Wednesday 9 October 2024

FK Tryavna 1922 did not enroll in the 2024-2025 Gabrovo League, replaced by Angel Kanchev Tryavna

FK Tryavna 1922 senior team no longer plays in any league. Since 2021, football in Tryavna has received blow after blow: first, in 2021, the relegation from the third tier (Bulgarian Third League) to the fourth league (Gabrovo Regional League); then, in 2022, the club, named OFK Tryavna, was disbanded by the Bulgarian Football Union for attending a so-called illegal meeting organised by the opposition to the head of the Union, while they were leading the Gabrovo Regional League by a large margin; then, in 2023, reformed as FK Tryavna 1922, the club was not enrolled in the Third League despite winning the Gabrovo Regional League; and now, what seems to be an even more serious blow, the team was not enrolled in the Gabrovo Regional League after classifying second in 2023-2024, missing promotion for just two points.

The club is not completely dead yet, because some of the junior teams (U13 and U11) are enrolled in local competitions managed by the Veliko Tarnovo branch of the Bulgarian Football Union.

In senior football, in the Gabrovo Regional League, the town of Tryavna is now represented by Angel Kanchev Tryavna, a club which had existed and played at this level until 2023. They did not enroll for the 2023-2024 season of the Gabrovo League, when FK Tryavna 1922 remained the sole representative of the town in the league, but have come back for the 2024-2025 season, when it is their turn to be the sole representative of the town in the league. It is yet unclear whether there has been any sort of a merger between Angel Kanchev and FK Tryavna 1922 teams at senior level, or they continue to function as two different clubs.

Anyway, this looks like a complete failure from the side of local authorities in Tryavna regarding football.

Sunday 29 September 2024

Bourj FC lost the first match of the 2024-2025 season, season stopped due to Israeli attacks

In the previous week-end, the 2024-2025 season of the Lebanese Premier League started with the matches of the first round. Bourj FC played at "home" at Al Ahed Stadium against... Al Ahed, on Saturday, 21 September 2024, kick-off at 4 pm. With an almost entirely changed team and a new sponsor (Royal), but without foreign players (which are said to arrive soon... will they?), Bourj FC played beautifully, especially in the first half.

Bourj FC starting line-up. Source: Lebanese FA Facebook page

Al Ahed starting line-up. Source: Lebanese FA Facebook page

The good game made by Bourj FC materialized in the 31st minute, when Ahmad Hijazi found the target from close range, after an assist from Ali Rahal: 1-0.

Nevertheless, Al Ahed responded soon, and Mahmoud Zbib equalized right before half time, assisted by Karim Darwich: 1-1 (43').

In the second half, Zein Farran (53') scored for Al Ahed, who took the lead, and then Karim Darwich established the final score, after an assist from Amadou Niasse: 3-1 (67').

Former Bourj FC player, Zein Farran, scored and gave the lead early in the second half for Al Ahed. Source: Lebanese FA Facebook page

Bourj FC starting line-up: Hassan Hazimeh - Ali Abboud, Abdallah Aich, Hassan Hazimeh, Youssef Anbar, Haidar Khreiss, Mohamad El Sibaii "Wartan", Hassan El Mokdad, Ali Rahal, Shadi Jouni, Ahmad Hijazi. Manager: Fouad Hijazi.

Results of the other matches of the first round:

Shabab Sahel - Hikma / Sagesse 0-2

Al Riyadi Al Abbasiyah - Tadamon Sour 1-2

Safa - Racing 4-1

Ansar - Shabab Baalbek 4-0

Nejmeh - Shabab Al-Ghazieh 3-0

These matches were played when the situation in Lebanon was already critical. In the next days, Israeli attacks intensified, and the Lebanese FA took the logical decision to postpone all the matches. It is not known when the season will resume.

Saturday 14 September 2024

First win for 1. FK Svidník after seven consecutive defeats

The relegation to the Slovak Fourth League (4. Liga - East) was intensely felt by 1. FK Svidník. Most of the players who played last year left, and it took some time to fill the gap. Manager Ladislav Oravec was brought in from the youth team. In the meantime, the new season started, and 1. FK Svidník had a catastrophic series of seven defeats: 0-5 at home to ŠK Záhradné, 1-4 at home to MFK Rožnava (both newly-promoted teams), 1-3 away to MFK Spartak Medzev, 1-6 at home to 1. MFK Kežmarok, 0-3 away at PWG Sokol L'ubotice, 0-3 at home to MFK Slovan Sabinov, 2-5 away at FK Kechnec.

Finally, in the eighth round, 1. FK Svidník succeeded to break the ice and win their first points, winning 1-0 (1-0) at home against FK Čaňa. It was a tough and difficult match, with both teams struggling a lot, pressing hard and defending well. The only goal of the match was scored by the Mexican player of 1. FK Svidník, Aldahir Jiménez Yánez, who converted a free kick from the right side, meant for a header in the box, but nobody touched the ball, and the goalkeeper got tricked, as the ball hit the target.

