Domestic Sports Newswire of Naixi

[Naixi]

SEASON 1 MATCHDAY 18

On Friday night, we had one game at the Sha Dadao and one at the Huangse Migong. In the former, Aierlanren conceded in the first half but played well enough against Baomao in the second that they might have felt they deserved a point. An 83rd minute incident was of particular note as an Irish striker slipped in behind, took a touch inside to set up a shot on his weaker foot, and then went tumbling to the ground as Hang Ki Tan came hurtling in to win the ball. Aierlanren fans screamed that it was a red card, but the referee made a harsh but correct call. Tan had won the ball and - even though he'd caught a fair bit of the striker, too - it was a fair challenge. The Black Cats have now lost just once in their last ten across all competitions, and that one loss was against league leaders Chongjibo last week. Speaking of which, the other Friday night match saw the Shockwaves fall behind in the 6th minute because of Kee Tian's ability to beat the offside trap and get in behind, but they'd surged ahead by half time with two goals in the final ten minutes of the half, and then put the win on ice in the second half with a third.

On Saturday afternoon in Chumeichang, Nongmin desperately needed to arrest their four-game winless streak across league and cup, and when Zong Yuan Ti volleyed home Ju Yi Pao's cross just before half time, it looked like they were in good shape to do just that. But bottom-of-the-table Yinying wouldn't accept that narrative, and stormed out of the gates after half time. They could and perhaps should have won four one, as one thunderous shot cannoned off the post and ricocheted across the face of goal, and another dribbled through the legs of the Farmers' goalkeeper before just barely being clawed off the line by a center back. That night, Tak Hing Jin did Tak Hing Jin things in Qiawutian, and had the Marksmen out in front within the first fifteen minutes, but Lan Fang Fen once again curled in another lovely free kick in the 84th minute to nick a point for the Blue Rhinos. Finally, on Sunday night at the Sha Dadao, Fuchou nearly matched Aierlanren's loss with a loss, but eventually Yue Hsieh helped them recover from being two nil down against Zhayao, so the Avengers managed to at least gain a point on the second-place Irish.

That puts us exactly two thirds of the way through the league, and we're all starting to feel pretty confident about one or two things. First, Chongjibo have the title on lock. Their challengers continue to trip up, while they are still churning out wins with their attacking-oriented, possession-based style. Meanwhile, at the bottom, there's no debate over whether it'll be Xiniu and Yinying who go down. The only thing up in the air is who'll be able to say they got relegated while not finishing last. At the moment, that's the Blue Rhinos on goals for.

Aierlanren 0–1 Baomao
Chongjibo 3–1 Qiji
Yinying 2–1 Nongmin
Sheshou 1–1 Xiniu
Zhayao 2–2 Fuchou

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
01 Chongjibo              18   13   2   3    34   13  +21    41
02 Aierlanren             18    8   5   5    26   18   +8    29
 3 Fuchou                 18    8   5   5    25   19   +6    29
 4 Sheshou                18    7   6   5    19   19    0    27
 5 Baomao                 18    7   5   6    24   27   −3    26
 6 Nongmin                18    6   7   5    23   17   +6    25
 7 Qiji                   18    6   6   6    21   19   +2    24
 8 Zhayao                 18    6   3   9    26   32   −6    21
09 Xiniu                  18    2   6  10    19   36  −17    12
10 Yinying                18    3   3  12    16   33  −17    12

[Naixi]

SEASON 1 QUARTERFINAL LEG 2

There were about 110 brief seconds when it seemed like the Miners were headed to the semifinals on Friday night in Qiawutian. Having topped the Casaran and toppled the Shadows in the quarterfinal away leg, Zhayao found themselves two nil up on aggregate after Pei Hsi Dai's slotted finish in the 11th minute. But Yinying showed more of their rarely seen yet nonetheless unmistakable grit and character as - backs to the wall - they scored in the 13th, drew level on aggregate in the 52nd, and pulled in front in the 81st. Stupendous work from the Plum and Black. The next afternoon in Chumeichang, Qiji's already-marginal hopes of progression were snuffed out by the ruthless Shockwaves, as Jen Ta Jin's individual skill exposed gaps in Kee Tian's defending that nobody knew were there. His hat trick set in stone the first semifinal: Chongjibo versus Yinying.

Have you ever witnessed the impossible? On Sunday afternoon at the Sha Dadao, we saw what is likely the most incredible match in Naixese history. It was the best possible next chapter in what was already a fast-developing rivalry between Qiawutian clubs Baomao and Aierlanren. It seemed as though poor Aierlanren, whose league form has been slipping, had really made a mess of things when Xiao Niao Dong received a red card for violent conduct in the 5th minute and then her bereft teammates conceded three (three!) times before half time. The Irish then scored in the 47th minute, but the assistant referee raised his flag and the goal was chalked off. The Black Cats scored 4 minutes later at the other end. Four goals down and a player short, Aierlanren looked not just beaten but humiliated. But somehow they scored shorthanded in the 58th minute. Then they did it again in the 65th, but once again it was ruled out for offside. In the 70th, they hit paydirt again, as Jiu Ling Geng scored from a corner. It was five three on aggregate. An evil hush fell over the Black Cats fans, while the raucous Irish end began to bounce in their seats so hard that the Sha Dadao shook. Then, in the 83rd, another goal for ten-man Aierlanren! It couldn't be, could it? Five minutes later, with all the action in Baomao's half, the Black Cats at last made good on their man advantage, piercing the Irish back line and restoring the two goal cushion on a breakaway.

But this time it was Baomao who watched in utter horror as the assistant referee raised that blasted flag. Offside! Aierlanren still only needed one. There were ninety seconds left plus stoppage time. It couldn't be, could it? It could. The Irish won one more corner in the 5th minute of stoppage time. They sent their keeper forward. As the ball soared in, it was Aierlanren's Jiu Ling Geng, the deadliest set-piece weapon in the league, who once again powered his head through the ball and left Ji Ning with no chance. Five five on aggregate.

It seemed inevitable that the game would become a bit negative in extra time, and it did. Both teams were happy to take it to penalties. But the drama wasn't over. Baomao iced their first penalty, then Aierlanren missed. Then nobody missed for a couple frames. Three two down, Aierlanren's keeper needed to make a save and fast... and did. The Irish converted their fourth spot kick and it was level again. Then Baomao's final taker stepped up... and choked! Aierlanren had a chance to win it! Short-handed Aierlanren! All they needed was composure...

But the Black Cats end went batshit as the shot raced inches over the bar. Three three, and still nothing could separate them. Then the penalties started flying in. Baomao: good, Aierlanren: good. Baomao: good, Aierlanren: good. Baomao: good, Aierlanren: good. Baomao: good, Aierlanren: good. It was seven all heading into the tenth frame. Hang Ki Tan stepped up to take it, desperate to catch the eye of Gan Liang when the nation's best defenders all seemed to play in gold and white, for the team he was trying to kill off for good in the Zhen Li Jiang Cup...

He missed, lashing the shot off the right post. He sank to his knees in agony. But for the Black Cats, there was still hope. Because of the red card, Aierlanren were down to the end of their takers list. The Irish keeper would have to take one! If Ji Ning saved off his fellow keeper, it wasn't over!

The Sha Dadao felt silent as the Irish goalie, clad in red, stepped up to the spot. Ji Ning, often thought of as a penalty specialist, reached out his arms and made the goal feel as though it was a meter wide. The Irish taker stepped forward, then forward again, then dashed forward and bashed the shot past Ji Ning into the roof of the net. The Aierlanren supporters, most of whom were already in tears, went into delirium. Somehow - somehow - the luck of the Irish had won the day.

Oh yeah, and Fuchou beat Nongmin in Chumeichang! Su Chen Yuen and Yue Hsieh each scored! The Avengers finally look a bit like the team we thought they'd be at the start of the season! It was actually a really good game! It just, you know, wasn't an insane shorthanded four goal comeback, so... hard to care. The Burgundy will face off against Aierlanren in the second semi.

Zhayao 1–3 Yinying
(Yinying progress 3-2 on aggregate)

Chongjibo 3–0 Qiji
(Chongjibo progress 6-2 on aggregate)

Baomao 4–4 Aierlanren
(Tied 5-5 on aggregate, tied 5-5 on aggregate AET, Aierlanren progress 8-7 on pen.)

Nongmin 0–2 Fuchou
(Fuchou 4-0 progress on aggregate)

Semifinals
* Team listed first plays at home in first leg

(8) Yinying v (2) Chongjibo
(6) Aierlanren v (5) Fuchou

[Naixi]

SEASON 1 MATCHDAY 19

Chen Ling's sensational individual goal, in which she beat half the Fuchou players on the pitch, gave us all Friday night shivers as we thought an upset could be on the way. But the Avengers were sublime in the final half hour at the Huangse Migong, equalizing and then going in front to temporarily go in front of Aierlanren for second place. On Saturday afternoon, also in Chumeichang, Nongmin weren't buying into the Lan Fang Fen hype like all of us were. They looked at the tape and remembered that if you overload his defensive zone, he's not actually that good. Using a bank of three attacking midfielders, the Farmers ran rampant, and were three nil up heading into the 85th minute. The Blue Rhinos won a late corner, and Guan Cai Tsung headed it into the net, but it was far too late. That night, in Qiawutian, the question was this: would the Irish be riding the high of their miraculous win a week before in the cup? Or would they be hung over from the extra half hour of play, and trip up against Qiji? The answer was, emphatically, Option A, though Ma Huan Yep's successfully converted penalty in the 8th minute threw us for a loop at first. Aierlanren once again mounted a stirring comeback, though, and roared back into second place.

The next evening, we had two simultaneous games. At the Sha Dadao, Hang Ki Tan scored a great header from a long free kick in the 48th minute, and it was clear that Mei Huo had given a moving half time speech as the Black Cats just kept hammering away at a lifeless Zhayao. Kuang Yin Cao won a penalty in the 69th minute after a hard foul in the box, but insisted on taking it himself, and Ji Ning saved it, restoring some of his confidence after his failure in the quarterfinal penalty shootout a week prior. Meanwhile, in Chumeichang, Chongjibo knew they needed to win to restore their twelve-point advantage at the top (since both the Irish and the Avengers had won), and they sure started the right way, as Jen Ta Jin scored at the end of a splendid passing movement in the 24th minute. But the Shockwaves failed to run up a large lead. Much credit should go to Sheshou's rigid defensive organization. The Marksmen waited for their moment, and Jen Ta's brother Tak Hing Jin found the equalizer in the 87th minute. The Shockwaves' lead has slipped to ten points.

Yinying 1–2 Fuchou
Xiniu 1–3 Nongmin
Aierlanren 4–1 Qiji
Zhayao 0–1 Baomao
Chongjibo 1–1 Sheshou

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
01 Chongjibo              19   13   3   3    35   14  +21    42
02 Aierlanren             19    9   5   5    30   19  +11    32
 3 Fuchou                 19    9   5   5    27   20   +7    32
 4 Baomao                 19    8   5   6    25   27   −2    29
 5 Nongmin                19    7   7   5    26   18   +8    28
 6 Sheshou                19    7   7   5    20   20    0    28
 7 Qiji                   19    6   6   7    22   23   −1    24
 8 Zhayao                 19    6   3  10    26   33   −7    21
09 Yinying                19    3   3  13    17   35  −18    12
10 Xiniu                  19    2   6  11    20   39  −19    12

[Naixi]

SEASON 1 MATCHDAY 20

Baomao are not a good football team. That is clear to see, even for devoted fans of the Black Cats. (Rumors still abound that supporters are plotting some kind of financial takeover, seizing control of their beloved-but-poorly-run club.) However, there's no denying their form over the last few months. They finished third in the cup Casaran, only went out to Aierlanren after a massive cup quarterfinal bottle job, and have collected 21 points out of a possible 30 in their last ten league games (losing just once over that stretch). Their most recent win, on Friday in Qiawutian, was a defensive affair that broke Baomao's way on 72 minutes after a calamitous Di Na Deng error as she tried to pass the ball out of her box with a throw, but sent it straight to the Black Cat's striker. Baomao may not be a good football team, but not-good football teams can still finish in the IFCF spots sometimes.

On Saturday afternoon at the Sha Dadao, Fuchou predictably trounced Xiniu. Yue Hsieh failed to score, but Su Chen Yuen did pick up one, and Guan Cai Tsung helpfully sliced one into his own net to contribute to the Blue Rhinos misery. Fuchou went second, while Xiniu are dead last. That night, two lower mid-table strugglers squared off in a game that it was hard to feel excited about, since both are almost certainly safe from the drop. But the game happened nonetheless (at the Huangse Migong), and it was decent: Zhayao scored first, in the 28th minute, from a Pei Hsi Dai screamer, but the Wizards rallied quickly, with Kee Tian assisting twice to have Qiji up two one at the half. The Miners were the better team in the second half, though, and got a deserved equalizer on 71 minutes.

The next afternoon, also in Chumeichang, Aierlanren visited Chongjibo. It was a game with significant ramifications. If Aierlanren won, they'd stay above Fuchou for second and Chongjibo would have to start glancing behind them, and if Chongjibo won, Aierlanren would drop to a distant third behind a resurgent Fuchou, while Chongjibo would dismiss one of this season's major challengers to their supremacy. It very nearly went the direction of Path A, as the Irish scored in the 29th and 73rd minutes in a continuation their unexpectedly splendid season. But Chongjibo are shrouded in destiny, and a stoppage time brace from teenage sensation Jen Ta Jin saved a point for the Shockwaves. For Chongjibo, it felt like a splendid result to get something out of the game, and it's not the worst result for the Irish either... they'll just feel they should have won. They're now third, two points behind Fuchou, but Fuchou still have to play Chongjibo, whereas the Irish have an easy run in...

Meanwhile, in Qiawutian, Nongmin's miserable slide down the table continues. Ju Yi Pao was painfully out of position for both the Marksmen's first half goals, playing the All-Whites striker onside. The Farmers eventually halved the deficit, but Sheshou just looked by far the better side. The Silver and Red have slipped to sixth, and are four points adrift of the coveted IFCF places. The Marksmen, meanwhile, take Nongmin's former place in fifth, and are breathing down Baomao's neck in the race for fourth place.

Baomao 1–0 Yinying
Fuchou 3–0 Xiniu
Qiji 2–2 Zhayao
Chongjibo 2–2 Aierlanren
Sheshou 2–1 Nongmin

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
01 Chongjibo              20   13   4   3    37   16  +21    43
02 Fuchou                 20   10   5   5    30   20  +10    35
 3 Aierlanren             20    9   6   5    32   21  +11    33
 4 Baomao                 20    9   5   6    26   27   −1    32
 5 Sheshou                20    8   7   5    22   21   +1    31
 6 Nongmin                20    7   7   6    27   20   +7    28
 7 Qiji                   20    6   7   7    24   25   −1    25
 8 Zhayao                 20    6   4  10    28   35   −7    22
09 Yinying                20    3   3  14    17   36  −19    12
10 Xiniu                  20    2   6  12    20   42  −22    12

[Naixi]

SEASON 1 MATCHDAY 21

Teenage striker Chong Xian Ye got the Farmers off to a fantastic start on Friday night at the Huangse Migong with his finessed 8th minute effort, but the visitors didn't really care: they'd come with a game plan. That game plan was to turn the match into a shootout, because they figured they'd come out on top in such an attritional, attacking contest. They were right. Twice Fuchou equalized before half time, and then Nongmin's defense just cracked in the second half. These Avengers will take some beating right now. The next afternoon, also in Chumeichang, Qiji got just what they needed to put an end to their patchy form, a tie with the dreadful Shadows. They probably would have liked to have had the game won a bit earlier, though: they didn't find the opening goal of the game until the 75th minute. Wizards fans will be reassured, though, that they doubled their advantage six minutes later. That night at the Sha Dadao, the Irish had to win to stay within range of Fuchou, and they did, but once again they did it Cardiac Kids style. Tak Hing Jin's terrific second half of the year continued as he put the Marksmen in front in the 48th minute, but Aierlanren pulled level in the 88th and found the winner deep, deep into stoppage time.

