The FS World Cup comes back to town
Back in September we ran the very first FS World Cup event, where players from around the world came together to represent their country and fight it out for their national pride. The event was a huge success with great feedback from all involved. As such it was only a matter of time before the World Cup came rolling around once again, as happened last weekend.
As with the first FS World Cup, this was an “even-Stevens” event, where all participants were restricted to using a level 2 character. This puts far greater emphasis on the need for good teamwork and playing smart football, as no one can rely on their stats to pull them through.
The response to the first event had been unprecedented, so we were somewhat more prepared for the influx of sign ups, but it was still no small feat getting the teams set up and the players checked off. With hundreds of people signing in, it became an epic balancing act to get the teams filled and make sure that every single entry would have the chance to play.
The Group Stages
So it was that we finally came to the start of the event. Sixteen teams split across four groups would be battling it out in a series of 7 a side matches for a place in the finals. The groups were:
Group A: Poland, Antarctica, Greece, Romania
Group B: Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Sweden
Group C: Turkey, France, Ireland, USA
Group D: Argentina, Spain, Brazil, England
There were some bemused faces at the addition of Antarctica, with cries of "It's a continent not a country!" While such pedantry warms my heart, it was the perfect home for latecomers or those without a country. Antarctica is, after all, international territory.
Once the teams were ready, the first matches kicked off. In group A there was the favourites, Poland, facing off against the surprise under dogs of the last event; Romania. This would prove to be a real grudge match, as it was Romania who knocked Poland out of the event in the semi finals back in September.
Now the Poles were back for vengeance, bolstering themselves with a 5-2 win over Antarctica and then slamming in a 4-0 win over the Romanians. Alas, it would seem like the Romanians were not to relive the glory of their last event, as they suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of the Greeks but were then on the sharp end of an 8-1 result against outsiders Antarctica. Antarctica secured their success with a hard fought game against Greece, with the multinational squad managing to bag a 4-3 win. This put Poland firmly at the top of the group, with Antarctica close behind, meaning that both teams would be progressing to the finals.
Things were no less dramatic in the other groups. With such a strong presence from SC Germania, it was no surprise that the German team would perform well in Group B. They won all three of their games confidently. The Russian team performed similarly well, with their only defeat coming at the hands of the Germans. Ukraine and Sweden fared less well, eventually finishing as the bottom two of the group.
Group C was very closely fought. Turkey went into this event with a great deal of confidence and managed to show this with a couple of solid wins over USA and Ireland. Not everything was going their way though, as France managed to humble them with a 2-1 win of their own. The French team had also secured a 2-0 over USA, but it was far from over, as Ireland fought tooth and nail with the French squad for a 4-3 win, which they bolstered with a 3-1 win over USA. This meant that, with two wins and a loss each, Turkey, France and Ireland were all tied on points. This meant that the decider would be based on goal difference, with Turkey and France just pulling out ahead of Ireland.
Group D would see all three of the Latin teams, Argentina, Brazil and Spain, facing off against each other, with England fighting for their share. Alas, the England team were unable to maintain a killer team, and so conceded wins on all their matches. The group would seem to be cursed by personnel issues, with all teams struggling to hold together. In the end, Argentina managed to pull out on top with a 3-2 against Spain and a 2-0 over Brazil. The Spanish team would be hot on their heels though, managing to secure second place in the group and a place in the finals.
Second Day of Play - the Quarter Finals
After the frantic activity of the group stages on Thursday, the finals on Friday could be said to be an almost serene affairs if it weren’t for the palpable sense of tension. The quarter finals were all true to the odds, with the big players all winning their matches. Poland confidently got a 4-0 win over France, while Germany stormed past Spain with a 6-0 result. Russia strolled into the next round with a 3-1 win over the Argentineans, and the Turkish team were being put through their paces by the wild cards, Antarctica. At one point it seemed like the confidence of the Turks was about to be shattered, but they just managed to secure a lead, gaining them a hard fought 3-2 win.
The Semi Finals
Into the semis, and Poland were facing Germany, while Turkey would be pitted against Russia. Poland continued their unstoppable advance, with a 7-0 win against the veteran German team, while once more the Turkish players had to fight tooth and nail to prove themselves against a very strong Russian team. It looked like it would be going into extra time, but the Turks managed to bag a decider at the last minute, giving them a 3-2 win and a place in the finals.
The Grand Finale
So it was that the final rolled around and saw Poland facing off against Turkey. Turkey had so far had a very tough competition, needing to fight for their national pride every step of the way. Nevertheless, their confidence had seen them through this far. However, they were now facing the might of a very strong and very well organised Polish team.
Poland drew first blood in the fourth minute when a very risky short pass back from Emree was intercepted by Jelenirek and tapped past the despairing keeper. Three and a half minutes later, Turkey retaliated thanks to a text book short cross by Ardaturann to the waiting feet of coach Tuncayy, who was perched just outside the six yard box and managed to slam it into the top right corner. This took the scores to 1-1 where they would remain for the rest of the first half.
Into the second half, and Poland wasted no time in reclaiming the match. Gadocha picked up a deflected shot on goal to bring them to 2-1, and then one minute later, Gmoch outsprinted Hakann to the ball just outside the penalty area to knock a sneaky low ball past the keeper. This then seemed to knock the Turkish team who, despite some hard fighting, were unable to stop Gmoch from claiming a second, then setting up Gadocha for his second of the night. The last few minutes of the match were brutal and tense, with some dubious tackles and some frantic efforts. However, despite the best efforts of the Turkish squad, the Polish side proved the stronger resulting in a 5-1 score at full time, giving the title of World Cup champions to Poland after a consistently superb performance throughout.
Huge thanks to everyone who took part in the event and congratulations to Poland. We look forward to seeing you all in the New Year when the world cup will be rolling around once again.
