A tale of unstable chemicals and overcoming adversity: AD Lisboa

A look at their season so far and what’s left for them to accomplish before Season 2’s conclusion

By: Ray Porter

A brilliant start:

AD Lisboa had strengthened a lot over the summer, adding Marcus Wood, Kalle Knull and Matthew Lennon, the latter becoming captain. With their quality they overcame a hard schedule, remaining unbeaten after the first four matches facing title holders London WW, as well as dark horse Kerberos. An 8-3 win over Brussels saw their fans dream of an unlikely league title in the first season.

Tension rises:

But not everything was going well. Matthew Lennon, FSL’s own mercenary, ran a regime focusing on discipline. Dropping star striker Marcus Wood, or playing him at ‘Running Back’, made him increasingly unpopular leading up to his shock move to Kerberos after a disappointing performance and loss to Deportivo Madrid.

The fallout:

Kalle Knull stepped up to fill the void left by the Defender, taking over as captain. While known as a tactical innovator capable of steadying a sinking ship, Knull failed to win a single one of their next 5 league games. With the Football United League Cup coming, there wasn’t much hope for Lisboa.

Coming back:

But Knull delivered: Adopting Carlo Ancelotti’s “Christmas tree formation” he led the Portuguese to an unlikely title at their first chance. Their charge was fueled by an outstanding defence, only conceding twice over the stage of the cup. Recently, their league form improved and while results are still very volatile, they managed to cement themselves as firsts behind the top 5.

Their remaining fixtures:

With a superior goal difference, Lisboa would only need to bridge a 3-point gap to catch up to Deportivo Madrid. However, their remaining fixtures are tough. Both Roma and Berlin away could be harder than imagined as both teams come off of a fantastic Lilacs FA Cup campaign, with both teams still fighting against relegation. London away is always a hard fixture, with last season’s champions being unstoppable on a good day. Lastly, Vienna at home is another belter. The Austrians are, as of now, unbeaten in the league but I wouldn’t be surprised if Lisboa could be the team to end their run, and possibly their title charge.

What’s next?

It is rumored that their captain Kalle Knull might be on the move in the summer, possibly eyeing a transfer to Deportivo Madrid. Without him Lisboa would struggle, as they don’t have any other leaders left in the squad. Should he stay however, Lisboa could easily become a title challenger if they can add a couple of good players in the center of the pitch.