thorsborg 1–1 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
ESK Storevik 2–0 ASK Landsmark
Mir Nestrovo 2–4 Libertas Bergheim
FK Sjoedrhavn 0–1 RLSK Pawlograd
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 0–2 Admiral Storevik

Leaders Admiral travel to Sjoedrhavn to third placed Dynamo. The police squad is a bit slow to come out of the winter break, with their key player Mohamed Khedira a little disjointed and struggling to get passes; at the back, Vidkun Nymark concedes a terrible shot as he is late against Nichajev, but the striker misses in a capital mistake. It ultimately doesn’t matter too much, as Patrik Brygg launches a through ball seven minutes later that Jzeovak Vladcik slots through Danube’s legs for the 0-1. In the second half, the unlucky Giovanna Vitale is taken off in favour of Olofsson, and on the right wing, Khedira can get a bit more active, almost setting up captain Teranen for a header - were it not for Jure Filipovic deflecting it over the bar. Dmitriev’s 2-0 after a corner does break the resistance of Dynamo, keeping the pressure on the other Sjoedrhavn team. And this team is dropping the ball against Lok Jarnstad, as Partisan just can’t beat a Gerik Knasmuller that plays out of this world. Despite 13 shots on goal, none make it past the Nepharan, while one of Lok’s seven attempts does get through to set back Partisan seven points compared to Admiral. In the last big name clash of the weekend, CASK Thorsborg vs. FK Torpedo Pawlograd devolves into a fast-paced back and forth that is tactically horrible, but highly entertaining - and features a spectacular goal, as Torpedo’s Anselmo Viera smacks a ball home with a volley from the edge of the box.

Matchday 19
FK Sjoedrhavn 0–1 Lokomotive Jarnstad
RLSK Pawlograd 2–1 Mir Nestrovo
Libertas Bergheim 2–1 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
Admiral Storevik 7–2 ESK Storevik
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 1–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 0–0 Traktor St. Andrei
Energie Thorsborg 3–1 AFK Savojagrad
Dynamo Novaya Russica 2–2 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
ASK Landsmark 2–5 CASK Thorsborg

Double Derbytime again - and the goals just keep coming. CASK Thorsborg travel to Landsmark with the intention of not just beating ASK, but truly humiliating them; they succeed with four goals in the first half and a whirlwind of offence. Hartikainen finds Jeraväinen for the 1-0; then, Smolov dances past Gusev and lets Jacobsson look like a schoolboy. The goal of the game, however, is Jonsson’s 4-0, a brilliant shot into the top left corner from seventeen metres. ASK come back to 1-4 and later to 2-5, but it won’t be more than a meagre attempt at saving their honour. ESK Storevik, in the Storevik Derby, has a completely different issue; they just full on fall apart with Isabelle Christian suspended and Sölva Ylsdottir injured after fifteen minutes. With no central midfield starters left, ESK struggle to keep Patrik Brygg in check, and in consequence also Admiral’s offence. They’re already solidly ahead in the second half with a 2-4 lead when a cynical foul by an outmatched Andersen results in yet another central midfielder gone as it’s his second yellow, resulting in a man advantage for Admiral that they convert into three more goals. Finally, Libertas, struggling thus far with a middling performance, are setting down an exclamation mark against Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, pulling apart the police side for a brilliantly played out goal by Kaja Eller in the second half, and a tap-in by Sandoval sixteen minutes later to turn a 1–0 lead for Dynamo at half time into a 2-1 victory. An important injection of points for a struggling side with IFCF ambitions.

Matchday 20
Lokomotive Jarnstad 0–2 Dynamo Novaya Russica
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 0–0 Energie Thorsborg
AFK Savojagrad 1–0 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Traktor St. Andrei 0–1 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–0 ASK Landsmark
ESK Storevik 7–0 Libertas Bergheim
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 1–0 RLSK Pawlograd
Mir Nestrovo 6–3 FK Sjoedrhavn
CASK Thorsborg 4–1 Admiral Storevik

CASK aim to finally end the win streak of their old rivals Admiral, and they do so in convincing fashion. Flying high on their victory over ASK, the army side push forward relentlessly and patch up their defensive difficulties in the past by simply never letting Admiral play the game. Jeraväinen scores early on, and after half an hour, Jekaterina Smolov uses a tiny bit of space to beat Filipovic with a strong shot. Hope briefly comes back as Birkir Evaldsson’s shot rebounds off Anttakari, but is not cleared; Kolbeinnsson taps the ball in. It’s not enough, though, as Hartikainen circles a cross right onto Jeraväinen’s head shortly after for the 3-1; Sauthier finishes off the game. ESK Storevik strike back for the humiliation of last week as they tear apart Libertas Bergheim, who never find a way of controlling Lipa Kuznetsov. The right winger scores two goals and assists two more; Lajunen and Guweddeko also note two goals as Libertas’ defence string together mistake after mistake. Even more goals, albeit more evenly distributed, fall in Nestrovo, where promotee Mir battle last season’s promotee FK Sjoedrhavn in a back and forth that is decided in the second half. Ragnar Jorinen is the big man, nabbing a hattrick; alongside him, Oftedahl and Nurjalainen are both managing to shine with dangerous passes. Finally, Polina Ostapenko gets the honours of the sixth goal, the first one in the SFS A for the 21 year old.

Matchday 21
Mir Nestrovo 1–3 Lokomotive Jarnstad
RLSK Pawlograd 4–1 ESK Storevik
Libertas Bergheim 1–1 CASK Thorsborg
Admiral Storevik 2–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
ASK Landsmark 1–1 Traktor St. Andrei
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 0–1 AFK Savojagrad
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 0–3 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
Energie Thorsborg 1–0 Dynamo Novaya Russica
FK Sjoedrhavn 1–1 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn

The small Sjoedrhavn derby of FK vs Dynamo may not be nearly as impactful on the table as the Partisan-Dynamo one, nor does it carry the same glamour, but it holds massive sway in a city that loves the struggling underdog FKS. In a packed out Stadsstadion, they do show their best, playing a scrappy, uncomfortable game that forces Dynamo to play the kind of football FK excel at. Liljeström underscores ambitions with a ruthless (but fair) tackle onto Vitale just a few minutes in, and Martiainen is almost personally shadowing Khedira. On the other end, Kristina Halvert is the standout player, first setting up captain Hrolfr Bjarnason to narrowly miss the first big chance of the game, and then scoring herself after a beautiful cut to the middle that lets her score on Mookie Danube. But the scrambling and scrapping isn’t enough for a derby victory; in the second half, Wallace Pickton escapes the young Simon Ronnberg for a moment and uses it to set up Teranen in the centre, who uses all his experience to beat Helmsgaard. The third Sjoedrhavn side catches its footing again in the chase for the title, as Partisan defeat SVV resoundingly with 3-0 thanks to two goals by Lapanen. A note goes out, however, to substitute Jelena Tretjakov, who replaces the double scorer in a shift to more defensive play: With four minutes to go, she chips a ball over SVV’s Lokarenko, only to retrieve it herself and hang it into the top corner for the 0-3. Finally, RLSK Pawlograd show signs of life after a dreadful first half of the season, as Lehtonen, Litmanen, Hakeson and Uljakov all score within the second half to turn a 0-1 at half time into a 4-1 victory over ESK Storevik in an important step away from the bottom of the table.

Matchday 22
Lokomotive Jarnstad 0–0 Energie Thorsborg
Dynamo Novaya Russica 0–1 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
AFK Savojagrad 1–2 ASK Landsmark
Traktor St. Andrei 3–1 Admiral Storevik
FK Metall Jarnstad 4–2 Libertas Bergheim
CASK Thorsborg 4–0 RLSK Pawlograd
ESK Storevik 1–2 FK Sjoedrhavn
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 1–2 Mir Nestrovo
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 3–3 FK Torpedo Pawlograd

Partisan, full of confidence after their clear victory over SVV, are teeming at the chance to take three points off Admiral’s lead after the former stumble in St. Andrei on Saturday. Even though their task on Sunday night is a tough one with Torpedo, the Partisans are storming out of the gate with three dangerous chances in the first ten minutes, and Alvesen converts one of them with a tap from eight metres. Then, right as the game starts to cool down, Traudl Mrdja cuts inside out of nowhere and gets a long pass by Boissonault, takes aim, and slots it into the bottom right corner unstoppably for Sergei Sharin. Torpedo risk being wiped off the field, but find some path back as a foul in the midfield allows Orakhin to play a long ball into the box, where Tuomioja heads it past Virulainen. Still, the pressure lies with Partisan, and they add another goal in the second half as Poulsen makes a late run perfectly timed for Aarsoy’s cross, resulting in a 3-1 lead. But Torpedo never give up, and with seventeen minutes left on the clock, Hedenberg and Viera find gaps within six minutes to score two goals for a draw. Up in Jarnstad, FK Metall find a rare offensive break: Against Libertas, shutting down the centre with Amilaga’s great defensive performance and an inspired Lovisa Mortensson provides them with ample counter chances that they can put up a 3-1 lead in the first half. Despite Libertas’ pushback, the game ends 4-2, with the first SFS A goal for Nadia Oshchenko coming off a standard. Elsewhere, Dynamo stumble over yet another relegation candidate: After a 1-1 at FKS, they now struggle with a lazy, but solid look against Mir Nestrovo, only to lose to a last minute goal as an overlap by youngster Roman Pavlenko ends with a long ball to Norderberg, who runs decidedly faster than Linne Kjaer and puts it past Danube for the 1-2.

Matchday 23
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 3–1 Lokomotive Jarnstad
Mir Nestrovo 1–3 ESK Storevik
FK Sjoedrhavn 1–1 CASK Thorsborg
RLSK Pawlograd 1–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
Admiral Storevik 0–0 AFK Savojagrad
ASK Landsmark 0–3 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 1–0 Dynamo Novaya Russica
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 0–1 Energie Thorsborg
Libertas Bergheim 2–1 Traktor St. Andrei

Traktor St. Andrei are struggling this season despite what should have been a strong team on paper, but they are marred by an unfortunate string of injury, bad luck, and inconsistent performances. With a surprising victory over leaders Admiral in their pockets, Traktor travel to Bergheim to get some more points against another team that struggles with consistency. Their duel is fluid, attacking, and spectacular; chances are coming on both sides. Justiina Tapio manages to just about prevent a dangerous pass across the box for a tap-in by Eller; on the other side, Vithoulkas has the 0-1 all but bagged up before she sends it over the bar from ten metres. Five minutes later, the Nephar makes up as she withstands a charge from Racic and converts the chance. However, after a mistake by Witchstone - rumoured to be shortly before receiving her Savojar passport - Arkanin and Wen’s quick one-two combinations bring them into the box, where they get Sandoval to join for the equaliser before the break. The game remains high-paced and offensive, but after a good hour, the scales tip to Libertas as Trout crosses to joker Valentina Jubkin to score from an angle. Much less spectacularly, but much more impactfully, AFK Savojagrad face Admiral Storevik with a defensive setup, opting to send out both Zyukov and Larsson in the central midfield and leave out their usual playmaker, with Ulkanen serving as a hanging striker to Serebrjakov’s point. It works splendidly in shutting down the leaders, and in the final parts of the game, replacing Serebrjakov with defender Perkkanen, they show they are perfectly happy to get one point away at Admiral - and they get it, letting Partisan close the gap a little bit.

Matchday 24
Lokomotive Jarnstad 1–1 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Energie Thorsborg 0–1 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Dynamo Novaya Russica 1–0 ASK Landsmark
AFK Savojagrad 5–0 Libertas Bergheim
Traktor St. Andrei 0–0 RLSK Pawlograd
FK Metall Jarnstad 1–0 FK Sjoedrhavn
CASK Thorsborg 3–0 Mir Nestrovo
ESK Storevik 1–0 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 1–1 Admiral Storevik

Five points separate the top two as Admiral travel to Sjoedrhavn to face their first pursuitors Partisan. Both teams come out in full force, and both opt for routine on the contested left back position. It seems to pay off for Admiral, who manage to shut down Traudl Mrdja by letting her be almost man-marked by Lavrov; on the other side, Thorvaldsson can’t quite keep Leopold in check and has to watch as the Nepharan winger sets up Nichajev. However, Virulainen clears with a hearty jump forward. On the other end, the focus on Mrdja gives Johane Boissonault space to overlap; the Quebecois crosses the ball in to Alvesen and celebrates the leading goal. It clearly gives Parti a boost, but Filipovic and Dmitriev are controlling the offensive waves well, clearing many crosses and breaking up dangerous passes. In the second half, Admiral do end up with a stroke of luck as a ball bounces on the hand of Erland Jespersen, resulting in a penalty converted by veteran Sabine Montag. This draw helps mostly CASK Thorsborg, who defeat Mir Nestrovo relatively unchallenged thanks to two early goals by Smolov and Jonsson; the Thorsborgers are closing the gap to Partisan to a single point. Finally, Libertas, in facing AFK Savojagrad, flip the wrong side of the coin this time. Not much fits together offensively, and with Dino Racic missing for a yellow card he got against Traktor, the side’s defence is not as stable as it used to be. In frustration, Ejnar Balle manages to get himself sent off to make matters worse, and the side collapses as Bar, Hjort, Serebrjakov, and Levin score en route to a trouncing 5-0 for the Academics.

Matchday 25
ESK Storevik 0–1 Lokomotive Jarnstad
Mir Nestrovo 1–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
FK Sjoedrhavn 1–1 Traktor St. Andrei
RLSK Pawlograd 2–3 AFK Savojagrad
Libertas Bergheim 1–3 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
Admiral Storevik 2–1 Dynamo Novaya Russica
ASK Landsmark 1–0 Energie Thorsborg
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 2–1 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 2–2 CASK Thorsborg

Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, scrambling to keep touch with the IFCF spots, are receiving third-placed CASK Thorsborg in a bit to make up some space. Their key players Khedira and Pickton are both in shape, as demonstrated thirteen minutes in with the Euran leaving Loeseth behind and crossing to his Quebecois teammate, who scores past a not entirely good looking Larsen. But CASK strike back hard twenty minutes later. A deflected cross attempt by Hartikainen leads to a corner that Heikki Aho converts to the equaliser; and only six minutes later, Jonsson launches off Vaitanen, who has the presence of mind to pass to Jeraväinen for an empty net. Dynamo are chasing a goal again, but they don’t stop pressuring even after a goal by Teranen is called off for off-side. With only eleven minutes to go, Alissar Phoen redeems the effort as the Chromatik midfielder takes a ball past Aho, takes a step to let Vikborg get out of position, and smashes it home past Larsen. The two other top teams are fulfilling expectations, with Admiral celebrating a lazy but safe victory at home over Dynamo Novaya Russica, and Partisan defeating Libertas thanks to a gala from Traudl Mrdja in the second half. The results change nothing among them but set CASK back a little bit again. Finally, in a heated relegation battle featuring eleven yellow cards - two of them to Metall’s Minna Lagerkvist - Mir Nestrovo manage an important late goal to secure a victory. Kristoffersen manages to cross a ball to veteran Ragnar Jorinen, who doesn’t pass up the chance and secures the win for Mir.

Matchday 26
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 0–1 ASK Landsmark
Energie Thorsborg 0–0 Admiral Storevik
Dynamo Novaya Russica 1–0 Libertas Bergheim
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 2–1 RLSK Pawlograd
AFK Savojagrad 1–2 FK Sjoedrhavn
Traktor St. Andrei 2–1 Mir Nestrovo
FK Metall Jarnstad 1–0 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
CASK Thorsborg 0–0 ESK Storevik
Lokomotive Jarnstad 1–0 FK Torpedo Pawlograd

FK Torpedo Pawlograd are fourth, while Lok are fifth, just one point behind, before they host the Pawlograders in the Stadion SJ. The duel of the two is a clash of styles, with Torpedo’s vast offence running into Lok’s defensive stability; and it’s the latter who wins out clearly as they entirely disconnect Victor Hedenberg from the game. Anselmo Viera is neutralised by Arnason, who uses the won balls he gets for quick counters; Torpedo are increasingly frustrated as time goes on and continue attacking violently. After sixty-eight minutes, finally, the defence breaks - but on the other side. Adrian Klaebo’s long ball to the right flank is underestimated by Meranen, and Oleg Trikhichev is up and away, breezing past the helping Stepanek to beat Sharin on the counter. Admiral Storevik, travelling to Thorsborg to face Energie, stumble again in a tense and heated battle, with both sides having a goal disallowed over the course of the game and Admiral defender Jevgeni Kuzkin almost getting himself sent off over a heated discussion, first with Damjan Emin and then with referee Oleg Antonenko. Despite Kuzkin managing to stay on the field with a stern warning and a yellow card, the team can’t get past a 0-0, shortening the gap up top as Partisan beat RLSK Pawlograd.

by **Savojarna** » Sun Dec 26, 2021 11:25 am

SFS A Season 14 - Part 4/4

Matchday 27
ESK Storevik 2–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 6–0 Traktor St. Andrei
Mir Nestrovo 0–2 AFK Savojagrad
FK Sjoedrhavn 1–2 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
RLSK Pawlograd 2–0 Dynamo Novaya Russica
Libertas Bergheim 1–0 Energie Thorsborg
Admiral Storevik 2–0 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
ASK Landsmark 0–2 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
CASK Thorsborg 0–0 Lokomotive Jarnstad

The two sides duelling each other for third place, with some vague hopes of perhaps challenging Partisan, face off directly in Thorsborg on Sunday night. CASK are dominating the game, controlling possession, and netting twice as many shots on goal in the first half, but it just won’t result in a goal as Gerik Knasmuller has the match of his life. He denies both Sauthier and Jeraväinen from close range, and punches out a dangerous cross from Zeperin, but he can’t stop Smolov’s 1v1… were it not for an off-side call that is upheld by video, to the discontent of the audience. In the second half, Lok come into the match a bit better, and Rawic gets the golden bullet seventy minutes in, but is stopped by Larsen. The match results in a scoreless draw that doesn’t really help either side. In a tight midfield race for the IFCF spots, Libertas net a massive victory as a long, fluid combination of ten passes involving four different players ends on the left wing with Liam Trout, who lays it back to Eller… who lets the ball through, for a completely open Wen Xiaohui to score. The 1-0 is a spectacular goal that propels Libertas back into IFCF contention. Another capital victory goes to RLSK Pawlograd, who face relegation competitor Dynamo Novaya Russica, and secure a victory thanks to a Serge Tempest double. The goals set them ahead of DNR and eight points clear of direct relegation, giving the Pawlograd side some much needed breathing room.

Matchday 28
Lokomotive Jarnstad 1–0 ASK Landsmark
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 1–2 Libertas Bergheim
Energie Thorsborg 1–0 RLSK Pawlograd
Dynamo Novaya Russica 0–1 FK Sjoedrhavn
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 1–0 Mir Nestrovo
AFK Savojagrad 1–1 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
Traktor St. Andrei 3–4 ESK Storevik
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–3 CASK Thorsborg
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 2–4 Admiral Storevik

The Navy Derby is everything: A tense rivalry match, a game with high stakes for both teams in the table, and a clash of aggressive teams looking to win. Admiral are pressing high today, trying to cut off the dangerous Torpedo Trident, but any mistake immediately results in chances for the trio. Consequently, Hedenberg scores the 1-0 on a counter, but a header by Dmitriev after a corner and a shot from the edge of the box scored by Evaldsson reverse the score. Torpedo manage to equalise again with a spectacular goal, as Orakhin is pulled down by Evaldsson 25 metres ahead of the goal and Patrik Paasio twists the ball into the goal directly; but in the late phase of the game, Admiral gain the upper hand. Joker Kolbeinnsson scores with a sly, poaching goal; and with five minutes to go, Jzeovak Vladcik escapes his coverage and beats Sharin again in a defence of Admiral’s lead. Elsewhere, ESK and Traktor manage one goal more, as the two battle it out in an offensive spectacle before Isabelle Christian plays a splendid long ball to Eddie Guweddeko, allowing the Quebecois to score the winner. In the relegation fight, FK Sjoedrhavn face Dynamo Novaya Russica in a crucial match, and the team from the capital manages to snatch the win thanks to Mikkel Stjerne. The right winger carries the ball down his side of the pitch with a spectacular run and a one-two with Halvert, before setting up Irina Mijatov for what must have been one of the easiest goals of her career - but no less important, as it secures FK Sjoedrhavn a crucial win against a direct competitor that closes the gap to the relegation playoffs to three points.

Matchday 29
FK Metall Jarnstad 1–0 Lokomotive Jarnstad
CASK Thorsborg 1–2 Traktor St. Andrei
ESK Storevik 1–3 AFK Savojagrad
Mir Nestrovo 0–3 Dynamo Novaya Russica
Admiral Storevik 0–1 ASK Landsmark
FK Sjoedrhavn 1–0 Energie Thorsborg
RLSK Pawlograd 0–1 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Libertas Bergheim 4–3 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 1–1 Partisan Sjoedrhavn

All attention lies on a Sjoedrhavn Derby that, after Admiral lost to ASK Landsmark on Saturday night, could allow Partisan to tie for the lead. Although Admiral would still lead on account of goal difference, it would be a massive step - which Dynamo, unsurprisingly, want to deny their local rivals. The start of the game is tense and cagey, with twenty minutes until the first real chance, a shot by Vitale that goes wide. Then, halfway through the first half, the stadium falls silent in shock as Poulsen takes aim from nineteen metres… and hits the crossbar. The game cools down again for a while, before out of nowhere, a ball lands on the foot of Traudl Mrdja, who uses all her talisman skills to score out of the blue and set things up for a Partisan party. However, Dynamo are not easily beaten and come back stronger in the second half, resulting in a cross by Pickton that Teranen gets on goal, but is deflected to a corner. Veteran Nick Hoyberg brings out his heading strength one more time to tie the game off the bench, thwarting Partisan’s hope to end the day as SFS A leaders. In Jarnstad, Lok also receive a setback in a derby, running into FK Metall’s defence for eighty minutes hopelessly, after Roman Kanarin scored an early goal to set Metall ahead. A frustrated Lok squad goes off the pitch hopelessly after 14 shots on goal did not yield a single score for the favourites. Finally, in Nestrovo, Dynamo Novaya Russica slowly and methodically pick Mir apart. Goals by Sandrajev, Norby, and Shapovalov result in a win for Novaya Russica, and in relegation for Mir Nestrovo, who end their SFS A season 16 points behind the relegation playoff spot, with only five games to go.

Matchday 30
ASK Landsmark 0–1 Libertas Bergheim
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 1–0 RLSK Pawlograd
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 3–2 FK Sjoedrhavn
Energie Thorsborg 0–1 Mir Nestrovo
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 1–0 ESK Storevik
Dynamo Novaya Russica 0–2 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
AFK Savojagrad 1–2 CASK Thorsborg
Traktor St. Andrei 2–2 FK Metall Jarnstad
Lokomotive Jarnstad 1–0 Admiral Storevik

The signs are reversed from the last week: This time, it’s Partisan who play on Saturday, and their victory over ESK thanks to an Ola Lapanen goal sets them ahead on the table, meaning that Admiral need to at least draw Lok away in order to retake the lead. The Storevikers have to do without a suspended Robin Oakes, leaving Laila Olsen on the field, and also without the injured Patrik Brygg, leaving the weight on the shoulders of Sabine Montag for one last stretch of games. It seems to hinder them, as Montag can’t match the speed of Anna Guweddeko and Adrian Klaebo anymore. Klaebo shows defensive prowess to go along with his deep playmaker role, and sprays balls everywhere, leading to dangerous chances interrupted only by Evaldsson’s good positioning and Dmitriev’s aerial strength. However, Laila Olsen is the one to make an unfortunate mistake in an otherwise splendid match; the centre-back lets Rawic slip upon a long ball by Klaebo, and unsurprisingly, the striker scores. With no goal to return, Admiral lose 1-0 and have to pass up the lead to Partisan by a single point. In Pawlograd, RLSK frustrate Torpedo for seventy-six minutes, before a solo by joker Vilborg Asthorsdottir punches through RLSK’s defence and yields a cross to Hedenberg, who scores the lone goal of the game that defends Torpedo’s IFCF spot. With Kaja Eller securing Libertas three points in Landsmark, and Dynamo Sjoedrhavn resoundingly winning the Dynamo Derby, the points are direly needed, as the Pawlograders hold on to fifth place with two points in hand on both teams.

Matchday 31
Traktor St. Andrei 0–6 Lokomotive Jarnstad
FK Metall Jarnstad 2–0 AFK Savojagrad
ESK Storevik 2–0 Dynamo Novaya Russica
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 0–1 Energie Thorsborg
Mir Nestrovo 2–0 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
FK Sjoedrhavn 0–1 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
RLSK Pawlograd 1–1 ASK Landsmark
Libertas Bergheim 1–1 Admiral Storevik
CASK Thorsborg 5–3 Partisan Sjoedrhavn

CASK host Partisan, probably out of any competition but still wanting to overtake Lok for third place out of pride. On the other side, Partisan need three points to maintain their lead, fighting to defend their championship. It starts out decently well for the Sjoedrhaveners as Steinar Aarsoy finds Poulsen, who scores the first goal with a late run. Then, however, CASK take over: Smolov dances past a slightly too slow Lozen Pironev, who catches the striker with his shoulder, giving up a penalty that is converted coldly, before Janna Sauthier manages to get the better of Antonov and scores the 2-1. Before the break, Alvesen equalises, but the game won’t progress from 2-2 before half-time. Then, however, CASK come out stronger. The Thorsborgers score thanks to Jeraväinen’s header to take the lead back; before the first half hour is over, CASK lead 4-2 after a corner is converted by Aho. Partisan can’t do more than close the gap to one, and after Vaitanen finishes a smooth counter, the game ends at 5-3 for the hosts. However, Partisan’s hopes are saved by a late goal from Denis Arkanin, which secures Libertas Bergheim a draw against Admiral. The results leave Admiral and Partisan tied for first, with the Storevikers having the lead on goal difference. A nod also goes out to Bogdan Rawic, scoring a hattrick in Lok’s demolition of Traktor St. Andrei and taking the award of the Man of the Matchday with ease.

