Fall Season - Week Eleven - December 16th

Haya vs IhsanYou know Ihsan were looking forward to their rematch with Haya. This is the only team that got them, losing 3-2 about a month ago. For Ihsan they are out for revenge and to show Haya that they don’t have the recipe to beat them. Also this game is important in their bid to finish tops in the league. After tying Shukr last week, Emaan now has the inside track to finish first overall (see news and rumors). As well this represents the last attempt for Hany Soliman to re-establish himself as the goal-scoring leader; He held the spot earlier on in the season. In that game last month Nadeem Faqiri and Huzaifa Manjra helped Haya jump out to the lead and Khalid Mufti did the rest. This time around it is hard to anticipate who will be in the lineup for Haya as was evident in last week’s defeat to Yaqeen where attendance seems to be an issue. We feel for GM Naiem Akhtar who seems to be consistently showing up for his team this season despite not getting the same respect from his fellow team-mates. Rumors are circulating that Hisham Ali will be unavailable for this tilt.

Yaqeen vs Emaan
Two of the best in the business of potting goals go head-to-head for the very first time. Waqar Khan (Emaan) and Hamza Chaudhry (Yaqeen) currently share the goal-scoring lead with Arif Bijabhai (Shukr). The latter has already completed his season.  Beyond these players, both teams possess tremendous fire-power as Emaan has scored the most goals (27) and Yaqeen the second most (25). However, both teams are also getting it done at the other end of the rink with Yaqeen only giving up 9 goals (1st in the league) and Emaan right behind them, giving up 12 goals. In fact, Yaqeen comes into this contest riding a two-game shutout streak over Ikhlas and Haya. Whereas, Emaan has only conceded 1 goal in their last three matches. So this game might be a ‘good old-fashion western style shootout ’ or a ‘drag you through the mud defensive battle ’. What’s at stake is the winner will punch their ticket straight to the semis.

Ikhlas vs Sabr
It’s the playoff game before the post season. The final crunch before the regular season. Call it whatever you may but this last meeting between the basement dwellers will eventually cement the final playoff spot for one team. Ikhlas has put their best step forward all season long but have endured frustration along the way. The greens shirts have the edge in points (compared to Sabr) but need to get it going offensively as they possess the lowest goals for. GM Salman Khalid might've expected more value from Salman Syed and Faisal Mehboob but luckily Shehyar Khan has managed to compensate the team’s misfortunes. The last time Ikhlas met Sabr, the two squads ended in a 1-1 tie. Ikhlas's "upgrade" of Zayd Agjee has thus far looked questionable. I mean he's not gonna fetch you that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but maybe if he plays bullheaded and focused then perhaps the sky is the limit. Expect the prowess of Ali Murtaza to come into play during this regular season finale. It's elementary for both teams, you win and you’re in.

Sabr's has had their own tales to tell while sulking around the campfire this season. A mere 0-5-3 and no wins to show for? Believe it or not but this squad has been teased with victory so many times that it's astonishing no one has dived from the Sabr boat and headed for the life rafts yet. The biggest bane of Sabr has been goaltending and defense. GM Naiem Malik and his defensive core need to shutdown Ikhlas's offensive threats and capitalize from team green's errors. The yellow shirts have a plethora of ammunition upfront and have to come into this game with loaded guns, I mean a winning spirit. Akib Malik and Saleem Malik have been frequenting the scoresheet and that's expected. What's going on with Abdu Sharkaway and Imran Lakhanpal? Sabr can't prolong this first win any longer and MUST seal the deal this Friday. The i-Slam polls say that Sabr will capture the final playoff spot. Sounds good, doesn't it? Actions speak louder than words. Which team will come out victorious?

Fall Season - Week Ten - December 9th

Ihsan vs Shukr:
Ihsan carries a two game win streak into their rematch from October 28th with Shukr that saw them come away with the victory.  Ihsan has quite a considerable cushion on top of the standings which sees them separated by three points from Emaan.  So far this season Ihsan has been the class of the league. They are getting it done in every facet of the game and as such they are putting forth a complete team effort in most weeks.  Looking at the individual stats for the Ihsan players they do not have a single player in the top five in scoring.  As a matter of fact Hany Soliman is their lone representative in the Top Ten!  On the defensive side of the ball they have given up the fewest shots and benefiting from this is Zaid Majoo, who is tied for the most shut-outs.  With all of that said, Yousuf Soliman is the driving force for this team.  His numbers might not be impressive but he is probably the most complete two-way player in the league and should garner MVP considerations.  Tonight he hopes to lead his team to another victory and move closer to clinching first overall.  For Shukr they come into this game with one thing in mind, PLAYOFFS!  After their clutch win last week against Haya they clinched a playoff spot.  Now they look to finish as high in the standings as possible and look to work out the kinks in their game.  Shukr supporters must be encouraged by last week’s results that they team can win even if Arif Bijabhai and Idris Deen don’t score.   Tonight they aim to prove they can compete with teams in the upper echelon of the standings.

