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(This post was last modified: 2025-09-12, 07:54 PM by Lan. Edited 1 time in total.)
Academy Season 22: An Early Look at the Top Teams
By: Not-Lan Mandragoran, WoT A Ball Magazine
With the academy season well under way, we take a look at the current top 4 in the league, with an eye for their most notable players.
First up, we look at table leaders Port Royal Football Club. Tied for first with 3 wins and 2 losses, they lead the charts due to their superior goal difference of +7. Notable results include a stunning 7-3 thumping of fellow table toppers Atlético Medellin while home at the The Docks. This could certainly be attributed to their very aggressive 4-2-3-1, with the wingbacks starting much further ahead than expected. It's a manager's job to create tactics that let a player shine. And it's undeniable that one player shines brightest - M. Turk. With 5 goals, 3 assists and 2 Player of the Match awards, this certainly looks like the American rightback's season to shine. The rest of the attack isn't far behind either, French midfielder Arsene N'Goussou is right behind Turk with 3 goals and 3 assists while Trinbagonian striker Babatunde Agachuthu has been making a name for himself with 4 goals already.
Also vying for the top are İstanbul Futbol Kulübü with an interesting trend of winning all their home games (including a 7-1 demolishing of Victoria Falls) but double 4-0 losses away. Their most recent formation was focused on overloading the left flank with not just a wingback and a winger, but also an inverted winger further ahead. With two wins from their last two games, perhaps the manager is on the right track. While the team has had a fair bit of rotation, top prospects include Romanian striker Mihalia Marius with 3 goals and 4 assists as well as two Englishmen Miles Richards and Ross Downing who have 3 goals a piece. Goalkeeper Johnny Crying (12 saves) is also someone to keep an eye on as he's one of just two prospects who have kept a cleansheet so far.
Next up are the author's favorite team, Atlético Medellin who have had a bit of a mixed bag in terms of performance. A heavy 3-7 loss to Port Royal Football Club has put a damper on the otherwise good season so far. The team has opted for a traditional 4-3-3, with the attack a bit more focused on the left wing. The team has remained consistent with its lineups, and the chemistry is evident. American left winger Lucas Peioxoto has 5 assists to his name while Italian striker Manuel Montalto has 4 goals. While the rest of the team hasn't really clicked, they're definitely a team to watch.
Rounding up the top 4 are dark horses Adowa Accra FC. With wins against both Port Royal and Istanbul and a tie against Stockholm and Victoria Falls, Adowa Accra have only lost to Atlético Medellin so far. The manager has opted for an asymmetric 4-2-3-1 with one midfielder being a more aggressive ballwinner up the field. Interestingly the two to benefit the most from this tactic are Dutch left winger Bob Berendsen (6 goals, 1 assist) and Portugese rightback Jay Cue Jr. (5 assists) who together make up about 50% of goals and 60% of assists for the team. While the European partnership causes trouble for the opposing goalkeepers, Tumelo Letsi from Lesotho is Adowa's star at the back. Being one of just two prospects to have kept a cleansheet, he's saved 14 shots across his 5 matches.
While we close off this article, the team at WoT A Ball would like to note that the season isn't even halfway done. Anything can change. For our readers out there, we leave you with the following to ponder over:
Question: Does the attacking bias on the left wing across all of the current top 4 mean something? Perhaps all the best players are on the left? Or are the liabilities in defense on the right?
Our Answer: We think this is a new tactical trend that managers across the league need to adapt to!
Question: Which of the four remaining teams do you think has the best shot of making it to the top?
Our Answer: Both Sydney City and P.S. Jakarta are just one good week away from the top. Stockholm IK isn't too far behind either. And some at the offices are firmly in favor of Victoria Falls Eagles. While the team is yet to get a win, there's a lot of talk about Indian phenomenon Adi Gohil. We certainly are rooting for the underdog!
Question: Who is your standout player of the season?
Our Answer: Critics point to M. Turk, Bob Berendsen, Lucas Peioxoto and Arsene N'Goussou. We at WoT A Ball are instead keeping an eye out on some players from teams that aren't at the top of people's minds. John Kondi from Stockholm has 2 Player of the Match awards despite his team's standing on the table. Jiang You from Sydney City is also one to watch with 3 goals and 4 assists.
