X11 season 45 - de rigueur Mortis

[Various Artist]

Oh, no, I was right – his was the second suspicious Fenerbahçe in the Xpert Zone, a couple of months back:

https://www.onetouchfootball.com/sho...=1#post1339275

https://www.onetouchfootball.com/sho...=1#post1365882

https://www.onetouchfootball.com/showthread.php?38616-X11-season-45-de-rigueur-Mortis&p=1384554&viewfull=1#post1384554

I'm not sure anything was ever proved one way or the other, of course.

[Antepli Ejderha]

I can't see anyone else doing that much wheeling and dealing. It appears he's just bought some fillers now for his Golden League team.

My issue is the number of transfers and then the number of bargains.

He was sacked from the Xpert Zone because Sits contacted the admin who acted. Wayne brushed it under the carpet.

Anything that looks like a duck etc is almost certainly a duck.

[Various Artist]

On a much nicer note, I've just been catching up with the latest PRs in the Heineken Premiership, and so been reminded (yet again) that MortalJoe's in charge of FC Tika-Taka now – I keep forgetting every week! So I really must post this screengrab, as it shows the three OTFers in the top flight sitting pretty on top of the whole Heineken League this weekend:



Unfortunately at least one of us is (almost) guaranteed to slip back on Monday, as Sits and I play each other. Hopefully, unlike a week earlier against Strumpet City, I'll remember to set tactics for this one...

[MortalJoe]

VA, I have to say I feel a bit like a cheat when I took over FC Tika-Taka. When I finished the last season I had the feeling that I could not take Vizima Vandals much more up and when I saw that FC Tika-Taka was available, I thought I would try to get a chance at the top. This is a really good team, nearly all players brought in from Jack Pott. So, I am just lucky to get such a good team on my hands. And I resisted any urge to change the team, I think this is my biggest mistake when taking over a team.

There are in fact two teams where I think I was good in team building, otherwise I think I might be crap in that. But at the moment, the team is good and I hope we can stay at the top a bit but I doubt it.

[ad hoc]

I'm thinking of giving up leagues that have games on Friday and Sunday. It always fucks me up. I just don't like being on the computer at the weekend and I don't like using the app

[Antepli Ejderha]

I'm thinking of giving up leagues that have games on Friday and Sunday. It always fucks me up. I just don't like being on the computer at the weekend and I don't like using the app

That's MLX and the Heineken iirc, don't do it ad hoc.

[Sits]

And the Human. ad hoc, you can change your settings to be reminded of future tactics demands up to 48 hours prior (that little blue icon thing).

[Janik]

On the eve of the final day, it’s the X11 Ladies League matchday 13report.

Division 2b

Mighty Aphrodite 	1 - 1	Viking South Utsira
Atalaia 19'			Fevereiro 13'


Division 4h

Pinkie Pie 		3 - 1	Drakaina
Charnock 50'			Winter 22'
Thorpe 58', 72'


Division 4i

FC Sprezzatura 		2 - 0	Coxy Ladies Wulpen
Sundin 44'
Lock 54'


Division 4k

Kanjeng Ratu Kidul WFC	2 - 1	Venus
Dalmiya 34'			Moldoveanca 52'
Ikmal 87'


Division 5:16

Chelsea Ladies FC 	0 - 0	LNWR Locomotive


Division 6:4

Erbil			2 - 1	Meakins Minahs
McCan 56'			Meakin 12'
James 66'


Division 6:39

AFC Wimbledon 		4 - 0	Sockford Emollient
Warne 11'
Ericson (O.G.) 26'
Garner 46'
Crook 53'


Division 6:41

Invisible Ladies	4 - 0	Future Girls
Björkgren 29', 46'
Paul 50'
Ackling (pen) 52'


Division 6:42

Solent Sirens		2 - 1	Marselle
Högardh 57'			Cotrim 60'
Gros (O.G.) 75'

Witches of Chiswick	1 - 2	Twin Peaks Owls
Matzuoka 22'			Greenacre 72'
				Richardson 78'


