LNA week 12 The other three games: Servette-Wil Xamax-YB Thun-Zurich At Thun, they are making the game free in an effort to have a big crowd so they can make a push at the Intertoto Cup. In an aside, LS has forefited against Yverdon. There were concerns over insurance for the players. The LS players hope to be able to play the remaining games.
The actual match-ups for Week 12 Wednesday - 5/21 FC Wil - Xamax Young Boys - Servette FC Zurich - Grasshoppers FC Basel - FC Thun
oops. I was getting ahead of myself. Sorry! But the YB-Servette games and the Zurich derby are the two big games in week 12!
Standings heading into Week 12 1. Grasshoppers 11 7 4 0 28:10 (50) 2. Basel 11 7 2 2 27:17 (47) 3. Xamax 11 4 3 4 15:13 (31) 4. Young Boys 11 5 1 5 15:20 (31) 5. Servette 11 4 4 3 13:15 (31) 6. Zürich 11 3 2 6 14:18 (27) 7. Thun 11 2 2 7 12:22 (24) 8. Wil 11 2 2 7 14:23 (24) Uefa Cup Spots Grasshoppers Champion Scenario Since Basel will qualify for the Uefa Cup as cupwinners, the 4th place in the standings will be good enough for the Uefa Cup. FCZ pretty much only has a shot at this possible 4th place. They need as many points as they can get in the last 3 rounds. Ironically, they play Grasshoppers this week -- the team that needs to win the championship for them to make that 4th place available. Basel Champion Scenario Xamax would qualify for the Uefa Cup as finalists, and that would only leave 3rd place in the standings for Young Boys, Servette, and FCZ to qualify for the Uefa Cup
Besides the FCZ-GCZ match, the YB-Servette match is the other big one. Xamax has a great chance to pull away from YB and/or Servette with a win over Wil. Another weekend of good games.
http://www.uefa.com/footballcentral/news/Kind=16/newsId=69768.html This weekend's round-up including an interesting notion. See under the Xamax section. Uefa.com is saying they have already recieved a UEFA Cup spot because they were Swiss Cup finalists. Who is right, or are we all, and just saying the same thing in different ways.
I hate to be nitpicking again, but this is a midweek round - Uefa.com is wrong - The suspension hammer came down hard for Grasshoppers and Basel. After Friday's incidents (the brawl), the disciplinary commision slapped 4 players with suspensions ranging from 2-3 games. * Ricardo Cabanas - 2 games (provocating Cantaluppi) * Mario Cantaluppi - 3 games (headbutting Cabanas, twice) * Christian Gimenez (incident with Mitreski) * Aleksandar Mitreski (ellbowing Gimenez) Cantaluppi and Gimenez think the decision is too harsh, while Cabanas thinks Basel got off easy once again. Both clubs have the right to appeal the decision (GC already stated that they will).
IASocFan, can you use your omminipitant powers and put an [r] in the subject? Thanks. If Xamax does not get three points from WIl, they have lost a great oppourtunity. Wil has been playing well lately despite last weeks loss to Servette in Geneva. Wil also is playing for their LN survival, with the license problem still unresolved, Wil probatly leave enerything they have on the field. The UEFA Cup gives all four games great importance today. What a great system, not without its flaws, but a really good system.
19' Young Boys Bern [1 - 0] Servette 6' [1 - 0] Sermeter Not a good way to start for Servette. 19' Sion 1 - 0 Kriens 19' Lausanne Sports 0 - 1 Concordia
24' Wil 0 - 0 Neuchatel Xamax 24' Young Boys Bern 1 - 1 Servette Servette got one back!!!! 24' Sion 1 - 1 Kriens 24' Vaduz 0 - 2 Aarau Looks like Vaduz's hopes of LNA this year are diminishing. Aarau is playing really well. I wonder what happened in the fall?
Wil [1 - 0] Neuchatel Xamax 24' [1 - 0] Lustrinelli Huge goal for Wil! Not good at all for Xamax. 32' Schaffhausen 0 - 1 Bellinzona
HT Wil [1 - 1] Neuchatel Xamax 24' [1 - 0] Lustrinelli 45' [1 - 1] Leandro Xamax stole the momentum with a late goal, it will be interesting to see if they can carry it over into the second half. Young Boys Bern [1 - 1] Servette 6' [1 - 0] Sermeter 16' [1 - 1] Kader Can Servette hang on for a point? HT Lucerne 0 - 0 Delemont HT Sion 2 - 0 Kriens HT Vaduz 1 - 2 Aarau HT Baden 1 - 0 Winterthur HT Lausanne Sports 1 - 1 Concordia HT Schaffhausen 3 - 3 Bellinzona HT Wohlen 0 - 0 Yverdon
Well, say goodbye to it. The split-season system is great in creating suspense, but it makes clubs financially adventourus (see Lugano, Lausanne).