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Note: I used data from the latest academy matchday file: https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showt...5#pid87845
By: Not-Lan Mandragoran, WoT A Ball Magazine
With the academy season well under way, we take a look at the current top 4 in the league, with an eye for their most notable players.
First up, we look at table leaders Port Royal Football Club. Tied for first with 3 wins and 2 losses, they lead the charts due to their superior goal difference of +7. Notable results include a stunning 7-3 thumping of fellow table toppers Atlético Medellin while home at the The Docks. This could certainly be attributed to their very aggressive 4-2-3-1, with the wingbacks starting much further ahead than expected. It's a manager's job to create tactics that let a player shine. And it's undeniable that one player shines brightest - M. Turk. With 5 goals, 3 assists and 2 Player of the Match awards, this certainly looks like the American rightback's season to shine. The rest of the attack isn't far behind either, French midfielder Arsene N'Goussou is right behind Turk with 3 goals and 3 assists while Trinbagonian striker Babatunde Agachuthu has been making a name for himself with 4 goals already.
Also vying for the top are İstanbul Futbol Kulübü with an interesting trend of winning all their home games (including a 7-1 demolishing of Victoria Falls) but double 4-0 losses away. Their most recent formation was focused on overloading the left flank with not just a wingback and a winger, but also an inverted winger further ahead. With two wins from their last two games, perhaps the manager is on the right track. While the team has had a fair bit of rotation, top prospects include Romanian striker Mihalia Marius with 3 goals and 4 assists as well as two Englishmen Miles Richards and Ross Downing who have 3 goals a piece. Goalkeeper Johnny Crying (12 saves) is also someone to keep an eye on as he's one of just two prospects who have kept a cleansheet so far.
Next up are the author's favorite team, Atlético Medellin who have had a bit of a mixed bag in terms of performance. A heavy 3-7 loss to Port Royal Football Club has put a damper on the otherwise good season so far. The team has opted for a traditional 4-3-3, with the attack a bit more focused on the left wing. The team has remained consistent with its lineups, and the chemistry is evident. American left winger Lucas Peioxoto has 5 assists to his name while Italian striker Manuel Montalto has 4 goals. While the rest of the team hasn't really clicked, they're definitely a team to watch.
Rounding up the top 4 are dark horses Adowa Accra FC. With wins against both Port Royal and Istanbul and a tie against Stockholm and Victoria Falls, Adowa Accra have only lost to Atlético Medellin so far. The manager has opted for an asymmetric 4-2-3-1 with one midfielder being a more aggressive ballwinner up the field. Interestingly the two to benefit the most from this tactic are Dutch left winger Bob Berendsen (6 goals, 1 assist) and Portugese rightback Jay Cue Jr. (5 assists) who together make up about 50% of goals and 60% of assists for the team. While the European partnership causes trouble for the opposing goalkeepers, Tumelo Letsi from Lesotho is Adowa's star at the back. Being one of just two prospects to have kept a cleansheet, he's saved 14 shots across his 5 matches.
While we close off this article, the team at WoT A Ball would like to note that the season isn't even halfway done. Anything can change. For our readers out there, we leave you with the following to ponder over:
Question: Does the attacking bias on the left wing across all of the current top 4 mean something? Perhaps all the best players are on the left? Or are the liabilities in defense on the right?
Our Answer: We think this is a new tactical trend that managers across the league need to adapt to!
Question: Which of the four remaining teams do you think has the best shot of making it to the top?
Our Answer: Both Sydney City and P.S. Jakarta are just one good week away from the top. Stockholm IK isn't too far behind either. And some at the offices are firmly in favor of Victoria Falls Eagles. While the team is yet to get a win, there's a lot of talk about Indian phenomenon Adi Gohil. We certainly are rooting for the underdog!
Question: Who is your standout player of the season?
Our Answer: Critics point to M. Turk, Bob Berendsen, Lucas Peioxoto and Arsene N'Goussou. We at WoT A Ball are instead keeping an eye out on some players from teams that aren't at the top of people's minds. John Kondi from Stockholm has 2 Player of the Match awards despite his team's standing on the table. Jiang You from Sydney City is also one to watch with 3 goals and 4 assists.
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Note: I used data from the latest academy matchday file: https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showt...5#pid87845
![[Image: JZCEqg3.png]](https://i.imgur.com/JZCEqg3.png)
