Crescent News Network Sports (Abanhfleft & Co. V2)

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Sun Nov 03, 2024 7:37 am

2037-38 SFA Cup Fifth Round
Kimmirut Panhandle 1–0 Sporting Ceneisis
Koob Rovers 3–1 Real Mikkaleth
All-Inclusive Haranguer 2–3 Fleftic Air Force
Locomotive Imgortur 2–2 Paulsen
Xemlice Rovers 2–2 Fleftic Army
Mannerheim Town 1–1 Imperial Markovsky
Effelenendro 3–2 Rosenpfelblatz City
Gyouza Young Lads 1–0 Onghawesk East End

It’s now time for the fifth round of the SFA Cup, and this is usually the round in which the magic of the SFA Cup is least effective. Not to say that upsets and giant killings haven’t happened in the fifth round; of course those things happen in all rounds of the competition. But historical trends have suggested that not a lot of those happen in the fifth round for some reason, so a lot of teams going up against top-level opposition would have and should have been worried that this is when their cup run is going to come to an end. But this season, the football gods had other ideas. They decided that the magic of the SFA Cup was still going to be alive and well in the fifth round, and the gods have decided that the top two sides still in the competition will be the ones to fall afoul of the magic of the cup. Kimmirut Panhandle winning over Sporting Ceneisis is already a big enough shock in and of itself, but take a look at the tie between Effelenendro and Rosenpfelblatz City. Effelenendro had not been in the top flight of Fleftic football in over fifty years, while Rosenpfelblatz City has experienced a sort of resurgence when Abanhfleft finally joined the UICA (and later on the IFCF). Surely the Citizens should have had this one in the bag, right? No, not really. This time Romeo Portnoy rotated his side too heavily, and though the team in sky blue bagged two goals courtesy of Fidura Itiro and Xavier Cleverton, Effelenendro was simply able to outscore them. Oh, the things that clubs will do to get that tin idol…

Even Xemlice Rovers aren’t yet safe from the prospect of falling victim to the magic of the SFA Cup just yet. Sure, they may have survived Riuwiee United at the May 26 Stadium, but now they will have to buckle up tight after the winners of the 2036 edition of the Cup, Fleftic Army, managed to hold the Gamekeepers to a 2-2 draw at Oubie Park. Xemlice will have to make another trip for another replay, and once again they will be hoping for the same result that they got against the Blue Tribesmen. A similar fate awaits both Locomotive Imgortur and Paulsen after both FPL sides were unable to separate themselves from each other at the New Locomotive Arena. And as for two FPL sides at the bottom half of the table trying to make their season a little bit better with the prospect of silverware at the end, that particular dream has now come to an end for All-Inclusive Haranguer. Fleftic Air Force were just better than them at the end of the day, and the Golden Eagles wanted that tin idol more than the Sand Tigers did. Better luck next time, Haranguer, although they could end up being in Unang Liga by this time next season.

Matchday Twenty-eight Scores
Athletic Dorfdifving 1–1 Thereisnogodistan
All-Inclusive Haranguer 2–2 Malabon SC
Sarvusdalamoive 1–0 Eielo Sunlight
Gyouza Young Lads 1–1 Rosenpfelblatz City
Locomotive Imgortur 4–2 Ludogorets Markovsky
Wanda Island Wanderers 1–0 Sporting Ceneisis
Miroz Old Boys 0–1 Fleftic Air Force
Admiral Porcusces 1–0 Marinos Thimpodopoulos
Arsenal de Releinthi 4–4 Riuwiee United
Paulsen 0–0 Xemlice Rovers

It’s back-and-forth action at the top of the Fleftic Premier League as Sarvusdalamoive have managed to regain their lead over Ludogorets Markovsky. The Foresters will be absolutely disappointed in themselves because they have let the chance to consolidate their own lead slip right through their fingers. The Engineers played an absolute blinder in front of their home fans as they are also engaged in their own bid for a top four finish, and their IFCF credentials just gained a huge boost courtesy of their victory over Markovsky. It wasn’t pretty by any stretch of the imagination; having an actual defender and a defensively-minded midfielder score the first two goals of the game via corner kicks tends to give off that impression. But Imgortur was actually good value for their victory, even if they are going to lose Ramiro Guerra to suspension once again after the ever-controversial striker from Tero al Disco had yet another go at Cassio Conceicao and Alexander Buenaflor. Sarvus didn’t have to worry about anything like that; they just showed up at their place, scored the winning goal via Ales Gile-Artevineair, and called it a day.

Match of the Day
Arsenal de Releinthi 4–4 Riuwiee United

With a result like that, the Capital Islands derby just has to be the match of the day. The derby between Arsenal de Releinthi and Riuwiee United is always going to be a strong contender for this spot no matter what, but given the wider context of the title fight and how much the Gunners want to put themselves back in that particular picture, this particular match may just go down as being one of the wildest in the history of the derby. It was just a constant back and forth between the two sides, and it seemed as if every half-decent chance was finding the back of the net no matter how difficult the shot actually was. We had defenders scoring, players making crucial saves at the goal line, and bench players making a difference by coming on. It’s arguable who between Releinthi’s Fabian Rice and Riuwiee’s Aalipdis Marec had the bigger impact in the game, though there is an argument that could be made for Marec considering it was his goal that restored parity between the Gunners and the Blue Tribesmen once again and made sure that Riuwiee fans would be making the short trip back to the capital having salvaged a point from the jaws of defeat.

Matchday Twenty-nine Scores
Paulsen 1–1 Athletic Dorfdifving
Xemlice Rovers 0–1 Arsenal de Releinthi
Riuwiee United 1–2 Admiral Porcusces
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 2–0 Miroz Old Boys
Fleftic Air Force 2–3 Wanda Island Wanderers
Sporting Ceneisis 5–5 Locomotive Imgortur
Ludogorets Markovsky 5–1 Gyouza Young Lads
Rosenpfelblatz City 0–3 Sarvusdalamoive
Eielo Sunlight 2–1 All-Inclusive Haranguer
Malabon SC 2–0 Thereisnogodistan

Ludogorets Markovsky are not going to give up this title without a fight. That much has already been established over the past few matchdays, but it’s useful to keep reminding everyone else of this fact every time the Foresters suffer any sort of setback in the league. Losing away to Locomotive Imgortur is terrible from the perspective of the Foresters and their fans. But if they were to lose at their own home ground against Gyouza Young Lads then that would have been completely unforgivable. No one would be calling for Roberto Hoya’s head just yet, but the sentiment would begin to simmer and boil underneath the surface. So it’s probably a good thing for the manager of Ludogorets Markovsky that his boys were able to take care of business against the Young Lads, who after a very bright start have now begun to regress all the way down the table. Paolo von Montanari might have the brace but Sven Fahrni has the hat trick of assists for the Foresters; these two men have become absolutely vital for Markovsky and their desire to be the first club to successfully defend the title in over a decade. But if Sarvusdalamoive can keep responding to their wins with wins of their own, it’s become increasingly clearer that the Foresters will be fighting an uphill battle to keep the title in their side of western Mezaladbyi.

Match of the Day
Sporting Ceneisis 5–5 Locomotive Imgortur

How does Locomotive Imgortur follow up a decisive victory over the defending champions in their own pursuit of international club football? By the only way that Imgortur knows how: drawing with Sporting Ceneisis in an absolute ten-goal thriller. It’s hard to tell if the Engineers dropped a banger or a clanger of a match against Ceneisis in their pursuit of the top four, but one thing is definitely for sure: the neutrals definitely got their money’s worth. It doesn’t matter if they watched it on a premium cable network subscription or if they watched it as a livestream on a dodgy website full of potential malware and adult entertainment advertisements; most neutrals will have gotten their money’s worth nonetheless. Imgortur fans and probably even Ceneisis fans won’t be feeling the same way however; both sides will feel, and perhaps rightly so, that their respective teams dropped two points in this game. This will hit especially hard for the Engineers and their fanbase: how in the world could they go from absolutely dominating the defending champions and putting a dent in their title retention hopes to being unable to win over a mid-table side? Perhaps it’s just another one of those mysteries of the Fleftic Premier League…

2037-38 SFA Cup Fifth Round Replays
Paulsen 0–0 Locomotive Imgortur (7–6 pen.)
Fleftic Army 0–1 Xemlice Rovers
Imperial Markovsky 1–1 Mannerheim Town (3–4 pen.)

Once again, three ties will have to be settled in a replay in order to determine who advances to the quarterfinals of the SFA Cup this season. That said, this will be the last time that replays will be needed in the Cup; starting from the quarterfinals, all ties will have to be decided on the day, and the standard rule of ninety minutes plus thirty then penalties will apply. However, for this round of replays, only ninety minutes will be played before heading straight for a penalty shootout, and two ties ended up needing spot kicks to decide a winner. That said, let us focus first on the one tie that was settled within the ninety minutes, and that was the contest between Fleftic Army and Xemlice Rovers. The Gamekeepers have won the tin idol five times before, but the last time that they had made the final was over ten years ago, and even then they lost that contest to Bananas FC. Army, meanwhile, had won only their second SFA Cup just two years, and they will want to be the first lower league side to win the tin idol since Pilken Kickers did it four seasons previous. And while Peter Paul Montenegro wouldn’t have wanted to bring him on, Marc Lagmay would turn out to be Xemlice’s saving grace in this replay, bagging the winner with ten minutes to go in regulation and negating having to go to a shootout.

The other four sides who have to play the replay weren’t so lucky. Imperial Markovsky and Mannerheim Town both scored a goal apiece before Mannerheim emerged as a victor courtesy of four well-placed spot kicks. And as for Paulsen and Locomotive Imgortur, while both sides may have been in agreement that the replay was completely unnecessary, both sides still tried going for it as much as they could, but there was just nothing that could separate them. The gameplay wasn’t perfect, and neither were the spot kicks, but all that was needed was for someone to make a save or miss wildly to pry the Engineers and the Boilermakers apart and have one of them go through to the next round. That savior would come to Paulsen in the form of Vladimir Perevozchikov, who went for placement over power and found the top right corner of the net to win the shootout and the tie for the Boilermakers after Karl Fenenko had saved the spot kick from Telegonos Xanthopoulos beforehand. As that movie about a rat and a food critic goes, not everyone can be a hero in football, but a footballing hero can come from anyone who steps up to the plate and rises to the occasion.

Matchday Thirty Scores
Athletic Dorfdifving 1–1 Malabon SC
Thereisnogodistan 2–0 Eielo Sunlight
All-Inclusive Haranguer 2–4 Rosenpfelblatz City
Sarvusdalamoive 0–3 Ludogorets Markovsky
Gyouza Young Lads 0–2 Sporting Ceneisis
Locomotive Imgortur 3–3 Fleftic Air Force
Wanda Island Wanderers 2–1 Marinos Thimpodopoulos
Miroz Old Boys 1–0 Riuwiee United
Admiral Porcusces 3–2 Xemlice Rovers
Arsenal de Releinthi 0–1 Paulsen

This is it, the most important matchday of them all, at least from the perspective of both Ludogorets Markovsky and Sarvusdalamoive. This is the day when the title could be decided, even if there are still eight games left to play in the season after this. This is less about mathematically securing the title and more about asserting dominance. Whoever wins in this match will have the edge over the other in the future, both mentally and in the head-to-head record which could still prove vital at the end of it all. However, since this is without a doubt going to be Match of the Day, coverage of this potential title decider will have to come later. For the moment, it’s better to focus on all of the other teams playing catch-up to those two, and it’s actually hard to pick which other team could still play spoiler to the Foresters and the Pinks. It’s probably not going to be Arsenal de Releinthi, who fell to defeat yet again, this time at the hands of Paulsen, who had just booked their ticket to the quarterfinals of the SFA Cup a few days ago. Could it be the Wanda Island Wanderers that gets a foot into the door? Maybe, but they will have to make up a five-point gap to second place, and lately they’ve just been as inconsistent as their deadly rivals Releinthi. Rosenpfelblatz City? Malabon? Anyone else interested in making this a three-horse race?

Match of the Day
Sarvusdalamoive 0–3 Ludogorets Markovsky

While everyone else is too busy figuring out if they actually want to make this title race a three-horse one, the two title protagonists have now met each other once again in the field of battle. Well, not really the field of battle, but they did meet at the field in the middle of Sebet City Stadium and played each other there, and some might even call that meeting a battle. In any case, it would quickly turn into a one-sided battle thanks to Anrai Dolan and Ermolay Ermolaieff both finding the back of the net within the first fifteen minutes of the game. Should Sarvusdalamoive have done better to keep Markovsky out that early? Perhaps. But the Pinks could have also done better to convert some of their own chances later on in the game, or at least they could have made it harder for Isaak Krutikov and his defense to take care of business. In any case, whatever hopes and dreams that Sarvus may have had of being able to come back into this contest grew slimmer and slimmer as the second half went on and they still weren’t able to trouble Krutikov and company. Tim Ashotov coming off the bench and scoring the third and truly decisive goal of the game was the cherry on top of the cake for Markovsky and the mountain of salt straight into the wound for Sarvusdalamoive. Try not to wince while reading the previous sentence.

Matchday Thirty-one Scores
Arsenal de Releinthi 0–1 Athletic Dorfdifving
Paulsen 1–0 Admiral Porcusces
Xemlice Rovers 3–2 Miroz Old Boys
Riuwiee United 1–2 Wanda Island Wanderers
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 1–1 Locomotive Imgortur
Fleftic Air Force 2–0 Gyouza Young Lads
Sporting Ceneisis 1–0 Sarvusdalamoive
Ludogorets Markovsky 2–4 All-Inclusive Haranguer
Rosenpfelblatz City 3–2 Thereisnogodistan
Eielo Sunlight 1–0 Malabon SC

Curious, very curious. After Ludogorets Markovsky had seemingly finally asserted their dominance over Sarvusdalamoive in the title race following their victory over the Pinks last matchday, they have followed up that victory with… a defeat to All-Inclusive Haranguer. Everyone knows that the Sand Tigers are fighting for their lives trying to hang on to a place in the Fleftic Premier League, so the Foresters should have known better. But that’s the thing about the FPL; everyone seems to forget about the one cardinal rule about this league, which is that nothing is ever truly a given. It’s not a given that a side threatened with relegation is just going to roll over for one of the league’s title protagonists. Any game is worth three points to any team, so long as they want it more than the other team does. And on this day, Haranguer wanted the win more than Markovsky did. But the truly funny thing about all of this is that despite getting a literal gilt-edged chance to regain the lead in the title race after the massive setback from last matchday, Sarvusdalamoive was still unable to capitalize courtesy of Sporting Ceneisis. Truly, the football gods do not play favorites; their thing right now is letting the teams decide for themselves if they actually want to fight for the title or not. Bloody omnipotent weirdos.

Match of the Day
Riuwiee United 1–2 Wanda Island Wanderers

Once again, Riuwiee United have found themselves included in Match of the Day, but unfortunately for them, they are not on the winning side of this match. It’s arguable if the Blue Tribesmen were actually the winners in their previous MOTD appearance courtesy of the Capital Islands derby against Arsenal de Releinthi in which they drew with their opponents 4-4, but this time, there is no argument to be had at all. Riuwiee got beat, and they were beaten by yet another Capital Islands rival in Wanda Island Wanderers. Everyone thinks that the fight for top four in the Fleftic Premier League is quite bad, but they really should take a look just a little further down the table to see how bad things could really get. It’s truly a dog-eat-dog world down there where the only order of business is to get into the top four at the expense of everyone else. At the moment, Riuwiee United are part of the camp that’s on the outside looking in, and Wanda Island’s victory solidified their own position in the top four at the expense of the Blue Tribesmen. Such a crazy league this is.

Fleftic Premier League Table After Matchday Thirty-one

   FPL                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification                   
 1 Ludogorets Markovsky      31   17   7   7    67   48  +19    58   Champions League qualification
 2 Sarvusdalamoive           31   17   6   8    40   36   +4    57   Challengers' Cup qualification
 3 Wanda Island Wanderers    31   16   7   8    52   42  +10    55   Challengers' Cup qualification
 4 Rosenpfelblatz City       31   16   5  10    65   57   +8    53   Challengers' Cup qualification
 5 Arsenal de Releinthi      31   15   6  10    68   53  +15    51
 6 Locomotive Imgortur       31   14   8   9    66   53  +13    50
 7 Malabon SC                31   13  10   8    37   21  +16    49
 8 Xemlice Rovers            31   14   5  12    66   51  +15    47
 9 Admiral Porcusces         31   13   6  12    38   31   +7    45
10 Riuwiee United            31   10  12   9    61   57   +4    42
11 Fleftic Air Force         31   11   8  12    54   61   −7    41
12 Thereisnogodistan         31   11   7  13    68   62   +6    40
13 Sporting Ceneisis         31   11   7  13    53   57   −4    40
14 Marinos Thimpodopoulos    31   11   6  14    28   38  −10    39
15 Paulsen                   31   10   8  13    48   60  −12    38
16 Eielo Sunlight            31   11   3  17    20   30  −10    36
17 Athletic Dorfdifving      31    7  11  13    36   49  −13    32
18 All-Inclusive Haranguer   31    9   5  17    50   65  −15    32   Relegation to Unang Liga
19 Gyouza Young Lads         31    7   9  15    32   51  −19    30   Relegation to Unang Liga
20 Miroz Old Boys            31    5   8  18    21   48  −27    23   Relegation to Unang Liga

It’s hard to tell whether Ludogorets Markovsky is lucky or unlucky right now. They’re unlucky because they just lost a massively important game in the grand scheme of things right after they had won another massively important game in the grand scheme of things, but at the same time, they’re lucky that they’re still at the top of the table because Sarvusdalamoive also lost one of their own massively important games in their own grand scheme of things. Confused yet? That’s life in the Fleftic Premier League. This is definitely not the same Ludogorets side that had marched their way to the title last season; that side was all about getting the three points and nothing else. The criticism of being a boring team to watch must have gotten under the skin of Roberto Hoya and his men because there’s just no other explanation for why they’ve decided to score way more goals than they did before. But if the Foresters manage to retain the title, it’s doubtful anyone will complain, anyone who supports them anyway. And these two clubs should really think about getting their act together because the likes of Wanda Island Wanderers and Rosenpfelblatz City are licking their lips waiting for the chance to pounce. Wouldn’t it be poetic if Rosenpfelblatz, after all their struggles throughout the season, would be the team that would actually pip their western Mezaladbyi rivals to the title? That’s the dream scenario for the Citizens and their fans, and the nightmare one for the Foresters.

Well, well, well, how the table have turned. There once was a time when Gyouza Young Lads were at the top of the world, specifically the Fleftic Premier League table, and their eternal rivals Miroz Old Boys just couldn’t get away from the foot of the table and win a game no matter what they did. But now the situation is different. Miroz is still firmly rooted to the bottom, but now they have Gyouza for company in the bottom three. This is a far cry from where the Lads had been last season, and that probably has a lot to do with Tuan Parthosi not being quite the impressive striker that he was last season. It’s hard to tell what has changed that made Parthosi less effective this time around, but it’s definitely hurting Gyouza’s chances of staying in the top flight. If they don’t find a remedy for this soon, Miroz will laugh all the way down to Unang Liga as their rivals end up going down with them. The only real saving grace for Gyouza right now is that they’re above Miroz, but there’s still enough time left in the season for that to change. And as for All-Inclusive Haranguer, they are so, so close to finally getting out of the drop zone on a more permanent basis. They’re getting wins against big teams and holding their own against some of their fellow relegation battlers. The Sand Tigers just need a few more things to click together and then they’ll be safe. They just need a few more things to click and go their way in the near future…

Race for the Golden Boot
1. Dan-Arne Kystebo (Thereisnogodistan) - 21 goals
2. Marc Lagmay (Xemlice Rovers) - 20 goals
T3. Joni Laurismäki (Fleftic Air Force) - 19 goals
T3. Marat Tkachev (Riuwiee United) - 19 goals
4. Lucas von Wolfberg (Rosenpfelblatz City) - 18 goals

Dan-Arne Kystebo is currently holding station at the top of the Golden Boot standings, but there’s no time for him to relax or worry about what’s going to happen if his form starts to dip because he has Marc Lagmay breathing down his neck. That’s not a comfortable thought, even if it’s just a figure of speech and not something that’s actually happening. And Lagmay himself has his own issues to worry about; a couple of games misfiring and he could be out of the running altogether, and someone else like Marat Tkachev or Joni Laurismäki or Lucas von Wolfberg is going to be the one putting pressure on Kystebo to perform. And that would be a shame because it would mean that there aren’t any Fleftic strikers competing for the Golden Boot at all. Shame on the Fleftic Premier League if that happens.

Race for the Golden Glove
1. Radislav Kalyna (Malabon SC) - 16 clean sheets
2. Jaidev Muthukrishnan (Sarvusdalamoive) - 14 clean sheets
T3. Severino Amigo (Eielo Sunlight) - 11 clean sheets
T3. Mimis Abaris (Locomotive Imgortur) - 11 clean sheets
T4. Bryson Lane (Miroz Old Boys) - 10 clean sheets
T4. Guildenstern Cardew (Sporting Ceneisis) - 10 clean sheets

Jaidev Muthukrishnan seems to be inching closer and closer to Radislav Kalyna at the top of the Golden Glove standings, but is that move a wise decision at all for the Sarvusdalamoive gloveman? Perhaps not, but then again, Muthukrishnan had already faced Malabon before, and while they came out of that contest very much the worse for wear, who’s to say that Jaidev didn’t pick up any lessons from Kalyna during that time? In fact, how do we know that that isn’t part of Kalyna’s plan all along? What if his plan was to first humble Muthukrishnan for even daring to go up against him for the Golden Glove, but once Kalyna realized that this guy could be the reason why Sarvus finally won their second league title, he decided that he was going to pass down all of his knowledge to his newfound successor? One would think that Kalyna would do that to his own teammates, but stranger things have happened in this league before.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Mon Nov 04, 2024 8:13 am

Matchday Thirty-two Scores
Athletic Dorfdifving 2–1 Eielo Sunlight
Malabon SC 1–2 Rosenpfelblatz City
Thereisnogodistan 5–3 Ludogorets Markovsky
All-Inclusive Haranguer 3–4 Sporting Ceneisis
Sarvusdalamoive 2–3 Fleftic Air Force
Gyouza Young Lads 0–0 Marinos Thimpodopoulos
Locomotive Imgortur 3–2 Riuwiee United
Wanda Island Wanderers 2–2 Xemlice Rovers
Miroz Old Boys 1–1 Paulsen
Admiral Porcusces 4–3 Arsenal de Releinthi

The chess match between Ludogorets Markovsky and Sarvusdalamoive has evolved, but somehow that evolution has gone backwards. Title races are supposed to be about the two protagonists winning as many games as possible and waiting for the other side to slip up. It’s not supposed to be about one team watching the other title challenger lose their match and then losing their own match as well. Yet that is exactly what happened. Once again, Thereisnogodistan has proven itself a tricky competitor in the Fleftic Premier League, and Ludogorets Markovsky were the latest team to fall to the Atheists. Dan-Arne Kystebo is still red-hot, and it’s not every day that any sort of striker gets to score a brace against the Foresters, but he did it. That’s going to give him some more space between himself and his other competitors for the Golden Boot. And right after seeing Markovsky drop all three points in their pursuit of the title, Sarvusdalamoive decided that they were going to do exactly what the Foresters did, which is lose their own match against Fleftic Air Force. First, people wondered if there was any other club that wanted to throw their hat into the ring for the run-in. Now the question has become, does any one of Markovsky or Sarvus even want to win the title in the first place? Why are the title contenders losing their matches when this was possibly their best time to get a little further ahead of everyone else?

Match of the Day
Malabon SC 1–2 Rosenpfelblatz City

It may be a little bit too late for Rosenpfelblatz City to force their way into the title picture at this point, but top four is still very much a distinct possibility and the Citizens will want to consolidate their position. Their path to the top hasn’t exactly been smooth; like many other teams in the league through the years, teams chasing after the top four had seemingly lost the ability to convert losses into draws, and that has definitely cost Rosenpfelblatz this season. It cost them the chance to be part of the title picture, and unless they get their act together, it could still cost them the chance to play in the IFCF. But right now, the Citizens are doing their business the right way because, unlike the actual title contenders, Rosenpfelblatz won their game against Riuwiee United. The Blue Tribesmen had fallen away from the fight for the top half, but they’re still a threat to every other team in the division. But watching them play against Rosen, one wouldn’t be able to tell that Riuwiee is still quite good. It’s weird how these things work.

Matchday Thirty-three Scores
Admiral Porcusces 3–0 Athletic Dorfdifving
Arsenal de Releinthi 4–0 Miroz Old Boys
Paulsen 2–1 Wanda Island Wanderers
Xemlice Rovers 3–2 Locomotive Imgortur
Riuwiee United 2–2 Gyouza Young Lads
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 0–2 Sarvusdalamoive
Fleftic Air Force 2–1 All-Inclusive Haranguer
Sporting Ceneisis 1–2 Thereisnogodistan
Ludogorets Markovsky 1–0 Malabon SC
Rosenpfelblatz City 4–1 Eielo Sunlight

Both Ludogorets Markovsky and Sarvusdalamoive must have heard the earlier outcry about both title contenders this season not really acting like title contenders with the way that they had consistently lost matches at the same time, because now both teams have decided that they are going to win on this matchday. Sarvus dealt the first blow courtesy of their match against Marinos Thimpodopoulos occurring in the Saturday midday slot. It was a routine win for the Pinks at the end of the day; Bruce Shuttlesworth and Reinaldo Sandoval finding the back of the net for their team to give Sarvus a temporary lead at the top of the table. The ball was now in Markovsky’s court, and there is no doubt that they are going to have to fight for the three points, even if they are at home against Malabon SC. Malabon’s own abortive title attempts had fallen by the wayside many matchdays ago already, but they’re still sniffing around the outer reaches of the top four hoping to find a way back in. If Markovsky had not been careful, not only would they have lost ground to Sarvus in the title race but it also could have brought Malabon closer to them and the top four race. But thanks to Paolo von Montanari, Markovsky doesn’t have to worry about either possibility coming to fruition just yet. Maybe later, but definitely not right now.

Match of the Day
Arsenal de Releinthi 4–0 Miroz Old Boys

Arsenal de Releinthi are also embroiled in their own chase for the top four. Losses in recent matchdays, up to and including a humbling at the hands of Malabon, have meant that the Gunners are no longer even considered part of the title picture, meaning that their chase for “lucky title number thirteen” continues yet again. But the top four itself is still a much more attainable prospect, and right now the only way to get in there is to win games. Miroz Old Boys had been picking up steam in the closing days of the season, and while it’s now been accepted as fact that their relegation is now only a matter of mathematics more than anything else, a number of big teams have still managed to fall victim to the Boys, and Releinthi could have found themselves joining that number if they weren’t careful. But Oleg Mostovoi was indeed careful this time around, and the Gunners would get their rewards for playing accordingly. As soon as Nicacio Xavier’s goal found the back of the net in the 14th minute, everyone watching this game knew that the result was already in Releinthi’s hands; the real question was whether Xavier’s goal would be enough to secure the three points or if Mostovoi would want to add to it. Someone should ask Martin Fenton, Edgar Smith-Fernandez, and Fabian Rice what they think about that particular question.

2037-38 SFA Cup Quarterfinals
Mannerheim Town 1–1 Effelenendro (1–1 AET) (3–1 pen.)
Paulsen 2–3 Kimmirut Panhandle
Xemlice Rovers 1–2 Fleftic Air Force
Koob Rovers 0–1 Gyouza Young Lads

Time now to go back to SFA Cup action, where it’s now the quarterfinals and the magic of the SFA Cup might be taking a bit of a breather because most of the sides that could actually fall victim to it have already been knocked off in the earlier rounds. Or at least that’s what was supposed to happen. Instead, the magic of the cup decided that it still had a few surprising results up its sleeve and decided to hand them out here in the quarterfinals. So Riuwiee United, Arsenal de Releinthi, Ludogorets Markovsky, and the like have all been knocked out. Surely this was no Xemlice Rovers’ time to shine and claim the tin idol all for themselves, right? Of course it isn’t! The magic of the SFA Cup saw that there was still one “top” FPL side in the competition and decided that that just wouldn’t do. Say what you will about the Gamekeepers, and say what you will about Fleftic Air Force; the Golden Eagles always choose to turn it up a notch against any and all competition whenever they get a chance to make a deep cup run. Joni Laurismäki hasn’t been able to get it done in the league, but in the SFA Cup, everything is just fine and dandy. A brace against Xemlice is always a good cure for a goalscoring slump, and Laurismäki should start scoring once again after this. At least, that’s the hope.

Nobody really thinks of Paulsen as a big side in the grand scheme of things, but in the SFA Cup, the fact that they are a team playing in the Fleftic Premier League automatically qualifies them as being “big,” and that also qualifies them for being on the “wrong” end of the magic of the SFA Cup. Their opponents Kimmirut Panhandle had said time and again that their primary focus has been and will always be the league, specifically gaining promotion out of Unang Liga, but when one watches their games in the SFA Cup this season, it kind of looks like they’re putting some eggs in the cup run basket as well. It’s fair to say that at this point, the Roughnecks are dividing their attention between the league and the cup in the hopes that they can turn their attention to the other if one campaign isn’t really working out. And their path to the quarterfinals hasn’t been easy at all; they had to go through both Ludogorets Markovsky and Sporting Ceneisis just to get here. Their reward is a match against Paulsen, and while Kimmirut may have been hoping for a home tie at the very least, if the path to silverware this season took them through the Paulsen City Arena then they were going to go there and go through to the semifinals. And that was exactly what happened, and it’s all thanks to their Fleftic national team striker Bradley Aquino.

Matchday Thirty-four Scores
Athletic Dorfdifving 1–0 Rosenpfelblatz City
Eielo Sunlight 0–0 Ludogorets Markovsky
Malabon SC 0–1 Sporting Ceneisis
Thereisnogodistan 4–3 Fleftic Air Force
All-Inclusive Haranguer 2–0 Marinos Thimpodopoulos
Sarvusdalamoive 2–0 Riuwiee United
Gyouza Young Lads 4–3 Xemlice Rovers
Locomotive Imgortur 3–1 Paulsen
Wanda Island Wanderers 4–5 Arsenal de Releinthi
Miroz Old Boys 0–1 Admiral Porcusces

Here is yet another twist in the table of the 2037-38 Fleftic Premier League title race, and it’s not one that fans of Ludogorets Markovsky would appreciate at all. Not to say that it’s a bad kind of twist in and of itself; it just so happens that the Foresters are coming out of said plot twist with only one point instead of three, and Sarvusdalamoive decided that they were going to take advantage of that now instead of all the other times that they could have. Eielo Sunlight was not expected to have been an easy match for Markovsky by any stretch of the imagination, but at the same time, as the current defending champions in pursuit of the first ever title repeat in over a decade, the Foresters should have nonetheless made quick work of the Suns. Instead, Eielo showed some of that stinginess that had propelled them into the top half of the table for the first half of the season and kept the Foresters from breaching their defenses. And it’s not as if Markovsky didn’t try; oh, they tried and tried and tried, but at the end of the day, Severino Amigo and his defenders had proven to be too tough of a nut to crack even for the indefatigable Sven Fahrni, and now the Foresters have fallen back down to second place. They have it all to do in the final four matchdays of play to catch up to Sarvus, and they have to hope that the Pinks suffer their own setback as well or else it’s curtains for the dream of winning back-to-back titles for Markovsky.

Match of the Day
Sarvusdalamoive 2–0 Riuwiee United

Now that Ludogorets Markovsky have slipped up once again, Sarvudalamoive’s players knew that they had to one job and one job only. They had been unable to do said job in the past couple of times that Markovsky had again slipped up, and there were also times when the Pinks were the ones doing the slipping up and it was the Foresters who couldn’t capitalize, but now it’s Sarvus’s turn to be the one in the driver’s seat. They’ve made a habit of going off the rails themselves when in this particular situation, and no one would have held it against them (except for their own fans, probably) if the Pinks had been unable to get three points against Riuwiee United. It’s Riuwiee bloody United, after all, the capital club, one of the biggest football clubs in all of Abanhfleft. Blue Tribesmen fans would have definitely appreciated it if Sarvus had lost the game just like Markovsky did theirs because it would have meant three more points for Riuwiee’s belated charge back to the top half of the table. But no, this time the Pinks were not in a generous mood at all. This may be their one and only shot at picking up their second league title in club history, and they will be damned if they let it slip through their fingers because they kept on copying Ludogorets’ own inconsistency instead of forging their own path.

Matchday Thirty-five Scores
Miroz Old Boys 1–0 Athletic Dorfdifving
Admiral Porcusces 1–2 Wanda Island Wanderers
Arsenal de Releinthi 2–0 Locomotive Imgortur
Paulsen 1–0 Gyouza Young Lads
Xemlice Rovers 0–3 Sarvusdalamoive
Riuwiee United 3–0 All-Inclusive Haranguer
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 1–3 Thereisnogodistan
Fleftic Air Force 0–1 Malabon SC
Sporting Ceneisis 1–0 Eielo Sunlight
Ludogorets Markovsky 1–0 Rosenpfelblatz City

This is the problem of being the first team to blink in a straight-up title fight. Ludogorets Markovsky managed to get away with needlessly dropping points throughout the season because more often than not, Sarvusdalamoive would end up copying exactly what they were doing. However, once the paths of Markovsky and Sarvus diverged such that the Pinks are now on top of the Fleftic Premier League once again, the Foresters and their fans knew that getting back up there had become a much more difficult task. Now it’s Markovsky who have to hope that Sarvus messes up because if the status quo continues like this to the end of the season, not only will the Foresters have failed in their title defense but they will also have no one but themselves to blame for it. Xemlice Rovers could have done Markovsky a favor, but considering how many times Ludogorets’ better seasons were kickstarted by a win over the Gamekeepers, it’s almost understandable why Xemlice allowed themselves to get beat by Sarvus so easily. But on the other hand, Markovsky had to know that they were not going to get any favors from their rivals Rosenpfelblatz City at all, so they had to go out there and do their own jobs well if they wanted to stay in the fight. And thanks to Alexander Buenaflor, that’s exactly what they did. But it may still end up being a case of “too little, too late” after the final three matchdays.

Match of the Day
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 1–3 Thereisnogodistan

It’s not often that either one of Thereisnogodistan or Marinos Thimpodopoulos are ever seriously considered for selection to Match of the Day, but this most recent Fhulghamous Peninsula derby between the two clubs has proven to be quite the attention grabber. This was the first season that the Fhulghamous derby had come back after Marinos was promoted back to the top flight, and both sides wasted no time in getting reacquainted with each other. Marinos had won the previous leg at Richard Dawkins Park, and Samwell Crownover and the Atheists surely wanted to return the favor. And return the favor they did, and they also did one better than the Mariners in their previous encounter by scoring three goals at Arena Marinos as opposed to the two that Marinos had bagged in Thereisnogodabad. The only really notable thing about this fixture was that Dan-Arne Kystebo was nowhere to be seen on the scoresheet. That wasn’t to say that he didn’t play; he did, but the Mariners had figured out how to keep the Tikariotan striker quiet for the whole time that he was out on the pitch. The catch was that Marinos didn’t know how to keep the rest of the Atheists quiet, and that is how Oyrat Orazaliev, Felipe Carrizo, and Valentino Baraldi all ended up scoring for the team in yellow and pushing themselves further up the table and away from their rivals.

Fleftic Premier League Table After Matchday Thirty-five

   FPL                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification                   
 1 Sarvusdalamoive           35   20   6   9    49   39  +10    66   Champions League qualification
 2 Ludogorets Markovsky      35   19   8   8    72   53  +19    65   Challengers' Cup qualification
 3 Arsenal de Releinthi      35   18   6  11    82   61  +21    60   Challengers' Cup qualification
 4 Rosenpfelblatz City       35   18   5  12    71   61  +10    59   Challengers' Cup qualification
 5 Wanda Island Wanderers    35   17   8  10    61   52   +9    59
 6 Locomotive Imgortur       35   16   8  11    74   61  +13    56
 7 Admiral Porcusces         35   16   6  13    47   36  +11    54
 8 Malabon SC                35   14  10  11    39   25  +14    52
 9 Thereisnogodistan         35   15   7  13    82   70  +12    52
10 Xemlice Rovers            35   15   6  14    74   62  +12    51
11 Sporting Ceneisis         35   14   7  14    60   62   −2    49
12 Fleftic Air Force         35   13   8  14    62   69   −7    47
13 Riuwiee United            35   11  13  11    68   64   +4    46
14 Paulsen                   35   12   9  14    53   65  −12    45
15 Marinos Thimpodopoulos    35   11   7  17    29   45  −16    40
16 Athletic Dorfdifving      35    9  11  15    39   54  −15    38
17 Eielo Sunlight            35   11   4  20    22   37  −15    37
18 All-Inclusive Haranguer   35   10   5  20    56   74  −18    35   Relegation to Unang Liga
19 Gyouza Young Lads         35    8  11  16    38   57  −19    35   Relegation to Unang Liga
20 Miroz Old Boys            35    6   9  20    23   54  −31    27   Relegation to Unang Liga

With only three matchdays left to play, it’s Sarvusdalamoive that now holds the advantage over the rest of the league. They haven’t been the most consistent side ever, but for the moment they’re consistent enough to have one hand on the title. Or maybe a couple of fingers, because there is still every possibility that the Pinks could yet bottle the title and hand it right back to Ludogorets Markovsky. It isn’t even a matter of getting the most wins or the most points anymore; it’s all about one team doing the exact opposite of what the other team does. If Markovsky loses or draws one more game then it’s more than likely curtains for their title charge. If it’s Sarvus that loses or draws the next game or couple of games, the destination of the title is anyone’s guess. As for the rest of the top four, how in the world are Arsenal de Releinthi still in it? The collapse of their title charge in the second half of the season is a phenomenon that is still worthy of study for future generations, but perhaps those future generations should also study how the Gunners have managed to cling on to a place in the top four despite all of those setbacks and dropped points. And give some credit to Rosenpfelblatz City; they also had a title challenge that died an early death, but they’ve managed to turn it around and make a play for the IFCF places. That said, it’s still not a given that both of these clubs will stay where they are; there are still a handful of teams within nine points of the top four, and a poor run to end the season will surely knock either one of Releinthi or Rosen (or maybe both) out of the running. And as for the relegation picture, mathematically speaking Miroz Old Boys are already done and out. Their only hope now of salvaging this season is to finish above Gyouza Young Lads, and for that to happen the Lads must lose all of their remaining games while Miroz wins theirs. All-Inclusive Haranguer still has a chance at survival; they just have to win and Eielo Sunlight must lose. It’s easy to say but, as history has proven time and time again, it’s something that’s hard to do.

Race for the Golden Boot
1. Dan-Arne Kystebo (Thereisnogodistan) - 25 goals
T2. Edgar Smith-Fernandez (Arsenal de Releinthi) - 22 goals
T2. Marc Lagmay (Xemlice Rovers) - 22 goals
T3. Joni Laurismäki (Fleftic Air Force) - 21 goals
T3. Marat Tkachev (Riuwiee United) - 21 goals

Dan-Arne Kystebo is just three league games away from winning the Golden Boot, and he will have deserved it if he does go on to win. That said, there is still a chance for the rest of the frontrunners to catch up to him, especially if the likes of Edgar Smith-Fernandez and Marc Lagmay are able to bag a goal a game in the last three games. But all Kystebo has to do is score one or two more goals in the run-in and the Golden Boot is as good as his. He just has to be aware that none of his fellow competitors are going to give up on this award that easily.

