Liga Mundo Season 5

= Press Releases = MARCH 6, 2009 - Week 1 Preview

Lutherville Press (LP)

Match of the week: Estrella Roja @ Transvaal Springboks

Of course the opening week of the season is always an opportunity to assess the form of the teams. It is also an opportunity to begin predicting the team's spot in the league. This week's MotW involves a team predicted to be second tier finishers, and one team which has been predicted early to be fighting for their Primera lives this season. Roja has played no friendlies this offseason and many have taken that as a poor sign of the club's direction. However they can prove themselves this week if they can steal some points on the road from the 'Boks.

The Springboks hope to show that they have improved this offseason. It has been a busy time for the club as they played a brutal friendly schedule to train up some of their youngsters. However their starting core of players looks to be very similar to their squad last year as last season's assist machine Matthias Rieger looks to get the team back into contention for the league. In order for the team to have a healthy showing they need to win the matches in which they are favored, starting with Roja at home this week.

Look for the 'Boks to come out hungry and put up an early goal to set the tone of the match.

Prediction Transvaal Springboks 3 - 1 Estrella Roja

Other Matches:

SiPS 1 - 4 VolNation Volunteers

What is it that a newly promoted team doesn't want to run into in their first home match in Serie Primera? How about three time Liga Champions! SiPS face a large task in week one as they attempt to justify their promotion against the dynasty of the league.

Atlético Luz Del Mar 3 - 0 Swamplandia Sinners

Swamplandia was the beneficiary of an expanding league this offseason as they avoided relegation and were gifted a second shot at the top league. And this season starts the same as last for these two teams. Last season Swamplandia opened up to a 4-0 defeat on the road against the eventual Liga Champions. Few will dispute that Swamplandia hasn't grown as a team since that time however. Unfortunately that won't change the outcome as ALDM will be riding high following their successful campaign last season.

Arcadia FC 4 - 0 1984 Duckies FC

Arcadia is the best team in La Liga that has yet to claim the championship, this year many are picking them as the team that will win it all. That is so long as they don't drop any silly points. The Duckies are were the surprise team in Serie Segunda last year and this first week look to undergo baptism by fire in their first Primera match which just happens to be on the road.

Serie Segunda

Rivendell FC 1 - 3 Voobaha National Spartak MK 2 - 1 Keville United FC FC Stalybridge 2 - 1 Clyde Albion FC Franzharia 2 - 2 Estrellapuerto FC

Serie Tercera

Durkastan 0 - 2 Compostela Artois Dun Carrig Bohs 3 - 2 Boltonia Dragonia United FC 4 - 1 FC Jekerger

MARCH 9, 2009 - Week 1 in La Liga

Lutherville Press (LP)

Week 1 in La Liga was a real shake up to the status quo of the league. As a matter of fact, about the only constant that a fan can feel comfortable with right now is that ALDM is up at the top of the table. Long time standard in Primera, Roja, fell to the bottom of the table with a defeat to Transvaal along with the victim of the ALDM match, the Sinners.

The biggest shocker of the week is that the two teams picked to finish at the top of the table, struggled in week one against newly promoted teams. The Volunteers struggled on the road against a strong SiPS team. The SiPS squad thrived on their home ground, capitalizing on all of their shot attempts in the match to earn a point in their first ever top division match. Arcadia was thoroughly frustrated at home this week by a Duckies lineup that thwarted all 4 of their attempts on goal (all of which came in the second half), and rubbed it in by controlling the possession in the second half in front of an unhappy red and black clad crowd.

Atlético Luz Del Mar 1 - 0 Swamplandia Sinners Bookings: N/A
 * Poss%: 56-44 SoG: 7-0
 * Scoreline: ALDM: Lois Luis (60')
 * Subs: ALDM: Gilberto Brito for Rosario Padin (30') SS: Buck Clay for Barry Joseph (75')

SiPS 2 - 2 VolNation Volunteers
 * Poss%: 50-50 SoG: 2-4
 * Scoreline: SiPS: Petteri Eerikäinen (31', 59') Vol: Chad Goodwin (24', 71')
 * Subs: N/A
 * Bookings: N/A

Transvaal Springboks 3 - 0 Estrella Roja
 * Poss%: 54-46 SoG: 5-3
 * Scoreline: TS: Ricardo van Deinsen (65'), Matthias Rieger (75'), Charles Brennan (82')
 * Subs: Emmanuel Hörtnagl for Detlef Botha (70')
 * Bookings: TS: Detlef Botha (Y, 43') ER: Eduardo Begoña (Y, 21') Hector Chema (Y, 61')

Arcadia FC 0 - 0 1984 Duckies FC
 * Poss%: 49-51 SoG: 4-2
 * Scoreline: N/A
 * Subs: N/A
 * Bookings: 1984: Marius Negreanu (Y, 3'), Karl Reimar Pedersen (Y, 23'), Arvid Bynke Carlsen (Y, 44')

Serie Segunda
 * Rivendell FC 0 - 4 Voobaha National
 * FC Stalybridge 1 - 5 Clyde Albion
 * Spartak MK 3 - 0 Keville United FC
 * FC Franzharia 1- 1 Estrellapuerto FC

Serie Tercera
 * Dun Carrig Bohs 2 - 1 Boltonia
 * Dragonia United FC 2 - 1 FC Jekerger
 * Durkastan 0 - 0 Compostela Artois