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Western Sydney Subbuteo October WASPA Tournament

IMG_1907 smallIt was an evening of schmoozing with the presidents at the HQ of Western Sydney Subbuteo, with Australian Table Football Association president, Adrian Connolly, visiting from Melbourne and the Federation of International Sports Table Football Association president, Steve Dettre, making the trek across from Chatswood. No doubt the other players put in a quiet word with their suggestions for running the game as they took on their illustrious opponents.

A small swiss system was battled out. Western Sydney Subbuteo’s Paul Magee and Paul Stockbridge faced each other in the first round, a game which doubled as their WSS Spring League fixture. Paul M slotted a goal in each half to take the game against a quickly improving Paul S. Meanwhile, Steve went down 1-0 to his Northern Falcons club mate, Hermann Kruse. Western Sydney Subbuteo’s Adrian Elmer opened the scoring in his fixture against Adrian C inside the first minute of their clash which proved to be the only goal action of the entire game.

Round two pitted Paul M against Hermann. A fixture which is always a tight one proved so again, with Hermann coming out on top via a solitary goal. Adrian E came from behind to pip Steve 2-1. On the third pitch, the ATFA president found that every touch turned to gold as he slammed six goals past a shell-shocked Paul S.

The final round saw Paul S recover to go down valiantly 2-1 to the other president, Steve, while Paul and Adrian C battled out a hard fought, goalless match in their first ever meeting. In the tussle for the title, Hermann and Adrian E picked up their ongoing rivalry with another evenly pitted battle. Adrian took the lead midway through the game and tried valiantly to hold on, but the extra pressure Hermann put on chasing the equaliser paid dividends with an equaliser with a few minutes to go, meaning the title would be shared between the two.

An excellent evening of friendly competition, with many thanks, as usual, to our hosts at Bella Vista Good Games.

For full results, click here.

For more photos, click here.

2017 Australian Grand Prix – WASPA Consolation Tournament

Ross Mcnulty celebrates his victory

Ross Mcnulty celebrates his victory

After the drama of the knockout stages in the AGP17 the 3rd and 4th players in the group of four advanced into a WASPA Knockout Tournament that ran alongside the Knockout stages of the AGP17. In a thrilling competition full of incidents and some truly special goals Mcnulty clinched victory to head 4,000 miles back to Perth with another title in the bag.

In the first of 2 Elimination play offs to make the Quarter Final Chris Thorn turned on a spectacular display too dispose of local junior, Andrew Kuany, in emphatic style with a 3-0 win. In the 2nd Elimination Play Off Yago Dzezlalija also put on a superb display in a 3-0 win against another local junior, Othniel Antwi, in a gripping match that really showcased the beauty of Subbuteo in its finest essence.

In the first of the Quarter Finals Ross Mcnulty came up against Jeremy Simpson and his dangerous Leicester City Tokas. After an even start, Mcnulty began to dominate play and took the lead just before half time. Simpson tried his all and cannoned a shot against the post but Mcnulty broke quickly and rasped a fine strike past the helpless keeper to go 2 up with 5mins left. Simpson did his all but could not break down the organised defence of Mcnulty’s Manchester City Tcha Arrows team and another goal was added to complete his advance into the Semi Finals. Chris Thorn took on Kostas Barbaris In the 2nd game of the Quarter finals and yet again remained water tight at the back. The veteran 74yr old dominated and took the lead just before half time with a wonderfully constructed goal of sheer patience that paid off. In the second half Kostas put Thorn under pressure but could not break down the defence and half way through the half Thorn added another beauty to join his club mate Mcnulty in the Semi Finals. In the 3rd game of the Quarter Finals, local Greek-Australian lad, Terry Koutzas, faced Melbourne girl and current Ladies No 1, Beth Eveleigh. Again another very tight match was played out with Beth remaining extremely organised at the back and they headed into half time at 0-0. Koutzas finally broke away after a sustained period of pressure midway through the second half and although Beth rallied she could not equalize, Koutzas advancing into the Semi Finals. In the 4th and final Quarter Final Richard Wilson was pitted against Yago Dzelalija and another classic encounter was evident with the first half ending 0-0 with each player going close on numerous occasions. In the 2nd half, Wilson and his dangerous Tokas smashed in an unstoppable shot that nearly took the net out and Yago crashed out after such a valiant effort in another cracker.