Matchday 32
Admiral Storevik 0–0 RLSK Pawlograd
ASK Landsmark 0–0 FK Sjoedrhavn
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 1–3 Mir Nestrovo
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 1–1 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
Energie Thorsborg 0–6 ESK Storevik
Dynamo Novaya Russica 2–2 CASK Thorsborg
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 0–1 FK Metall Jarnstad
AFK Savojagrad 1–3 Traktor St. Andrei
Lokomotive Jarnstad 2–2 Libertas Bergheim

Lokomotive Jarnstad against Libertas Bergheim is a classic of the SFS, and it delivers a spectacular game as the Libertas midfield four are much better equipped to deal with Lok’s centre than they were in the past. A crucial blunder by Roy Coyner lets Eller appear alone in front of the goal, and the striker doesn’t hesitate to take the lead. However, Lok are no slouches either, and surfing on his high, Rawic finishes another counter with the equaliser before almost taking the lead himself, but Dino Racic thwarts the attempt with a late block. Still, Ivan Grivoshenko manages to bring Lok ahead again after a 40 metre pass by Adrian Klaebo and a smooth inswing that leaves Balle in the dust. The offensive power of Libertas doesn’t let them down, however; Wen Xiaohui and Denis Arkanin’s combination finishes with the Yuezhou midfielder scoring the last goal of the game to top off a spectacular draw. In the title race, both teams stumble. Partisan run into the defence of Metall for ninety minutes, with Ubelteso Amilaga and Eir Bjarnfinnursdottir standing out as the solid rocks of the Jarnstaders. Admiral fare marginally better, as they at least don’t concede a goal; however, they too fail to score, with Nichajev coming closest as his shot grazes the post but misses. The Storevikers now lead by one point again, with CASK and Lok tied five behind them and only with a theoretical chance to the title.

Matchday 33
AFK Savojagrad 0–2 Lokomotive Jarnstad
Traktor St. Andrei 0–4 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
FK Metall Jarnstad 1–0 Dynamo Novaya Russica
CASK Thorsborg 1–0 Energie Thorsborg
ESK Storevik 1–1 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 2–0 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Mir Nestrovo 2–1 ASK Landsmark
FK Sjoedrhavn 3–3 Admiral Storevik
RLSK Pawlograd 2–1 Libertas Bergheim

One week before the end of the championship, things have turned: Admiral Storevik play an FK Sjoedrhavn side that is at the verge of relegation and does everything to avoid disaster. They desperately come back twice after Nichajev and Leopold set Admiral ahead; refusing to die, FKS help their local rivals who, at that time, lead Traktor 0-3 after a horrendous performance of left back Darya Macar leaves Mrdja free reign on her wing. Admiral’s hopes are dashed even more ten minutes after the restart, as Liljeström’s cross flies over the heads of Bjarnason and Halvert, as well as Dmitriev and Filipovic… to land on the foot of the overlapping Mikkel Stjerne, who gives them the lead for the first time in this game. Admiral now risk being down two points for the finale, but manage to claw themselves back as a visibly exhausted Sabine Montag, still filling in for a recovered but strained Patrik Brygg, takes aim from 21 metres to slot a free kick into the net. Important things also happen in the IFCF race, where Dynamo Sjoedrhavn - down five points on fifth-placed Torpedo - receive the Pawlograders for a direct duel, and win 2-0 thanks to Mohamed Khedira’s banging shot from the edge of the box and a Wallace Pickton solo that ends with a pass that Phoen only has to tap into the goal. With the gap shortened, we are in for an exciting finale next week on both ends of the table.

Matchday 34 Preview
On top, the race is extremely tight: Partisan Sjoedrhavn lead the pack, but only one point ahead of rivals Admiral. The defending champions play at home against AFK Savojagrad, and will need a victory to secure the championship. Admiral play at home as well, facing relegated Mir Nestrovo, and are expected to win handily; the Storevikers also take the better goal difference into the last match, meaning that a tie will be broken in Admiral’s favour.

Partisan Sjoedrhavn are champions if:

they score as many or more points than Admiral Storevik

Admiral Storevik are champions if:

they score at least one more point than Partisan Sjoedrhavn

Behind them, Lok and CASK have only theoretical chances for the Champions League, and secured their IFCF spots; the fifth spot, however, is in contention among three teams. FK Torpedo hold the pole position, placed fifth with two points in hand, but with a worse goal difference, meaning they need a win at home against ESK Storevik to be sure of their fortune. Behind them, Dynamo Sjoedrhavn play ASK Landsmark away; down two points but with goal differential on their side, Dynamo have to win. Only theoretical chances can be given to Libertas Bergheim, playing a home match against FK Sjoedrhavn, who will make a desperate last stand to avoid relegation. They need a win and some lucky results ahead to get a chance, being down nine goals in goal differential - and requiring a high victory as well as clear losses to both competitors.

FK Torpedo Pawlograd qualify for IFCF if:

they beat ESK Storevik
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn do not win

Dynamo Sjoedrhavn qualify for IFCF if:

they beat ASK Landsmark and FK Torpedo do not win against ESK Storevik

In the relegation battle, ASK Landsmark are realistically saved from direct relegation, but have to fear the relegation playoffs if they lose points to Dynamo Sjoedrhavn. Dynamo Novaya Russica currently occupy the relegation playoff spot, facing Traktor at home. A win for the Russicans would put them over ASK if the Landsmarkers don’t win themselves, as DNR are one point behind with the better goal difference. An uphill battle will be present for FK Sjoedrhavn: Playing Libertas away, they need a win to pass DNR and secure themselves a chance in the relegation playoffs; should Novaya Russica draw or win against Traktor, they are doomed to return to the B.

Matchday 34

The conditions are fine in Sjoedrhavn as Partisan receive AFK Savojagrad: cold for the time of the year at 11°C, but dry and with little wind. It’s different in Storevik, where it’s only 5°C in a drizzle and a healthy sea breeze, a rough welcome for Mir Nestrovo’s final SFS A game. The welcome doesn’t get any less rough as it only takes eleven minutes for the recovered Patrik Brygg to send Palina Leopold on a deep, deep run and let her score the 1-0 with Pavlenko unable to react in time. Clearly, Mir Nestrovo are out of their depth with Admiral’s determination and force, resulting in another goal twenty-three minutes in as Pär Lillegard lets a wet and slippery ball slip over his foot, and Berger immediately finds Nichajev to set Admiral ahead 2-0. That means pressure in Sjoedrhavn, where Partisan are fighting AFK Savojagrad to a standstill - which would currently mean losing the title by a single point. Then, with injury time already indicated for the first half, Aarsoy breaks through after a long ball from Poulsen, cuts in, makes contact with Saparinen, and goes down. Ivan Asagin immediately points to the penalty mark, despite the agitated protests of Niina Saparinen and captain Kevin Nordmark, indicating video review - the penalty stands, and Morten Poulsen scores it. Elsewhere, in the IFCF race, Torpedo hold a scoreless draw while Libertas and Dynamo are both ahead, increasing the pressure on the Pawlograders.

Standings at half time:
1. PAR 65 / 2. ADM 64 / … / 5. DSJ 52 / 6. TOR 52 / 7. LIB 49

In the second half, things pick up in Sjoedrhavn first, with Natalja Levin proving why AFK spent over a million on her, taking the ball off Aarsoy and leaving Thorvaldsson in the dust before crossing to Ilja Serebrjakov for the 1-1. With the score equal, Partisan are back in second place, and Admiral quickly cement things as Erkalainen scores the third goal. Within a few minutes, it looks even worse for Partisan: Machua Cronin’s tackle on Bar is called a foul, and the long ball by Milvonen prolonged perfectly by Sundqvist to land in the net. Silence engulfs the Stadion Perl Kruger, as Partisan are now in serious trouble, requiring two goals to keep their title. In this moment, not even Robin Norderberg’s 1-3 can do anything to lift spirits, as nobody seriously believes in the relegated Nestrovo reversing the score. Partisan dominate the game, pushing back AFK Savojagrad, but they just can’t punch through as Kevin Nordmark plays a great match, and Lyn Townsend shows off all her experience in holding back Traudl Mrdja. Cronin, having caused the free kick to set off calamity, launches a ball forward that finds Aarsoy, and from there, Alvesen; the striker converts for the 2-2, but it is still not enough. Unable to overcome Nordmark another time, Partisan see the title hattrick slip from their fingers, resulting in a draw that has Admiral win the championship for the first time in seven years. Behind them, Dynamo maintain their lead over ASK Landsmark, and with Torpedo not only drawing, but even conceding in the second half, they are snatcing the last IFCF spot away from Torpedo.

Final standings

SFS A Season 14 - Final Standings
   Savojar Football Serien A  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Admiral Storevik            34   18  10   6    67   31  +36    64
 2 Partisan Sjoedrhavn         34   18   9   7    56   35  +21    63
 3 CASK Thorsborg              34   17  10   7    62   38  +24    61
 4 Lokomotive Jarnstad         34   16  10   8    43   20  +23    58
 5 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn           34   14  10  10    58   30  +28    52
 6 FK Torpedo Pawlograd        34   14   9  11    44   43   +1    51
 7 Libertas Bergheim           34   14   9  11    46   52   −6    51
 8 ESK Storevik                34   13   9  12    50   45   +5    48
 9 Energie Thorsborg           34   13   9  12    39   42   −3    48
10 AFK Savojagrad              34   12  10  12    47   41   +6    46
11 FK Metall Jarnstad          34   12   7  15    19   27   −8    43
12 Savojars Vinge Virkaja      34   12   5  17    38   51  −13    41
13 Traktor St. Andrei          34    9  14  11    44   58  −14    41
14 RLSK Pawlograd              34   10  10  14    33   35   −2    40
15 Dynamo Novaya Russica       34   10   7  17    24   34  −10    37
16 ASK Landsmark               34    9   8  17    23   43  −20    35
17 FK Sjoedrhavn               34    8   8  18    36   64  −28    32
18 Mir Nestrovo                34    8   4  22    40   80  −40    28

by **Savojarna** » Wed Jan 05, 2022 3:26 am

SFS Season 14: Lower Leagues and Awards

SFS A Awards

Team of the Season (4-3-3)
GK: Gerik Knasmuller (LOK)
DF: Louise Barton (DSJ), Dmitri Dmitriev (ADM), Tristana Palsdottir (LOK), Flemming Skov (ADM)
MF: Adrian Klaebo (LOK), Arianna Berger (ADM), Morten Poulsen (PAR)
ST: Kimi Hartikainen (CASK), Traudl Mrdja (PAR), Palina Leopold (ADM)

SFS A Season 14 Top scorer
Jekaterina Smolov (CASK, 20 goals)
Victor Hedenberg (TOR, 19)
Palina Leopold (ADM, 17)
Ola Lapanen (PAR, 17)
Mohamed Khedira (DSJ, 16)

SFS A Season 14 MVP
Palina Leopold (Admiral Storevik)

SFS A Season 14 Best Goalkeeper
Gerik Knasmuller (Lokomotive Jarnstad)

SFS B

Standings after Matchday 34
   SFS B                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Landsmarks Industrie    34   19   7   8    63   34  +29    64
 2 Rotor Värstjö           34   18   6  10    51   35  +16    60
 3 Framfarir Kjefla        34   16  10   8    56   40  +16    58
 4 SK Cuprum Grennvik      34   15  11   8    45   27  +18    56
 5 Navigator Jaromirgrad   34   15   9  10    50   44   +6    54
 6 Transport Hovikkära     34   14  11   9    30   26   +4    53
 7 Metsuri Virkaja         34   15   6  13    29   27   +2    51
 8 FK Odin Kjaershavn      34   14   8  12    39   34   +5    50
 9 Elektron Harkka         34   15   4  15    40   46   −6    49
10 Norrhavn FK             34   13   6  15    34   33   +1    45
11 Valdhavn IF             34   12   9  13    33   36   −3    45
12 Motor Johansborg        34   13   6  15    36   50  −14    45
13 Polar Grundviken        34   12   7  15    30   38   −8    43
14 Nemstvo SK              34   12   6  16    35   45  −10    42
15 FK Chemie Frisks        34    8  13  13    23   32   −9    37
16 RAS St. Andrei          34    6  14  14    25   34   −9    32
17 Kallora IF              34    8   8  18    34   47  −13    32
18 Pawlograd Marina        34    7   7  20    25   50  −25    28

Relegation games:

Framfarir Kjefla (SFS B) 3-4 ASK Landsmark (SFS A) (1-2, 2-2)
EU Storevik (Nationalligaen) 3-1 RAS St. Andrei (SFS B) (2-0, 1-1)

Landsmarks Industrie and Rotor Värstjö are promoted to the SFS A.
RAS St. Andrei, Kallora IF and Pawlograd Marina are relegated to the Nationalligaen.

Nationalligaen

Standings after Matchday 30
                           Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Partizan Yarkovo         30   17   8   5    47   27  +20    59
 2 Jarov Jarovsk            30   16   5   9    48   30  +18    53
 3 EU Storevik              30   15   8   7    48   41   +7    53
 4 Polar Grundviken         30   13  10   7    36   21  +15    49
 5 Industrie Hovikkära      30   13  10   7    24   16   +8    49
 6 Union Roopere            30   13   7  10    52   33  +19    46
 7 Sporting Järvonen        30   11  13   6    35   26   +9    46
 8 Agrar Jurka FK           30   10  13   7    30   28   +2    43
 9 Trollsheim Jarnsmän      30    9  10  11    39   44   −5    37
10 FK Perl Kruger Sandvik   30    8  11  11    22   32  −10    35
11 Tapparainen FK           30    8  10  12    33   43  −10    34
12 Norderhaven Drakken      30    9   6  15    16   23   −7    33
13 Jaromirgrad Union        30    7   9  14    16   25   −9    30
14 Imperial Storevik        30    7   8  15    18   32  −14    29
15 Bjurman Mävle            30    6  10  14    28   46  −18    28
16 FK Freya Grennvik        30    6   6  18    32   57  −25    24

Partizan Yarkovo, Jarov Jarovsk and EU Storevik are promoted to the SFS B.
FK Freya Grennvik and Bjurman Mävle are relegated to the Regional Division 1A.

Regional Division 1

Standings after Matchday 22
   Regional Division 1A          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Aurum Kjefla                   22   12   5   5    33   23  +10    41
 2 Juventus Bergheim              22   10   8   4    27   18   +9    38
 3 FK Vestermalm Thorsborg        22   10   5   7    27   22   +5    35
 4 RFK Storevik                   22    9   7   6    17   15   +2    34
 5 Victoria Haukkala              22    9   6   7    22   20   +2    33
 6 Thor Sejersheim                22    8   7   7    18   15   +3    31
 7 Virkaja 1914 FK                22    8   6   8    34   31   +3    30
 8 International Johnsberg        22    7   6   9    20   20    0    27
 9 Frisks IF "Admiral Grön"       22    7   6   9    21   23   −2    27
10 Hallsberga Vikingur            22    7   5  10    28   28    0    26
11 SK Marjanoli                   22    4  10   8    23   30   −7    22
12 SK Sjöveld                     22    4   3  15    22   47  −25    15

Standings after Matchday 22
   Regional Division 1B          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Narod Trepkov                  22   12   6   4    26   15  +11    42
 2 Birga IF                       22   11   6   5    19   11   +8    39
 3 Union Poljansk                 22   10   5   7    27   23   +4    35
 4 Nord-Sjoedrhavn FF             22    9   6   7    22   13   +9    33
 5 SK Ullström                    22    8   7   7    20   17   +3    31
 6 Virovsk St. Andrei             22    8   6   8    22   21   +1    30
 7 Grigori Kartjov FK St. Pjotr   22    7   7   8    22   26   −4    28
 8 Jon Palsson IF Ljörvik         22    5  11   6    13   16   −3    26
 9 Ostemkin Revolution            22    7   5  10     8   15   −7    26
10 Högvald FK                     22    5   9   8     9   13   −4    24
11 FF Parken Sjoedrhavn           22    5   9   8    11   19   −8    24
12 SFK Barjovo                    22    5   3  14    13   23  −10    18

Standings after Matchday 10
  Final Round              Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts                                
1 Juventus Bergheim         10    8   0   2    10    4   +6    24    —   1–0  1–0  1–0  1–0  1–3
2 FK Vestermalm Thorsborg   10    4   3   3    11    8   +3    15   0–1   —   1–1  1–0  1–0  0–0
3 Narod Trepkov             10    2   5   3    11   10   +1    11   0–1  0–0   —   1–1  1–1  4–3
4 Aurum Kjefla              10    3   2   5    14   14    0    11   0–1  1–4  1–1   —   2–1  3–4
5 Birga IF                  10    3   2   5     6    7   −1    11   1–0  0–1  1–0  0–1   —   2–0
6 Union Poljansk            10    3   2   5    14   23   −9    11   0–2  4–3  0–3  0–5  0–0   —

Promotion playoff (played during Final Round): Aurum Kjefla 2-2 Narod Trepkov (1-1, 1-1). Promotion is decided on final round position.

Juventus Bergheim and Narod Trepkov are promoted to Nationalligaen.
Thor Sejersheim are re-allocated to Regional Division 1B to maintain regional balance between groups.

by **Savojarna** » Sat Jan 22, 2022 6:59 am

SFS 15 Season Preview (Part 1/2)

Rotor Värstjö (Last season: SFS B 2.)

Origin and identity: Värstjö became the centre of the Savojar aircraft industry in the 1930s and formed a football team soon after due to the influx of workers. They were never successful, with their SFS 8 seventh place being an all-time record, but widely regarded in high esteem by neutrals. A union team from a smallish town in Vestrholm, they have been described as "suffering from a constant inferiority complex", but coped decently with it.
Tactics: They prioritise fast, creative play over the sides and typically use a strong playmaker to find their wingers or strikers and create chances. The defence is committed and usually rests on the backs of a few stable rocks that will make sure there are no major gaps for the opponent to exploit. A focus on youth players and speedy actors that can employ a press and counter quickly.
Key Players: Harald Barnerud in the midfield is the most experienced player of Rotor, captain of the team, and will be an important connector between the defence and the strikers. Ahead of him, Fridtjof Jansrud is an experienced playmaker that sees pressure from 20 year old new signing and former Energie supertalent Erik Skargaard; Karamasov is the cold poacher up front. Behind the duo, Albin Lindblom in goal commands a solid defence centered around Anders Hangren; Stroganov and Hemsberg will share playtime next to him. Kristina Halvert, formerly of FK Sjoedrhavn, has managed to keep herself in the SFS A by offering her multi-purpose skills to Rotor. The same can be said about Mir’s Julia Grysai in defensive midfield. A sort of dark horse in this squad is rightback Anna Svensson, an offensive-minded, skilled rightback that can play as a midfielder in a pinch, and will challenge the routined Tomas Herman.
Expectations: Surprisingly, Rotor’s team is older than usual, without many current talents as their strong year is not quite there yet. Rotor Värstjö are about to face a difficult season that could pay off in one or two years - if they can stave off relegation this season, which will be tough, although not impossible.

Stadium: Värstjös Samfunnetsstadion (capacity: 22’000)
Manager: Boris Nergaard (45)
Expected formation: 4-2-3-1
Transfers incoming: Erik Skargaard (OM, from Energie Thorsborg, 1.4 million NSD), Ida Hemsberg (CB, Savojars Vinge Virkaja, 0.8), Julia Grysai (DM, Mir Nestrovo, 0.75), Kristina Halvert (MS, FK Sjoedrhavn, 0.6) | Outgoing: Charlotte Pala (CB, to Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, 1.2 million NSD)

Landsmarks Industrie (SFS B Champions)

Origin and identity: A typical Savojar union of numerous local and union clubs, Industrie were established in 1919 by fusion of a number of local clubs, and hardly got past the midfield of the top flight. This side is historically known as an aggressive bunch of no-nonsense people. Popular in the city of Landsmark, with the surroundings supporting ASK. They are proud of their youth development and many of their players stick with the team for a long time, earning them praise from fans even if they may be mediocre at football.
Tactics: An often spectacular side that often may be less talented, but overcomes it with high pressure football. They emphasise speed and strength over talent, but often surprise. Aggressive pressing in two blocks of four is a given with this side, and they have a penchant for finding quick, dangerous, and highly efficient strikers that go on to play big roles at the club, or sometimes at other SFS A teams.
Key Players: Captain, legend, and one-club-man Gabriel Klinger, a heading monster and great pressing player, is by now probably too old to play main striker. John Bergquist and former Mir player Juri Novak are supposed to pick up the role from him, alongside youth talent Olsson. Erling Winther and Lillian Enevoldsen have once more been instrumental in the promotion of Industrie, but didn’t quite manage to succeed in the A last time; the latter was substituted with former Traktor left winger Matti Sundgren. Interesting will be the centre midfield, composed of a veteran in Namenkov (or Matrojev, if required) and one of two young players, Elsa Lund, who played a confident and reliable game in the B, and new signing and Farf amateur player Balázs Mészáros. The defence of this side is between pedestrian and shaky, with the only real shining player being Victoria Liljeström as a hard-working, intelligent leftback.
Expectations: They had shown a highly convincing performance in the B, but that has been the case before. Coming into an SFS A that is more and more competitive, they are going to be struggling, but they are likely to struggle in a way that might just turn out to be working out for them. Relegation avoidance is the only real goal, but it is an attainable one.

Stadium: Landsmarks Arbetarnas Stadion (capacity: 22’900)
Manager: Mika Aleksen (49)
Expected formation: 4-4-2
Transfers incoming: Johan Aagren (RB, Motor Johansborg, 0.9), Victoria Liljeström (LB, FK Sjoedrhavn, 0.6), Juri Novak (ST, Mir Nestrovo, 0.6), Matti Sundgren (LF, Traktor St. Andrei, 0.6), Balázs Mészáros (CM/FFD, Farfadillis amateur system, 0) | Outgoing: Antoni Valdenberg (RB, Traktor St. Andrei, 1.8), Henri Mortensson (ST, Metsuri Virkaja, 0.5)

ASK Landsmark (16.)

Origin and identity: Founded 1942 as a farm team for CASK, they got independent in the 1970s. Despite periodical success, they have largely been a mid-table team relying on a scrappy, defensive style of football to overcome their bigger rivals. As a state team with limited success, their fan base is sort of small and considered prone to bandwagoning, or abandoning the team in rougher times. Most people within the city support Landsmarks Industrie instead, considered much more of a “city team”.
Tactics: ASKL value hard work over technical brilliance. Tough defence and fast counter-attacks over the side are their key path to success. They operate a lot with long through balls from the midfield, and seek to find one of their killers up front. While the new coach, former U-21 coach Oleg Liparov, will bring in some changes, he is likely to keep the basics of the team the way it was before, especially given that his work at the U-21 was also heavily based on defence and stability.
Key Players: Iiro Pakanen. The Savojarna national team goalkeeper returned from Banija to this side, bolstering an already solid defence led by Delaclavan Valentin Gusev. Next to him, Sven Vikarby could not be held, but has been swapped with Partisan, in favour of Jens Carlsen. Up ahead, ASK stand and fall with an aging central midfield, Eve Lovelace playing the role of the general and shuttler and Gavax-Nenzi Abe being the main creative element of the team - although after last season’s disappointment, the latter should be replaced by Erland Sandahl as a starting player. In attack, ASK rely heavily on a duo of sly poachers and scorers, with Ilari Litmanen being a heading monster, and Justus Rintanen adding a physical, box-lurker element. The question is whether ASK can reliably bring the ball to their strikers, an issue in the past - and one that the signing of Helga Bengtsdottir will attempt to fix.
Expectations: It all depends on two things: How good can Liparov adapt to professional coaching, and how much impact do signings like Pakanen and Bengtsdottir have? Overall, the expectations are clearly higher than 16th, but how high remains to be seen. ASK should belong at the very least to a pack of lower midfield teams such as RLSK and Energie; the relegation fight should be below them this season.

Stadium: Axel-Nejdur-Stadion (capacity: 46’000)
Manager: Oleg Liparov (39)
Expected formation: 4-4-2 flat
Transfers incoming: Iiro Pakanen (GK, Jinja City FC/BNJ, 2), Jens Carlsen (CB, Partisan Sjoedhavn, 1.1), Helga Bengtsdottir (LF, CASK Thorsborg, 1) | outgoing: Sven Vikarby (CB, Partisan Sjoedrhavn, 2.3), Solveig Vedmark (ST, Kirkenes FC/KSK, 1.5), Jesper Groen (LM, retirement)

Dynamo Novaya Russica (15.)

Origin and identity: Founded as policemen's club in 1915, turned into a representative team in 1938. Used to be a development team for Dynamo Sjoedrhavn until the 70s, which led to the Dynamo Rivalry. The second police club is also particularly popular in most places, but due to a lack of other clubs in Novaya Russica, they moved from police club to representing NR. Recently gained traction among locals, but still mostly hated nationally.
Tactics: A classical defensive Savojar team: defensive, tough to break down and relying on a tight midfield to counter the opponent down. Despite a change in leadership, their stint in the B did not change their tactics whatsoever; however, there is now more emphasis on finding players that can also provide some technical ability. Often using a fast striker to bring in offence, and sometimes a hanging striker within the midfield five. In the centre, the midfield tends to lie deep, with the wingers providing the main offensive drive to bring balls into the front third.
Key Players: Not much changed once more in DNR; meaning players like Pernille Norby, Andrea Najmina and Yamaj-Blonz Jok remain crucial to this side. Quebecois prospect Hugo Yoon is expected to take over in goal despite Jovanova not yet retiring, but she will likely step back onto the bench while the 20 year old takes over. Juri Sandrajev shall secure things up front; Zhilin and Shavopalov are likely to be sharing the playtime alongside him. In the central midfield, Erik Ahlund continues the replacement of DNR’s old guard, while Odvar Jotansson came from surprise team Framfarir to create more diversity in Novaya Russica’s options.
Expectations: DNR are a team that understands themselves as an SFS A team. The Novaya Russica squad still first and foremost wants to protect their spot in the A, and ideally reach a similar position as last season. However, they might actually struggle more than expected to do so, as the promotees look pretty strong and other competitors such as Metall have gained ground; they are looking at a tough challenge.

