ADAM SHERGOLD – SPORTS EDITOR (2008-2010)

Player of the Tournament

Diego Forlan – In anticipation of my colleagues dissecting the talent-laden and victorious Spanish XI, I’m going with a player who was never part of an outstanding team unit but whose five goals carried his nation to an improbable last four finish. Forlan was much maligned at Manchester United, where he never adapted to the pace and physicality of the English Premier League, but, at 31, he has blossomed into a striker capable of some quite stunning finishing and seems to be enjoying his football like never before. His free-kick equaliser against Ghana in the quarter-final, where he demonstrated an unrivalled command of the capricious Jabulani ball, is a personal favourite.

Best Goal

Siphiwe Tshabalala for South Africa vs. Mexico – The moment an entire nation awoke from interminable anticipation to the glorious reality that the greatest show on Earth was in town. Tshabalala’s terrific left-footed roof-of-the-net finish, following intricate build-up, was much more than just than the opening goal of the tournament. It was the realisation of a dream – the dream of a nation and a continent often fractured, but suddenly united. In addition, the joyous aftermath included the tournament’s best choreographed celebration. He also has the best name since Jean-Paul Kamudimba Kalala.

Favourite Match

Germany 4 Argentina 0 – An emphatic result and masterly performance which marked the cessation of one age of football and the beginning of another. Diego Maradona’s Argentina were brutally exposed by a German side that will undoubtedly wrest with Spain to be Europe and the world’s pre-eminent side through the next five years. With an average age under 25, Joachim Löw’s bright young kinder, including Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Mueller and Mesut Özil, are most definitely an atypical German side, but all the more intriguing for it. This showing announced their arrival as genuine World Cup contenders, years ahead of schedule, and wrecked the dreams of Maradona, Messi and co.

Best Moment

Andres Iniesta’s goal for Spain in the final – A winning moment which meant so much to so many, but also to the game. Iniesta’s 116th-minute strike, technically perfect, extinguished the possibility that the very un-Dutch brand of thuggish football would prevail and the world rejoiced. Effective it might have been in stalling the Spanish passing carousel, but it was disappointing to see a nation steeped in such a rich heritage of playing the game beautifully resort to such anti-football tactics. Thank goodness Iniesta, one of the stars of the tournament, intervened to provide justice.

LEIGH CLARKE – SPORTS EDITOR (2009-2010)

Player of the tournament

Carles Puyol – Here’s a statistic for you: in the knock-out stages of both Euro 2008 and this World Cup, Spain have not conceded a goal. There’s a danger that in years to come that we’ll remember only the attacking fluency of this great side and forget how their incredible defence essentially won them two consecutive tournaments. Despite being a rock throughout, and Spain’s outfield leader, I’ve not seen Puyol on many ‘Teams of the Tournament’ and he wasn’t even nominated for the Golden Ball. Yet he deserves recognition for a fantastic few weeks; he may not have had a great final but his performance against Germany, which he capped with a superb match-winning goal, was nothing short of outstanding.

Best Goal

Miroslav Klose vs. Argentina – Was this the perfect counter-attack? Germany humiliated Argentina in more ways than one, as their inch-perfect move exposed the Argentinian defence as clueless whilst making the scoreline embarrassing. At times Germany played the most exciting football in this competition and this was surely the pinnacle of the young team’s achievements.

Favourite Match

Slovakia vs. Italy – There were serious doubts over Italy’s following their first two performances, but no one expected this. It was a match that had it all: wonder-goals, huge tension and, at the finish, an early exit for the World Cup holders. In a tentative group stage, this was a real highlight.

Best moment

Asamoah Gyan’s missed penalty - Actually an awful moment, but one that summed up the excitement of a World Cup perfectly. Ghana, vying to be the first African nation ever to make the semi-finals, are awarded a penalty in the final minute of extra-time after Luis Suarez handles on the line. Up steps Asamoah Gyan, the cool and collected expert penalty taker, for one of the most important kicks in football history. The whole of Africa, perhaps the whole of the non-Uruguay world, wants him to score but, almost inevitably, he misses, his effort hitting the bar. Ghana then go on to lose the subsequent shoot-out. Heartbreaking, but a moment that really shows the incredible drama of a major tournament.

HENRY COWEN – ACTING SPORTS EDITOR

Player of the Tournament

Thomas Mueller – I put my hands up, I hadn’t heard of him before the tournament, but the young German has starred in South Africa. Before this tournament Mueller had played three times for his country; he has now played eight times, scoring on five occasions, and has won the Golden Boot in his debut tournament. He’s energetic, lively and proved a constant thorn in the side to every team he came up against, not least England against whom he scored twice. Ryan Nelsen of New Zealand also deserves special mention; for the All Whites to go through the tournament undefeated is a superb achievement and it is down in no small part to the Kiwi skipper.

Best Goal

Tricky question. Tevez’s against Mexico was fantastic, as was van Bronckhorst’s against Uruguay but for me it has to be Maicon’s goal against North Korea. Did he mean it? Who cares. A special goal that finally broke the minnows’ resistance and one that could only have been scored by a Brazilian.

Favourite Match

I became something of a New Zealand fan during this tournament; partly because they were plucky underdogs but mainly because in their side was the only Ipswich Town player. As a devoted Tractor Boy I followed Ricky Herbert’s men because on the left of their back three was our very own Tommy Smith. He had a good tournament, his team had an even better one and their highlight was my favourite game of the competition. Playing against the world champions can never be easy, especially when your side contains players that had previously been deemed not good enough for English non-league sides but Nelsen and his men fought heroically to earn a 1-1 draw against Marcello Lippi’s Italy. A superb performance and one that typified the general theme of underdogs throughout this World Cup.

Best Moment

There’s two here, both of them betting related which, I think, tells a story. Number 1. Put five pounds on for my older brother that Siphiwe Tshabalala would score the first goal of the tournament. Hello £50. My brother puts it on black at a nearby casino, hello £100 and I didn’t have to pay for anything else that day. Number 2. A tale of oh so close. Put five pounds on Matt Upson to score against Germany, and score he did! Unfortunately the lovely lady at the betting shop mistakenly processed it as Matt Upson to score first…valuable drinking money cruelly taken from me on a day that was already forgettable.

JAKE FARRELL – ACTING SPORTS EDITOR

Player of the Tournament

Xavi Hernandez – The Machine is a nickname that you would envisage being attached to some nutter defender that plays for Rochdale. Instead it is the moniker used to describe Xavi, the central midfield machine that literally passes teams into submission. The Barca Captain made 669 passes in the tournament with a completion rate of 81%. That is a higher total of passes and a higher completion rate that Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Kaka combined. He also played all 636 minutes of Spain’s campaign running 80.2km in the process. The best player in the world, let alone the tournament.

Best Goal

Carlos Tevez vs Mexico – Argentina had a bit of luck against Mexico who proved a good side over the course of the tournament. There was nothing lucky about the Tevez strike that ultimately beat them and the look of pudgy joy that spread across his features after he almost broke the net was pure Maradona. Genius.

Favourite Match

England vs Germany – Only a humiliation on the scale of a 4-1 second round World Cup defeat to Germany could induce the root and branch re-structuring of English football that we need, and that is why it is my favourite match. It won’t lead to anything of the kind of course but it should – now is the time to let the individuals that have comprised our squad slip (in)gloriously into retirement and for a young squad to form an enthusiastic eleven before they are jaded by the Premiership. I want to see Joe Hart in Goal, Jack Wilshere in behind and Jack Rodwell as Captain for the next friendly.

Best Moment

The opening goal of the finals – I have been somewhat repulsed by the saccharine levels of white, middle class sympathy toward South Africa, and the continent in general, over the course of the tournament but Siphiwe Tshabalala’s goal against Mexico did feel like something special for the nation. Aside from the patronising assertions of “What this will mean for Africa?”, and cringeworthy features from Robben Island, Tshabalala’s goal was one of some class. All it did was ignite the passions of a nation that loves football and had eagerly been anticpating the start of the greatest show on earth in their own back yard for some time, not somehow unite Africa into one pangea of sport. If only football mattered half that much.

HUW HARROW – Sports Correspondent

Player of the Tournament

Bastian Schweinsteiger – If this world cup has shown us anything, it is the importance of the holding central midfielder. Whilst youngsters Mesut Ozil and Thomas Muller were grabbing the headlines for their exhilarating displays it was Bastian Schweinsteiger who was the fulcrum of the German campaign. Stepping up to replace the talismanic Michael Ballack, Schweinsteiger has matured beyond recognition from the man considered by many to be a luxury player in to a tough tackling yet technically excellent general. His set pieces were also a huge asset to Joachim Louw’s men and the German side looks set to be built around him for the foreseeable future.

Best Goal

Giovanni van Bronckhorst v Uruguay – This simply has to be van Bronckhorst’s semi final thunderbolt. It is worth giving mention to Nicklas Bendtner’s equalizer for Denmark against Cameroon, an effortlessly simple, sweeping move, stemming from what must be the pass of the tournament from Simon Kjaer. However it would be churlish to deny this award to the Dutch veteran who produced the cleanest strike of a ball you are ever likely to see in a tournament where long range efforts tended to do little but stir memories of South Africa’s 1995 world cup rather than create their own.

Favourite Match

Brazil v North Korea – The minnows gave us a fair share of entertainment throughout this tournament. New Zealand taking the lead against holders Italy and ultimately holding on for a draw was a fantastic achievement. However, it was North Korea whose brave efforts against the might of Brazil provided us with an unforgettable piece of world cup history. From Jong Tae-Se’s waterworks during the national anthem, to Maicon’s wonder goal to Ji Yun-nam’s memorable late consolation this was the sort of drama only a world cup can provide.

Best Moment

Frank Lampard’s disallowed goal v Germany – Having been on the rack for the most part against the old enemy and 0-2 down early on, almost out of the blue Matthew Upson and Frank Lampard appeared to have brought England back from the brink. For the first time in the tournament the nation was united in joy and started dreaming of the greatest comeback since Lazarus. The joy of course was soon to turn to united anger, disbelief and delicious irony that this might somehow be payback for 1966, but this is my moment of the tournament as it may be the incident that instigates the long overdue addition to the game of goal line technology.

Dutch football has a similar problem. Known primarily for the outstanding teams of the late 1970s, teams that twice made it to the World Cup Final playing football that inspired all those that watched, they are the honourable martyrs of international football, twice denied the greatest crown of all due to an inability to play anything less than the beautiful game.

In 1974 they introduced “Total Football” to the world, but were halted whilst attempting to enact footballing revenge in a final against bitter rivals West Germany. Four years later the same team without star Johann Cruyff came up against host nation Argentina in a hostile Buenos Aires final, Rob Rensenbrink being only millimetres away from snatching victory in the final minutes of normal time, before Argentina went on to win their first ever trophy. And again, as recently as in 1998 and the European Championships in 2008, the Dutch have cemented their reputation as the team who win our hearts, but rarely any trophies.

Baring a European Championships victory in 1988, it is a rich history of footballing brilliance but ultimate disappointment. Now, on the eve of the Netherland’s first World Cup final since the late seventies, there is a genuine suggestion that victory for this ‘dull’ Dutch side, one based on footballing discipline rather than unchecked flair, would not do justice to the honourable teams that have failed before.