Chris Thorne buries his first in his semi final shootout against Terry Koutzas

Chris Thorne buries his first in his semi final shootout against Terry Koutzas

The first Semi Final pitted Chris Thorn against the local Terry Koutzas and after both defences were so organised the game headed into extra time, again they could not be separated and the game headed into shots. After the required 5 shots each, scores were tied at 3 each, so they went into sudden death. Thorn missed his first and Koutzas made no mistake to propel himself into the Final and deny Thorn of a possible show down with other Perth local Mcnulty. In the 2nd Semi Final Mcnulty faced Richard Wilson and his ever dangerous Tokas and after a fine quick counter attack a shot was placed into the top corner from the right too put him 1 up at half time. Wilson really went for it in the 2nd half and duly snatched a deserved equalizer with minutes left on the clock after a great strike. Into extra time and again it remained deadlocked at 1-1 and so the 2nd Semi Final was to be decided on penalties. At 2-2 after 4 penalties each Mcnulty tucked away his 5th and Wilson missed to go out after such a terrific display in the tournament.

The Final was a game littered with quick break aways and tight defensive discipline between Mcnulty & Koutzas but ultimately Mcnulty began to break down The Sydney TFC player and went in 1 up at the break. In the 2nd half Koutzas attempted to get back on level terms but a second and final killer goal landed Mcnulty his first title away from Perth.

report by Ross Mcnulty

SYDNEY AGP2017 WASPA TOURNAMENT

ELIMINATION PLAY OFFS :

3 Chris Thorn *
0 Andrew Kuany

3 Yago Dzelalija *
0 Othniel

QUARTER FINALS

3 Ross Mcnulty *
0 Jeremy Simpson

2 Chris Thorn *
0 Kostas Barbaris

1 Terry Koutzas *
0 Beth Eveleigh

1 Richard Wilson *
0 Yago Dzelalija

SEMI FINALS:

0 Terry Koutzas *
0 Chris Thorn
(Koutzas wins 6-5 on Pens)

1 Ross Mcnulty *
1 Richard Wilson
(Mcnulty wins 3-2 on Pens)

FINAL:

2 Ross Mcnulty *
0 Terry Koutzas

Subbuteo Parramatta New Year’s WASPA Tournament

group shotAfter a holiday hiatus, Subbuteo Parramatta got back into the swing of things with a New Year’s WASPA Tournament on the evening of Monday, January 9, at the Subbuteo Parramatta clubhouse. With newly placed air-conditioning, the normally sweltering in summer clubhouse was cooled to just ‘warm’ and, from all reports, no perspiration was dropped onto any of the pitches. A field of 7 players, representing 4 of Sydney’s clubs, came together to battle it out.

In the opening games, Costa, struggling with strapped knee and elbow (a mix of the stresses and strains of Subbuteo and slot car racing) lost a hard fought match against David. Adrian took a 2 goal lead against Tony before Tony pegged a late one back to make the final couple of minutes uncomfortable. Fabrizio proved too experienced for the improving Heidi on the al fresco pitch in the summer breeze on the verandah.

Heidi and costa on the al fresco pitch

Heidi and costa on the al fresco pitch

By the time the pool games were finished, Fabrizio had come out on top of the larger group undefeated, followed by David, then Costa, then Heidi. Paul Magee also remained undefeated, topping the smaller group with wins over Adrian and Tony. So Fabrizio went to the first semi to face Adrian, Paul squared up against David, and Tony and Costa headed outdoors for the Consolation Final. Tony made light work of Costa who was, by now, flagging terribly under his body’s protests, taking the game 3-0. Meanwhile, the major semis went to form with Fabrizio putting 2 unanswered past Adrian and Paul edging David by the lone goal.

In the 3rd/4th play-off, David owned the first half and was finally rewarded with a swiftly moved goal in the dying seconds. In the second stanza, Adrian threw everything at David but he, with some help from the woodwork, stood firm to claim his first competitive victory over Adrian and 3rd place in the tournament. Meanwhile, the grand final proved to be one of the more open games of the evening with both players pushing for goals. At half time, Fabrizio held a 2-1 edge and, in a tighter second half, held on for the victory and his 2nd WASPA title in the space of a month.