Stadion: Stadion Dynamo (capacity: 29’700)
Manager: Malte Ljungberg (41)
Expected formation: 4-4-2
Transfers incoming: Erik Ahlund (DM, FK Sjoedrhavn, 0.8), Emil Olofsson (ST, Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, 0.75), Odvar Jotansson (OM, Framfarir Kjefla, 0.6) | Outgoing: Georgi Lazarev (CM, Mir Nestrovo, 0.7), Libor Milanov (DM, retirement)

RLSK Pawlograd (14.)

Origin and identity: Founded by students as a Russican club in 1932, and struggling to get acceptance in Pawlograd. Fierce rivalries exist with multiple other Pawlograd teams, with varied success. RLSK are a union team supposed to represent the whole town, but have their strongest base among the traditionally liberal-national Pawlograd students and often are considered a hotbed of Russian liberal nationalism.
Tactics: RLSK are a perennial scrapper of the SFS who embodies the spirit of Savojar football to its core. The back three mostly is a back five, but the fullbacks are fast and join in on fierce counters. The midfield mostly lies low, with the occasional striker falling back to link to the centre and shuttling the ball up to their colleague.
Key Players: Nepharan Makis Kotsonis retired, passing on the task of shuttling the ball forward over to Esa Simola, finally signifying the beginning of the end of a long, grueling rebuild. The defence around Ahonen and Strakhova is finally established, turning Pawlograd’s attention forward again. Up front, Robert Uljakov has to shoulder the creative load at 21 years old, with no backup other than veteran Mika Hakeson, who will be more likely to play further up front. The most notable figure of last season, once more, was Kasperi Lehtonen, who has made RLSK more unpredictable by adding a winger to the mix. Up front, the big names are Tempest and Litmanen, two established players who are unfortunately subject to both unstable form and lack of support from the back.
Expectations: The last season was less disappointment and more regression to the mean, although 14th is a bit below RLSK’s possibilities. Probably, the Pawlograders will bounce up a little bit again, but anything higher than 10th is a bonus for this side. It might just be their trademark 11th again.

Stadium: Stadion Alexey Sakharov (capacity: 40’400)
Manager: Grigori Markov (73)
Expected formation: 3-4-1-2
Transfers incoming: Tristan Vilhjalmursson (GK, Admiral Storevik, 1.6), Laura Nielsen (RB, Traktor St. Andrei, 1.3) | outgoing: Makis Kotsonis (CM/NPH, retirement), Juri Pavelnikov (RB, retirement)

Traktor St. Andrei (13.)

Origin and identity: A club founded in 1902 as St. Andrei F.C., this is one of the oldest sides in Savojarna. It had counter-revolutionary ties and was disbanded in 1911, but refounded 1915 as Traktor. They have a heated rivalry with RAS. Traditionally a farmer's team of the region around St. Andrei, the team has a large following in the countryside. In the city, they are somewhat associated with Russian nationalism and counter-revolutionaries.
Tactics: Traktor are an offensive side that loves to attack and score goals wherever possible. Offensive play and no-holds-barred attacking are hallmarks of this side. We are expecting fast play through the centre and high pressure especially from the wingbacks, and midfielders that are not scared of shooting; although a lot of the ultimate goal threat will come from the centre forward.
Key Players: Bogomir Henrycz and Anna Witchstone were expected to tie a side with a ton of individual talent together, and have done so with a spotty record. The strategy too often was to feed Vithoulkas up front; now, the addition of Taeshani Markus Packard-Grey - surprisingly the first player from our neighbour to the North to play in the SFS - as well as former Torpedo winger Alexander Sobchuk has made them less one-dimensional. The central defence has been rejuvenated properly with the signing of Justiina Tapio from ESK last season, which should have lead to more stability ahead of Finn Kopperberg. Success was limited, however, but it should be enough to give them another shot with a stronger offence. If nothing else, Traktor will be extremely entertaining to watch.
Expectations: Traktor are piling on offensive power, and with some clever and high-profile signings, they should finally have the force to break into single-digit placements again. If they fail to do so again, Lars Walberg might start to run out of explanations: six million NSD and three high-profile attackers will eventually demand results.

Stadion: Stadion Traktorov (capacity: 56’000)
Manager: Lars Walberg (48)
Expected formation: 4-3-3
Transfers incoming: Alexander Sobchuk (LM, FK Torpedo Pawlograd, 2), Antoni Valdenberg (RB, Landsmarks Industrie, 1.8), Markus Packard-Grey (RW/TAE, Unioneers/EUR, 1.4), Sven Löfqvist (CM, FK Metall Jarnstad, 0.8), Kasimir Benatsenko (DM, NFA Högvald Bla, 0) | outgoing: Laura Nielsen (RB, RLSK Pawlograd, 1.3), Laura Polve (RM, Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, 1), Matti Sundgren (LF, Landsmarks Industrie, 0.6), Henning Roesk (CM, Motor Johansborg, 0.2), Slavyana Oleva (DM, retirement)

Savojars Vinge Virkaja (12.)

Origin and identity: The team was founded in 1946 as the representative of the Savojar Air Force. From its beginning, it was supposed to challenge the domination of CASK and Admiral, but struggled to achieve this. SVV see themselves as representing the technical side of Savojarna, and have been associated with high technical skill and tactical sophistication. Their fans are known to be sort of fickle, but have been humbled by three seasons in the SFS B, forcing the side to reinvent itself as a more youth-focused, creative side.
Tactics: Traditionally, Virkaja play a fluid 4-3-3, which fits well with their young and energetic core. They can be expected to run and pass a lot, and have their wingers orient themselves towards the goal. Traditionally, they are highly offensive, and emphasise their defenders to join the offence; in the B, they have somewhat mellowed, but also put their strikers on extensive pressing duty to force errors. All offensive players are typically aiming to score, and frequently swap positions as the situation requires.
Key Players: SVV poured money into the transfer market - and ended up spending on Savojarna’s internationally most known player Krister Voynov. Reports about the salary demands of the left winger are astronomical (and probably true), but the amount of jerseys sold within a few moments of his signing probably make up for most of it. How good he still is on the pitch remains to be seen, however… here, the more exciting signing might be 21 year old newly capped (sort of) Vibeke Mortensen. Among those who have been here last season, Thorbjörn Vukkila remains in Virkaja, as does Jari Siilonen; Ola-Mikko Virttu also might have further improved.
Expectations With Voynov and Mortensen, expectations can only grow - a tough spot for Aleksi Matiainen. SVV are looking to establish themselves as a solid midfield side, but for this season, much more than a tenth place would be a surprise despite all the flair and presence of Krister Voynov - the SFS has gotten too good for single-player teams like his old Admiral to have the success they used to get.

Stadium: Patrik Suhonen Stadion (capacity: 52’000)
Manager: Aleksi Matiainen (42)
Expected formation: 4-3-3
Transfers incoming: Vibeke Mortensen (CB, Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, 3.3), Krister Voynov (LF, Raynor City United/VAL, 1.75), Loki Mattason (DM, Admiral Storevik, 1.5) | outgoing: Ida Hemsberg (CB, Rotor Värstjö, 0.8)

FK Metall Jarnstad (11.)

Origin and identity: Miner clubs were some of the oldest clubs in Savojarna. FK Metall were a union of many different clubs after the Revolution, some of which existed since the 1870s. Formed from the miners around the city of Jarnstad, Metall enjoy a solid basis in the entire Jarnslän. They are often seen as a country team, and an honest, hard-working union team. One of the first to introduce a foreign coach, they showed no inhibition to take risks either.
Tactics: Relying on a tough to break defence, with two flat chains, FK Metall usually shut down the midfield. Once they got the ball, they usually try to get the ball to a fast striker or winger, their probably strongest individual positions. The central midfield is of crucial importance for both obtaining the ball and progressing play up the pitch once it is won.
Key Players: For a tough defensive team like this, defenders are always going to be core players, and with Henning Svarthus gone and Patrik Hornberg retired, it will look a bit different. Signing Transport’s “minister of defence” in Juha-Pekka Lintulainen is an investment, but also a sign Metall don’t put their money on 20 year old Nadia Oshchenko - perhaps a mistake? Behind the two, Mookie Danube of former Dynamo Sjoedrhavn fame has been signed to take this team a good step forward. Ahead of them, the quartet of Amelaga, Johansson, Mortensson and Kanarin presumably will take turns in building this core once more, with more challenge and depth coming from Framfarir’s young midfielder Riina Lappanen. Up front, things are still tight with Ekman and Pedersen being the main threats, but neither so far managed to truly dominate games the way Valter Birja did.
Expectation: It’s still Metall, it’s still scrappy, it’s still defensive, it’s still not exciting. Still, there is more talent in this team than last year, and the signing of Mookie Danube should make heads turn. At the very least, it’s now going to be a whole lot harder to beat Metall; if nothing else, that should give them a good shot to ward off relegation again and secure a lower midfield spot.

Stadium: MetallArena Jarnstad (capacity: 44’000)
Manager: Ognjan Vlahović (ZRH, 68)
Expected formation: 4-4-1-1
Transfers incoming: Riina Lappanen (DM, Framfarir Kjefla, 1.25), Mookie Danube (GK/XAN, Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, 1.2), Juha-Pekka Lintulainen (CB, Transport Hovikkära, 0.9), Lasse Kilde (CB, NFA Högvald Vit, 0) | outgoing: Henning Svarthus (CB, Tor/CMT, 2), Sven Löfqvist (CM, Traktor St. Andrei, 0.8), Patrik Hornberg (CB, retirement)

AFK Savojagrad (10.)

Origin and identity: Founded 1903 as a student club at the University of Savojagrad, a bastion of the Russian Unionist movement as well as conservatism. Disbanded in 1910 and refounded 1917 as a much more open-minded and internationally oriented club, the side is nowadays associated with an international, young, and vibrant public - very much in tune with the general transformation of Savojagrad into a cosmopolitan, trendy tech and creativity hub. Aka is the oldest student club of the country, viewed as a team of intellectuals who will lose themselves in tactical intricacies.
Tactics: A fluid side that can move the ball fast through the centre and use their traditionally strong playmakers for distribution, or play over their wingers. After a spell of defensive football disliked by the audience, this is now a creative side, although some players haven’t fully caught up yet. Traditionally value a relatively stationary dedicated playmaker in a classical 10 position, and have created some spectacular players in that position.
Key Players: Kevin Nordmark is the face of this team, and at age 36 hopefully still has some life in him. Ahead of him, the instrumental stopped Zyukov in the defensive midfield finally found a worthy successor in Lars Larsson; and left wingback Lyn Townsend has shown her worth as well, shoring up the left flanks and providing many crosses to the dangerous strikers of AFK. With the central defence a bit pedestrian, this will be important. Vanorian prospect Sabine Bar has entirely grown into the traditionally strong AFK playmaker role, allowing her to take centre stage in this team. Last season, AFK paid over three million to sign CASK striker and former U21 international Ilja Serebrjakov; now, Torpedo offered almost four to get him up the coast to Pawlograd. Mir Nestrovo’s breakout striker Robin Norderberg will join the dynamic young duo of Hjort and Kovalenko. This young trio gets supported by Pohja Ulkkanen, a veteran hanging striker that will probably rotate on and off the bench.
Expectations: Just about scraping into the top 10 seems to be the expectation for this talented, but somewhat unrefined and young side. AFK Savojagrad established themselves by now as able to beat everyone on a good day - and the fact that they can be counted on to find a good young player every other season or so surely should help on their quest for the upper half.

Stadion: NUSArena (capacity: 18’200)
Manager: Emil Haraldson (53)
Expected formation: 4-4-2 diamond
Transfers incoming: Robin Norderberg (ST, Mir Nestrovo, 1) | outgoing: Ilja Serebrjakov (ST, FK Torpedo Pawlograd, 3.9)

by **Savojarna** » Sun Jan 23, 2022 4:35 am

SFS 15 Season Preview (Part 2/2)

Energie Thorsborg (9.)

Origin and identity: Having been formed in the 1890s, Energie are one of the oldest clubs in Thorsborg and were a founding member of the Savojar League. They are a notorious mid-table team, but have had a high time in the early SFS days with back-to-back cup victories. Formed out of the electricity workers of Thorsborg, this club has become a representative of the Western part of the city, and many traditional workers support them.
Tactics: Energie have always been an offensive side relying on the midfield joining into the attack. They have, however, gotten more restrained and managed to get more variety in their approached to the game. The central midfield is expected to carry the brunt of the defensive burden, with the rest of the side storming forward and trying to overwhelm the enemy team. Likely to take many shots from the midfield or the wing.
Key Players: Mah Huang and Zibo Olberg have to be on point in central defence, as the backups are two young prospects - and Energie are nothing when their back line is weak. In midfield, Jesper Gyldenstjerne has taken over as the key player in the centre, and will hold the line, and provides more of a connection up front than his predecessor Ljungberg. Up front, Energie are always shining, and this season is no exception. Lea Mörk and Damjan Emin have shown their adequacy on the level of the SFS A; more important now that Vindjammer is gone and Mörk’s backup is a (admittedly highly talented) 18 year old. The main offensive question is how well Victoria Borgen will do as a starter; new signing Valtteri Lehto is right there to present a threat and create pressure on the young striker. Interesting to watch will be the exciting NFA Högvald winger Lauri-Pekka Tepparainen, who gained a social media following big enough to be allowed to keep his customary 17 and has already amassed reactions, making #LP17 a trending hashtag in Savojarna.
Expectation: Energie have faced money trouble last season, and as a result, have been unable to do big signings. Baard Andersen and Lars Metalkov are not enough to excite people, and with team pillars aging and the direct competition improving, expectations are dropping in Thorsborg. A lower midfield spot seems appropriate, although relegation troubles would be highly surprising.

Stadium: National Energiekollektivets Arena (capacity: 48’600)
Manager: Jotan Baldursson (51)
Expected formation: 4-3-3
Transfers incoming: Baard Andersen (CM, ESK Storevik, 1.7), Brynjar Hatun (CB, FK Sjoedrhavn, 0.9), Linus Nöysten (OM, Energie U-18, 0), Lars Metalkov (LF, NFA Högvald Bla, 0) | outgoing: Erik Skargaard (OM, Rotor Värstjö, 1.4), Grigori Pjatov (CB, Libertas Bergheim, 1.3), Valentin Ljungberg (DM, retirement), Kristin Vindjammer (LF, retirement)

ESK Storevik (8.)

Origin and identity: Ejana was dominated by dockworker and neighbourhood squads. In 1940, ESK were founded to challenge the primacy of Admiral with a true Ejana team supported by the local leaders. A union of clubs representing city neighbourhoods of Storevik, it has developed into a sort of "national team" of Ejana, enjoying support all over the island. Its fans are pretty fervent, and often swing into left-wing political activism.
Tactics: Former CASK success guarantee and national coach Rune Zackrisson, who has finally returned to active coaching after turning towards scouting for a while, assembled a stable team built on a stable central midfield, fast vertical play, and a base of strong organisation. With Freyrsson’s chaotic fluidity gone, ESK turned to defensive organisation and strength, and building a flurry off this base with two fast wingers and offensive wingbacks, alongside two central strikers in the box.
Key Players: The top three of ESK’s offence remain the face and hope of this team. Eddie Guweddeko, Lipa Kuznetsov, and Tuomas Lajunen are all players that can decide a game. The traditional issue of ESK has always been the central midfield - and it suddenly turned into a beacon of stability with Isabelle Christian and Sölva Ylsdottir. However, ESK still lack an offensive element in midfield, laying the brunt of playmaking duty at the hands of the wingers, most notably spectacle-guarantee Reksi Halanen on the left side - a role that he has filled well last season. In defence, Thorgeir Arnason has grown into the leader of a solid back four that has further been expanded in its depth with new talent, with youth players available on both wingback positions. Rightback Celine Lovik, the first player from Valanora to play in the SFS, is expected to provide stability and guidance to those young prospects, while Thorkatla Holmsdottir is expected to drive play forward.
Expectations: ESK are almost unchanged from last season, which means that they should hit the ground running and can probably aim for a similar finish. However, it also means no improvements in Storevik, something that might bite them in the lights of the spectacular signings down the table. Still, another lower top 10 finish is very, very much on the cards.

Stadion: Ejansk Stadion (capacity: 41’000)
Manager: Rune Zackrisson (63)
Expected formation: 4-4-2
Transfers incoming: Eirikur Sigurdsson (ST, Framfarir Kjefla, 0.7), Jotan Haraldsson (CM, NFA Högvald Vit, 0) | outgoing: Baard Andersen (CM, Energie Thorsborg, 1.7), Finnbogar Gudmundsson (CM, River Valley/SFD, 0.3)

Libertas Bergheim (7.)

Origin and identity: After the formation of a national league, the teams of the three biggest Bergheimer unions had formed the club in 1927. Libertas is traditionally an upper-midfield team with 2 cups, but still chases that elusive first championship. They are the team of Bergheim's unions, made up of coal and silver miners as well as loggers. Bergheim's independent spirit and left-libertarian tradition shapes the club's identity and its large fan base.
Tactics: Libertas have turned away from their attempt at direct vertical play and shifted more towards exciting, fluid short passing centred around two offensive midfielders in Arkanin and Wen. In defence, the back four are stable, with little freedom to push forward; a defensive midfielder acts as a destroyer ahead of the defence. However, expect high pressing from the midfield four, and a fluid passing game on the ball with two aggressive wingers that link with a false nine that has splendid finishing capacities in Kaja Eller.
Key Players: Bathanay and Goodharvest have actually retired, and Nurkanen appears to be relegated to the bench for good, meaning that this Libertas side has lost two more veterans and now is largely a side of talents, with some stars sprinkled in there. Heidi Jordén remains the engine in the holding midfield, perhaps in a slightly more defensive role than last season’s chaotic and sometimes unstable centre. Behind her, Dino Racic is probably on close watch as the Mytanar defender tended to disappoint in the past two seasons. But the focus of Libertas was always on the offensive side of things. The main weight still rests on the shoulders of Kaja Eller’s false nine, but there are more alternatives with the flexible Sveinn Arnason, who can also fill in for one of the offensive midfielders. Speaking of whom, Wen Xiaohui and Denis Arkanin need to be back to form quickly, and more importantly, so does Zacharis Sandoval, who was outright disappointing in the last season.
Expectations: Libertas wanted to improve on 8th place, and with coming 7th last season, they did technically achieve that for sure. But that’s not the improvement they had in mind, and perhaps, Bergheim just has to get used to the idea that its team’s time in the top is over. Another IFCF challenge is on the cards, but it will be an uphill battle with low funds and issues to keep up with the top teams.

Stadium: Bergheims Samfunnetsstadion (capacity: 27’900)
Manager: Lise Asbeck (61) / Mikaela Rangren (55)
Expected formation: 4-1-4-1
Transfers incoming: Grigori Pjatov (CB, Energie Thorsborg, 1.3), Alexandra Lopatin (LB, NFA Högvald Bla, 0) | outgoing: Grigori Jakunov (LB, Metsuri Virkaja, 0.5), Sequel Bathanay (ST/NPH, retirement), Rook Goodharvest (CB/NPH, retirement)

FK Torpedo Pawlograd (6.)

Origin and identity: Established in 1944 in reaction to ASK Landsmark, Torpedo were supposed to represent the new spirit of the Navy and be the prime “communist club” in Russica. Proud of their backing and symbolic role, they traditionally value skill and elegance; however, they are also notorious for unrest off the pitch. Both their fans, which are known to get violent in games against city rivals and traditionally Russian Nationalists RLSK (although that goes both ways), and their management, which is known for little patience with coaches, can cause storms around a chronically inconsistent side.
Tactics: A fast, modern side that employs heavy pressing and plays around a fluid front four in a nominal 4-3-3. They are backed up by two defensive midfielders supposed to stop attacks and build up the game, but Nyborg has been known to give his playmakers more withdrawn roles as well, leading to a flatter 4-3-3 than what is commonly played by offensive sides.
Key Players: Losing Hedenberg and Orakhin was a blow to Torpedo, but it also meant they got a big chunk of cash. They also re-invested it into massive transfers with Quebecois central midfielder Emma Kenna-Tang, as well as former AFK Savojagrad striker Ilja Serebrjakov. On the left side, Sobchuk has been replaced with former Dynamo talent Ruslan Novikov, who will form a new trident alongside Serebrjakov and Viera. Selvala Tabur has been performing consistently in midfield and has been handed the captain’s armband in return, and with Ludvik Stepanek coming into his own, the defence looks better and better for Torpedo. Finally, Sergey Sharin has been instrumental last season; the Torpedo goalkeeper will have to be on point once more if they want to repeat their success.
Expectations: Torpedo have been written off as about to fall down soon every season, but they never have; presumably the team is actually legit. Ironically, as we write this, the risk also seems higher than ever before as two of the team’s best players are gone to Nephara and Valanora respectively. Emma Kenna-Tang is more than promising, however, and Serebrjakov comes off the back of a good season, so another challenge for the IFCF is realistic.

Stadium: Stadion Admiral Rjurden (capacity: 52’000)
Manager: Lew Nyborg (48)
Expected formation: 4-3-3
Transfers incoming: Emma Kenna-Tang (CM/QUE, Cornwall Clippers/QUE, 6.5), Ilja Serebrjakov (ST, AFK Savojagrad, 3.9), Ruslan Novikov (LM, Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, 3.6), Alexander Morozov (CB, FK Torpedo Academy, 0), Alexei Narodin (DM, free agency, 0) | outgoing: Victor Hedenberg (ST, Ibini FC/VAL, 5), Vladimir Orakhin (CM, Goodfeather FC/NPH, 4), Alexander Sobchuk (LM, Traktor St. Andrei, 2), Karina Stjernberg (CB, Motor Johansborg, 0.3), Michail Simunov (CM, retirement)

Dynamo Sjoedrhavn (5.)

Origin and identity: Founded 1923 to represent the police in the first national league, and gained success after a slow start. Notable for choking the cup, having only won three of eight cup finals. One of two police clubs, they share a rivalry with now relegated Dynamo Novaya Russica. They are emphasising skill and strength in their players, but are said to have mostly bandwagon fans - who haven’t had too much to celebrate recently, as the team has been falling down the ranks recently and ended up known as “the Best of the Rest”, often falling short of the IFCF right behind the Big Five, with two big exceptions two years ago.
Tactics: One of the more offensive teams, they employ heavy pressing with their wingers and forwards. The central midfield plays box to box, using vertical passes. Traditionally they emphasised getting wingers and offensive midfielders close to the goal as well, and finding much success with a hanging striker that links the wings to a pouncer up front. Rely a lot on their second striker and the wingers to create, with no traditional playmaker in the team.
Key Players:Clearly, Dynamo are back - literally, if we’re talking about the IFCF. They still embarked on a major rejuvenation and improvement spree, kicked off by the signing of Tanith Arrowsmith in goal. Perhaps the highest profile signing of the year, this attracted attention from other players across the league, most notably Admiral’s Vladimir Nichajev. Northlights bench player Vidkun Nymark and Chromatik midfielder Alissar Phoen still form the backbone of the team’s stability. On offence, Wallace Pickton managed to pick up the consistency, showing he can work in this Dynamo side; Quebecois hanging striker Mohamed Khedira will attempt to return to Golden Boot form alongside Giovanna Vitale, the never-tiring danger on the right flank. Topped off with depth signings such as Laura Polve and Predrag Shovakovich, and a few young talents like Pala, Drotte, and Ostapenko, the Sjoedrhaveners are one of the off-season’s winners.
Expectations: Dynamo are back after a disappointing season, and spending six million on a new goalkeeper as well as signing multiple established, tried-and-tested quantities, this is one of Dynamo’s strongest teams in years. As the Sjoedrhaveners also haven’t sold any key players, we expect that they are going to put in a strong challenge for the Champions League, which they still haven’t reached so far.

Stadium: Stadion Dynamo (capacity: 35’000)
Manager: Seneca Matthews (57/NPH)
Expected formation: 4-4-2 hanging
Transfers incoming: Tanith Arrowsmith (GK/NPH, Chenoworth Harriers/NPH, 6), Vladimir Nichajev (ST, Admiral Storevik, 2.7), Predrag Shovakovich (RB, CASK Thorsborg, 1.6), Charlotte Pala (CB, Rotor Värstjö, 1.2), Laura Pove (RM, Traktor St. Andrei, 1), Polina Ostapenko (CM, Mir Nestrovo, 0.75), Thomas Mastronenko (CB, NFA Högvald Bla, 0), Vilhjelm Drotte (LM, NFA Högvald Vit, 0) | outgoing: Ruslan Novikov (LM, FK Torpedo Pawlograd, 3.6), Vibeke Mortensen (CB, Savojars Vinge Virkaja, 3.3), Mookie Danube (GK, FK Metall Jarnstad, 1.2), Pernille Lingaard (RB, Sporting Arkamo/ASG, 1), Emil Olofsson (ST, Dynamo Novaya Russica, 0.75), Linne Kjaer (CB, retirement), Niklas Hoyberg (CM, retirement)

CASK Thorsborg (4.)

