Texas FC 1 - 0 Mid-Cities SC
(Danauskas 82’; N/A)
Coming in Round 39, the National Trophy matchup between cross-state rivals was the third TX Derby that fans were treated to this season. After Texas had claimed victory both home and away in the league, Mid-Cities supporters traveled to the F4Football Dome to cheer on their side on a level playing field. And level the match would prove to be, starting with their lineups. Rating overall wise, both teams were nearly equal, and their starting XIs looked to be very similar as well. Both sides started with a back three. In his, Adam opted to push back natural defensive midfielder Francesco Rambaldi, becoming the highest rated of the trio. Also starting in the defensive third were left-wing-back Kannan Mohar, and actual anchor TJ Rakotondramanana. Envican, meanwhile, sat two defensive midfielders in front of the backline. In the midfield, Texas kept the tricky Mu’ayyad Bitar wide, while Mid-Cities played with two wide midfielders in the powerful Toma Ević and sleek Arno Weimann. Once again, both teams stuck with their guns up top, both employing a striker pair in front of a central attacking midfielder. Notably, veteran Peruvian Alejandro Aguilar wore the captain’s armband for the Mid-Cities, a bittersweet gesture in nod to his announcement of retirement after this season.
After Mid-Cities kicked off, it was largely Texas holding of the ball for the first ten or so minutes, but early advances by the Houston side were fairly easily neutralized by Mid-Cities defenders. They would proceed to keep the ball for a short while, but it was striker Alexandrer Wallner that would eventually rescue things for Texas. For much of the rest of the half afterwards, it would go back and forth between the two clubs, as both push for a first-half goal that would ride them to the final. In the 41st minute, it looked like Texas’ spell of possession would finally result in something, with a series of passes that seemed to elude Mid-Cities’ midfield. But a pass to captain Sorrel López would get cut out by Weimann, which would essentially end the first half action. A good shift put in by both sides would thus result in a 0-0 scoreline.
Texas would kick off for the second 45 minutes, and this time the excitement of the crowd was growing. After more contested possession, calls from the fans seemed to get to Aguilar as he brought down Rambaldi. Play continued, though, to the dismay of the traveling Mid-Cities fans, but their spirits were renewed as defender Petr Nováková would prevent an easy Texas goal in the 58th minute. Despite calling for more direct passing with an hour played, the ball would continue to change hands until a more serious call was given to defensive midfielder David del Moral. For his hard tackle on Sorrel Lopez, he was given a deserved yellow. Despite this, Texas were not able to capitalize with Hasni being called back for a close offside. A short while later, in the 79th minute, Kamkar Ali would fight back for the ball in his own half. Adam’s call for direct passing was paying off, and the Texas midfield was once again playing the ball around their Mid-Cities counterparts. Their tackles were going awry, and it would be captain López dictating the play to take advantage of this. He played a good pass to Hasni, who would play an even better through ball to Sebastian Danauskas. Danauskas shot, everyone held their breath, and in the blink of an eye, Texas had finally gotten the goal they had been looking for. The fans rejoiced, the bench going a little crazy, their energy only matched by the fire of the Mid-Cities fans jeering their celebrations nearby. Texas then parked the bus hard, all while López would come off to a standing ovation by their traveling fans. Despite Mid-Cities looking for an equalizer, Texas would have the ball glued to their feet, this time resulting in tensions boiling over again as Aguilar once again put a tackle wrong on the opposition. A brawl almost broke out, but the referees were able to keep control of the situation. If Envican had been cautiously looking for their side to find a last-minute equalizer before, there was little chance of it now. The Texas backline would play the ball amongst themselves to see out the rest of the game, with three minutes of injury time not enough for MCSC. And with that, Texas were through to the final, with stalwart Rakotondramanana earning the man of the match. Gathering around a screen, they soon learned their opponent in the final would be…
Black Dragons 2 - 1 First Boxers
(Savo Naseer 20’, 42’; Thierry Henry 24’)
Billed as the battle between the old and new, both Dragons and First Boxers put up a strong fight to take one step closer to winning the National Trophy. This was the third meeting of the Dragons and the Boxers, with the former having won both home and away. In particular, Dragons put three while away at the First Boxers’ ground, and prevented their opposition from getting any back. Before the match, it looked as if the defending champions would once again have the advantage, with the better squad on paper. Both managers, Angus and Hanes Fruit, did choose to start in the same style, neither going attacking or defending, playing with a high intensity, and highlighting a variety of passing. In terms of squad formation, though, Angus would set up in a wide 3-4-3 diamond, with only one center back and two fullbacks. Defensive stalwart Ferris Tapia would captain the side. The diamond would consist of a defensive midfielder anchor, sitting behind two wide midfielders (and no central ones), and a central attacking midfielder. Winger Edwardo Smith, winner of the Dragons’ quarterfinal with nearly the last kick of the ball in the 119th minute, was tucked in alongside club legend Faulkner Fahad, who announced that this season would be his last. On the opposite side of the pitch, Fruit would set the side up in a much more traditional 4-4-2, with best outfield player Shafeeq Browning captaining the Boxers from deep. In front of the backline were two defensive midfielders, in between two wide midfielders, including Lalo Surman, who assisted the first quarterfinal goal, one of four. Up front were strikers Rafiq Freixa, whose red-hot form had seen him put three past a faltering Wonder Peppers side, and Thierry Henry, who had grabbed the fourth.
