ITLondinium-zone.com MD 1 recap

[OTK]

Welcome everybody to a new season in the SSL Minor league. After an incredibly disappointing season 22 to quickly forget, we start season 23 with a new assistant manager who has worked tirelessly with the players and staff to get the team ready for match one. For those who are unfamiliar with this rubric, each match we will dive into the game and provide you, the reader, with a recap of what has happened and what's to learn. My name is Abbey Westminster, chairman of the Inter London fan club. I, and my colleagues will guide you through the season.

After a slightly disappointing friendly campaign ahead of the season, we kick off with a home game against Seoul Mythic FC, last seasons 3rd place finishers. As expected in the opening phase, Seoul has the upper hand creating chances from the get go. An early yellow card for Seoul's Zoey Jenkins makes their left side vulnerable. 

14 minutes in, Stun Gun Jr keeps the score 0-0 after a good save from a strong shot by Ken. Just 3 minutes later London gets their first real opportunity via a shot by Volkan that just misses the target. The remainder of the first half an hour we still see Seoul in charge of the match, launching shot after shot until in the 29th minute, where Seoul finds a break on the right flank. Ken with the through ball on Fuecoco who only needs one touch to find Kim Heung-Min who escapes from London's central defenders attention and can tap in the 0-1.



The stats also clearly show Seoul is in full control, only conceding 2 distant shots while providing 9 shots of which 3 required Stun's actions. xG heavily in favor of Seoul.

After the goal, Seoul stays in control. Just 7 minutes later, Doug II initiates an identical play, playing a brilliant through ball on to Fuecoco, who finds himself now one on one with Gun Jr. He isn't selfish and gives Heung-Min an unmissable tap-in for 0-2. Brilliant play that seems to work well against this London defense.

It gets even worse for London in minute 39. An attack on the left side Jenkins finds Salazar who can cross to Heung-Min for his hattrick but Blanco blocks the shot. However it ricouchets onto Fuecoco's head which leaves Gun Jr with no time to react and concede a third goal in 10 minutes.

Not even 40 minutes into the new season, and it looks like it's going to be a repeat of last year's misery. Defense looking shaky and the opponents with the upper hand. Half time can't come fast enough. Until out of nowhere London makes the 1-3 after 42 minutes. A stunning pass from Wad to O'Neill who finds rookie Volkan Kiziltas in the center and finishes calmly like he's been playing at this level for years.



Fuecoco played a brilliant first half, he's everywhere and a true plague for the London defense. 2 assists and a goal to top it all off. The late 1-3 gives London a tiny sliver of hope.

London brought two fresh players on the pitch for the second half, Shai Madueke and Arthur Cain replacing Ryan O'Neill and Volkan Kiziltas. Very bold move by the manager to sub off the two players involved with the only London goal. Anthony Simmons replaces David Doug II for Seoul.

London brings a lot more energy in the second half, Seoul seems deflated after the conceded goal. A lot of pressure on Slothlenburg. It took until the 57th minute for London to bring all tension back into the match by scoring the 2-3 out of a corner. Blanco delivers the perfect cross to Chef Gagne's head who beats Bot and Ken in the air for a superb finish. Over half an hour to play, what will it bring?



We don't have to wait long for an answer, London keeps piling on the pressure and in minute 67 Alves intercepts a long kick from Slothenburg, Gagne picks up and dribbles to the left side line. From 40 meters out, he whips in a cross which no one but one man on the pitch expected. With a mighty sprint from the middle line, Ozzy Trent Kovács flies into the box and scores with a header from 14 meters out. Surely this is a contender for goal of the season! 3-3 with over 20 minutes to play. Momentum fully on London's side.

In the following minutes Seoul manages to create some minor chances, where London is still the dominant feature. With less than 10 minutes on the clock Paya crosses to Madueke at the second post, Ken clears, Alves picks up, dribbles past Fuecoco and slings in the cross. Kovács towers over everyone and heads it via the post behind Slothlenburg. VAR comes into play to check for offside, but soon enough London bursts into cheers as they have completed a miraculous comeback.

Yellow cards awarded for Ken and Fuecoco on Seoul's side and Wad for London we head into the final 5 minutes. Chances left and right, minute 90 we see Alves make a run down the left, supplying a low cross to Cain who calmly puts it away for the 5-3 behind a defeated looking Slothlenburg. From here on out London plays out the match to secure their first 3 points since the 21 season closer against Athenai.



We have witnessed a comeback for the books. This match had it all, drama, stunning goals and a comeback story Hollywood couldn't write. The momentum graph shows a superior Seoul in the first half with an xG of 2.32 against London's 0.72. In the second half, the tables were turned and flipped upside down. London scored an xG of 2.43 versus 0.53 from Seoul. 12 shots, 7 on target vs 3 on 2. Despite losing out on the three points, Alejandro Fuecoco with his brilliant performance earns him the player of the match award. His rating of 9.2 puts him well ahead of the rest of the pitch.

However, the London fans have voted Ozzy Trent Kovács as their MVP.

Is this the turnaround for London, was this a lucky result? The future will tell. This was Abbey Westminster for ITLondinium-zone.com and I wish you a lovely day.

[Malino8444]

[lemonoppy]

Never count em out, 5/5