Razenland Domestic Football News.

[Razenland]

FOUR FOUR-WAY TIES IN RAZENLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUES
Friday 1st November 2024

As Razenland’s football leagues reach their final matches for another season, fans are promised the most exciting climax in history. For the first time, all four of the major leagues have four-way battles ongoing for the all-important trophies.

In the Razenland Premier League, it’s anybody’s guess who will win. Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020, four different clubs have won the division - Belaya Zvezda (White Star) won in that year, followed by relative league newcomers Lokomotiv Malachyn in 2021, modern era force Energiya Gorinsk, taking a fourth title in 2022, and Dynamit Flomsk winning for the third time in 2023. The form guide going into 2020 looks like nothing more than a joke book now. In 2024, not even these four teams are in contention for the RPL crown.

The dominant team in the RPL since its inception in 1990 has been Tornado Gorinsk. For the first half of this decade, the team has been nowhere - several players failed drugs tests in 2020 and were let go by the club. The manager was forced to take the blame and resign. The team is a shadow of its former self. Energiya Gorinsk took over the mantle of the capital city’s ‘top team’, with title wins in 2018, 2019 and, most recently, in 2022.

But the RPL has become a bit of a lottery since Covid, and this year is no exception. Tsement Suisninsk, which has received lots of investment recently, is currently leading the charge. The blue team from the East Region has never looked so good. Granit Tazanka, a heavyweight team in the 1990s since lost to obscurity, has made a comeback and lies just one point behind. Zenit Gorinsk - the only one of five capital city teams never to win the league, is third on goal difference. The fourth team is Vodnyk Anasensk, which only joined the RPL at the start of the 2021 season.

In the First League, the promotion battle is fierce, with the top four teams literally tied on equal points. Ranked first among equals is Tytan Starigrad, known as the oldest team in Razenland. Their title rivals include Slavia Nament, in second, the island team of FK Ankoly, in third, and in fourth place the forresters - FK Rommot.

The Second League has two wings - East and West. The dividing line is redrawn each season to keep the numbers on each side equal. The rough scribble through the middle of a nation keeps journey times down for the clubs who live in the most remote parts of the country.

In the Second League East, the four teams still vying for glory are: Portovyk Roka, a Far North Region port town team in fluorescent red kit; Brovar Teshka, the Central Region brewery team; the South Region former Premier League team Dinamo Polga; and the East Region team FK Kubaika.

In the Second League West, Niva Arnushka lead the way, the South Region minnows having a roaring season. They’re followed by the North Region’s Metalurgi Groryol, and West Region teams Spartak Morozovka in third and Frolovsky in fourth.

Who will win? Tune in this weekend to find out!

[Razenland]

NEW CHAMPIONS CROWNED ON FINAL DAY OF FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Sunday 10th November 2024

Vodnyk Anasensk came from fourth in the standings to steal a first-ever Razenland Premier League title. A hotly contested league season, Vodnyk were nevertheless most disadvantaged of the four championship contenders. Embarrassing losses for rivals Tsement Suisninsk and Granit Tazanka paved the way for Vodnyk, whose only other rivals, Zenit Gorinsk, had to made do with a draw after losing one player to a red card.

In the First League, the top four teams were tied on points going into the final day’s matches. The top-ranked side was Tytan Starigrad, who won out after a dominant display resulting in a 4-0 victory. All the other rival teams also won their matches - Slavia Nament won 2-0, FK Ankoly 2-1 and FK Rommot 1-0. Tytan therefore won the league on goal difference.

In the Second League East, the second-placed team Brovar Teshka overcame that division’s four-way brawl to win the title. Leader Portovyk Roka had already played all of their games, and were overhauled by the final day’s results. Third-placed Dinamo Polga could only manage a draw, while, in fourth, FK Kubaika’s modest 1-0 victory was not enough to vanquish Brovar.

In the Second League West, the third-placed team won the four-way contest for the trophy. Spartak Morozovka won 2-0 thanks to a pair of penalty decisions. They had played league leaders Niva Arnushka which, otherwise, appeared to outplay Spartak on the pitch. Metalurgi Groryol, in second place going into the final day, lost in spectacular style after a 6-0 defeat. In fourth Frolovsky managed a draw against indifferent opposition.

So the four four-way fights for the league titles were won by teams in fourth, first, second and third respectively.