On Sunday afternoon, two games took place. In Qiawutian, the leaders began the game just five points clear of the Avengers. Not so great when you consider they had a double-digit buffer just about a month ago. But, luckily for Chongjibo, the Miners' defense is just a total train wreck. Goals rained in for the Shockwaves in both halves, and Pei Hsi Dai stupidly earned herself an early shower with a 52nd minute straight red. Chongjibo are eight points clear with six games to go. Simultaneously, at the Huangse Migong, Xiniu scored in the 4th minute, giving their amicable supporters the brief hope they could at least climb into ninth (dreams of staying up have been long ago extinguished, of course). But Guan Cai Tsung conceded a penalty in the 12th minute, and Tan Hung Xun celebrated her first game back from injury by lashing in the equalizer from twelve yards. Baomao weren't going to be denied from that point onward. They were ahead by half time, and kept it that way. The pathetic Blue Rhinos are still last.

Nongmin 2–4 Fuchou
Yinying 0–2 Qiji
Aierlanren 2–1 Sheshou
Zhayao 0–5 Chongjibo
Xiniu 1–2 Baomao

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
01 Chongjibo              21   14   4   3    42   16  +26    46
02 Fuchou                 21   11   5   5    34   22  +12    38
 3 Aierlanren             21   10   6   5    34   22  +12    36
 4 Baomao                 21   10   5   6    28   28    0    35
 5 Sheshou                21    8   7   6    23   23    0    31
 6 Nongmin                21    7   7   7    29   24   +5    28
 7 Qiji                   21    7   7   7    26   25   +1    28
 8 Zhayao                 21    6   4  11    28   40  −12    22
09 Yinying                21    3   3  15    17   38  −21    12
10 Xiniu                  21    2   6  13    21   44  −23    12

[Naixi]

SEASON 1 SEMIFINAL LEG 1

Yes, it did stay level for a long time, but if you ever let the thought enter your mind that we had some kind of upset coming in the first semifinal, you were wrong... really wrong. The whole contest, which took place at the Huangse Migong on Saturday afternoon, was all summed up in the 71st minute, by the Shockwaves’ flamboyant first goal. Jen Ta Jin put Chun Lan Shao on skates, then chipped the ball over an onrushing Di Na Deng into the path of Kian Zhi Yuan, who simply killed the ball and waited for another defender’s momentum to take him out of the way, then rolled the ball into the back of the net. Two more goals came in the 75th and 88th minutes, and that was that. Chongjibo have one foot in the final, and you'd have trouble finding someone to bet against a domestic league-cup double for the Pink and Gray.

The next evening, in Qiawutian, Aierlanren showed they aren’t just all negative tactics and sturdy defense. Three times they fell behind to the Avengers as Yue Hsieh could not be contained, but three times they restored parity as Fuchou’s rickety defense creaked and groaned. The deciding event came in the 78th minute, when Xiao Niao Dong (returning to the Irish squad for the first time since her post-red-card suspension in the quarterfinal second leg) dribbled the ball off her line, into midfield, around a motionless Su Chen Yuen, and then whalloped a cannonball into the back of the net from all of thirty yards. Her goal gives Aierlanren a narrow lead to carry into the final ninety minutes of their semifinal. But will it be enough? The exertions of the league campaign have left the Irish squad exhausted, and Fuchou appear to be in the midst of an autumn surge...

Yinying 0–3 Chongjibo
Aierlanren 4–3 Fuchou

[Naixi]

SEASON 1 MATCHDAY 22

We kicked things off on Friday night as always, and this time two matches were occurring at the same time. At the Sha Dadao, Sheshou put in one of their best performances of the season, buoyed by the return of Guo Liang Lin from a long injury hiatus. Tak Hing Jin put himself at the top of the Golden Boot race by getting another brace with goals in the 7th and 80th minutes. The only problem? Fuchou's late-season surge could not be stopped, and twice the Avengers equalized. That's how the game ended: level. Meanwhile, in Chumeichang, Qiji were stupendous, and should have won five-nil, but they could only register a single goal over the Blue Rhinos in the 57th minute (and even that was the result of yet another calamitous Lao Che Cai error). A win is a win for the Wizards, though, and they aren't out of the race for IFCF spots.

The next afternoon, in Qiawutian, it was do or die for the Farmers. If they didn't get three points and arrest their late-season slump, they'd more or less be out of the running for the Challengers Cup. It sure didn't start well, as the undeniably talented but awfully inconsistent Hang Ki Tan rocketed in a header from a corner to put the Black Cats out in front in the 3rd minute. Baomao were the better team for the first hour, too, but Nongmin didn't give up. They waited patiently for the Black Cats to tire themselves out, and then pinned them in their own half for the final fifteen. The goals came in the 79th and 84th minutes, and the Silver and Red left Naixi's largest city with three points.

The Miners are such a weird team. On Sunday afternoon at the same venue, we saw something truly incredible. It's been a world-beating year for the outstanding Irish, and we've gotten accustomed to thinking about them as title contenders. But they've always had a horrible performance in them, and Zhayao - despite being on the end of a drubbing themselves in their last league outing - were the team standing in the right place at the right time when that performance came. Aierlanren were decent for the first twenty minutes, but then Kuang Yin Cao got himself a hat trick in an eight minute span, scoring in the 24th, 27th, and 32nd minutes. The Irish couldn't cope, as the act of digging themselves out of the whole just exposed Jiu Ling Geng and Xiao Niao Dong to Zhayao's attacking weaponry. Cao scored twice more in the second half to set a single-game goals record (five) that will probably stand for a while. Fuchou's draw on Friday could be enough to seal second place... but it's worth remembering that the Irish's next two matches are against Yinying and Xiniu. Finally, on Sunday night at the Huangse Migong, the champions-to-be marched on, notching an unremarkable blowout win over the abysmal Shadows. The only event of note was an incident in the stands between Chongjibo and Yinying fans (who of course come from very different ends of the political spectrum), as some rowdy folks were throwing punches. Four arrests were made, but nobody was hurt.

Sheshou 2–2 Fuchou
Qiji 1–0 Xiniu
Baomao 1–2 Nongmin
Aierlanren 0–5 Zhayao
Chongjibo 4–1 Yinying

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
01 Chongjibo              22   15   4   3    46   17  +29    49
02 Fuchou                 22   11   6   5    36   24  +12    39
 3 Aierlanren             22   10   6   6    34   27   +7    36
 4 Baomao                 22   10   5   7    29   30   −1    35
 5 Sheshou                22    8   8   6    25   25    0    32
 6 Nongmin                22    8   7   7    31   25   +6    31
 7 Qiji                   22    8   7   7    27   25   +2    31
 8 Zhayao                 22    7   4  11    33   40   −7    25
09 Xiniu                  22    2   6  14    21   45  −24    12
10 Yinying                22    3   3  16    18   42  −24    12

[Naixi]

SEASON 1 MATCHDAY 23

Sitting in sixth and seventh positions respectively, with both on 31 points and five games to go, Nongmin and Qiji both needed a win to keep their IFCF hopes alive. A draw probably wouldn't do for either. So when they met on Friday night at both teams' home stadium of the Huangse Migong, the stakes were high. But Ju Yi Pao got slapped with a probably-not-justified yellow in the 13th minute, and then hauled down Kee Tian and got a second that he almost certainly did deserve. With the game ruined, the Farmers faded. The Wizards started the season so well (easy to forget, but they were unbeaten through the first five weeks of the league), and then had a wretched summer. Could they be surging back into the mix, right at the death?

On Saturday afternoon, also in Chumeichang, Aierlanren brought to bear all of the attacking power they had in their arsenal, as they were desperate to draw level with Fuchou on points. But Di Na Deng, who has had a rotten year, refused to bend the knee. She made six saves in the first half, and then, after Chen Ling scored three minutes into the second half, she made six more. Her heroics kept the Shadows alive to stay up, and dealt a fatal blow to Irish hopes of finishing second. Even their Challengers Cup place is now in jeopardy. That night, at the Sha Dadao, the Avengers pounced. Hang Ki Tan and Yue Hsieh's individual battle for aerial balls was a fascinating aspect of the contest for the first half hour, but then Fuchou's number nine posterized the 23-year-old Black Cats center back by beating him to a cross and leaving Ji Ning flat-footed on the goal line. The Burgundy aren't far away from locking down a place in next season's IFCF competitions.

On Sunday afternoon, there were two simultaneous games. In Qiawutian, Sheshou jumped out in front early, scoring a couple goals inside twenty minutes. Kuang Yin Cao halved the deficit just after half time, but the Marksmen made a couple defensive changes around the hour mark, and a 65th minute red card for the Miners' keeper appeared to be sending three points Sheshou's way. So what's the moral of the story? Never give up on this Zhayao team. They scored shorthanded in stoppage time and denied the All-Whites the chance to move into the Challengers Cup spots. Meanwhile, in Chumeichang, Xiniu needed to win to stay in the division. Don't worry, Blue Rhinos fans: they were only playing Chongjibo. They actually played all right in the first half, only conceding once, but then two penalties early in the second half (which Kian Zhi Yuan converted) tripled the Shockwaves lead, and that settled the affair. Xiniu kept them from getting a clean sheet in the 73rd, but that was their only consolation as Jen Ta Jin restored the three-goal cushion twelve minutes later. Chongjibo can be crowned champions next week with a win, and we must now officially say goodbye to the Blue Rhinos, as they mathematically cannot escape the drop.

Nongmin 0–2 Qiji
Yinying 1–0 Aierlanren
Fuchou 1–0 Baomao
Zhayao 2–2 Sheshou
Xiniu 1–4 Chongjibo

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
01 Chongjibo              23   16   4   3    50   18  +32    52
02 Fuchou                 23   12   6   5    37   24  +13    42
 3 Aierlanren             23   10   6   7    34   28   +6    36
 4 Baomao                 23   10   5   8    29   31   −2    35
 5 Qiji                   23    9   7   7    29   25   +4    34
 6 Sheshou                23    8   9   6    27   27    0    33
 7 Nongmin                23    8   7   8    31   27   +4    31
 8 Zhayao                 23    7   5  11    35   42   −7    26
09 Yinying                23    4   3  16    19   42  −23    15
10 Xiniu                  23    2   6  15    22   49  −27    12

[Naixi]

SEASON 1 MATCHDAY 24

A "right vs left" grudge match Qiawutian derby got us started on Friday night, and the two clubs involved obligingly gave us a wonderful end-to-end affair. In the 14th minute, Sheshou got off to one of their trademark fast starts when Ji Ning fisted a ball back into traffic rather than catch it like he probably should have, and the Marksmen doubled their advantage midway through the second half. But the Black Cats, who had played well all throughout the game, finally started converting their chances in the final fifteen minutes, yanking one goal back on 77 minutes and equalizing on 87. On Saturday evening, in Chumeichang, the Shockwaves had a chance to clinch the league title with a victory, but instead ran straight into the maw of a Nongmin side that's backed into a corner. The Farmers were unambiguously the better team, and frankly ought to have won. Chongjibo's oft-unused defensive unit actually played extremely well to snatch a clean sheet and rescue a point. The Shockwaves will now have to wait another week to lift the trophy.

The next afternoon, we had two matches happen simultaneously. First, at the Huangse Migong, we had a match between two sides on impressive unbeaten runs in the league, and that made the tie look quite tantalizing. Instead, it was a hard-to-watch massacre. Yue Hsieh scored two of the Avengers' three first half goals, and came up a bit short of her hat trick in the second, but did assist on Su Chen Yuen's cushioned pass/shot to make it a four-nil blowout. The Wizards are humbled while Fuchou rumble onward - in superlative form - toward a critical showdown with Chongjibo in two week's time. Meanwhile, in Qiawutian, Yinying were playing for their lives against a totally unpredictable Zhayao. If the Miners turned up, it would be curtains for Yinying... but luckily for the Shadows, the Miners only turned up for the first half. The Red and White were quite decent in the first 45, and Kuang Yin Cao did score in the 41st minute (though his goal almost certainly should have been ruled offside), but Zhi Hong Hong's half time team talk must have contained one or two reminders that the Miners were being forced to use their backup goalkeeper due to their #1 keeper's red card a week prior. The Shadows shot from everywhere in the final period, and though their tests were not at a high degree of difficulty, the Miners' backup failed them anyway. Chen Ling's close-range cannonball from an incredibly tight angle was the best of Yinying's three second half goals.

Finally, we had a rare Monday night matchup to finish the weekend off. Xiniu were already down, and should have been just the tonic for a slumping Aierlanren. But the Blue Rhinos had nothing to lose at the Sha Dadao, and the Irish did. That dynamic told. Lan Fang Fen put on a passing masterclass in midfield, picking up a gentleman's hat trick with assists in the 19th, 31st, and 84th minutes. In the 38th minute, Xiao Niao Dong again scored one of her long range screamers, but the Gold and White couldn't capitalize. They've now lost three straight, and their vanquishers have been - in order - Zhayao, Yinying, and Xiniu. You couldn't ask for easier fixtures. It is truly a full-blown crisis now for the Irish.

Sheshou 2–2 Baomao
Chongjibo 0–0 Nongmin
Qiji 0–4 Fuchou
Zhayao 1–3 Yinying
Aierlanren 1–3 Xiniu

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
01 Chongjibo              24   16   5   3    50   18  +32    53
02 Fuchou                 24   13   6   5    41   24  +17    45
 3 Aierlanren             24   10   6   8    35   31   +4    36
 4 Baomao                 24   10   6   8    31   33   −2    36
 5 Qiji                   24    9   7   8    29   29    0    34
 6 Sheshou                24    8  10   6    29   29    0    34
 7 Nongmin                24    8   8   8    31   27   +4    32
 8 Zhayao                 24    7   5  12    36   45   −9    26
09 Yinying                24    5   3  16    22   43  −21    18
10 Xiniu                  24    3   6  15    25   50  −25    15

[Naixi]

SEASON 1 SEMIFINAL LEG 2

The Friday night lights in Chumeichang gave us all an eerie sense of deja vu, as once again the Shadows kept it level for well over an hour. Perhaps it's just Di Na Deng trying to remind us that she was once part of the discussion for the starting goalkeeper spot for the Naixese national team... or perhaps Chen Ling's pace is an effective tool to keep better foes from pressing too high up the pitch... or perhaps the Shockwaves just get the jitters on cup nights? Any which way, Chongjibo eventually got it sorted, and slotted home two great team goals in the 72nd and 75th minutes. It was never in doubt, or so Xiao Cheng Li claimed in a press conference after the game (somewhat convincingly). The Pink and Gray get to stay right here in the familiar surroundings of the Huangse Migong for the final. So who will it be that they face?

Coming into the match on Saturday night in Qiawutian, Aierlanren had lost three in a row to bottom-half opposition, and Fuchou had lost just once in their last thirteen fixtures across all competitions. So there was only one winner, right? Well, based on the possession numbers, and on the number of shots, and on xG, yes... but none of those stats are the ones that decide football games. (And, for the record, if you're wondering who dealt the Avengers that solitary loss, recall that it was the Irish... in the first leg of this very tie.) Aierlanren were inferior in every way, but scored against the run of play in the 33rd minute and were awarded a somewhat soft penalty two minutes into the second half, which they converted. Three goals to the good on aggregate, they parked the bus, and even though Su Chen Yuen did cut into the deficit on 73 minutes, it wasn't enough.

So, it's the Shockwaves versus the Irish. Who will be crowned champion of Naixi's domestic cup for the first time? The odds will be short on Chongjibo, but the Irish have an X factor that nobody can quite explain. Fans of the home side should very aggressively tamp down on their overconfidence as they walk to their seats at the Huangse Migong in four weeks' time.

