Final 2 results to follow ASAP.

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Lovely write ups Haak

Fiorentina vs FC Pride

FIORENTINA
.......................Casillas..................
...............Stones...Dede.....Besic......
Darmian.......De Jong.......Xhaka..........Pasqual
............Van Der Vaart.......Iniesta.......
.......................Ibrahimovic............

PRIDE
------------------------Enyeama-------------------------
Coke-----------Luisao--------Koscielny----------Blind
--------------------------Masch-------------------------
------------Kouyate------------------Hojbjerg---------
-------------------------Robben-------------------------
------------------PEA------------Immobile-------------


These two sides went into the game with 100% records. Fiorentina with a 100% win record, and Pride with a 100% draw record. Something had to give and it was Fiorentina who made the stronger start when De Jong won the ball and found Darmian, who crossed the ball to Ibrahimovic who got beat Koscielny in the air but found his shot saved by Enyeama. Fiorentina had more of the ball with Xhaka and Iniesta in particular seeing plenty of the ball. However, they were undone by a quick ball found Aubemayang and he rounded Casillas before slotting home calmly. They had the opportunity to double their lead when a Robben corner (when he forced substitute Pedro away when trying to take the corner himself) found Koscielny but it flicked off the bar and went out.

The second half saw Fiorentina immediately put on the back foot with Kouyate powering forward and trying to find Robben but Xhaka nipped in just in time to prevent a dangerous chance. Fiorentina were getting back into the game and subsitute Zaza broke into the box and was tripped by Luisao, a definite penalty. Ibrahimovic took it upon himself to take it and hit it left. Enyeama dived the right way but couldn't quite get to the ball as Fiorentina equalised. There was time for a final chance for Pride to win the game with Blind making a good run down the left past Darmian and playing in a low cross but Robben couldn't quite connect as the game ended in a draw.

Slot Split
Home 5 (+1)
Draw 7
Away 5

YELLOW CARDS
Fiorentina - Pasqual, Casillas, Van Der Vaart
Pride - Robben, Coke

Fiorentina 1-1 Pride
Aubemayang 34 (assist by Blind)
Ibrahimovic 71 (assist by Zaza)


WHERE THE GAME WAS WON
These two sides looked to congest the middle of the park, with four central midfielders played by either side and it meant that it was difficult to pick a winner. Robben couldn't impose himself on the game as he usually would and Pedro being dropped was the wrong decision, as some width would have really helped. The Fiorentina side lacked a bit of pace in attack which made it very difficult for them with nobody running in behind or really able to stretch the Pride defense. A draw was the fair result.

The Fiorentina defense looks weak, I feel that Stones and Besic need improving at the back and can be got at. Their attack also needs an injection of pace, Iniesta, VDV, Ibrahimovic isn't the most mobile. I like Koscielny, Blind, Enyeama in the Pride defense but a bit of pace could be added. The midfield also lacks a bit of creativity, I appreciate Pirlo was out but there needs another passing midfielder in there.

MOTM: Aubemayang - Constant movement gave the Fiorentina defense problems, the best attacking player in a congested game.

Nice work trebs and Haak was expecting a two goal loss

Pride

Bookmarked

BASINGSTOKE
--------------------------Lloris--------------------
Carvajal--Coloccini--van Dijk--Gibbs
------------------Rode---Carvalho----------
Carrillo-------Teixeira----Griezmann
-----------------------Rossi--------------------


TAIWAN
———————————— Cech
————— Barzagli — Bonucchi — Chiellini
Coleman — Alonso — Matic ———— Alaba
————— Fabregas —— Son —— Coutinho

These two teams both went into the match without a win and in the relagtion zone. Taiwan hadn't scored a goal but changed that immediately when Coleman made a brilliant run down the right and played the ball to Son to hit the ball into the back of the net in the first minute. Basingstoke were immediately on the back foot and Matic dispossessed Teixera and played a simple ball to Alonso, for the Spaniard to hit the ball to Coutinho who beat Gibbs and started to cut in but was brought down by van Dijk, with the referee waving for play on. Basingstoke had a great opportunity to equalise on the stoke of half time when Griezmann caught Coleman out of position and smashed a low ball across the box but Rossi hit his shot horribly wide.

