The group stages got under way tonight with some shocking results:
A
A very strong group with two resounding wins in week one. Da Dribblers beat the Lezards 2-4, showcasing a strong balanced team with great defense and attacks. The Goombie-Hapuna game was a surprise to all. The 0-5 victory by Hapuna seems harsh and almost defies belief. For the second time in two games, Goombie has lost in a landslide in what should have been a close game between two very even teams. Next week features a tough matchup between Hapuna and Dribblers. After last week's performance, I have to give the edge to Dribblers. If either if this teams wins, they clinch a qualifying spot. If Goombie or Lezards lose, they are out.
B(Group of Death)
Our prediction of Beasts making it out of this group got off to a solid start, with a 2-1 win over defending champ Tenpool. Beasts had an excellent counter attack strategy(titanic rating) backed up by one of the best defenses ever put out in the Dew Cup. Despite trailing 1-0 for most of the game, Beasts held firm, kept their belief and Beasts' offensive shift in the last third proved to be the game-winner, eventually leading to the tying and go-ahead goals(one from star Homero) to grab a crucial 3 points in their opener. The defending Champ curse seems right on schedule. Our other fixture saw one of the greatest upsets in Cup History with Fulmine knocking off DVB 1-0. Fulmine showed they can play with anyone, dominating possession like few have in our tournament, and buried a penalty chance, one of the games very few chances, to get a HE-UGE 3 points. Congrats to CMCgowen for one of the top upsets of the Cup. The Group of Death has definitely already been turned on its head. Next week features a fearsome matchup between returning Finalists DVB and Tenpool. The stakes could not be higher, and the loser of this match probably is out of the tournament. A tie slightly favors Tenpool because DVB plays the Beasts in week 3. In the other match, Fulmine and the Beasts go head to head to see who will be the first team to clinch a qualifying spot. No doubt all eyes will be on the finals rematch.
C
In Group C, FC Tahr, one of the surprise teams of last Cup, put up a solid team again, but was no match for a tremendous Krad side. Krad has improved their midfield in great strides, and might finally be living up to their potential in this Cup, getting off to a dominating 4-1 win. Our other newcomer: Plamp took on the Dolphins and came out on top, 2-1 with a nice offensive showing. Next week Plamp and Krad play each other to see who will be the first qualifier for Group C. In the Dolphins v Tahr match, the loser is pretty much eliminated. Plamp and Krad are the two favorites to advance.
D
Group D features a pair of impressive, long time MT dew tournament teams, Ocala and Gryffindor. A surprise this week, Gryffindor takes home a 5-0 win when Boston Blue Devils played an interesting 1-0-0 formation. Ocala resoundingly beat DOLPH Athletic 4-1 with a usual strong showing, but took nearly 60 minutes to gain control of the match, with Athletic trying to live up to the upset alert hype. DOLPH may have lost this week, but their strong CA attempt did not go unnoticed, and next weeks DOLPH-Gryffindor matchup could be an interesting one. The winner of that match will probably advance alongside Ocala.
Awards:
Match of the Week: Gryffindor v. Boston, just kidding. Beasts v Tenpool, clashing styles, momentum swings, great teams, loved it.
Manager of the Week:Beasts, for an impressive and effective strategy. Dominant defense, great tactics rating, nice adjustments to get the 3 points in a huge game
Team of the Week:cmcgowen, Fulmine, big upset
Player(s) of the Week:Perry Jackson-Ocala and Melvin Higginbotham-Dribblers, Hattricks.
Next Week Matches to watch:
Lezards v Goombie and Dribblers v Hapuna in Group A
Tenpool v DVB, AGAIN!
Upset alerts: Fulmine v Beasts and Dolph v Gryffindor
