/sp/ History

With the advent of the 4chan Cup,  /sp/ became one of the original starting sixteen teams that participated in the inaugural Cup, the 2011 4chan Summer Cup. Being the club representing the Sports board, much has always been expected of the team, and yet despite consistently high rankings since the club's formation, /sp/ did not win a title until the 2012 4chan Summer Cup.

First Cup Cycle

The club began the 2011 Summer Cup with great play throughout the first three rounds, losing to /ck/ in the semifinals and dropping to the losers bracket, then losing the subsequent match against /a/, whom eventually went on to win the Cup against /ck/. The loss was difficult for the club, and was the starting point for the rivalry with /a/. /sp/ ended the 2011 Summer Cup at the 3rd place out of 16, which was also their position in the initial rankings.

The aftermath of the 2011 Summer Cup left /sp/ dreaming bigger for the following Winter Cup in 2012. Despite mixed fortunes in the Leddy friendlies, /sp/ started well in the tournament with two convincing victories against cup newcomers /jp/ and rivals /fit/. Making a statement with a 4-0 win against /ck/ in the semifinals, the /sp/ team was determined to make a stand in the winner's bracket finals against a dangerous /k/ team. However someone forgot to tell /k/, and they went on to defeat /sp/ 2-1 despite /sp/ going ahead from an incredible Teboq freekick. This dropped /sp/ to the losers bracket against /ck/ once more, and once again /sp/ handed the club another 4-0 loss, bringing a /k/ and /sp/ match-up for the finals of the Winter Cup. Urgently knowing they needed two wins, /sp/ gave /k/ a crushing defeat of 3-0, one of the goals being a fantastic blooter from George Costanza. /sp/ made the worst start imaginable in the final game, conceding the then fastest goal in 4chan Cup history. Messi managed to equalise not long after, but a goal from Ruger 9MM before half time gave /k/ the lead once more. At half time the /sp/ AI manager made a fatal decision and substituted star player Costanza for Jagsguy. /sp/ were weakened and unable to break down /k/'s strong defense. The final ended 2-1 and once again /sp/ were robbed of glory with /k/ winning the first Winter Cup. Regardless of the loss, /sp/ was given a ranking of 1st among 20 teams due to their overall performances in the first two cups. After this cup, the /k/ and /sp/ rivalry became the most heated of any of the teams in the Cup.

During the return of Germanbro and the creation of the Babby Cup, /sp/ entered a dark age during the offseason. Not until late Spring and early Summer 2012 did the /sp/ fanbase finally emerge from its cocoon and many new threads were made. During this time /sp/ went through three managerial candidates. After getting a taste of Hartnell Down and Frenchie, /sp/ finally settled on the inexperienced yet trustworthy Torres McIlroy.

2012 4chan Summer Cup

With the start of the 2012 Summer Cup, /sp/ made an effort to gather a larger fan-base than it had previously. Hype for the 2012 Summer Cup produced the largest viewing audience, particularly during the matches that /sp/ played in. /sp/ was sent to Group E and would compete against /b/, /o/ and /d/. With /sp/ being the clear favorite to win the group, they were a target of RIGGED by other competitors.

The club's opening match against /d/ has been recognized as the most sensational match of the tournament and is widely considered to have throttled the 4chan Cup into the public eye. Replays of the match, dubbed /sp/ Finds A Way, can be seen on YouTube and many images of the final goal are posted by /sp/ faithful.

After the opening match, /sp/ went on to defeat /o/ and /b/ easily despite what the 1-0 scorelines might suggest. With the best record of the group, they and /d/ went on to the eliminations and /o/ and /b/ were relegated to the future Babby Cup.

According to the first Knockout Draw, /sp/, despite their perfect record in group play, would be forced to play a preliminary round, against /m/, another group winner. In the wake of this, a number of /sp/ supporters demanded a reconsideration of the draw, allowing the best four group winners to have byes. The next day, tournament organizer GermanBro released a new draw, which went along with /sp/'s requests. However, the incident has earned /sp/ a reputation as "whiners" and further accusations of attempted rigging.

The /sp/ fans showed up in their masses for the /sp/ vs /k/ Quarter-Final. A fixture that has plagued the memory of /sp/artans for months. This time, /sp/ gained the upper hand with a 2-0 domination of /k/, restricting them to not a single shot on target during the entire match.

With a third consecutive semifinal already confirmed for /sp/, hopes were high that /sp/ could finally topple their cup woes. What stood in their way was /toy/, who undefeated in the cup thus far had proven a tough foe on their path to the semi finals. The match started well for /sp/ who took an early lead before a /toy/ equaliser was matched by Tim Teboq moments after, silencing critics. After a very close and hard fought second half, /sp/ prevailed 2-1, making their second cup finals.

The finals had /sp/ meeting a fearsome /int/ side who had defeated past champions /k/, babby cup fourth (/d/), third (/sci/) and winners (/m/) on their path to the finals. Despite poor condition from both sides, the game was once again controlled by /sp/, creating a 2-0 scoreline in less than 10 minutes before relaxing for the final 80, winning with a comfortable 4-0 scoreline securing their first ever cup.