It is a statement based on two glaring misconceptions. First that this side are somehow dull, and secondly that Dutch football has always been based on flair and ‘Total Football’. A staggering run of 14 competitive wins, starting with a 2-1 qualification victory over Macedonia in 2008 and including a stunning defeat of Brazil, to get to this stage shows the first point to be ridiculous. The second, as so often the case in international football, is an outdated stereotype. Dutch football has long mixed the sublime with the ugly; for every Cruyff turn, there has been a Rikjaard spit; for every Bergkamp wonder-goal, a Battle of Nuremberg and for every Ruud Gullit, an Edgar Davids.

Yet there is a little doubt that this side has a simplicity and resilience rarely seen in recent years, and with that a certain dislikeable quality that we are not that used to in the Dutch. Marco van Bommel’s tackles so far this tournament earned him a less than favourable reputation, while players such as Boulahrouz, De Jong and Kuyt perhaps lack the glamour and creativity of past Oranje stars. Big name Robin van Persie has failed to bring his early season form to South Africa, and the Dutch have relied heavily on Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben to provide their creativity, the latter also unpopular due to his penchant for diving.

Yet this Netherlands team, with its pragmatic, direct and cohesive approach are arguably the best equipped in the nation’s history to cope with the challenge that faces them on Sunday evening – the challenge of beating a Spain team that are on the verge of being the greatest in a generation. One can imagine the Cruyff 1974 team, who so famously fell victim to complacency against the then European champions in their World Cup final, being outwitted and outclassed against opponents known for their ability to out-football all those that come before them.

Perhaps like Germany, fresh from destroying England and Argentina in two displays of footballing brilliance, they would have found themselves stunned by the relentless flow of the Spanish midfield and it’s two chief artists: Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta. Sir Alex Ferguson, after watching Manchester United crumble against a Barcelona side that contained seven of Spain’s starting eleven last Wednesday, called it a “passing carousel”, and in recent years it has, for both club and country, bewitched all those that come before it.

Against Germany that carousel worked to perfection for the first time in the tournament. Germany came into the game with the idea of taking the punches and demonstrating their ability to hit cleanly on the counter, playing on Spain’s two obvious weaknesses – their tendency to overplay and a reliance on David Villa in front of goal. Yet within the opening ten minutes it had become clear that they were entirely overawed by the occasion. Perhaps showing their inexperience for the first time this tournament, they sat there like rabbits in the headlights, entirely baffled as the magic midfield relentlessly poured forward. Puyol’s goal was not beautiful but it was inevitable, and there would have been a second before the end had Pedro later chosen to pass to an open Fernando Torres.

The Dutch, due to their experience and strength in midfield are likely to cope with this better, and they will be helped by the fact that they contain in their ranks one man who has overcome these opponents before. Wesley Sneijder’s rise from the bench of Real Madrid to being the star of this tournament has become a footballing fairytale, and during his successful year at Internazionale he was part of a midfield that over two Champions League games, managed something that no other team has done in the last two years – it rode the carousel and survived. Should Xavi and Iniesta work their magic on Sunday, no man would arguably be more experienced to cope with their threat, finishing an unprecedented year of individual success in the process.

There is a strong argument that this Spanish team is the greatest footballing side since those Dutch heroes of 1974 and there is certainly no doubt that it is one been strongly influenced by the ‘Total Football’ philosophy. Holland must realise that the mantle has been passed on, and that the only way to beat Spain is to play them in the way that their opponents did to their Dutch predecessors throughout the seventies. The tables have been turned; they are now the West Germany of 1974, the plucky underdogs against a footballing giant, and would do well to take inspiration from their bitter rivals as well as from their countrymen. That is because, as glorious as failure can be, one thing is always sure: history remembers the winners.

Firstly, congratulations to those that finished in the top three positions of our Nouse Fantasy Football competition. Frenchie’s awesome foursome of Ali Prince, Joe Cooper, Mark Johnson and Christy Cormac were the difference as ‘If you’re not first, you’re last’ won with relative ease.Miles McDermott capped a great personal tournament with a respectable second place and Dave Worsley took the third spot.

Well done also to Alcuin, who brushed aside Derwent last week to win their second consecutive College Cup. Their ‘Golden Generation’ have been the dominant force in college football for a number of years now and deserved to win this tournament, winning all of their games and picking up their game impressively in the later rounds. Some on the sidelines and Nouse comments claimed that Alcuin’s win was a victory for football, and there is no doubt that Alcuin played some of the best stuff throughout the competition. Yet this victory was also based on perfection of a simple, direct style and dominance at the set piece. Derwent, like in their first game of the competition, were simply unable to deal with the size of Jake Delaney and the pinpoint deliveries of Miles McDermott and Jack Crane. It’s all very well playing beautifully but, to win this tournament, you might also have to learn how to play ugly.

So with that we’ll leave it. Thank you to all that have read both this blog and Nouse‘s extensive coverage throughout the tournament. It’s been a great term of football and we all wait with excitement for the return on the College League in October. Until then, here are the Nouse College Cup Awards:

Fantasy Football Top Pick: Without a doubt Phil Taylor. The forward was at the centre of a young free-scoring Vanbrugh side that will already be fancied for big success next year. With 8 goals and a staggering 47 points, Taylor was by far this year’s star pick.

Fantasy Football Best Valued Pick: Wentworth had a great tournament and, in my opinion, could have gone even further than the quarter finals. Lachie Murray, the £2.9m defender, was statistically the best valued pick in the game. Playing up-front for most of the tournament, he ranked up an impressive 27 points.

Fantasy Football Worst Pick: Greg Gardner was valued at £9m, the second most expensive player available. Unfortunately for those who picked him, and of course for himself, he pulled out injured just before Derwent’s first game and would not play all tournament.

College Cup Golden Boot: No debate over this one, Phil Taylor’s eight was one better than nearest rival, and team-mate, Ali Prince.

Best game: Halifax were in a few classics – their defeats to Alcuin and Vanbrugh both stunned all those in attendance and few will forget their penalty victory over Goodricke – but this prize goes to a group stage fixture between Wentworth firsts and Alcuin seconds. With three sides eyeing the second qualification spot in Group A, the Astro was packed out to see Wentworth come back from a goal down to save their campaign.

Best goal: Certainly a few contenders, and feel free to debate this on the comments below, but I’m reliably informed by all of my reporters that they saw nothing better all tournament than Mark Johnson’s “Christiano Ronaldo-esque” free kick against Derwent in the quarters.

Best seconds/thirds player: Special mention should go to Nick Dheir, who was excellent throughout the group stages, but this has to go to Dave Worsley who for the first five weeks of the tournament, sat comfortably alongside College football BNOCs Mark Johnson and Phil Taylor at the top of the Nouse Fantasy Football player table.

And finally,

Nouse Player of the Tournament: We thought long and hard about this one. Taylor for his goals? Delaney for his interventions in the box at the key moments? Johnson for his group stage performances? Yet, for his outstanding displays, brilliant leadership and talent with the dead ball, the winner of the 2010 award goes to Miles McDermott. Excellent in last year’s competition, this time Miles led his side to their second consecutive trophy, his deliveries from the set piece being at the centre of their simplistic and direct style. Oh, and he picked up a rather decent 32 Fantasy Football Points as well.

Team of the tournament:

———————————————————-Ed Foster—————————————————————
-Joe Boughtflower——-Chris Grayland——–Jake Delaney———Miles McDermott——–
—-Mark Johnson————Jack Beadle————-Christy Cormac————–Ali Laird————
—————————————-Ali Prince—————–Phil Taylor———————————————-

Four consecutive final appearances, and now two consecutive College Cup wins; there is little doubt which team has dominated on the JLD in the last few years. Alcuin retained their College Cup trophy this morning, comfortably seeing off their old rivals Derwent in a scrappy but entertaining final.

Goals from Ali Laird and Jake Delaney were the difference as Alcuin once again showed their ability to give opposition defenders nightmares at the set piece. Yet, as in their semi-final against Halifax, they were to dominate in all areas of the pitch, defending excellently and constantly looking dangerous on the counter.

After the match, winning captain Miles McDermott congratulated his side for two years of college football dominance: “We have been unbeaten all year, not just through this tournament. We haven’t lost in nearly 17 months, it’s a fantastic effort from everyone and we just keep going from strength to strength.”

Few would argue that Alcuin are the deserving winners of this competition. Having won all seven of their games, they have improved steadily from a disciplined opening performance against today’s opponents Derwent. In that fixture Derwent were unable to deal with the aerial threat of Jake Delaney and the losing finalists will be especially frustrated that they did not learn from those previous errors today. After fifteen minutes Delaney knocked on a McDermott corner for his team-mate Laird to finish, before himself connecting with a Jack Crane long throw in the second half.

Jake Delaney’s presence in the air was the difference for Alcuin, setting up their first and heading in their second. Photograph by Justyn Hardcastle.

Derwent appeared to start confidently, with Matt Hallam and Chris Barnett being at the centre of some excellent passing movements in the opening stages. Yet the first big chance fell to Alcuin’s Joe Cooper. When Steve Walwyn failed to deal with a high ball, the speedy striker fought his way into space but sent his effort over the bar.

Yet Alcuin’s first goal was to change the game completely and, for a brief period, Derwent looked as if they might be overrun. Seconds after the goal, Cooper had a chance to put the game beyond his opponents but his shot was well saved by Moore. Simon Reiss then also connected with a corner, sending his effort just wide.

At the opposite end of the pitch, Reiss was also enjoying a good day in defence as he continued to foil Derwent’s Ben Smith. As Alcuin enjoyed an impressive end to the half, Derwent began to look as if the interval could not come soon enough. Dom Henney was booked for a desperate tackle on Dan Cox, and Ali Laird came close to grabbing a second, sending his effort just wide after a goalmouth scramble.

Ali Laird heads home for Alcuin’s first. Photograph by Justyn Hardcastle.

Matt Hallam, Derwent captain, said after the match that the team’s slow start had cost them the game: “We didn’t come out in the first half. We switched off at set pieces and that’s where they are most dangerous.”

Alcuin have been known in the past years for their attractive football, but Hallam was correct in highlighting the direct aspect of their play as the difference today. After a feisty start to the second half, in which Chris Barnett was penalised for an excessive tackle on Jack Crane, Delaney’s presence was to again panic Derwent. After shooting just wide from a corner, the midfield giant picked up a Crane throw and headed in from the edge of the D. His team-mate Cooper claimed he had got a touch, but there was no doubt that the goal belonged entirely to Delaney.

Crane could have added to Alcuin’s total shortly afterwards, a cheeky dipping shot being somehow kept out by Moore’s fingertips. Yet Derwent’s heads were not to drop and they pressed well in the game’s final stages. Chris Barnett and Matt Hallam both had chances, but were prevented in each occasion by classy saves from Michael Wynd.

Dan Cox had an oportunity to add a goal from open play as he worked round a flat-footed Paul Ward-Jones, but was unable to find the target and sent his attempt wide. It was not to matter, within minutes the final whistle had been blown and Alcuin rushed to the centre circle for another champagne celebration. College Cup champions for the second year running, and few would dispute that they were this tournament’s outstanding performers. For Derwent, the competition ended as it had begun – another disappointing defeat against the old nemesis.

Alcuin firsts line-up: Michael Wynd, Bradley Wood, Simon Reiss, Paul Reiss, Jake Delaney (Matt Stopforth), Miles McDermott, Jack Crane, Christy Cormac, Ali Laird, Dan Cox, Joe Cooper

Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Simon Reiss

Derwent firsts line-up: Roy Moore, Paul Ward-Jones, Dom Henney, Steve Walwyn, Alex Cooper, John Pinkstone (Ben Creswell),Joe Boughtflower, Chris Barnett, Matt Hallam, Matt O’Connor, Ben Smith (Nav Jabarkhyl)

Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Chris Barnett

It was reminiscent of a another great Argentinian goal, one that was also scored in the second round of the World Cup against Mexico just four years ago. It is an odd coincidence that last tournament Argentina’s round-of-sixteen and quarter-final opponents were exactly the same as they will be this year. They waited until extra time to vanquish Mexico in 2006: a Maxi Rodriguez wonder-goal firing them, like yesterday, into a quarter-final against an impressive young German side. Argentina will hope that the next stage of their campaign goes better than it did last time.