Paul v Tony (foreground), Fabrizio v David (background)

Paul v Tony (foreground), Fabrizio v David (background)

An excellent evening of friendly play. Special mention to Heidi’s son Angus who came along and had his first introduction to the game with some friendly flicks with Paul. With the Australian Grand Prix fast approaching, most of the players will all be using the evening’s tournament as a starting point for their intensive training for the next month, while Costa will be heading for some intensive sessions on the physio couch.

For full results, click here.

Daniele Lombardi claims 16th AGFA Cup

Subbuteo Parramatta’s Daniele Lombardi claimed the 16th AGFA Cup at the Northern Falcons on Sunday, edging teammate Fabrizio Coco 2-1 on shots after a scoreless draw.

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The AGFA Cup is a great link between the three eras of Australian Subbuteo (70s, the 80s-90s, and now post-2010) and that tradition continued over the weekend with the staging of the 16th Cup at Good Games Chatswood.
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A highlight of the tournament was the appearance of some new faces — Mark Killingbeck and Heidi van Scheik of Hipfingerz and young Ollie Kruse for the Northern Falcons.

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With 16 players, four groups were lined up.

In group 1, young Gabriel Lombardi caused a surprise with a 0-0 draw against Fabrizio, while he also beat Harley Ullrich 1-0. In Group 2, Gary Hosie clinically disposed of Tony Credentino 3-0, while Daniele did the same to Johnny Ball. Gary then beat Daniele 1-0 in a tense encounter, while Johnny eclipsed Tony 1-0.
In group 3, Hermann Kruse edged out Dave Sultana 1-0, before scoring an absolute cracker in his 2-1 loss to Raffaele Lombard. In Group 4, Steve and Adrian continued their ongoing rivalry, with Steve clinching a 1-0 win to take the group.

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Daniele gained revenge in the quarterfinals, beating Gary 1-0, while Adrian pipped Hermann 1-0 and Raffaele beat Steve by the same score, as Fabrizio overcame Gabriel 2-0.

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Many thanks to Sonny at Good Games and the rest of the crew for hosting us.

Results

results-for-waspa

An omen for Italy, as Giuseppe comes back to form to win it for the Azzurri!

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The Brisbane Subbuteo Club held its very own Euro 2016 Tournament on a cold day in Redcliffe (Ed: Was wondering what Giuseppe considers cold: 12C, which in Brisbane is, I guess, cold!!!).
Eight countries were represented by our flicking heroes.
The format was to be 2 groups of 4 with the top team of each group playing the runner up of the other group, and a Plate for the 3rd and 4th players.
Group A, aka the “The Group of Death” had Italy (Giuseppe Tardiota), Belgium (Andrew Bennett), England (Gus Gillespie) and Wales (Gareth Whalley).
Group B had Germany (Rik Bland), Iceland (Rob Bennett), Northern Ireland (Andrew Ridgen) and Sweden (Wil Gillespie – our new U12 player).
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England took on Belgium in a very tight contest. England took the lead early in the first half and made it to half time in front. Belgium came out fighting and equalised. At 1-1 the game was poised nicely and both countries went looking for a winner. With less than 30 seconds on the clock Belgium broke through the English defence and chipped a nice shot over the keeper. In the other game of Group A Wales (first tournament for Gareth) were facing the mighty Italian (not in height that is) Giuseppe. Gareth did manage a goal but lost 4-1.
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In Group B the Germans saw off Iceland 3-2, after taking a 2-0 lead within the first 2 minutes, but Iceland surprising the Germans with a couple of tasty goals. Sweden (Wil’s first tournament) lost to a determined Northern Ireland 4-0.
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Next round of Group A games had Belgium see off Wales 6-0 and Italy beat England in the last minute 1-0. These results meant that Italy and Belgium were through. Over in group B Northern Ireland ruthlessly beat Iceland 5-1, and Germany beat Sweden by the same score (Wil registering his first ever competitive goal). So Germany would go through with N Ireland.
So the last round of games would determine 1st from second, and 3rd from 4th. Italy claimed top spot with an exciting 4-2 win over Belgium. England finally managed a win, though against green opposition, 5-1, Wales (Gareth) scoring a very good goal. Germany edged N Ireland 2-1 in a tight battle.
The semis were pretty conclusive results. Italy continuing in great form dispatched Northern Ireland 3-1 whilst Belgium humbled the Germans 4-1. The German manager Rik Von Bland was suffering from ‘flu and reckoned it went through the team as well!!
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The Plate was abandoned because Wales had to go home early. Mrs Wales was heading off to work…
The Final produced some great goals and a fair amount of controversy. With the score at 1-1 after a Belgium equaliser, Italy went into the lead after a contentious decision. The game ended 3-1 to Italy and though Belgium felt hard done by, they were gracious in defeat. Another great day of flicking fun, and only two years to wait for the World Cup Tournament.
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Oh, and the 3rd 4th play off went to Northern Ireland, 5-4, so N Ireland finished 3rd, and boy did we get reminded of that a lot. Special thanks as always to our great host Giuseppe, and well done to our new bloods Gareth and Wil. It’s a big ask to play your first tournament and represent a country!
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Results
Brisbane Euros June 2016