Division 6:56

Menywod Maeshafn	4 - 1	Empire Of The Sun
van Hijde 65'			Lee 31'
Corleone 68', 88'
Palmgren 93'


Division 6:57

Charlton Ladies 	0 - 0	Dublin City Womens FC


Division 6:62

Csiki Girls		2 - 1	Barca Ladies FC
Igreja 14'			Quintino 54'
Sheerin (pen) 61'


Division 7:27

Santos2			0 - 5	girls de charneca
				Sales 4', 23', 42', 47'
				Áláfinesse 44'


Division 7:56

AFC Beloved of Inanna	3 - 1	FR Timmer
Steck 51'			Semana 82'
Barkho 61', 88'

Week 13 brought the big one in Division 2b when Viking South Utsira travelled to Mighty Aphrodite.
The match was a virtual title decider, with the Blood Eagles able to go top with a win whilst Aphrodite knew victory would give them the title. It was Viking who were the first to strike, Magda Fevereiro firing home the first chance Velvet Android’s side had had on 13 minutes. However the hosts also converted their first opportunity just six minutes later to level things up.
Manuças Fudida thought she had put Utsira back in front soon after, but referee Irre Levant ruled it out. And with that the dread of what comes after death took over, making cowards of both sides as they seemed to settle for a draw that kicked the can down the road to next week.
Other results brought good news for VSU as third-placed The Liver FC also drew. That means a play-off place is highly likely, The Blood Eagles have a three point and +8 GD gap. The title remains a possibility, but it will take a Viking win over relegation-battling Van Helsings GLS whilst Aphrodite lose to The Liver, who have nothing realistic to play for.

A good week 12 win had put Drakaina five points clear of the drop zone. That meant a win guaranteed safety, but getting it at a Pinkie Pie outfit in the midst of the promotion battle would be no easy matter.
The first half was promising for Etienne’s side, Grace Winter converting a chance midway through to give The Dragons a 1-0 half-time lead. In fact, it could have been better if Al Reddy hadn’t disallowed Sandrine Petit’s effort late in the half.
A half-time advantage to the Greeks was against the run of play, though. Reality has a habit of exerting itself and that happened here as the My Little Pony fanciers ran in three unanswered second-half goals to claim the points.
The lack of points wouldn’t have mattered if Cataluna Cats hadn’t scored a 93rd minute winner in their game (having just conceded a 90th minute equaliser!). But they did, so the Division 4h promotion picture goes to the last day. Drakaina remain fourth, but could go down if they don’t win at relegated Cicada WFC, though it would need two other results as well to condemn them.

If Coxy Ladies Wulpen could have ordered any game for week 13, a trip to FC Sprezzatura, right in the mix for promotion, wouldn’t have been it.
The Waders were already expecting a tough game, and then a 14-day injury to Emilie Baert 16 minutes in made it tougher as the only defender on the bench, Claire Michel, left Wulpen with an U25 backline. Sprezzatura may well have beaten Janik’s first choice defence as well, but they only had this one to face and didn’t it efficiently enough to win 2-0.
The Division 4i relegation scrap is another going to the last day. Coxy Ladies are still involved, in fact directly so as they take on the side two spots below them, Hammer Throwers; the Iron currently occupy sixth, just three points back and with a superior goal difference.

Twelve matches played, one draw and eleven defeats was the record that Kanjeng Ratu Kidul WFC ‘boasted’ prior to hosting second-placed Venus.
A foregone conclusion? Well, the balance of play was certainly one-sided... in the Sea Goddesses favour. Diksha Dalmiya opened the scoring for the Indonesians on 34 minutes. There was a set-back for SeanoftheShed’s girls when Venus equalised early in the second-half, but heads didn’t drop, chances were still being created, and then on 87 minutes Rahma Ikmal was the Johnny (Jill?) on the spot when she nodded home Diana Doom’s corner for the win.
In the tabular terms this win means little for The Sea Spirits – they will still finish bottom of Division 4k, but as a confidence boost ahead of next season it was a big one.