They were not the Brazil of ’82 and certainly not the Holland of ’74, but you could certainly make an argument that the Argentina of 2006 rank as one of the great World Cup sides that didn’t make it as far as they initially promised. They certainly deserved to go past the quarters, where they were on the verge of progression after taking the lead through Roberto Ayala, only for Miroslav Klose to equalise for Germany with just ten minutes remaining. In a decision that arguably cost him his job, Jose Pekerman took playmaker Juan Riquelme off just before the goal and then had to watch as his subsequently toothless side were unable to respond, eventually falling victim to the German penalty machine. The world was denied the opportunity of seeing just how far this team, who had already demolished Serbia and Montenegro 6-0 in one of the great World Cup performances, could have gone.

Many had predicted that coaching unpredictability would again cost a remarkably talented Argentina side dear in this tournament. Diego Maradona might have been one of the most enchanting players of all time, but he took on the Argentina job with a club coaching record of just three wins in 23 games. In qualification they famously lost 6-1 to Bolivia, and only qualified with tight wins against Peru and Uruguay, the heroes not being Leo Messi or Gonzalo Higuain but the inexperienced Mario Bolatti and ageing veteran Martin Palermo. After scraping through, Maradona launched into a foul-mouthed rant against those that had doubted him, earning himself a lengthy touchline ban as a result.

Further doubts regarding Maradona surfaced as Argentina went in to the tournament. Palermo made the plane, but Inter stars Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso did not. Questions were raised over World Player of the Year Leo Messi’s international form, with the suggestion even that Maradona was pleased that the Barcelona forward was not playing to his best and eclipsing his coach’s legacy.

Yet so far, all is going remarkably well. Ten goals scored, with two conceded; assured performances from Hiaguain, Messi and Tevez; even Palermo justifying selection with a goal against Greece - another of the tournament’s great moments. Maradona, formerly a laughing stock, now appears a stylish master at the sidelines, with his salt-and-pepper beard, sharp wit and admirable enthusiasm. Some are now even complimenting Argentina’s tactics, while many point to the influence of former World Cup winning coach Carlos Bilardo, pulling the strings behind Maradona’s passionate leadership.

There are still doubts – nothing is predictable with Maradona and he still makes the odd baffling decision. Jonas Gutierrez at right-back seems rather bizarre and Messi still remains goalless (he was also effectively marked out of the game against Greece). Yet against Germany, the first top-tier team they will have faced, Argentina will have an opportunity to announce themselves as serious contenders and set up the potential of a mouth-watering final with Brazil – which would, amazingly, be the first time the two sides have ever met in football’s biggest match.

In a tournament that has perhaps lacked one outstanding team so far, the redemption of Maradona, possibly amidst the emergence of his successor, might end up being this World Cup’s great narrative. In order for that to be so, Argentina must learn from the mistakes of four years ago and realise that style alone might not be enough to win a World Cup. You would never bet against the Germans, but this Argentina side might be even more special than the last.

One term and 46 games of football later, this tournament will finish with a repeat of a fixture played on only it’s third day. In that game Alcuin ran out clear winners, dominating in the air to comfortably put three against a clueless Derwent defence. Few then would have predicted the losing side to be future finalists.

That win will give Alcuin a huge psychological advantage going into tomorrow’s final; Derwent will know that if they are to even have a chance of taking the College Cup trophy they must cope with Alcuin aerial threat far more competently than they did on that day. Halifax were not able to to do it – they thought they had reclaimed the favourites tag after their impressive display against Goodricke in the quarter finals, only to be sent crashing back down to earth with a 5-1 humbling from Alcuin last Wednesday.

Last year Derwent also saw their campaign terminated at the hands of Alcuin, in a game that many even now refer to as that tournament’s real final. On that day, Dan Hyde, Ed Murrills and forgotten-man Parris Williams ran rings around the best defence in the competition, stylishly easing into a final where they would beat Vanbrugh to secure the compeitition. It really is the greatest rivalry in the College Cup; as Derwent scored the only goal in last Friday’s semi-final one Alcuin player on the sidelines could be heard to moan frustratedly “Do we really have to play Derwent again?”

If last year Alcuin vs. Derwent was the tournament’s footballing pinnacle, this year it will be a match-up between the competition’s two route-one masters. Some commenters on my Derwent vs. Vanbrugh match-report entered into a debate on the styles of each of the last four, and in my opinion some of the views expressed were rather outdated. Alcuin in particular have ditched their attractive style this year to become the masters of direct set-piece-dominated football, and it has worked wonders for them. Halifax’s Mark Lund must be ruing the day he decided to move into the net – that gamble finally backfiring as his defence were left disorganised and unable to deal with Alcuin’s height. In contrast, Vanbrugh, for so long the purists’ nightmare, actually played some fantastic stuff this term but, with their star-man Ali Prince clearly injured, seemed to run out of ideas on Friday against a Derwent side that looked sharper from the start.

So as much as I hate to say it, this final might not be pretty. It might come down to corners, set pieces and the long throw. Crane, Delaney and Cox could be the key men for Alcuin but Derwent will also be wary of Ali Laird who was absolutely outstanding against Halifax and, if he is fit to play, goalscoring midfield lynchpin Christy Cormac.

Some say that if you deal with Hallam and Barnett then you deal with Derwent. Vanbrugh certainly did not and subsequently paid for it with an early cup exit. Striker Matt O’Connor gave a Man-of-the-Match performance in the semi-final and his nippy partner Ben Smith will look to put the Reiss brothers under some early pressure. Joe Boughtflower will also be key; he played like a man possessed on Friday, defending excellently and frequently launching attacks down the wings. Rumours are circulating that Greg Gardner might make a return to the side for the final and, considering Matt Hallam blamed his absence for Derwent’s poor showing against Alcuin in the group stages, his return could be more than crucial.

I’m not going to call this one. Firstly because I wouldn’t want to jinx anyone (every call I’ve made so far has been vastly off the mark) and secondly because it is likely to be decided not on each side’s current form but more how they perform in the key areas on the day. Alcuin will be confident due to their earlier victory, but I expect that this Derwent team – one that has improved vastly since that game – will have learnt from their mistakes. Like I said, this might not be pretty and it might not be high-scoring but it will be tactically fascinating. It might be a classic.

“Do we really have to play Derwent again?” I’m afraid so, and it doesn’t get much bigger than this.

The College Cup final will be played at 11am this Tuesday.

When Derwent firsts were comfortably beaten by Alcuin in their opening College Cup game they were understandably written off as contenders for the trophy by most observers. Their next result, an unconvincing win over Vanbrugh thirds, did little to prove their doubters wrong but, quietly and gradually, this Derwent team have improved to become a force to be reckoned with. They must now face Alcuin again in the College Cup final knowing that, if they improve considerably on that opening performance, they are one game away from being college football champions.

Today a Steve Walwyn header was the difference, as they deservedly beat an out-of-sorts Vanbrugh side, clearly hampered by an injury to danger-man Ali Prince. A doubt before the match, he had decided to play but offered little contribution, suffering throughout and being substituted for Jamie Clarke midway through the second half. Vanbrugh pressed without him for the remainder of the game, their best chance coming when Phil Taylor’s head connected with a corner in the final minutes, but were unable to save their tournament.

Despite losing their opening game against Alcuin, Derwent have shown strong character in this competition to go all the way to the final. They must now overcome Alcuin to take the trophy. Photograph by Peter Iveson.

Derwent came out of the blocks quickly in the first half, Ben Smith hitting the crossbar within seconds and Chris Barnett instantly causing the Vanbrugh defence difficulty. Other than a Prince free-kick and a speculative Jonny Grout shot, Vanbrugh were not to create any chances in the first fifteen minutes but gradually began to ease into the game as the half progressed. Their first real chance came when Prince lobbed Derwent goalkeeper Roy Moore, only for captain Matt Hallam to clear the ball off the line. Ben Stanier picked up the clearance but, luckily for Derwent, sent his shot wide.

Derwent were still creating chances of their own however, and Barnett came close to scoring one of the goals of the tournament towards the end of the half. The University firsts midfielder picked up a loose ball outside the D and cut inside, blasting his shot onto the Vanbrugh post. Shortly after, however, his team were ahead as, in the last move of the half, Steve Walwyn rose unmarked at a corner to give his side the lead.

Derwent were obvously boosted from scoring just before the interval, and started aggressively in the second half. Yet the first real chance fell to Vanbrugh’s Stanier, as Moore was forced to tip away his shot from the wing. Vanbrugh continued to press for an equaliser but struggled in the final third, an ambitious long range effort from Dan Hewitt being the closest they came in the game’s poorest period.

After the match Matt Hallam said that it was a “great feeling” to be in the final, despite the match being “terrible”: “I’ve played in semi-finals like that before, no one wanted to lose. It wasn’t great for the spectator but I’ll take it.”

He was correct in his assessment, in stark contrast to the other semi-final this week – where Alcuin demolished Halifax 5-1 – neither side were to show much quality in a dull second half. Vanbrugh had chances to take the match to penalties – Ben Smith really should have found the target after skilfully moving past Moore – but their frustrating day was perhaps summed up when Ali Prince went down clutching his hamstring after stretching his leg too far. Co-captain Dan Hewitt began to let his frustration show when he berated his team for spending too long deciding who would take a crucial free-kick; Stanier finally stepped up only to send his effort straight into the wall. It wasn’t to be Vanbrugh’s day.

Derwent take the lead when Steve Walwyn rises unmarked at a corner. Photograph by Justyn Hardcastle.

Afterwards Hewitt was gracious in defeat: “I’m really proud of our achievements, I feel like we should have won. Today was very frustrating but the lads were fantastic. The future looks promising for Vanbrugh football.”

Having scored 25 goals in the tournament before this match and arguably having been its outstanding performers, Vanbrugh are perhaps justified in feeling frustrated that they were unable to go all the way. Yet, as Derwent’s amazing recovery has shown, just about anything can happen in the College Cup. Bring on the final.

Derwent firsts line-up: Roy Moore, Paul Ward-Jones, Dom Henney, Steve Walwyn, Alex Cooper, John Pinkstone, Joe Boughtflower, Chris Barnett, Matt Hallam, Ben Smith, Matt O’Connor (Nav Jabarkhyl)

Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Matt O’Connor

Vanbrugh firsts line-up: Paul Taylor, Dan Hewitt, James Carr, Ben Lowe, Dan Radford, Ben Stanier, Vest Waterson (Matt Scaysbrook), Jonny Grout, Phil Taylor, Ali Prince (Jamie Clarke), Liam Regan

Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Dan Hewitt

“For many of the squad, it was a fitting swansong following three years of loyal service to UYRUFC. ‘It proved Yorkshire is God’s own country,’ said Alex Redshaw after the final whistle. “

Adam Shergold – York 19 Lancaster 17

For the second year running, the men’s rugby firsts captain wins the Nouse Sports Personality of the Year Award. Yet you would surely struggle to find anyone more deserving; the firsts have enjoyed a truly epic season and no University team captain epitomises the term “Sports Personality” more than Redshaw. His post-match interviews became the stuff of legend, choice sound bites including “every member of the legion fought like brothers” and, after Roses victory, “this proves Yorkshire is God’s own country”.