Chongjibo 2–0 Yinying
(Chongjibo progress 5-0 on aggregate)

Fuchou 1–2 Aierlanren
(Aierlanren progress 6-4 on aggregate)

Final
* Single match played at home stadium of higher seed

(2) Chongjibo v (6) Aierlanren

[Naixi]

SEASON 1 MATCHDAY 25

Two Friday night games happened simultaneously, and both of them sealed things in stone: one a major failure, and the other a major success. In Chumeichang, Yinying played like a team determined to pull off a miracle and stay up... for the first half. Once Liangde He had a chance to speak with his Sheshou team in the dressing room, though, the Shadows were doomed. The Marksmen intentionally overloaded Chun Lan Shao with pacey attackers, and she made a mistake that led to a goal for the All-Whites just 4 minutes into the second half. It's a good result for Sheshou, as they've climbed into the Challengers Cup places, but it's a death blow to Yinying's stay in the League of the Two Sapphires. Meanwhile, at the Sha Dadao, the stadium staff had to have the pink and white confetti ready to go, as a draw was all the Shockwaves needed to be crowned champions. But which Chongjibo would turn up, the mentally invincible Chongjibo of a week ago in the cup semifinal? Or the underwhelming Chongjibo of their last league outing, two weeks ago against Nongmin? It was, emphatically, the former. It had to be Jen Ta Jin, and it was, as the teenager rifled home a splendid goal in the 7th minute, and though Fuchou did get themselves a point with a 49th minute equalizer, Chongjibo were still the better side and got the result that awards them the title and sends them to the IFCF Champions League.

And that was just Friday night! The next afternoon, also in Qiawutian, fifth and sixth squared off in a contest with gargantuan ramifications for the last Challengers Cup place. Would it be Baomao, the home side, who have won eight, drawn four, and lost four of their last 16 league matches? Or Qiji, fresh off a hiding against the Avengers two weeks ago? It was, in fact, the Black Cats, who once languished in eighth place but now have a more than decent chance of finishing third. Tan Hung Xun's 16th minute free kick gave Baomao a lead they never relinquished, as Qiawutian's anarchist club scored again in the 35th and 89th minutes. The Wizards did halve the deficit on 57 minutes, but they never looked to have the stamina to go and locate the equalizer. On Saturday night at the Huangse Migong, neither Xiniu or Zhayao had anything to play for as the Blue Rhinos were already down, and the Miners knew they were already safe on account of the Yinying result the night before. Consequently, it wasn't a great game. Zhayao scored first, then Xiniu equalized in the second half, and then the Red and White found a late winner.

Finally, on Sunday afternoon in Chumeichang, it was a last chance for the Irish to stop their tumble out of the IFCF places (it seems like they've been in them forever). Their opponents were a resurgent Nongmin, who'd played extremely well in a scoreless draw against the now-champions two weeks prior. Aierlanren were all right for the first twenty minutes, actually. Xiao Niao Dong lost an individual battle to Zong Yuan Ti in the 2nd minute that resulted in the Farmers stealing the opening goal, but the Irish did immediately hit back and grab the equalizer fourteen minutes later from a Jiu Ling Geng header on a well-worked corner routine. But it was the second half when the Gold and White really shit the bed. Waves of attacking pressure overcame them, and Ti picked up a brace in the 61st minute to give the Silver and Red a win to keep them relevant in the hunt for IFCF spots.

Yinying 0–1 Sheshou
Fuchou 1–1 Chongjibo
Baomao 3–1 Qiji
Xiniu 1–2 Zhayao
Nongmin 2–1 Aierlanren

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
01 Chongjibo              25   16   6   3    51   19  +32    54
02 Fuchou                 25   13   7   5    42   25  +17    46
03 Baomao                 25   11   6   8    34   34    0    39
 4 Sheshou                25    9  10   6    30   29   +1    37
 5 Aierlanren             25   10   6   9    36   33   +3    36
 6 Nongmin                25    9   8   8    33   28   +5    35
 7 Qiji                   25    9   7   9    30   32   −2    34
 8 Zhayao                 25    8   5  12    38   46   −8    29
09 Yinying                25    5   3  17    22   44  −22    18
10 Xiniu                  25    3   6  16    26   52  −26    15

[Naixi]

SEASON 1 MATCHDAY 26

We had just the one Friday night game this week, and boy was it an unwatchable piece of crap. As always, you can always rely on Zhayao's defense to never show up (and, true to form, it didn't). Sometimes their attack really shows up, though. Was this one of those times? Nope. The crowd at Sha Dadao watched glumly as Kuang Yin Cao missed an 8th minute penalty, then bafflingly was allowed to attempt another 9 minutes later (which he also missed). From there, the Miners were dead in the water, and the Farmers simply let them have it. Nongmin were up two nil by half time, and added a third in the second period. The Silver and Red are in good shape to play for a spot in the Challengers Cup on the final day. Zhayao, meanwhile, are already in need of a rebuild. They have avoided relegation this season, but next season may not be so kind.

In many ways, the Saturday afternoon game in Chumeichang was a chance for players of Yinying and Xiniu - both of whom are already relegated - to audition for a stay in the division. (There was certainly nothing else at stake, apart from the sibling rivalry between managers Nan Nan Hong and Zhi Hong Hong.) In that sense, the Blue Rhinos players will have made the better case. Chun Lan Shao and Di Na Deng were terrible at the back, and poor Chen Ling touched the ball once before being hooked on the hour mark. Lan Fang Fen, meanwhile, assisted on both of Xiniu's first half goals, and Guan Cai Tsung's passing massively contributed to the Blue Rhinos' possession advantage. The only blip was Yinying's late consolation goal, but replays clearly showed that it should've been ruled out for offside.

Three months ago, we were saying that the match played on Saturday night in Qiawutian was going to decide who finished second. The game played in the real world was a shadow of its former self, with Fuchou already having second in the bag and Aierlanren adrift in mid-table. It was still quite a watchable game, though. The once-impervious defense of the Irish was characteristic of its present iteration, as twice they let the Avengers leap out in front. But Aierlanren attacked with vigor and twice drew level to just barely keep their name in the hat for an IFCF berth.

The next afternoon, two games kicked off simultaneously. At the Sha Dadao, the hosts Sheshou ran up a three nil scoreline on Qiji before Kee Tian's 68th minute cross accidentally dipped underneath the crossbar to vacate the Marksmen's clean sheet. The game ended at three one, though, and the All-Whites rose to third. They're so close to that Challengers Cup place they can see the whites in its eyes. Meanwhile, at the Huangse Migong, the team who'd been in third that morning had to try and do something about the Shockwaves. For Black Cats supporters, the hope must have been that Chongjibo were already on the beach. The Black and Brown did get the first goal in the 32nd minute, as Hang Ki Tan rose above his marker on a long free kick and nodded one into the Chongjibo net. The champions fought back, though, equalizing in the 69th minute before Kian Zhi Yuan put a direct free kick into the postage stamp on 86 minutes to grab all three points. An astounding statistic: the Shockwaves lost their first two games of the league campaign, and in the subsequent twenty-four league matches have lost just once.

As we head into the final matchday, two Challengers Cup spots are up for grabs, and four teams are in the running. The Marksmen, currently sitting in third, are in control of their own destiny and as such will play on Saturday night away to Xiniu. If they win, they're through. Then, on Sunday night, Nongmin and Yinying will contest a Chumeichang derby, while Aierlanren "visit" Baomao at the Sha Dadao. Either one or two places will be on the line. Should be great fun.

Zhayao 0–3 Nongmin
Yinying 1–2 Xiniu
Aierlanren 2–2 Fuchou
Sheshou 3–1 Qiji
Chongjibo 2–1 Baomao

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
01 Chongjibo              26   17   6   3    53   20  +33    57
02 Fuchou                 26   13   8   5    44   27  +17    47
03 Sheshou                26   10  10   6    33   30   +3    40
 4 Baomao                 26   11   6   9    35   36   −1    39
 5 Nongmin                26   10   8   8    36   28   +8    38
 6 Aierlanren             26   10   7   9    38   35   +3    37
 7 Qiji                   26    9   7  10    31   35   −4    34
 8 Zhayao                 26    8   5  13    38   49  −11    29
09 Yinying                26    5   3  18    23   46  −23    18
10 Xiniu                  26    4   6  16    28   53  −25    18

[Naixi]

SEASON 1 MATCHDAY 27

There's always a lot at stake on the final matchday of any league. As a result, neutrals always hope that the tension doesn't make games too cagey and defensive. Neutrals, on this occasion, did not get their wish. Three of the five matches had just a single goal, and five teams failed to score entirely.

Because of the League of Two Sapphires' use of just two stadia, it isn't possible to do what most leagues do, and play all fixtures simultaneously. Instead, first matches were played where nothing was at stake. Then we had a match where something was at stake, but a team was in control of its own destiny and was therefore allowed to play before others. Finally, we rounded the weekend off with two simultaneous games, where three of the four clubs involved were still fighting for something.

On Friday night at the Huangse Migong, Chumeichang's two leftist clubs squared off with nothing on the line. Qiji were safe from relegation long ago, and Chongjibo lifted the trophy a few weeks ago, so this was just a friendly fixture. The Wizards weren't up to much, and the Shockwaves finished the league in style, scoring in the 55th and 83rd minutes. The first goal was the better of the two, with Kian Zhi Yuan using a creative little fake pull back to earn a yard of space near the penalty spot, then toe-poke the ball past the keeper. On Saturday afternoon at the Sha Dadao, we had another game between a team whose place near the top is already set, and a team sitting in lower mid-table. The Avengers were by far the better team during the first half hour, and the Miners can count themselves lucky that Su Chen Yuen's 22nd minute strike was the only goal they coughed up. Zhayao were much better over the course of the game's final hour, though, controlling possession and giving fans a glimmer of hope that next season won't be such a dumpster fire. They still lost, though, as Fuchou hung on.

It's been a good year for Sheshou, though not one without its difficulties. Tak Hing Jin has been a revelation, and they've persistently hovered in mid-table all season. But they've drawn several games they could have (and should have) won, and Guo Liang Lin's major injury during the first part of the year put a dent in their defensive solidity. All things considered, they'd be happy with the chance to win their way into the Challengers Cup on the final day, and that's exactly the chance they had on Saturday night in Chumeichang with a test against last-place Xiniu. The Marksmen passed with flying colors. The Blue Rhinos were adequate for the first forty minutes, but then conceded a penalty just before half time. Jin put it away, and the rout had begun. The All-Whites destroyed Xiniu in the second half, scoring three more times.

So, with Sheshou's ticket punched, there was only one IFCF spot left, and three teams in contention for it on Sunday night. Baomao had the easiest path, with a couple scenarios that put them in fourth. The easiest was to simply beat Aierlanren in Qiawutian. For Nongmin, facing already-relegated Yinying in Chumeichang, a win plus a Baomao draw or loss was needed. The Irish had the toughest path, as they needed to beat the Black Cats and hope the Shadows at least took a point off the Farmers.

During the first half, both matches were cautious affairs. Nongmin pulled Zong Yuan Ti all the way back into central midfield, and Xiao Niao Dong was clearly told to pass on any chances to make forward runs, as she is known to do. Chen Ling hit the bar in the 36th minute, which gave the Farmers a real scare, and the Irish made a very persuasive case that they should have had a 41st minute penalty after Ji Ning inelegantly clattered a striker in the box (the referee waved play on, though). We went into half time goalless in both contests. If it stayed like this, it would redound to the Black Cats' benefit. Sensing that pressure, Nongmin came out swinging after the break. Chong Xian Ye's movement began to really strain the organizational capacity of Yinying's back line. He forced a fabulous save out of Di Na Deng in the 50th minute and missed a sitter in the 57th. Clearly, the Farmers were done waiting around. (Meanwhile, Baomao-Aierlanren kept grinding along, also all square at nil-nil.)

But Nongmin just never found the breakthrough, and the higher up they pushed, the more tenuous their back line's grip on Chen Ling became. Finally, the bow broke. In the 67th minute, Ling found a channel in between Ju Yi Pao and one of the center backs, and a great through ball put her in behind. The Farmers' keeper rushed off his line, but he got the timing wrong. The Shadows' pacey number nine took the ball out of the keeper's path and, from there, just needed to put away one of the easiest chances she'll ever receive. She did, and faces fell among the silver-clad supporters. Yinying shut up shop after that, happy to play spoiler, and Nongmin never found either of the two goals they needed to guarantee IFCF football next year.

Meanwhile, in Qiawutian, word got out that the Farmers had fallen behind. It suited both teams, but particularly Aierlanren. It's not like Kwang Chih Lo to yank one of his midfielders and add another striker, but that's what he did, aware that it was now or never. But Mei Huo, too, sensed that the game was opening up and began to throw players forward. The final twenty minutes became a frenetic, pulsating contest, with breathless end-to-end action. The Black Cats had a penalty shout of their own dismissed on 72 minutes. Aierlanren had a three-on-two in the 75th, but Ji Ning's great reflexes put the Irish shot over the bar. Four minutes later, it was the Irish keeper coming to the rescue as Tan Hung Xun nearly sent the Black and Brown supporters into dreamland with a long range effort. The Gold and White again got themselves in behind with numbers in the 83rd minute, but the pass from one attacker to the other went just a half yard astray and that killed the chance.

Finally, it looked like the moment had come. In the 87th minute, Aierlanren won a corner. They sent up all the bigs. Then, after some consultation, they sent up the goalkeeper. In an area this crowded, it was inevitable that somebody would lose their marker, and Hang Ki Tan did. Jiu Ling Geng rose into the sky, wide open for the header, and hammered it towards the goal line...

From nowhere, Ji Ning flew in to bat it away. Again the Irish were on their knees, cursing their luck that they hadn't found the breakthrough.

The game moved into stoppage time. For Aierlanren, time was running out. In the fourth minute of added time, Xiao Niao Dong was trying to pass out of the back, but a heavy touch gave the ball away. Determined that that wasn't how her league campaign was going to end, she fouled the Baomao attacker and gave away a free kick from about 23 yards out. The incident earned her a deserved yellow. Aware that a draw would work for her side, Tan Hung Xun really took her time getting set for the free kick, so much so that she earned herself a spot in the referee's notebook, too. Time continued to tick off the clock as Irish hopes slowly perished. The irritable ref shouted to Xun that he'd give her a second yellow if she didn't restart play. So she did... by whipping the ball around the wall, hard and low, and watching as it nestled into the bottom corner of the goal.

Screams of irrepressible joy issued forth from the Black Cats faithful in the stands. They'd had to suffer the humiliation of this very Aierlanren team coming back from the dead in the cup quarterfinal and putting them out on penalties, but this time it was them celebrating a dramatic win. They left it late, but Baomao's goal means Nongmin's loss doesn't mean anything - the Farmers wouldn't have qualified for the Challengers Cup anyway.

It's Chongjibo, Fuchou, Sheshou, and Baomao who will represent Naixi in international club football next year. Aierlanren have an opportunity to add themselves to the list by qualifying for the Cup Winners' Cup next week, but that'd be a meek consolation prize. Furthermore, it'll be an excruciatingly tough task as they'll have to beat Chongjibo in the Zhen Li Jiang Cup final.

Qiji 0–2 Chongjibo
Fuchou 1–0 Zhayao
Xiniu 0–4 Sheshou
Nongmin 0–1 Yinying
Baomao 1–0 Aierlanren

                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
01 Chongjibo              27   18   6   3    55   20  +35    60
02 Fuchou                 27   14   8   5    45   27  +18    50
 3 Sheshou                27   11  10   6    37   30   +7    43
 4 Baomao                 27   12   6   9    36   36    0    42
 5 Nongmin                27   10   8   9    36   29   +7    38
 6 Aierlanren             27   10   7  10    38   36   +2    37
 7 Qiji                   27    9   7  11    31   37   −6    34
 8 Zhayao                 27    8   5  14    38   50  −12    29
09 Yinying                27    6   3  18    24   46  −22    21
10 Xiniu                  27    4   6  17    28   57  −29    18

[Naixi]

SEASON 1 FINAL

Normally we'd give you a lengthy preamble. But there's too much about the match to talk about. And you already know what's going on... it's Saturday afternoon in Chumeichang. Chongjibo versus Aierlanren.

