<![CDATA[Simulation Soccer League

<![CDATA[Simulation Soccer League - Articles]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:13:55 +0000 MyBB <![CDATA[An Analysis of the Investments of an Ideal Midfielder]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10335 Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:37:20 +0100 Rezo950inat0r2]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10335 In case you missed the first post in this "series", here is the link to the previous article about defencemen in the SSL
Does Defence Win Championships? An analysis of TPE Investment

In this series, I analyze the key statistics that measure success in a particular position, and then use a metric I created in order to create a final 1-24 ranking of which teams' midfields are the most effective for their TPE investments. However, unlike the previous article, I will also be going over the attributes which an effective midfielder has.

Now, my first step in this endeavour is to find every starting midfielder across every division, and find their TPE. I then take an average of every team's average midfield TPE, and also use these numbers to find the divisional average TPE investment in the midfield. Now something important to keep in mind is that I made the executive decision to count AMCs as midfielders, but not count AMLs/AMRs. This is because to create a distinction between attacking and supporting wingers. WL and WR will be counted as midfielders, because in the game engine, these players normally support their team more, look to make plays, and drop back on defence more often than a winger playing further up. (These players will instead be counted in next week's article about every team's offence)

Once the TPE averages are set, I subtract every team's average midfield TPE by the divisional average midfield TPE to create an over/under system. I then rank these values 1-24. The purpose of this is to ensure that MAJ D1 teams have a shot of being considered efficient by their divisional standards, and they are not considered "overpriced", even if they have midfielders with less investment than most in their division.
An interesting fact brought up by this ranking is that Shanghai Dragons FC, despite being in the 2nd Majors division, has the 2nd highest average TPE in the midfield with 1814, only behind United Sao Paulo, with 1861.

Now, let's talk about what makes a midfield good.
Forwards and defencemen are normally pretty easy to quantify in terms of value, you can simply check Goals For and Goals Against respectively. However, the importance of a strong midfield is not nearly as easy to find. In my search to find a set of statistics that accurately depict what a midfielder actually does, something I had to keep in mind was the other players on the field. When I take data from a game file, it shows me the results for the entire team, and not only the players that I cherry-picked as part of a midfield group. So to combat this, I must define a "good midfield" by a combination of statistics that do not lean heavily in the direction of an offence or defence, and I must use enough metrics such that a tactical choice does not influence the quality of the player.

So, this is what I decided upon.
1. Team Pass Completion %
Rather cut and dry, but represents a team's ability to make passes. This statistic may be misconstrued by a faultier measurement than mine, as a team that likes to use a route one style of play that utilizes long, reaching passes across the field will generally have a low pass %. However, in my research I found that many of the teams with low PC% actually use shorter passing in their player instructions (looking at you Catalunya). Either way however, there is a reason this is not the only thing I am measuring.
2. Possession W/L%
For this stat, I took note of how many times each team has gained or lost possession of the ball on any given play. I then used the standard formula to convert these 2 numbers into a percentage
3. Tackle Win %
This stat may be heavily in favour of a team with a strong defence, but I believe it must be included to balance out the offensive nature of the next measurement
4. Chances Created
As above states, although both of these statistics are import markers of a strong midfield, they are heavily weighted to other parts of the field. Yet, both must be included to introduce a balance bwteen the offence and defence that is present in the midfield in-game
5. Possession %
This is the simplest stat of them all, but is important as the midfield is often in charge of dictating the tempo of the play, and doing this ineffectively often leads to a team with unruly possession percentages.

Now, every team will be given a ranking of 1-24 between all of these attributes. Curious where your team lands on these? Good, I'll tell you even if you aren't.

Team Pass Completion %
T1. Paris

AS Paris - 87%
T1. MSD

AS Masques Sacres - 87%
T3. RMP

CS Rova Mpanjaka - 86%
T3.

Liffeyside Celtic FC - 86%

...
...
...
22. SEO

Seoul MFC - 81%
T23. CFCat

CF Catalunya - 80%
T23. SFV

Shwartzwalder FV - 80%

Possession W/L %
1. Paris

AS Paris - 51%
T2. MSD

AF Masques Sacres - 49%
T2.

Shanghai Dragons FC - 49%
T2. HFC

Hollywood FC - 49%
...
...
...
T22. CFCat

CF Catalunya - 46%
T22. NSU

North Shore United - 46%
T22. LON

Inter London - 46%

Tackle Win %
T1.

Liffeyside Celtic FC - 79%
T1.

Krung Thep FC - 79%
T1. MSD

AF Masques Sacres - 79%
...
...
...
22. ACR

AC Romana - 71%
T23. SFV

Shwartzwalder FV - 70%
T23. TSC

Tokyo SC - 70%

Chances Created
1. Paris

AS Paris - 96
2. RMP

CS Rova Mpanjaka - 78
3. MSD

AF Masques Sacres - 77
...
...
...
22. AFC

Athenai FC - 44
23. SFV

Shwartzwalder FV - 39
24. CFCat

CF Catalunya - 38

Possession %
1. AS Paris - 55%
T2. Reykjavik United - 53%
T2. Inter London - 53%
T2. AF Masques Sacres - 53%
...
...
...
22. Krung Thep FC - 45%
T23. CF Catalunya - 44%
T23. Seoul MFC - 44%

Now, all of this must be run through the earlier ranking I made for the divisional TPE above average value. To do this, I take every ranking of the statisctics shown, divide them by 5 to find the average, then subtract that value by the Divisional TPE Above Average Ranking

Excited for the final results?

1st. MSD

AF Masques Sacres - 17.2
2nd.

Liffeyside Celtic FC - 15.4
3rd. XLC

Xelaju Cosmico FC - 13.2
4. Magyar

Rapid Magyar SC - 11.2
5. HFC

Hollywood FC - 8.8
6. KAP

FC Kaapstad - 8.2
7. RMP

CS Rova Mpanjaka - 8.2
8. LON

Inter London - 5.6
9. TSC

Tokyo SC - 5.6
10. ACR

AC Romana - 4
11. Paris

AS Paris - 3.4
12. AFC

Athenai FC - 3.4
13. RKV

Reykjavik United - 1
14. CFC

Cairo City - -0.2
15. MTL

Montreal United - -0.6
16.

Shanghai Dragons FC - -2.8
17. Tenochtitlan

CD Techochtitlan - -3.2
18. USP

United Sao Paulo - -4.4
19.

CA Buenos Aires - -6.4
20. CFCat

CF Catalunya - -7.2
21.

Krung Thep FC - -7.4
22. SFV

Shwartzwalder FV - -10.8
23. SEO

Seoul MFC - -11.6
24. NSU

North Shore United - -13

Now, for the last part of this article, I will create John Midfield, the ultimate midfielder out of an amalgamation of the midfielders from the most efficient teams
What are John Midfield's highest attributes you ask?

T1. Pace (20)
T1. Acceleration (20)
3. Anticipation (18)
T4. Jumping Reach (17)
T4. Work Rate (17)
T4. Dribbling (17)
T4. Agility (17)
T8. Concentration (15)
T8. Passing (15)
10. Strength (14)

I hope this all was interesting or helpful information to you all, thank you for spending the time to read my (sometimes incoherent) ramblings, and let me know if you have any ideas to improve the methods to my madness!]]> In case you missed the first post in this "series", here is the link to the previous article about defencemen in the SSL
Does Defence Win Championships? An analysis of TPE Investment

In this series, I analyze the key statistics that measure success in a particular position, and then use a metric I created in order to create a final 1-24 ranking of which teams' midfields are the most effective for their TPE investments. However, unlike the previous article, I will also be going over the attributes which an effective midfielder has.

Now, my first step in this endeavour is to find every starting midfielder across every division, and find their TPE. I then take an average of every team's average midfield TPE, and also use these numbers to find the divisional average TPE investment in the midfield. Now something important to keep in mind is that I made the executive decision to count AMCs as midfielders, but not count AMLs/AMRs. This is because to create a distinction between attacking and supporting wingers. WL and WR will be counted as midfielders, because in the game engine, these players normally support their team more, look to make plays, and drop back on defence more often than a winger playing further up. (These players will instead be counted in next week's article about every team's offence)

Once the TPE averages are set, I subtract every team's average midfield TPE by the divisional average midfield TPE to create an over/under system. I then rank these values 1-24. The purpose of this is to ensure that MAJ D1 teams have a shot of being considered efficient by their divisional standards, and they are not considered "overpriced", even if they have midfielders with less investment than most in their division.
An interesting fact brought up by this ranking is that Shanghai Dragons FC, despite being in the 2nd Majors division, has the 2nd highest average TPE in the midfield with 1814, only behind United Sao Paulo, with 1861.

Now, let's talk about what makes a midfield good.
Forwards and defencemen are normally pretty easy to quantify in terms of value, you can simply check Goals For and Goals Against respectively. However, the importance of a strong midfield is not nearly as easy to find. In my search to find a set of statistics that accurately depict what a midfielder actually does, something I had to keep in mind was the other players on the field. When I take data from a game file, it shows me the results for the entire team, and not only the players that I cherry-picked as part of a midfield group. So to combat this, I must define a "good midfield" by a combination of statistics that do not lean heavily in the direction of an offence or defence, and I must use enough metrics such that a tactical choice does not influence the quality of the player.

So, this is what I decided upon.
1. Team Pass Completion %
Rather cut and dry, but represents a team's ability to make passes. This statistic may be misconstrued by a faultier measurement than mine, as a team that likes to use a route one style of play that utilizes long, reaching passes across the field will generally have a low pass %. However, in my research I found that many of the teams with low PC% actually use shorter passing in their player instructions (looking at you Catalunya). Either way however, there is a reason this is not the only thing I am measuring.
2. Possession W/L%
For this stat, I took note of how many times each team has gained or lost possession of the ball on any given play. I then used the standard formula to convert these 2 numbers into a percentage
3. Tackle Win %
This stat may be heavily in favour of a team with a strong defence, but I believe it must be included to balance out the offensive nature of the next measurement
4. Chances Created
As above states, although both of these statistics are import markers of a strong midfield, they are heavily weighted to other parts of the field. Yet, both must be included to introduce a balance bwteen the offence and defence that is present in the midfield in-game
5. Possession %
This is the simplest stat of them all, but is important as the midfield is often in charge of dictating the tempo of the play, and doing this ineffectively often leads to a team with unruly possession percentages.

Now, every team will be given a ranking of 1-24 between all of these attributes. Curious where your team lands on these? Good, I'll tell you even if you aren't.

Team Pass Completion %
T1. Paris

AS Paris - 87%
T1. MSD

AS Masques Sacres - 87%
T3. RMP

CS Rova Mpanjaka - 86%
T3.

Liffeyside Celtic FC - 86%

...
...
...
22. SEO

Seoul MFC - 81%
T23. CFCat

CF Catalunya - 80%
T23. SFV

Shwartzwalder FV - 80%

Possession W/L %
1. Paris

AS Paris - 51%
T2. MSD

AF Masques Sacres - 49%
T2.

Shanghai Dragons FC - 49%
T2. HFC

Hollywood FC - 49%
...
...
...
T22. CFCat

CF Catalunya - 46%
T22. NSU

North Shore United - 46%
T22. LON

Inter London - 46%

Tackle Win %
T1.

Liffeyside Celtic FC - 79%
T1.

Krung Thep FC - 79%
T1. MSD

AF Masques Sacres - 79%
...
...
...
22. ACR

AC Romana - 71%
T23. SFV

Shwartzwalder FV - 70%
T23. TSC

Tokyo SC - 70%

Chances Created
1. Paris

AS Paris - 96
2. RMP

CS Rova Mpanjaka - 78
3. MSD

AF Masques Sacres - 77
...
...
...
22. AFC

Athenai FC - 44
23. SFV

Shwartzwalder FV - 39
24. CFCat

AF Masques Sacres - 17.2
2nd.

Liffeyside Celtic FC - 15.4
3rd. XLC

Xelaju Cosmico FC - 13.2
4. Magyar

Rapid Magyar SC - 11.2
5. HFC

Hollywood FC - 8.8
6. KAP

FC Kaapstad - 8.2
7. RMP

CS Rova Mpanjaka - 8.2
8. LON

Inter London - 5.6
9. TSC

Tokyo SC - 5.6
10. ACR

AC Romana - 4
11. Paris

AS Paris - 3.4
12. AFC

Athenai FC - 3.4
13. RKV

Reykjavik United - 1
14. CFC

Cairo City - -0.2
15. MTL

Montreal United - -0.6
16.

Shanghai Dragons FC - -2.8
17. Tenochtitlan

CD Techochtitlan - -3.2
18. USP

United Sao Paulo - -4.4
19.

CA Buenos Aires - -6.4
20. CFCat

CF Catalunya - -7.2
21.

Krung Thep FC - -7.4
22. SFV

Shwartzwalder FV - -10.8
23. SEO

Seoul MFC - -11.6
24. NSU

[Image: Screenshot-2026-07-28-9-40-17-PM.png]

Port Royal FC: 4-2-2-2

[Image: Screenshot-2026-07-28-9-42-52-PM.png]

Both teams are entering this one with some great form as they are both 4-1-0 in their last 5 matches

1st half

1': SIK kicked the ball off to start the match. After passing the ball back to the defensive line, LEGEND Lind passes the ball up to Leif Janson to start the attack. He dribbles the ball to the right side of the pitch and finds Daan Wouters. Daan dribbles the ball out to the right wing and attempts a pass to Captain MetalBeard, but Wouters outs too much weight on the pass and MetalBeard can't catch the ball as it goes out for a PRFC throw

2': port royal was awarded an indirect free kick from what I presume SIK being caught offside. Ahmad Ampharos kicks the ball deep to His Cheeseburger who heads the ball towards Peg Bittner. She passes the ball to LEGEND Tenderloin who takes one touch then passes the ball up the pitch to Scott Newman. He pushes the ball forward and attempts a shot, but completely misses as the shot goes wide left and out for a goal kick

4': PRFC continues to pile on the pressure early and has a throw in. LEGEND Gerrard throws the ball in to Thomas Thunder and he passes the ball right back to Gerrard who does a one touch pass to Tenderloin. They do a once touch pass back to Gerrard and they immediately cross the ball into the box from the left wing. Yoshisaur Munchakoopa attpemts the header, but Swiss Cheese make the relatively easy save

5': PRFC is really amping up the pressure on the SIK defense as they have another free kick. Thor Bǫllrstoppari kicks the ball into the 18 yard box and MetalBeard heads the ball out Wouters who beings a counter attack. He dribbles the ball up the pitch towards PRFC's 18 yard box, Thor manages to catch up and tackles the ball via a slide. MeatlHead is in the right position at the right time and takes control of the ball. After dribbling the ball towards the box, he crosses it to LEGEND Jarvinen who was wide open. They attempt the shot, but Ampharos is in the right spot to tip the ball out wide for a corner kick. Janson kicks the ball towards the box, but Ampharos catches it before a shot could get off

7': PRFC started another attack and Max Velox throws it in. He finds Newman who does a 1 touch pass back to Velox. He passes the ball back to Velox who cam open near the right corner of the box. He finds Tenerloin who attempts to do an early cross into a dangerous area. The ball deflects of a SIK defender and Thunder was in the right spot at the right time as he Barrie's the ball into the back of the net to give PRFC the early 1-0 lead

[Image: Screenshot-2026-07-31-3-43-03-PM.png]

[Image: Screenshot-2026-07-31-3-43-03-PM.png]

(PRFC celebrating the early goal)

ISK passes the ball back towards Cheese shortly after the kickoff and from there starts to push the ball forward. Marius Adaminos attempts to bass the ball to Butters Stotch, but the pass doesn't have enough weight on it and Bittner easily intercepts it. She passes the ball up to Thunder who is near the left sideline. He passes the ball back to Thor who passes the ball right back to Thunder. He attempts a long pass to Bittner and timed her run well, but she had to pass the ball back to Thnder. He finds Munchakoopa on the cross and Munchakoopa's header goes over the bar for a goal kick

20': PRFC has launched another attack and has a corner kick from the right side of the pitch. LENGEND Brukspatron tries to clear the ball with a header, but Munchakoopa manages to keep the ball in the danger zone and attempts a cross. Bonnibel Bubblegum mages to head the ball away, but she doesn't fully clear it as Velox keeps it near the 18 yard box. He finds Munchakoopa near the far post and he heads the ball towards Cheeseburger. Cheesburger's attempts the heading shot, but it goes over the crossbar for a goal kick

