Mercury at the 2014 FMF World Cup

[joefoxon]

Mercury's squad for the 2014 FMF World Cup final has been named. Mercury travel to Indokistan as EMU champions after their 2-0 final win over Passas last month. After making the final last year, Mercury will be hoping to go one better this time around, especially after losing out on hosting the competition. The squad hoping to win this year's World Cup includes all 20 players from the EMU Championships squad, as well as Tow Law's Jonathan Foster, Cook Island's Addey Hanbury and making his tournament debut is Bohemian Rhapsodies midfielder John Short.

Goalkeepers
1 Kieran MERCURY (Dynamo Deacon)
12 Ian PRATCHETT (May Wanderers)
23 Jonathan FOSTER (Tow Law)

Defenders
2 Ryan BISHOP (May Wanderers)
3 Jason CAMERON (Bohemian Rhapsodies)
4 Stephen CHARLTON (Sverige Tiem)
5 Chris DEACON (Dynamo Deacon)
13 Paul MCEWAN (Dynamo Deacon)
14 Alexander MERCURY (Innuendo FC)
15 Andrew JACKSON (Taylor Sporting Club)

Midfielders
6 James BISHOP (May Wanderers)
7 Stephen RYDBERG (May Wanderers)
18 Wilmont FIZEAU-BLAKE (Cook Island)
9 James PHILLIPS (FC Garrak [HAM])
8 Edward FOXON (Dynamo Deacon)
16 William BENTHAM (Tow Law)
17 Ryan MAY (Taylor Sporting Club)
21 John SHORT (Bohemian Rhapsodies)

Forwards
10 Joe FOXON (Tow Law)
11 Matt FITZGERALD (May Wanderers)
19 Jack PARTRIDGE (Tow Law)
20 Alan CAVENDISH (Dynamo Deacon)
22 Addey HANBURY (Cook Island)

[joefoxon]

*Played 3rd August*

Birgeshir 2-1 Taeland
13' - E. Moliksen
37' - B. Ёkınojk
70' - Æ. Chanojk

Birgeshir came away from a tight game with three valuable points over a Tae team which started well. Taeland's last World Cup opening match was a 4-1 defeat at the hands of a Shireroth side that made its way to the final on home soil, but a repeat of that score looked highly unlikely after a positive start to the game. Birgeshir's narrow formation was stretched by Taeland's five-man midfield from the off and Ellin Moliksen needed only 13 minutes to hit the back of the net after a flowing move saw a few passes threaded around the box before the right-winger tucked the ball inside the opposite post with his weaker foot. The Taes' control in the middle of the park should have arguably led to another goal before the half-hour, but Tim Turner had his curled shot swatted away by Ilkin Ercanojk. Against the run of play, just before the break, Birgeshir equalised. Hammish-based forward Benatehhor Ёkınojk took control of the ball and ran past two Tae defenders without being challenged before slotting inside Aaron Mor's near post as the 'keeper closed.

Ёkınojk's solo effort spurred the Birgesh on after half time, and the game levelled-out for the second 45. Taeland weren't gifted as much time in midfield and Birgeshir were able to gain possession more frequently to launch attacks forward. Ёkınojk continued his threat and was kept-out by Mor from an angled header towards the bottom corner just before the hour mark. With twenty minutes remaining and with Ra-to-men Mahırojk brought-on upfront, Birgeshir were continuing to push forward, and their approach paid-off. Mahırojk took the ball into the box to lay it back from the bye-line, where Ёkınojk shot but saw the ball rebound off a defender, but midfielder Ætaňur Chanojk was in space to shoot first time into the bottom-left from the edge of the box as Mor had gone to ground expecting to have to save the first effort. Taeland tried to respond by bringing Alex Gomze in to partner Turner, but his addition to the fray had no lasting effect on the momentum of play. Birgeshir managed to snatch a win from Taeland, who were impressive in the opening stages, and will now fancy their chances against Mercury next.

