The American at Ajax

[Emperor J]

13th July 2003 - Amsterdam

It was on this date that Ronald Koeman decided he wanted to take a break from management. No one really knew what happened, but one day an American who went under the name "Max Power" was their manager. Was there even a press conference to announce who this manager was?

His only job now was to try to take the title away from PSV. A run in Europe would also aid his cause.

14th April 2004 - Parma

We join the story of Mr. Power after defeating Parma in the quarter final of the UEFA Cup. A lot has changed at the Amsterdam Arena. Power had spent €10.25 million bringing in 18 players.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

| Date | Person | From | Fee |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14.7.2003 | Di Tullio, Jason | Free Transfer | Free |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17.7.2003 | Kristiansen, Per Morten | Moss | €110K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17.7.2003 | Éderson | RS Futebol | €80K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18.7.2003 | Brosque, Alex | Marconi | €1.6M |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18.7.2003 | Akinfeev, Igor | CSKA Moscow | €110K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18.7.2003 | Todorov, Anatoli | Litex | €2.7M |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19.7.2003 | McLeod, Kevin | Q.P.R. | €4.4M |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19.7.2003 | Savolainen, Jussi-Pekka | P-Iirot | €22K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20.7.2003 | Löfving, David | Ekedalen | €2K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 21.7.2003 | Maslov, Alexandr | Avangard Kursk | €18K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 21.7.2003 | Burns, Brett | Seattle Monsoon | €55K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 21.7.2003 | Cortina, Gustavo | Trujillanos | €70K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 22.7.2003 | Guti | Alverca | €90K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 23.7.2003 | Chamsine, Fadi | Spånga | €120K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7.1.2004 | Milak, Alen | Dudelange | €35K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11.1.2004 | Barech, Rachid | Bastia | Free |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13.1.2004 | Carlos Henrique | Vitória | €240K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14.1.2004 | Maftei, Vasile | Rapid | €525K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Total | | €10.25M |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

These players were not really given an opportunity to shine until the winter break. The big names at Ajax were still there. John O'Brien, Rafael van der Vaart, and Tomas Galasek among others were there to revitalize an Ajax side that were 8th going into the new year.

The January transfer window had seen Zlatan Ibrahimovic, John Heitinga, and Jussi Kujala leave the club. Power had decided to cash in on Ibrahimovic with a €16.5 million move to Manchester United. Heitinga was moved to Racing Santander for €1.5 million and Kujala €240 K to Willem II.

The new talent were able to make an impact and it can be seen here.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

3rd January 2004

Starting XI v. ADO Den Haag

GK Lobont

DR Grygera

DL Van Damme

DC Pasanen ©

DC Burns

DMC O'Brien

MR van der Gun

ML Soetaers

MC van der Vaart

FC Sonck

FC Wamberto

</pre>

The result of this match was a 1-1 draw that dropped Ajax to 8th in the league. However, this was still two places above Feyenoord.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

25th March 2004

Starting XI v. Barcelona

GK Lobont

DR Galasek

DL Escudé

DC de Jong

DC Burns

DMC O'Brien

MR Sneijder

ML van der Vaart

MC Pienaar

FC Éderson

FC Todorov

</pre>

Three goals from both Todorov and Pienaar led Ajax to a 6-0 victory at the Amsterdam Arena and an 11-3 aggregate win. Unfortunately, this incredible run of form came far too late in the campaign to catch PSV. The UEFA Cup is the only chance Ajax has of collecting silverware. They threw away a chance of advancing in the Dutch Cup by fielding a reserve side against SC Eindhoven, but at least every other Eredivisie team had fallen out of the cup by now. The final was going to be Eindhoven facing Feyenoord's conquerors in Excelsior.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D.| Pts |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | | PSV | | 28 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 30 | 9 | +52 | 73 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Ajax | | 27 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 30 | 19 | +47 | 59 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Heerenveen | | 28 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 24 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 21 | 14 | +26 | 55 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | NEC | | 28 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 39 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 23 | 22 | +29 | 54 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | ADO Den Haag | | 27 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 34 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 14 | +14 | 52 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | AZ | | 27 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 21 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 29 | 27 | +8 | 48 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | RBC | | 27 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 22 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 20 | 22 | +5 | 40 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | FC Utrecht | | 28 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 22 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 21 | +5 | 40 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | FC Groningen | | 28 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 23 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 15 | 22 | 0 | 39 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th| | Feyenoord | | 28 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 23 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 17 | 23 | +1 | 37 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th| | Vitesse | | 28 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 23 | 22 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 24 | -10 | 35 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th| | Roda JC | | 27 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 18 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 23 | -9 | 31 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th| | FC Twente | | 27 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 18 | 20 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 23 | -16 | 30 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th| | NAC Breda | | 28 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 22 | 23 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 23 | -16 | 28 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th| | Willem II | | 28 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 21 | 25 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 26 | -18 | 22 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th| | RKC | | 28 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 17 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 32 | -25 | 18 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th| | Volendam | | 27 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 16 | 28 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 13 | 39 | -38 | 18 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th| | Zwolle | | 27 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 17 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 4 | 48 | -55 | 12 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[Emperor J]

13th July 2003 - Amsterdam

It was on this date that Ronald Koeman decided he wanted to take a break from management. No one really knew what happened, but one day an American who went under the name "Max Power" was their manager. Was there even a press conference to announce who this manager was?

His only job now was to try to take the title away from PSV. A run in Europe would also aid his cause.

14th April 2004 - Parma

We join the story of Mr. Power after defeating Parma in the quarter final of the UEFA Cup. A lot has changed at the Amsterdam Arena. Power had spent €10.25 million bringing in 18 players.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

| Date | Person | From | Fee |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14.7.2003 | Di Tullio, Jason | Free Transfer | Free |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17.7.2003 | Kristiansen, Per Morten | Moss | €110K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17.7.2003 | Éderson | RS Futebol | €80K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18.7.2003 | Brosque, Alex | Marconi | €1.6M |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18.7.2003 | Akinfeev, Igor | CSKA Moscow | €110K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18.7.2003 | Todorov, Anatoli | Litex | €2.7M |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19.7.2003 | McLeod, Kevin | Q.P.R. | €4.4M |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19.7.2003 | Savolainen, Jussi-Pekka | P-Iirot | €22K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20.7.2003 | Löfving, David | Ekedalen | €2K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 21.7.2003 | Maslov, Alexandr | Avangard Kursk | €18K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 21.7.2003 | Burns, Brett | Seattle Monsoon | €55K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 21.7.2003 | Cortina, Gustavo | Trujillanos | €70K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 22.7.2003 | Guti | Alverca | €90K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 23.7.2003 | Chamsine, Fadi | Spånga | €120K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7.1.2004 | Milak, Alen | Dudelange | €35K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11.1.2004 | Barech, Rachid | Bastia | Free |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13.1.2004 | Carlos Henrique | Vitória | €240K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14.1.2004 | Maftei, Vasile | Rapid | €525K |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Total | | €10.25M |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

These players were not really given an opportunity to shine until the winter break. The big names at Ajax were still there. John O'Brien, Rafael van der Vaart, and Tomas Galasek among others were there to revitalize an Ajax side that were 8th going into the new year.

