Games 226 and 227 TOM KOH TROPHY 299 in Eastern Zartania, 12-15-299:

Game 226: Whitlam-Eastern Zartania (IVEFA TITLE DEFENSE - Holder: KTZ/Challenger: WHI):
 
The Technical Information:

Final score: EASTERN ZARTANIA 3 - WHITLAM 0
Played in: Hawke Bitter Stadium, Gough, Whitlam (moved from Imperial City due to technical difficulties)
Attendance: 64,600
Referee: W.C.Benzhin (WMC)
Goals: Nurytch (KTZ, 1.), Faulkner (KTZ, 68.), Fouberg (KTZ, 82.)
Yellow cards: Wystr (KTZ, 22.), Ayress (KTZ, 60.)
Substitutions: Al-Dhabi for Parkin (WHI, 45.), Ibanez for Hickey (WHI, 70.)

Eastern Zartania defends its title with clear victory over Whitlam!

This great rivalry is increasingly taking on frustrating propostions for Whitlam,
who came into this match with great hopes of avenging the recent two losses to KTZ
at the IVEFA Masters in Islandia, earlier this year.  The Zartanian team showed
great sportsmanship in allowing Whitlam, the runner-up in the Masters, and thus
the narrow miss for the title, to get the first shot at a rematch for the IVEFA
Title.  However, things did not go at all the way Whitlam had planned - instead of
vindication, they got more frustration.

The initial shocker was Ben Nurytch's surprising first-minute bomb that caught
Jenkins off the mark, too far in front of the goal.  It was Nurytch's first goal,
in the first minute of his first ever match for Eastern Zartania... a world record
for sure!  Needless to say, he was ecstatic.

Things heated up soon, with the game reaching very fast pace in the first half,
with both teams playing evenly and several good goal opportunities.  KTZ would
hold on to their lead into the break, however.

Whitlam brought Al-Dhabi to regroup for the second half, and indeed, Hussein
scored a beautiful goal, however, it was clearly offsides, and experienced ref
Benzhin saw it and disallowed the goal.  Still shaken from the joy and
disappointment of what just happened, Whitlam's usually immaculate defense had an
apparent lapse that proved enough for Faulkner to put KTZ up 2-0 in the 68. with a
nice header after a flank from Fouberg.  Whitlam's pace then got frantic, the
addition of another striker saw their strategy shift to total offfense to make up
the 0-2 deficit.  However, without Hickey in the defense, the backfield was
visibly weaker, and indeed vulnerable to counter attack.  So it was no big
surprise that sooner or later, KTZ nailed the coffin shut when Fouberg scored with
just 8 minutes to go, to give KTZ a truly impressive victory over a very strong
opponent.  This means that KTZ retains the IVEFA Title successfully, and are still
the IVEFA Champions.  It also means that KTZ is in prime position to defend the
TKT as well.  And who knows what they will be up to at their home-Vexillium Cup in
a few weeks time!  Big disappointment for Whitlam, who are now 0-2-3 against KTZ.
They have yet to find a recipe against their neighbors.  Perhaps at the upcoming
Vexillium Cup?  There, revenge would be sweet indeed!

Final score: WESTERMARC 2 - ALBION-MERITE 2
Played in: Planetarium Field, Alfacron
Attendance: 54,500
Referee: Greg Stoneley (FRW)
Goals: Lenderval (ALB, 12.), Preplau (ALB, 39.), Bulunghia (WMC, 55.), Fang (WMC,
75.)
Yellow cards: Deveng (WMC, 14.), Jennings (ALB, 51.), Voultz (ALB, 90.)
Red card: Karawanserei (WMC, 9.)
Substitutions: Bulunghia for Saabah (WMC, 45.)

Albion-Merite pulls off a sensational draw against the world #7, weakened by an
early red card!

Nobody had their money on Albion-Merite, the complete unknowns and underdogs,
coming away with anything from this match against the Serpents, but with a good
bit of serendipidy, and some real good play, the Imperial Eagles managed a very
eyebrow-raising 2-2 which could well have caused a pre-decision in who will win
the TKT '99!

Westermarc was all over the Eagles from the start, as coach Chekkor planned.
However, their momentum came to a screeching halt, when Karawanserei saw the red
card for an admittedly ghastly foul on Wilhelm Hohenzoln, from behind.  The Albion
striker was limping a bit afterwards, but was iced down and kept playing til the
end.

Westermarc, however, was now one man down, and seemed to have lost all its
moomentum and confidence because of it.  When Lenderval scored a quick counter in
the 12., the Serpents came close to collapse.  For the rest of the half,
Albion-Merite clearly had the upper hand, although technically weaker, they now
had the momentum on their side, and a lead to protect against the shaken
Westermarcians.  Another goal by Preplau gave their opponents more grief, and it
was a miracle that Westermarc made it to the locker room only 0-2 down.

After a good lashing from Chekkor, no doubt, the Serpents came back in the second
half a changed team!  They picked up were they had left off in the 9. minute, and
now made heavy pressure again.  The Eagles now were the wide-eyed ones, as they
got to feel the full brunt of the Westermarc attack.  Bulunghia, who had replaced
the lackluster Saabah in the break, scored the 1-2 in the 55., and WMC kept
pushing.

In the 65., a goal by Foit was disallowed due to offsides.  Video replays showed
it was probably the right decision, albeit very close.  In any event, it made the
difference between winning and drawing for Westermarc.  Albion had little to offer
in the second half, and were just trying to hang on to their butts, which they did
remarkably well.  Despite the constant pressure by Westermarc, they kept on
fighting, and although Fang scored in the 75. minute, Albion would not let
Westermarc win it... somehow, they managed to run out the clock, coming away with
a very respectable draw in their very first international match - a great success!

While the Eagles can be pleased, for WMC this is a very bad start.  They will now
have to beat both, Whitlam and Zartania, in order to win the TKT.  But who knows -
maybe they will resurge, like they did in the second half today?

The FFoW has also officially challenged Eastern Zartania to another IVEFA Title
defense in the upcoming match between KTZ and WMC.  The TFZ is yet to respond to
this challenge.