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The /sp/ Football Club is a simulated professional football team representing the Sports 4chan board, who celebrate their first cup title in the 2012 4chan Summer Cup, and are the reigning champions after winning the 2013 4chan Winter Cup.
Founded in August 2011, /sp/ is one of the Original Sixteen teams to participate in the first 4chan Cup. The club's home is the Transatlantic Semen Pipeline Stadium.
The club's popularity among the proud posters of the /sp/ board has made them susceptible to negative press. Accusations of rigging lead to the Match Fixing Scandal in early January 2011, as well as general shit posting on other boards in the event /sp/ wins or loses a match.
/sp/ has a long-standing rivalry with /k/ and /a/, and eventually with any other board that knocks them out of a competition. Other classic derby matches include those against /fit/ and /v/. Like many of the other teams in the 4chan Cup, /sp/'s players were designed from memes, image macros and sports figures made famous by the board. The club's unofficial anthem is "1 Goat on the Shirt".
History
With the advent of the 4chan Cup, /sp/ became one of the original starting sixteen teams that participated in the inaugural 4chan 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. They are hoping to hold on to the title 5ever.
/sp/ has maintained a 1st Ranking since the end of the 2012 Winter Cup. Their only other ranking was 3rd, received at the end of the 2011 Summer Cup.
BORIS BORIS BORIS PLAY THIS IF USA USA USA SCORES PLEASE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R5A0pg4oN8
4chan 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 and losing the subsequent match against /a/, whom eventually won the Cup against /ck/. The loss was difficult for the club, which then went on to formulate a rivalry with /a/. They ended the 2011 Summer Cup with a Ranking of 3 out of 16.
The aftermath of the 2011 Summer Cup left /sp/ dreaming big 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. After this cup, the /k/ and /sp/ rivalry became the most heated of any of the teams in the Cup.
Despite 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 though with only one goal in each match. With the best record of the group, they and /d/ went on to the eliminations and group members /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 accorded with many of /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 semi final 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
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.
Dragongate: /sp/'s side of the story
See the Dragongate page for the full story. Loli had finally found all the proof he needed to reveal Kageyama (/cm/'s manager) was Dragonfag. This led to a seemingly never-ending witch hunt where it was quickly found out that Torres McIlroy was, in fact, Dragonfag. After /sp/'s two trophies were deemed safe at first, they would both be revoked for a bit by Gracen, which naturally led to a very negative reaction from numerous /sp/ fans. Not just at Gracen and the anons at /vg/'s 4chan cup threads, but also at Loli for setting off the hunt that revealed Dragonfag's involvement with /sp/. Loli would be sacked as a result of a seemingly increasing number of people thinking he should have kept quiet about his findings.
Gracen notably asked /sp/ what should be done about the trophies while also stating that "/vg/ is being retarded at the moment." It was then decided that /sp/ could keep the 2013 Winter Cup trophy. There were some discussions about /sp/ launching their own cup and a tournament named The Decision, which would be used to determine /sp/'s manager. However, Loli was later brought back to manage the team at the request of fans, putting The Decision on hold. Still, the damage has been done to /sp/'s fanbase, and soon enough, other boards would be allowed to have their own cup threads, making /sp/'s threads notably less active.
Colors and Mascot
/sp/ is maroon, orange, black and white.
Maroon: R173 G17 B12
Orange: R200 G85 B5
For the first 4chan World Cup, /sp/ wore an all white kit with a simplistic green logo. Before the 2012 Winter Cup the team wore blue but eventually settled on the current iconic maroon and orange home kit, based on real world Italian divegrass team AS Roma. For away matches, /sp/ wears solid black kit with orange details. To continue the theme that the club's number one goalkeeper is DA BEARS, the uniform for the goalkeeper is a near representation of the uniform of the handegg team, the Chicago Bears.
The mascot of the club is Paul the Goat (named after the legendary Paul the Octopus), who has gained worldwide fame for his alleged psychic powers. When presented with two boxes containing goat food decorated with the club crest of the two teams who are about to play in a game, Paul has successfully picked the winning team 100% of the time from 25 attempts.