The January transfer window had seen Zlatan Ibrahimovic, John Heitinga, and Jussi Kujala leave the club. Power had decided to cash in on Ibrahimovic with a €16.5 million move to Manchester United. Heitinga was moved to Racing Santander for €1.5 million and Kujala €240 K to Willem II.

The new talent were able to make an impact and it can be seen here.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

3rd January 2004

Starting XI v. ADO Den Haag

GK Lobont

DR Grygera

DL Van Damme

DC Pasanen ©

DC Burns

DMC O'Brien

MR van der Gun

ML Soetaers

MC van der Vaart

FC Sonck

FC Wamberto

</pre>

The result of this match was a 1-1 draw that dropped Ajax to 8th in the league. However, this was still two places above Feyenoord.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

25th March 2004

Starting XI v. Barcelona

GK Lobont

DR Galasek

DL Escudé

DC de Jong

DC Burns

DMC O'Brien

MR Sneijder

ML van der Vaart

MC Pienaar

FC Éderson

FC Todorov

</pre>

Three goals from both Todorov and Pienaar led Ajax to a 6-0 victory at the Amsterdam Arena and an 11-3 aggregate win. Unfortunately, this incredible run of form came far too late in the campaign to catch PSV. The UEFA Cup is the only chance Ajax has of collecting silverware. They threw away a chance of advancing in the Dutch Cup by fielding a reserve side against SC Eindhoven, but at least every other Eredivisie team had fallen out of the cup by now. The final was going to be Eindhoven facing Feyenoord's conquerors in Excelsior.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D.| Pts |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | | PSV | | 28 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 30 | 9 | +52 | 73 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Ajax | | 27 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 30 | 19 | +47 | 59 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Heerenveen | | 28 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 24 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 21 | 14 | +26 | 55 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | NEC | | 28 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 39 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 23 | 22 | +29 | 54 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | ADO Den Haag | | 27 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 34 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 14 | +14 | 52 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | AZ | | 27 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 21 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 29 | 27 | +8 | 48 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | RBC | | 27 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 22 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 20 | 22 | +5 | 40 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | FC Utrecht | | 28 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 22 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 21 | +5 | 40 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | FC Groningen | | 28 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 23 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 15 | 22 | 0 | 39 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th| | Feyenoord | | 28 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 23 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 17 | 23 | +1 | 37 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th| | Vitesse | | 28 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 23 | 22 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 24 | -10 | 35 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th| | Roda JC | | 27 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 18 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 23 | -9 | 31 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th| | FC Twente | | 27 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 18 | 20 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 23 | -16 | 30 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th| | NAC Breda | | 28 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 22 | 23 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 23 | -16 | 28 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th| | Willem II | | 28 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 21 | 25 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 26 | -18 | 22 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th| | RKC | | 28 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 17 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 32 | -25 | 18 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th| | Volendam | | 27 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 16 | 28 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 13 | 39 | -38 | 18 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th| | Zwolle | | 27 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 17 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 4 | 48 | -55 | 12 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[Emperor J]

15th April 2004

The draw for the UEFA Cup Semi Finals was made. Ajax would be facing a tough VfB Stuttgart side in seven days time for the first leg. The other match would see Perugia take on Liverpool.

In league action, Ajax were mainly focusing on securing second place in the league and the Champions League spot that comes with it. A 3-0 at Vitesse put them seven points clear of third placed Heerenveen. Stuttgart came to Amsterdam seeking to win a competition they would likely be playing in next season. Jari Litmanen made a rare appearance on the scoresheet in the 2-0 victory for Ajax. It was one of only five goals he scored all season.

Ajax continued to romp through the league with a 7-0 destruction of Volendam. Six players were on the scoresheet that day. They followed that up with a 3-0 victory over Willem II, Éderson scoring all three goals. Then came the second leg against Stuttgart.

All was going well for Ajax going into injury time. They held a 3-1 lead on aggregate, and Stuttgart would only have three minutes to score three goals. Or so they thought. When Andreas Hinkel scored the goal that put Stuttgart into the final, it came in the eighth minute of stoppage time. The loss was a bitter blow to Mr. Power as his team had summoned unbelievable form over the previous four months. There was still one last important fixture.

Feyenoord came into the match at the Amsterdam Arena reeling. They were sitting in eleventh position and had gone eight league matches without a win. For Ajax a win meant two things. They would be guaranteed to finish second, and Feyenoord would finish in the bottom half of the table. The 4-1 scoreline clearly showed the difference in class between the two sides. César Carignano's late goal was the only consolation for Feyenoord as they were beginning to look like one of the worst sides in the league.

Ajax packed it in for the rest of the season only getting one point in their final three fixtures. In the meantime, Ajax had managed to make three signings. Irish Under-21 international Robbie Shields and Australian Mark Viduka would be joining from Leeds for a combined £2 million as Leeds entered administration. Also signing was Dean Marney from Spurs for £550k.

Final League Table:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | C | PSV | | 34 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 79 | 14 | +65 | 89 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Ajax | | 34 | 22 | 6 | 6 | 84 | 24 | +60 | 72 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Heerenveen | | 34 | 21 | 7 | 6 | 62 | 25 | +37 | 70 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | NEC | | 34 | 19 | 8 | 7 | 70 | 41 | +29 | 65 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | ADO Den Haag | | 34 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 54 | 46 | +8 | 58 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | AZ | | 34 | 16 | 5 | 13 | 56 | 52 | +4 | 53 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | FC Utrecht | | 34 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 47 | 35 | +12 | 52 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | RBC | | 34 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 56 | 45 | +11 | 51 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | FC Groningen | | 34 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 41 | 46 | -5 | 42 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Vitesse | | 34 | 12 | 5 | 17 | 40 | 59 | -19 | 41 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | FC Twente | | 34 | 11 | 7 | 16 | 36 | 51 | -15 | 40 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Feyenoord | | 34 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 44 | 54 | -10 | 39 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | NAC Breda | | 34 | 10 | 8 | 16 | 37 | 51 | -14 | 38 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Roda JC | | 34 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 29 | 44 | -15 | 37 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | Willem II | | 34 | 7 | 8 | 19 | 39 | 60 | -21 | 29 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | Pl | RKC | | 34 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 34 | 57 | -23 | 27 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | Pl | Volendam | | 34 | 7 | 6 | 21 | 40 | 87 | -47 | 27 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | R | Zwolle | | 34 | 5 | 5 | 24 | 37 | 94 | -57 | 20 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[Emperor J]

Things were beginning to shake up behind the scenes. Almost nobody knew this, but "Max Power" was appointed manager of Ajax by a secret organization known as The Order. The Order felt the need to spread American superiority over the entire world. One facet of their plan was to win over the hearts and minds of people all over Europe. So having an American leading the biggest football club in Amsterdam to glory would accomplish this goal.