Sydney Junior WASPA Tournament

Setting up for the opening round

Setting up for the opening round

The Subbuteo Parramatta club proudly hosted ATFA’s first ever stand-alone junior tournament during the recent school holidays, with results going towards the players’ WASPA ranking points. A small but dedicated bunch turned up at the Subbuteo Parramatta clubhouse bright and early on Monday morning to spend a few hours having fun over the Subbuteo pitches. Lucas brought along a couple of mates, brothers Jakob and Thomas, who spent the first round watching how to play and picking up the rules. Imojjen and Daniel played out a scoreless draw while Æowyn scored an excitedly celebrated winner in her clash with Lucas. The two new boys got their first taste of playing in the second round of group games. Both showed they had picked up the basics very well. Their respective opponents, Daniel and Lucas both came away with wins, but the margins were small with neither Jakob nor Thomas looking out of place. In the final group games, Imojjen slipped one goal past a quickly learning Thomas, while Æowyn and Jakob played out a goalless draw. So Daniel came out on top via a superior goal difference in Group One, while Æowyn topped the Group Two table.

The joy of Subbuteo.

Thomas, Daniel and the joy of Subbuteo.

In the first semi-final, Lucas slipped a goal past Daniel to take the match, while the two sisters, Imojjen and Æowyn, picked up their rivalry but couldn’t be separated, even after extra-time. A shoot-out was called for, with both girls bursting with nerves. Hugs were given between each shot but it was Imojjen who prevailed in the end. Which means the two group winners were consigned to the 3rd/4th play-off and the two group runners-up were headed to the final, demonstrating the closeness in quality between all the players.

Thomas and Jakob faced each other in the minor placing play-off where big brother Jakob scored his first competitive goal to take a 1-0 victory. In the 3rd/4th play-off, Daniel snuck a solitary goal past Æowyn with a quick manoeuvre that left Æowyn unable to get her hand on her ‘keeper in time. And so to the grand final. Imojjen was playing one of her best games ever and crafted a deserved lead midway through the first half. From here the game was a tense affair, with neither player being able to get on top. Imojjen looked to be heading to the title but this also lead to nerves kicking in. With just over 60 seconds left on the clock, Lucas shot his equaliser into the back of Imojjen’s net. With neither player able to find a quick winner, the game went to extra time. Again, neither player could find a way through for a decisive goal, so shots were called. Lucas took an early lead with his second shot, but Imojjen kept in touch after this. With a chance to draw level with her fourth shot, nerves really kicked in and Imojjen managed an incredible feat – her flicking finger doing an amazing dance around the figure and connecting directly with the ball, sending it off sideways! Lucas’ 5th shot was saved by Imojjen, but he held a 2-1 lead, meaning Imojjen needed to score her 5th to send it to sudden death. In spite of a good shot on target, Lucas’ ‘keeper was able to keep the ball out and he jumped off in celebration of his triumph, Imojjen having lost her second consecutive tournament grand-final shoot-out.