The Shockwaves took the opening kickoff. They recycled possession back to their back line, and then launched a speculative long ball up towards Jen Ta Jin on the right wing. Xiao Niao Dong read it well and stepped in front of the pass. She chested it down, took possession near the half way line, and saw nothing but empty real estate in front of her. Kian Zhi Yuan recognized the danger right away, but Dong saw him out of the corner of her eye. She waited for him to go to ground, and then flicked the ball away from him. Everybody, including the Shockwaves defenders, knew what was coming. Dong wound up from 27 yards and walloped a knuckling lightning bolt past a flatfooted keeper. 32 seconds had run off the clock, and already we had a goal in the cup final. One nil to the Irish. Game on.

In the 22nd minute, Aierlanren's left winger won a series of individual duels and got loose near the angle of the 18-yard box. He took a shot that would have been speculative if it had been on target... but it took a wicked deflection off a pink-clad defender and swerved dangerously towards the bottom corner. It was a hearts-in-mouths moment for Chongjibo, but they could breathe again as it went centimeters wide of the post. It was still a corner, though. Jiu Ling Geng and the other bigs packed into the penalty area. The ball in was splendid. It hung temptingly before zipping away from the keeper's fingertips, then found Geng's head. He looked as surprised as anyone, but the ball redirected off his face and looped across the goal line. The Aierlanren supporters went ballistic. Prognosticators had given them no chance, and here they were: up two nil against the league champions.

But it is often said (I'm not sure by who, but it is often said nonetheless) that two nil is the most dangerous lead. Chongjibo ratcheted up the pressure and trapped the Irish in their own half. Their focus on possession and counter-pressing forced Aierlanren into a 5-5-0 shape. Finally, the breakthrough on 43 minutes. Jin's direct dribbling left the Aierlanren left back for dead, and he set his eyes on Dong. A few stepovers, then a shimmy of the hips... and then, perplexingly, he passed the ball back into the center of the park. Why had he done that? Dong stepped forward to close the ball down.

Big mistake. Kian Zhi Yuan appeared out of nowhere and slotted a perfect first-time through ball right back to Jin, who was being kept onside by Geng. The goalkeeper stepped up to try and close the angle, but it was fruitless. With his left foot, Jin gently cushioned a curling shot into the top corner of the goal. The Irish advantage was reduced to one, just before half time.

The Shockwaves emerged from the dressing room as a team plainly in the ascendancy. In the 48th minute, another series of one touch passes coaxed Dong off of her line. Again, Yuan found Jin, this time with a lifted through ball that Jin had to use a fair bit of skill to successfully trap. He did, and looked up. This time, Geng had shifted over much more quickly to cover for Dong, which forced Jin to take another touch, then another, then another, Geng closely marking him all the way. Suddenly, Jin collapsed. His Chongjibo teammates started screaming for a penalty. But had there actually been any contact? No, determined the referee, and such was the decisiveness of her verdict that she concluded a booking was necessary for the teenage winger. Free kick to Aierlanren, and the chance was over. The Irish redoubled their defensive efforts.

Fifteen minutes later, in the 63rd minute, Chongjibo threatened again. Yuan took advantage of an Irish midfielder dilly-dallying in possession and tackled the ball well. He stepped ahead, surveying his options. One incoming gold-clad defensive midfielder came from one direction, while Jiu Ling Geng came in from another. Yuan spun past the defensive midfielder, then used a behind-the-heel chop to send Geng the wrong way, and then had only one woman to beat: Xiao Niao Dong. Sticking to her aggressive ways, Dong stepped up to shut the Naixi captain down. He waited for just the right moment, then nutmegged her. In on goal, with only the goalkeeper to beat, he aimed for the far post... and hit it! The shot ricocheted back off the upright and back towards Yuan! The keeper was in no man's land, as they had gone for the initial shot. All Yuan had to do was keep his composure! He struck it again...

And it soared a foot over the bar. Deflated, he collapsed to the grass, an anguished smile on his face. That was the chance, and he knew it. There wouldn't be another one, surely.

But there would. On 79 minutes, Jin once again got loose. He dribbled along the top of the penalty area, then used a Berbatov turn to pivot towards goal. Dong couldn't arrest her own momentum, and reached out a foot, desperately hoping she would get the ball... but she didn't. Her boot clattered Jin and once again he tumbled to the ground. The referee thought about it long and hard (was it another dive?), but ultimately made the right choice, and pointed to the spot.

Yuan was always going to be the man to take it. He placed the ball with utmost care, then took a few steps back. Would he go left or right? Would he go for power or precision? The keeper had to guess, and that was really some task. Yuan stuttered his way forward. He knew exactly where he wanted to put it. He was going to open up his hips and finesse it into the top right corner. He put it right where he wanted it. But the Aierlanren goalkeeper guessed right. At full stretch, with nothing but a fingertip, he pushed it wide. Yuan fell face first onto the turf. What would it take to score? They were running out of time to find that equalizer.

In the 87th minute, the Shockwaves had one last chance. Yuan, frantically trying to right his wrongs, saw a chance to score from about 32 yards out. It was long range, but he had the space to rip one. The Aierlanren keeper was likely to get a paw on it, but maybe he'd spill it. He did, pushing the shot back into traffic rather than over the bar. Chongjibo's number nine was in exactly the right place, and a good first touch set up a wonderful opportunity from about ten yards away. Another miss just wasn't possible...

But another heroic last-ditch tackle was. Dong had arrived just in time, smashing the ball out into touch and sending the Shockwaves' center forward flying into the sky. The referee signaled a throw-in. Jin was apoplectic on his teammate's behalf. He was completely certain that this should be another penalty. Gesturing wildly and using all kinds of colorful language, he put a shaking finger in the referee's face and told her what he really thought.

This was perhaps not the best idea. Already having seen yellow, Jin was walking a tightrope... and he fell from it. Without hesitation, the referee pulled out her pocketbook and withdrew two cards, one yellow and one red. First the former was thrust into the air, then, the latter.

Jin was gone. The Pink and Gray were down to ten men with three minutes plus stoppage time. Against a physical and organized defense like the Irish's, the contest was over. The two sides played roughly eight more minutes, including added time, but it wasn't terribly open, as Aierlanren managed to grind the pace of the game down to a near-halt. Every player they substituted off the pitch resembled molasses slowly being poured out of a thin-necked bottle, trudging with exaggerated slowness towards the fourth official. Finally, the referee blew her whistle three times, and it was over.

Aierlanren, little Aierlanren. The team that nobody thought would have a chance in hell against these swashbuckling, confident Shockwaves. They were Zhen Li Jiang Cup champions! They had certainly used a non-zero amount of Dark Arts to get there, but they were deserved winners, at least on the basis of first half hour of play.

After the season the Gold and White had, there's a certain symmetry to how things worked out. The Irish had played so well all spring and summer, and were for a long time the team with the best shot at challenging Chongjibo for the league title. The autumn was not so great, as we all know, but this cup victory is perhaps a reminder that the affluent supporters of this plucky club have got a really remarkable squad. If they can improve in the offseason, perhaps they will make yet another push for the league title.

Chongjibo 1–2 Aierlanren

[Naixi]

SEASON 2 PREVIEW

The second year of top flight football in Naixi is about to begin, and we've got a million fascinating new stories and aspects to discuss. First and foremost, how has the landscape changed following the inevitable storm of offseason transfers? Were there any major bargain bin deals? And who busted the piggy bank just to fritter it all away on some dumb vanity purchase? And what of Naixese clubs' first forays into international club competitions? Nobody was expecting much of Chongjibo, Fuchou, Sheshou, Baomao, and Aierlanren, but you'd better believe there were surprising upsets here and there. But wait... this is still the League of the Two Sapphires, right? All ten clubs are still based in Naixi's two biggest cities, right? Not really! Times change, but names stay the same! So... about time we get started, wouldn't you agree?

We begin in the capital with our champions Chongjibo. The Shockwaves had to deal with the surprising revelation, announced just weeks after the club's loss in the Zhen Li Jiang Cup final, that their elder stateswoman manager Xiao Cheng Li was retiring. She only led the club for a single season, but it was a remarkable one - after all, if it wasn't for those two back-to-back losses on the first two days of the league campaign, the Pink and Black would have lost just a single game under Li in the entirety of last year's League of the Two Sapphires. Her shoes will be impossible to fill, but her long time assistant manager Gui Fan Ren has been appointed. He is not expected to change the champions' style of play much, but will he command the same respect from the players? We just don't know. What we do know is that the club have done some good business in the transfer market, and looked halfway decent in international competitions. Jen Ta Jin has been sold to rivals Fuchou (as most of you probably already know)... his theatrical dismissal during the aforementioned cup final loss didn't exactly endear him to most Chongjibo fans. To bolster the Shockwaves' wide play, the 24-year-old Tikariotian defender Iomelda van Hoogstraaten has been brought in for a fee in the area of 1 million NSD. She doesn't arrive with a shining reputation, but Ren believes she can offer something different for the Pink and Black this year. So - finally - how did Chongjibo do in the IFCF Champions League? Not amazing, as you would expect. They gave Sandfjell Fotball of Cap Nord a tough-ish time in the first qualifying round before coughing up a goal in extra time. Upon moving into the IFCF Challengers Cup qualifiers, they fared a bit better: they shocked Banija's Busukuma AC in the second qualifying round and then held FK Krasnograd to two goalless draws over two legs (the Pyazhnayans won the penalty shootout lottery, in the end). They moved onward to the IFCF Associations Trophy group stage, where they were placed in a brutal Group G with Capital, Port Rhovanyon, and Keloudjm Sakane of Xanneria, Tikariot, and Al-Tamazgha respectively. Somehow, though - despite being battered twice by Port Rhovanyon - the Shockwaves progressed. (Their crowning achievement was a stunning demolition of Keloudjm Sakane in Al-Tamazgha.) They held firm against Ziwana's Mansanduni Union in the round of 32, but then failed on penalties again versus Ezriquay United of Baker Park in the octofinals. Their performance in the Rushmori Copa de Campeones was, frankly, terrible (by comparison at least). The Pink and Black were comprehensively taken apart by Elmyian champions Italia Mosfleet in a manner that had a few fans' heads turning with concern toward the domestic campaign ahead...

You might recall that for long spells during last year, it didn't look like Fuchou had any chance at all of obtaining that desired second-place finish. The Burgundy really did complete the season with style, though (Yue Hsieh drawing particular plaudits for her prolific goalscoring), and restored hopes that they could become Naixi's "second team," that is to say, the team that people yearly look to to dethrone Chongjibo. So how did they do abroad? Did they show any signs that Year Two in Naixi's top flight is going to go a bit better? Errr, not quite. The Avengers were eliminated instantly by Capital Cove's Hovedstad Capital in the Challengers Cup first qualifying round (and their defense looked awful in so doing). It sure did look like the offseason departure of Run Ming Kwan for the Naixi national team gig set his former club back. Or perhaps it was the announcement by Su Chen Yuen that she'd be retiring before season two could even begin. Or maybe, just maybe, youngster Min Jiao's decision to leave the Fuchou subs bench for the bright lights of the Chromatik league had something to do with it. Eh, who knows. Fans of Qiawutian's famously fun-to-watch outfit shouldn't fret too much anyway. Lian Wei Chew (Kwang Chih Lo's long time assistant manager at Aierlanren) has been brought in to patch up that questionable defense, and a couple really high-profile moves have been made in the transfer market. Jin, obviously, is the most talked-about one. The 18-year-old star adds a scary new pointy bit for the spear of the Avengers' already-sharp attack. But the arrival of the veteran Cardenaoan defender Vinicio Juapuala should also be discussed in quite positive terms. The 29-year-old is certain to excel in Chew's defensively structured system. There are one or two questions, though, surrounding the legal details of the transfer... how exactly did the Burgundy find the cash for the center back, who was valued well north of 2 million NSD? Allegations that various third parties are making payments to Juapuala's former club, CMI, are not going over very well with Fuchou fans...

Across the river from the downtown area of Qiawutian, where Fuchou supporters can be found in triplicate, is a little neighborhood that goes by the name of Hai's Ferry. It's small, but it's historic and proud. It's the place to go if you're trying to find a Sheshou fan. The All-Whites appear, on paper, at least, to have been decimated during this past offseason. Guo Liang Lin's retirement was sad, if predictable... after the awful injury the veteran right back suffered while on national team duty, he just never was able to fully work his way back into the first team for the Marksmen. He leaves the club with the highest degree of respect that an exiting player can have amongst the fierce Sheshou fans. The sale of experienced striker Cheuk Yan Tsang to Baomao has also left the club in a non-ideal position, as the 31-year-old was one of the only attacking outlets other than Tak Hing Jin available to the Marksmen. But the All-Whites' astounding penalty shootout victory over New Gelderland's Lexington Victory in the first qualifying round of the IFCF Challengers Cup is a clear indication that the Marksmen should continue to be respected in the League of the Two Sapphires. They didn't do too shabby in the second qualifying round, either, twice recovering from first half deficits to take Oriannor Mountaineers to thirty minutes of extra time at Mountain Fortress. Only a Celyn Monaghan free kick just seconds away from the two hour mark did Sheshou in. The Marksmen are in adequate shape to make a run for the international places once again. Longtime boss Liangde He is a feared mentality monster, and the rabid, far-right-wing fans of this tenacious club have utter faith that he will lead their club forward.

Another team that's been absolutely ravaged by transfers is Baomao. The Black Cats gave it all just to finish in the top four last season, and it took a complete and total commitment from all their best players in order to do so. Let's recall their incredible win over Aierlanren on the final day of the league... Do you remember how Ji Ning evidently became a self-taught magician, apparating out of thin air in order to rob Jiu Ling Geng on 87 minutes? Do you remember how Tan Hung Xun fizzed in that winner in stoppage time? Well guess what? Both Ji Ning and Tan Hung Xun have been sold, the former moving to the Quebecois top flight and the latter becoming the centerpiece of a massive squad rebuild at Nongmin. As mentioned above, they managed to tempt Cheuk Yan Tsang away from the Sha Dadao and bring him to... err... the Sha Dadao, but he's hardly a long-term solution to the club's maladies. The Black Cats' anarchist fans, meanwhile, have made absolutely no progress in their endeavors to buy the club from an ownership group they claim is leading the side to ruin... it suffices to say that the mood around the Black and Brown is bad. Some supporters even think their team might go down this season. But if Baomao's exertions in the Challengers Cup are anything to go by, that's a dubious claim. Juvencus' AS Aguajú were swept aside by the Black Cats in the preliminary round, losing both legs, and then Baomao came within a missed penalty of taking Sporting Noordende to extra time in the first qualifying round. Sure, it's doubtful that the Black and Brown will finish in the IFCF places again this season, but they should be fine. They surely don't have to worry about relegation... right?