22': SIK quickly responds by pressuring PRFC and is awarded a free kick after a foul. Janson plays it short to Stotch who passes the ball right back and Janson passes the ball to Stotch, again. He passes that ball to MetalBeard. He tries dribbling the ball up the pitch but Munchakoopa makes the tackle to win the ball for PRFC. He passes the ball to LEGEND Lexington and they pass the ball to Ahmad. He does a long pass that finds its way to Cheeseburger. He manages to push the ball to Munchakoopa just before Jarvien can make a tackle. Munchakoopa attempt the shot but pushes the ball wide for a goal kick

29': Ampharos kicks the ball long and it finds its way to Tenderloin who attempts a long pass to Thunder, but it gets intercepted by MetalBeard and he finds Felix Dono. He passes the ball back to MetalBeard who passes the ball Wouters. Gerrard manages to tackle the ball away with some controversy as SIK felt that Wouters was fouled in the process. The referee signaled play on as there was no advantage gained. Gerrard passed the ball to Tenderloin and they passed the ball to Bittner. She passed the ball up Cheeseburger and he scored what looked to be PRFC 2nd goal but it was called back after a VAR review as Cheeseburger was offside

[Image: Screenshot-2026-07-31-3-48-58-PM.png]

[Image: Screenshot-2026-07-31-3-48-58-PM.png]

(Cheeseburger's just mistimed run that wiped out what would've been PRFC's 2nd goal)

Watching this on the premier I had a feeling that this goal was going to be called back and I was right. In fact His Cheeseburger was just offside, just a missed timed run on his part

34': Looks like SIK has launched another attack and has a corner. Dono had a perfect delivery and Bublegum directed her header to the bottom left corner and Ampharos makes the save just in time, forcing the ball out for another corner. This time Dono kicks the ball to Stotch and he passes the ball to Adamonis. He passes the ball back to Stotch who passes the ball to Lind and they pass the ball back to Stoch. He finds Jarvinen who attempts a shot from distance and Ampharos deflect the ball over the crossbar for another SIK corner. Dono does the same as last time; kick the ball to Stotch, but this time Thunder made a read on where the ball was going and made an attempt to win the ball. Stotch passes the ball back to Dono who leaked out to the left wing. Dono plays a 1-2 with Stotch to break free from Scott Newman. Dono dribbles the ball to the 6 yard box and attempt a short cross, but Cheeseburger intercepts the pass and clears the ball out of danger

37': PRFC goes on another attack and has a throw in. Gerrard throws the ball in to Thunder who does a 1 touch pass back to Gerrard and they do a 1 touch pass to Tenderloin. They do a 1 touch pass back to Gerrard and they once again do a 1 touch pass to Thunder. Thunder shakes off Lind and gets a cross to Newman on the back post. He aims his header for the upper left corner, but Cheese is there to make the save

43': Another thrown in for PRFC and once again Gerrard throws the ball to Thunder and he passes that ball back to Gerrard. They try to get a cross in, but it's intercepted by Lind who heads the ball to Wouters and he tries to clear the ball with a header and it gets intercepted by Newman who heads the ball towards the 6 yard box. Munchakoopa attempts the shot but his header goes over the crossbar for a goal kick. Man PRFC has had some chances to make this a 2-0 game, but can't breakthrough

45+2': PRFC has a corner kick this is likely PRFC's last chance as there are 30 sec left in the half. Thor kicks the ball in and MetalBeard clears it with a header. Thor chases the ball down and passes the ball to Gerrard and they do a 1 touch pass to Munchakoopa who finds a gap in the defense. He attempts the shot, but Jarvinen is in the right spot to defelct the ball out for a corner. Once again Thor kicks the ball and it's headed out by Lind. Munchakoopa tracks the ball down and dribbles the ball up the right wing, passes the ball back to Tenderloin who does a 1 touch pass to Thor. Thor, Lexington, and Tenderloin do a triangle pass that gives Thor the ball back. Thor passes the ball to Lexington who does a 1 touch pass to Velox. He got an early cross off that was deflected by Stotch right to the hands of Cheese

2nd Half

46': PRFC kicks off to start the 2nd half. The ball finds it's way to Velox and dribble the ball up the right side of the pitch towards the corner. He tries to get a cross in, but he went way too deep and the ball oues out fro a goal kick

50': SIK is on the attack early to try and get the equalizer. Jarviinen drills the free kick towards the 18 yard box and Bubblegum manages to catch it. She tries the shot off the half volley and it goes over the crossbar. It was also a pretty tight angle, so getting the shot on target was going to be tough

57': PRFC survived another SIK attack and has a goal kick. Ampharos tries to find Newman, but Stotch intercepts it and heads the ball to Janson. he passes the ball to Lind and they do a 1 touch pass to MetalBeard. He tries to dribble the ball up the right side, but Thunder takles the ball away with ease. He starts to dribble then passes the ball to Bittner and she tries a 1 touch through pass to Cheeseburger and Lind is there for the interception. Lind passes the ball to Cheese and they pass the ball back to Lind. They clear the ball and Newman tracks it down and passes it to keep the ball in the attacking 3rd. Brukspatron takles the ball, but it goes right to Cheesburger who attempts the shot and Cheese makes the save

59': Cheese kick the ball deep to Adamonis and he dribbles the ball for a little bit. Newman was tightly marking him and easily tackles the ball away standing up. He passes the ball up to Munchakoopa and he dribbles the ball up the right side of the pitch. His cross goes to the back post and Cheeseburger is there for the header but his shot goes right off the crossbar, so close to making it 2-0. Lind finds Adamonis and he passes the ball deep to Janson who heads the ball to Wouters

61': SIK continues their attack and are threatening with a corner kick. Janson delivers the ball to the 18 yard box and finds Bubblegum. She directs her header to the middle right spot of the goal for the equalizer 17 minutes in the 2nd half. This is Bubblegum's 11th goal of the season

[Image: Screenshot-2026-07-31-3-35-53-PM.png]

[Image: Screenshot-2026-07-31-3-35-53-PM.png]

(Bubblegum getting to the ball first to score the equalizer)

72': PRFC has a throw in and Gerrard throws it towards Cheeseburger. He passes the ball back to Gerrard and they passed it over to Thor. He did a medium to long pass to Newman and he passes the ball long to Thunder leaking out deep in the left wing. He passes the ball back to Gerrard and they dribble the ball into the 18 yard box and takes the shot. The shot is on target but Cheese is able to deflect the ball out for a corner to keep the score at 1-1. Thor delivers the ball and Lind heads it clear. Munchakoopa manages to take the ball down. He tries a long pass but it has no weight and Jarvinen makes an easy interception and clears the ball to Velox. He dribbles the ball up the right side and passes it Munchakoopa. He attempts the shot from distance but shoots it way too hard as the ball goes over the crossbar for a goal kick

76': SIK is awarded a direct free kick and Janson is set up to take it. He attempts the shot but it goes driectly into the wall set up by PRFC. Janson tracks the ball down and passes it to Dono who takes the shot. Ampharos once again makes another save for PRFC and keeps the score at 1-1. He throws the ball to Thor who passes the ball to Gerrard. They bass the ball to Cheeseburger and he does a 1 touch pass to Thunder. He does a cross pitch pass to Newan and he starts to dribble up the right side. He tries to cut the ball to the middle but does a low cross towards the near post. Munchakoopa is there and attempts the shot, but Cheese is there for the save. Cheeseburger catches the deflection and struggles to get the ball under control. Wouters catches up and kick the ball out for a corner. Nothing happens after this as the highlight cuts away after a SIK player gets to the ball first

80': PRFC has another corner and delivers the ball to the 18 yard box. MetalBeard intercepts it and tries to clear it. He is unsucessful and the ball finds its way to Bittner. On the half Volley, she buries the shot into the bottom left corner to give PRFC a 2-1 lead. This is her 4th goal of the season

82': PRFC has a free kick and Thor delivers it to the 18 yard box. Brukpatron intercepts it but heads to Gerrard. They attempt the shot from distance but it gets block. Newman tracks the ball down but loses control and Janson collects it. In a bit of a 3D chess move, he passes the ball off the corner flag to Dono. He manages to find Bubblegum near the midfield line. She passes the ball back to Brukpatron and they do a 1 touch pass to Stotch. He passes the ball back to Lind and they pass the ball back to Stotch. He passes the ball to Wouters who heads the ball to Janson. He dribbles the ball back to midfield and passes it back to Wouters. He pushes the ball up to the 18 yard box with a long pass and MeatlBeard catches up with it. He gets the short cross to Bubblegum and she scores what looks like the equalizer. The play is put under VAR review and the goal was called off as MetalBeard was deemed to be offside. Rough time for a goal to be called off as there's 8 minutes left plus stoppage time

[Image: Screenshot-2026-07-31-3-30-21-PM.png]

[Image: Screenshot-2026-07-31-3-30-21-PM.png]

Port Royal FC: 4-2-2-2

[Image: Screenshot-2026-07-28-9-42-52-PM.png]

(the moment Captain MetalBeard was caught offsides)

Not much happened in the final highlight as SIK passes the ball around and eventually the referee blows the whistle 3 times to signify the ends of the game. PRFC gained 3 points that keeps them alive in the title race for now. A PS Jakarta win in MD 13TH would not only lock up the title for PS, but it would most likely lock Port Royal FC in 2nd place]]> <![CDATA[Tyson Blaze has the ability to hand you a water bottle]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10333 Fri, 31 Jul 2026 04:52:12 +0100 GlimsTC]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10333
In the first game Tyson got to be on the sidelines for, he helped hydrate his team to a solid 0-4 loss against Victoria Falls!…Wait, 0-4???? Was Tyson on a bad team???? I mean they signed him so maybe they were in desperate need or something…But no, Adowa Accra is anything but bad! As he’s learned, they’re one of the most spirited bunch he’s ever seen, and despite the loss, the fire inside of all the players was blazing brighter than ever! Which is how we ended up with the team beating Sydney City in a game 1-0! It was extremely exciting to witness, and everyone was very clearly ecstatic about it! With seemingly one game remaining on the schedule for Adowa, it’s hard not to feel sad about not being able to have more time with such an awesome team, but it’s an experience that Tyson is very grateful for and will carry with him forever as he continues to look forward to more extreme hydrating!]]>
In the first game Tyson got to be on the sidelines for, he helped hydrate his team to a solid 0-4 loss against Victoria Falls!…Wait, 0-4???? Was Tyson on a bad team???? I mean they signed him so maybe they were in desperate need or something…But no, Adowa Accra is anything but bad! As he’s learned, they’re one of the most spirited bunch he’s ever seen, and despite the loss, the fire inside of all the players was blazing brighter than ever! Which is how we ended up with the team beating Sydney City in a game 1-0! It was extremely exciting to witness, and everyone was very clearly ecstatic about it! With seemingly one game remaining on the schedule for Adowa, it’s hard not to feel sad about not being able to have more time with such an awesome team, but it’s an experience that Tyson is very grateful for and will carry with him forever as he continues to look forward to more extreme hydrating!]]> <![CDATA[Port Royal FC MD13]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10332 Fri, 31 Jul 2026 04:16:02 +0100 Quitolis]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10332
The teams take the field in a night game with the lights on brightly making the familiar X shape under each player. The color matchup is fantastic with both teams wearing their home kits. Hard green for Port Royal and all red for Istanbul.

Port Royal get the opening kickoff and swing the ball to the side where Gerrard makes a pass up the sideline to Thomas Thunder, who is paying absolutely no attention and the ball rolls right by, out of bounds.

The game jumps to halfway through the 2nd minute where Gerrard intercepts a pass in midfield and then Tenderloin gets the pass up the field to Newman who is playing with his back to the defense. This smart positioning allows him to see Velox making a run up the right sideline, so that is where the ball is played. Velox takes two touches and crosses it low to Munchakoopa but the defender is there to clear it out for a corner. This corner comes in and is headed slightly away by the defense, but it falls straight down to the foot of Munchakoopa who takes the shot to the top right corner. The keeper Hall is already in good position to grab it out of the air.

Now in the 4th minute an Istanbul throw in gains them possession and they pass it around the defenders a few times before they find Nunez all alone at the far side of the field. They get it to him just fine but his run falls short as the Port Royal players seem much faster and get back. Gerrard and Thunder double team him and are able to retrieve the ball. Port Royal looks up for the break but Tenderloin does not see the right opportunity so he chooses to maintain possession this time and passes it back to Lexington. The next pass to Velox is the end of the passive decisions because Velox likes to RUN. He gets the ball and instantly turns up field and easily outruns Knight and gets his cross into the penalty area. Again a low cross, this one makes it past a few defenders. It also rolls right by Munchakoopa and Newman who must not have been ready for the cross! A defender and Thunder make a play for the ball and that is when the referee comes running in. He listens to the VAR and they award a penalty kick! It must have been the contact with Thomas Thunder before the ball was cleared out. Newman steps up to the spot and calmly stands over the ball while the keeper has both hands straight up while he thrusts. Newman quickly backpedals, pauses just a beat, and then runs in. On his approach Newman turns his head to look left, and surely this threw the keeper, who decided to dive in that direction. The ball though was shot to the right. A clean and impressive penalty kick from Newman.

We jump only to the 9th minute where Istanbul has a throw in quite deep inside the attacking area. The play off the throw is the most beautiful sequence that I have seen from Istanbul. Naturally the throw is volleyed back to the thrower, but then a third player in red joins and they make a triangle. The thrower makes a nice horizontal run out of the triangle and the pass gets to him exactly at the corner of the penalty area. He takes one touch still moving laterally and then passes it all the way to the other side of the area to Arasov. This was a very forceful pass which was low and on target, allowing Arasov to take the shot first time on net with his strong right foot. This sequence really reminds me of how an offense will set up a goal in hockey. the goalie is watching to his left and then as fast as possible the offense changes the angle and takes the shot. If done quickly this means the goalie is not going to be in the correct position to defend the shot, and that is what happened here. All Arasov needed to do was place his shot, but unfortunately he went for pace instead of placement. Ampharos is able to fall to his right and make the incredible save. BUT it is not over yet. Istanbul recovers the loose ball and passed it back to the top of the penalty area where Knight is waiting to take another try at goal. Cheeseburger is back trying to help defend and he makes a dangerous lunge into the ball right where Knight is standing. Knight is knocked to his knees and the referee goes to the tablet to check with VAR. It was decided that Cheeseburger was able to get the ball first and foremost. He did make contact but it was not reckless and he cleared the ball first. No Penalty.

At the very end of the 10th minute Velox is back retrieving an Istanbul pass that was not on target. He gets in and lets the defense start possession with lots of passing between them. Finally Gerrard has his eyes up field and sees Thunder drifting back into an open position to receive a ball. The long pass is perfect and it finds Thunder cutting into the middle of the field finally opening up some opportunities. Istanbul bites and Thunder finds the opportunity. Newman and Munchakoopa just found a defender to pick on. Newman got right in front of the defender, Mann, and Munchakoopa drifted just beyond him. When Newman received the pass, Mann naturally stepped up to challenge Newman, and that is when Munchakoopa started his run. Now totally uncovered, and Newman did not miss it. The pass was fantastically weighted as it rolls just past Munchakoopa but then slows as he approaches it. Without hesitation, Munchakoopa takes the shot from outside the penalty area. It sails right past the outstretched fingers of Hall and into the goal. A BEAUTIFUL long distance shot but it would be hard to forget the plays of creativity leading up to it. Thunder making space with his feet, and Newman putting the defender in a bind and making the perfect through ball. Just incredible stuff.

The game settled down tremendously after this point, as the next action comes in the 34th minute. Port Royal has a direct free kick about 20 yards from goal. Bolrstoppari as usual is the one to take the kick, and this one goes through the wall but deflects out for a corner. The following corner does not do anything of note. It is cleared initially, but the second attempt from Port Royal also doesn't find a mark and it is more permanently cleared this time.

In the 40th minute Port Royal has another very close direct free kick. This one is just about touching the intersection between the penalty box and the penalty arc. This one slams straight into the face of someone in the wall. Brutal stuff, and to make matters worse it falls right to the feet of Bittner just inside the penalty area. At this point anyone who has watched some Port Royal games knows that Bittner LOVES to just rip crazy shots from distance, and he does not disappoint here. He is off target though, which does happen sometimes. Goal kick for Istanbul. The time doesn't skip and play resumes with a short pass as they try to play it out from their defense. This is extremely dangerous because at the moment of the goal kick there are 5 defenders plus one goalie on the screen and 5 Port Royal offensive players initiating their deep press. Port Royal will need to practice their coordination during the next week, because they are easily broken and Istanbul gets the ball up field quickly. Their striker comes back to receive a pass. He touches it to a front facing midfielder who sees Nunez making the run down the side. That is where the pass goes. Perhaps Nunez remembered what happened last time as he cuts his run shot and tries to play a killer ball. No luck though as Lexington was reading it all the way and steps in to regain control. The second that Port Royal regained possession, Thomas Thunder kicked it in to high gear and started booking it down the left sideline. His efforts were not missed as Tenderloin sees it and weighs a lovely ball over the top of the Istanbul winger, right out in front of Thunder. He chases it down, and is able to stop quickly, while the defender runs past. Now on his right foot, Thunder crosses it in towards 3 teammates running at goal. The cross goes a little too far and the defender is able to get his head on it first. There are two Port Royal players now just past the penalty area. The initial clearance falls to Velox who passes it to Bittner, who then sees Newman playing with his back to goal, but this time in the penalty area. Newman takes a touch to his right, steps into it and SHOOTS. GOAL!! The shot placement was perfect. Newman was running to the left and shot across the face of goal to put it into the right side netting. The keeper tried to get back but was not in time. Another goal where Thunder does not get the true assist, but it was his effort and creativity to get down field and open up the offensive opportunities for the team. Then Newman's sense to find open space inside the penalty area followed by his classy finish.

