Tigres: If the pre match analysis, betting percentage and the fan expectations were to be considered, The Forthers had a decent first outing in the World Cup Qualification. Drawing the first game against home favourites Savojarna, and succumbing to a 1 goal defeat against The No.2 Ranked Nation in the world and arguably one of the favourites for the World Cup, Turori in the Motorad Stadium engulfed by the sea of Forther fans donning the neon green jersey and flags. Truth be told, everyone and their mother expected two resounding losses, however we were graced with a 0-0 in Savojarna.
Not much could be said about the match in Savojarna, it started at 2:00 a.m. FST .Not many casual viewers were expected to watch the match, only the veteran elderly football fan, the ones who somehow convinced their superiors, bosses to give them a leave, the children requesting their parents to remain absent for school the next day, or the ones out of job. Suffice to say, whoever planned on having an all nighter expecting a hell of a match, was disappointed , especially if they were an Savojarnan. For the Forther fans who stayed awake despite the odds, it was sort of a bittersweet feeling, their team performed better than expected, yet it was a boring match having no goals scored and a barrel of missed chances.
Matt Ress though could be seen sporting a smile after the match was over, when asked about the game, he replied
Our plan of having an aggresive gameplay was quickly neutralised for the Savojarna defenders, so I had to switch the tactics and formation against them, switching back to a 4-4-2 formation turned out to be the right decision as it allowed for better defence in iur half and forced them to be aggresive against us. We managed to get a few counters as well, however even with an aggresive gameplay, their defence still prooved to be too tough to penetrate. Quite happy with the result especially since we have had a lot of close calls in the match. Props to Rodriguez for saving that volley by Hedenburg.
After the display by Forthers against Savojarna, many fans were optimistic of the result against Turori, however the general consensus was that Turori would win , even if not by a lot considering the fact that they are a behemoth in football. The Stadium was jam packed with Forther fans. Even the recreational zone outside, the Green Field Picnic Spot , Theron Park, and The Old Calicut stadium was full of fans watching the match through the jumbotron installed in all these fan zones. Streets near these areas had been encroached by hawkers busy trying to sell merchandises and goods to fans. Fans were excited to see the match between the Forthers and The Eels
The match for all its hype after the Savojarna draw , was rather one sided. From the get go, The Eelstook possesion of the ball and began challenging the ever reliable Forther defence. Every 2nd minute had the Forther defence and midfield scrambling and struggling to take the ball away from the Eel strikers. The Eels however played possesively not giving away the ball for free, playing quick short passes, and occasionally passing back if the passage of play was blocked by defenders. Very few aerial passes were attempted by the Eel in comparison to The Forthers whose primary mode of passing was aerial due to the swiftness of Turori midfielders in ground. Despite all this, the Forthers still managed to hold on for no goals till the end of 1st half due to the perseverence of Rodriguez who stopped a couple of great shots , some solid defence by Harowitz, and the blessings of Margaret, due to whom two shots by The Eels got deflected off post, which on any other day would have been a goal. The possesion read 80 : 20 in favour of Turori, with 6 shots on goal for them. The Forthers? Well they had none ( attempted in fact , not even on goal). One Fan said:-
The Performance before half time was pretty one sided. It was like a A team vs C team fight. Without a doubt, it looked like a massacre was about to happen. Thank Margaret for without her, we would have been 3 down by now. I am hoping Ress changes us to 4- 3 -2 -1 formation because I don't see us winning or even drawing at this rate and that says a lot considering we usually play our best when defending.
The Fans who came to the Stadium expected some changes in 2nd half, and hoped for a Forther comeback. Some of them began chanting the team slogan, and started playing the Frotho Drums they had carried into the stadium. However all was in vain, as Loala Inkabu kicked the ball in the back of the net through a free kick in the 52nd minute. Although, it was just the 57th minute, and the lead was only 1,but for all the fans in the stadium, and those who were watching it at the fan parks and at home liev, the match was already lost. Some of the more casual fans started to leave while the majority remained in hopes of a miracle and a comeback. By the 63rd minute, Inkabu attempted yet another shot on goal, but he was deemed offside by the linesman in a controversial call. By the 76th minute, the decision of those who left was becoming more and more vindicated.
When the referee blew the whistle, the match was over, and the Forthers had yet again lost a match by a solitary goal in the post isolation era. Questions would be asked regarding Ress' tactics and decision in this match. However Ress had refused to entertain or interview any of our reporters. Knott is seen dejected going back into the Stadium hallway alongside the Cross brothers
The next game against Flavovespia would be crucial in regards to Forthers' rank in the KPB, as of now, only a miracle can result in Forthers qualifying for the World Cup. All other possibilties and probabilities indicate that we would need to support other nations for the World Cup. That being said, fans expect a breather against New Folgore, before resumimg difficult games against Metherwoll, Wreckeria, The 14 Stars and Juvencus. Gadria would provide calm before storm, assuming all things go according to probability. The team would finish the first cycle against Starblaydia, the 18th ranked team in the world, and a consistent heavy weight in football history.
Schedule of All Opponents For the First Cycle
Flavovespia A
New Folgore H
Metherwoll A
Wreckeria H
14 Stars A
Juvencus H
Gadria A
Starblaydia H
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