[Janik]

The last train was departing the station when LNWR Locomotive arrived to take on Chelsea Ladies FC. Could Viktor Boskovic’s side leap on as it pulled away? The Steamers certainly tried, dominating possession against a promotion-chasing side, but chances were paucity. That was also true for Chelsea, the game finishing scoreless.
A draw was a result no good for either as it harmed the hosts promotion chances (well, good, given the Playboy kit), but particularly so for Locomotive whose relegation from Division 5:16 was confirmed.

Also being confirmed mathematically (it was already practically certain) was Erbil’s promotion from Division 6:4 as champions. For that, they just needed a point from their game with Meakins Minahs.
The game followed the pattern of a number in this round as the underdogs put in a strong first half, took the lead and could have doubled it but for a disallowed effort. It was probably with some relief that it was only one that Jdsx delivered his teamtalk. And his side responded, Margaret McCan heading home to level on 56 minutes.
That would have been enough for the title and promotion, but would have meant an end to Erbil’s 100% record and chance of winning the Division 6 table of tables. However a second by Mellissa James ten minutes sorted that, and also made sure of the title-clinching result here.

Also on the brink were Sockford Emollient , who just needed to beat third-placed AFC Wimbledon to be crowned Division 6:39 champions.
The Wombles had different ideas about that, as they sought to retain their own slim hopes of the play-offs. They went ahead on 11 minutes, and the writing was on the wall that it wouldn’t be Emollient’s day when Lotta Ericson put through her own net 15 minutes later.
The opening period of the second half was the final nail in the coffin as Wimbledon scored again, the Gatorsharks had Donya Antonellini’s effort disallowed and the hosts rubbed salt in the wound by swiftly adding a fourth.
I suppose if you are going to lose a first game of the season when on the brink of promotion, you might as well do it in style. As this was. It did, however, see the lead commanded by Foxy265’s charges cut from four points to just one. They will need a win on the final day against relegated Landskrona Ladies, though it’s possible that second-placed Chili Babes will lose their game against Wimbledon, in which case Sockford will be home whatever their result.

Playing out the season is all that remains for Invisible Ladies, but not for their week 13 opponents Future Girls, who were battling relegation.
It was The See-Throughs, playing with freedom thanks to a lack of pressure, who stepped up. PebbletheFish’s side were ahead at the interval via Elly Björkgren’s long ranger. They then made the game safe with a whirlwind start to the second half, Björkgren scoring again followed in quick succession by Chelsea Paul and a penalty by Bea Ackling.
The win mathematically ensured that Invisible will finish third in Division 6:41 this season.

Solent Sirens taking on Marselle was one of two matches with a big bearing on the outcome of the Division 6:42 title and play-off place.
The clubs came in in second and thirds places respectively, with just one point between them (in Solent’s favour). The first half was as tight as that would imply, just the one chance created by The Sirens.
Things livened up after the break, nearly immediately so as Jin-Ae Hyeong had the ball in the net within seconds, only for Travis Tee to say otherwise. However Andrew 7610’s team were not long to be denied, Evelyn Högardh heading the opener on 57 minutes.
Marselle levelled very quickly, and rather against the run of play. However the visitors luck turned when Adrienne Gros put through her won net on 75 mins to gift The Sirens victory.
The other key match in the top half pitted Witches of Chiswick against leaders Twin Peaks Owls.
A win for The Bewitched wasn’t likely, but it was needed by Solent to keep their title hopes alive. Wiblflibl’s side certainly gave it a good go, Tomiko Matzuoka heading Chiswick ahead midway through the first half, a lead they held on to until well past the hour mark. The Twin Peaks pressure was ramping up though, and one goal to level was quickly increased into two to turn the tie on its head.
Which leaves us in with the following: - Twin Peaks Owls are champions, Solent Sirens will take the play-off place and Witches of Chiswick are practically sure of fourth place. With nothing on the line and a match against a zombie, The Sirens can afford to wrap their best players in cotton-wool tomorrow.