It's clearly fair to say: fans of the Farmers never liked Xiao Niao Ding. Despite the fact that she was always regarded as a savvy squad-builder who assembled some truly impressive attacking weaponry, she always steadfastly refused to listen to supporters' constant demands for Nongmin to play in a more traditional, direct style, which led to her receiving torrents of sexist abuse. The Silver and Red's fans finally have their wish, as the board sent Ding her marching orders at the end of last year, following a shameful fifth place finish. Her replacement is a man (for whatever that's worth): Jiawei Sangu of Rushmori neighbors Yuezhou. But will Jiawei deliver the direct style of play supporters desire? That remains to be seen. The blockbuster purchase of national team starter Tan Hung Xun could mean anything, as her anchor woman role can be adapted to either a modern, attacking approach, or an old-fashioned, route one methodology. For the Farmers, the real gambles lie in the players they've allowed to leave. Ju Yi Pao, who was really quite good on the right-hand side for Nongmin last year, has been shipped off to Veriasod Wolves in Tikariot, and Zong Yuan Ti, who for all his national team failures was always a very useful penetrator in the final third, was flatly told he had no future in the silver shirt of the Farmers (he's now trying to revive his career at newly promoted Xue). It's hard to argue that this Chumeichang club needed a rebuild - fifth really was beneath them last season - but are they going about this the right way? Anyone's guess. Their target is the IFCF competitions... we'll see if they get there this time.

And so we arrive at Aierlanren. When their late-season collapse began, sending them from second to sixth, it was a bitter pill to swallow for the proud (and rich) fans of this affluent club based out of the Terrace Heights neighborhood of Qiawutian. But the soaring heights of the start of the year loomed large in the memories of the players... that much was clear to see when they shocked league champions Chongjibo in the final of the Zhen Li Jiang Cup. So too, may they loom large as the club participate in the Cup Winners' Cup (which at time of writing has not yet taken place.) But what about this upcoming year? Can the Irish make another charge up the league table? They'll have to do it without the defensive pairing that defined their on-field identity for all of last season, as both Jiu Ling Geng and Xiao Niao Dong have moved abroad (to Rogerton Whitecaps of Darmen and Litala 93 of Mytanija, respectively). And, of course, promising assistant manager Lian Wei Chew has been tempted away by cross-town rivals Fuchou. All of this represents quite the loss. But the widely-respected boss Kwang Chih Lo is not planning to go down without a fight. To shore up the now-decimated defense, the experienced center back Hai Ying Fu has been purchased from newly-promoted Xue. She ought to settle Irish fans' nerves. And up top, one of the league's most feared counterattacking weapons - Chen Ling of Yinying - has been rescued from relegation with a move to Aierlanren. She fits Lo's system perfectly, and should be a great addition. The Gold and White will be fine.

Back over in Chumeichang, yet another club is wondering how it can fill the shoes of a now-departed defender. Qiji supporters have had to say goodbye to star left back Kee Tian. His incredible transfer to Tumbran powerhouse Lakewood City has seemingly left the Wizards in the lurch. But manager Chun Hsia Teoh has a deserved reputation as a shrewd tactician, and many fans believe that Tian's exit could be a blessing in disguise. Tian, you see, was always a lightning-fast direct threat down the wing, but that never synergized with his right-side partner Ma Huan Yep's tendency to drift inside and function as an auxiliary midfielder. Now, with a fair bit of cash in the bank, Teoh can build a squad around Yep instead, by packing the midfield with other players in Yep's image. Which players those end up being is still undetermined, as Qiji have not been at all active in the transfer market. So will it be a campaign to remember for the Wizards? Are they destined for the IFCF competitions? We said they were at this time last year, and look how that turned out. After all, as refreshing as it is to see a manager with clear intentions for the future, Tian did participate in a lot of attacking movements for Qiji... like, a lot, a lot. What's the plan for replacing all those goals? For replacing all those assists? Nobody in the Purple and White camp quite has an answer yet.

There may be some teams from outside of the Two Sapphires this year, but don't be mistaken: there will still be five clubs from Qiawutian, Naixi's westernmost and largest city. Here's number five, the miners' union club, Zhayao. The southwestern valleys carved out by the floodplain of the Chengse River, closest to the coast, were once the industrial heart of early Naixi, and now this older, more working class part of town is where fans of the Red and White tend to be found with the most ease. Last year was far from a good one - that's for sure. It was only the pure and unadulterated crappiness of Xiniu and Yinying that kept Zhayao a fair distance away from any relegation conversations, as the actual results were horrible for the Miners. Kuang Yin Cao sure scored a decent number of goals, but Zhayao had one of the worst (if not the worst) defenses in the entire division. So... will it help that the tenacious midfield talisman Pei Hsi Dai has retired? The notoriously aggressive permanent booking risk contributed plenty to the attack with her late runs into the box... but will all the disciplinary problems be missed? Perhaps not, particularly when the Miners have done a great little bit of business by replacing her with the talented 23-year-old deep-lying playmaker Lan Fang Fen (who was eager to escape the sinking Xiniu ship). It's generally agreed amongst the pundit class that the Red and White should do a fair bit better this year.

Well, let's take a little trip, shall we? Two new clubs have risen to the top flight, and neither are from the Two Sapphires. (Almost makes you think they should change the name of the league, eh?)

The first is a likeable little side from a truly unlikable town. Futengma is the largest city in Naixi's southeast, and it really is a foul place. Its name, which is rumored to mean “do you have a stomachache?” in an old dialect of Naixese Mandarin, is an apt way to describe both the muddy streets and the atrocious food of this poor town. In the Ruan Tu (“Soft Soil”) district, an eponymous, brand new (but cheaply built) stadium resides next to an awful old smelting plant. A design error means fumes and smoke from the plant waft into the stadium through a gap between the roof and the circular concourse. So... the team that plays there must be really disgusting, right? Actually... life is full of little ironies. Xue - which means 'snow' - are a team that use the power of branding to subvert their own context. It doesn't snow in muddy, brown Futengma... ever. The club's clean and cool winter colors effectively complement the identity of its laid back, liberal fan base and utterly clash with its dilapidated home city. (When we say laid back, we mean laid back. The Ruan Tu has a large, popular, and very nice - and legal - cannabis shop in the basement level. The shop’s owner is a huge fan of the local club, and is often invited to appear in team branding videos.) So can this likeable outfit stay up? Ehh... that's quite a different proposition. The Zong Yuan Ti deal is a masterstroke, as he has tons of experience as an attacker at this level already. And the one-year loan deal (with option to extend) that's brought social media sensation Aríela Hjörleifsdóttir to the Blue and Green is quite a smart bit of business, too. But is it enough? Last year's survivors all seem to have consolidated a bit too effectively...

Finally, we our journey ends in Naixi's militarized far east. On one specific segment of Zidan Jie (which means 'Bullet Street,' a direct indicator of how large the recent conflict for independence still looms out here) in the border city of Bao, several lots for parking tanks and humvees fill a side of the street. On the other side, on top of a hill, is the eclectic little stadium named after the avenue it sits on. Painted a controversial shade of yellow, the hexagonal little park is surprisingly nice. One portion of the stands was intentionally left empty to provide a pleasant view over the river valley, but it means that every once in a while, a wayward shot will sail over the hoardings and roll down the hill towards the border. A couple local clubs play here in this outpost, where army mobilization is still highly elevated. One of those clubs is Yanjiang (Naixese Mandarin for 'lava'), the preferred team of the right-wing officer corps here in town. Their squad is hardly much to look at - aside from 24-year-old attacker Wei Yan Lin, who's halfway decent - but they did manage to bring in Xiao Niao Ding after her sacking at Nongmin. One hopes, for Ding's sake, that she's prepared to follow this club down into the League of Ascension, because that's probably where they're headed back to.

Well, that's all ten teams! Who do you have money on to take home the title? Chongjibo, for a second year running? Outside money on Fuchou? Who's going to the IFCF competitions? Sheshou? Nongmin? Aierlanren? Can either of Xue or Yanjiang somehow stay up? We can only wait and see...

RETIREMENTS

AM Su Chen Yuen (33 years old) from Fuchou
RB Guo Liang Lin (34 years old) from Sheshou
DM Pei Hsi Dai (34 years old) from Zhayao

TRANSFERS

INTO LEAGUE OF THE TWO SAPPHIRES

LB Iomelda van Hoogstraaten from Guillarim Blades (Tikariot) to Chongjibo
CB Vinicio Juapuala from CMI (Cardenao) to Fuchou
LB Aríela Hjörleifsdóttir from Korsbach (Græntfjall) to Xue

OUT OF LEAGUE OF THE TWO SAPPHIRES

CB Jiu Ling Geng from Aierlanren to Rogerton Whitecaps (Darmen)
CB Xiao Niao Dong from Aierlanren to Litala 93 (Mytanija)
GK Ji Ning from Baomao to Forest City Athletic (Quebec and Shingoryeo)
CM Min Jiao from Fuchou to Sanar (Chromatika)
RB Ju Yi Pao from Nongmin to Veriasod Wolves (Tikariot)
LB Kee Tian from Qiji to Lakewood City (Tumbra)
CB Guan Cai Tsung from Xiniu to Cazadores Cathair (Audioslavia)

WITHIN LEAGUE OF THE TWO SAPPHIRES

ST Chen Ling from Yinying to Aierlanren
CB Hai Ying Fu from Xue to Aierlanren
ST Cheuk Yan Tsang from Sheshou to Baomao
LW Jen Ta Jin from Chongjibo to Fuchou
DM Tan Hung Xun from Baomao to Nongmin
AM Zong Yuan Ti from Nongmin to Xue
DM Lan Fang Fen from Xiniu to Zhayao

MANAGERIAL CHANGES

DEPARTURES

Xiao Cheng Li from Chongjibo (retired)
Run Ming Kwan from Fuchou (bought away by Naixi national team)
Xiao Niao Ding from Nongmin (sacked)
Nan Nan Hong from Xiniu (sacked)
Zhi Hong Hong from Yinying (sacked)

ARRIVALS

Gui Fan Ren at Chongjibo (former Chongjibo assistant)
Lian Wei Chew at Fuchou (former Aierlanren assistant)
Jiawei Sangu (Yuezhou) at Nongmin (hired as free agent)
Xiao Niao Ding at Yanjiang (hired as free agent)

FOREIGN PLAYERS

Vinicio Juapuala (Cardenao, Fuchou)
Aríela Hjörleifsdóttir (Græntfjall, Xue)
Iomelda van Hoogstraaten (Tikariot, Chongjibo)

TEAM-BY-TEAM BREAKDOWN

AIERLANREN

Nickname(s): The Irish
Colors: Metallic gold and white, with trim in green and orange
City: Qiawutian
Stadium: Sha Dadao (24,945 seats)
Manager: Kwang Chih Lo (he/him, 47)
Notable Players: Chen Ling, Chin Chih Yap, Hai Ying Fu
Finish Last Year: 6th
Aierlanren in Twelve Words: Standout defenders sold, but Lo rebuilt fast. Irish should finish top half.
Finances / Youth / Scouting: ☆☆☆ / ☆ / ☆☆☆
Supporter Politics: Right
Supporter Expectations: IFCF spots

BAOMAO

Nickname(s): The Black Cats
Colors: Black and light brown
City: Qiawutian
Stadium: Sha Dadao (24,945 seats)
Manager: Mei Huo (he/him, 41)
Notable Players: Cheuk Yan Tsang, Hang Ki Tan, Jun Ming
Finish Last Year: 4th
Baomao in Twelve Words: Black Cats' relegation struggle without Xun and Ning? Unlikely, but concerningly possible.
Finances / Youth / Scouting: ☆☆ / no stars / ☆☆☆
Supporter Politics: Far left
Supporter Expectations: Escape relegation

CHONGJIBO

Nickname(s): The Shockwaves
Colors: Pink and black
City: Chumeichang
Stadium: Huangse Migong (29,927 seats)
Manager: Gui Fan Ren (he/him, 64)
Notable Players: Iomelda van Hoogstraaten, Kian Zhi Yuan, Lu Fang Huang
Finish Last Year: Champions
Chongjibo in Twelve Words: Even without Li and Jin, the Shockwaves look unstoppable. Title defense? Probably.
Finances / Youth / Scouting: ☆ / ☆☆☆ / ☆
Supporter Politics: Left
Supporter Expectations: Title

FUCHOU

Nickname(s): The Avengers
Colors: Burgundy and tangerine
City: Qiawutian
Stadium: Sha Dadao (24,945 seats)
Manager: Lian Wei Chew (he/him, 35)
Notable Players: Jen Ta Jin, Vinicio Juapuala, Yue Hsieh
Finish Last Year: 2nd
Fuchou in Twelve Words: With more organized defense, Avengers might trouble Chongjibo. Jin plus Hsieh? Scary.
Finances / Youth / Scouting: ☆☆ / ☆ / ☆☆
Supporter Politics: Apathetic
Supporter Expectations: Title

NONGMIN

Nickname(s): The Farmers
Colors: Silver and red
City: Chumeichang
Stadium: Huangse Migong (29,927 seats)
Manager: Jiawei Sangu (YZH) (he/him, 59)
Notable Players: Chong Xian Ye, Sa Kota Yue, Tan Hung Xun
Finish Last Year: 5th
Nongmin in Twelve Words: Year one of substantial rebuild. With Xun, can Farmers achieve top three?
Finances / Youth / Scouting: ☆ / ☆☆ / ☆☆☆☆
Supporter Politics: Right
Supporter Expectations: IFCF spots

QIJI

Nickname(s): The Wizards
Colors: Purple and white
City: Chumeichang
Stadium: Huangse Migong (29,927 seats)
Manager: Chun Hsia Teoh (she/her, 42)
Notable Players: Lai Hung, Ma Huan Yep
Finish Last Year: 7th
Qiji in Twelve Words: Kian's off to Tumbra, but Wizards may improve without him. IFCF competitions?
Finances / Youth / Scouting: ☆☆ / ☆☆ / ☆
Supporter Politics: Left
Supporter Expectations: IFCF spots

SHESHOU

Nickname(s): The Marksmen
Colors: White and aerospace orange
City: Qiawutian
Stadium: Sha Dadao (24,945 seats)
Manager: Liangde He (he/him, 67)
Notable Players: Tak Hing Jin
Finish Last Year: 3rd
Sheshou in Twelve Words: Gun nut internet trolls overperformed last year, and may do so again.
Finances / Youth / Scouting: ☆☆ / ☆☆☆☆ / ☆☆
Supporter Politics: Far right
Supporter Expectations: Mid-table

XUE

Nickname(s): The Snowmen
Colors: Dark blue and snow green
City: Futengma
Stadium: Ruan Tu (24,238 seats)
Manager: Zhi Gang An (he/him, 58)
Notable Players: Aríela Hjörleifsdóttir, Zong Yuan Ti
Finish Last Year: Promoted
Xue in Twelve Words: Fun, eclectic little club deserves better than wretched Futengma. Is survival possible?
Finances / Youth / Scouting: no stars / ☆☆ / ☆☆
Supporter Politics: Left
Supporter Expectations: Escape relegation

YANJIANG

Nickname(s): The Lava Monsters
Colors: Dark red, orange, and yellow
City: Bao
Stadium: Zidan Jie (21,924 seats)
Manager: Xiao Niao Ding (she/her, 49)
Notable Players: Wei Yan Lin
Finish Last Year: Promoted
Yanjiang in Twelve Words: Army officers would love Ding to prevent relegation, but it's very unlikely.
Finances / Youth / Scouting: ☆☆☆ / ☆☆ / ☆
Supporter Politics: Far right
Supporter Expectations: Escape relegation

ZHAYAO

Nickname(s): The Miners
Colors: Red and white
City: Qiawutian
Stadium: Sha Dadao (24,945 seats)
Manager: Chun Lin (she/her, 74)
Notable Players: Kuang Yin Cao, Lan Fang Fen, Qi Chao Hark
Finish Last Year: 8th
Zhayao in Twelve Words: Maybe defense will be less disastrous? Fen's arrival bodes well for Miners.
Finances / Youth / Scouting: ☆☆☆☆ / ☆☆ / ☆☆
Supporter Politics: Left
Supporter Expectations: Mid-table

[Naixi]

SEASON 2 PREVIEW

Zhen Li Jiang is a modern artist who resides in Chumeichang. Her body of work is considered engaging, colorful, and original by Naixese art scholars. Perhaps those scholars are biased, though, as Jiang is a national hero due to her service in the armed forces during the independence conflict. (International art scholars - weirdly - take an extremely dim view of Jiang's output, calling it "dull," "so ordinary it may as well be the work of a child," and "quality comparable to a collision between two paint trucks.") So renowned is she as a national figure that her namesake has been bestowed upon the nation's foremost domestic cup competition, and she is the person who designed most of its branding.