Race for the Golden Glove
T1. Radislav Kalyna (Malabon SC) - 17 clean sheets
T1. Jaidev Muthukrishan (Sarvusdalamoive) - 17 clean sheets
T2. Severino Amigo (Eielo Sunlight) - 12 clean sheets
T2. Guildenstern Cardew (Sporting Ceneisis) - 12 clean sheets
T3. Emelio Lontok (Admiral Porcusces) - 11 clean sheets
T3. Mimis Abaris (Locomotive Imgortur) - 11 clean sheets
T3. Isaak Krutikov (Ludogorets Markovsky) - 11 clean sheets
T3. Bryson Lane (Miroz Old Boys) - 11 clean sheets

Now it’s on. Now it’s really on. Jaidev Muthukrishan has actually put out a challenge to Radislav Kalyna stating the former’s intention to go after the Golden Glove, and now the ball is in the court of the Malabon SC gloveman. Muthukrishnan knows that his place at the top is going to come under threat in the run-in as opponents will try to deny Sarvusdalamoive the league title, but the good thing is that the competition is now purely between him and Kalyna. Barring an unprecedented miracle, the likes of Severino Amigo and Guildenstern Cardew are not going to be part of the final challenge for the Golden Glove anytime soon.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Wed Nov 06, 2024 6:43 am

Matchday Thirty-six Scores
Athletic Dorfdifving 3–5 Ludogorets Markovsky
Rosenpfelblatz City 1–2 Sporting Ceneisis
Eielo Sunlight 1–2 Fleftic Air Force
Malabon SC 0–1 Marinos Thimpodopoulos
Thereisnogodistan 2–2 Riuwiee United
All-Inclusive Haranguer 2–1 Xemlice Rovers
Sarvusdalamoive 3–0 Paulsen
Gyouza Young Lads 0–0 Arsenal de Releinthi
Locomotive Imgortur 1–1 Admiral Porcusces
Wanda Island Wanderers 2–0 Miroz Old Boys

This is the danger of being the first team to blink in a two-horse race for the Fleftic Premier League title. After having held the advantage for so long in the second half of the season as well as riding their luck when it came to Sarvusdalamoive dropping the same amount of points at the same time that they did, Ludogorets Markovsky are now learning how hard it is to play catch-up in a title race. At this point, it almost doesn’t matter that they’re scoring for fun against their opponents, something that Athletic Dorfdifving will readily attest to at the moment; it won’t be enough for the Foresters to overturn the advantage that the Pinks have over them. Markovsky’s only real hope at this point is that Sarvus slips up somewhere somehow, but this is beginning to look like an increasingly grim prospect as the number of days to the end of the 2037-38 season grow ever smaller. What even is the point of Ludogorets scoring five goals against their opponents if Sarvus will just keep on winning against theirs? If Markovsky is hoping that either one of goal difference or head-to-head results could give them the edge over the Pinks, then there has to be a segment of their own fanbase that has to alert the rest that those particular ships may have already sailed. The hope still lives, yes, but for how much longer?

Match of the Day
All-Inclusive Haranguer 2–1 Xemlice Rovers

On some more positive news, it looks like All-Inclusive Haranguer may actually be able to pull of the great escape. Granted, it’s not as if the Sand Tigers had been firmly rooted to the bottom of the Fleftic Premier League until the last few matchdays; they’ve almost always been in and near 18th place. But, for the first time in a long time, results have finally gone the way of Haranguer in addition to them finally winning a game of vital importance. Not a lot of people would have bet on Haranguer being able to win against Xemlice Rovers, but the threat of relegation does make teams do strange things in their pursuit of safety. Not many Sand Tigers fans would have expected that their team would take the fight to Xemlice, even if their team is hosting the Gamekeepers at the National Book Store Stadium, but with their continued survival in the top flight on the line, Haranguer decided that the time was right to be the great team that everyone knew they were capable of being. Besides, it would be a shame if the likes of Tiffany Payumo and Oleh Lobanovsky ended up having to ply their trade in Unang Liga where there were definitely less eyes to watch them, so a Haranguer win that propels them up the table is certainly a good thing (except maybe for Xemlice fans).

2037-38 SFA Cup Semifinals
Semifinal 1 @ Wanda City Arena, Wanda City, Wanda Island
Fleftic Air Force 0–0 Gyouza Young Lads (1–1 AET) (3–4 pen.)

Semifinal 2 @ Monsanto Stadium, Releinthi
Mannerheim Town 1–0 Kimmirut Panhandle

Once again, it is time for the SFA Cup, and now that the competition has moved into the semifinals, it is time for the action to move to neutral venues. Only four teams are left in the competition, and for the first time in perhaps a decade or so, there are no traditional “big” clubs left to fight for the tin idol. The magic of the SFA Cup has been hard at work knocking them off, but it’s not just the “top six” that have fallen afoul of the magic of the cup. Practically every single Fleftic Premier League bar two have been eliminated from contention across the many rounds of the Cup that have been played so far, and it doesn’t look like that trend is going to end soon. The two remaining FPL clubs in the competition, Fleftic Air Force and Gyouza Young Lads, have been drawn against each other, and they will play their semifinal tie at the IKEA Arena in Wanda City as per the new rules mandating that semifinal ties be played in a neutral venue that is as equidistant to the two clubs in the tie as possible. And because of this, a lower-league side is guaranteed to make it to the final of the SFA Cup for the third time in five years as the other semifinal tie will be contested between Mannerheim Town and Kimmirut Panhandle, both sides in Unang Liga, the second tier of Fleftic football. For all four teams, this is perhaps their best chance at winning the tin idol, and this will be especially important for Fleftic Air Force as they had fallen at this very same hurdle twelve months ago to Atletico San Sebastian, who went on to win the cup against all the odds. Can the Golden Eagles repeat their triumph in 2027, or will another club etch their name onto the base of the tin idol this time?

If the Fleftic Air Force Football Club thought that goals were going to be aplenty for this semifinal tie similar to the one that they had against Atletico San Sebastian last year then they would have been sorely mistaken. As both they and Gyouza Young Lads were the two remaining FPL clubs still in the running for the SFA Cup, neither one of them wanted to be the first one to blink, much like how neither one of Sarvusdalamoive nor Ludogorets Markovsky wanted to blink first before the Foresters finally dropped crucial points in the title fight. But it wasn’t as if both Air Force and Gyouza had the luxury of waiting for another chance; this was a do-or-die game, with the winner moving on to the final at the May 26 Revolution Stadium in Riuwiee. But nobody made a move during the first 90 minutes of this tie, forcing the game to go into extra time. Rachid Hamed Sissani would finally break the deadlock for the Golden Eagles, but just as it was looking like the Air Force Club had held on to the end, Tuan Parthosi would come up with an equalizer for the Young Lads in the 119th minute, necessitating the use of penalties to determine a winner. And while Parthosi was the hero for the yellow and black half of the arena during the game itself, Gyouza’s young striker from Pyazhnaya Vladislav Aristarkhov would be the hero from twelve yards away as it was his penalty that sent the Lads through to the final right on the heels of Pedro Pablo Peñaranda making a crazy fingertip save against Norman Lanta.

The other semifinal tie is being contested by two Unang Liga sides, Mannerheim Town and Kimmirut Panhandle, the first time that this has occurred in over forty years. The oddsmakers had Kimmirut being the favorites to win the tie by a non-insignificant margin, odds that were reflective of the Roughnecks’ position in Unang Liga compared to Mannerheim. Kimmirut was also expected to assert their dominance in this tie, but Mannerheim did manage to hold on to the surprise of those watching the semifinal, and no sensible explanation could be found for it other than “Mannerheim really prepared well for this one.” It’s not a bad strategy for the Mountaineers at all to be honest, and clearly it would pay off for them as well as, with only seventeen minutes to go in regulation, Mannerheim’s veteran striker and club captain Rigoberto San Juan would lead by example and head home what would eventually become the winner for the Town. The magic of the SFA Cup strikes once again, and both favorites in the semifinals will find themselves cursing said magic for “costing” them a shot at the tin idol. Thus the 2038 SFA Cup final at the May 26 Revolution Memorial Stadium in Riuwiee is set: it will be Gyouza Young Lads versus Mannerheim Town; Eielo versus Dorfdifving. Plenty of fireworks are to be expected on the day of the final itself. Will the magic of the SFA Cup come through for Mannerheim one last time, or will Gyouza bow out of the Fleftic Premier League with the tin idol in their hands?

Matchday Thirty-seven Scores
Wanda Island Wanderers 3–3 Athletic Dorfdifving
Miroz Old Boys 0–0 Locomotive Imgortur
Admiral Porcusces 1–0 Gyouza Young Lads
Arsenal de Releinthi 1–0 Sarvusdalamoive
Paulsen 3–2 All-Inclusive Haranguer
Xemlice Rovers 1–0 Thereisnogodistan
Riuwiee United 2–0 Malabon SC
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 2–0 Eielo Sunlight
Fleftic Air Force 1–0 Rosenpfelblatz City
Sporting Ceneisis 0–0 Ludogorets Markovsky

There is still one more twist left in the tale. Repeat, there is one more twist left in the tale. The destination of the 2037-38 Fleftic Premier League title has still not yet been decided, and it will all come down to the final matchday of the season. Just when it was beginning to look for all intents and purposes that Sarvusdalamoive now had the title in the bag, that was then that Arsenal de Releinthi decided that they were going to play the spoilsport this time around. They’ve been in the other foot so many times that the Gunners have simply had enough, and now they’ve decided that they want to be the ones to get to decide a title race even if they’re no longer in contention anymore. The win itself won’t bring Releinthi back into the fight, but at the same time, the loss diminished Sarvus’s chances of winning the title by a lot. This then was the perfect time for Ludogorets Markovsky to capitalize, but unfortunately for them, they were up against Sporting Ceneisis of all teams, and the Blues were not going to hand the title to their rivals that easily. Ceneisis may have had a leaky defense for most of the season, but this time around they held their own against Markovsky and set the stage for an epic clash between the two title protagonists to end off this season.

Match of the Day
Arsenal de Releinthi 1–0 Sarvusdalamoive

The last time that Arsenal de Releinthi and Sarvusdalamoive met in the league, the Pinks came out on top by a score of 3-2, and it could be argued that this was the blow that started the collapse of Releinthi’s title charge in the second half of the season. The Pinks would have surely wanted this result to repeat itself in order to finally have one hand on the FPL title, but unfortunately for them, this was when Oleg Mostovoi and his men decided that they were going to play at being kingmakers. Releinthi’s defense, which had not been as solid as it could have been throughout the season, finally held firm against the Pinks, but at the same time Sarvus themselves were proving difficult to breach. It wouldn’t be until the 76th minute that the Gunners’ stalwart striker Edgar Smith-Fernandez would finally find enough of a gap through which he could squeeze and score the winning goal. Sarvus’s attempts to find an equalizer would prove to be in vain, and if it hadn’t been for Ludogorets Markovsky being forced to settle for a scoreless draw against Sporting Ceneisis, this could well be the moment that Sarvusdalamoive lost the title. They may yet lose it still in the final matchday.

Fleftic Premier League Table After Matchday Thirty-seven

   FPL                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification                   
 1 Ludogorets Markovsky      37   20   9   8    77   56  +21    69   Champions League qualification
 2 Sarvusdalamoive           37   21   6  10    52   40  +12    69   Challengers' Cup qualification
 3 Arsenal de Releinthi      37   19   7  11    83   61  +22    64   Challengers' Cup qualification
 4 Wanda Island Wanderers    37   18   9  10    66   55  +11    63   Challengers' Cup qualification
 5 Rosenpfelblatz City       37   18   5  14    72   64   +8    59
 6 Locomotive Imgortur       37   16  10  11    75   62  +13    58
 7 Admiral Porcusces         37   17   7  13    49   37  +12    58
 8 Xemlice Rovers            37   16   6  15    76   64  +12    54
 9 Thereisnogodistan         37   15   8  14    84   73  +11    53
10 Sporting Ceneisis         37   15   8  14    62   63   −1    53
11 Fleftic Air Force         37   15   8  14    65   70   −5    53
12 Malabon SC                37   14  10  13    39   28  +11    52
13 Riuwiee United            37   12  14  11    72   66   +6    50
14 Paulsen                   37   13   9  15    56   70  −14    48
15 Marinos Thimpodopoulos    37   13   7  17    32   45  −13    46
16 Athletic Dorfdifving      37    9  12  16    45   62  −17    39
17 All-Inclusive Haranguer   37   11   5  21    60   78  −18    38
18 Eielo Sunlight            37   11   4  22    23   41  −18    37   Relegation to Unang Liga
19 Gyouza Young Lads         37    8  12  17    38   58  −20    36   Relegation to Unang Liga
20 Miroz Old Boys            37    6  10  21    23   56  −33    28   Relegation to Unang Liga

The winners of the 2037-38 Fleftic Premier League will have to be decided on the very final matchday of the season, and while everyone would dearly want the winner to be decided clearly, sometimes that just doesn’t happen in Fleftic football. If it has to be decided on goal difference, it will be decided on goal difference. No one really wants to do that though, so the onus is on both Ludogorets Markovsky and Sarvusdalamoive to make sure that one of them emerges with all three points. Some would say that the best scenario is both teams claiming three points on the final matchday, but all that means is that both teams will finish on 72 points, and goal difference will once again be the tiebreaker. Neither team is doing very hot at the moment, so it’s really anyone’s guess as to who will actually get three points on the final matchday. And while both teams have been mathematically ruled out of title contention, Arsenal de Releinthi and Wanda Island Wanderers will also be looking for that all-important W on matchday 38. Not only will it secure their place in the top four, but it could also lead to bragging rights with regards to finishing over their deadly rival from across the Strait of Carrizozo.

Matchday 38 could very well end up being a sad day for football in Eielo Province. Miroz Old Boys had already been confirmed as being relegated at least a month ago, but the other Eielo-based teams in the FPL, Gyouza Young Lads and Eielo Sunlight, are still engaged in the fight for their lives for survival. If things end the same way that they did on this matchday 37, all three Eielo clubs could get relegated to Unang Liga, ending ten years of the province being represented in the top flight by at least one club. Obviously, all hope is not yet lost; either one of Eielo or Gyouza could still survive to fight another season, but all of that is dependent on All-Inclusive Haranguer winning their game or not. If the Sand Tigers win then it’s possibly curtains for all of Eielo Province. If they draw or lose, there might still be a chance. But Eielo and Gyouza both have to do their part in securing their own survival as well. It’s no use hoping for a certain result and not doing anything at all to make sure that it actually comes to fruition. And Athletic Dorfdifving technically still aren’t out of the woods just yet, but honestly, it would take an epic and monumental collapse for the Canaries to be relegated from their current position. But who even knows with this league anymore?

Race for the Golden Boot
1. Dan-Arne Kystebo (Thereisnogodistan) - 26 goals
T2. Edgar Smith-Fernandez (Arsenal de Releinthi) - 23 goals
T2. Marc Lagmay (Xemlice Rovers) - 23 goals
T3. Joni Laurismäki (Fleftic Air Force) - 22 goals
T3. Marat Tkachev (Riuwiee United) - 22 goals

Unless either one of Edgar Smith-Fernandez or Marc Lagmay scores a hat-trick or more on the final matchday, the Golden Boot is pretty much going to Dan-Arne Kystebo. The Tikariotan striker has honestly been a revelation this season, and most of it has to do with Samwell Crownover deciding that he was no longer going to be a timid and purely reactive style of football. It had served him and Thereisnogodistan well in the meantime, but perhaps it was now time for him to switch it up, and while it hasn’t really worked out in the league, it’s paying dividends for his main striker. Better things could still be in the offing for the Atheists starting next season.

Race for the Golden Glove
1. Jaidev Muthukrishnan (Sarvusdalamoive) - 18 clean sheets
2. Radislav Kalyna (Malabon SC) - 17 clean sheets
3. Guildenstern Cardew (Sporting Ceneisis) - 13 clean sheets
T4. Emelio Lontok (Admiral Porcusces) - 12 clean sheets
T4. Severino Amigo (Eielo Sunlight) - 12 clean sheets
T4. Mimis Abaris (Locomotive Imgortur) - 12 clean sheets
T4. Isaak Krutikov (Ludogorets Markovsky) - 12 clean sheets
T4. Bryson Lane (Miroz Old Boys) - 12 clean sheets

He stood up and was beaten down, but now he has gotten right back up. And if Jaidev Muthukrishnan is able to get one more clean sheet to end the season, not only could it secure him a league title with Sarvusdalamoive but it could also give him the Golden Glove. Everyone thought that he was crazy for daring to defy Radislav Kalyna and snatch the Golden Glove from under the Pridnestrovian’s nose, but it’s undeniable that Muthukrishnan has been of great value for his team, and is probably half of the reason why the Pinks are even in a title fight in the first place.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Thu Nov 07, 2024 7:44 am

Matchday Thirty-eight Scores
Athletic Dorfdifving 0–0 Sporting Ceneisis
Ludogorets Markovsky 1–0 Fleftic Air Force
Rosenpfelblatz City 4–3 Marinos Thimpodopoulos
Eielo Sunlight 0–1 Riuwiee United
Malabon SC 1–1 Xemlice Rovers
Thereisnogodistan 3–2 Paulsen
All-Inclusive Haranguer 3–4 Arsenal de Releinthi
Sarvusdalamoive 2–0 Admiral Porcusces
Gyouza Young Lads 1–0 Miroz Old Boys
Locomotive Imgortur 1–1 Wanda Island Wanderers

In the end, this was a bittersweet ending to the entirety of the Fleftic Premier League. Instead of wins, this particular title race was defined by losses and draws, and now it’s almost fitting that it has all come down to goal difference being the one to settle the issue. Either one of Ludogorets Markovsky or Sarvusdalamoive could have and probably should have run away with the title a long time ago, but both teams made a disturbing habit out of copying the other title chaser’s moves to the letter. For most of the time, if either one of Markovsky or Sarvus lost or drew a game then the other team would do the exact same thing as well. It had got to the point where both sets of fans and supporters were making jokes and memes about how no one actually wanted to win the FPL title this season. At the end of it all though, it’s the Foresters who have emerged on top, and Ludogorets Markovsky is the first club in a little more than a decade to successfully defend their FPL title. Since both Markovsky and Sarvus won, it was the Foresters that would have held the edge over their title opponents barring the Pinks winning by such a lopsided scoreline that accusations of match-fixing would have been thrown around had it actually come to fruition.

After being held to a scoreless draw by their heated rivals Sporting Ceneisis in the previous matchday, Roberto Hoya and his men knew that their best chance at winning the title once again was to go for a win. They knew that Sarvusdalamoive was going to do the same thing so it was in the best interests of the Foresters to go for maximum points as well. At first glance, it would appear that this would be an easy thing for them to do as they’re up against Fleftic Air Force, who currently have nothing to play for now that they’ve secured safety at least a few matchdays ago. But Roberto Hoya and company probably weren’t counting on Timotheos Psomopoulos and his defense stepping up and hoping that they could maybe play spoiler in this title race, just like what Arsenal de Releinthi did last week. But there is a reason why Releinthi is in the top four while Air Force is currently in the mid-table, and it’s the quality of their players. All Paolo von Montanari really needed to do was get past the likes of Nahuel Castro and Darren Mayes and find the back of the net early on, and when he did exactly that in the 7th minute, it was practically game over for the Golden Eagles.

Sarvusdalamoive had a sterner test ahead of them in the form of a visit from Admiral Porcusces. The Sea Foxes may have missed their chance at being a potential top four team some time ago, but that didn’t mean that they still weren’t a credible threat to any other team in the league. And to add to the Pinks’ woes, they had just lost their main man Richard Luyindula to injury, meaning that new guy Guillaume Cheval had to fill Luyindula’s shoes for Sarvus’s final game of the season. There were concerns about whether the 25-year old could actually do the job and hopefully steer the Pinks to their first league title in three decades all while trying to keep an eye on the game in Markovsky between Ludogorets and Fleftic Air Force. News of Paolo von Montanari’s early goal would have certainly put a damper in the mood of the fans in the Sebet City Stadium, but despite that, Guillaume Cheval proved that he could do the job for the Pinks when needed, although it did help that he had Luyindula’s usual supporting cast of Iosef Kazbekov and Sacit Közalmaz alongside him. Kazbekov and Cheval would score the goals for Sarvus against Porcusces, but as the day went on and nobody got any more updates out of the Stadium of the Old Forester, Pinks fans soon came to accept that their team had been second-best this time around. And considering all of the things that had to go right for Sarvus to even be in this position in the first place, no one really knows when the next time that the Pinks could challenge for the title again will come.

Oh, how football can be so cruel sometimes. Miroz Old Boys had already been confirmed as the first team going back down to Unang Liga more than a few months before the end of the season, but during the run-in there looked to be a chance that the Old Boys would be able to drag down their deadly rivals Gyouza Young Boys down to the second tier with them. Thus, it was almost fitting that the Young and Old derby between the two sides would be held on the very final matchday of the season. Miroz had only won six games in the whole season before this game, but if they could notch victory number seven against their deadly rivals then they could have made sure that both they and Gyouza would be playing in the second tier of Fleftic football next season. Gyouza obviously had other plans, and while it would take until the early minutes of the second half for those plans to come to fruition, the only important thing about it all is that the Young Lads were able to win over their rivals once again. And Gyouza’s winning goal didn’t come from any of the usual suspects in their ranks; instead it was a man who came off of the bench, Theo Hendrickx, who would score the only and winning goal for the Lads against the Old Boys. And given that All-Inclusive Haranguer lost to Arsenal de Releinthi despite a spirited attempt to restore parity, this meant that Gyouza had just pulled off the ultimate prank on Miroz: they came so close to getting relegated alongside their rivals only to pull of the miracle escape at the literal last minute. The seething of Miroz fans must be seen to be believed.

2037-38 SFA Cup Final

Played @ May 26 Revolution Memorial Stadium, Riuwiee

  Gyouza Young Lads 0–1 Mannerheim Town           
                        Rigoberto San Juan (51')

Referee: Tiberius Yao (Fleftic Antarctica)

For the last time this season, the action shifts from the Fleftic Premier League to the SFA Cup. For the third time in five years, a lower league team has made it to the SFA Cup final, and for little Mannerheim Town, it’s the achievement of a lifetime. The Mountaineers had never ever made it this far in the cup in their entire history, which actually dates back to the 1930s. Such is the life of a club that has never made it into the top flight, and had their own difficulties remaining in the second and third tiers for most of their history. But all of that doesn’t matter anymore; history calls out to the Town. On the other side of the historic pitch at the May 26 Revolution Memorial Stadium in Riuwiee (hosting its first ever SFA Cup final in four years) is Gyouza Young Lads. The Lads had just survived their brush with relegation, escaping the drop zone by virtue of a one-goal win over their bitter rivals Miroz Old Boys (who had already been relegated a few months beforehand). Survival was the one thing that Gyouza had really hoped for this season, and the fact that they secured it at the expense of their own rivals, who had been so convinced that they could drag down Gyouza with them back to Unang Liga, seems too perfectly poetic to be true. The only thing that could make this season better is if they could bring home the tin idol with the as well.

Unfortunately for Gyouza, the magic of the SFA Cup had other plans for them. There had been some concerns that the magic of the cup would run out of potential “victims” as more and more big clubs were knocked out of the competition this season, and although those concerns appeared to have been ill-founded in the end as even smaller Fleftic Premier League clubs fell victim to the “magic” began to fall to lower-ranked opposition the deeper the competition went on. Now, the only sides remaining are an FPL side that just barely escaped relegation and a club in the lower end of Unang Liga that could still end up falling down to the reorganized third tier of Fleftic football. One of them is going to go home with the tin idol no matter what, and after only ninety minutes, that club will turn out to be Mannerheim Town. The magic of the SFA Cup has certainly had its fun this season, and it would appear that, much like last season, it had no intention of sitting back and letting things unfold on their own simply because it was cup final time. No, the magic of the cup had to throw out one more unexpected result to all of the spectators of Fleftic football before it goes to rest until waking up again in time for the third round of the SFA Cup next season. Gyouza had the lion’s share of chances in this game but were unable to convert any of them, and though Paul Olivares made a couple of changes at the start of the second half in an attempt to rectify this, it would all be for nothing as Mannerheim captain Rigoberto San Juan scored the only goal of the game just six minutes into the second half. Mannerheim would hold on to that slender lead for the rest of the game, defying every single attempt by Gyouza to breach their defenses. And even before the final whistle had even been blown to cement this result in the history books, fans of Miroz Old Boys are already basking in their newfound schadenfreude. Gyouza may have survived relegation, but they won’t have some shiny silverware to add to their trophy cabinet this season.

[img]mannerheim.jpg[/img]
Congratulations to Mannerheim Town, your 2037-38 SFA Cup champions!

Fleftic Premier League Table After Matchday Thirty-eight

   FPL                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification                   
 1 Ludogorets Markovsky      38   21   9   8    78   56  +22    72   Champions, Champions League
 2 Sarvusdalamoive           38   22   6  10    54   40  +14    72   Challengers' Cup
 3 Arsenal de Releinthi      38   20   7  11    87   64  +23    67   Challengers' Cup
 4 Wanda Island Wanderers    38   18  10  10    67   56  +11    64   Challengers' Cup
 5 Rosenpfelblatz City       38   19   5  14    76   67   +9    62
 6 Locomotive Imgortur       38   16  11  11    76   63  +13    59
 7 Admiral Porcusces         38   17   7  14    49   39  +10    58
 8 Thereisnogodistan         38   16   8  14    87   75  +12    56
 9 Xemlice Rovers            38   16   7  15    77   65  +12    55
10 Sporting Ceneisis         38   15   9  14    62   63   −1    54
11 Malabon SC                38   14  11  13    40   29  +11    53
12 Riuwiee United            38   13  14  11    73   66   +7    53
13 Fleftic Air Force         38   15   8  15    65   71   −6    53
14 Paulsen                   38   13   9  16    58   73  −15    48
15 Marinos Thimpodopoulos    38   13   7  18    35   49  −14    46
16 Athletic Dorfdifving      38    9  13  16    45   62  −17    40
17 Gyouza Young Lads         38    9  12  17    39   58  −19    39
18 All-Inclusive Haranguer   38   11   5  22    63   82  −19    38   Relegated to Unang Liga
19 Eielo Sunlight            38   11   4  23    23   42  −19    37   Relegated to Unang Liga
20 Miroz Old Boys            38    6  10  22    23   57  −34    28   Relegated to Unang Liga

Some fans might be disappointed that the destination of the title this season ended up being decided on goal difference, but most fans could probably agree that they’re just glad that it’s over. It might be hard to convince fans of Sarvusdalamoive to be happy about the end of the season considering that this might be the last time that their club could actually put in a decent title fight in the foreseeable future. But fans of Ludogorets Markovsky will no doubt be pleased with this outcome. Not only did their Foresters successfully retain the title, but they also became the first team in the FPL to do so in over ten years. In a league where no team has ever managed to achieve dominance in a long time, this might be the first warning signs that the league and the fans might be entering the era of Markovsky. Obviously, for Foresters fans that would be a good thing, but what could that mean for the rest of the league? Most of Markovsky’s players are in their primes or just hitting it; they have the capacity and the capability to keep their club in contention for the title in practically any given season. And one can’t count out the likes of Arsenal de Releinthi and Wanda Island Wanderers as being potential title challengers in the next few seasons. Sure, both clubs failed to maintain the pace that they had set in the first half of the now-concluded season, but both the Gunners and the Wanderers had shown that they are more than capable of keeping up the pace across an entire season. But the real question should be, “Will either one of these clubs be able to do it next season?” Down at the “wrong” end of the table, it’s time to say goodbye to Miroz Old Boys, Eielo Sunlight, and All-Inclusive Haranguer. The two Eielo-based clubs did all that they could to stay in the top flight, but at the end of the day it proved to be just a little too much for them. As for the Sand Tigers, it’s going to be yet another sad day as the first ever mixed-gender football club in all of Abanhfleft succumbed once again to the strength of their opponents. But all is not yet lost; there is still a good possibility that Haranguer bounces right back into the top flight next season, so long as they are able to keep hold of their key players. That might be the most difficult part of Haranguer’s attempts at reconsolidation next season.

Race for the Golden Boot
1. Dan-Arne Kystebo (Thereisnogodistan) - 27 goals
2. Edgar Smith-Fernandez (Arsenal de Releinthi) - 25 goals
3. Marc Lagmay (Xemlice Rovers) - 24 goals
T4. Joni Laurismäki (Fleftic Air Force) - 22 goals
T4. Marat Tkachev (Riuwiee United) - 22 goals

Dan-Arne Kystebo brings home the Golden Boot for himself, and deservedly so. With all of the attackers that Samwell Crownover had brought in at the start of the season, it would have been criminal of him not to come up with something that would allow him to utilize those players. But he did develop a new strategy, and not only has it kept Thereisnogodistan in the FPL for another season, it also allowed Kystebo to show that he is actually quite the prolific striker, so long as the system suits him. Edgar Smith-Fernandez and Marc Lagmay gave it the best shot that they could, but for this season both Fleftic strikers came up short. Maybe next season, things could be much better for both men.

Race for the Golden Glove
1. Jaidev Muthukrishnan (Sarvusdalamoive) - 19 clean sheets
2. Radislav Kalyna (Malabon SC) - 17 clean sheets
3. Guildenstern Cardew (Sporting Ceneisis) - 14 clean sheets
4. Isaak Krutikov (Ludogorets Markovsky) - 13 clean sheets
T5. Emelio Lontok (Admiral Porcusces) - 12 clean sheets
T5. Severino Amigo (Eielo Sunlight) - 12 clean sheets
T5. Mimis Abaris (Locomotive Imgortur) - 12 clean sheets
T5. Bryson Lane (Miroz Old Boys) - 12 clean sheets

Jaidev Muthukrishnan stood up to the challenge that Radislav Kalyna had laid down in front of him and he received his just rewards for it. The only real shame that Muthukrishnan probably has was that he couldn’t add a league title alongside his Golden Glove. That’s something that hasn’t happened in two years; the Golden Glove winner not being part of the club that won the FPL title. Isaak Krutikov could have been up there, but his defense has been surprisingly leaky this season; perhaps a result of Roberto Hoya’s attempt to show that Ludogorets Markovsky can win titles by scoring more than just one goal per game too. It worked out for them now, but who’s to say that it will still work out next season?

Congratulations to Ludogorets Markovsky, your 2037-38 Fleftic Premier League champions!

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Sat Nov 16, 2024 12:42 am

2037-38 Fleftic Unang Liga Final Standings

   Unang Liga                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification                                  
 1 Bananas                    42   23   9  10   102   57  +45    78   Champions, Promoted to Fleftic Premier League
 2 Antslinngs Islands         42   23   9  10    71   45  +26    78   Promoted to Fleftic Premier League
 3 Electric Yugal             42   21  12   9    72   49  +23    75   Promotion playoffs
 4 Rosenpfelblatz North End   42   22   8  12    89   60  +29    74   Promotion playoffs
 5 Kimmirut Panhandle         42   21  10  11    48   35  +13    73   Promotion playoffs
 6 Uranium City Radiation     42   19  15   8    47   34  +13    72   Promotion playoffs
 7 Fleftic Army               42   18  12  12    83   70  +13    66
 8 Atletico San Sebastian     42   18  10  14    80   70  +10    64
 9 Duhblakk Rovers            42   19   7  16    83   75   +8    64
10 Tefel                      42   18   9  15    56   53   +3    63
11 Pilken Kickers             42   16  15  11    54   54    0    63
12 Chevaliers de Motonou      42   16  10  16    79   82   −3    58
13 Rodrigues                  42   15  10  17    51   50   +1    55
14 Keephall Vikings           42   14  12  16    62   64   −2    54
15 Dynamo Ja                  42   13  11  18    65   74   −9    50
16 Sporting Mykorrigan        42   12  13  17    70   90  −20    49
17 Real Mikkaleth             42   12  12  18    68   81  −13    48
18 Keklavik United            42   13   6  23    59   78  −19    45   Relegated to Liga Ikalawa
19 Imperial Markovsky         42    9  13  20    55   75  −20    40   Relegated to Liga Ikalawa
20 Real Haritzaga             42   10   8  24    53   78  −25    38   Relegated to Liga Ikalawa
21 Mannerheim Town            42   10   6  26    30   64  −34    36   Relegated to Liga Ikalawa
22 Riuwiee Metropolitan       42    7   9  26    54   93  −39    30   Relegated to Liga Ikalawa

Khimik Ogovlich from Liga Ikalawa–Hilaga, Effelenendro FC from Liga Ikalawa–Gitna, and Vikrant Rovers from Liga Ikalawa–Timog are promoted to Unang Liga.

Many fans of Bananas FC (some might even say that all fans of Bananas FC) would not have expected this to be the outcome of the first season of the new-look Fleftic Unang Liga. The pundits, while they did expect Bananas to be a contender for getting back to the top tier almost immediately, didn't really have the Gorillas as winning the Unang Liga title. And yet that is exactly what happened. It should be remembered thought that Bananas' title win in Unang Liga was not a sure thing and had never been for much of the season; in the first half of the season it looked like the title fight was actually between Electric Yugal and Rosenpfelblatz North End. When the Acolytes fell away in the second half, as was usually the case in Fleftic football, Antslinngs Islands stepped up to fill the gap that RNE had left behind with regards to challenging Yugal for both the title and getting promoted. For their part, Bananas had been mostly in the background, apparently content with fighting to keep themselves in the promotion playoff places and no further than that. It wasn't until the run-in that the Gorillas actually emerged as a credible title threat, and by that time Electric Yugal had fallen away and Antslinngs Islands were now the favorites. Perhaps this was an unexpected development from the perspective of the Islanders as Antslinngs faltered at the last minute and allowed Bananas to claim the Unang Liga title on goal difference, somehow mirroring the events in the Fleftic Premier League between Ludogorets Markovsky and Sarvusdalamoive. For their part, both Yugal and Rosen North End have made it into the promotion playoffs, but of course both teams would have wanted to gain promotion automatically just to be sure. Just like last season though, five teams will once again suffer the unenviable fate of getting relegated into the reorganized and regionalized Liga Ikalawa to reduce the second tier to twenty teams and complete the reshuffling of the Fleftic football pyramid.

Congratulations to Bananas FC, your 2037-38 Fleftic Unang Liga champions!

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Sat Nov 16, 2024 1:18 am

The Unang Liga playoffs is to be played between the four highest placed teams in Unang Liga that did not automatically qualify for promotion to the league above. The 3rd placed team will play against the 6th placed team, and the same applies for the 4th and 5th placed teams. The team who finished in a lower position in the league will play the first leg and their home ground. The winners of these two playoffs will then meet each other in the May 26 Revolution Memorial Stadium in Riuwiee, the capital of Abanhfleft, to determine the third and final promotee from Unang Liga.

(6) Uranium City Radiation vs. (3) Electric Yugal

Leg 1 @ Stadium of the Southern Lights, Uranium City, Fleftic Antarctica
Uranium City Radiation 1-2 Electric Yugal

Leg 2 @ Weehawken Air Arena, Yugal, Eielo
Electric Yugal 1-0 Uranium City Radiation

Electric Yugal advances to the Unang Liga promotion playoff final 3-1 on aggregate

(5) Kimmirut Panhandle vs. (4) Rosenpfelblatz North End

Leg 1 @ Luxur Field at Belisario Santiago Stadium, Kimmirut, Peninsula
Kimmirut Panhandle 1-2 Rosenpfelblatz North End

Leg 2 @ Plainfields, Rosenpfelblatz, Mezaladbyi
Rosenpfelblatz North End 1-0 Kimmirut Panhandle

Rosenpfelblatz North End advances to the Unang Liga promotion playoff final 3-1 on aggregate

Unang Liga Playoff Final: (3) Electric Yugal vs. (4) Rosenpfelblatz North End

Played @ May 26 Revolution Memorial Stadium, Riuwiee
Electric Yugal 2-2 Rosenpfelblatz North End (2-3 AET)

Rosenpfelblatz North End is promoted to the Fleftic Premier League

by **Estorvipa and Estorpiva** » Sun Nov 17, 2024 9:04 am

The last season of the Federal Top League of the Federal Republic of Estorvipa and Estorpiva could be accurately described as a season of firsts. For the first time since the establishment of the Federal Republic, and the first time since the outbreak of the Northern Revolution that led to the Estorian Civil War, Estorian football saw the re-emergence of a second tier. The introduction of the Federal Second League had been a dream of the Football Federation of the Federal Republic since its inception and the inception of the Federal Top League, but the federation had had to bide its time while looking for teams to put into the second tier that would actually be able to maintain their place in the league and survive the rigors and demands of potential bankruptcy and administration. That said, the victory of SC Batgeyt-1 over the rest of the Second League appears to be proof that money talks loudest in football, as it was very likely that there never would have been a professional football team in Batgeyt in the first place had it not been for the deep pockets of businessman Denys Kucherenko. On a happier note, FK Gepgorod have also managed to secure themselves promotion to the Top League, and though the outlook for the club doesn’t look good, at the very least the club and its supporters can say that they earned promotion to the top flight in their very first season back after a decades-long hiatus courtesy of the civil war.

Speaking of the top flight itself, CSK Armiya Supskij has managed to beat all of the odds and claimed their first ever Federal Top League title, their first league title since the turn of the millennium. The Army Club didn’t even look like they were going to be likely contenders for the title during the regular season, finishing fourth out of twelve and barely just squeaking into the championship round. However, it was in that ten-game championship round that Supskij unleashed themselves and revealed themselves as a surprise contender to the title. The title race itself was already composed of surprising figures, with Spartak Rybolovlev shockingly unable to defend their title after having finally successfully done it last season. Equally shocking was the fact that Chornyy Volodymyrivka had emerged as the title favorites this season, a development that could only be explained by the fact that the team some shrewd business in the transfer window. Perhaps Volodymyrivka could have and should have been celebrating their very first ever title in Estorian football, but the new structure of the Federal Top League has made that impossible. Perhaps this season could be their season, but none of their fans should really be holding their breath just because of this.

2029-30 Federal Top League Regular Season Final Standings

   Federal Top League      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification                     
 1 Chornyy Volodymyrivka    22   14   5   3    38   20  +18    47   Qualified for Championship Round
 2 Dinamo Durdenville       22   12   7   3    29   16  +13    43
 3 Traktor St. Paulsburg    22   11   3   8    51   40  +11    36
 4 Mamai Ihorivtsi          22   10   5   7    37   27  +10    35
 5 Spartak Rybolovlev       22   10   4   8    40   36   +4    34
 6 CSK Armiya Supskij       22    8   9   5    39   33   +6    33                                     
 7 Cavaleri Urodorasul      22    9   3  10    32   36   −4    30   Qualified for Relegation Round
 8 Foc Feuerstadt           22    8   5   9    26   26    0    29
 9 Velikiy Varadino         22    7   5  10    20   24   −4    26
10 Batgeyt-1                22    6   5  11    26   35   −9    23
11 Delfo Yevdokiya          22    4   3  15    36   56  −20    15
12 Gepgorod                 22    3   6  13    42   67  −25    15

Is history repeating itself? Perhaps, but for Chornyy Volodymyrivka and their supporters, they’ll definitely be hoping that this season ends on a much happier note than it did the last time that Volodymyrivka finished at the top of the Top League in the regular season. This is the second time that Chornyy have finished at the top of the pile in the new Top League, but in the entire history of the new league, only Dinamo Durdenville have successfully converted their position into a league title at the end of the championship round. But they have their work cut out for them; the aforementioned Durdenville and Traktor St. Paulsburg are always just around the corner waiting to take advantage of any kind of slip-up. Meanwhile, down at the “wrong” end of the table, both Batgeyt and Gepgorod have come to the realization that life in the new Federal Top League is not going to be as easy as it had been back down in the second tier. Gepgorod have been hit especially hard by this realization, and unless they win literally all of their games in the relegation round, their stay in the Top League won’t be extended for one more season.

