Season 37 International 5/62 1st Weekend Roundup (21/06/2008 05:03)

Well, it might be a bit early writing this, here on the East Coast of the United States it is technically still Friday though it is weekend time, but I'm not caring about that. As normal, let's show everyone my predictions for this season.

1. Pool Man
2. Dorchester FC
3. Vargedo
4. Espantas
5. Wermacht
6. riiserrs
7. LIverpool-Niggaz
8 Niebieskie Orlatka
9. FC Telsiai
10. huse mitt
11. matchteam fc
12. Sunhill
13. Forex
14. crazypowa
15. KFUM Oslo
16. Kutai FC

Unlike last season where I pretty much nailed the top 4, this season is looking like a quagmire. There is an uneven number comparing teams doing better then I thought and teams doing worse then I thought. So despite only having one spot picked correct, Wermacht in 5th, my score might not be that bad. Here are the teams that have performed above and below expectations. As always to be on either list the team must be either 3 or more spots ahead or 3 or more spots behind what I thought they would do. No other considerations which means to people with common sense this might have actually been predictable.

Teams that have done BETTER then expectations:
1.) riiserrs (Predicted 6th; Currently 2nd)
    File this one under the "I'm a Complete Moron" file. Why I decided that a demoted team from the 4th division would be so low I have no idea..... oh wait I do. From my last blog entry, "Yes, riiserrs is possible top 3 with some of their talent, I just see that midfield being its downfall unless they play something like 4-3-3." What does riiserrs use as its formation? Hope it don't take a brain surgeon to figure out that it is the 4-3-3, because I should have seen it coming a mile away. Thankfully I beat them for their only loss or they would make me look even more ridiculous then I already do. That's the amazing thing about predicting your own league, you can soften the damage of a team exceeding your expectations by beating them on the field.

2.) huse mitt (Predicted 10th; Currently 7th)
    Unlike riiserrs, I could not prevent this team from making me look foolish, if I had won my game against them they would be 9th. No one uses the forum chat in our league so I don't get to talk to the league managers, but huse mitt's somp has been the only non top 3 team's manager in my league to consistently stay around until this year where a couple of lower standing managers are pretty active. He or she, not going to guess since I'd probably be wrong, is a manager who seemingly just loves the game and doesn't quit because his or her team is near the bottom 6. Depth at every position but goalie was my concern with this team but they have pleasantly surprised. Somp deserves to stay in the 5th league, and possibly get promoted to 4th in a season or two.  The team needs more depth, but over time should get to the point where it contends for a promotion.

3.) crazypowa (Predicted 14th, Currently 9th)
    Another actively managed team that has greatly exceeded expectations. Looking at their roster I do not see how this team has done it. Never mind the team average of quality being 70, the team only has 2 players who have a quality of 70 or higher, highest being 71. This team has been losing steam of late, being 0-1-3 in the last 4 games, but hopefully it can hang on by just enough to stave off the playoffs since I've only seen one 6th division team lose to a 5th division playoff team in 6 attempts.

Teams that have done worse then expectations.
1.) Espantas (Predicted 4th; Currently 8th)
    I knew that my riiserrs pick could be wrong if they played 4-3-3, which as mentioned earlier they do, but of all teams to give their top 4 spot to why did I pick Espantas? Did the Spanish sounding name somehow trigger the cinco anos de classes espanol tengo. (Sorry Spanish people everywhere for butchering your language, and being too lazy to add the sideways s above the n's in anos and espanol.) Only thing that makes sense since Wermacht only has defense and goalie holes whereas Espantas has midfield and defensive issues. Heck huse mitt would've been more sane considering their only flaw, like mine, is the bench. Well, live and learn.

2.) Sunhill (Predicted 12th; Currently 16th)
    I thought they'd be bad, they are actually awful.Not to mention the worst managed team since most of their best players ride the pine, while the scrubs get all the playing time. Funny part is, injuries that will inevitably come will probably help them since it might force them to play the best lineup they can.

I leave this article with a few words of what should be common sense, but apparently isn't. When playing friendlies, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS put tackles to soft. I just lost my 2nd best defensive player to a 1st minute red card by the opposing team. Thankfully the rest of the defense and my goalie is good and the remaining 1st half schedule only pits me against one top 6 team, the #1 team Vargedo. Otherwise I'd be pulling my hair out and making my head look like crop circles.