So what do we know about the Zhen Li Jiang Cup? Well, last season it was won by a team that didn't finish in the top half... so that's cool. Recall, if you will, how the plucky Irish of Aierlanren shocked league champions Chongjibo in the final just a few months ago. Recall, again, if you will, how they would not have even been in that final were it not from an incredible four-goal comeback against Baomao in the quarterfinal! All of this is simply to remind and reassure you that some great football gets played in this tournament, and there's a pretty cool prize obtained in the end for winning it: appearing in the IFCF Cup Winners' Cup.

So who will we find in this little tournament? We've got all ten teams in the League of the Two Sapphires, for one. And, we've also got six teams from the second tier, the League of Ascension. That makes sixteen teams total. Could we simply start with a round of octofinals? Sure. But that would be too uncomplicated. Instead, the first four rounds of the tournament are run in the Casaran system, which pairs teams off based on how well they've done so far. The more you win, the more likely you are to play another team that's winning.

After we get done with the Casaran, we'll have a final table, and the top eight teams in that table will advance to the quarterfinals. The quarterfinals, semifinals, and final will resemble a much simpler knockout cup system. The final will be a single match played on a neutral site, but the quarters and semis will be two-legged, with the higher-seeded team (based on the Casaran) playing the second leg at home.

Fixtures in the Casaran will be published immediately upon completion of each round. The first round of fixtures is generated entirely randomly. We've just conducted the draw for that first round... would you like to give it a look?

Sheshou v Yanjiang
Qi'e v Zhayao
Nongmin v Aierlanren
Yinying v Fuchou
Xiniu v Xue
Qiji v Baiyi
Jingying v Zhanshi
Chongjibo v Baomao

Best of luck to all participants! We've got some really tasty fixtures to gawk at already. The Irish go to Chumeichang to take on the revamped Farmers, the recently-promoted Snowmen are going to battle it out with the recently-relegated Blue Rhinos, and we have a repeat of a classic cup fixture from the Casaran first round one year ago: the Shockwaves versus the Black Cats. We'll reconvene in a few weeks after all these games are played.

[Naixi]

SEASON 2 MATCHDAY 1

The season kicked off with a Qiawutian derby on a chilly Friday night at the Sha Dadao. The first half between the two belligerents (Fuchou, last year's league runners-up, and Aierlanren, last year's cup champions) was a miserable affair, with neither side able to retain possession for meaningful spells. For the Avengers, the second half was much better, as they strung together a number of tasty passing movements that should have ended with better finishing. A 69th minute penalty was awarded to the Burgundy after a sloppy tackle in the box from Hai Ying Fu, but Yue Hsieh's effort from twelve yards was high, wide, and handsome. A goalless draw will feel like a great result for Irish boss Kwang Chih Lo, who was trying to teach his former protégé Lian Wei Chew a lesson.

On Saturday afternoon, two matches took place simultaneously. Again in Qiawutian, with the rain teeming down, it was yet another goalless draw as the Marksmen and the Miners squared off. Refereeing controversy tainted the affair, as the female head official was fairly aggressive with her awarding of yellow cards, and by the hour mark a majority of players were on a booking. Tak Hing Jin made one wrong move in the 76th minute with a late challenge, and the referee ruthlessly handed him his marching orders. The only silver lining for the All-Whites is that Zhayao couldn't break the deadlock even with a man advantage. Over at the Huangse Migong (where there was also pouring rain), it was a little bit better, as the champions "visited" the ambitious Farmers. The Shockwaves actually might count themselves lucky to have taken all three points in this one, as Nongmin had a number of splendid chances, particularly in the first half. But they failed to capitalize, and Chongjibo struck just before half time with a nice goal debut goal by Iomelda van Hoogstraaten against the run of play. Again the Silver and Red played well in the second half, but the equalizer just never materialized, and the champions put an opening day win on ice in the 81st minute with a second goal.

The next afternoon in Futengma, we saw our first action from one of the promoted sides. The Blue and Green of Xue were tasked with overcoming a new-look Qiji under the chilly open skies of the Naixese southeast, but they fell behind early, in the 11th minute, after a positioning error by Aríela Hjörleifsdóttir let a Wizards striker in behind. The Purple and White would double their advantage in the 23rd minute, and though Zong Yuan Ti banged in his first goal for the Snowmen in the 79th minute, it was too little, too late. On Sunday night, on the league's smallest pitch, in Bao, the Lava Monsters of Yanjiang performed decently against a visibly motivated Baomao side. Wei Yan Lin scored her first top flight goal for Yanjiang with a swerving blast from 14 yards in the 19th minute, but the Black Cats were level within four minutes as Cheuk Yan Tsang scored on his debut for the Black and Brown. The home side might have thought they were nabbing all three points when they scored in the 78th minute, but in stoppage time Baomao again found an equalizer, and the Lava Monsters will have to accept a draw.

It's obviously much too early to start looking at the table, but it's hard not to notice that Chongjibo are already up top. Will they ever leave that spot? If last season is anything to go by, there is every chance that the answer is no. The Pink and Black look no worse for wear under new manager Gui Fan Ren.

MATCHDAY 1
Fuchou 0-0 Aierlanren
Sheshou 0-0 Zhayao
Nongmin 0-2 Chongjibo
Xue 1-2 Qiji
Yanjiang 2-2 Baomao

League of the Two Sapphires Standings

   Team           P W D L For Ag +/- Pts
01 Chongjibo      1 1 0 0  2  0  +2  3
02 Qiji           1 1 0 0  2  1  +1  3
 3 Yanjiang       1 0 1 0  2  2  +0  1
 4 Baomao         1 0 1 0  2  2  +0  1
 5 Sheshou        1 0 1 0  0  0  +0  1
 6 Fuchou         1 0 1 0  0  0  +0  1
 7 Aierlanren     1 0 1 0  0  0  +0  1
 8 Zhayao         1 0 1 0  0  0  +0  1
09 Xue            1 0 0 1  1  2  -1  0
10 Nongmin        1 0 0 1  0  2  -2  0

MATCHDAY 1
Jingying 0-2 Qi'e
Yinying 1-2 Xiniu
Baiyi 0-0 Zhanshi

League of Ascension Standings

   Team         P W D L For Ag +/- Pts
01 Qi'e         1 1 0 0  2  0  +2  3
 2 Xiniu        1 1 0 0  2  1  +1  3
 3 Baiyi        1 0 1 0  0  0  +0  1
 4 Zhanshi      1 0 1 0  0  0  +0  1
 5 Yinying      1 0 0 1  1  2  -1  0
 6 Jingying     1 0 0 1  0  2  -2  0

[Naixi]

SEASON 2 MATCHDAY 2

Two matches ran at the same time on Friday night to get us started. The first, a showdown in Qiawutian, featured the Black Cats (who were returning from a trip down to the southeast) and the Snowmen (who are, well, from the southeast). Xue were atrocious for the first 45, and should have been down three or four nil by half time. But they improved after the break, right? Errr... the Blue and Green were impossibly even worse in the second half, and Baomao should have run up a cricket score on the visitors. Instead, a single Hang Ki Tan goal from a long free kick - scored in the 73rd minute - was all we had to decide the contest. Meanwhile, in Chumeichang, Liangde He's Marksmen (who were without star forward Tak Hing Jin due to suspension) got things started in the 3rd minute with a deflected goal. But the Wizards were without a doubt the superior side over the course of the game, and more than deserved the equalizer they nodded in from a corner on 40 minutes. In fact, they probably deserved more than the equalizer. Ma Huan Yep missed a penalty 10 minutes after the restart, and Qiji could only collect a single point at home versus the All-Whites... they'll be disappointed with that.

When things got started at the Huangse Migong the next afternoon, it looked like the chalk bets were all going to pay out, as Iomelda van Hoogstraaten's individual run down the left side of the pitch ended with a wonderful cross being headed in at the back post. It was the 22nd minute, and Chongjibo were one nil up. But it only took five minutes before a stubborn Zhayao put the affair back on level terms, as Lan Fang Fen assisted Kuang Yin Cao on the 27th minute equalizer. Things went from bad to worse for the Shockwaves as Kian Zhi Yuan's horror challenge on Qi Chao Hark in the center circle earned the Naixi captain an early shower just before half time. The resulting free kick by Fen was headed in, and the Miners took a two one lead into half time. The champions were a man down for all of the second half, and it was only van Hoogstraaten's fabulous leadership (and another assist) that snatched an 82nd minute equalizer. So, with the Pink and Black having dropped points, it was advantage Fuchou heading into the Saturday night game at the Sha Dadao. The Avengers wasted no time, annihilating Yanjiang seven to one. Jen Ta Jin scored four on his debut (that has to be some kind of record), instantly elevating him to the top of the Golden Boot race, and Yue Hsieh redeemed her penalty miss a week before by slotting one in past the Lava Monsters' keeper. The Burgundy are top, despite dropping points on opening day, and we have ourselves a title race already.

Finally, on a cold and wet Sunday night in Qiawutian, it was a battle between the only teams left in the division who still hadn't scored a goal: Aierlanren versus Nongmin. The Irish had secured a hard-earned point a week prior in a goalless draw versus Fuchou, while Nongmin had played well but lost two nil to Chongjibo. The Gold and White were frankly terrible for the first quarter of an hour, and were punished in the 8th minute when Chong Xian Ye put Hai Ying Fu on skates and freed himself up for a lethal shot with his laces that just about tore the net when it went in. The Farmers could easily - should easily - have doubled their advantage in the 30th minute when Sa Kota Yue's toe poke (which had soared past a center back and a goalkeeper with ease) glanced off the crossbar, but Jiawei Sangu's Silver and Red couldn't extend their lead. The Irish were better in the second half, and twice thought Chen Ling had slotted away an equalizer, but twice the assistant referee correctly noticed that Ling had been offside. The match finished one nil, in the end, and Aierlanren complete the weekend as the only club to have failed to score so far this season.

MATCHDAY 2
Baomao 1-0 Xue
Qiji 1-1 Sheshou
Chongjibo 2-2 Zhayao
Fuchou 7-1 Yanjiang
Aierlanren 0-1 Nongmin

League of the Two Sapphires Standings

   Team            P W  D  L For Ag +/- Pts
01 Fuchou          2 1  1  0  7  1  +6  4
02 Chongjibo       2 1  1  0  4  2  +2  4
 3 Baomao          2 1  1  0  3  2  +1  4
 4 Qiji            2 1  1  0  3  2  +1  4
 5 Nongmin         2 1  0  1  1  2  -1  3
 6 Zhayao          2 0  2  0  2  2  +0  2
 7 Sheshou         2 0  2  0  1  1  +0  2
 8 Aierlanren      2 0  1  1  0  1  -1  1
09 Yanjiang        2 0  1  1  3  9  -6  1
10 Xue             2 0  0  2  1  3  -2  0

MATCHDAY 2
Xiniu 2-0 Jingying
Zhanshi 0-1 Qi'e
Baiyi 3-0 Yinying

League of Ascension Standings

   Team          P  W D  L For Ag +/- Pts
01 Xiniu         2  2 0  0  4  1  +3  6
 2 Qi'e          2  2 0  0  3  0  +3  6
 3 Baiyi         2  1 1  0  3  0  +3  4
 4 Zhanshi       2  0 1  1  0  1  -1  1
 5 Yinying       2  0 0  2  1  5  -4  0
 6 Jingying      2  0 0  2  0  4  -4  0

[Naixi]

SEASON 2 MATCHDAY 3

Well, we finally found those goals we've been missing. 19 goals were scored over the five games, which is only six less than the number of goals scored in the first two matchdays of the year combined. We started off on Friday night with two simultaneous games. Let's get into it.

In Futengma, the Snowmen finally had an okay 45 minutes, enjoying the better chances during the first half. Zong Yuan Ti should have scored in the 37th minute as his skidding shot beat the Fuchou keeper, but Vinicio Juapuala showed astounding reflexes by sticking out a boot to keep the score level. For Xue, it was a thrilling moment that seemingly presaged an upset. But half time came at the wrong time for the Blue and Green, and Lian Wei Chew sent his players out to stamp out the hosts' resistance after the break. The Avengers - as they had the week before - were unstoppable. This time it was Yue Hsieh who scored four, and she assisted on the Burgundy's fifth. Meanwhile, at the Sha Dadao, Aierlanren's struggles in front of goal continued, as Chen Ling's dubious penalty shout on 31 minutes was waved away by the referee, and she pulled her one-on-one chance in the 41st well wide of the post. The Gold and White's opponents on the night, Zhayao, were hardly amazing, but you can only beat the teams you play, and they did, as Kuang Yin Cao's curled shot from a tight angle caught the Irish keeper off guard in the 46th minute, just seconds into the second half. That's three games unbeaten to start the year for the Miners. We thought they might look better, and they do.

Sheshou might have felt like their Saturday afternoon fixture versus Chongjibo was an opportunity in disguise. Sure, they were playing the Shockwaves, but forward Tak Hing Jin was back in the starting eleven after a brief suspension, and star midfielder Kian Zhi Yuan was out because of a red card a week prior. Plus, Chongjibo haven't exactly looked impressive thus far this year - honestly, we've been waiting for the champions to play like champions with nothing to show for our patience. But football catches you off guard sometimes. With goals in the 2nd, 14th, 17th, and 39th minutes, the Pink and Black were out of sight by half time. It was a win they very much needed in order to keep the pace with Fuchou's ballooning goal difference. The Marksmen can't even feel rueful that they wasted a valuable opportunity: they played decently but were simply clearly the inferior club. That night, Qiji and Baomao went into their game in Chumeichang completely deadlocked in the table. A winner could, at least on points, pull level with the Avengers and the Shockwaves. The home side certainly had a bit more hunger in their eyes as the match began, as the first half hour was played entirely in the Black Cats' half and Hang Ki Tan headed in an own goal in the sixth minute. But the Wizards failed to keep their boots on Baomao's throat, and the Black and Brown were in the ascendancy for the final hour. Qiji goalkeeper Lai Hung was instrumental in securing a point for the Purple and White, as the Black Cats attacked with confidence following half time. In the end, Cheuk Yan Tsang's 64th minute equalizer was all Baomao could muster.

On a cold Sunday night, also at the Huangse Migong, we had yet another blowout. Yanjiang's defensive frailties are well-known, and hosts Nongmin had no trouble exploiting them. Yes, there was a momentary moment of concern for the Farmers after Wei Yan Lin scored in the 27th minute to give the Lava Monsters an equalizer (Tan Hung Xun had scored her first for the Silver and Red in the 21st, six minutes prior)... but Sa Kota Yue passed the ball into the back of the net on 44 minutes to help Nongmin take a two one lead into half time. After the break, the Farmers didn't look back, scoring in the 47th, 49th, 83rd, and 86th minutes to complete the rout. They've risen into third.

