Love on the Rocks A Prescott Carmichael Jaunt (Short Story #2)
But not even Mescalin's extra prodding could rally the Breakers to reverse their stale domestic form. Ronan Bowditch pounced on a Samaj defensive error and chipped home early in the second half, but Real Azuris looked out of ideas in possession after that, perhaps distracted by the CC Semifinal looming in three days. Valfar went over to the supporters and did the honors of firing the celebratory ray gun into the sky, symbolizing the shot that Real's dwindling hopes of repeating just took.
Lower in the table, there was some shuffling as Treftadaeth Alliance shuttered FC Samotath's attack to solidify upper-half position, impressive for the smaller North Peninsula club, and Georgina Wadimu single-handedly shouldered FC Kaldukosic up out of the automatic relegation zone with her second and third goals in two matches. Temuge also had a brace in Zakhoro's breezy home win, narrowing the gap behind Hannah Alcouin for the Golden Boot to two. They are really about to play for a spot in the most massive game in club soccer.
Unlike their off-kilter starts in previous rounds, Real Azuris put the pedal to the metal right away - clearly burning to dispel the taste of that Samaj match. Sean Fraser came close in just the 2nd minute, forcing an athletic save low to Jonah Nkutu's right with a sweeping shot that capped off some great passing and moving by the front three. Bowdtich, who once called Rozelle home, forced another diving save in the 7th minute after knocking down a Fraser cross and scuffing it towards the left post.
Finally, in the 11th minute, Sandra Sybill made the breakthrough. She simply hammered a hard free kick straight at the wall, but the Rozelle players turned and the ball whistled untouched through a gap and into the back of the net. With a lead and an away goal and a healthy respect for Tevin Lilley, Mescalin immediately reined his team back in a little bit.
The more conservative approach worked for awhile. Rozelle registered just one shot on target in the first half. Halftime tactical adjustments by Raven Cullen, however, made the difference. Whatever Cullen did, Lilley found himself with some extra space to operate and run into with his blazing pace. In just the 48th minute, Elsie Drover found Lilley with a booming through ball from deep.
Lilley's deft first touch put Grier out of position, and he quickly collected himself and flicked the ball into Ozuna's side-netting. Despite a couple more decent chances each way, the score would hold to the final whistle. Everything for Real Azuris to play for in the second leg in front of their hyped-up fans at MasseMord Stadium. Nothing goes how it should.
Whether it was nerves or something else, all the big teams at the top self-destruct despite having every possible motivation not to. Real Azuris are eliminated from championship contention the rest of Cosumar singing Hallelujah by an FC Kaldukosic side with a gun to its head, Ramusok United are likewise caught off-guard by the energy and ruthless finishing of derby visitors AC Holmenkollen Lili Riprov brace , Cassandra City open themselves up too much in Samotath and are made to pay all four Samo attackers scoring and 2nd-placed heh Eastweald are held off by a Pelethas side running out some youth with nothing to play for.
Absolute shocker in defense from Fosse to Boakye-Yiadom in goal. Samaj FC have all the momentum in the world at the right time - they're undefeated in ten matches with two to play - and now with a shot at the title thanks to all the losses above them this week. Their first ever UICA berth looks like it's in the bag, but can they pull off an even bigger miracle? In other news, Klyde are in dire straits in last after failing to match the wins of Holmenkollen and Kaldukosic, Hannah Alcouin scored yet another brace in yet another CCFC draw, and Kurtis Samarqand spectacularly kept the Aces' UICA hopes alive with a 94th minute bicycled equalizer at suddenly-relegation-frightened West Gundar.
Again in Leg 2, he stepped up and terrorized his countrymen to Real Azuris' benefit. His cracking long-range shot gave the South Klydian side a aggregate edge in the 20th minute. Later, in the 55th minute, Bowditch's tricky dribbling on the right and a smart layoff allowed his year-old understudy Bryger Tidesson to run up and pick out the top corner, fresh off the bench. Since Matilda Ferrell had equalized everything just prior, and no more goals ensued, Tidesson's strike was the deciding goal once again.
The fearless teenager, who doesn't even have a driving license yet, has sent his club to the Champions' Cup Final. Judging by the overjoyed songs echoing across downtown Azuris all night, Tidesson could retire at 16 and be a club legend forevermore. As for Bowditch, his status was already set in stone. And the cookie starts to crumble. Klyde FC, so recently one of the big shiny institutions of the Harlighet Ligan, are locked into their second relegation in three years. They tried so hard after equalizing in the 76th minute through Trevelyan, but just couldn't find that third goal at home.
Pelethas were determined to play spoiler. Ugly incident afterwards as a few bad apples amongst the devastated Klyde supporters shouted insults at Deon Partell who admittedly botched a few sitters late that could've saved them as he headed into the tunnel. The striker proceeded to confront them face-on, emotions flaring, eventually being pulled away by teammates before the argument could get physical.
But they couldn't stop him from aiming a middle finger at the fans before disappearing into the dressing room. Afterwards, Partell clarified that the gesture was directed only towards the specific fans who verbally abused him, and thanked the rest for their loyal support throughout a disappointing season. Much cheerier scenes at The Amphitheatre, as Cassandra City glowingly ascended into 1st with a demolition of a Stoneshore side that appeared to already be on vacation. Zelaya was brilliant with a hat trick, as was orchestrator Kwame Cole.
The Reds were inconsistent in the first half of the season, but they've indisputably been one of the very best teams in the second half since the midseason break. Because this season never had any frontrunners gain separation, that run is enough to now put Cassandra City in a position where they control their own destiny going into the final match. The other combatants for the title are OAS Royal and Eastweald, who fell one and two points behind, respectively, after disappointing draws this week. Samaj FC, new to these types of pressures at the end of the season, choked away their chance, letting a home atmosphere unlike any I've ever seen in Samaj fizzle to waste.
Ramusok United, leaders for much of the season, slumped out of the title race in Mallox - no fluidity up top and disjointed in midfield. In a move inspired by the Nepharim Premiership, all nine matches will kick off simultaneously on Saturday for the first time - making for a riveting conclusion to the season with so much on the line around the Fiefdom. Cassandra City Olask Islanders: A win in Olask wins the 21st Harlighet Ligan trophy. Olask have exceeded expectations this season by securing safety with relative ease, but come on.
