Games 148 (Copa Vexanova Ordland '99) 04-17-299

Game 148: Westria - Lexicon Islands (Copa Vexanova Ordland '99) - FINAL!

NOVEFA announces the result for the FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH in the Copa
Vexanova Ordland '99:

The Technical Information:

Final score: WESTRIA 3 - LEXICON ISLANDS 0
Played in: National Stadium, Newton, Ordland
Attendance: 55,000
Referee: Alexi Verbatim (Northern Gronk)
Goals: Theunissen (WES, 15.), Voyden (WES, 32.), Ubbarguëy (WES, 58.)
Yellow cards: Komp (LEX, 15.), Ubbarguëy (WES, 29.), Estonarios (LEX,
39.), Fögelsangg (WES, 61.)
Substitutions: Dibris for Lexico (LEX, 45.), Eckin for Palontar (LEX,
59.), Fesset for Hallsetter (WES, 59.), Muriaghi for Ubbarguëy (WES,
70.)

Match commentary:

Revenge is sweet, as Westria takes the Copa in style!

The dream final, featuring the number two of Vexillium taking on number
one kicked off after a wonderful display of dance and music,
orchestrated by the Ordlandic authorities as a preview of the
festivities of Newton 300!  55,000 enthusiastic fans had once again
crammed the national stadium to capacity, and the atmosphere was
incredible from the beginning, with fans hitting big drums, launching
small fireworks, and the "wave" making its rounds almost throughout the
entire game!  An estimated 1.8 billion people were tuned in on the
television sets of the planet!

Westria began sloppy, giving Lexicon a great chance right from the
get-go, but Raxxon squandered it, standing on the wrong foot.  With that
wake-up call, the Diamonds were from then on ver concentrated, and
clearly focused.  Lexicon had chosen a more defensive strategy with
their starting line-up, probably to take a more cautious approach to a
team of the prowess of Westria's caliber.  Ultimately, though, their
defensive beginnings proved to hurt the Lexican efforts, as Westria,
faced with no offensive threat themselves, could concentrate on
orchestrating their own attacks on the Lexican goal.

It was thus a logical progression of things that Westria would pull
ahead 1-0 in just the 15. minute, after a bad foul from Komp left them
with a short free kick, which Theunissen bombed past everybody, right
into the center of the goal, with Vanossi looking on.

Westria was technically superb as usual, and they cleverly kept the ball
in play, letting Lexicon do all the running after - and the Vikings were
under pressure now, seeing themselves one goal behind.  Nevertheless,
they stuck to their cautious approach, and thus, not much was
accomplished in their first half.  Instead, Westria scored again after a
nice corner by Vraseydenhout, that had the moved up last-line-of-defense
man Voyden head one in for the defender's first goal of the competition!

Westria then stalled the game until the break.  In the second half,
Lexicon had no choice but to change their strategies - Dibris came in,
and they went into the attacking mode, finally.  Why they did not
earlier, is something of a mystery.  In any event, that style much
better suited their objectives, and for the first ten minutes, Westria
was under serious attack.  Unfortunately for Lexicon, though, in the 58.
minute, after a good save from Hasenpfeffer, Westria launched a
blitz-counter-attack, that saw Ubbarguëy score from long range to put
Westria up 3-0, now seriously panicking the Lexicans!

>From then on, the two team's fortunes were essentially sealed:  Lexicon
brought in another striker, but Westria now, expectedly, began to
protect their lead.  Lexicon simply could not quite take the initiative
any more - they had done a lot of running in the first half, and the
Westrians seemed fresher, and more alert.  Whenever the Vikings DID get
through, Hasenpfeffer was flawless.  Time was running out for Lexicon,
and when Westria brought in another defender 20 minutes before the end,
the frantic struggles of Lexicon became ever more desperate.

They would not be able to recover, and eventually had to resign
themselves to their second straight loss in a major international
tournament's final match - after their loss to Christiana in the
Vexillium Cup finals.  Westria took the honors, to the delight of the
around 8,000 Westrian fans who had made the trip, and the majority
pro-Westrian Ordlandic fans, who also played a big role in this match,
almost giving Westria home field advantage.  When the final whistle
blew, the Westrians jumped for joy, as they had reached their goal, and
left the huge disappointments of the Vex Cup behind them!  The team
hoisted coach Schrey in the air, and gave him a hip-hooray, throwing him
up in the air three times!  They then exchanged shirts with the somber
Lexican players, and amidst incredible noise and literally hundreds of
fireworks going off in the stadium, it was time for the awarding of the
Copa:

First, the players and coach of Lexicon were asked to the podium to
receive their silver medals, once again - they were awarded by NOVEFA
president Baldriarch Kickins.  Then, Ordlandic President Raposa handed
over the Copa Vexanova in all its glory to the Westrian team Captain
Iohannes Theunissen, under the cheers of his mates, and the 55,000 fans
in the stadium.  The Westrian team then took the Copa and their coach in
the air, and started on several victory laps around the stadium, the
celebrations went on for another good half hour after that in the
stadium, before it began to clear out, and the parties began elsewhere
all over the world.

For Westria, this is an important redeeming win after their Vexillium
Cup exit, and more importantly, it settles the score with rivals
Lexicon.  The future of soccer in both these countries is looking
bright, with the recent announcements of their new premier league
expansions.  Westria was most impressive in this Copa!  Lexicon once
again showed their class, remarkable for a country of its size!  Well
done!

This concludes the Copa Vexanova Ordland '99... NOVEFA thanks all the
nations that participated, our gracious hosts, Ordland, and our sponsors
and fans who made the event possible.  It has been a great Copa with
many superb matches, some surprises, and many winners.  And our beloved
game once again grew in popularity and following.  But the biggest
winners of all are the charities that benefitted from this Copa, as the
event raised no less than Z 264,000,000 (Westrian Zasters) in funds that
will benefit various Ordlandic, and for the greatest part, international
charities, ranging from disaster and humanitarian relief in war-torn
areas, to aid for single mothers, special education, and the Shelter for
Vexillium, amongst many others.

Thanks you for your patronage, and see you at next year's Copa
Vexanova!!