In June, The Order developed another plan involving another mysterious managerial appointment. They wanted to make sure that Manchester United were able to succeed. There was a growing American interest in the Red Devils, both emotionally and financially. The latter had to be protected.

Arsenal were selected to have a manager forcefully appointed. It was an obvious choice for The Order. First, Arsenal ended up winning the Champions League with a 2-0 defeat over Dinamo Kiev. Second, they were United's chief rivals for the title. Finally, they had a French manager and some of the best French players. So when "James McDonald" was appointed as Arsenal's new manager, he had two goals in mind. "Relegate the Gunners and make sure they can never get back up to challenge again." was what he was told.

[jgflg]

Admirable goal. It will be interesting to see if you can pull it off before you get the sack.

[Emperor J]

Back in Amsterdam, Mr. Power was trying to put together a side that could take the title from PSV and challenge for glory in Europe. He made three additional signings. José Luís Pereira Ferreira (from now on known as Pereira) signed from Cruzeiro for £900k, Georgi Kakalov joined former teammate Todorov for £1.6 million from Litex, and Mr. Power went all out spending an outrageous £18.25 million for Diego from Santos.

In north London, Arsenal fans were bewildered by what they saw. The wage bill was spiraling out of control. 31 players were made to leave the club, most of them for not much money at all. Thierry Henry continued to pledge his loyalty to the Gunners as he refused to go to Inter for a cut-price of £3.2 million. The squad was also littered with player-coaches. Des Walker was signed on a free transfer and was making £10,250/week in wages.

Arsenal started the season in spectacular fashion. Four goals from Paul Scholes were part of a 7-0 defeat at Old Trafford to start the season. It was going to be a long season at Highbury.

[Guest]

Great, great topic. Keep it up Max Power!

[Raptor]

Personally I'd prefer you to try and get A**x relegated, but I guess Arsenal will do

[Emperor J]

September 2004

London

The next month at Highbury continued to test the patience of the supporters. Arsenal took part in seven matches and came away with a decent record...for a team trying to avoid relegation. Everton came to visit for the second round of Premiership matches. Tomasz Radzinski opened the scoring, but his strike was answered by Lucas Radebe for Arsenal. James McFadden gave Everton all three points in a 2-1 victory.

Next up was a trip to St. Andrews to take on Birmingham. Arsenal brought with them to this match three loan signings from Ajax. Matthew Upson opened the scoring by slotting one past Stuart Taylor. Unfortunately, Birmingham had bought Taylor for £800k from Arsenal. Clinton Morrison equalised within two minutes. In the 71st minute, however, Paulinho got the winner for the Gunners and they had their first three points of the campaign.

The momentum carried on as Arsenal were able to defeat Stuttgart in Monaco for the European Super Cup. At this point the Champions League groups were drawn. In Group C, Arsenal would be taking on Schalke 04, Porto, and none other than Ajax. The rest of the month turned sour for the Gunners. Defeats to Wolves, Millwall, and Middlesbrough had them sitting 19th. A 4-0 capitulation to Schalke had morale at an astounding low.

Amsterdam

Ajax got their season off to a flyer. They opened with a 2-0 victory over Wisla Krakow and followed that up with a 4-1 win in Utrecht. Then came a bit of history at the Amsterdam Arena as AZ Alkmaar visited. Brazilian international Diego opened the scoring with two goals in the first six minutes. Barry Opdem quickly pulled one back, but it was probably the worst thing they could have done. Ajax attacked with extreme prejudice for the remainder of the match.

Diego restored the two goal advantage on 16 minutes completing his hat-trick. Pie-eating Australian Mark Viduka added two goals making it 5-1 after 24 minutes. Diego grabbed a fourth 13 minutes later and AZ found themselves down 6-1 at the break. After half time, Ajax were effectively shutdown for nearly 15 minutes. Viduka ended up completing his hat-trick on the hour mark. Anatoli Todorov got onto the scoresheet six minutes later, quickly followed by Diego's fifth from midfield. Georgi Kakalov came on for Viduka and added two of his own to finish off an 11-1 victory.

A 4-0 victory against Groningen was next, and Ajax held off a Wisla fightback to advance to the Champions League group phase on away goals after a 4-2 defeat. Heerenveen put up an impressive performance, but came away with no points in a 2-0 defeat in Amsterdam. Newly promoted Helmond fell 8-1 at De Braak. In the Champions League, Ajax started off well with a 2-1 victory over Porto. The month ended with a 3-0 win over NAC Breda.

English Premiership

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | | Liverpool | | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 4 | +7 | 16 |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Wolves | | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 7 | +5 | 15 |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Middlesbrough | | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 14 |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Blackburn | | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 4 | +9 | 13 |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Man Utd | | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 7 | +12 | 12 |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Newcastle | | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 11 |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Leeds | | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 11 |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Millwall | | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 8 | -1 | 8 |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Tottenham | | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 9 | +2 | 7 |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Chelsea | | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 7 |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Southampton | | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 9 | +1 | 7 |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Birmingham | | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 6 |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Everton | | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 7 | -4 | 6 |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Aston Villa | | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 10 | -4 | 5 |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | W.B.A. | | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 11 | -6 | 5 |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | Man City | | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 7 | -4 | 4 |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | Coventry | | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 12 | -6 | 4 |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | | Leicester | | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 11 | -7 | 4 |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19th | | Arsenal | | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 18 | -13 | 3 |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20th | | Charlton | | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 14 | -8 | 2 |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

Dutch Eredivisie

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | | Ajax | | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 3 | +29 | 18 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | PSV | | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 4 | +15 | 15 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | NEC | | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 3 | +13 | 15 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Feyenoord | | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 4 | +9 | 15 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Heerenveen | | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 9 | +5 | 12 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Vitesse | | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 14 | +2 | 11 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | ADO Den Haag | | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 9 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | FC Twente | | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 8 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | NAC Breda | | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 11 | -1 | 8 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Willem II | | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 9 | -1 | 7 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Excelsior | | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 13 | -3 | 7 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Roda JC | | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 9 | -1 | 6 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | FC Utrecht | | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 14 | -5 | 6 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Helmond | | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 23 | -14 | 6 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | FC Groningen | | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 15 | -7 | 4 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | AZ | | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 25 | -18 | 4 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | RBC | | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 18 | -12 | 3 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | | Volendam | | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 14 | -12 | 1 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[Emperor J]

September 1894

Washington D.C.

On a warm September afternoon many of America's elites met to discuss the state of the nation. They agreed that two things had to happen. The growing populist movement had to be stopped, and America had to be the dominant political and military force in the world. At this point they decided to form what would later be called The Order.