There are no excuses for Cassandra City not to win this match at Kamu Road and lift the golden trophy. The Royal Whites have a chance to win their first trophy in over 15 years in front of the King and their home fans. They have to win and Cassandra can't. But if Cassandra City botch the job and draw in Olask, then the door opens for Royal with three points. Zakhoro are a tougher proposition than Olask, Temuge reportedly eager to reach the goal mark, but like the Islanders, the Aces have nothing to play for but pride.
Sure, they technically could still qualify for the Globe Cup, but it's mathematically less likely than an Azure Dragon showing up and dancing the polka. OAS Royal fans will be slightly worried if their club have the legs in them to keep up with Temuge. Their immensely talented but shallow squad looked fatigued last week and couldn't get anything going against stubborn Jakob Lunds and Ael Koron in Kaldukosic. If neither of the above two clubs want the title enough to win, Eastweald can swoop in and take it at long last with a win of their own depending on GD if Cassandra City draw.
It's not the greatest odds, but at least Monica Brightwater unlike Constantine Champali for Royal will have confidence in her attack after Jo De Marisco put on a clinic against Samotath last week, scoring and helping Eva Velasquez record a brace. That said, it's in Stoneshore. The Greys are sure to pack into Stoneshore Stonewall mode and fight to end the season with what they strive for down there: Please don't murder me, Eastweald fans.
Samaj FC Ramusok United: Now this is an interesting one. The new young contenders on the rise versus the faltering midseason title favorites. Yet, Samaj also has an outside shot at the second Champions' Cup place with a win. There is no solid ground in the top six right now. Potential landing spots vary wildly, so in-game strategies will shift by the minute depending on events elsewhere. If Real Azuris make it clear they are going to take care of Crawford, all the pressure is suddenly piled on United to go for the win.
If Azuris-Crawford seems headed for a draw, it could be mutually beneficial for Samaj and United to settle for a draw. One thing we know for certain: CCFC have nothing at stake but the semantics of finishing top half, but for Real Azuris the stakes are clear: After their international successes this season, it would be a huge setback to have nothing next season.
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Of course, if they win the Champions' Cup coming up, they'll be assured a place again regardless. But Lujendra Mescalin would much rather have the Globe Cup in his back pocket just in case. Crawford is defensively suspect, so Real are going to GO for this win at home. Minnie Lotuda has earned her new reputation as an escape artist. Holmenkollen were dead in the water, cut adrift so far that the shoreline of safety was no longer even visible on the water's horizon. Until Lotuda arrived in whipped them into shape.
They're not out of the woods yet, but all they need is a draw at Cedar Park to preserve their Harlighet Ligan status. FC Kaldukosic on the other hand, two points behind Holmenkollen, MUST win to avoid an absolutely shocking relegation they were 4th last year! It's a classic struggle for survival. One of these two teams is going down this weekend Treftadaeth Alliance West Gundar: Unless the scenario with FC Kaldukosic winning is coupled with West Gundar losing to safely midtable Alliance at home. In that case, Kaldukosic would leap ahead of Holmenkollen and West Gundar, depositing WGFC into the red zone for the first time all season at the only time that matters.
West Gundar are unlucky to find themselves in this position given the terrific form of strikers Romikk Valgard and Mursill Lubiflor and a defense that wasn't really as bad as the media made it out to be, but they have to find a way to grab a point here. Klyde are already dead and buried and FC Samotath, currently 9th, will just be hoping to stay top half. Although it IS always fun to marvel at the Alesund Stadion theatrics.
They usually save some new flying tricks with their trained mascot hawks for the last home game. These two sides sit even on points in 11th and 12th. This match can be considered something of a midtable tiebreaker then. All at the same time. After patient passing around the box, the ball made its way to fullback Jannick Kontiola on the right. When none of the Aces closed down the Quebec vet, he surged forward and looped in what we think was meant to be a hanging cross. But no one got a head to it and the keeper's vision was obstructed, so it swung all the way inside the far post instead!
A cheer broke out at The Royal Palace as the electronic live table updated and showed Royal in 1st. This live updating thing is going to be harder than I thought. Before I had a chance to report Bella Thompson's opening goal, Stephon Deville added a second scarcely a half-minute later. It's a meaningless game, but somebody forgot to tell Mallox that!
It's a meaningless one, but someone forgot to tell the teams that! The Miners pull one back in style, Auburn Tarrant executing a well-rehearsed give-and-go move with lethal partner Rowan Varghese before slotting past a helpless Sindelaar. West Gundar mere millimeters from a goal that could assure them safety! It bounced up from the grass towards the side-netting But just as West Gundar were about to celebrate, Treftadaeth keeper Martinsky got a single fingernail to it - just enough to tip it onto the post and back out.
Cosudel Champali with the clearance. His team is showing the fortitude under pressure to win the title today. It's year-old Warren Paysinger, getting the surprising nod to start, who lost his defender, ran onto Rowan Gawain's pass and coolly squeezed a shot between Odovacar Ely and the near post. Your move, Cassandra City. As is typical for big games, as no team wants to give it away early. Meanwhile, down in Pelethas, Jesper Lindroos already has the game's fourth goal, cleaning up the mess with a tight finish after Igor Tang bullied Soren Winterkorn off the ball but forgot to, you know, get the ball.
Apparently, Alvin Burnsides has instructed Mallox to try to boost their paltry 'Goals For' stat on the last day. Lili Riprov slices through their defense, Adnan Valerikssen precisely redirecting Funanya Nwapa's pass with his left foot to find her run, and the young Holmenkollen native scoops under the crossbar. The only top-flight club in Cosumar's largest city now needs two goals to stay up.
Klyde play the angles to perfection in the final third and Sophia Trevelyan provides the leaning finish from seven yards on the left. Olvir Barrus-Bari could've done better - he got a palm to it. All the red shirts at The Amphitheatre are ready to party, but no such breakthrough has been forthcoming.
