viva futbol

This season's viva futbol cup will take place on Wednesday 7th May and will feature twenty-four current viva futbol teams in a straight knock-out formula. All matches are fourteen minutes long with no half-time. In the event of a tiw four minutes extra time will be played. If the match is still level the game will go to penalties; three for each side and then into sudden death.

Round 1

McSwoon's Wonders	4-2	Real Sausages Dad
Sporting Club de Pavilions	2-4	Heroes FC
Pathetico Madrid	bye	Flat Five
No Urine Tests Please	4-1	History Boys
American Samoa 199	3-1	Products of Jose
Super Sharp Shooters	4-1	Clarence FC
The Commoners	1-5	FC Banter

Round 2

McSwoon's Wonders	4-2*	Bosh City
Heroes FC	1-4	Worcester Juniors
Flat Five	0-3	Boomtown Rats
No Urine Tests Please	2-1*	The Lincoln Bankers
American Samoa 199	0-0**	AC Milincoln
Super Sharp Shooters	2-1^	Inter Lager FC
FC Banter	1-4*	Havant A Clueville
Aunty Trisha's All Stars	5-0	Dum Dum FC

* match result after extra time

**match level after extra-time; AC Milincoln won 2-0 on penalties

^Super Sharp Shooters withdrew after this round, Inter Lager FC progress to the quarter finals

Quarter Finals

McSwoon's Wonders	1-6	Worcester Juniors
Boomtown Rats	3-4	No Urine Tests Please
AC Milincoln	3-2	Inter Lager FC
Havant A Clueville	3-1	Aunty Trisha's All Stars

Semi Finals

Worcester Juniors	0-4	No Urine Tests Please
Havant A Clueville	2-1*	AC Milincoln

*match result after extra time

Final

No Urine Tests Please

2-4*

Havant A Clueville

*match result after extra-time

Wednesday 2nd May, and with the league season over with it was time for the viva futbol cup to take centre stage as twenty teams from across viva futbol's three leagues went into the hat in a last ditch quest for silverware. Fast and furious ten minute matches had been the plan, but the tournament got off to something of a slow start with a number of teams failing to show for their preliminary round encounters. As a result West End Wednesday, Team Twenty Men and Patrick Moore FC were all awarded default wins to move into the first round. In the end only one preliminary tie took place and it offered something of a shock; league chapman wooden spoonists The Lincoln Bankers fighting back from 2-0 down to notch a 3-2 win in the final seconds courtesy of Jonny Pang's late strike.

Onto the first round and there was a shock early exit for the League Chapman champions. Hedgehogs United notched enough goals to win any other tie in the round, but unfortunately their opponents scored one more; West End Wednesday winning this nine goal thriller 5-4. No such fate for the League Fortune-West champions though as The Fresher Boyz defeated Project Big Time 1-0 to progress while League Trundle champions Aunty Trisha's All Stars had to work to earn their place in the quarter finals. Up against a threadbare 4th team (and friends), who featured a long awaited debut for the league's first female player Maria Yesufu, the All Stars took an early two-goal lead, but only made the match safe in the final minute, winning 3-2.

Not to be out done, Patrick Moore FC, fielded the league's second female player in their first round game, but neither ? nor her team mates could stop the Super Sharp Shooters who progressed with a 3-1 win. Last season's cup runners-up Bosh City had a much shorter tournament this time out as they went out 3-0 at the first hurdle to the side they beat in last season's semi finals; Team Twenty Men. The Lincoln Bankers kept up their run to the very end, but went down 2-1 to a late goal from League Chapman runners-up The Uni Imps. Also progressing to the last eight were American Smoa 198, who defeated Poontang Clan 1-0 with an early strike. The night's other first round match was within seconds of going down as the biggest cup upset since the start of viva futbol as League Fortune-West's bottom side Vodka Red Bull Select VI led League Trundle runners-up C U Nex' Tuesday 2-1 until a dramatic equaliser with just two seconds remaining. Extra-time ensued but this time Tuesday made sure to register a 3-2 win.

Onto the quarter finals and four cross-league encounters. League Fortune-West champions The Fresher Boyz became the first side through to the semi finals as the blunted the Super Sharp Shooters cup chances with a 2-1 win. Over on pitch 2 the game moved into extra-time with The Uni Imps and Aunty Trisha's All Stars all square at 2-2, however in the four added minutes it was the All Stars who moved ahead and through courtesy of their second 3-2 win of the night. After leaving it late in their first round clash C U Nex' Tuesday's luck ran out in the quarter finals as they went down 1-0 to Team Twenty Men, while in the final match West End Wednesday maintained their free-scoring form with a 3-1 win over American Samoa 198.

The semi-finals proved far from cagey affairs with nine goals in total; five of those went the way of The Fresher Boyz as they inflicted only a second ever viva futbol defeat on Aunty Trisha's All Stars who failed to find the target. That left Team Twenty Men and West End Wednesday to contest the other final spot, and after dropping out at this stage last year Twenty Men were determined not to repeat that performance, progressing with a 3-1 win. Onto the final and a crowd of two looked on expectantly as The Fresher Boyz and Team Twenty Men played out viva futbol's showpiece match. The Freshers took the initiative and maintained it throughout to lead 2-1 in the final minute. Twenty Men almost forced extra-time in the final seconds but a fine one handed save from Ben Sheehan denied them an equaliser and secured The Fresher Boyz the cup and the double in their first viva futbol season.