2013 4chan Winter Cup

The 2nd 4chan Winter Cup saw /sp/ hoping to defend its title as champion. With GOAT manager Torres Mcllroy announcing he would be retiring after the Cup, all /sp/artans hoped to send their beloved manager out in style. As the top ranked team, /sp/ was placed in Pot 1 along with /m/, /k/, /int/, /tv/, /tg/, /toy/, and /ck/. Germanbro drew the GOATs into Group F besides /x/, /r9k/ and the lowest ranked team of the tournament, /cm/. The group was deemed EASY and many /sp/artans began discussing possible knockout opponents.

In the group stage, /sp/ managers Torres and Loli unveiled their master tactical plan, a stifling defensive presence anchored by bronze CB and team captain Lelbron. As accusations of anti-football and bus parking flew from m8s who couldn't handle the banter, the GOATs blew /r9k/ and /x/ the fuck out 2-1 and 1-0, respectively in their first two games. Surprisingly, /cm/ also won both of their first two matches leading to a showdown with /sp/, with the winner taking the group. Both teams having secured their way into the knockouts, viewers hoping for an exhibition of beautiful football were instead treated to comedy gold the day of the final match. /cm/ sat all their medal players for half the match while Torres and Loli played Da Bears (a keeper) at the striker position after normal striker MESSI was suspended from the match for accumulating two yellow cards in the previous two group games. Many lels were had, and the RIGGED match ended in a 0-0 draw. With this result /cm/ won the group by goal differential and the first cries for #TORRESOUT began.

The first knockout saw a rematch of the previous Summer Cup final: /sp/ vs. /int/. This time, however, /int/ had a manager: the "white" commentator Pato. Despite Pato's best efforts, /sp/ dispatched of the other flag board 2-0 via goals by MESSI and Costanza.

The Quarter-Final brought on the Cup surprise of /adv/, who had bested a tough /v/ side in the knockouts. /adv/ had become famous for thrashing /m/ 6-1 in the final group game for the notoriously difficult Group H thereby relegating both /mlp/ and /m/ to the Babbies. Led by gold AMF 5 Inch Dick, /adv/ fought a tough fight before bowing out 3-1 to the GOATs. The cinderella story was over.

/sp/ faced fan-favorite /pol/ in the Semi-Finals. Players like Stormfront, Doompaul and Hitler were known worldwide for their acumen, and /pol/ manager Cozmo was famed for his cuhrayzee formations and tactics. Since both Cozmo and /sp/ manager Torres had declared their intentions to retire after the Cup, there was an added edge to this game with neither manager ready to step down so close to their goal. When Germanbro revealed the conditioning for the match, an audible gasp could be heard amongst /sp/artans: silver AMF Torres had been struck with the dreaded purple condition. Operating at nearly the level of a regular 66 rated player, Torres was visibly slow and prone to spaghetti. The first half was entirely scoreless, /pol/'s blitzkrieg being stifled by /sp/'s superior defense and /sp/'s attacks falling apart with a poorly conditioned Torres. At the half, /sp/artans demanded Torres be subbed out for a better conditioned player but manager Torres Mcllroy defiantly held his ground. His namesake stayed in the game. #TORRESOUT gained even more traction. After much gnashing of teeth, play resumed. 24 more minutes of scoreless play continued until Torres, he of purple condition and subject of much public consternation, knocked one in at the 69' minute. TORRES TORRES TORRES TORRES TORRES flooded the board and Torres Mcllroy smiled softly to himself in Ireland, his patience rewarded. MESSI tacked on another goal, and /sp/ was through to their second straight Final, 2-0.

The GOATs faced the offensive juggernaut of /toy/ in the Cup Final. /toy/ players Woody and Madoka Titus were both in contention for the Golden Boot, and /toy/'s keeper Ham Hands was being discussed as the best keeper in the tournament. /toy/ also had a brilliant manager in Tinker/toy/ and the support of the majority of Cup viewers. Cup fans were not appreciative of /sp/'s defensive prowess and tiki taka play, nor were they eager to see the GOATs repeat as Cup champions. There was even some mild dissension in the /sp/artan ranks as some /sp/artans were bored with Torres' and Loli's tactics and openly wished for "more entertaining play." Thankfully, the #TORRESOUT faction was significantly outnumbered by those quick to remind these Benedict Arnolds that Torres had yet to lose an official match. There were no conditioning screwjobs in the Final, although /sp/ did have the advantage with an orange MESSI vs. a blue Woody. The match started with a quick blootah goal from MESSI on a breakaway at the 18' mark. Tinker/toy/ made a couple minor tactical changes which led to a pair of Woody goals, one from a set-piece and the other a tap-in, putting /toy/ ahead 2-1 at the half. Things looked grim for /sp/ coming out of halftime with few offensive chances and a couple spectacular saves having to be made by Cornball. But lo and behold, in their time of need, /sp/'s savior answered the call: Torres equalized the game with a solo effort and curling finish at the 57' mark. And he wasn't done. Reinvigorated by chants of TORRES TORRES TORRES TORRES TORRES TORRES TORRES, Torres scored the winning goal off a pass from MESSI, a deflection taking it past a bamboozled Ham Hands and into the history books. Although the last 10 minutes of the match consisted entirely of one long heart attack for /sp/artans as /toy/ took shot after shot on goal, /sp/ closed out the game 3-2 to become the first team to win the 4chan Cup back to back.