Imoojen and Lucas, the grand-finalists.

Imojjen and Lucas, the grand-finalists.

An excellent morning of fun for all involved with a few new players introduced enthusiastically to the great game. A big thanks to Geoff from the Hipfingerz club for making the trip out and helping with officiating. Hopefully we will see the junior scene continue to grow!

To see the full results, click here.
To see more photos, click here.

The Paella and The Plate

panoramaThe extra long weekend saw the opportunity to sneak in some extra Subbuteo and 11 players turned out to take advantage. With players competing for The Paella Plate, a Spanish theme was used for the tournament, with play preceded by lunch of paella, tortilla and vino, then players each choosing a Spanish club to represent in the Swiss format competition. 10 players competed, while newcomer, Bay, elected to watch and play a few friendly games to get himself acquainted with the rules and techniques.

Highlights of the day’s play included AGP U/15 champion, Jonty Brener (Villarreal), win one of his first senior matches in the first round, Harley Ullrich (Espanyol) scoring one of the goals of the day with a low, drilled far-post rocket from a tight angle, Adrian Elmer (Hércules) picking up his first competitive points against Fabrizio Coco (Athletic de Bilbao) in 18 months and Dave Sultana (Celta de Vigo) firstly scoring his first competitive goal, then picking up his first competitive points with another goal in a 1-1 draw in the following match.

final standings

final standings

After 3 rounds, 3 players were level on 7 points. So, heading into the 4th and final round, Daniele Lombardi (Atletico de Madrid) was ahead on goal difference from Steve Dettre (Valencia), who he would face, and Eliot Kennedy (Barça) who was paired with Neil Brener (Málaga). Daniele came out victorious in the first of those match-ups 2-0, including a trademark goal on the run to finally settle the very tight match, while Neil’s ‘keeper was in inspired form, keeping Eliot out for large swathes of the match. While Eliot picked up the result to keep him level with Daniele, he was unable to beat Neil’s ‘keeper enough times to rein in Daniele’s superior goal difference. Meanwhile, both Tony Credentino (Deportivo de La Coruña) and Adrian, hoping to slip past Steve into a minor placing, cancelled each other out in their tight 0-0 draw, relegating them both to mid-table obscurity.

Maybe it was the food, maybe it was the wine, maybe it was the holiday, but the afternoon was one of the most relaxed tournaments in recent memory, with all players competing sportingly in great spirits. Many thanks to those who played, making it a great afternoon.

group photoFor full results, click here.
For more photos, click here.

Sydney Premier League Rd 6

The Games Cube in Parramatta was heaving on Saturday, February 27. With more people turning up for a miniatures tournament than the owners had been counting on, the Subbuteo pitches got moved from their usual spot in the gaming area right into the middle of the shop floor. This was a great bonus, as the air-conditioning on the sweltering day was much better here, and the game was on clear display for everyone in the packed store to see.

Three tables in action.

Three tables in action.

The Lombardi father and son duo had traveled up from Berry on the morning, Dave Sultana had thrown his wicket away at the end of play the previous Saturday and called in the 12th man for fielding duties so that he could be part of the Subbuteo action, while Eliot Kennedy returned from his sojourn to the US to resume his rivalry at the top of the Sydney Premier League table against Daniele Lombardi.

The tournament was played in a 4 round Swiss System, with the first round drawn randomly. Harley Ullrich surprised Daniele after going down early, scoring an equaliser with a flying counterattack. Daniele was roused from his lethargy and ended with a hard earned 2-1 victory by full-time. Eliot dominated possession but had trouble getting through Adrian Elmer’s ‘keeper and found himself susceptible to the odd counter attack but was able to settle his nerves midway through the second half to take a 1-0 victory. Steve Dettre slipped 3 past Dave, while Mat conceded 2 to Raffaele Lombardi.

Hermann lines up against Gabriel.

Hermann lines up against Gabriel.

