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Hamland national football team

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Hamland Hamland
Logo of the Hamland national football team
Association HFA
FMF member 2007–17
Confederation EMUFA
Most caps Rodney MacLeod
Top scorer Benjamin Craig
Home stadium Avidion Stadium
FMF code HAM
First FMF intermicronational
Hamland Hamland 0–3 Riponia Riponia
Biggest win
Hamland Hamland 7–0 Uantir Uantir
Incontinentia Incontinentia 0–7 Hamland Hamland
Biggest defeat
Hamland Hamland 1–5 Alexandria Alexandria
FMF World Cup
Appearances 9 (first in 2008)
Best result Winners
EMU Championships
Appearances 6 (first in 2007)
Best result Winners

The Hamland national football team was the football team which most recently represented the micronation of Hamland, and previously represented the United Commonwealth constituent nation of the same name. It was a member of the EMUFA and was run by the HFA.

The team was seen as one of the strongest national sides on Micras, qualifying for every FMF World Cup it entered, winning it in both 2013 and 2015, and also winning the 2012 EMU Championships.

History

The team was founded in mid-2007 after Hamland's Micrasian claim was successful. Later in the year, Hamland competed in the first EMU Championships, where they finished fourth in their seven-team group with nine points. In late 2007, Hamland became a founding constituent nation of the United Commonwealth and retained its FMF membership.

The team competed in its first World Cup qualifiers the following year, prior to which Hamland regained its independence, where they convincingly topped their six-team group after winning all ten of their matches. In the finals, the team advanced from their group despite losing their opening game 4–1 to Bobalania before losing to eventual winners Craitland 3–0 in the quarter-finals.

In 2009's qualifiers, the team finished second in their group to Interland by a point after losing only one game. In doing so, the team advanced to the play-offs, where they met Hammish territory Ségon, who they beat 2–0 on aggregate to secure qualification. The team were less successful in the 2009 FMF World Cup, however, as they finished third in their group with three draws to their name.

Hamland successfully bid to host the 2010 FMF World Cup, meaning that the team was exempt from competing in the tournament's qualifying rounds. The team advanced from their finals group with four points, before beating Batavia 5–3 in the quarter-finals. After a convincing win over Monovia in the semis, the team lost to Craitland in a tightly-contested final in New Kirriemuir.

The 2011 World Cup qualifiers saw the team win their group with relative ease, losing only one match after qualification had already been secured. The team also advanced to compete in the year's EMU Championships, where they won their group but were comfortably beaten by Craitland in the finals. The team's World Cup finals campaign was less successful. Despite advancing from a tough group with five points and beating neighbours Passas 4–2 in the quarter-finals, they were again beaten narrowly by eventual winners Craitland before sealing third place against Interland with a 2–1 victory.

The team again had another successful qualifying campaign in 2012, winning their group with 19 points and qualifying for the finals and EMU 2012. In the World Cup, the team dominated their group, finishing top with three wins, before beating Batavia 2–1 in extra time in the quarter-finals. After losing 1–0 to eventual champions Tellia in the semi-finals, the team beat hosts Antica a convincing 5–0 in the third-place play-off. In EMU 2012, the team's success continued, topping their group on goal difference and beating Craitland in the semi-final before winning the final on penalties against hosts Mercury.

In 2013's qualifying rounds, the team narrowly topped their group with 13 points, qualifying for the World Cup on goal difference and EMU 2013 as holders. Following qualifying, the team competed in the first Nations' Cup, which they won unbeaten with seven points. In EMU 2013, the team topped their group with six points, before heavily beating Nova English Korea in the semi-finals, but lost the final 1–0 to hosts Interland. In the World Cup, the team topped their group comfortably with nine points and no goals conceded, before seeing-off co-hosts Zandarijn 2–0 in the quarter-finals. Following a victory over Alexandria in the semi-finals, Hamland beat Mercury 1–0 in the final to secure their first ever World Cup title.

As reigning champions, the team qualified automatically for the 2014 FMF World Cup, but still participated in the year's qualifiers, where they topped their group on goal difference with twelve points to reach EMU 2014, where they finished in third by beating hosts Nova England after losing on penalties to Mercury in the semi-finals. In the World Cup, the team unconvincingly advanced from their group in second with five points before narrowly beating Alexandria and Craitland both 1–0 to reach the final. For a second year running, they faced Mercury but, after drawing 1–1 after extra time, lost on penalties to become the first team to finish second on two occasions.

In the following year's qualifiers, the team dominated their group, winning all of their matches, to finish top with thirty points and reach the finals. While Hamland were not initially as dominant in their finals group; drawing their opening three games, they advanced from the group in third place with six points to reach the play-off round, where they defeated Senya on penalties after a 2–2 draw. The team then narrowly beat hosts Craitland and then Passas in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively, before winning 2–0 against Tellia in the final to become only the second team ever to win the FMF World Cup on more than one occasion.

In 2016, Hamland successfully bid to host the year's EMU Championships, qualifying automatically as a result, and instead competed in the inaugural FMF Confederations Cup, where they topped their group with 13 points before losing to Gerenia and beating Calbion to place third. In the EMU Championships, the team failed to make the most of home advantage and surprisingly finished third in their group with four points to be eliminated.

As holders of the trophy, Hamland received automatic qualification to the 2017 FMF World Cup finals, where they advanced from their group in third place with six points before being beaten 3–2 in the play-off round by eventual champions Tellia after extra time; the first time the team had failed to reach the last four since 2009. Soon afterwards, Hamland was annexed by Caputia and left Micras.

Chronological competitive participation

Honours

Flag

Hamland used the following flags during its FMF affiliation:

2007 2007–10 2010–17
Hamland
Hamland
Hamland

See also