Redshaw’s leadership and ability on the pitch have also been key to his team’s success this year. Only gaining promotion to Northern Conference 1A this year, they were to stay in the hunt for a further promotion right until after the final day of the season, whenthey were heartbreakingly denied due to an administrative technicality.

Yet Redshaw’s men showed great character, hitting back with two outstanding performances. Defeat against the University of Birmingham might have ended a two year unbeaten home record, but it also showed that had developed to a point where they could compete with the top university sides in England. They capped off a tumultuous year with a 19-17 victory over Lancaster at Roses.

SPORTS TEAM OF THE YEAR – Women’s Fencing Firsts

“York women’s fencing team will play Loughborough firsts in the last four of the Northern Premier League play-offs next month, as reward for beating Liverpool firsts today. Their epic season goes on and on.”

Leigh Clarke – York 120 Liverpool 109

Could it really be anyone else? The women’s fencing team had a season that will go down in York history, one in which they gained promotion to the Northern Premier League after winning all six of their league fixtures and negotiating a gruelling play-off competition. It is a very rare thing indeed that York finds itself mentioned in the same breath as the mighty Loughborough University, and frankly unheard of that we would even beat them in a sporting competition. Yet the fencing girls did just this, before breezing past Newcastle University to make the Premier League – an outstanding achievement.

All of the fencers deserve credit, but special mention should go to Katharine Gracey and Louise Highton who both entered the team this year and were major factors in the side’s success. Both can be considered amongst York’s elite sportswomen, the former narrowly missing out on our Sports Personality Award and the latter being ranked 30th in the country for Epee.

PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR – Men’s Hockey Firsts

“A year ago, this team may have succumbed to the pressure placed upon them . However the experience gained within the last year has been vast as York have grown together as a team. “

Richard Larkin – York 4 MMU Cheshire 1

York men’s hockey firsts have been nominated for the York Sport Most Improved Team category after responding well to last year’s difficult season, comfortably avoiding relegation in BUCS League. Yet the highlight, and a result which showed how far the team had come in a year, was a 4-1 win over MMU Cheshire to win the Northern Conference Cup.

After close wins over Northumbria firsts and Durham thirds on the way to the final – and of course that now infamous coin-toss victory – York turned on the style in the final, their strong defending allowing attacking players to flourish.
Two early goals from Niko Bode put York instantly into the driving seat, before York hit their opponents on the counter in the second period, Andy Harris adding a third. Bode completed his hat-trick and sealed the victory for York, despite MMU scoring a late consolation goal.

After the match captain Andy McIlwraith said he was “delighted with the team performance and winning silverware has been a great achievement.” The hockey firsts would go on to perform impressively again at Roses, where they came back from two goals down to earn a respectable draw.

With Mark Bright and Jonathan Stevenson, you will not find two football journalists that have entered their careers through more different paths. The former was famous for his incredible striking partnership with Ian Wright at Crystal Palace, as well as successful spells at Leicester City, Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton Athletic. This is the third World Cup in which he has worked as a co-commentator and he also works for BBC Five Live, Match of the Day and Final Score. Stevenson, or Stevo as he is known, joined the BBC after attending Cardiff University and has quickly become popular with the general public, due to his witty and informal style on the BBC live-text. In South Africa he will “either be doing the Live-text in the broadcast centre or going out to do match reports at the Soccer City games.”

Johannesburg, the location of Soccer City and therefore the World Cup Final on 11th July, is where both Mark and Jonathan have been based throughout the first few weeks of the tournament. I ask them both how they are finding spending time in a city that does not come with the greatest reputation. Bright says that the atmosphere has been “brilliant” so far: “The city is busy and lively” adding “it’s the best build-up out of the three World Cups I’ve attended.” Stevo agrees: “It’s amazing – though I haven’t seen that much of it. On match-day there’s an amazing atmosphere. Maybe it’s because of the vuvuzelas, but this is the best atmosphere I can remember at a World Cup.”

“If you win, great. If you don’t, expect criticism. Capello knows it’s part of the job.”

Mark Bright

That this is the first World Cup to be staged in Africa is perhaps a major reason why this tournament feels so special. Bright, himself half Gambian, says it is “very important” that the tournament has finally come to the continent: “They are very starved of world-class football. They are massive fans of global football, it is their time.” But are there other advantages that the choice of an African host nation brings? Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o, arguably the most famous African footballer in the world, recently argued that this tournament could help to eradicate racism in European football, where he has suffered prolonged difficulty with fans. Does Mark agree?

“With more black people attending football at this tournament than ever before, hopefully it will help, but it will still take time.”
Pele famously said that an African team would win the World Cup before 2000. Can this finally be the tournament where one nation goes all the way? Bright considers Ghana surprise packages, but Stevo is less convinced: “It’s unfortunate that this World Cup has come at a time when there are a lot of key injuries to big African players. Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel are all out, and there you’re looking at three of the best African players in the world. Ghana have the best chance.”

Of course it wouldn’t be the World Cup if amongst this great celebration of footballing talent there wasn’t a huge chunk of English disappointment. After stumbling to two draws against USA and Algeria, England face elimination if they are unable to beat Slovenia on Wednesday. Even if they qualify, it has hardly been an assured start in a group that many thought would cause England little trouble.
Speaking after the USA game, Stevo’s promise that “England will not play that badly again” obviously tempted fate. He argues that a relatively easy draw might still see them to progress to a semi-final with Brazil: “We are lucky that we have average teams to play. The draw opens up for them – it might end up like 1990 in that we do not have to play a quality team until the semi-finals. There I can see it ending for us against Brazil, not much has changed since they put us out eight years ago.” One wonders, on recent evidence, if England will struggle to even make it that far.

“Maybe it’s because of the vuvuzelas, but this is the best atmosphere I can remember at a World Cup.”

Jonathan Stevenson

Almost inevitably parts of the media, particularly the tabloid press, have turned on Fabio Capello. With the England coach also clashing with photographers at England’s Rustenburg training camp just before the tournament, it seems that a formerly strong relationship between Capello and the English press has suddenly turned sour. Bright thinks this is part of the job: “It’s same as the press in Italy and the same as in Spain. If you win, great. If you don’t, expect criticism. He knows its part of the job.” He still thinks England have a chance of going far in the tournament and that Capello can succeed: “He’s a huge name with big experience. Managing England isn’t easy, he’s got what it takes.”

Stevo says he was a little surprised by the initial selection and would have started Michael Dawson in the first two England games after the loss of both Rio Ferdinand and Ledley King: “Capello might regret leaving someone like Adam Johnson at home. Carragher and Upson didn’t have great seasons so purely on form I would have gone for Dawson, but it is a risk bringing in an inexperienced player.”
Bright states his surprise that David James didn’t get a start in the first game, and Stevenson thinks Capello made the right choice to drop Robert Green as goalkeeper after his mistake in the USA game.

Both mention busy days, with little opportunity to see the sights of South Africa. Bright says he hopes there is time for sightseeing and maybe a safari visit after the group stages. Should England make an early exit on Wednesday, he might just find he has more free time than he expected.

Brighty’s Predictions:

Winner:
Brazil or Argentina.

Early Stars:
South Africa, played well in the second half (of their first game) under huge pressure.

England Prediction:
Quarters/ Semis.

Rising Stars:
Nigerian 21 year old midfielder Luckman Haruna. Also Holland have a tricky winger Eljero Elia and a right back Gregory Van Der Wiel, keep an eye out for them.

Golden Boot:
Van Persie or Luis Fabiano.

Jeffrey Stern, Heslington Parish Councillor, claims he has “been pressing the University to provide an integrated cycle track along University Road” but has “been generally fobbed off” as the “University says it is nothing to do with them.”

He argues that the University has a “duty of care” towards its students and should ensure lanes are built: “There was no road there before the University arrived… Now the University is expanding, it is vital that there is one between Campus West and town.”

Andy Vose, from the City of York Council, said that there were plans to construct cycle paths, rather than lanes, but they were in a “very preliminary stage” and would be constructed sooner if the University were able to assist with funding: “Ideally we would like the University to put some funds in as it would serve their students and staff. It would make it a faster process.”

He said that the paths would be on the library side of the road and that trenches had already been dug to see if there were electricity and gas cables below the proposed area. They had found that these pipes were deep enough for paths to be put in place.

James Reed, University Press Officer, said that plans were underway, but the University would expect them to be funded by the council: “We are working with the council on this issue and within the next twelve months hope to have a cycle lane on the north side of University Road, on University land but paid for by the authority.”
Reed also said that “work has been delayed because we needed to do some separate work on pipework beneath the land in question and we saw no point in laying the new cycle lane only to have to dig it up again.”

Stern said that although the University have said they will not pay for the work, the construction of Heslington East means they have a responsibility to ensure that University Road is safe for students: “When the new campus was suggested they knew there would be more students and therefore more responsibility.” He added that FTR buses and bollards in the centre of the road also both helped to make it a dangerous area for cyclists.

“It is a no-brainer to ensure a dedicated cycle track is put there”, he said. “York is meant to be a cycling city yet there are no facilities on campus. Sooner or later someone is going to die.”

Billed as potentially being the match of the tournament, Halifax firsts vs. Goodricke firsts did not come even close to disappointing, with Halifax edging into the last four after an epic 22 penalty shoot-out.

Goodricke’s goalkeeper Ed Foster, who has been Goodricke’s hero this competition and hadn’t conceded before today, saw his effort saved by Halifax captain Mark Lund, who had himself decided to don the goalkeeper strip midway through the match. It was a cruel end to the tournament from one of its outstanding performers so far, afterwards captain Dave Coupland nominated him as both Goodricke’s man of the match and tournament: “It seems so unfair that we conceded one goal all tournament and then went out because our goalkeeper missed a penalty. I’m absolutely devastated, we matched them today.”

Goodricke entered the match confidently, having played excellently in the group stages, but pre-tournament favourites Halifax gave arguably their best performance of the term so far. They started strongly, with Jack Beadle playing well in midfield Joe Brennan causing Goodricke’s Dan York problems down the right hand side. The game exploded into life after twenty minutes, Conor Brennan shooting just wide of goal and then later turning athletically in the middle of the pitch to start a fantastic move with Jack Beadle that ended with Ian McKellow sending a shot just wide. Soon after, Goodricke had an excellent chance to go ahead when Eddie Kris spilled the ball just in front of Coupland, but he was able to rectify his mistake just in time. The first half ended, and Halifax had just edged it.

The second period was arguably the best yet in this year’s competition, with an abundance of both quality and excitement. Somewhat surprisingly, Kris was brought off for Alex Reid, with Lund moving into goal – a decision that would prove a masterstroke when Lund’s saves later kept his side in the competition. Within minutes of the restart Halifax had a deserved lead, Eamonn Geoghagen sending a perfect pass to Ian McKellow, who cheekily chipped the ball over Ed Foster.

After the match Lund complimented his side for their impressive performance: “It was a good game today, we should have won it in the sixty minutes.”

The game’s decisive moment as Halifax stand-in goalkeeper Mark Lund guesses correctly to repel his Goodricke counterpart Ed Foster’s spot-kick. Photograph by Arran Bowen-la Grange

Yet Goodricke were to show strong resilience after going behind in order to take the game to penalties. Straight away Coupland had two good chances: A Ben Smith pass presented him with a one-on-one with Lund but he somehow sent his effort over the bar, and shortly after he appeared to be through again but was adjudged to have tripped Halifax defender Dan Turley.

