Damukuni Football League (ver. 3)

[Damukuni]

The Damukuni Football League
v. 3

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The Football Champions Series (FCS) is the new top flight of professional football/soccer in Damukuni. It consists of twenty (20) teams that compete for the FCS Championship Trophy at the end of the season. The FCS Championship Trophy winner is guaranteed a place in the IFCF Champions' League, regardless of how many teams the Damukuni Football Association is allowed to enter. IFCF Challengers' Cup and Vilitan Cove Invitational participants are also determined from this league according to the league table rules.

PROMOTION AND RELEGATION
Three (3) teams from this league are relegated to the Football Challengers Series.

The Football Challengers Series (ChS) is the second flight of professional football/soccer in Damukuni. It consists of twenty-four (24) teams that compete for the Challenger Trophy at the end of the season. The Challenger Trophy winner and runner-up are guaranteed a place in the IFCF Liga B Champions' Trophy (LBCT). The additional LBCT participant is determined by the Challenger Promotion Playoff, a home-and-away king-of-the-hill gauntlet series played between the third- through sixth-place teams.

PROMOTION AND RELEGATION
Three (3) teams from this league are promoted to the Football Champions Series (as well as given the opportunity to play in the Liga B Champions' Trophy as stated above).
Three (3) teams from this league are relegated to the Football Masters Series.

The Football Masters Series (FMS) is the third flight of professional football/soccer in Damukuni. It consists of twenty-four (24) teams that compete for the Masters' Shield at the end of the season.

PROMOTION AND RELEGATION
The Masters' Shield winner and runner-up are promoted to the Football Challengers Series. A double-elimination series is then played between the third- through sixth-place teams, home-and-away. The winners' bracket and losers' bracket winners are also promoted to the Football Challengers Series, with no grand final played.
Four (4) teams from this league are relegated to the Liga Palm Diamond Division.

[Damukuni]

Season 1

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RESULTS

'  Champions Series RTC                             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Powerblade SC Nasutani                            38   20   8  10    63   48  +15    68   Champions | IFCF CL | CEdC
 2 AC Shinzoba                                       38   18  10  10    54   42  +12    64   IFCF ChC | CEdC
 3 Digital Giants FC Fujiwara                        38   18   8  12    65   56   +9    62   IFCF ChC
 4 Intergalatic FC South Dre                         38   17  10  11    70   57  +13    61   IFCF ChC
 5 FC Rosh Hashanah 16                               38   18   6  14    61   57   +4    60   VCI
 6 Gyōto Mountaineers                                38   17   8  13    50   44   +6    59
 7 East Town Eagles                                  38   17   8  13    70   66   +4    59
 8 Desert Province FC                                38   17   8  13    64   60   +4    59
 9 Namagoro FC 2014                                  38   16   9  13    62   63   −1    57
10 Free States FC                                    38   15   8  15    64   60   +4    53
11 Izaki Miracle FC                                  38   14  11  13    64   63   +1    53
12 Damukuni Academicals FC                           38   15   7  16    68   67   +1    52
13 Rangers Miranda FC                                38   13  12  13    54   53   +1    51
14 Iruko United                                      38   15   5  18    51   56   −5    50
15 Reishu Defenders                                  38   12  10  16    55   54   +1    46
16 Atarashii-Damushuto FC                            38   11  13  14    45   52   −7    46
17 Blue Fire Ukita                                   38   13   7  18    52   68  −16    46
18 Ibuza Anteaters                                   38   13   5  20    46   52   −6    44   To Challenger Series
19 Marinos Lunigo FC                                 38   10   7  21    51   69  −18    37   To Challenger Series
20 South Damukuni Rascals                            38    3  16  19    44   66  −22    25   To Challenger Series

The Damukuni football system has returned! And oh boy, what a return it was!

The previous fixed-league system with Championship Points qualification was eliminated and the new league kicked off with its inaugural season with many of the DFL teams we knew and loved participating. However, those teams now had to earn their keep.

First, let's talk about the relegated sides:

• South Damukuni Rascals, the Hinodejin-owned franchise, only managed to win three matches. They didn't even win a match until Week 23, a 1-0 win against Academicals. And there are 38 weeks! In fact, past Week 6, they never made it past 18th in the league table. Best of luck in the Challengers; you'll need it.
• The Fleftic-owned Marinos Lunigo didn't fare much better. They didn't sleepwalk into the Challengers like their friends over in South Damukuni, but they spent most of their time trying to play limbo with the drop-zone line. In the end, two weeks after Rascal's first of three wins, they crashed into 19th and couldn't break out of their stupor. You can't be a walking mediocrity in this league near the end of the season and expect to fly high. This one managed to leave you in a tight spot. A few more of those wins could've helped you. Wait, you're from Moaria? Well, at least no one at the top level's going to have to travel halfway across Esportiva just to play league matches! Now you've given that headache to the second division! Hahahahaha...
• Then, there's the sad case of Ibuza Anteaters... oh, Anteaters... we loved you. We hailed your return as if it were the Second Coming. You even met requirements for the first division with top talent and investment. You had Melody Karger and Matt Inman! Two of the greatest forwards in the DFL era! And what did you do? You played at do-si-do with Blue Fire. A brand new team! And no one even knows where Ukita even is! (It's north of Youngstown, in West Bay State, for those wondering.) Then you fall all because in Week 36... well, Blue Fire themselves had a game against Rascals, so they weren't going to be beat. But at least you had a chance to save yourself from the drop zone! Against ... Inter? South Dre? Even a draw would have been helpful. Instead, you get thrashed. That's five points of separation with two weeks to go. Into the Challengers with you! Goodbye! Go eat someone else's ants! The team sending you home? ... Blue Fire... Yep! That game was the one that made all the difference!

