Originally posted at: http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/212972-FM10-Makonnen-s-World?p=7550720&viewfull=1#post7550720
Two teams finish out a promotion race, another starts a season, and Chelsea edge closer to the United juggernaut as 2011 moves towards its close.
November began difficultly in West London with Chelsea suffering two shock losses, one to Anderlecht in Champion’s League play, the other to Blackburn in the league. While Chelsea responded with a brilliant three game run which included a stunning 6-0 win against AS Nancy Lorraine that secured promotion from the group stages of the Champion’s League and was capped by a 4-0 trouncing of Real Madrid to claim their second consecutive Imposter’s Cup, a 0-0 draw at Etihad against Manchester City was followed by a narrow 2-1 victory over Liverpool to progress to the semifinals fo the League Cup.
Chelsea finish November fifth in the Premier League, which is better than it sounds, given that they have at least three games in hand over all of the teams above them. With only a single loss on the season, the Blues look strong, but the question is if anyone can catch Manchester United, who sit atop the table with twelve wins and only a single draw from their thirteen games.
December includes a much-anticipated clash with United, but the four other league games—against Aston Villa, Everton, Hull, and Wolves—should provide little resistance. The Champion’s League game against Fiorentina will allow Danyil Oranje to give some playing time to younger and fringe players, while the third round match in the FA Cup against Port Vale has to be seen mostly as a training exercise and financial opportunity for the Coca-Cola League Two side.
Off the field, Leigh’s return seems imminent as her arm is healing nicely, something that is causing both anticipation and concern.
Comets / Chile
Ultimately, November of 2011 was the most successful month in club history for the Houston Comets as they secured automatic promotion to the North American Champions League for next season.
But it didn’t look that way early on. Instead, consecutive draws against teams well beneath them in the table were followed by a 2-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo in the first leg of the final of the Silver Boot and, more disappointingly, a loss in the league by the same score to lowly Lighthouse.
Chaos of various sorts ensued, but the team responded well, handing out a 6-1 drubbing to the Red Devils before a 3-1 victory over the New York Liberty secured promotion for the red and black. The only sour notes to the end of the month were a 1-0 loss to the Dynamo which let the MLS team claim the Silver Boot and the final game of the season, a very disappointing and uneventful 0-0 draw with the New York Giants. Even the loss to the Dynamo had a silver lining, however: it was halftime of that game that marked a turning point in McKinnon’s mindset.
Still, promotion is promotion, and Levi McKinnon’s mental state should be somewhat restored as he turns his attention to the various playoffs in North America, a brief offseason and preparations for next year. Before the game against the Liberty, he came clean with Julian about his history of treatment for mental illness, which seemed to help clear the air. However, the more we learn about Bones Quinn, the more that seems doubtful.
Racing Club
David Barron’s side entered the final game of the season with a chance at entering the NADII playoffs for the first time in their history. It was, however, not to be as a 3-0 defeat to X. Tijuana meant the Old Lions would finish the season in fifth place, missing the playoffs through Harbour View’s much greater scoring differential, with both teams on 42 points for the season.
Still, it was easily Racing Club’s best season, and the back-to-back 6-0 and 4-0 victories over Real España and Saprissa in November were the highlights of a team that is maturing before their coach’s eyes. The coach matured, too, even diving into a brief discussion ofstatistical analysis at one point.
The question is if their performance this season has been enough to make Port-Au-Prince a more desirable destination for players: if so, the club’s pockets are deep enough to allow Barron to bring in the talent to challenge for promotion next year.
Rodengo Saiano No More/Belarus
Terry Langford’s next mach as the leader of Belarus’ national team is in June of 2012, against Bulgaria.
If he doesn’t have a club job by then, he may, in fact, go insane. In the meantime, there was a brief–and pleasant–vacation in New York City.
Saint George
Saint George’s undefeated start to league play in November was expected—disappointing even, as scoreless draws against Sebeta City and Metehara Sugar were far better results for the opponents than the red and gold. Indeed, the two-time defending champions find themselves in second place, behind a surprisingly strong Muger Cement team that leads the Ethiopian Premiere League by a single point.
But all will be forgiven: a stunning 2-0 win at home against Zamalek took V to penalties against the Egyptian giant in their second round match in the Red and Arabian Sea States Cup. And, when Adugna Deyas stopped the shot from Zé Kalanga, the team from Ethiopia had produced what must be the largest upset in the history of the East African nation. Their next opponent, Iranian side Zob-Ahan Esfahan, would usually be a heavy favorite but Tadesse Makonnen has nearly a month to prepare for that quarterfinal match-up. The other quarterfinal looming in December—against fellow Ethiopian side Meta Abo in the Ethio-Italian Friendship Cup—should prove a much easier affair.
Other than that, six league games loom before 2012 kicks off with the heavily congested early-year schedule of games for Ethiopian clubs.
Elsewhere
- Despite Steven Fletcher leading the league with 10 goals, Fulham find themselves battling with Hull and Bolton at the very bottom of the Premier League. At this early stage, Crystal Palace, West Brom, and Nottingham Forest are atop the Coca-Cola Championship, looking to replace those three sides in England’s top flight.
- The Georgia Peaches joined the Comets in obtaining automatic promotion, and were led by one of the dominant seasons in the short history of the North American pyramid: veteran American striker Nicola Brighenti scored 24 goals on the season, easily outdistancing New England’s teenage prospect Willie Roberts, who was on loan at Lighthouse and scored 17 for the Maine based team.
- The New York Red Bulls capped the best season by an American team by finishing atop the NASL league table by 8 points over América. Those two were trailed by five teams, each with 60 points: Cruz Azul, Pumas UNAM, DC United, Atlante, and Monarcas Morelia. Cruz Azul and Pumas proceeded to the playoffs and while América defeated Cruz Azul 1-0 to reach the championship game, the other semifinal proved quite an upset: the Red Bulls were defeated 2-1 by Pumas UNAM, meaning that the regular season champion will not move on in the playoffs.
- FC Dallas will meet the Philadelphia Union in the championship game in the North American Champions League. This is, again, an upset as the two teams finished 6th and 8th in the league during the regular season. While the Houston Dynamo, Chiapas, and the Seattle Sounders all earned automatic promotion, Nexaca and Colorado will be sorely disappointed to spend next year in NACL once again.
- Led by goals from Gabri, Ben Wright, and Craig Mackail-Smith, Peterborough defeated Cambridge 5-2 on aggregate to win The Challenge of the Indies.
- The LA Galaxy won the Club Championship of Greater California for the first time—something of a surprise given the Los Angeles team’s general dominance over the years—by defeating San Jose in a penalty shootout.
- Monterrey demolished Veracruz 5-2, securing the coveted El Campeonato de México for the first time.
- Aaron Lennon and Roman Pavlyuchenko scored to lift Tottenham over DC United in the final of the King George Club Championship.
MKNN 
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