Goodricke continued to press for the equaliser, dominating play for the first time in the game. Smith forced an outstanding save from Lund, and the Halifax skipper was forced into action again shortly after when he blocked a powerful header from Chris Grayland. The Goodricke defender caught the rebound, but shot wide.

Adam Leadbeater, of Goodricke, and Jack Beadle, of Halifax, tussle for the ball in midfield. Photograph by Arran Bowen-la Grange

Halifax were creating chances of their own, with Geoghagen and Joe Brennan both taking shots but failing to hit the target and, after Beadle was fouled by a frustrated Josh Barker, a McKellow free-kick forcing a save from Foster. Yet when Smith and Coupland both beat the ‘Fax defence again but sent their efforts wide, it looked as if a lack of confidence in front of goal was to cost Goodricke their place in the competition.

However, with barely more than five minutes remaining, Grayland struck again, heading a perfect corner kick ferociously into the back of the net. The ‘Fax pushed everyone forward, and Goodricke needed a Leadbeater clearance to stop them retaking the lead, but the match was heading to penalties.

After Dan York and Mark Lund had both comfortably sent the opening kicks home, Ben Smith sent a poor effort well wide. His deflated expression said it all and, when Foster saved Conor Brennan’s effort straight after, he ran straight to the goal line to congratulate his goalkeeper. An incredibly tense shoot-out followed, with the next 16 penalties being sent home successfully. Goodricke thought they had it, and cheered passionately, when Foster got a hand to Jack Beadle’s effort, but the ball slipped behind him and into the goal. So close to being a hero, Foster then stepped up for his own effort, but Lund was able to block it and, almost inevitably, the Goodricke keeper was then unable to stop Joe Brennan’s attempt. Halifax celebrated wildly, as Goodricke ran to commiserate Foster, knowing that they had overcome an in-form side and that they are now only one step away from the College Cup final.

Chris Grayland rises unmarked to power home Goodricke’s equaliser. Photograph by Arran Bowen-la Grange

Halifax firsts line-up: Eddie Kris (Alex Reid), Mark Lund, Dan Turley, Tom Smith, Dom Petschak (Alex Tringham), Joe Brennan, Eamonn Geoghagen (Ash Daly), Jack Beadle, Ian McKellow, Tom Ragan, Conor Brennan

Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Dan Turley

Goodricke firsts line-up: Ed Foster, Niall Walsh, Chris Grayland, Dan York, Sam Astbury, Sam Lewis, Adam Leadbeater, Josh Barker, Ed Silson (Rob Shanley), Ben Smith, Dave Coupland (c)

Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Ed Foster

I awoke to find that the South Africans are giving real consideration to a ban of the metre long instrument. It seems to be annoying just about everyone: broadcasters, commentators, players – Patrice Evra hilariously blamed it for his side’s poor performance against Uruguay – and, of course, us back home. Most people are dreading the three weeks of buzzing ahead, the BBC is apparently receiving frequent complaints about the din and there have even been reports that the horn can cause deafness.

What is it about this instrument that is annoying us so much? A lot of the criticism seems to not centre on how annoying they are, but more on what they prevent us from hearing. Viewers at home are denied the usual soundtrack of a major tournament – the songs, chants and brass bands – and in its place is ninety minutes of one monotonous noise.

Yet we must realise that this is not our tournament, and any band of this instrument would only pander to Euro-centric views on how football should be viewed. You only had to watch the South African vs. Mexico and Nigeria vs. Argentina games this weekend to see that Africans watch football in a beautifully different way to us. For them it is party, an opportunity to paint their faces, dance and celebrate the fantastic occasion. It is a slightly more vibrant way to view the game than the nervous head-in-hands-and-teeth-gritted style perfected by long-suffering England fans .

At the centre of this party is the vuvuzela, apparently the Bafana Bafana’s twelfth man. And it does add to the atmosphere in a unique way; the South Korea vs. Greece game was played in front of a half empty stadium, but it sounded like the Champions League final. In the slightly dull France vs. Uruguay game the horns had a hypnotic effect, combining with the French’s rhythmic passing movements to send me slowly to sleep. They also provide us with exceptional moments of comedy, such as when Marcel Desailly attempted unsuccessfully to blow one during last year’s Confederations Cup.

The idea that this is Africa’s tournament has been slightly overdone by the British media, but it certainly isn’t Europe’s. The last twenty years have seen, particularly in Britain, a change in the way people feel football should be viewed. The raucous terraces have been replaced by painfully quiet corporate-filled stadiums and, although many will argue that there was justification for this sea-change, it is refreshing to see a nation that supports the game with such passion. When we look back at this World Cup, undoubtedly an iconic moment in football, we will remember the vuvuzela drone and we will remember the African fans. That might sound a little cheesy, but the largely impoverished South African population, a group that many feared would be cruelly left out of this great celebration, have somehow managed in less than a week to leave their mark on this tournament – brilliantly pissing off half of the world in the process.

So let’s not ban the vuvuzela, instead I’d suggest merely turning the volume down. It’s certainly not as annoying as most of the main television commentators anyway or, for that matter, your beery “IN-GER-LAND” chants every other minute.

On the Fantasy Football front, the star of the group stages was undoubtedly Phil Taylor. The Vanbrugh midfielder and part-time darts champion has scored a whopping eight goals so far, storming to the top of ther table with 43 points. Goalscoring defender Chris Grayland has climbed up to third, his side yet to concede a goal in the competition while Christy Cormac and Lachie Murray both added to their totals with good performances this week (catapulting my long suffering team up the league in the process).Nick Dheir and Dave Worsley both established themselves as the best valued choices for the group-stages with 27 and 25 points respectively.

At the close of the first round, it is also Worsley who leads the Fantasy Football league table, with Worsley’s Wonderers having scored an outstanding 192 points. For the rest of us, there’s now an opportunity to save our disastrous teams with the transfer window. Here’s how it works:

1. Before Monday midday you are able to make four changes to your team. Once you take a player out and bring another in you cannot reverse your decision, so be sure to check how each change affects the overall value of your side before confirming your choices.

2. Remember, the team you select will be your team for the rest of the competition. It’s all very well cramming in the Halifax firsts players, but they have a very difficult quarter-final against Goodricke firsts coming up next week. If they lose that then none of their players will bring you any more points this year. Players from Alcuin and Vanbrugh, who play Langwith and Wentworth respectively in the next round, are arguably safer bets.

3. It may be tempting to instantly remove your Huw Harrows and Andy Coopers, but are they really going to give you that extra big money to play around with? It might be a wiser move to take a risk and remove some big name players that, based on the tournament so far, aren’t likely to pick up many more points. Mark McLeod is suspended for two games after yesterday’s red card, so James would have to get to the final for him to score any more points. Greg Gardner, Josh Baines, Angus O’Brien, Rob Shanley and Tom Chrimes are all first team players that, for one reason or another, are not getting games and might be worth selling.

4. We say this time and time again, but it needs to be drilled home. College Plate games do not count towards Fantasy Football. Sorry Dan.

Good luck with your transfers, it really is still all to play for and there will be some very snazzy prizes for the winners at the end. To finish with, as promised, here are the five worst Fantasy Football picks from the group stages. Apologies to all involved.

Greg Gardner 0 Points: Like most on this list, we can’t hold it against Greg that he’s been injured and unable to play in any of Derwent’s games. But I bet those that put the £9m defender in their team are feeling pretty stupid now.

Jez Hann 2 Points: The Langwith midfield-maestro has only played in one of Langwith’s fixtures, earning two points.

Ian McKellow 7 Points: Not the worst total by a long way, but I’m sure the University firsts striker expected a few more points on the board by now.

John Cook -1 Point: The long suffering Goodricke thirds keeper has conceded 21 goals and is the only player in the competition to finish the group stages on minus points.

Parris Williams 4 Points: This one is our fault. Last year Parris set the tournament alight, scoring for fun and deservedly being picked as Nouse‘s Player of the Tournament. As a result, we all tipped him for big things this time, but he’s struggled to get a full game in an Alcuin team with bags of attacking talent. Don’t give up on him too soon however, I have a feeling that Alcuin will go the distance in this competition and Williams might just pick up a few more points on the way.

Leigh Clarke – Sports Editor

Winner – Dunga’s Brazil are apparently ditching their usual ‘samba’ style this time for a defensive game that will see them bore their way to World Cup victory. Except, as every knowledgeable pundit has pointed out, each time they’ve won the World Cup since 1970 it’s actually been when playing a in a disciplined and controlled way rather than, as in 2006 for example, cramming in as many supremely talented attackers as possible in front of a sloppy defence and hilarious goalkeeper. Not that they lack the forward potency this time mind, with Kaka, Robinho and Luis Fabiano likely to find goals between them. With Dunga they have coach that does not cave into media pressure and realises the difference between the best players and the best team. I reckon they’ll emerge victorious, and maybe even treat us to some of that ‘samba’ football after all.

Dark Horses – I, like many, want to see an African team do well this time and, like my colleagues, think that cool climates might mean some of the second-tier European teams will have good tournaments (Serbia, Denmark, Slovakia). Yet, looking at the draw, I can’t help but notice how relatively easy Mexico’s run could be. France look shocking, so I can definitely see the Central Americans topping the group and maybe meeting England in the quarter-finals. They’re not as strong as four years ago, but they play great football and might send us packing sooner than expected.

England Prediction – All logic points towards a semi-final loss to Brazil, an achievement that would owe more to the ease of our draw rather than our talent. I can’t help but feel that possible games against Serbia and France/Mexico en route will be trickier than expected, but let’s be optimistic for now.

Player of the Tournament – Kaka didn’t enjoy his best season last year, but still ranks as one of the top five players in the world. If Brazil are to do well then they will rely on his creativity and goals to provide the flair in an otherwise remarkably sensible Brazil team. I expect he will return to his best in South Africa, guiding his side to the trophy as a result.

Golden Boot – Spain have an easy group, and will probably make the last four at least. Therefore, as predictable as it may be, I can’t see past David Villa, a man who can always be relied upon to smack in the goals for his national team.

Emerging player – Gonzalo Higuaín might not really count as an emerging player – he established himself as one of the top strikers in Spain with his displays for Real last year – but, although so much of the pre-tournament hype surrounds Messi, it might actually be Higuaín that finishes as the Argentinian of the tournament . For England, I can see James Milner cementing his place in the England eleven through the course of the campaign.

Adam Shergold – Sports Editor

Winner - So their qualification campaign might have been an unmitigated disaster and, in the eyes of many, they have a clown in command, but I’m plumping for Argentina. Several things point in their favour. The straightforward passage to the knock-out stages in a Group B which also features Nigeria, South Korea and Greece looks not only easy, but ominous. Expect hidings in this group as the decision to select six attacking players results in a goal rush. They must be wary of not peaking too early, however, as they did in 2006, when the 6-0 group stage demolition of Serbia and Montenegro was a premature high point for a talented team.

The playing talent is summed up by those who didn’t even make the flight – veteran Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso might have been instrumental in Internazionale’s beautiful treble, but this wasn’t enough for Diego Maradona. The forward sextet of the explosive Sergio Agüero, who has been courted by Chelsea and Manchester United, Diego Milito, whose double in the Champions League final has become enshrined in history, experienced Martin Palermo, the indefatigable Carlos Tévez, emerging Real Madrid starlet Gonzalo Higuaín and, of course, the incomparable Lionel Messi just screams entertainment. If Maradona, his ebullient character deflecting the limelight from his charges, can successfully harness all this attacking power, it will make Eyjafjallajökull look like a sick child sneezing.