And now, the top sides:

• First, we all collectively rejoice that neither Desert Province nor Miracle are going to IFCF or CEdC. Joyful trumpet fanfare! OK, now that we're done with that, we'll move on.
• Rosh Hashanah: OK, so you didn't exactly make it into the IFCF. You missed out by one point. But competition was tough this year. You were in for the first time with the heavyweights, and you played well. Only six draws? At least you were able to force a result. Everyone above you in the table except for Digital Giants has won the first division at least once. I sincerely wish you the best of luck in the Vilitan Cove Invitational. ... If it's even contested anymore. Does anyone even follow that tournament? It's really there more for the fans of the participating teams, anyway.
• Inter South Dre: Once again, sincerely a great showing this season. You were more victims of circumstance this time around. You won the last DFL and crashed out in preliminary rounds in got to play in the Champions' League. The Challengers' Cup is just as prestigious. Hold your heads high; maybe you've got some mojo in this not-so-new format, as well.
• Digital Giants: Your first time ever since the cricket team's acquisition of your side from ELECTRA, and look how you've grown! From a walking mediocrity to a solid, top-tier team! They've got to have some good investment decisions to be able to do that. Stick to your guns, boys and girls, and Giants will be a household anme in this league!
• It finally comes around full circle. Although not the same team ownership-wise, AC Shinzoba are back in the fold. Since winning the first-ever edition of Damukunian domestic football, and then getting double-relegated afterward and falling off the elite list, the Athletic Clubs of Damukuni finally find footing again. Sure, they had to pay their way into a franchise spot, but it looks like it paid off in the end. It would be a shame if someone were to knock you out of that number-one spot. You're headed to the Campionato Esportiva di Campeones and the ... Challengers' Cup? Only that? Weird... let me look at the list again. ... Oh no. Ohhhhhh nooooo...

Powerblade are your champions this year! ... Powerblade? The team that won on a fluke in Season 2 and didn't even make the IFCF window for the rest of their existence? And then you wait until organized football collapses and go on a 10-week lossless streak? OK then! No one even wanted you around before that. Shinzoba were the more celebrated side! At least they wound up directly under you. I'm sure you'll gloat more at this point! Well, we know how this goes! Enjoy the Champions League and the pitiless perils of double relegation next season! You'll all be better for it anyway!

[Damukuni]

Season 1

   Challengers Series                               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 ELECTRA North East FC                             46   23  10  13    69   52  +17    79   Challenger Trophy, LBCT, To Champions Series
 2 Eternalfell Dragons                               46   23   9  14    81   71  +10    78   LBCT, To Champions Series
 3 Zikoma Knight Riders                              46   24   4  18    74   70   +4    76   Challenger Playoff Final
 4 Casino Night Northpointe FC                       46   21  10  15    75   67   +8    73   Challenger Playoff Semifinal
 5 Ūto Vikings                                       46   19  15  12    94   78  +16    72   Challenger Playoff Quaterfinal
 6 T1 SuperWings FC Reu (Retalhuleu FC)              46   21   8  17    70   60  +10    71   Challenger Playoff Final
 7 ASC Terohiku 8086                                 46   21   8  17    63   64   −1    71
 8 PCX Tigers (Keitendō Tigers)                      46   21   6  19    76   78   −2    69
 9 WINSIX.NET Bulls (Takado Bulls)                   46   19  11  16    80   72   +8    68
10 Duroza FC                                         46   19  11  16    69   69    0    68
11 Central Wolves                                    46   20   7  19    72   68   +4    67
12 DRIVE® Ibuza (FC Ibuza)                           46   17  15  14    85   83   +2    66
13 Reishu Circuit FC                                 46   19   8  19    65   62   +3    65
14 Endoshi Dynamite                                  46   16  13  17    66   66    0    61
15 AC Tenjiro                                        46   17  10  19    61   65   −4    61
16 Northern Free & United                            46   17   8  21    68   76   −8    59
17 Beltway Cements 46 Tsunegami                      46   15  13  18    72   77   −5    58
18 TEC White Shield (Tsukamoto FC)                   46   16   9  21    56   61   −5    57
19 ServiStar® Royals Ishida                          46   15  10  21    66   70   −4    55
20 SANCO® Municipal (Municipal Eruguchi)             46   16   7  23    64   69   −5    55
21 C.F. Alianza Cuscatlán                            46   15   9  22    71   86  −15    54
22 Select 11 WGW Sports Club (Shinagawa Select XI)   46   14  11  21    62   76  −14    53   To Masters Series
23 Shinzoba Sport & Athletic II                      46   14  10  22    63   74  −11    52   To Masters Series
24 Namagoro City FC                                  46   12  14  20    66   74   −8    50   To Masters Series

Challenger Playoff

The Challenger Playoff is a gauntlet-style home-and-away tournament between seeds (3) through (6), with the gauntlet winner awarded the third Liga B Champions Trophy spot and promotion to the Football Champions Series. The team listed on the top of the bracket plays their home match first.

'                                                                                          3  Zikoma Knight Riders           1 3 = 4 (a)   LBCT, To Champions Series
                                                                                         +-----------------------------------------------+
                                                                                         | 4  Casino Night Northpointe FC    0 4 = 4
                                              4  Casino Night Northpointe FC    2 4 = 6  |
                                            +--------------------------------------------+
                                            | 5  Ūto Vikings                    0 3 = 5
5  Ūto Vikings                     1 0 = 1  |
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6  T1 SuperWings FC Reu            0 0 = 0