the preliminary round
Patrick Moore FC	3-0^	Mean Machine
The Lincoln Bankers	3-2	Boca Journos
Team Twenty Men	3-0^	Real Ale Madrid
West End Wednesday	3-0^	The Magnificent Seven

round one
The Fresher Boyz	1-0	Project Big Time
Patrick Moore FC	1-3	Super Sharp Shooters
The Lincoln Bankers	1-2	The Uni Imps
Aunty Trisha's All Stars	3-2	4th Team (and friends)
Team Twenty Men	3-0	Bosh City
C U Nex' Tuesday	3-2*	Vodka Red Bull Select VI
West End Wednesday	5-4	Hedgehogs United
American Samoa 198	1-0	Poontang Clan

quarter finals
The Fresher Boyz	2-1	Super Sharp Shooters
The Uni Imps	2-3*	Aunty Trisha's All Stars
Team Twenty Men	1-0	C U Nex' Tuesday
West End Wednesday	3-1	American Samoa 198

semi finals
The Fresher Boyz	5-0	Aunty Trisha's All Stars
Team Twenty Men	3-1	West End Wednesday

the final
The Fresher Boyz	2-1	Team Twenty Men

* indicates match went to extra-time... ^ indicates default win

As a mark of recognition to the teams that made up the inaugural season of the student soccer revolution the viva futbol cup was held on Wednesday 14th February. For one night only sixteen teams from across both viva futbol divisions will came face to face in the quest for silverware.

Matches may only last ten minutes, but that still proved ample time for fourteen goals in the opening round one games. American Samoa 198 notched up a 5-0 win over Real Ale Madrid, whilst International FC were inspired form against West End Wednesday, registering a destructive 7-2 victory, aided in small part by an own goal from West End captain Andy Kirk, perhaps put off briefly by the shine of his lovely new England shirt. One of the evenings shock results followed in the next group of matches as The Uni Imps, who finished eighth in liga temprana secured a 4-1 win over their divisional title challengers Team Hoff. Viva futbol's other Hasslehoff inspired team faired no better, losing 4-0 to liga ultima runners-up Bravestar XI.

The next group of round one matches saw the two recently crowned league champions in action and, true to form, into the next round. A monumental upset seemed on the cards as Aunty Trisha's All Stars went behind to liga temprana wooden spoonists Dynamite FC, however the All Stars fought back to progress wth a 5-1 win. Twenty Men also had to fight for their quarter final spot, narrowly overcoming Mean Machine 3-2. In the final round of games The Lincoln Bankers caught the eye in a new pink kit, however the performance was not quite as bright as they went out 3-1 to Bosh City. The final round one tie proved the closest of them all with Super Sharp Shooters and Hedgehogs United inseperable at full-time, a 3-3 draw sending the match into a four minute extra period. Just as it looked like neither team wanted to win it United took the lead only to be pegged back in seconds with a spectacular equaliser struck form inside the Shooters own half. Onto penalties then, and it took sixteen spot kicks before a winner could be decided... the Sharp Shooters living up to their name to progress 4-3 from the spot.

Where those teams left off American Samoa 198 and Interntaional FC continued, a 2-2 draw in their quarter final taking the match on to spot kicks. Anyone who has seen England in a major tournament will have favoured the continentals from the spot and so it came to pass, International won it 5-4 on penalties. Following International FC into the semi finals were Bravestar XI, who dispatched suprise package The Uni Imps 2-0 thanks to a glorious goal from Gareth Reid who jinked his way pass two Imps before calmly lifting the ball over the advancing keeper. The third quarter final proved to be something of an unofficial viva futbol superbowl as the two winter league winners came face to face. An unsurprisingly close game ensued and it took just a single goal to win it, Team Twenty Men taking the honours, defeating the All Stars 1-0. In the fourth quarter final Bosh City continued their impressive progress as they defeated one of viva futbol's form teams, Super Sharp Shooters, 4-2.

Onto the semi finals and an all liga ultima clash on pitch 1 saw Bravestar XI face off against International FC. The lads from Bravestar will not be appearaing in viva futbol's spring season and so were looking to bow out of viva futbol on a high; thankfully the dream was kept alive for another game as they defeated International FC 2-0 to reach the final. In the other semi final Team Twenty Men were chasing the double as they came up against Bosh City. A close match, the scores were level until the final minute, but then Bosh broke away to mark something of an upset; two late goals giving them a 3-1 win and a place in the final.

The hallowed turf of five-a-side pitch 1 was the setting for the final match of the viva futbol winter season as Bravestar XI met Bosh City in the showcase final. Fans were left in a quandry, support the underdog or give encouragement to the team chasing a fairytale end to their viva futbol involvement? Sadly, the dream had to eb over for one team and it proved to be Bosh City who were on the losing side. The match had looked even for the opening five minutes, but after that Bravestar got into their stride, inspired by the cliched "good touch for a big man" of Enda Clarke, there was to be just one winner. 4-1 the final score, in favour of Bravestar XI. 

round one
Real Ale Madrid	0-5	American Samoa 198
International FC	7-2	West End Wednesday
Bravestar XI	4-0	FC Hoffpants
The Uni Imps	4-1	Team Hoff
Dynamite FC	1-5	Aunty Trisha's All Stars
Mean Machine	2-3	Team Twenty Men
Bosh City	3-1	The Lincoln Bankers
Super Sharp Shooters	4-4 (4-3 pens)	Hedgehogs United
quarter finals
American Samoa 198	2-2 (4-5 pens)	International FC
Bravestar XI	2-0	The Uni Imps
Aunty Trisha's All Stars	0-1	Team Twenty Men
Bosh City	4-2	Super Sharp Shooters
semi finals
International FC	0-2	Bravestar XI
Team Twenty Men	1-3	Bosh City
the final
Bosh City	1-4	Bravestar XI