The Olask Islanders are determined to sit back, stay compact, and make the Reds earn it. Marcos Zelaya had an OK chance a couple minutes ago, but hurried his shot wide. City grab the winning scoreline they need to keep OAS Royal away from their trophy. Jason Goulding brings down Bellerophon Serafino's long ball with an outstretched right foot and softly taps it around Haruka Sutton.
One caution goes to Crawford's Spike Lorence for missing the ball and stamping Bowditch's ankle. Mere seconds later, Mina Mordini swerved hers low around the wall and inside the right post from the edge of the box. Now Real Azuris and Eastweald just need their rivals to concede some goals. Hernandez leaps and plucks Caipirinha's softly curled shot out of the top corner. It was behind him! Tham Kerric finds her in a bit of space on the right with a long ball over the top, she clears the onrushing Barrus-Bari with a delightful little chip, then walks it in past the chasing Panossian.
The pocket of Klyde supporters in Samotath clap politely. Another fine Trevelyan performance can't change the fact that it was the worst season in club history. Time to take a break and let the first 45 minutes of action sink in. No one was there, but it was still the most positive thing for Ram Utd. The Aces pulled one back against Royal! They spring a counter and Temuge ghosts into the middle of the box to poke home Kurtis Samarqand's sliding pass from the byline.
One more goal would put Temuge at 20 for the season and throw Royal's title bid in serious jeopardy. Great moment to cap a great season from the Eshan legend. Ram U slides up to 4th in the live table and Samaj falls out of the top five. The energy of the new half has worn off but the threat of the final whistle is not so urgent yet.
Real Azuris, whom they need to match, have strengthened their lead in South Klyde. Sean Fraser with a screamer of a long-range free kick. The Doves are taking all their frustrations out on the Black Hawks. This time, it's sturdy defensive midfielder Luella Svenskah, scoring her first goal of the season off Skarsgaard's corner with a hard-fought nodded effort at the far post.
This time it's someone a little more accustomed to it: Coultan pranced into the box and put Grier on the ground with a quick-footed feint to the outside. Then the Crawford star angled back inside and picked out the far post. It will be a stressful final 20 minutes for Real Azuris, who now cling to their Globe Cup spot by a single goal. The ball was rolled out on a carpet to Rachel Del Arro with an open goal from five yards, but the Samaj attacker somehow sliced it over the bar!
Still , all East Ramusok collectively exhaling in relief. The Hunters may come to regret that one. And, bittersweetly, that a pair of old forwards from the past Harlighet Ligan era subbed on to make likely their final appearances for their longtime clubs. Even the opposing fans took a moment to stand and pay homage to these league legends. Maybe Kurosawa should rethink his decision to retire! The tall year-old has silenced all of Azuris with a chested finish at the far post, capping off a textbook sequence of build-up from Crawford.
Real Azuris' lead evaporated. Back in Ramusok, Blues fans are hi-fiving as their smartphones receive the update. Oh, but it's not good news for those wishing the home side to stay up. With only a few minutes still to navigate, Treftadaeth has remanded West Gundar into the Relegation Playoff spot, Pepito Feliciano clinically redirecting Bethan Davies' squared ball from the right into the goal.
Cassandra City can now feel their grips closing on the title as Yevhen Bardsen's glancing corner header hit the back of the net. Kontiola wins the ball for OAS with a sliding tackle, but he went through Temuge's legs in the process! Kontiola is desperately pleading with the ref, pointing to the ball that he won, but the decision has already been made. What a huge fucking mistake mistake. If the penalty is converted, Royal cede 2nd place to Eastweald. That would be Narrative. Kojo Boakye-Yiadom faked a dive to his right, then bounced the other way after Temuge bit and went left.
Temuge denied his 20th goal and, barring further developments, Eastweald denied Champions' Cup. The Royal Palace is jubilant, though an undercurrent of disappointment remains as Olask continue to show no sign of helping them win the title versus Cassandra. Stoppage time amounts range from one minute to five. Kevin Stabb holds the ball up and flicks it into the flying path of winger Ville Pakkanen, who dramatically sweeps it under Lilly Kearney. The league's media department rejoices as Cosumar's largest TV market can stay up with one more goal here in stoppage time.
They have about one minute left to make it happen When the destined cherry-on-top goal finally came, The Amphitheatre exploded like a shaken bottle of soda! Cassandra City are the Harlighet Ligan champions! And unless Real Azuris or Samaj can find a late winner in the next two minutes, the Globe Cup field is set as well: Eastweald, Samaj, Ram Utd. But it's not one that matters. Lasse Hummel with the thumping header to reward the Samotath fans for sitting through their uninterested performance.
IFK Aldenskoett lose to the Mariners but are fortunate to hang onto it. They have the ball in the Holmenkollen half and the ref is going to let them play out this possession. He beats young left back Grandstaber and drills a cross into the box For a second, it seemed as if the Sunrisian superstar would deliver his most heroic moment yet and save Kaldukosic from their fate. The shot was a good one. Some pace on it, some movement. But her young center back was there to bail her out. Sigrun Rathskeller, waiting by the post, desperately headed Stabb's shot off the line.
Utter disbelief as several Kaldukosic players are resting their hands on their heads and soaking in the Cedar Road jeers, mouths agape. Who else but living club legend Falchion Hess-Olesen could deliver the Eagles to the Promised Land in the very last minute??? Having said that, it's a bit ironic this year considering that the stadium's regular tenants, FC Kaldukosic, have just been relegated for the first time in club history.
After the match, Romikk Valgard was coy about his future in Ruminov. A few hours later, WGFC announced that year-old manager Ludlow has been demoted back to an assistant position for now, pending the hire of a more experienced "name" to lead the promotion charge. Real Azuris finished 6th in the Harlighet Ligan, but just won the Champions' Cup less than a week ago. They'll be riding an emotional high and looking to up their trophy haul to two.
Treftadaeth Alliance finished 8th in the Harlighet Ligan, their highest finish in club history, and are playing in their first ever cup final. Real Azuris are the heavy favorites, naturally as a Multiverse Champions, though most neutrals in the Fiefdom are rooting heavily for humble Alliance to knock them down a peg. Real Azuris and Eastweald are the only clubs to win multiple King's Cups in the tournament's year history.