The pressure is still on as it is only the 43rd minute and we have a Port Royal corner kick. The initial play in goes like it usually does and gets cleared out, but Port Royal recovers it first for follow up opportunities. This time it is Munchakoopa who is recovering the loose ball, and he does not have a passive mindset. He turns right up and runs at the end line. He puts a cross up to the far post, but the keeper has no problem outjumping everyone for the ball. He rolls it out and Istanbul will once again need to pass their way out of an aggressive but uncoordinated press. A quick sequence finds an offensive player coming back to the ball. He tries to switch field but a sloppy first touch spells trouble and Tenderloin is able to step in front and grab it for Port Royal. He wastes no time and sends it up to Newman. Just like that it is 3v3 inside the penalty area. Newman doesn't even consider his team this time and shooooooots. The keeper does touch it barely as it goes over the crossbar. This time the corner goes to the near post and actually does find an attacking player first. Nothing comes of it though as the header goes right over the goal.

In the 45th minute we have Velox taking a throw in at exactly midfield. It is put into play at the feet of Newman who makes like he is going to take off down the sideline. Munchakoopa and Cheeseburger put a twist on Arasov just up field and that is where Newman finds a passing opportunity. It was a really slick and creative way to get out of the side. Port Royal is able to make a few passes through the midfield and switch to the far side. This is another example of an odd situation that keeps happening between Gerrard and Thunder. Typically you would expect Thunder to possess the ball while Gerrard (who plays wider) makes an overlapping run. However what keeps happening most games is that Gerrard gets the ball first and Thunder just stands there awkwardly. I could not help but share this and it deserves actual evidence.

You can see here that as the ball is being played to Gerrard, Thomas Thunder just doesn't really know what to do.

[Image: R9VuuzB.png]

Then it gets even more awkward a second later as Thunder still has not moved and Gerrard is looking for opportunities.

[Image: DGlUgwr.png]

THIS time though, Thunder actually is able to find something. The defender all the way across the field holds him onside and Gerrard makes the pass to the underlapping(?) Thunder.

[Image: tbpkoz7.png]

This play finishes awkwardly as Thunder angles his run directly at the post. As a right footed player this gets odd, and in the end he runs out of time as the keeper comes out to cut off the angle. The ball does go off the keeper for a corner though, so certainly not all bad, and chances continue to be created when Thomas Thunder is on the ball. The corner goes up over the top and it is already half time!

At the half shots are 14(6) for Port Royal and 3(1) for Istanbul. PRFC also has a massive 2.6 to 0.2 lead in xG, which helps explain that the 3-0 score is no fluke. Oddly enough though, Istanbul has maintained 54% possession, though of course done nothing with it.

The second half kicks off with Istanbul possession. They pass it around at the back at first as they must be doing quite a lot off screen. All of their possession must be in their own half as it was in this clip to start half. Right as the next highlight loads there is the heat map showing average position with ball, and this proves my idea about Istanbul. Only their striker has an average position on the offensive side of the field. Meanwhile Port Royal has 8 players with their average position in the offensive side when they have possessions.

We skip a few minutes to the 50th minute where Bittner is taking the ball out from a deep defensive position. Thomas Thunder runs back to receive a pass and receives it while he turns in towards the middle of the field as he did earlier. This opens up a ton of space as 3 Istanbul players initially converge on Thunder before realizing they are late and try to scramble back into position. Thunder runs horizontally into the midfield circle where he makes an inspiring killer pass. This is another one that compelled me to show the evidence of just how great. This pass in the image below is right off the foot of Thunder, on its way between Mann and Pink of the defense. Look at how Mann is running backwards and Munchakoopa is already in a full sprint. The second picture is right when the ball makes contact with Munchakoopa. Everyone is beaten but the keeper. He takes two small touches and takes the shot across goal, but the keeper comes out far. His lunging foot is able to get in the way and block the shot out of bounds.

[Image: 2Vrkt1J.png]

The following corner was once again a total bore. It got cleared out all the way back to the PRFC defense. The problem was that defender was none other than Velox and that boy likes to RUN. He starts slow and then ends up full sprint down the sideline. Right about when a defender is going to cut off the angle, Velox takes the early cross and it does find the head of Munchakoopa, but he puts it over the top of goal.

Now still only in the 54th minute Port Royal has a throw in far into the attacking area. Velox oddly throws it at an Istanbul defender who poorly clears it and Velox saves it from going out. Odd play. Velox then puts up a sweet cross with his left foot right to the back post. Thunder and Nunez go up for it but it seems to be a tie as the ball bounces nearby and Cheeseburger reels it in. He turns and starts to run towards the top of the penalty area. He must not see any passing opportunities because he ends up taking a few more touches himself before taking a shot. This is another hockey style goal! He waits until the keeper is properly screened, so when he shoots the ball seems to come out of nowhere from the keeper's perspective. It is a nice piece of work from Cheeseburger to do it all himself.

Now a much larger skip, we jump to the end of the 62nd minute where Port Royal is recovering a loose ball in their own end. It feels like most of the time skips are just Istanbul passing it around safely in their own end. Once they try and get the ball up field to do something, they eventually mess up and the highlight starts as PRFC gets the ball back. This time they try a few times to pass up to one of their attacking players who is making a small run backward into space. It has been a nice tactic because if there is no opportunities you just return it to the defense and try again elsewhere. They did this once to Bittner, and then again to Newman, then again to Velox. Lexington tries something different a gets it to Velox in a safer area, and by now we all know what Velox likes to with the ball. RUN!!!! He just rips down the sideline with full energy. you would never know it is an hour into the game. He gets clear of the chasing defender and crosses it finding Cheeseburger, whose head puts it over the crossbar. Great chance though. Time does not skip and we watch the goal kick start some small passes from Istanbul. They link together a dozen small and safe passes before finally trying to get up toward midfield. That attempt goes poorly and they instantly lose possession and PRFC are at it again. a quick pass finds Thunder making that familiar run back towards the ball. This time though the Istanbul player, Lopta, has seen it before and he has had enough. He reads the play and steps in front of Thunder bullying the ball away. He makes an aggressive run with the ball and finds Arasov on the wing. He is able to get a cross in, but it never made it past the first center back. Lexington gets the ball and does not panic. He plays a very smart ball up towards the sideline where Newman runs to it. He gets there just in time and with his outstretched leg gets enough of a touch to send the ball up the field. There is Munchakoopa to chase it down. There is ALWAYS a Port Royal attacking player in a good space. They are seemingly everywhere. Well Munchakoopa turns in and he looks for opportunities, but there is not a great angle to get the ball to Thunder or Cheeseburger. At this point the other players had to slow their runs, and now it was his time to take a big shot from distance. That is how he scored to start the game, so this could be similar. The shot is on target, but not too far from the keeper. It deflects off his arm and over the top of goal. The following corner kick doesn't really do anything and the highlight ends as it seems PRFC are content to pass it around for a bit.

We resume in the 68th minute with Port Royal in an absurdly aggressive posture for a team up 4-0. Everyone but their 2 center backs are up pushing. After a few passes, the ball finds Velox who starts his run to get around the defender, when he suddenly puts on the brakes. It looks like he nutmegs the poor man as Velox angles his run at goal. He is in great position and takes a shot, but the keeper is able to grab it with his whole torso.

Big skip to the 75th minute with a throw in for Port Royal in the attacking third. Gerrard throws it forward for Thunder who takes a touch to angle himself for a right footed cross from the corner of the penalty area. It deflects off the first defender but Gerrard is able to chase it down before it goes over the end line. He makes a sharp pass to Bittner standing at the edge of the goal box. Bittner takes almost what I would call a deflection of a shot, but it was on goal. The keeper makes a save and pushes it straight into Munchakoopa's leg. It then proceeds to roll way out wide for a throw in. Istanbul is able to break the press quickly after the throw in, and try to make something happen. Eventually it was Lopta who had an overlapping run but his pass was muffed and Port Royal ended the threat. As they have done all game, regaining possession means instant opportunities for Port Royal. They don't hesitate. Gerrard intercepted the ball and gave it to Bolrstoppari, who gave it to Bittner in the middle. Bittner somehow saw Newman in a good spot to come back towards the ball. Newman then quickly sent a killer ball through the middle of the defense as we have seen before. This pass did not have quite enough pace and the defender got there first. He got a touch to keep the ball away from Munchakoopa, but he did not know about Velox! The man was also running with the play and entirely on accident, the defender played the ball out wide right to the feet of Velox. This time Velox made it count. He took one touch at full speed and was fortunate the ball did not go too far. He caught up to it and his shot was unsavable. That made it 5-0 from a well deserved goal from Velox. He had been making big plays all night and deserved for one to be a goal.

With the 5-0 mark achieved the mercy rule was put into action. There were no more key play highlights in the rest of the game and that is it. At the end of the game PRFC had 29(13) shots to Istanbul's 6(1). It was a light work day for Ampharos who only had to make a single save, although it was a great one. The xG favored Port Royal considerably, 4.15 to 0.3. The man of the match is Scott Newman for his 2 goals, 9.1 rating, and 1.2 xG. I know I saw many plays from Newman that were key to setting up real threatening opportunities. Well deserved.

With that, Port Royal do clinch 2nd place in the final academy league standing for season 26!]]>
The teams take the field in a night game with the lights on brightly making the familiar X shape under each player. The color matchup is fantastic with both teams wearing their home kits. Hard green for Port Royal and all red for Istanbul.

Port Royal get the opening kickoff and swing the ball to the side where Gerrard makes a pass up the sideline to Thomas Thunder, who is paying absolutely no attention and the ball rolls right by, out of bounds.

The game jumps to halfway through the 2nd minute where Gerrard intercepts a pass in midfield and then Tenderloin gets the pass up the field to Newman who is playing with his back to the defense. This smart positioning allows him to see Velox making a run up the right sideline, so that is where the ball is played. Velox takes two touches and crosses it low to Munchakoopa but the defender is there to clear it out for a corner. This corner comes in and is headed slightly away by the defense, but it falls straight down to the foot of Munchakoopa who takes the shot to the top right corner. The keeper Hall is already in good position to grab it out of the air.

Now in the 4th minute an Istanbul throw in gains them possession and they pass it around the defenders a few times before they find Nunez all alone at the far side of the field. They get it to him just fine but his run falls short as the Port Royal players seem much faster and get back. Gerrard and Thunder double team him and are able to retrieve the ball. Port Royal looks up for the break but Tenderloin does not see the right opportunity so he chooses to maintain possession this time and passes it back to Lexington. The next pass to Velox is the end of the passive decisions because Velox likes to RUN. He gets the ball and instantly turns up field and easily outruns Knight and gets his cross into the penalty area. Again a low cross, this one makes it past a few defenders. It also rolls right by Munchakoopa and Newman who must not have been ready for the cross! A defender and Thunder make a play for the ball and that is when the referee comes running in. He listens to the VAR and they award a penalty kick! It must have been the contact with Thomas Thunder before the ball was cleared out. Newman steps up to the spot and calmly stands over the ball while the keeper has both hands straight up while he thrusts. Newman quickly backpedals, pauses just a beat, and then runs in. On his approach Newman turns his head to look left, and surely this threw the keeper, who decided to dive in that direction. The ball though was shot to the right. A clean and impressive penalty kick from Newman.

We jump only to the 9th minute where Istanbul has a throw in quite deep inside the attacking area. The play off the throw is the most beautiful sequence that I have seen from Istanbul. Naturally the throw is volleyed back to the thrower, but then a third player in red joins and they make a triangle. The thrower makes a nice horizontal run out of the triangle and the pass gets to him exactly at the corner of the penalty area. He takes one touch still moving laterally and then passes it all the way to the other side of the area to Arasov. This was a very forceful pass which was low and on target, allowing Arasov to take the shot first time on net with his strong right foot. This sequence really reminds me of how an offense will set up a goal in hockey. the goalie is watching to his left and then as fast as possible the offense changes the angle and takes the shot. If done quickly this means the goalie is not going to be in the correct position to defend the shot, and that is what happened here. All Arasov needed to do was place his shot, but unfortunately he went for pace instead of placement. Ampharos is able to fall to his right and make the incredible save. BUT it is not over yet. Istanbul recovers the loose ball and passed it back to the top of the penalty area where Knight is waiting to take another try at goal. Cheeseburger is back trying to help defend and he makes a dangerous lunge into the ball right where Knight is standing. Knight is knocked to his knees and the referee goes to the tablet to check with VAR. It was decided that Cheeseburger was able to get the ball first and foremost. He did make contact but it was not reckless and he cleared the ball first. No Penalty.

At the very end of the 10th minute Velox is back retrieving an Istanbul pass that was not on target. He gets in and lets the defense start possession with lots of passing between them. Finally Gerrard has his eyes up field and sees Thunder drifting back into an open position to receive a ball. The long pass is perfect and it finds Thunder cutting into the middle of the field finally opening up some opportunities. Istanbul bites and Thunder finds the opportunity. Newman and Munchakoopa just found a defender to pick on. Newman got right in front of the defender, Mann, and Munchakoopa drifted just beyond him. When Newman received the pass, Mann naturally stepped up to challenge Newman, and that is when Munchakoopa started his run. Now totally uncovered, and Newman did not miss it. The pass was fantastically weighted as it rolls just past Munchakoopa but then slows as he approaches it. Without hesitation, Munchakoopa takes the shot from outside the penalty area. It sails right past the outstretched fingers of Hall and into the goal. A BEAUTIFUL long distance shot but it would be hard to forget the plays of creativity leading up to it. Thunder making space with his feet, and Newman putting the defender in a bind and making the perfect through ball. Just incredible stuff.

The game settled down tremendously after this point, as the next action comes in the 34th minute. Port Royal has a direct free kick about 20 yards from goal. Bolrstoppari as usual is the one to take the kick, and this one goes through the wall but deflects out for a corner. The following corner does not do anything of note. It is cleared initially, but the second attempt from Port Royal also doesn't find a mark and it is more permanently cleared this time.

In the 40th minute Port Royal has another very close direct free kick. This one is just about touching the intersection between the penalty box and the penalty arc. This one slams straight into the face of someone in the wall. Brutal stuff, and to make matters worse it falls right to the feet of Bittner just inside the penalty area. At this point anyone who has watched some Port Royal games knows that Bittner LOVES to just rip crazy shots from distance, and he does not disappoint here. He is off target though, which does happen sometimes. Goal kick for Istanbul. The time doesn't skip and play resumes with a short pass as they try to play it out from their defense. This is extremely dangerous because at the moment of the goal kick there are 5 defenders plus one goalie on the screen and 5 Port Royal offensive players initiating their deep press. Port Royal will need to practice their coordination during the next week, because they are easily broken and Istanbul gets the ball up field quickly. Their striker comes back to receive a pass. He touches it to a front facing midfielder who sees Nunez making the run down the side. That is where the pass goes. Perhaps Nunez remembered what happened last time as he cuts his run shot and tries to play a killer ball. No luck though as Lexington was reading it all the way and steps in to regain control. The second that Port Royal regained possession, Thomas Thunder kicked it in to high gear and started booking it down the left sideline. His efforts were not missed as Tenderloin sees it and weighs a lovely ball over the top of the Istanbul winger, right out in front of Thunder. He chases it down, and is able to stop quickly, while the defender runs past. Now on his right foot, Thunder crosses it in towards 3 teammates running at goal. The cross goes a little too far and the defender is able to get his head on it first. There are two Port Royal players now just past the penalty area. The initial clearance falls to Velox who passes it to Bittner, who then sees Newman playing with his back to goal, but this time in the penalty area. Newman takes a touch to his right, steps into it and SHOOTS. GOAL!! The shot placement was perfect. Newman was running to the left and shot across the face of goal to put it into the right side netting. The keeper tried to get back but was not in time. Another goal where Thunder does not get the true assist, but it was his effort and creativity to get down field and open up the offensive opportunities for the team. Then Newman's sense to find open space inside the penalty area followed by his classy finish.