58' Wil 1 - 1 Neuchatel Xamax 58' Young Boys Bern 1 - 1 Servette 31' Basel 1 - 0 Thun 31' Zurich 0 - 1 Grasshoppers GCZ gets a goal! I can imagine the rage at the stadium now! 58' Vaduz 2 - 3 Aarau
68' Wil 1 - 1 Neuchatel Xamax 68' Young Boys Bern 1 - 1 Servette 41' Basel 1 - 0 Thun 41' Zurich 1 - 1 Grasshopper FCZ ties it up! This could get interesting!
Full time results for May 21 in all leagues: - Switzerland - National-liga A Wil 1 - 1 Neuchatel Xamax Young Boys Bern 2 - 1 Servette Basel 4 - 0 Thun Zurich 1 - 1 Grasshoppers - Switzerland - National-liga A/B Lucerne 5 - 0 Delemont Sion 3 - 0 Kriens Vaduz 3 - 6 Aarau - Switzerland - National-liga B Baden 2 - 1 Winterthur Lausanne Sports 1 - 1 Concordia Schaffhausen 4 - 3 Bellinzona Wohlen 1 - 0 Yverdon
Standings NLA 1. Grasshoppers 12 7 5 0 29:11 (51) 2. Basel 12 8 2 2 31:17 (50) 3. Young Boys 12 6 1 5 17:21 (34) 4. Xamax 12 4 4 4 16:14 (32) 5. Servette 12 4 4 4 14:17 (31) 6. Zürich 12 3 3 6 15:19 (28) 7. Wil 12 2 3 7 15:24 (25) 8. Thun 12 2 2 8 12:26 (24) GC misses a big chance to end it all this Saturday. This missed opportunity brings Basel back into the race. I can't help but think about all the missed chances GC had to secure the championship by now. I'm specifically thinking about the two games against Basel - both times GC had the lead and gave it up. Of course FCZ had to show their good face today , as they always do when up against superior competition (only to lose to the Thuns and Wils of the league in the next game). GC is thinking about taking legal action against Basel after today. The reason is Marco Streller, who plays for Thun but belongs 100% to Basel (they pay all his salary as well). Not surprisingly, he did not play today . Christian Gross made a deal with Thun coach Latour, and he left Thun's best forward on the bench for this one. GC thinks this is manipulating the championship and so do I. Elsewhere, the Uefa Cup race stays a close one. Pro/Rel 1. Aarau 10 8 1 1 25: 8 (25) 2. St. Gallen 10 5 3 2 19: 8 (18) ----------------------------------- 3. Luzern 10 4 4 2 21:13 (16) 4. Kriens 11 3 2 6 14:24 (11) 5. Vaduz 10 2 4 4 12:21 (10) 6. Sion 10 2 3 5 11:16 (9) 7. Delémont 11 2 3 6 11:23 (9) Luzern is officially back in the race. It looks like the head-to-head meeting between FCSG and FCL is going to decide the 10th NLA team next season.
If Gross did manipulate the match, could there be UEFA bans and a loss of points? It will be interesting to see how this turns out. Servette should buy raquelette for the entire FC Wi team, their draw keeps them in the race. YB put on a nice preformance, I expect them to get the second UEFA Cup spot. Servette has: Servette - Basel Zürich - Servette Xamax has: NE Xamax - Zürich Basel - NE Xamax YB has: Thun - Young Boys Young Boys - Grasshopper The YB have two difficult games. Thun will want to play very well in the derby game. Then to finish against GCZ with the Championship on the line, that will be tough for YB. Servette has a difficult game against Basel, who need to win the match. The Zurich game will be easier, but as FCZ has shown that when motivated, they can play well. Xamax has Zurich at home and at Basel. The Basel game will be interesting because it could mean a possible league championship or nothing. I think the most important team in the race for the UEFA Cup spot is FC Zurich. Although not eliminated by the numbers the way they play the next two games can have a great impact. But with nothing to play for, will they just coast into the summer break, take thei Intertoto spot and go?
Here is the press release from FC Thun: "As the rhénan club is still in the hunt for the title, our trainer Hanspeter Latour promised to his contemport bâlois, Christian Gross, that Marco Streller will not play. He will keep his word." The amazing thing for me is that both clubs are very open about this. This is the reason that the EPL does not allow loans between EPL clubs. I understand the necessity in Switzerland, but this is scarry. Has a situiation like this occured before in Switzerland? If so, how was it dealt with by the LN. I thought things like this only happened in Italy!
From the newspaper reports that I have looked at, Servette should have won the match. Even La Libertie of Fribourg, which usually supports YB was for Servette. As in every match, there were a few questionable calls, including the sending off of Bullo in the 63rd minute. Servette looks to be the odd team out with their remaining two games, both which will be difficult. Joël Descloux the YB coach said that they were lucky to have won the match. " We had few chances and we won." YB need just one point from their last two games to qualify for a UEFA spot.
I seriously doubt it. Is it immoral? - Yes. Is it illegal? - probably not. GC seems to agree with me, as they declared today that no legal action will be taken. Club officials still consider it an outrage however. On an unrelated note, Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger was spotted eating a Berner Bratwurst at the Neufeld. Wenger of course was there to have a look at his new signing Phillipe Senderos:
Started a thread on Senderos on the Arsenal board: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=50820