Dark Horses – Continuing the Latin theme, I’m going with Uruguay to beat France to top spot in Group A and, with a second round draw against probably Nigeria and a quarter with Germany, England or the United States, to make a dart for the tournament’s business stages. Now, obviously, they’re not going to invoke the heady World Cup spirit of 1950 and win the whole thing, but there is undoubted strength throughout the side. Favouring a versatile 3-5-2 with lively wing-backs Maxi Pereira, of Benfica, and FC Porto’s Alvaro Pereira (no relation), a solid full-back trio featuring skipper Diego Lugano of Fenerbahce, a decent flair player in Valencia’s Ignacio Gonzalez and two of European’s club football’s most potent strikers in Luis Suárez, the 23-year old Ajax hotshot constantly linked with the Premiership, and Diego Forlán, fresh from winning Atlético the Europa League, Uruguay will cause problems. Expect a tight tussle with an unpredictable France on opening night, then victories of varying comfort over South Africa and Mexico in Group A.

England Prediction – 1. Opening day nerves see the United States peg back Wayne Rooney’s early goal to earn a deserved draw in Rustenburg. The nation worries, Special Relationship dented.
2. Hat-trick from Peter Crouch, continuing his love of scoring against crap teams, leads thrashing of Algeria. The nation believes and sales of plastic car flags spike.
3. Routine victory over Slovenia takes England through as group leaders. The nation expects; tabloids in frantic jingoistic mockery of all things Slovenian.
4. Stunning second round performance eliminates Germany as Rooney, Gerrard and, erm, Wright-Phillips run Fritz ragged. Nation reaches fever pitch, joins together in remembering the war.
5. Extra time win over France tempered by injury concerns over Rooney, as England reach semi-finals for first time in 20 years. Nation goes on collective bender, surge in Gallic mockery.
6. England crash out to Brazil in last four. On penalties. Again. Half-fit Rooney limps off, punches something. Same old story, nation trudges back to work.

Player of the Tournament – Perm anyone from Dunga’s amazing Brazilian unit. Could easily be Kaka, could easily be Robinho, or could just as easily be a member of what looks like a formidable rearguard – possibly one of the European Cup winners from last season in Maicon or Lúcio, or the year before in Barcelona’s Daniel Alves (who was, of course, absent from the final with Manchester United, but vital in getting them there).

Golden Boot – Can’t look beyond the Spanish partnership of Fernando Torres and David Villa for this accolade. I would tip towards Villa since his future is looking more secure, having wrapped up his switch to Barcelona pre-tournament. The pair are probably licking their lips at the prospect of playing against Chile, Honduras and Switzerland in the World Cup’s gift of a group.

Emerging Player – Having already mentioned Higuaín above, I’ll settle for one of the English players experiencing their first World Cup tournament – James Milner or Ledley King. Although Milner might not necessarily figure in Capello’s Plan A, there’s likely to be some kind of injury which triggers the inclusion of the versatile Villa midfielder, while King has the opportunity to become an England legend following the withdrawal of Rio Ferdinand.

Henry Cowen – Deputy Sports Editor

Winner – It has to be Spain. When Cesc Fabregas can’t get into your side you know you’ve got a good team. Their probable Second Round match against neighbours Portugal will be tight and knock-out fixtures against Italy and Argentina don’t sound too fun but when you’ve got the likes of Pique, Xavi, Torres and Villa you will never be too worried.

Dark Horses – Serbia. Beware a side that loses to New Zealand (that’s not a phrase but I’m hoping to make it catch on). They’re in a very hard group but if they navigate that it could be a great tournament for a side possessing the defensive strength of Vidic, Ivanovic as well as the firepower of six foot eight Nicola Zigic and Ajax’s Marco Pantelic.

England Prediction – A patchy couple of performances against USA and Algeria sees expectations fall before a comprehensive win over Slovenia sees the Sun proclaim: “It’s our time”. A late Heskey goal sees a 1-0 win over Serbia before a Rooney hat-trick seals a 3-1 win over France. The nation go wild. We come up against Brazil in the Semis and lose on penalties, Michael Carrick missing the decisive kick.

Player of the Tournament – For England, presuming he can stay fit, Ledley King has the chance to prove he’s the best Centre Back in England. Overall, I’m not sure you can look past a Spaniard, although Messi and an improved Robinho will try for their respective nations, so I’d have to plump for Fernando Torres.

Golden Boot – Fernando Torres again, the man is a God.

Emerging Player – Argentina’s Angel Di Maria, only 22 with a long way to go in the game.

Jake Farrell

Winner – I am sick of sensible people who know their football saying that Spain will win in South Africa. That is why I am going to fly in the face of all received wisdom and give the answer of every beered up optimist on this sceptred isle – England.

Dark Horses – If Didier Drogba manages to play then the Elephants could prove dangerous. They are in the “Group of Death” but Portugal are currently living of past reputation. If they make it through then they could go far.

England Predicitons – Sure I said they would win two paragraphs ago. I was an idiot back then, I’ve sobered up now. Anything less than the semi-finals will be deemed a failure but that could prove tough. If Rooney stays fit he will cause problems but he is hampered by the fact that unless Emile Heskey takes vast quantities of performance enhancing drugs, then he will be largely anonymous.

Player of the Tournament – Wesley Sneijder. Play-maker of the year in Europe by a considerable distance, instilled with confidence by Jose Mourinho who made him the attacking fulcrum of his Inter side and for the first time in his career fit for a concerted period. Incisive in passing, lethal in his vision and deadly from set pieces.

Golden Boot – David Villa, because he’s f*****g brilliant.

Emerging Player – Overlooked despite some early hype at AC Milan, 2010 could be the year for Yohann Gourcuff. Now at Girondins de Bordeaux anyone who can do this will be dangerous.

Huw Harrow

Winner – Though lacking the flair of previous sides, it is hard to look past Brazil. Dunga’s dogged tactical style will be suited to knockout football and the controversial decision to leave out Ronaldinho should ultimately serve to galvalize his side. Kaka will be eager to prove himself after a quiet season for Real Madrid.

Dark Horses – If any team is to come from nowhere to cause a surprise let’s hope it will be Chile! Playing an eccentric 3-3-1-3 formation they finished second in south american qualifying and if key striker Humberto Suazo is fit they could light up the tournament.

England Prediction – There is no doubt that England will go far in this competition. The draw has been kind and they shouldn’t face any serious threats until the semis so the last 4 should be Fabio Capello’s minimum requirement.

Player of the Tournament – Inter Milan’s trio of Champions League winning Brazilians should shine. Julio Cesar, Lucio and the imperious Maicon.

Golden Boot – This will most likely go to someone who can cash in with a big haul against one of the weaker nations (Peter Crouch anyone?). If the Dutch go well the smart money could be on Robin van Persie.

Emerging Player – Rumoured to be a target for Arsenal, Mesut Ozil is the most exciting prospect in a German squad full of young talent.

WENTWORTH FIRSTS 2 ALCUIN SECONDS 1

Alcuin knew that they needed a high-scoring victory in this game to have any chance of making the next round but, despite taking the lead, were sent crashing out of the competition by two late goals from Lachie Murray.

At the start of the second half Alcuin’s Thomas Gibby sweetly finished an excellent move in the box to put his side ahead. Wentworth knew that they had less than 30 minutes to save their College Cup campaign and Murray, playing as a striker alongside Dom Green, stepped up. His first was struck past the keeper from close range after picking a pass from the impressive Samik Datta, and his second was a neatly headed effort from a corner.

Wentworth manager Dan Horsfall said afterwards that his side “deserved to win” but praised his opponents: “That was Alcuin’s best performance. That Alcuin team would have beaten others.”

Although Wentworth’s display showed excellent resilience, Alcuin were also undone by their own need to add to their total. Captain Damian Pickard said that he was “happy” with the overall performance: “We had to go for a big win so took a gamble, and this time it didn’t work.”

Wentworth had the better chances in the first half, with Dom Green firing a shot over the bar within the first five minutes. Both sides played excellent football, producing intricate passing movements and constant chances. The quality of play was epitomised when Samik Datta ran most of the length of the pitch, beating three defenders and winning his side a corner at the end. At the end of the half the most surprising thing was that neither team had scored.

Despite Wentworth looking the more dangerous of the sides in the first thirty, it was Alcuin who were to take the lead at the beginning of the second. The game slowed down in pace and Alcuin looked relatively comfortable, defending well and keeping possession in midfield. Wentworth’s Heiner Janus was lucky to escape a booking after taking down Thomas Gibby, referee Matt Hallam deciding that there was little intent. Alcuin goalkeeper David Ambrozejczyk was less fortunate, however, picking up a yellow for dissent.

Wentworth, sensing their College Cup was soon to be over, made the changes, bringing on Matt Glover and Jung Choi. It worked well and, against the run of play, they were soon level. The heads of the Derwent seconds players on the sidelines preparing for their match seemed to drop even lower than Alcuin’s.

The seconds players had chances to re-take the lead, Matthew Lang getting in the way of team-mate Basim Al-Ahmadi’s shot and Brown nearly beating the defence, but Murray struck again to give Wentworth the lead in the last minute.

Wentworth knew they had got away with one of their least impressive performances so far this tournament, Alcuin knew that they had produced their best and still lost. Alcuin will now enter the College Plate competition, and based on yesterday’s display, will consider themselves as amongst the favourites.

Wentworth firsts line-up: Matt Taylor, Luke Fleet (c), Seb Schmerold, Andy Suggit, Matt Beacham (Jung Choi), Seamus Kent (Matt Glover), Simon Davidson, Heiner Janus, Samik Datta, Lachie Murray, Dom Green

Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Lachie Murray

Alcuin seconds line-up: David Ambrozejczyk, Jonathan Lane (Stefan Brambilla Hall), Gavin Hesketh, Simon Reiss, Bradley Wood, Damian Pickard (c) Paul Desoisa (Matthew Lang), Matt Stopforth, Thomas Gibby, Alex Brown, Basim Al-Ahmadi.

Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Thomas Gibby

Alcuin seconds can perhaps consider themselves slightly unfortunate to have lost yesterday, putting in arguably their best performance of the tournament. Photograph by Maggie Aslet.

GOODRICKE FIRSTS 4 DERWENT SECONDS 0

Having seen Wentworth snatch victory from Alcuin seconds just moments before, Derwent seconds now knew that only a win against group leaders Goodricke firsts would keep them in the tournament. Yet the late Wentworth victory appeared to affect them and if they expected the already qualified Goodricke to go easy on them then they were mistaken. Goodricke swept them aside, winning 4-0 with one of the best performances of the competition so far.

Four games, four comfortable wins and not even one goal conceded; Goodricke might feel they now deserve to be considered the favourites for this competition. Even without midfield lynchpin Adam Leadbeater and with top-scorer Ben Smith starting on the bench, they demolished their opponents yesterday with a display based on solid defending and midfield flair.

Afterwards Dave Coupland said after the match that his side are the current form team based on their group-stage performances: “I think we’re as good as any team in this competition. We were absolutely quality today.” He singled out Eddie Silson’s performance – the striker played brilliantly throughout, providing a constant threat in front of goal and being at the centre of most of their creative play – but special mention should also go to Dan York, playing in an attacking midfield position, and Sam Lewis who were both excellent.

