Division 1: The Fight For Survival
As we approach the mid-point of New World Order's Season 1, the dust has begun to settle and the leagues are beginning to take shape. Arguably the most difficult to predict at the start was Division 1, made up of teams that the average punter knew little about, teams that in many cases have little or no previous record of playing each other. When you add to this the fact that starting budgets were the same, and that a large proportion of managers have completely overhauled their squads, guessing who would be gunning for the title and who would be scrapping to stay up became an even tougher task. Here we look at how things have panned out so far at the bottom of the table.
If you find yourself in the relegation zone with more than half a dozen games gone there is usually cause for concern, which is why we often see managers sacked at that stage of the season. With 14 games played in NWO, the bottom 4 will no doubt be worried, but there is also cause for optimism, as no one has been properly cut adrift and there are other clubs hovering just a few points above them.
South African side Kaizer Chiefs have spent much of the season as Division 1's basement club, after a disastrous start saw them lose their first 8 matches. This is perhaps surprising for a side with such experienced and able players that include Lukasz Piszczek, Kevin Volland and Heurelho Gomes. With a solid starting 11 of 85+ rated players, more could be expected. Recent games have seen manager Antonio Pardal finally getting his team to click. 8 points from their last 6 games is form that will see them to safety, but having to come from such a way behind, they can't afford to take their eye off the ball.
Just as surprising to see struggling at this stage is Toronto FC, a club with an attacking line-up that includes Dusan Tadic, Islam Slimani and Alexandre Pato. Here the problem wasn't a sluggish start, but a dip in form that saw them drop to 20th position (and manager Mark Bradley parting ways with the club) before a win against Kaizer Chiefs saw the two swap places, Toronto on 9 points to Kaizer Chiefs' 8. With only 13 league goals so far, new boss Nick Dunkley needs to get that impressive forward line firing.
Sitting on 11 points with no win in 5 are Peruvians Universitario De Deportes, another club with some big names currently misfiring. 15 goals so far is a poor return from a side featuring Carlos Tevez and Ezequiel Lavezzi, and manager Daniel Anderson will be all too aware that more is expected from them. With a good mixture of youth and experience, the tools are in place for survival, but it's worth remembering that no one is too big to go down.
Level on points but with a superior goal difference are Sydney FC under the guidance of Phillip Cockerill. Several solid players who should hold their ratings for few a few seasons have been brought into the club, with the emphasis on attack. However, they currently look short at the back. Goalkeeper Deivson Fabio will need more support to turn some of those draws into the victories that will keep them safe. 11 original squad members remain, so there is room for maneuver in the transfer market to bring in reinforcements.
Atletico Nacional find themselves just one place above the drop zone following a recent poor run, picking up a solitary point from their past 5 games. Unlike many teams in Division 1, Chris Gregson is putting his faith in younger players to keep him in the top league. Just five of his squad are aged over 25, with Kasper Schmeichel being the grandad of the bunch at 31. Long-term is very much the thinking here, but it will take a few seasons for those under 21 players to reach first team level, so this is certainly a gamble, but it's just about paying off for now.
After a great start it appeared FC Seoul would be comfortable this season, but a slump has seen them sucked into the battle for survival, just 2 points ahead of the bottom 4. This is again surprising for such a high rated and experienced team. A long-term injury to Ryan Shawcross won't be helping matters, and Julian Baumgartlinger and Jose Sosa will also miss the next game. On the plus side, Wissam Ben Yedder's recent rating increase will have manager Dan Smith hoping he can add to his impressive tally of 8 goals in 13 games and lift them to safety.
It's been a bumpy ride so far for FC Tokyo. The Japanese side have picked up some decent victories, including being the first team to defeat Yokohama F Marinos, but a lack of consistency means they've so far averaged just a point per game and can feel the bottom 6 snapping at their heels. Paul Gibson's men should have what it takes to pull away, possessing one of the most solid squads in the league. Respectable draws against the division's top 2 teams has slowed them down a little, but if they remain focused they should have the strength not to get caught up in the dogfight.