Hopefully, this would mean a restart for 1. FK Svidník, which need to gather more points to save themselves from yet another relegation, because currently they are bottom of the table.

Svidník: Chukhra - Macko (Rogoš 61'), Šimco, Minčák, Fedák (Kočiš 74'), Baran, Martiček, Dos Santos, Jiménez Yánez (Cina 74'), Makara, Orji (Haluška 87'). Manager: Ladislav Oravec.

Čaňa: Binda - Pet'ovský, Pilipčuk, Gracer, Šoltišik, Albisu, Ukropec, Šemrák (Stankovič 58'), Pavlenko, Gajtko (Kučera 58'), Majerník. Manager:

Referee: Marcel Maličký.

Yellow cards: Baran 88' - Gracer 76'.

The next match for 1. FK Svidník will be away at FK Gerlachov, tomorrow, Sunday, 15 September 2024.

Tuesday 20 August 2024

One half for each, Cusco FC in third place

Alianza Atlético de Sullana - Cusco FC 1-1 (1-0)

Espinoza 37' - Valenzuela 47'

Thursday, 15 August 2024, 1 pm local time (6 pm UTC), Campeones del 36 Stadium, Sullana, Peru, the 7th round of Clausura, Peruvian First Division (Liga 1).

 Alianza Atlético de Sullana starting line-up. Photo source: dechalaca.com

Cusco FC starting line-up. Photo source: dechalaca.com

Interesting clash mid-day in Sullana, between two clubs which were unbeaten in the last four games. The home side, Alianza Atlético, fighting to escape relegation, just came after an essential away win in... Cusco, 1-0 over Deportivo Garcilaso, while Cusco FC, dreaming of a continental competition and even the play-off, recorded four consecutive wins after a rather disappointing start of Clausura. These Cusco FC wins deserve to be mentioned: 3-0 over Sport Huancayo, 2-0 over Deportivo Garcilaso, 3-1 over Sport Boys and 2-1 over Universidad César Vallejo. But one should be aware that all of them were home wins, except for the one against Deportivo Garcilaso, which share the same ground with Cusco FC, so basically they were all obtained on the same field.

Rubén Ramírez (left) and Nicolás Silva (centre) fight for the ball against an opponent. Photo source: dechalaca.com

It was time for Cusco FC to go out of their imperial city and see if they can manage a win as well, in very different climatic differences. To make matters even worse for the visitors, the game kicked off at 1 pm, in full sun.

The match had two completely different halves. The first half was clearly dominated from beginning to the end by the home side. Alianza Atlético was pretty much the only team which attacked and put some pressure, missing many chances to break the deadlock. Santiago Arias scored a beautiful goal in the 23rd minute, but the goal was cancelled after the VAR showed an obvious offside position in the action which preceded the goal.

Santiago Arias (centre) celebrates the goal, but eventually his goal was cancelled. Photo source: dechalaca.com

Alianza Atlético continued their raids in the opposite half, and finally got what they were looking for. Rodrigo Castro took a corner from the right side and Renato Espinoza headed the ball in from the centre of the box, taking advantage also from a mistaken move by goalkeeper Andy Vidal: 1-0 (37'). One should point out that Andy Vidal, despite this mistake, saved his team several times from receiving a goal in the first half.

Renato Espinoza celebrates the goal with his teammates and staff members. Photo source: dechalaca.com

The second half was completely different, it was like a different Cusco FC came onto the field and play. This was visible from the first seconds, and it took less than two minutes to be visible on the scoreboard as well. Oswaldo Valenzuela charged the opposite goal, tried a first shot, which was blocked, the ball came luckily back to him, and tried a second shot from a rather unusual position, but the ball went in, to the left of Diego Melián: 1-1 (47').

Hideyoshi Arakaki (in white, former Cusco FC player, now with Alianza Atlético) tries to penetrate the visitors' defense, under the concerned eyes of Rubén Ramírez (near him), Jonathan Bilbao (back left) and Alan Pérez (back, centre). Photo source: dechalaca.com

Cusco FC were not however happy with the equalizer and wanted more. The second half belonged completely to them, and Iván Colman coordinated very well the charges, distributing balls to the left (especially to Colitto), to the right (to Nicolás Silva) and in front (to Luis Ramos, substituted towards the end by Juan Manuel Tévez). However, goalkeeper Diego Melián made miracles and saved Alianza Atlético from defeat.

The game became rougher in the end, with both teams trying to win. Photo source: dechalaca.com

However, in the final minutes, Alianza Atlético also decided that they want to win this game, and enforced the attack. Nonetheless, the effect was rather the reverse. Alianza Atlético had almost no chances to score the winning goal, while Cusco FC proved to be even more dangerous on the counterattack. In stoppage time, Nicolás Silva missed an enormous opportunity to bring all three points to Cusco.