The the game started relatively slowly, with neither side creating many chances. The first notable incident occurred when Goodricke’s Grayland tackled Ed Lacaille aggressively, sending him flying off the pitch but, after that, the first real chance chance came when Derwent’s Matt O’Connor sent an ambitious shot towards the hands of Ed Foster.

Yet the fixture exploded into life when Goodricke took the lead; Dan York headed in a Sam Lewis cross to all but end Derwent’s competition. As the rain began to crash down, Derwent’s heads began to drop and Goodricke eased into a comfortable rhythm. Before the interval they had doubled their lead, Silson sending the ball past the keeper from the edge of the D.

After the match, Derwent seconds captain Matt Worsfold said: “I’m very disappointed, we didn’t work too well as a team and let them have it a bit too easily. We didn’t deserve to lose 4-0.”

Unfortunately for Derwent, in the second half they came up against a Goodricke team that, despite some good performances so far this term, seemed to gel completely for the first time this competition. Silson started the half exceptionally – the only thing better than his early curling free-kick was Roy Moore’s save to block it – and he had soon set up Ben Smith for Goodricke’s third.

Grayland had a chance to make it four with a header but the ball was stopped on the line by Joe Boughtflower. He didn’t have to wait long for another opportunity, however, and shortly after he connected with the ball in the D, this time heading it cleanly past the keeper. Coupland could have added a fifth with the goal the tournament but, after an artistic flick in the D, sent his effort wide.

It is very likely that Goodricke will come up against pre-tournament favourites Halifax in the next round, a match that will likely be the game of the quarters. They will feel that their performances in the first round show that they are more than able to deal with this challenge, and maybe even go all the way to the final.

Eddie Silson was instrumental in his side’s victory yesterday, scoring one goal, assisting another and being the centre of their attacking creativity throughout. Photograph by Maggie Aslet.

Goodricke firsts line-up: Ed Foster, Matt Whelan (Niall Walsh), Chris Grayland, Sam Astbury, Danny Munro, Josh Barker, Nick Dheir (Ben Smith), Sam Lewis, Dan York, Dave Coupland (c), Eddie Silson

Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Eddie Silson

Derwent seconds line-up: Roy Moore, Matt Worsfold, Joe Boughtflower, Josh Baines, Andy Jeffreys, James Matthews, Barnaby Francis (James Beggs), Steve Miller, John Pinkstone (Freddy Harris), Matt O’Connor, Ed Lacaille

Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: James Matthews

The awards will be presented at the annual York Sport Dinner on Friday 25th June, where York Sport Colours will also be awarded to final year students that have shown commitment to their clubs for a number of years. This year nominations were open, allowing anyone to put forward the names of those that they felt deserved recognition.

In a year which has seen some York teams enjoy seasons of unprecedented success, the prestigious Team of the Year award will be contested between the women’s fencing firsts, men’s rugby firsts, pool firsts and men’s lacrosse firsts. Both the men’s rugby and lacrosse team’s performed excellently in BUCS divisions 1A and 1B respectively this year, with the former only missing out on promotion due to an administrative technicality. The women’s fencing team enjoyed an outstanding season, winning promotion to the Northern Premier League, and the pool firsts won 103 BUCS points for the University of York.

The achievements of these teams has been reflected in the nominations for Sportsman and Sportswoman of the year with Will Felgate, Michael Walsh, Katharine Gracey and Louise Highton’s contributions towards their success being recognised. Stephen Braid, Ian McKellow and Dave Tee have also been nominated for the men’s award and Charlie Bartlett, Sarah Fisher, Emma Hodgson and Marlie Neuner for the women’s.

Halifax college football team have been nominated in the Roses Team of the Year category for their excellent display in the college football winners match and the hockey firsts are amongst the contenders for Most Improved Team after an impressive response to last year’s difficult season. The men’s cricket firsts and York Hornets cheerleading team have both received nominations in two categories.

Emily Scott, York Sport President, said that shortlisting had been “really hard”, and that “all of these people deserve credit for their work over the year.”

There is also a category for ‘Services to Sport’, which includes nominations for York Sport President-elect Sam Asfahani, York Hornets founder Hannah Barwick-Walters, college rugby organiser Alex Muntus and Nouse sports editor Adam Shergold.

Tickets for the York Sport Dinner can be purchased here: http://www.yusu.org/event/2682

Full list of nominations:

SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR:
Stephen Braid – American football
Will Felgate – Rugby and cricket
Ian McKellow – Football
Dave Tee – YUsnow
Michael Walsh – Pool and snooker

SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR:
Charlie Bartlett – Hockey
Sarah Fisher – Netball
Katharine Gracey – Fencing
Louise Highton – Fencing
Emma Hodgson – Rugby
Marlies Neuner – YUsnow

SERVICE TO SPORT:
Sam Asfahani
Hannah Barwick-Walters
Thomas Chatwin
Isobelle Miller
Alex Muntus
Adam Shergold
Matt Thomas

MOST IMPROVED TEAM OF THE YEAR:
Canoe polo open
Men’s cricket firsts
Men’s hockey firsts
York Hornets competition squad

ROSES TEAM OF THE YEAR:
College football winners
Men’s cricket firsts
Sailing firsts
Volleyball mixed

TEAM OF THE YEAR:
Women’s fencing firsts
Men’s lacrosse firsts
Pool firsts
Men’s rugby firsts

CLUB OF THE YEAR:
Netball
Pool and snooker
Men’s rugby
York Hornets cheerleading
YUsnow

Dom Green propelled Wentworth firsts a step closer to the last eight on another sun-baked Astroturf afternoon, his classy hat-trick emphasising the gulf in quality in this fixture with James thirds. Green tormented the James defence all afternoon, forming an almost telepathic link with Samik Datta, whose phenomenal speed and nimbleness created all three of his goals.

The opener dampened a purposeful opening from James, who had suffered three consecutive 3-0 losses before today, and followed a left-wing burst from Datta which left the covering defender red-faced. Datta’s cross was misjudged by goalkeeper Toby Green, leaving his Wentworth namesake with a simple finish from all of two yards.

Green’s second happened almost in slow motion – the James rearguard switching off as Datta slipped the ball through, leaving the striker to roll it home. But the best had been saved until last, with Green finishing neatly into the corner after receiving Datta’s flick-on about five minutes before half-time.

It’s unlikely the plot of this fixture would have taken a drastically different direction, but things might have been a little tighter had Jack Fisher’s audacious 40-yarder, following a miscued goal kick from Matt Taylor, not pinged off the crossbar. It could have been the most spectacular goal of the competition, instead it encapsulated the misfortune of this James side in College Cup 2010.

They had been wasteful with a clear opening in just the third minute – Arran Bowen-la Grange lofted the ball over the Wentworth defence, Jody Rolfe evaded the offside trap but the forward saw his lob float over the bar. After this point, despite all of James’s endeavour in temperatures nudging 30 degrees, it was all Wentworth with Green involved in pretty much everything. In the latter stages of the first period, he uncharacteristically skewed a shot wide before setting up Lachie Murray, whose close range effort was blocked by Owen.

Russ Kitson, the Wentworth striker, struck the crossbar in the second-half and Datta was unsuccessful on a couple of occasions in his pursuit of a warranted goal. However, substitute Jung Choi, who also went close a few times, added a fourth late on with a powerful finish, capping a ruthless Wentworth display. AJS

Huw Harrow, of James, and Samik Datta, of Wentworth, tussle for the ball during Friday’s match. Photograph by George Lowther

Wentworth Firsts: Matt Taylor, Matt Beacham, Matt Lakins, Seb Schemerold, Lachie Murray, Ziad Chemi, Luke Fleet, Samik Datta, Andy Suggitt (Heiner Janus), Dom Green, Russ Kitson (Jung Choi)
Substitute (unused): Chris Mulligan

Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Ziad Chemi

James Thirds: Toby Owen, George Clarke, Ben Li (Tim Green), Nathan McCusker, Nick St George, Jack Fisher, Dave Williams, Huw Harrow (Danny Murfin), Arran Bowen-la Grange (Adam Tzimas), Andy Yates, Jody Rolfe

Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: George Clarke

DERWENT SECONDS 2 ALCUIN SECONDS 0

Derwent seconds kept their hopes of qualification for the quarter finals of the college cup very much alive with a 2-0 win over Alcuin seconds.

Goals from Ed Lacaille and Barnaby Francis sealed a relatively comfortable win for Derwent seconds in which they had the lion’s share of possession and, had it not been for a good second half performance from Alcuin goalkeeper David Ambrozejczyk, could have scored at least one more.

With Wentworth firsts easing past James thirds later in the day, the race for the second qualification spot in Group A will now go into the final round of fixtures next week. Both Derwent and Wentworth sit on six points, with the former perhaps having a slight advantage due to a marginally better goal difference and the fact that their opponents next week, Goodricke firsts, have already qualified. Derwent seconds captain Matt Worsfold said after the team game that they had every chance of being the only seconds team to qualify for the quarters: “Today was a brilliant team effort, we now know we can beat Goodricke next week and qualify for the cup competition.”

Alcuin seconds missed an opportunity to keep their qualification hopes in their own hands with a disappointing display during which they rarely looked threatening. Afterwards captain Damian Pickard said that his team had “deserved to lose” in a “hard match.”

Derwent were on top for the majority of the first half and went ahead after twenty minutes when a mis-hit shot from Francis was tapped in by Lacaille. Alcuin re-entered with purpose after the break, knowing that they had 30 minutes in which to save their tournament. However they somewhat unjustly found themselves further behind within five minutes, when Barnaby Francis stylishly lobbed the keeper despite looking offside.

Alcuin had a few half-chances in the remaining minutes, but Derwent were rarely troubled and continued to control play. Steve Miller was excellent in midfield, and Lacaille continued to pressurise down the right hand side – an excellent save from Ambrozejczyk denying him his second.

Alcuin will take consolation from the fact that they will enter the plate competition as one of the favourites. Derwent know that it is still all to play for, and they must continue this from against the might of Goodricke firsts next week. LC

The result consigns Alcuin seconds to the College Plate competition, but puts Derwent seconds in a commanding position to qualify for the quarter finals. Photograph by George Lowther.

Derwent seconds line-up: Roy Moore, Joe Boughtflower, Andy Jeffreys, Josh Baines, Matt Worsfold, James Matthews, John Pinkstone, Steve Miller, Barnaby Francis, Matt O’Connor, Ed Lacaille

Substitutes: James Beggs, Freddy Harris

Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Steve Miller

Alcuin seconds line-up: David Ambrozejczyk, Bradley Wood, Paul Reiss, Jonathan Lane, Matthew Lang, Matt Stopforth, Damian Pickard (c), Paul Desoisa, Thomas Gibby, Basim Al-Ahmadi, Alex Brown

Substitutes: Stefan Brambilla Hall

Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Bradley Wood

For those of you that haven’t already read Jake’s report, Vanbrugh firsts beat Halifax firsts 3-0 yesterday afternoon. It ranks up there alongside the USA’s famous victory over England in 1950, Rossi-inspired Italy beating the great Brazil side of ’82 and West Germany’s win over the Dutch ‘Total Football’ side in the 1974 World Cup final as one of those historic moments when a team at the top of their game, and in the form of their lives, has been brutally brought back down to earth.

Except it really doesn’t. This isn’t a huge ‘cupset’ at all, but merely a message to those that were far too quick to write off a Vanbrugh team known for their resilience and never-say-die attitude. Us Nousers did it as well, foolishly giving them odds of 15/1 to win in our edition last week (although I must add that I predicted a shock result in yesterday’s game during the aforementioned podcast). In their opening two performances they have shown pretty comprehensively that they are contenders, perhaps even one of the favourites, and are able to play some devastatingly slick football. Two games, ten goals, none conceded and a comfortable victory against a team that some were worrying would walk the tournament. Not a bad start really.