Because not enough juniors were able to enter the tournament, 6 year old Gabriel Lombardi had to play in the main competition, where he performed very admirably, earning sporting draws against Hermann Kruse and Adrian. Raffaele put another 2 past Steve, while Dave’s defense improved considerably, keeping Mat to a hard won 1-0 scoreline. In the shock result of the day, Eliot shipped 3 goals against Daniele, their normal tight tussle nowhere to be seen, as Eliot continued to struggle in front of goal while Daniele found every shot was turning to gold.

By the final round, Eliot needed to beat Raffaele by 2 clear goals and hope Adrian could hold Daniele at bay if he were to take the tournament title. Unfortunately for him, Daniele blitzed Adrian in their match opening and it was 3-0 before Adrian could even get a look in. In the end, it mattered little as Raffaele held off Eliot with a 0-0 result that gave Raffaele his first Sydney Premier League title. Meanwhile, in the lower placings, Hermann made a large jump on the table with a 1-0 win over Dave. Dave did manage to score his first goal of the day – a beautiful manoeuvre through a packed box with a shot on the run. Unfortunately, one of his figures was in an off-side position! Still, for only his second ever tournament he is showing signs that it won’t take long before he is a contender.

IMG_8392editA great day’s play with all competitors playing with great sportsmanship. A number of interested onlookers got an introduction to the game, including the owner of The Games Cube, Lindsay who, having supported us wonderfully for almost 2 years now, finally got to play his first game. And, most pleasingly for this organiser, the entire tournament ran exactly to schedule! Thanks all.

For full results, click here.
For more photographs, click here.

2015/16 Sydney Premier League Table after 6 rounds (note: competitors must play a minimum of 4 tournaments to be eligible for final placings)

click on image to enlarge to full scale

click on image to enlarge to full scale

Tournament Report – Subbuteo Parramatta January WASPA (Sydney Premier League Rd 5)

Following the December break, the Sydney Premier League picked back up again with an early January tournament. Big Steve Dettre was flying in from Las Vegas just for the tournament, but his flight was delayed in LA, leaving the door ajar for a few players to possibly go ahead of him on the SPL table. Dave Sultana was on hand to play in his first ever tournament, having first picked the game up a couple of months ago, while Dave Rudd made his SPL début following his return to the game in the Spring League and Tony Credentino added to the Italian flavour of the Sydney Subbuteo world, having played sporadically over the last few years but returning in earnest this month. And, in a Sydney first, a Junior competition was also played. Though small, as with the game in general over the last few years, these first steps will hopefully lead to strengthening the junior game in the long term.

Lucas pushes forward against Æowyn in the Juniors Division.

Lucas pushes forward against Æowyn in the Juniors Division.

That Junior competition saw Lucas Butterfield and the Elmer sisters, Imojjen and Æowyn, play each other in a round robin. The first game saw Imojjen take on Lucas. While neither dominated overall, it was Imojjen who created the better chances. Lucas made a couple of excellent saves but Imojjen squeezed one through with a nice chip in the second half. The next game saw the sisters face each other, where the quality dropped as both Æowyn and Imojjen played nervously, each trying not to concede as the sibling rivalry kicked in. A goalless draw was the result. In the final match, Æowyn lifted her game while Lucas had grown more accustomed to his new figures and also played well. A very tight game saw few chances. The goalless outcome meant Imojjen took the title, though all three players picked up points, enjoying playing even games rather than being hammered by the more experienced players, and then retired to play a few other board games while the Opens players headed into their knockout stages.

The clash of the Italians - Tony (l) vs Daniele (r).

The clash of the Italians – Tony (l) vs Daniele (r).

The two players at the top of the Sydney Premier League table, Eliot Kennedy and Daniele Lombardi were the two seeded players. Daniele made short work of Dave Rudd with Dave even being so generous as to score an own goal for Daniele’s benefit. Tony had a solid start, creating some chances for himself, but Mat Barrie’s experience was the difference in the end as he eased to a 3-0 win. Mat followed this up with a hard fought victory against Dave Rudd with a solitary goal being all that divided them. Eliot blew out both his own cobwebs and Adrian’s, storming to a 3-0 lead by the break. Adrian was much tighter in defense in the second half, neither player troubling the scoreboard in that period. The two Italians (who had earlier discovered that they coincidently had family connections dating back 35 years) faced each other. For a player who was on the wrong end of a 3-0 scoreline, Tony did a surprising amount of attacking, frequently putting pressure on Daniele’s goal. However, he was unable to breach the defence and Daniele eventually eased to the victory.
Eliot (l) and Dave Sultana (r) enjoy the alfresco pitch.