Two straight defeats had turned what had once looked like a procession to promotion for Menywod Maeshafn into a scramble and hope. The scrambling bit in week 13 involved beating Empire Of The Sun and thereby getting the self-belief back flowing for the Welsh side.
That looked easier said than done when Maeshafn reached half-time 1-0 down, albeit a goal behind slightly against the run of play.
There was no doubting the side in charge after the break though as IsThatcherDeadYet’s charges flew into their visitors. They need a strike to get the ball moving, and Elodie van Hijde proved she was the woman for the task by striking home a direct free-kick on 65 minutes.
van Hijde’s goal was followed just three minutes later by another from Monalisa Corleone. The match still hung in the balance though, up until Corleone got a third on 88 minutes and Hannah Palmgren a fourth deep into stoppage time.
So a successful scramble, but how was the hope? Not great as Orangeries got a late winner against Ricipetti to stay a point ahead of the Welsh side in the Division 6:56 standings. Orangeries last match is against Maeshafn’s opponent for this one, whilst an already relegated side awaits Maeshafn.

A draw the previous week against second-placed Harley Quinns left Dublin City Womens FC with the tough task of winning at leaders Charlton Ladies to keep their promotion hopes going.
It would prove to be a match of limited chances. Very limited chances. In fact no chances whatsoever for either side. That proved more expensive for Mortal Joe’s Dubs than hosts Charlton, as it leaves Dublin four points back of second-placed with just three on left on the table.
Dublin end the season as the form side in Division 6:57, and wondering what might have been if not for the first few weeks of the campaign.

Csiki Girls got to parade the Division 6:62 trophy around A kertem before their match with Barca Ladies FC after having claimed it last week.
The home forwards appeared fired up by this as they were in dead-eyed form. The first Csiki’s chance of the match fell to Carlota Igreja on 14 minutes, who despatched it imperiously. Barca squared things up on 54 minutes but just seven minutes later a rash challenge gave Afton Sheerin the chance to restore the advantage from the spot. Which she gratefully accepted.
They were the only two shots Ad Hoc’s side had in the game, but those two were quite enough for the win. The Csiki’s are also unbeaten this season; preserving that is the likely target for the final game of this campaign.

girls de charneca were already promoted ahead of their trip to Santos2. However three more points would put Antepli Ejderha’s charges on the brink of the title.
The outcome of the match was never in any doubt after the opening goal for charneca in the fourth minute. The responsibly party was Juliana Sales, in what would be a good day personally as Sales would go on to score four, also netting after 23, 42 and 47’ minutes. The other charneca goal was scored by Merdaleiro Áláfinesse just before the interval.
The final day pits charneca against second-placed S. C. Leiria e Marrazes. However with a three point and +17 GD edge, the title will be heading with the club on their relocation to Turkey baring a massively unlikely 9-0 defeat this Saturday.

And finally, welcome back to delicatemoth, who has taken back over at her old club, AFC Beloved of Inanna.
DM finds the Worshipful on course for promotion in third-place in the Division 7:56 table, with a three point advantage on fourth but an inferior goal difference. That put pressure on the match against FR Timmer, which was the second since the manager’s return.
A win was clearly essential, and The Priestesses went about getting it as they pressed Timmer back. The visitors held out the second-half, but eventually South’s pressure had to tell. Beatrice Steck was the first to find the back of the net on 51 minutes, followed ten minutes later by Zebela Barkho.
That should have been enough, only for Timmer to nick one against the run of play inside the last ten minutes. That made for a tenser finish for a few minutes at least, up until Barkho’s second of the day on 88 once more established the two-goal cushion.
Inanna will be promoted with a win or a draw in their final game.

[ad hoc]

That's MLX and the Heineken iirc, don't do it ad hoc.

