Buying bread from a man in Brussels, He was six-foot-four and full of muscle

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

By: Drew Peacock

ROUGH START: Brussels KV, a newly promoted club based in the Belgian capital, started off the season with a squad comprised fully of 40 rated AI placeholder players. The Blue and Yellow Club would not be home to user players until their sixth league game. In their first five matches, they scored 11 times, one of the best in the league at that time, but they also conceded 24 times, the worst in the league by a good margin. Included in those first five matches were two of the highest-scoring matches in league history: a 2-7 loss to Athens Kerberos and a 3-8 loss to AD Lisboa. Gay Phillips was the club’s best performer in those games, scoring six times and assisting twice more. There was one bright spot, as the club was able to earn three points in a shocking away win against FC Berlin. After five matches played, they sat second to last in the table, thanks in part to Paris’ 0-0-5 record.

TIJANI TAKEOVER: After the fifth match day, Brussels made some critical moves to bring in many players. The new captain, Saifeddine Tijani as well as midfielder Ian Blackburn, joined from Norden; attackers Emir Šehbajraktarević and Adrian Diego came from Zagreb and Berlin, respectively; and the final transfer was Adam Renard from AD Lisboa. The club also promoted from their academy Ruben Jansen, John Smith, Adam King, Ismail Hakimi, Joram Joestar, Ryan Dsa, Danny Optic, and Patrick Forder. These fresh young players joined full of energy and enthusiasm were ready to take FSL by storm! Unfortunately, their league campaign saw them facing Zagreb, Vienna, and Roma, and they were unable to get any points from those three matches.

SEASON SO FAR, SO GOOD?: It is the opinion of this reporter that the Brussels team has succeeded in their fight to survive their first season of FSL. Despite losing three key players in the midseason transfer window, they brought in some really talented young players, with Poe Finglebottom being one of them. Since MD9, in all competitions, they’ve managed a record of 6-4-7, which would have them more comfortably in mid-table had the first 8 league matches been more competitive. Star striker Emir Šehbajraktarević is on 9 goals and 7 assists, making him a contender for young player of the season. For a young, growing team, there are plenty of positives to take from the season played so far.

A LOOK AT THE REMAINING FIXTURES: With just four matches left to be played, Brussels faces off against Madrid (a), Norden (a), Roma (a), and Athens Kerberos (a). Having to finish four straight away fixtures is tough on any team, but it could be even harder with the young guns at the club. They are currently six points above the drop, needing at least six points from their final four matches to guarantee that they are safe from relegation. It will take strong resolve for them to win two of their last four. Looking forward to the matchup in Athens specifically, Brussels has a totally different team compared to the one that lost 2-7 in their first match in FSL. Another key fixture will be the match against Roma, who are 5 points behind Brussels and trying to avoid the drop themselves. I expect this team to stay up even if they do not get the required six points, due to my lack of confidence in Nomades de Paris to acquire 12 points from their last four.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE MEN FROM BRUSSELS?: Assuming they do stay up, I fully expect this club to continue to improve and enjoy themselves as a mainstay club in the league. The playing style is fun and exciting, the locker room is lively and enjoyable, and the club has secured a new kit maker who has some really impressive files in his portfolio. This reporter wishes them luck as they finish this season and looks forward to the next.