2024-12-08, 03:13 PM - Word count:
Another exciting SSL season means another SSL Cup! The Cup’s group stage kicked off this week with its opening games, but before we dive into the results, let’s take a look at the group draw for this upcoming season:
![[Image: od3zElm.png]](https://i.imgur.com/od3zElm.png)
Groups A and B are fairly standard draws, with a pair of majors squads expecting to brush by the minors squads to advance, and Group D feels similar, with Hollywood and Reykjavik heavy favorites to move on over USP and Cairo. Group C could be fun to watch this season though, as Catalunya faces off against three minors teams in Paris, Kaapstad and North Shore, the latter two hoping to play spoiler and bring not one but two minor squads into the next round.
For today though, we turn our attention to Group A, and the opening match between majors power Tokyo Sports Club, and the minors upstart Montreal United.
Entering as heavy favorites, Tokyo lived up to expectations early, with a header from Zlatan Ibruhimovic finding the back of the net off a cross from Puma Superhoops. Montreal star Sam Volta had the misplay defensively that allowed the attempt, but would strike back quickly, assisting a beautiful header by Mei Suzuki to even the score in the 11th minute.
Not two minutes later, Tokyo struck again on a chaotic play inside the box. Superhoops once again started the attack, finding Jane Hagglund with a low inside pass. Hagglund drive a quick shot (which may have been an intended pass to Ibruhimovic), which rebounded off a Montreal defender and past Williams for the goal. FM elected not to award an assist on the goal, but Superhoops gets credit in my book.
After the early flurry of goals, the game began to settle into a more regular rhythm, with a steady possession game by Tokyo being interrupted with breakneck counterattacks by Montreal. It would be just such an attack, led by Sam Volta up the left hand side of the field, that would even the game in the 19th minute. Tom Pederson would start the offense with a long through pass, found by Volta just moments before crossing the goal line in time to send a cross into the box. Ace Faulkner buried the header past a bewildered goaltender, but on closer inspection there was a very solid opportunity to make a save there.
With the game tied at 2, things proceeded slowly, with Tokyo missing the net on a couple long chances, and a prolonged attack by Montreal eating up most of the time from the 32nd to 40th minutes. With halftime approaching rapidly, Tokyo made a long stretch pass to Ibruhimovic, who hoped to shake off his injury and be a hero with a breakaway goal. In the end, the referee’s flag was up, and it was disallowed for offsides.
![[Image: wUKMP6L.png]](https://i.imgur.com/wUKMP6L.png)
Entering halftime, the xG story showed exactly what we’d seen on the field. Fast, early strikes by each team and some key defensive plays to keep it from getting worse, but with under 1 xG for each team, the coaches must have been discussing proper tackling and goaltending during the break. We saw substitutions at the half for Montreal, bringing in Owen Forty-Four and Maggie Sinclair to replace Sam Volta and Aleksandr Skovgaard, and the game kicked back off with the same intensity that it began.
With the passing game struggling, Zoe Clarke would take the lead for Montreal by herself, running up the left wing with the ball before cutting in, threading the defense, and arcing a perfect shot into the right half of the net from behind the cover of her screening forwards. Suzuki would pick up the assist on the play, and Tokyo, once heavy favorites, were now seriously facing down the chance of defeat. It was fitting, then, that they answered in much the same way as they’d just been scored on. In the 49th minute, just a couple after the Montreal goal, Jude Greer took the ball up the left wing, then cut inside instead of looking for a cross. Zlatan Ibruhimovic was once again unchallenged by the Montreal defensive core, and Greer found him with a short pass that the goaltender had no prayer of stopping. With just 50 minutes played, we had a tie game after 6 total goals.
The breakneck offense and complete disregard for defense continued into the 60th minute, with each team picking up chances on set piece plays as well as runs from their strong attacking wings. Zlatan’s heroics for Tokyo came to an end though in the 63rd minute, when his early game injury finally became too much to bear. He came off, the super sub came on, and play continued.
In the 90th minute, the signal from the referee was a whopping 6 minutes of extra time. Both teams looked poised to make the most of it, and Tokyo looked to have it when Greer made a beautiful move to dodge the defense and send a shot out to the far post. Williams hadn’t had a night to remember so far, but stretched out for a fingertip save to knock it wide and keep his team alive. Two minutes later, the super sub nearly scored on the same play, and after the corner it was all Tokyo. Shot after shot came in, but the Montreal defense held, and when they finally cleared the ball, the final whistle sounded, bringing the opening game of the S18 SSL Cup to a draw.