2029-30 Federal Top League Championship Round Final Standings

  Championship            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts     
1 Traktor St. Paulsburg    10    5   3   2    23   16   +7    18
2 CSK Armiya Supskij       10    4   4   2    16   12   +4    16
3 Mamai Ihorivtsi          10    4   2   4    14   13   +1    14
4 Chornyy Volodymyrivka    10    2   6   2    12   14   −2    12
5 Dinamo Durdenville       10    2   4   4     7    9   −2    10
6 Spartak Rybolovlev       10    2   3   5    15   23   −8     9

Chornyy Volodymyrivka looks like they’ve thrown away their chance at winning the Federal Top League title once again. If they are really serious about winning the biggest prize in all of Estoria then surely they would have done much better than draw six out of their ten games in the championship round. Traktor St. Paulsburg actually look like they’ve done just enough to steal the title from under Volodymyrivka’s noses yet again, and even CSK Armiya Supskij may have given themselves a decent boost despite a terrible to middling regular season. But will those two teams have done enough to overhaul Volodymyrivka’s advantage, or will Chornyy have finally managed to claim their first league title despite all of the odds being against them once again?

2029-30 Federal Top League Relegation Round Final Standings

  Relegation              Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts     
1 Velikiy Varadino         10    7   1   2    14    9   +5    22
2 Foc Feuerstadt           10    6   1   3    22   16   +6    19
3 Batgeyt-1                10    6   1   3    13    7   +6    19
4 Delfo Yevdokiya          10    2   3   5    16   19   −3     9
5 Gepgorod                 10    3   0   7    14   18   −4     9
6 Cavaleri Urodorasul      10    2   2   6    13   23  −10     8

SC Batgeyt-1 are probably thanking their lucky stars right now that the FFFREE (Football Federation of the Federal Republic of Estorvipa and Estorpiva) has decided to implement a championship and relegation round at the end of the 22-game regular season, and they wouldn’t actually be the first team to do that in this new-look Estorian football system. Had the season ended after just 22 games them Batgeyt would have been relegated back to the Second League after only one season in the top flight. As things stand, the team that Denys Kucherenko has personally funded still stands a good chance of remaining in the Top League, while Gepgorod doesn’t appear to be so lucky this time around. They would have stayed in the Top League if only the first 22 games counted, and their last ten games (only three wins) don’t give their fans a lot of hope of surviving to play at the top for another season.

2029-30 Federal Top League Final Standings

   Federal Top League      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  Qualification                              
 1 Chornyy Volodymyrivka    32   16  11   5    50   34  +16    59  Champions, Qualified for Champions League
 2 Traktor St. Paulsburg    32   16   6  10    74   56  +18    54  Challengers' Cup
 3 Dinamo Durdenville       32   14  11   7    36   25  +11    53  Challengers' Cup
 4 Mamai Ihorivtsi          32   14   7  11    51   40  +11    49  Challengers' Cup
 5 CSK Armiya Supskij       32   12  13   7    55   45  +10    49
 6 Spartak Rybolovlev       32   12   7  13    55   59   −4    43                                             
 7 Foc Feuerstadt           32   14   6  12    48   42   +6    48  **Ineligible for CAFA LigAnaia**
 8 Velikiy Varadino         32   14   6  12    34   33   +1    48
 9 Batgeyt-1                32   12   6  14    39   42   −3    42
10 Cavaleri Urodorasul      32   11   5  16    45   59  −14    38
11 Delfo Yevdokiya          32    6   6  20    52   75  −23    24  Relegated to Second League
12 Gepgorod                 32    6   6  20    56   85  −29    24  Relegated to Second League

They’ve done it. Nobody knows how they did it, but they’ve done it anyway. Chornyy Volodymyrivka are finally champions of Estoria for the very first time in their history, and after the heartbreak of just barely missing out last season, this year’s victory has made this title all the more sweeter for this town of seventy thousand in southeastern Estorvipa. Both Traktor St. Paulsburg and Dinamo Durdenville gave Chornyy the fight of their lives in their fight to claim the title, and even though everyone thought that Volodymyrivka had thrown away the title given their poor performance in the championship round, Chornyy did finally manage to do just enough to claim the title despite their title opponents getting better records in the final ten games of the season. There are a lot of lessons to be learned in this final part of the 2029-30 season, and a lot of teams stand to benefit from learning all of those lessons. Chornyy’s title victory has proved that any team going into the championship-relegation round split at the top of the league table still has a chance to actually bring home the bacon even if their actual championship round record is a bit poor. Of course, it’s still much better to actually do well in the championship round, but Chornyy has just proven that it’s still possible to win the title after a poor last ten games if the first 22 games had actually gone well for the club. Just something to keep in mind for when the new season comes around…

Looks like it’s Delfo Yevdokiya’s turn to have their time in the top flight of Estorian football finally come to an end this season. Delfo had had the time of their lives mixing it up with the rest of the Estorian powerhouses and everyone else without the risk of getting relegated for the first seven years of the Federal Top League’s existence, but now that the Second League is here, it’s time for the poorer teams to come down to a more appropriate level. And though it might hurt to say, the Second League appears to be Yevdokiya’s level. They were a semi-professional team before the Northern Revolution caused all of Estorian football to be put on hiatus for more than a decade, and was one of a handful of clubs that were still capable of operating in the months immediately after the establishment of the new Federal Republic, and now they’ll be going back down to the Second League, which honestly is still a tier higher than the level that they were playing at before the collapse of the old Estorvipan People’s Republic. And joining them down there is FK Gepgorod, who thought that they had survived to play in the top flight for another season before reality hit them in the form of the ten-game relegation round. SC Batgeyt-1 lives to fight another day, and Denys Kucherenko has another season to see his investment into Estorian football possibly pay dividends, if not necessarily for him then definitely for the town of Batgeyt.

by **Estorvipa and Estorpiva** » Wed Jan 08, 2025 7:30 am

The first season of the Federal Second League could be called a success much like the first season of the Federal Top League could be called a success. However, unlike the Top League, there was no surprise at all when it came to crowning a champion, as it was none other than SC Batgeyt-1 who walked away with the title and promotion to the Top League. Money does indeed talk in football, and Denys Kucherenko’s fortune was more than enough to see his hometown team take part in the new top flight of the Federal Republic. The “good” thing, if it could be called that, about Kucherenko bankrolling Batgeyt-1 is that the players that got them up to the Top League in the first place might be harder to lure away by the established top sides. The same unfortunately cannot be said about the other team promoted from the Second League, FK Gepgorod. The team itself is able to stay afloat financially, but they would definitely get raided by the big boys, and there’s really nothing that they can do about it.

As for the two teams that went down from the Top League, analysts and pundits alike both believe that while both Matrega Fanagoria and Politehnica Humongalia are likely to be in the mix for immediate promotion back to the Top League, neither one of them are outright favorites. The likes of Dinamo Prurudak and Uran Bilohodar are still in the mix after all, and the uniquely unpredictable nature of second-level leagues means that literally any team could be able to mount a promotion challenge in any given season. Whether they are able to actually maintain the squad and form to consistently challenge for promotion is another matter entirely, and that also raises the question of whether a team is good enough to fight for the right to compete in the top flight but not good enough to actually see it over the line. At least there is no relegation from the Second League just yet. That might be a drop too far for some of the teams currently taking part in this rebuilt Estorian football pyramid.

2029-30 Federal Second League Regular Season Final Standings

   Second League           Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification                     
 1 Dinamo Prurudak          22   11   8   3    34   19  +15    41   Qualified for Promotion Round
 2 Flota Hryhorivka         22   12   5   5    28   17  +11    41
 3 Panticapaeum             22   12   5   5    29   20   +9    41
 4 Uran Bilohodar           22    8  11   3    29   23   +6    35
 5 Feniks Levadne 1948      22    8   7   7    27   23   +4    31
 6 Matrega Fanagoria        22    8   6   8    21   20   +1    30                                     
 7 Molodets Pionersky       22    8   6   8    33   35   −2    30   Qualified for Relegation Round
 8 Shakhtyor Susskij        22    7   7   8    40   38   +2    28
 9 Politehnica Humongalia   22    7   7   8    23   27   −4    28
10 Avangard Biniuch         22    6   7   9    14   20   −6    25
11 Estorija Kladushnitsa    22    3   6  13    30   44  −14    15
12 Partizan Izumrudne       22    1   7  14    27   49  −22    10

A three-way tie for first place in the table! Now, isn’t that unprecedented. It’s definitely the first time that this has happened in the history of the new Federal Republic, and those who know the history of Estoria and its previous government will remember that rules were enforced in such a way that a three-way tie for the old Estorian league championship would never have happened in the first place. But we now live in freer and more transparent times, and the Football Federation of the Federal Republic (FFFREE) had made it clear from the start that they will not tolerate any sort of match-fixing this time around. Having said that, in an ordinary league schedule both Dinamo Prurudak and Flota Hryhorivka would have already been promoted to the Federal Top League, but the addition of the promotion and relegation rounds now mean that these two sides will have ten more games to prove that they are actually deserving of their place at the top of the regular season table. In the meantime, the newly relegated teams such as Fanagoria and Humongalia may have had good reason to fear being dropped from the Top League because right now, it looks like they are not even cut out for life in the Second League. They will surely be praying that the lack of relegation to the currently unregulated amateur leagues will continue indefinitely, or else these clubs might be liquidated yet again, and this time there might be no hope of either one getting resurrected again.

2029-30 Federal Second League Championship Round Final Standings

  Promotion               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts     
1 Dinamo Prurudak          10    6   2   2    18   12   +6    20
2 Panticapaeum             10    5   2   3    10    9   +1    17
3 Flota Hryhorivka         10    4   3   3    11   12   −1    15
4 Uran Bilohodar           10    2   4   4    10   10    0    10
5 Feniks Levadne 1948      10    2   4   4     9    9    0    10
6 Matrega Fanagoria        10    2   3   5     7   13   −6     9

Unlike Chornyy Volodymyrivka in the Top League, all signs point to Dinamo Prurudak not only attaining promotion to the top flight but also winning the 2029-30 Federal Second League championship. The point of the promotion and relegation rounds is for the team on top at the end of the regular season to prove that they really are the best of the best, and right now it looks like Prurudak is indeed the best football club in the Federal Second League of Estoria. Flota Hryhorivka is definitely not far behind them in third place, but given how close the regular season was between Prurudak, Hryhorivka, and FC Panticapaeum, it stands to reason that Flota may have just missed their shot at getting promoted. Hryhorivka have had what the Westerners call a “mid” season, exemplified by a literal average finish, and it looks like the Navy team didn’t have the gas to step up during the most important part of the league season.

2029-30 Federal Second League Relegation Round Final Standings

  Relegation              Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts     
1 Avangard Biniuch         10    7   1   2    20    8  +12    22
2 Shakhtyor Susskij        10    5   3   2    22   15   +7    18
3 Estorija Kladushnitsa    10    5   2   3    21   19   +2    17
4 Politehnica Humongalia   10    4   3   3    20   14   +6    15
5 Partizan Izumrudne       10    1   3   6    13   23  −10     6
6 Molodets Pionersky       10    1   2   7    15   32  −17     5

What a waste of a season for Molodets Pionersky. In the first 22 games of the season, the academy team from St. Paulsburg, the team “for everyone who was rejected or released by the bigger clubs,” showed that there was a possibility that said big teams may have missed out on a hidden gem or two. Definitely the biggest star of the current Pionersky squad is goalkeeper Aleksandr Susloparov, who showed enough skill in between the sticks to keep his team away from the foot of the table and maybe even sneak into the promotion round. However, once the business end of the season got underway, the pressure was simply too much for the rest of the team and they folded like a house of cards. Susloparov still did what he could to maintain Pionersky’s respectability, and it did result in him receiving a call-up to the Estorian national football team, but surely he must be disappointed at how his teammates collapsed once the slightest bit of pressure touched them. Truly, what a waste of a season for Molodets Pionersky.

2029-30 Federal Second League Final Standings

   Second League           Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  Qualification                              
 1 Dinamo Prurudak          32   17  10   5    52   31  +21    61  Champions, Promoted to Top League
 2 Panticapaeum             32   17   7   8    39   29  +10    58   Promoted to Top League
 3 Flota Hryhorivka         32   16   8   8    39   29  +10    56
 4 Uran Bilohodar           32   10  15   7    39   33   +6    45
 5 Feniks Levadne 1948      32   10  11  11    36   32   +4    41
 6 Matrega Fanagoria        32   10   9  13    28   33   −5    39                                             
 7 Avangard Biniuch         32   13   8  11    34   28   +6    47   **Ineligible for promotion**
 8 Shakhtyor Susskij        32   12  10  10    62   53   +9    46
 9 Politehnica Humongalia   32   11  10  11    43   41   +2    43
10 Molodets Pionersky       32    9   8  15    48   67  −19    35
11 Estorija Kladushnitsa    32    8   8  16    51   63  −12    32
12 Partizan Izumrudne       32    2  10  20    40   72  −32    16

Dinamo Prurudak truly were the best of the best in the Federal Second League, and there wasn’t much of anything that anyone else could do to stop them from getting promoted from Estoria’s top flight. At the very least, it’s easier for them to get promoted now that Batgeyt-1 is currently slugging it out in the Top League. The likes of Flota Hryhorivka and FC Panticapaeum did what they could to slow down Prurudak but this Dinamo was simply unstoppable. Flota itself had a golden chance to be promoted to the Top League alongside Prurudak but they, for whatever reason, decided to squander it away and let Panticapaeum take the other promotion slot. Will Hryhorivka regret this chance at getting all of that Top League money into their coffers, even just for one season? The jury is still out on that. In any case, Prurudak and Panticapaeum will replace Delfo Yevdokiya and FK Gepgorod, the two teams relegated from the Top League this season. Yevdokiya may have gotten lucky evading relegation in the previous season, but this time their luck has run out, and now they will join the likes of Fanagoria and Humongalia in attempting to regain the place in the Top League that they once had before relegation had been reintroduced by the FFFREE.

by **Trans-Dniesters** » Fri Jan 10, 2025 7:29 am

2036-37 Pridnestrovian Super League Final Standings

    Super League                    P   W   D   L For  Ag  +/- Pts   Qualification                                    
  1 Sheriff Tiraspol               34  24   5   5  68  26  +42  77   Champions, Copa de Campeones
  2 CSKA Tiraspol                  34  21   9   4  73  31  +42  72
  3 Dinamo Macaresti               34  18   9   7  46  22  +24  63
  4 Spartak Tiraspol               34  19   6   9  43  27  +16  63
  5 Dinamo Bender                  34  17   8   9  33  20  +13  59
  6 Shakhtar Rheinburg             34  15   9  10  32  25   +7  54
  7 Union Rheinburg                34  14   9  11  56  39  +17  51
  8 Rotor Dnistrosh                34  14   6  14  46  49   -3  48
  9 Admiral Novorossiysk           34  13   7  14  50  41   +9  46
 10 Chernomorets Bratsk            34  12   8  14  35  45  -10  44
 11 Kesselburger Kickers           34  11   9  14  29  30   -1  42
 12 Lokomotiv Novosverdlovsk       34  11   8  15  31  34   -3  41
 13 Fortuna Novonikolaysk          34   8  14  12  35  43   -8  38
 14 Bierburger SV                  34   9   8  17  30  46  -16  35
 15 Derinkuyuspor                  34  10   4  20  16  45  -29  34
 16 Ufa Verkhovyansk               34   7  11  16  27  52  -25  32   Relegation playoff
 17 Dnistro Dnistropavlovsk        34   6   9  19  35  76  -41  27   Relegated to National Premier Football League
 18 FK Pridnestrovskaya Gavan      34   4   7  23  17  51  -34  19   Relegated to National Premier Football League

Congratulations to Sheriff Tiraspol, your 2036-37 Pridnestrovian Super League champions!

2036-37 Pridnestrovian National Premier Football League Final Standings

    NPFL                       P   W   D   L For  Ag  +/- Pts   Qualification                           
  1 Metallurgist Beledor      34  24   4   6  80  28  +52  76   Champions, Promoted to Super League
  2 Exiles FK                 34  23   6   5  67  32  +35  75   Promoted to Super League
  3 Masyafspor                34  19   7   8  45  27  +18  64   Promotion playoff
  4 Traktor Bender            34  17  10   7  45  29  +16  61
  5 Atom Zheleznogorsk        34  18   7   9  33  24   +9  61
  6 FC 23 August              34  18   5  11  59  37  +22  59
  7 Torpedo Yeralenko         34  16   6  12  70  55  +15  54
  8 1895 Lekhwiya Pepuza      34  15   5  14  44  51   -7  50
  9 Star City FC              34  12  12  10  32  24   +8  48
 10 Elektrik Admiralnaya      34  11  12  11  33  37   -4  45
 11 Raketa Palatinsk          34  11  10  13  52  50   +2  43
 12 Vorpommern Nyqvist        34  11   8  15  55  52   +3  41
 13 Renechev Revolution       34  11   8  15  43  59  -16  41
 14 Aviapromet Olimp          34   9   7  18  33  59  -26  34
 15 Dinamo Vitebsk            34   8   9  17  25  45  -20  33
 16 Antakyaspor               34   6   8  20  18  46  -28  26   Relegation playoff
 17 Baltika Belgorod          34   3  11  20  17  50  -33  20   Relegation to Top League
 18 Amzaceaspor               34   3   7  24  35  81  -46  16   Relegation to Top League

2036-37 Pridnestrovian Top League Final Standings

    Top League                 P   W  D   L For  Ag  +/- Pts   Qualification                                             
  1 Submarin Yeralenko        34  21  7   6  43  17  +26  70   Champions, Promoted to National Premier Football League
  2 Nickel Novorossiysk       34  19  9   6  85  43  +42  66   Promoted to National Premier Football League
  3 SG 08 Chemie Mitwitz      34  19  9   6  59  25  +34  66   Promotion playoff
  4 Olimpia Strebsk           34  20  4  10  73  43  +30  64
  5 CSKA Apollinarov          34  18  5  11  64  43  +21  59
  6 Dimashqspor               34  18  5  11  59  45  +14  59
  7 Submarin Admiralnaya      34  16 10   8  46  36  +10  58
  8 Latakiaspor               34  13 10  11  39  43   -4  49
  9 Gobekli Tepespor          34  14  6  14  51  63  -12  48
 10 Avion Topraisar           34  13  6  15  43  32  +11  45
 11 Tennis Dacia Althaus      34  12  8  14  24  33   -9  44
 12 Larnakaspor               34  12  7  15  28  32   -4  43
 13 Szigetszentmiklos         34  11  9  14  31  32   -1  42
 14 Avangard Brekonav         34   9  9  16  41  62  -21  36
 15 Palatine Opals            34   9  7  18  30  57  -27  34
 16 Bryan Bryansk             34   7  8  19  39  80  -41  29   Relegated to State Leagues
 17 Wormatia Wewelsburg       34   4  7  23  19  46  -27  19   Relegated to State Leagues
 18 Meydanspor                34   3 10  21  24  66  -42  19   Relegated to State Leagues

Vorwärts Rheinburg, Jinarspor, and Pobeda Vladikarpaty are promoted from the State Leagues to the Top League.

Super League relegation playoff
Ufa Verkhovyansk vs. Masyafspor

Leg 1 @ Severny-Stadion, Verkhovyansk, Frivolov Socialist State
Ufa Verkhovyansk 0-0 Masyafspor

Leg 2 @ The Stadium on the Hill, Masyaf, Hatay Socialist State
Masyafspor 1-1 Ufa Verkhovyansk (2-2 AET, 2-1 PKs)

Masyafspor is promoted to the Pridnestrovian Super League 2-1 on penalty kicks

National Premier Football League relegation playoff
Antakyaspor vs. SG 08 Chemie Mitwitz

Leg 1 @ Antakya Stadyumu Hashim Bulut, Antakya, Hatay Socialist State
Antakyaspor 1-0 SG 08 Chemie Mitwitz

Leg 2 @ Andreas-Ingenhoven-Sportpark, Mitwitz, Ixanian Socialist State
SG 08 Chemie Mitwitz 0-2 Antakyaspor

Antakyaspor remains in the National Premier Football League 3-0 on aggregate

by **Trans-Dniesters** » Fri Jan 17, 2025 7:42 am

International broadcasts have been limited to the Second Round onwards due to broadcaster obligations

Second Round

Bierburger SV 1–2 Chernomorets Bratsk

Raketa Palatinsk 3–0 CSKA Apollinarov

Aviapromet Olimp 0–1 Dinamo Bender

Spartak Tiraspol 2–0 Avion Topraisar

Submarin Admiralnaya 0–2 Masyafspor

Ufa Verkhovyansk 4–2 CSKA Tiraspol

Derinkuyuspor 0–0 Traktor Bender (0–1 AET)

Vorpommern Nyqvist 0–1 Metallurgist Beledor

Union Rheinburg 1–0 Baltika Belgorod

Kesselburger Kickers 0–2 Rotor Dnistrosh

FK Pridnestrovskaya Gavan 0–1 Amzaceaspor

Dinamo Macaresti 0–2 Elektrik Admiralnaya

Shakhtar Rheinburg 0–2 Star City FC

Torpedo Yeralenko 1–4 Sheriff Tiraspol

Lokomotiv Novosverdlovsk 1–2 Admiral Novorossiysk

Antakyaspor 2–1 Submarin Yeralenko

Third Round

Dinamo Bender 1–1 Metallurgist Beledor (1–1 AET) (4–3 pen.)

Antakyaspor 2–2 Star City FC (2–4 AET)

Masyafspor 2–1 Raketa Palatinsk

Elektrik Admiralnaya 5–4 Sheriff Tiraspol

Chernomorets Bratsk 2–2 Rotor Dnistrosh (3–2 AET)

Traktor Bender 1–0 Spartak Tiraspol

Ufa Verkhovyansk 2–4 Union Rheinburg

Amzaceaspor 1–1 Admiral Novorossiysk (1–1 AET) (4–2 pen.)

Quarterfinals

Amzaceaspor 1–1 Masyafspor (2–2 AET) (3–2 pen.)

Traktor Bender 0–4 Union Rheinburg

Dinamo Bender 2–0 Star City FC

Elektrik Admiralnaya 0–1 Chernomorets Bratsk

Semifinals
Semifinals will be played across two legs. Away goals rule does not apply. Penalties will decide the winner if scores are level after both legs have been played.

Chernomorets Bratsk 0–2 Dinamo Bender
Dinamo Bender 3–2 Chernomorets Bratsk

Dinamo Bender advances to the 2037 PFS-Kubok Final 5-2 on aggregate

Union Rheinburg 5–2 Amzaceaspor
Amzaceaspor 0–2 Union Rheinburg

Union Rheinburg advances to the 2037 PFS-Kubok Final 7-2 on aggregate

Final

Dinamo Bender 2–1 Union Rheinburg

Congratulations to Dinamo Bender, your 2036-37 PFS-Kubok winners!

by **Oontaz Dert Li Ng** » Sat Jan 25, 2025 2:35 am

2031-32 Oontaznik First Division Final Standings

   First Division          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification                 
 1 Pasargad Manitogoro      38   21  13   4    97   65  +32    76   Champions, Hui La Sun League
 2 Botafogo de Maranao      38   22   9   7    64   36  +28    75
 3 Red Horse Biñan          38   22   8   8    67   39  +28    74
 4 Real Altamarino          38   18  14   6    81   61  +20    68
 5 Gryphons Nubalochi       38   20   7  11    60   44  +16    67
 6 General Santos FC        38   19   7  12    79   62  +17    64
 7 Rayo La Presa            38   16  12  10    59   47  +12    60   Cup Winners, Hui La Sun League
 8 Fudukwan FC              38   14  11  13    70   66   +4    53
 9 Al Mazyunah              38   14  11  13    43   57  −14    53
10 Al-Awqad                 38   14  10  14    42   41   +1    52
11 Esteghlal Omidinabad     38   13  12  13    48   51   −3    51
12 Vigan Athletic           38   13  11  14    67   66   +1    50
13 Deportivo Cauayan        38   14   8  16    55   57   −2    50
14 Kota Nibabalu            38   12  11  15    36   40   −4    47
15 Um al-Gwarif             38   12   9  17    40   46   −6    45
16 Hapoel Nineveh           38    9  16  13    70   73   −3    43
17 Real Meycauayan          38    7  13  18    71   97  −26    34
18 Paniqui CF               38    6  13  19    48   76  −28    31   Relegated to Second Division
19 Gingoog Gymnastic Club   38    6   9  23    46   75  −29    27   Relegated to Second Division
20 Al-Wehdat Abumusa        38    2   8  28    38   82  −44    14   Relegated to Second Division

Congratulations to Pasargad Manitogoro, your 2031-32 Oontaznik First Division champions!

2031-32 Oontaznik Second Division Final Standings

   Second Division            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification                          
 1 RCD Baler                   38   23   8   7    88   56  +32    77   Champions, Promoted to First Division
 2 Etazig Petroleum            38   19  13   6   105   76  +29    70   Promoted to First Division
 3 Zama Athletic               38   20  10   8    55   36  +19    70   Promoted to First Division
 4 Habaniyyah Harriers         38   20   9   9    69   38  +31    69
 5 Tarbayog Aguilas            38   18  13   7    88   72  +16    67
 6 Tall Afar FC                38   17  11  10    58   37  +21    62
 7 Dasmariñas Dragons          38   16  14   8    64   52  +12    62
 8 Sasmuanense                 38   16   9  13    43   33  +10    57
 9 Nasiriyah                   38   14  13  11    56   57   −1    55
10 Tikrit Wanderers            38   13  14  11    49   38  +11    53
11 al-Mutazz                   38   14   9  15    63   56   +7    51
12 Deportivo Mangudadatu       38   13   8  17    42   46   −4    47
13 Racing Club Antipolo        38   13   6  19    55   73  −18    45
14 General Trias Multiversal   38   10  11  17    62   78  −16    41
15 Persephone Hojfsa           38   10  10  18    73   77   −4    40
16 Racing al-Ampatuan          38    9  12  17    39   58  −19    39
17 Samalense                   38   10   9  19    69   90  −21    39
18 Atletico Novaliches         38   10   7  21    31   66  −35    37   Relegated to Third DIvision
19 al-Suwayyil                 38    9   4  25    52   79  −27    31   Relegated to Third DIvision
20 Osmaniyah                   38    7   8  23    44   87  −43    29   Relegated to Third DIvision

Beitar Gibeon, al-Mutawakkiliyah, and Athletic Club Baguis are promoted from the Oontaznik Third Division into the Second Division.

by **Oontaz Dert Li Ng** » Wed Jan 29, 2025 6:58 am

2031-32 Sultan's Cup First Round

Vigan Athletic 3–0 Tarbayog Aguilas
Zama Athletic 1–2 Etazig Petroleum
Sasmuanense 1–0 Gryphons Nubalochi
Racing al-Ampatuan 0–3 Deportivo Cauayan
al-Suwayyil 0–3 Rayo La Presa
Real Altamarino 4–3 Fudukwan FC
Al-Awqad 1–0 RCD Baler
General Trias Multiversal 2–1 Tikrit Wanderers
Al Mazyunah 1–0 Botafogo de Maranao
Nasiriyah 3–6 Pasargad Manitogoro
Paniqui CF 5–1 Tall Afar FC
Hapoel Nineveh 4–1 Um al-Gwarif
Red Horse Biñan 0–2 Al-Wehdat Abumusa
Esteghlal Omidinabad 1–0 Habaniyyah Harriers
General Santos FC 0–1 Kota Nibabalu
Real Meycauayan 2–2 Gingoog Gymnastic Club (3–2 AET)

2031-32 Sultan's Cup Second Round

Esteghlal Omidinabad 3–3 Hapoel Nineveh (4–4 AET) (2–3 pen.)
Real Altamarino 4–0 Paniqui CF
Real Meycauayan 1–0 Al Mazyunah
Al-Awqad 0–0 Al-Wehdat Abumusa (0–1 AET)
Pasargad Manitogoro 1–1 Vigan Athletic (2–2 AET) (4–5 pen.)
Etazig Petroleum 2–4 Deportivo Cauayan
Sasmuanense 0–0 General Trias Multiversal (0–2 AET)
Rayo La Presa 1–1 Kota Nibabalu (1–1 AET) (5–3 pen.)

2031-32 Sultan's Cup Quarterfinals

Hapoel Nineveh 2–2 Deportivo Cauayan (3–2 AET)
Real Meycauayan 1–2 Al-Wehdat Abumusa
Real Altamarino 2–2 Rayo La Presa (2–3 AET)
General Trias Multiversal 4–4 Vigan Athletic (4–5 AET)

2031-32 Sultan's Cup Semifinals

Vigan Athletic 2–6 Hapoel Nineveh

Al-Wehdat Abumusa 0–0 Rayo La Presa (0–1 AET)

2031-32 Sultan's Cup Final

Hapoel Nineveh 0–1 Rayo La Presa

Congratulations to Rayo La Presa, your 2031-32 Sultan's Cup champions!

by **Copper Cuprum** » Thu Jan 30, 2025 12:09 am

2031-32 Copperite National League Final Standings

   National League                 Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification              
 1 Athletic Wa Deg                  30   22   6   2    78   34  +44    72   Champions, CEdC
 2 Atletico Bed Deg                 30   20   3   7    60   29  +31    63   CEdC
 3 Ken Deg United                   30   17   5   8    67   57  +10    56
 4 Copper Cuprum Halal Commission   30   15   8   7    59   45  +14    53
 5 South Ons Deg Rabbitohs A.F.C.   30   12  11   7    50   44   +6    47
 6 Bed Deg Bantams A.F.C.           30   14   4  12    35   32   +3    46
 7 Sub Deg Raiders A.F.C.           30   12  10   8    66   54  +12    46
 8 Vay Deg Eels A.F.C.              30   12   8  10    58   49   +9    44
 9 Nel Deg Rovers                   30   12   6  12    57   55   +2    42
10 Mah Deg Diamonds                 30   10   9  11    46   42   +4    39
11 Wa Deg City                      30    9   6  15    38   50  −12    33
12 Bor Deg Bears                    30    8   5  17    44   61  −17    29
13 Yon Deg                          30    8   3  19    30   60  −30    27
14 Hen Deg                          30    5  10  15    49   67  −18    25
15 Al Deg Barracudas A.F.C.         30    6   6  18    35   55  −20    24   Relegation to League Two
16 Nay Deg                          30    3  10  17    24   62  −38    19   Relegation to League Two

Congratulations to Athletic Wa Deg, your 2031-32 Copperite National League champions!

2031-32 Copperite League Two Final Standings

   League Two               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification                           
 1 Sportif Ab Deg            30   19   6   5    61   24  +37    63   Champions, Promoted to National League
 2 Bed Deg Town              30   18   7   5    68   53  +15    61   Promoted to National League
 3 Chicken Wings FC          30   16   9   5    79   53  +26    57
 4 Pad Deg Harriers A.F.C.   30   17   6   7    66   43  +23    57
 5 Ob Deg Palms A.F.C.       30   15   5  10    43   37   +6    50
 6 Wa Deg Giants A.F.C.      30   15   5  10    58   46  +12    50
 7 Nay Deg Elephants F.C.    30   14   8   8    38   24  +14    50
 8 Ven Deg A.F.C.            30   13   8   9    56   46  +10    47
 9 Dan Deg Megatheriums      30   12   7  11    52   56   −4    43
10 Ons Deg North End         30    9   8  13    30   38   −8    35
11 Ims Deg Rovers            30    8   9  13    32   45  −13    33
12 Af Deg Wanderers          30    8   8  14    46   54   −8    32
13 Jit Deg Royal F.C.        30    7   6  17    54   76  −22    27
14 Anek Deg A.F.C.           30    5   7  18    51   72  −21    22
15 Pun Deg Bees A.F.C.       30    6   2  22    40   71  −31    20   Relegated to League Three
16 His Deg A.F.C.            30    3   9  18    32   68  −36    18   Relegated to League Three

Wip Deg United and Rif Deg United are promoted from Copperite League Three to League Two.

by **Fhulghamous Peninsula** » Fri Jan 31, 2025 7:52 am

2031 Fhulghamousian Premier League - Opening Final Standings

   Premier League              Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification             
 1 Airbus Fhulghamous Besanza   22   11   7   4    41   27  +14    40   Opening Champions, CEdC
 2 EA Tatouwine                 22   12   2   8    41   34   +7    38
 3 Deportivo Pequeña Melilla    22   11   3   8    40   34   +6    36
 4 Nuevo Guadix CF              22   10   4   8    50   42   +8    34
 5 Charalambos FC               22    9   5   8    39   43   −4    32
 6 Besanza Emeralds             22    8   6   8    38   31   +7    30
 7 Heliopolisspor               22    8   5   9    25   31   −6    29
 8 RCD Nueva Ceuta              22    9   2  11    33   41   −8    29
 9 Nove Gossed                  22    7   7   8    41   44   −3    28
10 Nou Philippopolis            22    7   6   9    21   21    0    27
11 Haritzaga Albion             22    6   5  11    24   30   −6    23
12 Sobresalientes               22    4   8  10    34   49  −15    20

2032 Fhulghamousian Premier League - Closing Final Standings

   Premier League              Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification             
 1 Airbus Fhulghamous Besanza   22   11   6   5    46   30  +16    39   Closing Champions
 2 Nuevo Guadix CF              22   10   9   3    52   37  +15    39
 3 Besanza Emeralds             22   11   5   6    54   45   +9    38
 4 RCD Nueva Ceuta              22   11   4   7    37   30   +7    37
 5 Charalambos FC               22   10   4   8    44   40   +4    34
 6 Deportivo Pequeña Melilla    22    9   6   7    39   34   +5    33
 7 Heliopolisspor               22    8   4  10    31   41  −10    28
 8 Haritzaga Albion             22    8   4  10    33   45  −12    28
 9 Nou Philippopolis            22    7   6   9    27   22   +5    27
10 EA Tatouwine                 22    8   3  11    37   39   −2    27
11 Nove Gossed                  22    6   5  11    43   58  −15    23
12 Sobresalientes               22    4   2  16    23   45  −22    14

2031-32 Fhulghamousian Premier League Final Standings

   Premier League              Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification                            
 1 Airbus Fhulghamous Besanza   44   22  13   9    87   57  +30    79   Overall champions, Qualified for CEdC
 2 Nuevo Guadix CF              44   20  13  11   102   79  +23    73   Qualified for CEdC
 3 Deportivo Pequeña Melilla    44   20   9  15    79   68  +11    69
 4 Besanza Emeralds             44   19  11  14    92   76  +16    68
 5 Charalambos FC               44   19   9  16    83   83    0    66
 6 RCD Nueva Ceuta              44   20   6  18    70   71   −1    66
 7 EA Tatouwine                 44   20   5  19    78   73   +5    65
 8 Heliopolisspor               44   16   9  19    56   72  −16    57
 9 Nou Philippopolis            44   14  12  18    48   43   +5    54
10 Nove Gossed                  44   13  12  19    84  102  −18    51
11 Haritzaga Albion             44   14   9  21    57   75  −18    51   Relegated to Second League
12 Sobresalientes               44    8  10  26    57   94  −37    34   Relegated to Second League

2031 Fhulghamousian Second League - Opening Final Results

   Second League               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification             
 1 UD Nuevo Carthago            22   13   6   3    28   13  +15    45   Opening Champions
 2 Oxyrhynchus United           22   12   7   3    28   16  +12    43
 3 Marble Arch Defenders        22   12   5   5    31   21  +10    41
 4 SD Mimetiz                   22   11   3   8    35   25  +10    36
 5 Pythagoras FC                22   11   3   8    53   46   +7    36
 6 Athletic Club Ixmurratin     22    9   7   6    33   26   +7    34
 7 FC Aeaea Albion              22    9   4   9    25   28   −3    31
 8 Palaeiologi                  22    8   2  12    32   40   −8    26
 9 CF Novasaguntum              22    8   2  12    40   51  −11    26
10 Asparagus Thistle            22    6   3  13    22   30   −8    21
11 Sycorax Kickers              22    5   5  12    20   30  −10    20
12 Emekasis Sportif             22    2   5  15    25   46  −21    11

2032 Fhulghamousian Second League - Closing Final Results

   Second League               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification             
 1 Athletic Club Ixmurratin     22   13   6   3    38   21  +17    45   Closing Champions
 2 Marble Arch Defenders        22   13   3   6    26   17   +9    42
 3 UD Nuevo Carthago            22   11   6   5    32   21  +11    39
 4 Emekasis Sportif             22   11   4   7    43   31  +12    37
 5 FC Aeaea Albion              22   10   5   7    37   30   +7    35
 6 Palaeiologi                  22   11   2   9    22   19   +3    35
 7 Oxyrhynchus United           22    9   7   6    34   30   +4    34
 8 Pythagoras FC                22    8   6   8    51   44   +7    30
 9 Sycorax Kickers              22    7   5  10    23   31   −8    26
10 SD Mimetiz                   22    4   7  11    21   30   −9    19
11 CF Novasaguntum              22    3   4  15    26   58  −32    13
12 Asparagus Thistle            22    2   5  15    16   37  −21    11

2031-32 Fhulghamousian Second League Final Standings

   Second League               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification                                  
 1 UD Nuevo Carthago            44   24  12   8    60   34  +26    84   Overall champions, Promoted to Premier League
 2 Marble Arch Defenders        44   25   8  11    57   38  +19    83
 3 Athletic Club Ixmurratin     44   22  13   9    71   47  +24    79   Promoted to Premier League as Closing Champions
 4 Oxyrhynchus United           44   21  14   9    62   46  +16    77
 5 Pythagoras FC                44   19   9  16   104   90  +14    66
 6 FC Aeaea Albion              44   19   9  16    62   58   +4    66
 7 Palaeiologi                  44   19   4  21    54   59   −5    61
 8 SD Mimetiz                   44   15  10  19    56   55   +1    55
 9 Emekasis Sportif             44   13   9  22    68   77   −9    48
10 Sycorax Kickers              44   12  10  22    43   61  −18    46
11 CF Novasaguntum              44   11   6  27    66  109  −43    39   Relegated to Third League–North
12 Asparagus Thistle            44    8   8  28    38   67  −29    32   Relegated to Third League–South

UD Albaracete from the Fhulghamousian Third League-North and Berenike Port F.C. from the Fhulghamousian Third League-South are promoted to the Second League.

by **Estorvipa and Estorpiva** » Sat Feb 08, 2025 11:25 am

Nobody could really say that Chornyy Volodymyrivka didn’t deserve the title this time around. The club, which had never yet won a single league title in their history, found themselves stumbling over the finish line at the end of the 2028-29 season while an equally unlikely challenger in the form of CSK Armiya Supskij went home with the title. One year on from their ill-fated title challenge, and this Chornyy squad now had the experience to deal with the potential pitfalls of the championship round system, and they were able to navigate it without much fuss in order to secure their very first Estorian league title. It would be hard to find anyone in Estoria (or at least in territory controlled by the Federal Republic) that wouldn’t be happy with Volodymyrivka’s victory, except maybe of course for the true die-hard supporters of the likes of Spartak Rybolovlev and Traktor St. Paulsburg. In any case, the title victory of Chornyy Volodymyrivka is also a victory for the neutrals who watch Estorian football, and there will be many people happy to see the team in black finally be able to finish the story after coming up short a year ago.