Two logos have been used to represent /sp/ Football Club. While one is the official logo and the other pointless, both are alright to use when depicting the /sp/ Club.
| Image | Description |
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The famous logo of /sp/ Fooball Club and currently the most widely used, it depicts Paul the Goat standing proud on an image of a Spartan soldier. The nickname of the club is the /sp/artans, which is the reason for the Spartan on the logo. The star under the Spartan is a representation of /sp/'s first cup victory in the 4chan summer cup. Football came home that night. |
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The lesser used logo. Paul the Goat is given orange colored horns and a shawl with the /sp/ name on it. While a lesser used logo, it is quite a classic among die-hard fans of the club. |
Roster
- Main article: /sp/ Roster
Updated February 2014
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Tactics
Managers
Originally, /sp/ was managed by two Italianons from February to May, but they gave up upon realizing /m/2stronk. What was followed was two men and a frenchman battling it out for /sp/ manager - Hartnell Down, Frenchie and Torres McIlroy
All three managers came out with strong tactics. Hartnell Down came up with a i.imgur.com/Q1q9v.png 3-3-2-2, Frenchie had a i.imgur.com/476rN.png 3-2-3-2 and Torres had a i.imgur.com/t4Fzu.png 4-1-2-3. Hartnell was the first to drop out of the race after a tie with /fit/ and a 2-0 loss to /b/, while Frenchie vanished after his trip was cracked (he was later found out to have disappeared to manage his other board). that left Torres McIlroy the manager of /sp/ for the upcoming Summer Cup
During the match between /sp/ and /d/ in the group stage of the 2012 Summer Cup, Torres McIlroy became the first manager of a simulated football club to be fired when Haigure scored the second goal for /d/ in the 43rd minute, just two minutes after George Costanza scored a 1-1 equalizing goal. Though fired by the /sp/ fans, he was still given permission to play out the remainder of the match, during which the /sp/ club pulled out a miraculous 4-3 victory. It was then that Torres McIlroy was then quickly reinstated as manager of the /sp/ Football Club and has since lead the team to swiftly win the Group.
On June 21st 2012, Torres McIlroy employed a bold strategy in a Quarter-Final game against /k/ despite seeing both star players Messi and Costanza have low conditioning. This brave strategy of >ALL OUT ATTACK paid dividends with /sp/ trashing /k/ in all areas of play and waving their flag all the way to a 2-0 win. (Messi + Costanza). /k/ did not even get a single shot on goal during the match.
Torres McIlroy bowed out in true style, after successfully leading /sp/ to a 2nd 4chan Cup, (the only manager to successfully defend a trophy) and finishing with a 12-1-0 record in official games. Torres issued his resignation during his victory speech, and has passed the reigns to Loli. He was later found out to be Dragonfag, and in hindsight, there were obvious clues: On the youtube video of /sp/'s final match against /int/, Torres was said to not have a Skype and that it didn't work, and both trophies were sent to Loli instead of Torres.
Loli, who was affectionately referred to as "The Pixy", had seen some shit during Dragongate, but that was only the beginning of his time as /sp/'s sole manager. He started off on the right foot, getting /sp/'s first friendly win against none other than /a/. After this, /sp/ fell to its usual friendly form, but the real trouble began during the Summer Cup. /sp/ started off with a 3-3 draw against /jp/ where /sp/ lost the lead twice, both times in just seconds after putting themselves ahead. As if this wasn't enough drama, /sp/ would later lose 2-0 against /m/, breaking /sp/'s undefeated streak in cup matches.
/sp/'s fans were furious and disappointed. For the first time, /sp/ was facing relegation. However, thanks to /m/ beating /jp/ 4-2, /sp/ had a big opportunity to survive. With USA USA USA and Lelbron's goals against /g/, some heroic goalkeeping and >ProActive AI, /sp/ found a way and the fans celebrated with Loli. Unfortunately, /sp/'s bodies were not ready for /v/ in the round of 16. With a pale performance, /sp/ lost 2-1 to /v/, meaning that /sp/ not only got eliminated by a rival, but also had their worst finish in cup history under Loli. /sp/ showed no mercy this time and sacked him. The poor cup performance was blamed on Loli's attempt to height abuse with Lelbron and Messi no longer being a striker.
For now, The Dong is the interim manager so that /sp/ can participate in friendlies. There are plans to hold The Decision, but a host has not been found yet.
Supporters
/sp/ is known to have some of the most passionate fans in the game. Due to this passion, /sp/artans are often seen as whiners by other boards, especially in the wake of the 2012 SC Bracket Scandal. Due to this, /sp/ was the winner of the Worst Fans Award in that cup. However, /sp/ does boast some of the most supportive fans in all of 4chan, participating in the most watched game of the 2012 4chan Summer Cup. After claiming victory in this cup, /sp/ was flooded with celebratory "MESSIMESSIMESSI" and "THANK YOU BASED TORRES" posts.