Mercury 2-0 Safiria
29' - M. Fitzgerald
84' - M. Fitzgerald

A brace from Matt Fitzgerald gave the EMU champions a perfect start to the tournament, but not without being tested by the Safirians. A surprise victory over Alexandria started the Mercurians' run to the final last year, and they were hoping to replicate that this time round against newcomers Safiria. Mercury took a while to get going, however, and Safiria registered the first attacks of the game, with Sana-Vriska Ae and Yveltal shooting over and into Kieran Mercury's hands, respectively. Once Mercury had grown into the game, they were hard to stop when in full-flow, and Matt Fitzgerald's first came just before thirty minutes; Joe Foxon's surge forward and subsequent squared pass let Fitzgerald tap in with ease from close. Foxon himself could have turned scorer just before the break, but his dipping effort was just too hard-hit to need any intervention from Kiora Semaði.

While the break bore no significant change to proceedings, Mercury were frustrated by Safiria on a number of occasions. Semaði made two solid saves to deny Joe Foxon and Wilmont Fizeau-Blake throughout the half, while Safiria's front line was unable to keep its efforts on target, having created some opportunities. In the final stages of the game, Mercury secured the win thanks to Fitzgerald's second. Fizeau-Blake found space down the right flank and delivered the ball into the gap between Fitzgerald and Semaði, and the striker's outstretched leg beat the stopper to it, deflecting it over the line and in. While not the most comfortable of wins, Mercury will be proud to have soldiered through, while Safiria-Taeland will be a tasty affair next time with all to play for.

Group standings can be found here...

[joefoxon]

*Played 7th August*

Taeland 1-0 Safiria
5' - T. Turner

Watch this match here!

Birgeshir 0-2 Mercury
4' - M. Fitzgerald
70' - J. Foxon

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Group standings can be found here...

[joefoxon]

*Played 11th August*

Mercury 2-0 Taeland
17' - J. Foxon
31' - S. Rydberg

Mercury proved their dominance over Group B with a third straight 2-0 victory to top the table without conceding, leaving the Taes to be separated from Birgeshir on tiebreaking criteria. The game's action came primarily in the first half with Mercury not holding back with their place in the quarter-finals still not officially guaranteed. On-song striker Matt Fitzgerald almost scored his fourth of the tournament after just five minutes, but could only hit the side of the netting from the angle. His strike partner and team captain Joe Foxon made no such error just twelve minutes later, with a well-timed run being matched by a Wilmont Fizeau-Blake through ball for Foxon to clatter in to the top-left corner with a first-time shot just inside the box. Mercury persisted onward, with Fitzgerald and Fizeau-Blake combining well but to no avail. With just over half an hour played, the score was doubled thanks to Stephen Rydberg, with Fizeau-Blake's involvement key again. Foxon chased a long clearance downfield into the right corner and Fizeau-Blake gave an option in support to cross in, which he did. With Foxon out of position, Rydberg stepped forward and met the delivery with a chest before calmly passing the ball into the centre of the goal beside Aaron Mor. Fitzgerald was a continual threat, but wasn't able to put in a third.

The second half witnessed Taeland trying to analyse the best tactical approach, with Tim Turner isolated on his own upfront but the Mercurians still pressing for more. When news of the other game's score filtered through, the Taes had even more to think about with the mathematics of goal difference coming more into play. After a period of uncertainty, which saw substitute Edward Foxon have a shot from a short free-kick land on the roof of the net, Taeland brought Alex Gomze on to partner Turner. While the pair were more incisive on the break, Kieran Mercury made a fingertip save to stop Gomze scoring with ten minutes remaining. Mercury closed ranks in the final stages, wanting to maintain an enviable record of three group clean sheets, which they achieved as Turner was again marked out of the game. A model performance from Mercury left Taeland at the mercy of the Safiria-Birgeshir result, and were unfortunate that their opening game defeat was the deciding factor on who advanced with the Mercurians to the knock-out rounds.