The Order quickly gained influence on Capitol Hill as they used their vast financial influence to get their way. Their first attempt at world political influence took place in Cuba. Their support of the Cuban insurrection that was eventually ended in 1896 confirmed that political manipulation was easy nearly everywhere. In 1898, they decided that Spain was going to be the first target of America. By intentionally blowing up the Battleship Maine, The Order had really started the Spanish-American War.

After the war, many in Congress got scared and decided that The Order had to be stopped. They did this by breaking up several of the companies that were owned by top members of the organization. The Order then retreated into the background of American political life, although they would still be involved in world affairs.

[Emperor J]

24th January 2005

In north London, James McDonald was finally sacked as manager of Arsenal. With only six points to their name, the Gunners were 17 points from safety. McDonald decided he needed to head back to America.

The Order had other plans for him though. They could not afford to let him live. As soon as his flight arrived in Boston, McDonald was met by two men in identical black suits. They took him out to a car, and McDonald was never seen again.

Meanwhile, Mr. Power's Ajax side which had begun the season so well was beginning to see their lead trim by PSV. In their first meeting of the season at the Philips Stadion, ten man Ajax nearly manage to salvage a point. Arjen Robben got the winner two minutes into injury time to give PSV a crucial 3-2 victory. The beginning of the end did not really come until a late February clash with bitter rivals Feyenoord.

Rafael van der Vaart had been ruled out for the remainder of the season after suffering a groin injury in Ajax's 5-2 aggregate victory over Chelsea in the second round of the Champions League. England Under-21 international Dean Marney was also ruled out for this encounter. Their was only one goal scored on this afternoon as Argentinian international César Carignano scored on ten minutes for Feyenoord to silence the home crowd.

Ajax's form went downhill from their as they would only win two of their last seven league matches and get knocked out of the Champions League by Milan. So it was another trophyless season in Amsterdam, while PSV pulled off the double by beating Cambuur in the Dutch Cup final.

[Emperor J]

I know it has been a while since I updated, but I've kept this game going.

Summer 2005

Mr. Power was clueless on ways to topple the PSV empire. Ajax was not quite a glamour club, so he could not effectively use the monetary assistance available to him through The Order. Larger clubs were beginning to show some interest in the players, in particular Rafael van der Vaart. The mass sale began with Jelle Van Damme's £1.7 million move to Newcastle in early June.

In July, John O'Brien was sold to Barcelona for £7 million. Youssouf Hersi was sold to Lyon for half of that amount five days later. Then at the end of the month, Wesley Sneijder was sold for £8.75 million to Bayer Leverkusen and #2 Dutch prodigy van der Vaart was sold to Barcelona for £17 million.

The squad may have seen weakened, but Mr. Power was optimistic about his chances.

"I believe we have what it takes to take the title this season. If [Anatoli] Todorov and [Mark] Viduka can score goals this season, we are definite title contenders."

You have made £35 million from transfers in the close season, yet you have only spent £510K in players purchased. Do you really think that any of these players can have an impact?

"My policy has always been to buy for the future. I must say that I have been pleasantly surprised by Nayef Al-Kherboush. He does not look out of his element in training with the first team."

Your first match of the season is against PSV in the Super Cup. Do you have any expectations for the match?

"PSV are always a tough side to play against. I think we stand a chance as this match will not be as intense as our two league matches this season."

So what about the allegations that there was a secret organization behind your appointment as manager?

"Where did you pull that question from? One of those conspiracy theory websites? Look, I was clearly qualified to take on this job. It isn't like I have taken Ajax from an elite club into a perennial struggler. These accusations aren't being seen at Feyenoord, and they can't even get into Europe now."

It seemed like a strange question to be asked at a pre-season press conference, but it was the beginning of something in the press. It would take a while, however, because the American media does not try very hard.

[Emperor J]

PSV and Ajax would once again be fighting to lift the championship trophy come the end of the season. Mr. Power's third season at the Amsterdam Arena began with a convincing 2-0 victory over PSV in the Dutch Super Cup. That was followed by a 4-3 victory in Belgrade three days later over Red Star.

Compared to PSV, Ajax's league campaign lacked consistency. PSV were off to a brilliant start led by their prodigy Arjen Robben. His tally of 22 goals in all competitions played a large role in PSV's run to the last eight of the Champions League. He became more valuable when he suffered a season ending shoulder injury in late Match.

Ajax were certainly not lacking in squad depth this season with 28 players making at least ten appearances. Mark Viduka continued to struggle to find the net. He fell out with Mr. Power after his repeated outbursts through the media every time he was dropped. Anatoli Todorov and Diego continued to keep Ajax within touching distance of PSV with 62 goals between them.

The second league fixture between the two was symbolic of the season as a whole. John de Jong opened the scoring after five minutes as he easily slotted past Venezuelan international Gustavo Cortina. The first hour was dominated by PSV, but they could not add to their lead and they would be punished for it when Wilfred Bouma was sent off in the 58th minute. In a potential preview of next season, Brazilian Under-21 international Éderson showed his brilliance with an overhead volley to equalise. Todorov's winner in stoppage time gave Ajax a deserved victory and cut PSV's lead to two points at the top.

Ajax would only drop three points for the remainder of the campaign, a stunning 2-0 loss to Vitesse. PSV would drop seven points during the run-in and the fatal blow was struck with a draw against Helmond, who were relegated this season. Ajax claimed their first title under Mr. Power by two points.

Next: Mr. Power is off to Germany to watch some World Cup action. His exploits during the past season attract the interest of the European press and football associations. Can he deal with the pressure of it all?

[Emperor J]

5th June 2006 - Munich

Mr. Power arrived in Germany two days prior the first match he would attend at the Allianz Arena. As he walked to his hotel, he remembered what he was told by the higher-ups at The Order.

31st May 2006 - Somewhere in eastern Montana

Mr. Power entered a dark room and a light shined on him.

What are you doing in Amsterdam?

MP: I'm managing Ajax, just like you wanted me too.

We know that, but how are you doing with regards to conquering Europe.

MP: I can't say I know. How the hell do you expect me to do that with a football team?

A soccer team, Max. A soccer team. You know what we are all about. We have to spread our conservative doctrine all around the world.

MP: What does that have to do with my job?

We are becoming concerned by some of your actions. We think that you may hold some centrist or even liberal views on certain issues. You may have been affected by your time in Amsterdam.

MP: I'm just doing my job.

We need some assurance of your loyalty. We need you to eliminate someone who has given us problems in the past. The target is in the envelope that one of our assistance will hand you. You have one month.

The lights turned on and there was no sign anyone other than himself had been in the room. He exited the room and was handed an envelope.