Down at the other end of the table, it’s goodbye to the Top League for Delfo Yevdokiya, and maybe a “see you again” for FK Gepgorod. Delfo had a good long spell at the top, much longer than they would probably would have had without the civil war wrecking the league pyramid, but there were times when Delfo showed that they were actually capable of staying afloat. Sure, it wasn’t a lot, but the effort was definitely there, and there is every possibility that a better roster and shrewd management could not only bring Yevdokiya straight back up to the top tier but also help them break into the top six eventually. And while Gepgorod probably didn’t expect their stay in the Top League to be a lengthy one, they still would have learned at least a handful of lessons on what to expect about life with the elite clubs. Now the management and ownership of Gepgorod has a decision to make: do they want to go straight back into the fray of promotion? Or would they prefer to rebuild in the Second League and assemble a team that can actually compete with the cream of Estoria’s crop? Whichever choice they do make though, they must remember to fully commit to it, lest they suffer the wrath of the fans who expect one thing and experience another.

2030-31 Federal Top League Regular Season Standings

   Federal Top League      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification                     
 1 Traktor St. Paulsburg    22   13   4   5    55   29  +26    43   Qualified for Championship Round
 2 Spartak Rybolovlev       22   13   3   6    38   20  +18    42
 3 Dinamo Durdenville       22   11   5   6    23   18   +5    38
 4 Foc Feuerstadt           22    8   9   5    30   22   +8    33
 5 Mamai Ihorivtsi          22    9   6   7    39   39    0    33
 6 Chornyy Volodymyrivka    22    8   6   8    28   25   +3    30                                     
 7 Batgeyt-1                22    7   8   7    29   32   −3    29   Qualified for Relegation Round
 8 Dinamo Prurudak          22    8   5   9    34   38   −4    29
 9 Velikiy Varadino         22    8   4  10    16   25   −9    28
10 CSK Armiya Supskij       22    8   3  11    18   29  −11    27
11 Panticapaeum             22    5   3  14    14   26  −12    18
12 Cavaleri Urodorasul      22    4   4  14    28   49  −21    16

It would appear that after eight years, normal service has finally been resumed, at least as far as Estorian football is concerned. It doesn’t really matter in which generation an Estorian was classified; every generation has seen the eternal fight between Spartak Rybolovlev and Traktor St. Paulsburg play out on the football pitch since time immemorial. It’s a rivalry that’s been going one practically since the beginnings of football in Estoria, and one that turned deadly in the final days of the Estorvipan People’s Republic as more and more people began rooting for Traktor simply because they weren’t the team that Vissarion Zhivkov supported. Rooting for Traktor became as much of a political statement in the last days of Zhivkov’s time as dictator of Estorvipa as calling for an end to the war with the north, but now that Zhivkov had been ousted and order had been restored (to southern Estoria at least), the heat between Spartak and Traktor fans had settled down to the usual fare between rival clubs and their supporters. But now that a title is once again on the line, security forces need to be on their toes to make sure that nobody steps way out of line once again. And another team that had been in the Top League since its foundation, Cavaleri Urodorasul, could find itself going down to the Second League. It would be a shame if that were to happen as Cavaleri had been a symbol for the resilience of the people and city of Urodorasul, which had been devastated during the initial offensive that had broken the Estorvipan People’s Republic’s hold over most of western Estorvipa. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if Cavaleri were to get relegated, but it would definitely be a sad thing to see.

2030-31 Federal Top League Championship Round Final Standings

  Championship            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts     
1 Spartak Rybolovlev       10    5   2   3    23   21   +2    17
2 Traktor St. Paulsburg    10    4   3   3    17   16   +1    15
3 Chornyy Volodymyrivka    10    4   3   3    12   13   −1    15
4 Foc Feuerstadt           10    4   1   5    17   17    0    13
5 Dinamo Durdenville       10    4   1   5     7    8   −1    13
6 Mamai Ihorivtsi          10    4   0   6    11   12   −1    12

There have been times when the club that leads the Top League going into the championship round doesn’t end up winning the title at the end of the last ten games of the season. That doesn’t look likely to happen this season though, as both Traktor and Spartak have maintained the pace and momentum that they both had at the end of the regular season, with both sides seemingly matching the other blow for blow, game for game, result for result. And given how close these two teams were at the top, a single point dropped could very well mean the difference between title glory and “better luck next time.”

2030-31 Federal Second League Championship Round Final Standings

  Relegation              Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts     
1 CSK Armiya Supskij       10    7   1   2    24   12  +12    22
2 Dinamo Prurudak          10    6   2   2    14   10   +4    20
3 Cavaleri Urodorasul      10    5   1   4    14   15   −1    16
4 Velikiy Varadino         10    4   2   4    14   13   +1    14
5 Batgeyt-1                10    2   3   5    15   19   −4     9
6 Panticapaeum             10    0   3   7     7   19  −12     3

There may yet still be some hope for the survival of Cavaleri Udororasul. Just as the second phase of the league makes or breaks championships, the introduction of the Federal Second League has made a good performance in the final ten games of the season just as important for the bottom six sides. One team that looks like they’ve failed on both accounts though is FC Panticapaeum. The Bentakeb-based club had always known that staying in the Top League was going to be a steep uphill battle, and some might say that it was practically a Sisyphean task for the Cimmerians. At least they got a taste of top flight football, and it’s up to them if they want to get another serving or if they would rather chill in the Second League.

2030-31 Federal Top League Final Standings

   Federal Top League      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  Qualification                              
 1 Spartak Rybolovlev       32   18   5   9    61   41  +20    59  Champions, Qualified for Champions League
 2 Traktor St. Paulsburg    32   17   7   8    72   45  +27    58  Challengers' Cup
 3 Dinamo Durdenville       32   15   6  11    30   26   +4    51  Challengers' Cup
 4 Foc Feuerstadt           32   12  10  10    47   39   +8    46  Challengers' Cup
 5 Chornyy Volodymyrivka    32   12   9  11    40   38   +2    45
 6 Mamai Ihorivtsi          32   13   6  13    50   51   −1    45                                             
 7 CSK Armiya Supskij       32   15   4  13    42   41   +1    49  **Ineligible for CAFA LigAnaia**
 8 Dinamo Prurudak          32   14   7  11    48   48    0    49
 9 Velikiy Varadino         32   12   6  14    30   38   −8    42
10 Batgeyt-1                32    9  11  12    44   51   −7    38
11 Cavaleri Urodorasul      32    9   5  18    42   64  −22    32  Relegated to Second League
12 Panticapaeum             32    5   6  21    21   45  −24    21  Relegated to Second League

It was one of the closest title races in the history of Estorian football, and it was definitely the closest title race in the history of the Federal Top League since the second season, when goal difference decided that Traktor St. Paulsburg would bring home the title over CSK Armiya Supskij. This time though, it’s Traktor who’s drawn the short end of the stick as Spartak Rybolovlev became the first ever three-time champions of the Top League. Is Spartak headed for another era of dominating Estorian football once again? At least this time around, Vissarion Zhivkov isn’t coercing the match officials to make decisions that would benefit Spartak and put their opponents at a clear disadvantage. Still, even if losing the title to their rivals by just one point will sting, at least Traktor St. Paulsburg knew that they did all that they could do to claim their second Top League championship, and for all everyone knows, the stage has been set for yet another titanic clash between the two giants of (southern) Estorian football. It must sting for the northern clubs to not have their achievements be recognized or even acknowledged by the FFFREE (Football Federation of the Federal Republic of Estorvipa and Estorpiva), but as long as the north and the south remain in conflict, the northern clubs may as well not even exist.

Turns out it wasn’t enough for Cavaleri Urodorasul. The Knights had dug themselves too deep of a hole from which they could extricate themselves with ten games remaining, and though there were signs that their team was still capable of hanging it with the big boys, it just wasn’t enough to stave off relegation. Cavaleri will now join the likes of Matrega Fanagoria and Politehnica Humongalia as former Top League clubs that had fallen victim to the drop since the introduction of the Federal Second League. The other team going down to the second tier with Cavaleri is none other than FC Panticapaeum, but this was a relegation that came to the surprise of no one. While Panticapaeum definitely was a strong side in terms of the Second League, it was clear since the moment that they confirmed their promotion to the top flight that the Cimmerians were going to struggle. Maybe they should spend a few more seasons in the Second League to figure out their identity and where they actually want to go. The fans definitely wish that they could be back in the Top League sooner rather than later, but maybe there should be someone out there telling Panticapaeum fans to temper their expectations going into the next season.

by **Estorvipa and Estorpiva** » Sun Feb 09, 2025 8:07 am

The first season of the new Federal Second League of the Federal Republic of Estorvipa and Estorpiva was marked by the complete and utter dominance of one side over everyone else. SC Batgeyt-1 had the big money backing of businessman Denys Kucherenko, but at least he wanted to see his hometown team succeed in the new Estorian football landscape even if he knew that it was always going to be an uphill battle against the big names like Spartak Rybolovlev and Traktor St. Paulsburg. Last season though was a much more equal and fun battle for the top two spots as there were at least three clear contenders for promotion, but only one of them would end up actually figuring in the promotion picture, and that is the eventual champions Dinamo Prurudak. It’s no Estorian football championship, but that Second League title still looks pretty shiny alongside Prurudak’s five league championships, and there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the long-term objective for the other Dinamo is to add a Top League trophy to their cabinet.

FK Gepgorod makes history in being the first Second League side to be immediately relegated back to the second tier after only one season in the Top League. It’s not a record that they would have wanted (who would?) but they have it nonetheless, and some would even say that it was to be expected. The other team to be relegated from the Top League, Delfo Yevdokiya, joins the likes of Matrega Fanagoria and Politehnica Humongalia in trying to figure out if they’re actually deserving of a Top League spot or if the Second League is more their level. To be frank, none of these teams would have had the opportunity to compete at the top level of Estorian football for as long as they did had the likes of Vissarion Zhivkov still been in charge of the whole nation, but at the same time, it’s kind of in bad taste to tell a football club or three to be grateful just because a dictator had been deposed. In any case, all three now have 32 games to figure out if they actually want to join in the promotion melee or if they’re going to consolidate in the Second League for a season more or two.

2030-31 Federal Second League Regular Season Standings

   Second League           Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification                     
 1 Feniks Levadne 1948      22   18   1   3    35   17  +18    55   Qualified for Promotion Round
 2 Avangard Biniuch         22   11   5   6    33   23  +10    38
 3 Politehnica Humongalia   22   10   6   6    42   34   +8    36
 4 Matrega Fanagoria        22   10   4   8    25   20   +5    34
 5 Gepgorod                 22    9   4   9    41   30  +11    31
 6 Estorija Kladushnitsa    22    8   6   8    33   36   −3    30                                     
 7 Uran Bilohodar           22    8   5   9    28   32   −4    29   Qualified for Relegation Round
 8 Shakhtyor Susskij        22    7   7   8    37   40   −3    28
 9 Flota Hryhorivka         22    7   4  11    21   30   −9    25
10 Delfo Yevdokiya          22    6   6  10    45   50   −5    24
11 Molodets Pionersky       22    7   3  12    42   53  −11    24
12 Partizan Izumrudne       22    2   7  13    30   47  −17    13

There seems to be a pattern developing in the Second League. Sure, three years is hardly enough data points to make an assumption, let alone a theory, but it would seem that for every season that ends with an odd-numbered year, one team is going to dominate the Second League and leave everyone else in the dust. This season it is Feniks Levadne 1948 who look like they’re going to dominate the Second League, and for some people, it was a long time coming for Levadne domination to finally come through. Prominent Rybolovlev-based businessman Anatoly Dubinin held a 45 percent stake in the club and he had finally flexed his financial muscle after another big money club, SC Batgeyt-1, had been promoted to the Top League. Dubinin used his money to lure top players from the relegated sides and make them play for his team, and while that strategy had every chance of not working out, this time around it went off very well for Feniks. And after a couple of years in the second tier, it looks like both Matrega and Poli are now willing to take their chances in the Top League once again. Things may have looked bleak for their fans last season, but now there appears to be some glimmers of hope appearing on the horizon for these two. Whether it’s real or just a false dawn though is still another question entirely.

2030-31 Federal Second League Promotion Round Final Standings

  Promotion               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts     
1 Avangard Biniuch         10    5   4   1    20    9  +11    19
2 Politehnica Humongalia   10    5   3   2    13   12   +1    18
3 Feniks Levadne 1948      10    4   3   3    13    9   +4    15
4 Gepgorod                 10    4   0   6    20   28   −8    12
5 Matrega Fanagoria        10    2   4   4     9   10   −1    10
6 Estorija Kladushnitsa    10    1   4   5     6   13   −7     7

Perhaps the news of Feniks Levadne 1948’s domination of the Second League was a bit premature. The Phoenixes’ record in the final ten games of the season doesn’t really suggest title-winning form, but then again, they may have built up such a huge lead over the rest of the field that they could afford to sit back and relax a little bit. It’s not the recommended course of action for any team, even one with a 17-point lead at the top of the table going into the run-in. Then again, it would have to be an almighty collapse on Levadne’s part to miss out on promotion given the circumstances, and even they aren’t that bad just yet.

2030-31 Federal Second League Relegation Round Final Standings

  Relegation              Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts     
1 Shakhtyor Susskij        10    6   4   0    22   11  +11    22
2 Partizan Izumrudne       10    4   2   4    22   23   −1    14
3 Delfo Yevdokiya          10    3   4   3    23   23    0    13
4 Uran Bilohodar           10    3   4   3    14   14    0    13
5 Flota Hryhorivka         10    0   8   2    12   16   −4     8
6 Molodets Pionersky       10    2   2   6    22   28   −6     8

Uran Bilohodar should be ashamed of themselves. They were supposed to be one of the frontrunners for the promotion race, and instead they had decided to muck around in the relegation round. The Control Rods should consider themselves very, very lucky that getting relegated from the Second League to the amateur regional leagues is currently an impossibility or else this could have become the worst turnaround in the admittedly short history of the Federal Second League. How one team could go from being a potential promotion hopeful one season and almost relegation fodder the next must be seen to be believed, and it might be something that might become more common as the allure of the Top League grows ever brighter as the years go by.

2030-31 Federal Second League Final Standings

   Second League           Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  Qualification                              
 1 Feniks Levadne 1948      32   22   4   6    48   26  +22    70  Champions, Promoted to Top League
 2 Avangard Biniuch         32   16   9   7    53   32  +21    57  Promoted to Top League
 3 Politehnica Humongalia   32   15   9   8    55   46   +9    54
 4 Matrega Fanagoria        32   12   8  12    34   30   +4    44
 5 Gepgorod                 32   13   4  15    61   58   +3    43
 6 Estorija Kladushnitsa    32    9  10  13    39   49  −10    37                                             
 7 Shakhtyor Susskij        32   13  11   8    59   51   +8    50   **Ineligible for promotion**
 8 Uran Bilohodar           32   11   9  12    42   46   −6    42
 9 Delfo Yevdokiya          32    9  10  13    68   73   −5    37
10 Flota Hryhorivka         32    7  12  13    33   46  −13    33
11 Molodets Pionersky       32    9   5  18    64   81  −17    32
12 Partizan Izumrudne       32    6   9  17    52   70  −18    27

Feniks Levadne 1948 was just too dominant this time around, so much so that not even a middling performance in the promotion round was enough to dislodge them from the top of the pile. And while their 13-point gap to Avangard Biniuch may not be the largest margin of victory in the Second League (that honor goes to the 17 points between Batgeyt-1 and Gepgorod), the Phoenixes have now set a new record of points gained throughout the season. And kudos to Biniuch; for a team that topped the bottom six last season, getting promoted is as just a reward as they could get. But that once again falls into the age-old problem of whether this Avangard squad is actually ready for the big time or if they’re going to be another victim of immediate relegation. They will take the places of Cavaleri Urodorasul, who joins the likes of Fanagoria, Humongalia, and Yevdokiya as a founding side of the Top League that finally fell victim to the drop, and FC Panticapaeum, a side that nobody expected to get promoted last season and thus was one of the top bets for going back down to the Second League. The landscape of Estorian football is rapidly changing before our very eyes, and it must be an honor to be a witness to all of these events.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Thu Feb 13, 2025 6:59 am

Ludogorets Markovsky makes history as being the first side in more than a decade to successfully defend the Fleftic Premier League title. Not since Arsenal de Releinthi’s last title under Godric Wexler and their first under Emilio Caravaggio did a team manage to win back-to-back league championships in the FPL, and there were those who definitely believed that such a thing was never going to happen again, but Roberto Hoya and his men were there to prove them all wrong. All of that said, the Foresters still had to fend off a challenge from a most surprising source, Sarvusdalamoive, and every twist and turn that the title battle took had everyone on the edge of their seats wondering who was actually going to walk away with the gold this time around. The Pinks had the hunger and the desire, but Markovsky had the experience, and that was how Ludogorets was able to emerge triumphant at the end of the season. And now that they’ve won back-to-back titles, what’s stopping the Foresters from completing a three-peat? No team in the history of the FPL has ever managed to do that, and one would have to go all the way back to the 1980s, during the glory days of Xemlice Rovers, to find a team that won the league thrice in a row. This is yet another opportunity for Ludogorets Markovsky to rewrite the history books, and once again it is time to take a look at their squad, and the squads of the nineteen other teams hoping to put a stop to the runaway freight train that is the Foresters. Here are the first ten teams, in alphabetical order, taking part in the 2038-39 Fleftic Premier League.

Admiral Porcusces

Manager: Korbin Watson (51 y/o, Abanhfleft)
Stadium: Filibusters' Street (capacity 35,712)
Location: Porcusces, Ceneisis Province
Home colors: Blue with white trim and gold lettering
Away colors: Black with white lettering and trim
Third colors: White with blue lettering and gold trim
Position last season: 7th
Season objective: Top Five finish

Just when it looked like Admiral Porcusces was finally going to be able to sneak their way into an IFCF spot, the Sea Foxes just had to go ahead and let it slip through their fingers once again. At least they’re no longer finishing in the middle of the table, and with a surprisingly good showing at last season’s IFCF competitions boosted Abanhfleft’s coefficient to the point that there are now five places in international club football up for grabs, playing in the IFCF is now definitely within the grasp of Admiral Porcusces. Unfortunately for them (and for most FPL clubs), their activity on the international transfer market was practically nonexistent, to say the least, meaning that there would be no reinforcements coming to bolster their chances of playing in the IFCF next season. On the other hand, fans could choose to look at this a different way; namely, that Korbin Watson actually trusts the men that he has at his disposal to actually get them over the line this time around. But just because they didn’t buy doesn’t mean that Porcusces didn’t also sell players, and the transfer of Aleksey Molchenko to newly promoted Rosenpfelblatz North End will surely impact the Sea Foxes’ depth this season. And with depth potentially being the difference between the Champions’ League, the Challengers’ Cup, or even a mid-table finish, Watson will have to hope that the likes of Youssouf al-Basoomi, Ryker Travkin, and Aldo Castillo can carry this team to the promised land.

Antslinngs Islands FC

Manager: Artyom Avvakumov (50 y/o, Estorvipa and Estorpiva)
Stadium: Estadio Nacional de los Islas (capacity 18,020)
Location: Antslinngs City, Trendstart Colony
Home colors: Red and black striped shirts and white shorts
Away colors: White shirt and black shorts with red trim
Third colors: Black with red trim
Position last season: 2nd in Unang Liga
Season objective: Avoid relegation

Antslinngs Islands returns to the Fleftic Premier League after three seasons, and it’s fair to say that the Islanders have been heartbreakingly close to gaining promotion in the last two seasons thanks to the playoffs not having been kind to them. If many Antslinngs fans had suffered generational trauma because of the promotion playoff system then no one would really blame them. And no one can really blame Antslinngs for actually gunning for the Unang Liga title this time around as they and their fans probably did not want to take yet another chance at having to beat two other clubs just to return to the top flight. The Colony of Trendstart hasn’t been represented in the FPL since Antslinngs went down, once again reinforcing the notion that Trendstart was the red-headed stepchild of Abanhfleft’s few remaining colonies while all of the development money and aid (and the notable football clubs) went to the Fhulghamous Peninsula. But the red-and-black team is back, and with a potent strike partnership in the form of Leo Kane and Stavros Georgiou potentially leading the way, as well as the Oontaznik midfield dynamo Kennedy Clinton raising a storm all over the pitch, the Islanders are intent on making sure that their stay in the FPL is a longer one this time around.

Arsenal de Releinthi

Manager: Oleg Mostovoi (57 y/o, Pridnestrovia)
Stadium: Monsanto Stadium (capacity 60,757)
Location: Releinthi
Home colors: Red shirt with white sleeves and white shorts
Away colors: Dark yellow shirt with navy blue trim and navy blue shorts
Third colors: Black with yellow trim
Position last season: 3rd
Season objective: Win the title

Once again, Arsenal de Releinthi’s aging squad has caught up to them, and while Oleg Mostovoi has done his best to refresh the squad, the international transfer market apparently wasn’t the solution to his woes. Mostovoi had hoped to land right winger Max Batman from Kelssek, apparently as a replacement for the retiring Marcus Tabarez, but when negotiations stalled all the way to the end of the transfer window, the Gunners had to make a moves in the domestic market, and that was how they ended up signing Harry Bañaga from Pilken Kickers on deadline day. Bañaga is not expected to start, but he is still a capable (if raw) backup for long-time Releinthi servant Edward Martinez, who takes over Tabarez as the Gunners’ starting right winger. Fellow academy product Edgar Smith-Fernandez almost won the Golden Boot last season, but it would appear that a striker capable of scoring at least 25 goals a season is no longer enough to win a title, at least not by himself. Releinthi’s other forward players also have to chip in, and if a midfielder like Oliver Thornton could get at least 10 goal contributions this season, it could go a long way in pushing the Gunners into another title fight.

Athletic Dorfdifving

Manager: Andrey Lisitsyn (53 y/o, Pridnestrovia)
Stadium: Szymborski Stadium (capacity 35,264)
Location: Reyes, Dorfdifving Province
Home colors: Canary yellow and green half-and-half shirt and green shorts
Away colors: Gray shirt and shorts
Position last season: 16th
Season objective: Avoid relegation, mid-table finish if possible

Athletic Dorfdifving somehow managed to survive relegation by the skin of their teeth. Survival was not guaranteed at all going into the final month of the season, but against all odds the Canaries were able to collect the 40 points necessary to secure another season in the top flight. And considering that this was a side that was barely able to score more than one goal a game (barring a handful of surprising results both for and against them), getting exactly 40 points in this league is an achievement in and of itself. Some would wonder why a full Fhulghamousian international (and former Abanhfleft under-21 player) like Silas Babalioutas is still doing in a team that’s always one of the bookies’ favorites for relegation, but it would appear that he thrives best in these conditions, and no one could really argue against him as Babalioutas has also led the Fhulghamous Peninsula to a Campionato Esportiva championship in the meantime. Obviously, he’s not alone in the pursuit of continued FPL football for the Canaries, with fellow midfielders Alessio Carusso and Jeremy Collins-Lewis also helping out as best as they could, but if they want Dorfdifving to play in the FPL for yet another season, it will have to be all hands on deck for this club. Everyone has to contribute, not just the big names.

Bananas FC

Manager: Barry Masterson (47 y/o, Abanhfleft)
Stadium: NLighten Arena (capacity 37,955)
Location: Suwkpel, Berkner Bay Province
Home colors: Amber shirt and black shorts
Away colors: Black with amber trim
Third colors: Dark green with apple green trim
Position last season: 1st in Unang Liga
Season objective: Avoid relegation, mid-table finish if possible

It didn’t really take long for Bananas FC to find their way back to the FPL, did they? And the truly amazing thing about the Gorillas’ comeback is that they were able to do it without long-time servant of the club Mustafa Bensoussan leading the line. Everyone thought that Bananas was done and dusted after Bensoussan had finally had enough of playing for a yo-yo club and put in a transfer request that saw him depart for Xanneria. However, the Gorillas apparently proved that no player was ever truly bigger than the club that they played for when Bensoussan’s replacement, Ricky Gomez, successfully led the Suwkpel-based club to the Unang Liga title and immediate promotion back to the top flight. As always, it wasn’t just a one-man effort; newcomer Akihiro Kobayashi chipped in his fair share of goals during the Gorillas’ title-winning campaign, and Raymond Chavez was pulling the strings in between the midfield and the attackers as always. He might be getting a little long in the tooth, but Chavez himself has said that as long as there was still breath in his body, he was going to lead Bananas to victory however he can. But considering the state of the FPL at the moment, it’s going to take all of that and more for Bananas to reassert themselves as a proper player in the top flight.

Fleftic Air Force

Manager: Rufus Hernandez (50 y/o, Abanhfleft)
Stadium: Villahermosa Memorial Stadium (capacity 43,021)
Location: Pilken, Dav Province
Home colors: Blue with white sleeves and collar and white shorts
Away colors: Yellow with blue trim
Position last season: 13th
Season objective: Mid-table finish

Finishing in the top four (or the top five now) is now beginning to look more and more like a pipe dream for Fleftic Air Force, and it would appear that being a team made up mostly of active-duty personnel in the Air Force (with only a handful of professional players sprinkled in for good measure) is no longer the recipe for success that they and their fans thought it would be. Football, or at least modern-day football, is a sport centered around money after all, and whoever has the most money gets the best talent they could afford. And being a team that is literally under the purview of the Fleftic Air Force, Air Force F.C. can’t really compete when it comes to attracting players. Who would want to spend practically the entirety of their career playing for a team that may get into the IFCF places or a cup win once in a blue moon? That’s why the foreign player exemption is a thing for them and for Fleftic Army F.C., and without a doubt the best foreign player to have laced his boots for the Golden Eagles is Joni Laurismäki, still banging in the goals at 32 years old. Liang Tao is still Air Force’s rock in the midfield, and while age has definitely caught up to him last season, Darren Mayes is still determined to go out on a high. Unfortunately for him, the decision may have been taken out of his hands, but who knows where the Eagles will fly this time around?

Gyouza Young Lads

Manager: Paul Olivares (40 y/o, Abanhfleft)
Stadium: Minchev Automobiles Field (capacity 25,727)
Location: Gyouza, Eielo Province
Home colors: Gold and black striped shirts and black shorts
Away colors: White with black trim
Third colors: Light blue with neon yellow trim
Position last season: 17th
Season objective: Avoid relegation

Gyouza’s victory in the Derby of the Ages still lives on in the memories of their fans, not just because their victory ensured their survival in the FPL for another season but also because the loss consigned their rivals Miroz Old Boys back to the depths of Unang Liga. Literally any other result and it could have been the Lads going down while the Old Boys remained in the top flight, but since that wasn’t what happened, Gyouza fans are going to continue to gloat over their victory in the derby. However, now that their favorite whipping boy is back down in the second tier, there is now no longer anything that could stop Gyouza themselves following Miroz down to the lower leagues, especially if they’re not careful. Most of the burden for ensuring Gyouza’s continued survival still lies on the shoulders of Squornshelan striker Tuan Parthosi, although fans should be concerned that he was unable to replicate the output that he had when he first arrived in the FPL. But maybe he doesn’t have to worry about that as much when he has Colin Wade in between the sticks and stopping all of those pesky opposition goals from going in. Last season may have been bad for Wade, but it could always be much worse, and it might get even worse for Gyouza this season if they decide to rest on the laurels of defeating a rival to stave off their own relegation.

Locomotive Imgortur

Manager: Emilio Caravaggio (68 y/o, Abanhfleft)
Stadium: New Locomotive Arena (capacity 45,035)
Location: Imgortur, Verbergerkinnh Province
Home colors: Green shirt and red shorts and socks
Away colors: White with green and red trim and lettering
Third colors: Black with white and green trim and lettering
Position last season: 6th
Season objective: Top Five finish

Locomotive Imgortur wanted to finish in the top four and maybe even challenge for the title, but neither ended up happening for the Engineers. Some might call it karma for them signing the ever-controversial Ramiro Guerra to serve as a backup for either one of Spiridionis Matsouras and Haider el-Amin, and with Matsouras parting ways with Imgortur, more bad karma might be coming their way as Guerra has now been promoted alongside Cosmas Stamatelopoulos as Imgortur’s new strike partnership. And Matsouras isn’t the only departure from Locomotive this season; Fleftic international Palmer Hicks has decided to swap the green and red for the blue and white of Sporting Ceneisis, meaning Emilio Caravaggio had to scramble to find a replacement with only days remaining in the transfer window. Imgortur would sign central midfielder Armando Agbayani for a hefty 30 million new penenk fee in the final hours of the window, and there are rumors that the signing has already unsettled the locker room because of Caravaggio’s decision not to promote from within. The effect that this transfer and its potential ramifications may have on the Engineers remains to be seen, but if this is still part of the bad juju that Imgortur got for signing Ramiro Guerra then this might not be a good season to be a Locomotive Imgortur fan.

Ludogorets Markovsky

Manager: Roberto Hoya (52 y/o, Abanhfleft)
Stadium: Stadium of the Old Forester (capacity 40,202)
Location: Markovsky, Mazaladbyi Province
Home colors: Dark green with white trim
Away colors: White with dark green trim
Third colors: Gray with dark green trim
Position last season: 1st
Season objective: Defend the title, go for the three-peat

In a similar vein to the preview for Locomotive Imgortur, now might actually be the best time to be a Ludogorets Markovsky fan. After all, the Foresters just made history by being the first club in more than a decade to win the Fleftic Premier League title back to back, and it’s all because Roberto Hoya believes. Hoya believes in his men and his tactics, and his men also believe in him back. Hoya’s first title with Markovsky may not have been the most exciting thing to see in the world, but once he had figured out how to steady and solidify the Foresters’ defense, he invested in their attack in the following season and reaped the rewards. Sarvusdalamoive may have made the title race tighter than it should have been, and Markovsky also isn’t blameless in letting the Pinks get as close as they did. In any case, Sven Fahrni has taken over Anrai Dolan as being the most potent threat up front for the Foresters, mostly because Dolan has moved to Rosenpfelblatz North End on a free transfer. Paolo von Montanari, while more of a winger than an outright striker, still has to continue putting in his fair share of goal contributions if Markovsky actually dreams of a three-peat, and Ludogorets’s new number 9 Alexander Buenaflor has some big, big shoes to fill.

Malabon SC

Manager: Kirill Kucherenko (48 y/o, Pridnestrovia)
Stadium: San Roque Park (capacity 52,001)
Location: Malabon
Home colors: White and black striped shirts and black shorts
Away colors: Orange with light blue trim
Position last season: 11th
Season objective: Top Five finish, challenge for the title

No one really knows whether Malabon SC’s ascent to the top of the Fleftic Premier League was just a flash in the pan or if the team had merely stalled out a little bit. It’s really hard to tell, especially in a league where a team can be top of the league one season and then finish in the mid-table the next. That is exactly the conundrum in which Malabon has found itself going into the 2038-39 season. Three years ago, they shocked all of Abanhfleft by winning the title that no one thought they had any business challenging for in the first place. Two years ago, they managed to prove that there was still some gas left in their tank even if Ludogorets Markovsky had managed to run away with the title courtesy of a terrible first half of the season for the Ravens. Last season, it would appear that the gas had finally run out. Malabon’s aging back line certainly didn’t do them any favors, and Kirill Kucherenko’s attempts to refresh his defense resulted in a grand total of one defensive signing, Romano Aymeric of Valanora’s Juavi FC. In fact, Malabon was only able to make one signing overall, and most of the roster turnover had to be fixed via internally promoting players. Xannerian defender Arthur Ricks steps in as the new right back, and Denny Hobbs takes over striker duties from Anwar Bugarani. Bugarani is no slouch, but he’s also not a spring chicken anymore, and someone like Hobbs might actually be the guy that the Ravens need to take them back into the top five, and possibly maybe even yet another title charge.

This concludes Part One of the preview for the 2038-39 season of the Fleftic Premier League. In Part Two, we will discuss the remaining ten teams' transfer business and their chances of winning the title, getting international club football, or falling victim to the drop. Stay tuned.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Fri Feb 14, 2025 7:28 am

Here is the second part of the preview for the 2038-39 season of the Fleftic Premier League. Here, we will talk about the other ten teams in the league that were not covered in Part One and discuss their transfer business and their chances of winning the league, qualifying for international club football, or just staying in the top flight.

Marinos Thimpodopoulos

Manager: Philip Witherspoon (66 y/o, Fhulghamous Peninsula)
Stadium: Arena Marinos (capacity 35,673)
Location: Port Thimpodopoulos, Fhulghamous Peninsula Colony
Home colors: Navy blue shirt and shorts with white trim
Away colors: White shirt and shorts with navy blue trim
Third colors: Red shirt and shorts with white trim
Position last season: 15th
Season objective: Avoid relegation, mid-table finish if possible

Marinos Thimpodopoulos manages to stay in the Fleftic Premier League for another season, but only just. Really though, it shouldn’t have been as close as it actually was because the Mariners had a good start to the season and had actually come close to the top four a couple of times before the level of the competition proved too much. Still though, the fact that Marinos was able to come as close as they did with a squad that was considered good enough to get promoted from Unang Liga and not much else is testament to Phil Witherspoon’s tactics and how he was able to turn this club’s fortunes around. He will be facing a steeper uphill climb this season though, as some of the big hitters that he was able to sign last season have left Marinos, but he still has a reasonable enough squad that should be able to keep the Port Thim side in the mid-table. Young Patriotlandian striker Simon Patriot (talk about nominative determinism!) has been promoted as the new strike partner to Katzeburg’s Malcolm Preston while Giampietro Serenelli recovers from a preseason injury. Meanwhile, Jerolim Bjelogrlic from Mytanija still has some room to improve his goalkeeping skills, but he has shown time and again that he can definitely keep Marinos competitive in the upper reaches of the table. If only his defense will give him a fairer chance than last season then maybe the Mariners have a chance to break into the top 10.

Paulsen FC

Manager: Djordje Ilicic (62 y/o, Estorvipa and Estorpiva)
Stadium: Paulsen City Arena (capacity 20,922)
Location: Paulsen, Dorfdifving Province
Home colors: Old gold shirt and shorts with black trim
Away colors: Black shirt and shorts with old gold trim
Third colors: White shirt and shorts with old gold lettering and black trim
Position last season: 14th
Season objective: Mid-table finish

Paulsen FC are still in the Fleftic Premier League whether people like it or not. At this point, the bookies really should consider removing the Boilermakers from the list of odds-on favorites for the drop because it doesn’t look like it’s ever going to happen. Frankly, most teams that have been promoted from Unang Liga would kill just to be in Paulsen’s position, but it’s not just luck that’s kept the Boilermakers in the top flight. It’s all about squad management too. Djordje Ilicic may have been quiet in the transfer window this time around, but perhaps that speaks volumes about the team that he’s finally managed to assemble after years and years of trying to figure out the winning formula that would keep a side like Paulsen in the FPL. Patriotlandian striker Joseph Clarke may not have been able to provide the relief to main man Patrick Mangubat that Ilicic would have hoped he could provide, but maybe that’s just because Clarke was still bedding into the league. Perhaps now is going to be Clarke’s time to shine. And it might be the perfect time for Virgil Skovenborg to shine as well as Marco Marasigan has been sidelined and may be out for some time, and Paulsen will definitely need someone pulling the strings for them in midfield. Karl Fenenko may not have been as good as he was in his prime, but he’s still capable of stopping even the most wicked thundercunts on a good day; the only thing is that his good days have become rarer than iridium, so that’s something to look out for.

Riuwiee United

Manager: Joe Warren (60 y/o, Abanhfleft)
Stadium: May 26 Revolution Memorial Stadium (capacity 71,385)
Location: Riuwiee
Home colors: Dark blue shirt with yellow trim and yellow shorts with dark blue trim
Away colors: Yellow shirt with black trim and black shorts
Third colors: Neon green shirt with dark blue trim and dark blue shorts
Position last season: 12th
Season objective: Top Five finish, challenge for the title if possible

Riuwiee United didn’t even come close to mounting anything resembling a title challenge last season, so it was practically inevitable that the Blue Tribesmen would say goodbye to Volker de Veen after four years at the helm. The capital club hired de Veen in the hope that he would be able to lead them to their first title since the 2031-32 season, but after a couple of close calls, the fact that Riuwiee could only finish mid-table to cap off a miserable 2037-38 season was enough for the fans and the board to call it quits to the Volker de Veen era. His replacement is former Fleftic international footballer Joe Warren, who most recently led the Sub Deg Raiders to their third Copperite National League title last season. Warren also received an offer to manage Sporting Ceneisis, but the prestige of taking charge of the club in the capital of Abanhfleft won over Warren, and the 60-year old takes charge of a side with great potential but no idea how to make the most of it. Marat Tkachev is still the main man for the Blue Tribesmen under Warren, but concerns about his age resulted in the signing of Estorian striker Kostyantyn Zazroyev as a backup option and, potentially, Tkachev’s successor. Sub Deg also signed Frank Agunod, seemingly as a parting gift from Warren, paving the way for Aalipdis Marec to finally show what he had learned while under the Fhulghamousian’s wing.

Rosenpfelblatz City

Manager: Romeo Portnoy (50 y/o, Abanhfleft)
Stadium: Aeroflot Stadium (capacity 56,097)
Location: Rosenpfelblatz, Mezaladbyi Province
Home colors: Sky blue shirt and white shorts with black trim
Away colors: Black shirt and shorts with white trim
Third colors: Dark violet shirt and shorts with orange trim
Position: 5th
Season objective: Title challengers

Romeo Portnoy has managed to avoid the sack this time around, but only barely. He knows what he must do in order to keep his job as manager of Rosenpfelblatz City, and this time getting IFCF football might not even be enough, even if Abanhfleft’s coefficient has allowed the FPL to have five spots in international competitions this time around. At least Portnoy knows that he’s not going to win anything with the aging core that he inherited from Joe Churchill, but it was still hard to make the decision not to renew the contract of fan favorite Maël Royer. The fact that Fidura Itiro, Royer’s supposed replacement, also just celebrated his 31st birthday before the start of the season makes the decision to let Royer go even more of a headscratcher, but it would appear that Portnoy has made up for it by signing midfielder Bogdan Atanasijevic from Molodets Pionersky in Estorvipa and Estorpiva. That said, most of Rosenpfelblatz’s key players are still getting closer to their 30s than they would like, players such as their number 9 man Lucas von Wolfberg and left winger Amisa Fatabbujbi. If Romeo Portnoy is going to win a sixth Fleftic Premier League title with this squad then he has to do it sooner rather than later, and later might not even be an option for this under-fire manager.

