WXV Round 6: The Mental Demons of Berlin & PNL go to Battle

[Purple 77]

Round 6, AFL Round 6

Home Team		Away Team	Head-to-Head	Venue
Beijing Thunder	v	London Royals	0  v  3	Beijing Olympic Park   EurAsia
Berlin Brewers	v	PNL Reindeers	2  v  1	Berlin Olympic Stadium   European Cup, EurAsia, Europe
Buenos Aires Armadillos	v	Pacific Islanders	3  v  0	Estadio de River   AAP Alliance
Cairo Sands	v	Cape Town Cobras	0  v  3	Borg El Arab Stadium   African Cup, AAP Alliance, Africonia
Dublin Destroyers	v	Seoul Magpies	1  v  2	Crooke Park   EurAsia
Mexico City Suns	v	New York Revolution	3  v  0	Fireball Stadium   AAP Alliance, Americas
Moscow Spetsnaz	v	Rio de Janeiro Jaguars	0  v  0	Luzhniki Stadium
New Delhi Tigers	v	Christchurch Saints	0  v  0	Wipro Stadium
Toronto Wolves	v	Tokyo Samurai	2  v  1	Rogers Centre

This week is all about the points, bout the points; who struggles?


Beijing had it easy last week against Buenos Aires, but that didn't stop from scoring their fourth score over 135 this year. In fact, Beijing sit 10th on the points ladder; which may surprise those that have been caught up in their breath-taking improvement (myself included). But the Thunder host a much tougher opponent this week in London whom sit 6th on the points ladder and boast two scores of 150+. But the Royals have been inconsistent this year; with a standard deviation of about 140 points (adding to my claim they rise and fall according to their opponents). Who will win this match? Beijing for mine, as London are yet to prove they can do it two weeks in a row and just can't shake this habit of falling to the occasion.

In the battle of the infamously unlucky and the recently unlucky, Berlin and PNL lead my MATCH OF THE ROUND! "Surely our administrator might be a bit bias declaring that his match of the round, considering other ripper matches this week?" - I hear you say? Well, if you look at it based on ladder positions, (PNL 6th v Berlin 12th), perhaps you're right. BUT YOU'RE WRONG! Berlin sit 3rd on the points table (705) compared to fourth placed PNL (704), which just goes to show that this year has been bull shower! Berlin have had about 250 more points scored against them this year compared to PNL. But I'll hold my tongue further against this opponent, as PNL have been notoriously unlucky pretty much ever since Round 1, 2012. I challenged PNL last week to produce against the inconsistent Royals, claiming it the match that would either bury or re-emerge these very demons that have been with them from the start. So, naturally, I like to think Berlin will win the match... even if we score 120; because those demons will ensure PNL score 119.

If it weren't for Beijing, Pacific would have all the hype as the biggest improving team this year... you could say, Beijing have stolen their Thunder (OH! OH! OH!). But really, it should be Pacific taking the spotlight away from Beijing, seeing as they are 1) ranked 5th in total points (higher than Beijing) and 2) placed higher than them on the ladder. But enough about Beijing, Pacific's opponent this week is the Buenos Aires Armadillos, and in a change of pace this week, I'll no longer view them as a team in decline, but a team on the improve! Frankly, pre-season, most thought they'd be worse than they have been (17th on total points), but they really have been close on a number of occasions this year, and I'll say it again, they MUST view every week as a potential win, because you just don't know what will happen on the day... except for this match. Pacific comfortably.

Looking at Cape Town; yes I keep harping on how deflating their season has been. But, I never actually stopped and looked at the stats this year. Yes, they are only 14th on total points, but you look at Seoul whom have scored quite a bit less than they have, and they have 2 more wins than the Cobras?! No, the real culprit, is those dastardly opponents rising up and producing; highlighted by Cape Town having 250 more points scored against them than next most conceding team... and I forgot to mention, Cape Town have conceded the most (745 points)!. In the first three rounds, ALL of the Cobra's opponents scored 150+, only then to scrap a win from a respectable opposition score of 137, then to have 145 scored against them the following week. Goodness! Cairo lifted last week to produce their second highest score of the year... 131. They currently sit just below the Cobras on total points (15th), and if you take the scores the two teams have produced... Cairo have the lowest three. However, Cairo also have the highest score, which makes this match interesting to predict. Will Cairo, like another Cape Town opponent, lift to produce another score of this calibre? Or will the Cobras learn this thing called defense and restrict the Sands to another sub 120 score? I'm going with the latter. Cape Town for me!

Dublin... but I suppose I better pad this out. Dublin are playing on another competition at the moment. They have scored 147, 184, 192, 160 and 169 to see them first on the points (and real) ladder, about 1,430 points more than the next team! Good... GOD! But you know what? If there ever was a team to keep pulling wins out of a rock-solid defence, then that's Seoul. They sit 16th on total points, 12th on points conceded... yet... they're 3-2. Well done! But, this ain't happening. Oh, and one more thing, Dublin haven't got their captain right for the last 2 weeks... hence why they're scoring measly 160+ scores and not 170+ scores.

This game is quite interesting, and probably would be my runner-up to the match of the round. Why? Both teams sit 3-2, 5th v 8th, and on total points, it's 9th (MCS) v 8th (NYR). Points aside, let's look at match in the grand scheme of things. Mexico City have beaten lowly Seoul, New Delhi and scraped a win against Pacific. They dropped matches against Tokyo and Beijing, so really, this is their first real test against a top 6 favourite. New York have performed more admirable to be honest, dropping matches understandably against Dublin and a surprise loss to Rio de Janeiro. The teams they've beaten were Buenos Aires, Berlin and Cairo last week. This match poses a great chance to add another finals challenging team scalp to their list... and I'm backing them to do it.

