XIIIth Majatran Cup - Cildania 3246

[Hugh Green]

It's that time again! The thirteenth edition of the Majatran Cup is coming to Cildania! As of December 3245 13 eligible teams are signatories to the treaty.

Format: There will be 3 groups of 3 teams, each team shall play each other team in their group twice. There will be 1 group of 4 teams, and each team shall play each other once in that group. The top two from each group will enter the knockout stages at the quarter-finals.

The draw:The teams are split into 3 pots, based on their performances in the last 4 cups, with the hosts and holders also being put in pot 1.

As ever, results will be processed by way of http://www.random.org.

Pot 1
Cildania (12th) - Hosts
Badara (4th) - 3240 Champions
Cobura (1st)
Zardugal (2nd)

Pot 2
Selucia (3rd)
Barmenia (5th)
Solentia (6th)
Deltaria (7th)

Pot 3
UK Beiteynu & Jutridan (8th)
Istaliana (Quanzar) (9th)
Kafuristan (10th)
Kalopiká Diktatoría (11th)
Jelbania (13th)

[Hugh Green]

Group A
Cildania
Deltaria
Kalopiká Diktatoría

Group B
Cobura
Selucia
UK Beiteynu & Jutridan

Group C
Badara
Solentia
Jelbania

Group D
Zardugal
Barmenia
Istaliana
Kafuristan

[Hugh Green]

3 - Cildania -V- Deltaria - 3
3 - Deltaria -V- Kalopiká Diktatoría - 3
3 - Kalopiká Diktatoría -V- Cildania - 0
1 - Deltaria -V- Cildania - 1

With that, Kalopiká Dikt. just need one more point from their last two games to guarantee qualification. Deltaria, with a 1-point lead over Cildania, just need to fair as well or better than them to stay in the competition. Cildania will have to pull out something special to advance past the group stages on home turf.

3 - Kalopiká Diktatoría -V- Deltaria - 3

Cildania now need to win to stay in it!

1 - Cildania -V- Kalopiká Diktatoría - 3

Kalopia top the group then in their third tournament, showing they mean business with that double demolition of the host side. Cildania go out without achieving much in the way of success on home turf.

Team -- Pts ; W - D - L
Kalopiká Diktatoría -- 8 ; 2 - 2 - 0
Deltaria -- 4 ; 0 - 4 - 0
Cildania -- 2 ; 0 - 2 - 2

[Hugh Green]

0 - Cobura -V- Selucia - 1
1 - Selucia -V- UK Beiteynu & Jutridan - 3
1 - UK Beiteynu & Jutridan -V- Cobura - 1
3 - Selucia -V- Cobura - 3

The pressure is now on for Cobura, who face the possibility of going out in the first round for the first time ever. They will have to win their game against Beiteynu and Jutridan, and hope that the other result facilitates their qualification.

4 - UK Beiteynu & Jutridan -V- Selucia - 0
0 - Cobura -V- UK Beiteynu & Jutridan - 4

Beiteynu & Jutridan finish in style, winning 3 out of 4 games and drawing the other. Cobura go out in what was a disasterous performance by their standards.

Team -- Pts ; W - D - L
UK Beiteynu & Jutridan -- 10 ; 3 - 1 - 0
Selucia -- 4 ; 1 - 1 - 2
Cobura -- 2 ; 0 - 2 - 2

[Hugh Green]

0 - Badara -V- Solentia - 3
2 - Solentia -V- Jelbania - 2
3 - Jelbania -V- Badara - 3
2 - Solentia -V- Badara - 2

If Jelbania beat Solentia and then lose to Badara, the group will go to goal difference to see who goes through. In all other scenarios though, Solentia has qualified and its between Jelbania and champions Badara to vie for the second spot.

1 - Jelbania -V- Solentia - 3
1 - Badara -V- Jelbania - 0

A 1-0 victory puts Badara into the quarter-finals! Jelbania came so close, but two late victories sealed their fate. Solentia remain unbeaten.

Team -- Pts ; W - D - L
Solentia -- 8 ; 2 - 2 - 0
Badara -- 5 ; 1 - 2 - 1
Jelbania -- 2 ; 0 - 2 - 2

[Hugh Green]

3 - Zardugal -V- Istaliana - 2
1 - Barmenia -V- Kafuristan - 3
1 - Barmenia -V- Zardugal - 1
4 - Kafuristan -V- Istaliana - 0

Kafuristan are through and Istaliana are out, but if Badara get a victory and Zardugal lose, AND the current 6-goal gap in goal difference is closed in the meantime, Barmenia can go through. That tall order aside though, it's looking like Zardugal to qualify.

0 - Istaliana -V- Barmenia - 1
3 - Zardugal -V- Kafuristan - 2

Barmenia manage the slimmest of victories while Zardugal go top of the group. Istaliana go home with 3 straight defeats under their belts. Poor dears.

Team -- Pts ; W - D - L
Zardugal -- 7 ; 2 - 1 - 0
Kafuristan -- 6 ; 2 - 0 - 1
Barmenia -- 4 ; 1 - 1 - 1
Istaliana -- 0 ; 0 - 0 - 3

Quarter-Finals Draw

Kalopiká Diktatoría -V- Kafuristan

UK Beiteynu & Jutridan -V- Badara

Solentia -V- Selucia

Zardugal -V- Deltaria

[Hugh Green]

Quarter-Finals

2 - Kalopiká Dikt. -V- Kafuristan - 1

4 - UK Beiteynu & Jutridan -V- Badara - 3

This rematch of the 3240 semi-final went the other way this time, with champions Badara losing out.

2 - Solentia -V- Selucia - 1

Solentia have never lost a quarter-final, though this was only their third.

3 - Zardugal -V- Deltaria - 4

With Zardugal's exit, Solentia are now the top-ranked team in the competition (6th out of 13 in the Majatra Cup Rankings).

Semi-Finals

4 - Kalopiká Dikt. -V- UK Beiteynu & Jutridan - 2

Kalopia go through to the final, in this their third Majatran Cup!

3 - Solentia -V- Deltaria - 3*
*Deltaria win 4-3 on Penalties

This will be Deltaria's 2nd final in 3 competitions.

Third-Place Playoffs

*5 - UK Beiteyny & Jutridan -V- Solentia - 4
*After Exra-Time

A very entertaining game... but next up is the FINAL! Neither Deltaria nor Kalopia have ever own it before! Who will be the newest country to claim a Majatran Cup?

[Hugh Green]

Kalopiká Diktatoría -V- Federal Republic of Deltaria

The First Half

0 - Kalopiká Dikt. -V- Deltaria - 1

The Second Half

1 - Kalopiká Dikt. -V- Deltaria - 3

Full-time

1 - Kalopiká Diktatoría -V- Federal Republic of Deltaria - 4

Congratulations to Deltaria on their impressive performance today to become the 8th nation to win a Majatran Cup!

That's it for now until the 3252 cup, due to be held in Jelbania!