With both teams’ morale at their highest, First Boxers kicked off the match. Things would start off with back and forth posession, seeing offside calls go for both sides in the first ten minutes. Soon after, though, Dragons would take a good chunk of the ball, before Savo Naseer would foul Muneer Ihab to create a lucrative Boxers free kick. However, Sameer McCoy would rescue the ball for the Dragons, that after several precise passes would, ironically, find the feet of Savo Naseer. He shot from distance, curving the ball sweetly into the top corner to see his side go up 1-0. Dragons celebrated, but in front of Boxers fans, the choice leading to a cacophony of boos and jeers from the sea of red and white. Eventually, though, First Boxers kicked off once again, eager to set things right. And set things right they did, when not four minutes later, huge shotstopper Silvio Shorey pinged a ball to Seward Quincoces, who in turn set it long to Thierry Henry. He would put an inch-perfect header past Ki Holloway. This time, it was the Boxers players running to the corner flag to rejoice in front of Black Dragons fans. Equally discontented as their counterparts for the first goal, the Dragons fans’ response was even more powerful, with a few cups having been let fly from the crowd. The referee called both teams back, though, and it was now Dragons’ first kickoff. Throughout much of the rest of the first half, Boxers would use their momentum from the goal to keep possession, surging forward on a number of occasions. Unfortunately for them, though, that momentum would be immediately halted as Naseer was once again involved in a foul, this time the victim of a grounding by Cesc Chaney. Naseer set up the ball just outside the box, and on the whistle quickly let fly. It was in the back of the net before Silvio Shorey could move. It was jubilation once again for the Dragons fans, who celebrated with even more energy than before. They would nearly find another before the end of the half through a stirring run of plays, but each time it would get cleared by Shorey’s heroics or a defender’s header at the near post. Then, right before the end of the half, Boxers would have one huge chance of their own, but it too would be stopped by a last-minute Tapia clearance. The first half would finish 2-1 to the Dragons, with the Dome buzzing with excitement and nerves for the remaining 45.
After instructions by Hanes Fruit to get his wide midfielders higher up the pitch, the second half kicked off. Once again, things would go back and forth until the 60th minute, when the first subs were made by the Boxers as they pushed for an equalizer. Captain Browning came off, giving the armband to Quincoces, and Chaney would make way for club icon Sajid Salam. In particular, Salam received loud cheering from the Boxers faithful, having recently announced that he, too, would be retiring following the conclusion of the campaign. In the next minutes, more possession was held by the Boxers, but they could not break down the defence of Black Dragons. The handful of Dragons counterattacks, meanwhile, would also be neutralized by their Boxer counterparts. To the chagrin of First Boxers, their opponents would have perhaps the best chances of the half, which would’ve doubled their lead, with two corners at the beginning of injury time. But the Dragons backline and keeper did not budge, and the ball was cleared. After some antics by Fahad and Naseer were countered by Ihab, the final whistle blew. The same ecstasy from before returned, and once again the Dragons squad ran over to their fans to celebrate. On the other side of the pitch, Boxers players could be seen talking to and clapping their fans, as Hanes Fruit talked solemnly with his staff.