After the championship celebration, Ken read aloud a speech from retiring manager Torres Mcllroy. It was a bittersweet moment for all /sp/artans, especially when revealed that btw, Torres had been a girl all along. It was also revealed that all post-group stage tactics had been developed drunk, cementing Torres as a master ruseman.

Match Fixing Scandal

The statement issued by BasedNickLeddy.

During the first friendlies of the 4chan Cup teams, allegations of stat alterations and general RIGGING of two /sp/ club players rose due to an unusually higher performance. Initially, there was little done to quell the rumors until BasedNickLeddy looked into the situation after a /sp/ v. /ck/ match. On January 7th, he issued a statement that he lowered the ability of the two players in question, LMF Tony Reali and Goalkeeper DA BEARS, to a lower setting than the original.

Since then, /sp/ has been the target of many other claims of rigging, though all of these allegations were seen as being baseless, until the biggest shitstorm in the cup's history came along.

2013 4chan Summer Cup

The third Summer Cup held a bitter taste for /sp/, following the Dragongate scandal and the subsequent removal of the 2012 title. Many fans lost faith in the team, and in the cup altogether, while the rest kept going to the tune of #sackLoli because of his involvement in the whole mess. However, Torres/Dragonfag's former assistant kept the job for this one cup, swearing to try his best.

/sp/ was drawn along with /jp/ for their second cup meeting, underachievers /g/, and, ironically, /m/, a year exactly after the brackets scandal. This was deemed a good opportunity to settle the score between them once and for all. The first game against /jp/ got off to a good start, with Lelbron drawing first blood after only 2 minutes of play, but the NEETs were not to be undone so easily and Get Out of /jp/ quickly equalised only 6 minutes later. /sp/'s iconic striker MESSI got his team back in the lead at the 32nd, only to see /jp/ come back 2 minutes later by an Autism brace. Already the cries of #sackloli and "/sp/, we babby cup now" intensified, and only got worse after /jp/ took the lead for the first time of the game thanks to a second goal from Get Out of /jp/ at the 67th. All was thought to be lost until Lelbron saved /sp/ in the dying minutes of the game, ensuring a point but leaving /sp/ fans worried and frustrated.

The second game was against /m/, who had beat /g/ 1-0 the previous matchday, and finally the opportunity to prove that /sp/ was stronger than the Mechas was here. Things did not go as planned at all, however, and /m/ brushed past /sp/ in an anticlimatic 2-0 win, with goals courtesy of Shin Getter Robo and RX-93 Nu Gundam. /sp/'s offense was toothless, only having one shot on target, and the worry and frustration only grew further. At this point, /sp/'s destiny was out of their hands, needing a win against an already relegated /g/ by two goals as well as a 2-goal margin win from /m/ against /jp/ to be able to avoid the humiliation of relegation. Many /sp/ fans feared /m/ would drop the game and thus condemn them to relegation, but thankfully /jp/'s manager decided to taunt /m/, pushing the ever prideful /m/ council to go for the full 9 points.

The following matchday, /m/ crushed /jp/ 4-2 in the second to last game, ensuring /sp/ had a chance to go through. The game against /g/ went off to a tense start, with many shots fired from both sides. /sp/ fans trembled every time /g/ came close to their goal, knowing that conceding here and there would almost surely relegate /sp/. But at the very end of the first half, America saved the world yet again and many chants of USA USA USA could be heard as the player of the same name opened the score. /sp/ pushed even harder in the second half, which made the fans even warier of a possible /g/ goal, but by the 70th Lelbron pulled through yet again and scored the goal that would send /sp/ to the knockouts. The /g/ team tried everything to drag /sp/ along with them, but in the end couldn't find the opening in /sp/'s less than stellar defense.

/sp/'s first game in the knockout round was against /v/, who notably won against /lit/ 7-0 during the group stages. in front of more than 2500 neckbeards, the game got off to a fast start as Hideo Kojima put the /v/irgins in the lead at the 6th minute mark. The /sp/artans were not to be undone, however, and Lelbron, by now officially the hero of this cup, equalised at the 23rd. In spite of /sp/ dominating both possession and shots, however, /sp/'s body was not ready as Reggie scored the third and last goal of the game in the 62nd minute, ending /sp/'s cup run with a whimper. Loli resigned as manager soon after.