PES 2013 In-game Chants
- USA USA USA
- I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN
- MESSI, MESSI, MESSI
- FIGHT AND WIN
Old Chants and Themes
- 1 Goat on the Shirt (To the tune of "3 Lions on the Shirt")
- 10 /a/ Weeaboos in the Air (To the tune of "10 German Bombers")
Rivalries
Board Rivalries
/a/ (The Derby of /sp/art/a/)
The biggest derby in the game. A battle between GOATs of /sp/orts and the Men of /a/nime to see who is the greater champion. There is a lot of history between these teams, and it's not all pretty, beginning in the 2011 4chan Cup Semi Finals, a moment /a/ refers to as Yamakan saving Anime while /sp/ often refers to it as BasedChoke. The 2 teams did not meet in an official match since 2011 until the 2013 Spring Babby Cup friendlies. Both teams have won Summer cups by this time, and the feud was reignited with /sp/ winning a friendly for the first time ever against /a/. The two teams have also met in a one time Basketball tournament in which /a/ won a hotly contested best of three in the third game.
/tg/ (The Brothers Derby/The BOARDer War)
/sp/ and /tg/ are neighbors and bros 4 lyfe, so sparks fly whenever they meet on the pitch (but they all meet up after the game to go for pizza).
/v/ (The e-sports Derby)
/sp/ and /v/ are intense rivals in a feud that is essentially the alphas vs. the weeaboo gaming nerds, and this rivalry was only made worse after /sp/ sent /v/ to the Loser's Bracket in 2011. /v/ is also jealous of /sp/'s endless creativity and epic maymays, as well as their ability to handle the banter.
/fit/ (The Alpha Derby)
The most alpha boards in 4chan, /sp/ has superior tactics due to watching sports all day, while /fit/ is the most talented and conditioned thanks to playing sports all day. /sp/ only leaves their couch twice a year to watch this match against their true rival.
Team Rivalries
The rivalry began after /sp/ eliminated /toy/ twice from the Knockouts, first time in the 2012 Summer Cup Semi-Finals and the second time in the 2013 Winter Cup finals. Due to both /toy/ and /sp/ arguably being the best two teams within the 4chan Cup, /toy/'s desire to dethrone the current dominance of /sp/ has quickly grown.
A rivalry born during the 2012 Winter Cup, when /k/ humiliated /sp/ in friendlies and then defeated the /sp/artans in the final; another chapter of the rivalry was written in the 2012 Summer Cup when /sp/ met /k/ in a quarterfinal and dispatched them with relative impunity.
Results
- Main article: /sp/ Match History
| Competition | Win-Loss-Tie | End result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| All friendlies | 2-5-6 | >implying friendlies count | |
| 2011 4chan Summer Cup | 3-2-0 | Third Place | Double elimination bracket |
| 2012 4chan Winter Cup | 5-2-0 | Runner up | Double elimination bracket |
| 2012 4chan Summer Cup | 6-0-0 | Champions | Title vacated due to Dragongate |
| 0-0-0 | Nullified | Record after 2nd correction. Previously, all wins were changed to losses. | |
| 2013 4chan Winter Cup | 6-0-0 | Champions | One match striken, due to Dragongate. |
| 2013 4chan Summer Cup | 1-2-1 | Ro16 | >tfw almost relegated |
Stadium
/sp/'s current home is the Transatlantic Semen Pipeline Stadium, named in remembrance of Murrika's selfless donations to impoverished Yurop. Plans for the stadium's re-construction in PES 2014 have been submitted.
Trivia
- Of the three teams to win the 4chan cup, /sp/ is the only one to win with a perfect record of 6-0-0 (/a/ finished 8-0-1 and /k/ finished 5-0-1).
- /sp/ became the first board to have a sticky thread for a 4chan Cup event during the 2012 Winter Cup.
Honors
Official Honors
2011 4chan Summer Cup: 3rd place
2012 4chan Winter Cup: Runner-up
- We also won summer 2012, fuk da h8ers hashtag outlels, Torres McIlroy did nothin wrong
2013 4chan Winter Cup: Champions
Invitationals
- Trip Cup: 4th place
- Cup Finalists Cup: 3rd place
Vacated Honours
- 2012 4chan Summer Cup: Champions
Video Gallery
- Greatest Comeback Of All Time - Witness the greatest comeback of all time brought to you by George Costanza.
- 2012 Summer Cup Promo
- 2012 Summer Cup: /sp/ vs /toy/
- 2012 Summer Cup: /sp/ vs /int/ and /ro11/
- 2013 Winter Cup Promo
- 2013 Summer Cup: Promo for /sp/ vs /g/
- 2013 Summer Cup: Round of 16 Promo
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