7th June 2006 - Allianz-Arena, Munich

Mr. Power was on hand to watch Sweden take on Bulgaria in the second match of the tournament. It had taken him a week to get over the fact that he had to assassinate another manager. Arsene Wenger wasn't killed when he had the audacity to win the title, but this guy had to be the first.

He was here to watch some football and he got what he wanted. Osasuna striker Alexander Farnerud got things rolling with a tenth minute chip over Levski Sofia goalkeeper Dimitar Ivankov to open the scoring for Sweden. Mr. Power's young starlet Anatoli Todorov would not stand by and watch Bulgaria be defeated. His Maradona-esque goal in first half injury time amazed everyone in attendance.

Todorov was at it again in the second half. On the hour mark, he curled one in from the edge of the area past Magnus Hedman. Sweden found an equaliser with five minutes remaining when former Ajax striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic took advantage of a careless clearance from Ivankov and slotted it home into the empty net.

Mr. Power next headed to Dortmund where the United States would take on Japan, and also where he would eliminate his target.

[Emperor J]

11th June 2006 - Westfalenstadion, Dortmund

Mr. Power had arranged for his target to die on this night, he wouldn't be doing the deed himself, however. He was thinking about what would happen when he was approached by FA chief executive Mark Palios.

You're Max Power are you not?

MP: Yeah, I was just here to watch our overoptimistic supporters leave Germany disappointed.

You don't rate the USA very highly then?

MP: Of course not, football isn't our great strength. You guys haven't looked that great recently.

We probably made a bit of a mistake sacking Eriksson. McClaren hasn't done as well as we thought he would. If he doesn't get us to the semi final we are going to sack him too.

MP: So you're going to have an opening then.

Most likely. We might have to go the foreign route again, and I must say that we were considering you as a candidate.

MP: An American, as manager of England, I'm sure your press will run with that.

We are completely serious. If you have some time after the match we can meet with some people who want to talk to you.

Just then the referee blew his whistle to end the match, but that was not the only sound to be heard. A man was lying on the steps with what appeared to be a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Then, a man wearing an Everton shirt ran at Mr. Power before he was shot and killed by police officers. Mr. Power knew that he had done his job because Liverpool would now need to hire a new manager.-

[Emperor J]

22nd June 2006 - Köln

Mr. Power knew that a victory for Brazil against England meant that he would become England manager in two weeks time. Steve McClaren was not handling the situation very well at the same time. He didn't realize that the FA had already turned its back on him, however. Meanwhile, Gary McAllister had been appointed as Liverpool's new manager and it would take the squad surprisingly little time to get over the assassination.

With his own club, Mr. Power had so far only signed Ryan Molefe from Jomo Cosmos and Kasper Schmeichel from Manchester City on free transfers. He believed that this coming season would be one that would offer no trouble in the league. PSV had lost many of its stars, but as long as they still held onto Arjen Robben they were still a threat. At the same time, NEC Nijmegen signed Emile Mbamba on a free and he would prove to be a revelation this season carrying the club to new heights.

McClaren still had an opportunity to hold onto his second job and was aided by a David Prutton goal ten minutes in. Zé Maria converted a penalty with two minutes remaining to send the game into extra time. Just eighty seconds into it, Emile Heskey restored England's advantage with a well timed header. History repeated itself when Ronaldinho scored on a weak free kick five minutes later when it went over Chris Kirkland's head. The match went to penalties, and England could not convert any of their penalties and went out to Brazil for the second consecutive World Cup.

[Emperor J]

As Mr. Power expected, the Dutch league was not much of a challenge. Ajax's dominance was shown when they beat bitter rivals Feyenoord 7-0 at De Kuip with one month remaining in the league to clinch the title. PSV struggled for large periods of time this season, but managed to hold on to second position and a Champions League spot on goals scored over NEC. Mr. Power's story this season focuses on two fronts, his job as England manager and the European campaign. We begin with the former.

9th September 2006 - Euro 2008 Qualifier

England v. Romania

Wembley, London

The two favorites to go through to Euro 2008 were paired to play on the first matchday. Mr. Power kept some of the old guard for England while at the same time introducing new talent.

Starting XI:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

England (4-1-3-2) Romania (3-5-2)

GK Chris Kirkland (Liverpool) GK Bogdan Lobont (Willem II)

DR Glen Johnson (Chelsea) DC Matei Mirel Rãdoi (Lazio)

DL Matthew Upson (Birmingham) DC Marius Baciu (Lille)

DC Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United) DC Cristian Chivu (Roma)

DC John Terry (Chelsea) MR Alin Stoica (Valladolid)

DMC Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) ML Rãzvan Rat (Shakhtar)

MR Dean Marney (Ajax) MC Paul Constantin Codrea (Napoli)

ML Kevin McLeod (Ajax) MC Bogdan Aurelian Patrascu (Lecce)

MC Paul Scholes (Barcelona) MC Florin Cernat (Dinamo Kiev)

FC Michael Owen (Liverpool) FC Adrian Mutu (Chelsea)

FC Jermain Defoe (Celta) FC Marius Niculae (Sporting Lisbon)

</pre>

There was not much activity in this match until the 12th minute. Ferdinand played a ball to Gerrard on the edge of the area, but he curled it just over. Gerrard missed four minutes later after a superb 1-2 with Upson. Fifteen minutes later, Gerrard found Johnson who fired in a hard shot which was caught by former Ajax goalkeeper Lobont.

In the 40th minute, Romania had a chance on goal, but it was not well taken as Cernat fired it well over the bar from distance. Gerrard again wasted another opportunity firing well into the stands on the volley after a McLeod cross. In injury time, Scholes had a half volley fire back off the crossbar before the referee blew for half time.

In the 56th minute, England got another opportunity with a free kick from 23 yards out, but Scholes hooked it left. Ten minutes later, Gerrard had a blistering shot saved by Lobont in stunning fashion. With 75 minutes on the clock, Joe Cole was introduced for Scholes, but Cole only had a peripheral role. After the substitution, Marney attempted to run in from midfield to score, but his shot blazed over the bar from fifteen yards. England supporters had to settle for a 0-0 draw in Mr. Power's first game in charge.

England 0

Romania 0

Attendance: 89989

[Emperor J]

11th September 2006 - Chorzow, Poland

Mr. Power was busy preparing the England squad for their second match of Euro 2008 qualifiers. Some disturbing events were taking place back in America, however. It was the five-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks, an event that resurrected The Order after a ten year disappearance from the underground political world.

Mr. Power received a call on his mobile phone from one of the top brass this night.

MP: What do you want?

We would like to know why you decided to take on the job as England manager?

Mr. Power thought of an acceptable answer.

MP: I think that winning Euro 2008 will prove to these liberal fools that Americans are superior in everything they could possibly think of.

We find your reasoning acceptable. This had better not take your attention off of your real job.

They hung up and Mr. Power went back to his previous work. He had a plan that would finally end the wretched hold The Order had on power over the world. However, Houllier's death would be far from the only one to occur for the sake stopping them. He had heard of a plan The Order had to start a major war involving a major nuclear power.