MATCHDAY 3
Xue 0-5 Fuchou
Zhayao 1-0 Aierlanren
Sheshou 0-4 Chongjibo
Qiji 1-1 Baomao
Nongmin 6-1 Yanjiang

League of the Two Sapphires Standings

   Team            P  W  D  L For  Ag  +/- Pts
01 Fuchou          3  2  1  0  12   1  +11  7
02 Chongjibo       3  2  1  0   8   2   +6  7
 3 Nongmin         3  2  0  1   7   3   +4  6
 4 Qiji            3  1  2  0   4   3   +1  5
 5 Baomao          3  1  2  0   4   3   +1  5
 6 Zhayao          3  1  2  0   3   2   +1  5
 7 Sheshou         3  0  2  1   1   5   -4  2
 8 Aierlanren      3  0  1  2   0   2   -2  1
09 Yanjiang        3  0  1  2   4  15  -11  1
10 Xue             3  0  0  3   1   8   -7  0

MATCHDAY 3
Jingying 0-2 Zhanshi
Xiniu 3-1 Baiyi
Qi'e 1-0 Yinying

League of Ascension Standings

   Team          P  W D  L For Ag +/- Pts
01 Xiniu         3  3 0  0  7  2  +5  9
 2 Qi'e          3  3 0  0  4  0  +4  9
 3 Baiyi         3  1 1  1  4  3  +1  4
 4 Zhanshi       3  1 1  1  2  1  +1  4
 5 Yinying       3  0 0  3  1  6  -5  0
 6 Jingying      3  0 0  3  0  6  -6  0

[Naixi]

SEASON 2 CASARAN ROUND 1

The Lava Monsters briefly led (after the Marksmen got out to an early lead) in the first half, but the All-Whites came storming back to beat Yanjiang in Qiawutian. The Miners snatched a goal five minutes after half time to obtain a valuable away win over a tricky Qi'e in Wanqianganga. Holders Aierlanren continued to have serious problems with profligacy in front of goal in Chumeichang, but luckily their respected defense bailed them out in a scoreless draw with the Farmers. Fuchou's trip to the Huangse Migong to play Yinying ended with yet another stampede (that's seventeen they've scored in three games across the league and cup). In perhaps the most interesting of the weekends fixtures, Lao Che Cai's mistake gave an early lead to Xue, but the Blue Rhinos held their nerve in Chumeichang and scored twice in the second half. The Wizards were the grateful recipients of a Ma Huan Yep passing masterclass as they destroyed a hapless Baiyi, also in Chumeichang. In a lower-tier Qiawutian derby, Jingying slumped to a repeat of their loss to Zhanshi a week prior in the League of Ascension. And finally, at the Huangse Migong, Kian Zhi Yuan's absence due to suspension continued to have no effect as Chongjibo crushed Baomao six to one.

Looking at the Casaran table, already things are looking less chaotic than last year as six of the top seven clubs in the top flight - by current league table - are currently in the top eight of this competition. One of two League of Ascension clubs in the progression spots is Xiniu, whose perfect record in all competitions will be challenged in the second Casaran round by League of the Two Sapphires title holders Chongjibo. Both Nongmin and Aierlanren will have a strong chance to stay undefeated as they'll face Zhanshi and Qi'e respectively, and Fuchou, Sheshou, Zhayao, and Qiji all have tough games to come as they square off against one another.

Sheshou 4-2 Yanjiang
Qi'e 0-1 Zhayao
Nongmin 0-0 Aierlanren
Yinying 1-5 Fuchou
Xiniu 2-1 Xue
Qiji 3-0 Baiyi
Jingying 0-1 Zhanshi
Chongjibo 6-1 Baomao
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              G W L D PF PA  PD SoS SoV Pts
 1  Chongjibo 1 1 0 0  6  1  +5   0   0   3
 2     Fuchou 1 1 0 0  5  1  +4   0   0   3
 3       Qiji 1 1 0 0  3  0  +3   0   0   3
 4    Sheshou 1 1 0 0  4  2  +2   0   0   3
 5     Zhayao 1 1 0 0  1  0  +1   0   0   3
 6      Xiniu 1 1 0 0  2  1  +1   0   0   3
 7    Zhanshi 1 1 0 0  1  0  +1   0   0   3
 8    Nongmin 1 0 0 1  0  0  +0   1   1   1
09 Aierlanren 1 0 0 1  0  0  +0   1   1   1
10       Qi'e 1 0 1 0  0  1  -1   3   0   0
11   Jingying 1 0 1 0  0  1  -1   3   0   0
12        Xue 1 0 1 0  1  2  -1   3   0   0
13   Yanjiang 1 0 1 0  2  4  -2   3   0   0
14      Baiyi 1 0 1 0  0  3  -3   3   0   0
15    Yinying 1 0 1 0  1  5  -4   3   0   0
16     Baomao 1 0 1 0  1  6  -5   3   0   0

Next Round Schedule

Xiniu v Chongjibo
Fuchou v Sheshou
Zhayao v Qiji
Zhanshi v Nongmin
Aierlanren v Qi'e
Baomao v Jingying
Xue v Yinying
Yanjiang v Baiyi

[Naixi]

SEASON 2 MATCHDAY 4

It was dry (for once) but bitterly cold on Friday night in Qiawutian, as fifth place Baomao tried to prevent their cross town rivals Sheshou (who very much hail from the opposite side of the political spectrum) from pulling level with them on points. It started well for the Black Cats, as they won a penalty in the 18th minute, but Tan Hung Xun's confidence in dead ball situations was sorely missed as Cheuk Yan Tsang hit the ball straight down the middle from twelve yards, and the Sheshou keeper deflected it away to deny the former Marksmen number nine. In the second half, the match started to drift away from the Black and Brown. Center back Jun Ming failed to hoof a loose ball away in the 49th minute, which led to the Marksmen snatching a lead early in the second half, and then Tak Hing Jin busted the Black Cats' offside trap in stoppage time to provide an insurance goal. The All-Whites have their first win of the year. They appear to be overly reliant on Jin for goals, but they look good enough for another push for the IFCF spots.

On Saturday afternoon, we had two simultaneous games. At the Sha Dadao, it was warmer but also wetter as Fuchou tried to keep their winning streak going against the Wizards. Avengers fans will look at the game with some moderate concern, as Fuchou played as poorly as they have all year. A 17th minute Jen Ta Jin strike from 15 yards gave the Burgundy a semi-early lead, but Chun Hsia Teoh's Qiji once again out-possessed their opponents. The Avengers really struggled, particularly in the early second half. In the 53rd minute, Vinicio Juapuala was forced to show off some impressive debate skills as he somehow talked the referee out of awarding the Purple and White a penalty that probably should have been given, and Ma Huan Yep lifted a swerving free kick just a shade too high on 63 minutes. Jin grabbed a brace in the 86th minute, but it was against the run of play. Fuchou moved three points clear (for the time being), but Qiji can very plausibly claim their opponents flattered to deceive. Meanwhile, at an equally wet Huangse Migong, Xue's disastrous first year in the League of the Two Sapphires continued. In-form midfielder Sa Kota Yue had the Farmers out in front of the hapless Snowmen by the 9th minute, and Tan Hung Xun reminded Baomao what they lost when they sold her, as twice she zipped in lovely free kicks in the 34th and 43rd minutes. Three nil down at half time, the Blue and Green simply gave up. This plucky club from Futengma may be likeable, but their form is as putrid as the food in their notorious hometown. The Snowmen conceded again in the second half, even though Jiawei Sangu threw on as many of the reserves as the substitutions rules would allow him.

The next afternoon in an unseasonably warm and sunny Qiawutian, another club in wretched form tried to stop the bleeding, and they too failed. Aierlanren haven't scored a goal in any competition since they crashed out of the IFCF Cup Winners' Cup courtesy of Græntfjall's Gunzlach (and they haven't scored at all in domestic competitions), and it went no better against league champions Chongjibo. The match could all be summed up in the Shockwaves' opening goal, an ugly goal-mouth scramble capped off by new defender Hai Ying Fu's flailing clearance, which slammed into the roof of the Irish's own net on 30 minutes. Iomelda van Hoogstraaten got her second goal in Chongjibo colors in the 83rd, and that was that. The Shockwaves keep pace with the Avengers; still only Fuchou's wondrous goal difference separates the two. Finally, on Sunday night in Bao, Wei Yan Lin continued to make the case that she is an elite-level attacker as she pushed her Yanjiang side out in front in the 9th minute with a creative slotted finish. But the home side again found that their defending is simply not good enough, as Zhayao scored three without response before half time. (21-year-old Qi Chao Hark, auditioning for the vacant role once held by Pei Hsi Dai, scored two of those three.) The Lava Monsters pulled one back to make it two three in the 59th minute, but Kuang Yin Cao put it on ice with a perfectly-taken penalty in the 75th. The Miners stay unbeaten and rise to 4th, while Yanjiang stay in 9th. (The Lava Monsters have actually scored the fifth-most goals in the division - perfectly respectable - but they are hemorrhaging at the back. Even at this early stage, it's very hard to see how they stay up.)

MATCHDAY 4
Baomao 0-2 Sheshou
Fuchou 2-0 Qiji
Nongmin 4-0 Xue
Aierlanren 0-2 Chongjibo
Yanjiang 2-4 Zhayao

League of the Two Sapphires Standings

   Team            P  W  D  L For  Ag  +/- Pts
01 Fuchou          4  3  1  0  14   1  +13 10
02 Chongjibo       4  3  1  0  10   2   +8 10
 3 Nongmin         4  3  0  1  11   3   +8  9
 4 Zhayao          4  2  2  0   7   4   +3  8
 5 Qiji            4  1  2  1   4   5   -1  5
 6 Baomao          4  1  2  1   4   5   -1  5
 7 Sheshou         4  1  2  1   3   5   -2  5
 8 Aierlanren      4  0  1  3   0   4   -4  1
09 Yanjiang        4  0  1  3   6  19  -13  1
10 Xue             4  0  0  4   1  12  -11  0

MATCHDAY 4
Baiyi 3-0 Jingying
Yinying 2-1 Zhanshi
Qi'e 0-0 Xiniu

League of Ascension Standings

   Team          P  W D  L For Ag +/- Pts
01 Xiniu         4  3 1  0  7  2  +5 10
 2 Qi'e          4  3 1  0  4  0  +4 10
 3 Baiyi         4  2 1  1  7  3  +4  7
 4 Zhanshi       4  1 1  2  3  3  +0  4
 5 Yinying       4  1 0  3  3  7  -4  3
 6 Jingying      4  0 0  4  0  9  -9  0

[Naixi]

SEASON 2 MATCHDAY 5

As they had been a week prior, Baomao were at home in the Friday night slot to kick off Matchday 5. The weather was different - temperatures were mild and rainy in Qiawutian this time around - but once again the Black Cats faced off against a local rival. Fuchou certainly are the form team in the League of the Two Sapphires, and early on it looked like they were going to drub Baomao as Yue Hsieh's slick dribbling set up an easy finessed finish in the 23rd minute. But Mei Huo's side always have an upset in them, and they pulled one out of the hat like a magician's rabbit, scoring twice in the second half to stun the leaders and steal all three points. Jun Ming, who'd made a cringeworthy mistake in the Sheshou loss a week before, redeemed himself by scoring the better of the Black Cats' two goals (the equalizer scored in the 64th minute), a fearless diving header from a corner kick. The Avengers were now facing the prospect of slipping down to third if both Nongmin and Chongjibo won later in the weekend.

Two games were played simultaneously on Saturday evening. The first, played under unrelenting rain, was a Chumeichang derby between Qiji and Nongmin. The Farmers knew that a win would vault them into first - at least temporarily - because of Fuchou's shock loss. But once again Qiji put on a strong showing without winning, scoring in the 20th minute and only allowing parity to be restored when Lai Hung's ill-conceived short pass to Ma Huan Yep was intercepted and turned into an empty net by a high-pressing Chong Xian Ye in the 25th. The Wizards held on for a point, though, throwing a big bucket of ice water all over the Silver and Red's ambitions. In the other game, played under equivalent wetness at the Sha Dadao, floundering Aierlanren were tasked with winning a local derby against Sheshou, a club they have pretty decent relations with (as both sides' fans are quite right-wing). Would the Irish continue to struggle to create scoring opportunities? No, as it surprisingly turned out. Chen Ling broke her duck and got the Gold and White out in front in the 7th minute. Exchanging passes with Chin Chih Yap, Ling waited until a Marksmen defender stepped out of position, then sneaked in behind and lashed the opening goal into the postage stamp. The Irish doubled their advantage in the 28th and suddenly we all remembered why they were so feared last year... once they get in front of you, it is a nightmare to break them down. Sheshou won - and converted - a dubious penalty in the second half, but they never really looked like locating an equalizer. A good win for Aierlanren, and while they're still in eighth, they are in much better shape to initiate a climb up the table.

So, as Sunday afternoon rolled around, it had already been a bit of a wacky weekend. But guess what? We weren't even close to Peak Wacky. In Qiawutian, the rain continued but temperatures rose as Zhayao looked forward to continuing their heretofore-unbeaten season versus dreadful Xue. It started decently for the Miners, as Kuang Yin Cao narrowly missed with a volley from 14 yards in the 18th minute and Lan Fang Fen struck the post with a long-range effort in the 32nd. But the chaos began in the 36th minute when Aríela Hjörleifsdóttir spun past Zhayao's right back and sped along the byline, bearing down on goal. Her clever pass through traffic found the boot of Zong Yuan Ti, and Xue had a shock lead. Then, in the 39th, Qi Chao Hark's ill-advised back pass wound up in Ti's path, and the false ten (who it's easy to forget used to start for the national team) got himself a brace. The Snowmen went into half time two nil up, and though the Red and White would halve the deficit in the 84th minute, it was too late to alter the outcome. It's a momentous first win for Xue, and a humiliating loss for Zhayao (one that's extremely reminiscent of last season's regular bungles). So, with all these shock results, did that mean Chongjibo needed to fear Yanjiang on Sunday night at the Huangse Migong? Ehhh... not really. Kian Zhi Yuan returned from suspension and promptly netted a brace, carving the Lava Monsters' vulnerable defense apart with his famously technical dribbling. The Naixi captain scored in the 35th and 88th minutes, and with Yanjiang not up to much at the other end of the pitch, a win for the champions was overdetermined.

The Pink and Black leap three points clear at the top of the table, while Fuchou drop to second. Nongmin made a mess of their chance to advance into the runners-up place, and they stay in third. Zhayao's blunder wasn't enough to knock them out of fourth, though Qiawutian rivals Baomao are now trailing the Miners only on goal difference. Down at the bottom, Aierlanren's first win of the campaign moves them further away from last place, but Xue's unlikely victory means the Irish are still only a point clear of the drop. Yanjiang's defeat in Chumeichang means they are now last - where, with their horrific figure of twenty-one goals conceded in just five games, many would argue they belong.

MATCHDAY 5
Baomao 2-1 Fuchou
Qiji 1-1 Nongmin
Sheshou 1-2 Aierlanren
Zhayao 1-2 Xue
Chongjibo 2-0 Yanjiang

League of the Two Sapphires Standings

   Team            P  W  D  L For  Ag  +/- Pts
01 Chongjibo       5  4  1  0  12   2  +10  13
02 Fuchou          5  3  1  1  15   3  +12  10
 3 Nongmin         5  3  1  1  12   4   +8  10
 4 Zhayao          5  2  2  1   8   6   +2   8
 5 Baomao          5  2  2  1   6   6   +0   8
 6 Qiji            5  1  3  1   5   6   -1   6
 7 Sheshou         5  1  2  2   4   7   -3   5
 8 Aierlanren      5  1  1  3   2   5   -3   4
09 Xue             5  1  0  4   3  13  -10   3
10 Yanjiang        5  0  1  4   6  21  -15   1

MATCHDAY 5
Jingying 0-3 Yinying
Baiyi 0-0 Qi'e
Zhanshi 2-0 Xiniu

League of Ascension Standings

   Team          P  W  D  L For  Ag  +/- Pts
01 Qi'e          5  3  2  0  4   0   +4  11
 2 Xiniu         5  3  1  1  7   4   +3  10
 3 Baiyi         5  2  2  1  7   3   +4   8
 4 Zhanshi       5  2  1  2  5   3   +2   7
 5 Yinying       5  2  0  3  6   7   -1   6
 6 Jingying      5  0  0  5  0  12  -12   0

[Naixi]

SEASON 2 MATCHDAY 6

Spring has only just barely begun in Naixi, but already the weather is uncharacteristically warm and dry, the temperature hovering around 60°F/16°C on Friday evening. Two games got us started on the first night of the weekend, with the major attention-grabber occurring in Chumeichang. Nongmin hosted Baomao, with the former coming off an embarrassing draw with Qiji and the latter fresh off a shock win over Fuchou. But the Black Cats fell behind early when Sa Kota Yue let it rip from 25 yards and fooled the Baomao keeper with a vicious bit of bend. Though the rest of the Black and Brown's first half was passable as they held the scoreline at one nil, the dam broke in the second half. Chong Xian Ye scored in the 67th minute, Tan Hung Xun scored - against her former club - in the 70th minute, and then Ye doubled his tally in the 74th. In less than ten minutes, the Farmers had quadrupled their advantage and the rampaging victory thrust them into first, the heavy win putting them above Chongjibo on goal difference. Meanwhile, in Bao, the Irish scored early just as they had done a week prior, with Chin Chih Yap punishing a characteristic defensive error by a Yanjiang defender in the 10th minute. But this game didn't work for Aierlanren the way the Sheshou game had gone on the fifth matchday of the league. The Gold and White couldn't add another, and the Lava Monsters' supporters began to suspect a result was there for the taking as the minutes accumulated on the clock. Wei Yan Lin scored in the 79th minute, and Yanjiang banked their first point since opening weekend.