A win here today would make Real Azuris the first club with three - all won in the last four years. Let's take you to the action at The Royal Palace! Despite a slightly disappointing Harlighet Ligan season, the Breakers still make domestic history in - becoming their first club to win Cosumar's premier cup competition in back-to-back years. Interestingly, it's also the second time they've had a teenager score the winning goal year-old Ojala coming after Arrowsword, then 16, three years ago.
But sandwiched between them is Keenan Athletic in 2nd, a side nobody saw coming. In fact, this website preseason projection's had them 11th. Traditionally a yo-yo side between the second and third divisions, Athletic finally managed to cement themselves in Sekundar Ligan in recent years and now find themselves amongst the best in the Fiefdom. They have a busy offseason ahead of them. They were in Conference last season, but next season will playing in front of 40, at historic stadiums like The Klyde Sportsplex and Leviathan Arena wow, that Kaldukosic relegation still hasn't sunk in up in Sekundar Ligan.
Their defense, led by the fearsome Gylve Roniger, was absolutely dominant, allowing only one goal every two games. Fort Archer also go back up after a two-year wait. Braylor Town Promoted to Sekundar Ligan: Making the postseason is a great accomplishment, but only one team will end the season completely satisfied. Versiaville Vikings 0 7 0 10 17 Kaldukosic Blazers 3 3 3 7 It will include overviews for the 2nd-5th tiers as well.
Mallox Township, Gellano Fief. Tredje Ligan Champions That her gameplan took down the league leaders proves she can manage at this level. To have both of our careers move forward in lockstep at such a moment was truly special. But the most important moment might've come in just the 13th minute of Real Azuris' visit to Pelethas, as Sean Fraser finally made his return from serious injuries sustained in the San Jose Guayabal fan revolt and drove a wicked free kick low around the wall for the only score of the game, drawing them level on points with their hosts.
Ok, yep, rumors of his demise were greatly exaggerated! The Black Panther is back on the prowl! The events of WC77 have Fraser playing noticeably angrier , and the Guayabalense's newfound aggression has inspired the Azurians into some scary form. MasseMord Stadium's cauldron of blue shirts was partying with a lead by half time.
Across Cosumar in Crawford, something is just off. A dishearteningly sparse crowd was subjected to another shambolic home performance marked by lazy fouls, lazy passing and a third consecutive goose-egg on the scoreboard.
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At the hands of Trefta-fucking-Alliance. It's not a good look for Jehan Bair, who probably couldn't get less out of a team this talented if he tried. Hannah Alcouin has been nearly invisible this season, while trusted veterans like Van Kruistum and Na'Kebia suddenly look past it.
The collective mood was summed up quite succinctly by usually-unflappable star Kim Coultan, who walked into the dressing room afterwards and karate-kicked a gaping foot-shaped hole in the wall of the hallway. Surely , she's getting tired of this shit? She deserves so much better than this seemingly-cursed club. The weekend's scorelines were full of examples of what the Elephants could and should be: Samaj FC's was the most exciting: Well, it IS only the Islanders, but still.
Hannah Alcouin, who bore the harshest criticism, stormed the goal like a woman possessed with her first sight of the ball and emphatically stamped her name on the scoresheet in the very first minute. Also a woman possessed was Ki Niro for Cassandra City - except the speedy Chromatik has been looking like that all season long. With their other attackers misfiring, Niro has singlehandedly kept the Reds in contention by creating or scoring most of their goals. She was at it again this week, pouring more cold water on Eastweald's hot start from her comfortable role on the right wing.
After assisting Jol Tortuu's long-awaited first goal of the season from the byline in the 52nd minute, Niro sailed past Pawlukiewicz with a dip of her shoulder in the 65th and found the side-netting from a similarly acute angle. Another Niro assist and an Aakif Guerin thunderbolt later and Arturo Mancini's squad were turning their backs on Eastweald Wood with an impressive result.
Back to square one, it's that simple," Monica Brightwater grumbled post-match. The word sublime there is not used lightly - such pure contact is rarely seen on a shot of such difficulty. A disastrous start as Coultan was questionably sent off on a straight red in the 12th minute only got worse when Jorit Van Kruistum limped off in the 25th minute. Alcouin was stymied by Sigrun Rathskeller and young Shad Vylon's four strong saves without her two most creative service-providers.
To Jehan Bair's credit, the rest of his side ran ragged for him for the next hour to preserve an unlikely point, but it all came undone as the Holmenkollen deluge finally flooded in at the very end. At poor Crawford's expense. Meanwhile, Mallox seem to be rounding into a nice run of form. Kennedy Kopenhaver's debut season has been marked by heavy rotation and tactical experimentation so far, but he has finally stuck with the same line-up in consecutive weeks now. A hard-fought win at The Royal Palace last week followed by a rampant home win this week that wasn't as close as the scoreline suggests.
Sizzling year-old attacker Mehmet Curwyk has broken into the team, assisting Jesper Lindroos' euphoric winner last week and chalking up his own debut HL goal in the 12th minute this week, slinking between Champali and Gerry Duffy on the left and casually picking out the far post with pinpoint precision. Look for Kopenhaver to ride this new combination as long as it continues to perform. Many questioned if the lad had the technical ability to stick at this level, but his 76th minute winner against Pelethas this week should answer that question once and for all.
The winner came lightly off the magic little foot of Jo de Marisco in the 66th minute, given an easy finish by a brilliantly driven Peter Morrison cross and world-class Amokachi dummy run. Niels Roijacker could only fall down helplessly. This was a painful week for a great many fanbases. Some shocking home performances as Eastweald, Stoneshore and Versiaville who all pride themselves on having strong fortresses to varying degrees are humiliated by four or more goals in front of their disgusted supporters. Now, Versiaville having no answer to Ursula Rowan in the midfield? Stoneshore's bunker getting pierced by Holmenkollen's increasingly effective Riprov-Nyle strike duo?