Rosenpfelblatz North End

Manager: Gareth Bunsen (48 y/o, Abanhfleft)
Stadium: Plainfields (capacity 23,844)
Location: Rosenpfelblatz, Mezaladbyi Province
Home colors: White shirt and navy blue shorts
Away colors: Aquamarine shirt and shorts with navy blue trim
Third colors: Black shirt and shorts with aquamarine trim
Position: 4th in Unang Liga
Season objective: Avoid relegation

Much like Antslinngs Islands, Rosenpfelblatz North End got relegated from the Fleftic Premier League at the end of the 2034-35 season, but unlike the Islanders, the Acolytes didn’t even have the misfortune of failing to get promoted via the playoffs. Rosen North didn’t even manage to finish in the playoff places in Unang Liga at the same time that Antslinngs was just falling short in the promotion playoffs themselves. But the Acolytes have managed to survive the gauntlet this time around, and now they will want to go back to the good old days of the first half of the decade when Rosen North was a semi-regular fixture in the FPL. This is a vastly different side that went down all those years ago; for one, Gareth Bunsen is back for a second stint managing the Acolytes, and he has brought with him notable bit players from other FPL sides that now want to make a name for themselves. Without a doubt Bunsen’s biggest coup this transfer window was grabbing Aleksey Molchenko from Admiral Porcusces for a 25 million new penenk fee, and partnering up with him in midfield will be perennial Xemlice Rovers bit player Sergey Lyubomirov. Bunsen also made moves in the pre-contract market, and arguably his biggest move has to be landing Anrai Dolan from Ludogorets Markovsky after the defending two-time champions didn’t extend Dolan’s contract. The Acolytes undoubtedly have the tools to ensure survival; it’s just a matter of if they can actually work together towards that common goal.

Sarvusdalamoive

Manager: Yuri Kharitonov (54 y/o, Pridnestrovia)
Stadium: Stadio della Citta de Sebet (capacity 42,323)
Location: Sebet, Sarvusdalamoive Province
Home colors: Pink shirt and black shorts
Away colors: Black shirt and shorts with pink trim
Third colors: White shirt and shorts with pink and black trim
Position: 2nd
Season objective: Top Five finish

Sarvusdalamoive knew that last season was perhaps the best and only chance that they would ever have in terms of winning only their second ever league title in Fleftic history. In any other season, many would say that winning 22 games was more than enough to be considered a worthy champion. Unfortunately for the Pinks, they had the misfortune of going up against a rampant Ludogorets Markovsky side aiming to make its mark on the competition, something which they would eventually do after a tough and tight battle against Sarvus when Markovsky became the first team in over a decade to win back-to-back titles. Yuri Kharitonov and company will definitely rue the events of last season as a failure in writing some history of their own, but now it’s time for them to return their focus back to finishing in the top half of the table. Their thin squad could make that a difficult task though, especially now that they also have to play IFCF football on top of all that. Sarvus was one of the few sides that were able to strike a deal in the international transfer market, and left back Gabriel van Brabant will freshen up their back line a little bit even if he’s no spring chicken anymore. The onus of scoring goals is still on the shoulders of Richard Luyindula though, but at least he has Fleftic international Sacit Közalmaz along for the ride to provide assists and even some scoring help if needed.

Sporting Ceneisis

Manager: Rico Van Zant (45 y/o, Island of the Lost)
Stadium: Throckmorton Bridge (capacity 47,630)
Location: Mereilles, Ceneisis Province
Home colors: Blue shirt and shorts with white trim
Away colors: White shirt and shorts with blue trim
Third colors: Pink shirt and shorts with black trim
Position last season: 10th
Season objective: Challenge for the title

Time to say goodbye to Denise Crawford for Sporting Ceneisis as well because of her failure to lead the Blues to where they wanted to be. Winning a fifth league title shouldn’t have been too hard for Ceneisis, especially when they have three Fleftic international footballers on their roster, but perhaps Crawford is much better suited managing a mid-table side and making them punch above their weight as opposed to managing a top five-caliber side and managing them to a shocking mid-table finish. The roster’s age is also a problem in and of itself, and these factors combined into what was practically a no-win situation for Crawford, who becomes the second manager dismissed from the FPL after Volker de Veen. Whoever ends up taking charge of Ceneisis on a permanent basis will have a difficult task ahead of them, but Denise Crawford did manage to leave one last parting gift to Blues supporters as she was the one responsible for signing Palmer Hicks away from Locomotive Imgortur, bringing the number of Fleftic internationals playing in Throckmorton Bridge up to four. Guildenstern Cardew is still the team leader, and the fact that he finished third in the Golden Glove race last season just goes to show that for some people, age really is just a number. If it wasn’t for Cardew then Ceneisis could definitely have been in a much worse position than they ended up finishing. But maybe now is a chance for the Blues to get back to where they think they belong.

Thereisnogodistan

Manager: Samwell Crownover (43 y/o, Abanhfleft)
Stadium: Richard Dawkins Park (capacity 25,607)
Location: Thereisnogodabad, Fhulghamous Peninsula Colony
Home colors: Yellow and white half-and-half shirt and white shorts
Away colors: White shirt with yellow sash and yellow shorts
Third colors: Blue shirt with white sash and blue shorts
Position last season: 8th
Season objective: Mid-table finish

Thereisnogodistan may actually be the real deal now. Whatever doubts people may have had over Samwell Crownover’s managerial ability has been put to bed, at least for the moment. Sure, everyone still makes memes over those few weeks in which the Atheists were at the top of the table and it looked like they might actually put up a decent-ish title fight, but nobody’s laughing now at TNG’s 8th place finish. There are still definitely a handful of issues with Crownover’s managerial style, most of them centered around the fact that he relies on the same set of players so much to the point that making a substitution almost seems to hurt him on a physical level. But once again, squad turnover will force Crownover’s hand in terms of finding a new starting eleven that would best serve his tactics, and he also now has to factor in the future when it comes to his squad building. Dan-Arne Kystebo won the Golden Boot season, and rightly so, but he’s now at that point in his career when goals might be a little harder to come by. He does have Julian Umanov and Felipe Carrizo on the wings to help him out should goalscoring become harder than it currently is for Kystebo, but Crownover has to be thinking about potential replacements for his number 9 in the next few years. That could be the difference between Thereisnogodistan doing well now and becoming an established team at the top half of the table in the near future.

Wanda Island Wanderers

Manager: Ruperto da Silva (67 y/o, Sultanate of Oontaz)
Stadium: IKEA Arena (capacity 58,973)
Location: Wanda City, Wanda Island
Home colors: Pink shirt and dark blue shorts
Away colors: Dark blue shirt and shorts
Third colors: Light blue shirt and shorts
Position last season: 4th
Season objective: Win the title

Finishing behind their eternal rivals from across the Strait of Carrizozo has to sting for Wanda Island Wanderers once again, but at the same time, they managed to qualify for IFCF football this time around so maybe all is not lost. The dreams of a second title are still alive and well so long as Ruperto da Silva is at the helm, and while their transfer activity is as understated as most other teams in the FPL this preseason, at least the Wanderers actually managed to sign someone. That someone is Marlon Figgins from Xanneria, and he will take over the left midfielder spot once occupied by Leonid Zaplatin. Zaplatin decided that now was the perfect time for him to come back to his native Pridnestrovia, and that is exactly what he did. Most of the starring cast for the Wanderers is still intact though, with Montez Tubman once again leading the line and Rostislav Chukreyev pulling the strings in midfield. Pertinax Tikeers has turned into one impressive goalkeeper, and once the defensive line sorts themselves out in front of him, Wanda Island actually has a chance of pushing themselves even higher up the table. Maybe they’ll be the ones to dethrone Ludogorets Markovsky. A fanbase can dream.

Xemlice Rovers

Manager: Peter Paul Montenegro (44 y/o, Abanhfleft)
Stadium: Oubie Park (capacity 47,312)
Location: Lotharstadt, Xemlice Province
Home colors: Light blue and dark blue checkered shirt and light blue shorts
Away colors: Yellow shirt and shorts with dark blue trim
Third colors: Gray shirt and shorts with light blue trim
Position last season: 9th
Season objective: Top Five finish

Last but most definitely not the least is Xemlice Rovers. And if Gamekeepers fans had their way, their team would be first in the Fleftic Premier League table. They’ve had a few close shaves over the years, but last season was just awful for them. Heck, it was so awful that Sergey Lyubomirov would rather join a newly promoted side than try to win a title with Xemlice. And there’s no telling where the Gamekeepers are going to end up this season, even though Peter Paul Montenegro has done some cleaning up in the squad. Donovan Exshaw in the right side of midfield could be the key to finally unlocking Xemlice’s potential, but that’s as likely as Montenegro himself sprouting a pair of wings and flying off into the sunset. And he himself has said that he has no intention of leaving this club until he finally gets to lift that FPL trophy alongside team captain Daniel Cartwright. No doubt that he will have a role to play for the Rovers in the coming 38 games, but he won’t be the only one that they can rely on to get results. Both Marc Lagmay and Isaiah Ivy have to improve their goalscoring records if Xemlice has any hopes of keeping up with the rest of the Top Six in the race to win the FPL.

And with that done, all twenty clubs taking part in the 2038-39 season of the Fleftic Premier League have been previewed. Will Ludogorets Markovsky finally get that elusive three-peat? Or will the likes of Arsenal de Releinthi or Malabon SC finally put a stop to the seemingly unstoppable force? Is there another team that has a chance to spring the biggest upset since All-Inclusive Haranguer won the league against all odds during the 2029-30 season? Do the likes of Antslinngs Islands, Bananas, and Rosenpfelblatz North End even stand a chance of surviving in the league in its current state? Will a team like Paulsen or Thereisnogodistan see their time in the top flight come to an end for whatever reason? All these questions and more will be answered, but those answers will not become clear until after all clubs had played 38 games. That’s the exciting part about the Fleftic Premier League: nothing is ever truly clear-cut.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Sat Feb 15, 2025 4:01 am

Is it the right time to call the 2037-38 season one of the strangest that Fleftic football has ever seen? On one hand, Ludogorets Markovsky won the league once again, becoming the first club since Arsenal de Releinthi in 2024 and 2025 to win back-to-back league championships. But this win was nowhere near to being as dominant as the Foresters’ victory at the end of the 2036-37 season as Markovsky was forced to fight for every victory and every point that they could by a most surprising title rival: Sarvusdalamoive. Literally nobody had pegged Sarvus as being a potential title contender last season, but the men in pink managed to overcome almost all of the odds as they took the fight straight to the Foresters’ doorstep. If only Sarvus was able to pick up momentum when Markovsky was dropping points left and right, but instead it almost seemed like a game of “the league title is lava” as neither team sought to take full advantage of the mistakes that the other team had over the course of the campaign. Roberto Hoya and his men know that they could have walked away with the title once again had they been able to win just a couple more games, but the same could also be said for Yuri Kharitonov and his men. One or two more wins or even just a handful of draws and they could have led Sarvusdalamoive to only its second ever Fleftic championship, but alas. The Pinks did not find favor with the football gods, and because of that Ludogorets Markovsky could be on its way to establishing a new dynasty over Fleftic football. Speaking of being favored by the football gods, Mannerheim Town could definitely claim that they had all that and more as they claimed their first ever SFA Cup victory at the end of last season. The Mountaineers were able to avoid all of the big names in the competition starting from their entry in the third round, and by the time Mannerheim got to the final, the only team standing in between them and the tin idol was a Gyouza Young Lads team that had barely escaped relegation just a few days before the final. A goal from Mannerheim captain Rigoberto San Juan was all that was needed for Mannerheim to get the fairytale ending to their Cinderella story, and while they may have ended up getting relegated to Liga Ikalawa-Gitna at the end of the 37-38 season, the Mountaineers have yet another chance to add to their trophy cabinet if they can knock off FPL champions Ludogorets Markovsky for the SFA Community Shield.

2038 SFA Community Shield

Played @ Rural Bank of Dorfdifving Arena, Mannerheim, Dorfdifving

  Mannerheim Town 0–3 Ludogorets Markovsky  
                      Fahrni (17')
                      Steingrimsson (48')
                      von Montanari (63')

For the very first time in its history, the Rural Bank of Dorfdifving Arena in Mannerheim played host to an SFA Community Shield match. It shouldn’t really be that much of a surprise as Mannerheim had never even made it to the SFA Cup final before, and winning the cup was the only way to for a club’s home ground to host the Community Shield match. Mannerheim’s home ground may have only had a capacity of around 8,000 people, and the Mountaineers would have had to split the attendance with Ludogorets fans, but Mannerheim supporters did all they could to introduce the Foresters to the rowdy and near-chaotic atmosphere of lower league football in Abanhfleft. Unfortunately for them and their team though, it didn’t appear to faze Markovsky even just a tiny bit, and the defending two-time FPL champions showed everyone why they were the first team in over a decade to win back-to-back league titles by utterly dominating the match in every single aspect. If someone said that they were feeling déjà vu from watching the 2038 SFA Community Shield match then they might actually have a case to be made as this match unfolded in almost the exact same way that the 2037 Community Shield match between Markovsky and Atletico San Sebastian did. Markovsky opened the scoring in the 16th or 17th minute, and once the Foresters had found the back of the net, it was literally game over for their opponents. Even the goalscorers were almost the same, with the only difference being that it was Sven Fahrni who opened the scoring and Gideon Nightwalker would not score from a corner kick. It’s no longer enough for Markovsky to win back-to-back league titles; now they’ve won back-to-back Community Shields as well. For all intents and purposes, the Ludogorets Markovsky dynasty has arrived.

Congratulations to Ludogorets Markovsky, your 2038 SFA Community Shield winners!

Matchday One Scores
Fleftic Air Force 5–2 Thereisnogodistan
Athletic Dorfdifving 1–2 Marinos Thimpodopoulos
Ludogorets Markovsky 0–2 Malabon SC
Sporting Ceneisis 0–1 Rosenpfelblatz City
Riuwiee United 3–4 Bananas
Paulsen 1–2 Sarvusdalamoive
Admiral Porcusces 3–0 Locomotive Imgortur
Xemlice Rovers 3–3 Arsenal de Releinthi
Gyouza Young Lads 1–0 Rosenpfelblatz North End
Antslinngs Islands 0–2 Wanda Island Wanderers

Perhaps the claims of the arrival of the Ludogorets Markovsky may have been a bit premature. For the first time in some time, the defending champions’ opening game is not going to be against a newly promoted side. Instead, Markovsky’s first game is against the last team to win the title before the Foresters; namely, Malabon SC. The Ravens haven’t had a good couple of seasons since they last won the league, and while they may have finished runners-up behind Ludogorets back in the 2036-37 season, there was definitely a feeling that Malabon could have at least made it a much more interesting title fight, if only they were able to string together a run of good results in the first half of the aforementioned season. Last season was an even more forgettable one for the Ravens, and it would appear that their fans had agreed to wipe it out of their collective memory in order to focus on the new season. And it would appear that that tactic had actually worked because Malabon took the defending champions by surprise because Markovsky definitely wouldn’t be expecting to start their second title defense with a loss. But with Malabon’s new main man Denny Hobbs, and regular right winger Jeremy Onus finding the back of the net for them, the Ravens look like they’re declaring their interest in going after the title, and this victory on the opening day of the season is certainly one way to establish both their credentials and their intent in winning the whole damn thing.

Match of the Day
Xemlice Rovers 3–3 Arsenal de Releinthi

For the second season in a row, Arsenal de Releinthi has the honor of being included in the first ever Match of the Day of the new season. In all fairness though, the match between Releinthi and Xemlice Rovers had a proper contender in the form of Riuwiee United versus Bananas in terms of being named Match of the Day, but Xemlice versus Releinthi eventually won out by virtue of the potential implications of this result. It’s no secret that Oleg Mostovoi wants to cap off his time at the Monsanto Stadium with one more title, specifically lucky number thirteen for the Gunners, but previous seasons have not been kind to him or his team. Of course, it doesn’t help that Mostovoi decided to stick with his aging squad for a little bit longer than he really should have, and there’s no telling if the young blood he has brought in or promoted from Releinthi’s youth ranks is actually going to be able to help him out with that mythical “one last title charge.” Goals from Edgar Smith-Fernandez and Oliver Thornton, two home-grown players for the Gunners, should have put this game to bed in Releinthi’s favor but they let Xemlice get back into the contest. And if it hadn’t been for Adam Flowers coming up with a last-minute equalizer then Releinthi would have walked away from Oubie Park with zero points instead of one. It will be interesting to see where both teams will be headed as the season progresses.

Matchday Two Scores
Thereisnogodistan 1–2 Wanda Island Wanderers
Rosenpfelblatz North End 2–4 Antslinngs Islands
Arsenal de Releinthi 3–0 Gyouza Young Lads
Locomotive Imgortur 2–2 Xemlice Rovers
Sarvusdalamoive 2–2 Admiral Porcusces
Bananas 0–2 Paulsen
Rosenpfelblatz City 2–5 Riuwiee United
Malabon SC 2–3 Sporting Ceneisis
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 1–3 Ludogorets Markovsky
Fleftic Air Force 2–2 Athletic Dorfdifving

The road to the three-peat doesn’t get any easier for Ludogorets Markovsky, and that road has brought them to Arena Marinos in the Fhulghamous Peninsula as the Foresters face off against Marinos Thimpodopoulos in matchday two of the league. The Mariners frustrated Markovsky to no end last season when they refused to budge and allow the team in green to score against them at the Stadium of the Old Forester to open the 2037-38 season, and this memory must still linger in Markovsky fans’ minds despite the title victory later on. This time though, victory was all but assured for Ludogorets thanks to none other than Sven Fahrni who literally brute-forced his way through to the middle of the Marinos box and unleashed a thunderous kick into the roof of the net. Once his teammates saw that the Mariners could actually be breached, the possibility that the team from Port Thimpodopoulos could actually find an equalizer vanished into nothingness, and both Gideon Nightwalker and Alexander Buenaflor would also find their names on the scoresheet. But some would say that Marinos still managed to have the last laugh because, thanks to Malcolm Preston’s low-power shot squirming through his gloves, Isaak Krutikov lost out on the clean sheet with two minutes of the four added on to the end of the second half. It’s this kind of pettiness that makes the Fleftic Premier League must-watch football throughout the multiverse.

Match of the Day
Rosenpfelblatz North End 2–4 Antslinngs Islands

The Match of the Day for matchday two is one that already looks like it could be a relegation six-pointer between Rosenpfelblatz North End and Antslinngs Islands, and both sides treated it as such to the delight of both sets of fans. But only Islanders fans will have any reason to be truly happy because it was their side that walked away from Plainfields with all three points. Rosen North were definitely the bookies’ favorites going into this match, and it’s hard to argue with that considering the star power at their disposal. At the same time though, there would definitely be some question marks as to whether the likes of Ludogorets Markovsky and Xemlice Rovers had a point in letting go of the likes of Anrai Dolan and Sergey Lyubomirov that easily. But if this match is going to prove anything, it’s that the likes of Dolan and Lyubomirov aren’t going to be the real problems in terms of Rosen North’s squad cohesion. Those two are more than willing to do the hard work and throw themselves around if it’s what helps the team get a good result, and they definitely had the fans singing their names after they both put the Acolytes back on equal terms after a quick-fire brace from Stavros Georgiou. Unfortunately for supporters of the North End, everything fell apart when Ricky Valle ended up putting the goal in his own net while defending an Antslinngs free kick, and Kennedy Clinton adding a fourth for the Islanders with a free kick of his own is literally rubbing salt into the wound. The good thing about this though is that it’s literally just the second matchday, and Rosen North has more than enough time to regain their footing and hopefully distance themselves from the relegation dogfight sooner rather than later.

Matchday Three Scores
Athletic Dorfdifving 2–0 Thereisnogodistan
Ludogorets Markovsky 2–2 Fleftic Air Force
Sporting Ceneisis 3–2 Marinos Thimpodopoulos
Riuwiee United 0–2 Malabon SC
Paulsen 1–0 Rosenpfelblatz City
Admiral Porcusces 1–1 Bananas
Xemlice Rovers 1–0 Sarvusdalamoive
Gyouza Young Lads 3–5 Locomotive Imgortur
Antslinngs Islands 1–4 Arsenal de Releinthi
Wanda Island Wanderers 2–4 Rosenpfelblatz North End

If Ludogorets Markovsky is indeed going to win three league titles on the bounce this season then they’re going to have to fight to get it over the line. Fleftic Air Force may not strike the casual viewer as a club that’s capable of hanging with the so-called Top Six of Fleftic football, but this is also a team that’s managed to win the SFA Cup in recent times as well as finish in the top four despite being made up mostly of active duty personnel serving in the actual Fleftic Air Force. But the inclusion of foreign players does certainly make up for most of the Golden Eagles’ deficiencies, and on their day, they are a team capable of taking the fight to even the most dominant of clubs. And this season, it would appear that the key to getting a good result against Markovsky has to do with taking the initiative away from them. Sometimes that means dominating possession, and other times it’s just a matter of scoring first, which is what Air Force Club did courtesy of Carl McKillop scoring the picture-perfect free kick right on the half-hour mark. Markovsky’s response involved a wicked thunderbolt from the leg of Steinthor Freyr Steingrimsson to equalize for the Foresters, but once again it wouldn’t be enough, and both Markovsky and Air Force would share a point each at the end of the ninety minutes. And it’s only going to get harder for Ludogorets from this point.

Match of the Day
Riuwiee United 0–2 Malabon SC

Some might question how or why Riuwiee versus Malabon ended up getting Match of the Day over the likes of Gyouza versus Imgortur. For the uninitiated, not only is Riuwiee versus Malabon a Capital Islands derby but it’s considered the third biggest Capital Islands derby behind Riuwiee versus Releinthi and Releinthi versus Wanda Island. It’s also a rivalry that has intensified in the last few seasons courtesy of both Riuwiee United and Malabon SC becoming title contenders in their own right, and right now Malabon claims superiority in the derby as they were the ones with the most recent title victory. The Blue Tribesmen, with a new manager at the helm, definitely hopes to be part of the conversation this season, but this is not the way for Joe Warren and his men to go about their business. Kirill Kucherenko himself has dreams of getting title number three for the Ravens, and with Katzeburgian striker Denny Hobbs now leading the line for him, it might actually happen for Kucherenko and for the Ravens. Knocking off Riuwiee United is just icing on the cake for them at this point.

Matchday Four Scores
Thereisnogodistan 4–2 Rosenpfelblatz North End
Arsenal de Releinthi 2–1 Wanda Island Wanderers
Locomotive Imgortur 3–2 Antslinngs Islands
Sarvusdalamoive 0–0 Gyouza Young Lads
Bananas 0–3 Xemlice Rovers
Rosenpfelblatz City 1–0 Admiral Porcusces
Malabon SC 3–1 Paulsen
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 0–1 Riuwiee United
Fleftic Air Force 2–5 Sporting Ceneisis
Athletic Dorfdifving 1–3 Ludogorets Markovsky

It’s back to business as usual for Ludogorets Markovsky as the Foresters picked up their second win of the season against Athletic Dorfdifving. But the fact that Markovsky so far has only been able to get convincing wins against teams normally seen at the bottom half of the table has not helped with a growing opinion that Ludogorets are nothing more than flat-track bullies. Their three-peat credentials are now coming into question, and it doesn’t help that the other teams that have set their sights on the title are currently doing much better than the defending champions. Case in point: Arsenal de Releinthi, playing in the Strait of Carrizozo derby against their hated rivals Wanda Island Wanderers, have managed to fight their way past the press of Ruperto da Silva’s tactics and claim all three points at the Monsanto Stadium. Some people, and most Wanderers fans, would say that Releinthi won only because they had become so hecking good at set pieces, especially corner kicks, even though Wanda Island’s goal in the game also came from a Rostislav Chukreyev free kick. But Releinthi fans don’t really care how their team got the three points, so long as they did actually get three points, and it’s a result that has now put the Gunners at the top of the table at the end of matchday four.

Match of the Day
Fleftic Air Force 2–5 Sporting Ceneisis

The fact that a “regular” match between Fleftic Air Force and Sporting Ceneisis got Match of the Day instead of the Strait of Carrizozo derby between Arsenal de Releinthi and Wanda Island Wanderers probably makes a lot of football fans sick. It’s literally the inverse of the decision process that led to Riuwiee versus Malabon getting Match of the Day on the previous matchday. Instead of the history of the fixture and the potential implications for both clubs moving forward, this time around the deciding factor for MOTD was the number of goals scored in the game itself. Yes, sometimes it’s hard to argue against a game with seven goals scored, but this was literally nothing more than a demolition job for Sporting Ceneisis and their new manager Rico Van Zant. Brandon Meyers’ thirteen-minute brace in the first twenty minutes of the game was more than enough to put this contest beyond the reach of Fleftic Air Force, but that didn’t stop the likes of Hovhannes Avetisyan and James Laktaw also finding the back of the net. Then again, every goal still counts in the FPL, and it’s probably a good idea to score more when the opportunity presents itself. After all, it was goal difference that decided between Ludogorets Markovsky and Sarvusdalamoive last season, and it could be a similar story at the end of this season.

Fleftic Premier League After Matchday Four

   FPL                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification                   
 1 Arsenal de Releinthi        4    3   1   0    12    5   +7    10   Champions League qualification
 2 Malabon SC                  4    3   0   1     9    4   +5     9   Champions League qualification
 3 Sporting Ceneisis           4    3   0   1    11    7   +4     9   Challengers' Cup qualification
 4 Xemlice Rovers              4    2   2   0     9    5   +4     8   Challengers' Cup qualification
 5 Ludogorets Markovsky        4    2   1   1     8    6   +2     7   Challengers' Cup qualification
 6 Locomotive Imgortur         4    2   1   1    10   10    0     7
 7 Riuwiee United              4    2   0   2     9    8   +1     6
 8 Wanda Island Wanderers      4    2   0   2     7    7    0     6
 9 Paulsen                     4    2   0   2     5    5    0     6
10 Rosenpfelblatz City         4    2   0   2     4    6   −2     6
11 Admiral Porcusces           4    1   2   1     6    4   +2     5
12 Fleftic Air Force           4    1   2   1    11   11    0     5
13 Sarvusdalamoive             4    1   2   1     4    4    0     5
14 Athletic Dorfdifving        4    1   1   2     6    7   −1     4
15 Bananas                     4    1   1   2     5    9   −4     4
16 Gyouza Young Lads           4    1   1   2     4    8   −4     4
17 Rosenpfelblatz North End    4    1   0   3     8   11   −3     3
18 Marinos Thimpodopoulos      4    1   0   3     5    8   −3     3   Relegation to Unang Liga
19 Antslinngs Islands          4    1   0   3     7   11   −4     3   Relegation to Unang Liga
20 Thereisnogodistan           4    1   0   3     7   11   −4     3   Relegation to Unang Liga

At this point last season, Gyouza Young Lads were shocking everybody by having the temerity to sit at the top of the Fleftic Premier League table above even the likes of Ludogorets Markovsky. Even the rest of the top four was jumbled up as the likes of Admiral Porcusces and Marinos Thimpodopoulos completed the rest of the top four. This time around though, Gyouza is way down in 16th place, just barely treading water in terms of avoiding the drop zone, while the new top five is filled by teams whom most people would expect to be there. Arsenal de Releinthi leads everyone else with 10 points to their name, and they are one of the two sides left to tally a loss this season alongside 4th placed Xemlice Rovers. Hot on the heels of the Gunners is Malabon SC, and if the Ravens truly intend to go after their third FPL title then this is as best a statement of intent as it could get for them. Sporting Ceneisis occupy the first Challengers’ Cup place, but they’re definitely dreaming of even loftier heights, while Ludogorets Markovsky rounds out the top five. Not where they would want to be at the moment, but if history is any indication, it’s perhaps only a matter of time before the Foresters are back at the sharp end contesting for the mythical three-peat.

People expected the likes of Marinos Thimpodopoulos and Antslinngs Islands to be at the foot of the table. But nobody, least of all Sam Crownover himself, would have expected that Thereisnogodistan would be holding up everyone else at the literal foot of the table. Technically speaking, the Atheists are actually joint-19th with Antslinngs; they have yet to play each other so there is no head-to-head record this season that could be used to break the tie so it’s alphabetical order for these two at the moment. But given the heights that TNG were able to reach last season, it’s now almost painful to look at them struggling to find form and victories at the “wrong” end of the table. For people who were hoping that Marinos’s return would spark a revival in football between the Fhulghamousian rivals, right now it looks like they would just have to settle for picking which team is the least terrible out of the two. There’s still more than enough time for these three teams to get out of the drop zone, but it’s always best if they could put together a couple of wins and draws to keep them out of the bottom three.

Race for the Golden Boot
1. Marat Tkachev (Riuwiee United) - 6 goals
2. Denny Hobbs (Malabon SC) - 5 goals
T3. Ramiro Guerra (Locomotive Imgortur) - 4 goals
T3. Alexander Buenaflor (Ludogorets Markovsky) - 4 goals
T3. Brandon Meyers (Sporting Ceneisis) - 4 goals

Marat Tkachev is on a quest to win his second Golden Boot in his time in the FPL, but the fact that he has run out of steam during the final stretch has knocked him out of contention for two seasons running. He’s off to a good start right now, but his competition has only gotten stiffer than ever. Denny Hobbs is perhaps the surprise package of the season at the moment, as no one was expecting that he would hit the ground running after being named the replacement to Anwar Bugarani in Malabon SC’s center forward position. Well, Ravens fans would have hoped he would hit the ground running, but this is currently beyond even their wildest dreams. The controversial Ramiro Guerra is joint third place alongside some more new names, but Guerra might not be here for long as he got himself sent off for removing his shirt after celebrating his hat trick against Gyouza Young Lads.

Race for the Golden Glove
T1. Colin Wade (Gyouza Young Lads) - 2 clean sheets
T1. Radislav Kalyna (Malabon SC) - 2 clean sheets
T1. Karl Fenenko (Paulsen FC) - 2 clean sheets
T1. Pierre-Emile Dubuisson (Rosenpfelblatz City) - 2 clean sheets
T1. Daniel Cartwright (Xemlice Rovers) - 2 clean sheets

There’s a reason why the Race for the Golden Glove is not publicized until two months into the season as there is currently no clear frontrunner for the award after only four matchdays played. Radislav Kalyna is always going to be the favorite once he pops up in the top five, and the fact that he doesn’t have the likes of Mimis Abaris, Isaak Krutikov, and now Jaidev Muthukrishnan for company speaks volumes as to the rising quality of attackers in the FPL, and perhaps even the slow decline of its defenders. All of that said, the old maxim of “whoever wins the Golden Glove in Abanhfleft deserves to win it anywhere else” still holds true; it’s just a matter of whether Kalyna is going to reclaim the award or if a new name is waiting in the wings to snatch it from his hands.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Sun Feb 16, 2025 7:29 am

Matchday Five Scores
Ludogorets Markovsky 1–0 Thereisnogodistan
Sporting Ceneisis 0–0 Athletic Dorfdifving
Riuwiee United 1–0 Fleftic Air Force
Paulsen 1–0 Marinos Thimpodopoulos
Admiral Porcusces 0–0 Malabon SC
Xemlice Rovers 2–2 Rosenpfelblatz City
Gyouza Young Lads 1–1 Bananas
Antslinngs Islands 1–2 Sarvusdalamoive
Wanda Island Wanderers 0–0 Locomotive Imgortur
Rosenpfelblatz North End 0–2 Arsenal de Releinthi

It’s hard to say whether Ludogorets Markovsky have finally figured out how to win the “tough” games in the FPL or if Thereisnogodistan is really just doing poorly this season. The real answer is probably a combination of both factors, but it will be a divisive topic for certain. Fans of the Foresters will claim that their side is finally beginning to regain that “killer” edge that had successfully led them to back-to-back titles, while everyone else will just say that Sam Crownover’s side is shitting the bed so badly that even a Markovsky side that got off to a less than ideal start this season was still able to get three points off of the Atheists. Whatever the case may be, the win does keep Markovsky’s hopes for the three-peat alive. But at some point they will have to start praying that Arsenal de Releinthi will slip up somewhere along the line because at the moment, it looks like Oleg Mostovoi’s men are unstoppable. Sure, they may have won against “lowly” Rosenpfelblatz North End, but there was a time when this would have been considered a tricky fixture for the Gunners, but Mostovoi made sure that his men made short work of the Acolytes to maintain Releinthi’s lead at the top of the pile.

Match of the Day
Xemlice Rovers 2–2 Rosenpfelblatz City

Whenever football fans, pundits, and analysts talk about six-pointers, usually they mean games between two sides threatened by relegation, and the six points means the possible swing between the two teams. It has been used to describe games that could decide the fate of two teams fighting for the IFCF places, but definitely not as often as it was for relegation battlers. But there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the clash between Xemlice Rovers and Rosenpfelblatz City is a six-pointer for a spot in the top five. Both sides are fighting to regain relevancy ever since the Fleftic Premier League became a member of the IFCF, but the league hasn’t been kind to either team since that time. Xemlice had managed to qualify for the IFCF before, and with the FPL’s improved coefficient expanding the possible slots for Fleftic teams to five, now is as good a time as any for the Gamekeepers to cement themselves as a proper Top Five contender once again. But Rosenpfelblatz City has the same idea, and while one point wouldn’t be enough to push the Citizens into the top five, they’re looking at this more as one point gained than two points dropped, kind of like a glass half full situation.

Matchday Six Scores
Thereisnogodistan 2–3 Arsenal de Releinthi
Locomotive Imgortur 3–0 Rosenpfelblatz North End
Sarvusdalamoive 0–0 Wanda Island Wanderers
Bananas 1–3 Antslinngs Islands
Rosenpfelblatz City 0–2 Gyouza Young Lads
Malabon SC 1–0 Xemlice Rovers
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 0–0 Admiral Porcusces
Fleftic Air Force 3–3 Paulsen
Athletic Dorfdifving 2–2 Riuwiee United
Ludogorets Markovsky 1–0 Sporting Ceneisis

Arsenal de Releinthi’s seemingly unstoppable march towards their thirteenth FPL title continues, and once again it looks like Thereisnogodistan has fallen victim to the circumstances. The Atheists had, at one time or another, been such a thorn on the side of the Gunners that every season that the side from the northern Fhulghamous managed to avoid relegation from the FPL was another season that Gunners fans could be sure that their team would drop at least three points to TNG once again. In recent times though, it appeared that Releinthi had finally figured out the winning formula against TNG, and they’ve been able to apply it both at home and away to Richard Dawkins Park. RDP has always been a tough environment for any visiting side to play in, but the abysmal state of current TNG has made that reputation a thing of the past. That didn’t stop Sam Crownover’s men from doing all that they could to nick even just a point from the current league leaders, and while both sides may have been evenly matched at the end of the first half with one goal apiece, Noriyasu Hachisuka would put an end to Thereisnogodistan’s hopes of being the first team to defeat Releinthi this season. This victory, combined with Xemlice Rovers’ defeat away to Malabon SC, means that Releinthi is the only team yet to taste defeat in the FPL this season. And the way things are going, it’s not out of the question for the Gunners to go invincible once again.

Match of the Day
Ludogorets Markovsky 1–0 Sporting Ceneisis

The Match of the Day for MatchdaySix is none other than the derby between Ludogorets Markovsky and Sporting Ceneisis. There was once a time when this fixture was just another fixture on the calendar of both clubs, but when both teams played out a 0-0 draw at the end of the 1999-2000 season that ended up relegating them both, Ceneisis fans took issue to the fact that Markovsky fans were seemingly celebrating the fact that the Foresters had managed to drag the Blues down to Unang Liga. Rude gestures turned to fistfights, and fistfights turned into an actual free-for-all melee that resulted in two dozen injures and at least three stabbings, and from that day forward both Markovsky and Ceneisis had declared the other their mortal enemy. Markovsky fans would definitely be happy seeing Ceneisis fall down the table in recent years, and though the three-peat dream is on shaky ground at the moment, there was no way in hell that the Foresters were going to the Blues take three points from them this time around. Sven Fahrni scoring only one goal in this game may have been a disappointment, but on the other hand, one goal was apparently more than enough to secure the victory over their hated rivals.

Matchday Seven Scores
Sporting Ceneisis 5–3 Thereisnogodistan
Riuwiee United 3–3 Ludogorets Markovsky
Paulsen 1–1 Athletic Dorfdifving
Admiral Porcusces 0–2 Fleftic Air Force
Xemlice Rovers 0–1 Marinos Thimpodopoulos
Gyouza Young Lads 0–1 Malabon SC
Antslinngs Islands 4–4 Rosenpfelblatz City
Wanda Island Wanderers 3–2 Bananas
Rosenpfelblatz North End 1–1 Sarvusdalamoive
Arsenal de Releinthi 2–2 Locomotive Imgortur

The challenges just appear to never stop coming from Ludogorets Markovsky. It’s been said before, and it will be said again, but the road to the three-peat that will forever immortalize this Markovsky squad is only ever going to get tougher and rougher. Case in point: a meeting with Riuwiee United at the May 26 Revolution Memorial Stadium. Riuwiee United may not have had the best of luck in the league since they won the title back in the 2031-32 season, but the May 26 Stadium remains one of the most intimidating grounds in the league thanks to the crowd and the atmosphere. Winning here was a difficult task for even the “best” teams in the FPL, and that was what Ludogorets Markovsky had to do if they wanted to catch up to the league leaders. But the Blue Tribesmen have their own dreams of reclaiming the title, and while neither side will be truly satisfied with the final result, both Markovsky and Riuwiee proved that they were resilient and could grab a result when needed. Still, a draw doesn’t really benefit anybody, except obviously for the teams sitting above them in the table. After all, the Fleftic Premier League has always been a league of fine margins, and a draw could always mean the difference between the title, IFCF football, or missing out on both altogether.

Match of the Day
Arsenal de Releinthi 2–2 Locomotive Imgortur

Arsenal de Releinthi versus Locomotive Imgortur is not a proper derby per se, but some people (mostly Releinthi fans) consider this the Emilio Caravaggio derby as the current manager of Locomotive Imgortur once stood in the same dugout that Oleg Mostovoi now occupied. Caravaggio’s time in Releinthi came to a less than diplomatic end after four years of management, and it would appear that he had been on a campaign to prove the Gunners that getting rid of him was the wrong decision. Ever since Caravaggio took charge of the Engineers, Locomotive Imgortur had always been up for a hard-fought battle against Arsenal de Releinthi whenever the two sides met, and it didn’t matter if there were actually any stakes in Imgortur getting a good result against Releinthi or not. Imgortur definitely would have wanted to make a mark on their opposition’s chase for their 13th league title, and just when it looked like Releinthi was going to win courtesy of a dominant first half, Ramiro Guerra came from out of nowhere and pegged the Gunners back to level terms with a ten-minute brace. The controversial Terense striker always knows how to get the headlines at any given moment, and though he received a yellow card for taunting the home crowd, in his mind it must be all worth it. There’s no other explanation for why he would do that other than just because he could.

Matchday Eight Scores
Thereisnogodistan 2–2 Locomotive Imgortur
Sarvusdalamoive 1–2 Arsenal de Releinthi
Bananas 2–3 Rosenpfelblatz North End
Rosenpfelblatz City 3–4 Wanda Island Wanderers
Malabon SC 0–3 Antslinngs Islands
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 0–0 Gyouza Young Lads
Fleftic Air Force 0–2 Xemlice Rovers
Athletic Dorfdifving 0–0 Admiral Porcusces
Ludogorets Markovsky 3–2 Paulsen
Sporting Ceneisis 1–2 Riuwiee United

It’s beginning to get a little bit congested at the top of the Fleftic Premier League. Arsenal de Releinthi get back to winning ways after that disappointing draw against Locomotive Imgortur by picking up another three points away to Sarvusdalamoive, while Ludogorets Markovsky have now moved up to second place after Malabon SC found themselves on the wrong end of the most shocking result of the week. They may be newly promoted this season, but surely Malabon must have been familiar enough with Antslinngs Islands to know that a victory isn’t always guaranteed against the team in red and black, and indeed the Ravens did not get the win against Antslinngs on this matchday. In fact, it isn’t just the result itself that was shocking; it was the fact that Kirill Kucherenko’s normally stingy defense found itself being breached time and time again. Antslinngs’ opening goal coming from a corner kick may have been an unlucky fluke, but once the Islanders had scored the first goal, it was practically game over for Malabon. The Ravens didn’t even manage to get a short period of dominance to open the second half; Antslinngs Islands played them out of the park and had the likes of Manuel Wheeler and Muniti Forete chasing shadows. This was almost as embarrassing as Malabon crapping the bed when it came to defending their title two seasons ago. Almost.