13th September 2006 - Euro 2008 Qualifier

Poland v. England

Stadion Slaski, Chorzow

Mr. Power made two changes to the team that drew against Romania four days earlier at Wembley. Poland manager Piotr Kaczorowski made wholesale changes to his side after a 2-2 draw against Kazahkstan.

Starting XI:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

Poland (4-4-2) England (4-1-3-2)

GK Jerzy Dudek (West Bromwich Albion) GK Chris Kirkland (Liverpool)

DR Krzysztof Ratajczyk (Unattached) DR Glen Johnson (Chelsea)

DL Michal Zewlakow (Anderlecht) DL Matthew Upson (Birmingham City)

DC Tomasz Klos (Unattached) DC Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United)

DC Tomasz Kos (Nürnberg) DC John Terry (Chelsea)

MR Maciej Zurawski (Wisla Krakow) DMC Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

ML Kamil Kosowski (Wisla Krakow) MR Dean Marney (Ajax)

MC Mariusz Kukielka (Cottbus) ML Kevin McLeod (Ajax)

MC Marcin Burkhardt (Amica Wronki) MC Paul Scholes (Barcelona)

FC Miroslaw Spizak (SC Freiburg) FC James Beattie (Southampton)

FC Artur Wichniarek (Hertha BSC Berlin) FC Francis Jeffers (Betis)

</pre>

Poland had the first opportunity on goal in the 11th minute. Kosowski chipped a ball into the penalty area for Wichniarek, but the Hertha Berlin striker blasted it over. England would take advantage of their first chance on goal. Kos took out the legs of Beattie in the six-yard box, and gave the referee no choice but to award a penalty. McLeod took it and placed it in the bottom left corner to give England its first lead under their American manager. It was also the first international goal for the former Q.P.R. winger. McLeod had an opportunity to double the advantage, but his shot from an acute angle went into the side netting. In the 35th minute, Jeffers limped off after an unpunished tackle by Burkhardt. Wayne Rooney took his place and the match resumed. Four minutes before halftime, Kos' freekick connected with the head of Spizak, but it hit the post and went out for a goal kick. With halftime looming, Gerrard attempted a volley from 25 yards out only to see it go into the stands behind the goal.

The second half began with an early England chance. Marney's cross floated over Dudek and went to Rooney, but he headed it over the open net. In the 56th minute, a chance presented itself for Poland. Spizak managed to beat the offside trap and only had Kirkland to beat, but he shot it into the side netting. In the 67th minute, Scholes attempted a speculative effort but yet another shot went over for England.

That marked the end of Scholes' day as he was substituted for Joe Cole. Cole's first touch of the match resulted in a corner for England. His blistering shot was narrowly tipped over by Dudek, but the corner was cleared by Poland. In the 78th minute, Rooney lofted a pass to McLeod, whose overhead kick struck the post and was cleared by Poland's defence. With ten minutes to go, Marney played an excellent through ball to Beattie, but he shot wide. England put Poland to rest in the 84th minute. McLeod found Rooney on the break, who curled it past Dudek to give England a deserved 2-0 victory.

Poland 0

England 2 (McLeod pen 13; Rooney 84)

Attendance: 39897

[Emperor J]

23rd October 2006 - Donetsk, Ukraine

The whole world was going to change in two days, and only a select few knew what would happen. Mr. Power was one of these people, but he could not go to the media because he had to wait a while longer to bring The Order down.

The Order had conceived a plan that would cause panic among the American people and hopefully trigger a positive response to the Bush administration, now halfway through his second term. The economic recovery that had triggered his unlikely reelection quickly disappeared, but as a lame duck president it did not matter to Bush what happened now. The Order wanted to keep the Republicans in power and needed to use the fears of the American public to aid them in their goal. Control of both houses of Congress were likely to be lost if nothing happened.

24th October 2006 - Champions League Group E

Shakhtar v. Ajax

Central stadium Shakhtar, Donetsk

Mr. Power had a job to do, win in Europe. Mr. Power liked the trips to eastern Europe that always accompanied being in the Champions League. It gave him time away from all of the tension that came with having to defeat nearly every team in the Dutch league. He was still hearing the complaints after the team bottled it at Excelsior, when they conceded three goals in the final ten minutes to only take one point.

Starting XI:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

Shakhtar (4-5-1) Ajax (4-1-3-2)

GK Stipe Pletikosa GK Kim Young-Kwang

DR Vitaliy Seleznyov DR Hatem Trabelsi

DL Daniel Florea DL Jason Di Tullio

DC Predrag Pazin DC Nigel de Jong

DC Sergiy Popov DC Nayef Al-Kherboush

MR Andriy Vorobey DMC Rodolfo Soares

ML Rãzvan Rat MR Dean Marney

MC Zvonimir Vukic ML Kevin McLeod

MC Darijo Srna MC Éderson

MC Anatoliy Tymoschuk FC Anatoli Todorov

FC Gennadiy Zubov FC Silvio González

</pre>

An amazing display of attacking football was about to take place, but since it was in the Ukraine many outside of the country would see the match. With two minutes on the clock, Shakhtar were the first team to get an opportunity on goal. With very little space, Srna's attempt to curl one in from 25 yards was stopped by South Korea international Kim Young-Kwang. The rebound was quickly cleared by Di Tullio. Three minutes later Vukic's volley from the corner of the area was tipped over for the first corner of the match. Nigel de Jong headed the corner out, leaving Shakhtar frustrated at having wasted a corner. In the ninth minute, another Shakhtar corner set the stage for an Ajax counter. Éderson took the ball from Srna and began the attack that was finished by a Todorov goal from a González cross.

One minute later, Ajax was at it again. Todorov intercepted a pass from the kickoff, and dribble into the penalty area nearly unopposed. He calmly passed it to Éderson who easily finished to give Ajax a 2-0 lead after only 10 minutes.

Ajax continued to press for goals. They would not be content with a two goal lead. González managed to get an open run on goal, but his shot was saved in fine fashion by Pletikosa. Florea had an opportunity to bring Shakhtar back on the quarter hour mark. His shot through traffic was punched away by Kim Young-Kwang. In the 27th minute, they finally got that goal. Tymoschuk easily turned Di Tullio and sent in a low cross that Vukic got to and reduced the Ajax lead to a single goal.

Shakhtar's flaws at the back were further exposed nine minutes later. Vukic shot in from 30 yards, but it was parried by Kim Young-Kwang. The ball was cleared by de Jong to an open Éderson. He ran into the penalty area and only had to round the goalkeeper to make it 3-1. In the 40th minute, Éderson completed his hat-trick. González calmly found the Brazilian Under-21 international, but his shot was saved by Pletikosa. He could not hold onto the shot, and it turned out to be a fatal mistake and Shakhtar found themselves down 4-1.