Origin and identity: Founded 1916 as an Army team, with heated rivalries with the other branches (mainly Admiral). Savojarna's army club profited for decades from conscription laws. This has changed with the formation of the SFS, but CASK's self-image of the confident record champion has not. In recent years, they have transformed themselves into a team relying heavily on good transfers. Regardless of their approach, CASK are beloved within the army, respectfully hated in other state institutions, and loathed by all union team fans.
Tactics: CASK's strength lies in switching quickly. The defensive midfield acts as an anchor, trying to quickly move the ball up to the front. The defence largely stays back. Since the arrival of McDonald, they play a two-top with a diamond in the centre, and often shift back to a flat midfield four when ahead to preserve a lead. The team places an emphasis on playing over the wings, and having a pair of dangerous finishers up front.
Key Players: The team rebuild around its identity as Savojarna’s team, transferring out some of its international stars on the way, has delivered some results; the management now continues on much the same path. Jekaterina Smolov is the face of this new development, but has received more competition with Teemu Jeraväinen. Ilja Serebrjakov, looking for more playtime, was replaced by Vilhjalmur Ruriksson of former Lok glory, another potent challenger for the two striker slots. On the wing, Kimi Hartikainen drives play and has been a persistent threat alongside Janna Sauthier on the right. The Nepharan winger survived the culling of internationals at CASK. Vikborg and Anttakari have finally grown into a defensive duo that matches expectations, and are going to have to be a rock for the young offence of this new, remodelled CASK. The question mark is 21 year old goalkeeper Olga Valujev, who was putting in an incredible performance at the back of CASK’s academy side, but will now be thrown into the cold water with Larsen’s retirement.
Expectations: CASK are still not really expecting a championship: The team is still young, and the competition might be a tad stronger for the time being. However, last season showed that there is more quality than some people assumed. If everything clicks, they might as well make a title challenge, but realistically, we’re looking at another Challengers Cup finish.

Stadium: Stadion General Erik Harden (capacity: 62’000)
Manager: Johnny McDonald (53/SCT)
Expected formation: 4-1-3-2
Transfers incoming: Ekaterina Antonov (LB, Partisan Sjoedrhavn, 1.25) | outgoing: Predrag Shovakovich (RB, Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, 1.6), Helga Bengtsdottir (LF, ASK Landsmark, 1), Thomas Larsen (GK, retirement)

Lokomotive Jarnstad (3.)

Origin and identity: Formed in 1929, Lok is younger than Metall Jarnstad, and the two entered a heated rivalry immediately. Lok is the club of the railway workers in the Jarnslän and see themselves as the club of the city of Jarnstad. Because of the state's support for the railways, they are a strong team, and were the first union team to win the SFS, and are often derided by Metall fans as a state team in denial.
Tactics: Madison Bilboa, the first Chromatik on the sidelines of the SFS, turned Lok a bit more offensive, and it worked a charm. They still play with a low midfield of two holding players, but the way Adrian Klaebo is employed as a distributing, creative player is almost a blueprint of the Savojar national team. Up front, Bogdan Rawic is the clear focus of the side, but all four offensive players can score and look to press hard, rotate fast, and be an unpredictable dangerous side to send needles into the flesh of their opponents.
Key Players: Adrian Klaebo is the player around whom this side is built, as the 24 year old has proven to be a smart and skilled playmaker from the back. With Anna Guweddeko, sister of ESK striker Eddie Guweddeko, he has a solid support next to him to carry balls he cannot send long. Up front, the addition of Finn Östberg on the left side has added versatility and stability, although Bogdan Rawic’s threat potential in the centre remains the primary way in which Lok score. At the back, Coyner and Palsdottir play the role of defensive bulwark ahead of Gerik Knasmuller. Florian Franz is the element that keeps the whole thing together, filling the role of a utility playmaker perfectly and appearing wherever he is needed. Interesting will be the addition of midfielder Ljubov Naroski. The 17 year old is a technically strong, polyvalent player as well as the most expensive youth transfer in Savojar history, but it is unclear what Lok’s intentions for her are behind Klaebo and Guweddeko.
Expectations: Lok are incredibly stable, and with their core players all staying around, there is no reason to believe anything about that will change. Tova Chiswick is probably an upgrade over Arnason, players like Östberg, Klaebo and Naroski are getting better, and the depth for a long season is there. A title challenge would be a surprise, but another third or fourth place seems likely.

Stadium: Stadion Savojarsk Jarnsvägen (capacity: 53’800)
Manager: Madison Bilboa (65, CMT)
Expected formation: 4-2-3-1
Transfers incoming: Tova Chiswick (LB/BRE, Chafford/BRE, 2), Rikke Söderström (OM, Lok Jarnstad Academy, 0) | outgoing: Bjarnfinn Arnason (LB, Partisan Sjoedrhavn, 1.5), Henrik Ljurbyn (OM, retirement)

Partisan Sjoedrhavn (2.)

Origin and identity: Founded 1936 as a union of four Sjoedrhavn teams and immediately successful, but losing out after the 50s. Short resurgence with 2 titles and a cup in the 90s, and establishing themselves as the weakest Big Four team in the SFS era. Formed as a representative vehicle by Communist elites, Partisan's fans are stereotyped to be bureaucrats from the KPS, although there are also plenty of fans who are drawn to their often spectacular play. They are popular nationally, but not in their town.
Tactics: Relying on two hard-to-break defensive lines, Partisan use a stable core to enable a splendid offence that usually relies on some trickery from the forwards and stunning plays. Uses an aggressive press of their offensive players, although backed up by a solid defensive block that is more withdrawn. Their outlook is overall very balanced, and the combination of a pouncing striker and a more hanging player that aims to link to the midfield.
Key Players: Traudl Mrdja has cast aside all doubts: No harmful attitude, no issues adapting to Savojarna, and no issues in team play have crept up, making the right winger a key piece in Partisan’s championship puzzle. Former FK Sjoedrhavn SFS B top-scorer Lars Alvesen has delivered well enough to become a Northlight at age 19, and he’ll best repeat, but even if he doesn’t there is sufficient backup in Lapanen and Viinanen. But do not be fooled by the flashy strikers: Morten Poulsen still makes this side tick, and Cronin and Broad remain the defensive Nepharan rock on whom Partisan rest. Aleksandra Virulainen remains the best goalkeeper of the SFS, and will be the rock for this side. Finally, some young and hungry players look to take more control: Alicia Kronberg will learn from Mrdja to become a strong right winger after Jaerbyn is gone to Anomalies; Tretjakov might finally start taking time off the 30 year old midfield duo; and Antonia Nygaard might finally be challenging Aarsoy for that starting left midfield spot.
Expectations: Last season’s weakest link, the leftback position, has been strengthened with the signing of Bjarnfinn Arnason from Lok Jarnstad; with Sven Vikarby, a Northlight bench player, the loss of Lozen Pironev was more than appropriately compensated for. This is a club that took a title-winning side, patched up some potential weaknesses, and called it a day - a recipe to make them one of two championship favourites again.

Stadium: Stadion Perl Kruger (capacity: 42’300)
Manager: Patrik Alexandersson (47)
Expected formation: 4-4-2
Transfers incoming: Sven Vikarby (CB, ASK Landsmark, 2.3), Bjarnfinn Arnason (LB, Lokomotive Jarnstad, 1.5) | outgoing: Lozen Pironev (CB/STL, St. Bart’s United/TLI, 1.4), Ekaterina Antonov (LB, CASK Thorsborg, 1.25), Jens Carlsen (CB, ASK Landsmark, 1.1)

Admiral Storevik (SFS A Season 14 Champions)

Origin and identity: Founded 1916 as a Navy team, immediately building a heated rivalry with CASK. Admiral were initially stronger but fell behind in the 1930s, struggling for titles since. Historically, the army club are their biggest rivals, followed by Torpedo and ESK. Although Admiral are not very popular in Storevik, quite a few people in Ejana support them as the main source of potential titles for the island.
Tactics: Admiral are a pretty balanced side, with a slight offensive bias thanks to a highly talented frontline and a tradition of strong single strikers. They rely on a calm, collected buildup from a strong defensive line and a double pivot that provides a base for the offensive four to stray forward and work creative magic. Their prime asset is often on the wings, which are tasked with creative play and opening spaces up front.
Key Players: Branislaw Mucic has come over from Zeta Reka to continue Admiral’s legacy of great foreign keepers; on the other end of the pitch, 7 million striker Tryphon Archer is providing another massive foreign upgrade over Vladimir Nichajev. He’s still flanked by a solid duo of wingers, with Erkalainen graduating into a starting role in the left midfield, alongside Palina Leopold on the right side. Between them, Sabine Montag retired, but talent Johan Fjällvik will be learning from Patrik Brygg to become #14’s backup. Behind them, Arianna Berger and Birkir Evaldsson in the double pivot, and a solid central defence with Dmitriev and Oakes in control, are supposed to keep a clean sheet. Laila Olsen and Jevgeni Kuzkin form a solid backup at age 23 for both of them, making this one of the areas where Admiral are solid for the future. The same can’t be said about rightback or right midfield, something that Hwang Joon-Ho is expected to fix - hopefully. Admiral are a side that has few standout players, but also few weaknesses.
Expectations: Like Partisan two years ago, this side took a champion and tossed a few stars on top - particularly Archer, who came to Savojarna to be Admiral’s answer to Traudl Mrdja. With the core of the team intact, and no major losses of players, they are one of two favourites to win the league.

Stadium: Marinestadion (capacity: 48’000)
Manager: Hwang Joon-Ho (49/QUE)
Expected formation: 4-2-3-1
Transfers incoming: Tryphon Archer (ST/NPH, Sabrefell Moths/NPH, 7), Branislaw Mucic (GK/ZRH, DD Porto Nowi/ZRH, 3.5), Saarina Aalto (DM, Admiral Academy, 0), Johan Fjällvik (OM, NFA Högvald Bla, 0) | outgoing: Vladimir Nichajev (ST, Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, 2.7), Tristan Vilhjalmursson (GK, RLSK Pawlograd, 1.6), Loki Mattason (DM, Savojars Vinge Virkaja, 1.5), Sabine Montag (OM, retirement)

by **Savojarna** » Sat Feb 12, 2022 6:36 am

SFS A Season 15 - Part 1/4

Champions League Qualifiers
Third Round
Cloudsdale Flyers (EQS) 3-4 Partisan Sjoedrhavn (0-2, 3-2)
Playoff Round
Royal Jam FC (EFL) 3-0 Partisan Sjoedrhavn (2-0, 1-0)

With champions Admiral Storevik automatically qualified, Partisan are the only side that have to go through the CL qualifiers. In both ties, they concede three goals; the question is in offence. Against Cloudsdale, an away victory off the back of Mrdja’s driving presence and Alvesen’s poaching skills does set them up for success despite an offensive flurry being unleashed by the Equestrians in the Perl Kruger; a 84th minute goal by Ola Lapanen secures the playoff round. There, an offensively harmless Partisan are chanceless to Royal Jam FC, being sent down into the Challengers Cup playoffs as they fail to score across two games, forfeiting the tie with a 3-0 aggregate score.

Challengers Cup Qualifiers
First Round
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 4-2 Iskara Daii (STB) (2-1, 2-1)
CASK Thorsborg 4-5 Hálsrath Warriors FC (MLB) (3-3, 1-2)
Second Round
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 8-3 Olympic Nangang (YZH) (3-2, 5-1)
Third Round
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 3-2 Alexandria City (XAN) (2-0, 1-2)
Lokomotive Jarnstad 5-1 Vreton City FC (BOL) (3-1, 2-0)
Fourth Round
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 1-4 Cloudsdale Flyers (EQS) (1-3, 0-1)
Lokomotive Jarnstad 3-6 North Hall (BRE) (2-2, 1-4 aet)
Playoff Round
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 2-0 Rammsissil (VIL) (2-0, 0-0)

CASK are the first Savojar team to enter the competition as well as the first one to leave. Olga Valujev does not quite appear to be adjusted to the adult game yet as the 21 year old goalkeeper gets caught out a few times, resulting in a 3-3 at home that Hálsrath turn into a win in their home leg, and a quick out for the Thorsborgers. Fifth-placed Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, on the other hand, go on a long march, first defeating Iskara Daii and then demolishing Olympic Nangang away, with a hattrick of new signing Vladimir Nichajev. Things get hot against Alexandria City in the third round, where the Xannerians press their luck in the end phase of their home leg, but Tanith Arrowsmith manages a great final part of the match to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory. However, none of this new quality matters against Cloudsdale, who are determined to take revenge after losing to Partisan in the Champions League and defeat Dynamo 1-4 on aggregate. Lok Jarnstad also have no luck in the fourth round: After two commanding wins against Bollonich’s Vreton City, they hold up well against North Hall, forcing extra time as Rawic equalises in the second half of the return leg, but on Brenecian soil, they lose energy faster than their opposition and concede three goals as they seek desperate offence in the second half of extra time. This leaves Partisan as the sole representative of the SFS in the Challengers Cup, winning their home leg against Rammsissil of Vilita 2-0 and then putting on an iron defence riding on a Virulainen and Broad in top shape to draw scorelessly away and qualify to the group stages.

Matchday 1
Admiral Storevik 2–0 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
ESK Storevik 1–1 Dynamo Novaya Russica
Traktor St. Andrei 0–1 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
ASK Landsmark 1–3 AFK Savojagrad
Energie Thorsborg 0–1 Landsmarks Industrie
Lokomotive Jarnstad 1–0 Rotor Värstjö
Libertas Bergheim 1–3 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
CASK Thorsborg 1–3 FK Metall Jarnstad
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 2–1 RLSK Pawlograd

As is tradition, Admiral host Partisan for the opener of the season - and what an opener it is. Partisan have made fewer changes and may click a bit better as a team, but Admiral’s new players certainly mean business: Twenty minutes in, Rysti Erkalainen drops a ball back onto Dubois, who, faced with Boissonault, crosses from half-field to Tryphon Archer. The Nepharan stops the ball with his chest, effortlessly leaves his compatriot Broad in the dust, lets it drop off the ground once, and then smacks a beautiful shot into the top right corner to announce his arrival in Savojarna. Parti do get their chances, but unfortunately for the Sjoedrhaveners, Branislaw Mucic is also here to play, and play he does. The Zeta Rekan stops eleven shots on goal for a clean sheet, while on the other end, MVP Palina Leopold picks up a goal of her own for a 2-0 win for the defending champions. Another high-profile team in terms of signings were Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, who are flying high on a dose of Vladimir Nichajev netting two in their defeat of Libertas Bergheim. Behind him, Alissar Phoen puts in an all-star performance with making the squad tick; the Chromatik almost rewards himself with a goal of his own, but only grazes the crossbar in the end phase of the match. Another returnee is still struggling as Krister Voynov watches Savojars Vinge’s win over RLSK from the bench, struggling with fitness levels. It doesn’t matter too much, as his teammates make up for his struggles, and Vukkila’s late-game decider nets the Finns their first win of the season.

Matchday 2
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 2–1 RLSK Pawlograd
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–0 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 1–0 CASK Thorsborg
Rotor Värstjö 1–2 Libertas Bergheim
Landsmarks Industrie 0–5 Lokomotive Jarnstad
AFK Savojagrad 0–0 Energie Thorsborg
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 1–0 ASK Landsmark
Dynamo Novaya Russica 0–0 Traktor St. Andrei
Admiral Storevik 0–4 ESK Storevik

Derbytime in Storevik! It ends with a stunner as ESK dedicate the sly, hardened, no-nonsense Halldor Parvin to shutting down the threat posed by Tryphon Archer - and succeed in doing so, as well as in neutralising Brygg with the help of their superb central midfield. Lipa Kuznetsov having an incredibly good match doesn’t hurt either, as she leaves Dubois in the dust twice in the first half, and both times it ends with a goal as Lajunen scores the first, and then Kuznetsov strikes herself. In the second half, right as Admiral increase the pressure, a controversial handball penalty shuts it right down, and Tuomas Lajunen scores his second of the night, cementing a derby victory that Halanen extends to 0-4 in the last minutes. Much fewer goals, but a lot more tension crops up in Sjoedrhavn, where Dynamo’s revamped lineup hosts CASK and makes a statement. Charlotte Pala proves that she slots into the new Dynamo lineup smoothly, neutralising Smolov with a spectacular slide tackle that stops her from going at Arrowsmith alone. Still, Tanith Arrowsmith shows a brilliant game, stopping eleven shots on goal; on the other end, Olga Valujev can’t be faulted for Giovanna Vitale’s cross finding a completely open Nichajev in the centre. In fact, her boldness in unleashing a tirade at Rasmus Vikborg is probably a good sign, showing some well justified confidence in keeping her defence on track. Finally, Rotor Värstjö are teasing an upset, but ultimately fall short as Kaja Eller nets herself a double in the last ten minutes of the game, first with Viktor Stroganov letting her pass after a through pass by Arkanin, and then even turning the game thanks to a splendid combination of Sandoval and Wen that results with the ball landing on Eller’s foot, and a cold, dry shot to the bottom left to beat Lindblom.

Matchday 3
ESK Storevik 1–5 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
Traktor St. Andrei 1–5 Admiral Storevik
ASK Landsmark 1–0 Dynamo Novaya Russica
Energie Thorsborg 1–1 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Libertas Bergheim 0–0 Landsmarks Industrie
CASK Thorsborg 1–0 Rotor Värstjö
RLSK Pawlograd 0–1 FK Metall Jarnstad
Lokomotive Jarnstad 2–1 AFK Savojagrad
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 2–1 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn

Finally, Krister Voynov has overcome his training deficiencies and starts his first game for Savojars Vinge Virkaja. On the other side, Dynamo wait with a pretty much complete first-rate team, the only switch being an IFCF-caused rotation from Vitale to Polve. In the first half, Voynov appears mildly disjointed, although he gets in a good shot that forces Arrowsmith to punch it out to a corner; on the other side, Phoen manages to bring Dynamo ahead with a shot from the edge of the box after Pickton brilliantly spotted his late run. However, no matter how much Dynamo have the ball, they just won’t score as Vibeke Mortensen runs a tight ship at the back, and in the second half, things start toppling when Loki Mattason finds a long ball to Voynov, and the SVV superstar finally truly announces his return when he leaves Rokowic baffled and scores past a stunned Tanith Arrowsmith. With the audience in the tight Patrik Suhonen Stadion now screaming, and the team in full confidence, they score another one late goal as joker Harald Bjergsen finds a stray ball after a standard, and scores the winner in cold blood. Elsewhere, the top two of last season announce their intentions by both defeating a respectable midtable side with 1-5 away, leading to a brilliant storyline of the duel of the Nepharan strikers as Mrdja scores two against ESK, only to be bested by Tryphon Archer’s hattrick in St. Andrei a few minutes later. Finally, in Jarnstad, Robin Norderberg scores his first goal for AFK Savojagrad, but it’s not enough as Rawic and Trikhichev secure victory for Lok.

Matchday 4
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 2–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 1–0 RLSK Pawlograd
Rotor Värstjö 2–1 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Landsmarks Industrie 1–5 CASK Thorsborg
AFK Savojagrad 0–3 Libertas Bergheim
Dynamo Novaya Russica 2–1 Energie Thorsborg
Admiral Storevik 0–0 ASK Landsmark
ESK Storevik 1–1 Traktor St. Andrei
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 1–0 Lokomotive Jarnstad

Torpedo have spent a ton of money and yet it’s very unclear how good the team is. On the other side are Lok, who have pretty much entirely kept their side together, centered on the deadly Bogdan Rawic and the magistral Adrian Klaebo. The game starts with a true firework from the home side as Ruslan Novikov and Ilja Serebrjakov team up to be a pressing death squad, and Emma Kenna-Tang makes the life of Adrian Klaebo hell with her backtracking play. However, it doesn’t do much more than tire out the home side as Gerik Knasmuller stops all the dangerous shots, and after a good half hour, the effects show as Klaebo checkmates the entire opposition with a long ball to Östberg, who profits from Chapman being too far up. Only the hearty intervention of Stepanek against Rawic saves the day; and on the very next attack, Ruslan Novikov converts a long cross by Viera at the second post to score the only goal of the match. More goals fall in Savojagrad, where Wen Xiaohui shows why Libertas paid four million NSD for her when they signed the Yuezhou midfielder. She nets two assists pulling the strings in midfield, and would add a goal to the tally if it wasn’t for a splendid save by Nordmark, scratching her 15 metre shot out of the top left corner. In Värstjö, Rotor are slowly hoping to celebrate another breakout playmaker star, as Erik Skargaard is instrumental in coming back after Voynov’s go-ahead goal. First, the playmaker sets up Kristina Halvert perfectly to swing in from the side and score on Lenberg; then, seven minutes later and with injury time already on the clock, he manages to knock on a free kick from Barnerud past the defence, and Karamasov tips it over the line for a 2-1 victory for the promotees.

Matchday 5
ASK Landsmark 1–0 ESK Storevik
Energie Thorsborg 0–3 Admiral Storevik
Lokomotive Jarnstad 1–2 Dynamo Novaya Russica
Libertas Bergheim 3–0 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
CASK Thorsborg 1–1 AFK Savojagrad
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 1–3 Landsmarks Industrie
RLSK Pawlograd 1–2 Rotor Värstjö
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–1 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
Traktor St. Andrei 2–4 Partisan Sjoedrhavn

Spectacle erupts in St. Andrei as a heavily revamped Traktor, aiming for a big step forward with the signings of Sobchuk and Packard-Grey, meet a well oiled Partisan Sjoedrhavn side. For twenty minutes, it looks like St. Andrei might be taking this game, as Markus Packard-Grey taunts “MPG! MPG!” chants in the stadium with his beautiful goal, and Traktor press the red and gold back into their half. But then, within a quarter-hour, Parti strike back brutally. Traudl Mrdja makes the opening, simply brushing off Macar’s challenge with her shoulder, before tapping the ball back to Lapanen for the 1-1. Then, the Nephar goes herself, converting a deep ball by Poulsen, before the captain gets his name on the board after Eremenko cuts down Lars Alvesen in the box for a penalty. With the score being 1-3 at half time, Traktor come back with holy rage in their eyes, and Henrycz shows it with a downright angry tackle against Lapanen, sending Witchstone deep. One pass later, Andrea Vithoulkas is alone in front of Virulainen, but manages to shoot the ball wide past the goal. While she does manage to make up for it later, sending a header past the Partisan keeper, it won’t help as the game ends 4-2 for the favourites from the capital. Over in Landsmark, Iiro Pakanen is showing off his prowess, with the Savojarna national goalkeeper defending his goal mouth with vigour against the angry attacks of ESK Storevik. Despite being out-possessed 58-42 and outshot 19 to 10, ASK win after Helga Bengtsdottir manages to bring the team ahead early in the first half as Pakanen shows up big time to secure his side three points. A bit less luck is extended to Mookie Danube, the other big goalkeeper transfer of the season; the Xannerian faces off with Metall Jarnstad against his former teammates at Dynamo Sjoedrhavn. In a duel of great goalkeeping, Tanith Arrowsmith beats her predecessor thanks to Khedira finding his weakness with a clever move, one that shouts “this used to work against you in training”, to secure a 1-0 victory for the visitors.

Savojar Cup Preliminary Round

There are never too many highlights here, where it’s just the regional division teams facing off against each other. Of note is the game of Aurum Kjefla against Birga IF for the dramatic reversal of the match, seeing Aurum down 2-0 at half time despite a solid performance. The Kjefla side reverts the score in the second half with a dominating performance, netting 66.8% possession in the second half and scoring three goals to revert the game. Hallsberga Vikingur beat SK Sjöveld in extra time thanks to a goalkeeper mistake by Sjöveld’s Josten Andersson that makes it into a minor viral hit as Andersson loses balance in an attempt to stop a header and falls backwards upon landing, dropping the ball in front of the foot of Hallsberga striker Eganby, who scores the winning goal for his side. Finally, some football nerds turn attention to Högvald FK and their 16 year old right winger Simon Kjellsen, who stands out with his speed and technique against SK Ullström and might be drawing some scout’s attention in his team’s victory.

Matchday 6
Rotor Värstjö 0–1 FK Metall Jarnstad
Landsmarks Industrie 0–1 RLSK Pawlograd
AFK Savojagrad 7–3 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 0–2 CASK Thorsborg
Dynamo Novaya Russica 0–4 Libertas Bergheim
Admiral Storevik 0–1 Lokomotive Jarnstad
ESK Storevik 1–0 Energie Thorsborg
Traktor St. Andrei 3–4 ASK Landsmark
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 3–4 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn

The Sjoedrhavn Derby draws some attention on the worst of days, but when a massively revamped Dynamo are actually challenging the local hierarchy and there are seven goals in it, it becomes a proper event. The game takes twenty-three minutes to get going, but then Lars Alvesen scores the 1-0 off a corner and things pick up speed, culminating in Novikov’s spectacular dribbling past Boissonault and the equaliser by Nichajev, before Routsiainen brings Dynamo ahead from 20 metres. Gloves come off in the second half, after a collision in mid-air between Vikarby and Khedira is ruled no penalty, right before on the other side, a shoulder contact by Pala is ruled a foul upon video review. With Poulsen scoring from the spot, the game is tied and fuelled with fire, resulting in a scuffle after seventy minutes and the ejection of Bjarne Thorvaldsson. With one man down, Partisan can’t hold the temporary lead they had gotten, and Vitale and Teranen revert score to a Dynamo victory away. There is another red card, and one goal more scored, in Savojagrad as Savojars Vinge take a terrible day. In a game riddled with defensive mistakes, AFK lead 3-1 at half time when SVV make early changes and crawl back, before Kovalenko escapes the defence and is facing down Lenberg, who accidentally takes down the striker. A red card against the keeper and no more substitutes mean that SVV’s goalie is now midfielder Max Stenberg, who can’t stop the following penalty, or the onslaught of a now decidedly offensive AFK; leading to three more goals and an impressive 7-3. Finally, in a duel of Nepharim, Gerik Knasmuller beats Tryphon Archer, stopping the Admiral striker six times and keeping a clean sheet, all while Bogdan Rawic scores once in injury time of the first half, leading to a close, hard-fought 1-0 victory for Lokomotive Jarnstad against reigning champions Admiral.