Emaan vs Ikhlas:
Last time these teams met, Emaan took down Ikhlas to a score of 5-1.  Ikhlas is in a tight battle with Sabr, whom they have a one-point advantage in the standings.  In a strange twist of fate both Sabr and Ikhlas have identical schedules.  Each facing Emaan, having a bye and squaring off against each other to end the season.  Perhaps today might be the better week to face off Emaan as their Top Two and league leading scorers in Waqar Khan and Zaid Toorawa are unavailable. With the bulk of their points suddenly gone from their lineup Emaan the goals must come from somewhere.  So expect Furqan Salam, Umair Awan and Jibran Salam to take on this responsibility.  Ikhlas will also have some key pieces missing as Shehryar Khan and Zayd Agjee are both unavailable.  Shehryar Khan is pretty much the Ikhlas offense but with him gone and considering what is at stake someone else will need to step up.  Farooq Sani has a flair for the dramatics and lives for these moments.  It would be a safe bet that he would factor in this game somehow.  No word who will be in net for Ikhlas. As per league policy since they have already used a backup goalie twice this season, so they can only recall Sheraz Mahmood. Or maybe they throw a curve ball and we get to see Usamah Rao go back in net.  This game also has some significance for Emaan as they try to make one last push in over-taking Ihsan in the standings to grab first place.

Haya vs Yaqeen:
Haya and Yaqeen get a first look at each other tonight. Yaqeen is coming off an impressive beat-down of Ikhlas last week whereas Haya suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Shukr in the last minute. Both of these teams can still finish first or second overall and more importantly by-pass the quarterfinals and punch their ticket to the semi-finals.  Most probably the loser of this game throws away any realistic chance for a first round bye.  On the other hand, the winner still can keep their hopes alive of trying to surpass either Emaan or Ihsan in the standings. This game will go a long way in determining each team’s road to the championship. In such a high-pressure game you rely on your goaltender to help steal a win for you. Yaqeen’s Yusuf Kapoor who now shares the lead in shutouts will first need to make sure he comes on time and in addition needs to out-duel his counter-part Khalid Mufti, who has faced more shots per game compared to the other goaltenders.

Fall Season - Week Nine - December 2nd

Ikhlas vs Yaqeen:
Stop the presses!  Ikhlas finally won a game!!!  Ikhlas caught a break last week taking advantage of a depleted Shukr roster to notch their first victory.  Shehryar Khan, Week Eight 1st Star seems to be shouldering the offensive load for his team as the offense starts and stops with him.  Chances are if you can contain him then you take away the heartbeat of Ikhlas’ offense.  Also, Zayd Agjee had a successful debut managing to only surrender one goal. He should be prepared to be busier this week against Yaqeen.  Yes, Yaqeen seems to be on a bit of a downward spiral, winless in their last three games (Ihsan, Shukr and Sabr).  However the last time these two teams met Yaqeen went off for four goals with Humza Chaudhry getting the hat-trick. The kid currently shares the goal scoring lead with Waqar Khan of Emaan. So expect him to have a bit of pep in his step as he tries to create some separation in the goal-scoring race with hopes of feasting on the Ikhlas defense one more time.

Sabr vs Ihsan:
Top placed Ihsan faces off against the last place, Sabr.  The last time this scenario played out for Ihsan they let a point slip away against Ikhlas, drawing against them 3-3.  These games are always hard to get up for if you are the first overall team.  Coming into the game you expect it to be an easy day at the office, knowing you probably don’t have to put forth your best effort to come away with the victory.  They shouldn’t look past Sabr as with Friday Night Lights, anything can happen.  Sabr must be feeling the pressure to finally get their first win after seeing Ikhlas pick up their first ‘W’ last week.  Things got a bit tougher for Sabr as goaltender Imran Merchant is no longer with the team (for personal reasons).  Speculations are that Yassir Hussain will be in between the pipes. The veteran net-minder should provide some stability for Sabr placing the onus square on the players in front of him to man-up and get the job done.

Shukr vs Haya:
Both teams enter Week Nine after suffering defeats.  For Shukr they look to avoid losing three straight, where Haya looks to avoid losing two in a row. This is a huge game as a Shukr win will leapfrog them over Haya in the standings into potentially 3rd or 4th overall. The last time these two teams met, Shukr stormed back from three goals down with Arif Bijabhai rescuing his team with four-goal effort. The first overall pick in this year’s draft is in a bit of a scoring slump the last two games. This time around you have to assume Haya’s Naeem Akhtar will be checking him more closely.  If Bijabhai is neutralized expect Haya to extend Shukr’s losing streak to three.  Yet, it if you were drafted first overall it is reasonable to think no one opponent should be able to contain you. Attendance was an issue for both teams in Week Eight.  Given what’s at stake you hope players on both sides recognize the commitment they have for their team-mates. At this point in the season you don’t want to leave points on the table.