Shakhtar would try to maintain that scoreline going into halftime, but they were unsuccessful in that goal. González was in the thick of the action once again as his cross from the left was volleyed in by England international Dean Marney. The scoreline was an incredible 5-1 at the halftime whistle.

The second half lacked the excitement of the first. In the 77th minute, Vorobey crossed in from the left and the opportunity was buried on the half volley by substitute Sergiy Zakarlyuka. It was a mere consolation for Shakhtar. The scoring was still not finished in this one-sided destruction. In the 80th minute, a Todorov header took a strange bounce off of Tymoschuk and went in the goal. It was still credited to Todorov for his second of the match.

Shakhtar 2 (Vukic 27; Zakarlyuka 77)

Ajax 6 (Todorov 9, 80; Éderson 10, 36, 40; Marney 45)

Attendance: 31621

[Emperor J]

25th October 2006 0100 GMT - China

It is a late start for two men transporting a weapon of death through the mountains. One of the men, Tony Fullerton, was having second thoughts about this whole plan. He remembered a phone call he received earlier in the day from a man simply known as John Smith.

2 hours earlier

TF: You want me to do what?!

JS: You heard me! Launch that missile at Taipei, then get the hell out of there!

TF: But...this is going to kill millions of people.

JS: Do you want to see your family again? Go with the plan and you will see them.

He looked back up at the missile; a Soviet era nuclear weapon, and realized that he had to do it. Of course this could start a war in which millions could lose their lives, but he selfishly wanted to see his family again.

30 minutes later - Amsterdam

Mr. Power had just returned from the match in the Ukraine, when he saw what looked like a major disaster on television. At that moment, he realized that the plan had begun. While he knew that there was still more death to come, all he could do is watch. At that moment, his phone began to ring.

MP: Power here.

JS: I'm sure you realize what is going on.

MP: I sure as hell do know what is happening. You just blew up a major city. You are going to get a silly war started just so you can keep the Republicans in power.

JS: Just take this as a warning. If you betray us, expect the same punishment for your beloved Holland.

8:10 a.m. CST - Crawford, Texas

President Bush had broken from his normal sleep schedule to talk with his national security advisors during the night. The Chinese government had denied involvement in the nuclear strike against Taiwan, but most people here were skeptical. The missile was clearly launched inside of China, and terrorist organizations clearly weren't in the business of launching nuclear missiles.

A few hours earlier, the Chinese government held a press conference that accused the Bush administration of being intent on war. Now, the administration was going to ask for calm from everyone before determining what happened. However, a speech scheduled at 9:00 was going to have a different theme.

8:40 a.m. CST - Chicago

It was another busy morning commute into Chicago. People had heard about the nuclear attack, but really did not care. It was simply too far away to matter. On the Dan Ryan Expressway, a fuel tanker sits quietly.

15 minutes later

A man exits the truck slowly and walks to the edge of the overpass as traffic is still slow as always during this time of the day. He looks up at the sky and sees a news helicopter hovering overhead. He then proceeds to jump off of the overpass, and pushes a button that detonates the contents of the tanker.

1510 GMT - Amsterdam

Mr. Power catches his second grim news report of the day as he is ready to leave training. Reports were coming in that it was not a conventional bomb that exploded in Chicago, but it was a biological weapons attack. The city was no being closed off from the rest of the world by the military. The press also managed to get a hold of the tape from the helicopter. Mr. Power jumped out of his seat. "James McDonald! I can't believe they kept him alive to do this!"

1525 GMT - Crawford, Texas

The President began his speech by saying the attack on Chicago amounted to a declaration of war by the Chinese government, and they were going to pay. The American public had not actually seen the helicopter footage, and the administration was going to do everything possible to prevent them from ever seeing it.

[Emperor J]

8th November 2006 - Amsterdam

It was the day after midterm elections in the U.S., and Mr. Power knew the grim consequences of it all. The Republican party now had a level of power unseen since the 1820s. The football had to go on and Ajax was entertaining Shakhtar again on this cold night in Amsterdam.

Champions League Matchday 4 - Group E

Ajax v. Shakhtar

Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

W D L GF GA Pts

Juventus 3 0 0 5 0 9

Ajax 2 0 1 10 4 6

-----------------------------------

Barcelona 1 0 2 5 8 3

Shakhtar 0 0 3 4 12 0

</pre>

It was already looking good for Ajax as they should have been able to leave with at least a three point cushion before hosting Juventus in two weeks time. Meanwhile, Shakhtar were struggling and probably just looking to get a place in the UEFA Cup Third Round draw.

Starting XI:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

Ajax (4-1-3-2) Shakhtar (4-5-1)

GK Kim Young-Kwang GK Stipe Pletikosa

DR Hatem Trabelsi DR Anatoliy Tymoschuk ©

DL Jason Di Tullio DL Daniel Florea

DC Nigel de Jong © DC Predrag Pazin

DC Nayef Al-Kherboush DC Andriy Baklanov

DMC Rodolfo Soares MR Gennadiy Zubov

MR Dean Marney ML Andriy Vorobey

ML Kevin McLeod MC Zvonimir Vukic

MC Éderson MC Darijo Srna

FC Anatoli Todorov MC Sergiy Popov

FC Silvio González FC Olexiy Belik

</pre>

Shakhtar got the scoring started early, and perhaps angered Ajax in the process. Zubov went down in the penalty area after a crunching tackle from Al-Kherboush, which saw the Libyan receive a yellow card. Baklanov sent Kim Young-Kwang the wrong direction and the Ukrainian side had a 1-0 lead after only six minutes.

Ajax had their first goal scoring opporunity on fourteen minutes. Éderson ran on to a Todorov header and slotted home, but the Brazilian was ruled offside. On 38 minutes, he had another opportunity as he slipped through the offside trap, but he fired inches wide.

Five minutes later, things started coming together for Ajax. Todorov tackled the ball away from Pazin and the young Bulgarian international quickly had Ajax back on level terms. Halftime might have come too quickly for the Dutch champions as they were controlling play, but the scoreline did not reflect this.

Shakhtar came out attacking to start the second half. Ten minutes after the break they had an opportunity to retake the lead. A header from Vukic had the goalkeeper beaten, but he put it off of the cross bar and it was cleared.

Four minutes later, Ajax had a chance to go in front for the first time. Al-Kherboush's header was stopped by Pletikosa, but the rebound fell to McLeod. However, the Shakhtar goalkeeper made another stunning save.

On 64 minutes, Ajax finally took the lead. González took a brilliant through ball from Di Tullio and put it past Pletikosa on his strong side. Seven minutes later, Éderson finally got on the scoresheet. The Brazilian rounded the goalkeeper and finished quite easily. Within four minutes, he added a second when he buried a Marney cross that was misplayed badly by Pletikosa.