The final act in this year’s football season is the final of the Razenland Super Cup which, this year, will be contested between Premier League teams Energiya Gorinsk, a modern giant with league wins in 1999, 2018, 2019 and 2022, and cup victories 2003, 2018 and 2023, and Elektrik Volovsk, an also-ran Premier League outfit that has won the cup only once before, in 2009. Both set up as power plant teams, an electric atmosphere is promised, as Volovsk cement their best run in over a decade, and the capital city team Energiya Gorinsk try to sustain success for another year.

[Razenland]

WHAT'S BLACK AND WHITE AND RED ALL OVER?
Wednesday 13th November 2024

AFRAZ - the Association of Football Razenland - hosts the grand final of its 35th annual Super Cup this weekend, as the final showdown in this year's domestic competitions. The tournament will be decided between capital city side Energiya Gorinsk and the biggest team in the Far North Region, Elektrik Volovsk.

The Super Cup, whose first round was contested by all but the top 12 finishers in last season's domestic leagues, welcomed Energiya and Elektrik to the competition in the second round.

Energiya was the 11th team drawn, playing at home against Tytan Starigrad (the team that has just won the First League). Energiya won 2-1, progressing into the third round, playing away against Tsement Suisninsk (a team that has just lost out on winning the Premier League title). This victory, at 3-1 to the visitors, was more convincing, and set up a quarter final contest with FK Ankoly - one of only two non-Premier League sides left in the competition. After dispatching Ankoly 3-1 came a tighter semi-final against Lokomotiv Malachyn, albeit Energiya still won 2-1.

Elektrik Volovsk was the 26th of 32 teams drawn in the tournament's second round. They played Tornado Pabruysk and won on penalties after a 2-2 draw. In the third round they made the seventh pairing against Lokomotiv Balga, winning more convincingly with a 2-0 scoreline. This led to a thrilling tie up with eventual Premier League victors Vodnyk Anasensk, culminating in a 3-2 victory for Elektrik, following which they claimed a contrite 1-0 win over Razenland's all-time most dominant team, Torpedo Gorinsk.

This sets up a final between two sides with nothing else to show for their respective campaigns this season. Energiya has taken Torpedo's mantle as one of the best teams in the country, but it has been toppled in the Premier League for two consecutive years, making that last title win in 2022 something of a distant memory. Energiya are however defending cup champions, while Elektrik's last competition win came in this same tournament all the way back in 2009.

If Energiya is a force in the modern game, almost unstoppable, then Elektrik is immovable. In the Premier League since its inception in 1990, there is only one trophy, but no relegations, in the club's history. Energiya have scored 10 goals in the Super Cup so far, versus Elektrik's eight, and Energiya are regarded as favourites, helped no doubt by being able to play in the national stadium in Gorinsk itself. It's a long journey for Elektrik but the spoils could be massive. We don't have long to wait to discover the result.

[Razenland]

ELEKTRIK ATMOSPHERE FOR HISTORIC CUP WIN
Saturday 16th November 2024

Gorinsk - The Razenland Super Cup’s final showdown has ended in an historic win for Elektrik Volovsk. It has been fifteen long years since Elektrik last lifted the trophy - or any trophy. But the Far North Region side came back from 1-0 down in the 70th minute, to win the encounter 2-1.

Opponents Enenrgiya Gorinsk went into the match as defending cup champions. Three times Super Cup winners, and four times Razenland Premier League winners, Energiya had every reason to be confident. But the giants have fallen short this season, not even making the top four of the RPL’s final standings.

This is only Elektrik’s second trophy, after winning the Super Cup back in 2009. This makes the club joint-fourth in the list of all-time cup winners, alongside Zvezda Trufinsk (2001, 2005), Dynamit Flomsk (2010, 2014) and Tornado Pabruysk (2008, 2022). Torpedo Gorinsk have won it ten times, Torpedo Belanka five times and Energiya Gorinsk three.

The win has been enough to buoy the spirits of club manager Anatoly Vedmid, who boasted “This makes us one of the best teams in Razenland’s modern history. How many clubs have won the cup twice? Only us and six others. Are we one of the best seven teams in Razenland ever? I think the result speaks for itself.”

Energiya’s manager, Valentin Sitalo, was more contrite: “We have been the most dominant team in Razenland since 2018. Today we lost to the opposition. We will come back to fight next season.”

For reaching the cup final, both Vedmid and Sitalo will be considered for Razenland’s Manager of the Year Award. Until the winner of that contest is announced, it will be Vedmid, and Elektrik Volosvsk, celebrating this milestone victory.