The second half started and it was Basingstoke came out determined to get on the front foot after a poor fast half showing. Calvalho won the ball from Alonso and drove forward, finding Carrillo who made the run inside and he made no mistake from ten yards out. Taiwan finally came out of their slumber and a free kick from Alonso found Bonucci to head home a goal to give them the lead. Iturraspe and Deuleufeu came on to give Basingstoke fresh legs but Taiwan were not to be stopped. It was Fabregas who provided the quality here, dinking the ball over the top for Son to beat Coloccini and smash home a deserved third to make sure of the points for Taiwan.


YELLOW CARDS
Basingstoke - Greizmann, Gibbs, Carrillo, Calvalho
Taiwan - Alaba, Cech, Alonso, Barzagli


Basingstoke 1-3 Taiwan
Son 2 (Coleman)
Carrillo 53 (Calvalho)
Bonucci 59 (Alonso)
Son 66 (Fabregas)


SLOT SPLIT
Basingstoke - 2 (+1)
Draw - 4
Away win - 8


TACTICAL ANALYSIS
I'm not sure about the Basingstoke tactics, they say press high up the pitch which is fine, but I wouldn't want Coloccini as the last man with his lack of pace, with Taiwan opponents having Son and Coutinho in the attack. They look very strong going forward, Carrillo and Griezmann are top quality widemen. Overall, I feel Taiwan have done an absolutely brilliant job tactically and they get more slots for that. I don't like the style of the Basingstoke tactics, for example, telling me all about Rossi's equisite movement and being almost on par with Aguero and Rode's big game experience.

In terms of personnel, the Basingstoke side needs to improve at centre back for me, and I struggle to see the weaknesses in the Taiwan side but they should play Bonucci RCB and Barzagli CB, possibly a false nine with Fabregas behind Son and Coutinho in inside forward roles?

MOTM: Heung Min-Son. Gave the Basingstoke defense a torrid time with his pace.

SOUTHEND

-------------------------------------Buffon-----------------------------------------
Trippier-----------Mustafi-----------------Schar------------------------Ward
------------------------------------Geis---------------------------------------------
------------------------Strootman-----Pjanic---------------------------------
Welbeck----------------------Bony-----------------------------Ox-Chamberlain


FISHGUARD
-------------------------Ryan
ter Avest-----Veltman------Hoedt------Wimmer
------------ Dendoncker----de Sart
Andersen-----------Klaassen (c)--------Fischer
------------------------Vietto


Two teams in opposite ends of the table today fought this one out, the home team second and the away side second from bottom. It was the away side who made the stronger start when Viktor Fischer received the ball from Klaasen out wide and cut in, beating Trippier and getting into the box, he smashed his shot which flicked off Schar and went out for a corner kick. They were not to be denied from the corner which came in from Andersen finding Veltman who headed in to give Fishguard the opening goal. Southend were rattled by this and were not allowed any time to settle on the ball. It was because of this they conceded a second goal immediately after. Klaasen found Vietto with his through ball and the striker calmly slotted home. 2-0. Southend were going mad and they had an excellent chance on the stroke of half time to halve the deficit when Pjanic ran with the ball past the midfield and found Welbeck who was chopped down to give Southend a penalty. Bony stepped up and calmly sent Ryan the wrong way, only to see his shot bounce back off the post with the onrushing ter Avest to smash the ball to safety.

