- For Playoff seeding when teams are tied, the ranking goes first by most wins, then head-to-head, then goal differential and then finally fewest goals allowed. With four teams in play for the remaining three spots every game this week will have an impact on the final standings which will make for an exciting night. Here are the match-ups and the potential impacts:
- 8pm - Ikhlas vs Ihsan: We already know that Ikhlas is done and Ihsan is currently clinging to the final playoff spot. If Ihsan wins they are in for sure, a tie and they are waiting until the 10pm game as if Sabr wins they would claim fourth (more wins)
- 9pm - Shukr vs Haya: We know that Haya is locked into first place, Shukr is tied for second with Emaan and a win or even a tie will guarantee a playoff spot. A loss and they are hoping for an Ihsan or Sabr loss to advance.
- 10pm - Sabr vs Emaan: Sabr is currently in fifth and only a win gets them as a tie combined with an Ihsan loss would still see Sabr out as Ihsan swept the season series and owns the head-to-head tie breaker. Emaan is in the unbelievable position (considering the talent in their lineup) of needing a point to clinch; having just lost to Sabr last week the pressure is on Emaan now.
- Ikhlas is out but can play spoiler in this last week of the season as they look to disrupt Ihsan and their playoff push. Ikhlas came out of the draft with the best goalie in Ibad Khan and a lot of great pieces to work with but things went sideways after being demolished in their first game by Emaan (aka Cambridge 2) and followed that up with another lopsided loss to Sabr. With a rough start and numerous player absences along the way Ikhlas never really got going and some off years from key players hurt - their top three draft picks combined for a goal and an assist over the first nine games.
- Ihsan got a big 6-1 win last week over Ikhlas until you notice that they played against an empty net all game. Kudos to Ikhlas for trying to keep it close and the various players that tried to cover the net. Rayhan Taqiuddin was observed blocking a few shots and surely takes solace in that he shut down longtime friend Nadeem Qureshi who did not pick up a point in the game. Ahmad Hathout however put up a four-point night to take over the scoring leader from Waqar Khan of Emaan.
- Last week Shukr did what they do best - tie games. Haya came in with just three subs and after Luqman Arshad had a redirected shot hit him in the face, Haya was down to just two players on the bench for about 10 minutes while Arshad got patched up. With the numerical advantage, Shukr was still unable to break Haya as Yusuf Kapoor made some big saves and Shukr managed to waste other opportunities with wide shots or turnovers deep in the offensive zone.
- The Emaan vs Sabr game had a scary moment when Umair Ashraf collided with a Sabr player and as he didn’t see his opponent had the wind knocked out of him. After receiving some medical attention and a massage from Kashif Taqiuddin he was helped to his bench and received a round of applause. He was able to finish the game in a limited capacity and Emaan will need him at full strength for the regular season finale.
- Sabr was in trouble a week ago, needing some help to give them a chance to make the playoffs, a week later they control their own fate as a win over Emaan in the last game of the season will get them in. Emaan took an early lead and seemed poised to hold on and end Sabr’s season but then Zaid Toorawa took over. Sure he got into a shouting match with teammate Mustafa Alam over an errant pass but Toorawa stepped up to score the go ahead goal for Sabr and then sealed the win with an empty netter from inside the defensive zone. There were conflicting reports on his reaction after the goal as initially it was said he was calm but later reports suggested he turned to his teammates and stated “That’s why they got me here! That’s what I do!”
- Many observers (including Emaan themselves) were shocked to discover that the team not only had yet to clinch a playoff spot but was in real danger of missing the playoffs entirely. Winless in their last three games and now the team is feeling the pressure.
- Sabr was able to exploit the spacing of Emaan’s defensive set-up as they frequently had Atif Mian running slants through the neutral zone and with his speed he was able to create multiple offensive opportunities for his team.
- Back to Toorawa, Emaan Captain Waqar Khan noted that Toorawa plays the role of pest well and provided a game changing performance. Toorawa has come a long way from the media circus he created around himself last season with this debacle.