Match of the Day
Sporting Ceneisis 1–2 Riuwiee United

The battles at the top end of the table aren’t confined to just the outright title chasers. Even the sides who believe that finishing in the top five is a good result at the end of the season are doing all that they could to cement their places and prevent anyone else from dislodging them. Sporting Ceneisis versus Riuwiee United was one such fixture, and it was one that also had the weight of history and rivalry between storied managers behind it. John MacTavish had an unusual obsession with cutting Ceneisis down to size ever since it was bought by Pridnestrovian oligarch Nikita Bellich, who hired the very vocal and outspoken Oontaznik Artemio Peres to manage the Blues. The verbal sparring between MacTavish and Peres and the physical conflict between both sets of players have now become the stuff of FPL legend, and while the rivalry has become less intense in recent years, the animosity is still there just waiting to be summoned back to the fray. It didn’t come out in this game, but the way that Masakazu Chiba celebrated Kostyantyn Zazroyev’s winning goal right in the face of his Fleftic international teammate Palmer Hicks is a reminder that there’s still some lingering bad blood between the Blue Tribesmen and the Blues.

Matchday Nine Scores
Riuwiee United 6–4 Thereisnogodistan
Paulsen 1–0 Sporting Ceneisis
Admiral Porcusces 0–0 Ludogorets Markovsky
Xemlice Rovers 1–0 Athletic Dorfdifving
Gyouza Young Lads 0–2 Fleftic Air Force
Antslinngs Islands 1–0 Marinos Thimpodopoulos
Wanda Island Wanderers 0–0 Malabon SC
Rosenpfelblatz North End 1–3 Rosenpfelblatz City
Arsenal de Releinthi 3–4 Bananas
Locomotive Imgortur 1–0 Sarvusdalamoive

Speaking of bad blood, there wouldn’t have been a lot of that between Riuwiee United and Thereisnogodistan. Sure, the Atheists may have been able to get the occasional result over the Blue Tribesmen, but TNG almost always got good results against the FPL’s top seven. But that might not be the case anymore as Riuwiee put in perhaps the most comprehensive trashing of the Atheists that anyone has ever seen this season. Scoring five goals in the first half tends to do that to any team. Yes, Thereisnogodistan may have been able to score four goals in the second half, but Joe Warren had already emptied the bench with an eye towards the next game against Paulsen, and it was clear that the Blue Tribesmen were now on cruise control. Substitute striker Kostyantyn Zazroyev did put in a sixth goal when the score was 5-2 just to make sure that the points were going to remain in the capital, but Zazroyev celebrated his goal in a way that ruffled the feathers of the visitors. The return fixture at Richard Dawkins Park should be a spicy one. Oh, and Arsenal de Releinthi have finally lost a game. And of course it was a newly promoted side in Bananas that actually managed to put an end to the Gunners’ hopes and dreams of another invincible season. It’s almost always the teams threatened with relegation that turn up against the league leaders at the most inopportune times.

Match of the Day
Rosenpfelblatz North End 1–3 Rosenpfelblatz City

For the first time in four seasons, the Rosenpfelblatz derby is back on the menu for the Fleftic Premier League, and the first leg of this derby is going to be played at the home of Rosenpfelblatz North End, Plainfields. The Acolytes may be second from the bottom of the league right now, and Rosenpfelblatz City is trying to force their way back into the top five, but everyone knows that neither form nor league position matters in a derby game—and City have already scored courtesy of Amisa Fatabbujbi. Rosen North may have thought that they would be able to take the fight to the Citizens courtesy of the star power that Gareth Bunsen had acquired in his second stint as RNE manager, but nope. Rosen City is still the better team from Rosenpfelblatz, it would seem, and whatever hopes and dreams that fans of the Acolytes may have had that their team was going to be able to get one up on their city rivals has gone up in smoke. Sure, Anrai Dolan scored an equalizer late in the first half, but the second half was under the control of the team in sky blue, and there was just no recovering from that for Rosen North. At least they were picked as Match of the Day, but that’s hardly any consolation for a team that just lost the most important derby in their eyes.

Fleftic Premier League Table After Matchday Nine

   FPL                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification                   
 1 Arsenal de Releinthi        9    6   2   1    24   14  +10    20   Champions League qualification
 2 Ludogorets Markovsky        9    5   3   1    16   11   +5    18   Champions League qualification
 3 Riuwiee United              9    5   2   2    23   18   +5    17   Challengers' Cup qualification
 4 Malabon SC                  9    5   2   2    11    7   +4    17   Challengers' Cup qualification
 5 Locomotive Imgortur         9    4   4   1    18   14   +4    16   Challengers' Cup qualification
 6 Xemlice Rovers              9    4   3   2    14    9   +5    15
 7 Wanda Island Wanderers      9    4   3   2    14   12   +2    15
 8 Paulsen                     9    4   2   3    13   12   +1    14
 9 Sporting Ceneisis           9    4   1   4    17   14   +3    13
10 Antslinngs Islands          9    4   1   4    19   18   +1    13
11 Fleftic Air Force           9    3   3   3    18   17   +1    12
12 Rosenpfelblatz City         9    3   2   4    16   19   −3    11
13 Sarvusdalamoive             9    2   4   3     8    9   −1    10
14 Admiral Porcusces           9    1   6   2     6    6    0     9
15 Gyouza Young Lads           9    2   3   4     7   12   −5     9
16 Athletic Dorfdifving        9    1   5   3     9   11   −2     8
17 Marinos Thimpodopoulos      9    2   2   5     6   10   −4     8
18 Bananas                     9    2   2   5    15   22   −7     8   Relegation to Unang Liga
19 Rosenpfelblatz North End    9    2   1   6    13   22   −9     7   Relegation to Unang Liga
20 Thereisnogodistan           9    1   1   7    18   28  −10     4   Relegation to Unang Liga

The landscape of the top five has changed since the last time we looked at it. Arsenal de Releinthi are still at the top of the pile, but now they have Ludogorets Markovsky breathing down their necks. Malabon SC has fallen to 4th place after a string of poor results, and if the Ravens actually want to win their third league title, they’re going to have to clean up their act sooner rather than later. In the meantime, Riuwiee United have managed to propel themselves into 3rd, and without a doubt the Blue Tribesmen are licking their lips at the chance to leapfrog both Releinthi and Markovsky. And then there’s Locomotive Imgortur rounding out the top five. Maybe they’re just after an IFCF spot, or maybe Emilio Caravaggio has decided to shoot his shot at claiming the Engineers’ second league title. He does have the squad and the tactics for it. Of course, he still has to curry the favor of the football gods to actually get it, and depending on how those deities feel about Ramiro Guerra, they may or may not be so generous with their favors this time around.

Things continue to go from bad to worse for Thereisnogodistan. Whatever dreams of potentially sneaking into the top five are now long gone, and all that matters now is finding the form that would push them away from the foot of the table. It seems weird to think that a team with the likes of Dan-Arne Kystebo, Julian Umanov, and Felipe Carrizo are fighting against the drop, but that is the reality for Thereisnogodistan now. At least Rosenpfelblatz North End aren’t in 20th place, even if they did just lose the Rosenpfelblatz derby to the Citizens. Like TNG, they’ve got the star power to not be anywhere near the drop zone, but at the moment none of that star power is working together in a way that’s beneficial to the club. And as for Bananas, they may have gotten the victory over Arsenal de Releinthi to cap off matchday nine, but that still wasn’t enough to lift them out of the relegation places. At least that will finally put an end to the memes that they’re nothing more than Mustafa Bensoussan FC. Hopefully.

Race for the Golden Boot
1. Marat Tkachev (Riuwiee United) - 11 goals
2. Joni Laurismäki (Fleftic Air Force) - 8 goals
3. 9 strikers - 6 goals
T4. Montez Tubman (Wanda Island Wanderers) - 5 goals
T4. Marc Lagmay (Xemlice Rovers) - 5 goals

Marat Tkachev’s hat trick against Thereisnogodistan on matchday nine was enough to boost him away from his closest competitors for the Golden Boot, although Joni Laurismäki is still hot on Tkachev’s heels, figuratively speaking anyway. After that though, it’s a nine-way melee for third place as it would appear that a lot of players have the Golden Boot on their mind. After that though, there are surprisingly only two players on five goals, namely Wanda Island’s Montez Tubman and Marc Lagmay of Xemlice Rovers. The race for the Golden Boot is serious business for these players.

Race for the Golden Glove
1. Radislav Kalyna (Malabon SC) - 6 clean sheets
2. Emelio Lontok (Admiral Porcusces) - 5 clean sheets
T3. Colin Wade (Gyouza Young Lads) - 4 clean sheets
T3. Karl Fenenko (Paulsen FC) - 4 clean sheets
T3. Daniel Cartwright (Xemlice Rovers) - 4 clean sheets

Once again, Radislav Kalyna is leading the way for the Golden Glove. The man literally lives and breathes for the Golden Glove, and surely the fact that he missed out on the award last season to Sarvusdalamoive’s Jaidev Muthukrishnan will still be on the back of his mind. Muthukrishnan is nowhere to be seen on the charts this time around, but it’s still early days for the competition. Should Malabon go through a run of horrible form and Sarvus get a good run of results going, Muthukrishnan could pop right back up and usurp the award from Kalyna yet again.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Mon Feb 17, 2025 7:23 am

Matchday Ten Scores
Thereisnogodistan 2–0 Sarvusdalamoive
Bananas 3–4 Locomotive Imgortur
Rosenpfelblatz City 4–1 Arsenal de Releinthi
Malabon SC 2–0 Rosenpfelblatz North End
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 2–1 Wanda Island Wanderers
Fleftic Air Force 1–2 Antslinngs Islands
Athletic Dorfdifving 2–1 Gyouza Young Lads
Ludogorets Markovsky 1–0 Xemlice Rovers
Sporting Ceneisis 0–0 Admiral Porcusces
Riuwiee United 2–3 Paulsen

It looks like Arsenal de Releinthi’s title charge is beginning to fall apart already. And all it really needed for the collapse to begin was for the Gunners to suffer their first loss of the season, and now it looks like any team can step to the league leaders and play them out of the park. Well, Releinthi isn’t leading the league anymore, not after that dire performance that they put in at the Aeroflot Stadium against Rosenpfelblatz City. There used to be a time when Releinthi fans dreaded going up north to Rosenpfelblatz because of their team’s abysmal record against the Citizens, but Oleg Mostovoi taking charge has helped turn the tide in their favor. Releinthi could have and probably should have managed to beat the team in sky blue, but after they got humbled at their own home by relegation battlers Bananas FC, it would appear that all bets were off. But who knows in what direction this game could have gone had Saul Tavares, playing in place of the ill Dillon Bruster, not inadvertently steered the ball into his own net near the end of the first half? In any case, there is now a debate on whether Tavares’s own goal is merely a footnote or the catalyst for Releinthi’s downfall at the Aeroflot Stadium.

Match of the Day
Riuwiee United 2–3 Paulsen

The battle for the top five places isn’t just being fought by the usual suspects; none other than Paulsen FC has thrown its hat in the ring in the hopes that they could sneak past the others and claim a place in the IFCF Challengers’ Cup for themselves. And the Boilermakers had good reason to be ambitious; they were only three points off of their current opponents Riuwiee United after all. A win against the Blue Tribesmen, while it may be difficult given that they’re playing at the May 26 Revolution Memorial Stadium, could definitely push Paulsen further up the table. At the very least, it would put them neck and neck against the Blue Tribesmen in the standings, and who knows where else Paulsen might be able to go after that? It was a tough contest all things considered, and both teams appeared to have settled for a stalemate after 85 minutes of constant back and forth and two goals scored for each team. However, someone must have forgotten to mention any of this to Paulsen player Francis McMahon, who came off the bench to replace Patrick Mangubat. McMahon’s first action of the game was latching on to a through-ball from Fisher Gerwin, getting past first Masakazu Chiba and then Muhammad Anwar to put the ball in an empty and win the game for the Boilermakers against all the odds. Expect more media attention on Paulsen from this point on.

Matchday Eleven Scores
Paulsen 2–4 Thereisnogodistan
Admiral Porcusces 1–1 Riuwiee United
Xemlice Rovers 1–2 Sporting Ceneisis
Gyouza Young Lads 1–3 Ludogorets Markovsky
Antslinngs Islands 4–7 Athletic Dorfdifving
Wanda Island Wanderers 2–1 Fleftic Air Force
Rosenpfelblatz North End 3–3 Marinos Thimpodopoulos
Arsenal de Releinthi 1–3 Malabon SC
Locomotive Imgortur 3–0 Rosenpfelblatz City
Sarvusdalamoive 5–3 Bananas

Ludogorets Markovsky keeps moving from strength to strength, and now that they had regained top spot on the back of Arsenal de Releinthi’s defeat to Rosenpfelblatz City last matchday, the Foresters are not keen to give up top spot easily or give it up at all. The latest team to fall victim the Markovsky on their quest for that elusive three-peat is Gyouza Young Lads, and there are many people who were already saying that this game was a foregone conclusion. After all, while the Lads may have been able to fend off relegation last season (most notably at the expense of their rivals Miroz Old Boys), this season the team in black and yellow appear to be the league’s whipping boys. So imagine everyone’s shock when it was actually Gyouza that managed to open the scoring just five minutes in, all thanks to a revitalized Tuan Parthosi regaining the form that had almost carried him to a Golden Boot last season. But Ludogorets’s experience came out almost immediately, and while it may have taken forty minutes for Steinthor Freyr Steingrimsson to find the equalizer with yet another free kick, that was enough to kickstart the utter Markovsky domination in the second half that would result in all three points going back to Mezaladbyi Province with the team. Some people are already saying that Parthosi is now regretting having scored the opener in the first place.

Match of the Day
Arsenal de Releinthi 1–3 Malabon SC

If losing to Bananas was what started the decline, and losing to Rosenpfelblatz was what pushed it off the edge, then Arsenal de Releinthi’s loss to Malabon SC could very well be the killing blow to the Gunners’ title aspirations this season. Form can be a very hard thing to turn around, especially in a league as unpredictable as the Fleftic Premier League, and Oleg Mostovoi and his men are finding out first-hand just how quickly fortunes can turn simply because of a run of three straight defeats. It also doesn’t help that there’s a new rivalry brewing between Releinthi and Malabon, a rivalry that goes beyond the fact that these two teams are from the Capital Islands. In recent seasons, Oleg Mostovoi had been finding it more and more difficult for his tactics to overcome the stodgy and stoic defense of Kirill Kucherenko’s Malabon. Mostovoi cut a more and more frustrated figure every time Releinthi and Malabon met on the pitch, and on this occasion it finally came to a head. Malabon hit Releinthi on the counterattack in the first half not once, not twice, but three times, and in all three times the Ravens came away with a goal. Nicacio Xavier may have tried to spark a comeback from the Gunners with his 47th minute goal to start off the second half, but Kucherenko and Malabon battened down the hatches and prevented any more meaningful attempts at goal from that point. Because of this, it’s now Malabon in second place and breathing down the necks of the new league leaders Ludogorets Markovsky. The spice keeps flowing from the FPL.

Matchday Twelve Scores
Thereisnogodistan 1–0 Bananas
Rosenpfelblatz City 5–4 Sarvusdalamoive
Malabon SC 1–0 Locomotive Imgortur
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 0–1 Arsenal de Releinthi
Fleftic Air Force 3–0 Rosenpfelblatz North End
Athletic Dorfdifving 0–1 Wanda Island Wanderers
Ludogorets Markovsky 2–1 Antslinngs Islands
Sporting Ceneisis 6–2 Gyouza Young Lads
Riuwiee United 3–0 Xemlice Rovers
Paulsen 0–1 Admiral Porcusces

Arsenal de Releinthi have managed to arrest the rot somewhat courtesy of a win over Marinos Thimpodopoulos, but an assured victory for the Gunners it definitely was not. Phil Witherspoon and his men went into this game with a game plan similar to the one that Kirill Kucherenko and Malabon had executed to brilliant effect last matchday. But they failed to realize that they weren’t Malabon SC, and while they managed to keep the Gunners at bay for all of seventy minutes, Edgar Smith-Fernandez finally managed to break away from his marker to thump the ball into the roof of the net. Smith-Fernandez’s goal was more than enough to secure all three points and put a halt to the terrible form that had pushed Oleg Mostovoi’s side off of the top of the table, but given the pace that both Ludogorets Markovsky and Malabon SC are going, catching up to those two might have become an impossible task for Releinthi. Neither side went too fancy with their respective wins in the league; it was all about building up a margin to separate themselves from the rest of the league. Then again, both the Foresters and the Ravens should be wary that the same fate that befell Releinthi also didn’t fall on them as well, and that Arsenal isn’t anywhere near them to take advantage should it actually come to pass.

Match of the Day
Rosenpfelblatz City 5–4 Sarvusdalamoive

It was a toss-up as to whether this match should be considered for Match of the Day, or if that honor should be bestowed upon Sporting Ceneisis versus Gyouza Young Lads. At the end of the day though, there were a couple of factors that swung the decision the way of Rosenpfelblatz City versus Sarvusdalamoive, and chief among that is the fact that this was a match between two teams who were ostensibly fighting for a place in the top five. Ceneisis versus Gyouza was a top seven team going against a team fighting relegation. And Ceneisis versus Gyouza was one team smashing and dominating another, while Rosen versus Sarvus was a back and forth battle between two sides who weren’t where they wanted to be but knew that winning this game could be the key to pushing themselves further up the table. Lucas von Wolfberg will get the hat trick and the match ball after the game, but there is already an ongoing debate on whether he was actually good enough for both achievements. Some people (mostly Sarvus fans, but there were definitely more than just a handful of neutrals who agreed with them) are already making a case for Richard Luyindula being the more influential striker because he was actually forcing the issue against Rosenpfelblatz while von Wolfberg simply took advantage of Sarvus pushing further forward than they had been for most of the game. Some might call this debate silly, but for football fans, it’s definitely serious business.

Matchday Thirteen Scores
Admiral Porcusces 2–0 Thereisnogodistan
Xemlice Rovers 0–1 Paulsen
Gyouza Young Lads 1–2 Riuwiee United
Antslinngs Islands 0–2 Sporting Ceneisis
Wanda Island Wanderers 2–2 Ludogorets Markovsky
Rosenpfelblatz North End 1–0 Athletic Dorfdifving
Arsenal de Releinthi 2–4 Fleftic Air Force
Locomotive Imgortur 0–0 Marinos Thimpodopoulos
Sarvusdalamoive 0–1 Malabon SC
Bananas 0–0 Rosenpfelblatz City

This is not a drill. Repeat, this is not a drill. Malabon SC are the Fleftic Premier League leaders once again! The Blue Tribesmen are the only team among the supposed “title challengers” this season who were actually able to get all three points in their respective games on matchday thirteen. Once again, Kirill Kucherenko proved that fancy football wasn’t always the end-all be-all that most fans have come to believe it to be. Their opponent Sarvusdalamoive was still reeling from the back and forth battle against Rosenpfelblatz City that ended in heartbreaking fashion (for Pinks supporters, at least) courtesy of Lucas von Wolfberg’s last minute winner, and so they were the perfect team to fall victim to yet another counterattacking goal from the Ravens. Yes, it might have taken Malabon 88 minutes to find the winner, mostly because more and more teams were now beginning to copy Kucherenko’s low block tactics, but at the end of the day, Tovek Fazilov still found the back of the net. It might have been a different story if he had missed his shot or had it saved, but we exist in the timeline where Fazilov scored, and because of that Malabon SC is at the top of the league once again. Ludogorets Markovsky have gone down to second place after a thrilling draw against Wanda Island Wanderers (to be discussed below), and Arsenal de Releinthi continues to slide further down the table, further proving that their title chances may have now gone up in smoke.

Match of the Day
Wanda Island Wanderers 2–2 Ludogorets Markovsky

Wanda Island Wanderers have not had the best of times trying to insert themselves into the title picture. Apart from that momentous 2027-28 season in which everything fell into the right place for the Wanderers, the team from Wanda City has not come close to fighting for the title once again. All memes of bottling and choking aside, the Wanderers have now developed a fascination (some might say an obsession) in turning themselves into the kingmakers of the FPL. Wanda Island may not actually be able to get their hands on the title, but they sure as hell could influence where it could go. All of that said, that might be a double-edged sword for the Wanderers: on one hand, they did manage to influence the title race by drawing against Ludogorets Markovsky. On the other hand, it’s allowed Malabon SC to take the top spot, and the only thing that hurts Wanda Island fans more than not winning the title is seeing a rival potentially in a place to win it all. It’s happened to them numerous times before with their primary rival Arsenal de Releinthi. It also happened before with Malabon SC of all teams. And it might still happen once again, all thanks to Tovek Fazilov scoring his first goal of the season against Sarvusdalamoive.

Matchday Fourteen Scores
Thereisnogodistan 2–2 Rosenpfelblatz City
Malabon SC 1–0 Bananas
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 0–0 Sarvusdalamoive
Fleftic Air Force 1–0 Locomotive Imgortur
Athletic Dorfdifving 1–4 Arsenal de Releinthi
Ludogorets Markovsky 3–3 Rosenpfelblatz North End
Sporting Ceneisis 0–1 Wanda Island Wanderers
Riuwiee United 2–3 Antslinngs Islands
Paulsen 1–0 Gyouza Young Lads
Admiral Porcusces 1–1 Xemlice Rovers

Now it’s Ludogorets Markovsky which looks like they’re about to lose their grip on the title! Truly, the Fleftic Premier League once again lives up to its reputation of being one of the most unpredictable leagues in the multiverse. Sure, one could say that whoever wins the title and qualifies for the IFCF is actually predictable, but how that team wins the title and how the others make it into international club football is actually up in the air. Heck, Markovsky was the favorite to win the title last season, but nobody expecting them having to go toe to toe with Sarvusdalamoive just to get the damn thing. And at the moment, “the damn thing” is slipping from the grasp of the Foresters. Once again it’s a relegation battler like Rosenpfelblatz North End that’s put another dent in the campaign of a title hopeful, but at least Ludogorets was able to walk out of this encounter with one point. Dropping two points will suck for them and their fans without a doubt, but even with the dropped points, the gap between Markovsky and Malabon is only three points. A win for the Foresters, a loss for the Ravens, and a small swing of just two goals would be enough to put Ludogorets back on top.

Match of the Day
Riuwiee United 2–3 Antslinngs Islands

Riuwiee United is a very confusing team at the moment. There were times this season when it looked like top five was all but guaranteed, and then there were other times when the Blues Tribesmen couldn’t even get out of second gear. And there’s no set pattern as to when which Riuwiee team is going to show up; it’s practically a lottery trying to figure out if it’s the good Riuwiee or the bad Riuwiee playing against their opponents. Luckily for Antslinngs Islands, they got the bad Riuwiee when they paid the capital club a visit, but this “bad” Riuwiee still managed to give the Islanders a good fight. Or at least they were able to give Antslinngs a good fight for most of the first half. Once the second half came around, Antslinngs Islands became the dominant force in the game, and this game became the first time that Antslinngs had scored three goals at the May 26 Stadium against Riuwiee United in four years. One could see the absolute joy and ecstasy on the face of Rohan Desai when he ran off to celebrate with the away fans after nodding the ball past the despairing fingers of Muhammad Anwar to make history. Kostyantyn Zazroyev may have managed to score a second goal for the Blue Tribesmen, but it was nothing more than a consolation, and it didn’t even dampen the celebrations from the Antslinngs faithful.

Fleftic Premier League Table After Matchday Fourteen

   FPL                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification                   
 1 Malabon SC                 14   10   2   2    19    8  +11    32   Champions League qualification
 2 Ludogorets Markovsky       14    8   5   1    27   18   +9    29   Champions League qualification
 3 Arsenal de Releinthi       14    8   2   4    33   26   +7    26   Challengers' Cup qualification
 4 Wanda Island Wanderers     14    7   4   3    21   17   +4    25   Challengers' Cup qualification
 5 Riuwiee United             14    7   3   4    33   26   +7    24   Challengers' Cup qualification
 6 Sporting Ceneisis          14    7   2   5    27   18   +9    23
 7 Locomotive Imgortur        14    6   5   3    25   19   +6    23
 8 Paulsen                    14    7   2   5    20   19   +1    23
 9 Fleftic Air Force          14    6   3   5    28   23   +5    21
10 Rosenpfelblatz City        14    5   4   5    27   29   −2    19
11 Antslinngs Islands         14    6   1   7    29   32   −3    19
12 Admiral Porcusces          14    3   9   2    11    8   +3    18
13 Xemlice Rovers             14    4   4   6    16   17   −1    16
14 Athletic Dorfdifving       14    3   5   6    19   22   −3    14
15 Sarvusdalamoive            14    3   5   6    17   20   −3    14
16 Marinos Thimpodopoulos     14    3   5   6    11   15   −4    14
17 Thereisnogodistan          14    4   2   8    27   34   −7    14
18 Rosenpfelblatz North End   14    3   3   8    20   33  −13    12   Relegation to Unang Liga
19 Bananas                    14    2   3   9    21   33  −12     9   Relegation to Unang Liga
20 Gyouza Young Lads          14    2   3   9    12   26  −14     9   Relegation to Unang Liga

Once again, the top five of the Fleftic Premier League has changed in some ways, while at the same time little had actually changed. Malabon SC now leads the league with 32 points, and Ludogorets Markovsky settles down to second place with 29 points after they were held to a thrilling 3-3 draw by Rosenpfelblatz North End. Arsenal de Releinthi, despite losing four games out of five, are somehow still in the IFCF places and third, but if they continue dropping points left and right, they are bound to leave the top five sooner rather than later. And where in the world did Wanda Island Wanderers come from? They may be the laughingstock of the FPL for a reason, but when they’re on good form, they are on amazing form. If luck and the football gods continue smiling upon the Wanderers, they might actually join the title fray in a matter of weeks. That should make for an interesting title race, at the very least. And despite the May 26 Memorial Stadium feeling less and less like a fortress in recent games, Riuwiee United are still in fifth place, but they are most definitely not assured of finishing there at the end of the season. Momentum shifts and all that.

Thereisnogodistan have finally made it out of the drop zone this season, but given how the bottom of the table is even tighter than the top, another loss or two could easily push the Atheists back down once again. Meanwhile, two of the three teams promoted from Unang Liga are at risk of getting relegated once again, once again raising questions on whether there is actually a gulf growing between the Fleftic Premier League and the second tier. There are still some people surprised to see Rosenpfelblatz North End struggling to stay up despite the packed roster at their disposal, and there are others who will point to that stacked roster as the reason why the Acolytes are struggling in the first place. The same cannot be said for Bananas FC, but that’s because they’re trying to prove that they are more than just being Mustafa Bensoussan FC. The man hasn’t been playing in Abanhfleft for two years and this football club is still obsessed with proving that he needed them more than they needed him. His goalscoring prowess certainly wouldn’t hurt the Gorillas’ cause this time around. Ricky Gomez is good, but he’s not “Abanhfleft national football team starting striker” good.

Race for the Golden Boot
1. Marat Tkachev (Riuwiee United) - 12 goals
2. Leo Kane (Antslinngs Islands) - 11 goals
3. Denny Hobbs (Malabon SC) - 10 goals
T3. Lucas von Wolfberg (Rosenpfelblatz) - 10 goals
4. 4 players - 9 goals

Marat Tkachev still leads the race for the Golden Boot, but his lead isn’t as big as it used to be. Leo Kane from Antslinngs Islands is now right on Tkachev’s heels with 11 goals to the Pyazhnayan’s 12. And tied for third place is Denny Hobbs of Malabon SC and Lucas von Wolfberg from Rosenpfelblatz City. Four players are on 9 goals as well, and depending on who hits red-hot form and who goes cold, it’s still literally anyone’s race.

Race for the Golden Glove
1. Radislav Kalyna (Malabon SC) - 10 clean sheets
2. Emelio Lontok (Admiral Porcusces) - 8 clean sheets
3. Karl Fenenko (Paulsen FC) - 6 clean sheets
T4. Mimis Abaris (Locomotive Imgortur) - 5 clean sheets
T4. Jerolim Bjelogrlic (Marinos Thimpodopoulos) - 5 clean sheets
T4. Pertinax Tikeers (Wanda Island Wanderers) - 5 clean sheets

Radislav Kalyna might once again be the reason why Malabon SC could win another league title. Where in the world was this Kalyna for most of the previous decade? Well, he does have an IFCF Challengers’ Cup under his belt as well, but he spent most of his time in Malabon bouncing between the top four, the midfield, and even bloody relegation. At least the ship has finally been steadied, and the renaissance of Malabon SC could be upon us. There are still more than a handful of goalkeepers gunning to keep the Golden Glove away from Kalyna though, but their success in that venture is not guaranteed.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Tue Feb 18, 2025 8:06 am

Matchday Fifteen Scores
Xemlice Rovers 1–0 Thereisnogodistan
Gyouza Young Lads 1–0 Admiral Porcusces
Antslinngs Islands 3–2 Paulsen
Wanda Island Wanderers 4–2 Riuwiee United
Rosenpfelblatz North End 0–1 Sporting Ceneisis
Arsenal de Releinthi 0–3 Ludogorets Markovsky
Locomotive Imgortur 4–2 Athletic Dorfdifving
Sarvusdalamoive 3–1 Fleftic Air Force
Bananas 2–3 Marinos Thimpodopoulos
Rosenpfelblatz City 2–1 Malabon SC

If Arsenal de Releinthi’s title hopes hadn’t been buried by the four losses that they took in the previous month then this should finally put the final nail in the coffin of the Gunners’ title campaign. It’s not a rare occurrence for one side to utterly dominate the other when two title chasers clash against each other in the Fleftic Premier League, but what happened between Releinthi and Ludogorets Markovsky at the Monsanto Stadium isn’t really domination. It’s way more than that. Nobody has seen a top three side and a title challenger so thoroughly dismantled like what the Foresters did to Releinthi since the pre-UICA days. It isn’t every day that any team manages to score three goals in twenty minutes against the Gunners, especially at home, but that was exactly what Ludogorets did. Add to that the fact that Malabon lost a close contest against Rosenpfelblatz City and just like that, the Foresters are back on top once again. Sometimes it really is premature to write off the chances of the defending two-time champions when it comes to getting that third straight title over the line because it is literally a case of “been there, done that.” At this stage, anyone betting against Markovsky finishing the three-peat is just literally pissing away their money.

Match of the Day
Wanda Island Wanderers 4–2 Riuwiee United

The title isn’t the only thing at stake in the FPL this season. With the league’s improved coefficient gaining it another place in the IFCF Champions’ League, all of the teams that had once been content over just making it to the Challengers’ Cup now want something more. One of those teams is Wanda Island Wanderers, and while they’re definitely not discounting the possibility that they could insert themselves into the title picture, they also wouldn’t say no to second place if Ludogorets Markovsky does end up running away with the title once again. And the Wanderers also wouldn’t say no to pushing a hated rival from the Capital Islands out of the top five as well to deny them international club football, which is exactly what they have done to Riuwiee United, at least for the moment. Of course, in most cases a single game isn’t going to determine where a team finishes in the league, but for the moment at least, Wanda Island have managed to kick out the Blue Tribesmen from the top five. A coordinated effort from three of the Wanderers’ front men (namely Montez Tubman, Samuel Holmes, and Yonatan Ochoa) as well as another sumptuous free kick from Rostislav Chukreyev was more than enough to propel Wanda Island to third place as well as Match of the Day.

Matchday Sixteen Scores
Thereisnogodistan 0–2 Malabon SC
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 4–1 Rosenpfelblatz City
Fleftic Air Force 3–1 Bananas
Athletic Dorfdifving 0–1 Sarvusdalamoive
Ludogorets Markovsky 2–2 Locomotive Imgortur
Sporting Ceneisis 1–2 Arsenal de Releinthi
Riuwiee United 2–0 Rosenpfelblatz North End
Paulsen 4–5 Wanda Island Wanderers
Admiral Porcusces 4–2 Antslinngs Islands
Xemlice Rovers 2–0 Gyouza Young Lads

Is the Fleftic Premier League witnessing yet another game of “top of the league is lava?” That is perhaps the only explanation that one can give considering the circumstances, as once again the top two teams have swapped places. Malabon SC picked up a victory over Thereisnogodistan to bounce back from the disappointing loss away to Rosenpfelblatz City, while Ludogorets Markovsky was held to a frustrating and blood boiling (from Foresters fans’ perspectives, at least) draw by Locomotive Imgortur. No Ramiro Guerra? No problem for Emilio Caravaggio and his men, who found themselves without the controversial striker as Guerra once again made the mistake of celebrating excessively against Athletic Dorfdifving fans after he scored a brace against their team in the previous matchday. With Guerra once again serving a suspension from league play, Caravaggio called upon his other striker Cosmas Stamatelopoulos to lead the line on his own against the then-league leaders, and the Fhulghamousian actually did a fantastic job as a lone striker. Stamatelopoulos scored one goal and assisted another as Imgortur held Markovsky at bay at the Stadium of the Old Forester, and while his own celebrations was nowhere near as excessive or offensive as what Guerra did a week ago, Cosmas will surely ruffle more than just a few feathers in the green side of Markovsky for the rest of the season at the very least.

Match of the Day
Sporting Ceneisis 1–2 Arsenal de Releinthi

The title campaign may be dead, but it would appear that Arsenal de Releinthi is not going to give up on a top five finish because of that. The Gunners and Sporting Ceneisis have had a rocky and turbulent history with each other, a rivalry sparked to life under the tenure of Artemio Peres when his tactics proved most frustrating to both Godric Wexler and the Releinthi fanbase. Tensions have simmered down after both Peres and Wexler stepped down from their respective managerial posts, but the undercurrent of hate is still there, just ready and waiting to be exploited. This match may have been the most ill-tempered between Ceneisis and Releinthi in recent seasons, and the fact that both teams were fighting to get back into the top five just compounded the issues. Both sides would also end up going down to ten men after a particularly violent clash between Edgar Smith-Fernandez and Antonio Galindez resulted in a fight that ended with both men getting sent off. But it would be the Gunners that would have the last laugh courtesy of Gennady Matviyenko, who came off the bench to replace Nicacio Xavier in Oleg Mostovoi’s modified formation and scored the winning goal in the 57th minute. Arsenal de Releinthi are down, but they are not yet buried.

Matchday Seventeen Scores
Gyouza Young Lads 4–7 Thereisnogodistan
Antslinngs Islands 0–1 Xemlice Rovers
Wanda Island Wanderers 1–0 Admiral Porcusces
Rosenpfelblatz North End 4–2 Paulsen
Arsenal de Releinthi 0–1 Riuwiee United
Locomotive Imgortur 1–0 Sporting Ceneisis
Sarvusdalamoive 0–3 Ludogorets Markovsky
Bananas 2–4 Athletic Dorfdifving
Rosenpfelblatz City 1–2 Fleftic Air Force
Malabon SC 3–0 Marinos Thimpodopoulos

The race for the Fleftic Premier League title has been so exciting over the past few matchdays with all of the associated twists and turns that it almost feels like no one is paying attention to the relegation dogfight and what the teams are the bottom are doing to get out of the drop zone. But after the game between Gyouza Young Lads and Thereisnogodistan, nobody is ignoring the relegation battles now. The Atheists have finally managed to get out of the bottom three after what can only be described as an abysmal start to the season, but now they had to square off against another struggling side in Gyouza Young Lads. TNG’s main man Dan-Arne Kystebo had not been hitting the same heights that he did for TNG at the same point last season, which had been the primary cause for concern as to why the Atheists could actually get relegated this season. Meanwhile, the same could be said about Tuan Parthosi for Gyouza, so this really was the battle of which striker could regain their form sooner. Both men would end up scoring braces in this 11-goal thriller, but the main difference between Thereisnogodistan and Gyouza this time around was that Kystebo had a better supporting cast around him. Parthosi only has his strike partner Dexter Stanislas as a “guaranteed” alternative source for goals while Kystebo has both Felipe Carrizo and Julian Umanov. That could potentially be the difference between safety and relegation.

Match of the Day
Bananas 2–4 Athletic Dorfdifving

Continuing the theme that the relegation dogfight has finally managed to take some of the limelight away from the title fight, this matchday’s Match of the Day features another relegation six-pointer clash between Bananas and Athletic Dorfdifving. The Gorillas are definitely struggling to rediscover the form that had propelled them to winning the Unang Liga title just a year ago, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time for them. Forget about proving that they are no longer and never have been Mustafa Bensoussan FC, at the moment all Bananas wants is to be able to win another game. Athletic Dorfdifving themselves have had a tough time navigating the current landscape of the FPL, but at least they have a two-point margin over the drop zone, and the Canaries would like to keep it that way. It would be fair to say that this match was a back and forth affair, or at least it was in the first half. But when Roque Manaloto turned what should have been a goal line clearance into a shocking own goal, Bananas simply collapsed. It was like they could feel that the football gods did not like them one bit, and the team decided that accepting their fate of potentially being relegated was the better course of action than trying to fight it.

Matchday Eighteen Scores
Thereisnogodistan 4–2 Marinos Thimpodopoulos
Fleftic Air Force 1–1 Malabon SC
Athletic Dorfdifving 3–4 Rosenpfelblatz City
Ludogorets Markovsky 4–3 Bananas
Sporting Ceneisis 2–0 Sarvusdalamoive
Riuwiee United 2–1 Locomotive Imgortur
Paulsen 0–4 Arsenal de Releinthi
Admiral Porcusces 0–1 Rosenpfelblatz North End
Xemlice Rovers 1–1 Wanda Island Wanderers
Gyouza Young Lads 1–1 Antslinngs Islands

Some might even go so far as to suggest that the title picture didn’t take too kindly to the fact that the relegation battle got the spotlight last matchday so it made sure that everyone wouldn’t be able to take their eyes away from the top of the table once again. But really though, why would anyone want to take their eyes away from the title race? After some speculation, it would appear that the primary players for the 2038-39 league championship would be Ludogorets Markovsky and Malabon SC. There might be times when both teams are acting like they don’t actually want to be at the top of the league, but of course that would be an outright lie. Everyone is simply doing all that they could to win the maximum number of points per match, but sometimes things don’t actually work out that way. Bananas thought that they could pull a third upset against the Foresters after they had already conquered the likes of Arsenal de Releinthi and Riuwiee United, but maybe the Gorillas’ supreme away form is only applicable to teams in the Capital Islands. Still, after the heartbreaking loss against Athletic Dorfdifving last week, Bananas gave a good accounting of themselves even if they did end up falling to Ludogorets. Meanwhile, Malabon knew that Fleftic Air Force was always going to be a tough nut to crack, and though the Ravens thought that they had done enough to secure the victory through Muniti Forete, Casimir Richelieu would end up throwing another late twist to the tale when his attempt to block a cross from Rachid Hamed Sissani ended up steering the football past the fingers of Radislav Kalyna. The top of the league truly is lava, or at least it feels that way sometimes.