The entire back line was a disorganized mess and the midfield fragile and unable to pass through Zakhoro's press. Isla Safarova came in with an aggressive strategy on the day, telling her players to just let loose and go all-out for it, and she struck gold. Braces from Selena Aliena and Kurtis Samarqand and a bit of a resurgent performance from the hitherto quiet Temuge have renewed conversations about just what this Aces side might be capable of and similar conversations about Eastweald - with entirely different implications.
And then there's Crawford City FC, whose supporters are accustomed to disappointment at home already this season. But even their weary eyes hadn't seen anything quite like this: It was a clinic in the expansive Real Azuris attacking system at its most ruthless and efficient: With less than one-sixth of the match in the books Orangi Stadium couldn't even muster up the cacophonous boo you might expect. Just muted disbelieving grumbles mixed with Good job Real, you can go home early.
Hell, if Kostas Postecoglou's last-gasp consolation had come a bit earlier, it might've still been an interesting finish. The Aces were still hung over from their win over Eastweald, and their three-man back line granted Sigmund Levy free reign over the box. The Colossus of Vermillion had the visitors up by the 70th minute with a hat trick all assisted by the glowing left foot of Jordan Emery. A short Hyperloop ride north in Samaj, the local side produced arguably their most dominant performance yet since their meteoric rise under Luis Varezzi.
At least, most dominant half. Down at half time to the Villagers, Samaj FC exploded for seven goals in the second half to win But the Hunters did not let their feet off the pedal there. All turned in by the youngest of the bunch, Zeale-Riddick, to bring her total to five on the day. We knew Samaj FC were a good team, we just didn't know they had this Admittedly, Versiaville brought some of it on themselves by continuing to play open while down, but now four points clear in 2nd, it's time to start taking Varezzi's kids seriously as favorites for Champions' Cup qualification.
The only team in better form at the moment is Real Azuris, lifted to a breezy triumph in Holmenkollen by the class of Sandra Sybill two goals and an assist. Sigmund Levy produces a brutish but effective brace to power FC Samo out of the danger zone, and VZR follows up her five-goal parade by scoring five minutes from either whistle to notch Samaj FC another very impressive win - in Pelethas. With sixteen goals in fifteen matches, the year-old forward is now scoring at a rate of over a goal per match this season!
An overlooked cog of their recent success, however, is Fleftic defensive midfielder Cedric Pearson. Filling in for the injured Skal Phillips, Pearson's workrate, metronome-like passing and nose for goal on set-pieces on display for the remaining goal today in Pelethas have been a revelation. Though their derby match last week was a letdown, the two big Ramusok clubs have also caught their stride lately. As if brought alive by the frigid northern winds, she screamed past Gerry Duffy on Treftadaeth's left side all afternoon, eventually finding Keohane's runs from the opposite flank for volleyed goals in the 51st and 83rd minutes.
As this unfolded, it became clear that the differentiator would be which of the three could beat up cellar-dwelling newcomers Portus Central the best. Twentytwo Cacti only took a point off them, so they were out. Real Azuris and Celtic advance, with the defending champions taking top placement on total away goals after all other tiebreakers, including H2H away goals, were dead-even. The group stage really served as a coming-out party for teenage Anglatian midfielder Hakki Ojala, who scored four of Real's eleven goals - all from outside the box.
Cosumarite clubs topping CC groups! All hands back on deck to their sinking league form! They were pragmatic, turning The Royal Palace into an impenetrable fortress and playing just to secure a single valuable point on away dates. Not a bad showing for a club new to the international scene that spent most of its existence in the Tredje Ligan. Goals seemed to only come in twos for forwards around the Fiefdom in Saturday's early batch of games.
Kamaal Nyle opened the scoring with his left foot early and eventually equalized for AC Holmenkollen with his right what a season the Eastweald castoff is having there! And just when it seemed like that was finally all of the day's braces, in-form Stoneshore winger Tegen Na'Tarejen turned in a second with the final kick against Versiaville, his hurried shot through traffic taking two wicked deflections and fatefully nestling into the side-netting.
Was something in the water? She didn't score twice, but under-pressure superstar Penumbra Amokachi did take her goal well past countrywoman Diandra Ballard in the 82nd minute to resuscitate Eastweald's plummeting form with the midseason break looming FC Samotath are in some spotty form of their own and were completely unresponsive as an indignant Holguin urged them forward to take the fight to Eastweald in the second half. Eastweald right back Michael Sorenson was superb in locking down the dangerous Jordan Emery for 90 minutes, and the insertion of Cassel Kortuufa into the line-up livened things up in the attack with new signing Aeris Cossadel still struggling to adapt.
For context, the table going into the midseason break mean a great deal to Cosumarite fans. A win would catapult United into the top three, while CCFC needed a win to clear the bottom three at the checkpoint. A draw would accomplish nothing for either team. Now, Crawfordian supporters are generally pretty relaxed, but even they were up in arms and throwing insults and a few beers onto the field when all the brewing tension escalated with one violent incident in the 69th minute. They could only watch in horror as their young winger Semyon Yucob was bulldozed from behind while challenging for an aerial ball.
The fact that he was already a few feet in the air, combined with the diminutive size and high impact velocity of United "bad girl" Viablaine, meant that her upward contact essentially launched Yucob's legs higher into the air and flipped him backwards. He landed on his neck behind her with a sickening crunch. As Yucob was carefully fitted with a head brace and stretchered off, Viablaine was shown on the screen standing nonchalantly by the ball, looking impatient for the restart.
The cacophony grew louder. The vitriol was such that it seemed almost like a cathartic outpouring of frustration with all the city's sporting failures in recent years. When Yucob slowly lifted a shaking fist as he disappeared into the tunnel, everyone - even neutrals - knew it was going to be a turning point in the match. There was no way Crawford wasn't going to rally behind this. Sure enough, the first sequence of passing after Jennifer Farrow restarted the match resulted in a goal, Kim Coultan charging down the pitch with fire in her eyes, dribbling around multiple defenders and shooting I've never seen a stadium flip from outrage to glee so quickly.