![[Image: ohmnGYU.png]](https://i.imgur.com/ohmnGYU.png)
Ramen’s underrated player of the game: Puma Superhoops, who had one great assist and was robbed by FM of what should have been another.
Groups A and B are fairly standard draws, with a pair of majors squads expecting to brush by the minors squads to advance, and Group D feels similar, with Hollywood and Reykjavik heavy favorites to move on over USP and Cairo. Group C could be fun to watch this season though, as Catalunya faces off against three minors teams in Paris, Kaapstad and North Shore, the latter two hoping to play spoiler and bring not one but two minor squads into the next round.
For today though, we turn our attention to Group A, and the opening match between majors power Tokyo Sports Club, and the minors upstart Montreal United.
Entering as heavy favorites, Tokyo lived up to expectations early, with a header from Zlatan Ibruhimovic finding the back of the net off a cross from Puma Superhoops. Montreal star Sam Volta had the misplay defensively that allowed the attempt, but would strike back quickly, assisting a beautiful header by Mei Suzuki to even the score in the 11th minute.
Not two minutes later, Tokyo struck again on a chaotic play inside the box. Superhoops once again started the attack, finding Jane Hagglund with a low inside pass. Hagglund drive a quick shot (which may have been an intended pass to Ibruhimovic), which rebounded off a Montreal defender and past Williams for the goal. FM elected not to award an assist on the goal, but Superhoops gets credit in my book.
After the early flurry of goals, the game began to settle into a more regular rhythm, with a steady possession game by Tokyo being interrupted with breakneck counterattacks by Montreal. It would be just such an attack, led by Sam Volta up the left hand side of the field, that would even the game in the 19th minute. Tom Pederson would start the offense with a long through pass, found by Volta just moments before crossing the goal line in time to send a cross into the box. Ace Faulkner buried the header past a bewildered goaltender, but on closer inspection there was a very solid opportunity to make a save there.
With the game tied at 2, things proceeded slowly, with Tokyo missing the net on a couple long chances, and a prolonged attack by Montreal eating up most of the time from the 32nd to 40th minutes. With halftime approaching rapidly, Tokyo made a long stretch pass to Ibruhimovic, who hoped to shake off his injury and be a hero with a breakaway goal. In the end, the referee’s flag was up, and it was disallowed for offsides.
Entering halftime, the xG story showed exactly what we’d seen on the field. Fast, early strikes by each team and some key defensive plays to keep it from getting worse, but with under 1 xG for each team, the coaches must have been discussing proper tackling and goaltending during the break. We saw substitutions at the half for Montreal, bringing in Owen Forty-Four and Maggie Sinclair to replace Sam Volta and Aleksandr Skovgaard, and the game kicked back off with the same intensity that it began.
With the passing game struggling, Zoe Clarke would take the lead for Montreal by herself, running up the left wing with the ball before cutting in, threading the defense, and arcing a perfect shot into the right half of the net from behind the cover of her screening forwards. Suzuki would pick up the assist on the play, and Tokyo, once heavy favorites, were now seriously facing down the chance of defeat. It was fitting, then, that they answered in much the same way as they’d just been scored on. In the 49th minute, just a couple after the Montreal goal, Jude Greer took the ball up the left wing, then cut inside instead of looking for a cross. Zlatan Ibruhimovic was once again unchallenged by the Montreal defensive core, and Greer found him with a short pass that the goaltender had no prayer of stopping. With just 50 minutes played, we had a tie game after 6 total goals.
The breakneck offense and complete disregard for defense continued into the 60th minute, with each team picking up chances on set piece plays as well as runs from their strong attacking wings. Zlatan’s heroics for Tokyo came to an end though in the 63rd minute, when his early game injury finally became too much to bear. He came off, the super sub came on, and play continued.
In the 90th minute, the signal from the referee was a whopping 6 minutes of extra time. Both teams looked poised to make the most of it, and Tokyo looked to have it when Greer made a beautiful move to dodge the defense and send a shot out to the far post. Williams hadn’t had a night to remember so far, but stretched out for a fingertip save to knock it wide and keep his team alive. Two minutes later, the super sub nearly scored on the same play, and after the corner it was all Tokyo. Shot after shot came in, but the Montreal defense held, and when they finally cleared the ball, the final whistle sounded, bringing the opening game of the S18 SSL Cup to a draw.
Ramen’s underrated player of the game: Puma Superhoops, who had one great assist and was robbed by FM of what should have been another.
