Saudi Arabia Tournament Review & Awards

26 November 2013

The Saudi Arabia league Fifa Tournament has now concluded, here is the review. I hope you enjoy it.

Group A consisted of Tyke, Junior, Choice, Tu Meke and Terry. The favourites to progress from this group were Tyke and Junior, with Tu Meke handicapped by a half star team in Al Wehdah and Choice and Terry unable to get out of terrible form. The two favourites Tyke and Junior fought out an even 1 – 1 draw, but would go on to experience contrasting fortunes in the group. First Tyke went on to collect a hat-trick of comfortable victories. Tu Meke despite taking the lead was beaten 4 – 1, Terry comfortably dispatched 3 – 0 and Choice annihilated 6 – 0. This saw Tyke with Al-Ettifaq top the group for the second tournament in a row. Junior would also go ahead his business in a professional manner beating both Terry and Choice 4 -0. However this is where the three times champion suffered a catastrophic loss of form, Tu Meke had showed great character in beating Choice 2 – 0 and edging Terry out 3 – 2 to put himself in contention for second place, but surely Junior with the superior Al-Fateh would overcome him? Junior throws some absolute stinking performances in from time to time and this was up with the worst of them. Tu Meke would run out 4 – 1 winner over Junior a stunning victory with such a poor team and the second place he obtained in the process was well deserved. So with Junior in third place, the battle of the bottom two in Choice with Al-Lttihad and Terry with Al-Raed finished with a 2 – 0 victory for Choice and thus a ranking point for him and a wooden spoon for Terry.

Group B on the whole was stronger than Group A, but it still consisted of two favourites in champion SpursBoy and Sideshow. Similar to the two favourites in the last group they fought out an entertaining 2 – 2 draw and then went on to have a varying amount of effort in qualifying. Sideshow incomprehensively beat a brave JAG 1 – 0, Oscar beaten more comprehensively 3 – 0 and a standard 2 – 0 victory against Ludy saw Sideshow with Al-Hilal secure first place and a match against Tu Meke. Now SpursBoy would beat Ludy 3 – 0 and JAG 2 – 0 which suggests a degree of comfort in his evitable qualification, think again. Oscar had accumulated enough points to challenge SpursBoy by beating Ludy 2 – 0 and drawing with JAG 0 – 0. There match pitted Spursboy’s Al-Shabab against Oscar’s Al-Ahli and it was the latter who emerged triumphant winning 2 – 0. But this was bitter sweet as Sideshow’s 3 – 0 victory over Oscar, coupled with the 0 – 0 against JAG and Sideshow's fight back in the 2 – 2 with SpursBoy, saw Oscar go out via virtue of goal difference, SpursBoy just through in second and a semi-final against Tyke, Oscar in third. JAG with Alshoulia secured fourth and the ranking point that comes with it pretty easily by beating Ludy 2 – 1 and the aforementioned point against Oscar. I say this was easy because Ludy with Najran did not perform at all losing all four matches and finishing with the wooden spoon.

comment by BraveheartTyke (U6173)

posted on 26/11/13

The first semi-final between Tu Meke and Sideshow would take another extra-special performance by Tu Meke to get anything out of this with his half-star Al-Wehdah against the best team in Saudi Arabia with Sideshow’s Al-Hilal. Both players had chances to start with a couple of one on ones which you feel Tu Meke just had to take whilst Sideshow could afford to miss them due to knowing he was likely to create further chances. Unfortunately for Tu Meke once Sideshow got his first goal and sight of a first final he didn’t let up scoring not two, not three, not four, but five goals in what became a bit of a massacre. Dodgy keeping cost Tu Meke that first goal, a painful one to take. So Sideshow marches on in search of his first tournament title, whilst Tu Meke makes the knock-outs once again to cap a decent tournament.

A repeat of last tournament's final now which proved to be a close affair, but could it be again as SpursBoy takes on Tyke. The match started fairly even with Spursboy getting away with a couple of questionable tackles and both players having a few half-chances. The breakthrough came round about the 35th minute mark when a close range effort by SpursBoy hit the post and fortuitously rebounded back to a team mate to make it 1 – 0. The match stayed pretty much even up until half-time, apart from a clear penalty (in my opinion) denied for Tyke. With not much between Tyke’s Al-Ettifaq and SpursBoy’s Al-Shabab this always had the makings of a close game. Spursboy created a couple of clear chances that would’ve killed the game, but didn’t take them whilst Tyke was threatening if not overly dangerous, however just when SpursBoy could dream of the final, a big kick from my keeper was latched on by centre-midfielder who’s effort was parried away only to be rebounded home in literally the last seconds of extra-time, would Tyke win the golden goal this time? Or would SpursBoy yet again rule the day? You wouldn’t have to wait long to find out, no literally you wouldn’t! SpursBoy took the kick-off ran up unchallenged to my 18 yard box, shot and it was deflected in. Short but sweet for Spursboy, whilst I am just glad I have become hard to beat not losing in normal time now for over two tournaments!

So here it was in what promises to be a tough final between Sideshow’s Al-Hilal and Spursboy’s Al-Shabab. The game started well for Spursboy after his sixth title and he was soon rewarded with a bullet header from a corner. Sideshow unlike previous matches against Spursboy, did not wilt under the pressure. He started to assert some dominance of his own and it wasn’t long till he got back in the game, giving Spursboy a taste of his own medicine with a goal from a flicked on corner. End to end stuff ensured, but in a tournament characterised by dodgy goalkeeping a rebounded shot from Spursboy’s keeper allowed Sideshow to head home and hold on to secure a 2 – 1 victory!

Well done Sideshow it was only a matter of time before he won his first title and it must feel sweet doing it against a player who has had the better of him a few times now. As long as Sideshow actually turns up to the tournaments when he signs up, then there is no reason why more trophies won’t make their way to Obers Haven. SpursBoy gracious in defeat as always, I’m sure will be back and as hungry as ever.

Well that is it end of Fifa 13, Playstation 3 and 2013 tournaments, but do not worry. These tournaments will return in January 2014 on a new console the Xbox One! Joking I wouldn’t play on that chit if my life depended on it. We will be returning with Fifa 14 on Playstation 4 in January 2014 and it will be the English Premier League as chosen by Sideshow. In case you missed it, tournament winners can now pick the next league as long as it isn’t the one we just played. One last thing, look out for my full review of ‘The 2013 Fifa Tournament Year’ where I will give out the awards for player of the year and the rest of it. Rankings will be updated by the end of the week.

comment by BraveheartTyke (U6173)

posted on 26/11/13

Awards

Winner: Sideshow x1

Runner-up: SpursBoy x2

Overachiever: Tu Meke

Underachiever: Junior

Most goals scored: Sideshow - 15

Least goals scored: Ludy - 1

Best match: SpursBoy 1 – 2 Sideshow

Worst match: JAG 0 – 0 Oscar

Best goal difference: Tyke +12

Worst goal difference: Terry, Choice -10