10th of July, 2016
Authored by TNC Media Writer, Kasch. Northern Scovia 1 - 0 Kaschovia
Well, who would have thought that the hosts would've made it this far? Not many people really knew how much the Kaschovian players wanted to get to the final, and getting this far was enough for them. It was not a boring game at all, but rather a game which many believed had already been settled. Northern Scovia had consistently looked stronger and better than all other teams, so it wasn't much of a surprise when they scored the first goal within 25 minutes. A badly given freekick was used to launch the ball deep into the box. Kaschovian defenders could not clear the ball in time, leaving young Northern Scovian striker Jacob Mercia to strike the ball into the back of the net. Distraught-ridden players hobbled back to the half line to kick off after such an early goal. The game slowed down almost to a halt, with no more chances coming for at least 35 minutes.
Some good midfield passing led Kaschovian midfielder Rodrigo V. Garcia into a scoring opportunity, he struck the ball with immense power, bit it rattled the crossbar and deflected back out into play, where strong opposition defender Antony Kendricks cleared the ball. All hope was lost for the Kaschovian fans as they watched Striker Oliver Hayes suffer a broken ankle 20 minutes from the final whistle. He was rushed onto a stretcher and away from the pitch to a nearby hospital for treatment. The players were almost defeated. With barely any time left and nothing left to go for, it all became clear as to who the first Northern Cup winner would be. The referee blew the final whistle of the tournament as the Northern Scovian fans erupted into celebration. The Kaschovian squad slumped onto the grass in disbelief as a scrummy defeat left them broken and lost. But that was all to it, and the Northern Scovian team were more than happy to party for the rest of the evening.
Antarticeuropa 2 - 3 Sadakoyama
The team spirit of the Sadakoyaman side and the technical brilliance of the AE midfield clashed in a 90 minute battle to the end for bragging rights over 3rd place, as over 104,000 people attended the game to support their national side. With 5 goals in total, it was one hell of a game to spectate. Right from the get-go, the players showed the determination and the grit of true fighting warriors. Out on the pitch, a plethora of skill and ability was seen as players danced around defenders, defenders gloriously slid in for risky challenges and managers bellowed at the sidelines, trying to keep their teams in the game.
The first goal came from a beautifully weighted through ball to Mi?jo Monahan, who took the ball through into the box and placed in neatly in the far left corner after just 11 minutes on the field. The equalising goal came from a powerful header just outside the six-yard box, Pascale Spini being on the end of the ball. To get AE back in front, world-renowned and skillful midfielder Eluf Souza took the ball on a lethal run into the opponents half, taking on the entire defense and powering the ball above the keeper and into the corner, but Sadakoyama did not feel like giving up yet. At 68 minutes, they managed to win a penalty through a badly timed tackle from Verner Starek. The penalty taker would be Nicolau Portner, the man who won the spot kick. He drove the ball hard into the top of the net and left the keeper stumbling onto the ground. But after 90 minutes, the game was taken into extra time, with no changes coming after the previous goal. At 118 minutes, incredible passing play and communication resulted in the winning goal for Sadakoyama. The ball was quickly passed in between defenders and played through for Ally Faerber, who tucked the ball far into the bottom right. Sadakoyama had made it to the 3rd place podium.