The pressure is still on as it is only the 43rd minute and we have a Port Royal corner kick. The initial play in goes like it usually does and gets cleared out, but Port Royal recovers it first for follow up opportunities. This time it is Munchakoopa who is recovering the loose ball, and he does not have a passive mindset. He turns right up and runs at the end line. He puts a cross up to the far post, but the keeper has no problem outjumping everyone for the ball. He rolls it out and Istanbul will once again need to pass their way out of an aggressive but uncoordinated press. A quick sequence finds an offensive player coming back to the ball. He tries to switch field but a sloppy first touch spells trouble and Tenderloin is able to step in front and grab it for Port Royal. He wastes no time and sends it up to Newman. Just like that it is 3v3 inside the penalty area. Newman doesn't even consider his team this time and shooooooots. The keeper does touch it barely as it goes over the crossbar. This time the corner goes to the near post and actually does find an attacking player first. Nothing comes of it though as the header goes right over the goal.

In the 45th minute we have Velox taking a throw in at exactly midfield. It is put into play at the feet of Newman who makes like he is going to take off down the sideline. Munchakoopa and Cheeseburger put a twist on Arasov just up field and that is where Newman finds a passing opportunity. It was a really slick and creative way to get out of the side. Port Royal is able to make a few passes through the midfield and switch to the far side. This is another example of an odd situation that keeps happening between Gerrard and Thunder. Typically you would expect Thunder to possess the ball while Gerrard (who plays wider) makes an overlapping run. However what keeps happening most games is that Gerrard gets the ball first and Thunder just stands there awkwardly. I could not help but share this and it deserves actual evidence.

You can see here that as the ball is being played to Gerrard, Thomas Thunder just doesn't really know what to do.

[Image: R9VuuzB.png]

Then it gets even more awkward a second later as Thunder still has not moved and Gerrard is looking for opportunities.

[Image: DGlUgwr.png]

Ozzy Trent Kovács tops the standings with a massive 8.08 average rating and narrowly holding off Silver Tarandus on 8.04. With only 0.04 ratings separating the top two there is very little between their performances at this stage of the season.
Bob Berendsen occupies third place with a 7.98 average rating and remaining well within touching distance of the leading duo. Jay Cue Jr. follows in fourth on 7.88 while Eden Empire IV completes the top five with a solid 7.74 average rating.

The competition remains just as close through the middle of the table for the average rating. Hans Grudnar records a 7.70 rating while Arsène N'Goussou and Matt Stro share seventh place with identical 7.69(nice) ratings, making these two impossible to separate by average performance alone.
Scat Cat claims ninth place with a 7.66 average rating while Nico Lam rounds out the top ten on 7.65. The smallest margin of just 0.01 separates our last two positions.

With many players performing consistently at such a high level, a single massive performance or a disappointing one could dramatically reshape the rankings of this statistic over the final games. It remains one of the most competitive statistics in the Minors league and sets the stage before we dive into the playmakers who make the attacking moves possible.

Dribbles
Dribbling is one of the purest and almost artful forms of creativity in football. A successful dribble can break the ankles of a defender, break defensive structures and create space where there previously wasn't any to look at. While passing often does the final work, dribbling allows individual players to progress the ball through pure individual skill and confidence. This statistic highlights the league's most effective dribblers and we have a clear leader emerging before a tightly packed chasing group.

[Image: YKtWDb.jpg]

Silver Tarandus leads the league with 39 successful dribbles establishing himself as the Minors league most dangerous dribbler so far this season. His total puts him six clear of the nearest challenging player. Showing a consistent ability to beat opponents and carry his team and the ball into advanced positions.
Nico Lam follows in second with 33 successful dribbles while Ryan O'Neill claims third on 31. Combining their close control with the confidence to take defenders on whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Otto Rocket occupies fourth place with 30 successful dribbles before the rankings becomes considerably closer matched. Bob Berendsen, Santos Neymarinho and Thomas Schwarte all share fifth place with 29, creating a three way tie where a single successful dribble could completely reshuffle the standings for them.
The final section remains just as competitive. Angry Lizard and Marco Tentacles both record 28 successful dribbles while Saphira Brightscales rounds out the top ten with 25 dribbles.

Attempted passes
Attempted passes shows us the players who see the most of the ball and act as the foundation of their team's build up play. These are often the players responsible for dictating the tempo, recycling possession or keeping attacks moving smoothly. While completing passes is equally important, this statistic focuses purely on involvement and volume. The statistics ranking is closely matched with only 96 passes separating first from tenth.

[Image: g6kzpU.jpg]

Resetti Moretti tops the rankings with 700 attempted passes so far and becoming the first player in the league to reach the 700 pass milestone. His involvement in possession has made him the first stop in possession for his team and getting quite the lead on the number two.
Justin Fern follows in second place with 668 attempted passes while Louie Duck sits just two passes behind on 666(oh no). The tiny gap between second and third shows just how closely matched the leagues busiest passers have been throughout the season so far.

Rokuv Gibraltar occupies fourth place with 649 attempted passes followed closely by Jakob Fensterhausen on 645.
The remainder of the ranking remains highly competitive. Aren fjord records 623 attempted passes, Cameron Millwall follows on 615 and Mecha Zilla sits just a single pass behind on 614. Ben Nelson claims ninth place with 611 before Monkey Buccaneer rounds out the top ten on 604.

Resetti Moretti has established a decent advantage at the top.The difference between fourth and tenth is only 45 attempted passes.

Successful passes
While attempted passes measure pure volume, successful passes measures actual succes. This statistic highlights the players who not only see plenty of the ball during the matches but are also effective by finding teammates and maintaining possession for their side. The names near the top will look familiar but the order shifts slightly as accuracy begins to separate our players.

[Image: CQI4TW.jpg]

Resetti Moretti once again takes a solid lead in the rankings, this time with an outstanding 640 successful passes. Having also topped the attempted passes rankings, he combines high involvement with very solid ball retention, making him the league's most reliable distributor so far this season.
Louie Duck climbs into second place with 604 completed passes after finishing third in attempted passes. His ability to convert a high percentage of his involvement into successful passes sees him move ahead of Justin Fern who records 592 successful passes to claim third.

The race behind the top three remains incredibly close. Rokuv Gibraltar sits fourth with 584 completed passes, just one ahead of Aren fjord on 583. Jakob Fensterhausen follows on 577. Giving us only seven successful passes seperation from fourth to sixth.
The lower half of the leaderboard continues the same trend, Ben Nelson and Mecha Zilla share seventh place with 541 successful passes each while Austin Morley records 538. Jimothy Erickson completes the top ten with 534 completed passes.

While several players feature in both rankings, efficiency changes the ranking order. Some players climb through their ability to consistently retain possession while others drop slightly despite attempting more passes overall.

Progressive passes
Not every completed pass has the same value, progressive passes measure the players who move the ball into more dangerous areas up the field, breaking opposition lines and advancing attacks rather than simply recycling possession with a pass back to the keeper. It is one of the indicators of players willing to take risks with the ball and this staistic features one clear leader before the rest of the field begins to bunch together.

[Image: qcrIdM.jpg]

Bob Berendsen takes a big lead in the league with 105 progressive passes and becomes the only player to reach triple figures in this passing statistic. His total places him 18 passes clear of the nearest challenging player, showing us just how important he has been in moving his team up the pitch.
Saphira Brightscales takes on second place with 87 progressive passes, establishing a clear second tier before the margins gets considerably smaller between positions. Jay Cue Jr. follows in third on 76 narrowly edging Christopher Bergmann who records 75 progressive passes.

Sadie Black sits in fifth with 73 progressive passes while STAR SCREAM follows closely on 70. At this point the rankings become way more contested with only small margins separating the remaining players.
Marco Tentacles records 69 progressive passes, followed by Vumion Stitcherson on 67 and Vyacheslav Shevchenko on 66. Silver Tarandus rounds out the top ten with 65, just five progressive passes separate sixth from tenth place.

Compared to the general passing statistics this statistics paints a much clearer picture. Rather than rewarding players who simply accumulate passess by volume, progressive passes highlights the players actively looking to advance attacks up the field.

Key passes
While progressive passes assists in moving a team to more dangerous areas, key passes are the ones that directly create opportunities to have a go on goal. They represent the final ball before an attempt on goal and are one of our other indicators of creative influence. This statistic features one standout creator before settling into a closely contested race for the remaining positions.

[Image: OGIf87.jpg]

Bob Berendsen tops the rankings again with 70 key passes and at this point establishing himself as the league's most dangerous creator. His total puts him 13 ahead of the nearest challenger, an impressive lead again and underlining again how important he seems to be for his team.
Eden Empire IV follows in second place with 57 key passes, remaining the closest player to the leader while still facing a sizeable gap. Jay Cue Jr. claims third on 49. Completing a strong top three of players who have consistently supplied chances for their team.

Sadie Black occupies fourth place with 47 key passes while Nick Kasak and Thomas Schwarte share fifth on 45. Again a statistic landing on identical totals.
Dave Oliver follows with 43 key passes before the margins tighten even further. You Jiang records 40, Owen Bryant sits on 39 and Santos Neymarinho rounds out the top ten with 37 key passes.

The most interesting pattern emerging from the playmaking statistics so far is Bob Berendsen's consistency. After already leading the league in progressive passes, he also tops the key pass rankings by considerable margin. Rather than simply moving the ball forward he repeatedly provides the decisive pass that creates dangerous opportunities. This argueably makes him the most dangerous playmaker this season.

Attempted crosses
Crossing is one of the most direct ways of creating goalscoring opportunities from the wide areas. Attempted crosses shows the players who are consistently looking to deliver the ball into dangerous positions, whether from open play or set pieces. Unlike successful crosses, which this is not. This statistic measures pure volume and not accuracy.

[Image: np1wQk.jpg]

Santos Neymarinho leads the league with 150 attempted crosses, narrowly edging out Thomas Schwarte and Bob Berendsen who both record 148 atempts. With only two crosses separating the top three the battle for first place could change after any given match.
Eden Empire IV follows in fourth place with 133 attempted crosses creating a small gap to the leading trio while remaining ahead of the rest of the competition. Jay Cue Jr. occupies fifth on 127 and continuing his strong presence across several creative statistics.

Dave Oliver records 119 attempted crosses to claim sixth place before the totals begin to fall a decent amount. Nick Kasak follows with 104 while Sadie Black sits close behind on 102. Making them the final players to reach triple figures.
Bruce McAllister claims ninth place with 98 attempted crosses while Camelot Darugius rounds out the top ten on 95. Even towards the bottom of the rankings the margins remain rather small with just nine crosses separating seventh from tenth.

Successful crosses
While attempted crosses measure involvement, just like attempted passes, successful crosses measures quality. Delivering accurate crosses into the box is far more valuable than simply swinging YOLO crosses into the penalty area all day, making this statistic our only indicator of crossing efficiency and end product. The rankings also looks noticeably different from the attempted crosses rankings showing us that volume does not always translate into success.

[Image: wDLIC1.jpg]

Bob Berendsen leads the league with 47 successful crosses, adding yet another first place to his growing collection of creative statistics, if I were the opponent I would consider kneecapping him before the match. After also topping the progressive passes and key passes statistics he once again proves to be one of the Minor leagues most complete playmakers.
Eden Empire IV follows in second place with 41 successful crosses remaining the closest challenger while still sitting six behind the leader. Sadie Black claims third on 38 and completing a strong top three of players who consistently deliver dangerous crosses into the box.

Jay Cue Jr. occupies fourth place with 35 successful crosses, narrowly ahead of Dave Oliver on 34. Their totals leave very little separating these two with a single successful delivery enough to change the order.
Thomas Schwarte records 31 successful crosses before the rankings begins to tighten even further. Owen Bryant follows on 28 while Alex Peña claims eighth place with 26. Nick Kasak sits ninth on 24 and Santos Neymarinho completing the top ten on 23.

When we compare the successful crosses to the attempted crosses we can see some interesting shuffles in our ranking. Santos Neymarinho has attempted the most crosses in the Minors leagues but ranks tenth for successful deliveries, showing that a high volume approach that doesn't always result in accurate service. Meanwhile, Bob Berendsen combines both volume and efficiency, reinforcing his statistical dominance as the league's standout creator.

Chances created
Chances created combine every aspect of playmaking creativity into one straightforward statistic, what did you create? Whether through a defence splitting through pass, a dangerous cross or a piece of link up play, these players are the most responsible for giving their teammates clear cut opportunities to score. Unlike key passes which focus solely on the final pass before a shot/header/overhead kick, this statistic paints a picture of consistent creative influence throughout the season so far.

[Image: eTSxzh.jpg]

Bob Berendsen once again tops the leaderboard with 18 chances created, continuing his stupid dominance across the playmaking statistics, seriously someone stop him. After already leading the league in progressive passes, key passes and successful crosses, he once again establishes himself as the division's most creator.
You Jiang and Sadie Black share second place with 16 chances created each and remaining within close distance of the leader, for once. Their totals underline just how consistently both players have contributed in the final third as well.

Alex Peña and Silver Tarandus occupy the next tier with 15 chances created each. Both continue to feature prominently among the league's top creators, remaining only a couple of opportunities behind first place.
Jay Cue Jr., Saphira Brightscales and Thomas Schwarte all record 14 chances created, creating another tightly matched group where there are no margins. Ryan O'Neill follows on 12 before Eden Empire IV completes the top ten with 11.

Looking at the entire playmaking statistics so far one name keeps appearing and will now haunt any defenders dream: Bob Berendsen. His ability to progress the ball, deliver dangerous crosses and consistently create opportunities has made him the top creative player this season.

Assists
Assists are the ultimate reward for any creative player. While statistics such as key passes and chances created measure the opportunities you create, assists represent the moments where those opportunities are actually converted into goals, so you need a little help from your team.

[Image: JuTDEo.jpg]

Jay Cue Jr. leads the league so far with 11 assists, establishing himself as the Minors most productive creator so far this season, at least when it comes to assists. Take that Mr. Berendsen. His ability to consistently provide the final pass has earned him a narrow advantage over the competing players and reinforces his strong performances across several other playmaking statistics.
Alex Peña follows closely behind with 10 assists, sitting just one behind the leader. After terrorising the Academy division with his creative ability and setting a new assist record there, he has quickly established himself as one of the most dangerous playmakers in the Minors as well, very impressive.

Bob Berendsen occupies third place with 8 assists, he should probably consider getting good. His combination of progressive passing, key passes and crossing quality makes his place near the top of the assists rankings no surprise but the number 1 spot would have been expected.
Sadie Black, Jack Pow and Eden Empire IV all share fourth place with 6 assists each, creating a tightly contested group behind the leading three. Just one assist further back, Bad Wolf, Ben Nelson, Saphira Brightscales and Silver Tarandus all record 5 assists andcompleting another closely packed section of the table.

This statistic shows that perhaps Jay and Peña have had more luck with their striker(s) since they don't feature in statistics as dominant as Bob Berendsen does.

xA (Expected Assists)
Expected Assists measures the quality of chances a player creates and if the engine expected the receiver of said chance to score a goal. xA rewards the creativity behind the pass itself while the finishing touch might be lacking. It provides a clearer picture of a player's playmaking ability by removing the end influence of their team.

[Image: tzbhnN.jpg]

Jay Cue Jr. comfortably leads the league with an impressive 7.99 xA, establishing himself as the league's most dangerous deliver(er?) of high quality chances. His total places him more than two expected assists ahead of the next player, he has been providing his team excellent service this seasoon so far.
Bob Berendsen follows in second place with 5.87 xA, narrowly ahead of You Jiang on 5.74. Both players continue to feature prominently across the playmaking statistics reinforcing their reputations as some of the league's most influential creative outlets for their respective teams.

Eden Empire IV occupies fourth place with 5.54 xA while Alex Peña follows closely behind on 5.40. The margins begin to tighten from this point onwards with only small differences separating several players.
Silver Tarandus, Bad Wolf and Thomas Schwarte all share sixth place with identical 5.29 xA totals, crazy to get an identical expectation on such a specific number. Sadie Black records 5.23 xA before Dave Oliver rounds out the top ten on 4.46.

Comparing xA with the assists rankings provides some interesting insight. While getting assists has you depend on your teammates applying the finishing, expected assists focus solely on the quality of the created chance. Jay Cue Jr.'s sizeable lead in both categories suggests he has not only created the most dangerous opportunities but has also been rewarded with teammates consistently converting them. Meanwhile several other players appear higher in the xA rankings than in assists, they might have had some bad luck with their strikers.