Alianza Atlético: Melián - C. Vásquez (Mendieta 87'), Villegas, Benincasa, Milesi (Perleche 87') - Illanes, Arias (Arakaki 78') - Canela, Castro, Larios (Siucho 78') - Espinoza (Rebagliati 69'). Manager: Gerardo Ameli.

Cusco: Vidal - Ramírez, Bilbao, Pérez, Zevallos (Guzmán 85') - Valenzuela, Aucca (Cárdenas 78') - Silva (A. Vásquez 90'+4'), Colman, Colitto - Ramos (Tévez 78'). Manager: Miguel Rondelli.

Referee: Kevin Ortega.

Yellow cards: Arias 29', Castro 45' - Pérez 26', Zevallos 29', Ramos 45'+2', Cárdenas 90'+6'.

In the next round, Alianza Atlético has already played and obtained another draw, 0-0 away at Universidad César Vallejo, while Cusco FC will play tonight a very difficult game at home against Universitario de Deportes, the main candidate for the title this year.

Full results, tables and fixtures:

 

Round 7 (15-18 August 2024)

 

Alianza Atlético – Cusco FC 1-1

Comerciantes Unidos – UTC Cajamarca 1-1

ADT Tarma – FBC Melgar 1-1

Universidad César Vallejo – Sport Boys 2-2

Universitario de Deportes – Deportivo Garcilaso 3-1

Unión Comercio – Sport Huancayo 0-1

Cienciano – Atlético Grau 1-0

Sporting Cristal – Alianza Lima 0-0

Los Chankas – Carlos A. Mannucci 1-1

 

Clausura table

 

1

Universitario de Deportes

7

4

2

1

14-5

14

Qualified for the play-offs

2

Alianza Lima

7

4

2

1

10-5

14

 

3

Cusco FC

7

4

1

2

12-8

13

 

4

Sporting Cristal

7

3

3

1

18-8

12

 

5

ADT Tarma

8

3

3

2

11-9

12

 

6

Alianza Atlético

8

2

5

1

7-6

11

 

7

Sport Huancayo

7

3

2

2

6-7

11

 

8

FBC Melgar

6

3

1

2

12-8

10

 

9

Sport Boys

7

3

1

3

9-13

10

 

10

Cienciano

7

3

1

3

6-10

10

 

11

Atlético Grau

6

2

3

1

7-4

9

 

12

Los Chankas

7

2

3

2

10-9

9

 

13

UTC Cajamarca

8

2

3

3

8-9

9

 

14

Deportivo Garcilaso

7

3

0

4

6-7

9

 

15

Universidad César Vallejo

8

1

2

5

9-15

5

 

16

Carlos A. Mannucci

7

1

2

4

6-17

5

 

17

Unión Comercio

6

1

1

4

4-8

4

 

18

Comerciantes Unidos

6

1

1

4

5-12

4

 

 

Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) goals scored; 4) drawing of lots.

 

Aggregate table (Apertura + Clausura)

 

1

Universitario (AW)

24

16

6

2

46-12

54

Qualified for the play-offs & CL

2

Sporting Cristal

24

16

4

4

62-28

52

Qualified for the play-offs & CL

3

FBC Melgar

23

15

3

5

48-27

48

Qualified for Copa Libertadores

4

Alianza Lima

24

15

2

7

42-21

47

Qualified for Copa Libertadores

5

Cusco FC

24

13

3

8

34-29

42

Qualified for C. Sudamericana

6

ADT Tarma

25

11

7

7

40-33

40

Qualified for C. Sudamericana

7

Cienciano

24

9

9

6

26-30

36

Qualified for C. Sudamericana

8

Los Chankas

24

8

6

10

35-35

30

Qualified for C. Sudamericana

9

Sport Huancayo

24

8

6

10

24-36

30

 

10

Sport Boys

24

8

5

11

27-33

29

 

11

Atlético Grau

23

6

10

7

26-21

28

 

12

Comerciantes Unidos

23

7

5

11

27-43

26

 

13

Alianza Atlético

25

5

10

10

18-25

25

 

14

UTC Cajamarca

25

6

7

12

29-38

25

 

15

Univ. César Vallejo

25

5

10

10

28-39

25

 

16

Deportivo Garcilaso

24

6

5

13

26-33

23

Relegation to Second Division

17

Carlos A. Mannucci

24

4

7

13

17-51

19

Relegation to Second Division

18

Unión Comercio

23

2

7

14

21-42

13

Relegation to Second Division

 

AW – Apertura winners

Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) goals scored; 4) drawing of lots.

 

Round 8 (19-21 August 2024)

 

Universidad César Vallejo – Alianza Atlético 0-0

UTC Cajamarca – ADT Tarma 1-1

Sport Huancayo – Comerciantes Unidos

Cusco FC – Universitario de Deportes

Alianza Lima – Cienciano

Sport Boys – Carlos A. Mannucci

Atlético Grau – Los Chankas

Deportivo Garcilaso – Unión Comercio

FBC Melgar – Sporting Cristal