Justice was further served when Viablaine was finally sent off for persistent infringement to her complete disbelief in the 87th minute with raucous cheers. The Elephants marched on into the break with a victory after Alcouin and Van Kruistum both shredded the man United defense in an extended injury time. Could you dream up a more satisfying win for the beleaguered Crawford faithful? FC Samotath, another club that has disappointed in the first half of the season, also put on an entertaining show for its home support.
The thrashing featured goals from all four starting forwards scoring Vorobyov twice and five fine fingertip saves by Diandra Ballard on the other end. That's what Samotathians like to see. Real Azuris also scored five goals to put an exclamation point on an electric run of form, Andrew Arrowsword and Ronan Bowditch a brace apiece too much for Keenan Athletic to handle with three-quarters of the game played in around their box.
With only one loss to their name and some real separation established, Real are the clear title favorites as we enter the crucial parts of the season. At this point, the remaining Champions' Cup place looks up for grabs between all the other expected title contenders. Royal's chief rivals of yesteryear, the once-fearsome Mallox FC, kept themselves in that race and the top half by turning away relegation-threatened IFK Aldenskoett in the final match before the break.
Vega Zeale-Riddick 18 Now, wouldn't this be interesting? That would be something. Fortunately for the Victors, they're only two points back with a lot of season yet to unfold. It's hard to imagine Klyde and Kal not going straight back up, especially given the play of Sophia Trevelyan and Kaujarre Nisa, but Gwynt Tywyll shouldn't be shy about their chances too with that terrifying defense.
Helfin Fief have also been surprise packages, the arrival of Kare Saxmark from Pelethas United lending life to their attack. Meanwhile, the two extraterrestrial sides have been a disappointment, delaying the top-flight debut of Cosumar's colonies at least another season. Only the comically awful Brayllor Town has performed more poorly. Yambridge City have been the most consistent wouldn't it be great to have a club challenge Eastweald's supremacy in the city?
Her luscious chip from 15 yards early in the second half was placed too perfectly for Barrus-Bari and, with just a few minutes remaining, she swung a peach of a corner into the path of Hector Grier at the back post. In the end, Real Azuris won both , but it wasn't easy to keep one of Valladares' most accomplished attacking squads at bay. But, rusty from the midseason break, they were unable to keep the ball for significant spells at home as CA Paulinthal dominated possession and bled the game dry.
The workhorse defensive midfielder, Keenan's unsung hero this season, has finally gotten his taste of glory! A crucial victory and away goal! He bolted to the right in jubilee and only got halfway to the corner flag before he was swarmed and tackled by celebrating teammates. Hard not to smile at the sight! Our second contestant is teenage sensation Vega Zeale-Riddick, who also scored four goals in Samaj's drubbing of a disastrous Zakhoro.
VZR is a pure target goal scorer, already a master of timing her moves in the penalty box and getting on the end of things - and her four goals reflected that. Not to take anything away from her 27!!! Playing the, you know, worst defense in the league this weekend probably also helped. His version of the quadruple was warriorlike - no easy headers to be found. He was fearsome, whether it was dribbling players one-on-one, leaving them in the dust, physically overpowering them, or finishing them off with shots powerful and elegant.
He was such a force of nature on the day that even Pelethas United, one of the most ironclad units around with the likes of Harm and Nier, could not escape the four-goal devastation. Elsewhere, Real Azuris kept up their dogged title pursuit with a professional result at The Royal Palace, a frantic finish in Stoneshore saw Yuanchiki Larrimbe rally the Greys to equalize from two goals down in stoppage time Larri-mania in full effect! The veteran striker has a chance to commemorate his tenth anniversary in Keenan with something truly special.
The stakes may not be what they were when these two clubs were at the height of their domestic duopoly, but to this day they never disappoint when they share a pitch. It wasn't the goalfest type of exciting match, but the atmosphere was brilliant at The Orange Palace.
Royal organized the largest crowd of away support there yet to try and out-sing their orange legions. Both sides - players AND fans - were living and dying on every touch. The match was honors-even in every statistic at HT, and all sensed it could swing either way. Midfield is where matches are often won, and this adage proved true in the second half. After the hour-mark, Mallox's three-man midfield began to tire and OAS Royal's numbers and boundless energy ok, Drover's boundless energy there began to take control.
In the 68th minute, Drover played a quick one-two with Rowan Gawain and charged with the ball into a gaping space about 30 yards from goal. Mallox's defense collapsed toward her and she correctly played Corey Simmons III wide right, then continued a sprinting run through the box. Simmons III rolled the ball forward and pretended to survey his options with uncertainty She fired a quick blast straight at Sindelaar, but such was the pace and proximity of the shot that all the keeper could do was palm it back towards the middle.
The middle - where Gawain was waiting to pounce with a karate kick and crash with the ball into the back of the net! The year-old had followed in support of Drover's run all the way from midfield! Drover pulled Gawain out of the net with a huge grin and the Brenecian and the Nepharim trotted arms-round-shoulders together over towards the away support. The Orange Palace was stewing as Gawain kissed the black badge and extravagantly blew kisses to a particularly noisy read: Real Azuris is such a great team. And not just because they're 8 points clear at the top or because they just bullied the Islanders.
Part of what makes Azuris so great is their attacking balance. They have game-changing players, but they're not too overdependent on any one of them. Their stars share the pressure equally with no one asked to be Superman or Wonder Woman all the time. Andrew Arrowsword early-season goalscoring form , Sandra Sybill dominant after midseason , Sean Fraser had scored in three consecutive matches until now and Ronan Bowditch scored all three goals today all have stretches where they carry the team on their shoulders, but they rotate.
It's almost like Lujendra Mescalin has them plan out their ebbs and flows of form so that he always has at least ONE game-changer on fire. When they're all at the tops of their game? Well, you saw the Champions' Cup last year. Oops, I've been waxing on like a fanboy. There were other important matches on this day. Then Rachel Del Arro struck. In the third minute of stoppage time, the Samaj and Port Christopher star crushed the life out of Eastweald by firing up into the roof of the net from a tough angle on the right.