Match of the Day
Gyouza Young Lads 1–1 Antslinngs Islands

Now that they had everyone’s attention, the relegation battle will not be outdone by the title fight. At first glance, it doesn’t appear that Gyouza Young Lads versus Antslinngs is going to be anything special. A newly promoted side currently punching above their weight against a team struggling to fend off the drop? Yes, anything could happen, but no one probably predicted that this was going to be one of the feistiest contests of the season, let alone the matchday. Tuan Parthosi looked like he had finally managed to find his shooting boots once again, and while he was only able to score one goal in this game, he very easily could have had a hat trick had it not been for the linesman foiling two of his efforts. For their part, Antslinngs Islands was more interested in just playing out a goalless draw, but they didn’t seem to mind that they had actually managed to concede. But when they did go up the field for their only corner of the day, the Islanders did find the back of the net, but closer review would then reveal that it was actually a Gyouza player, Goddard Boon, who had made the final touch on the ball before it went in. It was after this point that Parthosi scored an offside brace, and with Antslinngs pushing the boundaries of time wasting as far as they could take it, something finally snapped in the Young Lads. A post-match scuffle would result in two Gyouza players and Antslinngs bench player Tyson Jugueta receiving match bans for their role in sparking the melee. Not even Miroz managed to rile up the Young Lads this badly. Football really is serious business for these guys.

Matchday Nineteen Scores
Antslinngs Islands 2–4 Thereisnogodistan
Wanda Island Wanderers 5–3 Gyouza Young Lads
Rosenpfelblatz North End 0–0 Xemlice Rovers
Arsenal de Releinthi 2–3 Admiral Porcusces
Locomotive Imgortur 2–3 Paulsen
Sarvusdalamoive 1–2 Riuwiee United
Bananas 1–1 Sporting Ceneisis
Rosenpfelblatz City 2–1 Ludogorets Markovsky
Malabon SC 2–0 Athletic Dorfdifving
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 1–0 Fleftic Air Force

At this point, it would appear that the top of the league isn’t the only thing that’s lava in the Fleftic Premier League. It looks like all of the top five places is lava because it feels like most teams are doing their darndest to get out of there. Arsenal de Releinthi in particular look like they’re uncharacteristically allergic to finishing in the IFCF places once again, which sounds unthinkable considering where the Gunners had been previously. But it does appear that the old cliché that form is overpowered is being proven true by Releinthi, and despite what everyone else is saying, nobody wants to see this awful decline on their part. Well, maybe Wanda Island Wanderers fans are enjoying the spectacle before them. After all, not only is Releinthi now below Wanda Island in the table courtesy of losing yet another game at the Monsanto Stadium, this time to Admiral Porcusces, but now the Wanderers are much closer to both Malabon SC and Ludogorets Markovsky at the top than Releinthi is. Speaking of Malabon, they’ve taken the lead in the league once again thanks to a “routine” 2-0 victory over Athletic Dorfdifving as well as Ludogorets falling to Rosenpfelblatz City in the West Mezaladbyi derby. More of that in a moment.

Match of the Day
Rosenpfelblatz City 2–1 Ludogorets Markovsky

The West Mezaladbyi derby is a fixture that has gained more relevance in the past couple of decades as first Rosenpfelblatz City and then Ludogorets Markovsky became proper contenders for the league title. As with most other derbies, this one usually started off being just for bragging rights, but once trophies became a more realistic and attainable objective for both teams, winning the derby match became as much a point of both contention and pride for both the Citizens and the Foresters. Form usually goes out of the window in derby games, but there was still an expectation that the league leaders were going to emerge triumphant in this fixture. But with Rosen City still struggling to break into the top five, it should really have come as no surprise that the Citizens were going to pour all of their energy and effort into getting one over their rivals from across the salt flats in a “if we can’t get it then you can’t too” situation. Is it petty? Yes. Is it worth it for the Citizens and their fans? Absolutely.

Fleftic Premier League After Matchday Nineteen

   FPL                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification                   
 1 Malabon SC                 19   13   3   3    28   11  +17    42   Champions League qualification
 2 Ludogorets Markovsky       19   11   6   2    40   25  +15    39   Champions League qualification
 3 Wanda Island Wanderers     19   11   5   3    37   27  +10    38   Challengers' Cup qualification
 4 Riuwiee United             19   11   3   5    42   32  +10    36   Challengers' Cup qualification
 5 Arsenal de Releinthi       19   10   2   7    41   34   +7    32   Challengers' Cup qualification
 6 Sporting Ceneisis          19    9   3   7    32   22  +10    30
 7 Locomotive Imgortur        19    8   6   5    35   28   +7    30
 8 Fleftic Air Force          19    8   4   7    35   30   +5    28
 9 Rosenpfelblatz City        19    8   4   7    37   40   −3    28
10 Xemlice Rovers             19    7   6   6    21   18   +3    27
11 Paulsen                    19    8   2   9    31   37   −6    26
12 Admiral Porcusces          19    5   9   5    18   15   +3    24
13 Thereisnogodistan          19    7   2  10    42   45   −3    23
14 Marinos Thimpodopoulos     19    6   5   8    21   25   −4    23
15 Antslinngs Islands         19    7   2  10    37   44   −7    23
16 Sarvusdalamoive            19    5   5   9    22   28   −6    20
17 Rosenpfelblatz North End   19    5   4  10    25   38  −13    19
18 Athletic Dorfdifving       19    4   5  10    28   35   −7    17   Relegation to Unang Liga
19 Gyouza Young Lads          19    3   4  12    21   41  −20    13   Relegation to Unang Liga
20 Bananas                    19    2   4  13    30   48  −18    10   Relegation to Unang Liga

The top five situation finally appears to have stabilized itself, and the five teams that were in it at the start of the month are still in there even if the order has been shuffled. The top two hasn’t changed, although there have been moments when it felt like Malabon SC and Ludogorets Markovsky were both doing whatever they could to swap places with the other. Wanda Island Wanderers is now the team right behind the Foresters, waiting for a chance to see if one team drops enough points to drop them out of the Champions’ League spots so that the Wanderers can take their place. Riuwiee United, despite having experienced a turbulent past few months, are still hanging on to fourth place, by the skin of their teeth in the eyes of some. And Arsenal de Releinthi clings on to the final IFCF place, although they had been in and out of the top five almost as many times as Malabon and Markovsky were doing their position swaps at the top of the league. Yeah. they’re not going to be in the title picture again this season, but it would still be a fool’s errand to try to predict if they’ll actually finish in the top five or not.

People who are fans of Bananas FC have probably already accepted the possibility that their team is going to get relegated once again, and this time they’re going down straight after getting promoted. Sometimes it sucks being a fan of a team that’s apparently too good for Unang Liga but not good enough for the Fleftic Premier League. And after their “great escape” last season, it would appear that the reaper of relegation has finally come to collect on Gyouza Young Lads. This time, the Lads don’t have any rivals like Miroz Old Boys from which to claim a guaranteed six points, so their time in the top flight may be coming to an end. Who knows if Miroz will actually be waiting to greet them in Unang Liga, or if the Old Boys will actually be promoted once again? Gyouza fans will probably hope that Miroz will get relegated once again to the regional tiers, but that doesn’t appear very likely barring exceptional circumstances. And Athletic Dorfdifving may have managed to evade the drop a number of times, but just like Gyouza, it looks like the reaper has come to collect them as well. The Canaries had a good accounting of themselves in the top flight, but as with all good things, it’s not expected to last forever.

Race for the Golden Boot
1. Marat Tkachev (Riuwiee United) - 15 goals
2. Montez Tubman (Wanda Island Wanderers) - 13 goals
3. 5 players - 12 goals
4. Joni Laurismäki (Fleftic Air Force) - 11 goals
5. 4 players - 10 goals

Marat Tkachev keeps pulling himself away from everyone else in the Golden Boot conversation, but now he has a few new faces to contend with. Montez Tubman has become a more consistent and accomplished striker for Wanda Island Wanderers, and if he continues at this rate he could actually be the key to Wanda Island finally winning another league title. After that though, it’s a real mess in the lower reaches, and it’s anyone’s guess who manages to separate themselves from the rest and be noticed.

Race for the Golden Glove
1. Radislav Kalyna (Malabon SC) - 13 clean sheets
T2. Emelio Lontok (Admiral Porcusces) - 8 clean sheets
T2. Daniel Cartwright (Xemlice Rovers) - 8 clean sheets
3. 5 players - 6 clean sheets
4. 3 players - 5 clean sheets

Radislav Kalyna really is determined to bring home that Golden Glove once again. Jaidev Muthukrishnan came out of nowhere to take the award away from the Pridnestrovian goalkeeper, and that little factoid has been living rent-free in Kalyna’s head ever since. Luckily for him, Muthukrishan is nowhere near being able to reclaim the Golden Glove unless Sarvusdalamoive goes on an insane run that could rival the one they had last season. And the nearest actual contenders are at least five clean sheets behind, so this could already be in the bag for Kalyna at the halfway point.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Wed Feb 19, 2025 7:02 am

2038-39 SFA Cup Third Round

AFC Hithamandhoo 1–2 Gyouza Young Lads
Zzimmonnttogg Wolves 0–1 Riuwiee United
Athletic Dorfdifving 4–2 Rosenpfelblatz North End
Wabash Union 1–2 Thereisnogodistan
Admiral Porcusces 1–0 Locomotive Imgortur
Nnettekkebb Wanderers 2–1 Olistan Presbyterians
Paulsen 4–1 SSC Domodossola
Sarvusdalamoive 5–2 Vikrant Rovers
Electric Yugal 3–2 Bartunna United
Duhblakk Rovers 3–3 Wanda Island Wanderers
Uthilmir United 0–0 Athletic Club Oof
West Releinthi City 0–1 Uranium City Radiation
Xemlice Rovers 1–0 Keephall Vikings
Nou Constantinopoli 0–5 Rosenpfelblatz City
Sporting Ceneisis 2–0 United of Riuwiee
Rodrigues 2–0 Berezovsky United

Miroz Old Boys 3–1 Tutschkill Town
Gold Coast Arsenal 5–0 Reyes United
Athletic Bergson 0–1 Fleftic Air Force
Eielo Sunlight 1–1 Arsenal de Releinthi
Piuui Pirates 3–3 Pilken Kickers
Garufaloe 3–1 Fleftic Army
All-Inclusive Haranguer 1–1 Pawwazim
Effelenendro 3–2 Dynamo Ja
Ludogorets Markovsky 2–1 Khimik Ogovlich
AFC Da 0–3 Sporting Mykorrigan
Duke's Own Town AFC 4–4 Tefel
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 2–1 Kimmirut Panhandle
Bananas 7–3 Real Mikkaleth
Antslinngs Islands 6–0 Nuclear Spriekt
Real Haritzaga 2–0 Malabon SC
Chevaliers de Motonou 2–4 Atletico San Sebastian

It’s the halfway point of the Fleftic football season, and everyone knows what that means. Yes, it is once again time for the oldest football competition in the country, the SFA Cup. 64 teams (20 from the Fleftic Premier League, 20 from the restructured Unang Liga, and 24 survivors of the second round) will compete against each other for the right to lift the tin idol over their heads at the end of the season. Once again, the recent pattern of sides threatened by relegation (or sides that were actually relegated) have had a better chance at winning the cup than the teams who were actually expected to win it has held true as Mannerheim Town managed to defy all of the odds and win the SFA Cup last season despite being relegated from Unang Liga. However, the thing about lower league sides winning the cup is that there is every possibility that they might not actually be able to advance into the third round if they should be unlucky to get relegated on the same season that they won the cup. This is exactly what happened to Mannerheim Town. They entered the competition in the second round by virtue of the fact that they were now playing in the third tier, and that was where their campaign to defend the tin idol began and ended. Mannerheim was drawn against fellow Liga Ikalawa-Gitna team Duke’s Own Town AFC, and the latter team was able to defeat the cup holders by a score of 2-0. Thus, for the first time in a very, very long time, the cup holders will not play in the third round of the SFA Cup. Such a shame, really. Maybe the Mountaineers could have found a way to make the magic of the SFA Cup work in their favor once again, but perhaps now that they’ve won the tin idol, they’ve lost the favor of the football gods. Such cantankerous beings, they are.

But just because the primary example of the “magic” of the SFA Cup has been eliminated doesn’t mean that the third round hasn’t thrown up its fair share of upsets and surprises. The biggest surprise of all undoubtedly has to be Fleftic Premier League leaders Malabon SC getting knocked out of the competition by lowly little Real Haritzaga from Liga Ikalawa-Hilaga. Winning the double in Abanhfleft has become an increasingly rare thing, but that hasn’t stopped anybody from dreaming that it could actually happen to their club. Unfortunately for Ravens fans, their club won’t be winning any doubles anytime soon after Real Haritzaga took advantage of the long distance between the Fhulghamous Peninsula and the Capital Islands to make the league leaders look pedestrian. At least now Malabon can solely focus on the title campaign without any other distractions. But there’s another team that still has dreams of a double that are alive and well, and that is Ludogorets Markovsky. The Foresters handily dispatched of Khimik Ogovlich to advance to the next round of the cup, and with the fact that both Markovsky and Malabon had been occasionally trading places at the top of the FPL, it’s not that inconceivable that Ludogorets could win the double while also making history as the first team in the history of the modern Fleftic Premier League to win three league championships back to back to back. That would be the dream scenario for Markovsky fans.

Unfortunately, it would appear that Real Haritzaga’s victory over Malabon SC is the only outright upset that happened in this round of the SFA Cup. Yes, there’s still time for a few more surprises to come along, especially with the likes of Arsenal de Releinthi and Wanda Island Wanderers getting held to draws to force replays at their respective home grounds, but their fans would have definitely expected better from both the Gunners and the Wanderers. Now that’s another game to add to an already hectic schedule for both teams, and with both also chasing after the top five, some sacrifices will have to be made. At least they’re not the only ones experiencing problems in the third round. Former SFA cup winners Pilken Kickers and Tefel FC have also been held to draws and forced to go to replays. Tefel especially knows that they’ll have to be wary and careful around Duke’s Own Town AFC. After all, that was the team that denied Mannerheim Town the chance to take part in the third round and have a fighting chance at defending the tin idol. Or maybe the football gods were actually doing Mannerheim a favor by not having their illusion of invincibility shattered if they had actually met an FPL team in the third round or further.

Matchday Twenty Scores
Thereisnogodistan 3–1 Fleftic Air Force
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 1–3 Athletic Dorfdifving
Malabon SC 2–0 Ludogorets Markovsky
Rosenpfelblatz City 2–4 Sporting Ceneisis
Bananas 2–1 Riuwiee United
Sarvusdalamoive 4–2 Paulsen
Locomotive Imgortur 0–1 Admiral Porcusces
Arsenal de Releinthi 2–1 Xemlice Rovers
Rosenpfelblatz North End 1–0 Gyouza Young Lads
Wanda Island Wanderers 3–2 Antslinngs Islands

It’s time now to return to league action, and of course the biggest match of the matchday is the literal title clash between Malabon SC and Ludogorets Markovsky. The Ravens still have to be reeling after getting knocked out by little Real Haritzaga in the cup so they obviously have plans to take out their anger on their title rivals. Malabon can’t do anything to stop the Foresters from winning the tin idol now, but they can definitely stop Markovsky from winning the league for a record third straight time. And that is exactly what happened. Malabon’s players made Markovsky defenders chase shadows, they neutralized the threat of Sven Fahrni to orchestrate the game in his side’s favor, and the Ravens made sure that Steinthor Freyr Steingrimsson was not going to get any joy with his free kicks. When that was done, it was all a matter of finding the back of the net for Malabon, and that was what Guillermo Manuyong did. With all of Markovsky’s primary threats neutralized, there really wasn’t any need for Malabon to score more than one goal, but when Federico Cabral scored, it did wonders to truly soothe the nerves of Ravens fans. No one ever knows what’s going to come next in this crazy league. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that Markovsky could have still found an equalizer despite having been played out of the park so thoroughly.

Match of the Day
Arsenal de Releinthi 2–1 Xemlice Rovers

The title race may be over for the Gunners, but Arsenal de Releinthi isn’t giving up on finishing in the top five. Of course, just getting back into the top five and staying in it to the end of the season isn’t the only objective; Releinthi still wants to catch up to Wanda Island Wanderers and finish above, although the possibility of that happening is growing slimmer by the day. In any case, Releinthi can really focus on the game in front of them, and that fixture is against Xemlice Rovers, another top five hopeful that sadly saw their campaign not pan out the way that they would have wanted. The Gunners may have still had the specter of their coming replay with Eielo Sunlight in the back of their minds, but it’s a testament to the mentality that Oleg Mostovoi has cultivated in his team that they were able to shift their focus onto Xemlice so easily and get all three points from the Gamekeepers. Edgar Smith-Fernandez may not have been able to find the back of the net in recent games, but that’s no problem for the Gunners when they have the likes of Edward Martinez and Nicacio Xavier in the team. They know what to do and they know how to do it.

Matchday Twenty-one Scores
Wanda Island Wanderers 2–2 Thereisnogodistan
Antslinngs Islands 6–3 Rosenpfelblatz North End
Gyouza Young Lads 1–3 Arsenal de Releinthi
Xemlice Rovers 0–1 Locomotive Imgortur
Admiral Porcusces 1–0 Sarvusdalamoive
Paulsen 3–1 Bananas
Riuwiee United 3–2 Rosenpfelblatz City
Sporting Ceneisis 0–0 Malabon SC
Ludogorets Markovsky 2–0 Marinos Thimpodopoulos
Athletic Dorfdifving 1–1 Fleftic Air Force

Malabon thought that they had finally put Ludogorets Markovsky in the rear view mirror after that dominant display at San Roque Park in the previous matchday, but just like a cockroach that just wouldn’t quit no matter how many times it’s been stepped on and blasted with all sorts of insecticides, the Foresters are back in the picture. Sure, Radislav Kalyna might have another clean sheet to add to his ever growing collection towards the Golden Glove fund, but clean sheets don’t really mean anything when his own team’s players also can’t find the back of the net. Part of that was definitely Guildenstern Cardew showing that he could also fight for the Golden Glove if he only had a better defense in front of him, but the other part was that Denny Hobbs was apparently suffering a fever during the game, a fact only revealed after the end by Kirill Kucherenko. But Hobbs not being able to score shouldn’t really be an issue for Malabon; they’ve got the likes of Guillermo Manuyong and Jeremy Onus to score goals for the Ravens, after all. If they also can’t find the back of the net (even excluding how great Guildy Cardew was) then that’s not really the recipe for success that Malabon wants if they want to reclaim the title. After all, they won before by scoring one goal and keeping everyone else from breaching their defenses, and that’s not what’s happening to them right now. Such strange circumstances.

Match of the Day
Riuwiee United 3–2 Rosenpfelblatz City

What’s the old adage about those on top doing everything in their power to make sure that they stay at the top and that no one from the bottom even attempts to usurp them? At the moment, that’s exactly what looks like happening in the fight for the top five. Riuwiee United, despite their home stadium having apparently lost the aura of invincibility and terror that it once had, is still somehow clinging on to a place in the Challengers’ Cup spots. Many had tried and failed to dislodge the Blue Tribesmen from fourth place, and Rosenpfelblatz City is the latest top five hopeful to fail at that objective. There had been some bad blood between these two clubs in past years, but it was magnified under the respective tenures of both Joseph Churchill for Rosen City and Maksim Shinkarenko for Riuwiee, who both took particular glee in their team getting a victory over the other whether it was in the league or the cup or even just a preseason friendly. Neither man is in charge of these teams right now, but somewhere out there Shinky must be smiling because Riuwiee managed to beat Rosen City at Joe Churchill’s own game, playing out from the back and building up possession through passing stats before finally going for the killing blow. He probably won’t even care that the Citizens almost came close to equalizing a number of times in this game. Blue Tribesmen fans certainly don’t.

2038-39 SFA Cup Third Round Replays

Arsenal de Releinthi 1–2 Eielo Sunlight
Pilken Kickers 1–1 Piuui Pirates (3–2 pen.)
Pawwazim 2–1 All-Inclusive Haranguer
Tefel 1–0 Duke's Own Town AFC
Wanda Island Wanderers 0–0 Duhblakk Rovers (5–4 pen.)
Athletic Club Oof 0–0 Uthilmir United (3–1 pen.)

Time now for the replays of the fixtures in the third round of the SFA Cup that ended in a draw. There are six replays to be had this time, and the rules remain the same as they were last season: if the score is still tied after ninety minutes, the game goes straight to penalties. No more extra time shenanigans in an effort to reduce the load on all teams. Some would suggest that everyone would have been better off just making sure all fixtures in any given round have a winner on the day of the competition, but the last time the SFA tried that, people didn’t like it, so don’t expect to see single game ties return to the SFA Cup anytime soon. There are three FPL clubs involved in the following replays, as well as two former SFA Cup winners. The biggest stories of the night is undoubtedly the fact that both Arsenal de Releinthi and Wanda Island Wanderers have been forced into these replays, and fans of both sides will hope that it’s their team that makes it through to the next round while the other one gets knocked out so they have another thing to lord over their rivals.

And this time, it will be Wanda Island Wanderers and their supporters who are laughing in the faces of Arsenal de Releinthi fans. Sure, Duhblakk Rovers may have held the Wanderers to a scoreless draw, but Wanda Island still managed to win the penalty shootout. Meanwhile, Releinthi got outplayed by opposition lower than them at the Monsanto Stadium once again, and after Sandro Halter scored right on the hour mark, Gunners fans knew that their chances of winning the tin idol were dead and buried. Gennady Matviyenko tried to spark a late comeback for Oleg Mostovoi’s men, but it would be nothing more than a consolation. It’s telling that Releinthi’s home record has been nothing short of abysmal this season as their replay was the only one in which the home side didn’t win. What does that say about the Gunners’ chances of staying in the top five this season? Nobody knows, but what everyone does know is that both Pilken Kickers and Tefel FC are through to the fourth round as well. The potential of either one of these clubs winning the tin idol once again in this new era of Fleftic football is not big to be completely fair to them, but it is also quite intriguing.

Matchday Twenty-two Scores
Thereisnogodistan 2–2 Athletic Dorfdifving
Fleftic Air Force 0–2 Ludogorets Markovsky
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 0–2 Sporting Ceneisis
Malabon SC 0–0 Riuwiee United
Rosenpfelblatz City 1–1 Paulsen
Bananas 0–1 Admiral Porcusces
Sarvusdalamoive 1–0 Xemlice Rovers
Locomotive Imgortur 4–2 Gyouza Young Lads
Arsenal de Releinthi 1–1 Antslinngs Islands
Rosenpfelblatz North End 2–2 Wanda Island Wanderers

Ludogorets Markovsky inches ever closer to Malabon SC, and the Foresters also inch ever closer to the unprecedented three-peat. The Foresters may have left it late, and they may have had to call upon substitute striker Peter Tokody to finally make it past the solid defense of Fleftic Air Force and get all three points, but at least they actually scored a goal or two. Once again, Malabon SC had been held scoreless by their own opponent, and while Radislav Kalyna might still be a happy bunny after collecting yet another clean sheet, that’s still not how Malabon is going to win the title comfortably. Or maybe the supporters, the analysts, and the pundits had been looking at this the wrong way. Maybe Malabon doesn’t actually want to win the title comfortably. That was what they did when they won the title back in the 2035-36 season, so maybe now the Ravens want to try if they could take it over the line while another team is breathing right down their necks. That’s definitely not what their supporters would want, but they might not actually have a choice in the matter. Managers trying to prove a point, like what appears to be the case with Kirill Kucherenko, tend to ignore things like that.

Match of the Day
Locomotive Imgortur 4–2 Gyouza Young Lads

Once again, a game with the most goals in the current matchday received the honor of being match of the day. But given that there weren’t many other notable games to choose from, this game probably isn’t as contentious as some other MOTD picks had been this season. And this was a genuinely exciting match in and of itself even in isolation. Gyouza Young Lads, a team fighting to beat the drop this season, was up against a team that couldn’t be any further from the Young Lads’ current position. Locomotive Imgortur was fighting to get themselves into the top five but it had proven very difficult for them to dislodge any of the current placers so the Engineers had their work cut out for them. Gyouza did manage to land the first shot courtesy of Dexter Stanislas, but all that ended up doing was sparking the ever-controversial Ramiro Guerra to life. The Terense striker would pick up his first hat trick in Locomotive colors en route to a 4-2 victory, but once again his hotheadedness got the better of him and Guerra made a couple of obscene gestures to Gyouza fans after capping off his hat trick before going into the stands to fight a couple of fans, resulting in yet another sending off and suspension. If Ramiro Guerra doesn’t get sent off in a game, did he even play?

Matchday Twenty-three Scores
Rosenpfelblatz North End 2–2 Thereisnogodistan
Wanda Island Wanderers 2–4 Arsenal de Releinthi
Antslinngs Islands 2–3 Locomotive Imgortur
Gyouza Young Lads 0–2 Sarvusdalamoive
Xemlice Rovers 3–0 Bananas
Admiral Porcusces 2–2 Rosenpfelblatz City
Paulsen 0–2 Malabon SC
Riuwiee United 2–0 Marinos Thimpodopoulos
Sporting Ceneisis 2–0 Fleftic Air Force
Ludogorets Markovsky 2–1 Athletic Dorfdifving

Thank goodness Malabon SC finally won a game once again. That was probably what was on the lips of Ravens fans after Malabon finally managed to win against Paulsen FC. The string of goalless draws was beginning to get on their nerves, and given how this team had managed to win a title by scoring one goal and then shutting up shop, it’s not drawing very good comparisons to Malabon’s actual title-winning season. At least the Ravens have finally managed to win a game at the same time that Ludogorets Markovsky did, and failing to do that was what ultimately doomed Sarvusdalamoive’s title campaign last season. Considering how far the Pinks had fallen from the top this time around, Malabon fans should remind themselves that now is always the best time to win a title. They should know; they’ve been there for the times that Malabon won the Challengers’ Cup at the same time that they were relegated from the FPL to the surprise of literally everyone. This “new and improved” Malabon probably isn’t going to get relegated anytime soon now, but these chances also don’t always come, as last season showed them. Malabon still lead the league right now, but they should really get their act together and begin winning more games if they do want to put an end to what appears to be Markovsky’s coming domination over the FPL.

Match of the Day
Wanda Island Wanderers 2–4 Arsenal de Releinthi

They may be out of the running for the FPL title. They may be out of the SFA Cup for another season. But when it comes to beating Wanda Island Wanderers in the Strait of Carrizozo derby, Arsenal de Releinthi will always be there. It doesn’t matter where both teams are in the table (although it certainly helps that this is a game that could finally cement the Gunners inside the top five), if it’s a chance to beat the Wanderers then Releinthi will always turn up. And, just as if they were aware that they were actually kind of poor at home, not only did Releinthi turn up the pressure and the style away to the IKEA Arena but they also dominated the game to the point that Wanda Island’s own fans couldn’t be bothered to keep watching. Scoring three goals in eighteen minutes tends to do that to any subset of supporters, not just Wanderers fans, but that didn’t stop the away end from singing all sorts of goodbye songs at the Wanda Island fans leaving the stadium before the game had even cracked thirty minutes played. But all that meant was that those fans missed out on a hectic second half in which Wanda Island almost managed to mount a comeback, only for Fabian Rice to slap them all right back into place with a trivela goal of all things.

Fleftic Premier League After Matchday Twenty-three

   FPL                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification                   
 1 Malabon SC                 23   15   5   3    32   11  +21    50   Champions League qualification
 2 Ludogorets Markovsky       23   14   6   3    46   28  +18    48   Champions League qualification
 3 Riuwiee United             23   13   4   6    48   36  +12    43   Challengers' Cup qualification
 4 Wanda Island Wanderers     23   12   7   4    46   37   +9    43   Challengers' Cup qualification
 5 Arsenal de Releinthi       23   13   3   7    51   39  +12    42   Challengers' Cup qualification
 6 Sporting Ceneisis          23   12   4   7    40   24  +16    40
 7 Locomotive Imgortur        23   11   6   6    43   33  +10    39
 8 Admiral Porcusces          23    8  10   5    23   17   +6    34
 9 Xemlice Rovers             23    8   6   9    25   22   +3    30
10 Rosenpfelblatz City        23    8   6   9    44   50   −6    30
11 Paulsen                    23    9   3  11    37   45   −8    30
12 Thereisnogodistan          23    8   5  10    51   52   −1    29
13 Fleftic Air Force          23    8   5  10    37   38   −1    29
14 Sarvusdalamoive            23    8   5  10    29   31   −2    29
15 Antslinngs Islands         23    8   3  12    48   54   −6    27
16 Rosenpfelblatz North End   23    6   6  11    33   48  −15    24
17 Marinos Thimpodopoulos     23    6   5  12    22   34  −12    23
18 Athletic Dorfdifving       23    5   7  11    35   41   −6    22   Relegation to Unang Liga
19 Bananas                    23    3   4  16    33   56  −23    13   Relegation to Unang Liga
20 Gyouza Young Lads          23    3   4  16    24   51  −27    13   Relegation to Unang Liga

The top five picture remains more or less the same. Malabon SC have managed to fend off the advances of Ludogorets Markovsky, but the Ravens and their fans know that another slip-up could easily see them knocked off of their perch at the top of everyone else. For their part, Ludogorets Markovsky is making another charge, and at the moment it looks like there is literally no other team out there capable of stopping them in their tracks. And while all of the attention has been right at the top, Riuwiee United have somehow managed to put themselves in third place. There’s still a chance for the Blue Tribesmen to force themselves into the title picture, but that requires them making up a five-point gap at the very least, and their earlier failures to win at the May 26 Stadium could end up costing Riuwiee. And while Arsenal de Releinthi has the bragging rights of having won both legs of the Strait of Carrizozo derby this season, Wanda Island Wanderers still currently have the last laugh courtesy of the Wanderers having one point more than the Gunners. Obviously, Oleg Mostovoi and company won’t let that stand, but if their form continues to fluctuate across the second half of the season, Wanda Island could still end up finishing over Releinthi at the end of it all.

Both Gyouza Young Lads and Bananas look like they are down and buried this season. There have been many teams in the FPL that had been abysmal in the seasons that they were relegated, but neither one of Gyouza or Bananas is at that point yet. It only looks bad because both teams are ten points from safety, practically eleven points considering the goal difference that they also needed to overcome. But neither team has shown that they are capable of picking up eleven points this season, even if the teams ahead of them also manage to slip up big time. That said, there are still a handful of teams that might end up filling out that last position in the bottom three, and currently the team in 18th place is Athletic Dorfdifving. The Canaries have managed to keep afloat in recent seasons, and in fact they had been nowhere near the relegation fight more times than they were, but this appears to be one of those seasons where Dorfdifving actually looks like they’re in danger of falling victim to the drop. But the key difference between Dorfdifving and both Bananas and Gyouza is that the Canaries have the squad to recover and stay safe. Whether that squad will be utilized to its full extent is another matter though.

Race for the Golden Boot
1. Marat Tkachev (Riuwiee United) - 17 goals
T2. Ramiro Guerra (Locomotive Imgortur) - 15 goals
T2. Montez Tubman (Wanda Island Wanderers) - 15 goals
T3. Leo Kane (Antslinngs Islands) - 14 goals
T3. Lucas von Wolfberg (Rosenpfelblatz City) - 14 goals

Marat Tkachev manages to do just enough to keep some distance between himself and all of the other players chasing after the Golden Boot. He may not be scoring every single game but he is still a reliable source of goals for Riuwiee United, more or less. Meanwhile, Ramiro Guerra is more of a streaky striker, but that has more to do with the fact that he has almost as many suspensions and red cards as he has actual goals. Montez Tubman also hopes that he could be the Marat Tkachev for Wanda Island Wanderers, but he is a bit streakier than even Guerra, and Tubman has a much better discipline record than the Terense.

Race for the Golden Glove
1. Radislav Kalyna (Malabon SC) - 17 clean sheets
2. Emelio Lontok (Admiral Porcusces) - 11 clean sheets
3. Daniel Cartwright (Xemlice Rovers) - 9 clean sheets
T4. Isaak Krutikov (Ludogorets Markovsky) - 8 clean sheets
T4. Guildenstern Cardew (Sporting Ceneisis) - 8 clean sheets

Just give the Golden Glove to Radislav Kalyna already. Nobody else looks like they’re going to catch up to him at all, although it might come at the cost of Malabon SC losing out on the FPL title again. Of course, it’s not Kalyna’s fault that he’s keeping everyone else from scoring against his team; it’s more about his team not being able to score and make his clean sheets count in the grand scheme of things. But if anyone has the barest shadow of a chance of actually somehow managing to catch up to Kalyna, it’s Emelio Lontok of Admiral Porcusces. The Sea Foxes are getting better at defense, but they like Malabon still have to figure out how to actually score to take advantage of their goalkeeper hitting the form of his life.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Thu Feb 20, 2025 6:29 am

2038-39 SFA Cup Fourth Round

Sporting Mykorrigan 1–1 Sporting Ceneisis
Tefel 4–3 Thereisnogodistan
Ludogorets Markovsky 3–0 Admiral Porcusces
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 0–0 Sarvusdalamoive
Athletic Dorfdifving 3–4 Rosenpfelblatz City
Paulsen 1–1 Electric Yugal
Athletic Club Oof 3–4 Fleftic Air Force
Gold Coast Arsenal 3–3 Pilken Kickers

Atletico San Sebastian 3–1 Real Haritzaga
Pawwazim 1–6 Wanda Island Wanderers
Miroz Old Boys 2–0 Effelenendro
Xemlice Rovers 0–1 Eielo Sunlight
Garufaloe 0–1 Antslinngs Islands
Uranium City Radiation 0–1 Nnettekkebb Wanderers
Gyouza Young Lads 2–0 Rodrigues
Riuwiee United 4–2 Bananas

Time now to return to the SFA Cup, specifically the fourth round of the competition, and at first glance it would appear that the “magic” of the cup has become dead and buried now that Mannerheim Town is now longer in the competition. However, upon further inspection, there are still a couple of upsets that happened in this round which would seemingly disprove the idea that the time of giant killings has passed us by this time around. In particular, people should be worried about Eielo Sunlight as this is now the second time that the Sunlight have knocked out an opponent from the Fleftic Premier League. First it was Arsenal de Releinthi (albeit in a replay at the Monsanto Stadium), and now it’s Xemlice Rovers’ turn to feel the burn of the Sunlight wiping out their chances of lifting the tin idol. It would appear that Eielo becomes quite the invigorated team whenever they are drawn as the away side in the SFA Cup this season, and while two draws is too small of a sample size to make any sort of meaningful hypothesis, nobody who supports the Sunlight will care one bit. Bring on the rest of the FPL, they say. Away draws are now preferred as opposed to being the hosts.

Eielo Sunlight isn’t the only team to pull off the upset in the fourth round of the SFA Cup. Third tier side Nnettekkebb Wanderers have managed to beat Uranium City Radiation at the Stadium of the Southern Lights, a moment that will live in the memories of Nnettekkebb fans even if it wasn’t against a top flight team. Tefel FC, which last won the tin idol over fifteen years ago, now has a better chance of repeating that unprecedented feat after they emerged victorious over Thereisnogodistan in a seven-goal thriller. And while they will still have to go to a replay to determine if an upset is actually on the cards or not, the fact that Sporting Mykorrigan was able to hold their club namesake Sporting Ceneisis to a 1-1 draw to force a trip to Throckmorton Bridge is nothing to be scoffed at. And speaking of former cup winners, Pilken Kickers have also been held to a 3-3 draw by Gold Coast Arsenal, and this time it’s the Kickers who will hope that they’re not going to be on the wrong end of an upset when they play host to the Prospectors in couple of weeks’ time. At the moment though, the SFA Cup feels like it’s anyone’s trophy to win.

Matchday Twenty-four Scores
Thereisnogodistan 1–2 Ludogorets Markovsky
Athletic Dorfdifving 1–0 Sporting Ceneisis
Fleftic Air Force 3–2 Riuwiee United
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 0–1 Paulsen
Malabon SC 1–2 Admiral Porcusces
Rosenpfelblatz City 1–1 Xemlice Rovers
Bananas 2–1 Gyouza Young Lads
Sarvusdalamoive 4–1 Antslinngs Islands
Locomotive Imgortur 0–0 Wanda Island Wanderers
Arsenal de Releinthi 2–4 Rosenpfelblatz North End

Welcome back to the top of the league, Ludogorets Markovsky. Nobody knew when it was going to happen, but everyone was in agreement that it was only going to be a matter of time, especially after Malabon SC began dropping points that they really shouldn’t have. Radislav Kalyna will have the most reason out of anyone affiliated with the Ravens to be upset at this turn of events. He had been busting his ass keeping everyone from scoring against Malabon (as well as padding out his stats for the Golden Glove race), but his team were either unable to or refused to score, and now it would appear that it has finally cost the Ravens. For their part, Ludogorets doesn’t appear that they care that much about Kalyna’s clean sheets being all for nothing. He’s not their player after all, and the Foresters’ target has been clear from the start: it’s the three-peat or bust. The brutal truth of the story the title race on matchday twenty-four was that Ludogorets Markovsky did their job and Malabon SC didn’t. The Ravens knew that Admiral Porcusces was a tough opponent, but they had dispatched of the Sea Foxes before. Not this time, thanks to a Federico Cabral own goal and then a Ryker Travkin screamer.

Match of the Day
Fleftic Air Force 3–2 Riuwiee United

There are some matchdays in which it is difficult, almost impossible to pick which fixture should have been Match of the Day, and matchday twenty-four was one of those. A number of “top” teams had fallen victim to upsets on this matchday, but at the end of it all, it was decided that Fleftic Air Force versus Riuwiee United should get the honor of being Match of the Day because of the sequence of events that led to this upset happening in the first place. Unlike some of the other matches in which the winner actually outplayed their opponents out of the park, the game between the Golden Eagles and the Blue Tribesmen was a more equal affair, although it wouldn’t be until the second half that one team would finally make their mark. Riuwiee United thought that they had managed to get all three points courtesy of Hazuru Rayuti finding the back of the net from just outside the box, but all that ended up doing was spurring Air Force into a surge of activity that was enough to not only restore parity but also take the lead over the Blue Tribesmen. Riuwiee thought that they had managed to salvage a point after Dario Sheffield scored the second equalizer right on the 90-minute mark, only for Joni Laurismäki to snatch it away from the away team just two minutes later. Truly, the Fleftic Premier League thrives on chaos.

Matchday Twenty-five Scores
Arsenal de Releinthi 1–0 Thereisnogodistan
Rosenpfelblatz North End 2–3 Locomotive Imgortur
Wanda Island Wanderers 1–1 Sarvusdalamoive
Antslinngs Islands 3–6 Bananas
Gyouza Young Lads 2–2 Rosenpfelblatz City
Xemlice Rovers 1–0 Malabon SC
Admiral Porcusces 1–0 Marinos Thimpodopoulos
Paulsen 1–0 Fleftic Air Force
Riuwiee United 3–1 Athletic Dorfdifving
Sporting Ceneisis 0–1 Ludogorets Markovsky

It’s all beginning to fall apart for Malabon SC now. All of those clean sheets that Radislav Kalyna had collected are not going to mean a damn thing at the end of the season if things continue on this downward trend. Xemlice Rovers knew that it was now possible to get three points against the now-former league leaders; all they had to do was to find the back of the net themselves. Funnily, people have been saying that Dan Cartwright somehow managed to siphon some of Kalyna’s powers for himself in this game, and looking at how Cartwright managed to keep the likes of Denny Hobbs, Jeremy Onus, and Guillermo Manuyong at bay, it would be hard to disagree. Cartwright had to be at the top of his game to stop Malabon from breaching his defenses after Marc Lagmay had put the Gamekeepers up over the Ravens by one goal, and the absolute madman actually did it. Now Malabon is four points adrift of Ludogorets Markovsky, which is still on the path of seeking that elusive and history-making three-peat, and Daniel Cartwright is now also emerging as an actual threat to take the fight for the Golden Glove with Radislav Kalyna to the absolute limit.