First Boxers 0 - 1 Black Dragons
(N/A; Savo Naseer 82’)
This League Cup tie was the round after the National Trophy game, happening in Round 40. It featured the same two clubs as one of the Trophy matches, except this time, it was Boxers who were considered the home team, and their match was first in the lineup. Emotions around the stadium were mixed. Some Boxers fans were still feeling defeated after their previous defeat to Black Dragons (and the two league matches prior in the season). Some, though, were confident that this would be their time to shine, and it would finally be Boxers prevailing over the Dragons. There were a lot less of the Dragons fans in attendance than the prior game – final totals for attendance were calculated at 70,214, compared to the National Trophy game of 96,115. Regardless, it was bound to be an exciting game. Conveniently, the lineups were the same for both sides as their previous encounter, both teams were confident in their starting XIs and didn’t want to slip up. Even First Boxers, who were coming into the same stadium following their loss, were still instructed to play with the same play style, and attack their opponents in the same way.
After Boxers kicked off, possession was immediately won back by Dragons’ Keven Vyntra. After the ball changed hands multiple times, the ball would come to Cesc Chaney in the 8th minute. Unfortunately, though, forward Freixa would be called back for offside. The pattern would continue, but in the opposite direction, leading to Savo Naseer having an offside call of his own in the 18th minute. The rest of the first half almost until injury time saw more contested possession, with each team regaining the ball after a misplaced pass. In the 42nd minute came the best chance of the half, with veteran Faulkner Fahad playing a one-two with Weligton Mukhtar. Shorey would parry the shot, though only as far as Kevin Canales. Eventually, play was stopped after Thierry Henry took down Abdallah Hendrix. Black Dragons, however, could not capitalize, and the first half would eventually finish scoreless.
Once, again, Hanes Fruit instructed the team’s wide midfielders to get further up, and Black Dragons started the second half. In the 56th minute, Boxers strung together a series of passes that seemed to confuse the Dragons’ midfield, and Freixa was able to sneak in behind and have a powerful shot. Holloway, though, would send the ball away towards the corner flag, and eventually directed the clearing of the ball away on the subsequent corner. After the Boxers made some substitutions, Muneer Ihab would take up the captain’s armband. Following a short run of Dragons ball, it would be a Cesc Chaney interception, beating out substitute Hakim Ross to a Holloway goal kick that Fruit’s side would really start to grow into the match. This momentum was halted in the 76th minute, though, when Freixa oddly put in a crunching tackle against Ferris Tapia. But his team could not take advantage, seeing two offsides in two minutes. Boxers would eventually get the ball back after this spell, but hero of the day Naseer would cut off a pass meant for Ihab. He would pass to Hendrix, who would send it Canales, who in turn would give it up to a forward-looking Naseer. Seeing the keeper off his line, he attempted a power shot from near the halfway line. Despite Shorey’s best efforts to get back to his goal line, the incredible effort would give his side the lead once again, to the anger of Boxers fans. After this, much of the ball was held up by a Dragons side looking to protect their thin lead. Late in the game, in the 90+1st minute, the Boxers would get the ball back, hoping for an equalizer of miracles to send the game to extra time. Edwardo Smith had other ideas, though, and in intercepting the final pass of the game, Dragons would hear the final whistle go victoriously. They were into another League Cup final, and this time it was Angus and company who would await the final score of the other tie…
Texas FC 2 - 0 Mid-Cities SC
(Sebastian Danauskas 29’, Gonzalo Mertesacker 78’; N/A)
More so than any of the derbies that had come before it in the season, this League Cup semifinal was perhaps the most emotional of them all. It was full of drama, distress, and more rage than perhaps all of their other matchups combined. With this being said, it started out much the same for the two sides: Texas looked to continue their streak against the noisy neighbors, and Mid-Cities were creating a ruckus, hoping that this would be their time for glory. They both set up in the same way as the National Trophy, and used the same tactics. Soon, the two teams lined up side by side in the tunnel, heard the cheers of their respective sides, and walked out into the floodlights.