Eliot (l) and Dave Sultana (r) enjoy the alfresco pitch.

Meanwhile, Dave Sultana faced a baptism of fire, his first ever competitive game against one of Australia’s best in Eliot. He was not disgraced, though, showing good touch for such a new player. Eliot’s class was evident, though, scoring four. Both players enjoyed the cooler outdoor pitch as the main clubhouse room began to swelter in the heat and humidity. Dave then backed up with a strong showing against Adrian. Adrian could only break Dave’s stout defense once, finding the goal with a long distance shot through a small gap in the first half Dave hit the crossbar himself in the second half, unlucky not to draw level. Tony managed his first victory with a hard fought 1-0 win over Dave Rudd, both players enjoying the tight tussle. In the final group game, Mat and Daniele were fighting for first place in their group. Mat took the lead in the first half and then defended well. With four minutes left it looked like he might be able to stitch up 1st place. Daniele had other ideas and, in a late blitz, put two goals past Mat’s ‘keeper to take the group.

A barrage stage saw the 2nd and 3rd placed players face each other. Again, Dave Sultana put on a good show but Mat was calm in taking the game 2-0. Adrian won his game against Tony via the same scoreline, Tony unfortunately conceding with a stranded ‘keeper to make it comfortable for Adrian. To the Semi-Finals, then, where Eliot’s earlier free-scoring ways were dried up by Mat. In the end, Eliot could only squeeze one goal, seeing off Mat with a sigh of relief. Daniele and Adrian fought out an equally tense game. A first half goal gave Daniele an early cushion. However, Adrian pushed hard for an equaliser. With time running down, Adrian pushed hard and had Daniele under pressure but a swift counterattack saw Daniele finally seal the win with the last flick of the match. Meanwhile, in the consolation game, the two Dave’s went head-to-head. Neither could find the goal in normal time, or extra time, so the game went to shots. After 5 shots each, the scores were still level at 3-3 and it went to the 3rd shot of sudden death for Little Dave (given the title due to age differential rather than size differential as with the Steves) to finally take the advantage and the ‘Dave’ bragging rights.

In the 3rd and 4th Play-Off, Adrian had home ground and home strip advantage over Mat and made full use of it. For the second game in a row, Adrian was able to score via a stranded travelling ‘keeper mistake from his opponent. He gave himself some breathing space with a second goal and was able to hold that scoreline until full time. Meanwhile, the Grand Final was a true thriller. A tight tussle stalled midway through the first half as a refereeing matter was discussed at length and then cleared up to everyone’s satisfaction. Things looked like they would head to a half-time stalemate until, with the last flick of the half and literally one second left on the clock, Daniele scored to excitedly take the lead, Eliot devastated that he hadn’t held out for that one more moment. In the second half, Eliot piled on the pressure looking for an equaliser, but Daniele looked dangerous every time he surged forward. With a few minutes left, the game was placed on a knife-edge as Eliot finally broke through. Then, as Daniele had done in the first half, Eliot surged forward in the final seconds. With the last flick of the game he shot…and the ball crashed into the crossbar where it meets the upright, ricocheting out of ply to leave the result at 1-1. After a brief interlude (a chance for both players to get some much needed fresh air and for a group photo opportunity), the two went at each other again for extra time. With just a couple of minutes to go Eliot found the back of the net with a deadly chip – only to find one of his figures was off-side. And so the score remained 1-1 at the end of the extra period.

Daniele chips Eliot's 'keeper with his first in the shootout.

Daniele chips Eliot’s ‘keeper with his first in the shootout.

And so to Shots. Eliot shot first and missed, but Daniele was in fine form and, after 3 shots each, had a 3-1 advantage. Eliot managed to bury his 4th, but Daniele needed only to score to take the title. He adjusted the order of figures he used, bringing his beloved Maradona in to take the winning shot. Except he didn’t. Maradona missed, Eliot scored his 5th to tie the scores and then kept Daniele’s final shot out to send the shootout to sudden death. Both players missed their first, then Eliot took the decisive lead with his 2nd. Daniele was unable to respond in kind and so Eliot grasped victory from the jaws of defeat in one of the more thrilling encounters of recent times.

