The Race For Third

With the season drawing to a close in ESPZEN Division 9, things are certainly hotting up. A titanic tussle for the title is expected between Legends Utd, the front-runner all season long, and KNV6. This will have implications for other teams in the league since the title challengers are expected to give it their all in their remaining matches in order to win the championship. No team in the league can expect any easy points, especially if they have to face Legends or KNV6.

Even more fascinating is the race for third place, with an incredible 5 teams standing a realistic chance. With 2 or 3 matches left to be played, these 5 teams are separated by no more than 4 points. Whether the teams end up in a respectable 3rd position or a depressing 7th come the end of the season will be determined by how these teams perform in their final matches. We will proceed to do a quick rundown of these teams and their chances.


Assumption United - 13 points (to face Fireball, KNV6, Black Scorpion)
Assumption Utd must be feeling pretty hard done by in their previous 2 matches, having conceded the winning goal in the dying minutes and going home empty handed. Currently with the least points amongst the 5 teams, Assumption still stands a pretty good chance as it still has 3 matches left to play. A tough match awaits them against KNV6 but they should pick up valuable points when they meet Fireball this Sunday.

Black Scorpion - 14 points (to face One-Touchables, Team Prodigy, Assumption)
The Scorpions look to be in a very comfortable position just a couple of weeks ago after their controversial win over Legends Utd. However, 2 consecutive losses to Cairnhill saw them surrender the opportunity to take a commanding position in the race for third. With 14 points and 3 games left to play, Black Scorpion still stands a credible chance if they are able to squeeze results from those games. It is pertinent to note that amongst the 5 teams chasing for third, they are the only team with no remaining matches against the top 2.

Cairnhill - 15 points (to face Legends, Fireball, Legends)
The Phoenixes have certainly "come back from the dead" with their 2 victories over Black Scorpion. However they face an extremely challenging final run-in to the season as they have to face Legends not once, but twice. With Legends undoubtably needing to get maximum points to secure the title, Cairnhill will have to play the game of their lives in order to get any points from them. On a brighter note, they have a game with Fireball which should be easier, although they only managed a draw the previous time they met.

Team One-Touchables - 15 points (to face Black Scorpion, Legends)
The army boys' flying 5 match winning run was brought back down to earth by a thumping 5-0 defeat from KNV6. One-Touchables should already be very proud of their season, having started the season so poorly. As for the team's chances of obtaining third, this will really depend on whether they can avoid being defeated in their last 2 matches. With Legends looming in their final match, One-Touchables will really need to be playing at their best.

Team Prodigy - 17 points (to face KNV6, Black Scorpion)
With the most points in the bag, Team Prodigy looks like a good bet for third. However, the past few weeks have shown how quickly things can change in the league. The Prodigians must get results from their final 2 matches in order to cement their third position. A challenging encounter with KNV6 awaits the team this coming Sunday, with bitter memories of a narrow 3-2 defeat and a cuckoo ref still fresh in the minds of Prodigians. After that, the team will play their final match against Black Scorpion, possibly a third-place decider.

With 5 credible contenders for third and 2 close competitors for the title, Division 9 will definitely be coming to an exciting and close finish. Whilst teams should give their all to finish as best they can, lets all remember to keep the camaraderie, fair play and mutual respect going. Good luck to all teams!