Predicted assists
Predicted assists estimate how many assists players are expected to finish the season with based on other playmaking statistics to which I have added a weight/value. Rather than only looking only at completed assists, this projection considers the underlying playmaking numbers to forecast who is most likely to keep producing chances throughout the remainder of our season. This could of course be heavil skewed to players with high volume in fewer matches

[Image: 1TLPMH.jpg]

LONDON SUPERSUB surprisingly tops the projections with an estimated 20 assists. Sadly, this is another case of a substitute bot breaking the model after producing impressive numbers in a very small amount of playing time and I have forgotten to take him out, so lets pretend he does not exist.
Among the real players, Jay Cue Jr. leads the way with a projected 14 assists. After already topping both the assists and expected assists statistic it comes as little surprise that the prediction model expects him to finish the season as the league's leading creator.

THRAXXii La’Mort occupies third place with a projected 11 assists while Bob Berendsen and Alex Peña share fourth on 10. Both have consistently featured across the creative statistics making a double digit assist season look well within reach.
Saba Kvekvetsia follows with a projected 9 assists before Sadie Black and Eden Empire IV both record projections of 8 each. The final two places are occupied by another bot, KRUNG THEP SUPERSUB on 7, while Ben Nelson completes the top ten with a projected 6 assists.

Sorry if you missed out due to me forgetting to take the bots out again :(

Passing impact model
The passing impact model combines almost all creative statistics into a single rating based on weights/value I decided on. This should be rewarding players who consistently influence matches through their playmaking. Rather than focusing on one specific statistic such as assists or key passes, this impact model blends creativity, progression, crossing and overall playmaking contribution to identify the league's most complete playmaker(s). Does being first make you the best? Absolutely, at least in my eyes since I made the model.

[Image: H2uYZy.jpg]

Bob Berendsen comfortably tops the rankings with an outstanding passing impact score of 34.32, creating a massive gap between himself and the rest of the field. After leading several individual playmaking statistics throughout the season so far, his position at the top of the overall model should come as a surpise to.. nobody.

Jay Cue Jr. claims second with an impact score of 27.98, finishing with a solid gap between him and third place. His exceptional expected assists, assist tally and overall creative output makes him one of the Minors league's most influential playmaking distributors.
Alex Peña occupies third place with 23.75, continuing his impressive transition into the Minors division from the academy. Sadie Black follows closely behind on 22.21 while Saba Kvekvetsia rounds out the top five with 21.52.

The second half of the rankings remains tightly contested. Silver Tarandus records 18.53 andn arrowly edges out(not like that though) Thomas Schwarte on 18.52. Eden Empire IV follows with 16.97 while Saphira Brightscales records 16.73. Bad Wolf completes the top ten with a passing impact score of 15.73.

Bob his ego has now been stroked long enough, peace.]]> <![CDATA[Striking a Nerve]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10329 Thu, 30 Jul 2026 21:21:38 +0100 DidYouSeeThatLudicrousDisplay?]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10329 Bloodless . The two seemed to be having a spirited conversation, okay, spirited on Dante's half, about their skill sets.

Right off the bat, I could tell that Kaz wasn't fully buying what he himself was selling, seeing that shit-eating grin on his face as he poked fun at his teammate. "If we swapped positions, I would have had twenty goals by now. Just because of..." he used his hand to demonstrate his height compared to Dante's. "All of those corner kicks wouldn't have gone over my head."

It was low; he knew Dante had struggled with not scoring earlier in the season, but lately the striker had been putting the ball in the net with consistency. It was low, but obviously it was Kaz's way of joking with his teammate to get him riled up.

I could tell from Dante's reaction his rant about how incorrect this was wouldn't be finished anytime soon, so I stepped outside of the room to review my notes on Kaapstad's draws against Rapid Mygar SC and Inter London. Surprise, surprise, Kaz had ended his drought... of yellow cards. Also, not a surprise, the game he got it in, was the higher rating of his out of the two.

Through the door I could hear Dante still excitedly talking about how wrong Kaz was.

I took a seat next to the Coke machine and closed my eyes for a nap.

Code:
Word Count: 266 Words

]]> Bloodless . The two seemed to be having a spirited conversation, okay, spirited on Dante's half, about their skill sets.

Right off the bat, I could tell that Kaz wasn't fully buying what he himself was selling, seeing that shit-eating grin on his face as he poked fun at his teammate. "If we swapped positions, I would have had twenty goals by now. Just because of..." he used his hand to demonstrate his height compared to Dante's. "All of those corner kicks wouldn't have gone over my head."

It was low; he knew Dante had struggled with not scoring earlier in the season, but lately the striker had been putting the ball in the net with consistency. It was low, but obviously it was Kaz's way of joking with his teammate to get him riled up.

I could tell from Dante's reaction his rant about how incorrect this was wouldn't be finished anytime soon, so I stepped outside of the room to review my notes on Kaapstad's draws against Rapid Mygar SC and Inter London. Surprise, surprise, Kaz had ended his drought... of yellow cards. Also, not a surprise, the game he got it in, was the higher rating of his out of the two.

Through the door I could hear Dante still excitedly talking about how wrong Kaz was.

I took a seat next to the Coke machine and closed my eyes for a nap.

Code:
Word Count: 266 Words

]]> <![CDATA[Sandro: Not Good Enough]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10328 Thu, 30 Jul 2026 20:18:49 +0100 gucci]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10328
It’s an all around frustrating situation that has brought Sandro to the lowest average rating he’s had as a pro footballer. Despite all of this, Sandro is confident that he is the best he’s ever been from a technical and physical standpoint, but he needs to keep grinding if he wants to hit the very highest level. Right now, it’s waive after wave of negativity in terms of his performances and another relegation fight for his team. He’s reaching the point where something has to give, and he’s just hoping both he and his teammates can find their footing.]]>
It’s an all around frustrating situation that has brought Sandro to the lowest average rating he’s had as a pro footballer. Despite all of this, Sandro is confident that he is the best he’s ever been from a technical and physical standpoint, but he needs to keep grinding if he wants to hit the very highest level. Right now, it’s waive after wave of negativity in terms of his performances and another relegation fight for his team. He’s reaching the point where something has to give, and he’s just hoping both he and his teammates can find their footing.]]> <![CDATA[Expansion Team 2 Locations and Branding Announcement]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10317 Thu, 30 Jul 2026 10:38:04 +0100 Domffl]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10317 @Rylakn and I have been sitting on this knowledge for weeks, itching for the chance to share with everyone. The locations, colors, crests, and kits for both out Major and Minor teams have been officially approved by the BoD. Before I dive into the exciting part, I have to take a moment and pay an astronomically-large thank you to @Riipsaw for all of his hard work on our crests. He was instrumental in the design and materializing our dreams pixel by pixel. And another huge thank you to @Rylakn who was the design expert for the kits themselves. I couldn't be happier with how these ideas turned out.

With the help of @Riipsaw, who keeps somehow amazing me with his talents, allow me to introduce the newest Organization to the SSL with the aid of a video.

Major Team - Ittihad Riadi Casablanca (IRC)

The team name, Ittihad Riadi Casablanca, is the transliteration of the Arabic that translates to "Sporting Union Casablanca."
Morocco has been making a name for themselves as a football country over the past 5 years. According to the FIFA Men's World Ranking, Morocco's national team has jumped from 33rd to now an all-time high of 6th. Their victory over the Netherlands in the 2026 FIFA World Cup proved that they can hang with tough competition and deserve their place in the top 10 of national teams. As well, the continent of Africa was lacking Majors representation. There are 6 SSL teams in Africa: 4 in the Minors (FCK, RMP, CAI, MSD) and 2 in the Academy (VFE, ACC). With Morocco's arrival in the upper echelons of national teams and Africa's lack of Majors teams, we felt that the opportunity was a perfect fit.

The colors were born primarily from the Atlantic Teal. The burnt orange, cream white, and charcoal grey were all chosen as complements.

Crest
The most obvious aspect of the crest is the lion. Morocco is home to the nearly extinct Barbary Lion. It is a source of great national pride. The Barbary Lion's most distinctive marker (besides being one of the largest breeds) is its dark-edged mane. Imagine inverted frosted tips.Therefore, we made the background the charcoal grey to distinguish this lion as a Barbary.
Next, you might notice the waves underneath the crest ribbon. Casablanca is a major port city for Morocco and its economy is heavily dependent on the exports that run through it. The waves are a nod to the city's location on the North Atlantic Ocean and it's importance as a port for the country.
The shape of the crest itself also carried significance. Morocco is known for its unique tilework, called Zellij. The shape mimics popular tile patterns found around the city of Casablanca.

Kit
Home Away Alt
[Image: GYp3bB9.png]

Minor Team - Sociedad Deportiva Guayaquil (SDG)

The team name translates to "Sporting Society Guayaquil."
Guayaquil is Ecuador's 2nd largest populous city, just behind the capital, Quito. It is Ecuador's major port city and has a rich history. Guayaquil is nicknamed the "Pearl of the Pacific" for its importance to the country as a historically significant port as well as its natural beauty. It is a common spot for tourists to fly into when visiting the Galapagos Islands, as well.
You might be wondering, 'how do I even say Guayaquil?' Well, you wouldn't be the first. Here's how I discovered the correct pronunciation [gwaa-yuh-keel].
Similar to Morocco, Ecuador has been slowly building their national team into a real threat. Over the past 5 years, they have improved from 55th to 23rd in the FIFA Men's Ranking. With how important South America has been to football, it is severely under-represented in the SSL. Sociedad Deportiva Guayaquil will be the first Minor league team in South America. The only other teams in South America are CABA and USP (and Medellin in the academy).

Crest
We incorporated some aspects of the Guayaquil flag, which is a light blue background with two white horizontal stripes and three white stars in the center. You can see the stars were included vertically on the sides, as well.
The center structure is the pride of the Guayaquil coastline, Torre Moriscas (the Moorish Clock Tower). This clock has been in the city since 1842. It was named after a native chieftan who fought against the invading Spaniards. It is now homed on a popular boardwalk where visitors can pass by this piece of Guayaquil history every day.
Because of the city's location at the delta where the Guayas River spills into the Pacific Ocean, it was obviously an important port for global trade for the country. We wanted to highlight it's importance by including the galleon ship.
Sitting atop the badge is an Andean Condor, Ecuador's national bird. The indigenous Andean people believed that the Condor was a messenger to the gods because of high high the bird soared. It is known for its massive wingspan and majestic gliding, rarely needing to flap its wings. The Condor can be seen in ancient Andean artwork dating back to 2500 BCE.
Lastly, you might notice the yellow and red edges to the ribbon over the badge. This is to include an aspect of the Ecuadorian flag, whose colors are yellow, blue, and red. You'll notice this more obviously on the alternate kit.

Kit
Home Away Alt
[Image: VY7lTJp.png]

Major Team - Ittihad Riadi Casablanca (IRC)

Minor Team - Sociedad Deportiva Guayaquil (SDG)

Both Rylakn and I are extremely satisfied with how the branding ended up. We both love the incorporation of an animal mascot and that the locations have a shared aspect in their historical naval importance to their countries. Each crest was made thoughtfully and every aspect of them has an intention for representing the location. We truly can't thank @Riipsaw enough for all the work he did for this. If you could see the progression we went through for these crests...you'd start to feel bad for Riip lol. We put him through the ringer, but he turned our ideas into something incredible with absolute patience and class.

We're looking forward to our inaugural season in S27!]]> <![CDATA[Stockholm Game 12 Highlights and Match Players: Stockholm vs. Port Royal]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10326 Thu, 30 Jul 2026 02:28:57 +0100 Butters]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10326 Gameday 12 preview and last week recap for Stockholm:
Stockholm looked good for the most part last week and are holding onto 3rd spot currently for the academy league standings. They did get up against a fairly tough and equally matched club in Atletico Medellin that resulted in a 0-0 draw. Still the team looked to be getting more chances and better quality then their opponents so hopefully they can continue that momentum into this week. There is only 3 games left in the season so with 9 points up for grabs the Stockholm team still has their work cut out if they want to finish in a top position. Stockholm is facing both the 2nd place and 1st place teams this week in Port Royal FC and PS Jakarta. The Stockholm group knew the final 3 games would be important and this week will push them to their limits. It is unlikely that the team will make strategy adjustments since things have been working well and players look to be improving and enjoying the system. Looking briefly at the player index you can see many Stockholm players at the top of countless categories. Soon the players ill be moving on from their respective academy clubs but still we think these final few games could bring out the best in all the players who are trying to get noticed before the big draft day.

Stockholm is coming into the game in 3rd position in the league facing Port Royal FC who is currently in 2nd position with a 4 point lead on 3rd place and only 5 points from 1st place. Stockholm is tied with Victoria Falls in points and needs to really get this win. It certainly won't be easy though since Port Royal has their eyes set on 1st place and has a lot of momentum coming into this game. Stockholm didn't like their last result of drawing 0-0 but look before that to their 4 game win streak and try to build of that type of gameplay.

Stockholm players to watch:
-Goalie Swiss Cheese was arguably the player of the match last game and made some of his best saves of the year, look for him to continue leading his team from the net out.
-Bonnibel Bubblegum had some quality chances last match and still is tied for the leagues goal, look for her teammates to try and setup some shots tonight. Captain Metalbeard is leading the league in distance run and doesn't look like he is losing his stride at all, can he continue this pace as the one of the most dominant defenders?
-Butters Stotch has more key passes than any player in the league but trainers have been speaking about his commitment to improving his pace. Look for him to try and have a bigger impact tonight for his club.

Port Royal FC players to watch:
-Thomas Thunder is leading the league with 6 assists after 11 matches, and he is also 1st in chances created with 14. Stockholm defense will have to be marking him close.
-His Cheeseburger has 7 goals which has him tied for 3rd in the league and he is also 3rd in shots on target with 17. Lookout for the Cheesburger vs Swiss Cheese match tonight.
-Goalkeeper Ahmad Ampharos is currently 1st in average rating with 7.18, 1st in man of the match awards with 2, 1st in save percentage with 78.3%, and 2nd in wins with 7. Needless to say this is a tough keeper to beat and but right behind him in almost every category is still the Stockholm GK as well.
-Max Velox is tied for 1st in yellow cards with 3. Also tied for 1st is Metalbeard of Stockholm. We will see if the ref wants to keep his cards in his pocket tonight.

Stockholm lineup remains unchanged from last week and includes:
2 Strikers with Bubblegum and Janson up forward.
4 Midfield is Adamones and Wouters on the wings with Dono and Stotch in the middle.
4 Defense with 3 legend players and RB Metalbeard
In goal as always is Swiss Cheese

Port Royal FC lineup would be:
2 strikers, Cheeseburger and Munchakoopa
2 Wingers, Thunder and Newman
2 Midfield, Bittner next to a legend player
4 Defense, with 2 legend players on left back and centerback alongside centerback Bollerstoppari and right back Velox
In goal will be Ampharos

Stockholm is 4wins and 1loss and no draws in their past 5 games and are on a 4 game winning streak.
Port Royal FC is 4wins, 0 losses, and 1draw in their past 5 games and are on a 1 game draw streak.

Stockholm Game 12 Recap, July 27 2026, Stockholm IK vs. Port Royal FC
Match Details:
Minute 4:
From a place kick the Port Royal players tried to get the ball into a dangerous area but Metalbeard would clear the ball away with his height advantage. Wouters of Stockholm would take the ball and storm down the who pitch for a counterattack. After losing the ball briefly it would be recovered by Metalbeard and sent in for a cross. Legend player on Stockholm would have a great strike on net by GK Ampharos was there to keep the game tied.
Score tied 0-0

Minute 7:
Starting from a throwin deep in Stockholms half the Port Royal forwards would work the ball to the edge of the box before sending a low hard pass into the middle. A Stockholm legend defender would try to kick it with his left boot but it immediately found Port Royal player Thomas Thunder who was able to blast a shot from only a few yards out. GK Swiss Cheese had very little chance after an unfortunately play by his defenders.
Score 1-0 Port Royal FC

Minute 17:
Max Velox would pickup a yellow card brining his total to 4 for 1st in the league.

