Subject: 18 y/o or younger

If you have any SA players that are 18 or younger, please update their skills by sk-mail or in the database. We've got an U18 friendly coming up this week, and it's a chance for the youngsters to pick up a quick NT cap. :)
(edited)

U got Jabulani Nel?

Yep, got him. :)

I have 51 players in my spreadsheet that are 18 or younger. I've sent out sk-mails to all the managers of players that haven't been updated in the last couple of weeks.

If you have any player in that age group, no matter how week, that hasn't been updated or that I don't know of, please send me his stats.

Thanks!

I want to thank all the managers of our young players. Many have already replied and sent through the skills I've asked for.

Here's the likely team for Saturday's friendly against Chile. It's unlikely to change, unless I get late player updates.

Keepers
Denzil Roberts (Kaizer Chiefs)
Sub: Nuro Evans (Ke Huy Diet, Vietnam - BOT)

Defenders
Alfred Westerhof (Durban City)
Alexander Letebe (Durban City)
Hilton Malatsi (Durban City)
Chris Kambule (FC Chelsea S, Bosnia)
Sub: Sibusiso Rapelego (Balompedica Aberrada, Spain) - planned sub for Westerhof

Midfielders
Dennis Jansen (Maera FC, Spain)
Ernest Batchelor (Badenpower, Germany)
Zane Otiti (Derappebeenderen, Belgium)
Cyril Chacho (Dreams FC)
Cyril Fish (Jackpool)
Sub: Sheldon Magalefa (Die Hobbits, Switzerland) - planned sub for Otiti
Sub: William Khoabane (Debilosy, Poland) - injury sub

Strikers
George Meiring (Durban City) - will be for sale in a few weeks
Sub: Khalil Changwe (Red De Fred, Belgium) - planned sub for Meiring
(edited)

I don't fancy our chances much against Chile as they have well over 800 users compared with our dozen or so.

They're ranked 20 to our 47 and have 2155 ranking points to our 1292.

Well, the match stats aren't pretty:

Possession was about even; we edged it 52% to 48%.
Unfortunately, they spent their time camped in our half by 62% to 38%.
They took 11 shots and we didn't get a single one.
No suprise then that the score was 3-0.

On a positive note though is that the stats don't tell the whole story.

In the 42nd minute (while we were 0-1 down), our BEST player and central defender, Hilton Malatsi, got himself sent off. Idiot!
Kambule dropped back from defensive midfield to fill the gap at the back. He tried, but wasn't up to the job and both second half goals came from situations where Malatsi may have been able to clear where Kambule couldn't.

So, we played half the game with 10 players and missing our best one at that.

Tactically, our striker didn't get into the box when he had the chance, thus not taking shots. When our wingers got into position to cross, they didn't have enough options. If I play a single striker again, I need to make sure that he gets support from the attacking mids and/or opposite winger. Other than that, the tactics worked as planned. We generally countered their 3 striker attack and exploited the wings, but our players weren't good enough. Having said that, while watching the match I thought we did a fair job of it and weren't disgraced.

A comparison in terms of marks, shows the difference in ability.

Keepers: Chile 59 -> SA 45.
Defence: Chile 44, 36, 35, 30 -> SA 38, 32, 31, 31/30
Midfield: Chile 43/44, 38, 36 -> SA 39, 39, 34, 34/27, 24
Strikers: Chile 51, 35, 35 -> SA 33/32