Esteban Hernandez probably should've stopped it, and he knew it as he laid face-down in shame as the Hunters ran off in celebration. Eastweald are eliminated from title contention. Samaj FC clinch Champions' Cup for the first time in club history. Can the Fiefdom's underdog darlings catch up to that great, balanced team I was just talking about? With just five matches remaining, probably not. But we're in Cosumar. Nothing would shock me entirely. Ok, so they lost this weekend, but nevertheless - folks up there should savor this!
Even being able to engage in a shootout defeat at the hands of OAS Royal would've been unthinkable at DragonBull Field just a couple years ago. Actually, this match was so odd that it would've been unthinkable anywhere. For one, all five of the Bobs' goals were scored by mediocre winger Jakob Gullmarstam. He barely had more than that six in the 29 combined matches prior. Three of them came in the final fifteen minutes, before which Athletic were looking at a deficit. That's right, they very nearly equalized from It seemed like most of the matches this week were similarly unusual box scores Perhaps even odder than Jakob Gullmarstam doubling his goal total thirty games in or IFK Aldenskoett suddenly having strikers apparently Rwang actually finished a chance or two , Real Azuris suffered their widest defeat of the season.
Semyon Yucob is becoming an increasingly important player for the Elephants. He passed his trials in Azuris with flying colors. CCFC didn't look back, much to the delight of Samaj. Luis Varezzi's young upstarts closed to within five points of Real Azuris with a steely two-way performance that shut down FC Samotath. The likes of Calogero Metz, Ursula Rowan and Belle Serafino have compensated admirably for a young patchwork back line Grimswald and Campbell out injured most of the season and inconsistent forward play Niro the possible exception , but it hasn't always been enough.
The defending champs have spent most of the season laboring to just keep their heads above the water in the Globe Cup hunt. But despite the adversity, the Reds came alive here in Pelethas. With Arturo Mancini publicly dispelling "Champions' Curse" storylines and urging his team to make a push up the table, his team showed more intent, confidence and precision in the attack than they have in some time. They really went after the Miners, and were rewarded with goals for Jol Tortuu, Niro and Rowan and two assists for Serafino to draw level with Pelethas in that coveted 6th place.
Upcoming Gigs
That's always a victory! Recorded The Garrison "Wavelength " , July 9, Operators - I Die. I've generally been a casual fan of Dan Boeckner's various projects, so the first year with his new group Operators largely went under my radar. But, recalling that he can invest his live shows with no small amount of energy, I resolved to use this Wavelength-affiliated energy drink showcase to see his latest unit.
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Joined by Devojka synths and Sam Brown drums plus, on a few songs, by Dustin Hawthorne, formerly of Hot Hot Heat and Beliefs, on bass Boekner pushed further in the synth-heavy direction he'd begun to explore in Handsome Furs, treating the crowd to some throbbing disco-rock selections. Fresh off some time spent recording with Holy Fuck's Graham Walsh for their debut full-length, there was a lot of material in the set newer than the group's EP, including the first one here, which Boekner explained as "another song about psychedelic abuse in a small town.
One of those slightly-weird gigs, this had Wavelength's imprimatur , but was primarily executed as a corporate branding event. That created an inherently-awkward vibe, but the cheap-entry-with-RSVP format did create an incentive for the crowd to arrive early and be dosed with a couple quality local acts. For Most People, adding a third member hasn't so much thickened their sound as add new ways to keep Brandon Gibson-DeGroote and Paul McEachern busy, and that joyfully hectic we're-doing-stuff element is key to their charm as a live band.
They mixed a couple older tracks with a run-through of their still-newish EP and looked to be having a helluva time doing it, striking poses and warning the audiences before each song's "sad part". It's on Sunday, August 9th, and not to be missed. Still packing their set with material from their forthcoming second album and beyond, Kyle Connolly and co.
This one packs a lot into its two-and-a-half minutes, including some quality backing vox from bassist Emily Frances also of Milk Lines and a wistful instrumental break. His work has the stamp of approval of being on the excellently-designed Orange Milk label. There'll be some sweet grooves from New Chance as well. Not to be missed! The Music Gallery's Departures Series feat. Sarah Greene presents feat. Live on the Patio feat. POP Montreal in T. Gardiner Museum's Doors at 6pm feat.
Self-Curation Project Part 2 feat. Next Level Syndicate presents feat. It's always a treat to see Matt "Doc" Dunn in action, and even more so on this occasion with out-of-town guest Andy Haas joining in. His processed sax and ribbon synth — along with Isla Craig's wordless vocalisations and Brandon Valdivia's percussive touches — acted as foreground to the drone-y synth and keyb soundscapes provided by Dunn and Jonathan Adjemian.
Full details coming soon! Tarkovsky's Solaris was being projected on the wall beside the stage, a coincidental but terrifically apt companion to Jess Forrest's improvised drone set, which led with a patient, slow build before heading off on its meditatively inquisitive way. Leslie Predy led off this evening of musical explorations with the avant-howls of her Doom Tickler project. I'm not sure what this piece is "about" but it sounds like a recounting of an epic battle between marauding monsters and a rag-tag collection of brave, heroic kittens.
Hassan Hakmoun - [ unknown ]. It felt quite invigourating to get down to Harbourfront for the first time this summer — even more so given the delightful, construction-free streetscape that now greets visitors. And also a treat to see Harbourfront bringing in major international performers, such as Morocco's greatest star of Gnawa Sufi trance music. The music is driven by Hakmoun's sintir or, gimbri, if you prefer , working like a bass and rooting the music in infinitely-repeatable basic grooves. There's plenty joy in repetition here, though the music was also driven by a drummer and percussionist, and embossed by guitarist John Lee, often adding subtly-psychedelic flourishes but also knowing when to stay in the pocket with a funky catscratch rhythm.
Hypnotizing and dance-worthy in equal parts. I didn't know anything about this band before hearing them play, and the sight of a familiar face at hand — Fresh Snow's Tim Condon — didn't provide any clues, given the different musical space he was operating in here. Offering up minimalist folk tunes delivered with Judith Muster's clear vocals, the band showed a sly propensity for both stretching out their silences and finding moments to insert a bit of subtle abrasiveness.