Minute 21:
Port Royal would try using some long passes to get their wingers on the run. Cheeseburger would initially use his speed to get to the ball first but in this case it was size that would win the battle. Stockholm Legend player would completely run over Cheeseburger and get none of the ball on the play. Still the ref let the play go on. It would lead to a shot for Port Royal but they would miss the goal.
Score 1-0 Port Royal FC

Minute 28:
Port Royal was looking good at defending and controlling the game for a few minutes. A couple legend players would pass the ball well and find teammate Bittner in an open area. Bittner would deliver a great through ball for Cheeseburger to attack the goal which he wasted no time in beating the goalkeeper with a strike. Sadly for Port Royal this nice play would be called back for offside.
Score 1-0 Port Royal FC

Minute 25:
Stockholm would get a series of corners where Stotch and Dono were looking to use some mid range and short passes which setup some great opportunities. It still was not enough to get past Port Royal GK Ampharos.
Score 1-0 Port Royal FC

Minute 53:
Butters Stotch would receive a booking with a yellow card. Not sure why the ref handed this one out, it may have been for Stotch complaining about some bad calls during the match.
Score 1-0 Port Royal FC

Minute 60:
With a corner kick for Stockholm, player Janson stepped up and made a great short lob to the near post. Waiting and ready was Bonnibel Bubblegum who uses a header to beat the goalkeeper. Bubblegum just keeps adding to their goal tally and has 12 for 1st place in the league so far.
Score tied 1-1

Minute 71:
Some great build up play by Port Royal would find a legend player streaking in for a great shot. Even with the traffic GK Cheese was able to track the ball and make an incredible save to put it wide for a corner.
Score tied 1-1

Minute 75: Port Royal defender Thor Bollerstoppari would receive a yellow card and make that a total of 3 cards handed out by the ref for this match.
Score tied 1-1

Minute 79:
A corner kick for Port Royal would initially get knocked down from the air but would find the feet of Peg Bittner. With some good space available at the top of the box Peg would deliver a hard low shot that would find its way past everybody including the GK for Stockholm.
Score 2-1 Port Royal FC

Minute 82:
Stockholm players looked to take back the game which some aggressive passing and battles to keep the ball in their possession. Wouters would circle back and draw the defenders before finding one of his favorite targets in Metalbeard who was attacking down the right flank. Metalbeard would send a hard low pass with just one touch and find Bonnibel Bubblegum to finish the play and score. Sadly this would get called back and show a Stockholm player offside on the play.
Score 2-1 Port Royal FC

Final Game Notes:
Both teams looked like they could take this game but with a slight edge of shots on target (8-6) and some quality play the Port Royal FC club pulled out a good win. Stockholm would get 57% of the possession but only managed 11 shot attempts to Port Royal FC 22. Both Stotch and Dono had some nice passes between them and looked like they are connecting well. Metalbeard and Wouters continued some great attacking plays they just had a harder time tonight finding their grove. Bubbblegum added another goal and the team will be rejoicing for them in the locker room for that. If it was not for a couple of offside runs this could have been a closer game. Stockholm will have to regroup quickly because they still have a very tough opponent on Thursday July 30 against PS Jakarta
Final Score Stockholm 1, Port Royal FC 2

Stockholm players of the match:
Bubblegum, 7.2 rating, 1 goal
Janson, 7.1 rating, 1 assist
Metalbeard, 7.2 rating, 1 assist

Port Royal FC players of the match:
Thunder, 7.6 rating, 1goal
Bittner, 7.7 rating, 1goal
Velox, 7.2 rating, ran most distance in match with 15.2km

Butters top player picks for game 12:
Stockholm - Metalbeard
Port Royal FC - Bittner]]> Gameday 12 preview and last week recap for Stockholm:
Stockholm looked good for the most part last week and are holding onto 3rd spot currently for the academy league standings. They did get up against a fairly tough and equally matched club in Atletico Medellin that resulted in a 0-0 draw. Still the team looked to be getting more chances and better quality then their opponents so hopefully they can continue that momentum into this week. There is only 3 games left in the season so with 9 points up for grabs the Stockholm team still has their work cut out if they want to finish in a top position. Stockholm is facing both the 2nd place and 1st place teams this week in Port Royal FC and PS Jakarta. The Stockholm group knew the final 3 games would be important and this week will push them to their limits. It is unlikely that the team will make strategy adjustments since things have been working well and players look to be improving and enjoying the system. Looking briefly at the player index you can see many Stockholm players at the top of countless categories. Soon the players ill be moving on from their respective academy clubs but still we think these final few games could bring out the best in all the players who are trying to get noticed before the big draft day.

Stockholm is coming into the game in 3rd position in the league facing Port Royal FC who is currently in 2nd position with a 4 point lead on 3rd place and only 5 points from 1st place. Stockholm is tied with Victoria Falls in points and needs to really get this win. It certainly won't be easy though since Port Royal has their eyes set on 1st place and has a lot of momentum coming into this game. Stockholm didn't like their last result of drawing 0-0 but look before that to their 4 game win streak and try to build of that type of gameplay.

Stockholm players to watch:
-Goalie Swiss Cheese was arguably the player of the match last game and made some of his best saves of the year, look for him to continue leading his team from the net out.
-Bonnibel Bubblegum had some quality chances last match and still is tied for the leagues goal, look for her teammates to try and setup some shots tonight. Captain Metalbeard is leading the league in distance run and doesn't look like he is losing his stride at all, can he continue this pace as the one of the most dominant defenders?
-Butters Stotch has more key passes than any player in the league but trainers have been speaking about his commitment to improving his pace. Look for him to try and have a bigger impact tonight for his club.

Port Royal FC players to watch:
-Thomas Thunder is leading the league with 6 assists after 11 matches, and he is also 1st in chances created with 14. Stockholm defense will have to be marking him close.
-His Cheeseburger has 7 goals which has him tied for 3rd in the league and he is also 3rd in shots on target with 17. Lookout for the Cheesburger vs Swiss Cheese match tonight.
-Goalkeeper Ahmad Ampharos is currently 1st in average rating with 7.18, 1st in man of the match awards with 2, 1st in save percentage with 78.3%, and 2nd in wins with 7. Needless to say this is a tough keeper to beat and but right behind him in almost every category is still the Stockholm GK as well.
-Max Velox is tied for 1st in yellow cards with 3. Also tied for 1st is Metalbeard of Stockholm. We will see if the ref wants to keep his cards in his pocket tonight.

Stockholm lineup remains unchanged from last week and includes:
2 Strikers with Bubblegum and Janson up forward.
4 Midfield is Adamones and Wouters on the wings with Dono and Stotch in the middle.
4 Defense with 3 legend players and RB Metalbeard
In goal as always is Swiss Cheese

Port Royal FC lineup would be:
2 strikers, Cheeseburger and Munchakoopa
2 Wingers, Thunder and Newman
2 Midfield, Bittner next to a legend player
4 Defense, with 2 legend players on left back and centerback alongside centerback Bollerstoppari and right back Velox
In goal will be Ampharos

Stockholm is 4wins and 1loss and no draws in their past 5 games and are on a 4 game winning streak.
Port Royal FC is 4wins, 0 losses, and 1draw in their past 5 games and are on a 1 game draw streak.

Stockholm Game 12 Recap, July 27 2026, Stockholm IK vs. Port Royal FC
Match Details:
Minute 4:
From a place kick the Port Royal players tried to get the ball into a dangerous area but Metalbeard would clear the ball away with his height advantage. Wouters of Stockholm would take the ball and storm down the who pitch for a counterattack. After losing the ball briefly it would be recovered by Metalbeard and sent in for a cross. Legend player on Stockholm would have a great strike on net by GK Ampharos was there to keep the game tied.
Score tied 0-0

Minute 7:
Starting from a throwin deep in Stockholms half the Port Royal forwards would work the ball to the edge of the box before sending a low hard pass into the middle. A Stockholm legend defender would try to kick it with his left boot but it immediately found Port Royal player Thomas Thunder who was able to blast a shot from only a few yards out. GK Swiss Cheese had very little chance after an unfortunately play by his defenders.
Score 1-0 Port Royal FC

Minute 17:
Max Velox would pickup a yellow card brining his total to 4 for 1st in the league.

Minute 21:
Port Royal would try using some long passes to get their wingers on the run. Cheeseburger would initially use his speed to get to the ball first but in this case it was size that would win the battle. Stockholm Legend player would completely run over Cheeseburger and get none of the ball on the play. Still the ref let the play go on. It would lead to a shot for Port Royal but they would miss the goal.
Score 1-0 Port Royal FC

Minute 28:
Port Royal was looking good at defending and controlling the game for a few minutes. A couple legend players would pass the ball well and find teammate Bittner in an open area. Bittner would deliver a great through ball for Cheeseburger to attack the goal which he wasted no time in beating the goalkeeper with a strike. Sadly for Port Royal this nice play would be called back for offside.
Score 1-0 Port Royal FC

Minute 25:
Stockholm would get a series of corners where Stotch and Dono were looking to use some mid range and short passes which setup some great opportunities. It still was not enough to get past Port Royal GK Ampharos.
Score 1-0 Port Royal FC

Minute 53:
Butters Stotch would receive a booking with a yellow card. Not sure why the ref handed this one out, it may have been for Stotch complaining about some bad calls during the match.
Score 1-0 Port Royal FC

Minute 60:
With a corner kick for Stockholm, player Janson stepped up and made a great short lob to the near post. Waiting and ready was Bonnibel Bubblegum who uses a header to beat the goalkeeper. Bubblegum just keeps adding to their goal tally and has 12 for 1st place in the league so far.
Score tied 1-1

Minute 71:
Some great build up play by Port Royal would find a legend player streaking in for a great shot. Even with the traffic GK Cheese was able to track the ball and make an incredible save to put it wide for a corner.
Score tied 1-1

Minute 75: Port Royal defender Thor Bollerstoppari would receive a yellow card and make that a total of 3 cards handed out by the ref for this match.
Score tied 1-1

Minute 79:
A corner kick for Port Royal would initially get knocked down from the air but would find the feet of Peg Bittner. With some good space available at the top of the box Peg would deliver a hard low shot that would find its way past everybody including the GK for Stockholm.
Score 2-1 Port Royal FC

Minute 82:
Stockholm players looked to take back the game which some aggressive passing and battles to keep the ball in their possession. Wouters would circle back and draw the defenders before finding one of his favorite targets in Metalbeard who was attacking down the right flank. Metalbeard would send a hard low pass with just one touch and find Bonnibel Bubblegum to finish the play and score. Sadly this would get called back and show a Stockholm player offside on the play.
Score 2-1 Port Royal FC

Final Game Notes:
Both teams looked like they could take this game but with a slight edge of shots on target (8-6) and some quality play the Port Royal FC club pulled out a good win. Stockholm would get 57% of the possession but only managed 11 shot attempts to Port Royal FC 22. Both Stotch and Dono had some nice passes between them and looked like they are connecting well. Metalbeard and Wouters continued some great attacking plays they just had a harder time tonight finding their grove. Bubbblegum added another goal and the team will be rejoicing for them in the locker room for that. If it was not for a couple of offside runs this could have been a closer game. Stockholm will have to regroup quickly because they still have a very tough opponent on Thursday July 30 against PS Jakarta
Final Score Stockholm 1, Port Royal FC 2

Stockholm players of the match:
Bubblegum, 7.2 rating, 1 goal
Janson, 7.1 rating, 1 assist
Metalbeard, 7.2 rating, 1 assist

Port Royal FC players of the match:
Thunder, 7.6 rating, 1goal
Bittner, 7.7 rating, 1goal
Velox, 7.2 rating, ran most distance in match with 15.2km

Butters top player picks for game 12:
Stockholm - Metalbeard
Port Royal FC - Bittner]]> <![CDATA[The Wolfe of Kaapstad #4: Breaking Point]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10258 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 21:33:38 +0100 Bloodless]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10258
At the secondary practice field near F.C. Kaapstads facilities over 50 soccer balls had been strewn across the turf. Rain came down and make odd sounds as they crashed against the surface of the soccer balls as if the rain was breaking apart upon impact. Mixed into the sound of falling rain was another sound ... a BANG! Or BOOM! Sometimes a THUD! One might have though it was the occasional booming of thunder far off in the distance that only a faint echo reached one's ears. Maybe a tree hitting the ground after being toppled by the insidious weather. But if one were to follow to the sound to it's origin they would find Dante Von Wolfe at the same practice field, absolutely blasting shots across the field and into the net. The rain battered down upon him as well, drenching his hair causing it to hang down lower then usual. In Kaapstads first game Dante had no passes in front of the net in which he could take a shot, and he wasn't someone so irrational as to take a shot when there was absolutely no chance of it going in. if he did that, then he'd miss more shots and eventually he'd be benched. Hence why Dante was getting in extra practice, the rain providing another obstacle for him to overcome. He figured out that the trick to shooting in the rain was to focus more on the center of the ball and to reduce the power you put into shots so it doesn't go flying all over the place. It was interesting practicing control like this ... but at the end of the day, Dante's thoughts kept coming back to the first matchday. Did he need to trust his teammates more? How could he show them he was worthy? The thoughts continued to haunt him all throughout the week until the next matchday was eventually upon him.

No one knows how a match will go before it's actually played as speculation is just that. Mere speculation ... so in many ways it was a good thing that Dante paid absolutely no attention to the media most days. But with his phone blowing up with notifications it wasn't hard to see what was going on. Kaapstad had been hot and cold, and when the articles online should have been about how they can push forward and clean themselves up now heading into the 4th matchday and beyond. Instead the media was focused on Dante Von Wolfe and the fact that despite being Kaapstad's starting Striker for the entire season thus far, he hadn't even been able to take a shot on net. Instead Dante had delivered a few assists, and had excellent passing and tackling ratio's. Pundits were speculating about the possibility of Dante even moving to CAM or CM given that his stats more aligned with those roles. Fans were happy that Kaapstad was staying competitive in what was supposed to be a down year as well, and the locker room full of Rookies that was supposed to be weathering a brutal season instead were all showing flashes of their potential which caused Kaapstad to draft them in the first place. Everyone but Dante Von Wolfe.

After the 2-1 victory against Krung Threp reporters asked him how he felt about his limited involvement in the game, but he remained coolheaded and uncaring like usual. "It sucks. But we got the win and I know coach is happy about that. He already told me that it'd be a work in progress, and given that I'm now facing veterans and young rising stars older then myself it makes sense that it'd take time to catch up." That may have been Dante's answer when he was thrust in front of the reporters, but after the friendlies and his consistent scoring Dante was of course understandably disappointed in himself.

The Cup Qualifier game which Dante had nabbed his first assist in had also resulted in a 2 - 5 loss to AC Romana was a much different conversation however as reporters barraged him with multiple questions considering he was able to make a play happen offensively, yet still hadn't ended up taking a single shot on goal. "Yeah, I'm frustrated. I passed and he scored, when it should have been me scoring. On top of that, we didn't even win. Doesn't matter if Romana is far and away a better team as opposed to Kaapstad, it doesn't matter if one is a Majors Division 2 team or not. I just want to win and score."

After three weeks of going without a single shot in a matchday against Minors Division 1 Bottom Feeders Inter London, Dante was absolutely fuming. Not only did his teammates struggle to capitalize on half his passes, but they were barely bothering to pass the ball back to him ...! He hadn't scored yet ... he hadn't managed a shot on goal ... he was going fucking insane wondering exactly why. Every time he was about to start completely abandoning the pass Dante looked at his teammates and calmed himself down, the friends he'd made in Istanbul and now here ... if he didn't at least pass, then they would never be able to move the ball up the pitch and then he really would be unable to score as they'd easily focus in on him. Not only that, but his teammates which practically barely passed to him already, would probably stop doing so altogether ...! The reporters didn't help either as they had become aware of his frustration, how despite his typically calm and uncaring outwards appearance he did have a human side to him when it came to the sport he loved.

The breaking point was when a reporter shoved their microphone in his face as he was walking, clearly intent on ignoring everyone there to ask questions. "Wolfe! Wolfe! Does it hurt failing to live up to the expectations of the great Kaapstad and Hollywood Striker Predecessors?" Came the words which tipped him over the edge. Dante snatched the microphone faster then anyone would have ever expected, turning around absolutely WHIPPING it at the wall. It exploded on contact against the hard surface. Dante was breathing heavily, realizing he had gotten worked up over nothing. He ran a hand through his still sweaty hair and brushed it back, staring at the reporter. "No. It just hurts listening to your damn voice every after every match." He said before turning away and ignoring the continued flurry of voices echoing within the tunnel leading to the locker room. When he entered he ignored the looks his teammates gave him, most of them filled with some mix of confusion or concern, and hung a towel over his head while staring straight ahead with eyes as cold as ice. He had never felt this way before. This emptiness. Like the world was looking to swallow him whole. Or maybe he had and he'd just been able to ignore it since he didn't know just how good life could feel. He'd felt this way for awhile ... and it wasn't something he could just look towards his friends and teammates to fix for him. Dante understood that had to do it himself ...