And so Eliot extends his lead at the top of the Sydney Premier League Table, though Daniele is keeping him within striking distance. A great afternoon’s Subbuteo. Great to have some new players along, great to see the sportsmanship we’ve all come to expect, great to see the juniors finally up and running and great to enjoy some quality play across the afternoon.

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For full results and tables, CLICK HERE

Subbuteo Parramatta Combined FISTF Challenger/WASPA Tournament Report

(click on the underlined links for short, slo-mo video snippets)

The Subbuteo Parramatta club hosted its first combined FISTF Challenger/WASPA Tournament on the premises of The Games Cube in downtown Parramatta on Saturday, November 15, 2014. A strong field with many of Australia’s best players assembled alongside the devoted but not quite as skilled and a couple of first-time competitors.

Waiting for flick-off in the group stage.

Waiting for flick-off in the group stage.

Splitting into four groups with a FISTF ranked top seed in each, the players went at it from the outset. Notable efforts were made by newcomer, Louis Dettre, who, in his first ever tournament, was drawn against two of Australia’s most experienced players – Steve Dettre (his father) and Robert Green who was in the country for a month from his adopted homeland of Sweden. Louis did well to have his father panicking at 0-0 at half time in their opening game before experience won out 2-0. Gordy Dudley slipped into the quarter finals by virtue of his superior goal difference over Daniele Lombardi. Group winner Eliot Kennedy could only manage to put 7 past Gordy, having previously beaten Daniele by 8 unanswered goals, giving Gordy the edge when he and Daniele played out a goalless draw. Peter Thomas was drawn with two of the Italian contingent, easing past Raffaele Lombardi and Giuseppe Tardiota. Raffaele got the upper hand over Giuseppe in their head-to-head match, putting him through to the quarter finals. In the 4 player group, the opening few results meant that Adrian Elmer needed to beat newcomer Andrea Gandolfi by 3 goals to guarantee a place in the quarters, while Steve Diasinos and David Simpson could still both go through depending on their head to head result. In the end, Adrian managed 5 against Andrea after Andrea had put up an excellent first half display to hold him to just one goal, while Steve took the game, and 1st place in the group, with his victory over David.

The two Steves go to extra time in the quarter finals, as do Eliot and Raffaele in the background.

The two Steves go to extra time in the quarter finals, as do Eliot and Raffaele in the background.

The quarter final pairings made for a couple of straightforward games and a couple of nailbiters. Peter had a comfortable run against Gordy and one of his more outlandish goals was captured in super-slo-mo. Adrian made Robert work hard but the result was never in doubt as Robert dominated and took a 2-0 victory. The two Steves fought out a classic as Steve The Younger, whose game has come on incredibly over the course of the year, pushed Steve The Elder to extra time after a 1-1 regulation time result. In the sudden death period, Steve The Younger gave up possession with his travelling ‘keeper midway through. Steve The Elder managed to get the ball into the shooting zone with his 4th flick, but a great defensive flick from Steve The Younger made Steve The Elder’s shot almost impossible. With the most delicately placed flick, however, Steve The Elder found the millimeters wide gap to get just the right angle and see the ball trickle in the inside of the goal to take the victory. The other quarter final was probably the day’s most exciting game, in spite of a distinct lack of goals. Eliot and Raffaele went at each other for 30 minutes without finding the inside of the goal. The posts and crossbar, yes, but not the back of the net. A further 10 minutes was still not enough to split the two as passions rose further, so shots were called. Both players found their shooting form had left completely as, with a full crowd gathered ’round, every shot of the initial 5 each went either wayward or was saved. As the sudden death phase of the shootout began, Eliot finally found the net to take the upper hand. Raffaele, however, was not about to lay down and drew level with an equally well hit shot from wide. Eliot then slotted his second and the pressure was back on Raffaele. This time, a fingertip save from Eliot’s ‘keeper was to deny Raffaele and Eliot finally took the honours and the last place in the semi-finals. Continue reading