The first fifteen minutes were dominated by Texas, with Envican’s side only getting small looks in through a short-lived interception and a corner that John Joseph punched away fairly easily. Mid-Cities seemed to not be able to grow into the game at all, with the smaller but still rambunctious population of Texas fans getting louder by the minute. Eventually, MCSC had had enough, and while fighting Texas defender Rambaldi for the ball, Artur Sargsyan him hacked down. In the resulting free kick, Alejandro Aguilar would commit an even more egregious foul, this one an obvious play in front of the referee, and Aguilar had little to argue as he was booked. Of course, while he was a player with a long history in the game, he seemed a bit rattled by the crowd and the memory of the other losses, getting none of the ball and all of TJ Rakotondramanana’s leg. Lucky for Adam’s side, though, TJ would eventually get up, and play would continue. That is, until seconds later, when Aguilar would commit the same foul again, as a forward-racing TJ was chopped down while trying to beat Aguilar to the ball. The two players would go head to head, and a brawl threatened to ensue when the referee would reach into his back pocket once again. With two yellow cards in the span of less than a minute, Alejandro Aguilar was sent off for Mid-Cities. From there on out, Envican’s side never recovered. It was, ironically, TJ that would play through Sebastian Danauskas for the opening goal not 3 minutes after the red card. Frazzled by the events and suffering from the defensive burden of being a player down, John Joseph was easily rounded by Danauskas, who tapped the ball in for the lead. Adam then called for his squad to sit back, even taking off Sorrel López for the more defensive Lee Byers. After this, Texas finally allowed their opponents to hold onto the ball, before in the 40th minute they got the ball back and essentially passed around the ball with a frightening intensity until they heard the half-time whistle. Envican could only scratch their head, wondering how Mid-Cities could fight back under these conditions.
The second half was more of the same for Texas, who continued more of the dominating play they had exercised in the first 45 minutes. By the 60th minute, things would spread out a bit more, and both teams would see some of the ball as their respective midfields fought for possession. Mid-Cities fans feared for the worst around ten minutes later when things would go from bad to worse for their club. Danauskas would ping a ball over to Byers, an interesting choice given his being marked by David del Moral. But it was del Moral that would come away looking the more foolish, as he tried, very unsubtly, to climb his opponent to win the aerial duel. The referee, keeping in mind his side’s other earlier antics, was quick to brandish the yellow once again. After this, Texas would cling to the ball, only really releasing to let a couple shots fly. Luckily for Joseph, though, they were routine saves, but unfortunately, his blocks sent the ball right back in the path of the Texas frontline. Eventually, though, their onslaught became too much to fight off, as defender Gonzalo Mertsacker would latch onto a looping corner by Mu’ayyad Bitar to double his side’s advantage. If there was any minute chance of Mid-Cities going through before, there was definitely none now. The only thing Envican’s side could muster was more fouls, many of which were sloppy and last-ditch. One of them even led to yet another yellow, with Arno Weimann being booked for… a bad challenge after another pass to Lee Byers. He would marginally redeem himself by playing through Musa Dlamini for one last hurrah in the 90+1st minute, but this would eventually be cleared by Kamkar Ali. The final whistle was more than anything a signal of relief for the boys in white. The Texas squad went off to celebrate, while many of the Mid-Cities players either laying facedown on the pitch or looking at the board above that spelled their fate: Mid-Cities. 0 shots. 0 shots on target. 0 goals.
Black Dragons. Texas FC. The two biggest clubs in the league, battling it out for two trophies at the F4Football Dome. Double the matches, double the excitement. Will Texas FC finally find their time in the spotlight. Or will Black Dragons continue their domination en route to another domestic trophy clean sweep? Or will they split the pot, with one club taking home one piece of silverware each? Would that be enough to satisfy the huge demands put on both clubs? Find out the answers to these questions and more with USDN’s coverage of both the National Trophy and the First Division League Cup Final.
First, in Round 53, the League Cup. Black Dragons, the two time winners and defending champions. Texas FC, last season’s runner up. Will this year be Texas’s year in the first big game after the end of the league season? Or will Dragons’ momentum be too much to handle. What kind of new faces will there be? Who will become a hero?
Then, in Round 26, the National Trophy. The more storied, perhaps, of the two trophies. Black Dragons, also hoping to win the Trophy in back-to-back years. Texas, looking for their second crown after winning it all in Season 25. Will it be one last twist in the tale, and will the Texans find their revenge? Or will this be the day that Black Dragons achieve history and complete back to back trebles?
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