I'm specifically talking about leagues that have both Friday and Sunday matches. After the match on Friday evening I have to turn on my laptop over the weekend to set tactics for Sunday night. The two leagues in question where this applies to me are The Golden League and MLX. My Golden League team nearly always gets hammered in the Sunday night game as I just forget to do the tactics (MLX plays later in the evening so I sometimes do that one on the app, after I get the notification of another heavy defeat in the GL). I mean I know this is my fault, but I just don't get on with the Fri/Sun scheduling, and I am tempted to drop those leagues

[ad hoc]

And the Human. ad hoc, you can change your settings to be reminded of future tactics demands up to 48 hours prior (that little blue icon thing).

I have notifications but it rarely seems to work. Only once in a while do I get a notification email for any of my teams

[ad hoc]

Oh, and once again, thanks and awestruck recognition for Janik and his amazing reports

[ad hoc]

And while I am here I would like to openly celebrate the fact that after 378 consecutive seasons of abject failure, the Csiki Monkeys yesterday managed to take a point off Dandy Town.

[Etienne]

I particularly appreciated the last fact.

You'd be very welcome to join the mini-OTF contingent in the Ultimate League if you chuck in the Golden League.

[Hot Orange]

"There are no reasons to sack the player". I've not seen that before. I can think of several.

[Etienne]

Yeah, it means either your squad is too small or it would leave you with insufficient players in that position. It is what is keeping Eddie Roberts in the Amwythig squad, and the constant menace that I might train him by mistake.

[Sean of the Shed]

Rahma Ikmal was the Johnny (Jill?) on the spot when she nodded home Diana Doom’s corner for the win.

(femidom?)
Fantastic work once again, Janik. I can only assume that you must spend your entire work day unsupervised.

[Hot Orange]

Yeah, it means either your squad is too small or it would leave you with insufficient players in that position. It is what is keeping Eddie Roberts in the Amwythig squad, and the constant menace that I might train him by mistake.

If I sacked her, a striker, I'd still have 15 players in the squad, 3 of whom are strikers. I thought 15 was permitted, as I was able to sell players until I had a squad of 13 at South Hams last season. Seems you're right, though, as I've now added to the squad and am allowed to send her on her way.

[Sits]

Do you have looming retirements?

[Sits]

the constant menace that I might train him by mistake.

I try and give these players ultra short names, so they look odd on the squad sheet. Not sure if it’s helped. Al Ing and Ed Orm are both (not) currently plying their trade somewhere in the Pigsty.

[nmrfox]

Or squad numbers, giving them ridiculous numbers seems to help me*

* though in relative views of success, better opinions than mine should be sought.

[Various Artist]

That's quite inspired Sits, I might have to remember that.

I'm usually only in this situation when I've got academy arrivals who (weighted by when they've arrived in the season) aren't good enough to play or to have found a buyer but are being kept around just in case the team needs a warm body to make up the numbers in an emergency – e.g. Regina Kvalvik in the Viking South Utsira midfield, who's an 18/4 with two good SQs and hence I have to keep catching myself because despite appearances she's not an active player to be trained. Elsewhere she'd be a perfectly good player, but arrived too late to find a buyer in the Xpert Ladies transfer market and has too much competition in the VSU team to play. Of course, in that league I can't change her name anyway, mind.

An unusual current example is young forward Wilbur Coren at Royal Atlantis. At least as a 16/2 arrival the other day he does stand out, because I think that's the lowest-skilled player I've ever had from a highly-funded academy, where the dross tends to arrive as 19/4s and the like. And he certainly stands out at the moment, because as Sits already knows he's currently my only fit striker. After Ali Khan's retirement, 29/14 Christian King's long-awaited promotion to senior striker lasted just six minutes into the new season before he was crocked against Rosendal Kickers. Fortunately 25/13 Olaf Hunger was really stepping up to the plate, entering yesterday's fixtures against the Old Spots in peak form after putting in his best ever performance (an 18 rating) on Friday – but sod's law in full effect said that after scoring the opener against the Spots, he too then got crocked. At least King is just about ready to come back in our next game, mercifully...