Safiria 1-0 Birgeshir
59' - K. Tsevit

Watch this match here!

Group standings can be found here...

[joefoxon]

*Played 15th August*

Craitland 1-0 Birgeshir
24' - T. Isrdlvarien

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Mercury 3-2 Elwynn
11' - R. Emiri
30' - W. Fizeau-Blake
38' - S. Rydberg
64' - D. Sakhimzedeh
83' - J. Partridge

Last year's runners-up Mercury survived a scare from débutants Elwynn to secure a second consecutive semi-final appearance, but lost their clean sheet record for the tournament. Elwynn began the game with high spirits and caught the Mercurians unaware early on, with the match's first on-target shot finding its way past Kieran Mercury in goal. Razdjani Emiri was picked-out by Peyman Eslamzadeh's accurate angled lob forward, and the forward had no trouble in sliding the ball through Mercury and in one-on-one. Elwynn continued to press forward, showing no signs of nerves, but some Mercurian defensive coördination halted their quest for a quick second. With the half-hour mark near, Mercury managed to steal an equaliser following some solid Elwynnese play. The Group B winners forced a corner from Folki Öldrikkari's saved from Joe Foxon's shot, and Wilmont Fizeau-Blake swung it in. Although cleared by Arvið Frå Bakkinon, the ball dropped to Stephen Rydberg, who sprayed it wide to Fizeau-Blake again. The wideman took one touch to bring the ball inside slightly before releasing a cracking, curled effort with his left boot from the top corner of the box which flew past Öldrikkari and into the opposite side of the net. Fizeau-Blake's strike shifted momentum for a short while, time enough during which Mercury were able to take the lead before the break. Fizeau-Blake was again involved, with a cutting run past Frå Bakkinon before a low cross back inside, which was met by Rydberg first time. The midfielder's contact level with the near post managed to dink the ball just inside the upright from eight yards to nestle in the net with Öldrikkari motionless. While Elwynn hit back before half time, Emiri's run clear ended with a low shot wide of the base of the left post.

The second half opened with Mercury dominant, but with futile efforts at increasing their lead which came back to bite them halfway through the 45. Both Joe Foxon and his striker partner Matt Fitzgerald, who had scored five between them in the group stages, were unable to have any effect in the final third, with the former's best chance being a rushed chip which Öldrikkari had no troubles in parrying over the bar. Rydberg also registered a shot from distance before the hour mark, but the ball ended-up a few feet wide of the target. With approximately twenty minutes of the half played, it was Elwynn's turn to draw level, thanks to Dario Sakhimzedeh's opportunistic reactions to a defensive mishap. Emiri earnt a corner after having a run out wide stopped by Jason Cameron, whose touch took it behind, with the set piece being taken by Håkon hin Ældri. Hin Ældri's delivery was initially claimed by 'keeper Mercury it seemed, but the ball found its way free within a scrum of players colliding in the middle of the box. Although Stephen Charlton attempted a clearance, it rebounded off the torso of Emiri, and Sakhimzedeh's immediate reaction to stick out a leg deflected the ball into the ground to bounce into the unguarded net. Despite their positive approach in the first half, after getting back into the game again, Elwynn were more reserved and Mercury created more chances once more. Fitzgerald was replaced by Jack Partridge with twelve minutes to go, and the substitute, who recently sealed a move to Dynamo Deacon, was an inspired change ultimately. An attack formulated by Rydberg and Joe Foxon's combination was finished with a deep cross by Fizeau-Blake, picking-out Partridge unmarked at the back post. Partridge's acrobatic diving header directed the ball upward, just under the crossbar, and into the top of the goal, as Elwynn's stopper tried his best to get near it backpedalling. The final ten minutes were nerve-wracking for the Mercurians whose committed defending saw Jason Cameron and Chris Deacon both booked for tough fouls as the back four held-out for the victory, which came after some lengthy stoppage time. Mercury can count themselves lucky with this win, given how they advanced from their group with relative ease, but will need to be at the top of their game whoever they face in the semis, while Elwynn's first World Cup can definitely be considered a successful one with a good display and a knock-out rounds appearance.

