Games 6 and 7 (ANG-EST and SOL-PHX) 09-12-298 (Cup of Nations)

Game 6 - Angliyaa-Estontetso:

NOVEFA, in conjunction with WEHFFA, announces the results for today's
Group B match held at the inaugural Western Hemisphere Cup of
Nations, co-sanctioned by the WEHFFA and NOVEFA, played aturday,
September 11, 298, in Drekan:
The final result is Angliyaa 1 - Estontetso 2

The Technical Information:

Final score: ANGLIYAA 1 - ESTONTETSO 2
Played in: Drekan, Dascunya (Union Stadium), attendance: 41,800
Referee: Gilles Baptiste (Phenixia)
Goals: Berry (ANG, 29.), Avarra (EST, 60.), Andrea (EST, 87.)
Yellow cards: NONE
Substitutions: Mark for Wells (ANG, 45.), Andrea for Ocala (EST, 45.), Dorian for Avarra (65.), Snyder for Burr (87.)

Match commentary:

Estontetso delivers the blow shortly before the match end!

Both teams were quite agressive in the beginning, looking for that early
goal, but no chances actually translated into a score until a corner
kick by Angliyaa was converted by head by Berry to put his team one up.
Angliyaa had a few more good chances in the first half, and took the
lead into the break.

After the break, Angliyaa tried to go into the total defensive to
protect the one-goal-advantage.  They substituted striker Wells with
defender Mark during the break, and hardly tried to advance into the
Estontetso half of the field anymore.  But, as the old saying goes: if
you dont score goals, the other team eventually will, became true, as
despite the heavy defenses, Estontetso scored the equalizer after a
quickly advanced free kick from the center field, and a good dribble by
Avarra in the 60. minute.  The Angliyaan goalkeeper's line of sight was
obstructed by one of his own defenders, and thus Avarra's shot was seen
too late, rolling past the despondent goalie.

Nevertheless, Angliyaa seemed to be content with protecting the remis,
and taking one point from the game - their strategy hardly changed, and
they remained defensive.  Estontetso seemed to be running up against
this wall of defense for a while, but to the great shock of the
Angliyaan team, all of a sudden Andrea somehow stood free in front of
the goal, and proceeded to fall-kick a precise pass from Dorian reverse
over his head with great impact directly onto the Angliyaa keeper, who
could not grab the ball - the leather bounced off his gloves into the
goal!

Angliyaa was all of a sudden frantic.  They brought in another striker
in Snyder, and desperately tried to attack as hard as they could for the
next few minutes, but it was too late, and time ran out.  Angliyaa left
the field quite stunned in view of this shocking last-minute loss, while
the Estontetsan players were overjoyed.

Overall the game was very fair, and both teams impressed with their
sportmanship.  Fouls were mostly playing the ball, and remarkably, there
were no yellow cards!

Many fans had come from both countries, making the short trips across
the borders.  The atmosphere was thus quite good for both teams.
 

NOVEFA, in conjunction with WEHFFA, announces the results for todays
second Group B match held at the inaugural Western Hemisphere Cup of
Nations, co-sanctioned by the WEHFFA and NOVEFA, played Saturday,
September 12, 298, in Divenstone:
The final result is Solelhada 0 - Phenixia 2

The Technical Information:

Final score: SOLELHADA 0 - PHENIXIA 2
Played in: Divenstone, Dascunya (Dynamo Stadium), attendance: 66,050
Referee: Vladimir Antoniev (Elmira)
Goals: Skoblar (PHX, 38.), Lahziz (PHX, 69.)
Yellow cards: Auguste (SOL, 22.), Arrat (SOL, 51.), Domenech (60.)
Red cards: Auguste (SOL, 44.)
Substitutions: Malastre for Lavalada (SOL, 45.) Domenech for Michel (PHX, 45.), Tresor for Magnusson (PHX, 45.), Szabo for Fabre (SOL, 72.)

Match commentary:

Phenixia picks up where they left off at the Vexillium Cup!

This technically very advanced match between two very well prepared and
talented teams finally went to the team which did the better legwork and
kept the ball moving constantly.  Phenixia's last game was a very stron
3-0 win over Bowdani at the Vexillium Cup, and they once again showed
why they are a major force to be considered in any competition.
Although Solelhada was probably a full equal to Phenixia, Los Diables
Roges were eventually overwhelmed, to a large extent also because they
had to play more than half of the game with only ten men.

The game was a little more physical than what we saw so far, and the
first red card of the tournament was given to Solelhadan defender
Auguste after his second tackle from behind on a Phenixian player
advancing alone towards the goal.  In all fairness, had Auguste not
fouled, Michel, the Phenixian offensive midfielder, would likely have
scored a goal.  However, the fact that their team was one man down
ultimately hurt Solelhada more than one goal would have, as they
struggled to keep up with the fast moving Phenixians.  They actually did
a good job, but it just wasn't enough.

Phenixia's star striker Skoblar did his thing in the 38. minute, with a
direct on-the-fly shot after a flank from Michel.  The second goal was
scored by Lahziz in the 69. minute, as the Solelhadan team simply ran
out of players to cover all the Phenixian players, who had moved forward
quickly.  A combination pass between Lahziz-Michel-Tresor-Lahziz set up
the final and decisive goal, which caught the Solelhada keeper Delmas on
the wrong foot.

Phenixia now looks the favorite to win Group B, but Solelhada's chances
of advancing must surely be intact, judging from their good performance
this match.