Frustration boiled over for Shakhtar in the 86th minute when Pazin was sent off for kicking out at Ajax substitute Guti. Ajax continued to press for goals after that, and they finally got one in injury time. Todorov finished with a volley from seven yards to give Ajax a 5-1 victory.

Ajax 5 (Todorov 43, 90; González 64; Éderson 71, 75)

Shakhtar 1 (Baklanov pen 6; Pazin s/o 86)

Attendance: 51305

[Emperor J]

I'm jumping ahead a bit, as I'm trying to catch up to where my game actually is.

8th May 2007 - Amsterdam

This had been one crazy season so far, and it was far from over. Mr. Power had clinched the league 16 days ago with an unlikely 7-0 win at De Kuip over Feyenoord. The side was about to face their hardest challenge yet tomorrow. A trip to Turin to face Juventus in the Champions League Semi Final Second Leg was beckoning.

Meanwhile, war was still continuing in the Far East. In early December, the U.S. began moving forces to Okinawa in preparation for an invasion. The invasion began on the New Year, and American forces were making very little progress although the casualty count on the Chinese side was astoundingly high.

Mr. Power wasn't worrying about that though. Other than the Japanese being forced to join in the war, there were no other nations involved. The important thing was to see who they would potentially in the final.

The other semi final was being played at the site of the final; Olympico in Rome. Roma were playing host to Bayern Munich, and Thierry Henry was having a terrible night for the Bundesliga giants. He finally came through at the death with a goal to force extra time. Roma prevailed on penalties to book a home encounter in the final.

9th May 2007 - Champions League Semi Final Leg 2

Juventus v. Ajax

Stadio Delle Alpi, Torino

Ajax lead 2-1 on aggregate

Starting XI:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

Juventus (4-4-2) Ajax (4-1-3-2)

GK Gianluigi Buffon GK Maarten Stekelenburg

DR Anthony Réveillère DR Hatem Trabelsi

DL Mark Iuliano DL José Julián de la Cuesta

DC Igor Tudor DC Nayef Al-Kherboush

DC Nicola Legrottaglie DC Nigel de Jong

MR Matteo Brighi DMC Rodolfo Soares

ML Manuele Blasi MR Dean Marney

MC Alessio Tacchinardi ML Kevin McLeod ©

MC Edgar Davids MC Éderson

FC Fabrizio Miccoli FC Tim Janssen

FC David Trezeguet© FC Anatoli Todorov

</pre>

Ajax got the match started in fine fashion. Éderson took a pass from Todorov and lobbed Buffon to give Ajax the lead and a vital away goal on thirteen minutes.

Within fifty seconds, Juventus pulled one back. Tacchinardi played a 35 yard pass to Miccoli, who slotted home past Stekelenburg. Four minutes later, they nearly leveled the score on aggregate. Miccoli again had the opportunity, but he merely forced an incredible save from Stekelenburg.

In the 24th minute, Éderson nearly put Juventus on the ropes. Another attempted lob hit the crossbar and stayed out. The match clearly had a distinct ebb and flow to it.

On the half hour mark, Tacchinardi blazing shot was stopped and held by Stekelenburg. The Dutch goalkeeper came through again five minutes later. Brighi dribbled his way through the Ajax defence, but his shot was parried over. The following corner ended in tragedy for Juventus as they were beaten on the counter. Janssen took the clearance and his cross was put into the roof of the net by Todorov. Ajax now led 4-2 on aggregate and had the away goals advantage.

The wheels fell off the wagon for Juventus two minutes before the break. They were beaten on another counter by the brilliance of Éderson. Another lob over Buffon gave him two for the match and a seemingly insurmountable lead in the tie.

The capitulation continued quickly after the break. Juventus' kamikaze tactics to begin the half were clearly at fault for the goal. Éderson received the ball from a clearance at the halfway line and the only challenge to completing his hat-trick was rounding Buffon to make it 4-1.

Buffon kept his cool as best he could in the 53rd minute, as he made three saves in quick succession from Éderson and Todorov. However, he and his defence made one last error. Éderson was able to take the ball at midfield and lob Buffon for the third time without any real pressure from the defence.

Ajax had booked a spot in the final in Rome, and looked to lift the trophy for the first time in 12 years.

Juventus 1 (Miccoli 14)

Ajax 5 (Éderson 13, 43, 47, 58; Todorov 36)

Attendance: 43387

Ajax win 7-2 on aggregate

[Emperor J]

7th December 2007 - Yokohama, Japan

"December 7th, 1941 - a day which will live in infamy."

It was now 66 years since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that led to that speech before Congress. It had also been one year since the war with China began. Only the Japanese had been drawn into this war, as nearly every other power had thought the war was silly American expansionism. Fighting continued in the country, and it was pretty much at a stalemate.

For Mr. Power, none of this really mattered. He had qualified England easily for Euro 2008, and looked forward to the challenge in Austria and Switzerland. He was here on his first trip to Japan on business. He had managed to shock everyone by beating Ajax to win the Champions League 2-1 on the silver goal rule. That was a really boring match that featured five minutes of real quality football.

Inter-Continental Cup

San Lorenzo v. Ajax

Yokohama International

Starting XI:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

San Lorenzo (4-4-2) Ajax (4-1-3-2)

GK Sebastián Saja © GK Kasper Schmeichel

DR Héctor Medrano DR Goran Vukcevic

DL Gustavo Ludueña DL Jason Di Tullio

DC Martín Vera DC Nayef Al-Kherboush

DC Javier Delgado DC José Julián de la Cuesta

MR Jorge Ruiz DMC Nigel de Jong ©

ML Walter Romero MR Dean Marney

MC Cristian Guzmán ML Kevin McLeod

MC Darío Barrera MC Éderson

FC Pablo Gómez FC Georgi Kakalov

FC Franco Alonso FC Anatoli Todorov

</pre>

The match started and Ajax were already in front after just thirteen seconds. Todorov's thrilling run through the defence set up a goal from an unmarked Todorov. Ajax nearly doubled their advantage ten minutes later, but a close range header was stopped by Argentina goalkeeper Saja. However, his defence let him down shortly after. A McLeod corner was headed home from a shamefully unmarked Marney, and the England internationals had doubled the advantage.

In the 15th minute, the barrage continued. Éderson's crisp shot was saved by an outstretched Saja, and the defence was there to clear the rebound. Play settled down after that incident, and the spectators quickly grew tired of the lack of attacking football being shown by the South American champions.

The second half saw more domination from the Dutch champions. A hard shot from Kakalov was easily held by Saja on 59 minutes. Four minutes later, Todorov missed an absolute sitter. He set himself up perfectly for the one-on-one against Saja, but his shot beat both the goalkeeper and the net by several yards. In injury time, Éderson finally got on the scoresheet with a curling effort from the edge of the penalty area.

San Lorenzo 0

Ajax 3 (Kakalov 1; Marney 13; Éderson 90)

Attendance: 72359