Another match with two like-scoring teams, but with perhaps more definitive consequences. Moscow sit 2-3 (13th) and sit 12th in total points, compared to the 1-4 Rio de Janeiro (14th) whom sit 11th in total points. Rio just seem the fall on the final hurdle this year, and I reckon a lot of that has got to do with 3-time Jim Stynes Medallist Gary Ablett Jnr being absent of late. How they would love to welcome him back and revive a season that has gone horribly wrong so far. Moscow are another team that has performed below expectation this year, with a discrepancy between their best and their worst simply far to great to be challenging for finals at the moment (3 scores in the 120s, and 2 in the 140s). This week however, I'm backing the Moscow crowd to bring the Spetsnaz home; all but ending the Jaguars season in the process.

After last week, I think its safe to say Christchurch have well and truly arrived and are deserving of their current top 4 spot. They do however, only sit 7th on total points, but it's the way those points have come about that has impressed me the most. Bar one disappointing performance in the 120s, they have scored 140+ in their remaining matches and pose a consistent force to be reckoned with. Now, poor New Delhi... they just having a year to forget at the moment. Mexico City was dangling the carrot for quite some time last week before New Delhi ran out of players to grab it from them. But what I want to point out this year, is not only have New Delhi scored the least amount of points this year, but every team they play against just don't care, merciless in making New Delhi the team to concede the second most amount of points this year. Ouch. And Christchurch may very well add to that pain this week.

I like this Toronto team. After a disappointing round 1 loss, they have come out in force since, winning every match and doing so by scoring 3 scores in the 140s and one score 150+. Deservedly, they sit second in both the ladder and in total points and have done it totally under the radar. Well, I'm putting the radar squarely on Toronto for the rest of the year, so we'll have none of that from now on. Tokyo have also been quietly getting the job done, although 13th on total points, they sit 3-2 and very much so keeping up with the finals contenders. They'd view themselves a quiet chance to win this match too... they have beaten Mexico City after all, and have got the Dublin unpleasantness out of the way. Is this the year of the Samurai? Well, this match isn't, Toronto are looking too good at the moment.

[Nige]

Show me some love Purps, just once. That's all I ask.  :'(

[Purple 77]

Show me some love Purps, just once. That's all I ask.  :'(

Sorry nige  :-X I have started to notice I keep whipping the same teams most weeks haha

[Nige]

Show me some love Purps, just once. That's all I ask.  :'(

Sorry nige  :-X I have started to notice I keep whipping the same teams most weeks haha

[Ricochet]

making New Delhi the team to concede the second most amount of points this year. Ouch.

Hopefully that luck changes a bit and we can steal a few games

We'll look at getting a few boys back soon too. With Conca playing VFL on the weekend, Impey nearly good to go, Kerridge is ready to go again, Griffiths won't be far away, Heeney's good to go and with all the GC outs, Gorringe should get a game.

[JBs-Hawks]

No Swallow, Mckenzie or Matera. Rest up Dublin ;)

[RaisyDaisy]

Bennell out could cost us here

I hope he realizes that his drinking antics are affecting New York too! :P

Mexico have their fair share of outs too, so we are an outside chance but they would easily be the favourites

The problem we seem to be having is consistency. A lot of our "premiums" are rollercoasters this year. Hopefully they are on the up this week!

*EDIT* If JJK doesn't get up, then we're definitely cooked  :'(

[Purple 77]

Think I'll be having selection headaches of the good kind for the first time since 2013  8)

I'm hoping Viney comes back this week... then I need to decide if a rested Jack Grimes will outscore Garland, Geary or Golby; all of which have been very serviceable for me.

I know one thing is for sure... Jack Watts ain't playing this week.

[Jukes]

D: Docherty, Dunn, Vlastuin, McDonald
M: Ward, Heppell, Armitage (cc), Bastinac
R: Naitanui
F: Gray (cc), Monfries, Hogan, Daniher
U: Sheed, C. Pearce
Emg: J. Sinclair, Ballantyne, A. Pearce

[kilbluff1985]

Seoul are going to win

i'm calling it

[Holz]

Captain selection will be very very tough. Whoever I go will stink it up.

[ossie85]

Great write-ups again Purple. Puns and everything!

then I need to decide if a rested Jack Grimes will outscore Garland, Geary or Golby; all of which have been very serviceable for me.

Just pointing out that if you rest a player they HAVE to play the next week if selected in the AFL. So... Grimes is playing for Berlin

[Jroo]

Bennell out could cost us here

I hope he realizes that his drinking antics are affecting New York too! :P

Mexico have their fair share of outs too, so we are an outside chance but they would easily be the favourites

The problem we seem to be having is consistency. A lot of our "premiums" are rollercoasters this year. Hopefully they are on the up this week!

*EDIT* If JJK doesn't get up, then we're definitely cooked  :'(

You'd have to be favourites man, don't know how we can win with a midfield of Ebert, Grigg, Ellis-Yolmen and Glenn, lol

[RaisyDaisy]

You'd have to be favourites man, don't know how we can win with a midfield of Ebert, Grigg, Ellis-Yolmen and Glenn, lol

Well it looks like JJK might be going in for surgery and if that happens he is out for the year

No JJK, Libba and Bennell

That's too much to cover for us  :'(

[My Chumps]

Surely this week we can get the W!