Matchday 7
ASK Landsmark 2–0 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
Energie Thorsborg 1–4 Traktor St. Andrei
Lokomotive Jarnstad 0–1 ESK Storevik
CASK Thorsborg 1–0 Dynamo Novaya Russica
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 5–0 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
RLSK Pawlograd 1–3 AFK Savojagrad
FK Metall Jarnstad 1–0 Landsmarks Industrie
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 3–1 Rotor Värstjö
Libertas Bergheim 1–1 Admiral Storevik

Libertas have somewhat lost their role as a top team, but still serve as a big gatekeeper - if you want to win a title, you have to wether the storm of this aggressive, offensive side. Wen Xiaohui and Denis Arkanin form a well-oiled, tightly run machine today and manage to push their opponents back hard, but in goal, Branislaw Mucic of Zeta Reka shows why he has been chosen to take up Filipovic’s mantle. Defending attack after attack, Mucic keeps the game close despite Libertas’ relentless offence - until the end of the first half, when Arkanin beats out Oakes in the 1v1 and sets up Arnason for the 1-0. But Libertas don’t have the discipline to keep it tight, and run into a counter, allowing Erkalainen to get behind the back line and score at least an equaliser. ASK Landsmark shock the other top favourite for the title, Partisan Sjoedrhavn, with a surprising 2-0 victory coming off the back of a superb performance by Iiro Pakanen, stopping 15 shots on his goal including a spectacular volley by Mrdja from the box. On the other end, it’s a quality display of poaching skills by ASK’s Rintanen, who nets two in the second half to secure his side three welcome points they surely did not expect. Even less expected is the 5-0 that Savojars Vinge Virkaja score against a weakened Torpedo. The Pawlograders miss Serebrjakov with an injury and Chapman after an unlucky double yellow the week prior; it shows in a lack of threat upfront and the utter hopelessness of Heli Latvala in containing an unleashed Krister Voynov, who scores two and sets up a third one in a convincing victory for the Virkajans.

Savojar Cup Round 1

Storevik sees a spectacular match as EU Storevik of the SFS B meet the local big name Admiral in the first round. EUS are willing to put up a fight, and the EU side built around the veteran midfield dynamo Saevar Asgrindsson and talented right winger Ester Palme is playing along with an Admiral side that is not in full power. Shortly after the break, EU even take the lead, but crumble in the second half as the SFS A side use their physical advantages to score three and revert the score. In the most brutal duel, two top sides of the SFS A manage to meet in the completely unseeded first round: Lok Jarnstad have to visit CASK Thorsborg, and duel each other to a standstill. 0-0 after 90 minutes, with both sides pushing each other back. 30 extra minutes bring no decision either, and it’s a shootout - that opens with a bang as Lok’s Oleg Trikhichev shoots a good fifteen centimetres over the bar. With Olasdottir, Rawic, and Vaitanen all converting, pressure is mounting for Ake Ericsson, but the veteran converts via the post to set the score to 3-2. CASK score again, but then, Olga Valujev blocks the attempt by Paddi Gren, resulting in a 4-2 shootout victory for CASK. In another SFS A clash, Landsmarks Industrie and SVV also fight a drawn match, although in a more spectacular way, with a 3-3 that comes about only in the last three minutes as Klinger heads in a corner. However, Savojars Vinge prevail in the penalties, with the 19 year old cup goalkeeper Neparev becoming the hero as he saves two. Only two top flight teams have to give up their ambitions to a lower division side, as Energie Thorsborg fail to break through a tight Motor Johansborg and lose 1-0 on the first day. On the next day, it’s also game over for FK Metall Jarnstad, as 22 year old Zenit Jegrava keeper Mikhail Ulagin plays the match of his life and shuts down Metall, while on the other end a slightly lucky goal finishes the campaign for the Jarnstaders.

Matchday 8
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 1–1 Rotor Värstjö
Landsmarks Industrie 1–4 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
AFK Savojagrad 1–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
Dynamo Novaya Russica 0–1 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
ESK Storevik 3–1 Libertas Bergheim
Traktor St. Andrei 0–2 Lokomotive Jarnstad
ASK Landsmark 2–0 Energie Thorsborg
Admiral Storevik 1–0 CASK Thorsborg
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 3–0 RLSK Pawlograd

The Pawlograd Derby lost some of its edge since it has a much clearer favourite than it used to when Torpedo were not as strong yet, but there is still plenty of animosity between a traditionally Russian nationalist team and a Savojar Navy side, and it shows in the stands as there are large empty sections in the stadium after parts of RLSK’s fanbase are not admitted due to clashes outside the stadium. On the pitch, things are much more civil, although the arrested RLSK supporters might not have had a good time anyway: Jovanov loses a ball to a rapidly advancing Kenna-Tang and Novikov gets to score the first goal; shortly after, Passio runs past Vikingstad and serves up Serebrjakov. Novikov tops off a strong performance with an assist to Jamarin for a late 3-0, resulting in a clear win for Torpedo. Less clear is Admiral’s victory against CASK, where the video review causes a ton of arguments. Nobody can complain about the goal for Admiral, a beautiful diagonal cross from Skov that lands on the head of Tryphon Archer and beats Valujev cleanly. But then, shortly after, CASK score a goal themselves where Smolov misses a header from an off-side position (as shown on video), but Jeraväinen converts at the second post; CASK fans will claim it should have been a regular goal as Dmitriev knocked on the ball, Admiral fans side with the referee’s decision. Then, in the second half, it gets even worse as Oakes wrestles Ruriksson off the ball and the referees refuse to consult the video for a possible penalty, leaving the win to Admiral on a contentious base. Finally, the leaders after the first quarter of the season, Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, show another commanding victory, picking apart Landsmarks Industrie in the second half after a 1-1 at half time. Khedira, Nichajev, and Phoen all sign their names into the scoresheet as the Sjoedrhaveners lead the table by five points.

Standings after 8 matchdays
   Savojar Football Serien A  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn            8    7   0   1    18    8  +10    21
 2 ASK Landsmark                8    5   1   2    11    7   +4    16
 3 Lokomotive Jarnstad          8    5   0   3    12    5   +7    15
 4 Libertas Bergheim            8    4   2   2    15    8   +7    14
 5 AFK Savojagrad               8    4   2   2    16   11   +5    14
 6 Admiral Storevik             8    4   2   2    12    7   +5    14
 7 ESK Storevik                 8    4   2   2    12    9   +3    14
 8 Partisan Sjoedrhavn          8    4   1   3    17   13   +4    13
 9 CASK Thorsborg               8    4   1   3    11    7   +4    13
10 Savojars Vinge Virkaja       8    4   1   3    15   14   +1    13
11 FK Metall Jarnstad           8    4   1   3     6    5   +1    13
12 FK Torpedo Pawlograd         8    4   1   3     7   11   −4    13
13 Dynamo Novaya Russica        8    2   2   4     5   10   −5     8
14 Rotor Värstjö                8    2   1   5     7   11   −4     7
15 Landsmarks Industrie         8    2   1   5     6   17  −11     7
16 Traktor St. Andrei           8    1   2   5    11   18   −7     5
17 RLSK Pawlograd               8    1   0   7     5   14   −9     3
18 Energie Thorsborg            8    0   2   6     3   14  −11     2

by **Savojarna** » Mon Mar 21, 2022 8:18 am

SFS A Season 15 - Part 2/4

Matchday 9
Energie Thorsborg 0–3 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
Libertas Bergheim 4–4 Traktor St. Andrei
CASK Thorsborg 2–2 ESK Storevik
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 3–2 Admiral Storevik
RLSK Pawlograd 0–1 Dynamo Novaya Russica
FK Metall Jarnstad 1–0 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 1–1 AFK Savojagrad
Rotor Värstjö 2–0 Landsmarks Industrie
Lokomotive Jarnstad 0–0 ASK Landsmark

Lok Jarnstad vs ASK Landsmark is a defensive chess duel on highest level, pitting third against second. Had the same game been played last season, Lok would likely have taken a lead, as Bogdan Rawic is putting on a masterclass in playing between the lines and disrupting ASK’s solid defensive setup as Gusev and Carlsen over-extend occasionally; however, Iiro Pakanen manages to make up for any mistakes perfectly and allows his side to be even at half time despite Lok having more chances. But in the second half, ASK increase the pressure; Rintanen misses the so far best chance of the game for the Landsmarker as he heads a cross just over the bar. In the final minutes, the game does slow down; Iiro Pakanen manages to save the day as he scratches a long-range shot out of the top left corner in the last minutes. More goals fall in Bergheim, where Libertas and Traktor enter an all-out brawl. Traktor, led by the duo of Vithoulkas and Packard-Grey, take an early lead, but are reversed by Libertas’ Kaja Eller finding space to score two in the second half. In a back and forth game, it seems like Libertas eventually take an insurmountable 4-2 lead, but as Balle gives up an unnecessary penalty, Traktor can close the gap and equalise in injury time as a tired Libertas succumbs to Vuotala’s attempt from range. In Virkaja, there is drama too, as Admiral Storevik are being sunk by their own former star. Krister Voynov assists the 2-2 by beating Skov in the 1v1 and crossing in to Bjergsen; but he won’t let his teammate be the one to drive the final stake through his ex-club’s heart as he cuts cleanly between Skov and Dmitriev to score the final goal of the game himself in an upset victory.

Matchday 10
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 3–1 Landsmarks Industrie
AFK Savojagrad 0–2 Rotor Värstjö
Dynamo Novaya Russica 0–1 FK Metall Jarnstad
Admiral Storevik 2–0 RLSK Pawlograd
ESK Storevik 0–1 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Traktor St. Andrei 2–2 CASK Thorsborg
ASK Landsmark 1–0 Libertas Bergheim
Energie Thorsborg 1–0 Lokomotive Jarnstad
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 0–2 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn

Torpedo have been struggling a little, and a visit by leaders Dynamo Sjoedrhavn might not be the best opportunity to revitalise their season - but it’s certainly not for a lack of trying. Ruslan Novikov, facing his old team, pushes up the side like a maniac, but can’t quite find Serebrjakov as Vidkun Nymark plays a near perfect defence. If anything, it appears to be over-eagerness that is the issue: Selvala Tabur’s reckless tackling against an already passed Alissar Phoen results in a second yellow against the Torpedo captain, the first one having been for an unlucky tackling in the first half. With a man down, and a crucial midfield engine at that, Torpedo struggle to keep the energy of the first half going, and Pickton and Nichajev manage the goals to keep Dynamo on top. Traktor St. Andrei are receiving CASK Thorsborg and put on a veritable spectacle of the first half: Sobchuk and Vuotala play a one-two through CASK’s defence that is followed by a cross that Vithoulkas nods in from eight meters; shortly after, Packard-Grey first misses the goal by a hand but scores the 2-0 five minutes later anyway with a little friendly assistance from Olga Valujev. But in the second half, CASK ramp up slowly and whittle away the advantage: Jeraväinen scores from a corner after an hour; 76 minutes in, Smolov’s equaliser is denied by an offside call, but then, in the final ten minutes, Urho Tuomela finds a gap between the lines to pass to Jonsson, who equalises late. Finally, Iiro Pakanen puts his name down once more in Landsmark, as he makes eight saves in the second half against Libertas to hold off the storm unleashed by the Bergheimers after a lead secured in the first half by Litmanen.

Champions League Groups
Mâ Âlâmëómë (FFD) 2-3 Admiral Storevik
Admiral Storevik 1-2 Maethoru SC (KOR)
AC Hollow Shades (EQS) 0-2 Admiral Storevik

Admiral Storevik are drawn into an open group where everyone has their chances, and their first game is equally open. Seemingly overwhelmed by the chaotic experience of travelling to and playing in Farfadillis, Admiral come to a patchy and unstructured start, but they manage to emerge from their visit to Atlantian Oceania with a victory as Archer and Leopold are standing tall in offence. Their first game on home soil goes worse, though: A narrow and tight affair in which Maethoru prove too well organised, and Branislaw Mucic gives up an unlucky goal that he maybe should have saved. Two weeks later, however, he pays back the debt by defensive stability against Hollow Shades, all while Brygg and Erkalainen secure Admiral’s second victory.

Challengers Cup Groups
Corona Christiana (OME) 2-2 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 2-0 René Skaé (FFD)
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 1-1 Hoima Warriors (BNJ)

It’s an unbeaten run for the red and gold in the Challenger’s, starting off with a spectacular away game in Omerica against Corona Christiana that sees two goals each. Mrdja, playing as a support striker for once instead of the more common right wing position, and Lars Alvesen bring home the points for Partisan, before Alvesen and Poulsen secure the first victory of the group stage at home against René Skaé. The Partisans close it out with another draw, this time at home, and put themselves in a spot to move on with a good return round.

Matchday 11
Lokomotive Jarnstad 1–2 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
Libertas Bergheim 1–1 Energie Thorsborg
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 0–2 Traktor St. Andrei
RLSK Pawlograd 1–1 ESK Storevik
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–1 Admiral Storevik
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 1–0 Dynamo Novaya Russica
Rotor Värstjö 0–0 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Landsmarks Industrie 1–1 AFK Savojagrad
CASK Thorsborg 2–0 ASK Landsmark

Three highlights share the limelight on this weekend, with the biggest one being the Army Derby on Sunday night. For the first time in years, CASK don’t enter the duel with ASK as the clear favourites, as Iiro Pakanen anchors a defence that has been putting up some strong performances. Today, however, they are somewhat strung back as Gusev has seen a fourth yellow card in the week prior, leaving ASK without their defensive organiser; Jekaterina Smolov does not hesitate twice to use an early gap between Carlsen and Elkjaer and leaves Pakanen in the dust. Up front, ASK show weaknesses; neither Rintanen nor Afanasenko can find a weakness in the CASK central defence, and Northlights leftback Ansgar Klaey stifles Beaux Chill entirely. In the end, Janna Sauthier’s individual prowess leads to a second breakthrough, and a 2-0 victory for the hosts. Earlier in the weekend, another rivalry ends with a home victory as Dynamo Novaya Russica find no opening against a diligent, but uninspired Dynamo Sjoedrhavn. The side from the capital wins the Dynamo Derby off Tanith Arrowsmith’s dealing with DNR’s attacks and a lucky punch by Khedira 38 minutes in, not glorious and shining, but solid. Their local rivals Partisan also manage to show some spirit as they go down early against Lok, courtesy of Rawic. But the Partisans are not relenting, and manage to get a goal back right before the break as Mrdja’s cross is taken by Alvesen. Then, Ola Lapanen manages to get past Palsdottir, but is caught up by Coyner’s desperate tackle; the result is a penalty for Partisan and an unlucky red card for Coyner, who was Lok’s last man. With one man up and Poulsen converting the penalty, the game comes to a natural conclusion.

Savojar Cup Second Round
Zenit Jegrava 1–1 Savojars Vinge Virkaja (1–1 AET) (3–4 pen.)
Nord-Sjoedrhavn FF 0–1 Norrhavn FK
Elektron Harkka 0–4 Mir Nestrovo
RLSK Pawlograd 0–1 AFK Savojagrad
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 2–0 CASK Thorsborg
Valdhavn IF 0–1 Polar Grundviken
FK Odin Kjaershavn 3–3 Motor Johansborg (3–3 AET) (3–4 pen.)
Union Roopere 1–5 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
Dynamo Novaya Russica 1–1 ESK Storevik (1–2 AET)
Framfarir Kjefla 0–7 Traktor St. Andrei
FK Perl Kruger Sandvik 1–2 Libertas Bergheim
RAS St. Andrei 1–0 Jaromirgrad Union
Admiral Storevik 4–0 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
SK Cuprum Grennvik 1–1 Agrar Jurka FK (2–1 AET)
Norderhaven Drakken 1–0 Juventus Bergheim
Kallora IF 0–0 ASK Landsmark (0–0 AET) (7–6 pen.)

There are two marquee matchups in this second round - two big SFS A clashes unfolding as Partisan draw CASK and Admiral face their sister team Torpedo. In Sjoedrhavn, the Partisans are making short work of a CASK that has rested three key players in Hartikainen, Sauthier, and Vikborg; the result is a two goal lead in the first half as Jelena Tretjakov - playing alongside Poulsen in place of Nepharan Machua Cronin - and Steinar Aarsoy score. Even as Sauthier comes on in the second half, it is not enough to get past a stellar performance by Sven Vikarby, resulting in a 2-0 win for the red and gold. Even more one sided is Admiral’s stomping of a Torpedo that doesn’t get much to be proud of today. It’s a comedy of errors as Solfrid Overby passes right into the feet of Brygg ahead of the 1-0, and the 3-0 sees Kenna-Tang slipping on the wet pitch as she tries to chase Berger; Tuomioja accidentally prolongs a cross right to Kolbeinnsson, and Sharin is looking poorly as the striker scores. In the other SFS A clashes, AFK Savojagrad beat RLSK Pawlograd thanks to a late goal by Serebrjakov, and DNR look like winners against a desperate ESK Storevik before Lajunen scores the 1-1 and in overtime, Isabelle Christian scores with a banger from 22 metres. A true shock comes about in Kallora, where Kallora IF - currently in the third-tier Nationalligaen - hold ASK Landsmark to a scoreless draw based on an extremely well-organised and athletic defence, and then get the better of the Landsmarkers in a long shootout. In the 18th attempt, Kallora goalkeeper Jure Barkaniemi stops the attempt by ASK leftback Simonsen, securing his side an octofinal appearance. Savojars Vinge Virkaja almost suffer a similar fate against Zenit Jegrava, but they keep the upper hand in the shootout despite Krister Voynov missing his attempt, and a high ball by Zenit striker Igor Tetjanov sends them through.

Matchday 12
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 1–0 AFK Savojagrad
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 1–1 Landsmarks Industrie
Dynamo Novaya Russica 0–1 Rotor Värstjö
ESK Storevik 1–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
Traktor St. Andrei 1–1 RLSK Pawlograd
ASK Landsmark 0–1 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Energie Thorsborg 0–1 CASK Thorsborg
Lokomotive Jarnstad 3–2 Libertas Bergheim
Admiral Storevik 3–1 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn

It’s leaders visiting reigning champions on an action-packed Sunday as Dynamo Sjoedrhavn travel to Storevik and face Admiral in what can only be expected to be a true test of strength - and Dynamo spectacularly fail it. Vladimir Nichajev, facing his teammates from last season, might be desperate to prove he was the better choice than Tryphon Archer, but in his over-motivation, he runs himself stuck in Dynamo’s defence over and over, while the Nephar nets two goals by half-time. Vitale’s cross that is prolonged by Khedira and converted by Pickton brings Dynamo back into the match, but it’s not enough as Admiral swiftly re-establish the two goal advantage, courtesy of Rysti Erkalainen taking a long ball from Berger past Wladmir Rokowic and beating Arrowsmith to the bottom right side. A few hours earlier, Lok Jarnstad wrestled down Libertas Bergheim in another spectacular matchup, with Libertas being led by a top-form Wen Xiaohui (two assists) and taking a 2-1 halftime lead. However, Lok were not having it, and Anna Guweddeko in midfield had been a tremendous engine for the Jarnstaders. First, the Quebecois set up joker Trikhichev on the right side for a 72nd minute score in the near corner; then, she sent Florian Franz on a deep run to exploit the over-attention the defence gave to Bogdan Rawic and let the Teus midfielder score the 3-2. Towards the lower end of the table, Erik Skargaard gets to continue Rotor Värstjö’s tradition of strong, young offensive midfielders, going back to Rika Lundell. Skargaard shines with a beautiful dribbling to get past Dynamo Novaya Russica’s Erik Ahlund, before a chip pass over the back of the defence sets up Kristina Halvert for the sole goal of the game.

Matchday 13
Libertas Bergheim 2–4 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 2–0 Energie Thorsborg
RLSK Pawlograd 0–2 ASK Landsmark
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–1 Traktor St. Andrei
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 1–0 ESK Storevik
Rotor Värstjö 0–1 Admiral Storevik
Landsmarks Industrie 1–1 Dynamo Novaya Russica
AFK Savojagrad 3–0 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
CASK Thorsborg 2–1 Lokomotive Jarnstad

CASK take on Lok for the second time this season after the Thorsborgers won their first round cup clash in penalties. This time, penalties decide the game again. After two early goals (one by Rawic for Lok, and seven minutes later the equaliser by Jonsson) the teams battle each other to a standstill for almost an hour before Jekaterina Smolov gets a long ball, turns herself beautifully around Roy Coyner, and is touched by Tova Chiswick and goes down immediately. Despite the heavy protests of Lok’s players, the referee points to the spot, and Janna Sauthier converts for Thorsborg. With the anger of the decision in their hearts, Lok push forward, and they get a (much clearer) penalty of their own as joker Ludvigsson is held back in an aerial duel against Anttakari. Adrian Klaebo could equalise the match, but sends the ball about five centimetres over the crossbar, sealing Lok’s fate. Earlier in the weekend, Libertas Bergheim host Partisan Sjoedrhavn and whip up a storm of a first half, with Eller and Arkanin bringing the Bergheimers up by two in the first half hour before Poulsen at least gets one back for Partisan. But in the locker room, Patrik Alexandersson must have found the right words: Parti storm out and score twice in the first fifteen, courtesy of Traudl Mrdja and Lars Alvesen, before Ola Lapanen tops up the scoreline to 2-4 in the late stages of the second half. Finally, FK Torpedo are travelling to Savojagrad to face AFKS, but they are faced with a Kevin Nordmark in top shape who stops the offensive flurry Torpedo are unleashing in the first half hour before Milvonen sets up a beautiful counter that Tatjana Kovalenko converts. Their spirits broken, Torpedo lose control of the game to a magistral Sabine Bar, who leads the charge as she and Robin Norderberg extend the lead to 3-0.

Matchday 14
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 1–0 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Dynamo Novaya Russica 0–0 AFK Savojagrad
Admiral Storevik 2–0 Landsmarks Industrie
ESK Storevik 1–1 Rotor Värstjö
Traktor St. Andrei 0–0 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
ASK Landsmark 1–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
Energie Thorsborg 2–0 RLSK Pawlograd
Lokomotive Jarnstad 2–1 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Libertas Bergheim 2–2 CASK Thorsborg

Libertas are receiving CASK in a spectacular clash of offences. The white and red takes the initiative early on as Wen and Sandoval combine themselves through CASK’s side, but from nine metres, Kaja Eller somehow manages to miss the goal. The striker does manage to make up for the mistake as she gets a shot to the top left corner ten minutes later, but CASK are getting the better of the Bergheimers in the following minutes, as Hartikainen and Smolov score two to take the lead at half-time. Libertas are controlling the game in the second half, but it is not enough for a win as Olga Valujev in CASK’s goal, alongside defenders Vikborg and Pohjanainen, play a great game, only allowing one goal scored by Arkanin to equalise the game. Elsewhere, Dynamo Sjoedrhavn stumble over Traktor thanks to a terrible performance by striker Vladimir Nichajev, who misses not one but two major chances at a winning goal in the second half. With the incapacity of Dynamo to score, St. Andrei’s complete harmlessness in offence does not matter. The other Sjoedrhavn side do a little better, as they also struggle for seventy minutes against a physical, intensive Torpedo; however, they are finishing it off with a win, as Ola Lapanen takes a ball and turns smoothly around Morozov and slots the ball flatly past Sharin for a beautiful goal.

Matchday 15
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 1–3 Libertas Bergheim
RLSK Pawlograd 0–1 Lokomotive Jarnstad
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–0 Energie Thorsborg
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 0–2 ASK Landsmark
Rotor Värstjö 1–1 Traktor St. Andrei
Landsmarks Industrie 1–0 ESK Storevik
AFK Savojagrad 0–1 Admiral Storevik
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 0–1 Dynamo Novaya Russica
CASK Thorsborg 1–1 Partisan Sjoedrhavn

CASK are receiving Partisan for a clash of titan, but it ends up being a rather tense affair in the first half, neither side willing to take risks. Only after the break are there more offensive actions on both sides, after out of nowhere, Steinar Aarsoy receives a long ball and sends it long into the box, where Traudl Mrdja appears late on the second post and scores the leading goal for Parti. With their backs against the wall, CASK throw whatever they can at Aleksandra Virulainen, and they almost manage to concede a second one on the counter, were it not for Alvesen sending it wide. Instead, the Thorsborgers equalise with eight minutes on the clock, as Janna Sauthier dupes her compatriot Broad and beats Virulainen. Across the city, Dynamo just can’t catch a break as visitors ASK Landsmark are shutting them out, courtesy of Iiro Pakanen’s Man of the Match performance. On the other end, it’s a scrappy and opportunistic offence for ASK, but when faced with a Tanith Arrowsmith who looks somewhat off her game, it is enough to take down the capital side. Promotees Landsmarks Industrie manage an important upset, as club legend and team captain Gabriel Klinger takes a long ball by young Farf Balazs Meszaros and smacks it into ESK’s goal with a violent shot from the edge of the box to secure three important points.

Savojar Cup Octofinals
Polar Grundviken 0–1 Motor Johansborg
SK Cuprum Grennvik 0–3 AFK Savojagrad
Traktor St. Andrei 3–1 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Norderhaven Drakken 1–2 Mir Nestrovo
ESK Storevik 1–5 Libertas Bergheim
Kallora IF 2–0 Norrhavn FK
RAS St. Andrei 1–1 Admiral Storevik (1–1 AET) (8–9 pen.)
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 4–2 Partisan Sjoedrhavn

Is’s a Sjoedrhavn derby in the Cup, a recipe for drama that is hard to match. And at the Stadion Dynamo, Seneca Matthews’ Dynamo takes on the juggernaut that is Partisan with an offensive flurry, somewhat aided by the Partisans - still active in the IFCF - resting Broad, Arnason, and Cronin. Particularly the unlucky Bjarne Thorvaldsson on left back can clearly not keep up pace with Vitale, who sets up a 3-1 lead at half time; while Partisan mount a brief comeback, a late goal by Dynamo’s Laura Polve ends their Cup run right before the winter break. In the other two SFS A duels of the round, Traktor St. Andrei forget about their terrible run of the current championship season, and instead have Andrea Vithoulkas shoot away her frustration with two goals against SVV, and Libertas Bergheim managed to be even more convincing as they score five against ESK. In particular, Sveinn Arnason impressed with two goals and one assist. Pure drama, on the other hand, could be found at St. Andrei, where RAS surprisingly held an overly cavalier Admiral to a 1-1 draw that went into an eternal shootout where simply nobody would miss… until, eventually, RAS centre-back Oleg Sjotantov would send it a good chunk over the crossbar, and Admiral finally could celebrate moving on to the quarterfinals.