MAZE [ "chant" excerpt ]. Having stepped into the maze not so long before, I wasn't expecting to share anything from this set. But this excerpt, leading with its slightly-discomfiting chant-loopage, sounds like something rather different. I can't seem to dig up too much on Albert James — save for the fact that he's put out a couple songs on Hamilton's PERDU — but he fit in fine on this evening's bill, sharing elements of Within's abstracted folk and BABEL's instrumental experimentalism. Mixing ambient keyb textures to his guitar work, this melded its airy and rooted elements in a fairly pleasing way.
As is becoming standard, this night of Troubleshooting ended with the guests performing together alongside one of the event's conveners — in this case Cory Latkovich on cello and PD patches. His sounds mixed in with Goncalves' rhythmic interpolations and Couroux's queasy listening deconstructions. A new face to the Troubleshooting scene, Mississauga's Goncalves brought some serious computer music chops to the show, as well as a bit of a performative flair, plugging her laptop into a projector so the crowd could watch her surprisingly engaging real-time command-line modifications in her SuperCollider interface.
In the true spirit of the series, this piece ended not with a graceful fade to mirror the elegant build that began the set but instead with a sudden halt as her system crashed. At Troubleshooting nights, that's not a bug — it's a feature. Founded as a blog about one curmudgeon's love affair with the em dash, Mechanical Forest Sound has grown to become a community-based archive of local musical culture. Assuming that "independent music" isn't just boys with guitars and "culture" isn't just some sort of pageant, MFS is an investigation of a wide range of artists, reflecting on concerts as shared experiences, acts of citizenship and a chance to get down — fuzzy photographs and clear-sounding original live recordings a specialty.
Current manifestations of this project include Track Could Bend , a monthly concert series featuring "improvised music and weird rock offshoots", presented in a casual environment. At one point I wrote full-on concert reviews, and for longer I thought I would catch up and write about shows in the past. But these days, because of, y'know, life , do not expect much in the way of full show reviews — but live recordings with blurbs will be posted as quickly after the fact as is feasible.
Check out my original live recordings from many of the gigs discussed here. You can also check out full sets uploaded to the Live Music Archive. If you come across any broken links, invisible or non-functioning players, etc, please leave a comment and I will tend to it ASAP. I'm perpetually on the lookout for a new place to stash my MP3's online. If you know of any place that allows a couple gigs of stuff to be openly linked to for streaming, drop me a line! All comments are welcome, or you can reach me at mechanicalforestsound gmail. All MP3's on this blog are audience recordings shared as a reminder of the excitement of seeing live music.
If you are an artist who doesn't want their music shared in this way, please contact me and I shall remove it forthwith. If you're so inclined, you can also follow me on Twitter: Cosmic Homeostasis IX feat. Joseph Shabason [ Anne album release! Picastro [ LP Release! These are shows that I can vouch for, but that I probably just won't have time to make it to. Yves Jarvis [ f. Un Blonde ] Mr. Karen Ng presents feat. Allison Cameron Presents feat. All Seeing Eyes catl. Tranzac New Year's Eve feat. Making Sounds With Stuff: Nite Comfort 63 feat.
Praises [ In This Year: Ten Of Swords release party! Double Album Release feat. Batuki Music Society presents feat. Burn Down The Capital presents feat. Track Could Bend 34 feat. Kamancello Burdock Music Hall Wednesday. Iranian Canadian Composers of Toronto present feat. Two Floor Fundraiser feat. Feast In The East 66 feat. Track Could Bend 35 feat. Pleasence Fest and Podcast Launch feat. Wavelength Winter Festival 18 feat.
Stereoscope Canadian Music Centre Thursday. Somewhere There Creative Music Festival feat. Somewhere There Creative Music Festival: Composing for Improvisers feat. Circuits Bending Frames feat. Synaptic Circus presents feat. Track Could Bend 36 feat. Somewhere There's Second Sunday Series feat.
The Joy of Play feat. Track Could Bend Third Anniversary All-Star Spectacular! The Music of Ken Aldcroft feat. The Music Gallery presents feat. George the Martyr Anglican Church Saturday. Track Could Bend 38 feat. Feast in the East: Labyrinth Musical Workshop Ontario presents feat. Doors Open Toronto feat. Venus Fest presents feat. Track Could Bend 39 feat. Track Could Bend 40 feat. Feast in the East 69 feat.
Painting Silence V feat. BIG on Bloor Festival feat. Summer Sound Explorations feat. Synaptic Circus Sundays feat. Nite Comfort 58 feat. Track Could Bend 41 feat. Not Dead Yet presents feat. Riparian Acoustics presents feat. Habari Africa Festival feat. Nidus Reductive Transduction Celestina Thursday.
Are We Not Devo? Intersection Day 2 feat. Nite Comfort 59 feat. Track Could Bend 42 feat. Track Could Bend 43 feat. Nite Comfort 60 feat. Track Could Bend 44 feat. Burn Down the Capital presents feat. Musicworks at 40 feat. Allison Cameron Mini-Festival feat. Allison Cameron presents feat.
Somewhere There presents feat. Track Could Bend 45 feat. Longform reviews of these shows are not currently likely. Recordings from many of these can be found if you dig through the tag cloud below. Friday, July 31, Recording: Brass Knuckle Sandwich Songs: Brass Knuckle Sandwich - [ second piece, part 1 ] Brass Knuckle Sandwich - [ second piece, part 2 ] Brass Knuckle Sandwich - [ second piece, part 3 ] This occasional series from Somewhere There gives younger musicians a chance to share their work while sharing the stage with longstanding members of the community, creating opportunities for interaction and inspiration.
Posted by Mechanical Forest Sound at Share to Twitter Share to Facebook. Thursday, July 30, Recording: Alaniaris - Cantabella Michael Kaler, Ken Aldcroft, and Mark Zurawinski continue their ongoing monthly residency on the third Sunday of every month , bringing their improvisor-sharpened skills to the surf-like grooves of Greek rebetiko. Wednesday, July 29, Recording: Posted by Mechanical Forest Sound at 1: Joyboy - unknown "We've been a band for a week-and-a-half.