The next afternoon, in Futengma, it stayed warm but the rain returned as the champions came to town to face off against Xue. Fresh off their improbable triumph over Zhayao a week prior, the Snowmen certainly looked up for the challenge, and they defended with incredible organization and passion for well over an hour. As the minutes ticked by, the traveling supporters in pink certainly looked anxious, as they knew this was not the weekend to be dropping points with Nongmin already having won big and Fuchou still to play. But finally, in the 71st minute, Chongjibo found a breakthrough. With industrious dribbling, the Shockwaves' right winger managed to attract the attention of not only Aríela Hjörleifsdóttir but several other Xue defenders. With the defense in an irregular shape, the champions distinctive pass-and-move style swiftly recycled the ball around the overload. Kian Zhi Yuan was on the end of the passing move and he sent the ball swerving into the back of the hosts' net to send Chongjibo back to the top of the table. On Saturday night, the rain let up and the weather was pleasant as Fuchou "hosted" Sheshou at the Sha Dadao, desperately needing a victory in order to keep the pace with Nongmin and Chongjibo, who had already won. But the signs were clear early on that Fuchou were in trouble. Sheshou enjoyed the better chances in the first half, with Tak Hing Jin (the older Jin brother) twice hitting the post, and the Avengers' goalkeeper nearly committed a howler just before half time, recovering just in time to keep the ball from dribbling over the goal line. It was still goalless at the break, and then Jen Ta Jin (the younger Jin brother) looped a shot over the All-Whites' keeper in the 57th minute to put Fuchou out in front. But it was just three minutes before Jen Ta's big brother had Sheshou back on level terms, and the Avengers' confidence seemed to leave them. It's a point apiece for these two Qiawutian clubs. (As a matter of fun trivia, in one week these two sides will face off again in the second round of the Zhen Li Jiang Cup's Casaran phase.)

Finally, on Sunday night, again at the Sha Dadao (and again in a matchup that will be replicated in one week for the Zhen Li Jiang Cup), two clubs stuck in mid-table tried to construct a road into the IFCF places, at one another's expense. Would it be Zhayao, who started the year unbeaten but shit the bed against Xue the week before? Or Qiji, who'd been playing well but were winless in the league since opening day? With the weather still unseasonably dry, the Wizards capitalized on a splendid first half as they took a two-nil lead into the break. The Miners were much better in the second half, with Lan Fang Fen completing the most passes and again thumping a long shot off the woodwork, but Qiji's defense did its job and the Purple and White rose into fourth with a deserved win.

MATCHDAY 6
Nongmin 4-0 Baomao
Yanjiang 1-1 Aierlanren
Xue 0-1 Chongjibo
Fuchou 1-1 Sheshou
Zhayao 0-2 Qiji

League of the Two Sapphires Standings

   Team            P  W  D  L For  Ag  +/- Pts
01 Chongjibo       6  5  1  0  13   2  +11  16
02 Nongmin         6  4  1  1  16   4  +12  13
 3 Fuchou          6  3  2  1  16   4  +12  11
 4 Qiji            6  2  3  1   7   6   +1   9
 5 Zhayao          6  2  2  2   8   8   +0   8
 6 Baomao          6  2  2  2   6  10   -4   8
 7 Sheshou         6  1  3  2   5   8   -3   6
 8 Aierlanren      6  1  2  3   3   6   -3   5
09 Xue             6  1  0  5   3  14  -11   3
10 Yanjiang        6  0  2  4   7  22  -15   2

MATCHDAY 6
Qi'e 3-1 Jingying
Xiniu 2-2 Yinying
Zhanshi 1-2 Baiyi

League of Ascension Standings

   Team          P  W  D  L For  Ag  +/- Pts
01 Qi'e          6  4  2  0  7   1   +6  14
 2 Baiyi         6  3  2  1  9   4   +5  11
 3 Xiniu         6  3  2  1  9   6   +3  11
 4 Zhanshi       6  2  1  3  6   5   +1   7
 5 Yinying       6  2  1  3  8   9   -1   7
 6 Jingying      6  0  0  6  1  15  -14   0

[Naixi]

SEASON 2 CASARAN ROUND 2

The warm and dry spell that had been blessing Naixi for the past few weeks precipitously came to an end as the chilly spring rains began to fall once more. In a Chongjibo derby that was really never close last year in the League of the Two Sapphires, Xiniu had a brief moment of joy when they snatched an equalizer versus Chongjibo in the 23rd minute. But it was short-lived, as the Shockwaves found another gear in the final 25 minutes of the half and were four one up at half time (the Pink and Black added a fifth in the second half). Sheshou were a total train wreck for the first hour during their matchup with Fuchou, coughing up an own goal in the 8th minute and a Yue Hsieh header in the 48th, but Tak Hing Jin - very much a symbolic talisman of the All-Whites - took his side on his back and scored two second half goals to replicate the league result from a week before and assist in the continuation of the Avengers' terrible run. Then there was another game that mirrored the result from seven days prior... but you wouldn't have guessed it based on the first ninety minutes of the match. The Wizards of Qiji fell behind to Zhayao just seconds after the half time restart on account of a quality Kuang Yin Cao finish, and Lan Fang Fen's passing kept the ball in the Purple and White's half for the next 45 minutes. But the Wizards have been nothing if not resilient so far this year, and they scored twice in stoppage time to ruin the Miners' day and leap to second in the Casaran. Zhanshi scored in the first half to momentarily elevate heart rates in the Nongmin camp, but the Farmers found their feet in the second half and ended up routing the second-division outfit. The Irish were concerningly poor in the first half versus Qi'e, but their defense couldn't be unlocked and Chen Ling was irresistible in the second half. She scored the first hat trick of her pro career and delivered Aierlanren a critical win to move them into the top six. Baomao were ponderous against a truly abysmal Jingying but Cheuk Yan Tsang's 9th minute goal eventually turned out to be enough for the Black Cats. Xue's fans had a great day out in the torrential Futengma rain as the Snowmen destroyed a lifeless Yinying at the Ruan Tu, keeping their hopes of progression alive. Finally, in a hotly contested Bao derby, the left-leaning civilian club Baiyi secured a one-nil win and upset the right-wing officer corps' club Yanjiang, who play a level higher in the Naixese pyramid.

A clear top six - all of whom play in the League of the Two Sapphires - are leading the way in the Casaran. A loose confederation of outsiders (Xiniu, Zhayao, Xue, Baomao, and others) are a point back and are certainly still in the hunt. Don't forget, the format of this competition mean the best will be playing the best, so points will be dropped. In four weeks' time, Chongjibo will face a difficult Qiji test, Fuchou will have to take on in-form Nongmin, right-wing Qiawutian allies Aierlanren and Sheshou will lock horns, and Lan Fang Fen will have to square off with his former club as Zhayao have drawn Xiniu.

Xiniu 1-5 Chongjibo
Fuchou 2-2 Sheshou
Zhayao 1-2 Qiji
Zhanshi 1-4 Nongmin
Aierlanren 3-0 Qi'e
Baomao 1-0 Jingying
Xue 4-0 Yinying
Yanjiang 0-1 Baiyi
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              G W L D PF PA  PD SoS SoV Pts
 1  Chongjibo 2 2 0 0 11  2  +9   6  18   6
 2       Qiji 2 2 0 0  5  1  +4   6  18   6
 3    Nongmin 2 1 0 1  4  1  +3   7  13   4
 4     Fuchou 2 1 0 1  7  3  +4   4   4   4
 5 Aierlanren 2 1 0 1  3  0  +3   4   4   4
 6    Sheshou 2 1 0 1  6  4  +2   4   4   4
 7      Xiniu 2 1 1 0  3  6  -3   9   9   3
 8     Zhayao 2 1 1 0  2  2  +0   6   0   3
09      Baiyi 2 1 1 0  1  3  -2   6   0   3
10     Baomao 2 1 1 0  2  6  -4   6   0   3
11    Zhanshi 2 1 1 0  2  4  -2   4   0   3
12        Xue 2 1 1 0  5  2  +3   3   0   3
13   Yanjiang 2 0 2 0  2  5  -3   7   0   0
14       Qi'e 2 0 2 0  0  4  -4   7   0   0
15    Yinying 2 0 2 0  1  9  -8   7   0   0
16   Jingying 2 0 2 0  0  2  -2   6   0   0

Next Round Schedule

Chongjibo v Qiji
Nongmin v Fuchou
Aierlanren v Sheshou
Zhayao v Xiniu
Baiyi v Baomao
Zhanshi v Xue
Jingying v Yanjiang
Yinying v Qi'e

[Naixi]

SEASON 2 MATCHDAY 7

On a mild and dry Friday night in Qiawutian, Aierlanren and Xue got the weekend kicked off, with both coming off major wins a week prior in the Zhen Li Jiang Cup. The Gold and White, of course, were favored, and we saw why in the 11th minute as Chen Ling found a channel between Aríela Hjörleifsdóttir and a Xue center back and rocketed a shot hard and low past the keeper. After an Irish midfielder shinned in another goal at the back post seven minutes later, Aierlanren were two goals clear. Xue probably ought to have recognized their defense was reeling, but instead they pushed even further up, which is never a good idea when facing Chen Ling. The former Yinying number nine got her second in the 32nd, and the Irish had the match won already. The decision was no surprise to neutrals, of course... but considering how awful Aierlanren had been in the first several weeks of the season, fans in Terrace Heights will be delighted to be up to sixth in the table.

Would you believe us if we told you Sheshou are winless in three? It doesn't feel like they've been playing that badly... perhaps it's because they drew twice with Fuchou during those three games. But still, it hasn't exactly been a spotless spring for the Marksmen, and we saw that loud and clear on a warm and sunny Saturday afternoon at the Sha Dadao. Yanjiang were the beneficiaries of a horrifically unlucky deflection that caused a speculative shot to slowly and agonizing roll past a flat-footed All-Whites keeper in the 17th minute. It went from bad to worse for Sheshou as Wei Yan Lin slotted the ball into the back of the net on 25 minutes. The Marksmen were reeling; what a humiliation to be two nil down versus last-place Yanjiang. But the All-Whites still have the extremely in-form forward Tak Hing Jin to rely on, and he scored in the 47th and 73rd minutes. Sheshou may not have saved their pride, but they at least saved a point.

It's been a dreadful spell for Fuchou, who also walked into this weekend's match winless in three games. Unlike the Marksmen, though, the Avengers were able to arrest their slide, despite the fact that their opposition were much more difficult to deal with. Sure, Nongmin had outscored their last four opponents by an astounding thirteen to two across all competitions, but that meant nothing on a rainy Sunday night in Qiawutian as Fuchou scored in the 8th, 11th, and 13th minutes. Jen Ta Jin scored 2 of those, and then Yue Hsieh put an exclamation point on the demolition by scoring in the 38th. Four nil down at the half, Jiawei Sangu pulled all the Farmers' major stars to save them from injury - the game was lost. The Avengers leapfrogged the Silver and Red with the big win, and (at least temporarily) found themselves only two points behind front-runners Chongjibo. They're dropping points everywhere, but that goal difference is outstanding.

Monday night games are rare enough as it is, but we had a rarity of rarities this weekend as two matches took place simultaneously on a pleasant and dry Monday evening in Naixi. In the first match, at the Huangse Migong, the onus was on the champions to keep the pace with the Burgundy, while "visitors" Qiji were trying to stay in fourth place (which at the end of the year will equal IFCF play). Much was expected of Shockwaves goalkeeper Lu Fang Huang in the first twenty minutes, as the Wizards were dominant. Ma Huan Yep's free kick in the 6th minute seemed destined to give Qiji a remarkable early lead, but Huang got down to palm away the low, swerving shot. He then impressed in the 19th minute as a frighteningly accurate long ball split Chongjibo's high center backs: the Wizards' number nine looked like his first touch was going to put him in the clear for a tap-in, but Huang sprinted off his line, well out of the 18-yard box, to head the ball out into touch. The Pink and Black finally got their offensive output humming around the half hour mark, and then the game followed more of an expected script. Kian Zhi Yuan put the champions in front in the 31st minute, then earned himself a brace on the other side of half time. The Shockwaves collected a third goal in minute 82 to seal an (ultimately) easy win and go five points clear of Fuchou. Meanwhile, in Qiawutian, it was a clear case where mentality determines everything. Baomao had just responded to a blowout loss in the sixth matchday of the league by grinding out a cup win versus League of Ascension side Jingying, while Zhayao had been in the ascendency for almost all of their cup match against Qiji only to concede twice in stoppage time and lose. Though these two were deadlocked in the league table, you could see quite clearly who was confident and who wasn't from an early stage. The Black Cats' Cheuk Yan Tsang could and should have put his team ahead in the 27th minute (instead dinging a shot off the post), but made up for it ten minutes later by passing the ball past the outstretched toes of the Miners' keeper and into the back of the net. The Black Cats only improved in the second half, as Hang Ki Tan and Jun Ming completely shut Kuang Yin Cao down while Baomao's forwards ripped the Zhayao back line to shreds, adding two more goals.

MATCHDAY 7
Aierlanren 3-0 Xue
Sheshou 2-2 Yanjiang
Fuchou 4-0 Nongmin
Chongjibo 3-0 Qiji
Baomao 3-0 Zhayao

League of the Two Sapphires Standings

   Team            P  W  D  L For  Ag  +/- Pts
01 Chongjibo       7  6  1  0  16   2  +14  19
02 Fuchou          7  4  2  1  20   4  +16  14
 3 Nongmin         7  4  1  2  16   8   +8  13
 4 Baomao          7  3  2  2   9  10   -1  11
 5 Qiji            7  2  3  2   7   9   -2   9
 6 Aierlanren      7  2  2  3   6   6   +0   8
 7 Zhayao          7  2  2  3   8  11   -3   8
 8 Sheshou         7  1  4  2   7  10   -3   7
09 Xue             7  1  0  6   3  17  -14   3
10 Yanjiang        7  0  3  4   9  24  -15   3

MATCHDAY 7
Jingying 1-1 Xiniu
Qi'e 3-1 Zhanshi
Yinying 2-0 Baiyi

League of Ascension Standings

   Team          P  W  D  L For  Ag  +/- Pts
01 Qi'e          7  5  2  0 10   2   +8  17
 2 Xiniu         7  3  3  1 10   7   +3  12
 3 Baiyi         7  3  2  2  9   6   +3  11
 4 Yinying       7  3  1  3 10   9   +1  10
 5 Zhanshi       7  2  1  4  7   8   -1   7
 6 Jingying      7  0  1  6  2  16  -14   1