Matchday 16
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 3–0 Dynamo Novaya Russica
Admiral Storevik 1–2 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
ESK Storevik 2–0 AFK Savojagrad
Traktor St. Andrei 1–0 Landsmarks Industrie
ASK Landsmark 0–1 Rotor Värstjö
Energie Thorsborg 0–0 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
Lokomotive Jarnstad 1–2 FK Metall Jarnstad
Libertas Bergheim 1–0 RLSK Pawlograd
CASK Thorsborg 4–1 Savojars Vinge Virkaja

Savojars Vinge have invested a lot of money to build a competitive team around Krister Voynov coming back from Raynor City, but so far, the results have been mediocre at best. A visit to CASK Thorsborg serves as an opportunity to prove that this can be a contender in a few years - but things are not looking great for the Finns. Virkaja are getting picked apart, and at the root of the first game is, of all people, Voynov. Dropping a pass by Virttu and not working backwards as Anja Loeseth brings the ball forward, he has to look on as the CASK rightback sends it long to Jeraväinen, who drops it back to Jonsson and celebrates with the offensive midfielder as he scores from the edge of the box. Lenberg then also looks terrible as he lets a seemingly easy shot through. Yes, Voynov gets his moment of glory as he scores the 2-1, but it’s never enough as Smolov and Sauthier clean house and secure victory. Admiral Storevik, defending champions of Savojarna, suffer a hurtful defeat in the Navy Derby, losing to an inspired FK Torpedo thanks to Tryphon Archer missing not one, but two brilliant chances; on the other side, Ilja Serebrjakov and Ruslan Novikov show why people have rated them so highly for the past years as they score the two goals securing the victory for the Navy’s nominal B team. Finally, surprise success team ASK Landsmark end up getting set back unfortunately as they bash their heads into a spirited, well-defending Rotor Värstjö. Led by a clever Harald Barnerud and a Julia Grysai that plays a tireless sweeper performance ahead of the Värstjö back four, ASK despair; eventually, even Iiro Pakanen can’t defend a ball bouncing onto the foot of Karamasov in the box and the seasoned striker scoring coldly from ten metres out.

Champions League Groups
Admiral Storevik 1-2 AC Hollow Shades (EQS)
Admiral Storevik 1-3 Mâ Âlâmëómë (FFD)
Maethoru SC (KOR) 0-1 Admiral Storevik

Admiral start the second half of the group stage disastrously, losing both their home games, and now stand with zero points at home and a dire need to win away against unbeaten group leaders Maethoru SC from Ko-oren. At this point, however, Maethoru have the group victory secured, and can rest some players for their domestic competitions; something that ends up greatly benefitting Admiral as Dmitriev and Mucic both play a brilliant game to keep a clean sheet, and Arianna Berger’s shot from range that finds its way under the crossbar send the Navy side through to the octofinals despite their struggles on home soil.

Challengers Cup Groups
Hoima Warriors (BNJ) 2-1 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 1-0 Corona Christiana (OME)
René Skaé (FFD) 2-2 Partisan Sjoedrhavn

Partisan open the return leg of the group stage with a stumble as they lose to Hoima Warriors after a controversial, but ultimately correctly disallowed late equaliser prevented yet another draw (it would have been Parti’s third one in four games). Their game against Corona Christiana then shapes up to be decisive, and thankfully for them, Virulainen and Vikarby are both in top shape, frustrating the Omericans’ offence, before Traudl Mrdja confirms her status as lucky charm by converting a stray ball into the box before the end of the game. Away against René Skaé, a 2-2 draw is enough for a Partisan that plays fast and loose with defence at time, but makes up for it by the sheer talent of Poulsen, Alvesen, Mrdja, and Lapanen at their disposal.

Matchday 17
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 0–1 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
RLSK Pawlograd 0–1 CASK Thorsborg
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–0 Libertas Bergheim
Rotor Värstjö 2–0 Energie Thorsborg
Landsmarks Industrie 2–1 ASK Landsmark
AFK Savojagrad 1–2 Traktor St. Andrei
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 0–2 ESK Storevik
Dynamo Novaya Russica 1–4 Admiral Storevik
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 1–5 Lokomotive Jarnstad

Dynamo Sjoedrhavn have gone from surprise leader to tight battling with local rivals Partisan, lagging two points behind the red and gold by the final matchday of the first round. In the last game before the winter break, they receive Lokomotive, put under pressure by Partisan’s win against SVV and thus five points behind the leaders. Lok, however, are a massive challenge; a seasoned team that is itself off its expected pace with a ten point deficit to Partisan. Today, however, they come out swinging. Within sixteen minutes, Klaebo has thrown a free kick into the box that Palander knocks on for his first SFS goal in his career, and Rawic puts a beautiful effort in to get past Nymark and score on a chanceless Arrowsmith. And today, it truly pours on Dynamo, as an almost comical mistake by Varanen gets the ball into the feet of Florian Franz for the 0-3. In the end, it will be five goals for Lok, a brutal cold shower for Dynamo. It doesn’t help that Partisan Sjoedrhavn manage a calm, collected, and thoroughly unspectacular victory over Savojars Vinge Virkaja; Johane Boissonault takes Voynov into close custody and up front, Aarsoy and Lapanen collaborate to score the sole goal. With Dynamo stumbling, others are there to take up the chances, and with a Tryphon Archer double, Admiral defeat Dynamo Novaya Russica 4-1 to move up into second place at the halfway point of the season.

Standings after 17 matchdays
   Savojar Football Serien A  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Partisan Sjoedrhavn         17   12   2   3    36   18  +18    38
 2 Admiral Storevik            17   11   2   4    29   14  +15    35
 3 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn           17   10   3   4    25   19   +6    33
 4 CASK Thorsborg              17    9   5   3    28   16  +12    32
 5 ASK Landsmark               17    9   2   6    18   13   +5    29
 6 Lokomotive Jarnstad         17    9   1   7    26   16  +10    28
 7 ESK Storevik                17    7   5   5    21   16   +5    26
 8 Rotor Värstjö               17    7   4   6    17   14   +3    25
 9 Savojars Vinge Virkaja      17    8   1   8    25   28   −3    25
10 Libertas Bergheim           17    6   6   5    30   24   +6    24
11 FK Metall Jarnstad          17    7   3   7    10   10    0    24
12 Traktor St. Andrei          17    5   7   5    25   27   −2    22
13 AFK Savojagrad              17    5   5   7    22   21   +1    20
14 FK Torpedo Pawlograd        17    5   3   9    10   23  −13    18
15 Dynamo Novaya Russica       17    4   4   9     9   21  −12    16
16 Landsmarks Industrie        17    4   4   9    13   29  −16    16
17 Energie Thorsborg           17    2   5  10     7   23  −16    11
18 RLSK Pawlograd              17    1   2  14     7   26  −19     5

by **Savojarna** » Tue Mar 29, 2022 5:50 am

SFS A Season 15 - Part 3/4

Matchday 18
Dynamo Novaya Russica 2–1 ESK Storevik
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 1–0 Traktor St. Andrei
AFK Savojagrad 1–0 ASK Landsmark
Landsmarks Industrie 2–0 Energie Thorsborg
Rotor Värstjö 3–3 Lokomotive Jarnstad
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 1–1 Libertas Bergheim
FK Metall Jarnstad 1–0 CASK Thorsborg
RLSK Pawlograd 3–0 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 2–0 Admiral Storevik

Partisan vs Admiral is not only runner-up against defending champion, but also a duel of current leader vs second-placed. Three points separate the two teams, and a victory for Admiral would see them tie the Partisans for the lead; as a result, they come out with a punch at the Perl Kruger and nearly take an early lead as Leopold’s cross is taken by Archer but scrapes just past the post. Rysti Erkalainen gets another good chance but hoofs it over the bar, and just minutes later, Poulsen drives the ball forward through Admiral’s midfield and drops it out wide to Mrdja for a 1-0 that slightly contradicts the flow of the game. With Partisan now having the luxury of caution, Admiral seem incapable of finding a gap, and a second half goal by Antonia Nygaard seals the deal in the current leader’s favour. Pursuitors Dynamo Sjoedrhavn are looking ready to take up second place again for a long time, but then, Kaja Eller does manage to find the back of Arrowsmith’s goal; at the same time in Jarnstad, Ubelteso Amilaga knocks a corner over the line for a surprise victory over CASK. As a result, Partisan stand atop the standings six points clear of their first chasers. Not as important to the race at the top, but very spectacular is the duel of Rotor Värstjö and Lok Jarnstad; after a double by Karamasov in the first half sets up a 2-0 lead for Rotor at half time, Lok kick in another offensive gear or two and manage to pull ahead 3-2 thanks to Rawic, Grivoshenko, and Rawic again. However, it’s not enough as Eirikur Perhaug scores an equaliser for Rotor to end a wild second half.

Matchday 19
RLSK Pawlograd 0–1 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 2–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
CASK Thorsborg 0–1 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
Libertas Bergheim 1–0 Rotor Värstjö
Lokomotive Jarnstad 1–1 Landsmarks Industrie
Energie Thorsborg 0–1 AFK Savojagrad
ASK Landsmark 1–0 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Traktor St. Andrei 1–1 Dynamo Novaya Russica
ESK Storevik 0–5 Admiral Storevik

The Storevik Derby is supposed to be a close fight between two major rivals, but this edition of it simply turns into a slaughter. ESK, who are missing Isabelle Christian to a suspension for her fourth yellow card and miss Sölva Ylsdottir and Tuomas Lajunen to injuries, seem to hold up alright for half an hour, with Lajunen’s replacement Sigfridsson almost scoring a goal. But then, Admiral’s Dmitri Dmitriev scores the 1-0 off a corner, and right before the break, a cynical tackle by Halldor Parvin results in a penalty that Tryphon Archer converts. In the second half, an open and attacking ESK are countered out, and Vladcik, Archer again, and Kolbeinnsson are raising scores to 5-0 at the ESK home ground. Dynamo Sjoedrhavn are travelling to Thorsborg for a duel among title pursuitors, and they are re-establishing themselves as a true challenger by a strong performance. CASK do have their strong moments, particularly at the end of the first half where Smolov and Hartikainen pressure to an extent that Dynamo just limp into the break on a draw, but in the second half, they improve again and and manage to take back control, securing victory through a header by Nichajev after a long shot from a free kick, knocking it on into the bottom left corner. On the other end of the table, it’s a bittersweet day for RLSK Pawlograd, as the last-placed side manages to finally improve the look of their play and pulls together a stable, balanced game. However, playing against Partisan Sjoedrhavn is no easy feat even for a well-balanced side, and RLSK fall in the second half, as Mrdja swings in past Ylvenoinen and scores the sole goal of the game.

Matchday 20
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 1–1 ESK Storevik
Admiral Storevik 3–0 Traktor St. Andrei
Dynamo Novaya Russica 1–0 ASK Landsmark
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 3–1 Energie Thorsborg
AFK Savojagrad 0–1 Lokomotive Jarnstad
Landsmarks Industrie 1–3 Libertas Bergheim
Rotor Värstjö 1–2 CASK Thorsborg
FK Metall Jarnstad 2–1 RLSK Pawlograd
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 0–0 Savojars Vinge Virkaja

Savojars Vinge Virkaja are still struggling to bring it all together, lacking balance across their team that leaves the unfortunate Krister Voynov alone all too often. Today, against Dynamo, that issue creeps up again, as SVV are playing up their left winger, but fail to get much done as Wladmir Rokowic refuses to give him anything, occasionally attacking the Virkaja superstar harshly. Pala and Arrowsmith both also have a splendid day and ward off any breakthroughs by Voynov and co, making it even harder for Savojars Vinge to do much. The Air Force side does at least see their investment in former Dynamo defender Vibeke Mortensen pay off, as the centre-back does two major stops against her former teammates, tackling Mohamed Khedira as he is about to break through, and then blocking off an attempt in the final minutes by Teranen to secure her new side a 0-0 at Sjoedrhavn. And elsewhere? Traktor St. Andrei have a horrible Friday night as not only do Admiral Storevik put three past them thanks to Patrik Brygg playing a magistral performance, assisting one and scoring another with a spectacular direct free kick; the Russians also lose Andrea Vithoulkas as their striker star is out following a tackle by Dmitriev. The defender in question is also given a yellow card for his trouble, which means he, too, will be out next week. On top of the table, Partisan stumble over ESK Storevik, dropping two points despite looking like they had the game under control. However, Lipa Kuznetsov finds a way through the defence and sets up Eddie Guweddeko, who scores from close range to secure the Ejanans a point.

Matchday 21
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–2 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
RLSK Pawlograd 1–0 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 1–1 Rotor Värstjö
CASK Thorsborg 9–3 Landsmarks Industrie
Libertas Bergheim 1–5 AFK Savojagrad
Lokomotive Jarnstad 1–1 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Energie Thorsborg 1–0 Dynamo Novaya Russica
Traktor St. Andrei 3–2 ESK Storevik
ASK Landsmark 1–2 Admiral Storevik

Admiral Storevik are travelling to ASK Landsmark in a game that is important for both sides. ASK, who started the season with a surprisingly strong performance but staggered throughout the season, travel to the defending champions Admiral, who are chasing after a runaway Partisan that won three points again earlier in the weekend. Helga Bengtsdottir manages to find Afanasenko after a good twenty minutes to set ASK ahead, but then, they hunker down too early to contain a ferocious Admiral. Tryphon Archer equalises before the break, and Birkir Evaldsson scores from range after an hour to turn the game, profiting from Carlsen unluckily deflecting the ball unstoppably. But then, with only six minutes on the clock, joker Ilari Litmanen gets his head onto a Beaux Chill cross… and is off-side by about half a foot’s length, as the video shows. While this may be the most dramatic game of the weekend, it’s not the most spectacular one: Landsmarks Industrie hold their own just fine against CASK, but are unlucky as Namenkov gets injured twenty minutes into the game after colliding with Prosdocimi in an aerial duel. As both teams play openly, the score is 3-2 to CASK at half time, with centre-back Fischer playing terribly and being subbed for Mellberg - a fateful decision, as one substitution later and with the score at 4-2, there is no sub available anymore as Paavaniemi in goal accidentally takes down Smolov in the box. Sent off with a red card, he leaves the pitch and hands the goalkeeper jersey to Palsson, who is no match for CASK’s offence and concedes five goals in the remaining 28 minutes. Not quite as insane, but still riddled with goals is Libertas’ utter defensive collapse stemming from Dino Racic’s absence (fourth yellow card in the previous game) and a terrible game from Trischuk. Combined with a brilliant game by Sabine Bar and Robin Norderberg, AFK Savojagrad secure an impressive victory with two goals by Norderberg and three assists by Bar.

Challengers Cup RO32
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 1-1 Spartangrad (EUR)
Spartangrad (EUR) 2-1 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
Spartangrad advance 3-2 on aggregate

Duels against Euran teams are always a treat for Savojar fans, but the results can be brutal sometimes… such as today. Partisan’s home game is solid but not outstanding, relying on their talisman Mrdja to bail them out after conceding an unlucky goal after a defensive misunderstanding. However, there is new hope away as they take a lead at Spartangrad, but Alvesen’s go-ahead goal is not enough as the Eurans reverse the score to win their home game and send Partisan packing. All hopes now rely on the Champions League campaign of Admiral Storevik, due to play Crystopolis City in two weeks.

Matchday 22
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 2–0 Traktor St. Andrei
Admiral Storevik 1–1 Energie Thorsborg
Dynamo Novaya Russica 2–1 Lokomotive Jarnstad
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 0–4 Libertas Bergheim
AFK Savojagrad 0–2 CASK Thorsborg
Landsmarks Industrie 1–0 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Rotor Värstjö 0–4 RLSK Pawlograd
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 0–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
ESK Storevik 1–0 ASK Landsmark

It’s a duel of two perennial seconds as ASK Landsmark, forever the second team of the Savojar Army, travel north to ESK Storevik, forever the second team of their city. In the table, however, both teams are far from second: ASK are sitting in sixth, chasing their first IFCF place in over a decade; ESK Storevik are in 12th trying to avoid falling towards the relegation fight. The Storevikers, however, prove that they have too much individual class to actually fall that low. Isabelle Christian and Sölva Ylsdottir are taking a cautious approach in central midfield, holding off ASK’s counters; meanwhile, Iiro Pakanen and Valentin Gusev are heavily challenged by ESK Storevik’s strong offence. It takes a lot of patience for the team, but eventually, Reksi Halanen finds some space for a cross that Lajunen manages to nod in. Down in the actual relegation fight, RLSK Pawlograd are managing a big victory. Sitting in last place, RLSK need a big push forward; and with Serge Tempest living up to his last name scoring a double in the first half against a disjointed Rotor, they are very much on track to get just that. By the end of the game, RLSK have four goals to Rotor’s zero, putting them still in last place, but only one point behind Energie. Up top, Admiral Storevik need a win to keep up with Partisan and avoid an opening of the gap, but struggle against a pressuring Energie Thorsborg - and ultimately stumble, as Lea Mörk breaks through and scores thirteen minutes before the final whistle to equalise the game, setting Admiral six points behind leaders Partisan.

Matchday 23
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–1 Rotor Värstjö
RLSK Pawlograd 1–0 Landsmarks Industrie
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 0–7 AFK Savojagrad
CASK Thorsborg 1–1 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Libertas Bergheim 2–2 Dynamo Novaya Russica
Lokomotive Jarnstad 0–0 Admiral Storevik
Energie Thorsborg 0–0 ESK Storevik
ASK Landsmark 1–0 Traktor St. Andrei
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 1–1 Partisan Sjoedrhavn

The Sjoedrhavn Derby is not just a crucial game for the supremacy in the capital, but also important for the table as Partisan are chasing their fourth title in six years; at the same time, Dynamo sit in fourth place chasing another IFCF participation. On a crisp late winter night, Partisan play fast and convincing, but run into a strong Tanith Arrowsmith - until left winger Antonia Nygaard cuts to the inside and is felled by Pala at the end of the first half. Morten Poulsen converts the penalty, and Dynamo look set back; but in the second half, the pace of Partisan takes its toll and the team in red and white come back. Pickton, Khedira, and Phoen all fail to score from solid chances, but eventually, Virulainen has to give up her clean sheet as joker Laura Polve takes a diagonal ball from Ostapenko and puts it past the Partisan keeper. Admiral and Lok are behind the two Sjoedrhavn teams, respectively, and also face each other in a duel of second against fifth. However, neither can profit from the draw of their direct opponents as the two fight each other to a standstill; neither side breaks through the defence, although Bogdan Rawic comes close after 68 minutes when he hits the crossbar. Aside from all fights for position, AFK Savojagrad bring down the thunder on a hapless Savojars Vinge, who miss the injured Vibeke Mortensen, the suspended Barkov, and a will to resist after being down 2-0 after 23 minutes. Krister Voynov gets substituted out with a terrible attitude and whistled off the pitch, and SVV look truly disastrous as Kovalenko scores a hattrick en route to a 0-7 victory.

Savojar Cup Quarterfinals
Kallora IF 0–2 Motor Johansborg
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 5–1 Libertas Bergheim
Mir Nestrovo 0–4 Admiral Storevik
AFK Savojagrad 0–0 Traktor St. Andrei (0–0 AET) (5–4 pen.)

The draw ensures a lower-tier team in the semifinals as Kallora IF receive Motor Johansborg. The Nationalligaen side throws in everything and attempts to score an early goal through their young left winger Siimo Kartikainen, but he is denied by veteran Motor goalkeeper Lotte Ronne. The former Libertas goalkeeper plays a solid game and assists her experienced side in slowly grinding down their lower-tier opposition, and right before the break, an exhausted Kallora centre-back can’t quite hold in Hemovitsj, who goes on to score the 0-1. Varja Zharkov, another player with SFS A experience, crosses in from the midfield and finds Charlotte Ingvildsen at the second post for a goal. In the other cross-division duel, Admiral Storevik decide to not even give Mir Nestrovo a good chance, and the grand veteran Jzeovak Vladcik - no longer a starter in the league - leads his side to a 0-4 victory. The two SFS A duels show vastly different faces. Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, playing with their top team, unleash a real flurry at an offensive Libertas and counter them down relentlessly, driven by Teemu Routsiainen shutting down the Bergheim short passing game. A day later, AFK Savojagrad and Traktor St. Andrei show none of the same spectacle, with their matchup being a dreary, scoreless slog for 120 minutes, but then it gets all dramatic for the shootout as AFK begin - and miss. Packard-Grey, Yarkov, Henrycz, and Sobchuk all score for Traktor, but then with the score at 4-4, captain Anna Witchstone sends the match point into the Savojagrad night sky. Next up, veteran Lyn Townsend is up for AFK, and the Brenecian converts to the bottom right, before Kevin Nordmark faces off against Hannu Vuotala… and saves the ball to secure a 5-4 shootout victory for the hosts.

Matchday 24
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 2–0 ASK Landsmark
Traktor St. Andrei 0–0 Energie Thorsborg
ESK Storevik 0–1 Lokomotive Jarnstad
Admiral Storevik 1–0 Libertas Bergheim
Dynamo Novaya Russica 2–2 CASK Thorsborg
AFK Savojagrad 0–1 RLSK Pawlograd
Landsmarks Industrie 1–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
Rotor Värstjö 1–4 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 1–0 Savojars Vinge Virkaja

FK Torpedo and Savojars Vinge both have had high hopes with some investment: SVV have signed an aging superstar in Voynov, Torpedo have experienced a large cash influx as they lost two national team players, and replaced them with expensive hopefuls in Emma Kenna-Tang, Ilja Serebrjakov and Ruslan Novikov. However, both have been struggling to make things click as teams haven’t quite found their chemistry, and injuries have been a factor for both. Today, Torpedo are more or less in form; SVV still miss Mortensen and have Voynov benched for disciplinary reasons. However, as Sakkarinen can’t find a way past Dina Chapman and Novikov nets the 1-0 on pass from Kenna-Tang, the Virkajans are panicking and bring on Bjergsen and Voynov - and unleash a flurry on their opposition. Eventually, the goal does come off a corner, but with Vukkila having used his elbows in the air, it is rightfully disallowed, allowing Torpedo’s victory to stand. Elsewhere, the leaders Partisan continue to rampage through the league as they dispatch ASK Landsmark surprisingly easily, with Lars Alvesen and Morten Poulsen scoring on their former Northlights teammate Pakanen in the first half. On the bottom of the table, Energie Thorsborg and Traktor St. Andrei are both consumed by their own worries: Traktor miss several key players with injuries, whereas Energie are in deep financial trouble and struggle off the pitch. With these circumstances, neither side will be finding much relief in a dull, scoreless draw at the Energiekollektivets Arena.

Champions League Octofinals
Admiral Storevik 1-2 Crystopolis City (CRY)
Crystopolis City (CRY) 1-1 Admiral Storevik
Crystopolis City advance 3-2 on aggregate

The Champions League brings nothing but heartbreak to Admiral Storevik as they lead late in their home game but see the result overturned harshly in the second half, as Crystopolis profit from two grave mistakes by the defence. First, Dmitriev gives up an unnecessary penalty; then, Mucic gives up a goal with a bad attempt at punching out a cross. On the return match in Crystopolis, a first half goal sets them back even further, and even though Admiral try everything in their power, it’s not enough to score the two goals needed to equalise the tie, ending Savojarna’s IFCF involvement.

Matchday 25
Rotor Värstjö 0–1 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 0–2 Landsmarks Industrie
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–0 AFK Savojagrad
RLSK Pawlograd 1–1 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 0–1 Dynamo Novaya Russica
Libertas Bergheim 3–3 ESK Storevik
Lokomotive Jarnstad 1–1 Traktor St. Andrei
Energie Thorsborg 0–5 ASK Landsmark
CASK Thorsborg 1–2 Admiral Storevik

Sunday night, Stadion General Harden, sold out. Third against second, and more importantly, CASK Thorsborg against Admiral Storevik. It’s a massive event like always, and CASK need a victory to keep their hopes for the Champions League alive, as they currently sit six points behind Admiral. A loss would open a massive gap, but exactly that’s what’s threatening the army side as Patrik Brygg converts a free kick after 36 minutes. CASK are shifting their gears forward, but can’t get through Dmitriev, Mucic, and Oakes. They keep trying but get caught out on the counter, Berger launching Erkalainen, and the left winger scores the 0-2 to silence the Harden. Even if Jekaterina Smolov might bring it back, the defeat is not what CASK hoped for, but for Admiral it is gold as it keeps them in the race for first. Behind the duo, Dynamo slip up in their quest for another year of IFCF competition, as they get bogged down in sideshows against a focused and solidaric Industrie. Nichajev gets an early yellow for arguing an offside call; Vitale gets into a scrap with Liljeström that sees both of them carded as well. In the midst of this, Landsmarks Industrie stay focused and calm; Klinger and Mészáros score the goals en route to a surprise away victory for the team. Libertas and ESK are both still in the hunt for IFCF spots, although it’s a long shot for both - and they need to start winning now. Libertas’ fluid play takes the lead quickly as Wen scores from range and Arkanin sets up Sandoval for a 2-0, but the winger misses from a great chance before Guweddeko scores two to reverse the score. Eller and Kuznetsov set it to 2-3, but in front of their audience, Libertas are not to be beaten and score the equaliser, courtesy of a long-range shot by Jaranski.

