Season 24 week 18 processing ...

From the kickoff Messi seems determined to makes amends taking on half the Italian team singlehandedly but is finally stopped by the diving Sirugu, what a great dribble...

Banega breaks up the Italian attack as goal hero Ranocchia turns the ball over way too easily...

Banega sets up Di Maria who beats De Rossi and Ranocchia then crosses low to Messi...

who finds Sergio Aguero...

who scores with a stunning shot to make it

Argentina 3 Italy 2

after 78 minutes.

From the kickoff Italy play it up through Pazzini and Rossi to Giovinco but he is beaten by Banega...

That's that. Argentina have way too much firepower. And no Higuain!

he sets off Messi on another dribble but his shot is well saved by Sirugu for yet another corner...

Di Maria takes his time then swings the corner to Monzon who just deflects the ball past the keeper for another Argentine goal on 82 minutes to make it

Argentina 4 Italy 2

Italian heads have gone down by Giovinco and De Rossi try to create something but again Banega is there to break it up...

but Ranocchia dispossesses Di Maria and sets Pirlo away...

he finds De Rossi who crosses into Pirlo who plays a lovely one two with Giovinco before scoring with a stunning volley to make it

Argentina 4 Italy 3

on 88 minutes, setting up a final frantic 2 minutes...

Tevez takes control from the kickoff, he finds Aguero, he passes to Di Maria who beats the lunging tackle of De Rossi, then plays some lovely football with Messi, as he dribbles into the box then shoots...

but it is well saved by Sirigu once again...

Sirugu finds Ranocchia as the game goes into stoppage time...

then Pirlo and Giovinco combine...

then just as Pirlo steadies himself the ref blows the final whistle...

Fouls 5 each
Bookings 2 each
2 injuries to Italy, who lost Balotelli and De Sciglio who was having such a great game.

Argentina 13 chances to Italy's 9

Paul Hemmings wrote:

then just as Pirlo steadies himself the ref blows the final whistle...

Nooooooooooooooooo ...........



Well played Ben. It's one thing having talented players, another to turn them into a team. Fantastic work on making it all gel together. Good stuff.

possession pretty even at 51% to 49%

man of the match was Angel Di Maria.

Well it just remains for us to say congratulations to Argentina and their manager Ben, the new World Champions.

What a game! Congrats to Rob for making it one of the best WC finals I have seen in my time playing this! 

Not sure have seen a game where both teams playing FAS end up 4-3 though, both defences slightly leaky to say the least lol!

That was an exciting game, I'm off to do the transfers now...

Aah I forgot that the Dutch league was on protected status ie no trials from there cos Will was playing in that league and I didn't want to weaken his opposition, it was one of those things we discussed.

Now that Will is no longer in that league I have set Holland to unprotected mode and I'm currently rerunning all the dealings that correspond to the Dutch league

Managerial Feedback will show the blocked comment then later on the revised comment.

As a result Man City signed Lovren on trial.
AC Milan swapped Bruno Martins in.
Charlton signed Sissoko on trial.
Man United swapped in Forster.
PSV swapped in Fer.

This still leaves Feyenoord with way too many players for an unmanaged club, currently they have 4 players not playing and 11 players in their youth academy about to graduate.

Paul Hemmings wrote:

and more bad news for losing Chelsea sees Willian sentoff after 77 minutes.

Willian doesn't play for me lol