[joefoxon]

*Played 16th August*

Alexandria 0-1 Hamland
25' - J. Scott

Watch this match here!

Tellia 1-1 Senya (AET; 1-4 on penalties)
22' - M. Zajc
58' - A. Danetskë

The last quarter-final of this year's World Cup produced the first major upset as Senya overcame the odds to beat 2012 champions Tellia on penalties. After a strong start to the tournament, the Tellians have since struggled to dominate matches, even though they topped their group with six points. Senya have had a similar run, also finishing with six points, but placed second in their group behind Alexandria. The game began at a slow pace, as Senya's defensive formation controlled play, and ten minutes passed by before either 'keeper had anything to do, with Simone Di Maggio taking a goalkick after a Barnaby Hands shot flew wildly over. Tellia started to push forward after the tedium of the opening exchanges, and Gianluca Salmoiraghi tested Sileman Bɏankarlënœ from close range with a header before the Tellians went ahead. Salmoiraghi acted the pivot in a forward move which went through Luigi Donatello before ending-up at the feet of Marko Zajc. The winger escaped Aleks Mëa's sights and laced the ball down low past Bɏankarlënœ with the young stopper unable to react quick enough to make a touch. The match remained an open affair following the goal, but both Bɏankarlënœ and Di Maggio did their part in keeping it to 1-0 going into the break; Danetskë had a well-placed volley tipped wide via the outside of the post just after half an hour, while the Senyan 'keeper saved point-blank from Donatello's scuffed effort.

Senya returned from the break with some pace on the counter, and struck within 15 minutes after stopping a promising Tellian attack. Salmoiraghi was pick-pocketed inside the Senyan half and Markœ Minyorletsken unleashed Barnaby Hands down the left. Leaving Valérien Hertz on his heels, the winger made his way into the corner before finding a cross into the mixer, where Alesandrœ Danetskë repositioned himself between di Montezemolo and Sgarbini to connect scruffily with a flicked header that skidded off the turf before bouncing off the post and over the line as Di Maggio scrambled in vain. With the score level and still over half an hour left, there was still much action to go. Senya closed ranks after scoring, hoping not to concede immediately, and weathered a storm which saw Donatello, Zajc and captain Sezer Özker all try their luck with shots from around the box. The Senyans' best effort before the match was up fell to scorer Danetskë, but there was a lack of a decisive touch this time as his weak shot was palmed away strongly. The score failed to be modified within the regulation ninety and the first extra time of these championships was required.

Both sides approached the additional thirty minutes' action warily, with neither attempting any unnecessarily hopeful passes or risking anything in their own halves in the first 15. Senyan substitute Marœtika Lëberdan could only find the stands with his first-half shot as a tiring Salmoiraghi was levered off the ball before pulling the trigger after a run forward. The final quarter of an hour's action had one notable contentious decision, with Loreto Quaglio being dragged-down by Mëa on the edge of Senya's area, with the referee awarding a penalty with just four minutes to go. Mëa protested vocally against his booking, claiming the contact was outside the box, but a confident-looking Donatello stepped-up to take the spot kick. Bɏankarlënœ was helpless as he dived to his right, but the Tellian forward's high shot cleared the middle of the bar by a matter of inches to instill anguish before the penalty shootout's coming. Donatello was substituted in the final minute of extra time to add to his woes as his teammates were unable to do any better after the final whistle.

Penalties
B. Hands - Scored
S. Özker - Saved
A. Danetskë - Scored
G. Salmoiraghi - Scored
J. Maytek - Scored
M. Zajc - Missed
M. Minyorletsken - Scored

[joefoxon]

*Played 19th August*

Craitland 0-1 Hamland
53' - A. Miller

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Mercury 1-0 Senya (AET)
120' - J. Foxon

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