Matchday 26
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 5–4 Energie Thorsborg
ASK Landsmark 1–0 Lokomotive Jarnstad
Traktor St. Andrei 1–4 Libertas Bergheim
ESK Storevik 0–2 CASK Thorsborg
Dynamo Novaya Russica 0–1 RLSK Pawlograd
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 2–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
AFK Savojagrad 0–0 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
Landsmarks Industrie 0–0 Rotor Värstjö
Admiral Storevik 2–2 Savojars Vinge Virkaja

Savojars Vinge Virkaja show that they are still good, although wildly inconsistent. With Voynov still condemned to the bench, Pohja Sakkarinen finally gets to show what he can do as he opens the score against a clearly favoured Admiral Storevik. On the other side, Arianna Berger and Tryphon Archer might reverse the score, but what is it worth against a Krister Voynov that now is subbed on and angry? Not much is the answer as Ola-Mikko Virttu sets him up perfectly for a 1v1 against Dubois and a curled shot into the far corner. A beautiful goal against his ex-club secures Voynov redemption from his fans, and SVV a crucial point. On the other side, it’s devastation as Partisan’s spectacular 5-4 victory over Energie means the Sjoedrhaveners extend their lead to eight points. Energie themselves drop further and further in the relegation race, now behind eleven points, but the Thorsborgers have other issues as they are drowning further and further in financial woes. Finally, ASK Landsmark are receiving Lok Jarnstad for a crucial game. With a victory, ASK can jump Lok and claim fifth place, the last remaining IFCF spot - and they start out extremely patient and solid. Bogdan Rawic gets frustrated over and over by Iiro Pakanen, and Grivoshenko is driven mad enough by Rjurik Hoegh that he exasperatedly throws away a ball after being forced into giving up a throw-in, and almost hits Hoegh in the head. On the other end, Helga Bengtsdottir scores the lone goal of the game with a smooth cut inside past Zeperin, celebrating an ASK victory and their ascent into fifth place.

SFS A standings after 26 matchdays
   Savojar Football Serien A  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Partisan Sjoedrhavn         26   19   4   3    53   24  +29    61
 2 Admiral Storevik            26   16   5   5    45   21  +24    53
 3 CASK Thorsborg              26   13   7   6    47   27  +20    46
 4 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn           26   12   8   6    32   25   +7    44
 5 ASK Landsmark               26   13   2  11    27   20   +7    41
 6 Libertas Bergheim           26   10   9   7    49   38  +11    39
 7 Lokomotive Jarnstad         26   11   6   9    35   25  +10    39
 8 AFK Savojagrad              26    9   7  10    36   26  +10    34
 9 FK Torpedo Pawlograd        26    9   6  11    20   32  −12    33
10 ESK Storevik                26    8   8  10    29   33   −4    32
11 FK Metall Jarnstad          26    9   5  12    13   19   −6    32
12 Rotor Värstjö               26    8   7  11    24   30   −6    31
13 Dynamo Novaya Russica       26    8   7  11    20   30  −10    31
14 Savojars Vinge Virkaja      26    9   4  13    30   44  −14    31
15 Landsmarks Industrie        26    8   6  12    24   43  −19    30
16 Traktor St. Andrei          26    6  10  10    31   42  −11    28
17 RLSK Pawlograd              26    7   3  16    20   30  −10    24
18 Energie Thorsborg           26    3   8  15    14   40  −26    17

by **Savojarna** » Mon Apr 04, 2022 12:53 pm

SFS A Season 15 - Part 4/4

Matchday 27
Landsmarks Industrie 2–2 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
Rotor Värstjö 1–1 AFK Savojagrad
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–0 Dynamo Novaya Russica
RLSK Pawlograd 1–2 Admiral Storevik
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 3–0 ESK Storevik
CASK Thorsborg 1–1 Traktor St. Andrei
Libertas Bergheim 3–1 ASK Landsmark
Lokomotive Jarnstad 4–0 Energie Thorsborg
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 0–0 FK Torpedo Pawlograd

Torpedo may not yet be entirely clear of the relegation risk, but realistically speaking, they should be safe - and as a result, Lew Nyborg opts to throw a few people into the deep end. Gröneveld on the left backside and Morozov in central defence both get their first SFS A start, and they do surprisingly well. Particularly Alexander Morozov stands out with a splendid effort under pressure, and prevents a near certain goal as he blocks a dangerous shot by Nichajev to a corner. Offensively, however, things are stuttering as Serebrjakov misses two major chances and Novikov lacks cohesion with the rest of the game. In the end, it’s a scoreless draw that sets Dynamo Sjoedrhavn back in their quest to hold on to their IFCF spot. Libertas Bergheim and ASK Landsmark are currently seventh and sixth respectively, and meet up in a clash of challengers to the final IFCF spot - and the Bergheimers get the better of it as Wen Xiaohui puts in an inspired performance, and Jakub Jaranski shows an energy that has recently been missing from Heidi Jordén. The final point of the game does belong to Bengtsdottir, as the ASK left winger scores off a spectacular solo; however, at this point, three goals for Libertas already all but decided the game, resulting in the Bergheimers leapfrogging ASK and tying with fifth-placed Lok on points. In the title race, Partisan receive a little setback as they face a smart Landsmarks Industrie and get surprised early on as Mészáros scores from range. The Farf midfielder triggers a short panic period among the Partisans that is only resolved by a resolute shot by Jelena Tretjakov, but a spirited Industrie overcomes a Parti defence that looks tired from an intense season once more. With ten minutes to go and the score set at 1-2, Elsa Lund plays a long ball down to Novak, who gets past Sjostakovich to score the equaliser.

Matchday 28
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 0–0 Lokomotive Jarnstad
Energie Thorsborg 1–2 Libertas Bergheim
Traktor St. Andrei 1–4 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
ESK Storevik 1–1 RLSK Pawlograd
Admiral Storevik 0–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
Dynamo Novaya Russica 0–1 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 1–1 Rotor Värstjö
AFK Savojagrad 5–2 Landsmarks Industrie
ASK Landsmark 0–0 CASK Thorsborg

Will there ever be a boring Army Derby? If there is a candidate for that unexpected outcome, it will be this one. While it’s coming up with bells and whistles as we’re seeing the most competitive ASK Landsmark in years, no amount of pageantry can quite cover up the fact that the football on the pitch is cagey, defensive, and scared of giving up a goal. It doesn’t break the spirit of the audience though, as a completely sold out stadium screams forward their ASK, but can’t celebrate a goal as Olga Valujev stops Afanasenko miraculously twice. On the other side, Smolov manages to put a ball from nine metres past the post, and Láidná Olasdottir shoots the ball right into the arms of Iiro Pakanen. Things flare up right before the end as Aho puts a cynical tackle on Gavax-Nenzi, and an angry Carlsen is coming up for a talk. The tempers on the field are quickly removed, but the cleanup of things thrown by angry fans takes a while, before the final eight minutes of a scoreless draw can be played out. Over in Savojagrad, there is a ton of action as a young and playful AFK team comes playing against a high pressing Landsmarks Industrie side. Industrie are being run circles around from 25 minutes onwards, and they can’t keep up their speed until the end of the game, leading Hjort and Kovalenko to open fire in the second half to move the score from 2-1 to 5-1. A late goal by Winther is too late to do much at all, as AFK celebrate a spectacular win. Another spectacular effort comes from Krister Voynov in St. Andrei, as the old master scores two against a badly battered Traktor, whose lack of Vithoulkas as well as lack of central defenders due to injury is really coming to bite them.

Matchday 29
AFK Savojagrad 0–0 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
Landsmarks Industrie 3–6 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Rotor Värstjö 1–2 Dynamo Novaya Russica
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 0–0 Admiral Storevik
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–0 ESK Storevik
RLSK Pawlograd 1–0 Traktor St. Andrei
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 1–0 ASK Landsmark
Libertas Bergheim 0–1 Lokomotive Jarnstad
CASK Thorsborg 1–2 Energie Thorsborg

One week after the Army Derby, CASK host another derby with the city derby against Energie. Lacking the tension of the ASK vs CASK match, it has an air of scaredness as Energie have to grapple with their impending payment issues; leading to the announcement that Jotan Baldursson as well as secondary physical coach Martin Persson and medical official Anders Helmgaard will not have their contracts prolonged. After a big show to their leaving members, Energie seem to want to show that they still have life in them, and Abigail Admassu - yet another one slated for a move if the worst case comes - scores a goal from eighteen metres, sending waves through the Harden. The waves do get a lot bigger when the hosts score twenty minutes later, Jeraväinen heading a cross from Sauthier into the net, but the better end belongs to Energie for once. Jesper Gyldenstjerne plays the pass to the side that 18 year old Lars Metalkov uses to score his first SFS A goal. In Landsmark, Industrie are playing yet another spectacular game against an offensive competitor, this time FK Torpedo - and once more, they run into an open knife as Viera and Serebrjakov both score two goals each. And in Sjoedrhavn, Partisan’s hopes rest on their local rivals for once, as the leaders have not gotten past a scoreless draw against AFK Savojagrad on Friday night. However, Dynamo do help them out as Tanith Arrowsmith stops nine shots on goal in an MVP-worthy performance to hold Admiral to a scoreless draw of their own. With five more games to go, Admiral are still six points behind their rivals, while Dynamo hold third place.

Savojar Cup Semifinals
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 0–0 Admiral Storevik (1–0 AET)
Motor Johansborg 0–4 AFK Savojagrad

Dynamo and Admiral meet yet again, and once more, goals are hard to come by. However, the game is a bit more even than it was in the League; Tanith Arrowsmith may still need to show some brilliant saves, but so does Jure Filipovic in the Admiral goal. It seems like Hrafnar Kolbeinnsson does get to celebrate the 1-0 shortly before the break, finally - but there’s a call from the stands, from the VAR, and after a quick review, referee Petter Elsborg reverts the goal and calls an off-side; admittedly correctly so. Dynamo themselves take a long time to get their offence online, with some top players rested in favour of youth; 18 year old Vilhjelm Drotte almost gets a moment in the spotlight but fails to put a long cross by Polve into the goal. The game goes into extra time, and Seneca Matthews proves a good nose, sending out a late joker in another teenager. Lise Stromberg, a technically gifted and quick shadow striker, manages a late run on a through ball by Ostapenko and beats Filipovic to the bottom left, securing her team an appearance in the cup final.
In the other semifinal, Motor Johansborg from the SFS B face off against SFS A side AFK Savojagrad. Motor have defeated a tired-looking Energie in the first round, but since then, they have not had to contend with another top division team; now, AFK put them to the test with a near full strength team, the only adaptations being the veteran Ulkanen for Hjort and putting in 18 year old Fjodor Mirakov for Sabine Bar. And it works a charm for a strong AFK side, as Ulkanen manages to assist Kovalenko for the 1-0 after only twelve minutes. Set back but not defeated, Motor do push back strongly but Nordmark prevents a dangerous shot from Hemovitsj from slipping through. In the second half, Motor look like they might come back, but after an hour it starts to crumble as Natalja Levin scores the 0-2. Within the last half hour, Lars Larsson and joker Robin Norderberg score the final goals to a dominant 0-4.

Matchday 30
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 5–0 Libertas Bergheim
Lokomotive Jarnstad 0–1 CASK Thorsborg
ASK Landsmark 1–0 RLSK Pawlograd
Traktor St. Andrei 0–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
ESK Storevik 1–4 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
Admiral Storevik 4–1 Rotor Värstjö
Dynamo Novaya Russica 1–0 Landsmarks Industrie
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 1–1 AFK Savojagrad
Energie Thorsborg 2–1 Savojars Vinge Virkaja

Rumour has it that Energie might be saving their finances after all as the powerful, rich and Thorsborg based NAK Andersson technology collective, under its NAKA phone brand, is rumoured to look at entering the football business and looking at Energie as its vehicle into the sport. Perhaps enthused by the rumours in the relegation battle, Energie start out well against SVV, with Lea Mörk finding a gap in the Virkaja defence and beating Lenberg clean to the top right. Right before the break, Jesper Gyldenstjerne gets to add one from the spot as SVV defender Vibeke Mortensen tries to block a shot by Sienkiewicz and catches the ball with her arm, leading to a harsh but correct penalty decision. Even though Savojars Vinge get a goal back by virtue of an Ola-Mikko Virttu shot from the edge of the box, Energie can take three points home; doubly valuable as their main rivals in Traktor and RLSK both lose points. Up top, Partisan Sjoedrhavn continue to cruise towards a victory, running all over Libertas Bergheim that is lacking Racic on a yellow card suspension, and has to deal with a Mikhail Trischuk in bad, bad form. Lars Alvesen is the man of the match with two goals and one assist, and on the left wing, Antonia Nygaard is putting on a strong case for herself over Steinar Aarsoy. However, Admiral Storevik right behind them keep up, scoring four goals of their own with another double going over to Tryphon Archer, who is almost single handedly keeping the Ejanans in the title race.

Matchday 31
AFK Savojagrad 0–1 Dynamo Novaya Russica
Landsmarks Industrie 3–2 Admiral Storevik
Rotor Värstjö 0–2 ESK Storevik
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 5–0 Traktor St. Andrei
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–1 ASK Landsmark
RLSK Pawlograd 3–1 Energie Thorsborg
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 1–4 Lokomotive Jarnstad
CASK Thorsborg 2–1 Libertas Bergheim
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 1–1 Partisan Sjoedrhavn

FK Torpedo are more or less out of contention for anything, but they want to trip up Partisan as the leaders come down south to play a team that has something to prove. Emma Kenna-Tang plays a quietly superb match, shuttling the ball back and forth and winning out in midfield against Jelena Tretjakov, who is getting the nod over Poulsen for the day; the Quebecois midfielder is not involved in any goals but keeps the game moving for her side. The goals generally have to wait for an hour, and against the flow of the game, it’s Partisan who goes for it first - Mrdja scores off a solo. On the other side, however, Torpedo keep pushing, and it’s Ruslan Novikov that gets a cross in to trustful Pjotr Jamarin, who scores off the bench for a draw. However, Admiral Storevik can’t use the slip-up of the leaders as they also surprisingly lose away at Landsmarks Industrie. Despite being up 0-1 early in the game, a mistake by Oakes lets Bergquist profit before Gabriel Klinger gets Industrie ahead with a massive header off a corner. While Admiral do bring the game back to level, it’s joker Juri Novak that can convert a cross from leftback Victoria Liljeström for a 3-2 victory. Finally, on the other end of the table, RLSK Pawlograd unleash a flurry of a second half on Energie Thorsborg, going from 0-1 to 3-1 within 25 minutes as Litmanen has a great moment scoring two goals in a crucial relegation fight match.

Matchday 32
Libertas Bergheim 1–4 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
Lokomotive Jarnstad 1–0 RLSK Pawlograd
Energie Thorsborg 0–1 FK Metall Jarnstad
ASK Landsmark 0–2 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
Traktor St. Andrei 1–2 Rotor Värstjö
ESK Storevik 0–1 Landsmarks Industrie
Admiral Storevik 2–0 AFK Savojagrad
Dynamo Novaya Russica 1–1 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 2–2 CASK Thorsborg

Partisan Sjoedrhavn play against CASK Thorsborg and could potentially secure the championship at home with a victory against the army side, who themselves are still looking to secure their IFCF participation. It turns out to be a very evenly matched, close game; a back and forth between two talented squads in which CASK’s slightly better organisation appears to win out as they are shutting down the chaos that can come out of Lapanen and Mrdja, and score the first goal themselves with Sauthier converting on a long cross from Hartikainen. However, it’s extremely hard to contain Partisan, and Poulsen and Mrdja bring the Sjoedrhaveners back with a good free kick from the captain and a solo effort from the Nepharan, brushing off Nymark’s challenge and scoring the 2-1. But while Partisan’s fans are already thinking of the championship, CASK continue to pressure them, and it doesn’t quite work out for the Partisans as Smolov scores a scrappy goal for the equaliser. As Admiral Storevik win 2-0 at the same time against AFK Savojagrad - both goals scored in the first half and then carried across the finish line - it’s not enough for Partisan to win the title. Still, they lead with five points and only two games to go, meaning that a victory away against Dynamo Novaya Russica will be enough to secure the championship. Meanwhile, Admiral have managed to all but lock the Champions League spot, being six points ahead of Dynamo Sjoedrhavn in third with a significantly better goal difference.

Matchday 33
Dynamo Novaya Russica 0–4 Partisan Sjoedrhavn
AFK Savojagrad 0–3 ESK Storevik
Landsmarks Industrie 0–0 Traktor St. Andrei
Rotor Värstjö 0–1 ASK Landsmark
Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 0–2 Energie Thorsborg
FK Metall Jarnstad 0–1 Lokomotive Jarnstad
RLSK Pawlograd 1–1 Libertas Bergheim
Savojars Vinge Virkaja 0–5 CASK Thorsborg
FK Torpedo Pawlograd 0–2 Admiral Storevik

As much as the Navy Rivalry is friendly compared to the CASK vs ASK derby, it’s still a rivalry, and many Torpedo fans would probably like nothing more than to be the ones that are denying Admiral their shot at the championship. However, there is little chance for them to do so as it takes a mere twelve minutes before Patrik Brygg beats Stepanek in a 1v1 and lays the ball up for Tryphon Archer, who has no trouble to score into an open goal. Four minutes later, the home fans clap anyway as the results screen flashes up and informs everyone that Ola Lapanen scored the 0-1 for Partisan away at Dynamo Novaya Russica. They get to clap again before the first half hour is over as Tretjakov scores another one in Novaya Russica to set the score to 0-2, but it can’t quite paper over the fact that Torpedo are entirely harmless, while Palina Leopold almost scores the 0-2 for Admiral. Right before the final whistle of the first half, it actually falls as Rysti Erkalainen takes a ball past Chapman and catches Sharin off guard; Admiral’s hopes are briefly brought up again but crumble as Lars Alvesen scores the 0-3 per header. Taito Viinanen extends the lead to 0-4 and secures Partisan’s championship mathematically, as the Sjoedrhaveners lead with five points difference and only one match to go. On the back end of the table, Energie’s financial troubles have already proved big enough to break the team in sporting terms as well and force relegation; ahead of them, however, Traktor and RLSK play a close race for 16th. While Traktor fail to get a goal against a tired-looking Landsmarks Industrie, RLSK Pawlograd show a spirited effort against Libertas Bergheim and can thank a late goal by Serge Tempest, nailing the ball right under the crossbar, for an unexpected point that keeps them on the playoff spot for now.

Matchday 34
Partisan Sjoedrhavn 1–1 Savojars Vinge Virkaja
CASK Thorsborg 1–0 RLSK Pawlograd
Libertas Bergheim 1–0 FK Metall Jarnstad
Lokomotive Jarnstad 2–0 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn
Energie Thorsborg 1–2 Rotor Värstjö
ASK Landsmark 0–1 Landsmarks Industrie
Traktor St. Andrei 1–2 AFK Savojagrad
ESK Storevik 0–0 FK Torpedo Pawlograd
Admiral Storevik 0–0 Dynamo Novaya Russica

Partisan receive Savojars Vinge for their lap of honour, but eyeballs are turned to other games on the final night of the season. Up top, all is clear - the IFCF spots are handed out, and all that might change is the order of qualifiers to the Challengers Cup - but in the bottom, RLSK Pawlograd are just one point ahead of Traktor St. Andrei in the fight for 16th. With a worse goal differential, Traktor will have to win at home against AFK Savojagrad and hope for some help from CASK Thorsborg. Seventeen minutes into the final game, CASK do take the lead at home as Ruriksson converts from a scrappy situation in the box. Cheers flare up after 35 minutes in St. Andrei as the returning Andrea Vithoulkas heads in a cross from Packard-Grey and secures the lead for her side, giving them another shot at the playoffs. But things turn sour in the second half as Norderberg speeds past Tapio and scores the 1-1. Now having to push forward aggressively, Traktor open up at the back, and within the last five minutes, an AFK that rests its best players for the cup final scores again, with Hensberg the scorer from the right side. The 1-2 means that Traktor have to move down to the B, whereas RLSK hang on to the playoff spot. Up top, a replacement-heavy Dynamo Sjoedrhavn lose 2-0 to Lok Jarnstad thanks to goals by Guweddeko and Trikhichev; thanks to CASK’s victory, Dynamo fall back to fifth on the last day. Then, finally, at 22:19, the season officially is over as Partisan captain Morten Poulsen is handed the SFS A trophy for the fourth time in his career, lifting it into the nightly Sjoedrhavn sky.

Final Standings
   Savojar Football Serien A  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Partisan Sjoedrhavn         34   21  10   3    68   30  +38    73
 2 Admiral Storevik            34   20   8   6    57   26  +31    68
 3 CASK Thorsborg              34   17  10   7    60   33  +27    61
 4 Lokomotive Jarnstad         34   17   7  10    48   27  +21    58
 5 Dynamo Sjoedrhavn           34   16  10   8    44   30  +14    58
 6 ASK Landsmark               34   16   3  15    31   27   +4    51
 7 Libertas Bergheim           34   13  10  11    58   53   +5    49
 8 Savojars Vinge Virkaja      34   13   5  16    45   58  −13    44
 9 AFK Savojagrad              34   11  10  13    45   37   +8    43
10 Dynamo Novaya Russica       34   11  10  13    25   37  −12    43
11 FK Torpedo Pawlograd        34   10  12  12    30   41  −11    42
12 ESK Storevik                34   10  11  13    36   42   −6    41
13 Landsmarks Industrie        34   11   8  15    36   59  −23    41
14 FK Metall Jarnstad          34   10   9  15    14   22   −8    39
15 Rotor Värstjö               34   10   9  15    32   43  −11    39
16 RLSK Pawlograd              34    9   5  20    27   38  −11    32
17 Traktor St. Andrei          34    6  13  15    35   57  −22    31
18 Energie Thorsborg           34    6   8  20    23   54  −31    26

Savojar Cup Final

As is tradition, the Cup Final begins at 15:00 on the Sunday one week after the SFS A ends at the Nationalstadion Carl Gustaf Bjurman. On a windy and overcast afternoon, a full strength Dynamo meet an equally well rested AFK Savojagrad; fifth against ninth in terms of the league, but none of that matters on a Cup day. Dynamo are willing to control the game, but struggle to get past the tireless Lars Larsson and the extremely hard-working Lyn Townsend. The wingback is then in the negative spotlight, however, as Vitale gets caught up in her tackle after twenty-three minutes and referee Denis Juutala gives a free kick for Dynamo. Wladmir Rokowic sets the ball up and crosses it in, where Teranen rises higher than high and nods it past Nordmark, who has no business stopping that ball. He makes up for it five minutes later as Khedira dribbles past Sundqvist and shoots from twelve metres, but hits Nordmark’s hand; the following corner is cleared by Larsson. A good ten minutes later, Levin gets a good run down the right side and drops the ball back to Bar, who makes a late run into the box and fails to get past Arrowsmith, but then, Tatjana Kovalenko chips the rebound over the hopeless Dynamo keeper.
In the second half, rain starts falling as things get a bit colder and windier, and overall more unpleasant. The game accordingly devolves increasingly into a scrappy affair, with the side of Seneca Matthews adjusting a bit quicker. Looking for longer balls over AFK’s more intricate play, they are getting more and more chances, and the midfield kept ticking by Alissar Phoen does its part to shut down the Savojagrad creative engine that is Sabine Bar. An hour into the game, a long ball by Routsiainen finds Pickton, but the near direct shot by the Euran sails over the bar, making the Sjoedrhavn fans groan in frustration. The more the game progresses, the more AFK are pushed back, with only Nordmark holding up the blue, yellow and white flag; eventually, however, the shell cracks. Vitale withstands Townsend’s challenge and finds the late runner Phoen, who prolongs the ball to Pickton who finishes into an open net. With no more goals to be scored, Dynamo secure their first national title in eight years and lift the Savojar Cup.

Dynamo Sjoedrhavn 2–1 AFK Savojagrad (1-1)
Nationalstadion Carl Gustaf Bjurman, Sjoedrhavn - 76’800 (sold out)
Referee: Juutala

Goals: 24’ Teranen 1-0 (Rokowic). 42’ Kovalenko 1-1. 78’ Pickton 2-1 (Phoen).
Yellow Card: 17’ Saparinen, 38’ Nymark, 65’ Routsiainen, 71’ Aalberg (all foul); 92’ Polve (delay of game).
Remarks: Dynamo Sjoedrhavn without Ryzhikov, Paranov (injury); AFK Savojagrad without Siroljev (surplus player).

Dynamo Sjoedrhavn: Arrowsmith - Barton, Nymark (66’ Varanen), Pala, Rokowic - Pickton, Routsiainen, Phoen, Vitale (71’ Polve) - Teranen (57’ Nichajev), Khedira.
AFK Savojagrad: Nordmark - Townsend (71’ Kjaergaard), Saparinen (82’ Norderberg), Sundqvist, Aalberg - Larsson - Milvonen, Levin - Bar (76’ Ulkanen) - Kovalenko, Hjort.

by **Savojarna** » Tue Apr 05, 2022 5:28 am

SFS Season 15: Lower Leagues and Awards

SFS A Awards

Team of the Season (4-3-3)
GK: Iiro Pakanen (ASK)
DF: Bjarnfinn Arnason (PAR), Dmitri Dmitriev (ADM), Penelope Garner (FKM), Wladmir Rokowic (DSJ)
MF: Adrian Klaebo (LOK), Machua Cronin (PAR), Alissar Phoen (DSJ)
ST: Kimi Hartikainen (CASK), Tryphon Archer (ADM), Traudl Mrdja (PAR)

SFS A Season 14 Top scorer
Tryphon Archer (ADM, 23)
Lars Alvesen (PAR, 20)
Jekaterina Smolov (CASK, 19)
Ola Lapanen (PAR, 17)
Kaja Eller (LIB, 17)

SFS A Season 14 MVP
Traudl Mrdja (Partisan Sjoedrhavn)

SFS A Season 14 Best Goalkeeper
Iiro Pakanen (ASK Landsmark)

SFS B

   SFS B                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 SK Cuprum Grennvik      34   19   8   7    51   29  +22    65
 2 Navigator Jaromirgrad   34   19   5  10    66   35  +31    62
 3 Framfarir Kjefla        34   18   8   8    68   37  +31    62
 4 Metsuri Virkaja         34   15  11   8    29   20   +9    56
 5 FK Odin Kjaershavn      34   14  13   7    41   34   +7    55
 6 Elektron Harkka         34   15   9  10    54   39  +15    54
 7 Transport Hovikkära     34   15   9  10    36   23  +13    54
 8 FK Sjoedrhavn           34   14  10  10    44   38   +6    52
 9 Nemstvo SK              34   13  10  11    38   42   −4    49
10 Valdhavn IF             34   11  11  12    28   26   +2    44
11 Mir Nestrovo            34   11  11  12    41   44   −3    44
12 Norrhavn FK             34   11  10  13    29   30   −1    43
13 FK Chemie Frisks        34   10   8  16    38   43   −5    38
14 Motor Johansborg        34    8  11  15    34   38   −4    35
15 Zenit Jegrava           34    9   8  17    35   62  −27    35
16 Jarov Jarovsk           34    9   6  19    33   66  −33    33
17 EU Storevik             34    8   5  21    36   63  −27    29
18 Partizan Yarkovo        34    5  11  18    34   66  −32    26

Relegation games:

RLSK Pawlograd (SFS A) 2-2 Framfarir Kjefla (SFS B) (1-2, 1-0; RLSK win on away goals)
Jarov Jarovsk (SFS B) 4-2 Sporting Järvonen (Nationalligaen) (2-1, 2-1)

SK Cuprum Grennvik and Navigator Jaromirgrad are promoted to the SFS A.
EU Storevik and Partizan Yarkovo are relegated to the Nationalligaen.