Match of the Day
Gyouza Young Lads 2–2 Rosenpfelblatz City

For once, for once, the game with the most goals wasn’t picked to be Match of the Day despite not being spoilt for choice. At least there wouldn’t be as many complaints about Antslinngs Islands versus Bananas getting MOTD if it did because that match was actually a relegation six-pointer that Bananas needed to win, and they did win it. But the actual Match of the Day goes to Gyouza Young Lads versus Rosenpfelblatz City because of the Young Lads pulling off a massive comeback when everyone thought that they were already dead and buried. For all intents and purposes, Gyouza might actually already be dead and buried in that they might not be able to make it to safety this time around, but at least they’re not going quietly into the night. Lucas von Wolfberg and Marc Apellaine thought that they had secured the three points for the Citizens only for Gyouza to prove them wrong in the second half. Tuan Parthosi had been subbed off in order to give the Lads something different in attack, and that would turn out to be the right idea as Parthosi’s replacement Vladislav Aristarkhov came Rosen City defenders a lot to think about. So much so that Aristarkhov was able to make space, first for Lavrenty Gavrilov and then for himself, to score against the Citizens. Gyouza Young Lads might be headed for Unang Liga next season, but that won’t stop them from making a few more FPL memories while they still can.

2038-39 SFA Cup Fourth Round Replays

Sporting Ceneisis 2–1 Sporting Mykorrigan
Sarvusdalamoive 0–0 Marinos Thimpodopoulos (3–4 pen.)
Electric Yugal 1–2 Paulsen
Pilken Kickers 0–0 Gold Coast Arsenal (3–1 pen.)

There are four ties in the fourth round of the SFA Cup that need to be settled in a replay, and three of those ties involve a Fleftic Premier League team. That said, one of those ties is an all-FPL affair between Marinos Thimpodopoulos and Sarvusdalamoive, and after both of them played out a scoreless draw at the Arena Marinos, no one was looking forward to more of the same between the two teams. If only there was a way to fast forward to the penalty shootout that everyone knew was going to be the end result of this fixture then that would be appreciated. But alas, no such technology had yet been invented, and the 20,000 people who had come to the Sebet City Stadium to witness this game had to endure ninety more minutes of careful and risk-averse play between the two teams that could have been patented as a cure for insomnia if only someone could bottle up that essence and sell it. The penalty shootout was actually the most exciting part of the tie, with both teams providing their fair share of drama thanks to Iosef Kazbekov missing his penalty for Sarvus and Jaidev Muthukrishnan making the save against Luciano Ferrufino. But even the shootout had to come to an end, and when Jerolim Bjelogrlic made a save of his own against Bruce Shuttlesworth’s spot kick, that confirmed the passage of Marinos Thimpodopoulos to the fifth round of the SFA Cup.

If anyone was hoping that the “magic” of the SFA Cup was going to grace the fourth round replays with its presence then those people would be sorely disappointed. Sporting Ceneisis, now that they were playing at their home ground, wiped the floor with their namesake opponent Sporting Mykorrigan. Don’t let the scoreline fool you; Ceneisis had this game by the throat right from the first kickoff, and Mykorrigan’s goal was nothing more than a late consolation. It’s a similar story for Paulsen, with the Boilermakers handily disposing of Electric Yugal thanks to a second half brace from Joseph Clarke of Patriotlandia. And Pilken Kickers managed to survive Gold Coast Arsenal all the way to a penalty shootout, a shootout in which the 2034 winners emerged victorious. With that done, the stage is now set for the fifth round of the SFA Cup. Which team is going to win the coveted tin idol this season? Is it going to be a team that’s already won the cup or will a new name be written into the history books?

Matchday Twenty-six Scores
Thereisnogodistan 0–0 Sporting Ceneisis
Ludogorets Markovsky 1–0 Riuwiee United
Athletic Dorfdifving 1–2 Paulsen
Fleftic Air Force 1–2 Admiral Porcusces
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 0–0 Xemlice Rovers
Malabon SC 3–1 Gyouza Young Lads
Rosenpfelblatz City 2–2 Antslinngs Islands
Bananas 1–3 Wanda Island Wanderers
Sarvusdalamoive 0–0 Rosenpfelblatz North End
Locomotive Imgortur 1–5 Arsenal de Releinthi

Ludogorets Markovsky keeps going from strength to strength, and while Malabon SC has finally managed to clean up their act and picked up three points of their own, there is a feeling that it might now be too late for the Ravens to reclaim top spot from the Foresters. This might actually have been Malabon’s best chance to catch up to Markovsky considering that the latter’s opponents were top five-chasing RIuwiee United, and the Blue Tribesmen were always up for a good battle against the two-time defending champions. In a match that was more akin to chess than football, both teams spent a lot of time getting their pieces into position in order to engineer a favorable endgame for themselves. The checkmate would come for Markovsky from a most surprising source though: Steinthor Freyr Steingrimsson. The Tikariotan midfielder, while he had played his part in terms of assists, had found it more difficult to find the back of the net in recent games, although it definitely wasn’t for lack of trying. That said, when he had a chance to fire in a free kick from 20 yards away, Steingrimsson definitely took it, and the way that the ball curved around the wall and the outstretched palm of Muhammad Anwar is something that will be on the highlight reels of both Ludogorets Markovsky and Steinthor Freyr Steingrimsson for years to come.

Match of the Day
Locomotive Imgortur 1–5 Arsenal de Releinthi

It’s not often that a fixture manages to win Match of the Day twice in a season, but that was what happened after Locomotive Imgortur versus Arsenal de Releinthi was selected for the honor once again. The Emilio Caravaggio derby once again lived up to the hype of being fast-paced and hot-tempered, but this time there was no Ramiro Guerra to lead the line for the Engineers alongside Cosmas Stamatelopoulos. The ever-controversial Terense striker once again found himself watching a game from the sidelines after he had mocked Rosenpfelblatz North End fans following Imgortur’s victory over the relegation battlers in the previous matchday. Guerra had been a handful for Releinthi defenders to handle when he was on the pitch, so there was definitely more than just some relief among Gunners fans when they found out that Guerra would be suspended for this fixture. For his part, Oleg Mostovoi would have preferred to have the Terense on the field to prove that he and his team knew how to deal with the man, but in any case, the Gunners were able to deal with an Imgortur without Ramiro Guerra. Imgortur really got their asses handed to them in this game, and an even spicier sequel is to be expected next season after Edgar Smith-Fernandez imitated Guerra’s own mocking celebration against the Releinthi fans in the reverse fixture at the Monsanto Stadium earlier this season.

Matchday Twenty-seven Scores
Locomotive Imgortur 2–2 Thereisnogodistan
Arsenal de Releinthi 5–3 Sarvusdalamoive
Rosenpfelblatz North End 3–2 Bananas
Wanda Island Wanderers 3–3 Rosenpfelblatz City
Antslinngs Islands 2–6 Malabon SC
Gyouza Young Lads 1–0 Marinos Thimpodopoulos
Xemlice Rovers 1–0 Fleftic Air Force
Admiral Porcusces 4–4 Athletic Dorfdifving
Paulsen 2–1 Ludogorets Markovsky
Riuwiee United 2–0 Sporting Ceneisis

Everyone hold their horses for just a moment! Maybe the title race isn’t as done and dusted as Ludogorets Markovsky had led us all to believe. There may yet bet some life still left in the title challenge of Malabon SC. Much like Sarvusdalamoive last season, the Ravens have realized that this might be their best chance to win another title before Markovsky finally cements its dynasty over the Fleftic Premier League in the final year of the 2030s, and they’re going to do everything they can to take the race down to the wire. One criticism of the Pinks last season was that they had failed to capitalize on the admittedly not-so-rare moments that Markovsky had slipped up during their first title defense, and that’s a mistake that Malabon do not intend to repeat this time around. More accurately though, with Malabon playing against Antslinngs Islands before Ludogorets had to pay the Boilermakers of Paulsen a visit, it’s actually Markovsky who had to make sure that they maintained their four-point advantage over the Ravens. But that will have to come later since that fixture is the Match of the Day for matchday twenty-seven. In the meantime, Malabon smashed Antslinngs Islands to pieces, and Denny Hobbs finally bagged the hat trick that would put him on level terms with Marat Tkachev at the top of the Golden Boot charts.

Match of the Day
Paulsen 2–1 Ludogorets Markovsky

There is a feeling that Ludogorets Markovsky have finally begun taking it for granted that they are going to win their third title in a row this season. That has definitely been the online discourse among Markovsky fans, but anyone who has even the barest hints of knowledge about the Fleftic Premier League knows that nothing at all should be taken for granted in this league. Yes, Ludogorets Markovsky may be the strongest team in the league this season, and frankly in the past two seasons, but they are still not infallible. The Foresters thought that they had gotten the job done after an Ermolay Ermolaieff goal in the 37th minute, but they certainly didn’t count on Joseph Clarke coming off of the bench in the second half and inspiring the Boilermakers to one of the most shocking victories in the league this season. Joseph Clarke had not had many chances to shine this season, mostly because the goals from the current Paulsen front line had proved adequate enough for the purpose, but after his excellent showing in the SFA Cup, Djordje Ilicic just had to let Clarke cook, as the young ones say. And Clarke cooked up an absolute gourmet at the Paulsen City Arena, and it could lead to the tastiest FPL title race since… well, last season.

Fleftic Premier League Table After Matchday Twenty-seven

   FPL                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification                   
 1 Ludogorets Markovsky       27   17   6   4    51   31  +20    57   Champions League qualification
 2 Malabon SC                 27   17   5   5    42   17  +25    56   Champions League qualification
 3 Arsenal de Releinthi       27   16   3   8    64   47  +17    51   Challengers' Cup qualification
 4 Riuwiee United             27   15   4   8    55   41  +14    49   Challengers' Cup qualification
 5 Wanda Island Wanderers     27   13  10   4    53   42  +11    49   Challengers' Cup qualification
 6 Admiral Porcusces          27   11  11   5    32   23   +9    44
 7 Locomotive Imgortur        27   12   8   7    49   42   +7    44
 8 Paulsen                    27   13   3  11    43   47   −4    42
 9 Sporting Ceneisis          27   12   5  10    40   28  +12    41
10 Xemlice Rovers             27   10   8   9    28   23   +5    38
11 Sarvusdalamoive            27    9   7  11    37   38   −1    34
12 Rosenpfelblatz City        27    8  10   9    52   58   −6    34
13 Fleftic Air Force          27    9   5  13    41   44   −3    32
14 Thereisnogodistan          27    8   7  12    54   57   −3    31
15 Rosenpfelblatz North End   27    8   7  12    42   55  −13    31
16 Antslinngs Islands         27    8   4  15    56   72  −16    28
17 Athletic Dorfdifving       27    6   8  13    42   50   −8    26
18 Marinos Thimpodopoulos     27    6   6  15    22   37  −15    24   Relegation to Unang Liga
19 Bananas                    27    5   4  18    44   66  −22    19   Relegation to Unang Liga
20 Gyouza Young Lads          27    4   5  18    29   58  −29    17   Relegation to Unang Liga

Ludogorets Markovsky are back at the top of the pops once again, but after Joseph Clarke sprung a surprise for the Foresters at Paulsen, Markovsky’s lead over their nearest rivals Malabon SC is no longer as wide and as secure as it used to be. For their part, the Ravens must have realized that they were letting their goalkeeper down because they were not scoring when Radislav Kalyna was keeping clean sheets for them. The Pridnestrovian goalkeeper has not managed to increase his tally of clean sheets this time, but at least Malabon has finally gone back to scoring and winning ways, and that’s the most important thing at the end of the day. The rest of the top five remains the same teams that were there before, although once again there was a little bit of reshuffling that happened. Somehow Arsenal de Releinthi are back in third place. Somehow Riuwiee United are still fourth. And somehow, Wanda Island Wanderers are below their eternal rivals from across the Strait of Carrizozo. It doesn’t make sense for things to go back to the way they were after so many twists and turns, but then again, perhaps that is the real beauty of the Fleftic Premier League. The league itself may be predictable, but the way that the predictions actually come true is clear as mud.

For some reason, it looks like Gyouza Young Lads can actually pull off the great escape while at the same time looking like they’re guaranteed to fall victim to the drop at the end of this season. This was a team that had shown a lot of fight in the time that they had spent in the top flight, which is why it is so mystifying why they had finally fallen victim to the grim reaper of relegation. Maybe they miss their old chums-slash-rivals Miroz Old Boys to the point that they’re willing to go down to the second division just to pick up six points from them once again? What if Miroz manages to get promoted to the FPL once again? Could the Old Boys have the last laugh over their rivals? One team that is most definitely not laughing is Bananas FC. The Unang Liga champions are struggling to adjust to life in the top flight without their most prolific striker in their ranks anymore, and it’s safe to say that the project to prove that Bananas is not Mustafa Bensoussan FC is a complete and utter failure. And as for the final relegation place, it is now currently occupied by Marinos Thimpodopoulos. Given how abject the last two teams in the league are, it’s probably fair to say that 18th place will be where most of the action to fend off relegation will take place. No one wants to finish 18th, but one team will unfortunately have to do it at the end of the season. That’s just the way things are.

Race for the Golden Boot
T1. Denny Hobbs (Malabon SC) - 18 goals
T1. Marat Tkachev (Riuwiee United) - 18 goals
T2. Edgar Smith-Fernandez (Arsenal de Releinthi) - 17 goals
T2. Montez Tubman (Wanda Island Wanderers) - 17 goals
T3. Ramiro Guerra (Locomotive Imgortur) - 16 goals
T3. Lucas von Wolfberg (Rosenpfelblatz City) - 16 goals

For the first time in a long time, a challenger has finally emerged to attempt to knock Marat Tkachev off of his perch. Denny Hobbs has emerged from obscurity into one of the top strikers in the league simply because he has been clinical for most of the time. Sure, he hasn’t been clinical in the moments when he was most needed, but the hat trick against Antslinngs Islands was enough to boost him up the charts to tie alongside Tkachev, so who’s complaining? Surprisingly enough, both Riuwiee and Malabon fans, but for clearly different reasons.

Race for the Golden Glove
1. Radislav Kalyna (Malabon SC) - 17 clean sheets
T2. Emelio Lontok (Admiral Porcusces) - 12 clean sheets
T2. Daniel Cartwright (Xemlice Rovers) - 12 clean sheets
3. Isaak Krutikov (Ludogorets Markovsky) - 10 clean sheets
4. Guildenstern Cardew (Sporting Ceneisis) - 9 clean sheets

Radislav Kalyna still leads the race for the Golden Glove by a substantial margin, but a recent string of poor results for Malabon SC has resulted in some of the goalkeepers behind him finally beginning to catch up. It may be a significant boost to their own chances of winning the Glove, or it might just be a false dawn and Kalyna will be right back to dominating the charts in the near future. But he would probably be lying if he said that he wasn’t concerned about either one of Emelio Lontok or Daniel Cartwright catching up to him like what Jaidev Muthukrishan did last season.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Fri Feb 21, 2025 12:59 am

2038-39 SFA Cup Fifth Round
Riuwiee United 2–1 Rosenpfelblatz City
Fleftic Air Force 4–3 Gyouza Young Lads
Pilken Kickers 1–1 Miroz Old Boys
Tefel 1–0 Eielo Sunlight
Sporting Ceneisis 2–1 Paulsen
Atletico San Sebastian 2–2 Antslinngs Islands
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 3–2 Ludogorets Markovsky
Wanda Island Wanderers 4–1 Nnettekkebb Wanderers

The action shifts once again to the SFA Cup, and there are a lot of juicy times awaiting us. Many Fleftic Premier League sides have managed to keep themselves in the competition this time around, so it’s no surprise that there are now more all-FPL ties in this round than in previous seasons. Without a doubt the juiciest tie of them all is Riuwiee United versus Rosenpfelblatz City. These are two teams that will pride themselves as being among the best of the best that Abanhfleft has to offer, and the prospect of silverware is an alluring one to both teams considering where both of them are sitting in the league table at the moment. This time, it will be the record winners of the tin idol who will advance to the quarterfinals and have a chance to increase their lead over everyone else even more. Both the Blue Tribesmen and the Citizens pulled out all the stops in order to have the best chance of moving forward, but it would be Riuwiee who would have the upper hand thanks to goals from Aalipdis Marec and Kostyantyn Zazroyev. But the Blue Tribesmen definitely could have scored more had it not been for Ilmar Golora, who was starting in between the sticks for Rosenpfelblatz City in cup games. Romeo Portnoy is the kind of manager to use cup keepers, but with how poorly Pierre-Emile Dubuisson has been doing in the second half of the season, surely it can’t hurt to have a different guy in between the sticks in the hopes that he could help turn around what has been a dogshit season for the Citizens.

For those who thought that the “magic” of the SFA Cup has died now that all but a handful of lower league teams have been eliminated from the competition, don’t bust out the black armbands just yet. Just because the likes of Mannerheim Town are gone doesn’t mean that there aren’t still a few upsets here and there left in the Cup. Yes, Marinos Thimpodopoulos and Ludogorets Markovsky are about as far apart in the Fleftic Premier League table as two teams could get, but that didn’t stop the Mariners from taking the fight to the league leaders and giving themselves hope that there might still be a chance that they could claim silverware this season before finally knocking out the Foresters and putting an end to their own dreams of a double. And of course there is the so-called Wanderers derby between Wanda Island and Nnettekkebb. Yes, everyone knew that not even Wanda Island would be able to bottle a cup tie like this, but at least Nnettekkebb was able to play at the IKEA Arena, as well as get half of the gate receipts from that fixture. As for Eielo Sunlight, it turns out that playing away to a fellow Unang Liga team is actually their kryptonite as it is at Wetfields that Eielo’s hopes of lifting the tin idol came to an end. They will be missed.

Matchday Twenty-eight Scores
Thereisnogodistan 1–1 Riuwiee United
Sporting Ceneisis 0–0 Paulsen
Ludogorets Markovsky 0–2 Admiral Porcusces
Athletic Dorfdifving 0–1 Xemlice Rovers
Fleftic Air Force 4–4 Gyouza Young Lads
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 1–1 Antslinngs Islands
Malabon SC 0–0 Wanda Island Wanderers
Rosenpfelblatz City 3–3 Rosenpfelblatz North End
Bananas 3–6 Arsenal de Releinthi
Sarvusdalamoive 2–3 Locomotive Imgortur

It seems almost strange to think about the fact that Malabon SC might potentially have a better goal difference than Ludogorets Markovsky considering how the Ravens have had a reputation of being a stingy side when it comes to scoring goals. Going 1-0 up against their opponents is usually good enough for Malabon, or at least that was good enough for them when they won the league title in 2035-36. And a quick look at the table shows that Malabon currently has scored nine less goals than Markovsky, but thanks to Radislav Kalyna and his defense, Malabon actually have a goal difference of +25 compared to Markovsky’s +18. Why has this become a point of contention? Well, goal difference is the reason why Malabon has regained their lead in the race for the 2038-39 Fleftic Premier League title. The Ravens, who were one point behind Markovsky at the start of the matchday, found out that all they needed to get back the top spot was to get a point against Wanda Island Wanderers after Ludogorets Markovsky was shocked once again, this time by Admiral Porcusces. As both are part of the Capital Islands, there is definitely a rivalry between Malabon and Wanda Island, though not as pronounced as that between Wanda Island and Releinthi, but Wanderers fans definitely made their displeasure known once it became clear that Malabon was playing for the goalless draw and nothing else. It sucks for both the supporters and the neutral spectators, but it got the job done for Malabon, didn’t it?

Match of the Day
Rosenpfelblatz City 3–3 Rosenpfelblatz North End

Once again, the Rosenpfelblatz derby gets the honor of being named Match of the Day. But unlike the previous meeting between the two sides, this time around North End cleaned up their act and brought the fight to City. The Citizens were probably not expecting such a response from their intra-city rivals, especially after the memories of their utter dominance from their previous meeting were still fresh in the minds of everyone involved. But as the old saying goes, form means absolutely nothing when it comes to a derby match. And form certainly meant nothing to both Tony Chambers and Anrai Dolan since both found the back of the net with literally their respective first shots on goal after a month of two of both players being wasteful with the limited chances that the Acolytes created in the league. City would bounce back at the close of the first half courtesy of goals from Wayan Rai Mantra and Lucas von Wolfberg, but that wasn’t to be the end of it. Both sides continued to pummel the other’s goal in the second half, and though both City and North End could only score one goal apiece in the second 45, it definitely could have been much more than that. The points would be split between the two rivals, and North End would probably appreciate the point more as it was one more point separating them from the relegation zone.

Matchday Twenty-nine Scores
Sarvusdalamoive 3–6 Thereisnogodistan
Locomotive Imgortur 1–1 Bananas
Arsenal de Releinthi 1–2 Rosenpfelblatz City
Rosenpfelblatz North End 1–0 Malabon SC
Wanda Island Wanderers 0–1 Marinos Thimpodopoulos
Antslinngs Islands 0–1 Fleftic Air Force
Gyouza Young Lads 4–1 Athletic Dorfdifving
Xemlice Rovers 1–1 Ludogorets Markovsky
Admiral Porcusces 0–1 Sporting Ceneisis
Paulsen 1–0 Riuwiee United

Now it’s Ludogorets Markovsky’s turn to take advantage, or at least attempt it, after Malabon SC lost a game of their own on matchday twenty-nine. Maybe top spot in the FPL is lava, and Markovsky had recognized that the best way to not get burned was to let others burn themselves at the top. In a very weird, messed up, and roundabout way, it all makes sense. The team on top is that much closer to the sun, and getting exposed to high temperatures apparently results in league leaders sometimes making utterly braindead decisions. It’s the only explanation that one could really offer upon seeing that Christian Vacek Jr. had been left completely unmarked in the middle of the penalty area during a corner kick, and the veteran midfielder from both Anglatia and Mercedini was never going to miss from that distance. For their part, Markovsky almost had a slip-up of their own thanks to Dalton Wilson unleashing a thunderbolt of a shot from 21 yards away that was never going to be saved by Isaak Krutikov even if he had the power to stretch his arms and fingers like putty. The usual heavy hitters like Alex Buenaflor, Sven Fahrni, and Paolo von Montanari had been anonymous for most of this match, so the task of salvaging a point fell to the mysterious and brooding Gideon Nightwalker. He was always an aerial threat during corner kicks, and once again his header proved the key to Markovsky making sure that they regained the lead in the title race, even if it was only by a point.

Match of the Day
Admiral Porcusces 0–1 Sporting Ceneisis

Another rivalry makes it to Match of the Day, and this time it’s the Ceneisis derby between Admiral Porcusces and Sporting Ceneisis. Both sides were fighting (and admittedly failing) to stake their claim in the top five of the FPL, and given the magnitude and history of both clubs, it was almost inevitable that tempers would flare up between the Blues and the Sea Foxes. Porcusces supporters had made sure that Filibusters’ Street was as loud and raucous as it could get in order to distract and disorient their rivals from the capital of Ceneisis Province, and it looked like it had actually worked out for all of fifty minutes. Then James Laktaw scored off of a free kick from fellow Fleftic international teammate Palmer Hicks, and Filibusters’ Street erupted in absolute pandemonium. The home fans booed even as the away fans celebrated the goal from their left back, and the referee had to put a halt to proceedings after flares were thrown onto the pitch. That wasn’t even the end of the story; it never is when it comes to the Ceneisis derby. Porcusces fans closest to the away end of the stadium got into actual fistfights with Ceneisis supporters even as civility returned to the actual players at the end of the ninety minutes, and while no one was hurt, the list of people banned from Filibusters’ Street just got longer because of this match.

2038-39 SFA Cup Fifth Round Replays

Miroz Old Boys 1–1 Pilken Kickers (2–1 pen.)
Antslinngs Islands 0–0 Atletico San Sebastian (3–4 pen.)

There are only two ties in the fifth round of the SFA Cup that need to go a replay, and while one of them involves a Fleftic Premier League side, nobody is really going to watch with bated breath if Antslinngs Islands can survive the replay. The first replay is between Miroz Old Boys and Pilken Kickers. The 2034 SFA Cup winners managed to hold the one-time FPL side to a 1-1 draw at their home stadium, and they would have definitely hoped that they could get something more when they paid a visit to the Estadio Ricardo Valentin for the third time this season. Unfortunately for the Kickers, Miroz was up for the challenge, and they would get the lead in the 40th minute courtesy of Cristiano Ramos. It wasn’t all fun and games for the Old Boys though as Jose Alarico would inadvertently put the ball into the back of his own net while trying to defend from a Pilken counterattack, a move that would eventually force a penalty shootout to decide a winner for this tie. It might have been the worst possible outcome for this fixture as everyone who was in attendance saw what had to be one of the worst penalty shootouts in the history of the SFA Cup. Only three spot kicks actually made it in, and when Kenyon Madlangbayan sent the ball past the Pilken goalkeeper and put Miroz through to the quarterfinals, everyone who supported the Old Boys was relieved in more ways than one.

The other tie that needs a replay to settle it is Antslinngs Islands versus Atletico San Sebastian. The 2037 SFA Cup winners were held to a 2-2 draw by the Islanders at the Estadio Arbeloa, meaning that the Royal Blues would have to go all the way down to Trendstart to decide who will make it through to the quarterfinals. The match itself was a boring 0-0 affair, with neither side willing to fully commit lest they end up on the wrong side of a counterattack that would spell the doom of their cup campaign. The real excitement lay in the penalty shootout with most players being able to score their spot kicks. Or at least that was the case until it was time for San Sebastian to take their fourth penalty of the night and Nikolas Papadopoulos saved Yakiv Nevmyvaka’s spot kick. At that point, the goalkeepers became the focal point of the night as following Papadopoulos making the first save of the shootout, Pia Moxjo Lihos did the same against Teddy Guevara. Now all of the pressure was on Antslinngs Islands’ goalkeeper. If Nikolas Papadopoulos saved the penalty from Doki Eiken, or if Eiken missed the spot kick, then the Islanders were through to the quarterfinals. If Eiken scored then it was on to sudden death, and at that point it truly was anyone’s game. But Eiken did manage to send the ball past Papadopoulos’s fingers, and Atletico San Sebastian will have another opportunity to replicate their triumph in 2037 and win the tin idol once again.

Matchday Thirty Scores
Thereisnogodistan 4–1 Paulsen
Riuwiee United 0–0 Admiral Porcusces
Sporting Ceneisis 2–0 Xemlice Rovers
Ludogorets Markovsky 3–1 Gyouza Young Lads
Athletic Dorfdifving 0–1 Antslinngs Islands
Fleftic Air Force 1–0 Wanda Island Wanderers
Marinos Thimpodopoulos 0–1 Rosenpfelblatz North End
Malabon SC 1–0 Arsenal de Releinthi
Rosenpfelblatz City 2–3 Locomotive Imgortur
Bananas 2–2 Sarvusdalamoive

This is the problem that arises when a title race is more about who blinks first. Malabon SC blinked first this season, and now it would appear that they are paying the price. Now, it no longer matters if the Ravens win their game at the same time that Ludogorets Markovsky wins theirs because the Foresters are at the top of the league, and as Sarvusdalamoive can attest last season, dislodging Markovsky is a task easier said than done. But behind these two teams, the rest of the top five picture is beginning to grow more and more chaotic. For the first time in a long time this season, a team that isn’t Arsenal de Releinthi, Riuwiee United, or Wanda Island Wanderers is inside the top five. That team is none other than Locomotive Imgortur, and the Engineers made their way into the Challengers’ Cup places after a tough and hard-fought win over Rosenpfelblatz City in which the man who used to lead the line for Imgortur, Haider El-Amin, came off the bench and scored the winner for the Engineers. Ramiro Guerra, though he already had his name on the scoresheet for this game, decided to celebrate El-Amin’s goal like he had scored it himself, and once again he drew the ire of Rosenpfelblatz fans after he reportedly told them to “stay humble.” No suspensions for Guerra this time around, but it’s becoming clear that he now sees himself as some sort of professional wrestling heel. Expect even more shit-talking from the Terense in future seasons.

Match of the Day
Bananas 2–2 Sarvusdalamoive

Is it even fair to call this a relegation six-pointer if one team is so far away from the drop zone that their potential relegation is only in terms of mathematical probabilities? Maybe not, but that’s not going to stop Bananas FC from treating their match against Sarvusdalamoive like such. Last season’s runners-up had found it difficult, if not impossible, to follow up on their unexpected successes, and now the Pinks are languishing at the bottom end of the division. For all intents and purposes, it would appear that Sarvus had done enough to ensure that they will play at least one more season in the FPL, but they’re still somewhat close to the drop zone so the danger is still there in the back of their minds. A win over Bananas would have done wonders to ease those fears somewhat, but the Gorillas had their own ideas. It would obviously suck for them and their fans if Bananas were to get relegated the season after they had won the Unang Liga title and promotion back to the top flight, so they went out there and played like their lives depended on it. In a sense, it did. And while Travis Fausto and Darius Everett could only salvage one point out of three for their side, it’s still putting the Gorillas one point closer to safety. The only problem is that safety is so far away that one point almost doesn’t even matter.

Matchday Thirty-one Scores
Bananas 1–0 Thereisnogodistan
Sarvusdalamoive 0–0 Rosenpfelblatz City
Locomotive Imgortur 0–1 Malabon SC
Arsenal de Releinthi 0–0 Marinos Thimpodopoulos
Rosenpfelblatz North End 1–1 Fleftic Air Force
Wanda Island Wanderers 1–0 Athletic Dorfdifving
Antslinngs Islands 1–2 Ludogorets Markovsky
Gyouza Young Lads 1–0 Sporting Ceneisis
Xemlice Rovers 3–1 Riuwiee United
Admiral Porcusces 3–0 Paulsen

There’s no stopping Ludogorets Markovsky from winning their third consecutive league title now, is there? We are at the point in the season where almost everybody has now accepted that Ludogorets owns the FPL, and that Malabon SC missed their chance to stop the dynasty from becoming a reality a few months ago when Radislav Kalyna was busy padding his clean sheet stats so no one can take the Golden Glove away from him again. The Ravens seemed to have forgotten how they managed to win the title three seasons ago: score one goal, let Kalyna do his thing, rinse and repeat. Those games in which Malabon failed to score and gain all three points will probably haunt the team for the rest of their lives, while Markovsky fans will be thankful that their nearest title rivals didn’t take advantage of their goalkeeper’s skills like everyone knows they could have. Meanwhile, it would appear that the rumors about the demise of both Bananas and Gyouza Young Lads’ time in the FPL were greatly exaggerated. Both the Gorillas and the Lads picked up important wins for their respective campaigns, and while survival for either side still seems unlikely, the situation is no longer as hopeless as it had been just a few weeks ago. What a difference having to make up only six points as opposed to nine can make.

Match of the Day
Xemlice Rovers 3–1 Riuwiee United

When the Fleftic Premier League was first established in the 1994-95 season, the primary rivalry in the league was between Xemlice Rovers and Riuwiee United. Xemlice had been the dominant force in Fleftic football in the 1980s, while RIuwiee United had become a rising power under John MacTavish as the 1990s reached its halfway point. Xemlice drew first blood when the Gamekeepers won the very first Fleftic Premier League season, but it would be the Blue Tribesmen that would have the last laugh since they had won eight titles since and Xemlice had won none. Xemlice had by now acknowledged that they won’t figure in either the title fight or the battle for top four so they would rather play spoilsport to the teams who actually have a chance at either one of those. Xemlice must have seen how Wanda Island Wanderers ended up getting knocked out of the top five, at least for the moment, after they lost to Fleftic Air Force, and the Gamekeepers figured that they could probably do something similar to Riuwiee United. And they pulled off the plan to perfection, with Isaiah Ivy and Marc Lagmay giving Xemlice a two-goal lead inside 22 minutes to give the Blue Tribesmen and their supporters the shock of their lives. Marat Tkachev thought that he could give RIuwiee a fighting chance in the second half, but Dennis Calderon came off the bench to put an end to those hopes.

Fleftic Premier League After Matchday Thirty-one

   FPL                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Qualification                   
 1 Ludogorets Markovsky       31   19   7   5    57   36  +21    64   Champions League qualification
 2 Malabon SC                 31   19   6   6    44   18  +26    63   Champions League qualification
 3 Arsenal de Releinthi       31   17   4  10    71   53  +18    55   Challengers' Cup qualification
 4 Wanda Island Wanderers     31   14  11   6    54   44  +10    53   Challengers' Cup qualification
 5 Admiral Porcusces          31   13  12   6    37   24  +13    51   Challengers' Cup qualification
 6 Riuwiee United             31   15   6  10    57   46  +11    51
 7 Locomotive Imgortur        31   14   9   8    56   48   +8    51
 8 Sporting Ceneisis          31   14   6  11    43   29  +14    48
 9 Paulsen                    31   14   4  13    45   54   −9    46
10 Xemlice Rovers             31   12   9  10    33   27   +6    45
11 Fleftic Air Force          31   11   7  13    48   49   −1    40
12 Rosenpfelblatz City        31    9  12  10    59   65   −6    39
13 Rosenpfelblatz North End   31   10   9  12    48   59  −11    39
14 Thereisnogodistan          31   10   8  13    65   63   +2    38
15 Sarvusdalamoive            31    9   9  13    44   49   −5    36
16 Antslinngs Islands         31    9   5  17    59   76  −17    32
17 Marinos Thimpodopoulos     31    7   8  16    24   39  −15    29
18 Athletic Dorfdifving       31    6   8  17    43   57  −14    26   Relegation to Unang Liga
19 Bananas                    31    6   6  19    51   75  −24    24   Relegation to Unang Liga
20 Gyouza Young Lads          31    6   6  19    39   66  −27    24   Relegation to Unang Liga

Yes, Ludogorets Markovsky still leads the league. Malabon SC could have prevented this from happening, but apparently the Ravens thought that Radislav Kalyna actually getting the Golden Glove that he thought was stolen from under his nose by Jaidev Muthukrishnan last season was more important than actually winning games, which is what wins the league despite what everyone else is saying. If Markovsky does end up running away with the league after this point then maybe Malabon would have a point when it came to not scoring in any of the games that they could have won, but that would be little consolation to the fans or the players themselves. Meanwhile, Arsenal de Releinthi is in third place, Wanda Island Wanderers is in fourth, and Admiral Porcusces in fifth—wait a minute! What in the world are the Sea Foxes doing in the top five? What happened to Riuwiee United and Locomotive Imgortur? Oh, it's the result of three teams being tied on 51 points with goal difference once again serving as the tiebreaker. It seems almost unbelievable that Porcusces could somehow have a better goal difference than either one of RIuwiee United or Locomotive Imgortur, but perhaps that’s the benefit of flying under the radar. Nobody notices Admiral Porcusces swooping in to steal the final Challengers’ Cup place until it’s too late. But we did notice them, so what does that mean for the Sea Foxes in the near future?

Everyone thought that they were dead and buried. Everyone thought that this was going to be end of the road for both Bananas and Gyouza Young Lads. But somehow, both of those teams had managed to collect enough points to give themselves a small fighting chance to come back from the brink and secure another season of FPL football. Or maybe it’s more about the likes of Marinos Thimpodopoulos, Antslinngs Islands, and Sarvusdalamoive dropping enough points that it now looks like either one of Bananas or Gyouza can conduct the greatest escape from relegation that this league had ever seen. Sure, six points is not much better than nine points when it comes to staving off relegation, but at least it’s now somewhat more achievable. Whether one of these clubs is actually able to do it though is another matter entirely. If anything, it’s Athletic Dorfdifving that has the highest chance of surviving the drop this season, but the Canaries are also the one club that’s most at risk of falling victim to the drop because of their position on the edge of safety and disaster. At least nobody is “mathematically” relegated just yet. Nobody likes it when math takes away the thrill of the chase in this situation.

Race for the Golden Boot
T1. Edgar Smith-Fernandez (Arsenal de Releinthi) - 20 goals
T1. Denny Hobbs (Malabon SC) - 20 goals
T1. Marat Tkachev (Riuwiee United) - 20 goals
2. Ramiro Guerra (Locomotive Imgortur) - 18 goals
T3. Lucas von Wolfberg (Rosenpfelblatz City) - 17 goals
T3. Montez Tubman (Wanda Island Wanderers) - 17 goals

Enter Edgar Smith-Fernandez into the fray. If Marat Tkachev thought that he only had Denny Hobbs to worry about before, now he also has to keep track of the Arsenal de Releinthi striker for any possibility that Smith-Fernandez might actually overtake him in the charts. Technically speaking, both Smith-Fernandez and Hobbs are already ahead of the Pyazhnayan thanks to the fact that ties for the Golden Boot and the Golden Glove are broken by the alphabetical order of the clubs. Is it fair? Obviously not, but that’s the way that Abanhfleft has done it, and it’s not going to change anytime soon.

Race for the Golden Glove
1. Radislav Kalyna (Malabon SC) - 20 clean sheets
2. Emelio Lontok (Admiral Porcusces) - 15 clean sheets
3. Daniel Cartwright (Xemlice Rovers) - 13 clean sheets
4. Guildenstern Cardew (Sporting Ceneisis) - 12 clean sheets
T5. Isaak Krutikov (Ludogorets Markovsky) - 10 clean sheets
T5. Karl Fenenko (Paulsen FC) - 10 clean sheets

Did anyone really doubt that Radislav Kalyna wouldn’t get this one over the line? Perhaps. But everyone knows by now the real disappointment of the season, and that is the fact that Kalyna might not actually win any silverware thanks to Malabon SC not doing anything after he had kept their opponents scoreless. But with seven games to go until the end of the season, there’s still a chance that either one of Emelio Lontok or Daniel Cartwright can catch up Kalyna. Of course, he wouldn’t like it if that were to happen, but it could still happen.

Crescent News Network Sports (Abanhfleft & Co. V2)

2037-38 Fleftic Premier League, Part Seven

2037-38 Fleftic Premier League, Part Eight

2037-38 Fleftic Premier League, Part Nine

2037-38 Fleftic Premier League, Part Ten

2037-38 Fleftic Unang Liga

2037-38 Fleftic Unang Liga promotion playoff

2029-30 Federal Top League

2029-30 Federal Second League

2036-37 Pridnestrovian Super League

2036-37 PFS-Kubok

2031-32 Oontaznik First Division

2031-32 Sultan's Cup

2031-32 Copperite National League

2031-32 Fhulghamousian League

2030-31 Federal Top League

2030-31 Federal Second League

2038-39 Fleftic Premier League Preview, Part One

2038-39 Fleftic Premier League Preview, Part Two

2038-39 Fleftic Premier League, Part One

2038-39 Fleftic Premier League, Part Two

2038-39 Fleftic Premier League, Part Three

2038-39 Fleftic Premier League, Part Four

2038-39 Fleftic Premier League, Part Five

2038-39 Fleftic Premier League, Part Six

2038-39 Fleftic Premier League, Part Seven

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