Today’s star was Phil Taylor, but notable mentions should also go to Ali Prince (who has been outstanding in both of their games) Dan Hewitt and, well, the whole team. Vanbrugh might not contain the biggest set of campus-football BNOCs, but their goal-fest against Goodricke thirds showed that, like Halifax, James and Alcuin, this team have scoring potential in every position. Last year they were written off early after losing to lowly Goodricke seconds but beat tournament favourites Derwent to qualify for the knock-out stages and, despite continued criticism from part-time Nouse correspondent Dreamz Murphy , made it all the way to the final with a cup-run built on scrappy determination and a back-to-basics long-ball game. This year, early indications show that they might just play the most attractive football in the cup.

As for Halifax, well they’ve been labelled as flat-track bullies all year and yesterday they didn’t really go any way to proving their doubters wrong. They will hope that they are not this year’s Derwent firsts (although that might again be Derwent firsts) and haven’t peaked a wee bit early. There’s still a long way to go, and Mark Lund will be happy that this has happened now rather than in the semis, but the message is clear – Halifax firsts are very beatable.

Vanbrugh, not fancied by many to do well this tournament after an average year so far, announced themselves as real contenders yesterday with a 3-0 win over tournament favourites Halifax. Photograph by George Lowther.

It all basically means that we don’t have a bloody clue who will win this tournament. I reckon there are at least six teams who will fancy their chances after this week’s games, and you could perhaps even make a case for seven. Langwith attract a lot of laughter for their dip in recent years, but they certainly had the last chuckle against Goodricke seconds on Thursday, positioning themselves nicely to qualify for the next round. Despite not enjoying that much possession, the partnership of Starkey and Sloan (the new SAS) will quickly punish defensive lapses – Goodricke took their foot off the gas for only ten minutes at the beginning of the second half and conceded two goals as a result. OK, so they probably won’t win the whole thing, but any other firsts team that underestimates them in the quarters might find that, come the end of the sixty, they are leaving the JLD sheepishly for the last time.

And a quick word on fantasy football. The lack of a clear favourite in this tournament is going to make the transfer window – where you get one chance to pick a team designed to get you points for the whole knock-out stages – very interesting indeed. The users currently at the top might find that they drop like a stone if their sneaky guesses for likely finalists are proved wrong. One player I bet you all wished you picked for this round is Dave Worsley (or is it White?) who unfortunately is likely to not be around in the knock-out stages but has undoubtedly been the tournament’s best value buy so far – he’s scored four goals and only Mark Johnson has a better points haul. Special credit to Max Walter as well, whose 13 points are a very good total for a thirds player valued at only £2.6 million.

Tune in next week, where we’ll be looking at those poor-valued players who have failed to rack up the points. Play well guys, you wouldn’t want your name to be there, would you?

GOODRICKE FIRSTS 2
WENTWORTH FIRSTS 0

There’s not been a lot of hype surrounding Goodricke firsts so far, but after topping Group A with a game to spare – and without even conceding a goal – there perhaps should be. It wasn’t an outstanding performance today, but a 2-0 win over Wentworth firsts means that Goodricke are the first team to progress into the last eight.

As is often the case with Goodricke, excellent build up play and dominance in midfield was let down by a poor final ball. It took two goals from Chris Grayland, who also had an exceptional defensive game, to break down a resilient Wentworth.

His first was scrappy, he bundled the ball in after a Ben Smith free-kick was spilled by Wentworth keeper Matt Taylor. It helped to settle a Goodricke side that had started steadily in a disjointed first ten minutes. For the rest of the half they played well, putting together some excellent moves but struggled to kill the game off with a second goal. Grayland stepped up again after the interval, connecting cleanly with a corner to grab his second, and sent his team into the next round.

Chris Grayland was an imposing figure at both sides of the pitch today for Goodricke. Photograph by Maggie Aslet.

Goodricke captain Dave Coupland said that he didn’t think it had been “Goodricke’s best game” but highlighted individual performances as making the difference: “Adam Leadbeater and Chris Grayland were outstanding today. We deserved the win, Wentworth looked alright but never look that great.”

Leadbeater was at the heart of a midfield that for periods of the game played some notably attractive football. Goodricke came close to a second when a fluid move involving the whole of the midfield was ended with Ben Smith striking the post. Smith also saw a half-volley blocked by the Wentworth defence later in the match.

Despite not creating many chances Wentworth remained threatening but the strong presence of Dom Green upfront was dealt with competently by Goodricke’s centre-back partnership. The introduction of Samik Datta at half time brought some urgency into Wentworth’s attack that was only silenced by Goodricke’s second goal.

Wentworth manager Dan Horsfall said after the match that his side “were unlucky to be undone by two set pieces.” Qualification is not a certainty for Wentworth and they will view their upcoming game against Alcuin seconds, who won today, as being crucial.

Wentworth are still favourites to progress to the next round,but will face a challenge from Derwent and Alcuin seconds in what is being called the ‘Group of Death’. Photograph by Maggie Aslet.

In the final minutes Wentworth at last began to create clear chances. A superb pass from Datta put Kitson on goal and only a very late offside whistle stopped him from halving Goodricke’s lead. Goodricke’s Ben Smith had another good opportunity to score after fighting his way into the left hand side of the D, but was only able to hit the post.

Despite late attempts Goodricke managed to keep their impressive record of not yet conceding in this tournament. With three games and three relatively comfortable wins, Goodricke have quietly qualified without turning too many heads. They might find that their rivals start paying attention soon.

Goodricke firsts line-up: Ed Foster, Niall Walsh, Chris Grayland, Sam Astbury, Danny Munro, Dave Coupland (c), Adam Leadbeater, Josh Barker, Sam Lewis (Oliver Braid), Nick Dheir (Adam Botterill), Ben Smith

Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Chris Grayland

Wentworth firsts line-up: Matt Taylor, Lachie Murray (Samik Datta), Seb Schmerold, Matt Beacham, Matt Lakins, Ziad Chami (Simon Davidson), Andy Suggitt, Luke Fleet (c), Seamus Kent, Russ Kitson, Dom Green

Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Seb Schmerold

LANGWITH FIRSTS 3 GOODRICKE SECONDS 1

Billed as a potential upset, Langwith firsts comfortably asserted their position as favourites to progress from Group D with a 3-1 win over Goodricke seconds.

Goodricke’s impressive performances so far had led some to believe that they would be able to qualify for the knock-out stages at the expense of one of the firsts teams. Yet Langwith took a huge step towards the quarter finals with a clinical performance that will turn the heads of those that had already written them off.

In a fast-paced game containing bursts of real quality, it was the slick partnership of Bruce Starkey and Patrick Sloan that were the difference, both players raising their game in the second half to see off a Goodricke side that had dominated possession in the first.

The moment of the match was Langwith’s second goal, a likely contender for goal of the tournament. From just outside Patrick Sloan half-volleyed the ball neatly past the keeper, a excellent way to cap what had a been a fine individual performance. Shortly after his miss-hit shot found Bruce Starkey who again beat the keeper, only for his attempt to correctly be ruled offside. It hardly mattered however, as less than five minutes later Starkey had found the target again and put his side two goals up.

It was this dominant period at the start of the second half that was the difference for Langwith, as they had struggled for periods in the first. Goodricke began well and managed to control the midfield in the first twenty minutes. After hitting the crossbar early on, they nearly bundled the ball over the line, but Jez Hann was there to prevent the goal. Langwith were to go into the break ahead however, as a wonderful move started by Hann and ended by Starkey gave them their first real chance of the game, and their first goal.

Despite Langwith taking control after the interval, Goodricke regained their former energy in the final stages of the match. Nick Dheir sent an excellent dipping shot past Langwith’s Tom Lambert to grab a consolation but, even with the team’s subsequent increase in tempo, it was too late for Goodricke.

After the game Langwith captain Liam Condron said it had been a “much improved performance” from his side but said he was “disappointed not to keep a clean sheet.” Goodricke captain Nick Dheir declined to comment. LC

Langwith firsts line-up: Tom Lambert, Luke Gardener, Matt Willcox, Liam Condron, Laurence Chetwynd, Jez Hann, Dany Mullen, Stuart Cottrell, Callum Sheridan, Bruce Starkey, Patrick Sloan

Subs used: Tommy Chrimes

Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Patrick Sloan

Goodricke seconds line-up: Matt Brennan, Andy Case, Sam Astbury, Ollie Braid, Matt Thomas, John Sharp, Nick Dheir, Adam Botterill, Sam Lewis, Dave Coupland, Matt Sutherland

Subs used: Doug Lawson

Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Sam Lewis (points given to Adam Botterill due to Lewis being crossover)

Langwith first move to joint top of Group D with two games left to play. They are against their main qualification rivals James firsts and Halifax seconds.

HALIFAX SECONDS 2 DERWENT THIRDS 0

Halifax seconds overcame Derwent thirds 2-0 in a tawdry affair on a chilly JLD earlier today. The match never really got going, with proceedings documented by the ball being hoofed out of the Astroturf.

Fraser Moyle secured the lead for The ‘Fax with a fine finish. He controlled the ball on the edge of the area before shooting back across goal, the ball cannoned off both posts before eventually trickling over the line. Both Moyle and Sahil Shah claimed the goal but it the ball crossed the line before Shah touched it over.

Apart from Halifax’s goal there was very little action in the first half. A Moyle shot that just cleared the bar from the edge of the area was one of few highlights. Just before half-time Eamoon Geoghegan sent in a free-kick and a Halifax player seemed to be tripped in the box, it looked as if the referee went to point to the spot but changed his mind and played advantage; despite Joe Wood’s dipping 35 yard volley narrowly sailing over the advantage came to nothing.

Geoghegan was in the game again, early in the second half. A lung-busting run down the left wing saw him square the ball into the middle of the box but with the goal gaping a Derwent defender just managed to clear his lines. A free-kick straight off the training ground saw Geoghegan flick the ball up before seeing the wall do its job and block his effort.

Derwent has posed little attacking threat but nearly equalised when an attempt from a corner was blocked on the line. With the game seemingly petering out to a 1-0, Shah latched on to the end of a long ball with the Derwent keeper in no man’s land and prodded home to make it 2-0.

Halifax’s skipper Jamie Gibbs described it as “a good performance” declaring that they had “got the result and that’s the main thing that counts”. Gibbs will be hoping his side can use today as a springboard for next their match against Goodricke seconds. Matt Jenkins, of Derwent, was proud of his side’s efforts commenting: “We put the effort in and I think we were unlucky not to get a result out of that”. HC

Halifax seconds’ performance was not vintage, but the win keeps them in the hunt for the second qualification spot. Photograph by Justyn Hardcastle.

Halifax seconds line-up: Dean Hanson, Alex Simon, Tom Patrickson, Dom Petschak, Jamie Gibbs (Sam Dempster), Alex Petitcolin, Eamonn Geoghegan, Ben Rea, Joe Woods, Fraser Moyle (Harry Gompertz), Sahil Shah (Harry Winstanley)

Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Sahil Shah

Derwent thirds line-up: Stuart Bruce, Matt Jenkins, Andy Jeffreys, Joe Rahman, Adam Cliff, Jim Norton, James Beggs, Conor Scanlon (Andy Cooper), John Garnis, Michael Regan (Steve Weavis), Sam Hodson

Nouse Fantasy Football Man of the Match: Conor Scanlon