[Various Artist]

Great work once again Janik, meanwhile.

Week 13 brought the big one in Division 2b when Viking South Utsira travelled to Mighty Aphrodite.
The match was a virtual title decider, with the Blood Eagles able to go top with a win whilst Aphrodite knew victory would give them the title. It was Viking who were the first to strike, Magda Fevereiro firing home the first chance Velvet Android’s side had had on 13 minutes. However the hosts also converted their first opportunity just six minutes later to level things up.
Manuças Fudida thought she had put Utsira back in front soon after, but referee Irre Levant ruled it out. And with that the dread of what comes after death took over, making cowards of both sides as they seemed to settle for a draw that kicked the can down the road to next week.
Other results brought good news for VSU as third-placed The Liver FC also drew. That means a play-off place is highly likely, The Blood Eagles have a three point and +8 GD gap. The title remains a possibility, but it will take a Viking win over relegation-battling Van Helsings GLS whilst Aphrodite lose to The Liver, who have nothing realistic to play for.

The Liver's press release ahead of the fixture said they were going to be giving it both barrels regardless, but ultimately Mighty Aphrodite did pull out two second-half goals to ensure that our win over Van Helsings was for nothing, at least in the title race. Personally I'm delighted to have the bonus game (in stark contrast to Aphrodite manager Pubman's own PR, where he said he was dreading the thought of a playoff), as tons of my players are still in need of DV. Naturally, of the 13 I was hoping might eke something out of today's game, precisely 2 gained a point... while one non-playing member of the squad lost one. Plenty of them have flipped over to red arrows unfortunately, so are unlikely to improve even with the extra game, not to mention that our chances of winning the playoff have taken a hit.
It should be an evenly-contested tie, though, as I believe it will be against Barbed Barbies on Thursday (we have the 3rd and 2nd best tallies of the Division 2 runners-up), who look a very close match for us on paper, so there's a chance we could get straight up to Division 1 at the first attempt.

On that note, Viking North Utsire rebounded from 4th to 1st in Division 1a of the Ultimate League yesterday, in what is a remarkably tight division once again for us. This is all miles better than I imagined for our debut at this level, needless to say – I think we're reaping an unforeseen benefit from the geographical streaming, as there's some fearsomely strong Romanian and Portuguese sides concentrated in 1b, whereas we've got much more of a puncher's chance against the British and Swedish teams in our half.

Yesterday's win was particularly satisfying for coming against the same team, B.Ö.K., who put us out of the UL Cup on Friday on penalties in the sixth round. We had 6 shots to 2 across 120 minutes but their keeper was just too good for us, so it was terrific to put two past him 72 hours later to regain the summit. I've climbed back into the top 130 in the world – alongside Sean – in recent weeks so it's a shame to be out of the cup as it'll no doubt hit my ranking again, but it could prove a blessing in disguise as we'll be fresher and better-funded for our remaining five league fixtures, so there's definitely a chance we could stay in the promotion mix. Which is really quite a startling revelation. Have we ever had an OTF team reach a top flight of one of the official leagues?

[Wouter D]

If I sacked her, a striker, I'd still have 15 players in the squad, 3 of whom are strikers. I thought 15 was permitted, as I was able to sell players until I had a squad of 13 at South Hams last season. Seems you're right, though, as I've now added to the squad and am allowed to send her on her way.

You're allowed to sell down to a lower number of squad players than the number to which you're allowed to sack down. I do not know the numbers, though.

[Etienne]

I'm pretty sure it would be an OTF first if you did make it VA.

Cardiff Dragons are looking well placed to go back to Division 1, but the loss of our best defender and FK taker for a 26 dayer could be a significant blow (our opponents also lost their FK taker to a bad injury in the same game as mutual bruise backfired).

Drakaina's survival in the Ladies League was tempered by another 26 dayer, to their best defender. A pretty nasty 1-2 blow by the Xpert Eleven gods, though at least the injury means less games missed in the official leagues, and some of it will be in the close season.