The best of 2021

2021 has been the year when things have slowly come back to ”normal”, although we are still quite far away from the normality we had before the pandemic. The eight teams that we are concerned with (so far) - Bourj FC, Fayoum SC, Cusco FC, 1. FK Svidník, OFK Tryavna, Total Soccer, Maaraba SC and Pepiniere FC - had very different achievements. However, the word ”achievement” might be too much for some of them, that achieved nothing or were relegated.

The best performance by far belong to Bourj FC. They finished 7th in the 2020-2021 season of the Lebanese League, and reached the semifinals of the Lebanese FA Cup twice, once in spring, and once recently, and they are still competing for the 2021-2022 Cup. Their biggest performance came in summer, when they won the Challenge Cup again, thus retaining it (the last Challenge Cup was held in 2019, when Bourj FC were also winners). Bourj FC are undefeated in the 2021-2022 season of the Lebanese League, are classified fourth after seven rounds, and have high hopes of classifying in the top six after eleven rounds, to compete in the championship play-off.

Most of the other teams were involved in the fight to avoid relegation. One exception has been Fayoum SC, which had a decent 2020-2021 season, as they finished sixth, and had a remarkable run of eight consecutive matches in which they were undefeated and therefore went out of the fight to avoid relegation. The 2021-2022 season started quite well for them, although they again changed the head coach, and had another series of seven matches (in a row) undefeated, and are now also sixth in the table of the Egyptian Second Division, Group A.

Total Soccer had an excellent year in terms of the senior team, which participated in the Primera A of the Antioquia Football League (one of the regional leagues in Colombia). Unfortunately, the Colombian Youth Championship was not held this year, and Total Soccer did not enroll for the nation-wide Primera C, so all their efforts were dedicated to the Antioquia Football League. They finished top of the table in Stage 1 of the competition, then they had a good performance in the following stages, and reached the final of the tournament, where they however lost 1-0 to Águilas Doradas B (the main team of which plays in the nation-wide Primera A). So, Total Soccer are vice-champions of the Antioquia Football League in their first complete year, as they have just promoted in 2019, and the 2020 season was interrupted.

The other teams fought for survival in their leagues. Cusco FC had an unexpectedly difficult year and they succeeded to save themselves from relegation in the very last round, also with some luck due to other results. It was the worse year in their history, and to change that, the club management seem to prepare very well the next season, including several outstanding transfers. The 2022 Peruvian First Division will start soon, in January, and teams are expected to play the home games on their own grounds, at last. This might be another advantage for Cusco FC, due to altitude.

1. FK Svidník were also saved from relegation, due to a combination of facts, including their classification (second to last), and the fact that another team withdrew for the 2021-2022 season, so they were allowed to enroll for the Slovak Third Division, East Group, again, as first below the relegation line. However, their season so far was disastrous, as they have no point whatsoever. Another miracle might be needed for them to stay for one more year in the Third Division.

OFK Tryavna, on the other hand, did not survive in the Bulgarian Third Division, North-West Group. Their spring part of the 2020-2021 season was awful, and they finished last. However, there are big plans for a come-back, as the 2021-2022 season of the regional Gabrovo League started off well, and they are top of the table so far, so they might be back in the Third Division in 2022 if everything goes smoothly.

There are worrying signs for Pepiniere FC. They participated in the very short season of the 2020-2021 Rwandan Second Division, finishing last in their group. However, the main cause for worry is that they did not enroll for the 2021-2022 Second Division, which is played in normal format, and for the moment they are not enrolled in any competition, as far as we know. The same is true for Maaraba SC, but in their case, the situation seems to be the same for some time.

Best team

Bourj FC

Best performance

Bourj FC - AC Tripoli 4-2 (Challenge Cup final)

Best manager

Juan Gabriel Sepúlveda (Total Soccer)

Best player

Mahmoud Kamal ”Schmeichel” (Fayoum SC)

A Happy New Year to everyone!