Nationalligaen

    Nationalligaen          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Union Roopere            30   21   3   6    73   33  +40    66
 2 RAS St. Andrei           30   19   4   7    41   21  +20    61
 3 Sporting Järvonen        30   16   6   8    35   17  +18    54
 4 Industrie Hovikkära      30   16   6   8    39   27  +12    54
 5 Agrar Jurka FK           30   15   8   7    33   27   +6    53
 6 Kallora IF               30   13   7  10    43   36   +7    46
 7 Polar Grundviken         30   13   6  11    34   29   +5    45
 8 Frisks IF Admiral Grön   30   11  10   9    40   41   −1    43
 9 Jaromirgrad Union        30   12   6  12    37   30   +7    42
10 Norderhaven Drakken      30   10  10  10    16   16    0    40
11 Tapparainen FK           30   12   3  15    33   47  −14    39
12 FK Perl Kruger Sandvik   30    9   4  17    24   42  −18    31
13 Trollsheim Jarnsmän      30    7   7  16    36   57  −21    28
14 Narod Trepkov            30    7   6  17    25   43  −18    27
15 Juventus Bergheim   30    6   5  19    28   48  −20    23
16 Imperial Storevik        30    4   7  19    13   36  −23    19

Union Roopere and RAS St. Andrei are promoted to the SFS B.
Juventus Bergheim and Imperial Storevik are relegated to the Regional Division 1A.

Regional Division 1

   Regional Division 1A          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Hallsberga Vikingur            22   11   6   5    43   28  +15    39
 2 Bjurman Mävle                  22   10   7   5    36   26  +10    37
 3 SK Sjöveld                     22   10   4   8    24   23   +1    34
 4 Norderhaven Drakken            22    9   5   8    16   12   +4    32
 5 RFK Storevik                   22    9   4   9    19   20   −1    31
 6 SK Marjanoli                   22    7   8   7    26   23   +3    29
 7 Virkaja 1914 FK                22    7   8   7    26   23   +3    29
 8 FK Vestermalm Thorsborg        22    7   8   7    18   20   −2    29
 9 International Johnsberg        22    7   6   9    16   21   −5    27
10 Aurum Kjefla                   22    5  11   6    22   26   −4    26
11 FK Freya Grennvik              22    5   9   8    23   27   −4    24
12 Victoria Haukkala              22    4   6  12    15   35  −20    18

   Regional Division 1B          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Union Poljansk                 22   12   6   4    40   29  +11    42
 2 SK Ullström                    22   10   8   4    33   22  +11    38
 3 Nord-Sjoedrhavn FF             22   11   5   6    28   19   +9    38
 4 Grigori Kartjov FK St. Pjotr   22    8  10   4    30   20  +10    34
 5 Jon Palsson IF Ljörvik         22    9   6   7    34   31   +3    33
 6 FF Parken Sjoedrhavn           22    9   6   7    17   22   −5    33
 7 Högvald FK                     22    8   6   8    17   17    0    30
 8 Ostemkin Revolution            22    8   4  10    18   16   +2    28
 9 Thor Sejersheim                22    6   8   8    17   20   −3    26
10 SFK Barjovo                    22    5   8   9    16   27  −11    23
11 Virovsk St. Andrei             22    6   3  13    20   31  −11    21
12 Birga IF                       22    2   6  14    10   26  −16    12

 Final Round           Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 SK Sjöveld             10    7   1   2    20   17   +3    22
2 Bjurman Mävle          10    5   2   3    14   12   +2    17
3 Union Poljansk         10    4   3   3    18   14   +4    15
4 Nord-Sjoedrhavn FF     10    4   2   4    15   11   +4    14
5 SK Ullström            10    3   2   5    10   13   −3    11
6 Hallsberga Vikingur    10    2   0   8    18   28  −10     6

Promotion playoff (played during Final Round): Hallsberga Vikingur 1-8 Union Poljansk (1-5, 0-3)

SK Sjöveld and Union Poljansk are promoted to Nationalligaen.
FK Vestermalm Thorsborg are re-allocated to Regional Division 1B to maintain regional balance between groups.

by **Savojarna** » Thu Apr 28, 2022 9:52 am

SFS 16 Season Preview (Part 1/2)

Navigator Jaromirgrad (Last season: SFS B 2.)
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Origin and identity: Navigator have been formed initially by dockworkers in Jaromirgrad as a split-off of the city sponsored IF Jaromirgrad over a disagreement over the signing of non-Russian players to the club. Navigator, having taken the position that Jaromirgrad is a historically diverse and international city, quickly rose to popularity thanks to its cross-city appeal, and its large grassroots youth movement. Seeing themselves as perpetual underdogs, “Navi” relish their SFS B identity, and will carry it over into their somewhat surprising SFS A visit.
Tactics: In the B, the young coach Andrei Livtsenko had set up his side to play offensive and oppressive, through a two- or even three-man pressing and modern utilisation of space. Livtsenko is a very versatile, open minded coach, however, and they are often playing a bit more reservedly in matches against more offensive and stronger opposition. Still, pressing is in the DNA of this side, as is quick, vertical play and a two-man pivot that is athletically strong.
Key Players: Starting from the top, Konstantin “Kostja” Bregov is both a youth prodigy who scored 13 goals in 28 games in the B at only 19 years, and a fan favourite whose new #9 jersey sold out within two hours after he changed over from his old number 33. Behind him, Aleksi Parviainen is a capable and more conscientious backup, while left winger Henrik Anderssen is a pressing machine. On the right flank, Navi have bulked themselves up with two SFS A veterans that want to take on a new challenge with four-times champion Rasmus Grönkjaer from Partisan and former Admiral Storevik winger Anders Fjellberg. Captain of the team is the 33 year old veteran Filippa “Pippi” Nilsson, a strong but slowing holding midfielder with strong game sense. In defence, Mellberg and Ulmsgaard form a routined duo ahead of Boris Jarov, a shot-stopper who has shown occasional weakness with the ball on his foot, but also a superb level of mental fortitude in the B.
Expectations: It would be a lie to say Navigator are not the weakest team in this season on paper. However, in a tight race and with the power of momentum and a fervent fanbase backing them up, there is a shot they can challenge SK Cuprum, RLSK, and Landsmarks Industrie for next season’s top flight slots. Anything higher than 16th would be a surprise.

Stadium: Petrovskaja Lug (capacity: 16’500)
Manager: Andrei Livtsenko (35)
Expected formation: 4-2-3-1
Transfers incoming: Rasmus Grönkjaer (RB, from Partisan Sjoedrhavn, 0.8 million NSD), Anders Fjellberg (RM, Admiral Storevik, 0.6), Ida Mellberg (CB, Landsmarks Industrie, 0.6) | outgoing: –

SK Cuprum Grennvik (SFS B Champions)

Origin and identity: SK Cuprum are the sole team from the town of Grennvik, a relatively small mining town on the island of Ejana. The third-biggest town on the island, they are the number three in hockey and handball behind the behemoth that is Storevik and Kjefla, who have one strong team in each. In football, however, SK Cuprum are solidly the third-best Ejanan team. This side is usually physical, aggressive, and workmanlike at heart.
Tactics: Still led by their old coach Sigurdur Hafnason, this is a side that is defensively stable and counters fast, often looking for long balls to speed up the transition. However, compared to their last SFS A stint, they have gotten somewhat bolder, perhaps strenghtened by the appearance of a genuine playmaker; this results in shorter, but still very direct play. In defence, they are likely to be physical and no-nonsense, although typically maintaining fair play; wingbacks may overlap on counters but are also quick to fall back if needed.
Key Players: Bjarne Mejveldt is still this team’s captain and anchor in the defence, and he will need to be on point if Cuprum are to survive in the SFS A. Besides him, Brynjar Hatun has been recently signed to the side from the relegated Energie Thorsborg, whereas 21 year old Artjom Sobchuk came from Lok Jarnstad. Ahead of the defence, Cuprum’s most spectacular player in left winger Leda Fjodorov will do her best to put a mark on the team’s play with her relentless drive forward and a technical talent that could dazzle every defence in the B. On the right side, her counterpart will be former SVV right midfielder Jari Siilonen, introducing some more experience. Up front, Gregor Holmberg has been playing for Cuprum for a long time, but the real focal point of their promotion campaign was Saevar Fyrbriggsson up front. The 24 year old Ejanan striker has proven his physical prowess and his cold-blooded finishing ability and should be a key element of Cuprum’s bid to stay up.
Expectations: Cuprum made some important changes to their squad and managed to get some quality into the team that elevates the side over “just” a good SFS B squad. They probably can challenge the likes of Landsmarks Industrie or RLSK Pawlograd, but it won’t be an easy feat, and anything more than narrowly avoiding relegation would be a surprise.

Stadium: Cuprum Arena Football (capacity: 14’700)
Manager: Sigurdur Hafnason (46)
Expected formation: 4-4-2
Transfers incoming: Brynjar Hatun (CB, Energie Thorsborg, 1.3), Jari Siilonen (RM, Savojars Vinge Virkaja, 0), Artjom Sobchuk (CB, Lokomotive Jarnstad, loan) | Outgoing: Sigridur Eythorsdottir (LB, RLSK Pawlograd, 1.2), Magnus Freyrsson (GK, retirement)

RLSK Pawlograd (16.)

Origin and identity: Founded by students as a Russican club in 1932, and struggling to get acceptance in Pawlograd. Fierce rivalries exist with multiple other Pawlograd teams, with varied success. RLSK are a union team supposed to represent the whole town, but have their strongest base among the traditionally liberal-national Pawlograd students and often are considered a hotbed of Russian liberal nationalism.
Tactics: RLSK are a perennial scrapper of the SFS who embodies the spirit of Savojar football to its core. The back three mostly is a back five, but the fullbacks are fast and join in on fierce counters. The midfield mostly lies low, with the occasional striker falling back to link to the centre and shuttling the ball up to their colleague.
Key Players: Esa Simola and Calle Vikingstad have been a solid duo in the central midfield that has the duty of shoring up RLSK’s play, but they are both starting to feel age and have been decidedly average last season. Similar things can be said about Ahonen, Strakhova and Buhaug in defence, but at least they got some backup in leftback Sigridur Eythorsdottir. Up front, Robert Uljakov has to shoulder the creative load even more than last season, with Hakeson gone; he has Tempest and Litmanen to work with but has to hope they find their form this season. In terms of new signings, there was little activity from RLSK, who have also lost their goalkeeping future in Tristan Vilhjalmursson. Johan Ludvigsson, the Lok Jarnstad talent, has wanted to see more playtime and has moved out to the Russians. Most importantly, however, Grigori Markov is (finally) on the way out, announcing his retirement by the end of the season, and most likely replaced by his understudy and current assistant Oleg Tekhanjov.
Expectations: RLSK are far away from the times where 11th was booked to their name, and between an aging team, a stale tactical approach, and strengthening competitors they are probably scaling back their expectations for good now. Relegation fighting should be expected, although they still have the class to avoid actually dropping to the B.

Stadium: Stadion Alexey Sakharov (capacity: 40’400)
Manager: Grigori Markov (74)
Expected formation: 3-4-1-2
Transfers incoming: Johan Ludvigsson (ST, Lokomotive Jarnstad, 1.5), Sigridur Eythorsdottir (LB, SK Cuprum Grennvik, 1.2) | outgoing: Tristan Vilhjalmursson (GK, Savojars Vinge Virkaja, 1.7), Mika Hakeson (MS, retirement)

Rotor Värstjö (Last season: 15.)

Origin and identity: Värstjö became the centre of the Savojar aircraft industry in the 1930s and formed a football team soon after due to the influx of workers. They were never successful, with their SFS 8 seventh place being an all-time record, but widely regarded in high esteem by neutrals. A union team from a smallish town in Vestrholm, they have been described as "suffering from a constant inferiority complex", but coped decently with it.
Tactics: They prioritise fast, creative play over the sides and typically use a strong playmaker to find their wingers or strikers and create chances. The defence is committed and usually rests on the backs of a few stable rocks that will make sure there are no major gaps for the opponent to exploit. A focus on youth players and speedy actors that can employ a press and counter quickly.
Key Players: Two names stand out: Jesper Gyldenstjerne and Lea Mörk. Both former Energie Thorsborg cornerstones, they were signed as a package deal following Energie’s fall from grace, and will replace two veterans in Barnerud (relegated to the bench most likely) and Perhaug (retired). Up ahead, Fridtjof Jansrud has been supplanted by former Energie supertalent Erik Skargaard in the playmaking position; Karamasov remained as the cold poacher up front. Behind the duo, Albin Lindblom in goal commands a solid defence centered around Anders Hangren; Stroganov and Hemsberg will share playtime next to him. Perhaps the most interesting players in this team are the versatile Kristina Halvert, whose prime value is her ability to fill in wherever needed, and young academy talent Morten Asgreen, who is trying to snatch the right wing position from her.
Expectations: Bringing in two players who are very, very solidly SFS A calibre was a good move that probably saved Rotor from sweating heavily for relegation. However, it’s still hard to get too excited about what’s going on in Värstjö, and the goal will probably be maintaining their SFS A status once more. Still, they enter that battle as one of the lower midfield favourites.

Stadium: Värstjös Samfunnetsstadion (capacity: 22’000)
Manager: Boris Nergaard (46)
Expected formation: 4-2-3-1
Transfers incoming: Lea Mörk (LM, Energie Thorsborg, 1.7), Jesper Gyldenstjerne (CM, Energie Thorsborg, 1.4), Johan Elmsberg (DM, NFA Högvald Vit, 0), Morten Asgreen (RM, Rotor Värstjö U-18, 0), Jenny Ahlqvist (LB, Framfarir Kjefla, loan) | Outgoing: Ljubomir Zhirkov (CM, FK Odin Kjaershavn, 0), Pal Stendholm (LB, Norrhavn FK, 0), Eirikur Perhaug (LM, retirement), Kev Andersson (RM, retirement)

FK Metall Jarnstad (14.)

Origin and identity: Miner clubs were some of the oldest clubs in Savojarna. FK Metall were a union of many different clubs after the Revolution, some of which existed since the 1870s. Formed from the miners around the city of Jarnstad, Metall enjoy a solid basis in the entire Jarnslän. They are often seen as a country team, and an honest, hard-working union team. One of the first to introduce a foreign coach, they showed no inhibition to take risks either.
Tactics: Relying on a tough to break defence, with two flat chains, FK Metall usually shut down the midfield. Once they got the ball, they usually try to get the ball to a fast striker or winger, their probably strongest individual positions. The central midfield is of crucial importance for both obtaining the ball and progressing play up the pitch once it is won.
Key Players: Mookie Danube of former Dynamo Sjoedrhavn fame had been signed last season to take this team a good step forward. The Xannerian has gone onto a good season, which saw him return to his national team; however, with the defence ahead of him being young and still growing, he has been handed a tough task. Ahead of them, the quartet of Amelaga, Johansson, Mortensson and Kanarin presumably will take turns in building this core once more, with more challenge and depth coming from the young midfielder Riina Lappanen, whose last season was patchy but showed promise. Up front, Damjan Emin has been the season’s marquee signing, introducing more power on the flanks to make Metall’s attack more versatile and relieve some of the pressure put on Pedersen and Ekman.
Expectation: It’s still Metall, it’s still scrappy, it’s still defensive, it’s still not exciting. Still, there is more talent in this team than last year, and a slow but consistent improvement for Metall might start paying off. At the very least, it’s now going to be a whole lot harder to beat Metall; if nothing else, that should give them a good shot to ward off relegation again and secure a lower midfield spot.

Stadium: MetallArena Jarnstad (capacity: 44’000)
Manager: Ognjan Vlahović (ZRH, 68)
Expected formation: 4-4-1-1
Transfers incoming: Damjan Emin (RM, Energie Thorsborg, 1.2) | outgoing: Frida Björgen (RM, retirement)

Landsmarks Industrie (13.)

Origin and identity: A typical Savojar union of numerous local and union clubs, Industrie were established in 1919 by fusion of a number of local clubs, and hardly got past the midfield of the top flight. This side is historically known as an aggressive bunch of no-nonsense people. Popular in the city of Landsmark, with the surroundings supporting ASK. They are proud of their youth development and many of their players stick with the team for a long time, earning them praise from fans even if they may be mediocre at football.
Tactics: An often spectacular side that often may be less talented, but overcomes it with high pressure football. They emphasise speed and strength over talent, but often surprise. Aggressive pressing in two blocks of four is a given with this side, and they have a penchant for finding quick, dangerous, and highly efficient strikers that go on to play big roles at the club, or sometimes at other SFS A teams.
Key Players: Captain, legend, and one-club-man Gabriel Klinger, is finally settling into his well-deserved retirement, taking up a youth coach position in the club. His replacement is the experienced and quick Karolina Vaitanen, a much different type of player but not worse in any way. Interesting will be the centre midfield, composed of a veteran in Namenkov (or Matrojev, if required) and one of two young players, Elsa Lund, who played a confident and reliable game in the B, and new signing and Farf amateur player Balázs Mészáros. In the last season, the Farf midfielder could convince and might see more playtime, with his relentless and occasionally chaotic play invigorating Industrie. The defence of this side had been between pedestrian and shaky, with the only real shining player being Victoria Liljeström as a hard-working, intelligent leftback. Industrie identified this as their main issue, bringing in a well-proven defender in Justiina Tapio from Traktor to deliver more consistency.
Expectations: Landsmarks Industrie are known to alternate between being able to beat just about everyone, and also being able to be slapped around by about everyone. Tapio may shore up the defence a little bit, but it won’t be enough to make any major jumps. Relegation avoidance is the only real goal, but it is an attainable one.

Stadium: Landsmarks Arbetarnas Stadion (capacity: 22’900)
Manager: Mika Aleksen (50)
Expected formation: 4-4-2
Transfers incoming: Justiina Tapio (CB, Traktor St. Andrei, 1), Karolina Vaitanen (ST, CASK Thorsborg, 0.75) | Outgoing: Ida Mellberg (CB, Navigator Jaromirgrad, 0.6), Gabriel Klinger (ST, retirement)

ESK Storevik (12.)

Origin and identity: Ejana was dominated by dockworker and neighbourhood squads. In 1940, ESK were founded to challenge the primacy of Admiral with a true Ejana team supported by the local leaders. A union of clubs representing city neighbourhoods of Storevik, it has developed into a sort of "national team" of Ejana, enjoying support all over the island. Its fans are pretty fervent, and often swing into left-wing political activism.
Tactics: Former CASK success guarantee and national coach Rune Zackrisson, who has finally returned to active coaching after turning towards scouting for a while, assembled a stable team built on a stable central midfield, fast vertical play, and a base of strong organisation. With Freyrsson’s chaotic fluidity gone, ESK turned to defensive organisation and strength, and building a flurry off this base with two fast wingers and offensive wingbacks, alongside two central strikers in the box.
Key Players: The top three of ESK’s offence remain the face and hope of this team. Eddie Guweddeko, Lipa Kuznetsov, and Tuomas Lajunen are all players that can decide a game. The traditional issue of ESK has always been the central midfield - and it suddenly turned into a beacon of stability with Isabelle Christian and Sölva Ylsdottir. However, ESK still lack an offensive element in midfield, laying the brunt of playmaking duty at the hands of the wingers, most notably spectacle-guarantee Reksi Halanen on the left side - a role that he has filled well last season. In defence, Thorgeir Arnason has been lost as he moved to Lok Jarnstad; Igor Nepriajev will have to improve quickly to be an even replacement. Rightback Celine Lovik, the first player from Valanora to play in the SFS, is probably starting to take a more withdrawn role behind Gudjohn Magnusson. The biggest change, however, came in goal, with former Traktor St. Andrei keeper moving over to replace captain Fridtjof Rolfrsson.
Expectations: ESK were on the wrong side of a general strengthening of the midfield, which dropped them down a few spots. With some young players getting better and their goalkeeping re-invigorated, they did partially catch up, but still can’t quite keep up with the quick rise of the likes of ASK and SVV. A top 10 finish will be ESK’s goal.

Stadion: Ejansk Stadion (capacity: 41’000)
Manager: Rune Zackrisson (64)
Expected formation: 4-4-2
Transfers incoming: Finn Kopperberg (GK, Traktor St. Andrei, 1.5), Igor Nepriajev (CB, Traktor St. Andrei, 0.8) | outgoing: Thorgeir Arnason (CB, Lokomotive Jarnstad, 2), Rikard Helborg (MS, retirement)

FK Torpedo Pawlograd (11.)

Origin and identity: Established in 1944 in reaction to ASK Landsmark, Torpedo were supposed to represent the new spirit of the Navy and be the prime “communist club” in Russica. Proud of their backing and symbolic role, they traditionally value skill and elegance; however, they are also notorious for unrest off the pitch. Both their fans, which are known to get violent in games against city rivals and traditionally Russian Nationalists RLSK (although that goes both ways), and their management, which is known for little patience with coaches, can cause storms around a chronically inconsistent side.
Tactics: A fast, modern side that employs heavy pressing and plays around a fluid front four in a nominal 4-3-3. They are backed up by two defensive midfielders supposed to stop attacks and build up the game, but Nyborg has been known to give his playmakers more withdrawn roles as well, leading to a flatter 4-3-3 than what is commonly played by offensive sides.
Key Players: Quebecois central midfielder Emma Kenna-Tang has established herself well in the Torpedo midfield, as has the other of last season’s big signings in former AFK Savojagrad striker Ilja Serebrjakov. Ruslan Novikov finally managed to make his name in the SFS A alongside Serebrjakov and Viera; however, the trio has not quite made up for the loss of two Northlights. Now, they also have to make up for another loss in Patrik Paasio, who was replaced by Admiral youngster Johan Fjällvik. This means the defence will have to be on point. Selvala Tabur has been performing consistently in midfield and has been handed the captain’s armband in return, and with Ludvik Stepanek coming into his own, the defence looks better and better for Torpedo. Finally, Sergey Sharin has been instrumental last season; the Torpedo goalkeeper will have to be on point once more if they want to repeat their success.
Expectations: Finally, the long-expected fall of Torpedo back into the midfield has actually happened. As the team hasn’t quite managed to replace its losses in offence, this fall is probably likely to last a bit longer than one season, but they are clearly among the better midfield sides. The IFCF is a bit too ambitious, presumably, but a lower top 10 position seems possible.

Stadium: Stadion Admiral Rjurden (capacity: 52’000)
Manager: Lew Nyborg (49)
Expected formation: 4-3-3
Transfers incoming: Johan Fjällvik (OM, Admiral Storevik, 1.6) | outgoing: Patrik Paasio (OM, Savojars Vinge Virkaja, 1), Pjotr Jamarin (ST, retirement)

Dynamo Novaya Russica (10.)

Origin and identity: Founded as policemen's club in 1915, turned into a representative team in 1938. Used to be a development team for Dynamo Sjoedrhavn until the 70s, which led to the Dynamo Rivalry. The second police club is also particularly popular in most places, but due to a lack of other clubs in Novaya Russica, they moved from police club to representing NR. Recently gained traction among locals, but still mostly hated nationally.
Tactics: A classical defensive Savojar team: defensive, tough to break down and relying on a tight midfield to counter the opponent down. Despite a change in leadership, their stint in the B did not change their tactics whatsoever; however, there is now more emphasis on finding players that can also provide some technical ability. Often using a fast striker to bring in offence, and sometimes a hanging striker within the midfield five. In the centre, the midfield tends to lie deep, with the wingers providing the main offensive drive to bring balls into the front third.
Key Players: Quebecois prospect Hugo Yoon proved last season that he is very much up to the task of replacing Jovanova in the goal of DNR. Along with him, Novaya Russica finally managed to have some youth options in their team with players like Heinonen and Sjapovalov. Most importantly, however, they finally managed to boosted their offensive power in signing Alexander Sobchuk on the left flank; the defence also got another boost thanks to Rjurik Hoegh joining the team. Juri Sandrajev shall secure things up front; Zhilin and Sjavopalov are likely to be sharing the playtime alongside him. In the central midfield, Erik Ahlund has left to Lok Jarnstad after only one season; Odvar Jotansson is probably ending up to take over part of the duty alongside the newly signed veteran replacement Valeri Makanov.
Expectations: Tenth place was a surprise last season that mostly just came off the base of a really consistent performance of a side that proved extremely hard to beat. Now, they will attempt to confirm that improvement, but likely won’t quite manage to. Dynamo Novaya Russica are part of the large group in the lower midfield that could end up anywhere between the top 10 or the relegation fight.

Stadion: Stadion Dynamo (capacity: 29’700)
Manager: Malte Ljungberg (42)
Expected formation: 4-4-2
Transfers incoming: Rjurik Hoegh (LB, ASK Landsmark, 1), Alexander Sobchuk (LM, Traktor St. Andrei, 0.75), Valeri Makanov (CM, Admiral Storevik, 0.5), Ilari Rantakari (RB, Akademien Dynamo, 0) | Outgoing: Erik Ahlund (DM, Lokomotive Jarnstad, 1.3), Pontus Klingberg (LM, Transport Hovikkära, 0.4), Andrea Jovanova (GK, retirement), Damjan Kirov (LB, retirement), Pavel Orjanin (RB, retirement)

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