The second half saw Bony immediately look to atone for his penalty miss, an excellent crossfield ball from Pjanic found him and he chested the ball down and rifled home a shot to pull one back. Southend were keen to get the equaliser and Strootman hit a long range effort which hit the post, and Bony teed up Welbeck to send a shot just wide. Fishguard then broke well and Fischer was extremely unlucky to see his shot well saved from Buffon when we once again beat Trippier. Fishguard were then beaten by the simplest of goals, though. A long ball upfield from Buffon found Welbeck out wide, who flicked a ball on for Bony to smash a low shot home to equalise. The game continued with high pressure, both sides wanting the winner but Southend looked more likely and substitute Sturridge found himself with the final chance of the game. Chamberlain made the run and played a through ball to the striker, who coolly slotted home the ball to wild cheers from the crowd. They were cruelly cut short by the linesman who flagged controversially for offside despite Sturridge's protests that he was on. There was a sneaky grin from Hoedt suggesting he knew something the linesman didn't. But the game ended in a 2-2 draw.


SLOT SPLIT
HW 8 (+1)
D 6
AW 2


Southend 2-2 Fishguard
Veltman 13 (Andersen)
Vietto 16 (Klaasen)

Bony 48 (Pjanic)
Bony 63 (Welbeck)


YELLOW CARDS
Southend - Welbeck, Pjanic, Geis
Fishguard - ter Avest, Veltman, Klaasen


Tactical Analysis
Welbeck and Oxlade Chamberlain were put on the wrong wings to be honest. The high pressure game that Southend try to do works with the players they have, but they do look weak defensively. Playing Bony over Sturridge was the right move as he gave Veltman and Hoedt a horrible day, where they both struggled. The Fishguard team is decent and I can see them trying hard playing the high pressing, but I think the Southend side is better and they both use fairly similar tactics. Fishguard would get joy on the wings and they should have targetted that more.


MOTM - Bony - Got on the scoresheet twice and his penalty miss aside, put in a spot on perfromance, bullying the Fishguard centre backs.

Tino

Becoming the draw specialists

Would have preferred 2 defeats and a win

Battersea
-----------------Jefferson-----------------

Vd.Wiel----Gabriel----Otamendi----Gaya

------------Vidal----Kondogbia------------

--Lucas---------Firmino---------Shaqiri--

----------------Mandzukic-------------------

Gosport

-----------------------------Joel

Ivanovic--Alderweireld---Nastasic---Mings

----------------Wanyama--Rabiot

Mané---------------Barkley--------Mackay-Steven

------------------------Kane


Early confusion for Battersea when they saw Gosport come out but they quickly got over it.

This was a tight game with Lucas really having a go down their right at Mings who isn't up to scratch. I liked Gabriel against Kane and Alderweireld against Mandzukic, feel that these two tactical decisions were right.

In short, both teams played so similar with the same formation and I couldn't split them easily, I gave Battersea a couple more slots because they have a better team all round.

Gosport 6 (+1)
Draw 6
Battersea 4

Battersea 1-1 Gosport
Vidal 50 (Firmino)
Kane 90+3 (Mane)

Yellow Cards to follow
If more of an explanation is required I will do so but reading the tactics I think it's the only result I could give.

Really good write ups Haak and Trebs .
Thank you for your hard work .

Leiva .

Got the rub of the green finally . Hope some will come your way very soon dude .

Great write up lads always appreciative of the effort put in

Sorry for the delay.

TACTICAL ANALYSIS

Battersea:
You have a solid side with good players in all the positions, it's just about making the step up in terms of personnel, I'd look at CB, LW, RB as next in line.

Gosport:
Looks weak on the left side and in goal. But there is some quality there with Ivanovic, Mane, Kane. Overall I like the balance of the side, particularly in midfield with Rabiot and Wanyama.

Overall game:
Identical formations, I thought the midfields would cancel each other out and that Kane/Mandzukic would end up a little isolated. Battersea do have a little more quality, but I slightly prefer the Gosport tactics who seem to have tailored them more and knew exactly what to expect from Battersea. A close game, draw is fair but if you forced me to pick one or the other then Battersea would get it.