But just how long would it be until this feeling finally went away?]]>
At the secondary practice field near F.C. Kaapstads facilities over 50 soccer balls had been strewn across the turf. Rain came down and make odd sounds as they crashed against the surface of the soccer balls as if the rain was breaking apart upon impact. Mixed into the sound of falling rain was another sound ... a BANG! Or BOOM! Sometimes a THUD! One might have though it was the occasional booming of thunder far off in the distance that only a faint echo reached one's ears. Maybe a tree hitting the ground after being toppled by the insidious weather. But if one were to follow to the sound to it's origin they would find Dante Von Wolfe at the same practice field, absolutely blasting shots across the field and into the net. The rain battered down upon him as well, drenching his hair causing it to hang down lower then usual. In Kaapstads first game Dante had no passes in front of the net in which he could take a shot, and he wasn't someone so irrational as to take a shot when there was absolutely no chance of it going in. if he did that, then he'd miss more shots and eventually he'd be benched. Hence why Dante was getting in extra practice, the rain providing another obstacle for him to overcome. He figured out that the trick to shooting in the rain was to focus more on the center of the ball and to reduce the power you put into shots so it doesn't go flying all over the place. It was interesting practicing control like this ... but at the end of the day, Dante's thoughts kept coming back to the first matchday. Did he need to trust his teammates more? How could he show them he was worthy? The thoughts continued to haunt him all throughout the week until the next matchday was eventually upon him.

No one knows how a match will go before it's actually played as speculation is just that. Mere speculation ... so in many ways it was a good thing that Dante paid absolutely no attention to the media most days. But with his phone blowing up with notifications it wasn't hard to see what was going on. Kaapstad had been hot and cold, and when the articles online should have been about how they can push forward and clean themselves up now heading into the 4th matchday and beyond. Instead the media was focused on Dante Von Wolfe and the fact that despite being Kaapstad's starting Striker for the entire season thus far, he hadn't even been able to take a shot on net. Instead Dante had delivered a few assists, and had excellent passing and tackling ratio's. Pundits were speculating about the possibility of Dante even moving to CAM or CM given that his stats more aligned with those roles. Fans were happy that Kaapstad was staying competitive in what was supposed to be a down year as well, and the locker room full of Rookies that was supposed to be weathering a brutal season instead were all showing flashes of their potential which caused Kaapstad to draft them in the first place. Everyone but Dante Von Wolfe.

After the 2-1 victory against Krung Threp reporters asked him how he felt about his limited involvement in the game, but he remained coolheaded and uncaring like usual. "It sucks. But we got the win and I know coach is happy about that. He already told me that it'd be a work in progress, and given that I'm now facing veterans and young rising stars older then myself it makes sense that it'd take time to catch up." That may have been Dante's answer when he was thrust in front of the reporters, but after the friendlies and his consistent scoring Dante was of course understandably disappointed in himself.

The Cup Qualifier game which Dante had nabbed his first assist in had also resulted in a 2 - 5 loss to AC Romana was a much different conversation however as reporters barraged him with multiple questions considering he was able to make a play happen offensively, yet still hadn't ended up taking a single shot on goal. "Yeah, I'm frustrated. I passed and he scored, when it should have been me scoring. On top of that, we didn't even win. Doesn't matter if Romana is far and away a better team as opposed to Kaapstad, it doesn't matter if one is a Majors Division 2 team or not. I just want to win and score."

After three weeks of going without a single shot in a matchday against Minors Division 1 Bottom Feeders Inter London, Dante was absolutely fuming. Not only did his teammates struggle to capitalize on half his passes, but they were barely bothering to pass the ball back to him ...! He hadn't scored yet ... he hadn't managed a shot on goal ... he was going fucking insane wondering exactly why. Every time he was about to start completely abandoning the pass Dante looked at his teammates and calmed himself down, the friends he'd made in Istanbul and now here ... if he didn't at least pass, then they would never be able to move the ball up the pitch and then he really would be unable to score as they'd easily focus in on him. Not only that, but his teammates which practically barely passed to him already, would probably stop doing so altogether ...! The reporters didn't help either as they had become aware of his frustration, how despite his typically calm and uncaring outwards appearance he did have a human side to him when it came to the sport he loved.

The breaking point was when a reporter shoved their microphone in his face as he was walking, clearly intent on ignoring everyone there to ask questions. "Wolfe! Wolfe! Does it hurt failing to live up to the expectations of the great Kaapstad and Hollywood Striker Predecessors?" Came the words which tipped him over the edge. Dante snatched the microphone faster then anyone would have ever expected, turning around absolutely WHIPPING it at the wall. It exploded on contact against the hard surface. Dante was breathing heavily, realizing he had gotten worked up over nothing. He ran a hand through his still sweaty hair and brushed it back, staring at the reporter. "No. It just hurts listening to your damn voice every after every match." He said before turning away and ignoring the continued flurry of voices echoing within the tunnel leading to the locker room. When he entered he ignored the looks his teammates gave him, most of them filled with some mix of confusion or concern, and hung a towel over his head while staring straight ahead with eyes as cold as ice. He had never felt this way before. This emptiness. Like the world was looking to swallow him whole. Or maybe he had and he'd just been able to ignore it since he didn't know just how good life could feel. He'd felt this way for awhile ... and it wasn't something he could just look towards his friends and teammates to fix for him. Dante understood that had to do it himself ...

But just how long would it be until this feeling finally went away?]]> <![CDATA[Festival of the Dragon - Award Ceremony (S25)]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10324 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:52:10 +0100 Daleks]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10324
It has been a long time coming, but it is finally time to recap the Season 25 Festival of the Dragon awards ceremony. This was intended to come out earlier, but various things have prevented me from taking the time to write this down. However, we are now finally here.

Once again, an explanation for those seeing this for the first time: The Festival of the Dragon is an award ceremony hosted by the Shanghai Dragons/Rapid Magyar organisation to celebrate the users in our locker room, their players and to immortalize the best moments that have happened during the season.

There are 3 stages to this award process. First, pretty much anyone can nominate goals and moments for the Goal of the Season and Moment of the Season awards.
Afterwards, members of the organisation vote for each of the awards, apart from the prestigious ‘Low Sweep City’ Card Collector Award, which is just a statistic award. Then, the third stage is the live reveal in our locker room!

For this season we have the same 6 awards as always. As a recap, this is what they are

These awards are:
Shanghai Player of the Season – an award given to the player who was the most valuable player for The Shanghai Dragons FC team throughout the whole season (league AND cup)
Magyar Player of the Season – same as the previous award, but for a player that played for Rapid Magyar SC.
Locker Room Leader – an award given to the user who positively contributed the most to the SHA/MAG locker room. This could be via just being very active, or perhaps they did a lot of work bringing people together via various events or game nights, etc. They also have to be part of the team as well.
‘Low Sweep City’ Card Collector Award – the most prestigious and sought after reward in our organisation. This award goes to whatever played in the entire org has collected the most cards in all competitions.
Goal of the Season – This award is featured in the nominations stage. This is for the goal of the season. Pretty self-explanatory.
Moment of the Season – The second of the awards that takes part in the nominations stage. This award is for the moment in the season that was the most memorable and will stay as the thing we will remember most from this season.

There are also some additional rules such as:

-You can't vote for yourself for Player of the Season and Locker Room Leader
-Previous locker room leader can't be voted on for a season (Beavie for this season)
-Staff can't be selected for Locker Room Leader
-Staff votes are tiebreakers.

The staff for this season were:
North
Daleks
Darthus

And once again, special thanks to Ghost for another season of providing us with great graphics. It would not feel the same without his magic touch!

And now, it is time for the first award:

Shanghai Player of the Season

After several seasons of being considered the best GK in the SSL, as well as winning an MVP award, it is only now that Shingo Takechi has finally managed to win a Shanghai Player of the Season award. Takechi continues to be a stable wall in goal and continues to have one of the highest average ratings in the team, this season only being behind second most voted Sam Albinson.
Takechi boasted the second highest save percentage in the league, as well as the second highest XG prevented. Shanghai has had an incredibly unlucky season, but Takechi did his best to try to avert the disaster, and he continues to cement himself as one of the best goalkeepers in SSL history.

Magyar Player of the Season

Jordan Bamford came into our team looking for one final challenge as he looks to look towards winding down his career. Rapid Magyar found themselves in a terrifying challenging Minors Division 1, and the veteran presence of Jordan Bamford helped to keep them calm.
Bamford has had several clutch moments on the league that made us secure wins which should have had no business getting. He found himself in the top 10 for key passes, as well as having a great number of defensive contributions as he also found himself in the top 10 for successful tackles and interceptions.

Locker Room Leader

One of the OGs, an always present presence in the locker room, homercrates has always been one of the biggest hearts of the team since day 1. Him being drafted was due to incredible moments of kindness and empathy, which he has continued to this very day.
He has also been making his signature Notts cards for every new member of the team since the beginning. He is also one of the biggest cheer leaders for Rapid Magyar SC, a team he has actually never played, but is always excited to cheer for. They are the future of our organisation, after all.
This is an award that has been long awaited, and he has deserved every bit of it.

‘Low Sweep City’ Card Collector Awards

HELL YEAH, MY FAVOURITE. THE FAMOUS/INFAMOUS ‘LOW SWEEP CITY’ CARD COLLECTOR AWARD. ARE YOU READY FOR THE WINNER OF THIS INCREDIBLE AWARD?
BIGMAC JOHNSON, OUR MIDFIELD GUARDIAN, THE MAGIC BIGMACESSI. 6 YELLOW CARDS!!!
This actually makes him the winner with the least cards in the awards history so far. Perhaps that was the issue with Shanghai this season. Not enough violence?

Goal of the Season

While we were not exactly blessed with a lot of goals this season, Allie Bunson has managed to wow us nonetheless with a wonderfully placed volley that came from a pass by Sam Albinson. It was a matter of right place, right time, and a willingness to just bloody blast it with full power. Quite a bit of anger released by our resident Scorbunny.

Moment of the Season

In a season marked by a lot of downs, there was one incredible moment that will be always remembered. Vito Habjanič’s last goal in his entire career. Said goal also happened in a very important promotion/relegation match, and it has basically won us the game by swinging the momentum dramatically towards our side. There is no doubt that his goal is the reason Rapid Magyar SC stayed in Divisions 1. He ended his career by giving our youth players a brighter future and confidence.
We will always cherish the time Vito Habjanič has spent in our time. Coming from a team that was ready to send him down early, but he knew he still has a lot to show in the majors.

Thank you for everything, Vito!

And that is all for this season of the Festival of the Dragon. This season has obviously had a lot of extreme downs. The Dragons' path of barely losing the title last season to being auto relegated has been immensely painful and also extremely unlucky. The Dragons don’t deserve such a fate. However, I have a lot of faith in seeing us soar back to the top in no time. No use wallowing in the past, it is time to refocus back to the path infront. Besides, Rapid Magyar SC survival has been inspiration and a real high point. They survived in Division 1 when the odds were against them.

Thanks once again to everyone in the team and everyone that supports us. This journey would not be enjoyable without all of you, and we hope for several more seasons of more fun and laughter!

]]>
It has been a long time coming, but it is finally time to recap the Season 25 Festival of the Dragon awards ceremony. This was intended to come out earlier, but various things have prevented me from taking the time to write this down. However, we are now finally here.

Once again, an explanation for those seeing this for the first time: The Festival of the Dragon is an award ceremony hosted by the Shanghai Dragons/Rapid Magyar organisation to celebrate the users in our locker room, their players and to immortalize the best moments that have happened during the season.

There are 3 stages to this award process. First, pretty much anyone can nominate goals and moments for the Goal of the Season and Moment of the Season awards.
Afterwards, members of the organisation vote for each of the awards, apart from the prestigious ‘Low Sweep City’ Card Collector Award, which is just a statistic award. Then, the third stage is the live reveal in our locker room!

For this season we have the same 6 awards as always. As a recap, this is what they are

These awards are:
Shanghai Player of the Season – an award given to the player who was the most valuable player for The Shanghai Dragons FC team throughout the whole season (league AND cup)
Magyar Player of the Season – same as the previous award, but for a player that played for Rapid Magyar SC.
Locker Room Leader – an award given to the user who positively contributed the most to the SHA/MAG locker room. This could be via just being very active, or perhaps they did a lot of work bringing people together via various events or game nights, etc. They also have to be part of the team as well.
‘Low Sweep City’ Card Collector Award – the most prestigious and sought after reward in our organisation. This award goes to whatever played in the entire org has collected the most cards in all competitions.
Goal of the Season – This award is featured in the nominations stage. This is for the goal of the season. Pretty self-explanatory.
Moment of the Season – The second of the awards that takes part in the nominations stage. This award is for the moment in the season that was the most memorable and will stay as the thing we will remember most from this season.

There are also some additional rules such as:

-You can't vote for yourself for Player of the Season and Locker Room Leader
-Previous locker room leader can't be voted on for a season (Beavie for this season)
-Staff can't be selected for Locker Room Leader
-Staff votes are tiebreakers.

The staff for this season were:
North
Daleks
Darthus

And once again, special thanks to Ghost for another season of providing us with great graphics. It would not feel the same without his magic touch!

And now, it is time for the first award:

Shanghai Player of the Season

Magyar Player of the Season

Locker Room Leader

‘Low Sweep City’ Card Collector Awards

Goal of the Season

Moment of the Season

]]> <![CDATA[Kairo Vox...Hero to Zero?]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10323 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:53:00 +0100 Hoodz_91]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10323
Kairo Vox’s move from Stockholm IK to North Shore United has brought more than just a change of shirt it has also produced a noticeable change in the type of player he has been on the pitch.

In S25 Vox was primarily an attacking midfielder who could also operate centrally as a striker, this season he has been used more regularly from the left as a playmaking winger the statistics reflect that positional change clearly.

Obviously the S26 season hasn't completely finished yet with 3 games still to go so we can't do a full season on season comparison however with playing 90 minutes of all games we can still base it on averages over 90 mins.

Here are the stats for each season below;

| Statistic | S25 | S26 |
| Appearances | 14 | 11 |
| Goals per 90 | 0.43 | 0.27 |
| Assists per 90 | 0.07 | 0.18 |
| Goal involvements per 90 | 0.50 | 0.45 |
| Shots per 90 | 1.71 | 2.09 |
| Key passes per 90 | 1.07 | 1.45 |
| Successful crosses per 90 | 0.43 | 0.64 |
| Tackles won per 90 | 1.64 | 3.18 |
| Interceptions per 90 | 1.64 | 2.27 |
| Distance covered per 90 | 12.69 km | 13.49 km |
| Average rating | 6.88 | 6.75 |

S25 Summary

Vox’s first season was comfortably the more productive campaign in front of goal he scored six times in 14 appearances, including one penalty, while converting 25% of his total shots half of his 24 attempts hit the target, giving him an excellent 50% shooting accuracy which if I do say so myself is pretty damn good to say its a first season without any type of meta build knowledge.
Those numbers made Vox an efficient attacking threat he did not shoot particularly often averaging just 1.71 attempts per match, but the chances he received were regularly turned into genuine danger.
His movement was also far more aggressive Vox was caught offside 12 times in S25 compared with only once in S26. Whilst being offside is rarely celebrated, the dramatic difference shows how often he was threatening the space behind defenders and operating closer to the opposition goal his six goals and one assist gave him a direct goal involvement every two matches.

S26 Summary (So far)

The curious part of Vox’s current season is that he is actually shooting more his shot volume has increased from 1.71 to 2.09 attempts per match despite that increase, his shots on target have dropped from 0.86 to 0.55 per match his overall shooting accuracy has consequently fallen from 50% to 26.1%, while his conversion rate has almost halved from 25% to 13% which is to be expected walking into a Division 1 minors team in truth, the goal threat that is shared across a front 4 of Rashford, Del Pirlo, Neymarinho and himself it genuinely comes as no surprise that those number will drop having around half the TPE that those other guys have that is the main reason his goal return has dropped from 0.43 to 0.27 per match.The opportunities are still arriving, but Vox is not currently finding the same quality of finish some of that could be attributed to his wider starting position, with shots potentially coming from more difficult areas. Nevertheless, turning more of those attempts into shots on target would immediately transform his season.

Creativity beginning to increase...

Although the goals have slowed down, Vox has become a more influential creator he already has two assists in 11 S26 appearances after recording only one across the entirety of S25. His key-pass output has risen from 1.07 to 1.45 per match, an improvement of approximately 36%. Crossing has also become a more effective part of his game Vox’s crossing accuracy has increased from 17.14% to 23.33%, while his successful crosses have risen from 0.43 to 0.64 per match his chances created have increased from 0.36 to 0.45 per game as well. Vox’s passing accuracy has dipped slightly from 82.62% to 79.86%, but that may be the consequence of attempting more progressive and risky passes in the final third plus the increase of difficult opponents he is no facing against no offence to the academy boys lol. His S26 numbers suggest a player who is being asked to create rather than simply finish attacks.

A winger that can defend??? Surely not we are all lazy right lol?

The most dramatic change has come without the ball Vox won 23 tackles throughout S25. He has already won 35 in only 11 matches this season that represents an increase from 1.64 to 3.18 tackles won per match, almost double his previous output. His tackle success rate has also climbed from 71.88% to an impressive 83.33%. The improvement does not end there his interceptions have risen from 1.64 to 2.27 per match, his clearances from 0.50 to 0.82 and his blocks from 0.43 to 0.64 Vox has also avoided making a mistake leading directly to a goal after recording one such error in S25. The increased work is visible in his distance figures. He is covering 13.49 kilometres per appearance this season compared with 12.69 kilometres last season that is approximately 800 additional metres every match going to show the other 3 attackers in North Shore are pure lazy leaving me and my old ass legs to track back! This is no longer just an attacker waiting for the ball Vox is pressing, recovering possession and contributing throughout every phase of the game.

SOOOOO do the stats show an improved Vox, or is it just the TPE increasing but not the stats?

The answer depends on what North Shore United want him to be S25 Vox was the superior goalscorer he was sharper in front of goal, hit the target more regularly and produced a slightly higher average rating of 6.88 compared with 6.75 this season S26 Vox, however, is the more complete footballer he is creating more, crossing more accurately, covering additional ground and producing vastly better defensive numbers. His combined goals and assists have only fallen from 0.50 to 0.45 per match, meaning his overall attacking contribution has remained relatively close despite the reduction in goals. Projected across the same 14 appearances he made last season, his current pace would produce approximately four goals, three assists, 20 key passes, 45 tackles won and 32 interceptions.

The next step is obvious. Vox must combine his new found all round influence with the finishing efficiency he demonstrated in S25 should he recover that clinical edge without sacrificing his creativity and defensive work, North Shore United will not merely have a dangerous winger. They will have one of the most complete wide attacking midfielders in the league.

In terms of away from the pitch since the Academy season with Stockholm, Vox has enjoyed his time as an accountant and BoD intern. Now is the time to look ahead and see what the future holds for Vox, Head Accountant is still the dream, will Vox be putting on a North Shore shirt again next season? Who knows as we all know the trade window is still open and nobody is safe. I guess that all comes down to the offers that arrive and get sent out. See you on the other side!]]>
Kairo Vox’s move from Stockholm IK to North Shore United has brought more than just a change of shirt it has also produced a noticeable change in the type of player he has been on the pitch.

In S25 Vox was primarily an attacking midfielder who could also operate centrally as a striker, this season he has been used more regularly from the left as a playmaking winger the statistics reflect that positional change clearly.

Obviously the S26 season hasn't completely finished yet with 3 games still to go so we can't do a full season on season comparison however with playing 90 minutes of all games we can still base it on averages over 90 mins.

Here are the stats for each season below;

| Statistic | S25 | S26 |
| Appearances | 14 | 11 |
| Goals per 90 | 0.43 | 0.27 |
| Assists per 90 | 0.07 | 0.18 |
| Goal involvements per 90 | 0.50 | 0.45 |
| Shots per 90 | 1.71 | 2.09 |
| Key passes per 90 | 1.07 | 1.45 |
| Successful crosses per 90 | 0.43 | 0.64 |
| Tackles won per 90 | 1.64 | 3.18 |
| Interceptions per 90 | 1.64 | 2.27 |
| Distance covered per 90 | 12.69 km | 13.49 km |
| Average rating | 6.88 | 6.75 |

S25 Summary

Vox’s first season was comfortably the more productive campaign in front of goal he scored six times in 14 appearances, including one penalty, while converting 25% of his total shots half of his 24 attempts hit the target, giving him an excellent 50% shooting accuracy which if I do say so myself is pretty damn good to say its a first season without any type of meta build knowledge.
Those numbers made Vox an efficient attacking threat he did not shoot particularly often averaging just 1.71 attempts per match, but the chances he received were regularly turned into genuine danger.
His movement was also far more aggressive Vox was caught offside 12 times in S25 compared with only once in S26. Whilst being offside is rarely celebrated, the dramatic difference shows how often he was threatening the space behind defenders and operating closer to the opposition goal his six goals and one assist gave him a direct goal involvement every two matches.

S26 Summary (So far)

The curious part of Vox’s current season is that he is actually shooting more his shot volume has increased from 1.71 to 2.09 attempts per match despite that increase, his shots on target have dropped from 0.86 to 0.55 per match his overall shooting accuracy has consequently fallen from 50% to 26.1%, while his conversion rate has almost halved from 25% to 13% which is to be expected walking into a Division 1 minors team in truth, the goal threat that is shared across a front 4 of Rashford, Del Pirlo, Neymarinho and himself it genuinely comes as no surprise that those number will drop having around half the TPE that those other guys have that is the main reason his goal return has dropped from 0.43 to 0.27 per match.The opportunities are still arriving, but Vox is not currently finding the same quality of finish some of that could be attributed to his wider starting position, with shots potentially coming from more difficult areas. Nevertheless, turning more of those attempts into shots on target would immediately transform his season.

Creativity beginning to increase...

Although the goals have slowed down, Vox has become a more influential creator he already has two assists in 11 S26 appearances after recording only one across the entirety of S25. His key-pass output has risen from 1.07 to 1.45 per match, an improvement of approximately 36%. Crossing has also become a more effective part of his game Vox’s crossing accuracy has increased from 17.14% to 23.33%, while his successful crosses have risen from 0.43 to 0.64 per match his chances created have increased from 0.36 to 0.45 per game as well. Vox’s passing accuracy has dipped slightly from 82.62% to 79.86%, but that may be the consequence of attempting more progressive and risky passes in the final third plus the increase of difficult opponents he is no facing against no offence to the academy boys lol. His S26 numbers suggest a player who is being asked to create rather than simply finish attacks.

A winger that can defend??? Surely not we are all lazy right lol?

The most dramatic change has come without the ball Vox won 23 tackles throughout S25. He has already won 35 in only 11 matches this season that represents an increase from 1.64 to 3.18 tackles won per match, almost double his previous output. His tackle success rate has also climbed from 71.88% to an impressive 83.33%. The improvement does not end there his interceptions have risen from 1.64 to 2.27 per match, his clearances from 0.50 to 0.82 and his blocks from 0.43 to 0.64 Vox has also avoided making a mistake leading directly to a goal after recording one such error in S25. The increased work is visible in his distance figures. He is covering 13.49 kilometres per appearance this season compared with 12.69 kilometres last season that is approximately 800 additional metres every match going to show the other 3 attackers in North Shore are pure lazy leaving me and my old ass legs to track back! This is no longer just an attacker waiting for the ball Vox is pressing, recovering possession and contributing throughout every phase of the game.

SOOOOO do the stats show an improved Vox, or is it just the TPE increasing but not the stats?

The answer depends on what North Shore United want him to be S25 Vox was the superior goalscorer he was sharper in front of goal, hit the target more regularly and produced a slightly higher average rating of 6.88 compared with 6.75 this season S26 Vox, however, is the more complete footballer he is creating more, crossing more accurately, covering additional ground and producing vastly better defensive numbers. His combined goals and assists have only fallen from 0.50 to 0.45 per match, meaning his overall attacking contribution has remained relatively close despite the reduction in goals. Projected across the same 14 appearances he made last season, his current pace would produce approximately four goals, three assists, 20 key passes, 45 tackles won and 32 interceptions.

The next step is obvious. Vox must combine his new found all round influence with the finishing efficiency he demonstrated in S25 should he recover that clinical edge without sacrificing his creativity and defensive work, North Shore United will not merely have a dangerous winger. They will have one of the most complete wide attacking midfielders in the league.

In terms of away from the pitch since the Academy season with Stockholm, Vox has enjoyed his time as an accountant and BoD intern. Now is the time to look ahead and see what the future holds for Vox, Head Accountant is still the dream, will Vox be putting on a North Shore shirt again next season? Who knows as we all know the trade window is still open and nobody is safe. I guess that all comes down to the offers that arrive and get sent out. See you on the other side!]]> <![CDATA[Interview Christopher Bergmann]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10321 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 08:31:36 +0100 Bergmau]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10321
Bergmann: Yeah, its been a busy few weeks since we last had the chance to talk.

Interviewer: Indeed, with the World Cup and your season going at the same time. While the former has been finished, the later is still going and I have to say, its a very exciting season. Rova is clear at the top but Masques, Cairo and you guys are fighting for second place and a shot at promotion. Give me your thoughts on that.

Bergmann: Its a very tight race, at the beginning of this season we did not expect to be here, so at this point we have nothing to lose. Our schedule for the final games looks to be on the easier side but in this Divison you should never underestimate any opponent. We will have to wait and see. It stings that we lost to Masques on the last matchday, we gave away the advantage we had and have to wait for them to lose in order to overtake them. Its no longer in our hands.

Interviewer: If you can, we would like to hear some words about the atmosphere inside the locker room.

Bergmann: Its been great the whole season. We are progressing faster than expected. Everybody is pulling their weight. We have a good amount of rookies in the team, me included. We have grown together as a unit and all of us are really looking forward to the upcoming seasons, no matter what happens in this one. We know the future ahead of us is great, no matter what.

Interviewer: Lovely to hear. Best of luck to you in the upcoming games and thank you for your time.

Bergmann: Thank you.]]>
Bergmann: Yeah, its been a busy few weeks since we last had the chance to talk.

Interviewer: Indeed, with the World Cup and your season going at the same time. While the former has been finished, the later is still going and I have to say, its a very exciting season. Rova is clear at the top but Masques, Cairo and you guys are fighting for second place and a shot at promotion. Give me your thoughts on that.

Bergmann: Its a very tight race, at the beginning of this season we did not expect to be here, so at this point we have nothing to lose. Our schedule for the final games looks to be on the easier side but in this Divison you should never underestimate any opponent. We will have to wait and see. It stings that we lost to Masques on the last matchday, we gave away the advantage we had and have to wait for them to lose in order to overtake them. Its no longer in our hands.

Interviewer: If you can, we would like to hear some words about the atmosphere inside the locker room.

Bergmann: Its been great the whole season. We are progressing faster than expected. Everybody is pulling their weight. We have a good amount of rookies in the team, me included. We have grown together as a unit and all of us are really looking forward to the upcoming seasons, no matter what happens in this one. We know the future ahead of us is great, no matter what.

Interviewer: Lovely to hear. Best of luck to you in the upcoming games and thank you for your time.

Bergmann: Thank you.]]> <![CDATA[Jakarta draws closer to the title]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10320 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 06:38:06 +0100 Rylakn]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10320
This guy is a gun on the tactics as well as the most active user in the locker room, encouraging others to be active each day. He posts a random scouting question of the day to facilitate conversation and on GameDays provides written commentary and updates as he watches. He makes sure to tag each user when they do something good or notable. In addition to this he posts the standings and box score after each game for people to review in case they can't catch the game live. Furthermore he posts the same screenshots and provides a short summary in the ISFL server for other Sim leagues, so that our teammate who isn't in the SSL server can keep up to date with what is going on.

On a more personal note, he has taken the time to teach me a little about tactics and chat to me about what we are playing, how it matches up against our opponents and what we can do to improve our odds each game. I have not been the most available or diligent student of late, but he continues to work me into the conversation each game and has been a very patient teacher.

Yes, the season isn't over yet and it is entirely possible we lose the title, but I wanted to take the opportunity to shout out our fearless leader now, in case life gets too busy with expansions, scouting and drafts over the next few weeks.

Thank you mate, you're a real legend.]]>
This guy is a gun on the tactics as well as the most active user in the locker room, encouraging others to be active each day. He posts a random scouting question of the day to facilitate conversation and on GameDays provides written commentary and updates as he watches. He makes sure to tag each user when they do something good or notable. In addition to this he posts the standings and box score after each game for people to review in case they can't catch the game live. Furthermore he posts the same screenshots and provides a short summary in the ISFL server for other Sim leagues, so that our teammate who isn't in the SSL server can keep up to date with what is going on.

On a more personal note, he has taken the time to teach me a little about tactics and chat to me about what we are playing, how it matches up against our opponents and what we can do to improve our odds each game. I have not been the most available or diligent student of late, but he continues to work me into the conversation each game and has been a very patient teacher.

Yes, the season isn't over yet and it is entirely possible we lose the title, but I wanted to take the opportunity to shout out our fearless leader now, in case life gets too busy with expansions, scouting and drafts over the next few weeks.

Thank you mate, you're a real legend.]]> <![CDATA[Going more in depth into Adowa Acra FC's performances]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10318 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:21:43 +0100 ScarlettMantis]]> https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=10318 Adowa is around the mid to lower end of the table. This is about where I would place them based on the performances I've seen, but right away the biggest thing that jumps out is the lack of cohesion on defense. Unfortunately Sirxo himself was on full display as the other team kept finding the right pass to break the line and get a good cross into the box. Fortunately for Acra however, the best player by far has been their incredible goalkeeper, Kagenori. Too often does the tender have to step up, yet almost as often does he arrive to make a brilliant save and bail the defender out.
However even such a keeper is not enough to win games if you can't seem to score. In most games you'll find Acra with a suspiciously high xg considering them usually being at zero goals scored. They succeed really well at driving the ball down the field. To give a personal touch, Sirxo has linked up really nicely with Holmberg and Krunk at times. But the finish just never seems to be there for one reason or another. In the first two games since I joined, more than half of the offense I've witnessed has passed through the left side with the previously mentioned trio. It's good to see one half connecting, but in order to win a game you need all eleven players to link up together as a unit.

Most recently Adowa got taken completely apart by the Victoria Falls Eagles. A crushing 4-0 loss which could've been much worse without a few offsides called showed the difference between the best in the academy and the worst. This is when the final piece of Adowa fell apart. The midfield cohesion that had allowed them to quickly take a ball from their own box all the way down the length of the field was completely missing and throughout the whole game it was rare for Acra to ever have a moment to breathe and as soon as the ball left their end it was right back.
If you missed it earlier, let me remind you that Kagenori is the highest performing player on the team, I would argue this statement stayed true for this game, even with such a barrage of goals. Victoria was allowed 20 shots on net, the majority of which were saved.

However. Recently there has been a dash of hope coming to the locker room. There has been a slow but steady supply of academy players arriving in Adowa and though the team hasn't begun winning yet. There have been many little flashes of a team that could bring out one amazing performance before the end of the academy season.
As the draft soon approaches. Keep a keen eye on this team and keep a list of names when the draft finally happens. I'm expecting players like Kit Krunk, Kazeno Kagenori, Gosta Holmberg, Tyson Blaze, Dragos Vraciu to wind up as really high end prospects that will be snatched up like hot cakes!]]> Adowa is around the mid to lower end of the table. This is about where I would place them based on the performances I've seen, but right away the biggest thing that jumps out is the lack of cohesion on defense. Unfortunately Sirxo himself was on full display as the other team kept finding the right pass to break the line and get a good cross into the box. Fortunately for Acra however, the best player by far has been their incredible goalkeeper, Kagenori. Too often does the tender have to step up, yet almost as often does he arrive to make a brilliant save and bail the defender out.
However even such a keeper is not enough to win games if you can't seem to score. In most games you'll find Acra with a suspiciously high xg considering them usually being at zero goals scored. They succeed really well at driving the ball down the field. To give a personal touch, Sirxo has linked up really nicely with Holmberg and Krunk at times. But the finish just never seems to be there for one reason or another. In the first two games since I joined, more than half of the offense I've witnessed has passed through the left side with the previously mentioned trio. It's good to see one half connecting, but in order to win a game you need all eleven players to link up together as a unit.

Most recently Adowa got taken completely apart by the Victoria Falls Eagles. A crushing 4-0 loss which could've been much worse without a few offsides called showed the difference between the best in the academy and the worst. This is when the final piece of Adowa fell apart. The midfield cohesion that had allowed them to quickly take a ball from their own box all the way down the length of the field was completely missing and throughout the whole game it was rare for Acra to ever have a moment to breathe and as soon as the ball left their end it was right back.
If you missed it earlier, let me remind you that Kagenori is the highest performing player on the team, I would argue this statement stayed true for this game, even with such a barrage of goals. Victoria was allowed 20 shots on net, the majority of which were saved.

However. Recently there has been a dash of hope coming to the locker room. There has been a slow but steady supply of academy players arriving in Adowa and though the team hasn't begun winning yet. There have been many little flashes of a team that could bring out one amazing performance before the end of the academy season.
As the draft soon approaches. Keep a keen eye on this team and keep a list of names when the draft finally happens. I'm expecting players like Kit Krunk, Kazeno Kagenori, Gosta Holmberg, Tyson Blaze, Dragos Vraciu to wind up as really high end prospects that will be snatched up like hot cakes!]]>